Ji Hyun Woo Confesses to Yoo In Na at the Episode 16 Viewing for Queen In Hyuns Man

OMG whut was that all about!?! Imma going to pretend the completely nonsensical (even within the mythology of the drama) episode 16 of Queen In Hyun’s Man didn’t exist. Episode 15 was all sorts of heartbreaking, but if the payoff is the stupidity of 16, then imma going to pretend both episodes pfft evaporated into thin air. This drama was so intelligently written for so long, having it completely go off the rails in terms of whys-and-hows at the very end is certainly disappointing. On a happier note, Ji Hyun Woo confessed to Yoo In Na at the finale viewing party for QIHM. His exact words were “I wanted to say this in front of fans who love this drama. I like Yoo In Na, and I hope for your blessings.” Apparently it was a surprise to Yoo In Na, and her response was this will need to be discussed privately. Ergh, girlfriend, the correct response was to kiss this adorable boy senseless right then and there. He just turned your real life into an actual K-drama! Gosh, this just tickles me pink with glee.

I suppose the expectations being so high makes for the disappointment to feel even more keen. QIHM was not like Rooftop Prince, where the time-travel happened completely nonsensically and was never discussed again until they magically zapped back in the end. In QIHM, the time-travel mechanism was dissected ad nauseum and used often to enable Boong Do to travel back and forth. The talisman was the key, the life-and-death moment was the trigger. For the writer to suddenly make the CELL PHONE the new talisman was such a WTF slap to thinking fans who appreciated the carefully crafted mythology only to be told anything goes as long as it brings Boong Do back to Hee Jin.

I’m a huge sci-fi and fantasy geek, and I can buy all sorts of explanations for magic and hoodoo and weird doohickeys that conjure up incredible and impossible happenings, as long as it stays consistent within its own explanations. I despise it when the writer creates a mythical structure only to leap outside of it, which ultimately only burst the mythology that was created. Of course the original talisman was magic, but the story tried to explain how and why it worked. To have the magic cell phone become a time-traveling magic trigger made no sense within QIHM because it doesn’t have any of the established reasons for why the original talisman allowed Boong Do to time-travel.  So the cell phone becomes the deux et machina, and oh how I hate that. I sorta feel like I was manipulated for this final two-episode arc, and unnecessarily at that. The drama should have ended at 14. Boong Do and Hee Jin got their catharsis, gave up quite a lot to be with each other, and settled all their affairs to pave the way for their future. The final two episodes now feels like crafting one final separation and reunion for the sake of jerking my feelings around, but in a way that made no sense so I can’t even feel like it was worth it. If the talisman was burned, that should have been it. A new talisman is possible, but not some magical cell phone that apparently has a lifetime supply of battery.

This wasn’t the worst ending ever for a drama, but it was a letdown on an otherwise great story that was enchanting to watch. At least Ji Hyun Woo might get himself a girlfriend out of this, which is all sorts of swoony. After confessing, Ji Hyun Woo admitted that this was really shocking, but said that the PD told him that he wanted Ji Hyun Woo to become more extroverted after shooting this drama. So this was Ji Hyun Woo’s way of being honest and outspoken about his own feelings. So in conclusion before I put this drama to bed – overall drama was excellent, ending sucked donkey balls, Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na need to get married and have perfect perfect babies.


Comments

Ji Hyun Woo Confesses to Yoo In Na at the Episode 16 Viewing for Queen In Hyuns Man — 138 Comments

  1. So it is true! I was waiting for someone reliable, such as yourself Ms. Koala, to confirm this news! YAY! My shipping-heart is so happy 😀 I was rooting for them from the start ;D

  2. Whoops! I was too excited by the title that I didn’t read your comments on it. Well, I certainly hope it’s not a publicity stunt! I’ll be rooting for these two! 🙂

    • Double whoops! Sorry Ms. Koala!! You said no such thing…. I hope! -_- At this point I’m too flustered to think straight! I sincerely apologize, and I sincerely thank you for the news! 🙂

  3. I am so happy right now and so sad at the same time. I thought their chemistry is amazing. They should date because you can’t fake that. But I am worried that his feelings was because of the shooting of the show. Give it a month. If he still feels the same way and she wants too I say they waste no time and get married. lol

  4. about ep 16.. i said it elsewhere but i’ll say it here again:

    “it’s not about them getting back together or not (i wished that sincerely at the end of ep 15) but how the writer did it… I’m seriously questioning who the heck actually wrote the script for ep 16… if it was Song either the writer was friggin high on something, or she’s bipolar (i know this is harsh of me to say this but it just DOESN’T MAKE SENSE) like how did it come to this? did she implode after running out of ideas? because she went too far in terms of pushing the story to realistic tragedy in the previous episode but she loves her characters too much not to bring them back together so she wrote this in desperation without a thought? or did someone kidnap her, write this as though she did, and passed it on to the director?

    Maybe i’m one of the few and maybe what i said would offend some… but a HUGE part of why I LOVED this drama so much was it’s INTELLIGENCE. I loved Boong Do because he was a truly intelligent character that was virtuous and kind (not mean-spirited), made possible by the context of a truly intelligent drama… so for it to end this way, with all logic and sense thrown to the back seat, I’m sorely disappointed (that’s an understatement at the moment)

    I’m really really really mad… in fact I think i just feel utterly heartbroken… snifflesniffle* it’ll take a while for the shock to wear off”

    and for the news? as if the last episode wasn’t enough to make my head spin… so i’ll just sit back and wait first to see how it unfolds =P

    • I think Episode 16 is like the ending dream sequence in Brazil, it’s a fantasy within a fantasy for those of us who must have a happy ending. We just didn’t cut back to Boong Do as he dies hanging.

  5. and i’ll add that i’ll wipe ep 15 and 16 out from my memory (though ep 15 was absolutely amazing)– with that, this will still remain my most favorite drama of this year… otherwise… *image of ROARING dark flame of anger*

  6. OMG! How can she not like him back?! I agree with your version of what she should’ve done. Pretty sure there’s a huge line of fan girls who wouldn’t think twice if he ever said that! Also, I didn’t read the entire thing because it seems like it contains spoilers, and I haven’t yet watched episode 16. Here’s to hoping for a good ending.

    • hmm, am thinking that public confession came out of the blue. Sadly for K-celebs they have to publicly act/behave in accordance to their agencies’ liking.

      For instance, last year HJW was promoting some jewelry brand or something and during promotions (for a movie?) she was wearing a ring on her ring finger. There was a lot of brouhaha if she was in a committed rel’p or not….after that she’s confessed that her agency’s vigilantly monitoring her whereabouts. THIS offends me on so many levels considering she’s an A-lister and is 35 y.o.

      Hence, I try to stay away from K-celeb’s personal lives. It’s just so much simpler.

  7. the actor Ji Hyun Woo, he didn’t confess just out of the blue, did he?
    I feel he will become a monk, if Yoo In Na refuses him

    btw…..LOL……you have been #$%^^ quick to mine my cutie pie Shin *looking at the header*

      • Since I bugged you many times to watch this, I get first dibs, okay?

        I don’t care who he dates in real life because he’s MINE in…. erm… umm… KDramaLand!

      • Wait? Are you talking about Ji Hyun Woo or Shin Won Ho. Cuz oi and I were talking about Shin, but I think you’re trying to MINE JHW. Go right ahead on the latter. I thought my baby boy Shin isn’t your type anyway, heh.

        But isn’t your plate rather full, with boyfriends, yeobos, and husbands? I can’t believe you are bailing on Big, AFTER all the excitement and subbers and Gong Yoo moon-calfing you’ve been doing for months now. Don’t let a little teacher-student romance squick you out. It’s in the body of Gong Yoo! That is no student I’ve ever seen. 😀

      • Did you see him in his band’s new MV? I’m pretty sure it’s a jailbait ad.

      • No no, I don’t want the funny little boy with a squishy face.

        It’s hurtful of you to mention Gong Yoo when you know how I feel about noona high school romances. I’m still clinging to the hope that they’re confusing us on purpose and we’ll find out adult Gong Yoo is the true hero. Otherwise I’ll have to pretend he’s ANOTHER stint in MS along with Lee Min Hot, and my Seukkie. I’d add Oppa to the list except he didn’t even want to go the first time. hahahah

      • Boy with squishy face is all MINE. Just like you can have your yeobo, his face weirds me out.

        Ahh, I’ll make it up to you at a dinner, how about three soju shots as my apology for mentioning your Gong Yoo in your hated teacher-student trope? 😉

    • You just want to get me drunk and take advantage of me…. by stealing all my bfs!!

      Also, as much as I hate PDA and public confessions, I have to admit that this was incredibly sweet. Boong Do confronts death in the form of evil politicians and sword-wielding lackeys for his true love, while the real life actor does the same only he’s fighting nasty media people and a controlling management agency. I imagine the sword is an easier opponent.

  8. I’m happy for both and wish to God this is not a publicity stunt. In my mind, they’re already dating for real and found the screening a perfect way to sort of make it public.

    On another note, I abhor the ending! At the very beginning of EP16. I already felt like this wasn’t the drama I’ve loved. I wanna scream, “Give me back my QIHM, the one that makes sense!” Now I’m wondering did the writer suddenly lost her talisman as well in EP15 that’s why we got a crappy finale with EP16?

    • I hope its not a publicity stunt but you never know. I’m glad they both gave this show their best and I wish them well. I am looking forward to Ji Hyun Woo’s next project. He totally made a crazy fan-girl out of me.

  9. I’m scratching my head and wondering what the hell happen to the last 2 eps. They could have end it at eps 14 and I’d say bravo because that was a more solid ending. I get the talisman and how it was working but a cell-phone ringing in Joseon a year later?. Sigh…..

  10. Omg, the confession only makes me adore jihyun woo even more. I love it and I am super happy for these two. YOU GO JIHYUN!!!!!!!

  11. Squeeeeeeeel!!! i have been giggling nonstop since i read this post and smiling stupidly to myself… i didn’t know how much i worship them together, but now i know so i had to write this comment painstalingly through my phone..
    i didn’t read the rest of the post cuz i was avoiding spoilers for eps 16 and soompi since this morning… anyway thank you for this lovely news 🙂

  12. I totally didn’t care about whether the ending made sense or not. My journey with this drama was all totally about the love. My world is just filled with rainbows and monkeys in suits knowing that the two ended up happily ever after. The kisses at the end perfectly wrap up the love story of the two. I also busted a gut at the sort of epilogue at the end with the third repetitve interogation. Hyun woo and In ah characters are the second this year after the Ahha couple for me to love them as a couple, not just as awesome individuals. I also second the vote for them to have pretty babies together!!

  13. I disagree. I thought the ending was beautiful and made a lot if sense. Although Boong Do used the talisman as a vehicle for his time travel it wasn’t the physical paper that allowed him to travel but Yoon Wol’s loyalty, love and commitment. By burning the talisman he had changed the future again which made Hee Jin forget him. But when he wrote the letter to Hee Jin that was his loyalty, devotion and commitment to Hee Jin, the very source that brought him to her in the first place. He still remembers everything (like Hee Jin did the first time around) so the burning of the talisman only changed the future not what he went through so the remnants of the talisman still existed because he did time travel and it already occurred. The letter to Hee Jin is key. The letter made it into written history thus the essence of his loyalty to Hee Jin was maintained through the years and finally passed onto Hee Jin during the filming. When she read the letter, the talisman essence was resurrected. So when she finally remembers and Boong Do was in the process of giving up his life and dying, she saved him and brought him back to life and to her with the phone call. It was his only link to her. When she remembered the number and dialed it, she dialed a number that didn’t exist because Boong Do never happened to Hee Jin. The number dialed existed only when she was with him previously, dialing a number that didn’t exist pierced the veil of the present with that of the other universe which allowed him to transport to her. To die is to live but their 300 years span love saved them.

    • if that’s what it’s supposed to be, then the writer still did a terrible job explaining that…. tbh

      nothing personal twds you!

    • Honestly I adore your explanation. It felt like such a desperate moment when he was about to die, her heartbreaking cry(which no matter how many times I watch it, brings me to tears) it felt like everything was at a breaking point and I loved how the phone became the talisman. Before Yoon Wol gave him the talisman and once she died the whole thing went down hill. But the cellphone was a “talisman” per say give by Hee Jin. Each woman gave him a talisman, but each worked one at a time i guess. lol.

    • I agree. After YW died I learned that the talisman was just a tool for the “magic” to work but the real magic was YW. It makes a lot sense that the phone became the new tool.

      You are very good. I never could have said it that logical :).

    • I think the frustration lies in the fact that the drama failed to make clear how and why the talisman worked, when it’s done so well with explaining how everything else has happened.

      Your reasoning sounds right, but one question…..
      How exactly did Boong Do get to keep the phone? The show didn’t explain how exactly BD kept the phone, even after he burned the talisman. But Remember when the talisman was first cut? BD’s amnesia and the creation of the alternaverse weren’t the only changes – there was also an effect on Boong Do’s sword. It was returned to the past after the talisman was cut. This clearly indicated that objects that are not from that time must be returned to its original place, just as when the assassin that came after Boong Do in the earlier episodes disappeared after BD killed him off.

      So going by your logic that all the events change after the talisman burns (save Boong Do’s memory), then shouldn’t the phone disappear, just as Boong Do’s sword did? (Cuz without the phone there wouldn’t be a link at all)

      • After reading your post it made me go into a frenzy because I believe in the writer and the intellect behind her choices. So I tried my best to be in her mind and connect all the dots. So here is my painful attempt to break down what I hope was in the writer’s mind and answer your question.

        *deep breath
        The talisman had letters that he had to recite. Cutting one of the letters changed the course of history for the two of them; one forgets and the other loss of memory. But his loss of memory was largely in part due to his injury. It was a momentary shock not an permanent loss of memory where she never existed because the occurrence of the incident didn’t alter anyone else’s fate in the past. YW, the monk, and his sidekick all remember her and they were the one that reminded him of her existence which brought back his memory of her and he once again traveled forward to reunite with her. 

        You’re right, the first time the sword returned to its “original place” because in the alternaverse Hee Jin earned her own money so there was no need for the sword. The assassin returned to the past because he belonged in the past. When the talisman was burned the cell phone couldn’t return to the “original place” because the original place existed only when Hee Jin bought him the cell phone. In the new alternaverse she never bought him one so there was no original place for it to return to but it can’t disappear because it means that BD and HJ never happened and she never gave it to him. BUT it did happen, not in HJ alternaverse but in BD’s Joseon time nonetheless. Bringing it back to when HJ read the letter and then dialed the number that never existed bc she never bought the phone for him but did exist because he has the phone bc she bought it for him. When she called this nonexistent and existed number to a phone that is nonexistent and existed she brought him back.

        *wipes sweat
        I say think of it like a solar eclipse, it’s night but day and day but night.

      • Really good detailed reasoning – this reminds me of all the hypotheses we use to have online after each episode of “LOST” – explanations would go on for days…..

        It’s funny – with the use of cellphones being the link between OTPs and butterfly’s@ comment of a solar eclipse, I immediately thought of the ending of MGIAG!

    • i really like how u analyse in depth of what the writer is trying to tell us.. it’s sad that some people take things at face value and wants everything to be presented like crystal-clear (ugh couldn’t find the right expression). but well, i think that if i’m not invested in this drama, i would certainly complain to.. 😀
      but i do think that the plot will be executed well, ONLY if the writer, no, the drama itself has more time.. =)

    • Let me beg to differ. The talisman was a Buddhist holy charm as written by the Monk. It was meant to protect Boong Do. When it was given to him by Yoon Wol, her wish for it to protect him made it magical. But the talisman itself was not any random object, we’re borrowing Buddhist principles of life, death, reincarnation, and accepting there are magic within that theology which could be tapped into if one has faith. Yoon Wol has faith, we see how religious she is when praying to Buddha for Boong Do. That is why the talisman makes sense as a time travel device, its words of “In death do you live” enchantment becomes real.

      Yoon Wol couldn’t have used her love, loyalty, and commitment and handed Boong Do a magic rock and let it protect him and voila, it helps him time travel. The drama posited the Monk who wrote the talisman had spiritual powers, hence the talisman was no ordinary paper and was able to receive the faith of Yoon Wol and make it alive with magic.

      The cell phone makes no sense in this narrative. Hee Jin’s love for Boong Do – how the hell did that transform a cell phone into a time travel trigger? Yes, it was used between them, but so what? That doesn’t fit into the original narrative about why and how the talisman became a time travel mechanism. Don’t even get me started about the forever battery in the cell phone and how it rang in Joseon. Yes, yes, magic. Yeah right. If the paper talisman started talking and singing and dancing at some point, maybe I would be fine with a magical cell phone that not only suddenly became a time travel trigger AND defied all laws of electricity and signal waves.

      I wish the writer wouldn’t stretch her mythology to such edges that it burst through and then implodes her own story narrative to manufacture a final two episodes worth of angst. She literally shot herself in the foot on this one. Still a lovely drama, but feels like stupidity set in at the end.

      And I don’t buy the argument that the writer needed more time to develop her story. She knew she was getting 16 eps, she can’t fail at the end and then claim she needed more time. That’s like taking an essay test and writing a great paper until the last two paragraphs where you failed to use punctuation and started using run-on sentences. When I dock you points for that, you claim it was because you ran out of time, and if you had enough time it would read perfectly. Well, sorry kiddo, tough noogie. That’s life, deal with it.

      • well koala eonnie, while i appreciate your counterback arguments about the whole thing, please don’t blame the writer for writing such crappy ending (which i speculate would be much better, had the drama runs more episodes). the-ending-would-be-better-had-the-writer-have-more-time argument is merely my naive thought. yes, i’m a kiddo whom arguments are so much crappy that it can’t even worth your rebuttal, and for that, i’m sorry.
        the drama is already ended, let’s remember it as a wonderful ride. =)

      • No, no, my “kiddo” remark for for the writer, not you! I like your argument, because you are right. The writer probably could do better with more episodes. What I was saying was that real life doesn’t give you a pass because of that. We have to assess the drama based on its merits within the constraints of 16 episodes, live shoots, etc.

      • Yeah… if they were to go the whole talisman route, why didn’t Hee-jin go pray at a temple and procure another one to give to Boong-do? Just sayin’. I SO would have thought of that.

        I suppose she bought the cell phone with her LooooooVe, but it so doesn’t count when held against extreme religious faith + selfless love.

      • Well, it could have been worse.
        What if it was a whispering voice that called BD to the present? The same one that drew JH to the top of building so he could find BS in M2F. HA! Much much worse!

      • I agree the forever battery and signal waves were nonsensical. But I didn’t mean that the cell phone was a time trigger or negate the fact that it was a Buddhist talisman. I meant that the essence of
        talisman never completely disappeared. Like you said it’s a blessing from a spiritual monk and a blessing doesnt just end. BD didnt have faith at first when it was just a physical paper given to him by YW, but YW faith carried through for him. But then he gained faith and retained the blessing because the magic of talisman was made specifically for him. It just used a different vehicle now, the cell phone. So what im trying to say is that maybe all it takes is being there at the right place at the right time with the right cell phone and the right provider, maybe just maybe magic can happen. Lol 🙂

      • what wasn’t shown on screen was that at the end of ep15, when BD burned the talisman, the cellphone was also on the table, so the smoke and perhaps some particles from the burning talisman somehow got transferred to the cellphone, making the phone the “new magical tool” carrying the same “original charm” intended for the talisman. 😉

        so in ep 16, actually, the cellphone was off throughout, but its “magical” power, as passed on by the original talisman, made it last for at least 1 more year, up to the time when its “magic” is needed again, that is, when BD dies, he should live again in another world.

        thus, the cellphone being a modern tool also, connected both worlds (the old and modern world), in a new way, like sending some signal to the modern world for the need for a call-back when it’s not on BD’s body, thereby making HJ recall BD’s number, make the phone in the old times ring again, and finally bring BD back to life, to send him to the modern world as soon as he unlocks it to answer the call… 😀

        and so, the director should have just put that “magical smoke” element as scene effects shown as part of the explanation in ep 16, right?

        i guess with an establishment of such “magical smoke transfer” to use a new tool as talisman, ppl wouldn’t be trying to make sense out of the totally disconnected idea of having the specially-made talisman/magical tool (originally the paper) lost forever, and yet its charm somehow got transferred to another form (the cellphone) without due explanation. =)

        “magical smoke” scene effects on the works:
        – ep15 scene with talisman burning on table,
        its “magical smoke” touches/reaches BD’s cellphone,
        making the latter the new “modernized talisman”
        – HJ finally recalls BD, and dials his number due to
        the “magical smoke” coming out from the HJ’s cellphone
        (since it’s the partner of BD’s now-magical cellphone)
        – BD’s cellphone ringing again as the “magical smoke”
        works on its ways to send him to the modern world

        😉

      • I appreciate dramas for their entertainment values and thus, they do not have to be perfectly logical at all times.

        If you are hinging on the failed illogical twist at the end, you might as well pointed out the many illogical plot holes in the story throughout the entire drama.

        Like how the main characters were always alone at the phone booth.., how no one in present time ever saw Boong disappeared in broad daylight. how easy our hero could enter and leave a hospital twice to treat his near-fatal injuries etc..

        So my point is that you should probably sit back enjoy and appreciate the last episode for its entertaining ending and maybe avoiding excessive thinking which will allow you to enjoy the drama for what it is for. If you are looking for more realistic plots, you can easily find it in real life =)

    • I totally thought the same thing. From the beginning, the emphasis was on the human devotion. When the talisman was cut but Heejin retained her memory of Boongdo while all others forgot him, viewers critiqued that as an inconsistency whereas I thought it was the key. Same thing. I don’t think of the phone as the talisman. Heejin is. When the talisman was cut, I thought she was merely feeling the effects of it. Then, the recent episodes made it clear that her visceral reactions were not the mere effects of the talisman but her connection to Boongdo himself.

    • very well said, and i agree. i think at that moment when HJ and BD were exactly at the same place 300 yrs. apart, in that quarter of a second when she walks past him, their soul becomes one and their heart reconnected and remembered everything about Boong Do.

    • @Butterfly

      Okay, I think you worked that out quite fine. But then that brings up another question. (I’m having questions, as I JUST finished reading all the recaps. Before, I was only asking questions based on the little information out on the internet).

      If she pierced that veil of the present by just calling him at the end…then why didn’t her call reach him the first time around? Like…after YW’s death and he was immediately transported back into the past (and with the blackening of the talisman). They both kept trying to call each other but to no avail. Their loyalty to each other hasn’t changed either…

      2) I read your other comment about how blessings don’t end. Well, as you’ve said, it was YW’s constant faith and devotion that gave power to the talisman. But the drama has shown over and over that the talisman is what embodies the magic and is necessary for time-travel to occur: the talisman has to be on BD’s body, when he confronts death; and he has to recite the chant when he returns to the past. This was all ritualistic. But what happened with the phone was not – there was no faith, no ritual involved.

      And when YW died and the talisman blackened, it clearly showed that the power to save via time-travel faded (especially clear when he tried to go back to the future and got pulled back to the past). What remained was the power that linked the two times, which was severed the moment he burned the talisman and allowed the future to reset itself. Bringing back the time-travel magic in the form of a phone really seems like a deus ex machina. It’s like saying that the magic decided to possess another object, but without any of the restrictions and requirements it had before – that BD doesn’t need to be near-dead to travel. Srsly, BD died almost every episode in order for this to happen. This “change of rules” made him seem silly for having done all that, when all he needed was an upgrade to a cell phone.

      Anyway, the show has done wonderfully in keeping things consistent. Like with Sukyung and Boong Do. I don’t think I’ll ever forget their Tell-Me-About-Yourself conversations. Same reactions elicited every time. Just…not very consistent with the time-travel mechanism.

      But all in all, I still love the show for making OTP so winning in my eyes.

      • @Kat, I’m not Butterfly but I’d love to share my mind here, hope you don’t mind.

        I agree with you about the frustration when the scriptwriter failed to make clear how the magic power worked. And I completely agree Ep16 was the let down after 15 amazing episodes. But I tried to put my mind from the writer’s POV, and I think her choices at the ending made sense, or at least acceptable.

        I want to emphasize about the multiverse, or the parallel universes.

        HJ’s call didn’t reach BD the first time when the talisman became black. I believe although the talisman didn’t work at that time, the connection of BD – HJ and the talisman, aka YW’s devotion was still there, meaning the alternaverse of the talisman was the main universe. There was no rule (that’s why people felt frustrated) to indicate two magic things can’t exist in the same alternaverse, but I assumed the writer wanted to express that, if YW’s talisman worked in that alternaverse, then HJ’s magic phone can’t work.

        Then the talisman was burnt = the YW’s talisman’s universe disappeared.
        In Joseon time, BD was living in another alternaverse, which was slightly different to YW-talisman’s universe in that the power of the talisman didn’t exist.
        In the alternative reality where HJ was living, she forgot about BD.
        But in the multiverse, their LOVE exists, the frequency, the energy, the quantum mechanics of their love exist, transversing through multiverse.

        When HJ and BD were standing at the same spot at different time, that was when the energy of their love meet, duplicating or triggering the power, creating a new probability distribution (heck, I’m not even a physicist or philosopher!), their worlds split into a new alternaverse, again, slightly different to their former worlds. It was the butterfly effect, wasn’t it? The cause and effect that the scriptwriter has been emphasizing.

        So if we go on like this, at least we can understand the scriptwriter’s intend. However, I do agree she completely messed up religion, physics, philosophy and fantasy altogether.

        I really don’t know what I’m writing anymore 🙁

      • You should check out Joonni’s recap of 16 for the discussion there (Koala, I hope you don’t mind my referring readers there, but I don’t want to rehash the good points made there.):

    • @butterfiy I totally agree w/u and ur thoughtful perspectives about the
      drama and the tailsman. Thank you for putting into intelligent words
      what I wanted to say. Who cares what the naysayers say! On a side note
      I hope JHW and YIA get together in real life cuz they
      r so cute together 🙂

      • It’s not 100% clear, but I’m pretty sure he did say “saranghamnida” and not “chohamnida”. The second can be more literally translated as “like” but is sometimes translated in context (appropriately) as “love”, but there’s no way other than “love” to translate “saranghamnida”. Holy cow.

      • Oops, I romanized that wrong and missed a syllable – it should be “cho-ah-ham-ni-da” (좋아합니다).

      • i had a feeling this was going to happen!!!
        when i saw the stills for ep16, his body language towards yin in the pictures was bit more intimate than the usual pictures that drama casts take together ^^

        congrats to them~~ they look so cute together.

    • gahhhh!! SO. AWESOME!!! lkdsfjslkfjslfjzlzdjzslj

      Coming from someone who didn’t even watch this show!! hahaaaa…..Luffs it!! <3

      YIN is a YGE'er (of BigBang and 2NE1). She definitely has a bright future ahead of her since YG's legit. I do know that he's had a dating ban placed on the 2NE1 girls which I don't think is the real deal. Most of those idols are dating on the d-lo. But that's just my thoughts.

      I hope YIN gives dating JHW a shot (if they aren't already dating, that is)….cause that boi's perfect!! I'm also thinking JHW may be enlisting for his MS soon…so hopefully they'll be able to resolve this 'elephant in the room' situation. It's beautiful when actors meet whilst filming and fall in love!! *swoooooooons*

  14. Sorry for a double post. But I think they should’ve made a fricking Tardis. It would make a WHOLE LOT OF SENSE, since Boong Do always calls Heejin from a phone booth. But I guess that would be copying Doctor Who.

    Maybe…that’s why they went for a phone instead….

  15. I was just happy that the onscreen couple got their happy ending. Whether or not they date, break up, marry or have babies irl is none of my concerns. Who’s to know, after all? 🙂

    Then I also felt dumb for my ignorance of the implementation of cell antenna going as far back as Joseon’s time. But I should have known better, having experienced first-hand how well-advanced South Korea has been with 4G when this homeland only manages 3G in most areas. So, writer-nim, thank you for shedding this new light on the past. *ironic*

    off to maybe watch the finale

  16. i’m actually scare….
    what if she reject him….

    she just got into her first lead role so she must be want to work out her new beginning of acting first
    and he will enter military this year…
    even if she accept him,she will be alone for the next 2 year

    but what will happen to JHW
    he will be embarrassed if she do not accept him
    and this whole drama might or will be avoided by me because i know out OTP do not real…..

  17. YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!
    IT HAS TO BE HIM SINGING THE RING TONE!
    PICK UP THE PHONE!
    I KNEW IT!

    By the way, don’t care, don’t care, don’t care cheesy or not, love the end (that they are together.)
    My take is Yoon-Wol’s spirit that was in the amulet entered the phone to call him,
    with the assistance, of course, of the monk who wrote the talisman in the first place.
    The MONK was the supercharger who brought the battery to life, and SHE actually acted as the reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long and tall wireless tower that straddled 300 years of coverage.

    Pshaw! So OBVIOUS!

    OMG <3 I hope Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na get married and have perfect perfect babies, too.

  18. I am so disappointed… Episode 16 is a complete letdown.
    Sure, i want a happy ending but it has to make sense at least.
    It’s like 49 Days all over again.
    Episode 14 is the finale.. That’s it. Or i will just make my own version of episode

    • But 49 days did make sense, lol people keep saying it didn’t, but I think it is just because they wanted their OTP together.

      • Yes, totally made sense, it was never about our OTP’s as much as we wanted…

      • Yup 49 Days made sense definitely. Not fanservice pleasing, but thoughtful.

      • I have high expectations with both 49 Days and Queen Inhyun’s Man.

        I expected Hang Kang to have his happy ending in 49 Days.. I did accept later on that the writer have other intention. And you’re right, the ending made sense.

        With QIHM, i expected a happy ending that made sense. How could i not expect an intelligent ending when writer did an awesome job with episode 1-15?

      • I hate when people do stupid things, and ruin their ‘photo’ in my eyes, the same goes for writers…

  19. OMG!! What?

    Is it really real.. wow.. I don’t think it’s out of blue. I mean it’s not possible for an actor to do so (no matter what drama laws say). It would be embarrasing for him and also kind of sad. May be they are seeing each other and it’s the announcement before everyone that was surprising. And she can’t just accept without discussing and whatnot.

    I haven’t seen the last episode, but I liked 15, it wasn’t completely off the rails.

  20. Thanks for sharing Ms K!
    I agree that the show should have ended at episode 14 eventhough I think the episode 16 did have its beautiful moments. The scene where Boong Do & Hee Jin’s paths crossed at the courtyard was well-captured and meaningful. Sigh but it went haywire with the neck-tie suicide & handphone fiasco… with one commentator even deducing that the phone must have been “solar-powered” LOL.

    Kudos to JHW for confessing his feelings but I have to say that it was totally out of the blue that it left many reeling in its wake. Apparently the organisers had to cancel the celebrations/afterparty after the viewing session as the stars had left for home immediately after the interview. Sigh the presscon tomorrow should reveal more details about the confession.

    • Hi,
      That’s one thing I didn’t understand. Why did the after party event had to be canceled? How did his confession affect the rest of the evening? I don’t expect you to have the answers (I am assuming you weren’t there), but I just wanted to put these questions out there…
      Is this what is to be expected if a Korean star confesses at a drama’s finale screening?
      I would also say that what he did (considering how shocking it was to everyone) was brave. I don’t know if she knew how he felt beforehand, but he still took a chance at being rejected (publicly) and I don’t think it is easy to say in front of people you don’t know (even if they are fans) that you love someone, especially without that person’s knowledge that you are about to do so.
      I hope he doesn’t feel (too) bad about the after party event canceled and that his confessing won’t have negative consequences (professionally and otherwise) for him. I wonder how he felt after doing that (confessing publicly) and later on that night.

  21. After all the touchy scenes and the great bts atmosphere. It’s kinda understandable they fall for each other. I reckon, he said that because he doesn’t want to get separated when all these ended so that he can keep in touch with yoo in na without bothering about the paparazzi. Naw, just so cute. What I imagine, after the confession they all went backstage many crews were “ooh aaah” but managers are stressed. Both YIN and JHW are slightly awkward. I really want to know what’s happening back there?! Aaaaa

    • pointing out the manager, i suddenly be reminded of the stunt hee-jin did during the airplane scandal.. how the managers tried to make damage control.. it’s kinda amusing that it might really happens in reality…

      • What about the stunt DM threatened to play at the award’s ceremony.

        Can an actor take the chance on another actor’s career and announce something like that unilaterally? I hope it’s reciprocal.

      • Jomo : seems like i can’t reply to you..
        yes i hope that their feelings are mutual..
        JHW must be very thoughtful when he decided to drop the “bomb”. (he himself said that he is prudent).
        and i hope YIN’s reaction is due to the unexpected announcement, not because she’s shock/can’t accept his feelings..

        Let’s cross our fingers for good news from their agencies/productions tomorrow (it’s due at afternoon, korean time, right) =)

  22. They should get together, both are not young anyway. Guy’s a hung and girl’s a babe.
    The ending of the drama is kinda forced to me though.

      • Hahaha my eyes was like what the…… Glad it was a typo but you could be right either way lol.

      • Lol I was going to ask if you have x-ray vision or something and that you are one lucky bastard.

    • i usually despise it when drama gets extension, because they tend to drag with the unnecessary plot.. I think, if the writer really want to use the phone-becomes-talisman-thingy as a plot, she needs to make strong base/foundation to make it clearer to the viewers..
      it’s not that i’m not satisfied with the ending (i’m all for happy endings and rainbows), in fact i’m among those who keep insisting the wonderful execution of the writing. it’s just that i’m quite sad that after the wonderful ride (ups and downs) with all people during 15 episodes, some people point out the (big) hole in the finale. (though i concede that it feels lacking in my part)
      yes, i do think that the ending could’ve been better (if we want a happy one), but the writer needs MORE TIME to carry out the plot.. (which, unfortunately the thing that the drama doesn’t have).
      let’s just enjoy the drama and remember it as one wonderful ride..

  23. I will try to make every effort to wipe out ep 15 & 16 from my memory. It was a complete let down…fine with having the phones be the “new talisman”, but you need to explain it. Gaping plot hole. It’s almost as if the writer didn’t have enough time to think it through. Argh. ARGH. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

  24. OMOOOOOOOOO what a pleasant bomb is this!!!!!! wow!!!! I am so happy that am teary-eyed for JHW’s confession!!!! it was such a romantic thing to do…I applaud his courage in doing this…no matter what. i pray that YIN accepts his feelings and be brave to weather whatever storm that may come their way….

    thank you madam K for bringing this news to us… 🙂 🙂 🙂

  25. WHAT! Sadness. Public confession meets lame sub-rejection. He could do better. He could have me, for example. 😉
    When your handsome puppy shouts it from the rooftop, you lay one on him for the fans. 😉

  26. I am soo happy for the ending and I think it does make sense that the mobile bring back BD to the new world since HJ is from the new era since YW’s died and the tailsman became unuseful anymore. so many times in every episode we saw the use of telephone and then the mobile phone to show us it was not only the tailsman that brought them together but their telephone calls in the new world that connect them together.

    I salute JHW for his brave confession for Yoo In Na in public and I hope Yoo In Na will say yes since they are both perfect and loving couple!!

  27. While it would be awesome if Ji Hyun Woo’s feelings were reciprocated, his confession showed poor judgment and lack of consideration. He effectively turns Yoo In Na into the bad guy if she refuses. And, even if YIN liked him a bit prior to this, I wouldn’t be surprised if she considered this a red flag and shied away.

    • I completely agree with you on this.

      In Na has a right to decline him if she doesn’t return his feelings; she shouldn’t have to accept him just because fans would like to see her and Hyun Woo together in real life.

    • Nah. Rumors from insiders are saying that they’ve been dating. This was all planned so they could go public, and make it a romantic gesture to boot. We’ll see. Regardless, a guy can confess however he wants. Why would she be a bad guy if she refused. Feelings are the one thing that has no right and wrong. Fans might be sad, but hey, it’s their love life, they can do whatever they want. I’m saddened that K-actors are so constrained by what they can say and when. If this was a spur of the moment thing by JHW, I totally love him even more for it. Finally! Someone showing passion and spontaneity, screw the consequences. K-actors are groomed like perfect automatons with managers watching their every move, and that is really so dispiriting. This gives me hope.

      • Amen! I completely agree with everything you said, Ms. Koala. Regardless of whether JHW’s confession was pre-planned or a spontaneous declaration, I applaud him. More K-actors should follow suit! I hope this inspires all those who have been holding back 😉

      • Right one! He just made clear path to everyone else. Secret relationships come to sun…

      • “a guy can confess however he wants”

        If you mean that, as a celebrity, JHW should have the right to confess in public if he desires to do so, public reaction and strict rules from management be damned, then I agree that as a human being, he should have that autonomic right. But to me, his public confession poses a problem because this does not place only him in an awkward position, but YIN as well. If they are already dating, then that’s wonderful; I think this was pretty much the perfect way to publicly announce it and celebrate with fans. But if the two of them didn’t discuss their feelings for each other prior to his public confession, then I think this is really incredibly awkward.

        That being said, I do hope the best for both actors.

      • If this was really planned, then why did YIN react the way she did? I love the boy, but I think it is still somewhat manipulative to announce this in public without talking to YIN first. Her reaction makes it seem like she was highly uncomfortable with it.

  28. I haven’t watch the ending yet

    but could it be that the ending is no good, because the writer changed the original ending to please the fans = happy ending for the OTP, because of the unexpected (?) popularity of this drama?

    • I think the ringtone that she uses from the beginning, that actually says “Pick up the phone” and the fact that he picks up the phone the same way from the early episode – 3? 2? shows this was planned.

  29. Hum, I find it interesting, I mean most of people here accepted how the talisman worked before, and didn’t complain or said it didn’t make sense at all.

    But now another magic element/factor appears again and people can’t accept it and says it doesn’t make sense.

    I believe the talisman only worked because YW’s feelings and love for BD was very very strong and so pure. She wished for him be safe and happy. It was because of YW’s true feelings that the talisman turned in something magic/special. That is why just YW could make the talisman works, and the talisman could only work for BD.

    So now we have this same situation in the end of episode 16. But this time, it happened to HJ and BD.

    Like YW, HJ too loves BD a lot. Her love for him is very strong, so strong it surpass 300 years, and neither the time could stop/end it. So, I believe when HJ remembers BD in the end of episode 16, her feelings and strong love turns the cellphone in a magical object that saves BD. Just like the talisman YW gave, the cellphone HJ’s gave to BD also turned in something special/magical when BD was almost dying!

    I guess the writer wanted to show that just like YW and the talisman situation, this could also happen with Hee Jin. She loves BD so much that her love turned the ”cellphone” in a magical instrument that saved BD. (Just like YW’s love turned the talisman in something magical)

    I think that because the writer chose the cellphone that it is bothering some people.

    I wonder if instead of a phone, HJ gave BD a talisman or a letter saying how much she loves him and it turned magical and saved BD, I think people would accept it being magical and all.

    So, for me, BD was saved because of HJ’s love! Just like he was saved before because of YW’s love!
    I think this is is pretty beautiful! A love so strong that challenges everything that goes against it!
    Even if it is time or death, or even fate!

    And I have a question, why you thought the talisman YW gave BD made sense and accepted its magical factor, but you can’t accept the cellphone HJ’s gave BD can also turn in something magical/special? And since it turned in something magic, that is why it worked, and the battery wasn’t dead, because it is magical now.

    If you can’t accept the magical factor from the final episode, why and how can you accept the magical factor of the talisman? After all this drama was told to be a fantasy-romance drama…

    So, IMO the end made sense.

    I can understand why some people are disappointed but saying it didn’t make sense… err I have to disagree, at least I think it made sense. To be honest I, myself, thought the first half of the episode a bit slow and I wished more exciting things would happen, but I enjoyed the other half a lot, and I’m happy with the end! And it isn’t because the OTP is together that I’m happy – sometimes I enjoy and prefer sad endings that makes more sense than my OTP being together – I enjoy well sad ends well made!

    I understand some people here wished fpr something more from the writer who did amazing episodes and amazing plot twists. And, also after episode 15 (that was really good) I undertand why some expected more of the end and aren’t that happy. Well, I’m happy so eveything is ok, and JHW confession just made my day, so yeah, nothing can put me down today (unless In Na rejects JHW! Nooo!)

  30. oh I don’t think the new talisman was the cellphone – my interpretation is that because Hee Jin remembers BD and therefore breaks whatever last remaining effect of the old talisman (which was making HJ lose her memory and reset things), their love and memory becomes their one and only connection, no longer bound by the power of the talisman.

    Which makes me think that the purpose of setting up a talisman is to ultimately destroy it by the power of love.

    But basically the perfect ending was JHW making his confession publicly LOL

    • See, enough people regard Heejin and her memory as the new talisman. The show did go on about remembering. The power of memory. Memory as key to existence. Even of one’s own subjectivity (think Alzheimer’s / Thousand Day Promise). I love it.

      • Agree, the show emphasized on the power of memory, and the CAUSE and EFFECT.

        I wrote this at Soompi, I re-wrote it here.

        I also understand where the disappointing came from, I myself also felt disappointed with the first half of the episode, but the later half made me happy again. And what did people say? We already said that we didn’t care how the writer did, we just wanted them to be together. And the writer did, and her explanation totally made sense. Ep15 was pivotal because we need to clean cut the power of the talisman, so today we need another driving force to pull BD to 2012. What was the force of the talisman at the beginning? It was YW’s LOVE to BD.

        And so does Hee Jin. Remember her question in episode 6? “If us becoming LOVERS is the cause, then what is the effect?” In episode 15, HJ narrated the same question again. To emphasize, LOVE is the CAUSE, what is the EFFECT? Of course the effect is to bring BD back to her. They have to wait one year after the aftermath of burning the talisman because HJ had forgot BD. But their LOVE always exists, it’s just the matter of time before LOVE causes the magic power for them.

        When they share another “same spot, different time”, it was their souls made the connection, and when she remembered him, it was triggering the existing power. The power of memory!

        If we accepted the talisman power, of course the mobile phone was just another transporting device- a portkey for them ^^. The magic power lies inside their LOVE.

        Or may be there was a Ministry of Magic did help them? ^^

  31. Agreed. Donkey balls, episode 14 was the real ending. However, I enjoyed the last two episodes, just yeah right at the end….what?

    Also, I had entered contest for that fan meeting. SO ANNOYED I DIDN’T WIN A TICKET. I would have had no clue he confessed but WHO CARES! Gah! So epic.

  32. When I read this post and the first few comments I felt uneasiness, wondering if QIHM, which started out so great, had somehow managed to end badly. I was going to resist watching it until the subtitles came out but couldn’t and have to admit I’m quite OK with the ending, not just because the couple got to be together but because it did make a sort of sense.

    I’ll simply believe the magic as being created purely from the heart and desire coming from those who loved Boong Do deeply. The talisman and mobile (thank goodness they’d moved on from using the red phone box, can’t see that being kept in BD’s pocket) were tools for BD to hold and be transported between time, without the person wishing for the safety of BD they wouldn’t work anyway. The talisman was appropriate for the Joseon era as something someone would give to wish for the safety of a loved one and the mobile appropriate for the 21st century because that’s the first thing you would reach for to check if your love ones are safe after hearing bad news or separations, and we already knew how important the phone is for BD to contact HJ every time he lands in modern Seoul. So this time round HJ’s desire to reach BD, to hear his voice and hoping to find him safe, was so great that the mobile became the talisman, piercing time to reach him. Just as much as YW’s desire to have BD safe made the talisman transport him to a place where he could be saved even when he’s at death’s door.

    We somehow ended up thinking the monk was a mystical person with magic powers only because he wrote the talisman but I don’t think that was it at all. The talisman worked because the monk, inspired by YW’s devotion, wished for the talisman to work for YW and BD’s sake. So again the magic came about as a result of someone’s heart and desire. I believe the monk chose to write time as a safe place for the owner of the talisman after doing the fortune telling style reading of BD’s name and birth date was because BD was destined to experience endless suffering and would find it hard it to save his life in this (Joseon) time. Is that a cause and effect?

    Since the mobile has become the new talisman I hope HJ doesn’t die before BD or it breaks otherwise he’ll be in trouble again. All I can say is BD is one lucky man, both women gave him something that through their love turned into magical time transports that can save him from death in the nick of time!

  33. Koala, you just spoiled it for me! I was reading this article for the confession, not to know about the finale!!

  34. ok final comments: see, here’s the difference.. if you watch this expecting “perfection”– directing, acting, writing a smart, meticulous story, then you’ll be sorely disappointed for the last part– like infuriating disappointment

    this is clearly super tight writing losing steam at the end, having run out of plot developments but having a 16 episode quota to fill… EXTREMELY rare in kdrama when this happen only with extensions, but this one did not get extensions. now if you watch it the other way around, anticipating it to be a flop and failure, then… it was alright — barely made sense, with some very… glaring loopholes (why did BD not keep his hat on ALL THE TIME, why did he not escape on his source but LEAVE it and ran away from the soldiers at the temple on his legs??? we can tell you have long legs– as you saved yourself from the noose later, but still! and dying like that would not have helped ANYONE since your body would still be there along with your suit and cellphone!! how do loyal BD expect the king to explain THESE away after you leave like that?? and on the side HOW MANY FRIGGIN VARIATIONS HAVE WE SEEN BD’S NAME IN HANJA ALREADY?? 鵬圖<– in the annals in all the episodes before, 鵬到<– grave stone ep 14, 鵬道<– in the official's journal entry ep 16… but this one's… neglible)

    but with still-awesome directing and acting, ep 16 was… meh, palatable– i'll give it credit for TRYING with the "you (literally) called me back (from teh brink of death)" idea =P
    i'd still just settle for the ending of ep 14… wasted ep 15… sigh

    i STILL love the story 1-14 though– for an engaging, smart story, with a smart main character, that was courteous, dash of humor, and VERY responsible… at least they kept his character of always putting others before himself till the very end

    for ep 1-14 the director is also a VERY smart person with the camera angles and background music: it was good tight plot-writing with equally good-tight directing so you can't bear to miss a detail cuz then it'd turn up again to move the plot

    that's what i liked about 1-14, and why i'm so disappointed in 16– why it felt messy. if it was any other drama i honestly would not have cared and would have even said that it was a very smart and good ending… but for what I saw for 1-14… i can't say the same here.. =/ all in all, this will still be my fave drama for 2012 =P

  35. Ok I have a few questions to ask. Do y’all remember the very first scene from Episode 1 where Hee Jin and Boong Do were speeding towards each other in their respective modes of transport i.e. car / horse? How does that fit with the ending?

    Also, why why did Boong Do decide to commit suicide while in jail?

    Lastly, it’s one thing for Boong Do to teleport back to the future, but how did he manage to locate Hee Jin in that building, in that room when it wasn’t even their usual meeting spot? Sure, perhaps he had asked around, but still I thought it would have been more significant if Hee Jin had seen the missed calls on her phone and called him back.

    Can there be a special episode to fill in the gaps? Having been used to the usual QIHM style of analysis/flashback, it would be great to have an explanation for the Joseon scenes and last scene in ep 16.

  36. What i can say – just watch the finale with open heart. Dont judge too much. Its a fantasy drama anyway. As long itS a happy ending I dont care how BD&HJ can be back together again. From ep 1-16 – i just can say – DAEBAK!

  37. Thank you. I’ve avoided the recaps so fall but the bombshell of the confession has drawn me out. Does anyone have any news about what’s happening now? Cos’ I am going crazy waiting. So, the ending, I can live with it.

    The real life story. OMG 🙂

  38. I don’t care who JHW ends up with, as long as he’s happy and contented…..i feel that he’s really a nice guy, honest and sincere, and deserves a woman that will love him no matter what…

  39. Awwwww! He is a perfect gentleman, why can’t I meet someone like him!
    There were rumors circulating a while ago so I’m also guessing they have been dating for a period of time and now was the perfect opportunity to make it public and get extra pr for the series.
    I’m just happy he made a good comeback after that terrible drama that I will not name and hopefully he’ll continue to get good roles.

  40. I just keep thinking about dramabeans recap of episode 2, where they listed out the individual characters that were on the talisman…..時道通來間必 救人…..Time, road, communication, call, space, need, rescue, man.

  41. I don’t think it was a lame ending. I actually like it very much. In episode 15, we saw that KBD managed to transport back to Hee Jin at the park when he was about to kill himself. This happened even when the talisman was already blackened with the death of Yoon Wol.

    The way I see it why KBD disappeared shortly after calling Hee Jin at the park thereafter was because he called her rather than she called him.

    The phone call from Hee Jin in episode 16, seconds before KBD passed out from hanging himself works like the talisman concept. The talisman was written by someone who loves him, in this case in Yoon Wol, to protect him when he is in danger (near death). Hee Jin made that phone call when she recollected her memories and all the love that she had for him.

    It’s the power of LOVE that saves KBD:).

  42. Thank you for the fun update. I hope that they are together otherwise my image of Ji Hyun Woo has been ruined because otherwise he just pulled a “Dong-Min”.

  43. Every time I read criticisms of the cellphone being the trigger I wonder why the significance of its earlier calls is overlooked. Right from Episode One, it was established that the phone was a link between them across the time gap, so I see no inconsistency in it calling him back.

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