When My Love Blooms (tvN 2020)

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tvN When My Love Blooms



viki: www.viki.com/tv/37087c-when-my-love-blooms

trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=y11cv5_qOW0

genre: romance melodrama

length: 16 episodes

cast: Lee Bo Young, Yoo Ji Tae, Park Jin Young, Jeon So Nee, Park Si Yeon, Kim Young Hoon, Han Ji Won, Lee Tae Sung, Min Sung Wook, Lee Jong Nam, Moon Sung Geun, Jang Gwang, Kim Joo Ryung, Eun Hae Seong, Nyung Hun, Park Han ol, Kim Young Ah, Nam Myung Ryul, Park Min Soo, Ko Woo Rim

description: Ji Soo (Lee Bo Young/Jeon So Nee) and Jae Hyun (Yoo Ji Tae/Park Jin Young) are each others first love from their school days. They reunite in their 40's and have a second chance at love.

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When My Love Blooms begins airing on Saturday, April 25.

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Warning: Post contains spoilers!

Eps 1 & 2

Ji Soo meets Jae Hyun during a school protest. For Ji Soo, it was love at first sight. Jae Hyun is a law student. Ji Soo searches for Jae Hyun everywhere around the school and wants to date him. Fast forward to the present. Jae Hyun is in a loveless marriage. He has a son with his wife Seo Kyeong. Jae Hyun works for her father's company and even went to jail for him. Ji Soo is a divorcee with a son. She works several part time jobs, including at a supermarket and as a pianist. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo haven't forgotten about each other. They reunite when their sons fight at school. They recognize each other right away. Jae Hyun wants to drop the issue between the sons but Seo Kyeong doesn't. Ji Soo gets down on her knees to apologize to Seo Kyeong when Jae Hyun shows up at the school and tells her to get up.

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That's a very basic summary of episodes 1 & 2. It's difficult to summarize this series because it jumps back and forth between the past and present. We only get bits and pieces of the past. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo clearly date at some point but they haven't gotten to that yet.

When My Love Blooms is off to a good start. Episode 1 played out like a movie. From Jae Hyun and Ji Soo meeting at school to reuniting at the end in the present. Looking forward to more of this series.

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Eps 3 & 4

Present: Jae Hyun convinces Seo Kyeong to drop the school matter by bringing up her affair and threatening to ruin the career of the model she cheated on him with. Jae Hyun tells Ji Soo that he suspects Jun Seo might have been bullying Young Min since he's done it in the past. Seo Kyeong asks Jae Hyun about Ji Soo. He explains that she was a friend from university. He wanted to drop the issue between their sons to make not things harder for Ji Soo and Young Min since he believed Jun Seo was the cause of it all. Seo Kyeong suspects there might be more to Jae Hyun and Ji Soo than what he's telling her. Ji Soo meets up with Young Woo and tells him she ran into Jae Hyun. Since she can't stop gushing about Jae Hyun, Young Woo surmises that she's still in love with him. Seo Kyeong learns that Ji Soo worked for their company and her current family situation. She doesn't want Jae Hyun to find out. If there was something between them before, she suspects that learning of Ji Soo's current circumstances will only make Jae Hyun seek her out and possibly reignite things between them. Young Min is worried that if he doesn't do well at school, his dad could take custody away from Ji Soo. Jae Hyun doesn't want Ji Soo participating in the protests. Ji Soo plans to continue doing so. Jae Hyun is the one that taught her to fight for the underdog. Jae Hyun plans to negotiate with the protesters. The chairman goes behind his back and calls the police to disperse all the protesters.

Ji Soo spends the night in jail since she doesn't have a guardian. Seo Kyeong believes Jae Hyun is acting strangely because of Ji Soo. Jae Hyun remarks that Ji Soo reminds him of who he used to be and what he believed in. He wants to be happy and might start acting differently. Ji Soo gets a new job teaching piano. The protesters get their jobs back. Jae Hyun doesn't see Ji Soo on the list of workers and goes to see her. Ji Soo feels the other protesters deserved the jobs more than her. Ji Soo thinks Jae Hyun has changed and doesn't want to ruin their memories. Jae Hyun doesn't understand why Ji Soo left and disappeared. Ji Soo want to leave the past in the past but Jae Hyun still feels like the past very much in the present. Young Min collapses at school. Jae Hyun takes him to the hospital. Young Min's father arrives and wonders who Jae Hyun is. He replies that hes the father of Young Min's friend. Jae Hyun sticks around watching from a distance. When Ji Soo arrives, Young Min's dad threatens to take dustory of Young Min away from her and she gets slapped by her ex-MIL. Seo Kyeong learns that Ji Soo plays the piano in the lobby of a hotel Jae Hyun frequently goes to. Seo Kyeong wants to put Ji Soo in her place and hires her to play at private event. Wine is spilled on Ji Soo's dress at the event. Seo Kyeong insults Ji Soo. Ji Soo says she doesn't want to continue playing and leaves. Jae Hyun goes after Ji Soo. She tells Jae Hyun that she needs a break and wants to let go of everything. Jae Hyun drives her by the ocean. Jae Hyun tells Ji Soo that he will be by her side when she needs someone. She doesn't think that's possible. Jae Hyun knows it's not appropriate but can't let go of Ji Soo. She once told him that Jae Hyun was her world. Well, Ji Soo is his dream. Ji Soo responds "Because it's a dream and we'll soon wake up" and kisses Jae Hyun.

Past: Ji Soo takes part in protests with Jae Hyun. Since he fights for the underdog, Ji Soo feels Jae Hyun must be lonely. She want to be by his side. Jae Hyun & Ji Soo become official. Ji Soo is arrested for taking part a protest. Her dad, a chief prosecutor, picks up her from the police station and slaps her out front in plain view of everyone, including Jae Hyun. Ji soo meets up with Jae Hyun. Jae Hyun tells Ji Soo that she shouldn't let anyone mistreat her, even family. Ji Soo plays the piano at an event. Jae Hyun arrives late. Ji Soo shows him a bruise her father left on her arm for listening to pop music. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo take a train to go see the ocean, where they kiss.

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I decided to split the post into past and present. I thought that would work better than posting everything together as its shown in the episodes.

Jae Hyun and Ji Soo in the present is history repeating itself. They're on opposite ends now tho. At first, the kiss surprised me, especially Ji Soo being the one that initiated it. Later on, thinking about it some more, it shouldn't have surprised me. It's a moment of weakness from Ji Soo because Jae Hyun is her weakness. Same could be said for Jae Hyun with Ji Soo. We'll see where things progress from there.

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Eps 5 & 6

Present: Seo Kyeong knows about Jae Hyun and Ji Soo. She meets with Ji Soo regarding paying for the dress and about Jae Hyun. Jae Hyun is under investigation and could possibly go to jail. Se Hoon, Young Min's dad, learns about the fight at school between Young Min and Jun Seo and also about Jae Hyun. He uses it to threaten to take away custody of Young min from Ji Soo. Seo Kyeong's dad believes Jae Hyun is up to something and tells Seo Kyeong not to trust him. Se Hoon meets up with Seo Kyeong and shows her a photo of Jae Hyun and Ji Soo. He wants to work with Seo Kyeong to split them up. Young Woo meets with Jae Hyun. He wants Jae Hyun to leave Ji Soo alone. Young Woo reveals being the one that reported Jae hyun to the police in the past but Jae Hyun already knew that. Se Hoon shows Ji Soo a video of her kissing Jae Hyun. He threatens to release the video if she doesn't surrender custody of Young Min. In order to protect Jae Hyun, Ji Soo agrees to get back together with Se Hoon.

Past: Jae Hyun and Ji Soo meet with Ji Soo's parents. Ji Soo's dad has a background check done on Jae Hyun. Ji Soo's dad has Jae Hyun put on a wanted list. Jae Hyun goes to a temple to hide. Ji Soo learns from Dong Jin why Jae Hyun went away. She confronts her father about it. He tells Ji Soo that if she breaks up with Jae Hyun, he'll remove him from the wanted list. Ji Soo breaks up with Jae Hyun. Jae Hyun is arrested. Young Woo reported him to the police.

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Things aren't looking good for Jae Hyun and Ji Soo.

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Eps 7 & 8

Present: Young Woo tells Jae Hyun that Se Hoon suspects Ji Soo & Jae Hyun are seeing each other and wants custody of Young Min. Dong Jin offers his services as a lawyer to Ji Soo but she declines. Young Woo confesses to having feelings for Ji Soo. Jae Hyun meets with Ji Soo and learns she is getting back together with Se Hoon. Seo Kyung's father knows Jae Hyun is talking to prosecutors and wants to throw him under the bus. Jae Hyun meets up with Ji Soo again in Gangchon. She wants to end things between them but he doesn't. Jae Hyun tells Se Hoon to release the video of him and Ji Soo. If Se Hoon takes Young Min, he'll take Ji Soo. Ji Soo decides not to get back with Se Hoon. A drunken Seo Kyung tells her dad that Jae Hyun has another woman. Ji Soo plays at a protest rally. Seo Kyung's father learns that she's the woman involved with Jae Hyun. Jae Hyun is worried that if she goes to jail something might happen to Ji Soo while he's gone. Seo Kyung has the other students moms confront Ji Soo by claiming she hit on Jae Hyun to get him to drop the school issue between their sons. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo meet at a church and talk while sitting on the front steps.

Past: Ji Soo's dad uses Ji Soo & Jae Hyun's parents to threaten Jae Hyun into breaking up with Ji Soo. He wants to send Ji Soo to Germany. Jae Hyun races to the airport to find Ji Soo. They run off together. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo are found and he arrested for failure to enlist in the military.

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No one really seems happy in the present.

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Eps 9 & 10

Present.: Jae Hyun continues to be investigated. Jun Seo and Young Min fight again due to rumors that Jae Hyun and Ji Soo are having an affair. Ji Soo explains to Jae Hyun that she left because she didn't want to blame Jae Hyun for what happened to her mom and sister. Jae Hyun tells Ji Soo that his father committed suicide after being framed by his company and taking the fall for their bad practices.

Past: Ji Soo's mom and sister die when a building collapses. Ji Soo carries the guilt of her mom and sister's death since she was out with Jae Hyun when they died. After this, Ji Soo disappears.

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I'll still be watching but I don't feel like posting about this series anymore. I'll post my final thoughts when the series is done.

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eps 11 & 16 [END]

Ji Soo's father passes away. He apologizes to Jae Hyun for prosecuting his father as revenge for dating Ji Soo. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo's relationship becomes public knowledge. Ji Soo doesn't plan on leaving Jae Hyun but wants him to return to his old self. Seo Kyeong and Her father are removed from their positions at Hyung Sung. Jae Hyun resigns from the company. Jae Hyun and Seo Kyeong get divorced. Jae Hyun and Ji Soo live happily ever after.

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The series does a good job of establishing the relationship between Jae Hyun and Ji Soo by showing viewers scenes from their past and present. My biggest issue with them in the present was the affair. The relationship is sugarcoated so you'll root for them but Jae Hyun and Ji Soo are having an affair. Ji Soo is the first female lead I've seen in any series that was OK with being a mistress. Jae Hyun ultimately gets divorced but, even if he never did, Ji Soo had no plans of leaving him. I liked the finale. Showing Jae Hyun and Ji Soo in their 20's and 40's side by side was a nice touch.