Monday, November 9, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 14 Recap

Episode starts with Sung Joon and Hye Jin at the lake and him telling her that he’s going to propose once he’s successful. He releases her and says that to him, there's always the memory of feeling like he lost her. For fifteen years, he longed for her and he found her now after fifteen years. He doesn't want to lose her again. She sighs. Starting now, fifteen years, then another fifteen years, and again fifteen years after that. And if he’s granted even more time, then he wants to spend it all with her, too.

She sighs and he says that he seems to have startled her a lot. Yah. You’ve only just started dating and you’re talking about longing for her for 15 years and being together forever. He says that he’s also very nervous telling her all this. She chuckles a little. Since he was born, this is the first time he’s so sure about anything, so he wanted to let her know how he feels. No pressure! There is no reason for him to hesitate any longer. Then he does her hood and she tells him that she wants him to succeed. Which carries even more weight of ‘yes, I’ll marry you when you ask.’ And they kiss.

♫ Perhaps, because I didn't know love ♫
♫ I wasn't able to say a word ♫
♫ I was always by your side, watching over you ♫
♫ But you don't seem to know yet ♫

Shin Hyuk is in his hotel room, talking with Director Shin, confirming something on November 7. Director Shin asks if Reporter Kim is okay. It seemed like he caught Leonard Kim last time and then... So was that Director from before Leonard Kim? Was Shin Hyuk letting Sung Joon score the deal to help him look good?

Sung Joon returns to his office and looks at his desk. There’s a *text* from the personal manager of Leonard Kim. She’s sorry to tell him that the interview with The Most has been cancelled for unavoidable reasons. She’s sorry. Sung Joon understandably freaks out.

She Was Pretty Episode 13 Recap

We get to start the episode where the other one left off: with the face caress and the kiss. Sarcastic ‘yay.’ Dang and it’s as slow as the last time. Gak. Sorry to all you Hye Jin-Sung Joon shippers, I just really wanted Shin Hyuk to get the girl.

After the kiss is over, Hye Jin tells him that she’s sad. Look at how thin he is. How can he work until he collapses? Weakly, he says that he’s totally fine. And the double pillow action is really annoying me in this shot – if you don’t know what I mean, when shooting just Sung Joon, he’s on the edge of the pillow, when shooting just Hye Jin, she’s on the edge of the pillow, like they’re on 2 separate pillows, but when shooting both of them, there’s *one* pillow. He notices his scarf and she says that she snatched it from Princess. When did he come? He strokes her head as he says that last night, he went there because he missed her, but it was really late, so he restrained himself.

Sung Joon puts his hand on her shoulder – again on his own pillow – and says that he will not restrain any of it. Liking her, missing her, wanting to hug her, he will not restrain these anymore. That is sweet. I’m not a Sung Joon-hater. I just wanted Shin Hyuk to get the girl.

♫ I'm afraid you still don't know how I feel.♫

They hug again.

♫ It seems I don't know. It seems I don't know anyone except you. ♫

And where’s the nurse to kick her out?

♫ It seems I don't know anything else except to love you. ♫

She Was Pretty Episode 12 Recap

Episode begins with Hye Jin frantic at the airport. Her Oma’s VO says that Ha Ri’s Mom said she came because she wanted to take Ha Ri with her. So Hye Jin knows that there’s another thing that Ha Ri didn’t tell her about. Then the hotel worker who said that Manager Min turned in her resignation and left. Hye Jin is really freaking. Ha Ri must've really left. Min Ha Ri. How can you just leave like this? If you leave like this, if you leave this way, what is she supposed to do, Ha Ri? Hye Jin weeps.

Later, Hye Jin sitting, despondent, on a bench in the airport, looking at the list from Ha Ri’s bed. Ha Ri walks by and notices her. She says Hye Jin’s name but Hye Jin doesn’t answer. She asks what Hye Jin is doing there. Hye Jin finally realizes that she’s there and immediately hugs Ha Ri. Ha Ri asks how Hye Jin knew she was going to the airport. Hye Jin starts to yell at her for leaving like this without saying anything! Where is Ha Ri going without her? Don't go, Ha Ri! Hye Jin starts to loudly cry again.

Ha Ri looks around, uncomfortable at the spectacle that Hye Jin is making. Ha Ri asks Hye Jin what she’s talking about. Where is she (Ha Ri)going? Hye Jin asks about Ha Ri going to Japan with her mom. Ha Ri says that she just came to see her mother off at the airport. Crying sniffles from Hye Jin – the kind that you make when you’ve cried really hard and are having a hard time catching your breath.

Ha Ri, a little annoyed, give Hye Jin a ‘ya!’ After doing something that terrible to Hye Jin, where would she go? She gently smoothes the hair away from Hye Jin’s face and asks if she came all the way to the airport because Hye Jin thought she was leaving without saying anything. Hye Jin nods. After clarifying that Ha Ri *really* isn’t going, Hye Jin starts to cry again, this time in relief. Ha Ri hugs Hye Jin and, starting to cry herself, asks where she’s going to go without Hye Jin? How can she go? For the rest of Hye Jin’s life, Ha Ri’s going to stick to her like a piece of gum. She's going to apologize for a very long time. Aw. I’m glad that Hye Jin’s faith in her friend was deserved. They hug some more.

Monday, November 2, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 11 Recap


Starts with Sung Joon finishing his meeting. He asks where she is. She says that she had to work, but she’ll make sure to be where they planned to meet on time. He hangs up and looks to the sign on his left. It’s a photo of Ha Ri, labeled with her name, calling her Best Hotelier for Ara Hotel. Arg! Shouldn’t have hesitated. Sung Joon’s face looks like he wants to throw up.

And he comes across her outside. Min Ha Ri. Who are you? His face looks terrible! Incredulous at the deception. Why? How the heck could she have been Kim Hye Jin? She can’t say anything. What has she been doing this whole time? Who is she? What the heck is her true identity? His face looks like he’s about to lose it and start yelling. And he’s scary when he yells. She says that she’ll explain everything, Sung Joon. She reaches forward to take his arm, starting to explain, but he pulls it free. She can’t do anything but look at his arm.

He demands that she answer him. Who is she? Ha Ri softly says that she’s a friend. Hye Jin's friend. This sinks in as Ha Ri talks. Hye Jin asked her a favor. She needed to meet with him only once. But after Ha Ri bumped into him again at the hotel, things became complicated. Her voice starts to shake as she says that she was going to meet with him today to explain everything and apologize.

Sung Joon’s eyes are glistening. Then is the real Kim Hye Jin... Is it her? The person who he thinks it is? Both of them look like they’re going to cry. She tells him that he’s right. She apologizes for deceiving him. She wasn't planning on dragging this out for so long– He says nothing and just walks away. Ha Ri starts to sob. And I feel bad for her. She could have lied, tried to lie, but she did what she decided to do.

Sung Joon drives in his car. As he thinks about all the clues he ignored – her naturally vicious curls, she’s Kim Hye Jin! It's a go! – he starts to cry. 

She Was Pretty Episode 10 Recap

Episode starts with Hye Jin driving in Ah Reum’s car, which is smoking. Thinking it’s fog, she turns on the wipers but after a moment, she realizes that it smells like smoke. Then it starts sputtering and then dies all together. She’s able to pull it over to the side of the road.

She gets out of the car, coughing at the smoke, and then it starts to rain. Luckily she had an umbrella with her. She tries to check on the engine, but she doesn’t know anything about cars, and decides to call someone. Problem: she has no idea where she is. She starts walking.

Now she’s getting very cold and comes upon Sung Joon desperately asking about the condition of the driver of the accident. She’s surprised that he’s there and gets his attention by calling him ‘Deputy Chief Editor.’ He immediately goes over and hugs her, causing her to drop the umbrella.

And Shin Hyuk sees everything from across the street. He sighs, relieved that she’s okay.

Sung Joon lets go of Hye Jin and immediately starts to scold her. Is she an idiot? How could she make a mistake with a car? What if something had happened to her! He is really still freaking out. She answers ‘no’ – probably to his first question, heh – and then asks him if he’s okay. It's raining so hard; how did he drive? He just stares at her, his hands still on her shoulders.

She notices that he’s soaked and grabs for her umbrella. He’s still standing there like he’s in shock. He won’t stop looking at her face. She tells him that he’s soaked and asks if there really was no problem. Is he really ok? She mentions the rain again and asks how he could have come this far. He answers that he didn't know that it was raining. And it is really raining loudly. They stare at each other.

Friday, October 23, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 9 Recap

Well, they only showed one episode, on Thursday, this week. I am annoyed.

We start the episode a little before the cliff hanger from last week, with Hye Jin in the stylist’s chair. Stylist is, of course, freaking out about the curls. How did she live all these years with this hair?! Ironically, Stylist’s hair, except for the part around her head, is nearly as curly as Hye Jin’s natural curl. I guess Hye Jin’s hair is just a little too curly… Hye Jin, of course, wants to get rid of her curls – which I’ve grown to like and which make her unique – but nearly balks when she hears that it will cost 400,000 Won. She stares at herself for a moment and agrees, saying she wants a new start.

She heads to a department store and invests in a shirt she likes. She also sneaks in for a voluntary makeover. Then she heads into work, no freckles or redness on her face – and, again, I miss the normal Hye Jin. She’s smiling broadly. Manager and his lackeys spot her and he’s amazed and disbelieving that it’s Hye Jin.

Hye Jin answers the phone at Most. Everyone stops what they’re doing in shock. Shin Hyuk looks like he’s appalled. Shin Hyuk says her name, Jackson, in a voice asking if it’s her. And the voice sounds appalled. Ah Reum says that she thinks it’s Hye Jin because of her “depressing bag.” Hye Jin says, in Hye Jin style, that she’s back and apologizes for worrying them. Joon Woo rushes over and gives her a huge hug, telling his noona that he’s totally missed her! And I crack up because Poong Ho got up to get a huge from her, too. He’s left hanging. Hye Jin happily hugs him. Seol hurries over to pull Joon Woo off her as Shin Hyuk – still appalled – asks what she’s doing right now!

Ah Reum welcomes Hye Jin, saying that she’s glad Hye Jin came back. Seon Min tells her that she’s become so pretty. Hye Jin smiles broadly. Eun Yung practically shrieks that unni is unrecognizable! Lee Kyung agrees. Sung Joon sees her from inside his office and stops. He smiles softly. Joo Young yells at everyone to get back to work. She gives Hye Jin a welcoming smile.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 8 Recap

SWP_E08_01-01

Episode starts with Ha Ri kissing Sung Joon and Shin Hyuk seeing it. He stops Hye Jin from looking and grabbing her into a back hug. She immediately complains that it’s suffocating. She tries to look again, but he claims that someone's drunk and peeing in public. He says that it'll ruin her eyes and make them rot! Even as she complains, he drags her away.

Done kissing Sung Joon, Ha Ri tells him that she doesn't want to be with him as a childhood friend, but as his girlfriend. No pressure there. She tells him that she wants to hear his answer. Sung Joon doesn’t know what to say. Big pause. Ha Ri chuckles a little bitterly and says that she guesses that he doesn't feel the same. Sung Joon is trying to recover from the shock of being cornered like this, since he hasn’t figured out how he feels. Since he’s not able to answer her... he must not feel the same way. Her voice is cracking and she looks down. Sung Joon takes a deep breath and nods to himself. He grabs her hand and says that they should go. She reluctantly follows. I wonder what he’s doing. He’s about to jump in, I know it.

Hye Jin is marveling at how Shin Hyuk completely fooled her into thinking Coco was a real younger sister! She feels so wronged! Shin Hyuk is walking behind her, trying to process this revelation of their love triangle. She yells at him to stop following her! But he grabs her arm and asks about that friend of hers who she said lives with her... Is that the same friend who she said was her other half? She wants to know why he’s asking about our Ha Ri all of a sudden? That’s a yes. Shin Hyuk knows that it’s bad. He tells her they should talk and sits at a nearby table.

SWP_E08_01-03

Hye Jin reluctantly sits with her arms folded. Shin Hyuk says that when he brought her there last time when she got drunk, he remembered her telling him. They must be very close, if Hye Jin calls Ha Ri her other half. Hye Jin says that saying that they’re close doesn't even begin to explain it. Their mothers were best friends so they’ve been with each other since birth. The best thing she’s ever done in her life is becoming friends with our Ha Ri. She explains that since we're human, no matter how close you are to a friend, when something good happens to him or her, honestly you do feel at least a tiny bit of jealousy. But when something good happens to me, the only person who is completely happy for me one hundred percent, as much as my mom would be, is our Ha Ri.

She Was Pretty Episode 7 Recap


Silent car ride. Both of them are uncomfortable. Because Sung Joon is starting to like her and thinks that he shouldn’t since she’s not the real Hye Jin. She keeps trying to strike up some sort of conversation and Sung Joon shuts it down. She starts to sing – and has a nice voice – and, sounding a bit irritated, Sung Joon asks if they’re going on an excursion. Hye Jin stops singing and shakes her head ‘no.’ He says that he has a lot on his mind so they should go quietly. She agrees but then her stomach loudly growls. As Sung Joon grimaces, she protests that she’s trying to be quiet but it's doing it on its own!

Hye Jin wonders what Sung Joon’s problem is. Why is he back to Siberia mode (acting cold)? Why did he give me the onion then? More growling and Hye Jin coughs to cover the sound.

Back at The Most, Shin Hyuk holds up a huge fake spider in Joo Young’s face and tries to get her to freak out. Dead-pan, she asks what he wants her to do about it. He is bored because Hye Jin is not there to torment. Off-kilter, he mutters that she should do nothing. Poong Ho walks up and he tries to scare Poong Ho. Poong Ho’s only reaction is to hit Shin Hyuk several times on the head with his scratching stick. As they discuss when Shin Hyuk is going to grow up, he rolls back to his desk and moans that Jackson's reaction is unparalleled. He sighs and says her name again.

Sung Joon and Hye Jin stop at a restaurant. She deeply breathes in the air. He tells her to stop inhaling air that won't fill her up and go eat. Hye Jin starts to order the wild vegetable bibimbap but Sung Joon cuts her off and orders 2 portions of the special beef tenderloin. Hye Jin looks at the price: 60,000 Won. She asks if it’s too expensive. He asks if she’s complaining, since he’s paying for it anyway.

She Was Pretty Episode 6 Recap

Episode picks up with Sung Joon and Hye Jin sitting in the rain, Hye Jin covering them both with her hoodie. He reaches up and toches her face. She doesn’t hear him call her Hye Jin-a because of the honking of the truck and it startles her into realizing how in danger they are. She pulls Sung Joon out of the street. As they sit under the awning at a bus stop, she worries at how cold he is and how much shivering he’s doing. He pulls off her hoodie and tells her to go. She refuses and wants to take him home. He repeats his gasp that she should go. He asks her to please just go. He’s so pathetic right now. She calls a driver, who takes Sung Joon home. She tells the driver to turn up the heat and take care of him until he gets home.

Shin Hyuk is still waiting with Ha Ri. He sighs loudly and looks at his phone. Ha Ri tries calling Sung Joon but talks to the driver instead. Driver says that the customer isn't feeling well so he’s taking Sung Joon home right now. This gets Ha Ri to hurry and leave to take care of him. She doesn’t give Shin Hyuk any explanation but hurries out. He’s annoyed because he got dressed up for nothing. I like his hair, though. He decides to take some selfies. And his charming smile cracks me up. He actually cracks himself up. Heh.

Ha Ri gets to his apartment building and almost doesn’t remember his apartment number. But she does and starts ringing his doorbell. She calls him when he doesn’t answer but he staggers out and basically collapses on her.

Inside now, she makes him some porridge – or tries to. Sung Joon finally comes to his senses. When she sees him upright, she tries to feel his neck for his temperature, but he assures her that he’s all right. He asks how she got there and she explains about the driver. He apologizes for making her wait, saying he suddenly fell ill. I find it strange that he didn’t say anything about the accident, since Hye Jin knows about it and it would completely explain everything.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 5 Recap

Eotteokay! Hye Jin was caught in a pickle with Sung Joon last episode. What will happen? I guess I’ll have to watch the episode. Waiting a week has been rough!

Episode starts with Hye Jin at Sung Joon’s door, trying to figure out his code. She’s so stressed about going in and getting her phone – so Sung Joon won’t see the pictures of her and Ha Ri together – that she starts biting her teeth together. Don’t normally see people do that because of stress. She thinks and wonder if it’s possibly…

Flashback to kid Hye Jin singing Sung Joon ‘Happy Birthday.’ He blows out the candles and tells her that it’s not his birthday. Young Hye Jin is surprised. He uses today's date for his locker, his bicycle lock and all his other locks. She asks what the numbers mean. Proudly, Sung Joon declares that it’s his favorite day out of the whole year. It's the International Left-hander's Day. What an oddball. Hye Jin is impressed that there’s a day like that. Sung Joon smiles and takes big scoops of icing from the cake.

Back in the present, Hye Jin nods that this is it. She reaches into her purse and pulls out her planner. The date is circled. She keys in 0813 (for the date) and it works. She’s able to get inside his apartment. At least that part of him hasn’t changed.

As she walks by the couch on her way to the puzzle, Sung Joon twitches. He wakes and is surprised to find himself in his apartment. He notices Hye Jin leaning in towards the puzzle. She smiles at the space where her piece is. Sung Joon surprises her and she knocks the puzzle over. She almost steps on the glass and he grabs her toward him. She’s all but 5 seconds before she pulls back her hands (in a way that says let go!)

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 4 Recap

Episode starts with Sung Joon in the coffee shop. He gets the phone call and sits down on the notebook. Hye Rin has stepped outside. She tells Hye Jin that Hye Jin has no sisterly love. She tells Hye Jin that, since she’s in the neighborhood, she’ll just go to Ha Ri Unni and ask Ha Ri to buy her a meal. Hye Jin reluctantly agrees to come.

SWP_E04_101   SWP_E04_102

Sung Joon looks at the notebook: Kim Hye Rin's secret notes. Hye Rin tells him it’s hers. She clarifies that the notebook he’s holding is hers. He says nothing, just looks at her and smiles.

Hye Jin enters and sees them meeting. She tries to run but gets caught in a crush of people. She hides behind a sign and sees that Sung Joon has brought Hye Rin a drink.


Hye Rin asks how Sung Joon knows her sister. Who is he? He replies that he’s her friend. She asks what kind of friend.

Hye Jin uses the sign she’s hiding behind to sneak out of the store, much to the complaint of one of the servers. She gets on her phone and places a call, worried that Hye Rin is going to screw everything up. I don’t’ think she will. She seems very savvy.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 3 Recap

Episode starts with Sung Joon leaving his meeting and seeing Ha Ri in the rearview mirror. He stops in the middle of the road and leaves his car there to run inside. He does the wrist grab and starts to ask what’s going on? Why is she there? His voice trails off as he notices her clothes. She quickly wraps both her arms around him in a hug and acts excited to see him as she quickly takes off her name badge. She throws it over her shoulder – which hits one of the hotel staff on the head.

Ha Ri lets go and asks how they met there? What is he doing there? He says he’s the one who should be asking that. Why is she there when she went to study abroad? Staffer picks up the name tag and seeing her, calls out her name. Sung Joon quickly rushes him outside. Staffer starts to follow. Outside, Sung Joon starts to try to get answers but a doorman comes up and asks him to move his car. It’s causing quite an uproar. He apologizes and tells Ha Ri to wait there while he moves it. Staffer arrives with her name badge and Ha Ri takes that moment to briefly freak out, out of Sung Joon’s ear shot. What is she going to do?

Switch to Ha Ri nervously bouncing her leg as she sits with Sung Joon at a café. She sips her drink. She says that she did go to study abroad. He replies that she did. She even sent him a picture she took in London. She asks why he thinks she’s there. She draws out the last part of the sentence and giggles, smiling broadly, and I wonder what’s in her drink. She giggles nervously and Sung Joon is not smiling. She says that she did go, but she got a call from Korea not too long afterwards. She got a chance to work at this hotel, and she got greedy. So she just returned urgently. She smiles, uncomfortable. Sung Joon’s still upset. Her leg shakes some more.

Finally, Sung Joon stifles a laugh and looks away. Turning back to her, he says that she should have called to say she came back. He almost left even when he saw her earlier, because he thought she was still in London and he was seeing things. Ha Ri holds up her arm and points at it. She just got goosebumps. As a matter of fact, she was going to call him today. She snaps her fingers and asks how they ran into each other there like this, huh?! And she is being so weird right now. He says that it’s good. He was sad when they parted ways like that. Awkward smile from Ha Ri.

She Was Pretty Episode 2 Recap

Episode starts where we left off, but with a different angle. Instead of the close-ups, it’s more of a medium shot. Right after Sung Joon introduces himself, we get a flashback. The person he’s talking to sounds like they’re actually American and Park Seo Joon did really well with his accent. Caller tells Sung Joon that he only has three months. He can’t forget! He only gets three shots at it. And what is it? Saving the magazine? Proving himself? What is it?

Taxi driver remarks that Sung Joon looks like he came from overseas. Not sure why, but he just heard him talking in English so that could be it. Sung Joon replied that he’s returned to Korea after about 15 years. Driver says what I was thinking: Wow, that's quite a long time. He asks why Sung Joon is back. Sung Joon replies that he has things to do, and something that he must find. That part at the end, from the way he says it, he’s thinking of Hye Jin and the puzzle piece.

Switch to the elevator. We see what happened after Hye Jin got off. Sung Joon got Pretty Girl’s attention (taps on her shoulder) and asks if PG is busy. She plays with her hair and says that she’s not. Half smiling (half ticked) Sung Joon asks if – since she’s not busy - how about getting back her conscience now? Bam! That was awesome. PG can’t believe it. Everyone looks at her, waiting for her to get off. Even though they were perfectly happy to let her stay before Sung Joon said something.

PG gets off the elevator. The guy who tells her to get on the elevator (while keeping the door from closing) is Shin Hyuk. With a smile on his face. Whenshe hesitates, he wordlessly tells her to get on – in that conspiratorial way that friends talk to each other. Sung Joon is looking at some papers so he doesn’t see her face. She smiles and says that it’s a relief.

Back to Driver, who asks what Sung Joon’s there to find. He replies, “My umbrella.” And I swoon just a little. He came back to find his umbrella. Totally called that!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

She Was Pretty Episode 1 Recap

Okay, so I’ve been eagerly waiting for this show. Hopefully, it will be as good as I’m hoping.


Series starts with gentle, nostalgic music playing. It’s raining in the big city and in a tall skyscraper a faceless man (who has a really nice apartment and a miniature Eiffel Tower on his desk) takes out a Mason jar that has puzzle pieces in it. They’re really big puzzle pieces, so it must not be that difficult of a puzzle. I mean, they’re kid-sized puzzle pieces. But maybe that’s the point.) As music continues, man assembles puzzle. It’s Renoir’s ‘Danse à la Campagne (Dance in the Country),’ painted in 1883 and which now hangs in the Museé d’Orsay. It’s displayed with ‘Danse à la Ville (Dance in the City),’ which was painted the same year. A bit trivia: Paul Lhote was the man in both paintings and the woman in Dance in the Country is Aline Charigot, who Renoir married in 1890.

Man finishes the puzzle but there’s one piece missing. His hand hovers next to the hole. He jumps on his computer and goes to a site designed to find people: Spokeo.com. This is an actual website and not something that they made up for the show. I have never heard of it, but cool.

He types – in English – Kim Hyejin. It pulls up a list, along with their aliases, ages and where they’ve lived. If you type the same thing, the same list pulls up. And for some random reason the second Kim Hyejin, who is 42, has lived in Columbia, MO, and Sunnyvale, CA. Yes, I’ve lived there and it’s the home to the University of Missouri, but it just seems random that it would show up. And I notice that he has Google and YouTube bookmarked on his toolbar. Heh. He eventually gets to Korean results. He goes to a box of letters. Lots of letters, All marked ‘RETURN’ (Return to Sender). It’s so sad. He doodled on a lot of them.

She Was Pretty E01

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Super Junior-M's 華麗的獨秀(S.O.L.O.) with Lyrics

One of my new favorite songs is the theme song to Skip Beat!: Super Junior-M's 華麗的獨秀(S.O.L.O.). It has an exuberant, joyful feeling to it, which I feel every time I listen to it.



The lyrics:

Love is a solo show. Solo Solo.
I want to solo for you.
Love is a solo, solo solo,
I want to give you a solo

Thursday, September 10, 2015

I Strayed Again: More Taiwanese Dramas

Even though it's not flu season, I managed to catch the flu, which means several days of fever, sleeping and not wanting to do much else. So what did I do while home sick? Watch dramas, of course. I still need to finish 'Oh My Ghostess' (since I got side-tracked with 'Mask'), but feeling terrible didn't really motivate me to want to do the work of a recap. So, instead, I decided to check out a couple of Taiwanese dramas on Viki.

Smiling Pasta

Smilingpasta

The first drama I watched was 'Smiling Pasta,' a 2006 drama starring Cindy Wang as Cheng Xiao Shi and Nicholas Teo as He Qun. Xiao Shi is a girl who has had 17 boyfriends and all of them have dumped her before the relationship gets past the 3-month mark. She wishes on a shooting star that she will find someone to break her curse (because she believes that she is cursed) and to cherish her forever. Fate decides to answer, by having her lips collide with famous idol He Qun. He Qun has just been dumped by his secret girlfriend, Rita, who left him for his estranged brother, Ah Zhe. And to make the quadrangle complete, Ah Zhe is Xiao Shi's first love and the one who seemingly cursed her relationships in the first place.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Post-Mask Withdrawl -- Medical Top Team Review

Medical_Top_Team

After watching Mask, I have decided that I love Joo Ji Hoon. I mean, I liked him in Goong (aka Princess Hours aka Imperial House), which came out in 2006. But I just liked him. But his performance in 'Mask' has made me a definite fan, to the point where he replaced Hyun Bin in my list of Acting Favorites.

So, since I finished Mask and didn't feel like taking up recapping the rest of Oh My Ghostess quite yet, I thought I would check out his 2013 drama, Medical Top Team. Ji Hoon played Han Seung Jae, the youngest chief ever at Kwanghye University Hospital. He just happens to be the son of a Chairman and the mistress. His father is a dictatorial piece of bat guano who doesn't want to acknowledge Seung Jae as his blood and who treated Seung Jae's mother horribly, to the point that the woman became a drunk.

Medical Top Team

Seung Jae spends most of the drama trying to win the Chairman's approval, which leads him to make some terrible choices and to act like a horse's heiney. Seung Jae carries a torch for fellow doctor, Seo Joo Young, who is also a brilliant and ambitious surgeon fighting for respect from the doctors around her. And if that wasn't enough, he's at odds with his sister-in-law, the Assistant Director of the hospital, who has plans for Top Team that don't quite jive with what Seung Jae wants it to stand for.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Mask Episode 20 Recap

Okay, I think I’m procrastinating on watching this last episode not because I don’t want it to end, but because I’m worried that my questions are going to go unanswered. I am sad that it’s ending, because I have loved watching Soo Ae and Joo Ji Hoon, individually and as a couple. I think they’ve made it into my favorite actors lists. But it will really annoy me if they lead some very promising threads hanging – like Oma’s murder and how Doc Kim’s betrayal fits into the scheme of things, and most importantly, WHY Seok Hoon targeted Min Woo for all these terrible things. We’re starting the last episode in a place where I can’t see these things being tidied up without a lot of deus ex machina and that just annoys me.

Our episode starts with Min Woo asleep. Birds are chirping outside as he wakes up – indicating that it’s morning, because birds don’t usually chirp in the afternoon. He rolls over and the bed is empty. He calls for Ji Sook – louder as he gets no answer – and starts to get worried. He jumps out of bed – fully clothed in the clothes he was wearing the day before, minus overcoat, which means that they still haven’t done anything where Ji Sook might be pregnant – and quickly exits the bedroom door, slamming it behind him. Starting to pant with panic, he grabs his coat… and Ji Sook enters with a smile on her face. He sighs with relief and immediately hugs her.

Ji Sook is surprised and asks what’s wrong. After hugging her a moment, he lets go and asks where she has been; adding that he was worried. She smiles and says that she went out to get something that will make him handsomer. She touches his whiskers and says that they grew out this much just in one day.

Instead of Min Woo shaving himself, Ji Sook is going to do it. His cheeks and chin now covered with shaving cream, he asks if she’s sure she can do this? She’s confident. Hasn’t he seen her with knives when she was cooking? Not really. Just the one time, since the maids freaked out that she was doing it herself. But okay. She picks up the razor and he warily looks at it. She asks if he’s scared. Looking at her and then the razor again, he says, “Of course not,” in a voice that isn’t convincing at all. Ji Sook laughs. She lightly shaves him. And they are doing this in the living room instead of the bathroom where normal people shave. They smile at each other, enjoying this intimate moment.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Mask Episode 19 Recap

Episode starts with Min Woo debating whether to jump into the lake. He does and sinks for a moment. Ji Sook collapses from the smoke inhalation. Min Woo sims for shore and makes it. He immediately runs for the house. Which has to be hard with wet clothes. He tries to get inside but it’s locked. He throws something through a window and runs inside. He frantically starts searching for Ji Sook. And I’m impressed at his where-with-all to pick up a chair and throw it through a door so that he can quickly see if Ji Sook is inside the room.

He makes it to the bedroom where she is and almost makes it outside with them when he is hit by a falling chandelier. It doesn’t stop him though. He collapses on the ground beside her once they are outside. As he loses consciousness, he makes sure that he’s holding her hand. He thinks of when they walked down the path together, the path that guarantees a couple will be together forever if they walk down it together. Of them crossing the river on the bridge of stones together.

He wakes up to find himself alone. And not where he lost consciousness. Now he is down by the edge of the lake. He catches sight of a piece of Ji Sook’s dress, but no Ji Sook.

[Episode 19 – A Vacancy]

Back at Casa Choi, the police are questioning Min Woo. Why did he have a piece of clothing covered in Ms. Seo Eun Ha's blood? Does her really not remember that incident? Min Woo says nothing. He’s sitting next to Seok Hoon. Seok Hoon tells Cop that it hasn’t been confirmed yet whether it's Seo Eun Ha's blood. Cop should only ask Min Woo about what has been confirmed. Cop sighs and looks in his notebook. Behind him, Dad, Stepmom and Mi Yeon are watching the interview.

Cop says that Min Woo’s car was found about 10 kilometers away from the villa, near the lake. This needs to be explained. Min Woo asks if his wife is still alive. She is, right? Cop says that they found a stain of blood on a rock near the lake. If it is indeed her blood, the chances of her still being alive are very slim. Min Woo shakes his head and says that she will be alive. She’s not the type to die that easily. Cop2 enters with Ji Sook’s hairbrush. He declares that if the DNA matches, it is very likely that she is dead.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Mask Episode 18 Recap

Episode begins in the grove with the memorial trees. Min Woo is helping Ji Hyuk to plant Mom’s tree. He asks Papa – calling him Father-in-Law – is he likes the tree. Papa doesn’t say anything, just cries. Ji Hyuk declares that the tree’s sturdy so even if a typhoon comes, it won't budge. And Ji Hyuk and Min Woo are calling each other ‘Brother-in-law.’ Ji Sook asks if Mom’s tree will grow and bud flowers and bear fruit.

Ji Sook goes over and touches Mom’s tree. She thinks about when they planted their and Ji Eun’s tree. When a person dies, where do they go? When a person dies, they go to the heart of the person that they love. Holding Mom’s ring to her heart, she tells Mom to be born as her daughter in the next life and cause her a lot of heartache. She leaves the ring by the tree.

Ji Sook and Min Woo are in Mom’s room looking over Mom’s things. Memories looking at the apron she made Mom. She looks at Min Woo and says that she thinks she understands now. All this time, she thought she came this far because of her family… if she had a lot of money, her family would be happy. But it's not like that. It was because of her… her greed. Min Woo tell her that she did her best and it isn't her fault. And Mom’s death is more the fault of Mi Yeon. Ji Sook weeps and smells Mom’s apron. Min Woo kneels beside her and holds her as she cries.

Mi Yeon is sitting at Casa Choi’s bar, drinking. I wonder if she knows she killed someone else. Seok Hoon takes the bottle away from her. She asks if he was distressed. He’s not sure what she means. She says that she’s asking if he felt distressed when he did bad things. He asks what that means. She says that she feels so distressed right now, like she’s going crazy. She pours herself another drink and chugs it. He asks what bad things she did. And I can’t tell what his face means… what this moment means… Mi Yeon says that she just wanted to interfere with the surgery. She didn't know it would go this far. So she does know that she killed Mom. She tells herself that that’s right. It was an accident. Even if she didn't do it, ‘she’ would have died anyway. Seok Hoon asks who Mi Yeon is talking about. Instead of answering the question, with a distraught voice, Mi Yeon says that it’s all Loan Shark’s fault. If Loan Shark didn't say those things…. Yes it was like that.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Mask Episode 17 Recap

Our episode starts with Ji Sook and Min Woo back at Casa Choi. Aw. We could see the kiss again? Please? She’s just gotten done telling him everything and says that she feels relieved now. She apologizes for not telling him earlier. He reaches over and takes her hand and says that it must have been hard for her all this time. And I am swooning. Sigh. How lonely it must have been all alone, Byeon Ji Sook-shi. She looks at him and asks him to say her name again. He does and it makes her smile, which makes him smile.

She says his name. His face says, ‘yes?’ She puts his hand back on the couch and says that they still need to get a divorce. He asks if it’s because of Seok Hoon and says that he will resolve that. She replies that she said that this is her problem. They can't continue living like this. How is this just her problem?! Can I shake her?! He asks her why – as in why can’t we continue being together? He repeats that he doesn’t mind. You tell her, Min Woo. He’ll tell Dad that Seok Hoon tried to kill him. They should talk about the divorce after that. He says that they can keep living like this, Byeon Ji Sook-shi. And you know that she’s swooning every time he says her real name. Although, I’m not really sure what her face is saying right now.

Replay of Min Woo being shot and Mi Yeon seeing that it was Seok Hoon.

Now she’s in their room, standing before Seok Hoon, asking how he could shoot a bullet at her brother? Expressionless, he says that he didn't shoot the bullet at Min Woo. He was shooting at a deer passing by. She screams, “Please!” at him and begs him not to lie anymore. There are tears in her eyes. Why have you not turned him into the police? He looks down and says that it wasn't a lie. He was just hunting an animal. Humans are animals.

Mi Yeon picks up something and hurls it so that it flies past his head and smashes the glass of their wedding portrait. Seok Hoon says that he… did not lie. She’s done with it all. She tells him to get out. Get lost from this house. She can't handle dealing with him anymore. He just stands there. She says that if he doesn't leave, she will. She walks out of their room and Seok Hoon sighs.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Mask Episode 16 Recap

Episode begins with Min Woo reacting to Ji Sook’s announcement that she’s giving away half of her shares for a charitable foundation. Min Woo’s blinking tell me that his heart finally beat his head. Seok Hoon sighs. The light flares and Min Woo saves Ji Sook’s life. Why are people screaming? Why do people do that over something like this? Seok Hoon stands, livid that the light fell NOT on his order. Mi Yeon stands, too, horrified because that could have been Min Woo. Min Woo and Ji Sook look at the light and she asks if he’s okay.

They return home. Stepmom bemoans such an accident happening at the event. Dad asks if Eun Ha was shocked. She replies that she was. If Min Woo didn't save her, it would have been a big problem. Dad checks that Min Woo is okay. He is. Dad snaps at Seok Hoon for the accident. He should have paid more attention to make sure everything was set properly! Seok Hoon says that he’s going to investigate and find out who is responsible. He’s already taken measures so the story of this incident doesn't leak out. Dad nods and he and Stepmom go up to bed – but not before Stepmom orders a sedative.

Back in their room, Min Woo asks how it happened. How much does she know? She replies that she said that he is in danger. He asks from who. Perhaps, Seok Hoon? Ji Sook says that she’s not sure of that, because she can't prove it. They look at each other. At least he can look at her now, be in the same room with her now. She says that even though this might sound shameless, she must say this to him. She says his name and asks him to trust her. He laughs at that one and replies, “I to Seo–” He stops himself because that’s not her name. A twitch of his jaw because the wound is still fresh.

Min Woo asks why he has to trust her? She replies that it’s so she can tell him this. It isn't something she’d say suddenly. She thought a lot and prepared a lot. He asks what it is that she wants to say. She tells him they should… She pauses because it’s hard for her to get the sentence out. She sighs and finishes it: they should get divorced. Arg! And I thought that they were finally going to start working together. Min Woo barely registers a reaction on his face – but it’s like she just slapped him, the twitching his eyes just did. She tells him that they should just go up to here. Min Woo’s face says that he’s not happy at all.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Mask Episode 15 Recap

Ji Sook is waiting to tell Min Woo everything. He’s trying to keep her breathing steady. Min Woo is reading her bio and discovering the truth.

He leaves the meeting in a daze – oh, I hate seeing him like this! Practically about to pass out. He thinks about all the little things that she’s said and done that point to the truth:

I have a lot of secrets. I guess you can say I am wearing a mask.

The person that you married is not Seo Eun Ha.

He sags to the ground, overcome. And I find myself telling him to throw up, he’ll feel better. He loosens his tie and mutters that there’s no way. He staggers to his feet again.

Ji Sook is pacing. It’s after 8 pm and he’s still not home. She tries calling Min Woo. He’s sitting in a hotel, drinking. Even though it’s out on the table beside him, he doesn’t answer it.

Eun Ha asking if she needs someone to rely on. Their marriage is for business after all.

Ji Sook saying that they are a couple and that family should be on the same side, no matter what happens.

Min Woo wants to know when the switch happened. Since when?

Seok Hoon and Mi Yeon are at the shooting range, doing target practice. They both have loaded weapons. In their hands… right now. Mi Yeon is pretty lethal, but Seok Hoon is all over the place. He thinks about how Mi Yeon told him that now Min Woo will know everything… Seo Eun Ha isn't real. But Ji Sook is real and she’s really in love with him and has told him so. She says that because he kept telling her not to, she wanted to do it more. So she did it.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Mask Episode 14 Recap

Episode starts where the last one left off: Min Woo’s proposal and Mi Yeon walking purposefully toward them. When she reaches them, she wordlessly pulls out Ji Sook’s resume and holds it out to Ji Sook. She demands Ji Sook explain and when Ji Sook asks what it is, she cryptically says that Ji Sook will know when she sees it.

Ji Sook’s phone rings. It’s Seok Hoon. Ji Sook tells Mi Yeon that it’s her husband and he said it’s very important... Mi Yeon is forced to take the call. She wordlessly listens. And I wonder what he’s saying. She looks upset as she wordlessly hangs up the phone and shoves it back into Ji Sook’s hands. Min Woo asks her what’s going on. She tells him that he’ll soon find out. Giving Ji Sook one last glare, Mi Yeon leaves.

As she drives away, she thinks of what Seok Hoon said on the phone: He doesn't know what she’s thinking. But with her one action, their relationship may not be able to recover. Consider again whether she really wants it to happen that way or not and then take action, if she’s confident about her action. Seok Hoon looks like he’s got his mojo back. She pulls over and screams in frustration.

[Episode 14 – Spear and Shield]

Ji Sook and Min Woo are walking again. And she hasn’t given her answer. The moment was kind of ruined. He’s probably hesitating pressing now because of Noona’s craziness. Ji Sook worries that they should call Mi Yeon. Min Woo says that they’d only get yelled at if they call her now. He tells her not to worry about; Mi Yeon often barges in for no reason.

Ji Sook turns the subject back to his proposal. He says that he didn’t ask for her answer right now. He’s definitely nervous about what her answer is. He tells her to take her time and think about it. And when she is certain, then answer him. She starts to tell him her answer, but he hisses at her and tells her to think about it longer and more thoroughly. She could be saying ‘yes,’ dude. He definitely doesn’t want a ‘no.’ He uses those long legs of his to walk faster than her.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Mask Episode 13 Recap

Mi Yeon watches Seok Hoon cry at Eun Ha’s grave and realizes that she *killed* Eun Ha. Well, she didn’t actually kill her, but her inaction led to Eun Ha’s brain death and eventual death. She’s stunned. What did she expect when she walked away while the woman was drowning?

Ji Sook discovers Eun Ha’s diary, which asks if she could really kill Choi Min Woo? Seok Hoon tells Eun Ha that if Choi Min Woo is dead, Eun Ha will inherit all his assets. They could do many things with those assets. The next page says: If you marry Choi Min Woo, you must divorce him within a year. Otherwise, Seok Hoon will kill Choi Min Woo. So, she wasn’t going to go along with Min Woo’s murder. And she knows Seok Hoon will. There’s a business card in the journal for Lee Tae Seung. She was planning on the divorce.

[Episode 13 – Marriage Proposal and Divorce]

Min Woo puts the ring on her finger. She smiles. He’s remembering the moment. He groans. He left something out... He left something out! Bro time with Chang Soo. Chang Soo asks what’s wrong. Min Woo says that he gave her the ring, but he didn't ask her to marry him. He groans again and asks himself why he did that. Chang Soo points out that the two of them are already married. Min Woo asks him if marrying with contract a marriage? Marriage comes after the marriage proposal. Chang Soo makes a face like that makes sense. He is busy eating, too. Min Woo looks at Chang Soo and declares that he has to formally propose to her before it is too late. Chang Soo gives him a ‘Fighting!’

Mi Yeon is sitting on the bed, looking at all the baby stuff she’s bought. Seok Hoon enters and notices her. He asks if something’s the matter. She says that she went to the hospital because she wanted to see if the baby is alright. And… she’s not pregnant. Doctor told her that the hormone shots made the test register a false pregnancy. She even did an ultrasound to confirm. No baby. I was afraid that was coming.

Seok Hoon says that they can try again. Mi Yeon looks at him and says that they shouldn’t go back to the hospital until her delivery. She can't trust the doctors. How could the doctor say that to their baby? Seok Hoon thinks for a moment on what to do and gently says her name. She says that it’s her body. She can feel it! Seok Hoon nods and reaches over to pick up one of the bags with baby things in it. She tells him not to touch them. She jumps to the floor to body block him from reaching them. These are their baby's, so don't touch them. Don't touch anything! She looks at an outfit. Thinking of Eun Ha, she says that she killed her baby. Because of her, Sarang Hae is dead. She starts to cry. Seok Hoon reaches out to comfort her but she shoves his hand away. She weeps.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Mask Episode 12 Recap

Mask_E12_001

Episode starts with a flashback, of Eun Ha and Seok Hoon. Why?! I don’t want to see this! I want to see now, with Ji Sook and Min Woo. Groan. It’s probably important. They’re sitting on a bed with Eun Ha’s birthday cake: July 2, 2014. She’s 26. She asks him if it’s that hard? She looks at him and says that it's not even that hard. Seok Hoon squirms. She’s trying to make him sing ‘Happy Birthday.’She smiles at him, encouraging him. He can’t get the words out and declares that he can't do it. She sighs, disappointed, and blows out her candle.

Mask_E12_002   Mask_E12_003   Mask_E12_004
He smiles at her and claps. She rolls her eyes at him. He presents her with a big basket full of flowers and wishes her happy birthday. She says that he didn't just get flowers for her birthday, did he? She finds The Necklace in the bouquet. She chuckles and acts like she’s not pleased. Who said she likes receiving this kind of gift? He smiles at her and says that she will like it. Because it's from him. He comes over to her and has her stand so he can put it on her neck.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Mask Episode 11 Recap

Episode starts off where the last one ended: Lackey talking about the sleeping pills, saying that Min Woo should just step down. The voting starts. Ji Sook enters. She looks at Min Woo and he looks up at her, surprised. He looks so pathetic right there. I feel so bad for him. She bows to the group and apologizes for barging in. She’s Executive Director Choi Min Woo's wife, Seo Eun Ha. And I have to laugh as the Gossip Trio look like they just lost control of their bowels. As they should since they’ve been some of the worst members of the gossip mill.

Ji Sook says that the sleeping pills they found in Choi Min Woo's hidden room were hers. Seok Hoon looks daggers at her. And I laugh. He so wants to kill her right now. Heh. Lackey says that he understands that as a wife, she’d want to protect her husband, but– She cuts him off and says she’s not there as Choi Min Woo's wife but as a 5% shareholder of SJ Group. Because of false information, Min Woo might be removed from his position, and the company's image will be tainted if this gets out to the public. As Ji Sook talks, Seok Hoon throws down his pen, disgusted. Watch it. Dad might see you’re upset. Is that what Lackey wants? Lackey shuts up.

Ji Sook says that if they need evidence, she has it. She holds up an envelope. Before getting married, she took medication for anxiety. Without medication, she felt uneasy, so she continued to collect medication even after she got better. She hid these in the room after getting married. She apologizes and says that she didn't know matters would get this out of hand. She apologizes again and bows to them. The Board talks among themselves. Min Woo’s face says that he can’t believe that she just lied to save him.

Min Woo drags Ji Sook out into the stairwell and asks her if she expects him to really believe that she hid sleeping pills in that room because she has anxiety? Why is she suddenly doing this? His face looks confused, hurt. Did he look pitiful to her? Did she suddenly feel sympathetic? His voice gets a little louder as the thought of that makes him angry. He demands she tell him. Say anything. She looks at him and says that she had no other choice. Because she's Min Woo's wife, Seo Eun Ha. This affects him.

Mi Yeon looks in the boardroom, where Seok Hoon is trying hard to hold it together. He takes off his glasses, defeated. She thinks about her recent interactions with him, how he smiled at the reveal of the pills and Eun Ha’s shock.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Mask Episode 10 Recap

Episode starts with Ji Sook inside Min Woo’s secret room. How she’s not distracted by the murder board, I don’t know. I would be engrossed. She finds the incriminating evidence. Where did Seok Hoon get that 2 Billion KRW? Min Woo returns. She stuff the evidence in her pocket and gets caught in his room. He demands that she tell him what she was doing in there. She says nothing, just stares at him. Say something! You’re driving me crazy!

Min Woo walks up the stairs with the book that holds the key to the room. At the top of the stairs, he asks how she got into the room? Is this also something that she can't tell him about? I love that this is his question. Not ‘how could you betray me?!’ but ‘is this another thing you can’t explain yet?’ Open your mouth, Ji Sook! She whispers that the door was open. Min Woo laughs. The door was just open? She won’t meet his eyes. Min Woo says that there are three ways to open that door. He pulls the key out of the book and holds it up as he says that you can open it with this key. Or with the spare key kept in the safe in his office. Or breaking the door.

Min Woo says that he has no memory of leaving that door open. Because he didn’t and wouldn’t, given what’s inside. He asks if she’s still maintaining the door was open? She slightly nods. He tells her to tell him looking into his eyes. She can’t.

Min Woo interviews a maid. Did she clean his room today? Was the door open on the second floor? Is it the door he told her never to touch? It was open. How did Seok Hoon pay her off?

Min Woo arrives at his office. Minion is just leaving after returning the key. Min Woo checks his safe and the key is there. He sits at his desk and looks at the key.

Seok Hoon asks if there's a more miserable couple than a husband and wife who don’t trust each other. That was his first assigned case after he got appointed as a prosecutor. A husband suspected the wife of having an affair and the wife suspected the husband would eventually kill her for insurance money. The doubt created a bigger doubt and they both started to observe each other. Mi Yeon asks what happened. Seok Hoon says that everything started with a small misunderstanding. The man the wife was seeing was her cousin. And the husband never even took out an insurance policy. But the couple did not acknowledge the facts. They were looking to find the other's mistakes so they wouldn't have to admit their own mistakes. They didn't trust each other until the end.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Mask Episode 9 Recap

Episode begins right where it left off: Ji Sook struggling not to get her prints taken. Min Woo enters and walks over to her. She says his name. He looks at Cop and says that she’s his wife. He will take her. Cop lets her go. This could be some random dude. But I guess they verified *his* id.

As they leave the station, he holds out the car key and tells her to go alone, if going together is a problem. Could he *be* more awesome? She takes the key. He says that in return, she needs to tell him what is going on, when the time that she can say it comes. She nods and leaves. She should take him with her!!!

Ji Hyuk outside the hotel room. He sneaks in and turns on the light. Ji Sook drives and begs him not to do it, even as her low-gas light comes on. Ji Hyuk sees a ‘sleeping’ Scumbag and pulls out his syringe. Ji Sook has to pull over because she’s run out of gas. She gets out of the car and starts to run. Ji Hyuk slowly creeps toward Scumbag. As he does he sees pictures of Scumbag with his parents. Even in the pictures, he looks like a douche.

Ji Sook arrives at the apartment building and ducks out of sight of Loan Shark and Goon. Loan Shark is telling caller that they can't do it there! They'll take him up into the mountains first.

Ji Hyuk hesitates and thinks about how his debt will be paid off all in one blow. He looks at the pictures again. He leaves without doing anything.

Loan Shark is saying that they’ll bury ‘him’ there. Most likely the ‘him’ they’re talking about is Ji Hyuk. Loan Shark tells his Caller to just get the balance ready, yeah? They hang up and Goon asks Loan Shark why he’s telling them to kill Ji Hyuk all of sudden? Loan Shark doesn’t care as long as he gets paid.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Mask Episode 8 Recap

Episode begins with Seok Hoon tearing home. Ji Sook pushes Min Woo away from the kiss and says that she’s not Seo Eun Ha. He asks who she is, if she isn’t Seo Eun Ha. But before she can answer, Seok Hoon bursts in to declare that they have a problem. Did I call that or what? He says that the nanny who looked after her is in a critical condition right now. Ji Sook is immediately concerned. Which he knew she would be, because he knows that she’s doing all this to protect her family and not for herself.

Seok Hoon just wants to get to the hospital and Ji Sook is quite ready to leave, but Min Woo asks how Seok Hoon knows about the nanny’s condition * at this hour.* Smart man, Min Woo. Seok Hoon says that they don't have time for this. Min Woo says that he’ll go with them, then. Seok Hoon responds that Min Woo is drunk right now. Ji Sook seconds that Min Woo can just rest. She starts to walk away but Min Woo grabs her shoulder. He says that her nanny is in danger. How can he go to sleep? Such a good guy! She tells him to please, please just let her go. He lets go of her shoulder.

Mi Yeon appears. Seok Hoon is pleased that Ji Sook got Min Woo to back off. As they leave, Seok Hoon tells Mi Yeon that he’ll come back. Watching them leave, Mi Yeon says that she’s not even surprised now. Min Woo asks what she means by that. She answers that it’s exactly what she said.

As they drive, the rain pours. Ji Sook asks if Seok Hoon got a call from the hospital. Where and how is Mom hurt? Seok Hoon says nothing. Ji Sook notices that they’re not towards a hospital. She asks where they’re going. Still nothing from Seok Hoon. When are you going to catch on? Come on, Ji Sook! Ji Sook finally gets it. She asks if it’s even true that Mom is in danger? In answer, he speeds up, which scares Ji Sook – understandably.

The car screeches to a stop. Seok Hoon says that he was nine and his father worked at the factory. He lost his fingers in an accident. They fired him with no compensation, pension. He fell from 15th floor while protesting. He’s talking like he could be relating the story of someone tying their shoe, or something truly mundane. Like there’s an emotional disconnect between him and the event she’s talking about. That's when Seok Hoon realized that power is the only way to survive in this world. From his father's situation, he resolved that he wanted to make the kind of world where you can still laugh even when you have neither power nor wealth. Seok Hoon says that to do this, he needed to gain some power. So that when he’s at the moment between life and death, he’ll have a reason to live. That is his purpose for living. Really? You’re saying you’re doing this for the good of the world? Manipulating and using Mi Yeon? Drugging and manipulating Min Woo so that he thinks he’s insane is for the good of the world? You have seriously lost your way, Seok Hoon.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Mask Episode 7 Recap

The episode starts with a recap of what’s happened so far.

Seok Hoon saying that they’re creating their own heaven.

Ji Sook doing everything so that her family will be safe – and I think she’s begun to think of Min Woo as family, too, which means that she’ll protect him, too.

Min Woo making the comment that “Aren't we just using each other?” Her reply: “I thought we were helping each other out.”

“You are my wife. Even if you are a puppet and are a liar. Please don't make me worry.” As he saves her from being swept away by the river.

“Choi Min Woo hates skinship with a passion. Make his body yours first. Then, you can get his heart. You can get everything that Choi Min Woo has.”

[Episode 7 – The One Chest That I Can Lean on to Cry]

Already, that makes me feel the feels.

Action starts back up with everyone at home, Ji Sook in bed. Min Woo at her bedside. As she looks at him, he’s wearing a small smile. Oh, the boy is starting to have it bad. With that smile on, he tells her that he hopes that she doesn’t misunderstand what happened yesterday. He had no choice but to remove all their clothing due to hypothermia. She nods and says that she knows. He adds that he thought about leaving her underclothes on. And I am blushing for her. Oi. But seeing as it was to save someone's life... Ji Sook says that she gets it. She won't misunderstand.

And then he is an idiot. He really thought of her as a rock during that time… Should he say that she was a rock that was cold and needed to be warmed up? He does a little hand flourish with this sentence, as if to try and lessen the embarrassment of it all. Ji Sook just sits there, no looking at him. He says that what he’s saying in conclusion is that she’s not a rock but... What he really means to say is... He’s… her lifesaver! That last part rushes out of his mouth, along with his question on how she’s planning on repaying him.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Mask Episode 6 Recap

Our episode starts with the magical dance… interrupted by Ji Hyuk. When Ji Sook sees him, she jumps back a little from Min Woo. He says her name again and all she can do is stare. Min Woo asks if Ji Hyuk is someone she knows. Seok Hoon is starting to sweat. Ji Sook has to lie. Poor Ji Hyuk’s face. She’s not very convincing and it’s obvious that it’s killing her to disown her brother. Min Woo nods for the guards to drag Ji Hyuk out of there. And he goes, kicking and screaming, crying “Noona” the whole time.

[Episode 6: Family, the memories that break the heart]

Breakfast the next morning. Mi Yeon brings up the incident the night before and says that Eun Ha doesn’t need to worry. The man that came looking for you while you were waltzing. The subtle glare from Seok Hoon shows his displeasure. Mi Yeon says it's already in the past. And she’s enjoying this way too much. She asks if it’s someone that Eun Ha used to meet. He called her "Noona." How old is he?

Dad looks over at Ji Sook, which gets Stepmom to say Mi Yeon’s name in a tone warning her to drop it. Min Woo, not looking up from his food, says that Eun Ha said it's a person that she doesn't know. Did Mi Yeon not hear? Or is she pretending not to hear? He sticks his steak in his mouth and it’s obvious he’s annoyed. Ji Sook is not eating.

Mi Yeon chuckles and says that if it’s someone she doesn't know then it's a relief. But why did that happen that day? It's so strange. Dad says, with a voice that demands the right answer, that there’s no way his new daughter-in-law could lie... He looks at Ji Sook as he asks “Agreed?” Ji Sook nods slightly.

Seok Hoon suggests that it also could have been a stalker. Wasn't there an incident like that when she went to study abroad that really worried her? I wonder how long it took for him to come up with that idea. You know he’s been trying to figure out how to do damage control since last night. He says that he’ll look into it. Don’t know if Dad quite buys that. Mi Yeon says that if it’s a stalker, when they should catch him and turn him over to the police. What if something big happens to her sister-in-law? Wow, that tone. Like she really cares. She is enjoying this too much. Seok Hoon says that he was thinking of that too. It could be big problem.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Mask Episode 5 Recap

Episode begins where it left off, with Min Woo finding Ji Sook weeping over her mother. He’s touched by the genuine display of affection he witnesses.
[Episode 5 – The Needy Rich]

Seok Hoon wakes after his car accident in the hospital, with Mi Yeon holding his hand. It’s not what he’s expecting. They look at each other. Mi Yeon’s expression almost seems to be begging him to understand her genuine feelings of love toward him.

Ji Sook rides in the ambulance with Mom, still crying. She caresses Mom’s face and begs her to be alive, eat lots of good food, travel more often, and move to a bigger house. Min Woo watches her from the passenger seat of the ambulance.

And then Ji Hyuk runs out in front of the ambulance, so it hits him. How does he run out in front of an ambulance? How does he not see it? It’s not like it was hidden and appeared at the last second.

Back at the hospital, Seok Hoon wants to know the time and starts to try to pull out his IV so he can get out of bed. Mi Yeon stops him.

The ambulance driver rushes out to check on the man he just hit. He wants to take Ji Hyuk to the hospital with them, but says that he really didn't get hit. He just fell because he was startled, so they can go. And he's limping, so it’s obvious that he’s lying. Driver tries to insist but Ji Hyuk refuses: He’s busy. Is Driver busy, too?

From inside the ambulance, Ji Sook is shocked to see that her brother just got hit by their ambulance. He looks toward the ambulance and she dives out of sight, but not before he gets curious. He looks inside the ambulance at the woman, but the EMT leans over Mom so he misses that she’s in the ambulance. As Ji Hyuk is about to open the door to investigate this woman who seems to be hiding her face from him, the Driver asks if he’s decided to come. Dad runs over because he’s gotten a call that they’ve found Mom. The hospital just contacted him. Dad and Ji Hyuk hurry away and Ji Sook stifles more tears.

As the ambulance gets underway again, Min Woo yells at her, asking if she’s okay. She sadly shakes her head ‘no.’ He’s bothered.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Mask Episode 4 Recap

Episode starts jumping back before the wedding. Ji Sook asks – a creepy-looking – Seok Hoon what he wants her to do after she marries Min Woo. He replies that she needs to get Min Woo to be on her side. She has to make him believe her. He tosses the dossier on Min Woo that he is holding onto the couch and says that Min Woo hates skinship. He actually uses ‘skinship’ instead of saying ‘being touched.’ Heh. Get Min Woo's body first. Then she’ll have his heart, too. All of Choi Min Woo. Ji Sook is a bit shocked. Is Seok Hoon telling her to sleep with him?

Seok Hoon asks – like the answer is obvious – if there’s a problem with spouses sleeping together. His inflection and expression is killing me. Heh. Ji Sook can only sputters as she reacts to this. At least she doesn’t want to sleep with a man unless she loves him. Another reason why I like her. And what kind of woman was Eun Ha that she didn’t have a problem with it? Seok Hoon says that in a year, Min Woo will become the successor to the SJ Group. She has to prevent that from happening. And how is he planning that?

He reminds her of reality: A father who attempted suicide because of money. A daughter who chose death because of her father. He almost seems like he’s enjoying this. The world where one sings and one screams. They are living in hell right now. Together they’ll make a heaven, Seo Eun Ha. What is his reason for doing this? Why is he thinking that he’s in hell right now? Why does he hate Min Woo so much?

[Episode 4 -- The Heaven created by the Devil]

Great title! Because Seok Hoon is the devil, trying to create his own heaven.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Mask Episode 3 Recap

Episode begins with Ji Sook in bed and Seok Hoon ordering her to wake up. She slowly opens her eyes. She’s in the hospital. A room similar to the one Eun Ha is in. Ji Sook sits up, which hurts. Understandable because of being in a car accident. Seok Hoon pulls out his phone and tells her to write what it says down:
채권자가 죽으면 채무는 사라진다. 이 방법밖에 없다.
Which roughly translates: When the creditor dies, debt disappears. There are only two ways.

Clever, Seok Hoon.

Ji Sook looks at the phone and asks, “What is this?” Coldly, Seok Hoon declares that there’s no time. He repeats his order and tells her to hurry. Ji Sook complies. Ji Sook translates what she’s writing for us: If the creditor dies, the debt must disappear. There is no other way than this...

Once she’s done, Seok Hoon takes the paper and stuffs it in the breast pocket of his suit jacket. He tells her to listen carefully. Her name is no longer Byeon Ji Sook but Seo Eun Ha. She was at her fiancé's house and she fell into the swimming pool. From that shock, she’ll be diagnosed with memory loss. Ji Sook asks if she has memory loss. Almost sneering at her, he tells her that she’s going to *act* like she does. Seo Eun Ha's parents are coming right now. When she meets them, don't say a word. Just be still.

Ji Sook asks what happened to the other people. What about Seo Eun Ha? Seok Hoon orders her not to worry about those things. He leans in closer. His tone is almost down-right sinister. In fact, don't think at all. From now on, he’ll think for her. That’s never good. She just has to do as he says. Does she understand? Ji Sook takes in what he’s said. Strongly, Seok Hoon repeats that he said ‘do you understand?’ She nods.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Mask Episode 2 Recap

Episode Two begins with Min Woo regaining consciousness while lying on Eun Ha’s coat. He’s not entirely with it as he gazes out into the pool, where he sees Eun Ha floating. Sheer horror is on his face as he looks at her. It fades into a flashback of his mother’s death: screaming her name, trying to keep ahold of her hand, losing his grip and then Oma floating away down the river.

As Min Woo can’t move, Seok Hoon runs up. He stares in horror at Min Woo before diving into the pool after Eun Ha. Mi Yeon is strangely dispassionate about Eun Ha’s death. Could she be the one who drugged her? Once he’s pulled Eun Ha out of the pool, Seok Hoon gives her CPR, even as he begs her not to die. A bit more emotional that someone who doesn’t want to lose the political connections that an alliance might bring. Maybe that’s why Mi Yeon is so dispassionate over Eun Ha’s ‘accident.’ In fact, she looks downright angry at how he’s desperately trying to save Eun Ha.

[Episode 2 -The Girl Who Walks Through Memories]

Switch to Eun Ha hooked up to hospital machines and a doctor is telling Seok Hoon and his minion that Eun Ha is in a vegetative state and won’t be getting better. Seok Hoon sounds desperate as he asks if there’s anything that can be done, but Doctor isn’t going for it. Seok Hoon, his voice full of menace, says that Eun Ha’s situation doesn’t leave the room that they’re in. Doctor understands.

Eun Ha’s doppelganger, Ji Sook, is currently texting Min Woo to try to meet with him so she can get her money back. But Min Woo hasn’t seen any of the texts because he’s busy freaking out over what’s happened to Eun Ha. Even though he’s trying to act calm, the ticking of the clock nearby is getting to him. Mi Yeon enters the room and tells him that Eun Ha’s going to be released soon and that Seok Hoon’s going to take care of everything. Right after she asks if he really doesn’t remember anything, he gets another text. Snapping, he grabs his phone and almost smashes it, but controls himself. After all, he doesn’t want to look like he’s crazy. Because he’s not crazy. Min Woo turns to her and says that she's right. He did it. Seo Eun Ha is like that because of him. Is that what Mi Yeon wants to hear?

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Mask Episode 1 Recap


The shows starts off with a bang. I mean I wasn’t planning on recapping it, but here I am anyway. Our heroine, Byeon Ji Sook (Soo Ae) is precariously driving down a road, swerves to miss a deer, runs off the road, crashes through trees and then runs off a cliff, only to be saved by the guard rail that she had driven through. Some guy who was in the car with her is unconscious and falls out through the now-missing windshield into the ocean. Because she luckily drove off a cliff with the ocean below and not a deep gorge of hard things like trees and rocks and dirt at the bottom.

Ji Sook is, for some reason, handcuffed to the steering wheel. Did they mean to kill her? A man that her phone identifies as ‘Crazy Bastard’ calls. She begs for help but he’s all about her accepting his proposal. The car is starting to slip, scaring Ji Sook even more, and he refuses to help her unless she says yes. He hangs up on her. She starts to cry. She calls him back and agrees to do whatever he tells her to do. He tells her that he has one condition. She must die. Only if she dies can things go as planned. She asks if he wants her to die right now? He tells her that dying isn't so bad. But being able to determine how you die is something to be thankful for. There’s a pause and he asks what she’s decided.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Oh My Ghostess Episode 4 Recap

Episode begins with the confrontation with Granny and Sun Woo remembering Bing Go’s words. He tells himself – not sounding too confident – that there's no such things as ghosts. He grabs a flashlight out of a drawer and decides to look downstairs. Soon Ae hides. Why isn’t he just switching on the light? He gets so close to where Soon Ae’s hiding that he steps on her fingers. Dog starts barking. Sun Woo mutters about that stalker dog.

He starts to walk away, so Soon Ae decides at that moment to switch hiding places. Even though he wasn’t going to be looking anymore at where she is. Sun Woo hears her and catches her. When he realizes that it’s her, *then* he turns the light on. Amazed, he asks what the heck she’s doing there. She doesn’t really reply.

They’re sitting at a table now. And I’m noticing the two types of light in the background. Halogen orange in the dining area and fluorescent blue in the kitchen. You can’t white balance for both of them… Sun Woo sums up her plan: She was going to break in there and sleep? Soon Ae says that the term 'breaking in' isn't quite right. And it was only for one night. He knows that’s not true. If he hadn't have caught her, she would've stayed two, three days or longer. She tells him that she’s in a really difficult situation. There's the whole money issue and she’s in no position to decide on a place. Can't they work something out? Sun Woo says they can’t.

Soon Ae isn’t going to just take ‘no.’ She says that she’ll sleep quietly and be gone when people arrive. He tells her that she still can’t. Would she like it if someone slept on the table she ate off of? Why would she sleep on a table and not on one of the benches? And this is a restaurant, not a hostel. She whines that the only place she can go is the subway station. He tells her to sleep at a friend's place. She answers that she doesn't have any friends. He says a motel. She says that you go there with a man. Why would she go there alone? Sun Woo can’t believe that Soon Ae would say that. Let alone, think it. Girls are, after all, supposed to be chaste and virginal.

Oh My Ghostess Episode 3 Recap

The episode opens with a flashback to what Myung Ho’s restaurant business used to be like: people lined up out the door, the place packed. Soon Ae’s burnt rice soup is the popular dish. Kyung Mo is a slacker and Soon Ae is the heart of the restaurant. A customer yells for her to sing, and even though she complains, she sings. And has a good voice. Nice trot song, too. The customers love it.

Back in the present, Soon Ae has arrived at the restaurant with Myung Ho carrying the passed out Kyung Mo home. She’s having a hard time not crying as she stands in the place that she used to live.

Myung Ho makes her food and, when she looks at the spoons, she thinks that she told her father to dry the utensils before putting them in. There'll be water marks. She sighs and wipes away more tears. It’s hard for her to eat. She notices the turnip kimchi and thinks, “Abeoji, you have to put a saran wrap on the turnip kimchi container. It'll dry up and won't taste good. More tears.

Myung Ho comes out and asks if the food is okay and then says that he’s been thoughtless. It's so hot out and he didn't even turn on the fan. The fan doesn’t want to turn on. Soon Ae gets up and pulls the chain at an angle and the fan starts right up. Abeoji asks how she knew what to do. She replies that she just pulled it and it worked. She sits back down. Myung Ho tells her that he’s just so grateful. He brought her there because he wanted feed her, but he’s not sure if it's to her liking. She forces a smile as she says that it’s good.

Soon Ae can’t take anymore and announces that she has to get going. Myung Ho asks her to wait and as he strips off the plastic gloves that he was wearing, she notices a rubber band around the thumb of one. Abeoji is so poor that he can’t afford to get new gloves. He wants to give her taxi money. She refuses but Myung Ho says that the way the world is today... Kyung Mo would be in trouble if not for her. It's his gratitude, so please accept it. She reluctantly takes it and hurries out of the store.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Oh My Ghostess Episode 2 Recap

Episode starts with a different camera angle as Sun Woo holds out his hand, silently demanding the key. The handshake, which he flings aside. He demands the key. Soon Ae (possessing Bong Sun) has no idea what he’s talking about. Sun Woo starts searching her pockets. Soon Ae flips him onto the floor – with horrified looks (and covered mouths) by everyone else. Sun Woo looks up at Soon Ae, shocked.

Sun Woo is so shocked that he has a hard time climbing to his feet. Min Soo and Dong Chul rush over to help him up. Soon Ae looks pissed as she glares at Sun Woo. Sun Woo stands up and brushes himself off – but doesn’t exactly look mad. Min Soo yells at Soon Ae, with a stutter, asking if she’s crazy. She may have quit, but this isn't right. Soon Ae's voice wonders if she’s made a mistake. Dong Chul leans over to sniff her, asking if Bong Sun’s drunk. Ji Woong, too, and he doesn’t smell any alcohol.

Min Soo yells at Soon Ae to apologize to Chef right now. Apologize now! Soon Ae looks at Sun Woo and wonders at the name Chef. He’s not a foreigner. Quietly, Sun Woo tells Min Soo to stop. Just as quietly, he asks Soon Ae to hand over the keys. She asks what key he’s going on and on about? She searches her pockets and pulls out the key they’re looking for. Sun Woo groans and, without a word, grabs it out of her hand and goes to open the back.

Eun Hee rolls forward and asks Soon Ae if she’s okay. Is she feeling sick? Min Soo and the other chefs – but not Joon – start yelling at her. Soon Ae sighs – and you can hear her roll her eyes – and decides that this is not working. She decides to leave Bong Sun. She lurches to leave… but doesn’t. It kind of looks like she’s about to be sick, so the other chefs step back. She tries again… and nothing. She remembers what Bing Go said about a girl matching her frequency and getting stuck. Soon Ae lets out a high pitched groan and tries really hard. Then she faints.

All the boys hover around her, yelling at her to wake up. Sun Woo hears the commotion and comes running.

Oh My Ghostess Episode 1 Recap


Series begins with a girl, Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young), walking – staggering really – down the street, asleep on her feet. She walks by an ambulance that starts its engine and drives with its siren on. We follow the ambulance – fuzziness and floating over the ambulance implies that the person inside might be half dead right now – to the hospital. As the EMTs unload the patient, they report that he’s a 25-year old male who was found unconscious on the stairs of a club in Itaewon. His vitals are unstable and his body temperature is 25 degrees Celsius (77*F). They say it seems like he has hypothermia. Response? Another one?

Two of the interns comment on how it’s another person with hypothermia. They’ve lost count for the month and during a heat wave, too. Hypothermia during a heat wave? Must be a ghost! Everyone knows (at least those of us who watch ‘Supernatural’) that when ghosts are in the room, the temperature plummets. Intern1 wonders if it's a similar virus to Ebola. Ebola? Seriously? I cannot believe that they just threw out Ebola. Come on, writers! Do a little research. There’s no way that hypothermia is related to a disease that you contract from either contact with bodily fluids or drinking tainted water. Talk about latching on to the alarming disease of the day. I sure hope that this thing stops being stupid really quickly. Intern2 scoffs – as would I. The other guy needs to study some more – and says that he thinks that it’s drug related. He asks what the police said.

Switch to police. Cop-1 says that the victims were all with women before the incident. But? Their ID's and jobs all check out okay. There’s nothing connecting these women. They’re chatting over lunch. It looks good. Cop-2 wonders what mystery woman’s true identity is. They have no idea. Cop-3 says that there was one common trait between the women. All of them are exceptionally beautiful and have a well-proportioned figure. Way to put that she had a chest. They wonder who she is. It’s not like she's a ghost or anything.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 16 Recap

Why couldn’t we get to this point about 2 episodes ago? So we could have more Gun Woo and Jung Joo together action?

Our last episode begins with Gun Woo and Jung Joo sitting at a table. With orange juice, of course. Gun Woo looks like he’s scowling. She asks him – gleeful almost – if he missed her that much. How much did he cry every day because he missed her so much? She is enjoying tormenting him too much. Hee. Gun Woo looks at her and says, “Who said I cried?” He’s got to keep his pride, after all. The crying part’s unmanly. She asks him if he doesn’t remember this part. Imitating him, she says, 'Jung Joo, I miss you so much.' Gun Woo shifts in his chair – because he knows he would have done that and that means she knows now, too. She smiles and says that he cried as he said that. He looks at her, hating how she’s enjoying tormenting him. Maybe you won’t do it to her the next time you’re tempted.

Jung Joo smiles and playfully pokes him in the arm as she says that she did him a favor by catching him. He gives her an ‘aigoo’ and then asks if she knows why he couldn’t leave. She didn't just like him. He heard that she completely fell for him from the moment she saw him. He did not just do that. So wrong. He couldn’t possibly ignore that. Jung Joo doesn’t get what he’s referring to (him being her first love). She says – in that smug way that both of them get when they think that they have the upper hand – that if the terminal illness incident didn't happen, she wouldn't have liked him that much. And I actually think it’s true – because he used her several times when they first met and killed off the dreamlike prince.

Gun Woo tells her that that’s such a lie. What about 'the dreamlike prince riding on a dark horse'? Jung Joo horrified that she’s busted. Did he... meet with Min Ah? At least I won’t call her Friend anymore. I could not remember the woman’s name. Gun Woo says that that’s right! Han Byeol's mom told him everything! Jung Joo starts to chew on her thumb and Gun Woo lists it: First love, idealistic, prince! She thought he was such an amazing man, so he couldn't just leave her be.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 15 Recap

I can’t believe it’s the last week. I’m going to miss these two.

We return to Jung Joo running through the airport, looking for Gun Woo. The things that were just voiceover are now texts. Which makes me even feel more emotional, because she actually said them to him, not just what she’s thinking.

{Gun Woo... Now that you left, I feel like I'm going crazy.}

As she searches, she thinks about all the things that he said that she believes now:

Holding her hand on his heart and saying that he’s really hot right now.
Telling her not to go anywhere else and asking if she wants to come with him?
Holding her hand when she comforted her and saying that no matter how much he thinks about it, he should hang onto her.

{I didn't believe what you said.}
{To believe those words, I didn't feel confident enough.}
{You were as desperate for me as I was for you, weren’t you?}

She starts to cry again.

{Baek Gun Woo, where are you?}
{Regardless of whatever you think, I'll keep liking you.}

But she doesn’t find him. And a woman in shorts and tennis shoes just walked by. Wasn’t expecting to see that outside of the US. Jung Joo leaves the airport and stops to sit by a fountain. She voiceovers that Gun Woo left like that and the text messages she sent were left unread, even a year later.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 14 Recap


Gun Woo is outside the Warm and Cozy, drinking beer, thinking about seeing Jung Joo in Mayor’s arms. Upstairs, Jung Joo is still waiting for him. She checks her phone and it’s 12:28 am. He’s not there. She calls him. He’s on his third beer. He laughs at that one. She comes outside because she hears his phone. She sees him sitting there, drinking. He glances over and their eyes meet. He gives her a glare and looks away. She walks up to the table and sees his phone out in plain sight. That irritates her. Gun Woo takes another drink.

She sits and asks what he’s doing out there. Putting down the beer, he says that he excused himself for them, so that she could have a nice time with the mayor. Jung Joo can’t believe it. He’s been out there ever since the mayor was here? Gun Woo says that that’s right. The pair were blocking the stairway. If he had asked them to move, she’d probably call him 'a jealous, big-time player.' So he excused himself. And instead of doing the logical thing, which is explaining that she was all mopey because of HIM, she makes me was to slap the back of her head. Jung Joo answers, “Okay, thanks.” Thanks to Gun Woo doing that, she was consoled and felt at ease. Gun Woo mutters, asking if Mayor is some kind of priest? Or a monk? Pretending to be the good guy...

Jung Joo changes the subject: What did Gun Woo want to tell her about earlier? He looks at her and squints as he asks if she even remembers. Was she looking forward to whatever he wanted to tell her? Say yes! He needs you to say yes. She says that she wasn't looking forward to it... but she did give it some thought. Starting to bluster, Jung Joo says that she was so worried that he might ask her to come with him. Gun Woo sighs and looks away, but instead of his usual irritation, he looks like he’s about to break. Jung Joo says that she should decline but he said he’d feel pretty hurt if he got rejected.

He answers – his face back in place – that she was worried over nothing. He didn't ask her to wait for him so she can say things like that to him. Ouch. That says he’s hurt. She asks if he was going to tell her that he’s leaving with someone else? Gun Woo asks why she cares whether or not he leaves with someone else? Jung Joo fires back, asking why she wouldn't care? She wanted to make sure to tell him that she’s perfectly fine with it, whether he leaves or not.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 13 Recap

Episode starts right where it left off, with Gun Woo close to crying, saying that he has to leave. Does Jung Joo want to come with him? He walks away.

Over at the table, Jung Joo watches as Mayor happily drinks his makgeolli. She thinks about Gun Woo putting his hand on her forehead, telling her that she’s still boiling. She reaches up and touches her forehead. Mayor asks if she’s not felling well. She tells him that it's not hot. He says that that’s good to hear. Oh, if he only knew. If it's hot, it means she’s sick. She tells Mayor that whenever she’s with him she feels at ease. He smiles and says that that’s good.

The smile on Jung Joo’s face says that it isn’t. She says that whenever she’s with Gun Woo, it hurts. Because… It's hot. Mayor gets what she’s saying. Jung Joo says that she needs to go and check on something. Please be checking on the necklace.

Jung Joo has run back to the Warm and Cozy and goes to the spot in the storeroom. The necklace isn’t there. Gun Woo enters and says that she’s checking as he expected. And he's making it sound like he's just torturing her for sport again. She turns around to face him. He says that she seemed to be holding back for a while. She asks him what he left there. Not looking at her, he says that it was nothing. He pulled a prank on her. He’s killing me. She repeats his words: 'It was a prank?' He looks at her and says that she lost to him again. But his face looks like he’s about to cry. He’s really bad, isn’t he? I totally expected her to buy it, but she sees what I do.

Jung Joo asks him what’s wrong. Did something happen? The concern in her voice is obvious. He sighs and repeats himself. His voice almost cracks as he tells her to get mad at him if she wants to. She says that he doesn't look like he’s enjoying the idea that he pulled a prank. Something happened to him, right? He stops looking at her.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 12 Recap

Dream lighting. Gun Woo and Jung Joo approach each other. Gun Woo asks, “Where would you go?” He tells her that he’ll give her back the Warm and Cozy. She smiles. And... this is a bonus. The pinky promise, complete with kissing her thumb.

Asleep, Jung Joo laughs happily. Then the alarm goes off. And she’s going to think that it was just a dream. She sits up and stretches and turns off her phone alarm. She doesn’t even notice that she’s wearing his jacket, just throws it off of her. She spots the Lease Agreement, taped back together.

She goes downstairs and asks if he taped the Lease Agreement back together. He says that he did. She looks at it and says that she thought she ripped it up. She must've brought it back home. Gun Woo asks, she did? She says that since she brought back something she thought she threw out, she must have had too much to drink last night. She takes a chug of water.

Gun Woo asks if she even remembers how she got home last night? With certainty, Jung Joo says that she took a cab. What?

Jung Joo thinks back to the evening. Very civilized, she and Mayor chink glasses and drink at a pojangmacha. He goes to pour her another drink and she covers her glass. She tells him they should stop drinking for the night. He smiles a ‘what a girl’ smile and pats her on the arm. Jung Joo’s voiceover says that whenever she’s out drinking, she stops when she’s had enough.

Jung Joo hails the Ajumma and tallies what they consumed. Ajumma is impressed that Jung Joo mentally figured out that it totaled 28,000 won. So she’s not too drunk that she can count. Jung Joo’s voiceover says that she called a cab and got home safely as a cab pulls up and Jung Joo climbs in.

Back to the Warm and Cozy. Jung Joo says that she worked at a company for seven years. When is he going to tell her he loves her! With her perfect homing instinct and those countless team dinners, she always crawled back home quietly and safely. And that makes me wonder who helped her home all those other times. Gun Woo repeats it: 'Perfect homing instinct'? She says that it’s like a salmon. Gun Woo asks if it was a carp he saw last night then?

Monday, June 29, 2015

Warm and Cozy Episode 11 Recap

Episode starts when it left off. Jung Joo declares that she’ll never, ever lose to him! Him looking at her and daring her to try if she can and then kissing her. Still makes me smile. Her eyes close and eventually he pulls away.

He looks at her, standing there with her eyes closed – because she’s in shock! – and he smiles. She lost, didn’t she? Slowly she opens her eyes. She looks at him and he looks back. She looks away. She doesn’t know how to take what just happened. The boy kissed you. It must mean he likes you. It’s only the 3rd time he’s done something that really says that…

Gun Woo takes a step backward and points at the 100,000,00 RKW rose and forcefully orders her to make sure to throw out that flower in the trash. Then he walks off. And I so want to punch him right now! Oh, my gosh! I so want to punch him right now!!!

Jung Joo looks like she wants to cry right now. She touches her lower lip, wondering what just happened.

Upstairs, Gun Woo takes off his jacket and throws it on his bed. He sits and unbuttons the top button of his shirt, like he’s being choked by it. It’s obvious that he’s frustrated. He glances down to where Jung Joo is and then grimaces. That did not go how he planned at all and now he’s kicking himself. He rubs his lower lip and thinks about what he should do now.

Jung Joo looks at the rose. She asks if she looks that easy to him? She dramatically snaps it in half. Thunderclap as she does.

Later Gun Woo comes down stairs. There’s the sound of a knife being sharpened. He turns around to see Jung Joo dispassionately sharpening a cutting knife. Horror music plays. Gun Woo decides he should just go back upstairs. He tries to sneak away, but runs into a chair. Jung Joo stops sharpening and looks in his direction. It’s like she’s been possessed. Gun Woo winces. He looks over at her.