Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 9
by javabeans
They will cut you with that stare. Back away slowly.
I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of this episode, and it’s not because of what happens at the end. Oh, there was some stellar acting in it, as ever, and I don’t really have a problem with the angst levels. (There’s pointless angst, and then there’s angst that has earned its right to thwart your wishes for happiness because it has built up its tension sufficiently.) It’s not even about the lack of “magic” that characterized early episodes. But I’ll explain more below.
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EPISODE 9 RECAP
Eun-jo faces her very guilty-looking mother, who has just emerged from the cafe after buying Jang ajusshi off. Ignoring Kang-sook’s offer to explain, Eun-jo storms into the cafe, glaring at every man in the place. Jang ajusshi had the sense to duck away when seeing Eun-jo’s approach, so Kang-sook can breathe a sigh of relief and Eun-jo finds no trace of him.
Out in the stairwell, Jang counts his payoff and tells himself, “Yeah, this is how low you are,” as though to comfort himself for taking the money. He heads down to leave… which is when Kang-sook and Eun-jo step out of the cafe and run right into him.
Kang-sook had been able to regain her cool after Eun-jo saw that nobody was inside the cafe, but now her eyes widen in shock. What do you suppose the chances are that Eun-jo will believe this is a coincidence?
Voiceover gives us a look into Ki-hoon’s thoughts as he enters Eun-jo’s room tentatively and looks around. He notes that there are no pink curtains, no fancy lipsticks, no frills for this 26-year-old young woman. No sign either of a ridiculous doll he might be able to laugh at.
He thinks back to how she smiled while watching Jung-woo dancing goofily for her, and narrates in that dull, bleak voice: “I thought she didn’t know how to smile… awful girl.”
He goes back to the room he shares with Jung-woo and sees that it’s empty. He wonders, “Where has this guy gone? Is he off making that awful girl laugh?” Jung-woo’s knapsack falls when Ki-hoon sits down, and Ki-hoon sees the childish message scrawled on the baseball bat: “Song Eun-jo is Han Jung-woo’s woman forever.”
Hyo-sun comes in to see Ki-hoon’s gaze fixated on the bat on the ground, and she reads the message. Aside from the fact that this reveals Jung-woo’s feelings, there is also the realization that Jung-woo and Eun-jo must go back a long while if he knew her as a Song rather than a Gu.
Ki-hoon puts the bag back and walks out, silent.
At this memory of the past, Hyo-sun goes into her old trunk of her mother’s things. Inside is the letter she’d never delivered to Eun-jo, which reads differently than the words we’d seen before about Ushuaia. Ki-hoon narrates the contents for us while he thinks back to the day he boarded the train and left:
Ki-hoon’s letter: “Will you hold onto me? If you hold me, I can stop here. Before I get on the train, hold me back, Eun-jo.”
Believing she received the letter and ignored it, Ki-hoon thinks that even though he knew Eun-jo was tough, “I didn’t know she would so simply ignore my earnest request to hold me back.”
Eun-jo et al relocate to an outdoor pavilion to have this conversation. Isn’t it funny how, while in the throes of anger and/or passion, characters still always make the time to relocate to scenic environs?
Kang-sook tells Eun-jo it’s all over, which Jang ajusshi confirms. Eun-jo asks if they’ve been seeing each other this whole time, and it’s hardly any consolation at all when Jang clarifies that there were three years in the middle when they didn’t see each other. After all, that proves that even if Kang-sook were to end it with him today, she may just end up back with him later.
Kang-sook recognizes that Eun-jo won’t believe her no matter what she says, not that Eun-jo has any reason to trust her words. Eun-jo asks her mother if she would believe herself when every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie, questioning whether her mother even knows how to be sincere in anything.
Eun-jo accuses her mother of making a fool of Dae-sung and thinking she’d gotten away with it. Kang-sook retorts that she paid Jang ajusshi off to get him to leave — giving someone money to leave means that you’ve made a decision. At least in her world, where money is always the final word.
At that, Jang levels a stare at her and puts the envelope back in her hand, saying he’ll get lost without taking the money. Like he’s not going to accept this version of himself after all, like he’s better than that. He tells her, “However low I may be, I know what shame is.”
Kang-sook prepares Dae-sung’s hanyak (Oriental medicine) for him, as she has been diligently doing daily. She expresses her concerns like a dutiful wife, but Dae-sung’s reaction is contained, as though her confession about using him for money has made him unable to pretend it away.
Dae-sung is planning to work late, but Eun-jo takes her mother aside to tell her — request, even — to take him home, because there has been a problem with the factory and she doesn’t want to upset him. In fact, it would be best to take him away on a vacation and keep him away from phones, because he’s not supposed to receive any emotional shock in his condition.
The issue is with their rice supplier, which has suddenly decided it cannot sell to them anymore, as they have sold their rice elsewhere. The factory cannot just switch to a different brand, because their product is advertised as solely using organic rice from this particular region.
Eun-jo handles this situation in her usual manner, which is to say badly — her first reaction is to go on the offense and attack the rice company director for breaching the contract with their company. The director points out that they’d never made a contract so he has broken no agreement. He doesn’t answer their question of who bought the rice instead.
He dismisses this meeting, but Hyo-sun steps in to try using her only (known) marketable skill, which is to pour on the cute act. She reminds the ajusshi that she used to come by as a little girl, and he used to buy her candies. Won’t he take a little time to just have one drink with them?
I don’t mean to disparage Hyo-sun’s tactic, because it’s certainly more diplomatic and if anything she’s much better than Eun-jo at managing (some might call it manipulating) people. You catch more flies with honey, and such as.
Hyo-sun drinks makgulli with the director, who has enough wine to turn his nose bright red and ease his stiff demeanor. Once his mood has been softened, Hyo-sun asks whom he sold the rice to. We don’t hear the answer but our characters do, and Eun-jo wants to spring into action immediately.
Ki-hoon argues against it — even if they go to the buyer right now, she’ll probably be confrontational like she was with this director. Hyo-sun wakes up from the backseat — is the timing by chance, or by design? — to ask groggily, “Oppa, I did good today, didn’t I?” He tells her she did.
Ki-hoon says he’ll take Hyo-sun tomorrow to meet with the rice buyer, which means this hurts on two levels for Eun-jo — he’s overruling her decision and also indicating that Hyo-sun is the better facilitator. Eun-jo protests, but Ki-hoon tells her, “She’s much more capable than you. You can’t open people’s hearts.”
His words take on a personal meaning — he’s definitely not just talking about the rice company ajusshi now — as he adds that she can’t figure anything out. His voice has a bitter edge.
Angered, Eun-jo orders Ki-hoon to pull over, then gets out of the car to walk. And Ki-hoon just drives on.
A little part of me dies (the part of me that stubbornly clings to the Eun-jo/Ki-hoon romantic pairing) when he leaves her there, even as a part of me appreciates that a character who makes a big gesture like this is not coddled for it. As with Hyo-sun earlier, by driving on, he forces her to own up to her move. If Eun-jo feels the teeniest twinge of surprise or disappointment — and I’m pretty certain she does — she’s not being honest about the motivation driving her action. Perhaps she wants him to come after her, and to push past her barriers like he used to do. But back then, he hadn’t felt wounded by her, as he does now.
When she finally gets home, Ki-hoon is waiting in front of the gate, with one question to ask: “Back then, before I left this house, why didn’t you come to the train station? Did you not get my letter?” Eun-jo doesn’t betray her shock, and answers evenly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He furrows his brow: “I wrote a letter asking you to come to the train station and gave it to Hyo-sun to give you. Did she… not give it to you?” Eun-jo stares with gaze averted, almost like she’s lost in her thoughts. But she answers, “I got it.”
What in the WHAT now?
Ki-hoon asks her if she really did, wanting confirmation. Eun-jo replies coldly that she can’t remember if she ripped it up or burned it, acting like it was unimportant enough to forget. Now his voice betrays his hurt as he asks, “You read it and still didn’t come?”
Now she looks at him wearing a smirk. A big, hateful smirk.
Eun-jo tells him in that taunting voice not to act pathetic, which is a bit like kicking a wounded puppy when it’s down. Ki-hoon has just opened up to you after all this solo brooding — good lord it’s taken long enough — and right away you lie? But even though she strives to sound cool, she gets more and more heated as she yells that she has nothing to give of the past, so don’t beg.
We know she’s acting in self-preservation but Ki-hoon doesn’t, and when they retreat to their own rooms, both are feeling pain over the exchange. Eun-jo seems stunned with her own words, falling to the floor and sobbing to herself.
And see… this is where Eun-jo loses me. Oh, I get why she did this, on a logical level. I just really hate that she did, and that the drama writer is taking her character in this direction. More on this later.
In the morning, Eun-jo glares at Hyo-sun with new anger, now knowing that she interfered with Ki-hoon’s letter.
Kang-sook takes Dae-sung away for a vacation and keeps him from calling the factory, assuring him that the kids will handle it.
Eun-jo waits impatiently for word from Ki-hoon and Hyo-sun, who are meeting with the people who bought the rice. When the call finally comes, the news is not good: they can’t buy the rice back, because the buyer paid triple the price. There’s no way they can match that.
Hyo-sun wants to tell her father, as this has grown too big to handle behind his back. Eun-jo disagrees violently but loses this fight, so Dae-sung gets the bad news and decides to head back to the factory. There’s a nice moment when Kang-sook grabs his arm as they walk, and Dae-sung tells her she doesn’t have to because he doesn’t want to feel like a patient. She answers that she’s not doing it because he’s a patient; she’s doing it because she wants to. For the first time since his big disillusionment, Dae-sung lets out a small smile, pleased to hear this.
Jung-woo plays with Jun-su while casting worried looks Eun-jo’s way, as she seems ready to burst with the tension. He brings her honey tea, lapsing into his country accent and talking in his lightly teasing way to get her to drink it.
He accompanies her to the bank to inquire into taking out a loan. She is told that the answer will come by the following morning.
Jung-woo tells her to use his money, reminding her of his savings that he had given to her — he’ll take responsibility for her life. She smiles; he’s so cute, and also so simple. When I was in elementary school, I remember my mother worrying over finances, and I offered up my piggybank savings — ever-so-magnanimously! — as though that would solve the grown-ups’ problems. I think my mom laughed at me too.
Although they haven’t gotten the loan yet, Hyo-sun disagrees strongly with taking that route. Eun-jo points out that the scandal over the spoiled makgulli was a huge blow, and if they don’t recover now, it’ll be even more difficult for them to bounce back.
It’s an odd sensation to have Hyo-sun be the voice of reason, as she takes issue with Eun-jo acting unilaterally without telling anyone, and demands what’ll happen if they can’t pay back the loan.
Eun-jo is convinced that they can get back on their feet if they overcome this hurdle, but Hyo-sun asks how she can know that.
Eun-jo loses me a little more as she asks her sister snidely, “If I know the answer, how come you don’t? How can you not know?” What, is she psychic?
Eun-jo reminds Hyo-sun that her father’s name is on the line, and Hyo-sun bursts out, “Don’t act like you’re thinking of my father!” She tells Eun-jo not to invoke her father’s name like she knows better than Hyo-sun what it means. Don’t be a hypocrite. She should just be honest and admit that she’s trying to increase her own role in the company. And if not, then declare that it’s not.
Okay, so that accusation of Eun-jo leveraging her position is a little unfair. These ladies are making it mighty hard to choose sides, which I suppose is the point. But it’s a kdrama! I must have sides! How else will I know which one to wish fiery death by volcano upon?
In response to Hyo-sun’s charges, Eun-jo asks, “How can you know my feelings that well when I don’t even know them myself? What are you so afraid of that you keep telling me to reveal my inner thoughts?” Is she afraid Eun-jo will supplant her? Or is she afraid Eun-jo will take everything and leave nothing for her?
I don’t think she’s too far off from the truth — even if it’s not something Hyo-sun is willing to admit aloud, or even to herself — and Hyo-sun’s face takes on a defensive expression. Eun-jo declares that even if she were harboring secret intentions, she’d never reveal them to Hyo-sun, who is “childish and horrible.” Caustically, she adds, “The fact that I’m letting you off this easy is because you’re your father’s daughter.”
This whole argument has been heated, but Hyo-sun takes particular offense at this and ups the temperature even more. She grasps Eun-jo’s arm tightly and orders her to repeat herself. She’s childish and horrible?
Eun-jo bites out that she is — even thinking about the horrible consequences of that very childishness is enough to drive her crazy. Cryptic words belie untold truths here, and Hyo-sun demands to know what she’s referring to. Eun-jo asks Hyo-sun if she really wants to know, if it’s something she won’t regret, already smirking in anticipation of her reaction.
Eun-jo says, “His letter. Why did you hide it and not give it to me?” Hyo-sun swallows, the only hint that she understood the question. With barely contained contempt, Eun-jo continues, “It’s disgusting for me to even stand next to you, who have made me finally say these words, but the reason I’m letting it slide isn’t because of you, but because you are your father’s daughter.”
Eun-jo considers this the end to their little chat, but Hyo-sun’s not done yet and holds her back. Shrewdly, she asks, if Eun-jo is referring to hiding Ki-hoon’s letter as evidence of Hyo-sun’s “childishness,” then what exactly were those “horrible consequences”?
Hyo-sun and Eun-jo both know what the answer is — that her separation from Ki-hoon hurt her more than she wants to admit. Eun-jo would rather cut off an appendage than bare her soul to Hyo-sun, but can’t back down from this challenge. She starts to reply, “The first time that I ever, in my life…”
But that’s too earnest and Eun-jo lets fall a tear. She cuts herself off and says that it won’t change things now; she refuses to be “the main character in the story of step-sisters fighting over one man.” She adds, “I’ve stepped out of that story a long, long time ago. I won’t step back in.”
But now it’s her turn to grab Hyo-sun close, and Eun-jo taunts: “You’ll have to be careful. He seems like he hasn’t been able to forget me. Isn’t that interesting?”
Eek, shivers. This scene made me think that it must be challenging for these two actresses to fake hatred so well, or wonder if a tiny bit of their characters’ antipathy must inevitably seep into real life.
Ki-hoon reports to his father on the health of Dae-sung’s company, deeming it likely to spring back soon. He explains that there is an employee, Eun-jo, who is working on developing a new type of yeast, and as she is determined and smart, it will only be a matter of time before she succeeds. That yeast will be a crucial part of the company, and they must claim that as well.
The one sign that Ki-hoon isn’t as heartless about his takeover as he might otherwise appear is in how he loses himself in thought when talking about Eun-jo, letting out a bitter comment about how she’s so persistent.
He asks his father to find out who bought up the rice, and asks him to fund loans to the company, “Since it’s ours anyway.”
(He’s a double agent, for sure — but for which side? If only he would TALK MORE.)
With his father’s loan (offered through a bank, so the Gu family doesn’t know it’s coming from Hong Ju), Dae-sung is able to purchase the rice and production resumes. The family sighs in relief for the moment.
(Re: the above screencap: I give Hyo-sun full credit for loving her father genuinely, but I don’t think that precludes her from knowing that it can also be a tool to use against Eun-jo. She wields Dae-sung’s love like a weapon.)
Eun-jo wants to hurry back to her lab, but Dae-sung asks her to eat with them. She declines, so Hyo-sun asks her in a sweet voice, keeping up the ruse that they get along for Dae-sun’s benefit.
Under their breaths, however, they mutter to each other. Hyo-sun glares, saying that she won’t stand to see her father being hurt if Eun-jo goes off like this: “I won’t let you go. Eat and go, you bitch.”
(Language note: Ki-hoon often calls Eun-jo “나쁜 계집애” which I have been translating as “you awful girl.” Given his intonation and context, he means it half-bitterly, half-affectionately, so it doesn’t have much sting. Hyo-sun uses the same term here but with spite, which elevates the slur from a mere “awful girl” to “bitch.” In Korean, some words can be turned into swears by their context, and this is one case.)
Dae-sung is in a good mood at lunch, drinking freely. Eun-jo tells him to stop drinking and takes the cup from him, then invites Hyo-sun to drink. She makes the offer with the air of a challenge, and Hyo-sun drinks, then pours a cup for Eun-jo in return. They go back and forth, and the exchange fills the air with tension, particularly when Hyo-sun instructs Ki-hoon to take her father home; she’s got some drinking to do with sister dearest.
Ki-hoon reminds Hyo-sun that Eun-jo can’t drink much, and if anything is likely to goad Eun-jo on, it’s sympathy (over a perceived weakness, to boot).
Some time later, both sisters are drunk. Hyo-sun asks, “Won’t you leave our house?” Her tone is plaintive rather than angry, and Hyo-sun says things like “I hate you to death” in the voice of a child who is upset not to have gotten her way. Eun-jo reminds her that she used to say she liked her to death, and followed her around, which Hyo-sun denies.
Hyo-sun asks again, seriously, for Eun-jo to leave, offering up her old apartment in Seoul. Eun-jo could get a job anywhere with her skills, and if not, Hyo-sun can even send her money. She finds the sight of Eun-jo’s face horrible, which is a sentiment Eun-jo returns.
But Eun-jo says no. Did she just think she’d agree? It was Hyo-sun who wanted to get this sister showdown going and see who won — does she suddenly feel like she’s going to lose? Eun-jo warns, “If you keep this up, I’m really going to steal everything from you.” She’ll take the company, her father, and “him.”
Hyo-sun says, “That was the truth from the beginning.” (Like Eun-jo wanted to prove that Teenage Hyo-sun was no sweetheart, Hyo-sun wants to prove that Adult Eun-jo isn’t a hardworking darling.)
Hyo-sun calls her Song Eun-jo, but Eun-jo corrects her — she’s a Gu now. She adds that even if her last name isn’t a big deal, the fact that Hyo-sun keeps picking at those things makes her want to retort, “Oh, yeah? Then shall I see how much I really CAN take from you?”
They both stagger out of the restaurant in little drunken zigzags, which is mildly hilarious. Even though she’s drunk (or perhaps because of it), Hyo-sun follows her big sis. Old habits die hard. The pair look like two whirly tops making their dizzy way across the floor, all the way to the laboratory.
Hyo-sun passes first, slumping on the floor. Eun-jo tries to pull her off the ground, but falls over and ends up passing out on her sister’s shoulder.
By nighttime, Dae-sung is worried to death about the missing girls and orders the boys to find them. A phone call from Japan spins his worries in another direction, however, with puzzling and unfortunate news: The boat carrying their makgulli shipment to Japan arrived, but somehow their product has not.
Ki-hoon is about to check with the Japanese office, but Dae-sung tells him that there is no such office. He reels from the shock.
It turns out all their business documents were faked. Ki-hoon suspects his father, but President Hong tells him that it was Ki-jung. Hong hadn’t known about it, and has just found out the truth himself.
So Ki-hoon calls Big Bro, asking if that’s how badly he wanted to have the company. He didn’t think Hong Ju would stoop this low — this is cheap back-alley stuff.
And just as he levels these charges against him, he becomes aware of a presence in the room. Dae-sung stands behind him, having heard the whole thing.
Dae-sung asks, angry in his quietly dignified way, “This is your family’s doing?”
Ki-hoon had hung up the call when realizing Dae-sung’s presence, and now the phone rings. Dae-sung picks up to hear Ki-jung launching into a diatribe against his brother, acknowledging that Ki-hoon one-upped him with the rice deal, using Dad’s money to buy it back. He concedes one round to his father and brother, but warns that Ki-hoon had better not relax — how long does he think he can hold out?
Ki-hoon has been standing stock-still during this call, as though awaiting Dae-sung’s judgment. And when it comes, it’s harsher than he was hoping for. Dae-sung says, with difficulty, “How could you do this to me?”
Ki-hoon is stricken to have Dae-sung believe the worst of him — however true the imputation, he never meant it in this way, and perhaps he had convinced himself that his motives were pure and therefore his takeover scheme justified.
But he doesn’t get a chance to defend himself, as Dae-sung collapses.
Jung-woo races to the lab, where he rouses the two sleeping sisters. They run to the hospital, arriving just behind Kang-sook. Ki-hoon has been there from the start, but he feels so wretched that he just stands in the back, numb with shock.
The doctor confirms Dae-sung’s death, but Kang-sook does not accept this and calls out to her husband, preventing the doctor from drawing up the bedsheet to cover his face.
Not getting a response, Kang-sook directs Hyo-sun to shake him, to “make him not sleep.”
Trembling, Hyo-sun calls out to her father. At first tentative, her cries grow heartbroken as she realizes that he’s not going to wake.
Eun-jo stands in shock, recalling all the moments Dae-sung reached out to her, and how he had asked her to call him Dad.
When Hyo-sun breaks down over her father’s body, Kang-sook tries to pull her away from the body. Still in denial, she tells her to be quiet, like Hyo-sun’s grief makes this real. But as she screams for quiet, the truth starts to sink in with her, too.
Jung-woo puts a consoling arm on Eun-jo’s shoulder, but she hardly even notices.
All the while, Ki-hoon watches, frozen in guilt, with his face half-obscured by the wall like he wants to go hide but can’t pull himself away, either. He narrates in a desolate voice:
Ki-hoon’s narration: “I did this. In one morning, I stole away the father of those beautiful girls. I swear to god, I didn’t mean to do this.”
Numbly, Eun-jo turns and walks away. She walks down the darkened stairwell, where she sinks onto a step and starts to cry. Thinking of how Dae-sung had asked her to call him “abeoji” (father), she starts to sob, trying to utter those words that come so easily to Hyo-sun, “A… a…”
COMMENTS
Ever since Hyo-sun started with the voiceovers, I’d been expecting them from the other characters. The fact that they waited till now to give us Ki-hoon’s side of the narrative coin shows a confidence in their pacing — it’s a slow burn, not a race to the finish, which suits this drama. I just hope they’ve got enough left in the tank to make it to the end.
I fear I may be in the minority, but I’ll voice this unpopular opinion:
I am starting to not like any of these characters, except for perhaps Jung-woo, but that’s not really a sterling recommendation since he is so shallowly written as to be necessarily benign. There are aspects I like about everyone, but I need more to go on in order to counter the nastiness that is emerging. The strife does spice things up, but it becomes problematic when the characters’ flaws create frustrating narrative obstacles that are, in my opinion, frustrating for the sake of being frustrating.
Example? Eun-jo lying about never getting Ki-hoon’s letter.
Yes, I can see why she lied. I can even offer a half-convincing argument defending her choice, because she was so pained by the loss of Ki-hoon eight years ago that she cannot bear to re-open that wound. That’s not too far off from her typical M.O., which is to cut her losses and run. Better to cauterize that sucker and walk around with a huge scar than to risk greater injury, even if that way lies potential happiness. In her world, the odds aren’t in her favor anyway and she doesn’t know she’s the heroine of the story so she’s better off, right? Her reaction after she retreats to the safety of her room is one of shock — like the news is just sinking in. This suggests that she’d tossed out her cruel words in a numbed daze, throwing up all of her defenses hurriedly without letting the hurt have a chance to seep in or reveal itself.
So yes, I get it. Still, I’m tired of it. Eun-jo’s traumas have been excellently portrayed by Moon Geun-young, who has done as much as she can to sympathize the character. But her constant pride and anger are starting to make her — dare I say? — predictable. And with predictable comes boring. At some point you sorta want to tell a person that a miserable past is too bad and all, but when are you going to suck it up and move on? You know how it’s tiresome to listen that guy who’s been burned by a girl announcing that all girls are therefore evil/bitches/slut-ho’s? One bad person — or two, or three — doesn’t poison all of mankind. I know, I know, Kang-sook is a toxic presence and Hyo-sun’s a brat, and it’s haaaard, wah wah.
This doesn’t mean I dislike the drama. I just find it perplexing to watch at this point because I have nobody to root for, nobody to hope gets his/her act together.
I can see how some viewers may consider this ambiguity a positive thing, but on some basic level I need to find my characters relatable and/or enjoyable. One or the other will suffice, though both is preferable. This is a good drama, but it’s still a drama with a conventional storytelling format, and that necessitates protagonist-antagonist conflict. When it’s just antagonist-antagonist, it gets a bit painful to watch and I start to check out.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping off this train. But if things continue in this vein, I’ll be watching Cinderella’s Sister for the entertainment value and virtuoso acting, but not so much for the heart-tugging emotion. Dae-sung’s death left me cold, and if I couldn’t cry at HIS death, then what hope have I for the rest of the much-less-likable cast? (Of course, this could be because his death was spoiled multiple times in the comments of the previous recap, which does tend to suck all the fun out of a big event.)
(I can’t wait to see if girlfriday disagrees with me! THAT ought to make for an interesting recapping one-two punch, eh?)
RELATED POSTS
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- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 3
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 2
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- Cinderella, Prosecutor, Taste: First episode impressions
Tags: Chun Jung-myung, Cinderella's Sister, Kim Gab-soo, Lee Mi-sook, Moon Geun-young, Seo Woo, Taecyeon
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1 firsttimer
May 3, 2010 at 1:31 PM
I completely agree with you JB. I've been following this drama religiously, but decided to stop after this episode. Predictability does kill the suspense and anticipation of character growth. Nonetheless, I'll keep reading the recaps for the proceeding episodes. Reading versus watching makes it all less painful, in some way. Thanks for your consistent effort!
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2 Memei
May 3, 2010 at 1:36 PM
FIRST FIRST.
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3 Memei
May 3, 2010 at 1:36 PM
AWWW NOT FIRST :(
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4 Kat
May 3, 2010 at 1:36 PM
I could be completely nuts, but in part I take Eun-jo telling Ki-Hoon that she received the letter, definitely to protect herself, but also in a twisted way protecting Hyo-Sun, or more aptly Dae-sung's daughter. She might hate her (though I'd say it's more complex than that), but she's also protective of her albeit in harsh ways. Maybe I just want more of a reason though and I'm grasping at straws.
I assumed Dae-sung would die, but I have to agree some of the previous comments basically confirming it sucked a little of the emotion out of it.
I think I like the fact that most of the characters are so flawed and unlikeable. Not >entirely< unlikeable otherwise I wouldn't watch, but I think it's more interesting than the normal Cinderella story where Cinderella is a complete angel which is probably the point. I'm rooting for Eun-jo. I think I like her brand of unlikeablenss better than Hyo-sun's.
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5 Ri
May 3, 2010 at 1:39 PM
thanks for the recap javabeans!
i agree with your comments. i no longer EAGERLY AWAIT (in caps) for new episodes, I just eagerly await (no caps) for them. Haha. I was baffled and severely annoyed by EJ saying she did receive the letter. What?! omg. Also, I don't get it, did the writers put in a different letter or am I missing something?
While I appreciate the drama taking a more mature/serious route from the "8 years later" episode, I miss the little things that made the first 4 episodes so much fun to watch. Things like KH's amazing smile (which we haven't seen since episode 4!!! oh the travesty!) and the general likeability of the characters. I'm sure the writers intend for them to be more complex and all but like you said, it has to be some sort of mandatory k drama law that we like at least ONE character..
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6 heejung
May 3, 2010 at 1:41 PM
amazing recap, javabeans!!! thank you!!!!
yeah, i was really surprised when she lied about the letter too. totally screaming at the screen and suchlike. >w< i hope they finally get more likable next episode.. :)
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7 malena
May 3, 2010 at 1:43 PM
It's true; the characters have all become predictable, but Dae-sung dying has the potential to change everything around. I'm actually more intrigued, not less, to see what's coming after this episode. Maybe this will be a turning point for Eunjo to open up? For Hyo-sun to go crazy evil? Maybe even kang-sook will repent.
thanks for the recaps!
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8 Satsako
May 3, 2010 at 1:51 PM
Wow, the recaps have come out fast lately ^^
What I love about this drama is that you don't really know what's going to happen next. I love reading your recaps and Girlfriday's to fill in things i've missed and reading everyone's comments. Thank you ^^
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9 liseth
May 3, 2010 at 1:53 PM
I don't agree with the comment.
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10 peanut butter
May 3, 2010 at 1:57 PM
on some parts i agree with you but i must say that i dont think eunjo said she didnt receive the letter just because she was afraid to reopen wounds. i took it as part of her is to protect kihoon from finding out that hyosun hadnt given it to her. remember eunjo's threat to kihoon saying he better not hurt her? i think on some level it was partly for the bratty stepsister.
and i must say that i am finding some characters hard to deal with lately. mostly hyosun and the way she kinda jumps to conclusions. if she would grow up a bit more i would probably start liking her again.
all in all, i am still on the CS bandwagon.
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11 whatsupalisa
May 3, 2010 at 1:58 PM
i know this drama isn't all about love because it's on a deeper level but i miss ki hoon and eun jo's interactions and their love-hate relationship.
it doesn't seem like either of them are giving in to opening their hearts and although i know that it's supposed to be like that, im kinda annoyed and just want them to find their love for each other really soon!
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12 Javabeans
May 3, 2010 at 2:01 PM
See, I don't buy that Eun-jo lied to protect Hyo-sun. Like, not at all, nuh-uh, that explanation resonates not a whit with me. But I would like to be convinced -- or at least hear a good argument for it!
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13 Memei
May 3, 2010 at 2:02 PM
I have to say i'm also getting tired of Eun-jo always being angry at the world but the part where she lied about the letter, I guess it was also to protect hyo-sun againts ki-hoon's anger if ever he found out that she kept it. eun-jo shows love that way. not the conventional way of showing love but still, its love.
the romance has taken the backseat way too long! i want some lovin!
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14 gloria
May 3, 2010 at 2:02 PM
I felt like EunJo decided to lie about the letter partly because she does maybe care about HyoSun. I'm gonna hope you watched ep. 10 too (eek I hope I don't ruin anything for you) but EunJo definitely cares, she's just absolutely terrible at understanding it or showing it. Just as she previously threatened to kill KiHoon if he hurt HyoSun, I feel like this is her way to trying to step out of the whole issue.
To be honest, there were no real benefits from EunJo's point of view to state that she never got the letter. Yes, maybe her and KiHoon could have had true love and run off into the sunset but then she would hurt HyoSun [and it's constantly being mentioned that she's DaeSung's daughter]. I think the biggest thing in her life right now is the company and DaeSung and HyoSun unfortunately falls under the latter subject too.
I really like that there aren't truly any characters that I can straight up hate because it's much more realistic in that way. The viewer can feel sympathetic for everyone and each character's motives and actions are that much more plausible.
AH and Daesung's death! I'm so glad that I wasn't the only one who didn't feel too upset about it. MMMMMMM but ep. 10! I'm sorry, I'll stop.
I do admit I'm getting a little frustrated here though, especially being more than halfway through but hopefully this week will relieve that.
Thanks again for your recap, it's always a delight to read.
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15 Anonymous
May 3, 2010 at 2:03 PM
Disagree with your point of view, JB.
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16 cagnes
May 3, 2010 at 2:04 PM
I hate to admit it but I watch mostly for entertainment value and I've kinda zoned out on the last couple of episodes; reality is already full of challenges, do I have to watch it too? I still check in from time to time though because these are very good actors playing the roles of no letting up angst and gut wrenching pain filled characters. I just wish there were more triumphant moments; hope affirming scenes...
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17 Buki
May 3, 2010 at 2:04 PM
I liked this episode and the next one even more. I know last week, you guy wanted Dae Sung to die, but i'm glade they held off a week. Maybe it's because i didn't read any spoilers, but i was a bit shocked at his death. Since he didn't die last week, i thought they maybe were just dropping that storyline. Last week had all the clues of him dying and this week made me feel safe, like he was going to be around. The love story will come, but i like that this drama seems more focused on the "love" story between the 2 sisters. It's that relationship that i tune in for every week. The exchange in the restaurant about HS loving her to death and always following her, revealed so much about their affection for each other. HS and ES are caught in this love/hate/codependent relationship that i think is the real meat and bones of this drama.
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18 Memei
May 3, 2010 at 2:04 PM
and also, since hyo-sun is her father's daughter and eun-jo feels indebted to them, i guess that's probably one of the reasons she lied about the letter.
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19 charitee
May 3, 2010 at 2:09 PM
word about feeling frustrated with the characters. i'm frustrated with all of them [except maybe jung woo] and to some degree, i'm starting to feel MAJOR sympathy for hyosun which wasn't there before. i was SO FRUSTRATED with how eunjo lied about the letter. im assuming the writer made it turn out that way so that the two leads wouldn't end up together just yet. but then again, eunjo just gets even more frustrating in episode 10 [oh man!].
in terms of daesung's death, i also didn't feel that emotional "tug" in that episode. i don't know why but for me, it was a bit lackluster although i do think his death came at a "good" point in time for the drama. i feel as though his death is going to lead to major [and NECESSARY] shifts in ALL of the character relationships and honestly, that's what i've been waiting for for the past couple of episodes...
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20 amhrancas
May 3, 2010 at 2:11 PM
"Dae-sung’s death left me cold, and if I couldn’t cry at HIS death, then what hope have I for the rest of the much-less-likable cast? (Of course, this could be because his death was spoiled multiple times in the comments of the previous recap, which does tend to suck all the fun out of a big event.)"
I have to agree very much with how you phrased this. I think that perhaps I could have felt a little bit more for the characters at the end, if I hadn't been waiting for what I already knew was coming. Instead of taking it in stride you end up rethinking action and dialogue in terms of how they are setting up a future event, and therefore you lose the genuineness of emotion which comes from a strictly "in-the-moment" viewing.
I'm torn on how I want to view these characters, and I think that it's largely a consequence of my brain clinging to who they WERE, as opposed to who they have become. This doesn't mean that I'm stepping away from the drama, merely that I have to let go of my own grand hopes for it. I just get the feeling that we're bordering on Greek-tragedy with some of the potential outcomes. I suppose we can only see what comes next?
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21 lilly
May 3, 2010 at 2:12 PM
I read your review, especially your comment and now I think you are just not in the mood for a drama as CS. Because when you speak about "predicability" I don't see really that in this drama (especially in episode 9 when I did not expect DS's death). At least you will keep on watching the drama because of Enternainment value and stellar acting which are the "2 elements" for a good drama but at the same time. I don't think something is wrong with the drama. I even think the pace fit the theme and the OST and the acting and the writting and the editing and the characters who act like people (only in dramas we see perfect heroines or second male lead)...Therefore I just think you are in the mood to watch dramas like PT, OML or PP but not CS.
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22 mookie
May 3, 2010 at 2:13 PM
I liked this episode way more than 7, 8, esp that letter exchange btn EJ/KH @Kat, maybe I'm as delusional as u, but that's the first thing I thought as well, her concern for HS. I dont see it as predictable, I see it as I get more and more a direct glimpse into how much EJ cares for HS her way. I saw tiny escapes of pauses, of shock, of quivering composure. I didnt see it as she immediately jumped into her cache brittleness w/o thought.
It's not the first time in these rare, heated exchange btn EJ/KH that HS has an omnipresence. Through out this ep we have a lot of details on how they r warped tog in their twisted sisterly love/ coexistence.
Yes, I saw shock in her reaction in her room afterward, but it's not just the cold fact of the letter, it's also the confirmation that KH still has feelings for her.That was also a mix of heightened emotions... a regression to the old EJ that's capable of romance. Actually I witnessed much less of the usual hatred when she 'greets' HS in the morning after...I saw a hint of concern more than everything.
But yeah, I'm annoyed by the slip if this is a prop mistake of a diff letter...maybe there's 2 pp to the letter?!?! I dont know.
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23 amhrancas
May 3, 2010 at 2:16 PM
and just a friendly request to other posters:
PLEASE, please lay off the spoilers! I just posted my last comment and went to read up on the others to have yet another right in my face. I think that it's just safer to assume that we HAVEN'T seen the next episode, and spare us the aggravation of once again having an integral part of the coming storyline blown for us.
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24 janie
May 3, 2010 at 2:16 PM
@Hyo-sun passes first, slumping on the floor. Eun-jo tries to pull her off the ground, but falls over and ends up passing out on her sister’s shoulder.
I really like that scene... too bad the editing wasn't done very well... was hoping that HS would wake up first and notice that big sis is slouching over her shoulder... if so, I could see her caressing big sis head gently...
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25 hapacalgirl
May 3, 2010 at 2:21 PM
First of all JB, I just love your recaps and please ignore the people who tell you to rush because the rest of us are thankful that you do them and understand that outside the website you have a real life just like us.
I agree with you JB. I am still going to watch this drama but I have to admit that as much as I like the acting, all the anger is tiring for me. I have accepted that this is a 20-episode melodrama (therefore the slow-pacing) and not a rom-com but I would like to see something other than cold stares and anger all of the time. The logical person in me can see why all the characters are doing what they are doing but I kind of wish that some of them would soften up even a bit. I have to admit that there has a been a few times that I contemplated stopping watching the drama until it finishes but I have a soft spot for CJM and MGY's acting and the fact that the acting (of all the actors) and cinematography has been so good up to this point is keeping me watching the drama.
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26 okastas
May 3, 2010 at 2:21 PM
I can't watch the show now because it has become so exasperating. Javabeans is right, and I agree that there just really isn't anyone to root for anymore. Everyone had a redeeming characteristic during the early episodes, but each consecutive episode has eroded their likeability. I was cheering for EJ, and on some level enjoyed how tough she seemed to be before the time leap. However, she's just to damaged and brittle now, and I'm starting to think that she deserves the hell that she's created for herself.
HS is the way she is because EJ, and I've been waiting all along for EJ to do something kind or reach out in some way so that those to can connect. But it's not going to happen. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the next episode was really the last straw because EJ missed another opportunity (a MAJOR one at that). EJ is just pure hateful now, and even though the writers give us reasons why, I don't accept them as excuses for how she's behaving.
And KH is kind of douch-y now. I don't really care for him at all, and the relationship he and EJ had early on was so fragile was so fragile to begin with that I don't think he has any right to expect anything after 8 FRICKIN YEARS.
Isn't it a problem when you don't like any of the characters at all? the writers can't drag on the spiteful behavior 3/4 of the series and then expect me to jump on board at the end if things end happily (at least in some small way). Especially when the characters have become such awful human beings that I can't even fathom them reconciling without completely being an illogical progression from where they are now.
rant over. whew.
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27 xiahkixiri
May 3, 2010 at 2:22 PM
i definitely agree; actually 9-10 had more for me, 7-8 mostly lost me. enough with the misery! eun-jo is so brittle and caustic and on edge and you just can't go on living like that, something has to give. ki-hoon's charm has been almost completely wiped out and i only really care about jung-woo now. moon geun young still has me attached to eun jo but i really wanted to smack a b when she denied getting the letter - why must you make things so difficult for yourself and for everyone else? it changes everything, doesn't it? although, while i was watching that scene i thought, maybe it's because ki hoon is so different now. his remarks in the car were cold and the ki hoon she was in love with wasn't that kind of person at all, it was his warmth that had a huge effect on her (eun jo-yah, etc). so maybe it's because all their games have moved on, despite them still having feelings for each other, it's not that ~fairy-tale~ romance anymore. you get the feeling they could all move on.
i honestly, honestly wish it had stuck with the feel of the first 4 episodes, without the need to bring in ki hoon's family crap. just like WISFC, the first 2 episodes. i love me a certain kind of angst to death, my 2 fave dramas are both terminal illness ones (twdrama silence and kdrama snow queen (save bora!)), where it's poignant and full of moments of happiness and learning to live and love. if you're just beating the angst/misery stick, it's tiring and weighs you down. i'm still in for the characters because they're fascinating and it's not often you get this in a kdrama. but it's mostly not even fun anymore. i've actually jumped ship to eun jo/jung woo, and i NEVER jump ship.
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28 Javabeans
May 3, 2010 at 2:25 PM
I freely welcome opposing views, and like I said, I do think I'm a minority in this. But let's not assume things about my motivations, righty-o? Like assuming that I must not be "in the mood" for a melo just because I've run into bumps with this one. That dismisses everything I say based upon a false supposition, and that's hardly the point of discussion, is it? In fact I've been itching for a meaty show for a while now, and loved that CS was much weightier because the other two I'm watching are relatively light. I just think it's too bad this one seems to be drowning in glares.
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29 Anonymous
May 3, 2010 at 2:26 PM
good acting but men, its heavy! after watching 2 doses of CS. I feel the need to re-watch an OML episode to wash away the tiresome emotions.
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30 lilly
May 3, 2010 at 2:28 PM
And 17) BUKI stated something I love about the drama. The main point of CS is the familly relationship especially between EJ and HS. EJ and HS (and to some extent the mother) steal the show here. In ep 9 and 10 EJ helps HS by her way. I like the character of HS because SW has convincingly showed the various sides of HS and because she has chemistry with MGY. EJ has pride but now I saw she really feels for her sister and she acts to make her waking up and growing up. EJ-KH is cute but HS-EJ is the best and this must be one of few kdramas I love because it does not falls into the cliche of hateful second female lead (anyway me I don't falls into it). I want a happy ending for the 2 heroines.
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31 hapacalgirl
May 3, 2010 at 2:29 PM
@javabeans
like other commenters posted, I also took EunJo lying about the letter as partly as a reflex to the shock and partly to protect HyoSun since HyoSun is Daesung's daughter. EunJo knows how much HyoSun cares about KiHoon as reinforced later in the episode when she runs into HyoSun in the bathroom and rehears what Kihoon says about the letter followed by HyoSuns comment that she can do anything when KH is watching (what HS said in the car ride). Ej knows what would happen if she tells KH that she didn't receive the letter and what that would do to KH's relationship with HS. EJ knows how much she can take from HS and knows that on some level HS needs KH more than she does. Also on some level I think EJ thinks that KH cares about HS. In many episodes EJ has shown that she does care about HS its just that she doesn't want to / or know how to show it openly.
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32 skyyy
May 3, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Haha. I sympathize a lot with your reaction of the frustrations of having solely antagonist-antagonist interactions. It makes the episodes hard to swallow, and moreso, the drama continues on this almost irrationally angsty slope almost for the sole sake of being angsty. That said, I actually really dig this kind of a storyline, maybe because somewhere deep inside, I interpret the characters to at least have some redeeming intentions, and eventually, they'll seep through the ugliness which is their actions.
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33 YoYoYo
May 3, 2010 at 2:31 PM
i think Eun Jo might've said she received the letter because she feels like she's indebted to the family....so she doesn't want to take away the person that Hyosun likes....
because she remembers that Hyosun said she can do anything if Kihoon is watching over her...
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34 Javabeans
May 3, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Huh. I guess I'm just a hardened bitch 'cause I give no credit to Eun-jo for trying to preserve Hyo-sun's feelings or Hyo-sun's claim to Ki-hoon! It's like... just not jiving in my brain. Or my gut. Maybe it's a credit to all the hatey-hate acting between the sisters? But I'm fine going against the grain on this one!
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35 lilly
May 3, 2010 at 2:36 PM
But Javabeans and other people you say the acting is good, the drama has entertainment value and it is not bad so what is the problem ? Through everything I read here people have something against the characters who are not "happy go lucky characters". Yes the characters are dark, unlikeable, not too many romantic actions between EJ and KH etc... so I think you just don't like the theme of CS. That's why I said you are not in the mood to watch this kind of tv show. And I understand you. Life is too painful too.
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36 xiahkixiri
May 3, 2010 at 2:38 PM
lol, it seems a lot of people also thought she lied to protect hyo sun. i'll admit it also struck me, but it was tied in to what i said above about ki hoon being different now from the person she loved. if they were in the situation they were in 8 years ago, i don't think she would have thought of hyo sun at all - they only had eyes for each other then, as hyo sun could well see. now, because she's already been thinking that hyo sun and ki hoon are a couple, and because she seems to both love and hate hyo sun, the love she has for hyo sun is worth more now than the non-relationship that her and ki hoon have become. lol, maybe i'm grasping at straws here but this is where my thought process was going while i was watching it. i definitely think eun jo loves hyo sun, even if she doesn't like her - it's the kind of thing that happens with family, and that happens naturally when you live with people, they become like family - you love them and want to protect them, even if you don't really like them.
wow, lilly, sweetie, you really rub people the wrong way you know. that really was a pretty baseless assumption to make.
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37 awdin
May 3, 2010 at 2:39 PM
each episode of this drama is a repeat of the previous.
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38 Kat
May 3, 2010 at 2:44 PM
I suppose an added motivation could just be Eun-jo's attempt not to "rock the boat" so to speak in an already volatile situation. Dae-Sung just collapsed and at the moment I think he is most important to her and probably could do without some full on open war between the sister's after he nearly died. The only thing the sisters actually do agree on is trying not to show how much they hate each other in front of Dae-Sung (granted they do a pretty poor job). That's mostly an idle thought though, I wouldn't say they gave us any real clues to hint at that in the scene.
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39 starstrukk
May 3, 2010 at 2:47 PM
I definitiley agree with you javabeans about not liking any of the characters. It's frustrating to watch the show actually cause I'm like just stop already. Get over it. I've watched a lot of dramas (not always good ones I admit) but this is the first where I don't like any of the characters anymore. It makes me not want to watch because while the acting is amazing there's no one character that makes me want to come back and watch more, not that one character makes the show. But there's always someone that's your favorite and you can't wait to see on screen even if it's just for a little bit for a one liner. There's no one like that on there and frankly I'm getting close to calling it quits.
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40 amhrancas
May 3, 2010 at 2:47 PM
@35, Lilly
It's not that I don't appreciate a good angsty drama, not at all. And I AM enjoying CS very much. A large part of that enjoyment comes directly from being able to analyze it and probe into the "why" of it all. Why does someone do this, why did they not choose another course of action. In the case of EJ, after episode 9, I feel like I can no longer confidently agree with what she's choosing, and therefore agree with JB.
Perhaps this is a fluke, and it will iron itself out in future episodes, meaning that it was a one-episode disconnect with my brain and no harm done. If it continues on like this, with me constantly going "WHY? WHY did you just do that??" then it doesn't mean that I dislike the show, or that I enjoy the show less, even. It simply means that I enjoy it in a different manner, as it gives me more to pick apart and analyze. Just because I stop sympathizing with a character for a moment, or for the rest of the drama, doesn't mean that I'm "not in the mood" for a melodrama. It simply means that I disagree with the choices they've made. Nothing more. ^_^v
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41 lilly
May 3, 2010 at 2:48 PM
@36
Baseless assumption, maybe, but frankly the main issue here is the unlikeable main characters. Indeed in some people views the drama is too angsty...
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42 Auntiemame
May 3, 2010 at 2:49 PM
Actually, I have another take on why EJ didn't admit to not receiving the letter. Admitting it would have revealed the nasty side of HS and definitely alter KH's perspective of HS. Her admittance would result in HS loosing KH forever.
And, connecting this event back to her and her mother's mountain of 'debt' to DaeSang and his family, she may have felt that she couldn't take away anymore from HS. In as much as HS having lost out to EJ on so many other aspects, such as the company's work, DaeSang's high regard for her diligence, dedication, scholarship, obedience, etc. EJ couldn't take one more thing away from HS, especially since one can't retrieve the eight years lost anyway.
Thanks for another insightful recap.
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43 skyyy
May 3, 2010 at 2:50 PM
^I also highly highly doubt that EJ was thinking of HS when she lied to KH about the letter. I'm pretty sure she'd barely processed the information before that nasty, lightning-quick defense mechanism of hers conjured up some bs to tell to KH. It's pretty obvious that she doesn't believe in her own bs seeing as she just gets more frustrated the more she talks. Or maybe she's trying to delude herself in believing that it's to preserve the relationship she has w/ DS since if she admits the truth to KH, that'd be like admitting her weakness for him, or god forbid, her dependence.
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44 lovin it
May 3, 2010 at 2:59 PM
agree with you..
they got rid of the one truly good character!! jungwoo isnt a significant enough character
and how can kijoon ever redeem himself? he caused the death of the dad
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45 Eleven11
May 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM
JB, I get what you say about all the glares - its one thing to have angst, another to have open hostility on all fronts. Still, I'm banking on the next to episodes having some sort of character revelation in the aftermath of Daesung's death.
I'm quite invested in this drama, so I still have alot of hope for it. For me, the strength of this drama is that it shows each character's motivation so well. I think their actions in this ep were neccesarily predictable because the drama so far hasn't really done anything to grow the characters in a positive way (except KiHoon telling HyoSun to grow up, but that she has yet to really understand this) .
In keeping with this, when KiHoon askd EunJo about the letter I was actually yelling at the screen "DON'T LIE, DON'T LIE, I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO, BUT DON'T", but I don't know how they could have done that scene differently without changing other plot points. It's fitting with her character, just throwing up defences at the slightest hint of emotional turmoil, and I'm reasonably satisfied that we haven't seen anything that would really change her character so far. Perhaps the revelation of the letter could have, but not through direct confrontation like that.
I feel like we're still on a downward spiral, and when they're at their lowest point (ie now maybe??) they'll start the climb back up...Please, please show, please start their climb back up!
Thanks as always for your valuable contribution to my drama watching experience, JB - and as Voltaire said: I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it! =P
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46 xiahkixiri
May 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM
@ 41, lilly - yes, exactly. it's nothing much to do with the mood you're in. watching a drama as it airs, often i start off in the mood for a melo and as the months pass feel like a fluff-fest instead, so that does affect how much i anticipate the next episode. but if the drama's doing it's job, it should pull you in to it's mood.
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47 ernie
May 3, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Just like everyone else, when EJ lied about the letter, I was mad. But I feel it's well backed up.
Honestly, ask yourself: when you're angry, do you make the right decisions? We're all different from each other. The weaker ones of us prob would've been confused and burst into tears, etcetra etcetra. But like with EJ- we even saw her burst into tears right after the conversation went down. She's surprised it happened and we see it clearly on her face. I relate with that- when I'm angry, I do things I wouldn't ever do. I most likely would've done what EJ did. It really differs for people: don't see it as how you would've done it but think about the angry emotions that were clouding her head.
I suppose frustration at what EJ had done is understandable.. it's just, I feel if you read deeper into it, it does make sense.
I'm still a fan of EJ and HS; although yes, like many of you, my love for KH is fading away and I'm all "bring on the Jung Woo lovee." Although HS is petty and very very much annoying, I just.. I don't know. I don't find her particularly obnoxious because all these feelings she's having are understandable.
Except I wish HS and EJ would stop crying in every episode.
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48 salt
May 3, 2010 at 3:12 PM
EJ.. this girl has a chip the size of texas on her shoulder. i don't get it...
yes, you were hurt, traumatized during your childhood. and your mother is the wicked witch of the west but how long are you gonna use this as an excuse to behave badly/ rudely.
i can understand why she behave the way she did when she was a teenager but COME ON.. she's supposedly 26 years old now and still behave like a brat. i really don't think that she has the excuse to be rude. case in point.. she immediately start yelling at the rice supplier, (and other workers (next episode). i know she's hurting but the world doesn't just revolve around you, lady...
i just DON'T GET IT.... grow up..
i agree with JB that i'm starting to lose interest. it's not pleasant or entertaining to see EJ anymore.
* by the by, this comment is directed to EJ not MGY (just in case somebody misunderstand).
this is just my opinion. i know lots of people really really love this drama. good for them. it's just that i'm getting angry everytime i see EJ, an adult, behaving like a rude, arrogant little child. i just don't get it..
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49 Saris
May 3, 2010 at 3:13 PM
Eun-jo lying about the letter angered me. Probably beyond what should be felt considering this is a drama, but nonetheless I was so frustrated with her. And it didn't make me feel any more empathy for her when she went to her room and cried about it. I understand self defense. I understand the world's kicked her around. But come on... in 8 years there hasn't been any softening? Only hardning? I find that sad and as JB said, unrelatable.
Also if Hyo-sun cries one more time I. Will. Lose. It. Seriously there needs to be a transfer of some strength here... Eun-jo needs to soften and Hyo-sun needs to grow up a bit.
Final thing - I'm ready for some romance here. I'd even maybe be a tiiiiiiiiiiiny bit okay with some K-Drama wrist grabbing smooching between Ki-hoon and Eun-jo. Give me something people! I'm dying!
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50 iviih
May 3, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Lol i usually agree with you, but today i do not agree;
i'm getting sad that the persons watching the drama are being upset by eun jo acting and by the way the drama is going on. lol and i have to say, if eun jo said no, that would be that same way of all dramas.. like ' find out and forgive everything and love each other.' this drama isn't like this, so if eun jo did said no and cry i would be very upset. lol and you have to think that eun jo is really trying to put Ki hoon in the past. she really is trying to forget him and after all she suffered because of him . please don't give up in her. =( this like you're saying that you don't understand her at all... sorry but i think that is the way. most of the people was like ' she is soo cool' and ' poor her she suffered a lot' and know just because she is the same way everyone is saying ' ahh why she can't act better? why she can't be more happy'? 'when will she change?' that is the same with HS, and i have to say it is not easy to change, 'im saying this because of my own experience.. you can't just change like this.. so i understand eun jo and i'm not angry at her at all!
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