The Reunion
After a brief recap on events, episode 11 of Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol begins 1 month later after the ensuing drama. Min-Su is getting his hair done by Sook-Kyung who reveals that he actually used to live there. The divorced ladies continue to gossip, interrupted briefly by news reports discussing the murder down by the docks. Min-Su interjects though and tells them an animated story about this dead body, complete with animated expressions. The women hang on his every word – oohing and aahing. At least they do until Ra-Ra’s name is brought up. A grief-stricken Ra-Ra has been acting strangely lately, gorging herself with mountains of food and even dancing in front of the TV. She’s got a lot on her mind and Seung-Ki is convinced it’s a ploy to try distract herself from what’s going on. Meanwhile, Joon defies his parents and continues to starve himself. He doesn’t care if he becomes malnourished and simply asks his Mother for his phone back – given she’s taken it from him. Yun-Sil catches him trying to sneak out the house that night and confronts her son, telling him that she’s embarrassed and clearly caring more about their family image than their son’s well-being. Back at Lala Land, Mr Kim tells Ra-Ra that the first anniversary of his wife’s death is coming up. She believes he should play her song then and begins busying herself with preparations… until Kim mentions Joon. He tells Ra-Ra that Joon has a kind heart and how they’ll find each other again. This brings back memories for Kim who relays a story back in 1960 where he and his wife first met. Once again we see Joon and Ra-Ra playing Kim and his wife – re-enacting crucial moments where Kim nearly lost Sun-Ja in 1960 after breaking up. 2 months later, Man-Bok waited outside for Sun-Ja as he missed her so much, writing a touching letter and asking her to marry him. Only, the pair got their messages mixed up and never met at their scheduled spot. This is what prompted Man-Bok to move to Eunpo. Meanwhile, Si-A goes looking for Eun-Seok at the hospital. She bursts in her ex-husband’s office and shows him a picture of Ra-Ra and her past. He believes Ra-Ra helped heal him and this prompts her to storm out. When she does, she heads up to see Ra-Ra some time later at her studio instead. There, she reveals all about Joon’s past, including how the wedding is not the first time they met. As Ra-Ra comes to terms with this bombshell reveal, she wonders aloud just why Joon didn’t tell her anything. And just like that, a letter from Sunwoo Foundation arrives. Ra-Ra reads the words and begins breaking down crying, with little Mimi sat opposite her for support. With Ha-Young unwilling to see Ra-Ra in this state, she decides to head up to Seoul and make a scene at Joon’s, saving him from his ordeal. On the way, Ha-Young asks Min-Su for Joon’s address and heads to the front gates, demanding to see Joon. Only, an ambulance arrives prompting an unconscious Joon to be stretchered out and taken to the hospital. Realizing thy need to follow, the pair rush up to the hospital. This means they’re going to miss Mr Kim’s recital, who shows up in a suit and a stylish hair do at Lala Land. As he begins playing his wife’s song, a slick montage ensues as we see Man-Bok and Sun-Ja both coming face to face again after all this time, standing outside a music store. This song holds significance for them both given it’s a memory they treasure together. It’s actually a pretty emotional moment and one shared by the residents who all give him a standing ovation. After the night is over, Ra-Ra cleans up before looking over the letter from Sunwoo Foundation again. This letter includes song notes for Joon’s song – Pleasure of Love. It’s a wordless burst of emotion depicting exactly how he feels about her. After she plays it on the piano, Joon suddenly shows up at the front door. During this mini-epilogue, Joon feigned passing out to fool his Mother and bag him a trip to the hospital. Once there, he and Seung-Ki switched places so he could make it back to Eunpo.
The Episode Review
Now that we’re nearing the end of this rom-com, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol is all about how music can bring people together and the overall power of healing. It’s a really heartwarming message and the segments with Mr Kim were definitely the most emotional this time around. Seeing their love story unfold over time has been beautifully presented here and it’s juxtaposed by Ra-Ra and Joon’s woes in the present too. While it’s unlikely to stand out as one of the best k-dramas of the year, this is still a very enjoyable one nonetheless. With all the residents now together, the ending leaves the door wide open for where this one may go next.
