Has everyone gotten over the twist thrown at us by the finale for 49 Days? There were two major surprises, and I’ll be talking about one of them because it involves a bet that I’ve previously made. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
The “surprise” that I’m referring to is the revelation that Ji-hyun and Yi-kyung were long-lost sisters. But in fact, I had guessed at that possibility much earlier, and so adamant was I in my belief that I even made a bet with another fellow viewer of 49 Days. And now with the conclusion of the series, it appears that I’ve won the bet, an extra 10 bucks, and some bragging rights. Mehrong! (Hehe, sorry, by its very nature, this is going to be a pretty obnoxious post.)
In order to see how my theory has evolved over time, I’ve copied the comments that I had made on various sites (Soompi, Dramabeans, and Electric Ground).
THEORY ESTABLISHED (Episode 6)
FIRST EVOLUTION OF THE THEORY (Episode 15)
Clues: “dongseng” (younger sibling), abandoned at Chuncheon station
FURTHER EVOLUTION OF THE THEORY (Episode 18)
Clues: “Nam dongseng” (younger brother), was mistreated by her “parents”
Okay, I wanted to rub it in my friend’s face (with whom I had made the bet) that I won. Nyah, nyah, nyah! (Yup, I’m so very mature.) But more importantly, I’ve read many people share that they thought Yi-kyung and Ji-hyun being sisters just came out of nowhere. I wanted to point out that it really wasn’t completely out of nowhere and there were hints throughout the series, whether or not you agree that it was a good plot development.
Gathering all the facts, it appears that Yi-kyung was indeed kidnapped while she was on a trip with her mom and Ji-hyun. But however, once the kidnapper (or her foster parent) became pregnant with her own child, she started treating Yi-kyung coldly and eventually abandoned her at a train station again. Perhaps this second abandonment is what Yi-kyung remembers. Either way, what a tragic story for Yi-kyung and her family.
But as for the other more controversial “surprise” in the ending, I’ll hold off on sharing my opinion until I finish gathering my thought.
bella012
blue
electric ground 
Brilliant deductive reasoning. You really pay attention to the story. Great Job!!
wow blue, amazing. I didn’t watch this drama as thoroughly from the beginning so I didn’t see the hints.
In the last episode, when I was watching that flashback scene at the train station and saw that creepy woman staring at the Shin family, I went omo, omo, omo! She kidnapped YK!
I don’t really care about the sibling relationship revelation because either way, YK -JH were awesome.
Although the hints were there, the revelation was still a little jolting because when you put it so at the end it makes you wonder at the point of that. Why bother making them sisters? What kind of story did the writer want to make? I’m not angry (so many people are angry with this drama so I want to make this clear), but I curious as to your thoughts on this. How does this relationship fit in the narrative arc of this drama?
I’m definitely in the minority here but I thought the sibling revelation was well relevant. We’ve been given hints of it throughout the drama (which I caught on early like you Blue), it was only a matter of time it before it was revealed. They’re not going to give subtle hints throughout the drama and then not touch up on it. Plus with the flashback of Yi Soo promising to find Yi Kyung’s real name it doesn’t seem as random and unnecessary as everyone is putting it out to be. I think it also flows with the words of JH & YS, for Yi Kyung to continue living. With the sibling revelation and YK finding her real parents, YK has found a new profound reason to live.
Yeeees, it’s really a good idea. But if the tears-givers aren’t Seo Woo & Yi Kyung, then who could it be?
Anyone out nothing? This is a little strange and didn’t the scheduler says when you are bloodrelated the tears doens’t count?
So IF Yi Kyung is Ji Hyun’s sister then, her tear would not count after all.
Than the most important questions is who is the person that gives Ji hyun the tears?
This drama is really complicated :))
But I love it!!!!
Omg, I realized now.
Yi Kyung cried for Ji Hyun before, but in the necklace didn’t appear her tear.
That means it’s could be a chance that they a siblings.
OMG, I have to wit till tomorrow to watch the final episode.
EXCITING!! Maybe it could be In Jung who has felt miserable or Min Ho who realize
that he felt in love with Ji hyun ……
best drama I’d watch in 2011 ❤
I thought the same but then dismissed it thinking nah, they wouldnt go there. But they did! I can’t say I’m disappointed, just wished they had found a better way to tie it all together. Maybe just “adopting” her as a daughter as she had become close with the family would have been better, and enough for Yi Kyung to heal and forget her past.
The mother called Yi Kyung “Ji Min” so many times and she couldn’t remember that when she was kidnapped? This part still confuses me. As well as HOW the lady kidnapped Yi Kyung and how she even came to THINK that that was her mother when the lady looks nothing like her real mother. Bleh.
I get what you guys mean but i just found this revelation unnecessary. I’ve got 3 reasons I didn’t like it.
-The hints they gave b4 were not strong enough to say they’ve got a long lost daughter, I mean they never talk about it!! Like such great parents like them (to Ji Hyun) how can they live like she never existed?? Even if she had died earlier, I guess in my thinking and the background i come from makes it feel impossible that she’s never even mentioned.
-And in the flashback, she seemed old enough to remember some things, like her name. I mean, my niece, at 3 years old, was always screaming her first and last name refusing ppl to call her something else. And she looked older than 3 years old, at least they should’ve made them younger for it to make sense.
-Lastly, she didn’t have to become there biological daughter for them to look out for her. Her and Ji Hyun get close beautifully without that revelation. For that reason, I didn’t find that it added anything to the story or the characters.
One more thing, didn’t they say that crying out of regret is not consider pure tears? Its not that I think In Jung has to suffer for the rest of her life, but what she did was beyond evil, to someone she knew for so long, and someone capable fo this evil should first learn how to regret truthfully b4 learning how to love truthfully. I also find it unfair that Min Ho took all the blame when, as revealed in the last episode, it was HER IDEA originally. Thats just to say, in my opinion, she is not worthy of being one of the tears
yi kyung and ji hyun as sisters messed up a should have been sooo good ending.
i mean i definitely want yi kyung to be able to stand on her feet after yi soo’s 1days comeback and the fact that she also witnessed ji hyun’s hardship just to be alive, these things should have made her stronger and drive her to live a more meaningful life. she’s got all the push she needed to stop living her zombie life, the idea of her having a family in ji hyun’s parents is too much plus the backups for them as sisters are totally weak. how come the owner a big company will not pursue looking for his lost kid?, that even ji-hyun totally forgot she once had an older sister, and why does yi hyung had the memory that ever since his younger brother was born her parents started hating her?
although the sense of losing their only child is too sad for the side of the parents, i also want them to find a way to continue living, drawing strength at each other or they could have been close to yi kyung and from there they could have had an idea of adopting kids from an orphanage. i dunno, but i want the characters to have a different look at life itself.