The Musical: Episode 15 (Final)

106 December 30, 2011January 24, 2016

by kaedejun

Wow. I thought I was disappointed with the ending in I Am Legend. This ending tops that on my “disappointment list.” The Musical started out so strongly, and was interesting for the first half. But it flagged, and it was evident in the writing, the editing, and even the acting. I think Park Ki Woong did his best with his character, but everyone else fell flat – more so by the end. Perhaps again the fault lies in the lazier writing.

But I’ll save the rest of my anger in the final comments. Here goes… (and no, unfortunately this will be a sober recap. Champagne and other bubblies were consumed over the holiday weekend before I watched this episode. I have no more left. Sob*)

So Yoo Jin thwarted Kang Hee’s plans. And to further cut the angst short, “Gumiho” wins first place in the contest. The company cheers and they celebrate their win on the stage. Joon Hyuk immediately shares the good news with Ra Kyung, who’s changed her hairstyle. (New man, new hair?)

While on stage, Kang Hee purposely walks by, pauses in front of them, and continues walking off. Bitter much? But it’s all good – Gu Jak suggests they all go for some drinking and partying at the “hotel,” meaning “sauna.” Yoo Jin comes out with the other investors and judges, who thank him for letting go of the rights for the musical. Of course, Eun Bi and Jae Hee overhear this, and they’re both thankful towards him. Jae Hee puts his arm around Eun Bi as well, a clear sign of “She’s mine; stop staring at her.”

The battle is not over for Kang Hee just yet. In her car, she calls up Grandfather and immediately reports to him what Yoo Jin has done. Grandfather is not a happy camper. What’s worse is that Jae Joon is in the same room and overhears the call. He lets slip that Yoo Jin probably made that decision because of “the girl” from Gu Jak’s company, who probably also caused the breakup between Yoo Jin and Ra Kyung.

Eun Bi goes running in the park, and finds Jae Hee there, waiting with a warm cup of coffee for the both of them. She wonders how he knew she was there, and he replies, “My lips woke me up, because they wanted to see her.” EWWW – and I agree with Eun Bi on this one – that is one hell of a cheesy line. Despite knowing that they’re facing some obstacles (for her, it’s Kang Hee’s wrath, and for him it’s the money issue), both of them still smile together. Eun Bi is finally at peace that she knows what she wants, and the people she cares for. (Yep – people – even though Jae Hee insists there should only be one person that she cares for.)

But while they’re happy, Yoo Jin gets some bad news: he’s being transferred. It appears that he’s no longer going to head Amour Fund – that is going back under his witless cousin’s rule – and he will be heading the China project.

A brief interlude has Eun Bi visiting her grandmother at a computer center. The grandmother decided to take some classes, but since Yoo Jin’s father gave her some more advanced tips, she’s been teaching others some computer tricks. She tells Eun Bi that her father’s sort of come to peace with her new chosen career, quietly proud that his daughter is the lead of a musical.

Joon Hyuk, Gu Jak, and Jae Hee start planning out which theaters they can put their show in. Joon Hyuk compiles a list of small venues with canceled shows, but the thing is they still don’t have enough money for even those. But Gu Jak isn’t too worried – they’ll have sponsors – for sure! Wow Gu Jak – I hope you learned your lesson though on not spending all your sponsors’ money at once.

Yoo Jin meets with his Grandfather, who tells him that he’s doing this transfer for his grandson’s benefit. He won’t know that he’ll regret helping the “Gumiho” project until much later down the road. But Yoo Jin doesn’t want to follow; even if Grandfather may eventually be right about the regret, he can’t follow this change. And so, he resigns.

Already, Jae Joon is accepting bribes from directors and playing games in his office. Yoo Jin’s secretary comes in with documents for the transition, and all of Yoo Jin’s projects. Jae Joon only wants the documents relating to “Chungdamdong Gumiho,” because he wants to know everything that has to do with the project. And what does the secretary do instead? He hands over his resignation letter too!

But Jae Joon is not completely lost of sources – he calls up a buddy and gets the 411 on Gu Jak’s company. Next thing everyone knows, all the small theaters Gu Jak was considering are booked. They know that someone must be behind this, and Bok Ja voices that it must be Kang Hee.

Jae Hee quickly goes to make a phone call, but Eun Bi holds him back. What if it’s not Kang Hee’s fault? And if it is, then shouldn’t they try to convince her and beg for her help? Jae Hee’s shocked – before, Eun Bi would have said “Oh, it’s not working out. It’s my fault. I quit.” (HAHA – so true.) Now, she’s “grown up” a bit and will work to overcome an obstacle rather than run away/around it.

Joon Hyuk goes to meet Ra Kyung outside her office, and he shows her a magic trick inside her car (just to cheer her up). However she can tell that something’s bothering him, and he admits that “Chungdamdong Gumiho” is lacking a theater. If they don’t secure a theater soon, the contract with the cast and crew will end. If that ends, they’ll lose the sponsorship from the contest they just won.

Ra Kyung suddenly gets an idea; she calls up her mother for her uncle’s contact info. Apparently he had a theater built last month! How convenient!

Yoo Jin’s assistant goes to Yoo Jin’s home with an update on Gu Jak’s company. They managed to secure a theater, but they lack funds for production and marketing costs. They’re in need of a CFO – *hint hint.*

He gets a visit from Gu Jak and Jae Hee, and gives them a quick proposal on their financial situation. Since they are in need of $30,000 for production cost, he suggests that he be the CFO for their production. In return, all he asks for is 3% of the profits over the next 10 years, priorities in selling the musical overseas, and a 5% cut from the sale. Jae Hee is skeptical about all this, but Yoo Jin assures him that he can get $20,000 right away from a wine company, as long as their wine bottle is featured in the musical.

As for Kang Hee, she’s obsessed with social media, loving how thousands of fans just follow everything she says, likes, or does. Sang Won tells her about Jae Joon is the new head of Amour Fund, but she’s not worried. She’s such a big name that with her, Sang Won can get any funding he needs and wants. It’s crazy how she objectifies herself as a money-making commodity to her husband rather than a wife, because Sang Won clearly loves her as a wife and a woman.

Joon Hyuk visits Ra Kyung again, this time with a gift. He thanks her for helping solve their theater-problem, and hands her a new watch: “I hope that every second in your life is sweet.” Ra Kyung gives him a peck on the forehead. Collective AWWW please as these two blush.

Posters come out on the streets of “Count Monte” and “Chungdamdong Gumiho” side by side. “Count Monte” posters feature Kang Hee prominently, while “Chungdamdong Gumiho” posters bring out an antiquated vibe. Turns out Ra Kyung is also helping in the marketing for “Gumiho.”

Ra Kyung and Yoo Jin meet. Both were a little worried they might cross paths while working on the same project, and that it would be a painful experience. But Ra Kyung has completely moved on, and is actually happier now. She wonders if Yoo Jin can deal with seeing Eun Bi and Jae Hee, and also Joon Hyuk around herself. Yoo Jin is ok with it if she’s ok with it. Peaceful ending for this long-term couple.

And then we see some clips from the “Count Monte” production! It’s pretty cool as we watch the sword fights, the women singing, and how Mercedes confronts Edmond Dantes about their past. We even see Kang Hee all dressed up in her gowns, belting ballads and duets.

After one particular performance, Kang Hee cleans up in her dressing room, practicing singing. But then, her voice fades out. She coughs a little, and tries again. Her voice goes out – and she can’t even hit the high notes. Her voice comes out in whispers…

Her rival Eun Bi is practicing one more time at Jae Hee’s home, their first performance being the following day. When the song ends, Jae Hee immediately rattles on a list of things she needs to do to preserve her voice: turn on the humidifier; get a good night’s rest; eat, but don’t eat too much. He gets more nervous than she, that he even suggests she stay over the night so that he can make sure she’s doing everything properly. Ha – like Eun Bi can’t see right through him. She knows he just wants to pounce her (rawr). He hugs her, and then leans in for a kiss, but she backs off quickly. Is this the proper behavior of a teacher to his student-actress? Jae Hee: “Um, well, if certain things happen, shouldn’t we just go along with it? And then move on to the next base?” Heehee – cheeky boy.

Eun Bi leaves anyways; if she spends the night, she knows she may do something naughty…

Kang Hee grows even more scared when she gets home and still can’t sing. She gets a check-up with the doctor, and the diagnosis is acute vocal chord damage. There’s no telling how long it will last, so her substitute may have to come in until the end of the show’s run. Kang Hee is not allowed to use her voice for six months, and the news stuns her so completely that she cannot walk out of the hospital without her husband’s help.

Once back home, Kang Hee composes a letter to Sang Won. She admits that she’s thought many times of how their marriage would end, but she never expected it would be over the loss of her voice. Because she’s no longer useful to him, she’s decided to leave. Ugh – this is the worst execution of the Noble Idiot storyline.

Sang Won reads the note and grabs Kang Hee before she can go out the door. (P.S. – you’re supposed to make sure the recipient gets the letter when you’re already out of the house, on the way to the airport, and ready to board the plane.) He is willing to end the love between Han Sang Won the musical producer, and Bae Kang Hee the actress. But now, he wants them to begin the love of Han Sang Won the man and Bae Kang Hee the woman.

She resists his hold, but he won’t let her go without knowing that he’s always loved her – just her. He doesn’t care if she can’t sing or speak onstage anymore; he is just waiting to hear one thing from her, and so he doesn’t want her to lose hope and lose her voice just yet. (Methinks it’s a, “Thank you,” or an “I love you.”) And with that, Kang Hee stops fighting against him.

The next morning, she goes out and picks up the milk for the first time. She sees the handwritten message, and Eun Bi riding her bike away without a look back. Small smile on Kang Hee’s face, and this time, she drinks a little from that milk carton instead of giving it to her cat.

Beware the following segments – there is no connectivity whatsoever:

Grandfather is on the call with Jin Young, who’s now back at the company since his wife has died, and his son has resigned. Jin Young is handling the company’s business in China now. However, another company official informs Grandfather that they’re losing money; if they can’t get $100 million by next month, they’ll lose everything. Suddenly, Yoo Jin is back – and he’s willing to help his father in China. He also proposes they get another fund from a company in America.

Ra Kyung and Joon Hyuk drive up to a new housing complex. Since her family built it, it might be under her name. And they end up kissing on the stairs. Woohoo!

Joon Hyuk and Gu Jak carry home a drunk Jae Hee, with Eun Bi close behind. Joon Hyuk has to head out to help Ra Kyung unpack, and Eun Bi sends off Gu Jak as well, saying he ought to go to Sang Mi. Joon Hyuk has to drag Gu Jak out, understanding that the actress and the songwriter need their little private time.

On the sofa, Eun Bi sits close to the drunken Jae Hee. Shyly, she kisses his forehead. No response. Kisses his cheek; no response. Kisses his lips; still no response. Eun Bi is so flustered that she doesn’t realize Jae Hee’s actually awake. He pretends she’s still asleep, waiting for her to kiss again, and when she goes for the lips again, he sits up and grabs her for more. Eun Bi is so shy she can’t stop giggling as he kisses her.

They end up in bed (fully clothed by the way!) and Jae Hee looks into her eyes. “I love you,” he says. She smiles, and replies, “I love you…I think.” And they hold hands.

Comments:

What?! That’s the ending? No performance? Just random segments of closure?! I’m not even 1% satisfied with any of the closing segments! It’s such a rushed ending, and clearly it’s because of the flagging ratings and the episode cut. This drama is the perfect example of choppy editing, because it has segments that are vague and don’t relate all next to each other. I’m confused by the timeline and sequence of events. It feels like everything happened over several months, but it’s so rushed that I initially thought it all happened within a week.

I like the attention that was given to Kang Hee’s character by the end, although it was quite a pathetic way to make her character sort of “die.” Kang Hee lost all her bite and vengeance by the end of the series; once intriguing, she became weak and gave up too quickly. I am glad that she took a sip of Eun Bi’s milk, because that was finally her way of accepting Eun Bi as a person. Still – kind of a weak, and pathetic, ending for a woman once so manipulative.

I think this series belatedly realized that Yoo Jin was the most compelling character in the group. However, the writers shouldn’t have suddenly turned the focus on him because it made no sense. When episode 13 turned back to the romance, I found myself wanting them to turn back to the musical more. I wanted more of Kang Hee being a mentor, or being a saboteur, to Eun Bi’s career. I wanted more of the rehearsals and the drama that goes on backstage. I don’t care as much for the mother with the brain tumor and how her death will send everyone else to a tizzy. That storyline should have been downplayed a bit more.

I will give a couple of things to the series’ credit – the beginning was fun, the music and audition process were nice, I loved listening to Ock Joo Hyun sing, Sung Ha was fun until she started seeing herself as Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction,” and Park Ki Woong was the winner of this series, having had the most growth and also ending up doing things the way he wanted on his own terms.

Now on to the scathing part:

Gu Hye Sun does not emote properly, nor does she have chemistry with Daniel Choi. I think I know where she’s coming from when she makes her grimaces and squirmy faces that look like she’s smiling when she’s actually trying to channel awkwardness. But when I look at her, all I can see is Gu Hye Sun – I can’t lose myself in the character of Eun Bi. Some actors are good at portraying someone else, and some are good at presenting expressions that have to do with the emotion, but none of them look so offbeat or juvenile while doing it. You may argue that this is Gu’s unique acting style, but that acting style isn’t sincere. Rather, I feel like she just coasts along in her character, not trying too hard to let the audience empathize with the awkwardness she feels around Yoo Jin and Jae Hee. She just acts like a little kid that is too shy to take the lollipop from the ahjussi. You’re a grown woman – act like one, even if you’re a bit naive on love.

I was not impressed with her at all, and I was doubly not impressed with her character in general. (That fault lies within the writer though.) I don’t find her a compelling lead because though she claims to have a drive to be a musical actress, she waffles around too much. Sure it’s because she doesn’t want to compromise her morals for the sake of ambition, but I question her morals as well. Does she not realize she’s leading on two men? Does she not realize that she’s a coward and that her method is to give up rather than work hard? What if a dying patient were on the line – would she have given up, or would she have tried to find a cure? Does she not realize earlier that her actions may have an impact on others that may not necessarily be good for them? She doesn’t get this epiphany until episode 12, when it’s a bit too late because Yoo Jin has fallen for her, Jae Hee has been hurt by her, and she just turned the Yoo family’s life upside down.

Gu Hye Sun + the character Eun Bi were a terrible combination. She does not make Eun Bi sympathetic enough to me that I would want Eun Bi to succeed. What’s worse is, by the end of this episode I don’t even see Eun Bi really succeeding; I don’t get the satisfaction of seeing her onstage, in front of a live audience, with the cast behind her.

It’s truly unfortunate that this series was cut down, and I will say that is part of the reason why the ending was so unsatisfying. But the writing was slowing down as well, and so I don’t have much hope that a full 16-episode run would have done that much better either.

106

Required fields are marked *

1 bed intruder

December 30, 2011 at 8:52 AM

I only watched bits and pieces of the ending. I held onto this drama for what? I think around 11 episodes. That was way too long! Totally agree that gu hye sun and Eun bi was a badd combination. I had no idea why she kept ruffling her hair the whole time -- that drove me nuts.

Required fields are marked *

Tru2u

December 30, 2011 at 11:11 AM

at least you last longer than me . i stopped at episode 3, but will come and quickly skim through the recap.

Required fields are marked *

2 pearl

December 30, 2011 at 8:55 AM

wow... I was waiting for your final comments before deciding whether to watch this or not, but now I'm definitely going to pass this one.

Required fields are marked *

3 harukogirl

December 30, 2011 at 8:58 AM

yikes. Glad I haven't given this one a try yet ^^;;

Required fields are marked *

4 KDaddict

December 30, 2011 at 9:02 AM

There were a lot of enthusiastic comments for the 1st half of the show. I was tempted. Now I'm most glad I didn't waste my time. TQ.

Required fields are marked *

himonogirl

December 30, 2011 at 9:54 AM

Ditto! Recaps sure are useful...Thanks kaedejun (and brace yourself for the possible GHS fans backlash. I said POSSIBLE)

Required fields are marked *

5 Colleen

December 30, 2011 at 9:12 AM

I've watched Gu Hye Sun in other dramas and she was perfect in Boys Over Flowers. However, I've arrived at the disappointing conclusion that her acting skills are one-note and sorely limited in range. True, the writers bear some responsibility for the lackluster writing and character development, and whoever styled her look needs remedial training...but cuteness alone can't make up for marginal acting ability. I truly hope that she improves and fares better in her future projects.

Required fields are marked *

Tru2u

December 30, 2011 at 11:15 AM

she really needs to start picking better rolls, and improve on her kissing scenes ( they kill me every time).

Required fields are marked *

sara

December 30, 2011 at 4:51 PM

am I the only one who thinks her acting is stiff like Siwons from Suju?Her faces look always the same as if she doesn't feel those emotions. Her acting skills since BOF didn't change at all. She is a Robot >_>

Required fields are marked *

Ahjumma

December 30, 2011 at 9:30 PM

I think she overacts and that's why it always looks ackward and unnatural and she really makes kissing look like she's sucking on a lemon.

Required fields are marked *

kdramalover

January 1, 2012 at 5:00 AM

I agree with you. I guess she is overpraised concerning her acting. I got enough of her being smiling awkwardly - she should star showing other feelings too. I wonder how she will act with Ji Jin Hee in Take Care of Us, Captain - where she will be a pilot - if she continues to act like an innocent pure girl I'll give up watching her in any drama. BTW if you have any feelings for a man you're no more innocent.

zainab kabir

May 22, 2014 at 8:07 AM

u are just sick i think..u ol must b lind especially the person who did d recap..she was Gud in ha acting...ur words are too cruel

Required fields are marked *

Uknown

March 21, 2018 at 6:26 PM

says the person who can't even spell correctly. Subjective thinking SMH -_-

6 tiacait

December 30, 2011 at 9:13 AM

I would like for the producers and writers to please refund me for the fifteen hours I gave to this drama. I wasn't going to ask for payment for the first few hours, but since they were so fun, I kept watching the rest hoping that they would get back to the cute, or at least the music, and it never did.

Required fields are marked *

Linda Ho

December 30, 2011 at 11:30 AM

Totally agree with you. I was so annoyed with GHS and her terrible acting. I only stayed for the Yoo Jin story. This drama was such a disappointment and waste of time. I don't think I will ever watch another drama with GHS again.

Required fields are marked *

7 Keysyoo

December 30, 2011 at 9:14 AM

You are so right! I really don't like the lead actress here. Every time I hear her laugh it drives me nuts!

Required fields are marked *

8 Denice

December 30, 2011 at 9:19 AM

Worst ending ever! We never even got to see their musical hit the stage! What was the point?

Required fields are marked *

9 Mystisith

December 30, 2011 at 9:21 AM

I loved Daniel Choi in Babyfaced Beauty, and i still love him here despite the horrible story. 'sigh'
At least he had his kiss ( not so sexy btw ), but i just can't figure out what could attract him in that girl.
Next project please.

Required fields are marked *

10 Cruelsummer

December 30, 2011 at 9:23 AM

I'm so sad for Daniel Choi.

Required fields are marked *

Tru2u

December 30, 2011 at 11:17 AM

AGREED. hope this mistake teaches him a lesson on how to pick his next drama

Required fields are marked *

11 Locturne

December 30, 2011 at 9:44 AM

I was so disappointed with the ending, and with the drama in general. We had great actors, some nice bits of dialogue, the relationships between characters weren't too stereotypical...
It's true that had another actress been cast as Eun BI, maybe she could have played the character in a less wishy-washy and cutesy way. I would have liked someone with a more er... imposing physique I guess and with a more assertive, confident attitude, I think the way the character was written left room for a different interpretation of Eun-Bi. She had a tough side that wasn't exploited by the actress.

"They end up in bed (fully clothed by the way!) and Jae Hee looks into her eyes. “I love you,” he says. She smiles, and replies, “I love you…I think.” And they hold hands."

-> you forgot the part when she... pats him. >_> Way to ruin the mood (though in this case there was no mood to be ruined anyway)

Required fields are marked *

12 anotheraddict

December 30, 2011 at 9:47 AM

Thanks so much for doing the recaps, Kaedejun! I dropped this drama long ago-- as much as I adore Daniel Choi's puppy-in-love facial expressions, Gu Hye Sun's facial expressions (and acting) drive me bonkers. (It's too bad, because I want to like her.) Yep, zero chemistry, boring plot-- it was easy to walk away from. I hope DC gets partnered up with someone who really matches him in his next onscreen romance.

Required fields are marked *

13 hongshiminmin

December 30, 2011 at 10:06 AM

I like Hyesun the artist,the director and even the composer...but as an actress the only drama i liked her on was Pure 19 >..< but kudos to you for watching it till the end.

Required fields are marked *

14 jully moue

December 30, 2011 at 10:18 AM

Wasn't this preproduced before the first air date??? Why is it still so bad!!!!!

Required fields are marked *

15 ajewell

December 30, 2011 at 10:20 AM

Yikes! I actually took a break after episode 10, and decided to marathon it once it finished airing... but now, I don't even see the point. My main reason for watching this was for the underdog story (Eun Bi's struggle to overcome the odds, via jealous rivals, lack of skill, parental opposition - and successfully reach her goal of starring in a Musical). Even if her character was annoying and terribly acted, as the main character, she's supposed to succeed... but if that doesn't happen, there's really no reason for me to finish this at all. Which is just stupid. You're supposed to make the underdog achieve her goal, idiot. That's, like, Writing and Logic 101.

Required fields are marked *

Onewcondition

February 5, 2012 at 10:21 AM

Yeah I too stopped watching at episode 10, and I started watching co's of Daniel as I liked him in "Baby Faced Beauty", but the storyline fell flat and lost my interest... to be honest I don't know how I lasted that long. So I moved onto "What's Up" XD

Required fields are marked *

16 abby

December 30, 2011 at 10:20 AM

I was really in dismay with the ending of the story.It doesn't give any satisfaction to the viewers and it's the rush, rush ending.It did not justify the characters role to extend the performance of a good actor. It was dry and no excitement whatsoever.Eun Bi's character did not give her fans the reason to to be happy at all . The awkwardness is all over the screen, I thought at the beginning of this drama is somewhat interesting but like a flower it just withered.The most unsatisfying performance I've ever seen in her.

Required fields are marked *

17 NoOne

December 30, 2011 at 10:26 AM

Heard abt the drama but not into the actors so never watch it. No k.drama ever makes me addicted like *********R.

Required fields are marked *

18 Schmazel

December 30, 2011 at 10:29 AM

First off, thanks kaedejun for all the recaps! You've done an awesome job (as always)!

Personally, I kinda liked The Musical - its beginning, middle, and end (not quite, but that's due to post-production factors). I think it's important to state that this is my first GHS drama so I may have a different outlook than the rest of you. I didn't find her performance too bad and I actually liked how awkward she was, especially in love. As a person who has never considered the love of a man something particularly special and not having experience in romance/love, I found her portrayal quite believable. The last kiss that EB and JH shared was just right for me as it showed EB's first experience and her learning of how to love, emotionally and physically.

Daniel Choi, was good, as were the rest of the cast: Park Ki-woong, Ock Ju Hyun, Ki Eun Se etc.

As mentioned above, the only thing that I didn't really like was the ending, and that was mainly caused by post-production factors like the editing and the shortening of the drama to 15 episodes, resulting in a squished finale. My other gripe would be the same as quite a few of you: the lack of 'musical' in The Musical and the whole detour with YJ's mom.

All that said, all-in-all, I enjoyed the drama during its run. It was an enjoyable ride for me (except all those torturous weeks that the show got preempted)! ;)

Once again, thanks to kaedejun!! I lub chu!

Required fields are marked *

KimLuvv

December 30, 2011 at 11:00 AM

Yea I feel the same exact way. I think the way GHS was so awkward was why they chose her to play the character because Eun Bi herself was awkward when it came to love n the ending kiss showed how awkward she was but she finally gave in and was willing to kiss back just like the way her character thought about love.

Required fields are marked *

19 Noelle

December 30, 2011 at 10:31 AM

Lame! Oh man and I was just starting to like Gu Hye Sun too when I started this drama. Anyways, thanks for the recap. Daniel Choi I love ya and hope you get a winner for your next drama!

Required fields are marked *

20 Nikki

December 30, 2011 at 10:52 AM

Am I the only one who is stupefied that they missed addressing the topic of Yu Jin's growing affection/ love for Eun Bi?

Although I knew the conclusion was heading for a disastrous end, it was still disappointing and... dull.

Otherwise I totally agree with the review and your comment, kaedejun!

Required fields are marked *

21 isabelle

December 30, 2011 at 10:55 AM

Gu Hye Sun - ok , people keep telling and writing that she is a good actress, ok i want to believe but she was bad in BOF and she got terrible in this show. I mean it was worst written drama ever - and she brought nothing to her character, i mean if i did not know where she came from, i would have graded her the worst actresses than extras, she hardly speaks her dialogue loudly, always roughes her hair if she is confusion, repeats same word over and over again. OMG i do not know where to begin and where to end. i hope that pilot show is worth their money casting her.

Required fields are marked *

22 isabelle

December 30, 2011 at 10:57 AM

Oh also, i am thankful they ended in 15 episodes instead of 16, one more episode to watch this horror would have been miserable

Required fields are marked *

23 ruky

December 30, 2011 at 10:59 AM

THIS WAS THE MOST SHOCKING FINALE EVER!!!!......I had to go to wikipedia to ensure that it ended in 15 episodes instead of 16. They was no connection whatsoever for each character.....The characters wasn't ended properly

Required fields are marked *

Ahjumma

December 30, 2011 at 9:35 PM

I agree, I agree, I agree!!

Required fields are marked *

24 huama

December 30, 2011 at 11:05 AM

hm, luckily I stopped before it got worse.

Required fields are marked *

25 Anime1234

December 30, 2011 at 11:10 AM

Does Hye Sun not like kissing? Every kiss scene she is in has no emotion other than what looks like pain. I gave her the benefit of the doubt in BOF because the director decided to go with the pure chaste version of the kiss since her character was supposed to be a high school kid. The director needs to work with her facial expressions.

Required fields are marked *

Mystisith

December 30, 2011 at 11:46 AM

Well, if she doesn't like kissing handsome guys, i'm sure a lot of girls at DB could "stuntdouble" her, with a better result.

Required fields are marked *

Tru2u

December 30, 2011 at 11:54 AM

she needs to work on her facial expressions. its as if everyone she kisses in a drama i feel like they are trying to rape her, when i look at her expression.

Required fields are marked *

26 sam

December 30, 2011 at 11:33 AM

Amen. I'm constantly reading how people defend GHS's acting, and it always makes me close my mouth. Yet I'm so glad you pinned the tail on the donkey. She really has no range and her childish looks are driving me insane. I've watched BOF, Sweet 19, Non-Stop and now the Musical. Same character - same silly immature innocence. What range is this? And yet she' is deemed this 'genius" - painter, singer, producer, whatever... and that's so doesn't match what i see her on screen? i watched that trailer for her indie movie wt the guy wt two faces - that looked artsy and daring. But she herself as an actress is none of that. And she killed the Musical for me. Kisses were flat. Passion for her men was flat. She's neither female or tomboyish. I only continued watching it for Daniel and Park Ki Woong; otherwise I would have dumped it long time ago.

Required fields are marked *

Ahjumma

December 30, 2011 at 9:42 PM

I've never watched Pure 19 but that seems to be the beginning of her fan base but you've clarified what I thought probably happened in that her character in Pure 19 was so right and awesome for that show and for her during that time of her career that all the powers that be are perhaps keeping her in that same mode .. or maybe she's doing it to herself. But unfortunately, different dramas call for different roles and styles. I'm not sure she can break herself out of that mode. I've seen her paintings are they are good. Don't know how she writes or directs but I do know that her singing ranges from so-so to okay and her acting is BAD!

Required fields are marked *

SunshineAni

August 13, 2012 at 1:46 PM

I totally disagree with you.... she's a fine actress.... and I thought hye sun and daniel looked adorable together (good chemistry)... why can't you people talk good about others instead of putting them down.... what goes around comes around or in other words what you sow is what you reap....

Required fields are marked *

27 Misheru

December 30, 2011 at 11:55 AM

Wow...I'm glad I stopped watching at Episode 10 then. I think I'll leave it at that. *deletes from list of dramas to watch*

Required fields are marked *

28 jojo

December 30, 2011 at 12:16 PM

GHS can't act, has no chemistry with Daniel Choi and can't sing...she's a triple threat...gave up halfway through. Also the drama was boring...

Required fields are marked *

29 Anao

December 30, 2011 at 12:30 PM

Glad I didn't start watching this drama.
Gu Hye Sun's facial grimaces and acting in BOF got on my nerves, I just couldn't bring myself to watch that drama past episode 3. At the time I blamed it on the writing but from the comments here it apears she is the same in every role.

Required fields are marked *

30 urbanscrappy

December 30, 2011 at 1:33 PM

I've watched everything she's done and the only thing I've liked her in was Pure 19.
Her mannerisms are so affected and she carries them with her from one role to the next which shows she's not immersing herself in the role, merely playing a different side of herself. She's always concious of who she is outside the role, so then so are we.

Required fields are marked *

31 danni

December 30, 2011 at 1:48 PM

Yeah, that's probably the worst ending ever. We should have at least gotten to see Eun Bi realize her dream and see the musical being performed. I didn't care too much about Jae Hee and Eun Bi getting together, because they really didn't have that much chemistry anyway so that ending was a total miss for me. I haven't watched any episodes since episode 10, mostly because it was starting to drag and there was too much stalling with the episodes. Glad I didn't go back and watch it now, but thanks for sticking with the recaps kaedejun, much appreciated as always.

Required fields are marked *

32 canxi

December 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM

I liked The Musical. It was more like "People of the Musical" or "Behind the Musical but not Really the Musical" but I liked it. It got a little sad towards the middle for like two episodes and then went back into everything else which was admittedly a little odd, but I still liked it.

I really like Daniel Choi in this. He's serious, cool, straight-forward, and sweet. I think he's a great actor & one of my favorites to watch ever. I'm a new fan of Park Ki Woong too...

I didn't mind Gu Hye Sun's acting in this. The last thing I saw her in was Boys Over Flowers and I didn't like that drama...I thought the character of Eun Bi had brief moments of maturity that were nice to watch but then she also has these childish ways of dealing with/avoiding her problems & uncomfortable situations (rubbing her head, faces/grimaces/nervous laughter) that I understand can get annoying.She was really really awkward, but I liked her for some reason.

Maybe everyone is right about her range, but I'll see with her next drama. Maybe she needs to work with more directors & actors who will help her along. (Anyone notice Daniel Choi got her to move her lips a little when they kissed at the end? Bahahaha!) Or maybe she's dabbling in too many arts at once. As a an artist and dancer myself, I gotta say painting, directing, producing is a ton of work. She should maybe slow down and focus on acting more for now.

Anyway, I gave it a shot. I was scared and thought I would be disappointed but I wasn't. I, for one, didn't think it was half as bad as everyone was making it seem. Not thee best drama ever but definitely not the worst.

Required fields are marked *

33 KDrama Fan

December 30, 2011 at 2:00 PM

Kaedejun I think you are amazing.

As always thank you for recapping another drama which I consider a train wreck.

Even though I thought The Musical was awful I couldn't help myself coming back to your recaps every once in a while to see the full extent of the damage.

I hope you get to recap a winner next time you certainly deserve it!

Required fields are marked *

34 Patty solo

December 30, 2011 at 2:07 PM

Two things about GHS in this drama that I couldn't get past...She sang that DoHwa song under pitch EVERY time. And the annoying nervous smirky giggle that prefaced so many interactions with various characters. I used to be a bit of a fan,but now???

Required fields are marked *

35 Syaza

December 30, 2011 at 2:21 PM

Gu hye sun is a major disappointment! Her acting range is limited to portray just awkward and childish characters. And that hairstyle! She's such a waste to pair up with all those sexy co stars she gets. Her kissing scenes are so cringe worthy..

I really look forward to Take care of us captain cause the premise sounds just fab but I'm dreading what she's going to bring to the table! Such a good looking leading man too (heh) .. It'd be a waste on her if she doesnt have chemistry.

Required fields are marked *

36 delicatecloud

December 30, 2011 at 3:01 PM

Kadejun - i completely agree with your comments and i salut your staying power in watching this pathetic drama till the bitter and disappointing end. I stopped after episode 10 when i could not continue to watch the continued awful acting of Gu Hye Sun and the script that went from good, to bad to worst!! Glad that i did not waste time in continuing with the drama. I just read your recaps which were amazing. Just confirmed my opinion that this drama is such a deflated balloon - started off well and just fizzled out somewhere and got lost.....

Required fields are marked *

37 cv

December 30, 2011 at 3:29 PM

Thanks for the recap!

Now I can finally say.... damm! I'm disappointed in this drama! yup, I don't know if it's suppose to be a musical or a love story concerning a musical. Soooo confusing!
The story was not going anywhere. It had a starting point, but no middle or end. It just start then went nowhere.
Sad sad sad. Could have been a not bad drama.

Required fields are marked *

38 Duh-duh

December 30, 2011 at 3:36 PM

WORSE DRAMA of the YEAR goes to ......

You can fill in the blank. GHS is probably a very nice girl and person in real life. But I dislike her as an actress, her role as Eun Bi convinces me she cannot act. The writing just depressed me.

Required fields are marked *

39 Locturne

December 30, 2011 at 4:11 PM

Aww, my poor Musical :'( Though I was disappointed in the show, it doesn't deserve to be called a train wreck. This category is reserved to the likes of Mary Stayed Out All Night! It was still better-acted (well, except for you-know-who) and subtler than a lot of the silly things that aired this year.

I especially liked the understated feeling of the show. It gave me a break from all the over-the-top-ness of so many k-dramas.

Required fields are marked *

Elena

December 30, 2011 at 4:58 PM

I agree. :)

Required fields are marked *

40 yumii

December 30, 2011 at 5:25 PM

This ending, and much of the latter part of the series felt like creative malpractice.

the ending was so awful.

They must have cut so much out of the story, not just by the one episode, but the last few episodes were chocked full of recaps that I feel they must have cut at least two hours out of the intended story.

I wish they would release a creative cut sometime in the near future so that I can see the story the creative team wanted to tell.

I usually hate eviscerating actors and their performance, and i just love Daniel Choi, who I thought was good/did his best with what he had to work with in this, but the actress playing EunBi did not work as a romantic lead.

From this performance I would say she should perhaps only play the sister role or nuns. It is something when the third leads have more emotionally resonant kissing scene than the leads.

Not once did EunBi seem to have an emotional connection with Jae Hee that became physical. All her kisses seemed as if someone had a gun to her head and when she wiped her mouth after they kissed it seemed like something the actress needed to do and not at all related to the character.

If there is a reason why the actress cannot or will not play romantic scene with sincerity, I can respect that. All I ask is that you don't sign on as the lead in romantic comedies or romantic dramas.

And the writing. What was that. A romantic comedy where the lead female character goes from inert to ambivalent?

Whhaatttt?

"I love you, I think." That's how far she was able to progress. I give that relationship three months tops.

If Jae Hee needs consoling he can look me up.

Required fields are marked *

canxi

December 30, 2011 at 8:01 PM

Hahaha, I thought that "I love you...I think" line was soo weird! What was the writer thinking??

I mean, I think the writer was tryna say:

She didn't know what love was before, but she's finally understanding. So the "I think" is like..."Ah, this is love."...but it came out more like..."I'm kinda confused still, but I'm just gonna say it's love since you said it"

They should have stated it differently because if I was Jae Hee I'd be like "Whatchu mean? "Think"?" or "Hold up. What?"

Required fields are marked *

kaddictforever

December 31, 2011 at 1:46 AM

WTF??? Is that really the ending...
This drama sucked majorly. Thank God I bailed out midway.

I lurve GHS in BOF but here... she bombed it totally :(
Minus zero chemistry with cutie pie Daniel Choi.

Yumi - I hear you! lol...

If a guy tells me I love you I think... He will be out of the door so fast...
Note to Jae Hee - Find a gurl who will love you more.

Salute to Kaedejun for your dedication in recapping this sucky drama :)

Required fields are marked *

Mystisith

December 31, 2011 at 3:49 AM

" If a guy tells me I love you I think… He will be out of the door so fast… "

Well, i agree with you...... I think. Ahahahah...
This line is gonna be a gimmick of mine for a little time. I DON'T think it was supposed to be funny, but i just can't help it.

Required fields are marked *

41 tessieroo

December 30, 2011 at 5:31 PM

HAHAHAHA! Yumi, that was perfect. Exactly what I've been saying about this actress for awhile now. She needs to just STOP because it appears to be getting worse with each romantic role she tries to take on.
Yes, play the older sister or maybe action dramas? (although if she can't keep her hands off her hair, stop making stupid awkward faces and stop the fake, inane laughter - those won't work either)
I give up on her. All hope is lost.

Required fields are marked *

42 Thatgirl

December 30, 2011 at 5:59 PM

Thank you kaedejun!!!! I thought I was the only one watching who felt this way about Eun Bi!!!!

I said I wouldn't be back for the final recap, but I got curious... So here I am!!!! Thank goodness I did not watch this episode, I probably would have hurt myself ranting up a hurricane and probably would have had to be rushed to the hospital to see Dr. Eun Bi. Lol!!!!!

Well.... That was 14hours or 14weeks waste. (Since I didn't watch this episode.)

Required fields are marked *

43 bluemountain

December 30, 2011 at 7:57 PM

Money (financial issue) is the top issue for this drama. The drama was dragging over a year to complete filming, struggle with the availability of the actors and actresses, plus cut short by SBS. What else could we expect?

Required fields are marked *

yumii

December 30, 2011 at 10:09 PM

Sometimes I got the feeling that the drama was "autobiographical" as if the difficulties the show was having in the real world was written into the reel world of the drama.

Which should have made it better but didn't.

What a squandering of potential.

ARRRGGGG

Required fields are marked *

44 SuziQ

December 30, 2011 at 8:14 PM

Couldn't believe that was all there was to the ending!!! It seemed like they were kissing strangers.If those two ever had a child together, it must be a virgin birth.
I love you..I think. Gee, dumb Eun Bi should have figured it out after 15 long, boring episodes whether she loved him or not?
I watched it because of Park Ki Woong, and Ock Ju hyun's character lost it's impact because she was really good and nasty in the beginning.
GHS was unbearable to watch. Her rubbing her head, mugging grimaces, nervous laughter had me gritting my teeth. She did it too many times that her gestures made me roll me eyes. OMG, there she goes again. Can't she do something else?And her singing ruined that song for me forever. I use to like her, but heaven help us if she going to act the same stinko way in her next pilot drama.

Required fields are marked *

sobohomom2

December 31, 2011 at 5:21 AM

I feel the same way about GHS, her performance was consistently stilted and prudish. Is that the will of the director?

Perhaps, she just can't do romance (even Boys B4 Flowers had me rooting for her rivals).

Required fields are marked *

45 churasan

December 30, 2011 at 9:09 PM

I actually had pretty high hopes for this drama after watching the first episode. I still have yet to watch a drama focusing on a music storyline that actually sticks to a music storyline. I thought the first few episodes were great, but somehow the storyline got off and didn't focus on EB's journey of becoming a musical actress. Sorry, but even YJ's storyline didn't compensate. After being disappointed with Heartstrings, Dream High and The Musical, I'm really hesitant to try What's Up...

Required fields are marked *

Mystisith

December 31, 2011 at 3:55 AM

You can watch What's Up eyes closed so to speak. This is really not the same level.
Far, far away better ( at least til ep 6 since it's the last i've seen )than the other shows.

Required fields are marked *

46 luraaa

December 30, 2011 at 9:27 PM

Ehhh.. But I love Park Ki-woong. I like his Yoo Jin character. But thanks for the recaps though! It's been a tough 15 episodes but glad you went through this show.