Everyone is Sad on Who Are You Episode 12 as Death and the Truth Catches Up
Who Are You is much like the ghosts that inhabit its world, you can see it but other aspects are ephemeral. The plot is thus far puttering on the fumes of a few sad emotional threads, namely Si On and Hyun Joon’s corporeal divide and now Gun Woo’s grief over the loss of a father figure and mentor. The true mastermind behind the police involvement in the smuggling operation is finally revealed and it was both unsurprising as well as uninteresting. With Detective Choi biting the dust in this episode, I wish the drama could have had him pop back as a ghost and then bring forth his side of the story more. In fact, this drama needs more ghosts even if Hyun Joon does all the heavy lifting. I miss the ghost-of-the-episode stories and wish there was more synergy between them, because I can’t see that Si On’s ability is purely so she can see Hyun Joon. We’re now four episodes from the end and there is no way the drama can convincingly deliver a romantic love line between Gun Woo and Si On. The end may leave the door open for them, which is fine with me, but it’s not happening when Hyun Joon is poised to pretty much die again (metaphorically this time) for Si On.
Second lead shipping happens regularly because as a viewer the kind of unselfish and devoted love that second leads can show for the heroine is a really heady aura of fantasy romance. It’s unrealistic but ideal as a dramatic framework. Hyun Joon keeps upping the ante of all that he represents to Si On, and with this episode we learn that their romance was one from long ago. He was her neighborhood oppa and they grew up together, and when her parents both died in a car accident and left her a orphan, he was the one who was always by her side. I wouldn’t be surprised if Si On’s police career was because Hyun Joon went into the service and she followed him. The writer of WAY is hitting all my male character personality and background kinks with the creation of Hyun Joon, and then throwing the mesmerizing presence of Kim Jae Wook to play him. Seeing the aftermath of Hyun Joon getting shot on the ship does eliminate any last shred of hope that maybe he didn’t die and is just in a coma of sorts, so I guess I’m back to hoping that he and Si On get some sort of magical farewell scene that is like one last day of happiness together. I’m not asking for too much, am I? Something like episode 19 of 49 Days would be greatly appreciated as closure.
Detective Choi turns to the good side and dies in the process of protecting Gun Woo and Si On. I don’t find this a sudden change in him since he was never a killer and Hyun Joon’s death was unintentional. Puppy is super sad about the death of his mentor and father figure, let’s not forget Gun Woo’s father died already. Si On tries to comfort him but he’s not ready for that.
Si On looks at Hyun Joon’s plaque on the wall of cops who died in the line of duty.
Hyun Joon appears next to Si On, and she smiles and cries over the fact that his death has now been solved and vindicated, but he’s still dead.
Si On goes to see Gun Woo but he refuses to stop moping. Gun Woo looks through Detective Choi’s wallet and sees a pawn shop receipt.
Hyun Joon goes to visit Detective Choi’s grave, sad that he ended up dead as well. He wanted Detective Choi to pay for his crimes and then have a chance to start over again.
Flashback to the night of the ship raid – after Hyun Joon got shot, his spirit left his body and looked down to see himself dead. This is just supremely depressing on top of already depressing.
Hyun Joon meets with Hee Bin and she counsels him to pass now that his death has been solved and leave the living problems for those who are still living to solve. Hyun Joon can’t do that, he promised to take care of Si On forever. He asks Hee Bin for a favor but we don’t hear what it is. It’s pretty serious because she tells him that he will disappear forever if he does this. Hyun Joon doesn’t care as long as he can protect Si On.
Si On meets with Hyun Joon’s sister and then when she walks home she thinks back some more to their time together.
Hyun Joon is complaining about being tired and Si On asks if he wants her to drive him, but too bad she doesn’t drive. He asks if she’s thinking about her dead parents. She is, she often thinks what life would be like if they didn’t die in the car accident. But she’s go grateful she had a neighborhood oppa to take care of her. Hyun Joon teases and asks if he’s just a neighborhood oppa to her?
Hyun Joon pulls Si On close and makes a promise that he will always be by her side – as her oppa, her driver, her protector, and her lover. Si On says she’s going to hold him to that promise.
Present day Si On cries standing there remembering their past, and when Hyun Joon appears, she thinks that he will always be by her side no matter what, right?
Gun Woo has gotten over his moping and goes to find Si On to continue their investigation since its clear Detective Choi is not the ultimate mastermind. Si On shows him her wall chart of investigation notes. They head to the pawnshop and find that Detective Choi pawned the broken phone with all the data, and the pawnshop owner hands Si On a key as well that was left. The bad guys arrive and in the ensuing chase, Gun Woo hands over the broken phone but he’s taken the chip inside first.
Si On and Gun Woo go find their own handy hacker who retrieve the data on the phone.
As they walk home afterwards, Gun Woo complains about being tired after a long day and running from the bad guys. Si On reveals that Hyun Joon used to drive her everywhere since she can’t drive. Gun Woo says he will drive her from now on. She tells him not to joke and he says he’s serious. He seriously might as well tattoo “Hyun Joon-lite” on his forehead.
Hyun Joon sees the bad guy talking with the ultimate mastermind and learns who it is.
Si On is home alone and sad because Hyun Joon isn’t around. She looks at their picture and wonders where oppa is. Bad guys arrive outside Si On’s house.
When Hyun Joon appears in Si On’s house, he finds it a mess and Si On’s been abducted. Oppa looks PISSED.
Gun Woo calls Si On’s phone and the bad guy picks up and threatens to kill Si On unless Gun Woo brings him the phone chip.
Gun Woo finally retrieves the phone log and discovers that the mastermind within the police department is the Chief. Totally not a surprise, and the man is totally evil because he orders the bad guys to kill Si On and Gun Woo.
Pretty amazing how Jae Wook has the least amount of dialogues but his acting is really something. Its not even overacting. Its very subtle and natural and the viewer actually gets what kind of emotion he is trying deliver. After this drama, Im just gonna hope Jae Wook gets the role of the main lead in some drama.
I really wish this drama would develop some kinds romance relationship between Gun Woo and Si On!! but at this point its completely hopeless!
P.S. I wish Hyoon Joo would get his own drama!! hes such an amazing actor and gorgeous to look at! what more can we ask for?
Jae Wook basically does wonders to keep this drama up. Female lead is decent, good but not more, I prefere her as a sharp bitch in Cheongdam-dong Alice. And finally Taec, oh Taec… Love this dorky persona, but his acting… I saw worse idols-acting and looks like he really try to improve but being male lead in this kind of drama is still too much for him.
Yeah, 2 ghosts cases and then nothing but Si On’s past – it had much potential but they kinda screwwd it with lack of ghosts.
Chef being shady one – no suprise.
So Hyun Joon “dying” one more time with all the world’s sadness in Jae Wook’s eyes for now I supose, but I doubt puppy will get his noona – some kind of a new beginning stuff and “maybe one day” ending I see.
ps. So happy hacker guy appeard one more time – he’s cute, funny strressed out eyecandy;P
Taec only has one expression – a scowl; he scowls when angry, scowls when frustrated, scowls when telling Si Ohn he wants to be with her (!), scowls at everything. But I like Taec for the fact that he doesn’t pretend to be anymore than a rookie actor at this stage and that he respects KJW as his sunbae. He’s no diva. I’d give him time to grow. Young KJW used to be angsty (in Bad Guy) and sometimes was over the top, too. KJW has come a long, long way in a short, short time, and he deserves all the accolades he’s getting. He’ll get his time as male lead.
Yes, he is smart enough to know he is no actor, but he’s an ambitious kid so he has to do something – he can’t sing and he can’t dance, and although that hasn’t stopped groups like SMAP from making pots of money off fans into their forties, in Korea it seems boy bands have a shorter shelf life – so acting it is. No doubt we will be suffering through his one-note “performances” for years. He can just flash his abs ever so often, like SSH.
In the mean time, KJW is kicking his b*tt acting-wise and I hope someone sits up and takes notice and gives him the parts he deserves. No way should Taec EVER get more screen time than someone like KJW.
The female actress tho. Her expressions are waay too much in some scenes. Tho she’s decent in scenes with jae wook.
guys, hold it. the three are in equal billing… HJ may just be ghost and have no possibility in living the future with SO but it doesnt make him any less important than the living GW.
let’s face it, we have each our own biases. HJ is effective, controlled, emotional; SO tends to over react at times; GW has the same expression. But let’s be honest, they are effective in whatever they are doing right?
We get to empathize with HJ. We feel SO’s longing for her oppa. We get irritated by GW’s childish demeanor yet tickled by how he shows his concern for SO. There… We can not always have the stars outshining each other; there may be times that one has to take a step back to let another take the center stage.
As long as they deliver effectively, it’s fine by me. As long as the series keeps me interested, i’ll support it. Enjoy the last few episodes and hope for a wonderful ending…
btw, so cara is also eyeing the hacker? hehehe… who is that guy? Cant remember what series i’ve seen that face…
Oh, yeah – when I saw him for the first time he kinda reminded me about Minhyuk from CNBlue somehow,but then I check and he is Choi Woo Shik. Idk if you watched Ten or Ten 2 but he was Min Ho there, one of the 4 members of investigating squad and this is why I’ve known his face ’cause I really enjoyed this drama and the second series also. Btw he was only 21 doing this so kinda young to be casted as a detective for me, but did really well. Just now I rememeberd that when I saw him first time in Ten I also reacted like “Oh, nice, I see Minhyuk-type here”, so my brain always works on “hot idols spotting” mode lol;D Ps. He also had a smaller part Rooftop prince.
For me, Hyun Joon could have been those boring second leads IF it wasn’t KJW playing him. And the drama also does a good job of showing their relationship so beautifully.
I also don’t mind if they leave it open for her and Gun Woo but otherwise, I don’t see her falling for him.
KJW is definitely carrying this drama as he hits all the nuances of silent communication in every scene he has with Si On. What I’m really curious about is what Hyun Joon requested from Hee Bin that made her gasp and worry. Was he asking to take over someone’s body to protect Si On? hmmm… that would be interesting to see. As far as Si On’s love line with the living, it is hard to see Gun Woo ending up with her when she had such a long and beautiful history with Hyun Joon unless there was a proper farewell between them and a time jump (showing she moved on).
Oh and Taec has a long way to go to hone in his craft but as long as he is willing to work hard, I think there’s hope for him. It was agonizing to see him cry and grieve when his facial expression is the same when he shows he was offended or upset. He does better when he portrays excitement. 🙂
This is such a sad drama but I love it. thank you.