Smile: Episode 5
by soyjoy
Hullo! I’m soyjoy, and I’ll be your guide through episodes 5 & 6. The three of us “Smile” recappers are rotating weekly, so hopefully our stylistic differences won’t throw you off. Luckily, we’re all in agreement that this is an endearing and enjoyable series, so at least the commentary should be pretty consistent in tone!
I think Lee Min-jung is adorable; she’s the reason I started watching the drama, then quickly got sucked in. She’s refreshing and spunky, and, like javabeans and dw4p, I’m really enjoying her in “Smile.” That said, I think Episode 5 is Jung Kyung-ho’s time to shine. He carries the scenes so well, from understated moments like the one above, to the wildly contorted facial expressions he makes in Hyun-soo’s goofier moments.
And off we go…
Episode 5 Recap
The Kang family (minus Grandpa Man-bok, plus Kyung-soo) is having their little make-up-with-Mom celebration, which is a smashing success. Turns out it doesn’t take much to win Geum-ja over; she’s a total softie underneath her gruff exterior. Sang-hoon promises to treat Geum-ja well, and Hyun-soo says he’ll move into the front room that evening.
Grandpa Man-bok comes home, and everyone scrambles to attention. Sang-hoon begins to explain, but Grandpa Man-bok cuts him off, bringing in his guests—
The Seo family.
Suffice it to say that no one is really happy about this, especially when Jung-kyung sees Hyun-soo, whose speechless stuttering devolves into helpless hiccups.
That is, no one except for Jung-in! She’s stayed here before, so she knows the ropes. Plus she finally gets to rub salt in her sister’s wound, since she’s onto the (non-)relationship between Jung-kyung and Hyun-soo.
“Hi Oppa,” she waves blithely when she enters. “Oh, right… this is the first time you two are meeting! That’s Chauffeur Kang’s grandson, Kang Hyun-soo.” Oh, she is enjoying this. Hyun-soo starts to explain that they know each other, but Jung-kyung cuts him off and introduces herself as though they’d never met.
Grandpa Man-bok explains that the Seos will be staying at their place for a few days. He shows the Seo family to Hyun-soo’s (intended) room. After how hard she’s fought for that room, Geum-ja is not giving up easily, but Sang-hoon pulls her away.
Hyun-soo is shocked. Very.
Jung-kil, meanwhile, is back to grandstanding. He says the place is too small and starts to leave to go to a hotel, but Jung-in points out that they have no money. The room definitely is too small, though, so Jung-kil will have to stay in Grandpa Man-bok’s room.
Hyun-soo has recovered from the initial shock and is ready to take advantage of this new proximity to Jung-kyung. He hovers at the door under the pretext that he’s delivering blankets.
Jung-kil comes out and warns him that he remembers the last incident (wherein a half-naked Hyun-soo was hovering over a drunk Jung-in, passed out in bed). Jung-kyung comes out of the room from behind and beelines for the bathroom.
Jung-in is ready to take advantage of a few things herself, and tells Jung-kyung through the door that using hot water will get her in trouble with Geum-ja. Hyun-soo cuts in, telling her to go ahead and use as much hot water as she needs.
Having primed him, Jung-in then says that her sister is sensitive, so Hyun-soo should make sure his parents treat the family well while they’re there. He’s all obliging, especially when she turns on the charm.
Wink, tuck, smile. Well played, Jung-in!
There aren’t as many pleasantries in Grandpa Man-bok’s room, where Jung-kil settles in for the night. He tells Grandpa Man-bok not to get the wrong idea just because he’s momentarily in a rough spot, then tells him to turn off the light.
Grandpa Man-bok sums up all of Jung-kil’s rudeness in one look. Then he gets up and turns the light off, without a word of reproach. (The look is searing and all, but could someone kick Jung-kil already?!)
It’s a sleepless night in the house.
Jung-kyung goes out to get some air, only to run into Hyun-soo, who had the same idea. She asks him if he’d known who she was.
Hyun-soo: Never! Really. Truly. If I’d known, I would’ve told you. It would have been an easy way for us to become closer. This is no ordinary connection. No, it’s fate—this has to be fate!
Jung-kyung quickly puts a damper on his excitement. She tells Hyun-soo not to get the wrong idea; had she known who Hyun-soo was, she wouldn’t have come to the house. She asks him to pretend he doesn’t know her. He cheerfully agrees, so long as she’ll let him know if there’s anything she needs.
He’s not exactly driving a hard bargain, and it becomes apparent once she leaves that he’s not even disappointed by her words. “Alright,” he peps himself up, “This is as far as I’m getting today.” (After all, what’s a day after eight years?)
Jung-in bumps into her sister coming back in, and suspects something is going on, which is confirmed when she finds Hyun-soo pumping himself up. She interrupts him to ask what he thought about meeting her sister. He says the two sisters are nothing alike, and Jung-in retorts that Hyun-soo is nothing like his Grandpa Man-bok; she says he must have been adopted. Hyun-soo tells her to stop being immature and hits her on the forehead.
Jung-in: Hey!
Hyun-soo: How can you “Hey” at an oppa? What kind of woman…. Granted, one mountain isn’t like another, so not all women would be alike either. Talking to you only makes my mouth hurt.
(Note that Hyun-soo’s begun to refer to himself as her oppa. Even though Jung-in and Hyun-soo both use the term to serve their own agendas, they’ve definitely settled into a nimble bickering relationship that goes from antagonizing to sweet-talking each other.)
Jung-in, manipulative though not maliciously so, goads him by saying that her sister mentioned him. She trails off and turns to go, but he’s positively hungry for the information. As she hesitates, he looks at her like he might eat her if she doesn’t spit it out, so she finally says her sister told her not to be rude to Hyun-soo, since he’s Grandpa Man-bok’s grandson.
He’s pleased at this and asks for more. She retorts, “What do you mean more? She just met you today.”
She turns to go, and mumbles under her breath, “No wonder he’d get slapped with a slapper.” He doesn’t hear her, and is not only unfazed, but beside himself with glee.
The next morning, breakfast is rife with tension before it even begins. In the room, Jung-in is yelling at Jung-kyung, who is trying to wake her and Joo-hee up. The Kangs overhear the argument as they’re setting the table and Geum-ja rails at the daughters’ poor upbringing.
When the Seos finally come out to eat, it’s amazing that anyone can manage to keep anything down with such palpable animosity going round. The Seos gripe, and the Kang parents respond with hateful looks and comebacks. Finally, Grandpa Man-bok yells at everyone to just eat, and silent watchfulness ensues.
When Jung-kyung gets up to go to work, Jung-kil tells Grandpa Man-bok to drive her. But Jung-kyung hurriedly leaves, saying the bus will be faster.
Hyun-soo’s almost missed his cue!
He crams his remaining spoonfuls of rice in his mouth, trying to catch up with Jung-kyung. He starts to leave, but his mother hands him some hot broth to finish first. He downs it, scalding hot. Hyun-soo’s expressions in this scene are PRICELESS.
Hyun-soo runs out and catches up with Jung-kyung at the bus station. He tries to give her helpful hints about which bus to take and safety at night, but she doesn’t respond. When the bus comes, she asks him to take the next one. This time, he’s disappointed, especially when she sees him out the bus window, then turns her back to him.
Jung-kyung at work is much more chipper. Two coffees in hand, she banters with the Chief. Seeing her suitcase, he asks if she moved out of her house. She asks, “Why, are you worried I’ll try to move in with you?”
Reaction FAIL. She continues to play it off lightly and says they should spend the night together at the hospital instead.
After he leaves, though, we see her true feelings.
Now we see Hyun-soo at work. Too cute to be a prof!
The director approaches him and says that he did sign the deal with Global Korea, so he should start working there as of the next day. Hyun-soo asks the director how he could make that decision without consulting him first, at which the director reminds him that there was no way to contact Hyun-soo, who doesn’t have a cell phone.
Hyun-soo: So, Lee Han-sae, you’re saying we’re on the same team?
He stalks off determinedly. (Whoa! What happened to being Beta male?) Well, Hyun-soo is nothing if not loyal, and this scene makes it clear that his loyalties lie with Jung-in. He looks positively FIERCE.
Back at home, Jung-kil comes out looking for “Chauffeur Kang,” where Kyung-soo is working on a car. I heart Kyung-soo, not just because he is hilaaarious in all his scenes, but because he’s the only one so far who puts Jung-kil in his place.
Kyung-soo tells Jung-kil to stop calling Grandpa Man-bok “Chauffeur Kang,” since that was yesterday’s news. Jung-kil raises his hand to smack Kyung-soo, who responds by raising his own—which is holding a wrench. Jung-kil awkwardly puts his hand back down. HAHA.
When he finds Grandpa Man-bok, Jung-kil is shifty and pretends to sniffle at how sad it is for his family, and how bad he feels at being unable to recompense the Kangs for their troubles. Grandpa Man-bok offers a roll of toilet paper (ha), but Jung-kil moves on to his main point.
Jung-kil: So… you should buy us plane tickets to the U.S.!
Kang Man-bok: What?
Jung-kil: It doesn’t cost much, so buy them for us and unburden yourself of the indebtedness you feel toward us once and for all!
(Ugh.) Grandpa Man-bok tries to dissuade him, but Jung-kil insists, even saying he’ll repay the cost once he finds Sung-joon.
A storm is brewing… Sang-hoon hasn’t necessarily overheard the exchange, but he’s had enough. He winds up, ready to lay one on Jung-kil, but Jung-kil blackmails him by reminding him of the “thigh” and “pink lipstick.”
Huh? Thigh? Pink lipstick?
Flashback—room salon—and—oops! It’s true. Sang-hoon had indeed kissed one of the hostess girls and touched her thigh. Jung-kil threatens to tell Geum-ja about the incident, and psychologically shakes Sang-hoon down for some cash.
Hyun-soo’s brought home some food for the guests—coffee and bread, which Jung-in had said in the morning is the only thing Jung-kyung eats. Meanwhile, Grandpa Man-bok has also brought home coffee and pastries. Geum-ja feels betrayed, especially by Hyun-soo, that the guests are treated so well while she isn’t given even a stick of gum.
She has a pity party in the kitchen, crying while she does the dishes. Hyun-soo comes in and holds out the bag to her, asking if she had looked thoroughly at its contents. At the bottom of the bag is a bottle of hand cream, which soothes a sore point, since unbeknownst to him Joo-hee had just called Geum-ja’s hands “tortoise shells.”
Hyun-soo: I prefer hands like these, my mother’s hands. They show how much my mother loves our family, and loves me. I am so proud, and so happy, to be your son.
This scene: Awww!! I should go call my mom.
Speaking of making phone calls… Jung-in’s phone fell in the toilet. When she comes out of the bathroom, Hyun-soo is talking to a woman (we presume it’s Jung-kyung, especially when she hangs up on him).
It’s impressive how quickly Jung-in works: she says her sister’s cell phone has been dropping calls, trying to goad him into buying a new phone for her(….self).
And he’s suckered again. You’d think he would see through her, but no. She convinces him to get his own too, since there’s a deal on “couple phones.”
She takes the phone that’s supposedly for her sister and is about to split, but Hyun-soo insists on going to the hospital now to give it to Jung-kyung in person. To avoid getting caught, she tells him to wait in the lobby while she gives Jung-kyung the phone.
She finds her sister in the Chief’s office, where the two are engaging in some collegial hanky panky. She backs out quickly—not without a judgmental glare—and intercepts Hyun-soo, who came up looking for Jung-kyung. She tells him she already gave her the phone and hurries him off.
At home, Jung-in gets a text from Hyun-soo: “Jung-kyung, I went to the hospital, and I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to see you. Overworking is bad for you, so take some breaks while you work. –Kang Hyun-soo.”
Jung-in says to herself, “Poor guy. He doesn’t even know a thing.”
But she sends a reply to Hyun-soo, with the voice-over is in Jung-kyung’s voice (since that’s who he thinks it’s from): “I’m disappointed too. And thanks. <3”
The heart was a little much on Jung-in’s part… but needless to say, Hyun-soo is ecstatic. He excitedly starts tapping away at his response.
(The music in this scene, which plays during the rest of the text-message scenes between Hyun-soo and Jung-kyung/Jung-in, is a great pick. It reminds me of the kinds of music they play in Mac commercials: it’s light, playful and has a steady pace that suggests the development of something novel.)
Grandpa Man-bok has bought tickets for Jung-kil, who is of course not only rude enough to wrest them away from him, but complains that they were purchased by redeeming mileage points. Jung-kil takes them and trades the redeemed points for cash, which he plans to use to pay for a hotel.
To this point, I haven’t captured much detail from the scenes about the dynamics among the parents because (a) it’s a secondary storyline and (b) it’s not that interesting, but this exchange cracked me up:
Joo-hee (to Jung-kil): Honey, when are we going to the U.S.? She keeps trying to start a quarrel, and it’s so scary.
Geum-ja: How am I scary? Am I an evil spirit? You’re the scarier one.
Jung-kil: Actually, even as a man, I do find you a bit scary.
We’ll see a lot of the parents’ dynamics in the next scene, though. Grandpa Man-bok gives Geum-ja meat for the guests. She protests—he wouldn’t even get meat to celebrate Hyun-soo’s homecoming—but he explains that the guests are leaving. It’s for their send-off. At that, she perks up. “I understand, Father. I’ll do my best!”
Though the Seos are about to leave for the hotel, it’s not hard to convince them to stay to eat the meat.
The two families grill the meat outside. They’re sitting in cramped quarters, and the sound of the sizzling meat is like a soundtrack to the escalating tension.
Jung-kil eggs Sang-hoon on, gesturing and alluding to the girl at the room salon, the thigh and pink lipstick. Meanwhile, Hyun-soo is anxious, waiting for Jung-kyung to come home. And Geum-ja is taking this last opportunity to rib the Seos.
Joo-hee mentions that she wants coffee, and Hyun-soo jumps up to go buy a freshly made cup, since he’s anxious for an excuse to look for Jung-kyung. Jung-in is close behind, seizing a similarly lame excuse of an errand. As they’re walking, they run into Jung-kyung, who’s just been dropped off by the Chief. The three of them pick up the coffee and head back to the house. Hyun-soo drops hints about the cell phone:
Hyun-soo: You must be sad that your family is moving to the U.S.
Jung-kyung: Yes.
Hyun-soo: Well, since you have your phone, you can keep in touch with them.
Jung-kyung: I guess so.
Back at the house, things are getting juicy. Jung-kil is alluding to Sang-hoon’s womanizing ways by bringing up his first love and how he even started attending church for her. It seems that neither Geum-ja nor Jung-kil realize that person is Joo-hee, who chokes at the mention. Awkwardd! Then Jung-kil alludes to the thigh and pink lipstick again.
Sang-hoon’s had enough. He lunges for Jung-kil, accidentally searing his hand on the grill in the process. He pushes Jung-kil off the platform, then jumps up howling in pain.
The “kids” return and are there to witness Jung-kil’s retribution—he spills everything. He says that Sang-hoon touched the hostess girl’s leg, and even kissed her.
Far from the outburst you might expect from Geum-ja, she’s silently throwing daggers at Jung-kil with her eyes.
Jung-kil: Why are you glaring at me? Sang-hoon’s the one who kissed her.
Geum-ja says Sang-hoon did well: Why go to such an expensive place if all you’re going to do is drink? Even though my son is here, I’ll acknowledge that men will do such things sometimes. And the fact that he lied to me? That’s obvious. We’re married, so you can do that. That kind of lie is acceptable. Do you have anything left to say? If not, please leave our house this very instant!
(Geum-ja’s having a moment, and I like it. She’s been sensitive up to this point, but it’s because she’s fiercely loyal and wants affirmation that her family is loyal to her, too. In the face of mockery from the outside, and especially from the likes of Jung-kil, something finally snaps and she rushes to Sang-hoon’s defense, willing to overlook his mistake. Will she kill him later? We don’t know. But for now, brava!)
Jung-kil appeals to Grandpa Man-bok, who clears his throat and looks away. Jung-kil says, “Fine, I’m leaving!” and begins to spit on their hospitality. Sang-hoon spits back, and there’s no end in sight to their juvenile antics.
But just then, the long-lost brother Sung-joon comes in. Heads turn, and not just because of that outrageously shiny murse.
Sung-joon: “So this is where you all were!”
[The Seos]: “Sung-joon!”
Sung-joon: “That’s right. Mother, Father, I’M BAAACK! AAAHAHAHA!”
COMMENTS
I know we’ve only seen him for all of 15 seconds, but having also seen episode 6, I’ll say that I am loving Lee Chun-hee as Seo Sung-joon. His character comes on the scene when, frankly, the plot was starting to drag and I was past annoyed with Jung-kil’s asinine behavior. Sung-joon’s arrival could have been a total plot contrivance—the distant son swoops in and sets some plot devices in motion—but Lee Chun-hee just does it with so much gusto. His entrance tells it all: this guy is crazy, and when he bursts onto the scene with his half-maniacal laughter, he infuses the scene with new energy. He commits to his antics with loads of flair and creates moments of unbridled comic relief while the other (more serious, if you will) plotlines are developing. Keep watching—there’s more Sung-joon fun to be had in episode 6!
On the other hand, Seo Jung-kil irks me to no end. I know he’s supposed to be annoying—his character is grotesquely immature—but I haven’t decided yet whether to attribute my reaction to character alone, or also in part to Kang Suk-woo’s performance. Jung-kil’s nonexistent backbone is essential to the plot; he’s dodgy, evasive and oblivious to how his actions affect others. But I think that Kang Suk-woo is making Jung-kil out to have the emotional intelligence of a 12-year-old, and regardless of character flaws, this is still a man who steered a company for several years. Granted, he steered it right into the ground, but surely he should have even the slightest sense of scale? That said, I am looking forward to seeing Jung-kil eat some humble pie in order to grow a backbone, and I hope to see a bit more nuance in how Kang Suk-woo portrays that growth.
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Tags: Jung Kyung-ho, Lee Min-jung, Smile
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1 chikalin
October 20, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Need to watch! Thanks for the review
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2 persephone
October 20, 2009 at 8:17 PM
yay! lee chun hee! :D
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3 coollady
October 20, 2009 at 8:42 PM
i so agree with you about that scene concerning Hyun-soo and his mom. some might call HS a mama's boy, but i call it being perceptive. he's the only one who understands how much she is and has been going through (seriously, i feel sorry for the woman), and knows exactly what to make her happy, temporarily anyways. Geum-ja's not annoying, she has a right to complain. Plus, it doesn't seem like she's asking much from her family either. anyhow, i thought the same thing when i saw that sweet scene: i miss my mom, maybe i should call her. haha.
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4 Biscuit
October 20, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Chunderella~~~ <3
Loving the recaps of Smile so far, and I think rotating on different recappers is a pretty awesome idea.
The drama is still fun and there were lots of cute scenes. But with so many new dramas, I was thinking if I should drop it and watch the rest once I finished the other dramas that I've already started. But with Chun Hee back, I HAVE to watch the next episode~!
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5 Gallivanter
October 20, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Thanks for the review! Your writing style is fantastic--the little snide comments made me giggle SO many times.
I don't know what to make of Jung Kil. It's got to be some of the performance, but it also feels very intentional to me. He's also very stiff in his acting. Maybe that too is intentional, but I don't know. All I can do right now is make a face when he's on screen, and hope he gets better. Or if not, then I hope Jung In can ditch him.
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6 onemorepls
October 20, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Thank you for the recap..
Brava to Geum Ja....I too like women who stand up to defend her men from outsider even if later she kills him....my motto my husband should always have face with outsiders....don't know about what's within ourselves...lols.... but to ousiders he's the man.....hehehe
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7 Nea
October 20, 2009 at 9:48 PM
Thanks for the recap!
I have to agree that Seo Jung-kil truly is ridiculous. There are no other words for him. Every ep I've seen I am never less amazed or appalled than the last. He is more audacious than anyone should be and still breathe. His wife is no less ridiculous but that is definitely for another recap.
With that said, I absolutely love Hyun-soo. His facial expressions, his helpless romantic antics, his random moments of manliness, its all great. I can't wait for all that is in store for him. And the scene with his mother was so sweet that I didn't even believe it was real! He truly is precious. At first, I believed that I was going to dislike his annoying stalkerish ways but as the story progresses, we realize that its just his blissfully hopeful romanticism/naivete. He's not a fool, nor is he as silly as some of his actions make him seem...
Love the show.Can't wait for the next recap. Thanks again.
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8 ar_arguably romantic
October 20, 2009 at 9:50 PM
Thanks for the recap! I agree with you about Jung Kil's character. But then this is a drama where heads of companies always end up acting like they have less intelligence than is required for their supposed job. His rough behavior is more low class. I know Lee Chunhee's character is supposed to be energetic and a bit flamboyant, but I thought his entrance scene came on too strong. However, I'm liking him in episode 6. And I love the Jung In and Hyun soo interactions! He's so naive and she's such a great observer- making the same expressions I would make if I saw Hyun soo getting so excited. And i love the scene with Hyun soo and his mom- made me tear up! It had some of the best lines in kdrama!
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9 jayjay
October 20, 2009 at 9:55 PM
you have no idea how much jung kil annoys me!
every time he acts up i just wanna punch him!!!
but i guess the actor is good if he brings out emotions on ppl :)
chun hee was definitely a good character to add and good timing too
loving the drama and can't wait till the weekend!
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10 Molly
October 20, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Great recap! I love the way you described things and laughed out loud quite a few times reading it. :) Sung-joon's an obvious deus ex machina, but like you said, at least his role is a good one! Thanks so much. :) Looking forward to the next recap.
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11 nomad
October 20, 2009 at 10:02 PM
thanks for recapping, it sounds like a fun drama. now, 'must go and download the episodes :)
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12 cheekbones
October 20, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Thanks for the recap. You all did a good job. I enjoy reading them and am considering to watch the drama. How many episodes does it have ? 24-28 ? Or something like 50 ?
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13 yubikiri
October 20, 2009 at 10:45 PM
i would love him to be my teacher...but i wouldn't listening
ahah i can still dream!
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14 jtinma
October 20, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Great job on the recap! I am really liking the Hyun-soo character. I especially like the fact he is not silly and naive in all area in his life. I love the fact he is passionate about his work and comes across as quite capable at what he does. He is kinda boyish and nerdy when it comes to his one-sided love, but it balance out with his capable work side and the sensitive son he is.
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15 pabo ceo reom
October 20, 2009 at 11:29 PM
Just saw episodes 7 and 8 and you're right....Jung Kyung-ho is really shining through...I'm digging his performance. I can't wait until the chemistry between Hyun-soo and Jung-in heats up!!
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16 anotherdrama_addict
October 21, 2009 at 3:46 AM
seems like an interesting series. thanks for the recaps. can anyone tell me how many episodes it has in all? i'll start following it if it has some 30 episodes..
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17 LTK
October 21, 2009 at 4:07 AM
love the recap. You've got a great style of writing. Thanks and looking forward to ep. 6.
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18 Penn
October 21, 2009 at 6:20 AM
I don't know about you but I'm dying to get my hands on the LG BL40 Chocolate myself eventhough I do feel sorry for Hyun-soo for being tricked.
Thank you for the recap.
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19 soyjoy
October 21, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Thanks for the encouragement and insights, everyone! (And thanks of course to javabeans as well--it's fun to be writing again, and I'm glad to have this opportunity to bring you all this laugh-out-loud series).
@cheekbones, @anotherdrama_addict -- I've seen in some places that "Smile" will be 30 eps, and in others that it will be 50. So my best guess is that it's slated for 30 and might be extended if it becomes successful. Personally I hope it stays closer to a manageable 30 episodes, as plotlines tend to get a little hairy when they drag on. But "Smile" has been doing well so far, so I guess we'll wait and see!
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20 tika
October 21, 2009 at 11:11 AM
ahhahaha I've watched ep8. I must say this is good!!! even though jung kil is omg so annoying. but the story isn't really dragy *thank god.. and I wanna kill jungin's sister! omg so damn selfish
chunhee is the best!!! hahaha
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21 Sonam
October 21, 2009 at 11:37 AM
I absolutely love Jung In's hairstyle.
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22 Z
October 21, 2009 at 2:45 PM
I actually like the way Jung Kil is being played. I mean. yeah he's totally unbelievable as a business tycoon, even a failed one... but since they haven't actually shown him in the business world, I don't feel like I'm forced to buy into the ly of him being about to run so much as a popsicle stand (this might change with some of the developments of episode 8, though. If you've watching it then you probably know what I'm talking about and were also thinking "grandpa... CRAZY?")
I orginally though that Hyun-soo was too dorky for my tastes (which says a whole lot because I have a huge thing for nerds and fobs) but he changed my mind about ten minutes after his first appearance on the show. So adorable! And great expressiveness on his face... especially in the dorky moments but in the more intense sequences as well. It's a good match with the equally expressive Jung-Il.
And now to #52 on my List of Hated KDrama Plot Devices. I don't like it when they try to convince us that a really good character (Hyun-Soo) sees something special in a jerky character (Jung-Kyung) with showing us that the character has any redeemable qualities. I mean, are we supposed to feel sorry for Hyun-soo for chasing that horrible girl around for eight years when, not only is she not a very nice girl at all, but she's made it clear that she's not interested. His stalkerific ways get nowhere with me because it just makes him look like an idiot for not knowing how big a jerk she is. This will make me extra mad when the inevitable happens and she decides she wants him after all and asks her sister to step aside, which Jung-In will do out of filial duty and because she thinks it's best for him and we'll have three weeks of them pseudo dating and Hyun-Soo waffling between the two and a possible engagement before the Older Doctor Guy comes back and claims back his woman... at least that's how I see it going down.
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23 glalam
October 21, 2009 at 5:02 PM
I absolutely loved episode 5, the Father & Son Hiccups, The BBQ fight and the entry of Chunderella!!!!Awesome, awesome, awesome!
I watched this two weeks ago but I am enjoying reading the recaps and reliving my favourite moments.
Thank you so much for doing it.
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24 engl
October 21, 2009 at 5:50 PM
You've done a great job with the recaps. I love it when people add in their own comments and point out things that you didn't really think about or remember. I've seen the next episode as well and I must say, the drama is getting a bit too serious for my liking now.. I hope it lightens up again after some of the misunderstandings are cleared up.. and yay for Lee Chun Hee!! He's bringing back the funny LOL moments that I oh-so- love in Smile^_^
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25 mishane
October 21, 2009 at 6:09 PM
Wow what an amazing job. Seriously. Amazing. You did great. I'm looking forward to reading more of your pic spams in the future.
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26 moomooye
October 21, 2009 at 6:18 PM
Lee Min-jung has such a wide range of facial expressions. I don't know if the screenshots are purposely capturing them, and every single one of them has some kind of expression on her face!
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27 moomooye
October 21, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Soyjoy: an amazingly detailed, witty, and insightful recap. ^_^ Keep it up!
@ Z: lols, HSoo's romantic idiocy really gets to me too. I really hope, however, it doesn't go down the way you've projected. Or if it does, then I want it to be as cliched as possible - with the angst, the cuteness, and the skinships. lols. As long as the chemistry is fantastic, I think I can handle the cliches.
@moomooye: I agree, LMJ is very expressive. Ever since "Who Are You" - I've seen her have great chemistry with all her male co-stars. I'll take it as affirmation of her acting prowess, and not coincidence.
Though I skip scenes of the show, LMJ/JKH have managed to captured my attention over all other drama couples rt now, including YB's MN/TK. Really shouldn't have started this drama until more eps came out...oh, the wait. *sigh*
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28 Kgrl
October 21, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Sorry, moomooye, didn't intend to steal your name - though it's a cute name. Above was posted by me. :)
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29 lia
October 21, 2009 at 11:40 PM
@ soyjoy....it was very fun and enjoyable recap
i love it...thanks
Guess i have to be patient for next recap
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30 erniu
October 22, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Love your choice of screenshots.
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31 Dian
October 29, 2009 at 9:25 PM
I love it.. One of my favorites family drama ever...
Thank you for the nice recap.........
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32 emma
December 19, 2009 at 12:31 AM
yeah i fast forward the scenes w/ that jung kil in it
but despite his obnoxciousness
my least favorite character is the grandpa
=___=
damn, what did jung kil's dad do for you that you have to put up with that?
i think the grandpa needs to grow a backbone
and not jung kil, he has one =_=
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33 Zodd
February 28, 2010 at 2:15 AM
After this ep the series gets really good.
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34 Rachel
June 18, 2010 at 9:52 AM
I swear, the Seos' obnoxiousness so far in this series is threatening to force me to quit watching this.
The breakfast scene was just so exasperating. I can't believe how he can submit to all of Jung-kil's demands, and how anyone can tolerate the whining and complaining of the Seo ladies. If the Seos were living in my home and behaving this way, I would've chased them out a long time ago.
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