Love Grows Here: Hugye Restobar

For Park Dong Hoon, the neighborhood restobar is the safest place in Hugye, and he goes there whenever he wants to be alone, away from the observant eyes of the Hugye gang and Yoon Hee. Over the course of our story, it’s a place where he lets show his longing, smiles, worry, and even his tears.

It’s also the special spot where he invites Ji An to join him. From the time he takes Ji An there for a drink in Episode 6, to the time they have their bittersweet farewell in Episode 16, the restobar sees several important and increasingly-intimate scenes unfold between them.

As usual with other locations in this show, the restobar is packed with symbolism and things to discover. For one thing, there’s at least one male-female couple in almost every instance.

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Yu Ra’s Movie: Ji An’s Life in 65 Seconds

Auditioning for her comeback film in Episode 8, Yu Ra has to deliver lines that surprisingly portray Ji An’s situation: “It’s a terrible pity that I’m younger than you, [Department Head]. I want to bite off your arms and legs, curse at you, and quit. But I have a loan to pay off. So I’m going to love you starting today.”

Much later, we get a treat when Ki Hoon goes to the movies and we see a snippet of the final film. It turns out Yu Ra’s character represents Ji An in more ways than one.

@actionscript at Soompi Forum writes:

The short movie clip of Yu Ra that is shown in Episode 16 was a metaphor for Ji An’s life.

All the Ending Scenes: A Deeper Look

by @actionscript from the Soompi Forum

It’s a K drama trope to end episodes with cliffhangers, and My Mister used it with great effectiveness. For My Mister, not only were these ending scenes cliffhangers, but most of them were the highlights of those episodes as well. Looking at these final scenes per episode, we get a glimpse of how the show moved the narrative forward.

The first 4 episodes established how the fates of Dong Hoon and Ji An have become intertwined:

Random Interesting Moments

Dong Hoon and His Cigarettes

Dong Hoon goes to the convenience store, buys cigarettes, and then throws them away on two different occasions.

The first time takes place in Episode 2 when he’s lost the bribe. He goes to the store, buys it all, throws it all away, and then the next thing he does is visit Yoon Hee in her office and tell her what’s happening.

Hands: Telling the Story

One thing I noticed during a re-watch was how often PDnim focuses on hands. He portrays an emotion and tells a story just by having us look at a character’s hands, and through this he encourages us to keep paying attention.

The Beautifully Undefined Relationship

by deantrblss from tumblr

I think some people were right when they said there wouldn’t be any romance; there’s nothing romantic about Ji An and Dong Hoon’s story.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t love and heartbreak.

The degree and types of love fluctuates as the story progresses, but it’s clear that Ji An struck a chord Dong Hoon never even knew he had with that confession.

My Mister Locations: Ji An’s House, #1

It starts with the question Yoon Hee poses to her husband, “Who is #1 in your life, honey?” He never answers her; I don’t think he could, for he himself does not know.  But as the story unfolds before us, is it possible that this mystery person in Dong Hoon’s life lives behind door number 1?

Seeing Through a Glass, Darkly

by @oldschooler

Glass is hard yet transparent. It blocks entry, but at the same time allows us to peer into the space it shelters. Looking through a glass window or door, we see without touching. We are able to watch and scan every object, action and expression, but we should not be fooled for there is still an invisible barrier that shuts us out. And sometimes, if we look carefully, we see our own reflection.

Episode 4 Deconstructed: Sang Hoon’s Shame

by @justamom

I just finished Episode 4 and after sobbing and laughing then sobbing again…I realised this: Episode 1-2 were thrilling and exciting and made me think it was some kind of thriller/corporate mystery.  But episode 4 was when the show sank its claws into me. And I didn’t even realise it then, because it was done so, so subtly through the use of wiretapping/flashbacks.

EPISODE 4 IS A STORY IN ITSELF: Sang Hoon’s Shame

I just want to deconstruct how the writer did it because she built up the tension and suspense so beautifully until that dramatic climax.

My Ajusshi Timeline

By @riazni, @h2ogirl, @sadiesmith

By collecting clues from episodes 1-16 and using our general knowledge of seasons in Korea: Spring (March-May), Summer (June-Aug), Autumn (September-November), Winter (December-February), we present this timeline.

Our understanding is that, in general, the drama covers one year and four months, starting from January 2018 all the way to the first quarter of 2019.