Hyde, Jekyll and I Episode 1 Recap

Well, my friends, it’s been a WHILE since I’ve recapped anything, but I thought I would break my drought with a drama starring Hyun Bin AND Sung Joon. Plus, it’s a love triangle involving a guy with multiple personalities.

I’m actually really excited about this drama. I mean, it’s Hyun Bin’s first drama in 5 years, which comes five years after ‘Secret Garden,’ which comes five years after ‘My Name is Kim Sam Soon.’ And it sounds like he’s going to play a great mix of his characters from both of those dramas. Plus, I love Sung Joon.


Our drama starts with shots of Wonderland – a theme park that very much reminds me of Disney World. Rides, flashy dancing ladies, merry-go-rounds… Smiling, cheering children and a waving bunny mascot. One of those cheering children holds a helium Wonderland balloon as he runs with his friends. Lots of balloons and waving amusement park workers. Balloon boy runs headlong into someone: the pan back reveals Goo Seo Jin (Hyun Bin). He doesn’t react or look down at the boy. His only reaction is to flick the balloon out of his face. It bounces right back. Annoyed, Seo Jin swats the balloon out of the boy’s hand.

The boy begins to wail over the lost balloon. Seo Jin turns to watch it float into the air. He frowns as he notices the disco ball light. It’s bobbing dangerously. He looks down to see a woman walking into the path of the falling ball. The chain snaps and the ball falls. He runs and pulls her out of the way. A little wire work facilitated that stunt. The ball shatters on the floor and they slide across the floor.

Series Review - My Lovely Girl, aka She's So Lovable

This series started out light and breezy. Nothing much really happened but it was something you could enjoy without thinking too much.

Rain stars as Lee Hyun Wook, a brilliant, successful composer-producer who dropped out of sight three years ago after the tragic accidental death of his girlfriend, Yoon So Eun. (It really is tragic and accidental. No one could foresee a truck blowing a tire, flipping over, causing another truck to jump it and flip over and slam into a parked car on the side of the highway.) He still gets panic attacks whenever something reminds him of that day (like a song on the radio). So Eun's only surviving family is her younger sister, Se Na (Krystal Jung).

I Confess. I Have Strayed...

In the last couple of weeks, I have watched 5 dramas from Taiwan and haven't recapped anything.

After the ending of Marriage Not Dating, I ended up taking a break. While I love recapping, sometimes just experiencing a drama -- without having to stop and recap it -- is what I feel like doing. So I got on Netflix and found Princess's Stand In (aka Jin Da Hua De Hua Li Mao Xian or Jin Da Hua's Extravagant Adventure or Substitute Princess or King Flower).

Substitute Princess


Substitute Princess tells the story of Jin Da Hua (Nikki Hsieh), a woman desperately in need of plastic surgery. Everyone who doesn't know her calls her ugly because of the huge wart on her face and her horrible buck-teeth.  (It's bad, so bad.) Since childhood, she has been in love with Lin Guan Jun (James Wen), but he only looks at her like a sister, even though it's obvious to everyone how she feels (she's not subtle). Right after it's revealed that her father owes over NT $2 million in gambling debts, she meets Ouyang Tai (aka Terry) (Chris Wu). His fiance, Du Liang Yan (also played Nikki Hsieh), has been badly injured in a mountain-climbing accident and it will take her a year to recover. In order to keep Liang Yan's condition secret and to retain his position as General Manager of the corporation Liang Yan's father runs, Terry offers to pay Da Hua's family's debt and give her the opportunity to get plastic surgery. All Da Hua has to do is fill in for Liang Yan until she recovers. To save her family and to try and catch the eye of Guan Jun, Da Hua says yes.

My Acting Favorites

As of 13 Sep 2015.

The Actors (in alpha order).

Cha Seung Won	Choi Jin Hyuk	Gong Yoo	Joo Ji Hoon
Joo Won	Lee Min Ho	Lee Seung Gi	Lee Sun Kyun
So Ji Sub	Sung Joon	Yoo Yun Suk	Yun Woo Jin

1. Cha Seung Won - He made the list because he is an amazing actor. In You're All Surrounded, the way he said so much without saying anything was one of the reasons I loved this drama and his character. We see him young and idealistic and then 11 years older and beaten down by life and he made you believe it. I can't say enough about how much I love this man's acting, which is why he's on my list.
2. Choi Jin Hyuk - I liked him as the serious Woo Duk in Pasta, even before his changed his screen name. He completely won my heart (and a lot of other people's) with his performance in Gu Family Book, to where I cried for him after one episode and cried even more after his redemption. His ability to be effervescent and joyful and then self-contained and dark make him an actor I enjoy watching.

Marriage Not Dating Episode 16 Recap

I am so sad that it’s the end. I love this show and these characters. Groan!

It’s a stormy sky over an outdoor wedding. Jang Mi and Ki Tae stand looking at each other. And immediately, I suspect it’s another fake out. She’s in a beautiful wedding gown and he’s in a tux.

Sad song sings:

♫ We have to break up like this ♫

Jang Mi declares that they should drop it. Ki Tae’s surprised she’s saying that and she says that she really means it.

♫ We can't even speak to each other ♫

He asks if she has no regrets. Nope. He sighs and says that he’ll really drop it. She says to drop it.

♫ But I want to leave our memories here ♫

He nods and tells her, “okay.”

Marriage Not Dating Episode 15 Recap

The episode starts with an opera aria and highlights of some of the scenes that Jang Mi has made: grapefruit in Ki Tae’s face, pounding on the bathroom door at Bon Café and hitting Ki Tae in the nose with the bottle, beating Ki Tae at his Harabeoji’s memorial. I notice all these involve some sort of pain for Ki Tae. Jang Mi’s voiceover says that she’s good at making a scene, making things ugly. We see Jang Mi, fuming, lip quivering with rage. She’s at work and the voice over says that she didn't want to cause another scene in front of him but…

Jang Mi approaches a horrified Ki Tae and Mom seated. She carrying some makgeolli. They scream, “No!” as Jang Mi hurls it all over them. Then she hysterically cackles as she thinks, “People don't change.”

[Episode 15: Two Women who Loved One Man]
And back to the clothes all over the floor from the night before. Jang Mi gets up to go to the bathroom, wearing Ki Tae’s shirt. Mom is standing in the apartment. They see each other. Jang Mi tries to pull the shirt down so it doesn’t look so bad. Ki Tae emerges, pulling on his robe, squinting. He’s shocked, too, to find Mom in his apartment. All he can do is say, “Mom,” and try to get his robe tied closed.

Mom turns around, without a word, and leaves the apartment. Jang Mi furiously tries to get on her underwear as she yells at Ki Tae to hurry up and get dressed! Her underwear is not cooperating. It’s because it’s Ki Tae’s underwear, which he points out. Roll on the floor funny scene of them trying to get their clothes on. Jang Mi pulls on shorts first and takes off running after Mom. Ki Tae quickly follows.

Marriage Not Dating Episode 14 Recap

Episode begins with Ki Tae sitting on his couch in a salmon suit. A reporter asks him about the apartment. She heard that it has special meaning for him. He replies that when he was young, he lived there by himself for a few days. They are memories of happiness and warmth, nice and comforting. That’s probably why, after becoming an adult and he’s in the house alone, his heart feels at ease there. That’s such a nice way of expressing that you feel comfortable: my heart feels at ease. Reporter asks if that’s why he still wants to live alone there. Ki Tae smiles slightly, chuckling to himself.

Door bell starts to ring insistently. Reporter and Ki Tae glance in its direction. He tries to talk over the doorbell ringing. He says that recently, some woman has started coming there and, after she flipped this house upside-down, she ruined the innate meaning of the house. He almost looks mad at that.

Pounding on door now and Reporter points in its direction, face asking if Ki Tae wants to get the door. Ki Tae groans inwardly. He says that ever since that woman started coming there, he’s come to be uncomfortable and dislike when he’s in this place alone. Reporter weakly says, “Yes.” Ki Tae’s pace looks like he watch to punch the bell ringer. Then he smiles, almost looking bitter, and says that he’s come to want to be with that person.

[ Episode 14: Sorry for not being cool. ]
Switches to:
[ Episode 14: Thanks for not being cool. ]
And that takes on a whole new meaning, given we ended the last episode with Jang Mi asking for a cool relationship, meaning not serious.

Marriage Not Dating Episode 13 Recap

What is this!!! Writers!!!

Episode opens with a haunting song playing and no other sound as we see Jang Mi furiously hitting Ki Tae over and over. It’s a fight with finger waving and frustrated arm throwing. Ki Tae gives Jang Mi a hard head poke. She mouths a rebellious, “what?” and Ki Tae answers back. He walks toward her, messing with his collar, and shoves her shoulder hard. She takes off running and he sighs in frustration. He runs after her and catches her, yelling, “What!” More furious shouting by Ki Tae with Jang Mi looking afraid.

What psychologically manipulative head trip was that? Especially since their relationship is supposed to be becoming HAPPY!!!

[ Episode 13: Do Not Rely on Anyone or Have Expectations ]
Switch to Hoon Dong and Hyun Hee leaving their wedding. Everyone cheering, clapping. Ki Tae is desperately searching the crowd for Jang Mi.

♬ There’s nothing more to lose ♬ 
♬ So I cry ♬

He tries calling Jang Mi again.

♬ The one tear drop that is you, fills my eyes ♬ 
♬ Love, that one easy word, ♬ 
♬ is like a tear to me ♬

Marriage Not Dating Episode 12 Recap

The episode with Ki Tae chasing after Jang Mi somewhere outside. They’re both dressed up, but I can’t tell why. He calls her name and she stops. He wills her to turn around and she does. He stares at her, not knowing what to say.

♬ Even if it's the first time, Even if I am born again ♬

They awkwardly try to start talking at the same time.

♬ It can't be only that kind of person ♬

Awkward pause and they tell each other to go first. Come on, Ki Tae! Be the man!

♫ To my sad life ♫

Ki Tae winces and tells her to go first.

♫ The person who gave warmth ♫
♫ You are someone I'm grateful for. ♫

They just look at each other.

♫ For that kind of person, I give my heart, ♫
♫ I'm happy no matter how much it hurts ♫

And Ki Tae’s face looked like he was about to propose. For reals.

[ Episode 12: Will sincerity be understood? ]

Marriage Not Dating Episode 11 Recap

This episode does not start with what I expected it to.

♬ Will you marry me? ♬

Episode starts with a glowing, heart-shaped sign labeled, “LOVE.” Silver balloons that spell out LOVE attached to the fish tank.

Discovered that my subs have the wrong lyrics in them. The song that’s playing is the one Jang Mi was singing in the very first episode: “Will You Marry Me?” by Lee Seung Ki. My subs have got the lyrics up from “Stop the Love Now” by Ben (BeBe Mignon), the one that plays when crazy things are happening. And *then* they put the right lyrics, which threw everything else off. I’ve adjusted accordingly. And it was really annoying trying to fix the song part...

Holy crap! Ki Tae has decorated his entire apartment with balloons and hearts. There’s some sort of balloon-shaped heart wreath that has blinking lights… a teddy bear… a trail of petals rimmed by candles, which lead up to a big glowing heart. Ki Tae purposefully steps into the petal-heart and stands there.

♬Do you want to live with me forever? ♬

And I have to stop watching for a minute out of sheer shock. It’s worse than when Jang Mi decorated the hotel room, which might be the point, to propose Jang Mi-style.

Ki Tae looks at the bouquet he’s holding and smells it. He smiles.