Spoiler Warning: The editorial/review contains spoilers about the drama. Please do not read on if you do not wish to be spoiled.With a title like "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs", referring to a baseball situation in which the home team has only a slim chance of saving the game, you'd expect each episode of this drama to throw a lot of sports terminology at you. Me, I'm not a big sports person. In order to care about the outcome of the game, I have to have some emotional investment in the participants.
Luckily for me, the drama's opening scene at a baseball field wasn't representative of the entire series. "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" (also "9 End 2 Outs") did, however, successfully incorporate the concepts of playing baseball into an everyday lifestyle, using baseball as an extended metaphor for life.
Plot
Thirty years old with no stellar achievements to show for herself, female lead Hong Nanhee quickly realizes that it is no longer practical for her to live with her single mother. Wanting to demonstrate her independence, she takes over her best guy friend Byun Hyungtae's apartment as he goes off on an extended vacation. When he returns a little too early for her liking, they begin to live together to save on rent expenses, much to the chagrin of Nanhee's boyfriend, 22-year-old Kim Jungjoo.
"Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" follows the two best friends' lives as they learn to live together, advance in their respective careers, and feel out the gray area between friendship and romance.
Thirty years old with no stellar achievements to show for herself, female lead Hong Nanhee quickly realizes that it is no longer practical for her to live with her single mother. Wanting to demonstrate her independence, she takes over her best guy friend Byun Hyungtae's apartment as he goes off on an extended vacation. When he returns a little too early for her liking, they begin to live together to save on rent expenses, much to the chagrin of Nanhee's boyfriend, 22-year-old Kim Jungjoo.
"Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" follows the two best friends' lives as they learn to live together, advance in their respective careers, and feel out the gray area between friendship and romance.
Female protagonist Hong Nanhee
Hong Nanhee (played by Soo Ae), who yearns to become a writer, works as an editor for a publishing company. It's gotta be difficult when your occupation is to help others live your dream, but you can't seem to do it yourself. Sympathy-worthy protagonist, check.
Watching Nanhee was a real pleasure. The things she did looked so ridiculous but oh-so-familiar. She dances around while returning to her seat, takes shots of soju with her fears (no, that was not a typo), and talks to herself: "Oh, there's my youth...It sure is sitting far away." Nanhee can't be called whimsical, as she's a little too practical for that. But she sure has an imagination.
When (both unmarried) Nanhee tells Hyungtae, "Just hug me, maybe we'll feel something," I pictured myself doing something similar. Immediately after a breakup, she mentions to him, "I'm really lonely, so make sure you keep your door locked when you sleep." Nanhee is fairly even-tempered, so it was extremely satisfying to see her go all-out when legitimately mocked. Smart move on the writers' part, creating a lead who members of the audience can identify with but whose actions can still make them crack up.
Hong Nanhee (played by Soo Ae), who yearns to become a writer, works as an editor for a publishing company. It's gotta be difficult when your occupation is to help others live your dream, but you can't seem to do it yourself. Sympathy-worthy protagonist, check.
Watching Nanhee was a real pleasure. The things she did looked so ridiculous but oh-so-familiar. She dances around while returning to her seat, takes shots of soju with her fears (no, that was not a typo), and talks to herself: "Oh, there's my youth...It sure is sitting far away." Nanhee can't be called whimsical, as she's a little too practical for that. But she sure has an imagination.
When (both unmarried) Nanhee tells Hyungtae, "Just hug me, maybe we'll feel something," I pictured myself doing something similar. Immediately after a breakup, she mentions to him, "I'm really lonely, so make sure you keep your door locked when you sleep." Nanhee is fairly even-tempered, so it was extremely satisfying to see her go all-out when legitimately mocked. Smart move on the writers' part, creating a lead who members of the audience can identify with but whose actions can still make them crack up.
Male protagonist Byun Hyungtae
To be honest, I didn't find Byun Hyungtae as that interesting of a character on his own. At the beginning of the drama, he was a typical 30-year-old bachelor type, enjoying his work at an advertising firm and the company of pretty women. But when introduced next to Nanhee, he displays a completely different side of himself.
In response to her moping about being unmarried on New Year's, Hyungtae says, "Why didn't you tell me? You need a friend, not a man," and wraps her in a warm embrace. Say it with me now! Awwwww.
As the two have been friends for nearly their entire lives, their parents having been friends before their births, Hyungtae and Nanhee have developed a close bond as well as a mutual support system. If one of them is having trouble at work or having an especially difficult time getting over an ex-lover, it's not a problem -- the other one drags them out for soju and karaoke, changing their previously miserable mood to one of mirth.
This does not go to say, however, that they know everything about each other. Only after the two move in together does Hyungtae realize how much he hadn't known about her. Being friends is one thing, but living with the other person is completely different.
To be honest, I didn't find Byun Hyungtae as that interesting of a character on his own. At the beginning of the drama, he was a typical 30-year-old bachelor type, enjoying his work at an advertising firm and the company of pretty women. But when introduced next to Nanhee, he displays a completely different side of himself.
In response to her moping about being unmarried on New Year's, Hyungtae says, "Why didn't you tell me? You need a friend, not a man," and wraps her in a warm embrace. Say it with me now! Awwwww.
As the two have been friends for nearly their entire lives, their parents having been friends before their births, Hyungtae and Nanhee have developed a close bond as well as a mutual support system. If one of them is having trouble at work or having an especially difficult time getting over an ex-lover, it's not a problem -- the other one drags them out for soju and karaoke, changing their previously miserable mood to one of mirth.
This does not go to say, however, that they know everything about each other. Only after the two move in together does Hyungtae realize how much he hadn't known about her. Being friends is one thing, but living with the other person is completely different.
Hong Nanhee's love interest Kim Jungjoo
Kim Jungjoo, a 22-year-old aspiring baseball player, adores his "noona" Nanhee. Unfortunately, Nanhee's mother doesn't approve of their relationship due to his age. This is only to be expected; what mother would accept her daughter marrying someone who lacks a steady career to support her financially?
Jungjoo's surprise kisses are cute, and his face isn't too shabby either. So his role as Nanhee's love interest went unopposed by me for the entire first episode. However, I withdrew my stamp of approval the following episode, when I saw the extent of Jungjoo's immaturity. I found myself thinking, "Are you 22 or 12?"
It couldn't be the age gap between Jungjoo and Nanhee that bothered me, as "The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry" featured a 10-year age gap as opposed to one of 8 years. But so much related to Jungjoo was all so painfully immature, it left a foul taste in my mouth. Hyungtae hit the nail on the head when he questioned Nanhee, "Why is everything he does over-the-top?!"
While the drama kept emphasizing how "perfect" Jungjoo and Nanhee were as a couple, I felt incredibly awkward watching them. While Jungjoo was stated to be incredibly devoted to Nanhee, it seemed more like infatuation than anything. I didn't see them spending a lot of quality time together, and the topics they talked about were somewhat superficial.
Other characters
Perhaps it was her role in the drama itself that irritated me, but Park Jisun wasn't a character I particularly liked. Although she's an intern from Hyungtae's workplace, she expresses an interest in Hyungtae beyond friendship and doesn't fail to act on it. As the go-getter type myself, I'd normally find her pursuit of Hyungtae as cute. This wasn't the case with Jisun.
It seems that any character who got in the way of what Nanhee wanted was immediately dislikeable to me. Shin Jooyoung (played by SNSD's Yoona) confused me when I first saw her in the drama. I'd forgotten that Yoona had made her acting debut in "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs". The idol did a decent job with the role of Jooyoung. She showed her versatility through her portrayal of the irritating, none-too-subtle young writer who eventually tones down and matures, although the sudden change kind of lost me.
Nanhee's close friends were great. I was glad whenever they were being real with her about their opinions of her relationship with Jungjoo; they weren't just blindly encouraging her, they told her what they honestly thought and what other people would think. Also, I got a kick of Nanhee's girl friends: I mean, come on, who else would go with you on a nude photoshoot?
My favorites of the secondary characters were those who Nanhee worked with from the publishing company. I can't remember why, but I initially didn't like Kim Namjung (played by Lee Dahye). However, I came to really appreciate Nanhee's young coworker as the series progressed. She was given time to demonstrate her genuine compassion for others, and her actions were adorable.
I also took to the quirky writer Lee Kyungha, who has lines like, "Don't you start thinking about muscular guys? It's your body saying, 'There's not much time left for me. Please give me some lively genes!'"
Kim Jungjoo, a 22-year-old aspiring baseball player, adores his "noona" Nanhee. Unfortunately, Nanhee's mother doesn't approve of their relationship due to his age. This is only to be expected; what mother would accept her daughter marrying someone who lacks a steady career to support her financially?
Jungjoo's surprise kisses are cute, and his face isn't too shabby either. So his role as Nanhee's love interest went unopposed by me for the entire first episode. However, I withdrew my stamp of approval the following episode, when I saw the extent of Jungjoo's immaturity. I found myself thinking, "Are you 22 or 12?"
It couldn't be the age gap between Jungjoo and Nanhee that bothered me, as "The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry" featured a 10-year age gap as opposed to one of 8 years. But so much related to Jungjoo was all so painfully immature, it left a foul taste in my mouth. Hyungtae hit the nail on the head when he questioned Nanhee, "Why is everything he does over-the-top?!"
While the drama kept emphasizing how "perfect" Jungjoo and Nanhee were as a couple, I felt incredibly awkward watching them. While Jungjoo was stated to be incredibly devoted to Nanhee, it seemed more like infatuation than anything. I didn't see them spending a lot of quality time together, and the topics they talked about were somewhat superficial.
Other characters
Perhaps it was her role in the drama itself that irritated me, but Park Jisun wasn't a character I particularly liked. Although she's an intern from Hyungtae's workplace, she expresses an interest in Hyungtae beyond friendship and doesn't fail to act on it. As the go-getter type myself, I'd normally find her pursuit of Hyungtae as cute. This wasn't the case with Jisun.
It seems that any character who got in the way of what Nanhee wanted was immediately dislikeable to me. Shin Jooyoung (played by SNSD's Yoona) confused me when I first saw her in the drama. I'd forgotten that Yoona had made her acting debut in "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs". The idol did a decent job with the role of Jooyoung. She showed her versatility through her portrayal of the irritating, none-too-subtle young writer who eventually tones down and matures, although the sudden change kind of lost me.
Nanhee's close friends were great. I was glad whenever they were being real with her about their opinions of her relationship with Jungjoo; they weren't just blindly encouraging her, they told her what they honestly thought and what other people would think. Also, I got a kick of Nanhee's girl friends: I mean, come on, who else would go with you on a nude photoshoot?
My favorites of the secondary characters were those who Nanhee worked with from the publishing company. I can't remember why, but I initially didn't like Kim Namjung (played by Lee Dahye). However, I came to really appreciate Nanhee's young coworker as the series progressed. She was given time to demonstrate her genuine compassion for others, and her actions were adorable.
I also took to the quirky writer Lee Kyungha, who has lines like, "Don't you start thinking about muscular guys? It's your body saying, 'There's not much time left for me. Please give me some lively genes!'"
Relationship dynamic between the two leads
Props to Soo Ae and Lee Jungjin for their stellar chemistry. Nanhee and Hyungtae's "30 years together" as best friends is easily believable.
Nanhee and Hyungtae are just so comfortable together. They have the sort of relationship that gives your stomach warm and fuzzy feelings. When it's cold outside, Nanhee gives Hyungtae her jacket. This sounds completely counterintuitive, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense for these two.
They complement each other well, and their knowledge of each other's habits helps them read each other and what the other needs without their even saying anything. When Nanhee and Jungjoo break up, Hyungtae deletes Jungjoo's phone number for her, setting himself as number one on her speed dial so she'll have someone to call when she feels lonely. After Sungah (Hyungtae's ex) pretends they don't know each other, Nanhee offers Hyungtae a permanent marker with which to deface a billboard of Sungah's face.
Nanhee is constantly calling Hyungtae, even telling him, "When I think of you being hungry, my heart starts to ache." Nanhee surprises him at work, helping him prep for his presentation. Hyungtae is equally as tender with her, carefully reading over her manuscript and pointing out his favorite scenes. I was particularly amused by their deep discussions about life and love over dinner.
Smiles Hyungtae induces from Nanhee are heartwarming. You can tell that with Hyungtae, Nanhee isn't burdened by any feelings of guilt as she was with Jungjoo; her smile with Hyungtae is just really pure and genuine. The two are able to be so open with each other about everything, even noticing when things get awkward between them and calling each other out on it.
Nanhee and Hyungtae were so cute and obnoxious together, singing off-key together in public places, sneaking out tambourines from karaoke rooms. It drove me nuts.
Filial relationships
Parent-child scenes in K-dramas are always touching, and those in "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" did not fail to meet my expectations. While Nanhee's relationship with her mother at the beginning of the drama is a strained one, it isn't hard to see that the two do deeply care for each other.
A scene that particularly hit me was Nanhee's pleading with her mother to support her and Jungjoo. Her mom refuses to leave the room to see Nanhee, who kneels by the door crying, "I don't need your money, but I need you...I need you right now. Whether I live well or not, I need a mom beside me who will cheer me. If it turns out well, that will be the best. But if it turns out badly, I need a mom beside me who will scold me for not listening to her." Honey, you want a hug from Mommy, you get a hug. Shoot.
Props to Soo Ae and Lee Jungjin for their stellar chemistry. Nanhee and Hyungtae's "30 years together" as best friends is easily believable.
Nanhee and Hyungtae are just so comfortable together. They have the sort of relationship that gives your stomach warm and fuzzy feelings. When it's cold outside, Nanhee gives Hyungtae her jacket. This sounds completely counterintuitive, but it makes a hell of a lot of sense for these two.
They complement each other well, and their knowledge of each other's habits helps them read each other and what the other needs without their even saying anything. When Nanhee and Jungjoo break up, Hyungtae deletes Jungjoo's phone number for her, setting himself as number one on her speed dial so she'll have someone to call when she feels lonely. After Sungah (Hyungtae's ex) pretends they don't know each other, Nanhee offers Hyungtae a permanent marker with which to deface a billboard of Sungah's face.
Nanhee is constantly calling Hyungtae, even telling him, "When I think of you being hungry, my heart starts to ache." Nanhee surprises him at work, helping him prep for his presentation. Hyungtae is equally as tender with her, carefully reading over her manuscript and pointing out his favorite scenes. I was particularly amused by their deep discussions about life and love over dinner.
Smiles Hyungtae induces from Nanhee are heartwarming. You can tell that with Hyungtae, Nanhee isn't burdened by any feelings of guilt as she was with Jungjoo; her smile with Hyungtae is just really pure and genuine. The two are able to be so open with each other about everything, even noticing when things get awkward between them and calling each other out on it.
Nanhee and Hyungtae were so cute and obnoxious together, singing off-key together in public places, sneaking out tambourines from karaoke rooms. It drove me nuts.
Filial relationships
Parent-child scenes in K-dramas are always touching, and those in "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" did not fail to meet my expectations. While Nanhee's relationship with her mother at the beginning of the drama is a strained one, it isn't hard to see that the two do deeply care for each other.
A scene that particularly hit me was Nanhee's pleading with her mother to support her and Jungjoo. Her mom refuses to leave the room to see Nanhee, who kneels by the door crying, "I don't need your money, but I need you...I need you right now. Whether I live well or not, I need a mom beside me who will cheer me. If it turns out well, that will be the best. But if it turns out badly, I need a mom beside me who will scold me for not listening to her." Honey, you want a hug from Mommy, you get a hug. Shoot.
Weaknesses of the drama
I did, however, have a handful of complaints about the drama.
First off, "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" often cut abruptly from one scene to another. Whatever mood had been set in the previous scene was destroyed, and the scene jumps lacked appropriate background music transitions, which irritated me to no end.
For the first few episodes, the pacing was so slow, it felt as if plot was nearly nonexistent. While I understand it was necessary to introduce the characters and their interactions, the introduction was painfully long. Until episode 6, there wasn't that much conflict, and it was hard for me to really get into the conflict that was present.
Although I liked the OST itself, there were some spots where I felt that the background music didn't fit the scene.
The constant flashbacks became a little ridiculous. Now, mind you, I don't mean the flashbacks to their 20's -- those, I really loved. I'm referring to the ones in which they flash back to something said earlier in the episode. Honestly, it's not necessary to repeat everything. It just happened, so why bother repeating it?
At times, the characters were so fickle I thought I'd go insane watching them. Nanhee, Hyungtae, and Jungjoo especially: You made your decision already, so can't you just stick with it for a good five minutes?!
Also, it was difficult for me to see Jungjoo as a real character. For a good chunk of the drama, his problems didn't really matter to me; I was only emotionally invested in the two of them for Nanhee's sake.
I did, however, have a handful of complaints about the drama.
First off, "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" often cut abruptly from one scene to another. Whatever mood had been set in the previous scene was destroyed, and the scene jumps lacked appropriate background music transitions, which irritated me to no end.
For the first few episodes, the pacing was so slow, it felt as if plot was nearly nonexistent. While I understand it was necessary to introduce the characters and their interactions, the introduction was painfully long. Until episode 6, there wasn't that much conflict, and it was hard for me to really get into the conflict that was present.
Although I liked the OST itself, there were some spots where I felt that the background music didn't fit the scene.
The constant flashbacks became a little ridiculous. Now, mind you, I don't mean the flashbacks to their 20's -- those, I really loved. I'm referring to the ones in which they flash back to something said earlier in the episode. Honestly, it's not necessary to repeat everything. It just happened, so why bother repeating it?
At times, the characters were so fickle I thought I'd go insane watching them. Nanhee, Hyungtae, and Jungjoo especially: You made your decision already, so can't you just stick with it for a good five minutes?!
Also, it was difficult for me to see Jungjoo as a real character. For a good chunk of the drama, his problems didn't really matter to me; I was only emotionally invested in the two of them for Nanhee's sake.
Strengths of the dramaFrom the first episode, I liked the tone of "Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs". It didn't ooze the "ugh my life sucks" quality that many problem-ridden dramas do.
The drama did address character death, which I appreciated. It was nice to see how it all played out, and I liked how the narration didn't dwell on the event itself or the immediate aftermath, but followed the death's long-term effects on the friends, illustrating that life does go on.
It did a solid job underlining the significance of timing in love, and all of the the heart-to-hearts were really insightful. There were layers of metaphors present in the drama: the extended metaphor of baseball (although it disappeared for most of the second half of the drama) as well as those involved with simple things like card games played in the series.
The comparisons between characters were remarkable. When faced with a similar situation, people behave differently; showing these distinctions in behavior was one of the drama's strong points. When sending Jungjoo off to America, Nanhee actually cares about his doing well at the test, whereas Jooyoung only expresses her desire to steal Jungjoo from Nanhee. During their time with Hyungtae, the intern Jisun tells him, "No, you can't miss a meeting, go back," while Sungah whines and pleads, "You can't skip out on your meeting to see me for 10 minutes?" It really helped to solidify an understanding of the characters' motives.
Character development as far as Nanhee goes was strong, as well. Nanhee's a pushover at the beginning of the series (in response to several scenes, I found myself talking to her as if she'd hear me: "Why are you letting her do this? This is your place. There's a point where you stop being polite!"), but she matures gracefully throughout the drama. After she turned in her manuscript, Nanhee got a hell of a lot stronger, and it was absolutely amazing to watch.
The last couple of episodes seemed to fly by for me. When I got to the last episode, I was left feeling, "What in the world are they planning to do for half an episode, if that's the conclusion?" But the second half of episode 16 really did a number on me as it showed how Nanhee and Hyungtae functioned as a couple. I got really attached to the characters in the last episode; I almost didn't want it to end!
"Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" ended at a really good spot, although I would've preferred if the ending scene had faded away rather than just being cut off. Episode 16 was easily able to tie up the drama's loose ends.
Overall
"Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs" does a good job showing how life doesn't always go the way we want it to, and that sometimes you'll be dealt an unexpected hand that will turn out to be a blessing. If you have the patience to deal with the agonizingly slow-paced first few episodes of the drama, stick it out to the end. You'll want to throttle Jooyoung and Sungah, but the chemistry between Hyungtae and Nanhee is worth it.
source:
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