This drama gives me such a strong W Two Worlds feelings (for obvious reasons) and I remember how much fun it was discussing all the theories with people and at the end seeing how right or wrong we were. Hence I decided to create this topic.  I myself have a few theories, tho it might be too early to jump to conclusions. 

> The game has it own consciousness, it's developing itself and learning how to influence the reality.  Once you log in the game, the game "logs" into your mind. And the same way you can connect to the game whenever you please, the game can do the same with your mind. That's why Jin Woo  gets dragged into the game even when he does not wear lenses. THAT SAID, while the game can log into him whenever it wants, he can log in only when he wears lenses. 

> Se Joo is DEFINITELY not dead. At least in a normal reality way. We saw in the end of 5th ep that his body was on the train station, but only in the game reality.  If he got killed in the game, his body would be found in a similar state to Hyun Suk. He got most likely stuck in the game. 

> Cha Byung Jun is shady as fuck. 

> What if Emma is the brain of the game? We can kind of assume that Jin Woo's problems started since he killed Hyun Suk, but what if him getting into Alcazaba Cafe was the true trigger? That's when the rain and "Memories of the Alhambra" were introduced as elements of the game play and that's where you can get quests from NPC. I guess we could assume Alcazaba Cafe is the centre of the gameplay or at least the game's reality? 

I guess that would be it for now. I would love to read your theories. Let's have some more fun while watching this drama :D 

I agree with most of your ideas and love them, my mind made similar theories too. The game is an interactive AI that has access to people's consciousness, I also think that the cafe was the stage everyone is "fully linked" to the game, the rain and guitar started there, so the answer to ending all that could be with emma there. 

I also believe se joo is not dead, the game was being played as it is its purposAfter the surprising news Yoo Jin woo got, he found himself back in granada asking Jung Hee joo for help. In the light of the new information, things started seem more suspiciouse but maybe it can't kill it's creator for it being programed in it or the thing he took out of the bag, I am not sure yet.

One thing for sure jin woo should stop the production of this game. But then the preview says otherwise

Someone said that a jumanji like could be a theory too.

I really like the idea that the game has its own consciousness. That reminds me of the killer in W and even the talisman in Queen In Hyun's Man. In both those previous dramas from this writer we had things 'coming to life' or changing even though they shouldn't, but in each case there was a set of rules to follow. Once you figure out the rules, you can overpower them and win the twisted game. I bet the same applies here. If the game connects to a person's mind, then the key to overcoming it could either be a) calming/controlling your own mind or b) putting all your inner demons to rest. 

Huh, I really like the Emma theory. There's definitely a connection between her and Hyun Suk as the music cues his appearance. 

Though in the latest episode, Jin Woo wants Emma to be rid of; wonder how this will develop. 

I love this so so much! It's a first drama that I haven't dropped while it's on-going to finish after some time because it keeps me glued to the screen and leaves me with an empty feeling after the episode is finished and I have to wait for a weekend all over again. 

As for now, I love the plot twist and how story introduces us with them leading to explanation next episode. I'm in that small part that actually loves main lead couple chemistry, the romance isn't rushed, it seems like it grows as time goes though I do wish Jung Hee has more important role in the future as I'm still hoping for a future twist where it turns out that Jung Hee has joined long time ago even though it is probably impossible. 

Good point you made with Emma, rain and music. Maybe it is something about relating the game to a real person and have true feelings about it. Maybe Jin Woo fell in love with Jung Hee Joo just there standing in front of Emma - he was amazed really :)) Like wise when he became enemies with Hyun Suk or allies with Jung Hoon the feelings were real. Maybe because of that they could not break that alliance.  And also Jin Woo had the will to kill Hyun Suk although he didnt know he was actually killing him.

Emma sure seems like a very important character, i haven't seen any clues but maybe shes the key to breaking and amending the players relationships. or maybe she will end up being the brain of the game or something.

After new eps I guess it's time to update my theories lol Coz shit happened and it's worth talking about it but this time I will divide it into setting and specific characters to make it as clear as it can be:

setting: 1st I want to say I am pissed they are not consistent about the rain and "Memories of the Alhambra" as being an omen of Mr. Cha showing up. There were a few scenes where there wasn't either rain or music aspect when they fought.

 I like how picky they are with what to show from the future. They gave us some scenes at the beginning that didn't happen yet, so we kind of know in what state we will see Jin Woo, but they don't really answer the important questions "why" and "how" did he end up like that. When I saw in I think 2nd (maybe 3rd?) ep, there scene in the train where Jin Woo was fighting with gun and limping on one leg I assume he just got hurt. Now we know it's permanent disability. I like those type of details. 

Emma: I am starting to think she is not that important after all. And what I mean by that: she is not her own character. She is there to be a link between Jin Woo and Hee Joo. They did nothing to even hint she might become active participant in the plot, rather she is just a tool. I will be disappointed if Hee Joo joins the game and "become"/takes over Emma's character. I would rather see her even being just NPC but separate from Hee Joo and see how the dynamics would work out. I also gave up on the theory that she is the brain of the game even tho I still like the idea hahaha

Jin Woo: he's just so broken I love it. Not many theories about him since his actions and reasons are well presented. He wants to keep developing the game, coz without the game he can't find Se Joo, but he does not want the game out for the public since it was confirmed it's not only him who can get hurt during gameplay. 

Hee Joo: If I saw one more person who says she is just another weak female lead I will break some jaws lol Showing your emotions does not = being weak. She is strong af. She was the head of the family since she was really young. She basically raised her sister. Does she cries a lot? Of course she does, she was in constant fear for her future and future of her family because of the debt, she had more than one job to make sure they had money for living. Girl was exhausted. I would cry way more than her. The point is, she cried but still kept going and that's what being strong really is. Some people have really unrealistic and stereotypical ideas about what being strong means. 

I still don't know where the plot leads her tho. I assume she might get into the game next ep since the only way to contact Se Joo that we know of at the moment is via the game? 

Se Joo: he sure killed Marco. Marco probably wanted to steal the money when they sell the game or just steal the game itself and sell it to Mr. Cha even tho Se Joo was not too happy about that idea (? he did call him a bad person after all) . Se Joo quite obviously wasn't 100% sure if he wants to sell it in the state that it was right now. They fought in the game, Se Joo was on higher level, kill Marco, and same shit happened that we see now with Jin Woo and Hyun Suk. That's why he was running away from "nothing" in 1st ep. 

MAYBE he got himself into the medically induced coma (since we know you are safe when you sleep, tho how would he be able to get into coma is a ? lol) and left clues about where to find him and what is going on for the player who reaches his level (since that would mean you know the mechanics of the game well and you would be useful and not just get yourself killed). So the message from Master is not from Se Joo in the presence, but rather it was left by him in the past? BUT that does not make much seans since we saw his body was lying on the ground on the train station but only in the game reality. So the idea he is trapped (or he willingly locked himself) in the game is still valid. Maybe if you become 100% part of the game not just a player you can't get killed? You just come back like Hyun Suk? But then in the preview he called Hee Joo so I am just confused with what is going on with this kid hahaha 

Cha Byung Jun: at this point I don't think he is related to the game part of the plot. He is just a di*k who cares more about his reputation and firm than his family. 

Game rules: I went back to the end of 2nd ep where we had that train gun fight scene that did not happen yet in the present times of the plot to get more into about what will happen in future eps, and holy shit I am confused about it all and rather than theories I have some questions:

  1. Why were people reacting to the gun fight as if it was really happening? people would obviously react to Jin Woo just doing some random stuff since they don't see the gameplay, but they were running away and screaming as if they were really scared. why? were they all NPC? that does not make sense since they would only show up when he got dragged into the game... 
  2. Who was the last character that had Jin Woo at gunpoint and why does he not feel like NPC at all? His eyes were, alive? Also it felt like Jin Woo really did not want to lose to him, and if he was NPC that would not make sense. He would get killed in the game, lose some (probably not that many) points and get back to his journey to Granada. He just seemed really desperate in that scene, as if he felt like he was really in danger. But up till now only other players who turned into NPC after being killed in the game can hurt him. WHAT IF IT IS MARCO?! What if Jin Woo found Se Joo, they formed alliance and now Marco can hurt Jin Woo too. And what would explain why Jin Woo took the match so seriously, since it was truly life or death situation. 

As for the game rules that are "confirmed" not much happened: if you form alliance with other player, they are put in danger and can be killed too. That's basically all the new info we got. 

also: THANK YOU WHOEVER WAS PATIENT ENOUGH TO READ IT HAHAHA I wrote a whole essay. But I am truly really excited about this drama. 

REPLIES:

@dramaworldwe got the answer to the 'why the heck he got that game produced' question haha he did not. The previews can be really ambiguous at times haha As for Emma, I am starting to feel like she is more of a Hee Joo's alter-ego than her own character which is disappointing. 

@myheartispenpenI thought a lot about the emotions and what kind of connection they may have to game and the rules and I am not sure they really have any? Mr. Cha shows up even when Jin Woo is fairly calm (the scene in his office when the secretary killed Mr. Cha). Also Jung Hoon was not really emotionally connected nor invested in the game but he still got hurt by Hyun Suk... But I saw many people have similar theories about feelings or guilt being the key.

@PingukkieI liked Emma theory too, but I am starting to think it's a bit too much and Emma might not be as important as we want her to be. He obviously wanted to get rid of Emma since he has feelings for Hee Joo and Emma reminds him of what he can't have. He did not want to meet with Hee Joo until he finds Se Joo so going to her to get rights to make Emma a part of the game would be a no-no hahaha

@EmmI LOVE the romance too! Overall watching this drama as it airs is so much fun. Just talking with people about their theories and all. I had just as much fun while watching W Two Worlds haha

@cellar doorrain and music elements also happened when Se Joo got shot in the train so I assume it's just an omen of NPC that once was a player showing up and the duel starting. i am pretty sure Se Joo was running from NPC Marco. I like they idea of the "will to kill someone" being part of it, but at the same time IF Se Joo killed Marco in the game (which for now seems likely) I can;t really imagine he wanted to see him dead in really life... he was such a pure boy hahaha 

It is funny that I also checked the end of Episode 2 today trying to figure out what was that all about :D That flash forward is 1 year ahead of Jin Woo's introduction to the game, but as of Episode 8, havent one year already passed ?? I'm all confused about it.

I think other people reacting should be NPCs, because there are also not reacting people.

 About "the last character that had Jin Woo at gunpoint" I don't think he is Marco because his body figure is different. Maybe he is a user, those blue eyes  could be due to the lenses.

By the way I dont think Marco was killed by Se Joo, his body was found in the woods, was there any time gap for Se Joo to do it? (I need to watch those Episodes again)

And I have a question about Se Joo. The last time we saw him he was so afraid being chased and was acting like a victim but he is the Master in the game and must have many weapons. Why didnt he fight back like Jin Woo?

Good points :D this drama definitely is not easy to figure out lol 

I would say it's around one year. All the stuff that happened before the one year jump took what? two weeks? And now those few days after the "one year later" so it makes sense he said he predicted what would happen to Hee Joo one year ago. Also the train was going to Granada and that's where he is going with Hee Joo in next ep (that's what they suggested in the preview). 

Them being NPC makes sense since some people were not reacting, true... but up till now all the NPC had some purpose. They gave you quests or were your opponents. Those people on the train do not. that's why I am so confused by them and the reaction... 

We know for the fact that only Marco, Master and Jin Woo had leveled high enough to have guns. All the rest players are beginners who just tests the game in Seoul. Maybe it's Se Joo... but why would he fight Jin Woo? This is all just way too confusing hahaha

We don't really know what happened to Se Joo during the time Hee Joo and Jin Woo met and got to know each other. We got to see few minutes of his "time"... I would not say it would be hard to make it happen. Also, we know for sure that Marco was the one who shot Se Joo in the train. When Se Joo opened the door there was a person dressed in exactly the same checked shirt as we saw Marco wear in 8th ep. The circumstances (the music and rain, how there was no evidence of anyone shooting anyone next morning even tho we saw blood and stuff) all indicate it only happened in the game reality and it looks exactly how it does with Jin Woo and Hyun Suk. So if Se Joo did not kill Marco, why would Marco's NPC target him? 

I have a theory about not fighting like Jin Woo. I assume that you can only get weapon IF you wear lenses BUT the game can hurt you even when you don't wear them. I would assume that's why Se Joo could not fight back. Coz he hadn't had an access to his weapons. 

@kate i am also very hesitant about Emma, and if it wasn't for the sound of her guitar being evolved i wouldn't think of her being anything other than a way to remind jin woo of hee ju (since their time with each other is too short) and increase her screen time cause the difference is clear. 

for me i think that se ju definitely killed Marco maybe they met trying to finish the game before they sell it and had a fight that led to this. we already know that marco knew too much about these two CEOs and even their private number, i bet he got the lenses, so things with him were sketchy. i doubt that see ju knew about such flaw in the game from the beginning cause that would mean he killed marco deliberately and that mr. cha knew about it which would explain a very important part for me which is se ju calling him a bad person on the phone.. it makes no sense unless he heard something bad from him.    P.S if mr. cha knew about such a flaw it would mean he was trying to murder jin woo knowingly. 

the game had a secret we don't know, the physical disappearance of se ju is strange and the thing he took form his bag must be important. 

@Kate :  This drama really needs careful study, at least for me lol 

Yes it was all in the preview, I had to look at it again. Jin Woo is in Spain and will take the train with the same outfit. I hope the non reacting people are not dead anyways :D 

Lenses and access to weapons theory totally makes sense. But then, how come Se Joo and Marco ever had those lenses in the first place as it is not on the market? 

@dramaworld: I also dont believe Se Joo is a character capable of killing people delibaretely. That would ruin all the efforts of Hee Joo as well who raised her brother and sister dearly. But it doesnt make sense that they would duel in the game to sort out matters in real life, maybe it is enough to be a user to become a NPC when you die :D 

@Kate

"So if Se Joo did not kill Marco, why would Marco's NPC target him?"

Simply because they were "enemies" for fun in the game ?

@cellar door yeah but it does not really make sense from what we see in the game right now. As far as we know you can only see the NPC of previous players IF you either kill them or you are in alliance with a person who killed them. No one else except from Se Joo could have killed Marco, assuming that Master is Se Joo. 

Even mr. Cha does not target the secretary dude, but only goes after him IF he goes between the match he has with Jin Woo.