Playful Kiss: Episode 4
by girlfriday
Show, you’re awfully cute, but I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’re all poof, no punch. Thankfully, I like all your characters, who are endearingly good-natured and sweet, so you’re not without your merits, and I have fun when I’m with you. I know, I can be a bit of a Goldilocks—I complain when there’s too much drama, I complain when there’s not enough. But really, I want some stakes. Somebody, bring me the stakes!
EPISODE 4 RECAP
Ha-ni’s friends insist on seeing Baek Seung-jo’s house, so she brings them for just a peek from the outside, when Mom finds them and insists they come inside, to Ha-ni’s horror. She’s sure that Seung-jo will be furious. I think you should go with your gut on that one. Duckie has followed them there, and pouts like a sad little duck as he watches them go inside, confirming that she really does live there.
Seung-jo comes home and has a fit, already angry because of the rumors, and annoyed that she’s bringing friends home now to gawk. Mom intervenes, saying that she heard the news, and takes the blame for the picture and the blog. He doesn’t let up, demanding that Mom take down the blog this instant, But she isn’t about to give up her hobbies over her teenage son’s rumor-angst. He yells at Ha-ni to leave him alone and huffs upstairs.
Ha-ni’s friends start to leave to avoid the awkward tension, but Mom invites Ha-ni’s friends on their camping trip to the beach this weekend. Ha-ni worries about missing school, but Mom insists it’ll be fine. Well that should be a fun time.
Duckie calls Dad for some money, desperate to rent Ha-ni a room somewhere so he can get her out of Seung-jo’s house. But alas, that’s not an option to poor Duckie. He gets some unsolicited love advice from a bum via Van Gogh, and it revives his conviction to try his best to win Ha-ni over.
That night Seung-jo still has it out for Ha-ni, and growls at her all over again, still pissy that she’s made their living situation public and generally interfering with his life. She takes it, and cries alone in her room, thinking that she didn’t even cry when The Letter happened, but now she can’t hold back the tears.
Later, Seung-jo stews in his room with his window open, and he can hear Ha-ni on the phone with a friend, insisting that she’s fine, and even defending him, saying that he must’ve been really shocked by the rumors, and that she’d react the same way. This softens his mood a little, since she’s clearly the most understanding person ever.
They each sit at their windows, thinking over their actions of late. How cute that their windows are right next to each other. I love those directorial touches. I remember loving the across-the-hallway antics in Goong.
The next morning Seung-jo wakes up to find that he’s not going to school like he thought…they’re all going camping at the beach for the weekend, and he’s being dragged along. Little Brother Eun-jo has already been kidnapped by Dad and is being held hostage in the car. Something’s wrong when both young boys in the family would rather go to school than play hooky and go to the beach. Were you both dropped on your heads as small children?
The family plus Ha-ni’s friends get ready to leave, when Mean Girl shows up unannounced, ready to join the party. Hey rude-o, who invited you? Duckie goes to school to find all the girls gone, and when he finds out that Ha-ni is at the beach with Seung-jo, he flips his lid. With no money and no way to get there, he uses a sick aunt as an excuse to ask the principal for his scooter, and heads to the beach in glee. A girl stops him in the street to give him a promotional lighter, and when he reads the label, he sees that it’s for a massage parlor. Without thinking, he puts it in his pocket, which I’m sure he’ll come to regret later.
The family heads to the beach in their little camper, and Mom sneers disapprovingly at Mean Girl, who has ingratiated herself with no tact. She suggests karaoke, which Mom shoots down, so Ha-ni suggests they play a word game. They go around, and when it’s her turn, she has to say a four-syllable phrase starting with “baek,” so she blurts out, “Baek Seung-jo, jjang!” (jjang = best) Hahaha. Okay, you got me there, Show. Laughed out loud.
He smiles widely, teasing her that she must’ve wanted to say that badly, since she was the one who suggested the game. She’s embarrassed, but she laughs good-naturedly. When these two are teasing and laughing they’re a-DOR-able.
When they arrive, Mean Girl changes into a skimpy bikini, while Ha-ni wears a cutesy one-piece. Mom tells her that she’s the cutest, and fishes for Seung-jo to tell her the same, but he replies that she looks like a grade-schooler. He nonchalantly walks up to her and hands her a pair of socks, saying, “You need these, right?” Ha. How totally unexpected and funny of you, Seung-jo. You have a sense of humor!
Ha-ni looks at them, not getting the connection at first, and then it dawns on her that he remembers her sock incident from the other day and knows that they’re for, erm, enhancements. She looks over at him in a murderous rage, and mutters under her breath, “God, today I will end that jerk, and go to Hell.” Ha. I love her.
She runs over to him, yelling at the top of her lungs, but trips and falls flat on her face. He asks if she’s okay, but then when he sees how mad she is, he takes off running. She chases after him, and when she falls again, he makes sure she’s okay, and runs away again. Aw, I love it when these two are chasing each other like little kids. So cute.
On his way to the beach, Duckie has some scooter trouble, so he pulls over and takes a peek in the gas tank. It’s too dark to tell if it’s empty (because you can’t look at the gas gauge?) so he takes out that lighter, and peers inside…
Heh. So, not the brightest bulb. Well, that lighter did come back to bite you in the ass. Just not in the way that I thought.
While everyone is resting, (and the two dads are buried in the sand) little Eun-jo starts teasing Ha-ni, so she gives chase, and he ends up going into the water and egging her on to come and get him. He starts to lose control and flails about, and Ha-ni screams for help but she’s too far for anyone to hear her. She braces herself and jumps in after him, but then they both end up struggling in the water.
From a distance, Seung-jo keeps an eye on them, thinking at first that they’re playing around. But then he sees Ha-ni waving her arms in the air and takes off running like the wind. He goes in after them, and Min-ah is right behind, and she pulls Eun-jo out. He sputters out some water, but is okay.
Seung-jo hauls Ha-ni out, and she’s more traumatized than anything else, because she’s afraid of the water and can’t swim. She clings to him in terror, crying, as they fall to the ground and she leans on his chest, crying uncontrollably.
Later as the bbq gets going, Dad has a heart to heart with Ha-ni, saying that he was so scared when she was in trouble and he was stuck in the sand. Aw, I love good father-daughter relationships. At his mother’s behest, Seung-jo brings Ha-ni a cup of water, and Dad lets them talk, thanking Seung-jo for saving her.
Seung-jo chastises her for jumping in when she can’t even swim. She didn’t know what else to do since no one could hear her, and pouts that he’s still admonishing her for stuff when she’s still not feeling well. He sneers that she’s fine and she knows it, making her pout all the more.
Just then, they hear a scream from the campsite, as Duckie appears, blown up and battered. He doesn’t even explain himself before asking, “Where is my Ha-ni?”
It’s time for bed, so the guys go to the tent, as the girls plus Eun-jo head to the camper. Eun-jo stays quiet, but he starts to see Ha-ni in a different light, after her rescue attempt earlier today. Aw, I knew you’d come around, kid!
The dads chatter away in the tent, and Seung-jo sits outside by himself, playing the guitar. Oh, goodness. Here we go. Let’s not all faint at once, shall we, girls? No squealing! I will put my foot down if it gets out of control! Okay…not gonna lie. Kind of hot.
Duckie sits down next to him, begrudgingly impressed that he can play the guitar. Seung-jo asks if he came all this way just because of Ha-ni. Duckie says of course he did, since, “you’re a red-blooded male, and there’s no telling when you’ll turn into a beast.” HAHAHA. Even Seung-jo laughs at that.
Seung-jo: Why don’t you just move into my house then?
Duckie: Do you have an empty room? … Don’t you get any ideas around her. Just remember that I’m always watching you.
Seung-jo: You like Oh Ha-ni that much?
Duckie: Oh, hey….um…when you ask it so…directly…I just…want to make her happy—that’s my dream.
Seung-jo: You do that then. You fit well together, you and Oh Ha-ni.
The camera pans over to Ha-ni, who has heard their entire conversation. She sighs with her hand over her heart. Poor button.
Back at school, a list of universities goes up, and the girls start to stress about college entrance exams, hoping that there’s at least one school in all of Korea that they can get into. Ha-ni insists that they can do it if they work hard, and her friends decide to latch onto her 50th-place-scoring train, aka the Seung-jo Train. They come over to study with her, in the hopes of getting some much-needed help from genius boy.
They run into a problem they can’t solve (Number 1, ha) so they send Ha-ni over to Seung-jo’s room to get the answer. She refuses to go over there out of embarrassment, but they knock on Seung-jo’s door and shove her in there.
Ha-ni asks for his help on one problem, but he shuts her down cold. She argues that it’ll take him thirty seconds, but he says that even that would be a waste of time. Gah, I want to smoosh your haughty nose with a big ol’ dictionary! Ha-ni says that thirty seconds of his time means the rest of their lives to them, which even he can’t argue with, so he solves it for her, literally in 30 seconds.
They move onto the next problem…which leaves them scratching their heads again, so off she goes, back to Seung-jo. Listen, if you had trouble with Number 1, it’s usually not going to get any easier from there on out, if ancient memory serves. She keeps having to go back, later and later, until she’s getting him out of bed late at night. He screams at her to come back in fifteen minutes, so she goes outside to wait, and then he comes storming out and throws the book at them, shouting, “Now don’t step foot in my room anymore!” They look down to see that he’s filled out the entire book, and solved every problem. Heh.
At school the next day, the girls marvel at the solved problems, wondering how nice it would be if he’d explain some of his methods too. Ha-ni balks, asking if they’ve already forgotten what they had to go through to get these answers from him. Their classmates see the book and put two and two together, and all of a sudden, they all want in, on study sessions with Seung-jo. Ha-ni’s eyes pop out in horror, not knowing what to do. Duckie is the only holdout, and when even his lackeys join the group, he sighs and comforts himself with a little squirt of hairspray. Ha.
When Seung-jo comes home from school, he’s greeted by the entire 7th class, eagerly awaiting his tutelage. Seung-jo refuses right away, muttering under his breath at Ha-ni. But Mom grabs him and tries to talk him into it, while Ha-ni hides among her classmates, desperate not to raise Seung-jo’s ire any further. But he catches sight of her, and yells at her to come out.
Her friends pull her out and send her to the front, where she pleads with Seung-jo to teach them, just once. He’s totally exasperated with her, but she pleads so cutely. How could you say no to that face? C’mon!
Cut to Teacher Seung-jo, giving the entire class a physics lesson in his living room. Heh. The best part of this? Hey, I remember that Force = mass x acceleration! Cue trumpets.
After they leave, Ha-ni is in good spirits (especially since all she did during the study session is swoon over Seung-jo). But Seung-jo snaps at her attentiveness in his usual cold way. Mom sees this, and feels bad for Ha-ni, who starts drooping at the shoulders.
Just then, Mom gets a call, and a light bulb goes off in her head. She starts clucking, “Omona, omona,” over the phone and running around in a panic. She makes up an excuse to get everyone out of the house for dinner except Seung-jo and Ha-ni, and tells them to take care of dinner on their own. Aw, how cute is she?
She tells the rest of the family to meet at Ha-ni’s restaurant, where she confesses to leaving them home alone, because there are things between a man and a woman that can only be solved by “staying home.” Keh, keh.
At home, Ha-ni insists on cooking dinner, but of course burns things to a crisp. The look on Seung-jo’s face is pretty funny, as he tries to figure out what he’s about to eat. They scrap her “Hawaiian Locomoco” and Seung-jo whips up some egg-wrapped rice. Can this guy do everything? What’s the fun in a character who’s good at everything?
Ha-ni marvels at his cooking skills, but he simply says it’s because he’s smart. Ha-ni muses that Duckie must be smart too, since he’s a really good cook. The look on Seung-jo’s face spells j-e-a-l-o-u-s, as he snits that what Joon-gu makes isn’t cooking. Ha-ni goes on and on about how good Joon-gu’s food is, which just makes Seung-jo put his spoon down and take the plates away before she can even take a second bite. Ha.
Mom decides to haul the family to karaoke to prolong the kids’ alone time, and Ha-ni gets to studying. She smiles to herself that even though Seung-jo complains, he still helps her with all her subjects. She can’t find her English book with all her embarrassing scribbles about wanting to marry Seung-jo, and she realizes she must’ve left it in his room.
So she sneaks in while he’s sleeping to retrieve it. She almost clears the room without incident, but suddenly Seung-jo darts awake and grabs her wrist just as she’s about to leave. He takes the book as a flimsy excuse to come in here late at night, and pulls her onto the bed (omo!) and leans over her. He says that this must’ve been what she wanted when she came in, and repeats Joon-gu’s words that he’s only a red-blooded 19-year old. What’s he supposed to do? Haha.
Ha-ni panics, and Seung-jo leans in for the kiss…
COMMENTS
Well if that’s not a fantasy sequence I’ll give you my left foot.
I’m not the biggest fan of ending on a fantasy sequence, since either way the resolution is a disappointment, right? Regardless, it’s at least a better fantasy than the ones we’ve been getting, so that’s a plus. I mean, really, what teenager isn’t a raging bag of hormones?
I do really like the characters, and I like the world. There’s something very earnest and sweet about this drama that I like, because it’s not too cool for school, or trying to be so slick that it forgets to be about the human moments. That’s the appeal of a slice-of-life story, and I’m a fan of that type of storytelling.
That said, the episodic nature of the drama in this format (for television) isn’t really elevating it past delivering what’s expected. I keep wanting more—more tension, more expectation, more rise and fall. It doesn’t have to be a faked, manufactured tension. I mean organic stuff out of these characters’ lives, such as someone finding out about a long-harbored crush, or the effect of the rumor mill at a high school. These can be played for a little more dramatic oomph, even if the scale of the stories remains small.
In short, I want the show to take the elements it has, and then inject a few stakes in the game—even if it’s a heightened version of the stakes that we already have, such as pride, jealousy, etc. I hate to be a debbie downer about the ratings, but if there’s no TENSION, then people aren’t going to tune in to see what happens next. There’s a reason we call our dramas crack, right? From one addict to another, what’s a girl gotta do to get the good stuff?
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Tags: featured, Jung So-min, Kim Hyun-joong, Playful Kiss
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1 rainbowcolorrs
September 11, 2010 at 8:27 PM
so much better than Taiwanese is all i can say and i loved the taiwenese
also hyung joong you've gotten so much better!
thanks girlfriday!
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CG
September 11, 2010 at 9:42 PM
It's Hyun Joong and not Hyung Joong. very big different.
"19 year hot blooded teenager - ahahaha..aren't you kind of old for a high schooler?
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SadieStarr
September 11, 2010 at 10:57 PM
well in korea its 19..but actual age is 18..&they are seniors..so i dnt think they are too old
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namemelydia
September 12, 2010 at 9:54 AM
well if they are seniors.. then they are right where they're supposed to be.
19 in Korea =18 in US.
Most people are 18, or turn 18 during their senior year.
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melanie
September 12, 2010 at 6:24 AM
i agree that he has improved a lot since bof but i still believe the iswak is still better. its probably because i am biased and because i've seen iswak, i'm not anticipating anything from pk and nothing surprises me about this drama.
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char
September 13, 2010 at 4:12 AM
same here.. I had watched ISWAK 1 & 2 over & over (b'coz I'm such a sucker for this drama), so I'm not really expecting any surprises on this drama..
but like I said, I'm a sucker for the drama that's why I keep watching (^_^).. I find it light & really amusing ~lolz (it doesn't have to be 'deep', it's amusing enough as it is) ♥♥~ (^_^)
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2 hunterbear
September 11, 2010 at 8:28 PM
Hah girlfriday your left foot is mine! I'm pretty sure that's not a fantasy sequence and I'll leave it at that :P
KHJ has been working out and boy does it show. I always thought of him as a little wimpy on BOF but hey working out and the right hair color does wonders for that boy. On a sidenote, anybody notice how fully loaded and adorably cute mom's mini cooper sport is? Racing stripes, Hood scoop, black rims, grills...hubba hubba come to mama :).
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brookeeve
September 11, 2010 at 8:46 PM
I noticed the Mini Cooper, also. And yeah, I lusted after that machine more than anything else in the entire episode.
Are you sure that's not a fantasy sequence? I squealed so bad when that happened, I will cry if it wasn't real. I mean, I completely expect him to be giving her a hard time... I ALMOST want to go watch the Taiwanese version so that I know what'll happen next...
And KHJ had no appeal for me whatsoever until he started playing guitar. I had to go look up his music videos after that.
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hunterbear
September 11, 2010 at 9:04 PM
LOL. Good to know I'm not the only one. I would hold off on watching the taiwanese and anime versions. Or else there really would be nothing left of whatever plot they have going on. But nope you won't have to shed any tears, it's about as real as they get.
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czak
September 11, 2010 at 9:16 PM
i think that is not a fantsy type...
a semi scene happened in TW version... i really really wish that it is NOT..
*crossing fingers* its the real scene..
kekeke cause it was just too HOT to be not. i mean, HN's fantasy usually borders cute to her having SJ at her mercy. not this way where she is completely at his...kekekeke
if it was i would feel like i was flying just to be dropped from 10000feet up in the sky.. that woul be major kill...
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bottledjeaney
September 11, 2010 at 9:54 PM
I hope its really not an imagination..because of that scene i broke my earphones!
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hajae
September 11, 2010 at 11:29 PM
I can guarantee you that it's not a fantasy scene. Although its been a while since I've watched the TW drama, anime and read the manga, I'm pretty sure it actually happened XD
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bedlam
September 12, 2010 at 8:03 AM
i remember it happened too only that he ended up ROTFL out loud at her coz he was teasing her...
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diadda
September 11, 2010 at 8:48 PM
Ha ha, you were the first of many to get her left foot. :)
Unfortunately for girlfriday and java they have many more times where the rest of us who have seen this before and many times might spoil it for them since we know what will happen.
Especially with all the scenes like this to come.
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hunterbear
September 11, 2010 at 9:06 PM
True. It's why I didn't want to go past that. I guess I do have an unfair advantage after having watched all the versions including a terrible 90s Japanese one which was quite awful.
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gala
September 11, 2010 at 11:22 PM
lol the jdorama one was simply a headache for me - except kashiwabara takashi was - IS - by far the most good-looking irie/zhi shu/ seunjo. he's simply the character who came into life.
with that said, i do appreciate KHJ's potrayal of seungjo. he's cold but you can see early development of being a softie towards hani - much faster than zhi shu to xiangqin. time will tell whether KHJ can keep up. but with what i'm saying, i'm hopeful!
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hajae
September 11, 2010 at 11:30 PM
The only thing I didn't like about the Japanese version was because it was so old...the clothing was just really weird. And Kotoko's ears were... distracting XD
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hermosa5790
September 12, 2010 at 2:09 AM
LOL! same here..the ears were a bit...distracting. Actually, the actor was quite pleasing to the eye but the Taiwanese and Korean girls' cuteness could easily wipe off the Japanese Kotoko. *ahem, no offense 'ere*
Mel
September 14, 2010 at 9:59 AM
Yes I agree Kotoko's really were quite distracting...still a quite memorable Jdrama.... I love Oh Ha Ni and Seung Jo's lovable Omma... Thanks Girlfriday for the all the fangurling!!!
marmar
September 11, 2010 at 10:01 PM
totally agree I don't think it's a fantasy sequence. I think they are gonna play it off that she gets ready for the kiss & he laughs at her that she actually expected a kiss & moves away laughing she gets mad & walks out of the room for playing with her emotions. that's my take on it i honestly don't remember what really happens cause i haven't watch the taiwan one in a long time & the manga i read it along time ago as well so its hard for me to remember what happens next...lol
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ilikehim
September 12, 2010 at 12:57 AM
Yeah. I am pretty sure its not a fantansy sequence.
But I am pretty it'll still end in disappointment.
And Seung Jo's jealously? LOVED IT.
I thoroughly enjoyed episode 3 and 4 and though it picked up after the first week.
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Autumn
September 12, 2010 at 3:10 AM
totally didn't expect him to be jealous so quick, but gawd, it was surprisingly adorable.
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riin
September 12, 2010 at 4:41 AM
haa XD totally not a fantasy sequence, it's just him playing with her :D
and I agree with you about the right hair colour and working out. I might actually like him a little bit now :P
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Jane
September 12, 2010 at 6:50 AM
I'm with you, it's not a fantasy. However, I do think he's just teasing her -- much as I would love some follow through. For a show called Playful kiss, there is a great lack of kissing to my mind.
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hunterbear
September 12, 2010 at 7:59 AM
It starts out like that. However once they begin kissing...it goes on for a quite a while. There are definitely plenty of kisses, so no worries in that department.
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sorcente
September 12, 2010 at 2:04 PM
haha i hope they'll be "real " kisses!
not just the touching and with a weird camera angle.. haha :d
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jamie
September 12, 2010 at 9:23 AM
GF sorry .. I agree with hunter bear... u have to give your left foot.. ive watched ISWAK/TKA and read the manga... its not a dream sequence... dont worry it'll get better and better... conflicts will start to arise... hehehe.. cant wait for the next episodes.. BTW how many episode does this series have?
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dee
September 12, 2010 at 9:33 PM
yeah i do think that is not a fantasy, but someone will come, hence the abrupt stop :)
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3 Dee Dee
September 11, 2010 at 8:30 PM
I can't wait for episode 5!
It's hilarious when Ha Ni and her dad have those "moments".
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4 :D
September 11, 2010 at 8:31 PM
"Something’s wrong when both young boys in the family would rather go to school than play hooky and go to the beach. Were you both dropped on your heads as small children?"
LOL...that's what i was thinking!!!
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kimchi216
September 11, 2010 at 8:54 PM
Maybe they weren't dropped enough lol... I'm surprised that KHJ's acting has actually picked up. I cringed when I heard he was cast in this role but I see some actual improvement :)
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Snikki
September 11, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Good to know KHJ's acting improved; I can't really tell because I'm too busy reading the subtitles.
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IrishCreme
September 12, 2010 at 6:01 AM
hahaha... I watched in viikii. and usually too busy reading comments, then hv to rewind to read subtitles. luckily viikii disabled comments, so I concentrate on subtitles this time
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ross
September 13, 2010 at 10:42 AM
ROTFLMAO on this comment ..got side track with reading subtitle too at viikii along with comments ..but then i watched the raw first at tudou so i can easily understand
thanks GF for the recap, love your sense of humor ...
KHJ playing the guitar is so hot, reminds me of We Got Married *joongbo moment*
my fave part is when BSJ handing over that pair of socks to Oh Hani LOL ...so love that part ^_^
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sweetkiss
September 11, 2010 at 11:48 PM
it couldn't possibly have gotten worse. thats the good thing abt being at the bottom...nowhere to go but up xD
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Angela
September 12, 2010 at 1:22 AM
haha, so true!
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Ace
September 12, 2010 at 4:25 AM
hear, hear! LOL!
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5 Kim
September 11, 2010 at 8:35 PM
hahaha i love your review
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6 danni
September 11, 2010 at 8:38 PM
*Takes girlfriday's left foot* If my memory of the manga serves me correctly, then this should not be a fantasy sequence. Plus the fact that it's not as crazy as Ha Ni's other fantasy sequences makes me think that it's definitely not Ha Ni's imagination going haywire. The way this show is formatted though, the beginning of the episode may start with a whole new storyline and we'll never know what really happened. And that would make me pluck my eyes out.
I've never watched a Korean sitcom before, but I think Playful Kiss would be more suited towards that format. Like jb said before, putting it all in one hour makes the story drag and it's hard to sit through. Still, the little cute moments, like Seung Jo giving Ha Ni the socks, almost makes up for the drag. Almost.
Thanks for the recap gf!
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Hannah
September 11, 2010 at 10:36 PM
I know, what's up with the random formatting that just cuts off? They did it again at the beach scene right after she's been rescued! Is it just me who noticed that or is having a slight issue with it?
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IrishCreme
September 12, 2010 at 6:05 AM
totally agree. something is not right with the way they edited some scenes.
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7 le meera
September 11, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Okay so I haven't really wtached an episode of this drama yet, but judging from the screencaps of the episodes - I SEE MORE EMOTION ON KIM HYUNG JOONG'S FACE! XD
Has he improved?
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Hannah
September 11, 2010 at 10:41 PM
I'd say so. He's not fantastic but he's holding up very nicely.
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chahaya
September 12, 2010 at 5:51 AM
yes, not too much but his acting is better here :)
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brookeeve
September 12, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Let's just say there is a noticeable difference in his acting. I'm rather fond of him because of this series, and I hated him in BOF.
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8 lei
September 11, 2010 at 8:42 PM
How many left foot do you have girlfriday cause I'm going to claim the second one..
I can assure you,you can have MINE left foot if I'm wrong,that this is no fantasy.period. And no I'm not fantasing about it not being a fantasy too..ehehehehe
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9 diadda
September 11, 2010 at 8:43 PM
If they stay true to the other versions it is no fantasy sequence (the shenanigans at the end) and I will leave it at that.
So far the reason for the disconnect seems the order of events has been changed they are fewer benchmarks in the relationship since they are fewer barriers to fix. She and he are more normalized so there is less conflict and less to overcome. Now it really is just a simple story of how I met your mother.
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hajae
September 11, 2010 at 11:33 PM
I totally agree with your second paragraph! And if memory serves me right...Naoki didn't soften up till a further in the story. I can't wait for the kiss scene though XD
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10 dee
September 11, 2010 at 8:44 PM
thanks girlfriday for the recaps.
even though, there's no big plot, i'm enjoying every minute of it. especially Jung So Min, her portrayal Oh Hani is the best. she's not the annoying stupid, she's still thinks, she's not just intelligent. this was really my concern, so thanks to the pd or the writers for not making her like the taiwanese and japan's character
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11 estel
September 11, 2010 at 8:44 PM
I second the vote for "not a fantasy sequence". It seems too much like something Seung-jo would actually do, and less like something Ha-ni would fantasize. Is it too much to hope that he'll actually kiss her? Sadly, I think it is. They never end right before a kiss if they actually ever do end up kissing.
This drama is definitely my drama crack at the moment. There's not too much tension but it's just so cute!
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Hannah
September 11, 2010 at 10:39 PM
It's definitely my drama crack too!
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12 Precious
September 11, 2010 at 8:47 PM
I will say she's a lot more tolerable than her Taiwanese counterpart and she's not as ditzy either. I yearn for more tension as well, but seeing as the level they're at in episode four is about the level they were at in episode 10ish of the Taiwanese version I'm hoping *crosses fingers* that we'll get our tension soon. Show please don't let me down.
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momosan
September 11, 2010 at 9:01 PM
And on the Japanese front, Ha Ni's a heck of a lot more tolerable than Kotoko, who was just annoying.
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IrishCreme
September 12, 2010 at 6:04 AM
read somewhere that the director of taiwanese ver wanted to stick as close as possible to original manga. that's why Ariel Lin character was played as annoying/stupid as possible. but then that drama was so many years ago. the korean ver is adapting to current times. and I'm glad for that.
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djeedjes
September 12, 2010 at 11:05 AM
yes, i'm glad she's not ditzy...
but still I love Ariel's potrayal. Wayyy better than Kotoko, who also as stupid, but more annoying. Her high pitched voice annoyed the hell of me!
And Ariel and Joe's chemistry, well so far, KHJ and JSM hasn't surpass them yet.
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13 oppaslayer
September 11, 2010 at 8:49 PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again..As much as I love ISWAK, PK is becoming my fave version. Oh Ha Ni is just so darn lovable I want her to be my sister LOL.
I was so sure this drama won't be as good as ISWAK but I'm happy to be proven wrong ^_^
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14 Purpleclouds
September 11, 2010 at 8:51 PM
I liked ep 4. It's got humor, unexpected crack up, warm-feeling moments, cute parents, cute everyone actually. I look forward to wednesday!
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15 Laeah
September 11, 2010 at 8:52 PM
There will be more tension later....
If you read the manga.. it's not really about the "drama" or the "passionate" relationship...
It's about two very different people who both lack something and learn from the other. They both teach each other how to embrace something that they previously thought was either unobtainable or simply worthless. It's not the kind of relationship where they deny the feelings they have.. even Irie despite his personality and comments, never really abandons her.
I know it's more of a "slice of life", but it's honestly really touching. Again, this story is very similar to my first love, so maybe I have more emotional attachment to it, but I really really adore this story and the characters connection. It's not so intense, no...
There honestly really is never any kind of blockage to them being together until Chris shows up and is supposed to marry Irie.. but again, that's the manga, and I have no idea about how they are going to do it in the drama. Maybe combined Chris's character with Reiko? I'm not sure how they will do it.
But anyway, it's just not that type of manga.
I guess it doesn't translate to the typical Korean drama format... it is rather more like a Jdrama. But I think it's simply different. I mean, how many more times do we need to see the same tension and over the top plot driven twists and turns and cancer in the 19th episode and etc. lol
Anyway, the manga is much more angsty, but still very very sweet and subtle. :)
If you only pay attention to the laughs and silliness, you kind of miss the underlying point/meaning of it all. Which is why Kotoko's character sometimes get dismissed, but if you look underneath the stupidity and clumsiness, there really is something there.
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Nanci
September 11, 2010 at 11:43 PM
Having watched quite a couple slice of life japanese dramas, I get what you're saying but it's still dragging.
The thing about Japanese dramas, is that they are shorter, and I feel put more into an hour episode, which is what makes them work. In this drama, they are filling up episodes with filler. Don't get me wrong, I don't think/want that there to be a bunch of drama in every episode, but this story seems to be moving in circles.
That being saidI really love the way these guys are portraying the characters (I felt the taiwanese version made them more annoying).
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16 cullenhale
September 11, 2010 at 8:54 PM
Ok, the Mom is kind of awesome. I love how she really is expressive about her dislike towards the mean girl. I LOVED the Mom in the Taiwanese version.
I agree, I need a little more tension however ( I hate to bring up the TW version again...) I really enjoyed that version because of how all these scenarios displayed the female lead's perseverance and her absolute love for the male lead. Also, KHJ's character is suppose to break down under that perseverance-in a way that is endearing and quite amazing to watch.
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Nanci
September 11, 2010 at 11:47 PM
I know I'm such a hater here but I felt that it could be nothing but pretty amazing at how much of a jerk and almost autistic the taiwanese main character was. I mean I'm hoping for tension, but not at the expense of the main girl's respect for herself, which I'm sorry to say, the taiwanese main girl didn't seem to have.
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ar_arguably romantic
September 12, 2010 at 9:03 AM
*winces* do you have to make autistic sound like a really bad thing?? I'm sorry, it's just that someone I know has a little sister who has autism....
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Nanci
September 12, 2010 at 9:13 AM
I'm sorry, I should have cleared myself up, that description (autistic) should not be in the same sentence (or same negative context). Sorry for the privilege speak.
Now about the autistic part, I feel like they do this thing where the characters have autistic qualities in terms of being really socially awkward or not taking from social ques (I know this is not the extent of autism, but they are the 'general' qualities accepted by society). This wouldn't be a problem if they acknowledged that maybe there was something there, in the Taiwanese version, I felt like this wasn't merely some cold hearted boy whose super smart. And all they do, is 'fix it' by having this optimistic girl making him fall in love. I just feel like they pick and choose, and it's annoying. I get that it's a drama, but I still don't think that's okay.
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Agatha
September 12, 2010 at 11:09 AM
I know what you mean about the TW main girl losing self respect. I mean there where some scenes I just had to skip because her stupidity just frustrated me. She followed him everywhere, it was like she did not have a mind of her own. I like how in this version Ha Ni is a bit more against him, she doesn't immediately forget when he hurts her feelings (like the scene at the beach, I mean she was going for the kill, yeah she softened but at least she got mad... if it had been the TW version she would just have let it slide). And I like how Seung-jo actually seems like a human being and not just a meat popsickle...
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17 karened
September 11, 2010 at 8:56 PM
I was particularly pleased when Seung Joo started playing the guitar......not because of the actual act of playing, but because he played the song he played for HwangBo in WGM! And I don't think that's the only song he can play right?
SPOILERRRRRRRR
SPOILERRRRRRRR
SPOILERRRRRRRR
SPOILERRRRRRRR
SPOILERRRRRRRR
SPOILERRRRRRRR
Anyway, I doubt the ending scene is a fantasy sequence, coz based on the manga/jver/twver, I'm quite positive that the next scene will feature a family member interrupting the teasing. Well, unless the kver decides to bring us surprise!
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czak
September 11, 2010 at 9:26 PM
yup you're right and actuall he has passion for guitar. and he plays eletric guitar which is much much HOtter!!!
watch this and you'll definitely LOVE and SWOON for him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jAc0W8qt1w
or search in YT: SS501 Kim Hyun Joong Guitar perf + Creep
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GJzA_3zzs8
or HyunJoong and Hwangbo Performance - [W]Chuseok[G]Special[M]
anyway he played guitar in his performance with Bigbang's TOP.. ^__^
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les
September 11, 2010 at 9:51 PM
oooh..thanks for posting this link.. i forgot about his "Creep" rendition. my favorite song sung by one of my favorite pretty boys :P
he can definitely rock that guitar, eh?
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brookeeve
September 11, 2010 at 10:49 PM
You just wrote that last sentence so I would go searching YouTube for that, didn't you!
Thanks for that. Now I wish I grew up on the same street with those two, too. :D
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les
September 11, 2010 at 11:23 PM
just sharing here, so other people won't have to search for this YT video anymore. KHJ + TOP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxw_RG5sl8Y
definitely one of my favorite looks of his - badass rocker with such a sweet and mellow voice.
and yeah, i love how these two are such good buddies. throw in JaeJoongie and Micky and its real life F4 for sure.
p.s. sorry this is out of topic, guitar-playing KHJ is bringing out the giddy fangirl in me :P
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Kdrama'd
September 12, 2010 at 5:35 AM
Yea, KHJ actually wanted to be a rocker and not a boy band member but he had the look that DSP was looking for so he became leader of SS501. I drool all the time at his guitar playing ^_^
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18 byj_angel
September 11, 2010 at 8:57 PM
I decided to wait for the drama to end then I'll watch it. In that way, when an episode is way too much dragging/boring or that if one character tends to be overacting, I could conveniently fast-forward the sequence hehehe. I've watched the taiwanese version and much as I love Ariel Lin, the way she portrayed the character annoyed me to no end, it's waaaayyyy over the top! I'm afraid the korean version would do the same thing,hence,my resolve to wait for the series' ending. :-)
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oppaslayer
September 11, 2010 at 10:17 PM
Actually Oh Ha Ni is much much much likable character than Xiang Qin. The one reason that made me liked this version is its portrayal of the female lead ^_^. Oh Ha Ni can kick Xiang Qin's ass and its actually believable why Seung Jo would fall for her. In ISWAK, the chemistry between Ariel and Joe Cheng carried it through for me and made the falling in love process believable despite how un-endearing Ariel's character was.
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chahaya
September 12, 2010 at 5:55 AM
totally agree with you!
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Agatha
September 12, 2010 at 11:17 AM
I also agree. If it weren't for the fact that Joe and Ariel create sparks just by being right next to each other you would be left wandering how the characters end up together... BTW I cant wait for the first kiss between Ha Ni and Seung-jo because Joe and Ariel's chemistry is just too much to handle on that scene... can't wait.
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19 CHshe
September 11, 2010 at 9:02 PM
Ah Round 4
I love the ending... and I can tell you that, that is not a fantasy. So kick it all the way...
Yes, it's the beginning of BSJ's series of teasing. What a guy have to do with a girl he thinks he hates but secretly slowly love to be with... haha I love the socks part, it's so hilarious and I laughed my heart out...
It's his way of telling her that we're okay coz he now knows that whatever happens between them, OHN would jump and fight her way through it all, including him...
His boring, normal and peaceful life was turned upside down by OHN... With OHN arrival, he gets to experienced a lot of things (even if he's perfect and can do everything). He gets some of his school friends over his house to study, he gets to cooks for OHN, he had to study with OHN, he smiles a lot lately, he gets be a savior and yes the list will continue...
Anyway, PK fighting!
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20 sequestial
September 11, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Ha, GF, I lol at your request for stakes, because all I can think about are steaks.
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Nanci
September 11, 2010 at 11:48 PM
and when I think steaks in this website, I think of Gumiho ^_^
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kimmy
September 12, 2010 at 12:40 AM
i, on the other hand, think of the cute exchange between seungjo / hani over her hawaiian locomoco...!
it's quite cute actually, how in BOF, hyun joong was the one helping pick up the fork that jandi dropped etc,
but in PK, he's the one throwing it.
heh ^^
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21 Ani
September 11, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Wow, this drama is practically following the manga/anime down to a T. Which is a good thing for avid fans on one hand, and not so much on the other hand. I'm enjoying reading the recaps for this, but hopefully I'll actually watch the darn thing and really give it a try. X)
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22 allieeee
September 11, 2010 at 9:11 PM
this drama is my new crack. haha. can't get enough. though i have to agree about raising the stakes somehow.. that would make is so much more perfect and more addicting.
I LOVE the socks scene! haha. that was so hilarious and cute, i had to replay it several times. and KHJ playing the guitar.. oh man, would not have hurt if they had kept him playing for the next five minutes or so. =)
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23 Cheesy
September 11, 2010 at 9:18 PM
I'll give both of mine,if it's real and not just teasing or joking.i bet it is.sigh..i thought there's gonna be a background story on swimming (no,that would be jun pyo),or Ha ni's mother died while trying to save her from drowning (hmm,that's kae-in's).or Ha ni's dad will die and become ghos then helping his daughter thru Seung jo?(at least both of main lead,pk and who are you have the same father,dont they?)ok,i dont make sense.i'm running out of idea.i'm afraid the scriptwriter feel the same way..thanks GF.now i refer drama to Show because of you.
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24 a
September 11, 2010 at 9:25 PM
i think this is the point where we cut our dear KHJ some slack
instead of saying he wasnt cringe worthy i'm gonna say he was pretty good :)
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25 sorry
September 11, 2010 at 9:29 PM
hey guys
please recap SKK scandal...
I check this DB in every minutes... just for our SKKS!
I'm really sorry posting this here..
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anon
September 11, 2010 at 10:22 PM
skks is going to be guest recapped apparently :(
JB and GF are already doing PK and MGIAG so....
but if you go on soompi somebody is translating the novel including ..lets just say the more *racy*bits
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brookeeve
September 11, 2010 at 11:09 PM
Where on soompi is that? I couldn't find it.
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anon
September 11, 2010 at 11:14 PM
the last page also try this
http://yogurutu.blogspot.com/
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nikkyp28
September 12, 2010 at 12:39 AM
It's very racy sexy indeed...
Nida
September 12, 2010 at 3:50 AM
@ anon
BigBigBig thanx, :)
brookeeve
September 12, 2010 at 10:34 AM
Thank you!
sorry
September 13, 2010 at 11:01 AM
wwoh!!
I read that yogurutu.blogspot.com !!!
thank you very much !!! anon!!!
you made my day !
Now I check my previous comment, just wanted to
if anyone has replied. and indeed, we also love SKKS!! hehe
about PK : I read the manga, watched Itazurano Kiss, and anime!
so I know everything about PK..
so I want more SKKS , hehe, maybe little bit meaty than PK.
sorry posting here ,again\
Angela
September 12, 2010 at 1:55 AM
I agree. I *really* wish they were still recapping SKK. There's a lot more substance to be found there, with high stakes and tension galore... especially when compared to PK's poof-riddled, punch-less one. Personally, PK seems better suited to a guest-recapper, but I doubt a swap will happen this late in the game. Alas.
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26 mangoparo
September 11, 2010 at 9:33 PM
I'm really disappointed that it's not getting high ratings b/c this is one of the cutest dramas ever... it's a nice drama where you don't have to think that hard but by the end of the hour uve laughed a lot and in the process relaxed your tensed minds
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27 yeisha
September 11, 2010 at 9:33 PM
thanks for the recap, GF! i actually LOL-ed so many times my friends think i've completely gone over the edge. maybe i have because this drama has now officially become my new crack.
and since everyone is weighing in, i must say that the last scene is definitely not a fantasy sequence. but the question is, will they actually "finish" that sequence, or will it be like their under-the-tree-almost-kiss fade away in ep. 2? (show, i will kill you if that happens!!!)
also, can we talk about KHJ's deep sexy voice in that scene? definitely HOT. and if this drama will go anywhere close to ISWAK season 2, i shudder to think how their "first night" will play out....it might just burn my computer screen with hotness. but then again, its probably the Oh HaNi in me fantasizing because let's face it, this is a k-drama after all so the chance of them showing that "first night" is probably NIL. but a girl can dream, right?
lastly, i am loving the ways BSJ calls or yells "Oh HaNi"...its starting to sound more and more like an endearment to me. especially that part where the entire class 7 showed up in their living room and he muttered "Oh HaNi" under his breath..sounded like "Oh, Honey" to me. it reminds me of Hwang Tae Kyung's "Go Mi Nam!" :)
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Autumn
September 11, 2010 at 11:07 PM
yes, that's what i was thinking as well. i hear "oh honey" every time someone saids Oh Hani, it is kinda cute.
i will join the killing mob too if the show doesn't finish that scene. gah!
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poo
September 12, 2010 at 2:34 AM
oh yeah me too...i hope he says it for real some day :P
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28 Fayt890
September 11, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Aish. I can't watch this drama. It's just so... fluffy... there isn't anything really drawing me into the drama to get me to watch it - like you said girlfriday. The cuteness is the only thing this drama has got going for it. And that's not enough. MGIAG is cute (waaaaayyyy too cute for it's own good >.< ) but it still manages to have some angst that keeps the viewer going "I WANT MORE. GIVE ME THE NEXT EPISODE!!! NOOWWWW!!!" I think that's why the ratings are so low. It's just a really REALLY casual drama in my opinion. I like the acting and the characters... but I just wish the writer would do something MORE with them. Also, KHJ really has proven alot of people wrong acting wise, which I'm happy about. He didn't deserve such harsh criticism in the first place. I'm glad he's proving people wrong. He still isn't the best and has room to improve. But heck. Everyone has room for improvement.
Anyways. Thanks for the recap!
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29 ockoala
September 11, 2010 at 9:44 PM
You know this drama makes you ridiculously smiley when even reading a recap of something you watched like 5 times already, still makes me giggle and grin.
Yeah, PK has made me it's......puppy.
Pssst, Girlfriday, just so you know, I think you're on track to get the better of the two episodes each week. Just sayin'. Kinda like the evens in BOF were better than the odds for some reason.
Knowing the trajectory of the story, I'm foreseeing something coming up likely in episode 6. At which point you'll wonder why you worried that there wasn't enough tension.
Hee. So enabler and spoiler am I.
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30 Gina
September 11, 2010 at 9:46 PM
I love this drama to bit. Absolutely adorable and sweet.
Both leads are so cute, and very good. They really bring out the characters so well. G
Can't wait for next episode
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31 CG
September 11, 2010 at 9:46 PM
SO HOT Hyun joong playing guitar (he's an awesome player), SO Sizzling when he played "Falling Slowly". Aah..he played the same song for Hwang Bo in WGM.
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Whi Lyn
September 12, 2010 at 9:49 PM
I am so happy he just played it and not sang with it. I so like KHJ and I love the song Falling Slowly (and the movie Once) .. It is just a little weird when KHJ sings english songs... But that is good guitar playing .. <3
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32 meteorflower
September 11, 2010 at 9:51 PM
i really never get bored of hot guys playing guitar, its really a perfect scene plus KHJ is the one in the screen
its heaven
the last part, i know is far from fantasy but i wonder what they will do next, i know the anime version but what will the K version will do to spice this scene more
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33 slylychee
September 11, 2010 at 9:54 PM
I actually like the Taiwanese version better. I went back to compare scenes regularly and find that the TW version does a better job playing off the juxtaposition of someone who can do EVERYTHING vs someone who can't do ANYTHING. It's funnier that way. Ariel's character maybe annoying, but her stupidity contributes a lot to the storyline.
As far as PK, I think they're doing something very interesting by downplaying the girl's stupidity into carelessness and the boy's aloofness into arrogance. It's making it's own stamp on the interpretation of the manga. I like it. It's different, but good. Plus, HJ is hella cute.
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Hannah
September 11, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Yeah, I agree with that. I think that the highly hyperbolised use of the cold dude vs. dumb girl trope was what leant the otherwise loosely plotted tdrama its dramatic tension - or, as GF put it, the high stakes. It was *romantic* tension so it's not like it was relying on hitting certain plot points at certain moments. It was just effectively done to add drama and romantic intrigue, but I think its extreme use of the trope was also what made the drama so polarising as then people grew problems with the dude being an ass, the chick being a doormat, etc.
With this, I really like how they've altered the roles - he's a lot nicer in this version and she's got a lot more sass. Which, while solving one problem, kind of leaves it open to the other. But, to be honest, I'm not really feeling the problem, anyway, as I'm loving the cute and funny and pretty!
What I mean to say is, I'm getting what I expected from the drama.
Thanks for the recaps girlfriday and JB!
(I should probably stop comparing the drama versions lol but I can't help it.)
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ar_arguably romantic
September 12, 2010 at 9:16 AM
I agree too- which is why I think the perfect version of the story should be a hybrid of ISWAK and PK- but that would be pretty much impossible to write.
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34 bottledjeaney
September 11, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Ahh!!...the sock teasing scene was adorable! at first..i actually thought was one of the imagination scenes since seung jo came back and asked if shes ok...
The ending got me hungry for the next episode!...Is it real or just an imagination?...i vote for real!
Pk is getting better and better every episode and i hope it will continue in the future..
Spoiler
Spoiler
The real evil girl is coming in ep 5 i think...the one who played Min Ji in BOF
Spoiler
Spoiler
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bottledjeaney
September 11, 2010 at 10:07 PM
also..i actually havent finished the taiwanese part since i got reaaaaaaalllyyyyyyyyyy annoyed by ariel so i cant compare...but i can say..hani's more tolerable....than the taiwanese one
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Whi Lyn
September 12, 2010 at 9:58 PM
ISWAK portrayed the female lead as just plain stupid. (I agree with @slylychee 's comment.) Her stupidness is so irritating that I have to skip some episodes when I rewatch ISWAK thus i like PK than ISWAK.
i hope that PK won't have those boring scenes ISWAK had that were not in INK.
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35 Autumn
September 11, 2010 at 10:25 PM
yeh, despite the flaws, i love this drama, i don't know, it just pulls me in...
thanks so much for the recap
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36 iWANTcereal
September 11, 2010 at 10:32 PM
playful kiss is an alright show so far, but i gotta say, Sungkyunkwan Scandel is definitely my preferance of the two, especially if it keeps improving like it has in eps. 3 and 4 ^_^
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37 lovedramas
September 11, 2010 at 10:38 PM
I'm pretty sure that it's not a fantasy sequence. I think it's also part of the original manga. I read it a long time ago so I can't quite remember all the scenes. But I think it's pretty obvious how it's going to end, given SJ's personality and their "relationship" (or whatever to call it) up to now.
I'm still not feeling the drama much, but I think maybe part of it has to do with cultural differences. And also I kinda expect a lot more from kdramas. LOL
Nonetheless I love the manga so I still like this one. I do think that the kversion should try to be somewhat different and I think that they have done that. I do think that KHJ is very much suited for this kind of character... its a better mix than his other character. I don't think he's acting is good at all, but at least it's better than his last one.
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38 Dara
September 11, 2010 at 10:43 PM
I want to pump more air into PK-balloon. There you go, fly high! Breath life into you!
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39 Ella
September 11, 2010 at 10:46 PM
For some reason, even though it doesn't have much plot and tension driven in the drama, I reeeally like the subtleties. I love Jung So Min so much - she has such a wide range, and very natural at it too. I love the scene when she was sobbing behind Seung Jo's door :( That totally broke my heart. And I love when she fell and muttered to herself she'll finish Seung Jo and go to hell. Rofl.
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40 SadieStarr
September 11, 2010 at 10:50 PM
omgsh...wow..
aghhh..im sooo going crzzy...how can we NOT squeal over the guitar scene? thats one of the most top on my list of hottest-things-for-a-boy-to-do. guitar,beach& a sexc boy...soo worth drooling over...lol...but hahah the socks..xD..last epi i cringed w. laughter for her..but this was soo funni :p awwhz..im glad eunjo came around..but duckie is realli swt..thnx to you i call him duckie all the time...i almost forgot his nme was janggoo [that is his nme right?] LOL but the ending..i hvnt wtched the taiwaneese version or read the manga..so idk...but thats HOT...i do hope they kiss..im dying for a REAL KISS scene soon.
-sadie
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41 Bloop
September 11, 2010 at 10:57 PM
I absolutely adored the Taiwanese version, but I have to say..Playful Kiss is too gosh darn adorable!! I think it had me squealing since the first episode!! So cute!! It's kind of surprising actually cause even though I was so excited for this to air, I was really afraid that they might have butchered it up like they did BOF. So glad they didn't!!
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Whi Lyn
September 12, 2010 at 10:08 PM
I hope they don't add the scenes that ISWAK had but were not in INK.. I think those scenes were boring ..
SPOILER
SPOILER
.. ISWAK had an ep where the guy moved out and work in a resto.. that was soooo fail .. boring ..
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42 angie
September 11, 2010 at 11:02 PM
Thanks for the recap Girlfriday!
I looove your recap, the way you do your recaps remind me of the show: light, hell funny, and very cute.
I like your recap better than JB's (no offense JB, you're still the best).
Maybe it's because I've always thought of PK as a fluffy show, so I never expected a lot of drama or underlying stories, etc. I expect fluff and cuteness and that is what I get.
Granted, the show can improve on certain aspects but I hope that the show will improve with each episode.
I love your writing style Girlfriday! Will look forward to your recap of episode 8! :)
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43 Li~~
September 11, 2010 at 11:18 PM
I like the lack of tension, personally. It feels like this could actually happen unlike some other dramas which are much more exciting but not as realistic. At the root of this drama, is very simply, a naive and bumbling girl who loves a perfect guy. I've been her. My friends have been her. Hell, my guy friends have been there in reverse. It's an emotion that is relatable and universal, and when shown stripped of other histrionics, it's even more effective.
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Nanci
September 11, 2010 at 11:54 PM
I guess the reason that I would have it be more tension filled is because how centered of the romance (or lack there of) it is. I think there are many examples of dramas showing that you can have tension without over doing it.
As much as I've been that girl, and my crushes seemed to take center stage, that was not my life. This drama has to appeal to that too, if its going to be a 'slice of life' it can't just be about the small world of this girl and guys crush/not crush. So basically there is not enough of the outside influences.
Don't know if this makes sense, I've been up for around 21 hours, so I'm not too coherent here.
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44 renazil
September 11, 2010 at 11:44 PM
i m beginning to
love this drama. was actually very dismay to find tt there is a korean version to this manga bc kotoko annoys me in the manga n
drama. i wasn't impressed with khj's acting in bof (plus he got an
ugly hairstyle in bof). but PK
is my new crack every thursday n friday! i dare say tt khj's acting has improved tremendously, well, at least he has a wider range of emotions now other than looking blank all the time.
but to me, the actress who plays oh ha ni really saves this drama. she isn't trying to be as ditzy and annoying as kotoko which i was afraid of. like the case of ariel lin's potrayal. bleurghh. she came out adorable and not too over-the-top and quite realistic. i mean, don't we hv past experiences where we declare we don't like our crush anymore but the next moment, we will be swooning over the said crush? jsm makes having a crush on khj's character very believable n i empathised n is rooting for her.
tt said, thanks for the summaries, javabeans and girlfriday. n if the korean version is going to follow the gist of the manga, then tt is not a fantasy sequence. i can't wait for the execution of the real 1st kiss though. i hope they are going to follow with that. no, wait! they must have that scene! it's vital! hee~
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45 rainerust
September 12, 2010 at 12:12 AM
LOL GF your left foot just got owned. By many people. It's definitely not a fantasy sequence, if MY ancient memory serves. LOL
To be honest, Hyun Joong has played that one song on air a few times too many. It sort of reminded me of when he was with Hwangbo in We Got Married since that was the exact song he plucked and sang for her. (He only sang one verse and chorus cos that was all he learnt HAHA)
I think the drama is improving by the episode actually, and I'm quite happy about that. The only thing my sister and I have noticed is the lack of continuity and the awful editing. I mean, I thought the first five episodes were pre-shot so that would mean that they would have more time to do proper editing, but there're some really strange scene shots in there that just stand out like sore thumbs (not to mention that really ANNOYING cut-scene thing they keep DOING, first with the tree-almost-kiss and then with the beach-drowning thing).
Anyway awesome recap GF! Can't wait for the next :)
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horizon
September 12, 2010 at 12:58 AM
awww.. come'on.
"falling slowly" was an EXCELLENT subtle reference to what seungjo is undergoing in his emotions!
whether KHJ was the one who suggested it, or if the director was the one who wanted him to play it,
it was still SWEET and HOT and i liked the whole mood of the scene ^^
and didn't he play the song really well in WGM? kinda mean to say that it was only one verse one chorus.
in fact, his WGM falling slowly rendition was a pretty classic scene, and from all the comments here, can tell that people who watched it felt the same.
anw, loving the song, loving the scene, loving the show!
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rainerust
September 12, 2010 at 4:52 AM
LOL it's not really that hard a song to play, especially if you're a decent enough guitarist, so I'm not (and wasn't) terribly impressed with Hyun Joong when he tried it for Hwangbo. Isn't to say I don't think the fella is cute - he was adorable when he played it. Just think the song's getting a little passe especially since it's been overplayed since then...
And er, he DID only do just the one verse one chorus. LOL but if we move off the topic of his guitar-playing/singing/acting abilities, I find the drama adorably cute (sans the annoying editing, as I said). Still prefer Hyun Joong as himself in all the variety shows I watched him in (he's so darn funny) but at least this character appears to be a better fit for him than his last role in BOF.
Still, Jung So Min FTW!
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46 kit
September 12, 2010 at 12:14 AM
considering all the times in the last few episodes people have prodded KHJ to sing and he's declined, i'm guessing that he's going to sing for her at the end or something. heh, not complaining.
i find playful kiss to be lighthearted and fun, a bit of a breather after SKK. it's not the best, but other shows have done much worse.
the characters are portrayed well, it's amusing, and omg duckie is the cutest thing EVER. the cast interview was so funny in a muted way, because KHJ is obviously famous for his 4D personality and the guy who plays duckie has a different sense of humour as well ehehe. and of course the female protagonist is in the middle, continuously giggling, and i must say, i'd do the exact same. well, i did do the exact same. >_>
anyway, thanks for the recap! =D
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jo
September 12, 2010 at 7:04 AM
i think so too. i have a feeling that KHJ will sing to her later...perhaps the song that both dads sang at the noodle shop when Hani got drunk? and if i remember correctly, i think it was also the same song that Hani and her dad sang while driving to SeungJo's house.
i love that song and knowing their story from the manga, the lyrics is indeed fitting for their love. "everyday with you, i receive the morning sun..." *sigh*
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47 Q
September 12, 2010 at 12:30 AM
I don't think it is a fantasy sequence :/ all of the others have been incredibly over the top but very innocent (I'm reminded of disney princess frocks and singing bluebirds lol), which matches Ha-ni's personality. This one is way too heated :P which, in my books, is a good thing.
Also, not sure if anyone else pointed this out but I think the hobo man was mr. flasher from ep 2 hahaha I wonder what happened to his 'wife and kids' ...
Thanks for the 'cap :D!
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Denali
September 12, 2010 at 5:04 AM
Q as Kyu, the person in charge of the IAL topic on soompi? :D
I too noticed that the art-lover bum was Mr Perv in ep 2. I'm guessing that his wife kicked him out, hence his speech on love. ^^
Has anybody else also noticed that both fathers on the beach were covered with sand designed as female bodies? At some point, Baek daddy even "holds his breast" (not breath). lol
What I enjoy the most in this drama:
- the cuteness and lack of tension so far, much appreciated in this troubled world;
- the relationship of the two men, for instance at the restaurant when they played the guitar and sang (well) together;
- the mother's unique character which is so adorable and unusual in kdramas -- remember Gu Jun Pyo's MoAE;
- the musical interludes -- always funny and sweet (a nice directorial touch).
Very much looking forward to the next episodes - hopefully Duckie will stop being so OTT. :)
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Q
September 12, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Q as in a letter of my name lol sorry to disappoint /-\ ... well serves him right for flashing minors!
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48 charmie
September 12, 2010 at 12:32 AM
I'm just loving this drama. Keep up the good work GF and JB! 'p
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49 william
September 12, 2010 at 12:44 AM
i watched the anime
and it looks like every bit similiar to it
again i dont like KHJ acting
he still stiff and a pretty boy
should have given to an actor not a singer
it doesn't look like its going to be hyped up as much as BOF
even by watching the anime first, it feels like i watched the whole korean series already
oh well
currently watching assorted gems, gloria, baker king kim tak gu and i am legend
at least its fresh and not based on some manwha
i know it stillhas all the kdrama cliche but its original instead of a spinoff
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50 Flower Pot
September 12, 2010 at 12:58 AM
I guess the reason why people find that this drama is lacking tension is that because it starts slow and the conflicts come later on in the story...
After all, the story of INK spans years and since the drama started off showing them as High Schoolers, what can be more a conflicting and angsty for a girl that age than pining for a guy whom you think does not give you the time of day?
(Think back to your younger years... isn't that truly the case in real life? That and not studying for exams which were also tackled so much in the first few episodes of this story)...
For me, that's actually the reason why i loved the angst in ISWAK and INK because it made me invest my emotions first off in the pairing of Kotoko/Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu/Naoki and BAM! Just when i could not love them any deeper, then the problems come and i can not help but truly get affected by the dilemma that falls unto their relationship...
I hate to be spoilery, but suffice it to say that there will be a lot of conflicts later on in the story such as Seung Jo's issues with his parents, the dilemma about his future where Ha Ni will play a big role, Seung Jo's responsibility towards his family vs. his love for Ha Ni and last but not the least, Ha Ni's fighting spirit wavering on her quest to get Seung Jo's heart and her efforts to totally erase him from her life even if her heart won't let her...
Those scenes are really the ones that made this story special to me... There will be a time that the cuteness would simmer down and yet the spazzing would be of a different level...
Even if that is the case, you'd still feel drawn to Ha Ni and Seung Jo and would find yourself more invested in them because as they mature and they continue on towards their journey towards each other and life in general, you'd find yourself appreciating them more and more and growing alongside them as they transition from teen agers to mature adults with real conflicts and as their love grows from puppy love and simple HS crush to the full blown on kind that you'd only wish you'd have in your lifetime
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Nanci
September 12, 2010 at 7:31 PM
I think that's why I find it so hard to connect with this character (even though this show's leads are awesome), at 18 even though my crushes on boys did seem to make up a bit of my world, there was so much other stuff going on. I was trying to be an adult, trying to still get along with my parents, trying to decide what to do with my life. I mean, that's why I'm excited about the rest of the episodes because we get to see her trying to get into college.
I'm not saying there is anything bad with really liking/loving some boy who doesn't return your feelings (feels like all my crushes) but there needs to be more than that, no matter how 'escapist' this drama is suppose to be.
Again, I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
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Flower Pot
September 13, 2010 at 3:33 AM
I think by this weeks episode there will be more appreciation for Seung Jo's character and the story as a whole because you'd get to know what makes him cold and what his woes with his parents are
There is more to ISWAK/INK than what's there at face value... It's not just a story of cute teenage, puppy LOVE but of two people coming unto themselves and learning to truly know their real selves through each other...
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