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Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013): Absolutely spellbinding! This is my number 2 show out of hundreds of K-dramas finished. Give your brain a workout with this one, instead of just your emotions!  Never a dull moment! A story that's like working on a challenging crossword puzzle, where nothing is as it seems at first, as you grasp for possible answers. Never a plot hole or a lapse of logic in the entire story. These two writers, Song Jae-jung and Kim Yoon-joo, will keep you on the edge of your seat more than any other K-drama you will ever watch. This is classic storytelling at its best, with a stunning OST to boot. FULL OST Lee Jin Wook, the star, is a fabulous actor. I was riveted staring at his gorgeous face and body for twenty straight hours! At the time I had first watched this drama I had previously seen him in only one drama, Alone In Love , (2006) with my favorite actress Ye Jin Son, where he had played the second male lead. Why can't all men look like him, act like him? Everything he feels is on his face without him having to say a word, like a great silent film star. I was thrilled beyond measure that I picked this drama to reach my milestone of 100 K-dramas completed at the time, and I have since re-watched it two more times; it's like an addiction it's so great. Lee Jin Wook plays Sun Woo Park, a news reporter with an inoperable brain tumor, who is given 9 chances to go back in time to alter his destiny What's even more amazing is that I adored it so much that it replaced my long term favorite K-drama I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004) and I never thought anything would ever top that one, the first Korean drama I had watched in 2006, which changed my entire focus in entertainment. To be sure, Nine had some story elements which were similar to I'm Sorry, I Love You , perhaps that's why I was so strongly attracted to it : you have a man who is given a short time to live, he is out for revenge against the person who hurt him when he was younger, and he grows attracted to an unusual, pixie, gamin type of a girl whom he probably ordinarily wouldn't be attracted to unless he was facing a tragedy in his life and yearning for a comforting female presence in his final days. Only here, Lee Jin Wook, playing an accomplished news reporter and anchor named Sun Woo Park, is a lot more polished and intelligent a character compared to So Jisub's Moo-hyuk the petty gangster in I'm Sorry, I Love You . The girl Sun Woo loves, perky Min-young Joo (adorable Yoon-hee Jo from The King's Face and Love In Memory ) has been his colleague at the news station for five years, so he has known her and watched her in action for all that time, whereas Moo-hyuk had just met Eunchae (Su Jeong Im) in I'm Sorry, I Love You at the beginning of that story and didn't know much about her at first. Nine: Nine Time Travels is also far less dated than I'm Sorry, I Love You in its production values, and it has an overall sophisticated ambiance that I'm Sorry, I Love You lacked. I still love it, but it was time to put something more modern in its place.   Scenes shot in Nepal are breathtakingly stunning in Nine: Nine Time Travels You won't know exactly what I mean until your watch this bold, intelligent, and lustrous Korean drama for yourself, with magnificent location shots in the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal; there are cliffhangers in every episode that make you wonder what will happen next; when you think you've "got it" you'll discover you're wrong; beyond brilliant, spot on acting between the lead characters and everyone else in the supporting cast. I can't find one issue to criticize about in this drama --- except that I didn't want it to end! Although it is 20 episodes it goes by so fast, at such a great pace, that you will feel you've completed it in half that time. There are many plot twists and turns in the story, to be sure, but by the end everything will fall into place and you will understand its beauty perfectly. Even the ending floored me; it was transcendental. Some people seem to have trouble understanding it but they hadn't been paying full attention to all the hints along the way. The Story : Our plot begins when news reporter Sun Woo Park (Lee Jin Wook) arrives in Nepal to be picked up by his female colleague Min-young Joo (Yoon-hee Jo) at the airport. She squeals with delight to see him and yells "Sunbae! Over here!" and he smiles and goes running up to her in the rented car and proceeds to give her a nice big kiss, which shocks her. He is quick to propose marriage to her and she thinks he's joking when he says "for the next six months". "Who gets married for six months?" she laughs. She has no idea yet that Sun Woo has an inoperable brain tumor and his doctor, who also happens to be his best friend, Han Young-hoon (Lee Seung-joon from Descendants Of The Sun and H yde, Jekyll, and I ), has told him he really should be hospitalized instead of working until the last minute. Sun Woo plays along with her confusion, but he is in Nepal for another reason than just to see her: he got a call that Nepal police have found the body and personal belongings of his only brother named Park Jung-woo (J eon No-min from Star In My Heart , and Bridal Mask ). He has traveled a long way, suffering frequent blinding headaches, to pick up his brother's remains and personal belongings. In flashback he remembers his last meeting with his brother in a coffee shop in Korea and his brother was wearing the same jacket when he died. He is also given an incense stick, which his brother had clutched in his hand when he died. Later, on a lark, he lights the stick and for a brief moment he finds himself on the bank of a snowy mountain in Nepal. He writes the experience off as a dream or hallucination, but he had actually time traveled and experienced a real arctic blast. Soon he acquires a bunch more incense sticks and he realize s they have the power to transfer him to the past.  After some time spent together in Nepal, Sun Woo returns to South Korea and Min-young remains in Nepal. Now Sun Woo can focus on what he really wants to accomplish before he dies: expose an evil businessman named Jin Chul Choi (played by veteran actor Dong Hwan Jung from I Hear Your Voice and too many dramas to count) whom he blames for his personal tragedies in life: the death of his father and the destruction of his medical clinic, the resulting mental illness of his mother, and now his brother's death. He gives his supportive boss Chul Min Oh (played by veteran actor Hyo Sup Um of My Love From Another Star and In Soon Is Pretty and Remember and Liar Game and Gu Family Boo k , among many other shows) a flash drive filled with incriminating documents against Jin Chul Choi - in the process of raising money for cell research and conducting that research he had killed and maimed many women in different countries and no one had ever called him out on it. Well, Sun Woo has the guts to -- on national TV, to boot! During an interview he starts to grill Choi off the script on his real business history, that he's not some great humanitarian at all, focusing on improving medicine, rather he's in fact a criminal through unethical business practices - and Choi concludes the interview vowing to get even with Sun Woo professionally and personally. Sun Woo traps and embarrasses Jin Chul Choi on a national broadcast, setting up a fantastic series of altercations in the future Then Min-young discovers the truth about Sun Woo's dire health diagnosis. In a memorable telephone scene between the two of them, when she expresses misgivings about getting married under such circumstances, he asks her, "Since you want to know why I want to marry you, I can give you the truthful answer, or I can give you the lie. Which do you want to hear?" and she says she wants to hear both. Wow, I LOVED that scene, and could watch it over and over again. When he gives her the lie, he says to her, "If any man asks you to marry him using these words then you will know he's a liar." "But the lie sounds so much better," she pouts. Brilliant writing, folks! It perfectly captures the differences between men and women. :) "Why does the lie sound better?" Such a priceless scene.  Through the use of the incense sticks Sun Woo is able to go back in time and solve his family's mysteries - he learns more about his brother and his father and his mother, especially, that he ends up wishing he had never learned, for the truth is too painful. In order to trap Choi his enemy in the past he has to convince the younger version of himself -- played well by Hyung Sik Park from Heirs -- to work with him to prevent the destruction of his family in the future, but is it even possible? Will he be able to prevent his brother from dying in Nepal? Sun Woo talks to himself when he was a teenager and has to convince the boy they are one and the same person and have the same goals One of my favorite moments occurs when Choi realizes that Sun Woo must be using supernatural means to uncover all his sins. At one point, in one of the most hilarious moments in the drama, he himself is thrust back in time, and instead of being a crack businessman worth millions in the bank, he finds himself a scruffy old poor man running a cheap medical supply outlet store and eating the same junk lunch everyday. Ohl his face at that moment had me howling with laughter! This actor tends to play such oafs anyway in the K-dramas that I kind of lumped all his cold selfish villainous characters into this one in my mind and enjoyed seeing him get his comeuppance. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! All through this drama you will be wondering: will that brain tumor really get Sun Woo in the end, or is there hope that when he goes back in time he might be able to solve the reason he started developing it in the first place, or get treatment early enough so that he won't have to die? What will happen when he runs out of incense sticks? Will there be any hope that his mother can come out of the sanitarium and live a normal life? Can he forgive people in his life who hurt him, most importantly his poor brother? Will all the time traveling hurt his relationship with pretty and patient Min-young, who still loves him? The questions will be answered, but the journey is the fun part of getting that crossword puzzle finished perfectly. This show is such a masterpiece, matched by few others. Enjoy this extraordinary Korean drama! ~~~~~~~~~~ Additional Review for Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013) Korean Drama Review written by Richard, Ireland Grade: A+ ~~~~~~~~~~ blockquote.cite { margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right:0px; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc } blockquote.cite2 {margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right:0px; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; margin-top: 3px; padding-top: 0px; } .plain pre, .plain tt { font-family: monospace; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;} a img { border: 0px; }body {font-family: Tahoma;font-size: 12pt;} .plain pre, .plain tt {font-family: Tahoma;font-size: 12pt;}

Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013) is one of the very best time-travel series I have seen; it's up there with the finest Dr. Who story arcs. In many ways it is different, of course. Dr. Who emphasizes an ironic edge -- sometimes humorous, sometimes sad. Nine doesn't have that, but instead puts the focus on emotional depth and character growth. Also as with the Dr. Who programs, it has an incredible, brilliantly original time machine -- but one that only an Asian could have thought of! This is not to say that it doesn't have action. It does. There are some incredible car chases and breath-taking fights and cliff-hanger conclusions to individual episodes.   The drama forms a nine section story arc which completes one set of incidents. In Episode 10 the process begins anew with certain loose-ends left from the first sequence becoming developed. It's a quite clever plot structure. One of the things I find very impressive is the great camera work, making marvelous use of unusual angles and split screen shots. Further, these are never simply gimmicky but are cinematically relevant to the themes and/or situations being screened. I watched the final disc sequence a couple of times. At first it seemed to me that the perfect ending had been achieved in that fantastic sequence when Min Young is suddenly transformed from a grieving daughter in black to a beautiful bride in white. We also see the changes that occur to the other characters including the evil doctor's demotion to the head of a seedy medical supply house. But that is not to be. And it really can't be, because the full Karma of the characters has not yet worked itself out, and cannot be until a dual cathartic tragedy is fulfilled. But that is not the end either. That wonderful final episode reveals what the incense time machine really is. It is neither the blessing nor the curse Sun Woo thinks it is. His attempts to use it as a tool to create the future fail and thus he gains humility. The painful journey is a road to self understanding that frees him from the chains he has forged on himself, as he learns that his love for Min Young is the key to his destiny. The hero becomes "new" and full of inner confidence. This is what makes the final scene so incredibly powerful. He radiates the power that comes from the new depth of understanding he has gained. Compare the rather self-absorbed character we see in the earlier sections with this dynamic man reaching down to save his brother.

~~~~~~~~~~ BUY NINE: NINE TIME TRAVELS ON DVD ON AMAZON ~~~~~~~ HOME TO KOREAN DRAMA REVIEWS ~~~~~~~ Nine Photo Gallery ~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Nine: Nine Time Travels

From dramawiki.

• 3 User/Viewer Ratings
• 5 Production Credits
• 6 Recognitions
• 7 External Links
• Title: 나인: 아홉 번의 시간 여행 / Na-in: Ahop Beon-ui Sigan-yeohaeng
• Also known as: Nine / Nine: 9 Times Time Travel / Nine: Time Travel Nine Times
• Genre: Time travel, romance, fantasy, thriller, mystery, melodrama
• Episodes: 20
• Broadcast network: tvN
• Broadcast period: 2013-Mar-11 to 2013-May-14
• Air time: Monday & Tuesday 23:00
• Nationwide: highest rating=1.9%, highest peak=2.1% ( AGB Nielsen Korea Pay TV Household)
• Women in 30s: highest rating=4.4%, highest peak=5.1% ( AGB Nielsen Korea Pay TV Household) [1]
• Original Soundtrack: Nine: Nine Time Travels OST

Park Sun Woo ( Lee Jin Wook ) is given nine chances to travel back in time to solve a crime that happened 20 years ago. However, this is not without consequences as his involvement in the past effects the lives of many including his.

User/Viewer Ratings

Production credits.

• Production Companies: JS Pictures , Chorokbaem Media
• Director: Kim Byung Soo
• Screenwriter: Song Jae Jung , Kim Yoon Joo

Recognitions

• 2013 2nd Daejeon Drama Festival - APAN Star Awards: Best Director ( Kim Byung Soo )
• 2013 6th Korea Drama Awards: Top Excellence Actress ( Jo Yoon Hee )
• 2013 Mnet 20′s Choice Awards: 20′s Drama Star - Male ( Lee Jin Wook )

External Links

• Official site
• English Wikipedia
• Korean Wikipedia
• News articles: (1) , (2) , (3) , (4) , (5)
• Chorokbaem Media
• Time travel

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The Fangirl Verdict

Completely biased reviews and fangirling.

Review: Nine [Nine: Nine Time Travels]

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A time travel tale that is engaging, absorbing and tightly written.

It took me a couple of episodes to get completely sucked in, but when I did get sucked in, boy did I get sucked in good.

Serving up twists and turns that literally keep you on the edge of your seat (and perhaps your sense of sanity too), Nine is thought-provoking, intense and really rather addictive. The dramatic tension flags in a few spots, but overall, I’d say this is a solid, worthy watch.

If you like your dramas to keep you on your toes and keep you thinking,  and keep you guessing too, this would definitely be up your alley.

THE LONG VERDICT:

Nine is definitely a different beast than your average kdrama.

If I had to pinpoint one single thing that makes it that different a beast, it is that in Nine, it is the plot development and writing that takes centerstage, over and above character and relationship development.

In your average kdrama, the plot developments power the characters forward, and are the catalysts for character and relationship development, which are often given more prominence and importance than the plot developments themselves.

In Nine, however, I sort of feel like most of the characters stay fairly constant throughout the show, letting the writing and plot developments twist around them instead.

It’s an intriguing construct and it works, in the world that Nine sets up.

In keeping with the show’s emphasis, this review will also go a tiny smidge lighter on the characters and their relationships than is my usual, and I’ll spend more time discussing my thoughts on the writing itself.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The cinematography in Nine is excellent, and applied very deliberately to present to us the different facets of the show.

Scenery is framed beautifully and presented with airy, almost magical strokes, like in the opening scene (above) or in this one below:

Cityscapes are dark, slick and polished, like so:

Helpful time markers are overlaid to clue us into which time window we are in, and the use of split screens is applied liberally but judiciously.

Here, it’s used to show details in one given moment, creating energy in the frame:

While here, it’s used to show interactions between characters:

I love the little detail, where characters in the past are framed with rounded corners to give us a retro sort of flavor, like so:

Another important use of the split screens is for the main theme of our show: time travel. We get to see events unfolding in parallel in the present and the past, and that often provides a nice juxtaposition, like so:

I thought the sepia filter was also a nice – and helpful – touch for events happening in the past. It helped to clue me in to which time period we were looking at.

[SPOILER ALERT]

One of my favorite scenes involving the split screen device is of Present Young Hoon and Past Young Hoon both racing towards Sun Woo in the hospital:

So well-shot, and obviously well thought-out and carefully planned. Kudos, Show. Love it.

[END SPOILER]

There were times when the cinematography leaned a little indulgent, such as when the split screen frames whooshed as they moved and changed during a scene.

I found it an interesting device, but it drew attention to itself, which is kind of the opposite of drawing attention to the scene. I got used to it after a while, so no major damage there.

Overall, I really enjoyed the cinematography in Nine. The attention to detail was massive, and clearly the result of a great deal of care and thought, particularly in creating scenes featuring the past, as well as recreating various scenes in the present which echo the past.

It all came together artfully and quite beautifully to support the world that the writers created.

THE CHARACTERS

Because we are dealing with 2 different timelines revolving around one set of characters, we have a pretty huge cast.

I’m just going to highlight our major characters, and for those who are played by different actors in the different timelines, I will differentiate between them prefixing their names with Young and Adult.

Lee Jin Wook as Adult Sun Woo

Sun Woo is the pivotal character of the entire show. From start to finish, Nine revolves around Sun Woo’s journey, and that journey takes eminence over everything else, pretty much. All other characters exist in relation to him, and their importance is also mapped in relation to him.

Lee Jin Wook turns in a solid performance as Sun Woo, effectively portraying him with an almost impenetrable veneer that is at once intelligent, rational and tenacious, while giving us glimpses, in the quiet moments, of the uncertainty, fear and worry that he keeps to himself.

I’d only ever seen Lee Jin Wook in I Need Romance 2012 , and there, he played a character with some striking similarities to Sun Woo [ SPOILER: presents a strong outer shell while hiding an illness, uses humor as a coping mechanism, and teases the object of his affection with an aggravating off-handed sort of charm].

It did bother me a little that Lee Jin Wook imbued both characters with such a similar sort of feel, but thankfully, the story here is so vastly different from the story in INR2012, that it doesn’t interfere.

Sun Woo’s a pretty great character, in so many ways.

He’s smart, quick on the uptake, and fast on his feet. He conducts himself as if he’s fearless, even though there are moments where he admits to being afraid.

He cares about the people around him, and puts his own life on the line without hesitation, if it means there is even the slightest possibility of saving someone that he loves.

He put himself on the line for his father, for his brother and for Min Young too.

Even at the point of dying, after the phone booth hit and run, his concern is Shi Ah / Min Young and not himself.

When Sun Woo hears that Shi Ah is there looking for her teddy bear which her mother neglected to pack, Sun Woo smiles and says reassuringly,

“I’m glad that your mother didn’t pack the teddy bear… Come here. Remember my face. Don’t ever forget it.” … “When you see a man that looks just like me… don’t get close to him. Don’t try to warm up to him. Don’t even take interest.”

Shi Ah asks, “Why not?” And Sun Woo smiles weakly, “He is going to ruin your life. Just stay away from him. Okay? Promise me. Hurry. I don’t have much time.” And they pinky promise while tears well up in his eyes.

Tears. What a heartbreaking scene. T.T

Above it all, my favorite quality in Sun Woo is his resilience.

From the beginning of the show, to the very end, he is resilient.

Whether he’s time traveling and fighting off baddies while dealing with a tumor in his brain, or trying to make it through a time slip while bleeding profusely from a stab wound to the gut, or trying to survive a hit and run, Sun Woo is fiercely resilient.

Even when he allowed himself to get into a drunken slump after Min Young and he agree to live as niece and uncle, he snaps to real quick, when his brother’s whereabouts come into question.

One of my favorite quotes from Sun Woo in the entire series is in episode 19, in one of the messages that he leaves in his phone while trapped under the debris of the phone booth. His voice slightly shaky, he records:

“Third message. I’m really hurt. I still have no way of going back. But I want to believe that this is not how my life is going to end. I have to survive. And I’m going to find a way back.”

That he manages to say that and mean it, while barely staying alive in the lonely wreckage of the phone booth, bleeding out under the relentless thunderstorm, just says so much about the strength of his will even in the midst of extreme adversity.

Yes, he didn’t make it out of the phone booth alive, but he showed such strength of character in the moment. That’s the stuff that true heroes are made of.

Park Hyung Sik and Young Sun Woo

I thought Park Hyung Sik did admirably well as Young Sun Woo, more so when I consider that he’s an idol actor, and we know how so many idols don’t manage the crossover to acting terribly well.

I felt that Hyung Sik’s Sun Woo was a reasonably good echo of Adult Sun Woo, with both Sun Woos giving off similar vibes. While there’s definitely room for growth and nuance, I thought Hyung Sik’s restrained delivery was solid.

One of the most endearing qualities I found in Young Sun Woo, was his courage in the midst of confusion.

There was so much to be confused about, for Young Sun Woo, particularly when a random stranger stopped him in the street and proceeded to knife him with the intent of killing him.

Young Sun Woo’s shaken bewilderment in that moment, combined with his valiant efforts to fight off his attacker and save himself, remains one of my favorite scenes delivered by Park Hyung Sik. He made Young Sun Woo so brave, in the midst of his confusion and fear.

Another of my favorite plot points involving Young Sun Woo, is when he decides that he needs to find a way to communicate with Adult Sun Woo. True to his quick-thinking nature, he leaves messages for Adult Sun Woo where he is sure to see them.

On his guitar, because he knows that it’s so precious that Adult Sun Woo would never dispose of it:

And around the house, because he deduces from Adult Sun Woo’s ID, that he still lives at the same address:

And in his journal, because he believes that Adult Sun Woo will read it:

So smart, that boy.

I love that in him, we see the same qualities that we see in Adult Sun Woo. Truly, a hero in the making.

Lee Seung Joon as Adult Young Hoon

I freaking love Lee Seung Joon as Young Hoon, seriously.

As Sun Woo’s BFF, he balances out Sun Woo’s almost clinical intellectualism with lots (and lots) of care and concern. Mostly in the form of cursing, swearing and railing at Sun Woo to take better care of himself.

Lee Seung Joon’s expressions are priceless, especially in response to all the time-traveling talk and accompanying hijinks that Sun Woo exposes Young Hoon to.

I luff Young Hoon. Such a sincere, grizzled, unkempt, dorky and adorable grumpypants. ♥

I love that Young Hoon’s always scolding and swearing at Sun Woo in the most inappropriate places. Out of concern, of course.

First, in the ER in episode 2 (above), and then again, in a church during Christmas mass in episode 5. It’s like his love and concern for Sun Woo is so big that it bursts out of him; it can’t be contained by mere lips. Heh.

Even better, I find it hysterical that Young Hoon then gets yelled at by his wife in public, at the restaurant, also in episode 5. So, what goes around, comes around? Or, that’s where he learned that yelling is caring? Hee. I was really quite tickled by this little running gag with Young Hoon.

Young Hoon also brings a lot of the comedy in Nine, from this classic bewildered facial expression:

To actual physical comedy, like here, where he’s whooping in horror while running around the hospital, flailing.

I love how Lee Seung Joon plays Young Hoon and makes him look like he’s literally about to lose his mind. And that he goes this crazy because that’s how much he loves his BFF? Love that even more.

I do feel for Young Hoon, though. The emotional rollercoaster he’s constantly going through as Sun Woo’s BFF is no small thing, and he handles it as well as you can expect a normal human being to handle it, under the circumstances.

In that sense, Young Hoon is extremely relatable; his reactions to the craziness of time travel mirror pretty much how any normal person would react.

My favorite Young Hoon moment in the entire show is at the end of episode 9, after he fights tooth and nail to get Sun Woo in the operating theater and promises to save him, only to be ribbed by his best friend, “You’re going to save me? You’re a liar.”

As events unfold in the past and his memories evolve, Young Hoon’s priceless shocked expression gives way to the most endearing, adorable goofy grin as he sees Sun Woo, alive and well, reporting the news on TV.

Young Hoon, all teary, gurgles at TV Sun Woo, “Who says I’m a liar?” … “I just saved your life.”

Aw. I. LUFF. YOUNG HOON. ♥

Lee Yi Kyung as Young Young Hoon

Lee Yi Kyung is an excellent Young Young Hoon, managing to mirror the vibe of Adult Young Hoon to a T.

Not only are they equally dorky, sporting similar plastic-framed glasses and corresponding goofy grins, each loves and trusts his BFF Sun Woo with the same fierce loyalty.

As an aside, I’m particularly tickled by how Lee Yi Kyung is all hardworking & nerdy in Nine, when he was a little gangster brat in School 2013 .

The pivotal moment for me, when Young Young Hoon endeared himself irrevocably to me, is here in episode 9, when he sets eyes on Sun Woo lying in his hospital bed and promptly bursts into tears.

Aw. How sweet is he?

And then, when Sun Woo starts with what would sound like crazy time travel talk to anyone else, Young Hoon listens intently, like so:

Without questioning Sun Woo’s sanity (as most people would’ve), Young Hoon does as Sun Woo requests, and goes to the park to wait for Adult Sun Woo, who had promised to meet Young Sun Woo at 9pm.

Not only that, he waits patiently in the cold for 2 whole hours, warming himself by blowing on his hands and even doing push-ups. All for the sake of honoring his BFF’s crazy-sounding request. That’s loyalty, man.

One of my favorite Young Young Hoon scenes is what follows this scene, when Young Hoon goes back to Sun Woo’s room to check Sun Woo’s pager for him, and finds the sachet of meds that Adult Sun Woo had dropped.

It is Young Hoon who connects the dots between the meds and what Adult Sun Woo had said about someone dying. He says urgently over the phone, “Aren’t you dying of a disease?” … “Hey! Call a doctor! Now!”

Smart, nerdy Young Hoon. He really does save Sun Woo. ♥

My favorite screenshot of Young Young Hoon in the whole show is this one, where he pops up in Sun Woo’s room, with a half-eaten bun in one hand and a carton of milk in the other, as Jung Woo is talking to Sun Woo.

It’s a throwaway moment, but the slight milk mustache, coupled with the crumbs around his mouth and the dorky grin as he silently offers Sun Woo the food in his hands, is just SO. CUTE.

I just wanna squish him, I really do. Unnggh!

Jun Noh Min as Adult Jung Woo

Jung Woo is mostly such a tragically weak character that often, I didn’t know whether to sympathize with him or throttle him.

Despite some glaringly wooden moments, Jun Noh Min does a decently solid job portraying Jung Woo’s brand of hapless impotence.

As with all other characters in the show, Jung Woo’s importance is mostly in relation to Sun Woo, and it is his weakness that is ultimately a key catalyst that drives many plot developments in the show.

From the moment that we first meet him and throughout the show, we get a clear sense of Jung Woo’s awareness of his own weakness, and the resulting sense of guilt, self-loathing and frustration.

For most of the show, Jung Woo lives in a world of regret, ashamed of his past and the choices he’s made; deeply desiring to change the course of history, but thwarted again and again by his own cowardice.

I do appreciate, though, that at his core, Jung Woo very much wants to do the right thing.

In episode 12, when Sun Woo drops the whole time-travel bombshell and the accompanying details on Jung Woo, he spends hours deep in thought.

The decision literally involves Jung Woo’s very life. If he gives Sun Woo the go ahead to go back in time to change things back, he is likely to no longer exist in the new reality.

Finally, Jung Woo calls Sun Woo, and we hear the most heartwrenchingly honest conversation between the 2 brothers. It’s also the first moment that I feel truly sympathetic towards Jung Woo.

Jung Woo begins,

“Is it a dream to have the opportunity to bring the past back? You have no idea… How much I have regretted that moment my whole life. I couldn’t have a good night’s sleep once for the last 20 years. I had hope then. I hoped that I would forget in a few years. But I couldn’t.

It tortures me even today. And since the moment you found out, it has been hell for me. I wanted to die, but I couldn’t. Because of my family. I think what you said is a God-given opportunity. Not anyone has this chance.

So many people live with regrets in their hearts. Having the chance to reverse it is a fortune. I still remember. 20 years ago is when I was filing papers for immigration. It tortured me everyday.

I wanted to turn myself in every time I drove by the police station. But I couldn’t. If you can go back and convince me, I will be able to turn myself in. Do that for me. If you go back, will everything go back to its place?”

Sun Woo answers, “I don’t know either. It never went as planned. Perhaps my life could change completely. But… I think that I have to bring it back. Because the start went wrong.”

Jung Woo then asks about the happiness of his wife and Min Young in that alternate reality and Sun Woo’s answers reassure him.

Jung Woo then concludes, “That’s good then. I want you to get to it ASAP then. The wedding is soon. Do it earlier and make it easy for my wife. I mean for Yoo Jin. It’s just terrible for her.” … “Today could be my last day.”

Sun Woo, tearing up: “That won’t happen. That will be meaningless then. I’m telling you this so that you wouldn’t wander for the rest of your life.”

Jung Woo answers serenely, “It’s okay for me. When I heard that I died in the Himalayas, I thought that it was like me. I’m not saying that this life is bad. But I always felt that something was off.”

Sun Woo insists, “That won’t happen.”

Jung Woo, still serene, answers, “It doesn’t matter to me.” [also could mean “I don’t matter”]

What a tough decision Jung Woo came to, and with so much sincerity. I admired him in that moment.

Another Jung Woo scene that I found rather moving is in episode 16.

We see Jung Woo in the final moments before his suicide, making a phone call to an oblivious Min Young.

His parting words to Min Young are really sad, “Thank you for choosing me as your father when I wasn’t qualified.” … “I’m sorry. Stay well.”

So much meaning in so few words. Poor Jung Woo.

Ultimately, Jun Noh Min made Jung Woo a sympathetic character, which I consider an uphill task, taking into account how infuriatingly weak-willed he was as a character for much of the show.

But I ended up feeling sorry for him, and I appreciated that in the limited scope of his abilities, that he tried hard to do the right thing.

Seo Woo Jin as Young Jung Woo

I suppose Seo Woo Jin did a decent job of portraying Young Jung Woo, since he was effectively infuriating in depicting Jung Woo’s weakness.

I don’t know if it was intentional in the casting, but both Jun Noh Min and Seo Woo Jin delivered their respective Jung Woos with varying degrees of woodenness.

So in an ironic sort of twist, they managed to make Young Jung Woo and Adult Jung Woo have enough of a similar vibe to be believable.

Killing your father by mistake, and finding out that your real father is the scumbag who’s blackmailing you about it has got to be horrible for anyone.

But for Jung Woo, who’s particularly cowardly and weak-willed, that has got to be the worst nightmare ever, multiplied many, many times over.

It’s no wonder that Young Jung Woo mostly looks like he hasn’t slept in years, with eye bags the size of saucers (enough to rival the awesome Editor’s eye bags in Flower Boy Next Door ).

It’s also no wonder that he’s always on edge, and pretty much constantly looks like he’s about to jump out of his skin in panic.

I sorta wanted to feel sorry for him, but.. couldn’t. I found him exasperating and infuriating. And his cowardice was completely maddening.

The point in the show where I felt most aggravated by his weak character was when Adult Jung Woo, wanting to set things right, gives Sun Woo the go-ahead to convince Young Jung Woo to turn himself in to the police.

Young Jung Woo hems and haws and even turns around and makes to leave (I was so annoyed at this point), but I do give him credit for finally plucking up the courage to do it. Yes, he got tripped up by a dirty cop and then nothing actually changed, but, well, he did try.

It is only towards the very end of the show, when Young Jung Woo actually walks away from his wedding ceremony, that marks a truly redemptive arc for his character.

I feel that even more than the decision to walk away from the wedding, the defining moment for Jung Woo is when he sees how badly hurt Sun Woo is, from Choi’s attempt on his life. I think this is when he truly steels himself and summons up the courage to do the right thing.

Afterwards, we get to see him speak with Sun Woo while in prison, and honestly, this is the only time in the entire show that we see Young Jung Woo with a sense of freedom about his face.

He’s no longer a slave to his guilt, and his conscience is satisfied. And while it was long in the coming, his character finally did redeem himself in my eyes.

Jo Yoon Hee as Joo Min Young

Because the entire show is written such that everyone and everything pivots around Sun Woo, Min Young as a character gets relegated to a very reactionary sort of place, even though she is one half of our OTP.

As a result, Jo Yoon Hee spends most of her time onscreen looking either very smitten, very pouty, very confused, or very sad.

More’s the pity, because in the few moments that she got to show some spunk, she was quite delightful. I would’ve loved for her to have been a more proactive heroine, but sadly, the writing wasn’t in her favor.

All things considered, I feel Jo Yoon Hee did a very decent job of the role, and I found Min Young likable, if limited in scope.

I thought I’d just highlight a couple of Min Young moments that I liked.

I liked Min Young’s starry-eyed response to Sun Woo’s reprimands during their first interaction at the hospital. I found it pretty cute, that she just blurted out her attraction to him without a second thought.

Girl knows what she likes and isn’t afraid to say so. And I nod approvingly, heh.

Plus, how does she manage to actually look like she has literal stars in her eyes?!?

When Min Young’s old memories are stirred by the muscle memory of writing her vows on the album sleeve, I like that Min Young pursues those memories, undeterred by Sun Woo’s dismissive explanations.

She is so intent and so focused on the memories trickling back to her, that she doesn’t even seem to hear Sun Woo’s outward disdain, and grabs him for a kiss.

Girl isn’t afraid to reach for what she wants. And that felt particularly refreshing in the sea of reactive material that she had to work with for most of the show.

I was most moved by Jo Yoon Hee’s performance here, in episode 19, as Min Young watches her memories evolve in her mind’s eye as her younger self talks with a dying Sun Woo.

Her pain, horror and grief are palpable as her silent tears turn to anguished wails.

This scene brought tears to my eyes, in part because of Sun Woo’s death, but in equal part, in response to Min Young’s grief. In her agony, I felt Min Young’s love for Sun Woo.

I thought Jo Yoon Hee did beautifully here.

Jung Dong Hwan as Choi Jin Cheol

I have to wonder what the PD was thinking (or smoking, for that matter), coz Jung Dong Hwan’s turn as Choi Jin Cheol was the most OTT crazy overplayed and exaggerated I have ever seen him.

Jung Dong Hwan is one of those veteran actors that has appeared in a gazillion kdramas, and we’ve all seen him deliver performances that were more restrained, subtle, and well, sane.

For some reason, his Choi Jin Cheol acted like he had escaped from the crazy-house, even though he wasn’t a mental patient but a respected researcher that the nation supposedly loved.

I endured his extreme bug-eyed facial contortions, but I didn’t enjoy them. This OTT villain was the most distracting thing in the entire show, which was otherwise played straight.

It’s like having Bozo the Clown show up as a character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It’s dissonant, it’s distracting, and it just doesn’t work.

Uhm Hyo Sup as Oh Chol Min

Aw. I really, really loved Uhm Hyo Sup as Chief Oh.

Although Chief Oh isn’t technically a major character, Uhm Hyo Sup made him tremendously likable, and I perked up at pretty much all his scenes.

To Sun Woo, who had lost his own father at a young age, Chief Oh provided everything Sun Woo would have needed from his own father: a father figure, a role model, and an expectation of excellence and high standards, doled out with exceedingly generous amounts of genuine affection, trust and loyalty. And lots of ribbing on the side.

I knew that I loved Chief Oh by episode 2. I loved how he literally put his neck on the line to help Sun Woo, after the stunt that Sun Woo pulled while live on the air with Evil Choi.

I loved his gruff reasoning, which barely conceals the great amount of love that he has for Sun Woo,

“…if we don’t help you, we will have to admit that what happened yesterday was an accident. That’s embarrassing. So you just keep going. Okay? What happened yesterday was no accident. It was planned by all of us. I approved it.”

And then he adds, while giving Sun Woo the side-eye, “I ripped up your resignation.”

So. Sweet. Seriously. How could I not love him??

I love how Chief Oh has clearly had a deep influence on Sun Woo. We see this in episode 17, when Sun Woo takes up Chief Oh’s offer of help, by asking him for his contact details in 1993.

To Chief Oh’s befuddled response, Sun Woo offers this explanation,

“If the police is corrupt, then it should be up to the press to right it… But that doesn’t mean that all the press do their jobs right. You’re the reporter with the most integrity that I know.” … “If I can’t even trust you, then my life was in vain.”

Talk about leaving a deep impression on someone. Loved this moment.

Another favorite Chief Oh moment of mine, is in episode 20, where 1993 Chief Oh – then Reporter Oh – takes Young Sun Woo out to dinner after everything is over.

Sun Woo asks Reporter Oh if he can become a reporter, “I had never thought about it. But I like the job. You did something even the police couldn’t.”

Reporter Oh brushes it off, “Hey! Don’t do it. Don’t even think about doing it. This is a lot of hard work. Why would you want to do this? It doesn’t even look good.” But Sun Woo isn’t easily deterred, “It looks good.”

Reporter Oh protests, “Geez. You know that you have to be smart to be a journalist. Are you smart?” [Sun Woo: “Yeah.”]

And Reporter Oh continues, “It’s not just the brain you need. You also need the face to be a reporter on TV, like me.” Hee.

Sun Woo, without missing a beat, shoots back, “That’s me then.”

Softening, Reporter Oh finally says,

“Just come. And I will take care of you. You have experienced a lot. You will make a good journalist. You will see the loopholes in this society with your heart, not just your eyes. You will have the guts to fight it.

Other babies can never fight it. Study hard and get in. And I will give you a chance.”

Sun Woo jumps on it, “You promised.” And Reporter Oh gives in, saying, “I won’t have to worry about you having a good life. Here. Eat up.”

How sweet is that scene?? How adorable is it, that Sun Woo instinctively sticks to Reporter Oh like the father figure that he is? And how endearing is Reporter Oh’s gruff affectionate way of taking Sun Woo under his wing?

So many warm fuzzies. ♥

THE RELATIONSHIPS

Because Sun Woo is the pivotal character of the entire show, all the key relationships are those in which he is one half of the equation.

I’ve already mentioned some of these relationships in covering the characters above, but I’d like to highlight a couple of these relationships a little more.

In the constant shifting of circumstances, thanks to all the time travel, there are certain constants that remain unshakeable in these relationships.

It is these constants that provide us with a sense of immutability in the midst of the continuously shifting pieces of our characters’ realities.

Note: Delving into the relationships is where things start to get seriously spoilery in this review, due to the twisty nature of the show.

If you haven’t watched the show and don’t want to be spoiled, here’s where I’d suggest you skip to the end of the review and check out the first vid that I posted, which is a set of 2 trailers for the show.

Come back after you’ve watched the show, though, and we can talk and discuss and analyze it all, as much as you’d like. 😉

[SPOILERS DEAD AHEAD]

Sun Woo & Young Hoon

I loved the bromance between Sun Woo and Young Hoon in both timelines.

I loved that in both timelines, Sun Woo never hesitated to share his time-traveling exposure and related thoughts with Young Hoon, even though he must have known how crazy it would sound to anyone listening.

And I loved that in both timelines, Young Hoon gave Sun Woo a listening ear and an open mind.

The amount of trust and openness the two shared is the stuff of epic bromances, and I loved how tightly they rolled, in facing Sun Woo’s time-travel conundrums together.

There was never any doubt that as far as Young Hoon was concerned, Sun Woo’s problems were his problems. By the same token, there was never any doubt that as far as Sun Woo was concerned, that there was no holding back or withholding information from Young Hoon.

In spirit and in practice, these two shared a bond that could not be broken. Not even by crazy time travel stuff.

Love it. So much.

One of the most moving, heart-in-my-throat sequences involving Sun Woo and Young Hoon is in episode 9, where Young Hoon runs towards Sun Woo in the hospital, both in 1992 and in 2012.

Young Hoon’s panic in both timelines, borne out of love, is heartwarming and poignant to witness.

Aside from the tears and conversation that Sun Woo and Young Hoon share in 1992, the exchange between Sun Woo and Young Hoon in 2012 is even more moving and filled with pathos.

As he’s being wheeled into surgery where his chances of survival are faint, Sun Woo weakly chuckles to a distressed Young Hoon with the darkest humor possible,

“I signed it. I was afraid that you would call my legal guardian. You were going to do as you like anyway. I know you. You would have forged it if I didn’t sign it. Just kill me in peace.”

Ow. My heart.

Sun Woo knows that it’s almost guaranteed that he’s going to die by agreeing to the surgery.

Yet, because Young Hoon wants to cling to even the most remote possibility of saving him, Sun Woo agrees to the operation even though it would mean truncating whatever time that he does have left.

That is either the greatest amount of trust, to put your life in the hands of your friend despite the minuscule chances, or the greatest sacrifice, to give up the remaining days of your life, in order to give your friend the peace of mind that he tried everything to save you.

Either way, the extent of their friendship and brotherhood is epic, poignant and completely moving.

Sun Woo & Jung Woo

I found the relationship between Sun Woo and Jung Woo interesting in that in the midst of its bitter contentiousness, there ran a deeply ingrained sense of care. And even though Sun Woo was the younger brother, he often felt like the more mature one between the two.

The very reason that Sun Woo began to time travel was to fulfill his dead brother’s wishes, and even when things went wrong and it ended up messing up his own life, he was satisfied that Jung Woo did not die, and now had the life and family that he hadn’t had, in the original timeline.

That demonstrates to me, the magnitude of Sun Woo’s care for his brother, despite his brother’s failings.

Certainly, Sun Woo’s only human, and there were moments in the show where his frustration with Jung Woo came spilling out. One such instance is in episode 8, where he bursts out in anger after discovering the truth of their father’s death.

In increasingly upset and emotional tones, Sun Woo erupts,

“You should be sorry. You took Father away from me. You took Mother away from me. Then you just left me behind without taking care of me. Then you came back as a dead man.

You made me waste my youth hating Choi Jin Cheol. You left these cursed incense sticks for me to find out secrets that I didn’t even want to find out. You ruined all of my precious memories. And my girl!”

Despite it all, though, Sun Woo consistently gives Jung Woo the chance to choose to do the right thing.

In episode 9, when Sun Woo’s tumor has reached dangerous proportions and he’s faced with imminent death, he decides to call Jung Woo in spite of his anger with his brother.

Quietly, Sun Woo says his parting words to Jung Woo,

“I thought I should call you once at least. I don’t want to have a conversation. So just listen to me. I don’t think I can ever forgive you. This isn’t up to me to forgive. But let me ask of you one thing. You could get her after all that sacrifice.

Be responsible. Don’t just depend on drugs. Fight off depression. Be a good doctor. Make your family happy. If you can’t even do that… Then my life is just too meaningless. Visit Mom often before she passes.

Be a good husband. Be a good father. That’s your duty until your death. Okay?”

It’s heartbreaking and true at the same time. Sun Woo has spent all of his precious, limited time trying to fix everything for his brother, only to be disappointed by Jung Woo again.

Yet, he’s still giving Jung Woo a chance to make it right, by giving him a to-do list to follow, after his own death.

As the timelines in the show continue to shift and unfold, this is one of the things that remains constant:

Sun Woo is very clear about why he can’t forgive Jung Woo, yet, Sun Woo faithfully continues to give Jung Woo the opportunity to make the right choice, in order to right his wrongs.

In episode 12, Sun Woo again spells it out for Jung Woo,

“What Father said to you on that night. How he beat up Mother. I know that you had no choice. But I can’t forgive you. Because you lied to me for 20 years. And you didn’t pay for your sins. If you didn’t fall for Choi Jin Cheol’s trick and took the responsibility for your action…

At least it wouldn’t have been this bad.” … “Choi changed on that day. He was afraid of nothing. He had lost his conscience. If it wasn’t for that day, he wouldn’t have become the monster he is today.

So I’m asking you. Do you have the courage to go back to pay for your crime?”

In episode 17, Sun Woo again gives Young Jung Woo the chance to make the right choice, when he calls the church and tells Jung Woo that he can either run away to America or stay in Korea and pay for his crime.

I have to say, in that moment, after Jung Woo had let us down again and again, I was very doubtful of whether he would pull through. With no more buffer and no more incense sticks, I really thought it would have been safer for Sun Woo to have not given Jung Woo a choice.

But Jung Woo did come through, and I’m glad. And I admire Sun Woo for believing in his brother, despite all indications otherwise, that Jung Woo was capable of doing the right thing, and making the right choice.

Sun Woo could not – would not – act without Jung Woo’s agreement and decision. Respect.

One of the most poignant moments between the brothers is in episode 13, when Sun Woo is stabbed during his time slip and Jung Woo comes to the hospital to see him.

As Jung Woo clasps Sun Woo’s hand in his, he tells Sun Woo that Young Jung Woo has just gone to the police station in the past. He adds, “I’m sorry.”

I love the little detail, even as their hands unclasp and Sun Woo is wheeled away, that Sun Woo is still reaching for his brother.

As tumultuous as the circumstances around their relationship get, two things are crystal clear: Sun Woo’s care and respect for Jung Woo, and Jung Woo’s love for Sun Woo.

Sun Woo & Min Young

Although the OTP relationship takes a slight backseat to Sun Woo’s personal journey, it is still a relationship that has a good measure of substance.

From timeline to timeline, as the jigsaw pieces of each new reality shift into place, one of the big constants is the love that Sun Woo has for Min Young, and perhaps more importantly, the love that Min Young has for Sun Woo.

The reason I say more importantly, is because while Sun Woo is cognizant of each shifting timeline, Min Young is, for the most part, oblivious to the sometimes massive changes that occur in her life, thanks to Sun Woo’s time traveling.

Yet, her admiration and affection for him is just one of those things that never changes. Even when she becomes his niece at the end of episode 4, she is strongly drawn to him.

Throughout the show, we get little arcs and anecdotes that indicate the depth and extent of our OTP’s regard for each other. Plus, we get a nice sprinkling of swoony moments too.

At the beginning of the show, when Sun Woo visits Min Young in Nepal and offers to date her for three months, she is at first confused and annoyed.

But when Young Hoon informs her of Sun Woo’s brain tumor and the prognosis, Min Young decides to accept Sun Woo’s proposal, and she determines to put on a cheerful face for him, even though she’s deeply grieved.

Her basis is Sun Woo’s words, “What is the importance of that smile? I’m trying my best to muster up energy. But I still feel like crying multiple times a day. It’s not just a smile. It’s everything to me.”

And so, Min Young forces that smile, to give Sun Woo strength. And she decides to marry him and give him whatever strength and happiness she can, in the little time that he has.

At the same time, Sun Woo is feeling a new confidence brought on by the discovery of the incense sticks. His closing words to Min Young at the end of episode 3 are quite swoony,

“Don’t you think three months is too short? How about three years? No… should we keep it going for 30 years? That’s good, 30 years! Let’s keep it up until one of us bails out first.” … “You want to bet who lives longer? I’m confident all of a sudden.”

It’s pretty much right there, that we begin to see the depth of the love these 2 have for each other. She loves him enough to condense forever into 3 short months. And he loves her enough, to give her forever.

A quick, almost throwaway scene which I found really cute, is in episode 4, when Min Young wheedles Sun Woo to express his love for her in front of their colleagues, “Make a heart to them. A big one.”

I love that just when we think he isn’t going to do it, he makes the heart at them, complete with a stiffly defiant macho face.

Throwing his dignity away for her? In front of disbelieving male colleagues? Yes, he loves her alright. Heh.

Even after Min Young becomes Sun Woo’s niece, she’s deeply interested in Sun Woo.

I was amused by the exchange the newly minted uncle and niece share in episode 6.

Min Young jumps on the discovery that Sun Woo had a girlfriend, and grills him on why they broke up, and why he isn’t trying to get her back, since he’s so lonely without her.

Sun Woo answers, “Amnesia” … “Don’t you know what an amnesia is? It’s in dramas all the time. The most common disease in the world.” Har har. Way to put a fresh new twist on one half of the OTP not remembering the other half.

Then, in response to Min Young’s question on why he can’t just start over with his amnestic ex-girlfriend, Sun Woo says, “I thought we were strangers, but we were really family. Don’t you know? This is always in dramas too. Birth secret.”

Ha! And Touche.

I love that the writers have a sharp sense of humor and hang a lantern on some of the admittedly more makjang plot developments in the show.

I also appreciate that Sun Woo doesn’t lie to Min Young. He tells her the truth, in a way that makes sense to her.

At the same time, Min Young remains able to read Sun Woo even when she’s his niece. In episode 7, she says to him, “You act like you’re calm. But something inside of you is saying that you’re uneasy. I can see that in your face.”

I love that even though he has mostly kept up a hard outer shell all this time, not really letting anyone in, nor letting any emotion out, that she knows him this well.

One of my favorite OTP scenes is the rain kiss in episode 11.

I like how the writers connect Sun Woo and Min Young finally, through the understanding of a shared memory: The place where they first kissed, in an alternate reality.

After Min Young’s gone missing for hours, she calls Sun Woo and tearfully tells him about her weird alternate memories of their honeymoon becoming more and more concrete.

Sun Woo demands, “Where are you?” and Min Young chokes out, “My… I mean, where Joo Min Young’s first kiss was with her love of 5 years.”

Without hesitation, Sun Woo instructs, “Wait there.”

He drives straight to her, and they finally meet face to face, in the pouring rain.

Confused, Min Young asks, “How did you know that I was here?” Sun Woo answers, “You said it was our first kiss.”

Amazed, Min Young tearfully manages, “You also remembered?”

Grabbing her, Sun Woo says, “You know the word I hate the most in the world? Samchoon.” and he swoops in for the kiss. Eee!

I love that it is a memory that they share in their original reality that reunites them in this new reality. It’s like their love in the original reality is stronger than the fetters of the new reality. That that’s how strongly they’re connected.

Also, in episode 12, in the aftermath of the rain kiss, Sun Woo tenderly says these melty if amoral words to Min Young:

“If you ask me to live with you far away, I would gladly do it. If you say that it’s okay that we stay as family, I will just be a good uncle to you. If you want to see me sometimes without anyone knowing… I’m okay with that too. I will do anything you like.”

I like that despite Sun Woo’s usually gruff treatment of Min Young, that in this moment, he’s tender and he’s genuinely giving her the assurance that he would do whatever she prefers.

Yes, the amorality of some of the options he presents niggled at me a bit, but his sincere tenderness towards her, putting her desires and preferences above even his own moral standards, is hard to ignore.

In this moment, there is no doubt that he loves her deeply and that to him, her happiness is paramount.

Finally, I think many of us would have liked more OTP sweetness over the course of the show. Here’s a photo spasm to soothe those of us who wanted more lovey-dovey goodness for our OTP:

Adult Sun Woo & Young Sun Woo

Perhaps the most surprising and heartwarming relationship in the show, is that between Young Sun Woo and Adult Sun Woo.

This was a relationship that I didn’t even see coming, because I didn’t expect Adult Sun Woo to enlist the help of his younger self in his quest to save his father.

Call it conditioning from watching Back to the Future. Sun Woo basically consistently flouted my expectations when it came to messing with the space-time continuum.

Sun Woo appeared to have no qualms whatsoever in not just engaging his younger self, but identifying himself to him.

At the end of episode 6, Adult Sun Woo wakes Young Sun Woo from his sleep, with the most mind-bending introduction ever: “It’s good to see you again. My name is Park Sun Woo. Born on July 9, 1975. Right now I’m 38. Do you know what that means? I’m you from the year 2012.”

While Young Sun Woo takes some persuading, what I love about this moment is the look of kind affection in Adult Sun Woo’s eyes as he speaks to his younger self.

I love that from deep and bewildered suspicion, Young Sun Woo comes to trust Adult Sun Woo implicitly.

In episode 9, as Young Sun Woo muses to Young Hoon about Adult Sun Woo’s no-show at the park, his trust in Adult Sun Woo is clear: “I think something else went wrong… I think the person who is going to die is me. He’s not calling because he can’t.” … “Because I’m dead.”

In episode 17, as Adult Sun Woo puts a wounded Young Sun Woo in a taxi with the video evidence, Young Sun Woo asks, “Was my father really killed?”

I love the matter-of-fact, yet kind and assuring response that Adult Sun Woo gives,

“You will find out soon enough. Don’t hate the killer. He had no choice. It’s no one’s fault. It will be hard for you to accept it right now. But you will understand when you’re my age. And that’s not going to ruin your future.

You will have a good life regardless of that. And you will be happy. Okay?”

I love, too, the look of trust in Young Sun Woo’s face, as he hears that. And it’s evident that he takes Adult Sun Woo’s words to heart.

In episode 18, when he visits Young Jung Woo in prison, he says intently, “I still can’t understand you. But he said that I will understand later. I’m trusting his words that I will some day.”

The most affirming and bittersweet exchange between the two, is their final messages to each other in episode 20.

Adult Sun Woo leaves a voice message for Young Sun Woo, which says,

“My last message to the me of 20 years ago. I will be going back at noon. I can never come back here again. No matter what message you leave me, I can’t answer you. So forget me, and live your life. You don’t need to find out how I lived.

Because every decision you make will make me. I told you right? You always made the right decision. You will have a good life. So forget about my existence. If you live every day the right way then you will find me in the mirror after 20 years. I will see you in 20 years.”

So kind, so reassuring and so full of belief and trust in his younger self.

In response, Young Sun Woo writes a message to Adult Sun Woo in his diary,

“My last message to myself 20 years later. Did you get back alright? I will trust you that I will understand my brother someday. I will also believe that I will always make the right decision. You seemed like a good person to me. You were also brave.

I won’t leave a message to you again or try to find out what you are doing. I’m a man of my word. You know that right? I will see you 20 years later. Bye.”

Equally affirming, and reciprocating Adult Sun Woo’s trust by promising to keep his word. Love it.

I love how consistent both Sun Woos are, in their trust and belief in each other, and in their strength of character, and the purposeful way they both set their eyes to the future, determined to keep their words one to the other.

I love, too, that we get to see that eventual reunion in the mirror, even though it is bittersweet.

What an unexpectedly awesome bromance, between a man and his younger self. ♥

THE WRITING

The writing in Nine is some of the tightest, most well-thought-out writing that I’ve ever come across in all the kdramas that I’ve watched.

The painstaking precision the writers take with the little details totally shows.

The way the pieces fall into place is impressive; bits of throwaway conversation suddenly gain significance as characters learn new information.

Like Jung Woo saying on the phone: “It bothers me how you attacked Chairman Choi.” or Sun Woo musing, “I’m worried… That I’ve done something very stupid.” … “I changed Joo Min Young to Park Min Young.”

The first time we hear these words, they don’t seem to mean anything. But on hindsight, they mean everything.

One of the reasons this device works is because Sun Woo answers questions with the truth, and that’s why Min Young can piece things together later.

Eg. About Joo Min Young not remembering him, and how it would be wrong for them to be together because they realized they are related.

How far the writers must have planned ahead, to plant these unassuming decoys. Well done indeed.

The writers also clearly put in an enormous amount of thought to flesh out the mechanics of the time travel, the inter-workings of the parallel timelines, and the ripple effects of every twist and turn resulting from each time slip.

Where the writers didn’t fill in the blanks, I mostly got the sense that it was because they chose not to, not because they overlooked to do so.

There were some instances where I questioned the consistency in logic, which I’ll get to later. Overall though, I’m very impressed with the writers.

The Mechanics of Time Travel

Because the writers don’t spell things out for us (versus, say,  Operation Proposal , where you get a Time Conductor explaining the rules), understanding the mechanics of time travel in this drama is like a journey of discovery for the viewer.

As things happen in the show, our understanding of how it’s supposed to work gets clearer.

It got a little confusing at times, but overall I’d say it was a fun puzzle to piece together.

Coming from the people who brought us Queen In-hyun’s Man , it’s no surprise that Nine’s treatment of time travel is somewhat similar. The past is positioned as a parallel timeline to the present, and both timelines unfold concurrently.

This means that Sun Woo’s own timeline doesn’t gain or lose time when he moves between timelines. Essentially, it’s almost like a geographical movement instead of temporal one. This also means that when Sun Woo time travels, he basically goes missing from the present.

This set-up made for interesting developments, which I’ll touch on in the next section.

I also found it interesting that we got to see events unfolding from Young Jung Woo’s and Young Sun Woo’s points of view. That’s an open door that I hadn’t expected.

I’d thought we would experience everything from Present Sun Woo’s point of view, particularly since he was the one doing all the time traveling. I liked that this shifting lens also added interest and texture to our story.

In terms of the mechanics of Sun Woo’s location as he moved between timelines, I thought it was rather convenient that the writers chose to have him return to his original location in the present, regardless of his location in the past.

But, the writers were consistent with this, which made it easier to buy it as part of the construct of this show’s time travel device. Plus it saved our hero from drowning in the river, so that’s a good thing.

One thing I was puzzled about for a bit, was the way physical items from previous timelines remained even after massive changes to the present reality.

It’s good though, that the writers point out the inconsistency themselves. Sun Woo muses,

“Strange isn’t it? My brother didn’t die in the Himalayas. I didn’t go to Nepal to retrieve my brother’s stuff. But I still have the incense sticks. I still have the LP record that I picked up from the mountain.

The memories do not exist anymore. But I still have the remains. It’s a mystery isn’t it?”

Just as I was asking my screen the question,

“Yes, but why would the LP still be there? It doesn’t make any sense?” the writers have Sun Woo helpfully reply, “It’s pointless to ask that question. Nothing that happened in the last few days is possible. This is the problem.

Just like the objects are not disappearing… The memories should be gone physically. But they don’t go away forever. Can I live on with two memories? Even if I get healthy. How can I live on if I miss my alternate life?”

I was a little deflated that this quirk in our time-travel universe was not explained and that I had no choice but to buy it if I wanted to continue to enjoy the rest of the show.

Plus, if it had worked the other way, meaning the objects couldn’t remain behind after timeslip-related shifts in reality, then after Jung Woo didn’t die in the Himalayas and Sun Woo didn’t go to retrieve his body, the incense sticks wouldn’t have remained either.

And we kinda needed those for our story.

In the same mysterious vein, we never understand why Sun Woo’s tumor grows larger and his life gets shortened with every time slip.

Neither are we told why Sun Woo continues to have the headaches after he’s cured. Nor are we told why the headaches seem to stop after some time. Nor are we told whether the time travel after that point affects Sun Woo’s health negatively in any way.

Eventually, though, I realized that the writers never actually spell out the rules of the time travel even though rules are implied.

So I guess I can’t quite blame the writers for inconsistencies because, well, this time travel incense never promised consistency. Heck, the incense didn’t even promise return trips .

They only promised time travel. And they delivered on that.

Inter-workings of the Parallel Timelines

Timelines Unfolding in Parallel

One of smartest uses of the parallel timelines unfolding concurrently, I thought, is the way the New Past affects the present as new events unfold and the ripples from those events create big changes in the New Present.

A number of the show’s best moments stem from the events in the New Past affecting and creating a New Present.

Like Min Young disappearing from right in front of Sun Woo at the end of episode 4, because her younger self calls Jung Woo, which triggers his reunion with her mum, which then prevents his death in the present, which then makes her Sun Woo’s niece.

Or like Young Sun Woo deducing that he is the one who was going to die, then Young Hoon finding the pills and them linking the two to deduce that Sun Woo would die of a brain tumor, and then having that save Sun Woo in the present.

Or like the incense stick disappearing in the present out of Young Hoon’s hands because one stick gets stolen from Young Sun Woo in the New Past.

I read that some viewers believe Adult Sun Woo and Young Sun Woo become 2 people, divorced from each other, and that’s why Adult Sun Woo has to read the journal in order to find out what Young Sun Woo is thinking.

I actually disagree that they become 2 people, even though they interact as such during Adult Sun Woo’s timeslips.

To me, it actually makes sense that Adult Sun Woo has to read the journal everyday to find out what Young Sun Woo was thinking.

After all, these two timelines are unfolding concurrently, in parallel. He would remember details from the Old Past, since those memories pre-exist and don’t change.

But as long as it’s the New Past that’s unfolding, Adult Sun Woo wouldn’t be privy to what happens until it unfolds in the New Past.

The only thing that I think got overlooked here is, shouldn’t Adult Sun Woo’s memories evolve as Young Sun Woo writes in the journal?

As with other characters who can see their memories evolve in their mind’s eye as their younger selves take new actions, logically Sun Woo should have experienced the same. (More on that later)

As a side note, I thought it was funny that Adult Sun Woo could hear the scraping of the screwdriver on wood as Young Sun Woo left him messages around the house.

I wonder if that was intended to just be some cool effect, or if it was meant to indicate that the barrier separating the two timelines was thinning?

Much as I would like to go for the cooler explanation of the barrier between the timelines thinning, I’m pretty sure it was mostly for dramatic effect.

Speaking of cool effects, I really like this particular use of the split screens and the concurrently unfolding parallel timelines.

Time traveling Sun Woo in the past, looks down threateningly at Past Choi, while Present Choi sees it unfold in his mind’s eye through his evolving memories and looks scared and threatened. And what we see, is Sun Woo in the past, threatening Choi in the present.

Nicely done, Show. That’s what I call clever editing.

Changing Fabric & Evolving Memories

By episode 5 we learn that the tilting camera angle is to clue us in to a change in the fabric of reality.

We also see for the first time, someone actually experience the shift in reality and the related evolving memories, in Young Hoon’s stunned moment in the OR.

Comparing it to the previous time, when Sun Woo tested it on him with the Christmas card, it had worked differently then. Young Hoon had gained the memory without realizing it. It’d felt natural to him the first time.

Based on the experiences of other characters in subsequent episodes, my conclusion is that the condition for being aware of memory changes is first being aware of the incense sticks and the time travel.

That’s how both Young Hoon and Jung Woo became aware of memory changes stemming from events occurring in the New Past.

I thought it was really interesting that subsequently, characters began to see their memories evolve in real time, in their mind’s eye. Like how Jung Woo could see his memory evolve in the moment, as he watched his younger self struggle to muster up the courage to turn himself in.

We’re not told why this happens, since previously, characters’ memories had always adjusted in one shot, whenever a key event changed.

I wondered if it was because the ripples of the New Past increased in force and speed as the 2 time dimensions continued to interact, but, as with many other questions, this went unanswered.

I’d like to think that it was because the ripples of the New Past increased with speed, coz that’s the cooler explanation. But I also kinda think it probably was a decision made for greater dramatic effect.

Either way, the memories evolving in real-time was a cool device that made for some excellent dramatic tension. I liked it. I just wish the writers could have been even more consistent with it. Only Sun Woo doesn’t experience it, which feels unfair and convenient. (More on that in a bit)

Ripple Effects

I am impressed with the attention to detail that the writers serve up, particularly in relation to the ripple effects of Sun Woo’s time traveling.

For instance, when Young Sun Woo tussled with him and hit his head, I liked that the writers remembered to give Adult Sun Woo a corresponding scar on his forehead.

And then when Min Young became Sun Woo’s niece and I realized that she wasn’t aware of his brain tumor, I had to think about why.

I realized that as his niece, Min Young wouldn’t have been crushing on Sun Woo and they wouldn’t have had all those conversations and she wouldn’t have called Young Hoon and that’s why she didn’t know about his illness in the reality where he was her uncle.

That’s a lot of thought right there, that needs to go into every single bit of plot development in this show. The writers need to track every ripple’s possible effects.

It’s a herculean task for sure, considering the number of shifts that take place over all the time slips, and I think the writers did a great job of it.

Despite the multitude of ripple effects, though, there are certain things that remain constant, and the show makes it a point to remind us of this.

After the big shift causing Min Young to become Sun Woo’s niece, he muses,

“Fortunately, [Min Young’s] life hasn’t changed much. Other than that her step-father is now a doctor instead of a lawyer. If her life had changed a lot, her character would have also changed.

Fortunately, she still doesn’t use her brain much. She is still as bright as ever. My brother finally got together with his dream girl… But he still left Mom and me. He’s still not a good son or a good brother. But I guess he is now a good husband and a good father.”

Inconsistencies

There are a couple of smaller things that don’t make sense in the show, like how it was odd that paramedics were rushing Sun Woo’s very dead father away in an ambulance. But I’m not going to nitpick about those things.

I’m only going to highlight the biggest one which directly relates to time travel & its mechanics.

I’ve asked the question earlier in this review and I’ll ask it again:

Why doesn’t Sun Woo’s memory evolve like everyone else’s? If the condition for being aware of the memory changes, is knowing about the incense sticks and the time travel, then Sun Woo, above everyone else, should qualify.

Even if, arguably, characters only see their memories evolve in their mind’s eye as the ripples become more advanced, it still doesn’t match up, because to the end, Sun Woo doesn’t see the memories unfold in real-time.

Like, when the incense stick disappears from Young Hoon’s hands, logically, Sun Woo should have an altered memory as soon as Young Sun Woo discovers the loss. But I can rationalize that possibly, Young Sun Woo never checked on them and didn’t know they were taken?

STILL. There’s that other big incident where Young Sun Woo is confronted by the guy with the knife.

Adult Sun Woo should have memories evolving in his mind, in the moment, like how Jung Woo could see his past self deliberating on whether to go to the police station. That Sun Woo doesn’t have the same is not consistent.

Instead, Sun Woo has to deduce what is happening, based on the scar that’s forming on his forearm: “I think I’m going to die soon. But I don’t know where I’m going to die.”

Well. It makes for nice dramatic tension, but I just couldn’t shake the thought that this was terribly inconsistent.

On a smaller note, it niggled at me that during Sun Woo’s final timeslip, the 30 minutes – no, 25 minutes, and that was just his best guess – lasted a ridiculously long time. That he could do so much in 25 minutes – including having a leisurely conversation with Choi – was just unbelievable.

Plus, he moved in such an unhurried manner, which didn’t make sense to me, considering that he knew his younger self was seriously injured and could possibly be killed.

Tsk. The things that get sacrificed for dramatic tension.

My Take on Certain Details

I thought I’d give my take on a couple of questions that I saw raised by other viewers.

1. Sun Woo’s headaches

After Sun Woo’s tumor is confirmed to be gone, he continues to experience pain, and he theorizes, “I have all the memories and all the objects. I have the pain too. I guess that’s how it works.”

After some time, though, the headaches seem to disappear, coz we don’t see Sun Woo wincing in pain from them anymore. (Side note: Lee Jin Wook was very convincing at Sun Woo’s headaches, I have to say. Every time he had a pain spasm, I tensed up in my chair.)

I don’t know if that was deliberate, or an oversight by the writers.

I like to think that the residual headaches were akin to the way amputee patients continue to feel their phantom limbs. And I expect that, as with amputee patients, that sense of the phantom limb, or in this case, the phantom tumor, faded with time.

2. Seo Joon’s affected looks

One of the questions I saw thrown about among viewers, was why Seo Joon (Oh Min Suk) kept looking at Min Young and her family from afar all through episode 15, with tears in his eyes and a conflicted look on his face.

My take is that he probably felt guilty for calling off the wedding based on his presumption of the truth.

After all, he called off the wedding without any real proof, or anyone’s admission of the truth. So he’d called off the wedding on a hunch, technically. And now, stemming from that, or at least apparently so, all manner of terrible things were happening.

Since he’s written as a decent person at heart, he’d likely feel guilty thinking that if he hadn’t done that, that the entire media circus and Jung Woo’s suicide wouldn’t have happened.

That’s how people respond. Unless they’re evil like Choi, that is.

3. Jung Woo’s missing alternate timeline memories

I saw another question about episode 14 which I found interesting: Why doesn’t Jung Woo seem to have alternate timeline memories?

At first, I thought the person who asked the question might have hit on an inconsistency by the writers. Upon closer inspection, though, I found that the writers were consistent.

Min Young’s alternate timeline memories were regained through repetition of writing the words she’d written as Joo Min Young, not through knowing about the incense sticks.

On the other hand, like Jung Woo, Young Hoon doesn’t regain alternate timeline memories either. The only thing Jung Woo and Young Hoon gain from knowing about the incense sticks is the awareness of changing memories as events unfold in the New Past.

Therefore, it makes sense that Jung Woo didn’t gain alternate timeline memories, and instead, gained the ability to see the memories evolve in his mind’s eye as his younger self made those new memories in the New Past.

The Emotional-Mental Hook

All series long, I felt a tension between the mental versus the emotional hook of this show. What I mean is, I felt mentally engaged much more than emotionally engaged.

Through most of the drama, I moved forward based more on curiosity than actual emotional engagement. Chewing on it to figure out the reasons why, here’s what I came up with.

What Blocked the Emotional Hook

1. Sun Woo’s Character

When we’re introduced to Sun Woo, he’s a character that appears mysterious and emotionless. He keeps everything to himself and keeps other people at a distance.

I feel like he’s also pushing me away, vicariously, in a way.

As the show progresses and he starts to time travel, he’s dogged and determined and almost never seems deterred, no matter the obstacles that he comes up against. Most of the time, he’s like a machine, plowing through, with focus, without emotion.

It’s hard to feel for someone who feels like a machine, basically.

2. Twisty Writing

I think one of the big reasons I felt more mentally engaged by this show than emotionally, is because I had to switch on my mind so much in order to keep up with the show’s plot points and its related web of implications.

My brain was so preoccupied that my heart couldn’t engage as well as it usually does.

If I didn’t have to switch on my brain this much, I’m guessing I might have felt more for the characters?

3. Makjang Mood

Somewhere along the way, I realized that a good number of the plot points were quite makjang, really.

I mean, a death was covered up, and the body burned, so that the wound wouldn’t be detected? And Jung Woo’s father is Evil Choi? And Min Young is really Shi Ah?

So we have birth secrets and murder. And fauxcest. And crazy people. And disapproving fathers. That’s kinda makjang, you hafta admit.

The thing is, the moment I realized the makjang bent of the plot twists, I actually felt myself being less invested.

4. Time Travel Device

Perhaps the biggest thing holding back my emotional engagement, was the nature of the show itself: time travel.

Because it’s a time travel show, there’s always this thought hanging over everything, that things could possibly change if Sun Woo goes back to the past to fix it.

So even with Jung Woo’s death, I didn’t feel any sadness. Instead, I felt only a clinical sort of interest, in terms of how the writers could possibly turn this around with a time slip.

What Helped the Emotional Hook

Despite my relatively weaker emotional engagement with the show, there were definitely moments that moved me. Here are a couple, for the record.

1. Other Characters

Playing opposite Sun Woo’s Terminator-like focus, Young Hoon and Min Young were much needed foils.

Young Hoon’s upset-ness at Sun Woo was believable, likable and relatable. I also liked the way Min Young reacted to Sun Woo’s illness, with tears and anger.

Young Hoon’s and Min Young’s reactions helped to humanize every situation where Sun Woo withheld emotion.

2. Cracks in the Armor

Thankfully, Sun Woo does show cracks in his armor, and there were moments when I really did feel for him.

In episode 8 (above), when Sun Woo cries in grief, and perhaps hopelessness, marks the first moment I actually really feel for him as a character.

Min Young asks why he keeps calling her Joo Min Young, and Sun Woo answers weakly, gently, thoughtfully, “No, you’re Joo Min Young. Although you probably do not remember. I only remember Joo Min Young.”

When Min Young asks, “Why are you crying?” Sun Woo whispers hoarsely, tears streaming down his face, “It’s a secret.”

I felt for him so much, in this moment.

3. Moment of Liberty

Just as much as I liked to see the cracks in Sun Woo’s armor in terms of expressing his weakness and fears, I also really appreciated this brief moment of happiness that we see at the end of episode 3.

Sun Woo records in his voice diary: “I still can’t believe this fortune. I’m still afraid that it’s a hallucination. But in front of death, everything is simple and crystal clear. Believe in the fantasies you want to believe. Love the girl you want to love.”

I love the liberty in those words. And anything outside of Sun Woo’s dogged emotionless armor, helps to humanize him to me.

He tries so hard to hold it in. But it’s only when the cracks in his armor show, that I am able to feel for him.

My Thoughts on the Ending

I confess I was a little underwhelmed by the sudden lack of dramatic tension in the last episode. After so many episodes of taut tension, this sudden slack felt unfamiliar and a little dissonant.

I get what the writers were doing in killing off Original Sun Woo, I think. It was to cut off one timeline for us, so that we could just focus on New Sun Woo walking in the new reality that Original Sun Woo had paved with his very life on the line.

Having Original Sun Woo stuck in the past was good dramatically, but because the writers didn’t give us an explanation for it, it felt a bit gratuitous. Sun Woo’s reasoning of “I am the incense” made no sense to me, and I couldn’t buy it.

I did like that Jung Woo now seemed like a more confident person. Probably an effect of having made the right choice, and having cleared his conscience. I was glad to see him no longer living in guilt.

I also liked how the show filled in the gaps for us for all the characters. We got to see the rewrite of events in New Sun Woo’s life, so in a way, we got to savor the fruit of Original Sun Woo’s labor.

I liked the call-backs to details from earlier episodes, like scenes built similarly but now different (Sun Woo and Jung Woo meeting in a coffee shop, Jung Woo with his red parka, except this time it’s for food and not coffee, and Jung Woo isn’t asking for money), as well as consistent details like what Sun Woo says:

“December 4, 2012. My first message to myself. I don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate that your will didn’t work. Joo Min Young loved me regardless. I can no longer live without not caring about the future. Perhaps this is what happened.

Because you left a strong impression to Min Young when she was young. She fell in love with me at first sight. I could have become a reporter because of the connection you made for me in the past.”

“If that’s true, then I can save you. I can prevent Min Young from being unhappy because of me. But that’s not true. What would you have done right now? I would keep it simple right now. I will just believe what I want to believe. And I will just love the girl that I love.”

The closing bit is very reminiscent of what our earlier version of Sun Woo had said at the end of episode 3, when he’d found the incense sticks and felt the freedom of hope: “Believe in the fantasies you want to believe. Love the girl you want to love.”

This provides some sort of confirmation that this version of Sun Woo is essentially the same person as the earlier version that we’d gotten to know. Except this version is unfettered with the burden of a brain tumor and a guilt-ridden brother searching for a way to change the past.

So in the end, all the time traveling that Original Sun Woo had done, did do something positive in creating a new future for New Sun Woo.

That he had to die doing it, is not the way I had wanted it to be resolved. But I consider this a technical out, coz the writers never did explain to us the finer rules of the incense sticks.

My thoughts on the ending credits scene:

There are so many ways to interpret the scene that played during the ending credits. An older-looking Sun Woo, with a fuller more wrinkly face, sporting a graying goatee, saves Jung Woo, who’s collapsed in the snowy mountains, with incense stick in hand.

I came up with a couple of interpretations.

1. The scene is a hint that the writers created to communicate 2 things. 1, that New Sun Woo didn’t die in the past in this timeline like Original Sun Woo did, coz he looks visibly older in this scene and 2, that he somehow still time travels in this new timeline too. So, some things don’t change.

Essentially, he’s still who he is, and he still time travels for the sake of saving his brother, who still seeks out magic incense sticks. But New Sun Woo has a brighter, longer future than Original Sun Woo who died in the past.

2. New Jung Woo heads for the mountains and dies in pursuit of the incense sticks, and New Sun Woo waits 20 years in order to come back to the right point in time to save him.

3. We’re looking at another timeline where other versions of Sun Woo and Jung Woo exist.

4. It’s the same timeline, but this is another version of Sun Woo, from another timeline, come to save Jung Woo.

5. The ending credits scene is literally taking us back to the first scene of the show, and showing us that it was a version of Sun Woo from the future, who had found Original Jung Woo in the mountains, clearly with the intention of saving him.

Of course, that attempt failed, as we saw in the early episodes of the show. Basically, this is to show us that the window of time travel that we were privy to, wasn’t the start point.

That there are other timelines and other versions of Sun Woo (& everyone else, for that matter), all intersecting at various points of their time-space continuum depending on the decisions that each version of Sun Woo makes.

That the circle of time travel that we’ve spent time with, is just one part of the bigger picture of this multiple-timeline universe.

My favorite one is #5, coz I think the concept of there being many parallel timelines is intriguing and way cooler than thinking of these 20 episodes as a once-off split and re-joining of 2 timelines.

This reminds me of the Griffin character in Men in Black 3, the fifth dimensional being who sees multiple timelines unfold in his mind’s eye, depending on the decisions that people make.

I feel like there are multiple timelines existing in the world of Nine, and the writers chose to show us this particular one to end the series.

I also like the idea that after spending 20 whole episodes together, that Interpretation #5 completely overhauls our foundational beliefs about the world of Nine and how the time travel all started.

I love the idea that one key piece of information changes the whole game, akin to how the writers planted unassuming bits of decoy dialogue early in the show, that later took on a lot more meaning and changed the way our characters saw things.

While some viewers prefer to believe that the original timeline and its inhabitants that we spent 19 episodes with ceased to exist with Original Sun Woo’s death in 1993, I find that hard to accept.

Even while watching New Sun Woo pave new inroads into the New Present in episode 20, I still had that nagging feeling, that in the original timeline, there was a heartbroken Min Young who had lost her groom and a tortured Young Hoon who had lost his best friend.

Just because the writers choose not to show it to us, doesn’t mean that it stops existing.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Throughout the run of the show, the question keeps coming up: as humans, can we really mess with who lives and who dies?

In the show, Sun Woo first seeks to save Jung Woo, and then he seeks to save their father. Both attempts result in messy and unexpected aftermaths. Which begs the question, who are we to play God? And what is the price, for playing God?

At one point, Sun Woo sends this message to Young Hoon:

“You were right that the incense sticks were not a blessing, but they were a curse. I shouldn’t have bitten the fruit of knowledge. Some secrets are kept as secrets for a reason. Bringing the dead back isn’t something up to a man.

I only realized that after experiencing it myself. I’m such a fool.”

Young Hoon, at another point, says to his wife: “What’s the point of trying so hard? Our fates are all decided already.”

That’s definitely a core question in any time travel drama – Can we play God? And what’s the price, of playing God?

In the end, we see that Original Sun Woo’s time-traveling efforts did result in a freer, better future for New Sun Woo. The price, though, was his very life.

At the same time, the show also demonstrates that no matter the timeline, we are essentially the same people. There is a character consistency across timelines that doesn’t bow to human meddling.

Min Young loves Sun Woo, never mind the dire warning from a dying man. Sun Woo chooses to save his brother, chooses to believe what he wants to believe, and love the girl he wants to love.

Although we can be shaped (Jung Woo living guilt-free = Jung Woo being more confident) our core doesn’t change. And consistently, through it all, only the past can shape the future.

Thought-provoking stuff indeed.

THE FINAL VERDICT:

A rollercoaster of a ride. For thinking thrill-seekers.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Edit: You may also be interested in Trading Thoughts: Nine where Betsy Hp and I dig even deeper into the workings of the show.

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I am still trying to find a story that can rival the anime Steins;Gate when it involves time travel. Anime was my gateway to k dramas. Queen In Hyun’s Man isn’t as intense but still great. I’m use to Asian storytelling, in my case anime, having four types of endings. Good, bad, end season on a cliffhanger and hope for another season, or read the manga to find out how it ends. I tend to look at reviews to see if something is worth my time. Is it a cultural difference? It’s not about the end but the journey? It’s like watching someone train for a tournament and have the show end before it begins like the start of the first match. In other words, I found your extremely thorough reviews to help lead away from disappointment. Thank you for your reviews. Btw I chose to start my first K drama, Master’s Sun after finishing Clannad. I wanted to watch something “happy” that won’t tug on my heartstrings. I was wrong but still enjoyed it.

Hi there Vekster, thanks for enjoying the reviews! I’m glad they’ve been useful to you. 🙂

Reblogged this on mamabatesmotel .

I had the misfortune of watching this after watching W. I say ‘misfortune’ because a lot of this drama clearly influenced W and because W is significantly better. Whereas W was gripping for a full 16 episodes, I felt this was 4 episodes too long. There was a lot of padding throughout and times where I was bored.

As genius as this writer is, she suffers from a tendency to write passive female characters who collapse and spend entire episodes on IV drips so they can’t interfere with the narrative. I found it annoying in W but even more so in this.

You’ve touched on the acting in this review and I completely agree. At times wooden, at times so over the top as to be laughable, some of the performances threw me out of the show with how bad they were.

One thing I didn’t have a problem with was the time travel. I loved the idea that the existence of the incense sticks meant that the 20 year period between 1992/93 and 2012/13 was perpetually in flux – a period of potentiality that could change at any point. Nothing was ‘fixed’ until an event was more than 20 years previously. This allowed the two time periods to unfold simultaneously and for characters to realise and remember events almost as they happened 20 years before. Because those events didn’t really “happen” until they were more than 20 years ago.

I also had no problem with the tumour growing. The incense sticks were always going to kill him; it was just a question of how.

The ending was too obscure for me. It brought the one plot hole I struggled with earlier in the drama. The tumour was the impetus for so many of Sun-Woo’s actions including declaring his love for Min-Young. I didn’t understand why he still did that even after his tumour was gone. Because of that, I didn’t understand why the incense sticks came into play again at the end. Or even if they did.

Hello there. Nicely written and very well done. Probably the best review i have ever read so far! I like it! I hope i was not too late to share my little thought with you as i just watched this drama last week and just finished it today. It was about the last scene of the storyline.. i was a little bit confuse. Because we knew that old jung woo turn in himself to police station, then why the present jung woo still want that incense stick again? Why would he go to himalaya again? I think they should have make part 2 of the drama 😂

Aw, thanks nabiihah! I’m glad you enjoyed this review! 😊 Honestly, I think the last scene is meant to be open-ended, and I honestly think the writers themselves didn’t have a fixed meaning in mind when they wrote the last scenes. I think it was to make the audience think and debate and analyze what it all meant – and to that end, I guess they succeeded! 😉

I think your suggestions have worked spot on so far, so I’m gonna take our advice in this one too 😉 .

And about the handsome fellas, I drooled over them for quite a while, so thank you very much for taking all fangirls’ hearts into consideration <3

You really think I'm gonna squee when I see Lee Min Hot 😀 <3 ? Cause I really hope so! He's so handsome! I mean, if guys in dramas are so good in everything, how am I supposed to settle to a real guy :)))))? But then again, I've had several crushes on characters from mangas and manhwas as well so maybe I'm at fault :)))) ?

I'm going to watch all your loves (dramas 😛 ) and give my honest opinion, as I've done so far 😀

Thanks again for the quick replies and sorry it took me so much to write back 😛

Oh yes, I definitely think you’re going to squee over LMH in City Hunter! I mean, I’m not even a fan, and I found myself squeeing over him in City Hunter! XD So I conclude that you will squee even more, given that you’ve already got an appreciation for him! 😉

And don’t worry, we all (well, almost all, I’m sure!) crush on our drama men, so you’re not alone! I guess the trick is to temper our Real Life expectations with it comes to real men and real relationships? It does tickle me, though, to imagine real men trying to re-enact all the backhugs and piggyback rides that are so common in dramaland! XD

Don’t worry about laggy replies.. sometimes Real Life gets busy; it happens to all of us. I’m likely to be slower with my replies in the next week or so, as I’ll be traveling for work and will be online a lot less. But I’ll work towards not lagging too much, I promise! 🙂

Ok, so! I am here to vent my frustration! I hate, HATE the father! What kind of human would force the boy he raised and swore to take care of to become a murderer?! Just do it yourself!! And threatening to kill everyone just to coerce him into doing what you want!!

Let me start from the very beginning. I am 12 episodes in City Hunter, I am squeeing my heart out to LMH (so hot!!), I love the main actress (so down to earth, so lovely <3 ), I love the Ajusshi, but the father!! I could jump inside the show and kill the m@therf@cKer!! What the hell is up with him?! I sure hope he redeems himself by the end of the show because right now I can't even hate the real bad guys, that is the politicians, because of him!

Thanks for understanding. My time with Dramaland and you and your blog will be reduced even more because I'll be away on several business trips and I'll have no time whatsoever… I hope Dramaland misses me in the meantime 😛

Oh yes, the father is nuts. But that’s part of what makes the show addictive – you just want to kill the dad yourself coz he’s so warped >.< And yes, LMH is hot and very appealing in this. Even as a non-fan, I swooned over him in City Hunter. And Ahjusshi is so sweet, I loved him. You'll be pleased to know that Park Min Young, the female lead in this, is also the female lead in Healer, and she's the best I've ever seen her, in Healer. Even warmer and more real, I felt. You will love her.

Bummer that your business trips will interfere with your drama time.. But I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder? 😉

Hey! Just finished the show and, as I expected, the father did redeem himself eventually. And he did love his “son” in his own way.

But was that the whole ending?! I mean, it did clean some loose threads like Na Na’s father and stuff, but I wanted to see more. That’s why I skipped a couple of hours of sleep :)))

I cried when my dear, dear prosecutor died. I hoped until the very last moment he’d wake up and walk, like Lazarus did.

And I can’t wait to see the actress again. I think she’s becoming my favourite. After playing in Sungkyunkwan Scandal as well (though, I think she lacked experience in that one, but still did a really good job) and now City Hunter, I look forward to seeing more of her. But right now, as promised, I’ll start School 2013 as soon as I can. I really wanted to see how City Hunter would end, so I kinda skipped meals and sleep and so on :))))

Absence will definitely make the heart grow fonder and it’ll also give me time to actually digest everything I’ve watched in the biggest hurry so far 😛 . I think this hunger of mine isn’t all that good because I don’t give myself the time to fully understand what I’ve watched before diving into the next drama. I’ll try to space them a little 😛

Have a fresh and lovely week 😀 !

Wow, you’re moving fast, business trip or no! I love that nothing stopped you from powering through City Hunter like a woman on a mission! XD

I agree the ending was a little underwhelming, in that the writers left it open-ended, and it’s one of those endings that you have to use your imagination to flesh out. In my head, they live happily ever after, of course. And there’s definitely some heartfelt hugging and kissing after they lock eyes in that last scene. And yes, I was really sad about Prosecutor’s death too. Loved Lee Joon Hyuk in the role.

About Park Min Young.. I liked her in SKKS and in City Hunter, but honestly, I feel like she found some hidden lever within herself when it came to Healer. She seemed to break through into a whole new level of acting, I feel like she really became the character. No vanity, just very natural in every way. LOVED her in Healer. <3 I can't wait for you to see that show, but honestly, I'm also really stoked that you're moving on to School 2013. Coz, BROMANCE. And WOOB <3 <3 And Lee Jong Suk of course <3 It's very different from Heirs, I promise!

Safe travels as you go on your trips – can't wait to hear how you find S2013, when you get to it! 🙂

Well, we are talking about LMH here :)))) I wanted to see much more of him as fast as I can 😛

My mind fabricated some more suitable endings too. Kissing and hugging, of course, maybe a wedding, maybe teaching the kids how to fight <3

In that case, I can't wait to see Park Min Young. I'll start School 2013 asap and as soon as I finish that one, I'll dive into Healer 😀

Lee Jong Suk is already a full fledged actor in my mind, a really good one, so I started watching this one mostly to see Woob 😛 You are so infatuated with him so he has to be some special man 🙂 Though I am really curious about LJS too. He really is good <3 I've said that before :)))) And I'll surely be back with opinions on S2013, no worries! Sharing ideas is the best part in watching a drama, after all 😀 !

Thanks! You too 🙂 These weeks are going to be so full… Thanks for the encouragement <3

Gah. Sorry about this late reply. You might’ve gotten an email alert with a reply from me that’s since been deleted. I’m so late to tending my comments section, and got so confused, that I didn’t realize I’d already replied to that comment! 😛 I’m getting sorted now, and I hope you’re done with your business travel and are still enjoying dramaland very well!

Handsome fellas, I agree <3 ! What's beautiful, even God likes 😛

I've read your appreciation on Lee Jong Suk. It's spot on with a touch (or more than a touch 😛 ) of fangirl squee :))))) I discovered Lee Jong Suk in Pinocchio. I happened to stumble upon Pinocchio and gave it a try cause I wanted to see how Park Shin Hye has grown from her role in You're beautiful. I have to admit that LJS stole the show! I mean, he was seriously so good! I was impressed with his performance in this show, so I jumped head on in IHYV, which, again, left me speechless in terms of his performance. He really is a very good actor. I wanted to watch School 2013, but Nine appeared out of nowhere, so I got derailed 😛 . And then Goong happened and I got derailed again :))))

I am planning on watching School 2013 as soon as possible (I don't know if I should watch it before or after City Hunter and Healer – whaddya think?) and I'll analyze Kim Woo Bin as well and see where your love resides 😀

Tee hee. I have more handsome fellas on my site that you can, er, appreciate 😉 You can check out my K-Loves page , as well as the Pure Pretty page , if you’d like to gaze at more k-handsomeness! Of course, it’s not exhaustive, and I’m likely to post more as I go.

Oh yes, LJS is a very good actor, I really like watching him! Loved him in both Pinocchio and IHYV, and in S2013 of course. He’s got a way of reaching out of the screen and grabbing your heart and not letting go. I just can’t help but care about his characters, in the shows that I’ve seen him in. I am so sure he’ll have you by the heart too, in S2013! As will Kim Woo Bin, I’m quite certain! 😉

As for order of dramas, although I really really want you to watch Healer quickly (coz I love it), as well as S2013 (coz I love it too), I think it’s probably best if you go with City Hunter next, follow that with S2013, and then watch Healer. My reasoning is, you’ve just finished Goong, where a large part of the story is set in high school. To give you a break from the high school setting, I feel like it’d be better to delay S2013, at least by one drama. And then, because I think Healer is a better show than City Hunter, I feel like you should probably watch City Hunter first, and squee over Lee Min Ho in it, so that you can enjoy City Hunter to the fullest. Because Healer also has a superhero sort of flavor to it, I think having a break between City Hunter and Healer is for the best. Whaddya think? ^^

Hey again 🙂 !

Just finished “Nine”, really liked it, but there were some things that I thought could have been handled better. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any notes, so bear with me 😛 .

First of all, I really wanted Real Sun Woo to make it back and it made me wonder what happened to everyone in his universe. I get that at some point, probably, the universes merged into one, but I still wanted to see him, Min Young, Young Hoon and even his brother happy in the universe he tried so hard for. Even so, when the grownup Young Sun Woo remembered his other self, it gave me a sense of accomplishment for the Sun Woo that died too.

A couple of “forced” scenes, for instance when Jin Cheol crashes his car into the phone booth the window doesn’t break then, but it breaks when wounded Sun Woo hits it… Why would Choi Jin CHeol be allowed to leave the hospital after the trial when he was already convicted to 10 years of incarceration (where’s da police?!) and a couple more, but I don’t remember them now (I finished the show last night at 1AM and I am writing this comment in my spare time at work at 8 o’clock in the morning :))) )

I didn’t find believable the delivery of Choi Jin Cheol. I’ve seen Jung Dong-hwan in other dramas as the big bad wolf before, but I thought, as you’ve said before, that I am looking at a cartoon character, a clown. I understood his motivation for being evil (having everything you’ve worked for your whole life be taken away from you in an instant can drive anyone crazy) but I felt that the delivery was waaaay over the top.

Young Hoon was the best friend anyone would wish for. Their friendship was so touching that I found myself wanting Sun Woo to succeed not only for himself and his girl (fangirl heart 😀 ), but also for his best friend who is waiting patiently, who worries so much and who rushes at any hour just to be beside Sun Woo. Too touchy, I swear (heart) !

Chief Oh was the perfect father-figure I wished at some point even Jung Woo would have. He was just perfect and I’ll leave it at that. The two most perfect scenes between him and Sun Woo were: 1. Of course, when he comes to Sun Woo’s house and tells him they’ll have to go against Jin Cheol as if they’ve planned it and that he will back him up no matter what (the best dad ever!) 2. When Sun Woo knocks over Min Young and the Chief starts scolding him for ruining the atmosphere (so funny :)))

The brother, oh, the brother! Frustrating, weak, in no way dependable and the source of Sun Woo’s misery! The only thing I was grateful to Jung Woo for was that this time travel gave Sun Woo the heads up on his tumor. I couldn’t help but think of IHYV when I was watching Nine and I kept thinking about one of the leitmotifs of that drama, which is “Choices make you.” Even if he had a rough life, his choices could have been better for his own sake and everybody else’s around him. I’ll forgive him because he was weak, not evil, though that is usually worse.

The last (but not least) one I’d like to mention is Min Young. I really liked her, though I don’t usually like the cute-dumb like heroine. She was likeable nonetheless. And that love that she has for Sun Woo no matter what universe or what hardships she has to face is at least admirable. When she remembered that she had met the dying Sun Woo in the past and she connected the dots, that cry broke my heart. I felt her pain like a dagger in the feelz. I wanted her to have a good friend like Sun Young Hoon is for Sun Woo to help her get through that pain. But their relationship at the ending was so cute! I thought that the relationship at the beginning might have been a bit forced, maybe because I was used to seeing draggy love stories. But the story at the ending made it seem everything was ok again. Sun Woo’s smirks every time he’d upset her were so cute! Melty, I might say 😀 ! And the prospect of her finally being happy after enduring so much made my heart jump and dance of joy! I wish there was a sequel to see their love bloom even more, but I think that would spoil the whole idea of the show which is suspense 😛 .

Overall, I really liked it and I’ll watch Heartless City after Goong too 😀 . Sorry for the long comment 😀 !

Hey there Sabina! 😀 Great to know that you enjoyed Nine overall!

I agree that this show, despite being very solid and robust for the most part, wasn’t free of flaws. Some of the show’s internal logic wasn’t very strong, and yes, I definitely wanted Original Sun Woo to have lived and not died. :/ That made me sad. But, I did like what the show did in general, and found it thoughtfully conceived and tighter in its execution than many other kdramas. That’s really tough to pull off, particularly in k-ent’s live-shoot system. So much falls through the cracks when the production is pressed for time and racing against the clock, that I am still impressed with what Nine’s production team pulled off, despite its weaknesses.

THANK YOU, I also found Evil Choi way too OTT to be taken seriously. In fact, I found him downright distracting. But kinder viewers (like Betsy Hp who did the Trading Thoughts post with me) actually found his brand of evil acceptable and even entertaining. And yes, I loved Young Hoon. Isn’t he such an adorable loyal grumpypants? <3

You're right, a sequel wouldn't work for a series like Nine.. Unless they took our characters time traveling again, which would just make things even more complicated and harder to keep straight! XD

Heartless City isn't twisty the same way Nine is twisty, but it's a solid watch if you're in the right (dark, bloodlusty) sort of mood. Goong's more for when you're in the mood for sweet cuteness with a side of melodrama. What're you moving onto now? I think I might be just as excited about your progress on the k-train, as you probably are to be on the k-train! XD

Believe me, this is exciting :D! I am literally marathoning through Dramaland right now :))))). I am for any kind of drama, though I have to admit that strong melodrama or those unrealistic themes like memory loss and leaving for your pair’s sake and stuff aren’t really my cup of tea. I tend to be more rational, even in love (if that makes any sense :))) ) and the whole sappy story about me loving you but having to leave because whatever reason…. This lack of interest in these sort of dramas might also be because my mom used to watch argentinian soap operas back when I was still too young to know what I want :)))) Fortunately, she stopped :)))).

As for Nine, I loved it despite the flaws. It was enjoyable, engaging and endearing. I wish it would have been longer and that says a lot because if I had to choose between 16 eps and 20 eps, I’d choose 16 :))))

Honestly speaking, this ride of mine through Dramaland is so much more enjoyable thanks to you 😀 ! So, thank you 😀 !

I’ll take a break from the twisty now and go for Goong because you so strongly recommended it. The whole idea of modern kings felt intriguing for me 😛 . Speaking of which, would it be to much to ask (of maybe you’ve done that already and I haven’t discovered it yet 😛 ) to make a list with all A+ dramas you’ve seen? and also the other categories. I find your reviews really useful and having them sorted according to the impressions the dramas have left on you would be awesome!

Again, thanks for the quick reply 😀 !

Aw, YAY that I’m able to add fun to your romp through dramaland, Sabina! That makes me happy! 😀

The cliches that you mentioned are pretty common in dramaland, unfortunately, so it’s a rare drama that doesn’t have at least a smidge of what we refer to as noble idiocy (I must leave for your own good). The upside is, there’re still lots of great dramas to enjoy in spite of it, and I’m happy to send recommendations your way! It always makes me happy to point someone to a good drama, coz more shared drama love = more friends to squee with! ^^

I don’t have a full list of all the dramas I’ve seen, but here are 2 pages on the blog which you might find helpful. This is a full list of all the shows that I’ve written about on the site, with my rating next to them. And this is a list of my favorite dramas. There are more favorites that I haven’t added to this list, but I do love whatever is on the list.

On top of that, there are also shows that I’ve loved that I haven’t written about yet. For example, this year, I LOVED Healer, so much so that I want to write it a proper monster of a review (like I did for YFAS). I’m about to start actually writing that review as I type this, but that means that nowhere on the site does it state that I highly recommend Healer. (Add it to your list if you haven’t, pretty please? Healer stole my heart this year the way YFAS stole my heart last year, if that gives you an indication of how much I like it!). Long story short, I’m still happy to talk through drama recommendations with ya, one – or several! – shows at a time! 😉

Oh, my! So many, so many! When do you find the time to watch all the dramas AND write reviews AAAND answer to the comments?! Respect!

I saved the two lists in my Bookmarks and I’ll start watching the shows slowly (probably :))))) )

Actually, this whole drama thing started from japanese dramas for me and the first korean drama I watched was You’re Beautiful. And I liked it. Though Park Shin Hye’s character (the only actress whose name I know :))) ) wasn’t so believable. I get that preparing to be a nun would cut her connection to reality, but I think she could’ve played the nun and Go Mi Nam better. And some time ago, I happened to stumble upon your blog and while reading the reviews, Dramaland perked up my interest once again, only this time I had a whole variety of shows to choose from 😀 .

My favourite asian language is japanese by far, but I’ve started to enjoy korean as well and its sounds. What I don’t like about either of them (japanese and koreans) is that they talk with their mouths almost closed when they want to be cute or complain “silently” about something and that spoils the language for me 😛 (this was kind of like a sidenote :)))) )

I am looking forward to your review on HEALER. Meanwhile, I’ll start Goong 😀 . I am soooo cutting back my sleep :))))))

Thank you for the lists 😀 !

Lol. Well, the list is cumulative, and I’ve been writing reviews for about 2.5 years, so the list has grown as I’ve added reviews to it. I’ve actually watched at least double the number of dramas on the list, coz I started watching in 2007, but only thought to start the blog at the end of 2012. I figured there’s no way I’ll ever catch up on writing reviews for everything, so I only selectively review older dramas that I’ve watched (Goong being one of them!). I work part-time, so that gives me more time than the average person, to keep a drama blog running. Even then, though, there are periods when I have to put the blog aside for a bit, as Real Life demands more of my attention. You might’ve noticed that there haven’t been new reviews posted in the last 2 weeks or so. That’s because I decided I wanted – needed! – a Healer rewatch, for the feels, and for the purpose of writing the review, and so I put everything else on hold for a while. 🙂

YAY that you stumbled on the blog, Sabina, coz it’s been such fun talking drama with you, and sending drama recommendations your way! 😀 Believe me, I’ve got more recommendations to share with you, when you want them! 😉

As for Park Shin Hye, I totally agree that her portrayal of Go Mi Nam was quite unbelievable. Still, I found it an enjoyable watch. And, happily, Park Shin Hye recently did really well in Pinocchio, which changed my mind about her as an actress. I used to find her pretty meh, but I genuinely enjoyed her in Pinocchio. Which is another show that I haven’t written about, but which I really did like. Oh, btw, Pinocchio was made by the same team that made IHYV, so the look and feel is a similar warm, cracky sort of vibe. It even stars Lee Jong Suk! XD So you might want to add it to your list, if you haven’t already!

I really hope you manage to enjoy Goong, Sabina. Some viewers who picked it up in recent years (vs when it first aired) found it rather slow-moving, but I found the pace good for teasing out the OTP relationship in a realistic, believable manner. I’d love to hear how you find the show! And yes, I feel ya, sleep often gets delayed & sacrificed in the name of drama love! We ALL know what that feels like! XD

Oh, well, we can get some sleep when we die, right :))))? (this creepy phrase is actually a saying from Romania, especially for students who are trying to catch up at the last minute before the exams :)))) )

I’ve watched Pinocchio already and really liked it! (this is when I started liking Lee Jong Suk 😛 ) I was secretly hoping for your review on it 😀 . I watched Pinocchio after The Heirs and I have to admit that it helped me get rid of the Heirs bad taste. The good thing about The Heirs is that I got to “fall in love” with Lee Min Hot :))))) (btw, if you have any good dramas with Hot in them, feel free to share 😀 ).

And about Goong, I’ll watch it first and then decide if it’s too slow 😛 . It might be a breath of fresh air since everything seems to be going only on fast forward these days… It’s frustrating how I never find enough time to do everything I want to do.

And about the recommendations, keep ’em coming 😀 ! I’ll try to watch everything on your faves list by the end of 2015. And then start with the A’s on the other list 😀 . It’s fun to talk about the things you like 😀 !

Anyway, I’m looking forward to your next reviews, hopefully Pinocchio and Healer 😀

Oh, you’ve already seen Pinocchio! My bad, if you’ve already mentioned it to me! 😛 Yay that you liked it though!

Lee Min Ho is an actor that I’m fairly indifferent to, for the most part. But I really did like him a lot in City Hunter. He’s pretty badass in it, and he also managed to deliver pretty impressively in several difficult scenes. Sadly, since City Hunter, I’ve not enjoyed him in any of his dramas. Lots of people enjoyed Personal Taste as well, but I was generally rather underwhelmed by it.

On a tangent, City Hunter is a little bit like Healer in the sense that both shows have got a bit of a superhero flavor to them. I really loved City Hunter when it came out, but I now think that Healer’s a way better show. So perhaps to enjoy both shows to the fullest, you might want to watch City Hunter first?

My Healer review will probably be the next review that gets posted on the site 🙂 It may take me some time to get to Pinocchio though, since I’ve taken a break from current shows, and I foresee that I’ll want to get reviews out for recents shows like Oh My Ghostess and Scholar Who Walks the Night, by the time I’m done with my Healer review. I do plan on reviewing Pinocchio though! 🙂

Nope, I haven’t mentioned about Pinocchio before 😛 . I’ll take your advice and watch City Hunter first. I’m still not very familiar with what good or bad acting means in terms of k-dramas, so right now I’m easily impressed by looks (ooops 😛 ), but I do think that Lee Jong Suk is a good actor. Either he chose really good roles or the roles became really good thanks to him. I wasn’t really impressed with his looks, but he has charisma, style, softness and toughness and his smile is really cute and manly, at the same time. Having all that is better than being just handsome 😛 . Maybe that’s why Lee Min Ho doesn’t try that hard…?

I’m looking forward to the review, but in the meantime I’ll get started with Goong. Actually, I’ll start it tonight :)))

Thank you again for the quick reply 😀 ! It’s really so much fun to exchange ideas with you 😛 !

Lol. There’s no shame in appreciating someone just for his looks – trust me, I know! 😉 While I love that many of the actors I admire have solid to sometimes great acting chops, I also have lots of appreciation for actors who look great but still have a ways to go in the acting department. For example, I think Hong Jong Hyun is really handsome:

But his acting style falls on the stiffer end of the scale.

And Nam Joo Hyuk, who needs a lot more improvement in the acting department, but whom I really like for his onscreen warmth and his handsome good looks:

So handsome <3 😉

I agree with everything you said about Lee Jong Suk! He's such a chameleon, really. You can read my appreciation post for him here , if you haven’t come across it yet. 🙂

Also, how are you liking Goong so far? I remember finding the manhwa touches really cute, especially in the introduction sequence. And, absolutely, it IS fun to chat dramas (& actors!) with ya! It’s why we even come on the internet, really. To find other fans who GET our passion. 🙂

I wrapped up viewing the drama this morning. My! What a mental roller coaster ride this show. You’re right, there were some things that were left hanging. Nevertheless, it is a very well written drama.

My thoughts? Hmmm… Though I did not like much the open ending, it did propelled my mind to many convoluted endings. Haha! Exactly what the show wanted me to do.

Most of the actors here are new to me. I think the OTP gave a pretty solid personification of their characters. And I like the happy moments they shared in episode 20. It even made me think they could do great in a romcom. And Lee Jin-wok, so manly! I’m a little not sold out at how old Young Hoon was delivered. Well, I’m expecting a doctor to be more restrained, much like the younger one. But he’ll fine with me if he weren’t a doctor. Oh well, maybe, that’s just me and my preconceived notion of doctors. I did find Jung Dong Hwan’s Choi Jin Cheol over the top. I’ve seen him in a lot of dramas and I’m familiar with his acting. I don’t know what happened here.

I like how the heroine is written, though she did not get much screen time. She’s very real, idealism was set aside. Its not often that a heroine is written as an honest, forward woman whose relentless in pursuing her object of attraction. Suggesting the honeymoon, asking for a goodbye kiss, demanding a proposal–so so real. And I love it!

I have to give credit to the casting personnel. The resemblance in the young and old Sun Woo, as well as in the old and young Jung Woo, is quite striking. Kudos to the director as well in ensuring that the young and old versions of the characters are consistent. Big comes to mind where Shin Won-ho as KKJ was subtle and refined for his age but KKJ in Gong Yoo’s body was quite childish.

I did have many other questions but what I can think of right now is how old Sun Woo could not remember where he went and why he was late for his brother’s wedding. I’m surmising that the old Sun Woo reads the journal to ensure he doesn’t miss a detail as attention to it is very important considering the amount of things he has to do in 30 minutes. However, for something as important as almost missing your brother’s wedding, even forgetful people remembers. I think this concurs with your question as to why Sun Woo’s memory doesn’t evolve as that of the others.

That’s it for now.

It IS a mental rollercoaster, isn’t it?! Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel as emotionally engaged, coz I had to work that hard to keep up? I don’t know.

As for Evil Choi, I hafta blame the PD. Or maybe the writer. Coz obviously it’s not his usual acting style. Someone must’ve told him to do it that way. Maybe after seeing him goof around behind the scenes. Ha.

Oh yes, the casting for young & adult cast was great. My favorite is the casting for young Young Hoon as well as young Sun Woo. I could “see” the young and adult versions in each other. Credit to the actors, seriously, coz it’s not so much about physical resemblance, but the vibe of the character that the actors bring across.

As for the non-evolution of Sun Woo’s memories along with everyone else’s, Betsy has some interesting thoughts on that, which you can check out here , when you have some time ^^

I will have to read Betsy’s thoughts as well as your combined post.

Take your time, kaiaraia!! Working on the combined post with Betsy really opened my mind to lots more ideas – it’s fascinating how differently we can each respond to the same show! – so I hope you enjoy the read! ^^

Right, the physical resemblance in the young and the adult versions was enhanced by the actors consistent vibe and facial expressions.

Exactly!! I think some credit has to go to the styling, coz that does do something. Mostly, though, I think it has most to do with the actors bringing out the same vibe, from the character’s body language, to his way of speaking. All the little details add up, and do so much to make us feel that it’s the same person even when the character is played by a completely different person. Such a treat, when it’s done right! ^^

I thought I wanted something light and funny to watch, but having read this makes me wanna put my thinking hat on. I love well written scripts, especially so when the writers think of intelligent audience. What to do… so long a must-watch list, so little time. Waaa….

I’m gonna say, go with your mood, kaiaraia! Whatever your mood dictates, that’ll be the show to hit the spot. If you’re not in the mood for twisty, then even the most well-written twisty show won’t feel satisfying, y’know? ^^

A little over three months after, I’m back here and very much in the mood watching this. Yep, I’m sucked in and already at episode 9 in day 2. I love that this is strictly time travel. What do I mean? In most time travel shows I’ve seen (American), it’s always a time and space continuum. The one with the time machine can choose the place, the date and the exact hour he wants to be at. But here, Sung Woo is only projected to exactly 20 years ago in the same place at exactly the same time as the present. It’s limited but I like how it adds to the tightness of the scene. Also, I can’t help but wonder and anticipate what’s gonna happen next now that the incense were left in 1992!

Did not read much of the review yet. Will do that when I’m done. Okay… so I’m back to watching…

Aw! I know you mentioned you’re out of your drama fatigue, but it’s just such a pleasure to actually witness you happily inhaling a drama that you like, kaiaraia!! 😀 9 episodes in just 2 days?!?? Wow. That is some impressive progress! I totally agree that Nine is a drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat! I was also always wondering what was going to happen next, and the show managed to keep me on my toes all the way through. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the show after you’re done watching it! ^^

PS: Happy New Year, kaiaraia!! May 2014 be full of joy, health, love and cracky dramas for ya! ;D

Aww, I loved Nine! It was the only drama that my mom&sisters&I all enjoyed. We have different tastes, so it’s kind of hard to satisfy all of us, but this one did 🙂 I miss the late night discussion with my sister trying to figure out what the heck just happened in Nine…we were drawing timelines and making hypotheses and creating time theories, lol. Nine is definitely a drama you can enjoy much better if you have someone to discuss it with 😛

That’s true! There’s so much to discuss and hypothesize over, coz the writers leave so much deliberately unexplained! It’s up to us viewers to either discover it unveiled later, or form our own theories. A great pick-apart sort of drama for viewers who love to think and analyze!

I’m in tears, love your thoughtful reviews. So thorough and you literally transported me back episode by episode. Funny story to share with you: I was in Incheon watching two raw episodes with this cleaning ahjumma on break. In my broken Korean I told her the kissing in the rain scene was so awesome and lovely, she agreed and we both wiped our tears. LOL. I enjoyed my time with her and I know we both weren’t happy at the end because we wanted more. She formed a fist and punched her thigh and I comforted her “ahjumma, gwaenchanayo.” LOL

This is by far the best time travel drama in awhile. I do see some flaws especially towards the ending; being the phone that was left behind. Heh I’m not going to complain much knowing this is a nearly perfect drama in a while. I was pissed with the ending simply because it just left it at where it starts. I don’t know, did he mature enough not to light the incense? Or is it another going back to square one and he jumped onto the time travel wagon again? I wanted a clear cut ending. I need a closure and I didn’t get one *sobs sobs*

By the way, please consider watching Cruel/Heartless City once it is done. Very different vibe, I love the twist in this one too and romance isn’t the main course. 🙂

Aw, yay that you enjoyed the review <3 This definitely ranks among the top amid the time travel dramas; the writers clearly put a lot of thought into it. And the ending definitely wasn't closed nor clear-cut! I guess having an open ending that allows us room to draw our conclusions is still a step above an ending that is definite but that sucks? ;D

Heartless City is definitely on my radar – I've heard so many squeals around the dramaverse that I can't ignore it. Plus, once-upon-a-time perennial beta-male Jung Kyung Ho as a badass tattooed gangster? This I SO gotta see! ^^

And what an adorable story of you and the ahjumma crying together in Incheon Airport over kdrama!! XD You are SO cute! <3

Love your review! Also, you totally blew my mind with your throw away comment: “As an aside, I’m particularly tickled by how Lee Yi Kyung is all hardworking & nerdy in Nine, when he was a little gangster brat in School 2013.”

I was like “whaaa?” And then I had to look up Lee Yi Kyung and his actor pics look totally different from Young Hoon. So then I was very frowny faced because I couldn’t quite place him. And then I looked up his pics from “School 2013” and… mind blown! I totally adored his character in “School 2013” and his frustration when his two best buds were fighting and yet I didn’t make the connection at all. I cannot believe it’s the same actor even as I see it’s totally the same actor. That is totally awesome. Talk about acting chops!

So… once I taped my brain back together — your review has filled with me with tons and tons of questions and responses and opinions just a slight sift from yours (and also opinions in complete agreement — like the adorableness of Young Hoon whatever timeline). I shall put an email together that will (hopefully!) be slightly organized and then we can dig into it! 😀

Y’know, I didn’t place Lee Yi Kyung straightaway myself. It’s just that as I watched him, I was just CONVINCED that I knew him from somewhere, particularly his smile and his sharp, angular profile. So I looked him up and when I saw his name, it started to click for me, since his character in School 2013 was also named Lee Yi Kyung. I LOVE that he’s so different in both roles, yet he’s totally the same. There’s something really likable and endearing about him, & I’m curious to see how he next shows up on my screen ^^

WOOT! Tons and tons of questions and responses and opinions sounds fabulously fun! 😀 Lookin’ forward to digging in with ya! <3

I finished Nine recently and quite liked it as well! It’s one of the few show I’ve managed to finish (so far) in 2013. The other one being School 2013. It was a really well done show and I remember being surprised by the new twists and turns every few episodes. Talk about a wild ride!

This show was not my crack, but I really looooved Dr Yoong Hoon (so adorkable!) and Chief Oh! There were so supportive and sincere, it’s quite a rare feat in k-dramas!

Sadly, I never really cared for the OTP. I guess that it still proves that the show was good because I kept watching despite my lack of love for the lead characters 😛 I really liked young Sun Woo, but his adult counterpart was just ok (but Lee Jin Wook was totally hot!)

Hehe it’s nice to be back to your lair, superhero unni 😛

OMG I LOVED Young Hoon & Chief Oh too!! Both so adorable in their own ways, and so full of their own gruff brands of warmth and care <3 I wanted to squish them both! Wait, I mean all 3 of them, coz I loved younger Young Hoon too!

Yes – TOTALLY with you on how Nine is objectively good, even where it lacked in emotional connection. The cliffhangers were mostly of the "OMIGOSH-what-happens-next?!?!? variety, which is really rare in dramaland.. Gotta give credit where credit's due 😉

And lil ninja maknae is ALWAYS welcome in the fangirl lair *smooths maknae's nifty ninja hairdo affectionately* <3

Nice review, as always. 🙂

It’s quite possible I’ll never finish ‘Nine’. I got stuck in ep 4 for quite a long while and this week, when I finally decided to pick up where I left from, I watched 2 episodes and didn’t have any urge to continue. I still don’t. On surface Nine should be ‘my kind of drama’ but …. something is missing, a connection of some sort maybe.

Well, it’s not like I don’t have stuff to watch, LOL! Still blown away by ‘Heartless City’ and ‘The Blade and Petal’ is…. strange and kinda wonderful. *g*

You’re right – on the surface, Nine TOTALLY looks like your kinda show! Much as I was hooked by it, though, I did feel a lack of emotional connection, and possibly that’s what you’re feeling too.. But, yay that you’re loving Heartless City – that’s a show that I definitely plan on checking out! And I’ve heard such a mixed bag of comments on Blade & Petal that I kinda feel like I need to see for myself so that I can decide whether I think it’s terrible or terrific! ;D

I think you are right, the emotional connection is missing and without it the whole thing feels kinda….. empty, despite of how well put together it otherwise is.

Oh yes, Heartles City keeps brining it on and now I’m sort of desperate for it to stay that way till the end, LOL! It’s twisty and yet balanced. Packs a hefty emotional punch too so you frequently have ‘the feels’ for even some of the nasties. It’s a world shaded in gray when it comes to the characters, no good or bad there.

The Blade and Petal is for what they call ‘an aquired taste’. 🙂 It is polarising and comes down to how you take to the directors style, his vision and his way of telling the story. The 1st ep was a shocker, LOL! I’ve now watched all 4 aired epis and the funny thing is that unlike in the 2 modern dramas of his (where it irked me to no end), I actually like his style in TB&P. I can understand why a lot of people don’t get it at all though. It harkens back to a much older cinematic style that people are not used to any more. Acting is on a complitely different level too and oddly enough it’s another thing many don’t seem to get either…. Yup, I do think you need to see it for yourself to decide. And now I’m really qurious to see what you’ll make of it. *g*

Yes, emotional connection is definitely a biggie.. Which is why it’s the one thing that I wanted more of, in Nine. It got all the twisty down pat and my mind was fully engaged, and then some! If only my heart could’ve gotten more engaged. I did feel for the characters, but it was an ebb and flow thing. There were moments where I felt a lot more, and moments where my interest was purely clinical.

Which is why Heartless City is sounding pretty awesome – sounds like it got some major things right, to be both twisty AND emotionally engaging! I’m looking forward to checking it out!!

Heh. After your quick introduction to Blade & Petal, I’M really curious too, about how I’ll take to it! It definitely sounds like the kind of show that you either love or hate. Color me intrigued ^^ I plan to at least give it a good go, to see if it sticks.

Gesh. I think I like this show even more now that I read your review than I did when I watched it originally 😉 I especially like your take on the split screen stuff—especially the rounded corner business. I totally didn’t notice that.

Ooh, what a compliment, thanks Amanda! I’m really chuffed that the review actually upped your appreciation for the show! 😀 And totally, the team took so much care with the little details, like the rounded corners, that I’m sure there’s stuff that I missed too. This is probably one of those shows that gets better with the re-watch ^^

Man, oh man, I love your reviews 🙂 They are always so well thought out and thorough!

I haven’t watched NINE and whenever I encounter it I would sort of shy away. As a Doctor Who fan I take time travel seriously and get very agitated when it is dealt with inconsistently/with little thought. There has to be consequences! It has to be taken seriously!

Thanks to this review I know I can add NINE to my To Be Watched list! It’s probably time for another genre bending show for me.

(Random: I was just in France where many Kdrama’s are not licensed to be watched. Major letdown BUT I got totally hooked on this Taiwan drama called Love, Now. Only 17 episodes in out of 72(!!!) but I’m totally hooked and watching it every spare moment. A classic romantic dramedy with great characters, chemistry and twists. Culturally Taiwan seems to be quite similar to Korea and it’s fascinating to watch this after so many Kdrama’s. Admittedly Love, Now is taking away from the many many Kdrama’s I am dying to watch but when a show is good, it’s good ;))

Aw, THANKS Megan!! <3 And yes, I would say that the writers did an admirable job in Nine. The writing isn't perfect by any means – I don't think there's such a thing, as a perfectly written drama – but they clearly put a lot of thought into the mechanics, consistency, consequences, and ripple effects. I think it'd be sufficient to satisfy your standards ^^ I wished I could've been more emotionally engaged, but there was enough of a mental hook to keep me going for the whole length of the show. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it when you do get to it!

A 72 ep TW drama! That's going to take you a while! Enjoy your new crack! I enjoy long dramas too, but of the kdrama variety.. TW dramas are just not my thang. I'm currently watching FOUR long kdramas, on top of my mini-series stuff! XD

I totally agree with you on the lack of emotional hook which for me, really lessened my enjoyment of this show. And totally agree about the makjang, which is what i wrote in my review (although with alot less in depth and detailed as you)! My interpretation of the end is that old SW died, new SW waited 20 years to travel back in time to save his brother. Which left me an unhappy camper :). I didn’t get that old SW death brought about a better future for SW, coz i was reading it as just a way out for the writers to hv a happy ending. but i’m totally grumpypants here coz i think i expected alot coming frm team of Queen In Hyun’s Man which i adored! nice write-up 🙂

I loved QIHM too!! I do think the team did a fine job executing the time travel concept in Nine.. I wish the emotional hook could have somehow been stronger. But it’s hard. Coz for me, it had everything to do with the concept as well. If Sun Woo could go back and keep fixing things, then it’s hard for events unfolding to feel weighty.

I think the ending of Nine is similar to that of QIHM in that it’s an ending that requires the viewer to make an interpretation that works. Many viewers hated the phone device in QIHM, but I managed to find an interpretation that made me happy. I think the hardest hurdle to overcome in Nine, is Original Sun Woo’s death in 1993. That kinda made New Sun Woo feel like a substitute. But he wasn’t the one that we spent 19 episodes with, so it still doesn’t quite feel right. Which is why I prefer Interpretation #5 for the ending, coz it changes the whole game ^^

The deux ex machina in QIHM didn’t bother me too much, because i was so swept away by everything else that came before, i let that one go. as for nine, i guess if i was more engaged emotionally i would’ve felt kinder towards Nine. I’m all about the emo with my dramas :P.

Definitely, the emotional connection makes up for a lot.. I’ve forgiven other dramas too, for much worse than a phone device, based on emotional connection 😉 Plus my fangirl tendencies sometimes overrule everything else. I forgave Big coz Gong Yoo got to be so awesome and so delicious on my screen, heh.

It’s too bad I couldn’t feel a stronger emotional connection with Nine. Objectively though, I still credit it for doing a lot of things really well ^^

Ah yes would I hv sat through Big if not for Gong Yoo?? Methinks not. I checked out of that one mid way, and spent the rest of it watching it like i would a Mindbridge catalogue 😛

Lol! That’s not a bad way to appreciate Big at all! ;D I just ignored all the bad writing and focused on the GY awesome. And there was a lot of GY awesome to make me happy, which why I heartily forgive the show. I hope the next drama he picks manages to be good WHILE letting him be awesome 😉

I am intrigued. You are always so thorough and your writing so thoughtful and engaging. I happen to really dig time travel so this one will probably be right up my alley! Also, I do appreciate a tightly written script. Another reason to probably put this one on my list (the list that I cannot seem to put a dent in)!!! Well done! 🙂

Aw thanks Michele! <3 Yes, you should definitely check out Nine! 😀 Y'know, if you dig time travel, you should also totally check out the previous show this team put out, Queen In-hyun's Man. Also a very well-done time travel story, and it's got an epic romance at the center too. One of my all-time faves <3 <3

Hmmm…should torrent that one! 🙂

Absolutely! Knowing how much you enjoy romance, & now that you say you love time travel, QIHM is a show you should definitely bump up your priority list! ^^

Consider it done!!! By the way, we need to finish up Chuno so we cam move on to IMY!!

Indeed! I’m getting back on the Chuno train tonight with E18. We’re entering the last stretch! ^^

I think I am on 20….oh, wait, I wonder if I can get here because I have a HUGE flatscreen in my room. Omo…can it be that I can watch Dae Gil while I am actually in Seoul???? That would so rock my night and make some of this sadness go away! 🙂

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• K-Drama Review

K-Drama Time Machine: “Nine: Nine Times Travel”” Notches A Clever Time-Slip Series With Lee Jin Wook & Jo Yoon Hee

A few years ago, tvn’s 20-episode nine: nine time travels ran a mind-blowing experience for its thrilling fantasy premise..

Achieving peerless cliff-hangers, Nine: Nine Times Travel  mocked all the time-traveling stories with seamless presentation of consistent timeline transitions and convergence, when the genre was predominant in that period of time.

Title: Nine: Nine Times Travel Distributor: tvN Theme: Fantasy, Time Travel, Romance Length: 20 episodes Broadcast Date: 11 Mar 2013 – 14 May 2013 Main Leads: Lee Jin Wook, Jo Yoon Hee Overall Rating: Re-watch Value: Related Dramas: Tomorrow with You, Tunnel

Nine: Nine Time Travels will excite your Sherlock veins through its incredulous hero’s journey. Chronicled with ample thrills, the series injected inconceivable trajectories using its supernatural premise.

It is the story of a man who obtained nine incense sticks that functioned as a time-trekking device. Utilizing the enchanted incense sticks, it helps him leave clues to his past self to escape his looming death in the future. His time warping adventure brings him to events of 20 years ago. Presenting the pieces of information that his future self uses to change the course of time in the past, it gave a riveting picture as he protects the people he loves and his life.

Highlights & Drawbacks

Imaginatively conceived, Nine: Nine Times Travel paraded a stunning picture which will challenge your focus and deciphering skills. But the series has always emerged victorious in going different to how the viewers deconstructed the path and curves of where it was heading.

For a change, I witness a hindered love story that does not involve vengeance or inability of the couple to communicate thereby jumping into wrong conclusions. This time around, there’s no trusting blindly and no let’s leave it to fate resolution. Instead, we got a love tale fighting to survive the odds with the aid of nine incense sticks.

The fluidity of the characters from past and present helping each other to pin down the villain was depicted efficiently. On that note, the wicked villain was a more contrived worker than the joint protagonists.

Leaving clues for his future self to pick up, the hero successfully left the last clue to the woman he loves. Therefore enabling him to save his brother’s supposed frost accident which started his awareness of changing the past.

True, this was a hard to follow drama as the supernatural kicks bordered to beyond impossible. But, that was also what made the series strong. It was not afraid to push its limit without abusing its metaphysical element.

The well linked conflicts and the focus on just one villain helped in drawing a clear flow on the main character’s battle. Instead of myriad problems coming incessantly with no basis, the hero-villain showdown was solid from beginning to the end.

Series Afterthoughts

Leaving the audience decide what closure he wants for the series he religiously watch is always a challenging task. Nine ended on a calm emotion, like it was giving me a cranial massage for all the brain activity I had to out through.

For me, it was a satisfying ending that fulfilled the hard work of all those time sojourns for the male lead. I stuck to my preconceived notion that it will be the couple’s love that will resolve everything. Explaining that the hero’s unfortunate fate was bound to happen. It yielded unrealized warnings that he needed for him to survive and to make everything right.

Although, the connection of the sticks and the hero was not explained to the fullest, we can conclude that when he used it, its binding power can be luck or curse depending on how his mind works to process the incidents presented to him.

Nine: Nine Time Travels  is one of my favorite K-dramas even now. It was an exceptional labyrinth themed story that banked on the coherent flow of its narrative while linking the timelines.

With its smart characters and nifty writing, it is one drama that would keep you on an addictive spree.

* Nine is streamed on Netflix.

*All photos from tvN

• 100 Must-Watch Korean Dramas In The Last 20 Years

ABOUT THE WRITER

abbyinhallyuland reads and sleeps a lot when she is not traveling. Her calendar reminders are mostly K-Drama broadcast schedules and birthdays of her favorite Korean actors. Promoting K-Drama watching as stress therapy is her life advocacy. She is fond of Spencer Reid, Gregory House, Kenshin Himura, Starwars saga, Haruki Murakami and Hunter x Hunter .

Recommended Korean Dramas: Reply 1988, Nine,  Misaeng , Gaksital, Discovery of Love, Because This is My First Life, Descendants of the Sun, My Love from the Star,  Healer , Punch,  You’re Beautiful, Coffee Prince, Princess Hours, The Greatest Love, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, City Hunter, Crash Landing on You and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.

E: [email protected]

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Nine: Nine Times Time Travel

Park Sun Woo works as an anchorman at a TV broadcasting station. He is in love with newsreporter Joo Min Young, who is bright and honest. Park Sun Woo then obtains 9 incense items, which allows him to go back 20 years in time. Park Sun Woo travels to the past.

Official site: program.interest.me

8 ( 9 votes)

Previous Episode

Episode 1x20; may 14, 2013.

With Sun Woo's death in 1993, he sets off a chain of events that affects his new future self.

Previous Episodes

Lee Jin Wook

Jo Yoon Hee

Extra details.

• Nine: 9 Times Time Travel
• Nine: Time Travel Nine Times
• Nain: Ahob Beonui Shikan Yeohaeng
• na in a hob beon ui si gan yeo haeng

• Mar 11, 2013

• Mar 12, 2013

• Mar 18, 2013

• Mar 19, 2013

• Mar 25, 2013

• Mar 26, 2013

• Apr 1, 2013

• Apr 2, 2013

• Apr 8, 2013

• Apr 9, 2013

• Apr 15, 2013

• Apr 16, 2013

• Apr 22, 2013

• Apr 23, 2013

• Apr 29, 2013

• Apr 30, 2013

• May 6, 2013

• May 7, 2013

• May 13, 2013

• May 14, 2013
• Nine Times to Watch at Once
• May 20, 2013
• Behind the Story
• May 21, 2013

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K-Drama Review: “Nine: Nine Times Travel” Notches A Clever Time-Slip Series With Lee Jin Wook & Jo Yoon Hee

A few years ago, tvN’s 20-episode Nine: Nine Time Travels ran a mind-blowing experience for its thrilling fantasy premise.

Achieving peerless cliff-hangers, Nine: Nine Times Travel  mocked all the time-traveling stories with seamless presentation of consistent timeline transitions and convergence, when the genre was predominant in that period of time.

• Title: Nine: Nine Times Travel
• Streaming Site: Netflix
• Main Leads: Lee Jin Wook | Jo Yoon Hee

• Related Dramas: Tomorrow with You | Tunnel | Circle

Nine: Nine Time Travels will excite your Sherlock veins through its incredulous hero’s journey. Chronicled with ample thrills, the series injected inconceivable trajectories using its supernatural premise.

It is the story of a man who obtained nine incense sticks that functioned as a time-trekking device. Utilizing the enchanted incense sticks, it helps him leave clues to his past self to escape his looming death in the future.

His time warping adventure brings him to events of 20 years ago. Presenting the pieces of information that his future self uses to change the course of time in the past, it gave a riveting picture as he protects the people he loves and his life.

Nine Times Travel Peak Points

Imaginatively conceived, Nine: Nine Times Travel paraded a stunning picture which will challenge your focus and deciphering skills. But the series has always emerged victorious in going different to how the viewers deconstructed the path and curves of where it was heading.

For a change, I witness a hindered love story that does not involve vengeance or inability of the couple to communicate thereby jumping into wrong conclusions. This time around, there’s no trusting blindly and no let’s leave it to fate resolution. Instead, we got a love tale fighting to survive the odds with the aid of nine incense sticks.

The fluidity of the characters from past and present helping each other to pin down the villain was depicted efficiently. On that note, the wicked villain was a more contrived worker than the joint protagonists.

Leaving clues for his future self to pick up, the hero successfully left the last clue to the woman he loves. Therefore enabling him to save his brother’s supposed frost accident which started his awareness of changing the past.

True, this was a hard-to-follow drama as the supernatural kicks bordered to beyond impossible. But, that was also what made the series strong. It was not afraid to push its limit without abusing its metaphysical element.

The well-linked conflicts and the focus on just one villain helped in drawing a clear flow on the main character’s battle. Instead of myriad problems coming incessantly with no basis, the hero-villain showdown was solid from beginning to the end.

Nine Times Travel Series Musings

Leaving the audience to decide what closure befits the series that was religiously watched is always a challenging task. Nine ended on a calm emotion, like it was giving me a cranial massage for all the brain activity I had to out through.

For me, it was a satisfying ending that fulfilled the hard work of all those time sojourns for the male lead. I stuck to my preconceived notion that it will be the couple’s love that will resolve everything. Explaining that the hero’s unfortunate fate was bound to happen. It yielded unrealized warnings that he needed for him to survive and to make everything right.

Although the connection of the sticks and the hero was not explained to the fullest, we can conclude that when he used it, its binding power can be luck or curse depending on how his mind works to process the incidents presented to him.

Nine: Nine Time Travels  is one of my favorite K-dramas even now. It was an exceptional labyrinthine story that banked on the coherent flow of its narrative while linking the timelines.

With its smart characters and nifty writing, it is one drama that would keep you on an addictive spree.

Photos: tvN

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A wise man once said…, nine: nine times time travel ending explained.

Here we are at the Nine: Nine times time travel ending. A lot has happened, and overall the story had an interesting take on time travelling. It had his own rules and seemed to follow them well. I liked the fact that lingering interference could keep on changing the future. So even when Park Sun Woo was already back in the ‘present’, things could change. The 20 year gap that kept on moving at the same time made it a unique take on time travelling.

The ending gives us something to think about too. There are multiple explanations of what could have happened: some happy, some depressive. Before we continue, we must go back to the beginning of our series.

Nine: Nine times time travel – Beginning scene recap:

We’re in the Himalayes. We see the brother in a thick, red jacket. He is struggling to climb a snowy mountain. Finally he falls. For some reason he grabs an incense stick and tries to light it. But then a shadow falls over him.

The scene changes to ‘Pokhara, Nepal. December 15, 2012’.

We meet our hero Park Sun Woo and find out it is actually a year later than our snowy-mountain-scene. Apparently Sun Woo’s brother died there. The clothing and items fit, but the body is unrecognisable.

– Shadow standing over brother before he supposedly dies – The brother is identified by the items, the body itself is never identified

Nine: Brother falls

Nine: Shadow over brother

Nine: Nine times time travel ending recap:

In episode 19 we’ve seen present Park Sun Woo making the changes in the past to make the future happy for everyone. He is going to marry. Brother is alive. However, he gets stuck in the past. There he records that he understands the meaning of the incense sticks. He says it’s his life: every time he used a stick his life shortened. Now he used every one of them and his chances are over. He just hopes everything turned out all right. He is starting to feel glad that he is dying, because it is fitting… And I think it would be very painful too, to life 20 years in the past and growing old, knowing the age gap between him and the girl he loves will be more than 20 years, even if he survives to meet her again.

Now, we fast forward a bit. We find out Park Sun Woo saw Joo Min Young just before he dies. He makes her promise that if she meets someone with his face in the future, she will keep her distance, because this person will ruin her life.

Present day Min Young remembers this exactly at the same time and starts crying in shock. She knows Sun Woo dies.

But then of course there is still teenage Park Sun Woo. He grows older and older, getting closer to the time when ‘present Park Sun Woo’ (the one who is dead now) found the sticks and started time travelling. However; the life of teenage Park Sun Woo is not the same as that of present (dead) Park Sun Woo. His brother did pay for his crimes and went to prison and Min Young acts differently because she met present Park Sun Woo. And of course he knows that present Park Sun Woo could time travel (and realizes that present Park Sun Woo dies in 1993). He also remembers the advice of present Park Sun Woo: he will always make the right choice.

So in the end he realizes that Min Young might have had advice to avoid him, but he already loves her. Strengthened by the thought that he will always make the right choice + the fact that he now has a warning he might die when time travelling he chooses to love her anyway, because his future might be different than present Sun Woo’s. He follows Min Young to Nepal.

Notice: it is mentioned that his brother will be in Nepal at the same time too.

It would be all nicely wrapped up, but the writers decided to add a next scene. We are again on the snowy mountain. We see the brother in the snow, like in episode 1. A shadow falls over him… and then we see a bearded (older?) Park Sun Woo bending over and reaching out his hand, saying: “Long time no see, Hyung”.

My thoughts on the ending

1. The clean and tidy ending It was all nicely wrapping up, until the very last seconds. Without the scene with the brother on the mountain, my explanation would be as following:

Present Park Sun Woo dies, but changes the past so teenage Park Sun Woo will have a good life. Teenage Park Sun Woo never finds his brother on the mountain. Because of the pills they found in 1993 he is treated in time for his brain tumor. He starts to like Min Young and in the end chooses to marry her. Yes! Downside : our present Park Sun Woo’s friends and family have to life in their reality and do realize Sun Woo is dead. Downside averted : Perhaps the moment Sun Woo tells child Min Young to avoid the person with the same face as he has, Sun Woo made his final changes in 1993 and the 2013 reality might have changed/stopped at the time he dies.

2. The clean and tidy ending with some questionable mountain climbing Remember that brother also went to Nepal at the same time? Let’s say the clean and tidy ending happened. Then somehow his brother decides to go mountain climbing and he also has an incense stick. Sun Woo trough some miracle follows his brother and is in time to rescue him.

Although possible, this would bother me: – Why does the brother need incense/climb the mountain again? He seems happy with his life. – How does Sun Woo know and finds him on this big mountain? – Why does Sun Woo has  a beard and is possibly older (okay, might be that it is some days later and he has fast growing hair).

3. Different choice ending Suppose the brother we see dying at the end, is the same brother we see in episode 1 (there was a shadow too, remember!). However, Park Sun Woo makes a different choice when finding out about his dead a year later. Instead of going back to the past to try to save lives there, he decides to save up (some of the) sticks. He then lives his life and after 20 years lights the incense to save his brother. This would explain why he looks a bit older. This would open up a whole new reality and make a whole new story. But then this mountain ending scene would be not ‘what happened’ but more like ‘what could have happened if’.

4. There was a Park Sun Woo before Okay, this one is hard to explain. In the ‘different choice ending’ I explained that it could be a future Park Sun Woo (from 2032/2033) that goes back. Perhaps this future Park Sun Woo made THIS choice to begin with. But he might come too late and will not be able to save his brother on the mountain. He then leaves his brothers body behind and changes something in 2012/2013 that makes present Park Sun Woo make a different choice (safe everyone in 1993).

He does save his brother and leaves a death body (the brother is only identified by the items/picture). He somehow knows that it is necessary that present Park Sun Woo thinks his brother is dead and starts searching for the sticks. Like a big chain reaction. But that does make one wonder: where did the death body come from?

5. Park Sun Woo did not die in 1993 It would be strange the police messed this up, but what if Sun Woo stayed alive/came back to life in 1993? Then he would try to change his future again. He would wait for 20 years and then go to Nepal to save his brother. This way he could save his brother and make his other self not use the incense sticks. His other self would end up with the girl and his brother might find some happiness in the fact that a 20-year-older Sun Woo knows what he has done and forgave him. For 20-year-older Sun Woo it would be sad that he must live his life for 20 years without his friends and family, only to know that his other self would get the girl… However, it might be possible that by saving his brother his existence gets erased immediately and the whole time loop gets… well, not untangled but strangely stuck?

6. Teenage Sun Woo catches up with all his memories Teenage (but already full grown now) Sun Woo goes to Nepal to get his girl. When it is the same date and time present Sun Woo realizes he can time travel, his memories catch up. He now knows what moves present Sun Woo. He does nothing and lives his life peacefully. However something unknown happens that makes him want to change his life anyway. Because it is already in the future that he realizes he wants to change, so he can’t change it in 1993 any more. He finds the sticks. Maybe they are back on the mountain again, because the current time line Sun Woo never retrieved them from there (like a clean slate). He decides to change his life at the very beginning of all the misery: he goes back to the moment his brother is on the mountain, dying, and saves him. The Sun Woo from this time (Sun Woo who is 20 years younger than teenage Sun Woo) then has another change: he does not know his brother’s betrayal and his brother does not die. He also gets the girl. It’s like Sun Woo version 3.0.

7. Too difficult to name Okay…

So like I said this time travel drama has his own rules. One of this rules is that the past changes the present of 20 years later. So even when a present seems changed already, it can still change because of a ripple that is made in the past.

Sun Woo said: Min Young is the key. Because of what she tells Sun Woo (guy in the past saying she should avoid him), Sun Woo knows he will die in 1993. This knowledge influences the present Sun Woo, because when his teenage self knows he will die, the present/future is changed again. Present Sun Woo does not die in 1993 but stays alive because of this knowledge. He then decides he doesn’t want to die, but does not want to let his brother die either. So he lives 20 years happily with Min Young. Then he goes back to 2012 to when his brother walks on the mountain. He saves his brothers live and everything will change again.

8. Episode 1-19 was all a fantasy Teenage Sun Woo might have met a man who helps him and tells him he is his 20-year-older self. Episode 1-19 might be al fantasised by teenage Sun Woo about what happened to this man.

9. Brother is destined to want to change his past Maybe his brother still feels sorry for killing his dad (even though he is happier now than in the other time line). He goes to Nepal, but because of all the changes it is a different date then the first time. He dies there (like in the first time line) and Sun Woo will again find out about the sticks. Because of his knowledge of present Sun Woo dying and the fact that 1992/1993 wasn’t that miserable any more he does not go back to 1993. He lives his life happy and just saves his brother with a stick (2032/2033).

It is giving me a big headache! I think ending 2 is the most satisfying, or otherwise ending 9. His brother was in Nepal at the time too. He might just wanted to take a hike and teenage Sun Woo might be worried and goes after him. Sun Woo catches up (grows a beard in the meantime) and is glad to finally catch up and save him.

It keeps bothering me however, that in episode 1 we also see a shadow lingering over brother (is it Sun Woo there too?) and that the brother tries to light an incense stick too (not the most logical thing to do when dying on a mountain).

What do you think is the most satisfying ending? How do you think it ends? Post a comment with your thoughts.

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19 thoughts on “ Nine: Nine Times Time Travel Ending explained ”

It’s both 7 and 9. Jungwoo decides he wants to change the past (as he did in the beginning) and he dies. Young Sunwoo goes to Nepal to pursue minyoung but finds out about brothers death. He doesn’t use the incense stick because minyoung said he dies going to the past. Instead he waits 20 yrs and saves his brother at 2033. His decision not to go back probably changes the future so that his future doesn’t die in 1993.

There is a huge mistake in your endings or what may have happened.

Or I am mistaken.. one of those lol From what I have seen the incense is completely gone. it cannot be re-used whether you go back to past to use it or not. Remeber the episode where Choi Jin Jol gets the 2 incense stick in the container and when he lights one it disappears instantly? I am guessing it disappeared instantly when he used it because that incense was the one Seon Woo used in the future. So basically when Choi Jin Jol had only one incense stick remaining even though he technically retrieved two from the past. So doesn’t this mean doesn’t matter where/when the incense gets used.. once its used.. it cannot be used to time-travel. Following that logic, there isn’t a way for anymore time travelling.

Also if what I said is the correct thing then some may be guessing.. the older brother has an incense stick in the end in his hand, how is it there? well It was never explained where/how he got the incense but he never lit it so we can’t say for certain if that logic stands, cause technically in the end things were already changed so when seon woo’s brother found the stick, that stick was already used by seon woo previously, it would just disappear. Atleast if the logic behind incense works as I have thought.

Anywayz if you don’t understand what I am saying here then don’t worry about it. Even I am confused right now lol

I can’t let go of the ending! Totally agree with you about the incense sticks not able to be used again because it has been used up. So no more time travelling. Why the elder brother is in Nepal? Why the incense stick? They could have just end it with a happy ending with the wedding. It’s too complicated!

I think that incense stick disappears because choi jin chul use it in the future.. when sunwoo used the last stick past and future changed and the incense stick already gone too in the future.. but in the past theres still two incense stick with choi jin chul and that old man didn’t know anything about time travel cause he is still in his old self.. only younger sunwoo knew about that cause he already met his older self.. what if he start looking for that remaining incense stick?? Choi jin chul already in the jail that moment.. and what if he found it and save it for 20 years or maybe 40 years to used it and save his brother?? Thats why he said “long time no see hyung” to his brother cos he’s waited for years to save him.. And then I remembered about one line “The man who used one stick to save his family” what if that man is actually Sunwoo.. he save his brother and leave the remaining stick that his older brother got in Nepal??

Btw I would agree with ending 2 that you have wrote down.. and my above comment was for the parts where you talked about using incense. It is just too confusing honestly the most messed up part was when Seon Woo didn’t appear in wedding. I don’t know why the younger Seon Woo or Seon Woo of that time line didn’t appear in wedding?

They could have made the logic simpler by making it so, when younger version dies that means no future. And if the older version dies.. then nothing would happen as the younger version would just continue his life. and the older versions death doesn’t affect the younger version because the younger one is already making different choice so technically it’s not his future anymore.

So it would have made sense if Seon Woo had appeared in wedding while his older version died. But the younger version didn’t appear in wedding so that just made things too complicated honestly…. They could have just made it simple and made it so Seon Woo doesn’t remember about time travel when the older version died because the older version doesn’t go back to the younger versions body. So younger version just knows that his older version had time travelled to warn him and that’s all. Min Yeong and others would remember about time travel because their original/older versions didnt die. So simple right? I don’t know why they made it so confusing lol

There could have been so many reasonable possibilities if it wasn’t for that nonattendance in the wedding..

Your first comment makes sence about the sticks not being able to be used anymore, so that final scene at the end in the snow is just to confuse us all more.. it couldnt have ended in the plain period.

And about the wedding i guess i think it would have made more sense if he would have attended the wedding, but it wouldnt have been so dramatic, and you know what they say, is all about the drama!

to me 7 and 9 makes it all clear thank you! my explanations were similar to this as well. btw this show rocks!

I myself can still not completely wrap my head around it, very confusing :D.

i think older version of sungwoo had told the newer version dat he,the newer one,will always make a right choice.so this is the first signal dat this time the newr one had made a right choice and had not repeated the mistake of d older one.moreover this time jung woo is saved by theolder one so it might have happened so dat the sticks might not reach to hands of sunwoo, newr one

During the series the Hindu religion is bashed as Satanic and the REAL God, Jesus “Lord”, is praised instead. The sticks were several times called evil, and later Sun Woo says HE is the sticks, hence he is evil. This is biblical because everyone is a sinner, that’s why they need a Savior. In the very first scenes we see a shadow over the brother BUT it is not determined to be of a person … it could very well have been Satan, “the angel of death”, because the brother did die, there was enough evidence it was the brother on the body and those items were saved by the police. Later Sun Woo makes favorable comments about God, “the Lord”, to me that signals he has given up his atheist ways and will now honor God. Obviously the brother went up the mountain again, he still had regrets and thought he would try again. Sun Woo sensed this about his brother and went after him, saving his new life — he has totally forgiven his brother in a Godly way, whereas before he came to the Lord he was bitter and said, “I will never forgive you.” But a bitter heart never brings happiness and I think at the end both brothers realized that and that’s why they reach for each other in the very last moment of the series. Both are at peace.

Well here is my opinion: The alternate endings you wrote may show that Sun Woo not only time travels by using the insence stick,instead he was HOPPPING DIMENSIONS.You know some movies or stories wrote their stories stating that the Earth consists of many different timelines,and so on.I think that the past or future Sun Woo uses the insence stick to travel between alternate dimentions so he may know what will happen in his whole life.Here is an example: If Sun Woo is sure to die in that particular timeline and Sun Woo knows that he WILL die,he can use his insence sticks to hop to another new alternate dimension(to the time he has done something about his death)to change his outcome of death. (Each of the timelines don’t affect each other,right?) In the original story,viewers may see a lot of time paradoxes so it would be quite confusing. Well…… these are my OPINIONS ONLY. Thank you and have a nice day.

I forgot to state this:The original timeline that Sun Woo existed may be nullified or cancelled the moment he jumps to another dimension. This may quite confusing.

I wish they end with them getting married. They tried to add my mysteries and excitement but didn’t wrap it up good. sigh so frustrating cos the 1-19 was so good!

I think I figure it out, (maybe not hehe) but I think that the whole problem can be resolve if his brother dont die in the mountain, and park explain to him all the thinks and avoida his suffering ( the first die brother in mountain) if you think that the brother’s die is a chainlas reacction for all, take another thing in conscience, you cantcan useme the. Sticks two times, the sticks dont respect the time, so park figure it out and save his brother, and explain all in 2033 and avoid all problems in allpersona realitys, the BIG problem is how can he return if you cant use the sticks twice!!! I think they introduce us at the end the possibility of multiple life realities and one of thee multile aprks figure how to use the sticks correctly!!Tanks for read my bad english thaughts lol

#9 cleared everything up for me, thanks!

btw i’ve found that the rules of time travel in any story are very difficult to understand. even doctor who leaves me shaking my head because it doesnt add up. the best thing ive found is to just accept it and enjoy the story!

for those of you who liked this show.. do you have any recommendations for more asian shows like this? preferrably ones with good endings.

there was an interview with the director, he said the park Sun Woo appears at the ending is 50x years old.

Seems its ending 7^^

and 9 too, both

I loved this show right up to the very disappointing ending. I was engaged for every episode and ended up with nothing of substance.

They should have allowed him to return to 2013 so he could marry Min Young! Is it me or do the Koreans like to spoil the endings. The end of Mr. Sunshine was not what was expected. He died. As a matter of fact, all of the gentleman who loved Ae Sun died. This story leaves you to believe that Sun Woo’s life is still on the line. I kind of felt hopeful of what he said about Min Young holding the key. She LOVES him, so my thoughts are that he would live!

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Series / Nine: Nine Time Travels

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Nine: Nine Time Travels is a 2013 Korean Drama that ran for 20 episodes. Park Sun-woo is an anchor for a Korean news program who has fallen in love with a junior reporter for the news channel, Joo Min-young. However, Sun-woo's past has several tragedies. His father Chun-soo, a hospital director, was killed in a fire nearly 20 years ago. His mother is in a nursing home, with a severe case of dementia. And Sun-woo suspects Choi Jin-chul, his father's old partner, of setting the fire that killed Chun-soo. Jin-chul has since become a very rich businessman and chairman of a stem-cell research firm.

Then there's Sun-woo's brother Jung-woo, who has this crazy idea that he can travel back in time and fix what went wrong with his family. Jung-woo leaves Seoul for parts unknown, and one day Sun-woo gets word that his brother has been found dead in Nepal. Sun-woo goes to Nepal to claim his brother's body, and discovers that his brother was found still clutching an incense stick, one of nine in his possession. Eventually, after a couple of bizarre experiences with the incense sticks, Sun-woo discovers that his brother was right about time travel. The incense sticks are time-travel devices. However, they have two very important limitations:

• Light one, and you go back in time exactly twenty years, down to the minute, no more and no less.
• After you've traveled back 20 years, you can only stay there for about a half an hour, until the stick burns out. After that, you go back forward twenty years, down to the minute.

Sun-woo must use the incense sticks to fix what went wrong with his family, and defeat the evil Jin-chul. And he has to hurry, because of one more problem in his complicated life—he has terminal brain cancer, and has something like six months to live. And while all this is happening he and Min-young become lovers, but Sun-woo's time-hopping will complicate that part of his life as well.

Tropes in this series:

• All for Nothing : Sun-woo works his butt off to get the incense sticks, go back in time 20 years, and get his father away from the hospital and the fire that killed him at 10 pm on Dec. 30, 1992. He succeeds, travels back to the end of 2012, and finds out that he postponed his father's death for exactly three hours.
• Alternate Timeline : Has unintended consequences for Sun-woo. He finds out that his brother Jung-woo had a girlfriend 20 years ago, Yoo-jin, and their father forced him to break off the relationship, and Jung-woo hasn't been the same since, which is why he went off on a fatal trip to find the incense sticks. So Sun-woo travels back to get Jung-woo back together with Yoo-jin. It works, as Jung-woo is alive and well and happily married and a doctor, chief of surgery. But it turns out that Min-young is Yoo-jin's daughter from a previous marriage . So now not only is she no longer Sun-woo's lover, but she calls him "Uncle." Bummer.
• Batter Up! : The big fight in episode #17 ends with Sun-woo, who has arrived in 1993 from 2013 wielding a bat, knocking Chang-min out with said bat.
• Battle in the Rain : In episode #17, a knife-wielding Chang-min, acting on Jin-cheol's orders, attacks Sun-woo in an alley while it's pouring rain.
• Book Ends : The series begins and ends with Jung-woo in the mountains in Nepal—see Gainax Ending below.
• Child by Rape : Episode #15 uses a flashback-within-a-flashback to the late 1960s to reveal that this is how Jung-woo was conceived. Jin-cheol, enraged that Myung-hee was dumping him for Chun-soo, raped her.
• Dénouement Episode : The plot threads are largely wrapped up in Episode #19, in which Sun-woo 1.0 dies after being trapped in 1993, and Jin-cheol is killed in a car wreck. The last episode is mostly going back over the romance between Sun-woo 2.0 (the 1993 version that encountered his future self), and Min-young—until the Gainax Ending (see below).
• Department of Redundancy Department : So, how many time travels again?
• Dutch Angle : Used with Jin-cheol when he finally figures out the time-traveling business.
• Driven to Suicide : In the first alternate timeline, Jung-woo kills himself, ridden with guilt over all the harm his accidental killing of his father caused.
• Flipping the Bird : Min-young does this to Sun-woo over a live satellite link after finding out that his weird marriage proposal—that they get married, but for only six months, tops—is because he's terminally ill.
• Gainax Ending : The original version of Sun-woo—Sun-woo 1.0, let's say—dies back in 1993 when he gets Trapped in the Past and Jin-chul promptly kills him. But the alternate version of Sun-woo, the one that's 18 in 1993 and visited by his future self—Sun-woo 2.0—is still around. This Sun-woo has learned enough about the perils of time travel and altering the past that he elects to trust to fate, hoping that he'll make the right decisions. Although Sun-woo's time travels did in the end spare Jung-woo's life, Jung-woo winds up, in this new timeline, again drawn to Nepal and again looking for the incense sticks. The series ends with Jung-woo lying in the snow in the mountain pass, clutching an incense stick— a repeat of the opening scene . A shadow passes over him, just as in the opening scene. The camera then reveals that the shadow is being cast by an older, graying Sun-woo, presumably Sun-woo 2.0 having traveled back from 2033 to save his brother, indicating that the new version of Sun-woo didn't make the same mistakes and lived a long life. Sun-woo : [last line of series, greeting his brother] Long time, no see.
• Grievous Bottley Harm : During their Battle in the Rain , Chang-min stabs Sun-woo and is about to turn him into a pincushion, when Sun-woo luckily finds an empty beer bottle in the alley. He cracks it over Chang-min's head.
• Hard Head : 18-year-old Sun-woo hits Chang-min in the head with a bottle. He gets up and keeps attacking. 38-year-old Sun-woo, having arrived from the future, whacks Chang-min in the head with a bat. Chang-min gets up again and keeps fighting. It takes another hit with the bat to knock Chang-min down for good.
• Karaoke Box : A flashback in episode #12 reveals that in the original timeline, this is where Sun-woo met Min-young, at a party for the news channel's new hires.
• Kubrick Stare : In episode #17, Chang-min flashes a few at 18-year-old Sun-woo after Sun-woo, fleeing from a knife attack, has managed to lock a glass door between himself and Chang-min.
• Luke, I Am Your Father : Inverted. The argument that ended in the death of Chun-soo turned ugly when a scornful Chun-soo told Jung-woo that Jung-woo's real father is Choi Jin-chul.
• Luke, You Are My Father : Jung-woo drops this little truth bomb on Jin-chul in Episode 19. Jin-chul then wants to have a relationship with his son, which is pretty amazing, since ont only is Jung-woo a Child by Rape but Jin-chul had just gotten through telling he murdered Sun-woo in 1993.
• My Future Self and Me : At the end of episode 2, Sun-woo calls his 20-years-younger self on the phone. Later they meet up in person. In episode #17, 38-year-old Sun-woo saves the life of 18-year-old Sun-woo (and obviously his own as well).
• New Year Has Come : After 1992/1993 Han finds the pills that present-day Sun-woo dropped, the Ripple Effect leads to a cancer-free Sun-woo as of the stroke of midnight, New Year's 2013-14.
• Parental Marriage Veto : Chun-soo tried very hard to exercise it in 1992 when Jung-woo fell in love with a lower-class woman who already had a kid.
• The Reveal : Episode 7 reveals that Park Chun-soo was not killed by Choi Jin-chul. Rather, Chun-soo died in a confrontation with his son , Jung-woo.
• Sort of. Sun-woo remembers everything that happened before, as for some reason does Han Young-hoon, Sun-woo's doctor and best friend who knows about his time-traveling incense sticks. But both Sun-woo and Young-hoon also get new memories after Sun-woo's actions change the time line.
• Apparently everyone's memories are ultimately ripple-proof, as Min-young recovers her memories of her romance with Sun-woo after finding a note she wrote to him in the original timeline.
• Romantic Rain : After Min-young recovers her memories of her romantic Nepal getaway with Sun-woo, and her relationship with him, he finds her at a playground where she used to hang out. It's raining. They have a dramatic kiss.
• Scenery Porn : Some pretty impressive shots of the Himalayas.
• Set Right What Once Went Wrong : Sun-woo's goal, to go back twenty years and save his father and his family.
• The Slow Path : After 18-year-old Sun-woo receives the two remaining incense sticks from the police—they were found in the fire, and his fingerprints are on the case—he carefully puts them aside and leaves a note for his future self to find them 20 years later.
• Split Screen : Many scenes feature events from 1992-3 and the events that are happening exactly 20 years later going on in the two halves of a split screen.
• Split-Screen Phone Call : Used often to show both sides of a phone conversation.
• Trapped in the Past : After using the last incense stick to save his 18-year-old self from Chang-min back in 1993, Sun-woo thinks he'll zip back to the present in time for his wedding—but he doesn't. He doesn't have to wonder about it for very long, though, as Jin-chul promptly murders him.
• Vehicle Vanish : Just when Chang-min spots Sun-woo in episode 13, a family with a child carrying balloons passes by, and then Sun-woo is gone. Subverted when Chang-min spots Sun-woo diving into his car seconds after.
• Vomit Indiscretion Shot : Sun-woo upchucks into the nearest toilet after getting the news about his brother.
• Write Back to the Future : After 18-year-old Sun-woo figures out that 38-year-old Sun-woo's warning about someone dying in the future is about him—uh, them—he starts leaving notes to his future self, writing one on his (their?) guitar and scratching others on the walls of the house. 18-year-old Sun-woo wants his future self to come back and explain, but 38-year-old Sun-woo can't, as he left the last two incense sticks back in the past (specifically, at the scene of the fire that killed his father).
• Your Days Are Numbered : Sun-woo doesn't have a lot of time to fix things.
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Is time travel possible? An astrophysicist explains

Will it ever be possible for time travel to occur? – Alana C., age 12, Queens, New York

Have you ever dreamed of traveling through time, like characters do in science fiction movies? For centuries, the concept of time travel has captivated people’s imaginations. Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time, just like you move between different places. In movies, you might have seen characters using special machines, magical devices or even hopping into a futuristic car to travel backward or forward in time.

But is this just a fun idea for movies, or could it really happen?

The question of whether time is reversible remains one of the biggest unresolved questions in science. If the universe follows the  laws of thermodynamics , it may not be possible. The second law of thermodynamics states that things in the universe can either remain the same or become more disordered over time.

It’s a bit like saying you can’t unscramble eggs once they’ve been cooked. According to this law, the universe can never go back exactly to how it was before. Time can only go forward, like a one-way street.

Time is relative

However, physicist Albert Einstein’s  theory of special relativity  suggests that time passes at different rates for different people. Someone speeding along on a spaceship moving close to the  speed of light  – 671 million miles per hour! – will experience time slower than a person on Earth.

Related: The speed of light, explained

People have yet to build spaceships that can move at speeds anywhere near as fast as light, but astronauts who visit the International Space Station orbit around the Earth at speeds close to 17,500 mph. Astronaut Scott Kelly has spent 520 days at the International Space Station, and as a result has aged a little more slowly than his twin brother – and fellow astronaut – Mark Kelly. Scott used to be 6 minutes younger than his twin brother. Now, because Scott was traveling so much faster than Mark and for so many days, he is  6 minutes and 5 milliseconds younger .

Some scientists are exploring other ideas that could theoretically allow time travel. One concept involves  wormholes , or hypothetical tunnels in space that could create shortcuts for journeys across the universe. If someone could build a wormhole and then figure out a way to move one end at close to the speed of light – like the hypothetical spaceship mentioned above – the moving end would age more slowly than the stationary end. Someone who entered the moving end and exited the wormhole through the stationary end would come out in their past.

However, wormholes remain theoretical : Scientists have yet to spot one. It also looks like it would be  incredibly challenging  to send humans through a wormhole space tunnel.

Time travel paradoxes and failed dinner parties

There are also paradoxes associated with time travel. The famous “ grandfather paradox ” is a hypothetical problem that could arise if someone traveled back in time and accidentally prevented their grandparents from meeting. This would create a paradox where you were never born, which raises the question: How could you have traveled back in time in the first place? It’s a mind-boggling puzzle that adds to the mystery of time travel.

Famously, physicist Stephen Hawking tested the possibility of time travel by  throwing a dinner party  where invitations noting the date, time and coordinates were not sent out until after it had happened. His hope was that his invitation would be read by someone living in the future, who had capabilities to travel back in time. But no one showed up.

As he  pointed out : “The best evidence we have that time travel is not possible, and never will be, is that we have not been invaded by hordes of tourists from the future.”

Telescopes are time machines

Interestingly, astrophysicists armed with powerful telescopes possess a unique form of time travel. As they peer into the vast expanse of the cosmos, they gaze into the past universe. Light from all galaxies and stars takes time to travel, and these beams of light carry information from the distant past. When astrophysicists observe a star or a galaxy through a telescope, they are not seeing it as it is in the present, but as it existed when the light began its journey to Earth millions to billions of years ago.

NASA’s newest space telescope, the  James Webb Space Telescope , is peering at galaxies that were formed at the very beginning of the Big Bang, about 13.7 billion years ago.

While we aren’t likely to have time machines like the ones in movies anytime soon, scientists are actively researching and exploring new ideas. But for now, we’ll have to enjoy the idea of time travel in our favorite books, movies and dreams.

This article first appeared on the Conversation. You can read the original here .

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Neuroscientist Shan Yu discovers the sudden death of his first love, Min Ying. Before she died, she clutched a birthday candle in her final moments. Lighting the candle, Shan Yu miraculously travels back ten years, and attempts to alter their fate. However, each journey he takes inadvertently triggers unforeseen consequences, and a decade-long hidden love story is gradually unveiled…

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The future of work after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted labor markets globally during 2020. The short-term consequences were sudden and often severe: Millions of people were furloughed or lost jobs, and others rapidly adjusted to working from home as offices closed. Many other workers were deemed essential and continued to work in hospitals and grocery stores, on garbage trucks and in warehouses, yet under new protocols to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

This report on the future of work after COVID-19 is the first of three MGI reports that examine aspects of the postpandemic economy. The others look at the pandemic’s long-term influence on consumption and the potential for a broad recovery led by enhanced productivity and innovation. Here, we assess the lasting impact of the pandemic on labor demand, the mix of occupations, and the workforce skills required in eight countries with diverse economic and labor market models: China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, these eight countries account for almost half the global population and 62 percent of GDP.

Jobs with the highest physical proximity are likely to be most disrupted

Before COVID-19, the largest disruptions to work involved new technologies and growing trade links. COVID-19 has, for the first time, elevated the importance of the physical dimension of work. In this research, we develop a novel way to quantify the proximity required in more than 800 occupations by grouping them into ten work arenas according to their proximity to coworkers and customers, the number of interpersonal interactions involved, and their on-site and indoor nature.

This offers a different view of work than traditional sector definitions. For instance, our medical care arena includes only caregiving roles requiring close interaction with patients, such as doctors and nurses. Hospital and medical office administrative staff fall into the computer-based office work arena, where more work can be done remotely. Lab technicians and pharmacists work in the indoor production work arena because those jobs require use of specialized equipment on-site but have little exposure to other people (Exhibit 1).

We find that jobs in work arenas with higher levels of physical proximity are likely to see greater transformation after the pandemic, triggering knock-on effects in other work arenas as business models shift in response.

The short- and potential long-term disruptions to these arenas from COVID-19 vary. During the pandemic, the virus most severely disturbed arenas with the highest overall physical proximity scores: medical care, personal care, on-site customer service, and leisure and travel. In the longer term, work arenas with higher physical proximity scores are also likely to be more unsettled, although proximity is not the only explanation. For example:

• The on-site customer interaction arena includes frontline workers who interact with customers in retail stores, banks, and post offices, among other places. Work in this arena is defined by frequent interaction with strangers and requires on-site presence. Some work in this arena migrated to e-commerce and other digital transactions, a behavioral change that is likely to stick.
• The leisure and travel arena is home to customer-facing workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, and entertainment venues. Workers in this arena interact daily with crowds of new people. COVID-19 forced most leisure venues to close in 2020 and airports and airlines to operate on a severely limited basis. In the longer term, the shift to remote work  and related reduction in business travel, as well as automation of some occupations, such as food service roles, may curtail labor demand in this arena.
• The computer-based office work arena includes offices of all sizes and administrative workspaces in hospitals, courts, and factories. Work in this arena requires only moderate physical proximity to others and a moderate number of human interactions. This is the largest arena in advanced economies, accounting for roughly one-third of employment. Nearly all potential remote work is within this arena.
• The outdoor production and maintenance arena includes construction sites, farms, residential and commercial grounds, and other outdoor spaces. COVID-19 had little impact here as work in this arena requires low proximity and few interactions with others and takes place fully outdoors. This is the largest arena in China and India, accounting for 35 to 55 percent of their workforces.

COVID-19 has accelerated three broad trends that may reshape work after the pandemic recedes

The pandemic pushed companies and consumers to rapidly adopt new behaviors that are likely to stick, changing the trajectory of three groups of trends. We consequently see sharp discontinuity between their impact on labor markets before and after the pandemic.

Remote work and virtual meetings are likely to continue, albeit less intensely than at the pandemic’s peak

Perhaps the most obvious impact of COVID-19 on the labor force is the dramatic increase in employees working remotely. To determine how extensively remote work might persist after the pandemic, we analyzed its potential  across more than 2,000 tasks used in some 800 occupations in the eight focus countries. Considering only remote work that can be done without a loss of productivity, we find that about 20 to 25 percent of the workforces in advanced economies could work from home between three and five days a week. This represents four to five times more remote work than before the pandemic and could prompt a large change in the geography of work, as individuals and companies shift out of large cities into suburbs and small cities. We found that some work that technically can be done remotely is best done in person. Negotiations, critical business decisions, brainstorming sessions, providing sensitive feedback, and onboarding new employees are examples of activities that may lose some effectiveness when done remotely.

Some companies are already planning to shift to flexible workspaces after positive experiences with remote work during the pandemic, a move that will reduce the overall space they need and bring fewer workers into offices each day. A survey of 278 executives by McKinsey in August 2020 found that on average, they planned to reduce office space by 30 percent. Demand for restaurants and retail in downtown areas and for public transportation may decline as a result.

Remote work may also put a dent in business travel as its extensive use of videoconferencing during the pandemic has ushered in a new acceptance of virtual meetings and other aspects of work. While leisure travel and tourism are likely to rebound after the crisis, McKinsey’s travel practice estimates that about 20 percent of business travel, the most lucrative segment for airlines, may not return. This would have significant knock-on effects on employment in commercial aerospace, airports, hospitality, and food service. E-commerce and other virtual transactions are booming.

Many consumers discovered the convenience of e-commerce and other online activities during the pandemic. In 2020, the share of e-commerce grew at two to five times the rate before COVID-19 (Exhibit 2). Roughly three-quarters of people using digital channels for the first time during the pandemic say they will continue using them when things return to “normal,” according to McKinsey Consumer Pulse  surveys conducted around the world.

Other kinds of virtual transactions such as telemedicine, online banking, and streaming entertainment have also taken off. Online doctor consultations through Practo, a telehealth company in India, grew more than tenfold between April and November 2020 . These virtual practices may decline somewhat as economies reopen but are likely to continue well above levels seen before the pandemic.

This shift to digital transactions has propelled growth in delivery, transportation, and warehouse jobs. In China, e-commerce, delivery, and social media jobs grew by more than 5.1 million during the first half of 2020.

COVID-19 may propel faster adoption of automation and AI, especially in work arenas with high physical proximity

Two ways businesses historically have controlled cost and mitigated uncertainty during recessions are by adopting automation and redesigning work processes, which reduce the share of jobs involving mainly routine tasks. In our global survey of 800 senior executives  in July 2020, two-thirds said they were stepping up investment in automation and AI either somewhat or significantly. Production figures for robotics in China exceeded prepandemic levels by June 2020.

Many companies deployed automation and AI in warehouses, grocery stores, call centers, and manufacturing plants to reduce workplace density and cope with surges in demand. The common feature of these automation use cases is their correlation with high scores on physical proximity, and our research finds the work arenas with high levels of human interaction are likely to see the greatest acceleration in adoption of automation and AI.

The mix of occupations may shift, with little job growth in low-wage occupations

The trends accelerated by COVID-19 may spur greater changes in the mix of jobs within economies than we estimated before the pandemic.

We find that a markedly different mix of occupations may emerge after the pandemic across the eight economies. Compared to our pre-COVID-19 estimates, we expect the largest negative impact of the pandemic to fall on workers in food service and customer sales and service roles, as well as less-skilled office support roles. Jobs in warehousing and transportation may increase as a result of the growth in e-commerce and the delivery economy, but those increases are unlikely to offset the disruption of many low-wage jobs. In the United States, for instance, customer service and food service jobs could fall by 4.3 million, while transportation jobs could grow by nearly 800,000. Demand for workers in the healthcare and STEM occupations may grow more than before the pandemic, reflecting increased attention to health as populations age and incomes rise as well as the growing need for people who can create, deploy, and maintain new technologies (Exhibit 3).

Before the pandemic, net job losses were concentrated in middle-wage occupations in manufacturing and some office work, reflecting automation, and low- and high-wage jobs continued to grow. Nearly all low-wage workers who lost jobs could move into other low-wage occupations—for instance, a data entry worker could move into retail or home healthcare. Because of the pandemic’s impact on low-wage jobs, we now estimate that almost all growth in labor demand will occur in high-wage jobs. Going forward, more than half of displaced low-wage workers may need to shift to occupations in higher wage brackets and requiring different skills to remain employed.

As many as 25 percent more workers may need to switch occupations than before the pandemic

Given the expected concentration of job growth in high-wage occupations and declines in low-wage occupations, the scale and nature of workforce transitions required in the years ahead will be challenging, according to our research. Across the eight focus countries, more than 100 million workers, or 1 in 16, will need to find a different occupation by 2030 in our post-COVID-19 scenario, as shown in Exhibit 4. This is 12 percent more than we estimated before the pandemic, and up to 25 percent more in advanced economies (Exhibit 4).

Before the pandemic, we estimated that just 6 percent of workers would need to find jobs in higher wage occupations. In our post-COVID-19 research, we find not only that a larger share of workers will likely need to transition out of the bottom two wage brackets but also that roughly half of them overall will need new, more advanced skills to move to occupations one or even two wage brackets higher.

The skill mix required among workers who need to shift occupations has changed. The share of time German workers spend using basic cognitive skills, for example, may shrink by 3.4 percentage points, while time spend using social and emotional skills will increase by 3.2 percentage points. In India, the share of total work hours expended using physical and manual skills will decline by 2.2 percentage points, while time devoted to technological skills will rise 3.3 percentage points. Workers in occupations in the lowest wage bracket use basic cognitive skills and physical and manual skills 68 percent of the time, while in the middle wage bracket, use of these skills occupies 48 percent of time spent. In the highest two brackets, those skills account for less than 20 percent of time spent. The most disadvantaged workers may have the biggest job transitions ahead, in part because of their disproportionate employment in the arenas most affected by COVID-19. In Europe and the United States, workers with less than a college degree, members of ethnic minority groups, and women are more likely to need to change occupations after COVID-19 than before. In the United States, people without a college degree are 1.3 times more likely to need to make transitions compared to those with a college degree, and Black and Hispanic workers are 1.1 times more likely to have to transition between occupations than white workers. In France, Germany, and Spain, the increase in job transitions required due to trends influenced by COVID-19 is 3.9 times higher for women than for men. Similarly, the need for occupational changes will hit younger workers more than older workers, and individuals not born in the European Union more than native-born workers.

Companies and policymakers can help facilitate workforce transitions

The scale of workforce transitions set off by COVID-19’s influence on labor trends increases the urgency for businesses and policymakers to take steps to support additional training and education programs for workers. Companies and governments exhibited extraordinary flexibility and adaptability in responding to the pandemic with purpose and innovation that they might also harness to retool the workforce in ways that point to a brighter future of work.

Businesses can start with a granular analysis of what work can be done remotely by focusing on the tasks involved rather than whole jobs. They can also play a larger role in retraining workers, as Walmart, Amazon, and IBM have done. Others have facilitated occupational shifts by focusing on the skills they need, rather than on academic degrees. Remote work also offers companies the opportunity to enrich their diversity by tapping workers who, for family and other reasons, were unable to relocate to the superstar cities where talent, capital, and opportunities concentrated before the pandemic.

Policymakers could support businesses by expanding and enhancing the digital infrastructure. Even in advanced economies, almost 20 percent of workers in rural households lack access to the internet. Governments could also consider extending benefits and protections to independent workers and to workers working to build their skills and knowledge mid-career.

Both businesses and policymakers could collaborate to support workers migrating between occupations. Under the Pact for Skills established in the European Union during the pandemic, companies and public authorities have dedicated €7 billion to enhancing the skills of some 700,000 automotive workers, while in the United States, Merck and other large companies have put up more than $100 million to burnish the skills of Black workers without a college education and create jobs that they can fill.

The reward of such efforts would be a more resilient, more talented, and better-paid workforce—and a more robust and equitable society.

Go behind the scenes and get more insights with “ Where the jobs are: An inside look at our new Future of Work research ” from our New at McKinsey blog.

Susan Lund and Anu Madgavkar are partners of the McKinsey Global Institute, where James Manyika and Sven Smit are co-chairs and directors. Kweilin Ellingrud is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Minneapolis office. Mary Meaney is a senior partner in the Paris office. Olivia Robinson is a consultant in the London office.

This report was edited by Stephanie Strom, a senior editor with the McKinsey Global Institute, and Peter Gumbel, MGI editorial director.

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• Best for customer satisfaction
• Best for older adults
• Best for long-term care
• Best for high returns
• Best for agent support
• Best for term life
• Why you should trust us

Best Life Insurance of June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Life insurance is as complicated as the policyholders and beneficiaries who use it. That means there's no single "best" life insurance company. Instead, you can find the best option based on what you want or what you prioritize.

Summary of the Best Life Insurance Companies

• Best for customer satisfaction:   State Farm Life Insurance
• Best for older adults:   Prudential Life Insurance
• Best for agent support:   New York Life Insurance
• Best for long-term care:   Columbus Life
• Best for high returns:   Allianz Life
• Best for term life:   North American Company

Best Life Insurance Companies of 2024

While there is no such thing as the objective best life insurance policy, you will be able to find the best insurance policy for your specific needs. Here are our picks for the best life insurance companies, whether you want to use your life insurance policy to build wealth through cash value or you're just looking for a term life insurance policy .

Best Life Insurance for Customer Satisfaction: State Farm Life Insurance

Bundling is standard, and agents often quote with multiple discounts.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Best in JD Power customer service ratings
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Company offers a range of different insurance products to meet buyer needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Agents are knowledgeable about its products
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Life insurance products are conservative and limited
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Buyers may be subject to multi-year waiting periods before they qualify for full payouts on life insurance policies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. State Farm agents cannot offer alternative options if State Farm is unable to bind a life insurance policy

State Farm is one of the insurance industry's most prominent insurers offering auto, home, and other insurance. Bundling is standard, and agents often quote with multiple discounts. Its term, universal, and whole life insurance products are no exception.

• Life insurance products include term and permanent life
• Ranks highly for customer satisfaction

State Farm Life Insurance gets the best life insurance ranking in J.D Power's Individual Life Insurance Study, with a score of 843/1,000. The company is also ranked A++ with AM Best for its financial stability with term, universal, and whole life insurance options. 

All State Farm policies have to be purchased through a State Farm agent. Your agent can help you bundle and save or buy one policy. State Farm is also among the companies offering "survivorship universal life insurance ," which means the policy covers two people, and it kicks in after the second person dies. Couples looking to maximize their death benefit for beneficiaries with one premium payment each month may enjoy lower overall costs.

State Farm agents can run quotes and compare options to find the right plans for each applicant. The range of options, discounts, and familiar name all contribute to the popularity of State Farm's life insurance.

Read our State Farm Life Insurance review here.

Best Life Insurance for Older Adults: Prudential VUL Protector Life Insurance

Offers aggressive financial plans.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Available in all 50 states (New York residents may have different plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Buyers can withdraw money to pay for nursing home bills due to severe illness or disability
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Knowledgeable agents who can walk you through your options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Financial returns are limited
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited policy options for seniors and other groups who might struggle to find life insurance

The aggressive financial plans offered by Prudential may appeal to many younger buyers and those with a stable income. However, those with lower income or buyers who aren't sure about the financial system may be more hesitant to engage with Prudential. Like many other industry giants, Prudential is working to change this perception.

Prudential Life Insurance is available in all states except New York. New York residents can buy the Pruco Life of New Jersey VUL Protector plan. This plan allows buyers to pull money out of their plan to pay for nursing home expenses. Cash value policy premiums are fixed, so you won't have to worry about extra costs later on. Internal costs are low, which minimizes risk. Due to age, many older adults want a safe investment option for their money. Prudential VUL Protector invests to avoid loss. That also means you're not as likely to see big increases in your available funds outside of what you deposit.

Read our Prudential Life Insurance review here.

Best Life Insurance for Long-Term Care: Columbus Life Insurance

Offers lien method to makes it easier to calculate the financial impact of pulling money out early.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Buyers can pull money out for medical and other bills in the event of disease or disability
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Columbus uses lien method to simplify accelerated death payments
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Company offers a wide range of riders to customize policies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may be higher than competitors
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Term policies are not guaranteed to be converted to whole

Best for long-term care and accelerated death benefits.

Columbus Life offers a wide range of riders to customize your policy with affordable premiums. The company also allows you to convert term policies to whole life insurance policies until the end of your term (generally around age 70). For this and many other reasons, customer satisfaction is high.

When using living health benefits (otherwise known as accelerated death benefits), buyers are allowed to pull money from policies early to pay for medical bills, living costs, etc. under certain circumstances. Most companies use a discounted death benefit, which reduces your final payout using two models. Columbus uses the lien method, which makes it easier to calculate the financial impact of pulling money out early.

Best Life Insurance for High Returns on Income: Allianz Life Insurance

Offers life insurance policies for foreign nationals with H-1B visas.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Plans offer high returns on investment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Great for investment and long-term retirement planning
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. May increase your income by as much as 20%
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Allianz offers plans for foreign nationals including H-1B visas
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Plans are meant specifically for high-income adults, alternatives may not be offered

Best for investing and high returns on income.

Allianz Life plans are geared towards high-income adults looking for more tax-free income. Allianz offers a 40% multiplier bonus with a 1% annual assets charge. In short, the professionals managing your investments take 10%. Overall, your investments would pull in an extra 14%-1% asset charge. This means you end up with 3% more than what you deposit every year your life policy is active. This plan offers strong returns when using a life policy to supplement your retirement savings. Allianz also offers specialized plans to grow your income by as much as 20% according to some estimates.

Of note: Allianz also offers plans for foreign nationals, including those with H-1B visas.

Best Life Insurance for Agent Support: New York Life Insurance

Offers aggressive financial products and extensively trained agents.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong life insurance options for financial planning and wealth building
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policies available nationwide
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Knowledgeable life insurance agents
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May require a medical exam
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Buyers looking for more modest policies may not find the most competitive pricing

If you're preparing for a comfortable retirement or looking to build generational wealth, New York Life is one of the strongest options. If you have questions or genuinely want to understand your life insurance options, New York Life agents are among the most qualified professionals in the business.

• Life insurance provider with policies available across the US

New York Life Insurance agents go through extensive training before they ever hit the sales floor. What does this get you? Policies vary widely, and New York Life offers both large and small payouts. Some policies have significant penalties for early withdrawal, but taking a loan offers more options. Whatever your questions, New York Life agents are trained to offer comprehensive support giving you accurate information about its policies every time. The company comes in at position eight in J.D. Power's latest life insurance customer satisfaction study.

Read our New York Life Insurance review here.

Best Life Insurance for Term Life: North American Life Insurance

Offers term policies alongside accelerated death benefits for critical, chronic, and terminal illnesses and more.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers accelerated death benefits for critical, chronic, and terminal illnesses
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers conversion for life policies up to 70 years old
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Term policies can be renewed up to age 95 for qualifying applicants
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Not all term policies qualify for renewal or conversion

Best Term Policy.

North American Company offers term policies alongside accelerated death benefits for critical, chronic, and terminal illnesses and more. The company allows one conversion on a 20-year policy at 15 years or 70 years old (whichever is earlier). The conversion cannot happen later than the five-year marker regardless of which policy you choose or the length. North American Company also offers a term policy with a lower premium renewable up to the age of 95 for qualifying insureds.

Types of Life Insurance

While there's many different types of life insurance policies , broadly speaking, there are two types of life insurance: temporary and permanent. Let's go over each in detail.

Temporary life insurance

Temporary life insurance is often called term life insurance. This type of policy covers you for a set amount of time before expiring, usually between 10-30 years. If you pass away after your policy expires, your family won't receive any benefits. Additionally, your policy won't accrue cash value like a permanent policy. That said, some term life insurance policies offer a conversion from term to whole life insurance, so you can extend your coverage. 

Because its benefits aren't guaranteed, term life policies are generally cheaper than permanent life insurance. That said, the vast majority of term life insurance policies never pay out. on

Permanent life insurance

Permanent life insurance is an umbrella term for a variety of life insurance policies that will insure you indefinitely and guarantee a payout as long as you maintain your policy. Policy types that fall under permanent life insurance includes:

• Whole life insurance
• Universal life insurance
• Variable life insurance
• Variable universal life insurance
• Simplified life insurance
• Guaranteed issue life insurance

These policies vary widely in purpose and intended buyers, but all guarantee death benefits to your loved ones. Some permanent life insurance policies, like whole, universal, and variable have a cash value component , which you can use as a savings tool or to leave your heirs a larger death benefit.

How to Pick the Best Life Insurance Policy for You

Finding the right fit in life insurance starts with finding a trusted insurance agent. Because there are so many state regulations, shopping for homeowners or auto insurance can be easily done online. Life insurance is not required. So it's a voluntary purchase. Many buyers don't know what they need or when they need it. Before making your selection, consider a few things:

Some companies will sell you a policy for your child as soon as they're born. While this may seem morbid, early sign-up means lower rates for a policy your child could enjoy in the future. Regardless, early sign-up equates to more policy for lower premiums and a higher likelihood of acceptance. At 20, you may be healthier and be able to pay into the policy for a longer period compared to when you're 50 with more age-related conditions.

As a general rule, never agree to more than you can afford. For the average life insurance agent, their job is to sell you a large policy with a large commission. Consider not only how much you make now, but how likely your current income is to continue. If you work on a project basis and your project is scheduled to end in 12 months, you may want to reconsider a policy premium outside your monthly savings.

How much are you prepared to buy? Some people only want a small policy to cover funerals and other end-of-life expenses. Others build a life policy into their retirement plan. Whatever direction you're going, involving a financial planner could help you make the right decisions. Depending on the carrier, customers can also compare set limits with index universal life policies, which set no limit. These policies never expire, and the value builds over the entirety of your life.

Living Benefits

Life happens unexpectedly. You could be healthy one day and in the hospital the next. Many life policies offer living benefits. These allow you to draw a limited amount out of your policy to cover medical and other bills you cannot pay while sick.

Much like a 401(k), many life insurance policies have penalties for early withdrawal. No matter what policy you want, this question is critical to an informed decision. It's a question of how early you can withdraw and how much you'll lose from the total to have the money in 10 years instead of 30 or after death.

Some policies require insured parties to pay premiums for at least one year before any significant payout would be available. Suicide exclusions are common. Even with no medical exam policies, the company may still do a check for known conditions. An insurance company has to mitigate its risk.

Flexibility

Once you've been denied a life insurance policy, a mark goes on your record. No matter the reasons, other insurance companies may deny you coverage based on the first denial. So consider your whole situation and choose your policy carefully before you submit any applications. Some policies have greater flexibility if you lose your job or otherwise can't make payments. Others will lapse if you miss even one payment.

Payment Type

Even within whole life or term life insurance policies, customers have the option to choose guaranteed fixed or variable rates. Some have guaranteed payouts, but you'll need to ask your agent for details.

What is your intended use? Why are you shopping for a life insurance policy in the first place, and what are your goals? Many successful financial planners also have a background in life insurance. So while they may not be able to find you a specific life insurance policy, financial planners can help you set out a blueprint for your purchase.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Best Life Insurance Companies

In life insurance, it's easy to get "sold a bill of goods." Many life insurance agents pass a state test to be thrown into the deep end. Agents sell the company product, but not all know the products. In this vein, we look at the products each company offers. We also look at agent training.

A good life insurance agent may not volunteer all facts upfront. But a company's agents should answer questions about its products accurately and in a way the average consumer can digest. Agents should be able to inform you about the long-term benefits and limitations. This will help customers find the right policy for their long-term plan.

We consider affordability, policy sizes available, and performance for a comprehensive assessment in our insurance rating methodology . If you can, we recommend also working with a financial advisor to make a plan for your future with life insurance.

Our Expert Panel for The Best Life Insurance Companies

To inform our choices for the best life insurance companies, we spoke with the following experts:

• Paul LaPiana , head of product at MassMutual
• Barbara Pietrangelo , CFP, CLU, and chair of the nonprofit Life Happens
• Wykeeta Peel , Corporate Vice President and Market Manager, African American Market Unit at New York Life

The Experts' Advice on Choosing The Best Life Insurance for You

How much life insurance coverage do you believe the average buyer should have.

Paul LaPiana, Head of Product at MassMutual

"There are different approaches to determining how much life insurance you need. One is the 'human life' approach, which estimates the current value of your future earning potential. Another is securing specific coverage to pay off debts such as a mortgage or provide for the education of children. A comprehensive protection plan should provide the right amount of coverage over the course of your working life and into retirement."

Barbara A. Pietrangelo, Chair of Life Happens

"There is no one-size-fits-all life insurance policy because everyone is different. One way to get a rough estimate is to multiply your income by 10 to 15; another is adding $100,00 to that amount, should you have a child and anticipate college education expenses.

Your best bet is to talk to a financial professional or use the Life Insurance Needs Calculator on LifeHappens.org to analyze what's right for you."

Wykeeta Peel, Corporate Vice President & Market Manager African American Market Unit at New York Life

"As you consider what policy best meets your needs, it can help to answer four key questions: First, how much death benefit do you need? Second, how long will you need that coverage? Third, what is your budget (or how much monthly premium can you afford to pay?), and finally, what is your investment risk tolerance?

To determine how much death benefit makes sense, it's helpful to think beyond using life insurance to cover funeral expenses and consider whether anyone is relying on the policy owner's income to maintain a lifestyle, pay rent or a mortgage, or fund a child's education and for how long.

There are various rules of thumb regarding the right amount of Life insurance coverage. Some tips can be found online, but they only provide an estimate and don't necessarily factor in an individual's specific needs. In my opinion, human guidance, powered by technology, is required. Basically, it comes down to how much money your loved ones would need to remain on firm financial ground if your earnings were no longer in the picture and that is different for everyone."

What is the biggest opportunity you see for improvement in the life insurance industry?

"Increased accessibility through digital and other channels as well as through underwriting enhancements. Increased tailoring of products and features. And an increased emphasis on health and wellness programs."

"Having enough qualified insurance professionals to walk potential buyers through the multiple benefits of life insurance will be pivotal to the growth of the industry. Education is a key factor here, as professional agents also need to be able to explain life insurance and its benefits in an easy, digestible way, especially when there are so many misconceptions about life insurance."

"The need for life insurance is greater than ever. In fact, a recent New York Life Wealth Watch survey found that 37% of adults have been thinking about life insurance more often these days – and half of adults report that financial products that provide protection (50%) and reliability (50%) are more important now compared to last year. This may be especially true for middle-market and Cultural Market families.

Our organizational structure of having Cultural Market agents embedded in the communities where we live and work allows us to understand the needs of diverse communities and develop solutions that resonate with them."

What advice would you give to buyers who are debating whether or not to buy life insurance?

"It is difficult to say with any certainty how healthy you will be years from now. That's why securing life insurance, and insuring your insurability, today, when you are the youngest you'll ever be again, and perhaps your healthiest is a wise decision."

"Do you love someone? If the answer is yes, then life insurance is certainly something you should consider. Many buy gifts and experiences to express their love, but haven't considered that life insurance is just another way to say I love you. Nothing says support like ensuring your family's financial security and peace of mind."

"If you have someone depending on your income, you should consider purchasing life insurance. A death benefit from a life insurance policy can replace income from the loss of a breadwinner, ensure a family can stay in their home, fund educational or retirement expenses, address debt and so much more.

A life insurance policy can also help you grow your family's wealth over time. Once the risk of an unexpected loss has been managed, you can begin to think more broadly about your family's financial future. Life insurance can enable your mindset to shift from death to growth."

What's the most important thing buyers should look for when choosing a life insurance agent/company to buy from?

"With life insurance, you are securing a future commitment that may be decades away. Research the company behind the policy to ensure it has high financial strength ratings, longevity, and an excellent track record of paying claims."

"When looking for an insurance agent or company, be sure to do your research. When comparing companies, be sure to remember that the policy features that fit you and your loved ones best is the most important factor. Don't automatically assume you should buy from the higher-rated company.

If the policy from the other company has more of what you're looking for, it might be the better choice. If you're unsure where to start, try the Life Happens Agent Locator to find an insurance professional in your area."

• "The insurers' track record: At its core, life insurance is protection - a hedge against the unexpected - and you are paying premiums in exchange for the promise that the insurer will be there when you need them, so the financial strength and track record of the company backing your policy is critical.
• Customer service: Are service professionals available by phone and digital channels? Is there is an online dashboard where you can manage your policy? Beyond ensuring assistance is available after you purchase a policy, it's also critical to ensure you have access to trusted advice and guidance before you buy.
• Flexibility in conversion: How easy is it to change? Life can be unpredictable and while term insurance can cover your loved ones through a critical period of time, you may decide that access to cash value is an important piece of your strategy.
• Accelerated online applications : Online applications are convenient but don't replace human guidance. Keep in mind that accelerated online applications may have a maximum coverage amount, meaning that you may not be able to get all the coverage you may need exclusively through an online process.
• A range of payment options: It's important to understand how often you're required to make premium payments and whether and how often you can change the frequency of payments."

Best Life Insurance FAQs

According to JD Power's 2023 life insurance study, State Farm is the highest-rated life insurance company when it comes to overall customer satisfaction. However, you still may want to shop around for quotes from various insurers if you're looking to purchase a new policy.

There isn't one best life insurance company, because the best option for you will depend on the type of policy you're looking for. It's best to work with a qualified insurance agent to help you find the best coverage. If you're deciding between multiple similar options, it's also worth consulting J.D. Power's life insurance customer satisfaction study . The latest study ranks State Farm as the top pick for individual life insurance, outpacing Nationwide by three points.

The best type of life insurance policy for you will differ from someone else's, as your policy should be tailored to your needs. The best policy for you will be affordable and will offer the benefits best suited to your situation. For example, some policies are only meant to cover end-of-life expenses such as burial and funeral arrangements, whereas others include living benefits like a cash value insurance plan , which you can borrow against during your lifetime.

Some life insurance policies are advertised as "no medical exam." This doesn't mean the insurer won't ask you about known conditions or look at medical records. Policies with no medical exam also tend to offer lower benefits with higher premiums. Most companies have a network of medical examiners, some of whom can come to your home. You can find our guide on the best no exam life insurance here.

Each situation is different and requires a knowledgeable life insurance agent to assess your best options. Bring all your questions and the coverage you're looking for to an insurance agent near you to explore your options.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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