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Oh My Venus: Episode 4

Now that everyone is being truthful, the power dynamic changes, and Joo-eun finds herself at more of a disadvantage than she expected – that is, if she still wants help getting healthy. The truth leads to a better plan, and a healthier relationship between all of our players. But just as things seem to be on track, a true threat looms, and Joo-eun may need real saving this time.

EPISODE 4 RECAP

We back up a bit to see that when Young-ho drove Joo-eun home, he’d asked if she was surprised about her hypothyroidism. Her stunned expression proves she didn’t have a clue. It’s the reason she can’t lose weight, and also the reason she keeps passing out when she’s stressed.

A bit down to hear it, Joo-eun takes the blame for not finding out sooner, and thanks Young-ho for all his help. She gets out of the car to walk to her apartment, but Young-ho gets out to stop her, deciding to do this thing right. He starts by telling Joo-eun the truth about himself: “I’m John Kim.”

He tells the shocked Joo-eun that her hypothyroidism is why she hasn’t lost weight despite the exercise, confessing that they’ve been having her do the same training as UFC athletes. Joo-eun is so furious she grabs Young-ho by the lapels, asking how he dare lie to a lawyer. And ha, he grabs her lapels right back, but it’s not to yell at her — apparently her bare cleavage is a little too close for comfort.

Young-ho admits to being surprised that she fell for their tricks, saying that he can’t understand her. Joo-eun fires back that it’s because she wanted results so desperately, and she wanted to trust the men. Before she explodes, she suggests they decide whether to work this out legally, or through their emotions.

As Joo-eun storms off, we flash back to Young-ho watching over her at the hospital, when her doctor had told him about her hypothyroidism. It seems to hit Young-ho hard, and he suddenly feels terrible for all the times he pushed her to exercise harder, probably contributing to her collapse. As she sleeps, she snores, and Young-ho gently turns her head to make her more comfortable. He shakes his head, pretending annoyance, but his eyes are so soft as he watches her sleep.

We also see that Woo-shik had come to the hospital — that’s where he was rushing when Soo-jin called him. He’d asked if Young-ho was Joo-eun’s guardian, and I love Young-ho’s answer: “Probably more than you.” When Woo-shik asks his relationship to Joo-eun, Young-ho says that he keeps saving her, but he doesn’t know yet if it’s coincidence or fate.

Woo-shik bristles, saying that he has the right to be concerned about her, but he wants to ask Young-ho for a favor. We don’t hear what it is, but when Young-ho drives home, it seems to weigh heavily on him. He recalls Joo-eun’s texts to “John Kim” saying she’ll believe she can do this since he believes, and how she’d barked at him that she believed their ultra-difficult workouts were for real because she wanted to trust them.

Soo-jin drinks alone, waiting for Woo-shik and taking teensy nibbles of the fruit at her table. Yet another flashback shows us that she also went to the hospital and saw Woo-shik and Young-ho talking over Joo-eun’s bed. She laugh-cries to herself that even in her state, men still flock to Joo-eun.

When Woo-shik joins her, he tells Soo-jin that he went to see Joo-eun, but her guardian was there. Soo-jin noticed that he seems upset by that, though he stammers that of course he was grateful. In a thoughtful mood, Woo-shik says out of nowhere that he thinks, if he were to get married then divorced, that he wouldn’t be able to remarry because he’d feel bad.

Soo-jin thanks him for telling her, and muses to herself that she’s the worse bitch on the planet. Rather than disagreeing, Woo-shik says that he knows how she feels, because he feels like the worst bastard on the planet — to her.

Joo-eun invites Hyun-woo over, and cries about her hypothyroidism. Hyun-woo assures her that it’s not the end of the world, and that surely something good can come of this discovery. In the mood to complain, Joo-eun whines again that her little brother is getting married, and that he asked her to pay for the wedding. Thank goodness, she told him no way.

Joo-eun notices that her pot of poinsettias has moved again — it seems to be in a different place every time she comes home. Hyun-woo swears she hasn’t been moving it, but gets distracted when Joo-eun starts to snore, hee.

Young-ho and Joon-sung spar while Ji-woong cooks, and Young-ho wins again. Joon-sung can tell he’s upset about something, and begs him to talk instead of killing him. Young-ho admits he feels at fault (for Joo-eun’s collapse), but doesn’t elaborate and brings the discussion to Joon-sung’s shoulder. Joon-sung says it’s just an old injury, but Young-ho orders him to get a physical anyway.

Young-ho ignores his food at lunch, and some prodding gets him to admit that he told Joo-eun that he’s the real John Kim. He also tells the guys about her hypothyroidism, and that they’ve been working her too hard.

Joo-eun’s coworkers giggle over videos of her collapsing on television, not realizing that she’s right there in the elevator with them. She tells her secretary, Hyun-jung, that she’s not okay — she’s got thirteen months left on her school loans, a brother who’s getting married, and hypothyroidism. Of course she’s not okay.

Joon-sung and Ji-woong bring a gigantic plant to Joo-eun’s office (Joon-sung: “I told you to get flowers.” Ji-woong: “This is for fresh air!”) since they feel badly about pushing her so hard. Joon-sung is nervous, but Ji-woong confidently says that Ma’am is really nice, and she loves him.

Soo-jin nervously visits Joo-eun to see if she’s okay, but she makes a comment that the company is worried about her. But before discussing that, she wants to clarify how they’ll address each other — she prefers Joo-eun calls her “Deputy President,” and speaks jondaemal to her at work. Once that’s handled to Soo-jin’s satisfaction (and Joo-eun’s annoyance), she says that Joo-eun will be working from home for a week, until the furor over her on-air fainting dies down.

Before she leaves Joo-eun’s office, Soo-jin makes sure she knows that she’s wearing the same dress as yesterday, and lets Joo-eun draw the conclusion that that implies — that she spent the night with Woo-shik. Later we see the truth of Soo-jin’s night out — she had invited Woo-shik up to her place, but he declined. So she’d brought the dress to work just to make Joo-eun think they’d slept together.

Joo-eun is so busy shooting eye-daggers at Soo-jin, she barely even notices Ji-woong’s attack-hug this time. He notices the chill in the air and immediately takes Ma’am’s side — she’s a lawyer, so whatever she said, sue her! Ha, he even offers to “take care of her” for Joo-eun. Such a fierce little tiger cub.

But Joo-eun puts him in his place, and he quickly kneels to apologize for pushing her too hard in their workouts and lying about being John Kim. Joon-sung joins him with his head bowed contritely, and I don’t know how Joo-eun can stay mad with those two pairs of big, sad eyes pleading with her to forgive them. In any case, Ji-woong’s cuteness eventually gets her to crack.

Joon-sung and Ji-woong take Joo-eun for coffee, but as soon as their order arrives they bail, and she finds herself sitting across from Young-ho instead. She growls that she only forgave them, not him, still angry that he tricked her. Without explanation or justification, Young-ho just nods, “I’m sorry.”

Taken aback, Joo-eun asks why it’s a secret that he’s John Kim. Young-ho answers honestly that he was born into a chaebol family, so if his father and grandmother (I misunderstood, she is his grandmother) find out about his activities outside of the family business, they would be angry. Joo-eun snickers, thinking that he’s making up a story because he doesn’t want to tell her the truth, and he lets her think it for now.

Back to business, Young-ho gestures at Joo-eun’s slice of chocolate cake, and asks if she’s not going on a diet. She basically tells him to mind his own business, and hands him an envelope with a contract inside. But she left the results of a recent physical in there too, and they scuffle over the paper, until Young-ho finally grabs Joo-eun close so he can read the results over her head.

Something he sees makes his eyes pop, and he glares at Joo-eun, calling her wily. He asks if she thinks she’s fooling anyone with those baggy clothes, and rips up the contract. He says that from now on, they’ll be doing things his way (or as he puts it, “your body is mine”), and he leans in reeeeal close to say that they won’t stop until he says they stop. Rawr.

Grandma goes to the temple to pray for someone named So Ji-yeon, I’m guessing Young-ho’s mother, and asks Manager Min how Young-ho is doing. He dryly says that he ordered the guards to stay two miles away from him, so they’re “protecting him from a distance,” ha. They run into the woman who previously brought Grandma porridge, who came to bring Grandma some hot tea this time, but Grandma bristles — she has no right to be here. She asks if Young-hoon is coming back today, and tells the woman to go see him.

Woo-shik’s supervisor asks if he’s found out anything about Young-ho, who’s to be their new boss, but Woo-shik hasn’t learned much. Back in his office, he stews over his encounters with Young-ho, where Young-ho always seems to be with Joo-eun. He starts to text Joo-eun to ask about him, but hesitates — instead he calls Soo-jin, who’s having another massage and ignores his call.

Joon-sung goes for his physical, and we see that his torso is covered in scars. While he sits attached to monitors, a pretty girl flings back the curtain and peers at him closely, then says accusingly that he’s the Korean Snake, and that he rejected her. Her name is Kang Hee-jin, self-proclaimed Queen of Commercials, and apparently at some point, Joon-sung chose not to do a CF with her.

Joon-sung clarifies that he said he’d think about it, but Hee-jin is ofended that he’d even give it a second thought. Filming a commercial with her should be a no-brainer. But she switches gears when she notices his scars, assuming they’re from surgeries and asking if he’s sick.

After taking Joo-eun to pick up her new medications, Young-ho tells her that when she’s healthy again, she won’t need it. He has to drag her to a clinic to get her porportions and body fat measured, reminding her that her body is his, and she can’t refuse.

Manager Min summons Young-ho to dinner, saying that this mysterious Young-joon is home, but Young-ho declines. The family sits to dinner without him, and the relationships are a bit confusing, but the best I can tell is that Young-joon is Young-ho’s half-brother. Young-ho’s mother was Grandma’s daughter, and his father remarried the woman who keeps trying to get on Grandma’s good side. So Young-hoon is Dad and Stepmom’s son, and Young-ho’s half-brother, but not blood-related to Grandma at all.

With the family assembled, Grandma takes the opportunity to remind everyone that it’s her choice to pass the company to Young-ho, and asks everyone to support her decision. The resounding silence makes everyone’s feelings on the matter crystal-clear.

As Young-ho drops off Joo-eun, she asks him one more time for the truth: Is he really John Kim? He just says she’ll know once she spends time with him. She’s getting over her embarrassment, and vows not to give up, thanking him for today.

Joo-eun is woken the next morning (why does she always sleep on her couch?) by a knock at the door and the ominous sound of, “Ma’am! Ma’am!” She finds Joon-sung and Ji-woong waiting with coffee, and when she tries to close the door, a hand stops her — it’s Young-ho. She tries to shut the sliding door on them, only to have them casually open the other side and let themselves in, ha.

They don masks and gloves to go through her kitchen, tossing nearly everything edible (and a few no-longer-edible things, blech). They replace her junk food with healthy choices, while Ji-woong hilariously dresses up in some of her clothes. Young-ho also calls her out on her bad sleeping habits and caffeine intake, and even her posture. He’s so on-point, she accuses him of being Yong-pal, HAHA. He beckons her close, and tells her that they’re going to start everything fresh, with new routines.

Later as Young-ho works out, we can see that he still wears a brace on his right leg. Interesting. His knee bears the scars of surgery, and at one point he clutches his leg as if it hurts him. He retires to his strange sleeping tank-thing, in a room that looks more like a doctor’s office, and frowns in his sleep.

In the morning, Young-ho meets Joo-eun at her place, presenting her with a big puffy coat “for later.” She gasps at the results of her measurements, but Young-ho keeps it clinical and tells her that her problem areas, her belly and butt, are putting her at risk of things like heart disease. He’s taking her somewhere today, which he warns Joo-eun will feel like she’s been locked up.

And then he takes her to his villa, ha. He tells her to call him Coach-nim, explaining that since she was on TV, they have to do her training here from now on. Joo-eun understands, and thinks it’s also safer for keeping his secret, which takes Young-ho aback for a second that she’s concerned for him.

Joo-eun makes a comment that she’s not tryng to get her beauty back, and Young-ho is incredulous to hear that she used to be beautiful. Oh come on dude, she’s still beautiful! But he just shakes his head when she tells him she used to be called “the Venus of Daegu,” and asks if she’s a pathological liar. HA.

Young-ho catches Joo-eun by the tummy when she nearly tumbles off the treadmill, but he’s unapologetic as he turns it way, waaay up. It looks like it takes monumental effort not to roll his eyes when she can’t even manage one squat, and things get a little personal when he has to put his hands all over her to show her how to do them correctly, and at one point she ends up sitting in his lap.

Joo-eun is grouchy at having to follow Young-ho’s orders, but she dutifully sleeps in bed, wears socks to keep her feet warm, and takes her medicine as directed. Ha, he’s gotten so in her head that she actually sees him following her around her apartment, correcting her when she’s tempted to slack off.

A few days later, Joon-sung drives Joo-eun to the villa (hee, she even hides in the car), and he thanks her for keeping their secret. They seem comfortable with each other now, and more relaxed. Young-ho finishes his workout and spots Joo-eun on the treadmill, and smiles when she falls asleep on the drive home. Than he smacks her to wake her, ha.

She’s happy to report that she’s lost five kilos (about eleven pounds), though Young-ho bursts her bubble by saying that it’s probably from the medicine. But he smiles to see her bounce up her stairs, already moving easier. He starts to pull away, but something catches his eye and he screeches to a halt.

In her dark apartment, Joo-eun barely relaxes before the doorbell rings, but nobody responds when she calls out asking who it is. She opens the door to find a strange man holding a pot of poinsettas, confused when he seems to think she should know him.

He pushes his way in and drops the flowers, his face hardening. Joo-eun trips, frightened, and brandishes her umbrella at him — which he promptly snatches away. He advances on her while asking why she’s so scared, and crouches down to get right in Joo-eun’s face, still expecting her to know him.

She tries to call for help but can only whisper, “Please save me…” But it’s enough, as Young-ho bursts through the door to confront her aggressor.

COMMENTS

Okay, the saving thing is getting a bit over-the-top. I can believe that Young-ho was at the right place and time to save Joo-eun from a couple of frightening or embarrassing situations, but this is getting a little silly. It’s hard to believe that she needs saving that often, or that Young-ho just happens to be right there every time. It’s not bothering me that much, but I just had to point that out.

I’ve said it before, but I really appreciate that the focus of this drama isn’t “overweight girl wants to get thin to be accepted by others (and get a man),” but is all about being healthy and accepting yourself as you are. Joo-eun’s hypothyroidism is a nice surprise, because it gives lie to the idea that only weak people with no self control gain weight. Sometimes it really IS a health issue, and not just about having willpower. I love that Young-ho takes responsibility for pushing Joo-eun too hard, when he had seen the signs and should have put the clues together, and takes Joo-eun on as a personal project. It’s much more fun that he’s doing it because he wants to, rather than because she’s blackmailing him. I appreciate too, that their relationship is honest now, which will allow them to become closer that much easier.

Speaking of honesty — strangely, I don’t actually think Woo-shik is a bad person, or as shallow as he originally seemed. He may have initially sought Joo-eun out because she was pretty, but he stayed with her for fifteen years, many of those years after she gained weight. I’m sure we’ll learn more about why he decided to break up with her, though I’m pretty positive that it was initiated by Soo-jin. She doesn’t just want revenge on Joo-eun, she actually wants to BE her, and part of that involves having the man she’s been with for so long. But one thing we know about Woo-shik that he’s honest — he tells Soo-jin right away whenever he sees Joo-eun, and doesn’t keep secrets from anyone. He actually cares about Joo-eun’s mother, and it was his idea to tell her immediately, and together, that they broke up. He rushed to Joo-eun’s side when she collapsed, wanting to make sure she was okay. I do think he’s a decent person, and even if he broke up with Joo-eun because he fell out of love for her, or met someone else… well, that happens to a lot of people and doesn’t make them a villain. Even Soo-jin said to Joo-eun that they hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of, while she and Woo-shik were still together. Though it seems, from some things he’s said, that Woo-shik isn’t ready to jump into another relationship, and regrets dumping Joo-eun.

Soo-jin is a tougher nut to crack, because she seems to flash back and forth from seeming to be a normal person, to being a really nasty piece of work. I’d like to think that it’s because being nasty takes effort and isn’t her default these days, which would mean that there’s still something in her to redeem. There’s no doubt that she’s deliberately setting out to hurt and belittle Joo-eun, but it doesn’t make her happy — she doesn’t even really seem to like Woo-shik, other than as something to take away from Joo-eun. And a couple of times when Joo-eun was genuinely hurt by her actions, such as passing out on television, Soo-jin seemed honestly horrified and regretful. I find myself hoping that she’s not too far gone that she can’t be affected by Joo-eun’s wonderful personality anymore, and that even she’ll be changed by proximity to such a determined, positive person.

But what makes this show, for me, is the relationships between Joo-eun and her boys, as they help her achieve her health goals. Now that the truth is out and there are no more secrets, they all seem much more relaxed around each other, and even stone-faced Joon-sung is joking and teasing Joo-eun. I could honestly get rid of everything else and just watch those four work out and have fun together, they’re all just so cute.

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I've been waiting for the recap, gonna read it first tho.

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???????

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OH MY GOD!!!!!
my favorite part of this episode is the SLIDING DOOR SCENE!!!! ♥

it really made me GIGGLE SQUEAL LAUGHED at 12midnight when this website released the episode in RAW VERSION!

i cannot wait for the new episodes to come up!
So MONDAY PLEASE COME NOW!
cause this girl can't wait anymore longer for new revelations/flashbacks of Young-Ho & How he will solve his own personal semi-kinda-demons... like his father (who is SOOOOOO CRUEL)

if ever Joo-Eun meets Young-Ho's grandmother (the OWNER og GAHONG) i hope she will like Joo-Eun...
-time to pray to all the saints in heaven for it to happend-

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+ the matching BGM SOUND EFFECT used/played when Young-Ho appeared on her front door with Ji-Woong & Joon Sung

its kinda like a squeaky mice sound for me LMAO !XD

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Maybe the stalker was also the guy in the rain in the first episode? And yes I agree, after this episode, WS isn't that bad of a guy, I wonder what his request was. For YH to take care of her? To not fall in love with her? Also getting tired of YH saving her, I want to see JE kick butt! (And maybe HER saving HIM?) Would have to wait for other eps to find out! All in all, I feel both leads are really carrying the show, fighting!

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I had that thought too... except that that would be exceptionally creepy, given that she was coming from the airport after some time away and not going to her own place but Woo-shik's. He'd have to be super-stalking her.

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I had the same thought about the stalker. As for Joo-run saving him, I think if/when she gets to meet his father and discovers how he's treated Young-ho she'll go into fierce lawyer mode.

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I think she will end up saving him in many ways - mostly on an emotional level, I think :) at the end of the day I think she's the not the one that needs saving (despite everything lol) but I think the writers will probably play that up when Young Ho will actually end up being the one who needs the most saving of all (and maybe So Jin, if she's not beyond help)

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Nice, I'm glad they didn't keep up the lie for episodes

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Why do I see only lollypip recaps on DB these days..

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LOVE this episode!

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Thought the 1st 2 (set-up) eps were formulaic w/ uninspired writing - w/ "chubby" SMA basically carrying the show.

SMA is still the main reason to watch, but these past eps are much improved w/ the writing and dialogue having gotten a lot better.

Speaking of "chubby" SMA - in the previous ep when Joo-eun is at the gym and is hesitant on leaving the dressing room due to the tightness of her outfit - couldn't help but laugh since it was so obviously a big butt pad and some padding for the belly (but the rest of SMA's legs are thin); the special effects/make-up people did a good job w/ her facial prosthetic, but not so much on the body (and really, some days her butt, even after having been working out, looks bigger than before - lol).

The comedic hi-jinks btwn JE and the "3 boys" (such as the sliding door) are really getting going (in the 1st 2 eps, those attempts at humor fell mostly flat), but then we have also gotten those little touching moments when JE and her mom squabble but show how much they care for each other (JE telling her brother to basically "get lost" was also great due to SMA's facial expression).

Usually I like political/corporate machinations (when done well), but I'm really, really hope it's nothing like the sloppy, lazy writing that was in RTP (don't think that this will be the strength of the show), but currently, nothing about it is particularly intriguing (pretty standard set-up - grandma CEO wants to hand over company to grandson, but there are familial rivals).

But as much as OMV has really started to roll along, this whole stalker thing broke the momentum and is really unnecessary.

1st - having JK "save" JE again within such a short amount of time would be overkill and 2nd, would make JE into a "damsel in distress" when she's not that type.

Hope the writer(s) have a surprise in store (and besides - JE should be able to take that skinny-arse stalker herself).

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"JE should be able to take that skinny-arse stalker herself" I laughed out loud at this comment! xD

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She does come off as a fierce woman so her paralyzing fear over the rainy day stalker and the home intruder seems out of character. Perhaps being a lawyer as brought her into contact with more than a few unbalance criminals and she has had bad experiences in the past.

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I really appreciate that WooShik is not a one sided bad guy. I can see in this episode that he is been presented as a genuine human being, who after 15 years started having different feelings about his relationship. He wants to be honest about his feelings. In a way I think Joo Eun may have inadvertently made him feel neglected, due to her words demands (I know it is necessary, but even women feel neglected when their husbands work all the time, and some of these woman make bad choices too). They were stuck in a rut and Soo Jin took advantage of that, not because she is pretty but because she gives him attention. So I'm looking forward to their future relationship, when she starts changing not only physically but mentally, and he rediscovers the woman he once loved above all others.

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I take back my negative comments about WS. I still think that he's an idiot, but an nicer one than I thought he was earlier. And I appreciate his honesty with SJ, especially the part when he told her that if he were to get married and divorced, he won't be able to re-marry cos he would feel bad. Does it mean that if he were to break up with a girl, he would find it difficult in starting another relationship seriously, cos he'll feel bad?

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This episode sealed the deal on my love for this show. Honestly the characters are just fantastic. This was a show that could have been terrible, based on its premise alone. But I love the characters so much that I don't really care where this goes. Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub's characters are just so lovable. The fact that Kang Joo Eun has such perserverance, I love the way she deals with the emotional blows, takes the moment to feel them and then picks herself up and gets on with life. I love that she doesn't let anyone get away with anything and that she takes responsibility for her own stuff as well. So Ji Sub has this magical ability to somehow give me calm and feel empathy for his characters. Every time Joo Eun thanks him, you can see he's a little bit surprised. I just love them together.

I don't care about Woo Shik and Soo Jin, but every drama needs its antagonists I suppose, and I can always fast forward their bits.

Give me more of the 4 workout buddies. Henry's a bit much, but in combination with the taciturn Sung Hoon and fairly stone faced Young Ho it balances out well.

Cosigning the excessive saving may be heading towards too much, but to be fair, he rushed over to the hospital after seeing her faint on TV and he actually caused one of the 'save me' instances by stalking a women in the dark on a raining night.

So really he's saved her properly on the plane, at the hotel, at Woo Shik's place (before the rain) and ... now? is that 4 times. But really 6 times if you include the other two instances. Yeah that's a lot.

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I actually found Henry's constant breaking into English (or his constant mixing of Korean and English) to be very irritating and jarring. We get it! You speak English flawlessly with an American accent. Move on now! I found him a loss less irritating in Pesevere Gu Haera.

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Re: Henry's mixing languages, I have often thought it's too much or over the top in k-dramas with Korean American/Canadian/etc actors or characters. But I realized recently that while it's exaggerated, it may not be as weird as it seems. My family is 1st-2nd generation Nigerian immigrants to the US, and what my parents and uncles and aunts (and the cousins whose Yoruba speaking skills are up to snuff) routinely speak around the house or each other is a mix of English and Yoruba. Probably 99% of what I speak around family is English, but even I mix in some Yoruba from time to time. I think most of the time we're not even aware that we're doing it, it's just normal that I hear about 50/50 Yoruba and English at home and it all kind of sounds the same to me in my head, if that makes sense? Because I don't have to translate between either. It's more jarring to me in a drama because the other language besides English is Korean and not Yoruba. Kdrama characters like Ji Woong in OMV or that actress in Yong Pal whose name escapes me are definitely given hamfisted dialogue and over-dramatic mannerisms to show they have non-Korean cultural influences, but I'm less distracted by the codeswitching now that I'm more conscious of the fact that I hear that kind of codeswitching all the time.

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The codeswitching is quite natural for bilingual/multilingual people. It happens all the time here in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila. We speak Taglish (Tagalog-English) most of the time, especially in conversational and non-academic settings. It's the language used even in media. Sometimes another language gets mixed in there with the Tagalog and English. It has become so natural we are not even aware of it.

So I do not find Henry's constant code-switching jarring at all.

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His habits are actually quite normal for a bilingual or polylingual person. there have been various instances where I have started a sentence in one language and ended it in another. For me at least some words or phrases are better expressed in my mother tongue - Telugu as opposed to English. Or sometimes using a Hindi word is more effective to convey what I wish to. Its not about trying to show off, its more like trying to convey better.

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I don't know where you came from but you'll be extremely annoyed if you come to Malaysia then lol. Because here, we live in multiracial community and most of us speaks back and forth in our mother tongue language (Malay, Chinese and Indian mainly) and English (because English is universally used everywhere here as 2nd language). It is definitely not a weird thing for multilingual people to mix English with other languages while conversing as in their heads, they are just trying to find better words to convey their means =)
in henry's character case, he's a korean american, so i don't think he's showing off.

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agree with you Lea. btw though for future reference "Indian" in itself is not a language. The country of India has many many languages, "Indian" is not one of them. But in as much as I get it, the way Henry speaks is still jarring and I think it's over done. Maybe that's part of his character because he's just a ball of energy but it's still annoying sometimes lol

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Agree. I'm bilingual myself, and not very fluent in my second language. So I totally get mixing up a language with English. I do it a lot myself. Still, Henry's representation IS over-the-top and jarring. I've heard people mixing different languages to make themselves understood, very many times, and I usually don't feel that they are showing off, as I do with his performance.

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I'm Indian and multilingual (as many Indians are), and when it comes to the languages I'm not as easily fluent in, my accent is distinctly off and I do occasionally mix languages as Henry is doing here.

But the mixing isn't what makes it seem over the top and unrealistic, it's his delivery. Maybe that's part of his character, but it really grates.

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@Adal - I agree. The actual mixing of languages doesn't seem to be what's bugging you, it's the way he does it. And I agree that that does register as 'showing off', however unintentionally - and that is not what a bilingual but non-fluent speaker wants to sound like.

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actually henry is chinese-canadian, so korean is not his first nor second language lol
i bet he even speaks like that in real life, tho maybe not as bubbly

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I forgot to say ... bring on the skinship show! I freakin' love how casually Young Ho touches Joo Eun. So very hooooot! Phew.

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I also love how casual he is about skinship with Joo Eun, and how he's clearly already very attracted to her physically (and otherwise), though he may not be aware of it yet. The man seriously doesn't miss an opportunity to get his hands on Joo Eun, or to get (very, very) close to her. Very hot indeed.

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Addendum—I think I particularly appreciate that Young Ho's attraction to Joo Eun is so sensual—it isn't the fluttery, "she's so dreamy" sort you can count on in a romantic comedy. I don't think he's even at that point yet, though he clearly admires her personality and determination. He reacts to Joo Eun in ways that people do when they find someone sexy, not just swoony. He doesn't seem to able to keep his hands off her; that could easily be off-putting in a drama with a different premise, but in OMV it feels like a welcome, much-needed balance to the constant negativity about Joo Eun's body. I like the message that (at least as I am seeing it, lol) that whatever physical changes she goes through, Joo Eun is desirable just the way she is right now.

And also sexy touching between So Ji Sub and Shin Mina is never unwelcome. I mean.

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I love that he's so casual about touching her and that it comes so naturally to him - like you said, he's attracted to her but it's very much subliminal. And the nature of the skinship just reinforces it.

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Her work out clothes are hilarious - seriously what is she wearing, a baby?!

I am the queen do thyroid issues - mine was Graves' disease (hyperthyroid) and I gained weight too! But after having it grow while on medication to control it, my dr. recommended having it removed...so out it came and then they found the thyroid cancer (and I had to have radioactive iodine cancer treatment)... http://checkyourneck.com/

Oh and if you want to see something really scary, goggle "thyroid eye disease"

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i was a hyperthyroid sufferer too and it was a very tiring disease- literally. i gained 11 kilos in 6 months of medication, and promptly lost it all after i stopped taking it lol.. interestingly i was cured not by the meds which only suppress the thyroid hormones, but by chinese herbal medicine and a few lifestyle changes. i'm a firm believer in CTM since

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My cousin had hyperthyroidism too. Her pregnancy triggered it. She went to the hospital for something else, but the doctors noticed how underweight she was and thought she was anorexic. CPS was notified because of the pregnancy, and she was admitted to the hospital for observation. They only realized what was going on when they saw how much she ate.

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haha! furious chubby joo eun is still cute.
anyway.. where is that strength when that stalker gliding in her place???
and that inspection scene from the three coaches, thats hilarious! :D

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JooEun looks like a "paralyz-a"... you know, one that gets paralyzed under stress or threat - like a fainting (myotonic) goat.

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Ha! A fainting goat! That's JooEun!

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There are no words to describe how miúch I love So Ji Sub! He can express so much with just his eyes and face .... also he is absolutely smoking hot! And Shin min ah is so cute and I just love her plucky character! You Go Girl!!! Their chemistry is great! And the bromance is just wonderful! I loved the workout-scene where SJS was basically SITTING ON TOP of the weights Korean Snake (that just makes me giggle every time!) was lifting with his legs! AWESOMECAKES! I'm soooo glad this tuned out well.

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I love everythings about this drama!!!!!
Thanks for your recap.love u too

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i really love so ji sub and shin min ah and they're reason why i watched this drama. YEEAH the first 2 episodes were great. and i agree about the lifesavier thing. its a bit over the top. but its okay. since its a drama. still gonna watch it.. well since its so ji sub

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writing comments in hurry. and there. typos. -.-
*they're the reason
*Life saver
*Im still gonna watch it

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I don't understand the criticism for Joo-eun.
She needs to be saved form a breaking and entering from a stalker, exactly how I'll need it, (I didn't knew that Dramabeans comenters where all ninjas!).

If a frien that just drop me home saw a weirdo following, it will make sense to check. If her chef friend where there she would have helped too.

I understand that the frecuency of the help she needs is statistically high but she has had very, very lousy days latelly, whith beeing sick and dumped and antagonized at work and lied to by her Coach.

May many, many attack-hugs be on your future Ma’am.

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1. Soo-jin's sparkling shoes (after she changes in the office). Lmaoooo! Arent those the same shoes she died with in My love from another star??
2. The Yong-Pal reference had me pausing my TV so i could fully laugh for a couple of minutes.
3. I am DONE with this whole 'Save me' thing. Girl, save your own damn self. She be getting on my last nerve. Like, who has saved you for the last 30 years? Dont be that girl.
4. This episode was actually cute. This show is giving me more than I expected from it. (ugh. Birth of a beauty really ruined me when it comes to these plots. Such horrible execution :(. My body still has involuntarily spasms thinking about that drama)

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And when Shin Min Ah told SJS "Keojo!"..which is SJS's famous line in Master's Sun...hhahahaaa...i love that too

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I would have actually died of laughter if she'd thrown in the famous hand gesture with that 'get lost!' lmao

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*they're the reason
*im still gonna watch it

-ergh- to many typos

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isnt that sleep tank thing an oxygen chamber?

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yup, its a Hyperberic Oxygen chamber . I did hear they use it a lot now these days to also treat people with bone and skin grats (an quite a few otther things) ...
Looking at his leg scar and the braces etc... i guess that's what it's for.

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grafts...not grats :)

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Love love love the drama and this episode! Love the bickering between the main leads! Love the three Musketeers! So Ji-sub, I can't get enough of you!

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Is it bad that at one point I started asking myself what a drama with Joon Sung and Joo Eun as the leads would be like? Or at least with Joon Sung as a second lead.

Ahh, I don't know why I do this to myself. :')

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Omo, omo, you're not alone... I think he's super hot and worthy of being of one of the lead characters in love-square. I don't know why I'm doing this to myself either, hahaa :D

But there's that cute CF star whom he'll probably be paired with so I hope he'll have a happy ending :) I'd like to know as well of the story behind his scars.

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The only personal thing they have let drop about him is that he grew up in an orphanage. He seems uncomfortable around women. I don't think he needs to be paired with a narcissistic spoiled brat. Maybe a noona romance with Joo Eun's chef friend.

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Oh my, it didn't occur to me at all but that would be even sweeter. In Ep.5 it's mentioned he'll be donating to an organization of unmarried mothers - or is it of single mothers? Well, I don't know Korean but if I can assume he has soft-spot for single moms, then your theory might just be realized. Kyaaa! Just thinking of it makes me squeal... :D

For the CF star, I see too little of her to invest my feelings. She does seem to have a celebrity disease of some sort but she also seems adorably dim which, to me, is sweet and gives out the vibes that whatever brief image she's shown so far won't be everything about her character. If the writer takes this route, I believe once she falls for him, she'll show her-better-self :)

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I think I'm haunted by the ghost of YH. Everytime I sit down in front of my PC, the scene where he told JE to sit up straight and imagine as though someone was pushing her chin up would come into mind and I'd subconciously do the same as JE. ?? Thanks OMV for helping me fix my posture.

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OMG OMV is so fun! The plot may re-tread some typical drama tropes but the way it's done is just so entertaining.

SMA and SJS seriously needs to be in one of those lovey dovey sweet romance movie. I could watch them doing nothing but bicker the whole day. The scene where Young Ho trapped Joo Eun in his arms while reading the medical report, why so cute?

I'm glad Joon Sung and Henry are getting air time which is so nice for them and us. Joon Sung is hot and Henry's attack hugs and M'am has to continue! It's nice to see these guys as Joo Eun's cheerleaders.

The damsel in distress thing is getting a bit much but I think the writer is going for the "coincidence and fate" thing. Will just wait it out and hope they don't mess it up.

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Oh now how I wish suddenlyJi-Woong would pop up in my office with his "Ma'aammmm"........voice.... I really need one adorable dongsaeng like him!!!!! xD

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Yup! He's hilarious - love his jumble of English and Korean, which is probably how I'd sound if I attempted to speak it.

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This was such a great episode. I love that Soo-Jin has unexpected depth for a villainess. As much as I want to dislike her with Woo-Shik (and I do), there are moments (like the pool scene) where she seems happy and he is caring. It's interesting to me that she is getting what she thought she wanted (being thin, stealing the guy from the other girl) and that she can't trust it. Every time she seems to want to trust Woo-Shik, you can see her second guessing everything. She has no confidence in her beauty or her beauty's ability to keep him (and she shouldn't)! Great acting for the seconds leads.

Of course, the rest of the cast is so talented and fun. I have had tons of giggly laugh-out-loud moments. And I love that Young-Ho is kind. He doesn't follow the typical Chaebol path of mean, mean, mean. My heart broke a little for him when he sat on the bridge alone and when he told dad his life wasn't easy. And I love that he is So honest, except for the momentary lie about being John Kim. So Ji-Sub does so much with just a look. So great!

But the thing that I can't get over and think was the best, is how CREEPY the stalker scene is. Granted, I want EJ to start beating him like her belly fat doll, but he was scary. My hat is off to the person that shot that scene because it was scary when he came through the door, and scary when he knelt befor her, but when he waited a moment (knowing she was terrified) and then, after taking a beat, he started to lean on further... Creepers! You knew he was full-on crazy bad! And I've seen that scene five times now, and it still gives me the heebs! I kind of wonder if Woo-Shik told Young-ho about the stalker at the hospital. How will I wait until next week?!?

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Your take on the hospital secret is good. I never thought of making that connection. If true, another reason for Woo Shik to feel guilty about leaving her.

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I wonder if Woo-Shik stayed longer with EJ because he knew about the stalker. Hmmmm...

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The premise of the drama says something about healing her heart- but so far, I don't really see a heartbroken Joo Eun. She took the break up in stride, just like everything else in her life. She's not trying to lose weight as revenge or to regain the guy- she just found an opportunity to work with a famous personal trainer, and she's going to grab it. Looks like Young Ho is the one who could use some heart-healing, if you ask me.

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"Okay, the saving thing is getting a bit over-the-top"

Yes, thank you. I love this drama but this episode ending was too much.

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My mom had hypothyroidism. ..she put on a lot of weight. However after medication she was back to her normal weight. Therefore I cannot understand the justification of our female lead not losing weight...

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I think she loses 5kg in the first week after she started taking her medication. Not all the wait gain is due to hypothyroidism, so I'm guessing she still needs to work out and eat right, hence the going to her apartment to dispose of all her junk food...

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Sorry I meant "weight"

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That's actually pretty realistic - obese people may lose a certain amount of weight very fast when they start making lifestyle changes (diet/exercise etc), before they hit a plateau. Joo-eun losing 10 pounds in a week is a bit drastic, but if it was water weight it's quite possible.

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Thank you for the recap LLP. Who is the other man (Woo Shik's boss?) at the dinner table then? I think Y-Joon, the woman trying to please grandma and the one seated beside Y-Joon (WS's boss?) would be one family. But why would he order WS to find out more about YH (earlier episodes)? That makes this Y-Jooh YH's cousin. If YH's dad is a son-in-law, would he remain with the family of deceased wife?

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I think YH's dad is the son of the chairwoman. He remarried after YH's mother died. WS's boss is the brother of YH's stepmother..

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Dear Merry, as far as I can see, Grandma's Daughter married Dad and had So Ji Sub's character. Then he divorced her and remarried with the submissive Political Daughter in Law when she still was alive. Political Daughter in Law's brother is Woo Shik's Boss. and Political Daughter in Law is mother to the Dinner Guest with Dad.

That makes sense (to me).

Of course, at the end of the day I don't understand Korean customs (unless Dad - in my guess, Son in Law to Grandma - is a really productive employee and one of the pillars of the Company, if I were Grandma I would like to put distance with him and visit just for So Ji Sub's character).

After a second tought, I am confused too :) .

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Glad to know i am not the only confused one here. i think @shin rae mi is right. YH's dad is son of Chairwoman. Otherwise, if you are just a son in law, will you bring your second wife to your first wife's family? not likely. I hope YH's family issues would be minimised. Chaebols' issues are boring.

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I would be surprised if there was a divorce. I think the son in law married his mistress after his wife, the grandma's daughter died. The second wife's son was probably living with his uncle as he was born out of wedlock or has not been officially recognized by his father. The younger son may only be hers. It is confusing when they don't use the terms step-son, half brother etc.
Given that the Grandmother's only blood family, Young Ho, was in exile in the States for years it isn't surprising that she lives in the family home with her widowed son in law.

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I love that he said she had unhealthy routines that lead to weight gain and this included sleeping on the couch and not on the bed. This drama gives me hope that they will do justice to their characters. At the same time I hope that the chaebol plot doesn't get too overworked and actually makes sense. Ditto for the stalky guy. That's what I loved about sassy go go. The plot was so organic and everything made sense or fit into the grand scheme of characters and the plot.

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How can you not love these characters? The casting director scored a big win on this one. The male lead is so alpha, that none of the other hotties can hold a candle to him, which will forestall any other-lead syndromes...

All said and done, I'm totally behind this show! The recap was awesome as usual, helped me pick a few elements I missed...will be following for more!

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Yaay.. Another episode.. This s so lovely.

I am SJS fan. He is doing his role with just awesomeness. Its so nice to see him complete opposite version of Master's sun.

But more than him, i was so excited to see ji woong and his ma'aaaammm.. :)

He is so cute and adorable. :) want to see him more... :)

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Although they've played similar characters before in other dramas, I quite like the second leads here. Im Woo-Sik and Oh Soo-Jin are complex. He's racked with guilt and responsibility over his break-up with Joo-Eun and she's angry enough with Joo-Eun to go to some pretty elaborate measures to get revenge. I think that there is every possibility that these two will have fairly decent character arcs.

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Yoo In Young is such a beautiful, sensual woman, with an alluring figure so I don't know why she wears such fugly, ill fitting outfits in her dramas ( Mask, Oh My Venus ). And the blunt, severe haircut isn't doing her any favors. She wore the assymetrical thing in her last drama too. I just want to see her in something that does justice to her looks.

And is there a rule that bitchy, second lead love interests ( actresses ) should have really short hair? How about some originality for once?

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She actually has some nice outfits here, apart from the boxy horrible suits - I liked the dress she re-wore to give Joo-eun the impression she'd spent the night with Woo-shik, and the skirt and blouse she changed out of for it.

And on the outfits front at least, for once both the female leads have awful clothes. YIY actually has better ones than SMA for now, though that will probably change once the weight is shed.

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Just wanted to say, I am hoping that the reason YH looked incredulous for looking at JE for saying she was trying to get her beauty back is not because he did not think she was once beautiful. But instead, that he finds her beautiful now ~ he's just worried about her health. Unlike some other k-drama leads, he has yet to have said once he doesn't find her attractive.

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Remember how SJ had a crush on a radio guy in college? I think that's who's stalking JE! Any thoughts? I don't know if I can wait until Monday to find out!!!

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I think the actor who played as the radio disc jockey was Lee Ji Hoon. See this link: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Lee_Ji_Hoon_(1979). The stalker looked different to me. He might be another one of her admirers in high school.

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I was hoping it would be the college dj just to tick Soo-Jin off. But I wasn't sure that the stalker and the dj looked enough alike for that to be true.

I hope I'm wrong.

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Yesss he is....way too hilarious, when Young Ho asked " is there anything can be safe?" when they do the food 'CSI' things and Ji-Woong said " They are dead" that cracked me up hahahahahahaha #oh well every scenes of Ji-Woong are hilarious and cracked me up a lot...and just with that 'Ma'am' had me XD oh wow I think I have a supporting man syndrome instead of second lead man syndrome hahahahaha

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In case anyone else might find this interesting, I found a link explaining why Young-ho sleeps in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20019167

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That's interesting information - though I admit, I was mildly freaked out at first by the sight of SJS sleeping in that scifi-looking pod.

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I wonder if Young-ho's mother might have died in an accident, somehow sacrificing her life for his. That might account for the seeming resentment towards him, and could also factor into hia geneeous personality - maybe he takes after her?

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I like the natural flow and the realism of this drama. from weight loss to family issues they seem to be taking a really believable role. I like that there's not any true "bad" characters. WS is not portrayed as this horrible cheating ass but actually as someone who was and care for their past relationship of 15 yrs. SJ is someone whose never seen herself as pretty, and is trying really hard to make herself feel beautiful right now. The scene where she was getting the massage and they girls complimented her skin, she didn't seem to believe them. Love the fun four, their interaction are the best. This show is def. easy on the eyes lol.

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Shin Rae Mi - Do you think that Young-Ho's mom was the chairwoman's daughter, not the dad as her son? That's what I thought, but it doesn't explain why he lives with his mother-in-law after his wife's death, but it would explain the lack of affection between mother-in-law (YH grandmother) and dad. Wow, now I am not sure either!

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PS - I did try to post it as a reply to Shin Rae Mi's comment above, but couldn't get it to work.

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Thanks for the recap.

"Okay, the saving thing is getting a bit over-the-top. I can believe that Young-ho was at the right place and time to save Joo-eun from a couple of frightening or embarrassing situations, but this is getting a little silly. It’s hard to believe that she needs saving that often, or that Young-ho just happens to be right there every time."

I expected Young-Ho's reappearance at the time of the home invasion because the drama had laid it in.
1) the assailant that YH rescued JE from was never dealt with.
2) YH has a habit of checking that JE gets safely in through his side mirror. There were a couple of times when it was clear that there was something that he noticed beyond JE heading home.

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I've said in the previous recap comments that I wanted the writers to step it up a bit, and make the dialogue more witty. It's happening, but in bits and pieces.

I also don't see a lot from SMA, whose acting is focusing on being determined and spunky, but those are the only two notes I see. Is this really a character who was dumped by her boyfriend of 15 years? Really??? I'm just not feeling it, and therefor, not feeling invested in the story.

But oh, So Ji Sub!!! This man could carry a show even if the script was only a phonebook. (Remember phonebooks?) He could have chemistry with a rock. I'll keep watching for him.

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i totally agree with you about SJS's acting! his eyes say everything!!

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I think SMA is nailing her part, actually - including the part where Joo-eun's been dumped. We've been told that they've broken up time and again already, and the relationship was in its death throes anyway.

What I would expect from a woman in her situation isn't heartbreak, but wounded pride and occasional embarrassment - and she is spot-on with that.

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Sqqquuueee for all those "touchy" scenes. Hahaha :))

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IMO I think the stalker thing isn't over the top. When you actually go through these situations you won't be able to react properly even if you could have defend yourself.

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Wow, i loving the drama.. There is something endearing about those two.. Their both vulnerable but so adorable. Also, her relationship with his two friends is so cute. I like the second leads arcs, they seem very complex.

PS: i agree that soojin is very alluring good job, though she sort of reminds me Karen O the vocalist of yeah yeah yeahs

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thanks so much for the recap!i have fallen in love with the show!

it shows that its not those who want to loose weight who may face unexpected problems, but also those who are trying to keep the weight off. how can you nibble on a small slice of watermelon which has so few calories??? maybe she thinks she wont stop once she starts??? i dont know, hope the show tells us more about later on. Im a firm believer of a hungry man is an angry...

p.s. i think Henry and his mixing english is appropriate and super cute. imagine if his english was bad?! it would loose its appeal and fast!

thanks once again!❤❤❤❤❤❤

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