Trot Lovers: Episode 10
by odilettante
What a fluff-filled episode of utter cuteness! Joon-hyun and Chun-hee finally get enjoy their adorable coupledom — but in secret, of course, because this show can’t handle another scandal. Haha! Just kidding: we all know the plot can’t move along without a scandal or two, and our characters definitely have to face a few, whether from their own making or from the conniving of others (and one guess as to who’s responsible for the “conniving”). As much as Joon-hyun and Chun-hee delight us with their sweet and fun romance, apparently there’s a price to pay for a couple so happily in love. But who would have guessed that price would be hackneyed plot twists that make you want to tear out your hair?
EPISODE 10 RECAP
After Joon-hyun gently kisses Chun-hee while she’s singing, he takes out her earbuds, asking why she always gets into trouble when he’s not around. Then he kisses her again.
He apologizes and pulls her into a hug, and the two leave their special spot, smiling and holding hands. Joon-hyun drives Chun-hee home, declining her invitation to go inside and at least say “hi” to Byul because they still need to be careful about any potential scandal. Chun-hee doesn’t care about a scandal, but Joon-hyun does. She’s pouty that they can’t be together like before, but goes inside without him, and he returns to the apartment he shares with Tae-song.
The happy new couple wait anxiously by their phones, expecting each other’s texts. Joon-hyun becomes agitated when Chun-hee doesn’t respond, asking how she can sleep when they just shared their first kiss. But he’s taken more off guard when she texts that it wasn’t her first kiss — it was with some “bad boy.”
He immediately calls her, demanding to know who it was, and she laughingly tells him that it was him — he was the “bad boy” of her first kiss. That changes the mood considerably, and the two hide under blankets to continue their giddy conversation.
The next morning, Chun-hee meets with Geon-woo, apologizing that she couldn’t be reached yesterday. He’s not particularly bothered by it, and invites her to lunch instead, teasing her that she needn’t look so surprised, because it’s not like he’s asking her to marry him.
But Chun-hee decides to be honest, and lets him know that there is, indeed, someone that she likes, and she’s having lunch with that person instead. He’s a little stunned, but admits he can’t complain due to her forthrightness.
She tries to sneak up on Joon-hyun while he’s waiting in the lobby of Shine Star, but some other employees greet her and she spins around, detoured from her original target. The couple pretends to ignore each other throughout the day, but secretly hold hands in the elevator and pass each other notes, exchanging the cutest glances and waves when they think no one is looking. But someone is, and Soo-in’s smile can’t be as benevolent as it appears while she observes them.
After a happy afternoon playing around in the outdoors, Chun-hee and Joon-hyun get back to the officetel he shares with Tae-song. Joon-hyun writes out a dating contract: where person “B” (which he claims for himself) will obey person “A” (Chun-hee) no matter what; B will make A laugh once a day, and (with Chun-hee’s insistence) both A and B will give each other a compliment and a pat on the head every day.
Joon-hyun initials the contract to bind it, and Chun-hee protests that he continues to call her “MJ” because those aren’t her initials. But he reminds her it’d be easier to hide her identity if the contract was ever leaked, and besides, it was because of her medal meddling that they met in the first place. Then he wants to see see how she’s put him in her phone, and he’s offended that it’s “Bad Guy.” He makes a quick change so that it reads “Pretty Man” instead.
Soo-in meets up with Geon-woo who is at the bar, drowning his Chun-hee sorrows with shot after shot of whiskey. She tells him that there’s now a Shine Star couple: Joon-hyun and Chun-hee. He pauses slightly while pouring her shot, but tells her he’s somewhat aware of it.
She then comes right out and tells Geon-woo that she likes him. He, however, does not feel the same. Soo-in reminds him that Chun-hee is already dating someone else, but Geon-woo says he’s content in his one-sided love. As he downs yet another shot of whiskey.
Chun-hee and Joon-hyun continue their date at Tae-song’s officetel, where they sit on the floor watching television until Joon-hyun turns the lights off, and leans over — but not for any sexy times that Chun-hee first assumes (protesting that they’re moving too quickly and she’s not ready). Instead, he pulls out a projector and they watch the music video Joon-hyun made from their time in the river, set to his “To MJ” song. It’s super cute and sweet.
Tae-song comes home to interrupt the couple cuteness (and eat the adorable dinner that Joon-hyun had prepared for Chun-hee). When Joon-hyun leaves to see her home, Tae-song discovers the projector with the music video, and is surprised (but delighted!) to find out that the two are dating.
Director Wang meets with Yang Joo-hee, telling her that Soo-in is all set to get the first place on the music show. But their delight is short-lived when they get a call that Soo-in was in a car accident.
Soo-in refuses to get out of the car, or even lift her head from where she’s hiding behind the steering wheel, and Director Wang tries to convince the noisy ahjussi (clutching his neck, of course), that they will pay him whatever compensation he wants. Until the ahjussi recognizes who was driving the car — a popular singer getting into a drunk-driving accident is big news.
At the music show (Music Tank instead of Music Bank, ha), Chun-hee happily exchanges texts with Joon-hyun, not caring that she’s in third place. Soo-in, on the other hand, waits nervously to hear the results of the first place contests — which don’t include her. The PDs tell her that because of the drunk-driving news, Soo-in won’t be allowed to perform.
As Soo-in and her manager leave the broadcast station, Chun-hee happily greets her “sunbae” and cheerfully thanks her for showing her the picture of Joon-hyun sleeping in the living room with her and Byul, because now everything is good between them. Unaware that Soo-in was bumped from the performance list, Chun-hee cheers for her, saying Soo-in is sure to win first place.
In her eagerness to answer her phone, she misses seeing Soo-in’s look of scornful distaste, and Soo-in relieves her angry frustration by kicking over a mop bucket as she leaves the building.
Chun-hee hurries outside to meet with Joon-hyun, but she’s immediately mobbed by her fans, so the couple only exchange adorable little finger-hearts from a distance. He leaves Chun-hee to meet with her fans, and runs into President Jo, who says he must be disappointed about Chun-hee’s third-place standings. But Joon-hyun admires the fact that Chun-hee has come so far on her own strength, and reassures President Jo that he doesn’t want to tie Chun-hee to his own album — he’ll comeback on his own strength, too.
Tae-song’s officetel is becoming the couple’s retreat, as Chun-hee arrives to give a big back-hug to Joon-hyun, who’s busy washing dishes. Aw, I’ve missed these domestic moments, and Chun-hee seems to have, too, as she’s reluctant to let go of Joon-hyun to answer her phone. It’s Coach Bang calling to invite Chun-hee to a celebration of her third-place win on Music Tank.
A feast is set out in Coach Bang’s restaurant, and everyone toasts Chun-hee’s success. But Joon-hyun, concerned about Chun-hee drinking too much alcohol, declares himself her black knight and drinks for her, reassuring the loan shark ahjussis (and her current managers) that they’re not in any relationship.
When Coach Bang admires the way Joon-hyun drank Chun-hee’s shot of soju for her, Tae-song immediately volunteers to do the same for Coach Bang. But Chul-man pours another glass for her instead, and she eagerly agrees to do a “love shot” with Chul-man. Tae-song jumps up in desperation, offering to sing. Despite Coach Bang’s enthusiasm for his music, Chul-man continues to continues to get all of Coach Bang’s attention. Aw, poor Tae-song — at least you have cutie-pie Byul offering to dance with you to make sure you’re not ignored.
Late at night, Chun-hee marvels at the posters for her upcoming concert. She calls Joon-hyun, asking him if he’ll perform the song he wrote. He’s hesitant, and she reminds him about their dating contract, so he has to obey her — but he still asks her to think of anything else he can do except that. Pouting, she hangs up on him.
Tae-song, annoyed at having to overhear their little lover’s spat, asks him why he won’t just agree to perform. But Joon-hyun is worried about revealing their relationship and ruining Chun-hee with another scandal. She’s barely made it this far, and still has yet to find her father. Besides, once he’s made his own comeback, he’ll proudly stand on her stage.
After Joon-hyun leaves the room, Tae-song thinks long and hard before he uploads something to a song-writing website. Hmm. Is it Joon-hyun’s “To MJ” song?
Yang Joo-hee catches Soo-in about to swallow a fistful of pills, and yells at her, wondering what brought her to this state. Soo-in reminds her mother that she’s been a trainee at Shine Star since she was fourteen, and everything she’s done since then has been solely focused on debuting and performing on stage. She never regretted it, because she wanted to sing so badly.
But as she starts shrieking about Chun-hee, her mother slaps her (hard, too — ouch!). She screams for Soo-in to come back to her senses, because if this is just about Chun-hee, then Soo-in has to step on her, before she’s stepped on. That’s just the way to get ahead in this business. Of course, she’ll do all she can to help her daughter.
Such as setting up a meeting with an assemblyman, promising to introduce him to a singer from her company to perform his campaign song. If Yang Joo-hee is behind this, then it can’t be good — and you’d think Chun-hee would have learned by now, but she seems delighted to be given the chance to sing for the assemblyman.
Until she arrives for their dinner meeting and discovers that it’s just the two of them — Yang Joo-hee makes up an excuse, saying she’s unable to make the meeting. The assemblyman is a total creeper as he leers at Chun-hee, and Chun-hee looks incredibly uncomfortable, even though she politely agrees to stay.
As Chun-hee prepares to record Creeper Assemblyman’s campaign song, Director Wang sets the rumor mill buzzing about Chun-hee’s new “sponsor” (as in, a high-profile person who supports an artist by providing opportunities and connections, usually receiving sexual favors in return).
Joon-hyun is busy trying to get someone to check out the demo of his new song (and is refused because he has his own scandal still hanging over him). He runs into Hyo-yeol, who says that Joon-hyun should have stayed Chun-hee’s manager, considering how successful she’s been lately. But he supposes it doesn’t matter because she’s now supported by Creeper Assemblyman.
Grabbing Hyo-yeol by the collar and shoving him up against the wall, Joon-hyun demands to know what he’s talking about. Hyo-yeol says that the rumor is spreading everywhere, and Chun-hee must have some enemies in Shine Star, because it started from within her own company.
Joon-hyun returns to Shine Star, and the concern in his eyes as he watches Chun-hee in her practice room melts away. The couple share a moment of happy solitude outside while Chun-hee says she’s worried at how things are going so smoothly for her: if only her father would return, everything would be perfect.
Which is why she chose “Filial Duty” as her concert title, as she explains in a radio interview that the reason she began a singer was to find her father. Chun-hee dedicates her live radio performanceHence of Oh Ki-taek’s “Daddy’s Springtime of Youth” to not just to her own father, but all the parents out there.
As Chun-hee’s gorgeous voice sings out the haunting melody of parents just wanting nothing more than their children to be happy and successful, Yoo-mi’s father cries as he watches the video of his daughter singing. When he goes to her school to see her, he pulls her into a tight hug. Does this mean she might get a chance to perform?
During this music montage, Joon-hyun also discovers where Chun-hee’s father is, and takes him to lunch, where he asks him to come back home to his daughters. But Choi Myung-sik simply asks Joon-hyun to keep it a secret that he found him — yet still manages to do the fatherly thing of asking if Joon-hyun likes his daughter.
Joon-hyun says he does, and Choi Myung-sik asks him to protect Chun-hee from the harsh world so she can focus on her singing. If only he knew how much Joon-hyun has done already.
Tae-song returns to his apartment to discover Joon-hyun brooding over the situation with Chun-hee and Creeper Assembleyman. As he snags one of Joon-hyun’s beers, he suggests it might be good to ward of further scandal if Chun-hee was revealed to have a boyfriend. That sets Joon-hyun’s creative juices running, and he designs a necklace that will have “their” initials on it.
He then lets Chun-hee know he’ll sing for her at her concert. She’s delighted he’s agreed, but he warns her that he also has something to tell her then. She wants to know now (as do we all!), but he tells her to wait.
Oh, and yay! Chun-hee receives a call from Yoo-mi, saying her father has agreed to let her sing!
But no “yay” for Soo-in, who sits with a giant glass of wine, scowling at her television as she watches Chun-hee beam and blush as she denies that she’s in any sort of relationship. Soo-in throws the glass against against the television, the red wine dripping down over Chun-hee’s smiling face as she gives her interview.
At Shine Star (and actually in his office for once), Geon-woo hands Chun-hee an envelope of cash that looks to be a pretty serious chunk of change — millions of won, or thousands of dollars. He calls it an “incentive bonus” since she’s made so much for the company, reminding her that she once said she needed money urgently.
She says she’ll only accept a portion of it, though, in exchange for Joon-hyun’s guitar. Gah, she’s so cute as she dances with her prize, delighting that she can return it to her boyfriend.
Byul attempts to play badminton by herself, but President Jo (who she calls “Hawaii Grandpa”) offers play with her. She totally smokes him, though, and the two enjoy some post-game ice cream where he asks about her sister’s boyfriend (describing Geon-woo).
Byul says her unni doesn’t have a boyfriend, but she knows there’s someone Chun-hee likes. She’s not sure who it is yet, though. Or who she wants it to be, as she runs through the various positive attributes of both Geon-woo and Joon-hyun. She sighs that it’s so hard to choose between the two. Yeah, tell it to the rest of the viewing audience.
After learning that Chun-hee’s backup singers all are out sick, Coach Bang asks Tae-song to help out at the concert. Of course he can’t say no to anything Coach Bang asks. Pil-nyeo happens to be visiting the restaurant just then, and Tae-song recalls that she used to be a trainee for Shine Star. Of course, she can’t say “no” to him when he asks her to join him as a favor, even when she learns it’s singing back-up for Chun-hee.
Joon-hyun finds a little stuffed toy frog that says “I love you” when pressed, and as he’s taking it to Chun-hee’s dressing room to give her some encouragement for her performance, he spots Soo-in hurrying out. She’s rubbing red paint off on her sleeves, and once Joon-hyun sees that Chun-hee’s outfit for the concert is marked in red paint, his suspicions are raised.
He immediately calls Chun-hee to ask where she is, and she reminds him that he had sent her a text to meet her onstage. Except he didn’t. Remembering Soo-in’s meltdown over the attention Chun-hee was receiving through the sporting good photo shoot, Joon-hyun tells her to stay right there and sets off running to the auditorium.
Chun-hee is lost in her own happy little world, as she sits in the middle of the stage, humming to herself, completely unaware that Soo-in is in the wings, ready to loosen the pulley on the set pieces hanging above Chun-hee’s head. Rushing in, Joon-hyun is relieved to see that nothing has happened, until he spots Soo-in offstage.
Remotely turning off the lights, Soo-in releases the cord, and then panics when she sees Joon-hyun run on stage to protect Chun-hee. The decoration falls on top of Chun-hee and Joon-hyun, but he takes the brunt of it. Wriggling out from under him, Chun-hee screams for help as she cradles his bloody head in his lap, using her shirt to try and stop the bleeding. Once she realizes how much hurt she’s caused Joon-hyun, Soo-in quietly freaks out, still hidden in the shadows.
Chun-hee doesn’t have her phone to call for emergency help, and so she rushes out of the auditorium as fast as her hurt ankle will let her, begging the use of the phone from a nearby cleaning lady. After Chun-hee leaves, Soo-in hurries over to cry over Joon-hyun, still panicking. A couple stage-hands arrive at that moment and soon the sounds of an ambulance can be heard as Chun-hee limps back to the auditorium.
But the stage-hands refuse her entrance, saying there’s been an accident. Joon-hyun is taken to the ambulance as a worried Soo-in runs alongside the gurney, screaming out “Oppa! Please wake up!”
The paramedics assume she’s the one who assisted at the scene of the accent (instead of, y’know, being the one who actually caused it), and she gets into the ambulance.
Chun-hee pounds on the closed ambulance doors, screaming to be let in. Soo-in glances her way, but does nothing to stop the ambulance that soon speeds away. She tries to run after the ambulance, but hurt ankle prevents her from running very far, and collapses onto the ground, a bloody mess as she cries her heart out.
COMMENTS
When I said last week that I was concerned the writers were zooming through the plot so fast we’d be stuck with angsty filler, like birth secrets or cancer, I totally forgot (heh) about amnesia. But that seems to be where we’re headed, doesn’t it? Head injury = amnesia, according to Dramaland arithmetic.
Up until now, I haven’t minded that the plot has been pretty thin, because it’s been moving swiftly and has been entertaining enough, and all the characters are delightful. They’re the reason I love this show so much — I can handle silly, fluffy rom-com plots so long as everyone is endearing.
But the show took a wild and unexpected turn to the melodramatic, and I just don’t know what to think any more. I can’t even pretend to care about any of the subplots right now (Chun-hee’s father; Yoo-mi and her father; Coach Bang’s love-triangle; President Jo and Byul as our adorable Greek chorus), so frustrated with how the last few minutes stripped so much of my squee-worthy joy of everything leading up to it. I mean, I can’t even go “OMG, you guys! How cute are Chun-hee and Joon-hyun together?! Their natural and comfortable skinship is so perfect for a couple that is happily dating!” because I’m so annoyed at how the writers have decided to tear them apart.
First of all, where the hell was everyone during the “accident?” If they were prepping for her concert that night, I’d expect the auditorium to be buzzing with various technicians and whatever other musicians she has set up to support her (if she has backup singers, I assume she has a band, too). Not to mention Chun-hee’s phone mysteriously disappearing. She used it to talk to Joon-hyun, but then has to run out to borrow a phone? I’ll be generous and assume it was broken in the fall, or that she was panicking and not thinking clearly.
But why did the stage-hands not understand that her screaming to get into the auditorium was because she had been in that accident, especially since she was distraught, limping, and covered in blood? Or be ignored by the paramedics because clearly she could use medical attention of her own? That felt like such a forced scenario, I can’t take it seriously, even in a show filled with forced scenarios.
I’m assuming that Soo-in has gone so far over to the dark side that she was actually attempting to murder Chun-hee. Okay, maybe she just thought Chun-hee would be hurt enough to be unable to perform, but that prop hanging there looked pretty vicious, and if it hit Chun-hee on the head, she’d probably be dead right now. Then again, we have to remember who Soo-in’s mother is (and the dormant “we assuming she killed Chun-hee’s mother with her car” plot thread), so I suppose it’s not too far of a stretch. Sins of the mothers being passed down to their daughters.
Another reason I’m legitmately angry at how this episode ended is because when we were first introduced to Soo-in, it seemed like there might be some internal conflict there — that she would be struggling with the desire to please her mother by being a singer at all costs, or wanting to play fair by competing with Chun-hee based solely on talent. Or, heck, even deciding that the life her mother has carved out for her isn’t the one she wants after all, and since her heart isn’t in it anymore, maybe she’ll quit performing to go to school and become something wild and crazy like a doctor or lawyer. But apparently not.
This means Soo-in is pretty much unredeemable in my eyes. I’m trying to think of it like Baek-hee in Dream High when she shoves the flower pot off the building, intending to hit Hye-mi, but Sam-dong rushes to save her and he gets hit instead. Which means that Geon-woo must the Jin-gook in this situation, who will rush to comfort Chun-hee and potentially confuse her even more — but noooo, because she’s meant to be with Joon-hyun! Now I can’t decide if I’d rather Joon-hyun have amnesia or lose his hearing. (And does this make Pil-nyeo and Tae-song the Milky Couple?)
But I almost wish the writers (who, thanks to those last five minutes, I’m officially calling “hacks”) would actually go the Dream High route. I think I could bear it since I know the characters will be redeemed and have a happy(ish) ending. I’ve long thought of Soo-in as Baek-hee — someone who works very hard to succeed but doesn’t necessarily have the wow-factor talent, so is stuck trying to manipulate the path to stardom so she doesn’t get chewed up and spat out. Also, Baek-hee had an interesting character arc — she didn’t remain a one-dimensional villain, which is sadly what Soo-in seems to be turning into.
My love of watching characters grow and change, and having already seen that happen with Joon-hyun, is why I’m hoping so desperately that the show will prove me wrong, somehow — that it won’t get bogged down with a ridiculous amnesia plot, and have Chun-hee be a heartbroken Noble Idiot, sacrificing Joon-hyun just to avoid a scandal. Because that’s not the girl we’ve known the past ten episodes (and very clearly not the girl we’ve known just in this episode, who was all “No, but seriously — why can’t we live together now?”).
On the bright side, one of the more positive aspects of this show has been the fact it hasn’t lingered on any plot thread too long — it’s usually resolved in the next episode, if not the same episode. So fingers crossed for whatever happens next week will be cleared up quickly so that we can have the cute back ASAP.
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Tags: featured, Ji Hyun-woo, Jung Eun-ji, Trot Lovers
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1 HazeOfMisery
July 26, 2014 at 4:08 AM
Ugh, that ending was just so stupid. Even more so, now that i've read your thoughts on it.
Prepare for 2-3 episodes of angst.
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2 tinks
July 26, 2014 at 4:14 AM
Please remember meee.....lalalalalalala
Loved you comment, well said, gahhhhh amnesia plot!!! *shakes fist*
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3 Mrs. Jang guem suk
July 26, 2014 at 4:28 AM
Their cuteness at the beginning was nauseating lol.... and when Geon woo started drinking I was like noooo don't go to the bad side we all know what ur capable of ?
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Athena
July 26, 2014 at 4:31 AM
Lol, I have to admit. For a flicker of a second there, I thought his evil twin brother from YFAS had taken over :P
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john
July 26, 2014 at 5:35 AM
I would welcome the demise of "Team Evil". The whole evil doer story line is poorly done. It's. drug the "story " into the stinking pile of crap zone.
A Rom com where the lead actress is soaked in blood chasing an ambulance that has the evil 2nd lead going along for the ride. Yahoo!
Are the so called writers required to submit drafts of the "script " to anyone? Who signs off on this crap?
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KDaddict
July 26, 2014 at 5:53 AM
There is so much of this crap in K drama.
I think they only have to submit a synopsis, along with the script for eps 1 and 2. Then they get financing, casting, and start shooting. The scripts are being written while the camera is rolling for each ep. The writing is only scenes ahead. Under tremendous time pressure, the reflex is to reach for the old and familiar cliches. Hence we get this kind of crap time and time and time again.
There was a time years ago when I felt the compulsion to follow a show to its bitter end, for the sake of continuity and closure. Thank goodness I no longer feel that way. I'm learning to ditch shows that r crapping out on me. But I still don't ditch them soon enough, e.g.
I loved eps 1-6 of Triangle. The show went downhill from there, as we all know. But then I didn't bail out till ep 18. I should wise up sooner and could have saved a good 10-12 more hours of my life! Something I'll regret on my deathbed I'm sure. Hence, it's Sayonara to this show for me!
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C
July 26, 2014 at 8:49 AM
Ha ha - the actor who plays Geon woo is indeed great. The first drama I saw him in is "Three men and a baby", with Eugene, Jae Hee, Joo Sang Wook, etc. He is so silly and loving.
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Drama queen
July 27, 2014 at 6:06 PM
But he was the evil psycho brother in You Who Came From The Stars!
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Ek Ladhki Thi
July 26, 2014 at 2:56 PM
I thought I was the only one who thought their dates were disgustingly nauseating too. And why Oh why did they turn Geun-woo into a broody second lead male stuck in a one-sided love? Why couldn't they just leave him as the weird kleptomaniac we fell in love with at the beginning? My reasons for watching this show are slowly diminishing and as much as I love amnesia as a plot device (sue me), I don't think I want to see this show go down that path. It's already boring me to start with.
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4 Athena
July 26, 2014 at 4:30 AM
Is it just me or is the editing really choppy in this episode? I had to go back and make sure I hadn't hit ff by mistake.
I am not gonna complain about the whole 'we have to hide our relationship coz it will cause a scandal' plotline coz the sneakiness made their dating even more adorable.
Oh, and I am going to skip the next couple of episodes if they take the amnesia route :|
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NewFan
July 27, 2014 at 10:03 AM
As soon as Soo In got in the ambulance and the song went something like "please remember me," I got mad. I swear, if he loses his memory.....
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Drama queen
July 27, 2014 at 6:09 PM
You can er...forget to watch the next few episodes...
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5 J
July 26, 2014 at 4:41 AM
NOOO!!! I hate the amnesia cliche.
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KDaddict
July 26, 2014 at 7:51 AM
Even if he doesn't get amnesia, I still hate the ending of this ep cos I don't get Soo-in for doing what she did. Sure, she is rich, spoilt, jealous and angry, but to my mind, it takes more, much more for a rich young girl to be willing to go so far as to deliberately plot, plan and do sth that can kill, maim, cripple, damage sb for life! I'd hate to think that human nature is that evil.
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6 KDaddict
July 26, 2014 at 4:53 AM
This week's 2 eps have ruined this show for me.
Too many good new shows now. Must prioritise. Off to watch MnD!
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7 john
July 26, 2014 at 4:58 AM
Thanks for the recap.
The "writers" and I use that term loosely, should be fired. What is this @/√! ? Is that the best you can do?
Poor Eun -Ji. I weep for you. TT TT
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windsun33
July 26, 2014 at 11:35 AM
It seems like time after time in k-dramas that about half way through the writer pulls some hugely overused cliché out of the box and tosses it in. In this case, it is "if someone else is winning the answer is not to get better yourself, but to kill the rival".
I am still trying to figure out how Soo-In got from somewhat jealous rival to attempted murder in just 3 or 4 episodes. But I also wonder how our lead girl can be so freaking clueless that all these people are trying to bring her down.
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8 Zuki
July 26, 2014 at 5:04 AM
I never thought of it like Dream High. Now that I think about it, DH was probably one of the better rom-coms out there. I remember freaking out that time hoping Sam-dong wouldn't get amnesia and the show went to my surprise and didn't pull that card.
But TL seems to be taking that route, sadly. The OST "Remember Me" pretty much says it all. Please, if amnesia is necessary, at least let it be resolved quickly! I think if they were actually going to have that card unresolved until the end, they would've given us more than the 50 minutes of cute they gave us. They would have dropped that bomb after at least 2 or 3 episodes of fluffy couple stuff. So yeah, there should be more room for cute after this.
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Mrs.Jang guem suk
July 26, 2014 at 5:47 AM
Lol I put that show in the back of my mine ... Not because of the show itself ....but my mother ever single episode asked me who was my type KSH or Tackies ... EVERY SINGLE EPISODE ?
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9 tebz10
July 26, 2014 at 5:38 AM
Anyone notice the frog that Ji Hyun-woo gave to Eunji was the frog from Prime Minister and I? :)
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dfwkimchi
July 26, 2014 at 3:56 PM
That was the first thing that came to mind when i saw that frog.
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10 Mose
July 26, 2014 at 6:01 AM
I bet hes going to lose hes memory. Typical dramaland storyline.
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11 August
July 26, 2014 at 7:08 AM
Rave:
What Trot Lovers delivers on in a good and satisfactory manner:
Jung Eun-Ji singing
Interweaving of Trot Music into the drama
Sister moments between Choon-Hee & Byul
Byul's moments with Joon-Hyun and Geun-Woo
Rant about Missed Storyline & Plot Opportunities by the writer Oh Sun-Hyung:
Come on - No excuse for the lazy and trite writing! There is no reason to resort to so many kdrama clichés when Trot Lovers takes place within the music industry. Behind the scenes of the music industry, there will always be plenty of source material and stories to tell prime for repackaging.
The main characters were set up as:
Choi Choon-Hee = 2nd Generation rising singer in a niche market
Jang Joon-Hyun = Scandal plagued Singer/Musician/Artist
Park Soo-In = Trainee for 8 years, now a rising mainstream singer
Jo Geun-Woo = 2nd Generation President of a Music Company
Plight of Trot Music (the old guard finding & carving out a successful niche in the market) vs. KPOP (dominance in the market)
Plight of Trot singers & songwriters vs. KPOP trainees, singers, songwriters, & artists
Advantages & Disadvantages of Fame - (the attention can be attractive, intoxicating, or stifling, lots of fans, various opportunities arise, invasion of privacy, fame can be fleeting, renders constant scrutiny, having to discern between real & fake friends, etc.)
The music industry is a “who you know” business - it is important to build relationships and network successfully.
Having true talent and ability sometimes is or is not enough to become successful in the music business.
The music business is ego driven - sometimes bridges are burned.
The Music Business/Industry is about profit - Artistic integrity vs. Money.
Loyalty vs. Misplaced Loyalty in the music industry - Avoid being loyal to a fault.
Positive & Negative Influences in the Music Industry - the importance of surrounding yourself with legitimate people.
How the music industry has changed and affected the marketplace, performance opportunities, and royalties for singers, songwriters, record labels.
The actors (Ji Hyun-Woo, Jung Eun-Ji, & Shin Sung-Rok) deserve better!
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john
July 26, 2014 at 7:41 AM
August ~
Yes, with the singing and musical talent available to them, this show should have been a breeze, a walk in the park. Light and funny should have been the order of the day. Sure, add a bit of conflict, that's expected.
Instead they took the drama trope route to incoherent WTF-ville.
Ji Hyun-Woo, Jung Eun-Ji, & Shin Sung-Rok and Shin Bo-Ra can all sing. Pretty sure they can all manage comedy too. Aigoo.
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windsun33
July 26, 2014 at 11:45 AM
They could have taken this into some kind of friendly k-pop vs trot plot, but instead the writer somehow decided that would make too much sense. They are not even competing for the same markets, so this whole setup makes no sense at all.
I have pretty much lost faith in this show, only reason I watch any of it is to catch the too-rare Eun-Ji singing parts.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 28, 2014 at 9:27 AM
my thoughts exactly! Why do they think the audience (Korean ahjummas Korean agasshis or international agasshis/ahjummas WANTED a melo? I had such hopes for songs old and new, k-pop and trot, campy hokeyness and performances.
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tapiocapearl
July 26, 2014 at 9:34 AM
You propose such good plot points that could've happened, like the trot vs. kpop. This show could've been a good commentary on the music industry in South Korea and should'e been filled with meta jokes left and right.
And yeah, the actors you listed deserve better. I'm actually watching Queen In-hyun's Man again to remind myself that Ji Hyun-woo can be a solid drama.
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thursdaynexxt
July 26, 2014 at 9:53 AM
Ha, me too!
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Ek Ladhki Thi
July 26, 2014 at 3:02 PM
Amen to that sister. I want to wash my brain clean of Jang Joon-hyun and Trot Lovers by staring at 16 hours of the awesomeness that is Kim Boong-do.
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windsun33
July 26, 2014 at 11:42 AM
What I don't get at all is why Soo-In is so determined to bring Choon-Hee down at all. They are not even competing for the same markets in music.
It would be like Beyoncé killing Taylor Swift because Taylor topped the country charts. It is just stupid.
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Valerie Gudorf
July 26, 2014 at 2:11 PM
It's true that Soo In and Choon Hee aren't competing within the same music genre and for the same music audience, but Soo In has been operating under the assumption for years that she would (with much backing from powerful Mommy-Dearest and others) be crowned THE Shine Star Competition Champion. Everyone assumed it, really. But then comes this NOBODY from out of nowhere (singing Trot, of all things!) who starts stealing her "hard earned" Lime Light, who also happens to be stealing the hearts of people all over the country. And this upstart really can sing! And really lights up the stage in doing so! Soo In knows that the first head-to-head competition result between her and Choon Hee was rigged by her behind-the-scenes muscle, and that without it, she would have lost by a lot! That scared the pants off of both her and, even more troubling, very powerful Mommy-Dearest. To cap it all off, both the Oppa she tossed aside like a used tissue, and the new company President, are both smitten with Choon Hee. Soo In has to have bound to wondered how her fortunes took such a precipitous turn. She's a rich and entitled brat who never needed to fight fair. Why should she start now, especially when this fight is for all the marbles? That's where all the ugly desperation comes from.
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Gidget
July 26, 2014 at 4:11 PM
LOL. Great analogy.
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12 laden
July 26, 2014 at 7:11 AM
Is it that easy to get amnesia in Korea?
Just one hit to the head and then BAM!!!!! AMNESIA!
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13 laden
July 26, 2014 at 7:13 AM
Is it that easy to get amnesia in korea!?
Just one hit to the head and BAM!!!!!!!! AMNESIA!
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14 mylovebuggeroos
July 26, 2014 at 8:43 AM
I can't take another episode of this show. I might as well go hit my head against a wall. Ugh! It was supposed to be a mindless show I wanted to watch to relax and enjoy some time to myself but it turned out to be so stressful!!! Ha ha!
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windsun33
July 26, 2014 at 11:47 AM
If you do that, the wall will get amnesia.
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mylovebuggeroos
July 26, 2014 at 2:15 PM
Ah haha! So true!
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15 splatterpainted
July 26, 2014 at 9:20 AM
I was really, really, REALLY hoping that it would not be amnesia. But given the incredibly forced scenario (I was so frustrated watching the stage men ignore Chun-hee's BLOODY SHIRT) and the background song ("please remember me"), it probably is amnesia... ;_____;
The first 50 minutes of the show was so adorable and cute. Should've known the writers would end it all.
Here's to hoping that the amnesia twist ends by the next episode, like all the other plot twists do. I just... UGH. WHY?! >:(
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16 tapiocapearl
July 26, 2014 at 9:28 AM
Amnesia, please do not enter the fray. We do not have a place for you, so go away, far, far away. I know this begging is useless since your appearance is inevitable, but if you have even a shred of compassion with us viewers, you will listen to us.
I was willing to go with this show for the cuteness factor since I could care less for the plot itself. As much as I like them together, I thought Chun-hee's attraction to him was rather sudden. His was clear, but hers came out of nowhere, and no matter how much I loved their interactions in this episode, I couldn't really buy it.
And yeah, Soo-in is pretty much irredeemable. I, too, had hoped she'd go the I-don't-want-your-dream-Mother route, so I'm super disappointed she ended up being a murderer in the making. I don't even understand why she still pulled that stunt after she saw Joon-hyun looking at her. Clearly, she's got some screws loose if she thought she was going to get away scot-free with a witness.
With a title as Trot Lovers, I was looking forward to more musical interactions between our leads. I just want them to make music all day, everyday, but I guess I'll have to wait for Rain's new drama to see that.
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Valerie Gudorf
July 26, 2014 at 2:27 PM
But her witness conveniently has amnesia, you see. That's how she gets away with it for the next xyz number of episodes, while making it look like Choon Hee is actually responsible for what happened. So hackneyed, so cliche' this show has turned into. What's unforgivable is that it hasn't even played out in real time yet, but any drama watcher with two brain cells to rub together already sees it coming. When it does happen, all that'll be left to do is boo-hiss, throw your popcorn at the TV, and switch to watching something else. Sigh....And I really was enjoying the ride up to this point...
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tapiocapearl
July 26, 2014 at 8:46 PM
She didn't expect Joon-hyun to swoop in and protect Chun-hee, and yet she still dropped whatever crap on her even though Joon-hyun clearly saw her. That's what I meant. Now that Joon-hyun's unconscious and will probably have amnesia, it's super convenient for her.
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mylovebuggeroos
July 26, 2014 at 6:51 PM
What the crap...i was looking forward to my the music too with sone cute love scenes. Blah! Even the trailer didn't predict this crap!
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windsun33
July 27, 2014 at 1:34 PM
As someone else on here noted - have heard more music from her cell ringtone than in the show.
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17 laraffinee
July 26, 2014 at 9:29 AM
Seriously...the writers made a "garbage stew" with this episode. Not a single stage hand or anyone else on the stage or in the stage area before the show???? Also, just like those "deer in headlight" stupid car accident scenes, couldn't Joon-Hyun just command Chun-Hee to run toward him, and neither one would be hurt?
When the writers write these "deer in headlights' accident scenes, that is a sign of really poor, lazy writing. They simply do not have the skill to write something better so they they pull this trash out of the bag. Sad. This could have been so much better. If they throw in amnesia or a coma, then they should just give up writing, because a computer program could "write" that same kind of crap if you plug in the story elements into a program. Pathetic.
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windsun33
July 26, 2014 at 11:54 AM
I can't believe the writer actually managed to get the "deer in headlights" cliché into a falling stage prop cliché.
This show could have been so good, but they managed to make it into yet another cliché ridden mishmash.
Perhaps when Drama Land actually manages to come out with a few really good shows, like "Marriage, Not Dating" and FTLY our tolerance level for mediocre shows drops.
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Gidget
July 26, 2014 at 4:34 PM
That's how I feel. I can sit through a pretty mediocre show, if it lets me turn the brain off and the show stays light and fluffy. The only requirement is that the plot doesn't turn too cray cray. But when there's good rom coms competing, the game changes. Unfortunately for the timing of TL this year couldn't have been worse.
I was so hoping that this show would be chock full of Trot music and remote filming outside of Seoul. There was so much to mine in just giving us a glimpse into the ways trot is a bridge between modern and traditional Korean culture.
Sadly the most trot we've heard has been via that ringtone on CH's cell phone. :-(
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18 thursdaynexxt
July 26, 2014 at 9:59 AM
Maybe "Trope Lovers" would be a better name for this show at this point?!
All the symptoms of incipient amnesia are there alright - that's probably why they had Soo-in hop in the ambulance instead of Chun-hee. That way, when Joon-hyun wakes up, SI will claim that she's (still) his GF and first love, and she's never even looked at the President!
I said before that Soo-in and her mom were like getting into crazy mother-daughter BotC territory. That was a warning, Show, not a suggestion!! Please get the show back on track!
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Gidget
July 26, 2014 at 4:38 PM
Did you notice that this episode Soo-in’s mother started wearing...wait for it...a nail necklace? Guess that's gonna be a new trope from now on.
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thursdaynexxt
July 26, 2014 at 7:33 PM
Hah, no way, really?! Gotta go watch that again!
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19 Aigoooo
July 26, 2014 at 10:19 AM
Wow. Lee Se Young (Soo In) is such an ugly crier. For a second there, I thought they were using some crappy CGI or something. Coach Bang reminds me of those ahjummas you see at the marketplace. It's official, the writer of this show sucks and have no clue what they are doing. I was watching the car accident scene and kept thinking if I was Soo In, I'd be going "STFU! Quit calling my name!! Can't you see I'm trying to hide my identity from that ahjussi!". lol
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20 kolache
July 26, 2014 at 10:50 AM
Another thing that upsets me (other than, you know, the amnesia) is Geun-woo or whatever his name is. I really liked him in the beginning because he was a legitimate weirdo, but now it seems like he's going into Nice Guy Land :(
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21 amara
July 26, 2014 at 11:35 AM
i honestly don't know why i keep watching this show becaue every week it gets more dumb and useless, jesus christ. i was laughing at soo-in's shocked face at what she did like girlfriend what did you think would happen either way. it was easy to like kind of be okay with her but she just got more pathetic but i guess her mom is a murderer too...probably.
(also since i never comment on the TL threads, does anyone else think chunhee's dad is the worst dad ever?)
shame about the show because they're kind of cute
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Net-chan
July 26, 2014 at 12:01 PM
I agree, her dad's such a loser, abandoning his daughters like that! He's ashamed because he can't do anything for them but HEY, at least be there for them, one is still under age man!
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22 Net-chan
July 26, 2014 at 11:59 AM
Ugh. I was so disappointed at the end of the episode.
I can just SEE what's going to happen next:
Joon-hyun is going to wake up and the one person at his bedside will be Soo-in. Of course, he'll be grateful to her to the point that he'll fall in love with his so-called saviour because he'll have amnesia. OF COURSE. Who doesn't get amnesia when hit on the head in Dramaland?
And there comes Chun-hee's broken heart... I guess the next 3 episodes will be painful to watch. Not looking forward to seeing Joon-hyun giving the puppy eyes to Soo-in. Ugh.
Thanks for the recap!
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23 taeryn
July 26, 2014 at 12:26 PM
Omg... what if he gets amnesia and then soo in still wants to ruin chun hee because shes a sick person like that blames joonhyun's injury on chunhee and chunhee goes down in the show biz and joonhyun thinks chunee tried to kill him too omgggg I'm freaking out!!!! Writers, please spare me; let's not go on that route, okay?
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24 dfwkimchi
July 26, 2014 at 3:48 PM
Thanks for the recap!
Now that u mention amnesia - i thought about the pretty OST for this episode 'Please remember me'!!!!
If KOD's OST 'Blind for love' was a clue to the ending of that series - i am now afraid what 'Please remember me' is going to do for this drama plot!!!
URRRRRGGGGG!
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25 maddragonqueen
July 26, 2014 at 5:50 PM
If he wakes up with amnesia, I am gonna murder someone.
Can't. Even.
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beansprouts
July 27, 2014 at 12:08 AM
As long as you don't go for the falling-stage-prop option because you might just end up giving that someone amnesia.
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26 Sajen
July 26, 2014 at 6:20 PM
As far as I'm concerned this drama can do no wrong no matter how crazy it gets I'll watch it to the end. Because I'm apparently discovering that Jung Eun-ji is my bias and no matter how crazy it gets I'll keep watching.
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maddragonqueen
July 26, 2014 at 6:44 PM
I second that I will keep watching no matter what happens - in no small part because of my love for Jung Eun Ji - but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.
So while I have every intention of sticking it out until the end, I would prefer that Show NOT be crazy.
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Sajen
July 26, 2014 at 9:30 PM
I'd prefer that it not be crazy as well, but we can't always get what we want. Actually now that I think about it despite my love for them Korean dramas very rarely give me what I want.
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27 kyuri
July 27, 2014 at 12:10 AM
It must just be me based on all the comments for this drama, but I loved this show to start with and still find it enjoyable, but I JUST.DO.NOT feel the chemistry between the two main leads. Jung Eun-ji is fabulous and I just swoon at the utter perfection of her voice. And her acting is great and just understated enough. And the guy (don't know his name) is also a fantastic actor and convincing. BUT NO CHEMISTRY. I watched and fell in love with Jung Eun-ji and Seo In-guk in Reply 1997, and their chemistry was white hot (maybe because they fell in love on set? Fun surmisings here...) But this show, I kinda cringed when they kissed, and I haven't done that in a drama in a long time.
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Kesha
October 11, 2014 at 1:06 AM
I agree!! Also it seems like I am alone in this, but I don't think the male lead is cute, AT ALL. He's not ugly but Geon -Woo is soo much cuter and I think he's the BETTER choice, personally. I don't get Joon Hyun's appeal. He is nearly as charming or magnetic or interesting for that matter. The roles should be switched in my opinion. Anyways, will keep watching. It's fun and cute so I will ride this one out,Eun Ji is my new favorite actress. But when I see her and Joon Hyun being all lovey dovey and poor President is hurt, I feel sad:(
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28 Miho
July 27, 2014 at 2:34 AM
Oh please! I really thought this drama wouldn't be the same as the rest. And look at you! Show, you just backstabbed me! How could you??? But there's still hope right??? I beg you. Not amnesia. After all the noble idiocy, he cannot just forget her. But looking at how sooin went along in the ambulance it's pretty much sure that what's gonna happen is definitely what we all are trying to avoid. Oh they were so adorable together.
And no matter how i look at it, Baek hee in Dream high was a way better character as compared to sooin. Sooin is definitely following her mother for that matter. She's a total bitch. Or maybe it's just because Chunhee is a darling whereas Hyemi was a tiny bitch herself in the first few episodes of dream high.
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29 coby
July 27, 2014 at 3:30 AM
The moment he got hit on the head, I closed it and opened another drama.
Dear Soo-in,
That's a big crime hope to see you behind bars.
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fab
July 27, 2014 at 1:00 PM
Please don't go back to see her in prison because you might be very disappointed!
Felt bad I couldn't watch this show (too many dramas on my plate) but not anymore aigoo.
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fab
July 27, 2014 at 1:02 PM
Please don't go back to see her in prison because you might get very disappointed!
Felt bad I couldn't watch this show (too many dramas on my plate) but not anymore aigoo.
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fab
July 27, 2014 at 3:19 PM
Sorry posted double, thought the first one didn't make it.
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joaqs
July 30, 2014 at 12:43 AM
This is attempted murder. We're not dealing with just a bucket of paint being poured on the victim. It's a structure that's meant to maim or even kill. This drama has turned into one big mess when they used this plot.
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30 logan5
July 27, 2014 at 5:07 AM
This is like "The Prime Minister and Me" all over again ... sheesh ... they'd better not turn this into melodrama after they've done so well at being a rom-com.
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Miho
July 27, 2014 at 5:33 AM
Pardon. Have i forgotten something??? Was there amnesia in PMAI???
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logan5
July 27, 2014 at 5:50 AM
no ... but the stupid turn from rom-com to melodrama was ... I doesn't matter what "vehicle" they use to do it, jumping the shark is still jumping the shark ... there's still hope yet ... we'll just have to wait till next week to see.
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31 SecondLeadSeRa
July 27, 2014 at 2:43 PM
I have to express my disappointment that the writers have written themselves into an ugly corner with this ending. The 3 "solution scenarios" I could think of
1) the one none of us want to see. Also most likely. Amnesia. That would be too bad. Everyone has said so and I agree
2) he has a head injury with no memory loss. She has to play the noble idiot and pretend she doesn't want to be with him to keep him safe...? Also weak. But, not amnesia...
3) he dies.
Now, I actually like him as a character and I ship the OTP but I think that killing him off would be really unexpected. And, since I like President Klepto, everybody wins (except the potentially dead character)?
^mostly joking about #3
Just wish the writers hadn't decided to give up or whatever because I think the actors deserve better than this quality of writing.
Oh well, 6 episodes to go.
At least Fated was really good this week (and Gunman wasn't bad either...)
Thanks for the recaps!
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32 Bex
July 27, 2014 at 6:45 PM
LOL of course they would, but everyone needs to calm down a little, I'm pretty sure it'll be resolved fairly quickly he'll likely "discover" that film of them together and remember it all or likely not be completely fooled by Soo-In's fake whatever routine. I loveeeeddd all the cute in this episode I really hope they stop messing with the couple and start revealing more about Chun Hee's mother.
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33 james
July 28, 2014 at 5:34 PM
Fawk sakes
Memory loss
Amnesia
So lame
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34 Kimchinita
July 29, 2014 at 9:15 AM
It's getting harder and harder to find good and worth-watching dramas nowadays.. With all the dramas already out, sometimes i really can't blame the writers if they are running out of ideas to produce and create something new or something fresh to captivate the viewers. Almost all plots have been written.. The viewers' horizon became so wide that it already takes more than an interesting storyline and popular casts to impress them.. But i guess, the reason why good drama gets its undeserved reputation is because people have grown tired of all the usual twist and turns and now they are looking for something new and sometimes, something impossible.. An alien, a ghost, a gumiho! Do you get what i mean?
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35 Kim
August 30, 2014 at 12:18 AM
Quick question for anyone reading this - in Trot Lovers they always seem to be at a cafe drinking something orange topped with white out of long tall plastic bottles/glasses through a straw. Does anyone know what cafe this is or what they are drinking?
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