My Fair Lady: Episode 8
by javabeans
We are now officially halfway through My Fair Lady, and although this means we get an inexplicably less flattering hairdo for Jung Il-woo, at least the plot heats up! (Perhaps they purposely sabotaged Jung Il-woo’s appearance to sway us subconsciously toward Dong-chan?)
SONG OF THE DAY
Na Yoon-kwon – “심장소리” (Heart sound, or Heartbeat) [ Download ]
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EPISODE 8 RECAP
Dong-chan leads Hae-na away from the throng of reporters, and they manage to slip into an elevator and escape to the roof. Apparently they are safe here, because nobody else is clever enough to figure out where the elevators go, and the reporters give up their chase. Instead, they stake out the chairman’s wing of the hospital, which is blocked off by his guards.
Hae-na’s initial reaction is relief at the rescue, but once they’re away from the crowd, she drops Dong-chan’s hand and wonders why he’s here.
Distraught over her grandfather’s condition (and still feeling guilty for upsetting him), Hae-na wants to stay by his side. Dong-chan urges her to remain put, reminding her that the reporters will find her and that she can’t do anything for her grandfather right now anyway. He gives her his jacket while they wait.
When Tae-yoon arrives on the rooftop, Hae-na rushes to him, dropping Dong-chan’s jacket in her haste (symbolism!). Dong-chan watches them embracing, saddened, and heads down alone.
Tae-yoon catches Dong-chan on his way out and asks why he quit — it would have been nice for Hae-na if he’d stayed. It’s clear that he respects Dong-chan and sees that he’s a good presence around Hae-na (for now, at least), and that makes me like Tae-yoon.
Seeing how despondent she is, Tae-yoon takes Hae-na’s hand and assures her, “It’ll be okay, so don’t worry too much. I’ll stay with you.”
The severity of the chairman’s condition requires him to travel to America for surgery, accompanied by Mr. Jang. This leaves Hae-na alone in the household, which worries everyone. Mr. Jang therefore brings Dong-chan to the chairman’s bedside for one last appeal to return to his former position.
Grandpa Kang would feel much better knowing that Dong-chan were there to look after Hae-na in his absence, and presses him to reconsider. Dong-chan politely but firmly declines again, saying that Hae-na has Tae-yoon and Ms. Jung with her. (Note: I noticed in this episode that they seem to be calling the head housekeeper Ms. Jo, but the website lists her as a Jung… Just in case you were wondering.)
Despite his resolve to stay away, Grandpa Kang’s words weigh heavily on Dong-chan’s mind. Upon Grandpa’s departure, everyone is surprised to see that Hae-na has her bag packed and announces that she’ll go with him. Grandpa tells her no, because she has to remain here and take care of the company. Hae-na protests, and seems ready to dig in her heels for an argument — until Dong-chan steps in.
This takes everyone by surprise, although not in a bad way. Dong-chan tells Hae-na she cannot go along, and addresses the chairman with a formal bow: “Sir, I will take the responsibility of watching over her. Please travel safely.” He mutters to Hae-na that being gracious to her grandfather is the best way to send him off, and at that chastisement, she gives her grandfather a heartfelt goodbye hug.
Hae-na is still upset with the way Dong-chan left without telling her, and the next morning, she issues her instructions to Woo-sung, ignoring Dong-chan (who is promoted as Hae-na’s offiicial attendant). Dong-chan reminds her of a meeting and advises her to change into work clothing right away in order to make it. Hae-na refuses to listen, so he takes matters into his own hands (literally).
Smiling cheerfully amidst Hae-na’s outraged protests, he picks her up and deposits her in her room, warning, “Will you change your clothes yourself, or shall I do it for you?” When Hae-na tattles to Ms. Jung, he smoothly talks his way out of it, holding a hand to his cheek and saying in a resigned tone, “You can hit me as much as you want, it doesn’t matter.” Ms. Jung thinks Hae-na is still beating him, and Dong-chan wins this round.
The other employees marvel at the change in Dong-chan and his take-charge attitude. Dong-chan steers Hae-na to the office for her meeting — passing by a startled Eui-joo, who wonders why he’s back working for Hae-na — and only relinquishes his hold on her when she promises to go to the meeting.
Dong-chan gives her a few tips, knowing that without the safety of her grandfather’s presence, her reception by the directors will be chilly. Particularly from her opportunistic uncle.
His advice turns her meeting from potential disaster to mild success. She takes Dong-chan’s tip of answering a question with a question, raising issues such as “Do you have the data to support that claim?” Then, she defuses a possible conflict with her uncle by agreeing sweetly with his points. Lastly, Hae-na concedes when faced with a tricky question about the troublesome internet shopping mall. Per Dong-chan’s advice, she admits the truth, that she doesn’t know a lot about these matters but will get back to them when she’s had the chance to examine the situation in detail.
While Hae-na is in her meeting, Eui-joo demands to know why Dong-chan went back. He understands her feelings about the job, but wonders why she has such a strong reaction whenever Hae-na is mentioned. There’s a moment when Eui-joo almost blurts out the real reason — that she cares so much because she likes him — but she swallows the truth and dissembles, “It’s because I worry about you so much!”
Dong-chan steps aside to get her a cup of coffee, at which point his phone, left on the table, receives a text message. Curious, Eui-joo takes a look. It reads, “You have one day left.” This triggers her suspicions, and she hurriedly excuses herself, memorizing the number and calling it.
Hae-na wonders what Dong-chan’s real reason was for returning to the job. She doesn’t believe the vague answer he’d given before, that he needs to find his own way and can’t be her butler forever. Dong-chan replies, “It’s because I’m worried about you,” but Hae-na sees that for the evasion it is and persists.
After a beat, Dong-chan answers, “It’s because I like you.” Startled, Hae-na doesn’t know how to react. He makes his point, saying that no matter what he says, she’s not likely to believe him anyway. Annoyed, Hae-na accuses him of making a joke of it.
That evening, Dong-chan chats with the housekeeper, who tells him she’s glad to have him back. Dong-chan’s expression dims when she says that the reason for Hae-na’s recent improved mood is due to Tae-yoon, and she asks if he likes anybody. Dong-chan answers yes, but doesn’t identify her, merely saying that she’s a beautiful person he can’t be with, since she’s out of his league.
As if to drive that point home, he comes outside to see Tae-yoon helping Hae-na ride her bike around the courtyard.
Tae-yoon and Hae-na have rescheduled their bicycling date this weekend, and he compliments her riding skills. She credits Dong-chan for teaching her, and doesn’t notice his tone changing upon hearing that. It’s a small comment and Tae-yoon has never minded Dong-chan’s role in her life before, but this bothers him.
Tae-yoon keeps his reaction in check, bidding Hae-na good night and leaving her with a parting gift — it’s the photo he took of her. But on his way home, he frowns at this latest wrinkle in his relationship.
The dissatisfaction goes both ways; Dong-chan isn’t happy to see the photo, or Hae-na’s excitement over it. When she instructs him to frame it for her, he tells her to do it herself.
His demeanor is more curt than usual, and it rubs Hae-na the wrong way. She chases him up the staircase to give him a piece of her mind, but slips backward. Dong-chan instinctively reaches out and grabs her, stopping her fall, and they freeze at the sudden closeness.
Both feel something spark between them, but cover up their reactions. Hae-na is caught off-guard and blurts out her favorite excuse (“This is all your fault”) and heads to her room, where she puzzles over the sudden new feelings.
The next day, Eui-joo investigates the mystery of Dong-chan’s phone calls, arriving at the moneylender’s office. She learns the truth of his debt (100 million won, or $80,000) and his intention of seducing Hae-na in order to pay it off. Racking her brains for a solution, she seeks out Tae-yoon for legal advice.
I love Eui-joo’s blunt, to-the-point way of speaking, not least because it leaves Tae-yoon so bewildered. She asks about the validity of a signed memo, such as in the case of private loans. Are they binding? He answers that it depends on the situation. Desperate now, she asks straight-out, “You’re a chaebol, right? Could I maybe borrow 100 million won?”
Surprised, Tae-yoon answers that he doesn’t have that much money, which elicits a laugh of disbelief from her. He clarifies that his parents are the rich ones, not him. Eui-joo leaves the office feeling mortified, while Tae-yoon wonders to Su-ho whether he did something wrong. (I love Su-ho’s baffled answer, which is that it’s hard to tell with those Kang San ladies.)
Hae-na falls asleep while reviewing documents at work. Dong-chan props her head on a pillow, his expression gentling as he watches her sleep.
Some time later, Hae-na awakens to find the scenario flipped: Now Dong-chan is the one asleep. She approaches, giggling as she snaps her fingers in front of his face, getting no reaction. Suddenly, Dong-chan’s hand grabs out instinctively and pulls her close. There’s another prolonged moment of awareness between them before they move away.
Tae-yoon calls Eui-joo back after she leaves the office, and they talk over drinks. He cautions her to drink slowly, although she assures him she can handle her liquor.
Tae-yoon calls Hae-na to join them, and when she and Dong-chan arrive, Eui-joo reminds him to keep their earlier conversation about money a secret from Dong-chan.
During the meal, it becomes apparent that Dong-chan and Hae-na are very cozy and comfortable with each other. Tae-yoon and Eui-joo clock the vibe between the other two, their looks uneasy and questioning.
This is the first scene where Tae-yoon exhibits an undercurrent of rivalry? tension? as he asks about Dong-chan’s previous occupations. Dong-chan mumbles a vague answer about “this and that,” and Eui-joo takes over. By now the alcohol has loosened her tongue and she starts to brag about how popular Dong-chan is with the ladies. This veers uncomfortably close to the topic of his gigolo days, and Dong-chan gives her the “What are you doing? Shut up” eye, which she ignores. Eui-joo warns Hae-na not to take Dong-chan’s kind attentions to mean much, since Dong-chan treats all women well.
That’s it. Dong-chan stands and takes Eui-joo outside to talk. He’s genuinely concerned to see Eui-joo drunk and so free-talking, but doesn’t pick up on her underlying message when she asks meaningfully, “Is there anything you want to say to me?” When he doesn’t answer, she tells him in disappointment, “I feel sorry for you.”
Hae-na and Tae-yoon wonder what’s taking the others so long, and head outside. When they join them, Eui-joo is drunkenly singing karaoke-style into Dong-chan’s necktie. It’s really cute.
Now facing the other couple, Eui-joo slurs out to them, referring to them as The Lawyer and The Princess. She’s not exactly rude (okay, she is a little) — I’d say blunt, maybe abrasive — as she laughs at Tae-yoon for being a chaebol without money, and speaks to Hae-na in casual banmal speech.
Hae-na is put off, but she holds back her temper since Eui-joo is drunk. Dong-chan apologizes and ushers Eui-joo away to take her home. Tae-yoon takes Dong-chan aside to tell him about his conversation with Eui-joo earlier. He didn’t mean to break his promise not to tell, but he thinks Dong-chan should know, and suspects that Eui-joo has taken out a loan from a loan shark.
After the others leave, Hae-na surmises that Eui-joo must be acting out since she’s in love with Dong-chan. Tae-yoon had thought they were dating, but hearing that they aren’t, he asks, “Then who does Dong-chan like?” Hae-na doesn’t think he likes anyone, which Tae-yoon finds surprising. He calls Dong-chan cool, which Hae-na finds funny — she admits he’s a nice guy, but she wouldn’t call him cool. Again, Tae-yoon seems perturbed as he takes in Hae-na’s description of Dong-chan.
Dong-chan mulls over Tae-yoon’s information, and sits with Eui-joo outside until she sobers up. He suggests they talk things over, but she’s not in the mood and declines. But when he stands to leave, she suddenly grabs his hand and asks, “Why do you live like this?” She knows everything — about his debt, his intention to swindle Hae-na of money. Why did he go back to that job? Was it to get money from Hae-na? Or… because he likes her?
Dong-chan answers, “I just want to be with her when she’s going through a tough time. That’s all.”
Eui-joo asks what he’s going to do about the money — he has to pay them back tomorrow. She’s exasperated that his concerns for Hae-na are misplaced, when he should be thinking of how to get himself out of trouble. Fed up, Eui-joo tells him angrily to take care of things himself, and stalks off.
Hae-na shows Dong-chan something she’s working on, which looks like a plain scrapbook of things she likes. She explains that she has thought of an idea for work, based on his advice to use her likes as a starting point, and will show him when it’s ready.
She then hesitantly asks about how long he’s going to stay — is he going to leave after Grandpa Kang returns, like he said? Probably thinking of his debt, Dong-chan answers philosophically that something may always come up, so people never know what the future holds.
Hae-na keeps her tone light but her meaning is sincere as she says, “Have I told you this? I’m glad you’re back. I mean it.”
The next day, Hae-na practices her presentation in front of Dong-chan, who gives her tips on how to act when she stands before the directors. Her idea centers around a marketing plan for the internet shopping mall, using herself as the face of the brand — she freely admits she’s got her flaws (like rudeness), but plays up her reputation as a fashionista and trend-setter.
On their way out, she remembers leaving papers behind in the conference room, and Dong-chan goes back to retrieve them. Thus she’s alone when a couple of familiar faces enter the lobby, talking loudly about not trusting Dong-chan to meet at their planned location (the church). It’s debt payback day, and the thugs are here to collect.
Eui-joo arrives in time to see Hae-na talking with the three men, and rushes to warn Dong-chan. As soon as he hears, Dong-chan races off in alarm, scouring the lobby for Hae-na.
When she reappears, he waits tensely as she walks toward him, her face grim.
Hae-na stands before him, glaring at him in a mix of hurt and anger. He tries to speak, but she cuts him off with a slap to the face.
COMMENTS
This episode is pretty much about the growing attraction between Dong-chan and Hae-na, as we are bombarded with repeated “accidental clinch” scenarios. Like I said in the last recap, subtle this ain’t. If I had to list some criticisms of the drama, its tendency to overdo things is probably at the top of the list — not just acting, but in its writing. What could be effectively conveyed in one lingering look is given three instead. A point that was made in the beginning of an episode is reiterated over the course of the episode, just in case you missed it the first three times.
This is my own pet peeve so you may not feel the same, but I always feel that this kind of excess is a sign of a lack of directing confidence. It happens often when the director doesn’t trust his audience to be smart enough to pick up the cues, and therefore goes overboard with the symbolism and such as. You could probably argue that it’s also a hallmark of the trendy drama genre, but I’d argue that that correlates with my point — that the trendy drama genre tends to underestimate the intelligence of its viewer and therefore tends to overuse such techniques.
But let’s move on to more exciting things, like the physical awareness growing between Hae-na and Dong-chan! Again, these scenarios are hardly original — the inadvertent embrace is another favorite device in the genre, and we’ve all seen these moments before. But I actually like that it’s taken us eight episodes to get here in this drama — we had a few moments earlier, but this is the first episode where it’s full-blown awareness on both sides. In many dramas the attraction comes first, or develops concurrently with the emotional attachment, but in this case the characters have developed their emotional bond pretty strongly before getting to the “What fluttering feeling is this?” stage of attraction/denial. It sort of solidifies the feeling I had early on that this is an updated version of an older-school, more innocent class of kdrama. (Which I find endearing.)
Speaking of which, it is something that never fails to amuse me in kdramas how the characters NEVER KNOW that what they are feeling is romantic interest. Seriously, it takes them forever to figure it out. I mean, c’mon Hae-na, you’re 24, not 12. SURELY you understand what it feels like to have the hots for a guy! I don’t mind this unrealistic sort of innocence, but it does always make me laugh.
Last but not least, I have to say I’m really digging the love geometry in My Fair Lady. On the surface, it feels like every other trendy drama we’ve ever seen, but for me, there’s a nice balance struck between all the parties. I usually find that the couples are very off-balance in terms of charisma and romantic appeal, and many times I’ll only root for one of the possible lovelines in the main quartet. In this drama, it’s not that I think they’re all fantastic characters on their own, but when you put the four of them together… I dunno, I just smile.
RELATED POSTS
- Happy birthday, Jung Il-woo
- My Fair Lady: Episode 7
- My Fair Lady: Episode 6
- My Fair Lady: Episode 5
- My Fair Lady: Episode 4
- My Fair Lady: Episode 3
- Moon Chae-won promises more smiles in My Fair Lady
- More gifts for the staff of My Fair Lady
- My Fair Lady: Episode 2
- My Fair Lady: Episode 1
- Please take care of My Fair Lady
- Press conference day for My Fair Lady
- Jung Il-woo seeks acting advice
- My Fair Lady’s prince on a white horse
- First still shots from My Fair Lady released
- Jung Il-woo: “Acting is a marathon”
Tags: Jung Il-woo, Moon Chae-won, My Fair Lady, Yoon Eun-hye, Yoon Sang-hyun
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1 Kazza
September 10, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Thanks for the summary!! Can't wait till english subs go up!
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2 nhidee
September 10, 2009 at 11:09 PM
You know, I wouldn't mind seeing Tae-yoon and Eui-joo hook up. I'm actually hoping for that lol
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3 ar_arguably romantic
September 10, 2009 at 11:10 PM
thanks for the recap! i agree with you on how the 4 characters are balanced really well in the show. and they're all likable!
i think they gave Jung Il-woo the ugly hairdo to age him a bit so that he would look around the same age as Yoon Sang-hyun and so that he would look more like an experienced lawyer. In the earlier episodes, part of the reason why Haena and Taeyoon look so compatible is that they actually look around the same age.
love the Euijoo and Taeyoon moments. And i love Euijoo's hair!
and man the look on his face after he got slapped. so sad =(
the one thing i would really like to see in the drama is for Euijoo and Haena to be friends or at least more friendly with each other. I like how Taeyoon thinks Dong-chan is cool and likes him- it's so cute!
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4 belleza
September 10, 2009 at 11:13 PM
In this show, Eul Joo is like Cassandra; she sees everything and speaks out, but nobody really understands or listens to her. Even she understands her own futility in being love with this man.
This was Moon Chae Won's episode to shine. She actually underplays the "drunken" part there and really hits the right notes between competitiveness, then bitterness, jealousy, and just feeling trapped. And her own feelings were subtly written in their own way. When Hye-Na flubs, Eul Jo quietly laughs to herself and ridicules her in her mind. But, then as soon as she sees how Dong-chan reacts to her, that smile turns into alarm and from there, she acts out. Just really done all around.
"how the characters NEVER KNOW that what they are feeling is romantic interest. "
Yeah, but here, it's really only Hye-Na is clueless. The neat twist here is that EVERYBODY ELSE is watching Hye-Na and trying to figure out what's going on inside her. Nobody wants to talk about it, except Eul Joo on occasion, but again nobody takes her seriously.
"You could probably argue that it’s also a hallmark of the trendy drama genre, but I’d argue that that correlates with my point — that the trendy drama genre tends to underestimate the intelligence of its viewer and therefore tends to overuse such techniques."
Honestly, I think it's just because 125-130 minutes of TV per week is often too difficult to produce without repetition, blank stares into space, and song montages. But that's why I like something like Style; there's so much cattiness, pettiness, and duplicity between everybody (except the lead female) that it's actually kinda unclear whether anybody is really in love with anybody. Everything is subtle to the point of passive aggressive behaviour, which is cool in its own right.
Jung Il-Woo's pama is a cautionary tale about getting a perm and then do a marathon right after that. Because, frankly, his hair looks so melted into his scalp that it looks like a wig. Like the hairpiece you might see on a lego!
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5 jae!
September 10, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Many thanks!
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6 jj
September 10, 2009 at 11:18 PM
I think Jung Il Woo can pull off the jealous look well...he makes it look believable. AH I like him sooo much lol. He is so cute in this drama.
But this is when I start feeling bad for TaeYoon :( and Eui Joo cuz it's obvious Haena and Dong Chan like each other.
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7 hjkomo
September 10, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Why, oh, why did they do that to his hair???
They're turning us cougars into pedophiles... O_O
...so much less tempted to watch this week's eps *sigh*
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8 ninja talkCo
September 10, 2009 at 11:21 PM
I won't mind either having Taeyoon & Euijoo being paired up either! She just seems more right to him!
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9 Asian Addict
September 10, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Can Jung Il Woo be the main character please???? He is the hottest person ever! I will NOT watch the episode where HyeNa will (inevitably) break his poor little heart. Damn! JIW = LOVE!
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10 thankyou
September 10, 2009 at 11:34 PM
"Perhaps they purposely sabotaged Jung Il-woo’s appearance to sway us subconsciously toward Dong-chan?"
LOL!
"The other employees marvel at the change in Dong-chan and his take-charge attitude."
It is true, he has been less inclined to give into her.
"It’s a small comment and Tae-yoon has never minded Dong-chan’s role in her life before, but this bothers him."
It seems that everyone is begining to see the inevitable but HN.
“I just want to be with her when she’s going through a tough time. That’s all.”
He couldn't be more clear.
"What could be effectively conveyed in one lingering look is given three instead. A point that was made in the beginning of an episode is reiterated over the course of the episode, just in case you missed it the first three times. "
LOL. My sentiments exactly.
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11 langdon813
September 10, 2009 at 11:48 PM
That's it! Makes perfect sense! Why else would they do that to Tae-yoon's hair if not to subtly direct our feelings towards Dong-chan? Good call. I do like YEH's hair much more now that it's a real bob instead of a fake one. It's still neon, but otherwise cute as can be.
The only character I'm not particularly feeling (even after 8 episodes) is Eui-joo, although I can't really put my finger on why. I think it's because in every scene I just get a super-pissed-off vibe from her and the feeling that because she's unhappy, she's going to make everyone around her miserable too. But what I'm not really sure about is WHY she's angry. I get that she wants Dong-chan, but her anger would make more sense to me if, for instance, she'd confessed her feelings long ago but been rejected. But as far as we can tell, she's always kept them to herself. So is she really just pissed at herself for not speaking up earlier, and worried that it's too late, that he's falling for Hae-na? I definitely like the no-nonsense, blunt quality she has, but I wish it came off consistently as "I've got WAY better things to do than put up with you idiots" rather than "I hate my life and all of you suck". It's probably just me who feels that way, though!
I completely agree with you, JB, about MFL's overall lack of subtlety (with the possible exception of Tae-yoon's new do). I think it would have been better if the director, instead of wasting time on unnecessary scenes that belabor a point we've already gotten, allowed a few scenes that fleshed out Eui-joo and Tae-yoon's characters a bit more. Or maybe that's a writer issue?
That's just nitpicky stuff though, and it doesn't keep me from enjoying MFL in the slightest. That YEH has got some wicked mojo, doesn't she? And I'm calling fake-out on the slap. I bet Hae-na's mad that Dong-chan didn't ask her for a loan when we're meant to think the gangsters spilled the beans about him seducing her to get her money.
Man, I have GOT to stop drinking coffee late at night!
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12 Deena
September 10, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Thanks a lot for you recaps, Javabeans.
I am left with the feeling that as a typical Kdrama, Hae-na should end up with Tae-yoon, but Dong-chan seems so much more attractive to me, that it is not that I want to seem him and Hae-na as a couple, but I really want to see him happy and accomplished. He IS a cool guy :-)
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13 Team Bodyguard
September 11, 2009 at 12:21 AM
So far I cannot stand EJ's character!
Where is that passion for designing shoes?
Why are you so rude towards your boss?
Why does she always have a sour look on her face?
And lastly WHEN IS SHE GONNA START TO DESIGN SHOES instead of following DC around acting all clingy?
I dunno but everytime I see EJ's face she just puts me in a bad mood....and no, I dont see the chemistry berween EJ and TY.
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14 Rainey
September 11, 2009 at 12:33 AM
Thanks
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15 MEIKO**** ^-^
September 11, 2009 at 1:54 AM
thanks JavaB! ^-^
@ Belleza
let me just lmao on the part about TaeYoon's hair!!!! I was just thinking while reading therecap and looking at the pics, that it is beginning to look like a wig!!! And you just said the perfect words!!! melted wig and lego!!! lol! Poor Jung ll Woo....
my, my, have to watch the epiosode now...
btw, good comments (including JavaB's) you guys have made..... ^-^
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16 sass
September 11, 2009 at 2:51 AM
I can't stand EJ character too.
EJ will always come out with the bad mood and temper. Is she Kang Hye Na or what??
I found this irritating. I started to dislike EJ as Seung Mi.
The cute girl which everyone love at first but later on she's annoying and selfish.
Later I start to like more of Lee Tae Yoon. His character is supposed to be quite, cute, prince-charming which I start to see this in him and understand more of his character.
For HN and DC, they're just great. Their acting are so good. More I see them, more I love them both and they definitely got a great chemistry here.
I can't stand looking at HN & DC eyes, they're making me nervous......^__^
AND PLZ PLZ PLZ change TY hairstyle!!!!!!!!!!!!
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17 littletoygun
September 11, 2009 at 4:21 AM
8th ep was really exciting in every aspect, I'm looking forward to the next week^__^
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18 sue
September 11, 2009 at 7:49 AM
hmm, looks like i need to catch up on this drama quick!
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19 appleblahsums
September 11, 2009 at 8:38 AM
thnx for this nice ep 8 recap! i just watched two parts of this a few min ago and the rest of the other parts are still on the works i'm sure but can't wait to watch it. from ep 7 which i liked very much, i agree with you with the balance of the four characters in this drama! i do appreciate the flow of the story and find it really romantic as how the relationship betwn dong chan and hye na is growing, slow but maybe sure! yoon sang hyun never ceased to amaze me...great actor! I can't wait to see the whole episode as this drama becomes more & more interesting. I actually like it so much that i dread to think of that day it will end!
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20
September 11, 2009 at 8:50 AM
I think the balance is exceptional, because all 4 actors are equally accomplished and can hold their own in a scene. Often the second leads are weaker actors.
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21 Sevenses
September 11, 2009 at 12:12 PM
Thanks for the recap!
Jung Il-woo's new hairstyle makes him look even younger than he already is, though some part of me is wondering if he lost all his hair in a freak accident and had to opt for a toupee.
And, of course, what is a kdrama without the obligatory American fixer-upper cure-all?
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22 anna
September 11, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Ugh, seriously! They're not in their teens anymore, they should at least know when it's love or not. Like omg, why is my heart beating so fast?? No, it's nothing.. nothing at all. C'mon! Of course we need this to drag out the storyline, if they just fall in love and admit it, the drama would be over and done. Sometimes I wish they would just get together and be done with it though. Oh the ~drama~
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23 wHOOsH
September 11, 2009 at 6:04 PM
HAHAHAHAHHAAA!!! OMG that makes so much sense!! by making jung il woo adorn a horrific haircut, lawyer lee tae yoon does indeed seem more appealing.
...does that mean i'm superficial?? ._.
...nah. i've been rooting for dong chan all along..i'm a sucker for the weak ones pining away for what they believe to be unrequited love :P
...plus. we're basically pointed towards him, since he's the male lead.
but. jung il woo was soo pretty in the first few episodes :D <3
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24 Nom_Kitteh
September 11, 2009 at 6:39 PM
I loved this episode. I FINALLY got to to watch it -- what a nice Friday treat!
I am actually loving the slowly evolving emotions. I think even us old, veterans of love know how confusing it is to feel attraction for someone wholly inappropriate. HN is taking this long to realize why her heart beats faster when around DC because she cannot even imagine having feelings for him. So it makes perfect sense that she would feel confused and thrown off.
I am liking TY more and more. In this episode I felt that he was perfect husband material! It's a good thing HN is not my daughter because when the inevitable happens and she falls for DC, damn...glad I won't have to be making any decisions.
I still find DC and HN's relationship completely inappropriate. He is her servant -- that's why he waits on her hand and foot. What kind of relationship would they have if they dated? The writers need to start throwing in some scenarios where HN has to take care of DC so that we can at least see some potential for equal give and take.
All things aside, sigh, I love this drama so much. I love how predictable it is. I love how simple it is. It's like returning to an old, much-beloved book: familiar and safe.
The writers better not f this up by killing haraboji. Nobody must die in fairy tales, except for EJ. Every time I see that scowling face, I want to smack her. What a miserable waste of space. But typical of so many k-dramas; god forbid we have females characters who are nice to each other and want to empower and help each other.
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25 Just A Fan
September 11, 2009 at 6:45 PM
Thanks JB for the recap!
There are others who can't see the chemistry between DC and HN and I really feel bad for them. It could have been because...just MAYBE because they wanted someone more strikingly handsome partner for HN. If not for Queen of Housewives I would not have notice how cute YSH is.
In the past, I'd like the lead actor to be the most striking guy in the whole drama series or not the whole but should be looking better than the secod male lead and since JIW is cuter than YSH, some of the fans voted him off.
Recently, I focused more on the character and the charisma of the actor and YSH is definitely such a charming guy. I am rooting really for a DC-HN ending.
Episode 8 gave us more sparks, although we got more episodes so the realization of the intensity of emotions will have to wait.
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26 Just A Fan
September 11, 2009 at 8:20 PM
GO EUN HYE!!!!!! FIGHTING!!!!!!
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27 heejung
September 11, 2009 at 10:53 PM
taeyoon's hair - LOL. that comment cracked me up!
while i do wish that taeyoon and euijoo would get together, i don't necessarily like her that much. like everyone else said, she is just too pissed off about everything. she does have her cute points tho. the necktie karaoke was funny!
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28 Shay
September 11, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Why the hell is everyone pissed off at Moon Chae Won's character, Yoon Eun Hye's character is the one who makes me want to rip my hair out -___-
Eui-joo kinda reminds me of myself, we're both very pessimistic ;)
Anyways, I agree that there's a nice balance among the actors. Now that's rare.
Can't wait for the upcoming episodes!
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29 christine
September 12, 2009 at 2:14 AM
thanks JB for the recap... we can now see the budding feelings ( i mean in a romantic way) of HN towards DC... and some jealousy from our boy TY...
LMAO on the comment bout TY's hair...(by the way it's just plain ugly...)
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30 Katrin
September 12, 2009 at 3:24 AM
Thank you for the (amazingly fast) recaps!
Here the accidental embraces didn't trigger any feelings in me. Usually I feel with with the actors and have some kind of rumbling in my stomach when a scene is very romantic, cute or dramatic. But this time these scenes weren't well done or I really have seen too many of them.
I prefered scenes like the one in the flower shop (ep. 7) and loved DC's face when he saw HN. He didn't look pleased at all. That was cool. I don't like openly whining male characters. It's kind of unmanly.
And here I really enjoyed the scene when DC gave HN some tips for her presentation on the internet shoppig mall.
You hardly wrote about it. But I found it most striking how unconfortable or let's say how nervous and unsettled HN felt when HN was standing so close to her even taking her face in both his hands. That was new.
I noticed that the lead actors usually don't touch each other. Is that typical Korean. Here they do often put a hand on one's arm or things like that. It looks more natural.
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31 meirav
September 12, 2009 at 7:47 AM
i just saw ep 8 i can't for ep 9 it is better and better
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32 Raina
September 12, 2009 at 9:41 AM
I don't know. I guess I'm in the minority for thinking HaeNa matches better with TaeYoon than DongChan. (I'm actually liking the new do on TaeYoon too!)
It's probably been mentioned before but to me DongChan looks a little old for HaeNa. I'm just not feeling or believing the connection there.
thanks for the recap! I always read the recap before viewing the episode. : )
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33 Snikki
September 12, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I just started watching this -- finished episode 3. I hope I can catch up to join the discussion. Anyway, I'm really liking it so far. I don't know who to root for, yet. I love both of the male leads.
I'm very easy to please, so I hardly notice the flaws, unless they're too apparent. That's why I enjoy most of the dramas I watch. :)
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34 Asian Addict
September 13, 2009 at 1:33 AM
I'm with you a 100% Raina. Tae-yoon forever!
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35 K-Dramas
September 13, 2009 at 7:08 AM
Hello Everybody !
I need some help ! =)
Can someone tell me where i can download the song that we heard in episode 7 (bike moments with Dong Chan & Hye Na) & 8 of My Fair Lady ? It's a new song that isn't in the OST T__T
"I love you oh I love you.." are the lyrics. =)
Thank You ! ^^
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36 kirara
September 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM
This episode was quite funny as usual..
the new look for Dong Chan.. wow! A white looking suit???
I also love how Haena and Dong chan are arguing about who's going to put it in the frame, and yet he does it for her, shows how much he cares..
Eui Joo is just too hilarious.. blurts out to Tae Yoon about a bunch of questions and then she gos straight out to ask him money, and then gets disappointed that he doesnt have any at all, disappointed and walks out.. I was like, Um WOW..
Tae Yoon's confusing thoughts and looks makes him soo HOt.. :)
Thank you for posting as always!
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37 westar
September 14, 2009 at 12:02 PM
nice.thanks
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38 MinT
September 15, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Ok I was wishing that the part where Eui-joo is drunk that Dong-chan would piggy-back her with Hae-na watching and feeling jealous but not know it. lol
Maybe it's too early to show that? lol
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39 mIcAh07
September 16, 2009 at 9:11 AM
I wish that tae-yoon was her partner
I want tae-yoon to be her partner
cuz his handsome compared to Dong-chan
She is a pretty girl so she need a handsome guy
ur partner
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40 din
September 16, 2009 at 10:04 PM
i like moon chae won's character & acting here in MFL out of the 3 dramas i've watched her from (POTW & shinning inheritance). :D
plus, i haaaaaaart her drunken scene! <3 so cute! hihi.
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41 annie
September 19, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Good recap. I agree that there was a considerable lack of subtlety in this episode. I liked episode 7 better to be honest. Dong Chan yells too much in this one - I thought he was getting better.
Also, I liked Eui Joo in the beginning, but her character seems to be falling into that "gloomy other woman" category that seems inevitable in Kdramas... sadly. I think it's more the fault of the writing than her acting. But it seems like everything she says is kind of bitter/unhappy. Plus, what was the deal with "I'm taking a personal day" to her boss? A bit unbelievable. But she did a really good job in the drunken scene, I agree.
You didn't mention my favourite scene from this episode - one where they used subtlety and it worked. When DC forces HN to go to the meeting, and after giving her all those tips, the get into the elevator and both face the closing doors, and they both smile to themselves. They have been snapping at each other all morning, but both of them admit to themselves - when the other isn't looking - that they're happy to be together again. I found that incredibly sweet.
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42 Sere
September 28, 2009 at 7:26 PM
“Perhaps they purposely sabotaged Jung Il-woo’s appearance to sway us subconsciously toward Dong-chan?”
Dude, not for me. I started liking Dong-chan waaaaaaaayyyyy before Tae-yoon and the more we see of Dong-chan, the more I like him. And look, I'm in full Jung Il-woo fangirling-mode as I'm watching The return of Iljimae these days and you know what that drama and his performance can do to a girl! ^_^'
Aside from that, I second every single thing you said in your recap (BTW, thanks for it!).
Oh and I adore Moon Chae Won and her acting skills. I can't wait for the day she gets her first leading role cos I'll be watching for sure. I have such a girl-crash on her. I thought she was *amazing* in The painter of the wind and she did a pretty good job in Brilliant legacy, too, but I'm glad to see her in a less angsty role in Take Care of agasshi, which btw, I like very much, flaws and all. I don't know maybe I'm easily entertained (though yes, if there was fewer o-viewers-this-is-a-clue-please-pay-attention moments, I'd be much happier!)
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