Kathryn_51

Found this re: the Nagoya Asian games:

The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will officially run from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with competitive events starting on September 10.

So, this is probably last weekend - might be paused for 3 weekends after that?

I kept watching until "the kiss" - but even that was only enjoyable because Mr. Kang Hoon knows how to kiss. I simply couldn't believe that this intelligent and caring man could fall for - as you say - cringeworthy "girl".

haha, I FORGOT about the twin's mom. So many moms - known and unknown.

Re Gye-O and teacher lady (Hui-na). He wasn't a gigolo at the time they first met (in highschool?) - he was suspended and she lost her phone. She's 1 year older. She offered to pay him big $$ to keep her phone (but never paid hm).

A year later, he's a security guard at a nightclub when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. That's the night he helped her out and she seduced him - either used him for sex, revenge, or both - it doesn't matter.

But 9 months later (around the time Hye-rim gave birth), he was in the military. We'll find out more about what happened to her in that interval and, as I've already posted many times, I think she was pregnant.

But yes - she was a wealthy young woman who used him. She shouldn't condemn him for getting paid by wealthy older woman who use him, lol.

Assuming Gye-ol's bio mom eventually shows up, I think we now need to somehow define the bio moms, lol. Old/young? BioMom Ko/ Bio Mom ?

It's not six rooms, it's six "soundstages" - each one with their separate/independent production capability. I remember one BTS video (can't remember the drama) where the actor showed one "room" (maybe an office) and then turned a corner and there was a bedroom for a different character. Other soundstages are used for the daily soapers, night time dramas. For instance, I bet that "My Royal Nemesis" was largely filmed in a specially designed soundstage - the rooms at the apartment building, the offices, ML's apartment.

Here's more about the SBS Suwon complex:
Special shooting facility (특수촬영소): A dedicated space capable of multi-level (2+ story) setups for complex effects, including miniature models, underwater shots, explosions, and other special effects that are difficult in standard studios.

Open set / outdoor filming area (오픈세트 / 야외촬영장): A large outdoor area with realistic buildings and structures intended for semi-permanent use. Historical descriptions note substantial grounds featuring period or thematic architecture that can be redressed for different dramas. One older detailed account referenced an outdoor zone of roughly 18,000+ m² with numerous building structures recreating Korean historical streetscapes or eras (e.g., early 20th-century or Joseon-era elements adaptable for sageuk/historical dramas). These outdoor sets allow for street scenes, exteriors, and larger-scale outdoor work without relying solely on location shooting. Sets are practical and detailed enough for repeated use across productions.

If the timing is like the two weekenders I previously watched, Gyu-rim and Mu-jin will "reconcile" (I use that term loosely) around the mid-point and begin to look to a possible future together and THEN the Bio Mom will show up. I also wonder about the Bio Dad - when they met in the hospital, Bio Mom just assumed that Gyu-rim was married.

Anyway, if and when Bio Mom shows up to cause the Big MidPoint Crisis, eventually there will be blood tests and. . . . under my theory. . . .prove that BioMom is NOT Bio. 😁

A prominent poster on Dramabeans -who watches all weekenders - saidn(paraphrasing) that he has thrown up his hands expecting normal and has decided to "enjoy the crazy"

Since current episodes are focusing on the truth re: Gye-ol's mother, she comes first. Around the mid-point.

Twin mom will be later - after her son is famous and when she wants a kidney or something from one of her kids. That's pure speculation based on classic soap-opera protocol, lol. Exhibit A: Live Your Own Life.

I'm not sure if writer is going to explore the background to how Gyu-oh started in the gigilo business (although I tend to think the so-called "injured" thug and his family are possibly behind it) but I DO have strong feelings about how it connects to Hui-na because she used him for sex and/or revenge. She seduced him for HER desires/needs and then left him with no name. (I assume we'll learn more). She was 21 years old (he was 20).

Flash forward: he makes his money by allowing rich older women to use him. I would be happy if the writers ever connect that dot, lol. but I think it will be more about what happened to her baby (she may have had an abortion for all we know - writer has options at his discretion)

Pretty close.

When I said that 60% of the drama was outside studio, I meant that 60% of the scenes in the first 20 or so episodes were non-studio. It's just an estimate - I haven't watched with a stop-watch. 😊

Also, I think the big broadcast channels have multiple studios for dramas. And some have permanent use: prison, hospital rooms.

Edit (added): I decided to do some checking. This is what I found regarding the KBS Drama Production Center located in Suwon:

Drama Production Center (indoor studios): Approximately 6 main studios/soundstages equipped for HD (and later upgrades) production. These include full production support—editing rooms, lettering/graphics rooms, camera and lighting grids (hundreds of lights on ceilings with pulley systems), makeup rooms, costume storage, prop rooms, practice/rehearsal spaces, rest areas, and technical support. Studios can handle multi-camera setups and detailed interior builds (offices, homes, period rooms, etc.).

The woman in the car park is not Hui-na; she is Seo Min Ju - Hui-na's so-called "friend."

You are correct that Gyu-O and Hui-na will eventually be a couple.

I binge watched the first 8 episodes and forget Min-ju. Was she the one upset that Gye-o might be her mother's gigolo? And now she's repeating her mother = offering him a car to sleep with her?

Even before we discovered that Gyu-ol wasn't her real son, I thought that Hui-na and Gyu-rim became pregnant at the same time. The night that Hui-na seduced Gyu-0 was the same night that Gyu-rim told Mu-jin that she loved him (for the first time) and that's when things became more lovey-dovey with them. After her baby died, I thought perhaps Hyeong-sik might have helped his niece Hui-na give the baby to Gyu-rim. All crazy and all very soap-operish. But now (after Ep. 14) it's possible that Hui-na took her newborn baby to the orphanage at the same time - perhaps there was a mix-up? Anything is possible but again, perhaps Hui-na had an abortion and she's simply feeling bad about that.

Hui-na's on my shit list. She seduced Guy-O, using him to either get hot sex or revenge on her lousy ex boyfriend. Total hypocrite about how Gyu0 makes his money now.

I don't think there is any way for her to have legally adopted him and therefor that's going to be a major crisis at the mid-point of the drama.

The baby that Gye-rim raised was several weeks (months?) older than Baby Hope. Plus they had lost their home at that point - Dad was gone, Gye-O in the military, sister in the US. The twins were. . . . .9 or 10 years old - it's not even clear if they were living with her based on that studio apt. she seemed to be living in with the baby.

Until we see what actually happened at the orphanage (did she walk back to the baby box and remove the baby? go back the next day and claim the baby and said she changed her mind?) it's unlikely she legally adopted him. The Bio Mom has a name - that means she will show up eventually.

But then, I still firmly believe that writers are holding out the option that the baby belongs to Gyu-O and Hui-na, especially after she said "I wiped it ALL clean". Huh - a one night stand? The fact that you seduced him and ghosted him? Nah - she was pregnant. Did she have an abortion? give it to the orphanage? It might not be Han Gye-ol, but she didn't "wipe clean" merely a 1 night stand.

I'll try to explain. My understanding is 1/2 based on known filming dates and 1/2 what actors posted on ig several weeks before the first air date. But even looking at Love on the Menu, you would see that a significant portion of the current scenes are either outside or in venues/facilities. In "live your own life", they took over an entire fitness club for several months in advance Also, even if filming starts 2 months in advance, the last episodes are rushed because they are filming right up to the end. I think it was The Real where they were filming even on weekends to finish in time.

Near the end of a series, I also noted that fewer and fewer indoor (studio) rooms are used - gone were the unimportant bedrooms, the hallways, small offices, etc. Most of the final indoor scenes were in the two or three big "family" gathering spots/living room. They were tearing down what they didn't need and beginning to build (and begin filming) for the next weekender. I think it was Live your own life where they showed a BTS with the "1st day" of filming" in the studio" and they had a little celebration with balloons.

According to NamuWiki, LOTM began filming in May (2026). If you look at the early "indoor" scenes, they were small - VERY small - rooms and they looked like they were slapped together. The 1st Han home was much smaller and limited than current home. ML's apartment with his friend is huge compared to his prior bedroom. Everything began to change in Ep. 4 with the "8" years later time warp.

The craziest thing about todays episode is that 2nd graders are learning all about blood types.??!! That stuff is actually pretty complicated even for adults.

I guess I should wait until Ep. 14 airs, but right now it seems that:

1. Gyu-rims's family knew she was pregnant. It's not clear if they thought Mu-jin was the father or not.
2. At a time when they were losing their house/home, she left Seoul? Or, did not live with them?
3. Because of Gye-ol's age, Mu-jin assumed he was his child but he now knows some of the truth (he is not his child) and he knows that there was no reason for Gye-rim to ghost him/avoid him. So, all of that was a false flag by the writer. Well, at least it didn't drag out for 20 episodes.

Oh my, I hated the ML in The Real. I wanted a redemption arc for the 2ML and he almost got it with a birth secret - and then writers seemed to change their minds and pulled up the rug on it. That's when I learned that the writer might have a general idea of where the over all plot and sub-plots might be planned but if the ratings are lagging or the fans hate a particular story or character, they won't hesitate to throw it all out the door around episode 28-30.

Also learned that 60% of the outdoor/location filming are done before the 1st airing date because the ongoing weekender is using the studios. So, significant changes to the plot(s) are difficult before the mid-point.

Thanks for responding about the past weekenders. The major difference I see in the FL (always poor) declared her independence in Ep. 10 in this drama. In the other two I watched, it was closer to Ep. 25/26 iirc.

Well, he did say something like "I won the lottery". It came off as a joke (based on the context that I cannot recall at the moment) but my ears stood up when he said itl

Do we know the baby was a boy?