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No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

Our tropey adventure continues as our contract wedding pivots into an office romance. A birth secret lurks around the horizon, and our secondary romance arc continues to inch towards the enemies to lovers playground.

 
EPISODES 5-6

No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

We open with last week’s mystery visit to Ji-wook. The visitor, MANAGER JANG (Yoon Seo-hyun), threatened to reveal Ji-wook’s existence to his mom’s family in Canada if he didn’t come to work at Ggulbi Education. To keep the promise he made to his grandmother not to interfere with his mom’s life, Ji-wook agreed, and that’s how he ended up as a new recruit in his wife’s workplace.

Hae-young is not exactly pleased with the situation, and Ji-wook can’t tell her the full gist of why he has to work at Ggulbi or why he was unreachable for the past three months — hint: looking after her mom in the nursing home. But since Ji-wook’s new haircut prevents her colleagues from recognizing him, the contractual couple agree to keep their husband and wife status a secret at work. B-but I miss his old hair!

No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

Ji-wook’s presence in the head office is a ticking time bomb for Hae-young, and she plots to lower his evaluation at a promotional/training event so that he’ll be sent to a branch office. But Ji-wook’s good looks and manners triumph over Hae-young’s bad plans, and he wins over Ggulbi Education staff and customers alike — by distributing Kopiko and drowning them in the sea of his handsomeness. Heh.

During the event, Hae-young strikes up a conversation with an abused kid, but the abusive father is having none of it. The father attacks Hae-young, Ji-wook charges at him in a bid to defend his wife, and the trio end up at the police station. Oops! Conversation about the abused kid leads Hae-young to mention that her mom used to run a foster home, but Ji-wook keeps it a secret that he already knows this because he was once under Mom’s care. I can’t wait for Hae-young to discover this juicy detail about Ji-wook.

Hae-young is surprised when Ggulbi’s lawyer shows up at the police station to represent them, and the lawyer fibs that she must be as vital to the company as a board member. Hae-young also convinces the lawyer to take up the child abuse case. But via a phone conversation between the lawyer and some higher up at Ggulbi, we see that Hae-young’s importance to the company had nothing to do with why the lawyer showed up. Hmmm.

If the lawyer didn’t come because of Hae-young, then it must have been because of Ji-wook. This dude got a job, a new apartment, a car, and a black card in less than two days! What I wouldn’t give to be a K-drama male lead right now. This sorta windfall mostly happens in fiction, but even our fictional man has to question why he’s the recipient of such manifold blessings. Could it be that Manager Jang is his f-f… Ji-wook can’t bring himself to complete the word, but Manager Jang shuts down the paternity suspicion with a deadpan, “I am infertile.” Dead. This entire exchange is hands-down my most hilarious scene of the week!

Ji-wook ends up assigned to Hae-young’s team, and she reiterates the importance of keeping their marital status a secret. After working so hard to climb the corporate ladder, she’d rather be known as a team leader, not as someone’s wife. The other new recruit overhears bits of the conversation where Hae-young tells Ji-wook that she’ll look incompetent if he makes mistakes. But while she referred to incompetence as a wife if Ji-wook, for instance, dresses shabbily to work or something, the recruit assumes she meant incompetence as a boss if the rookie makes a mistake. So he “helps” Ji-wook report their team leader for workplace harassment. Oh dear!

Hae-young is summoned to a disciplinary panel, and when Ji-wook learns about this, he rushes to the panel to clear the air — by revealing that he is Hae-young’s husband! Cue: members of the panel packing their surprised jaws from off the floor, and Hae-young’s farewell to her peaceful office life. Suddenly, everyone at work is interested in Mr. and Mrs. Hae-young’s plans to positively contribute to the country’s birth rate, and worried about Mrs. Team Leader’s objectiveness with her husband on her team. But Ji-wook assures Hae-young that everything will be fine as long as he’s transferred to another team, and he’ll make sure she doesn’t suffer any losses at work because of him. How sweet.

No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

Moving on to our secondary couple and their ongoing hate comments lawsuit, Ja-yeon learns that the punishment for defamation differs depending on whether the comments are true or not. One of Gyu-hyun’s comments insulted her parents, and from her reaction, what was written is most likely true — and it might also be why she went into foster care. Ja-yeon rejects Gyu-hyun’s apology letter, and when he asks how else he can show his sincerity, she tells him to die. That’s what he told her to do countless times in his comments, and she wondered if she deserved to die. “It’s your turn to think about whether you deserve to live,” Ja-yeon says.

Next thing you know, a Truck of Doom beelines towards Gyu-hyun, and Ja-yeon faints because we have all seen this movie before and we know how it ends. But the most shocking thing happens… the truck swerves at the last minute, and Gyu-hyun will live to read more spicy novels fight another day! Wow! I’ve lived long enough to see the Truck of Doom miss a target. If this historic K-drama moment doesn’t tell you No Gain No Love is the rom-COM of the year, I don’t know what else will.

No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

The infertility exchange between Ji-wook and Manager Jang might have been my most hilarious scene, but this Ja-yeon × Gyu-hyun scene is my favorite of the week. It just kept giving! I got sucked into their emotional confrontation, I cheered at the truck’s miss, and I nearly choked on my laughter when Gyu-hyun utilized his gym trainer’s instructions to lift the unconscious Ja-yeon and rush her to the hospital. (Two scenes ago, the trainer told a weak Gyu-hyun to set a goal for lifting weights — perhaps, to be able to carry his girlfriend. Lol.)

Gyu-hyun’s act of kindness softens Ja-yeon a little, and she decides to drop the lawsuit under one condition. No, she’s not going to extract a fat settlement check from him — neither is she going to hire a hitman to take him out. Thank you for your extreme suggestions, foster sisters of Ja-yeon. Ja-yeon’s condition is for Gyu-hyun to volunteer at an orphanage. And there, Gyu-hyun meets Ji-wook — who also volunteers — and both guys become somewhat friendly.

Ji-wook and Gyu-hyun meet again when Hae-young and Ji-wook are invited for dinner with Chairman Bok for their role in promoting the company’s image by championing the child abuse case. Previously, Ji-wook heard Manager Jang’s phone conversation which revealed that Chairman Bok is responsible for bringing him to Ggulbi. And it would seem the chairman has a big picture in mind which also includes Hae-young. Ji-wook attempts to tell Hae-young about his discovery, but she doesn’t have time for side talks because her focus is on advancing her career through this meeting with the chairman. Ji-wook then decides to swallow the information, and I hope this won’t come back to bite him in the behind.

It’s a party of seven at dinner: Hae-young, Ji-wook, Chairman Bok, Madam Fangirl, Gyu-hyun, Woo-jae, and his wife, KWON YI-LIN (Jeon Hye-won) — who’s a family friend to the Boks. And here we learn that: 1) Gyu-hyun inherited his father’s inability to hold his liquor, and Ji-wook seems to share this familial trait; 2) Chairman Bok lacks subtlety — or he just doesn’t give a flying fork about probing into Hae-young like a parent would do when vetting their child’s intended spouse.

No Gain No Love: Episodes 5-6

Ji-wook launches into a passionate declaration of his love for Hae-young when asked about why he married her, but Madam Fangirl only likes romance in fiction. To get rid of the boredom from our OTP’s real life “love story,” Madam Fangirl kickstarts a drinking party, and everyone sets out to out-drink the other. Hae-young wakes up the next morning to find herself in bed beside Ji-wook, and while that is shocking enough, nothing prepares husband and wife for the sight of Woo-jae also in bed with them! LMAO! What on earth went down last night?

We’re already halfway through, and this show is still firing on all cylinders. Seriously, how much more fun can it get? But as much as I’m excited about the progress so far, I’m also trying to be cautious because dramas have a tendency of losing steam in their second half. Dear Show, please ramp up the romance and give us more of Hae-young’s wildass imaginations. Put her in more wedding dresses and play around with Ji-wook’s hairstyle as much as you can. Don’t forget that our OTP is supposed to be fostering a cat, but we haven’t seen Baby in a while. And most importantly, do not disappoint us by falling victim to the second half jinx. Amen?

 
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I know people predicted Ji Uk's chaebol turn but I was still 🫨 at the way it played out because it's just so randomly ridiculous to me. How does someone just show and say "your mother had you out of wedlock, abandoned you to start a new life with a new family in another country and to protect their reputation, you have to do what we say" haha
That is so WTF if I've ever heard it haha. Why on Earth would I care about a parent who abandoned me new family's reputation in ANOTHER country? But it brings Ji Uk & Hae Young together for workplace comedy so fine.

Only to then confuse me with the coworker who was inspired by Ji Uk and trying to a good thing, messing up their whole situation haha. It's not funny but it's funny/it's funny but not funny. I just hope that the coworker isn't totally turned off of trying to help someone in the future but maybe talk to them first.

One thing I seem to like in dramas, or at least I liked it here and in Weak Hero Class 1, is when the same exact situation, behaviors, and dialogue is recontextualized once the perspective is changed. Hae Young's comments are based in the very real perspective that she'll be reduced to "wife" and all that matters is how she takes care of her husband. Yet those same exact comments can be considered harrassment or power tripping. It's interesting to me.

Oh same with how protective he was of her. When no one knew their relationship, he was just a good guy trying to help his team leader but now that he's her husband, it was more protective.

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Especially when said family is in Canada, which has very different cultural values around this topic

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Vancouver, for example, has a one of the biggest asian community. So if she married with a Korean who grew up in Canada or with a Canadian, it's kinda different.

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That's true, I didn't consider that

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I get why it would be scandalous to the mother's new family especially since the husband is a pastor but it's also something that can be spun and forgiven especially said country. The thing is why would Ji Uk care about them; he was abandoned by her and has no attachment to them.

But as always, kdrama folks are nicer and more caring and forgiving than I am.

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The mother had been constantly inviting him over too, which to me indicates that it's not that big of a deal. It was the granny who instilled the idea that he ruined his mum's life in Ji-uk's head.

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My impression was that Ji Uk didn’t care at all about saving the mom’s reputation and that’s why he kept hilariously telling the man to get a different job because his threats weren’t working!! But I do think I missed why he agreed to it after all? Just because of a promise to his grandma?

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It was to honor his grandma's wishes.

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Ya know many viewers are making this hilarious comment about the Mysterious-Threatening-Secretary, like PLEASE show up in my life and *threaten* me! PLEASE!

Whilst under *threat*, you will get a car, a black card, and a luxury suite with gorgeous city view.

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That situation was funny for its ridiculousness, I agree 😂 As in who are you? I think he git startled by the picture he was holding and it also feels like there's a part of the conversation we missed out on (or maybe it's just me!) where the deal was sealed (as in *why* he decides to go with this ruse in the first place, which I suspect as he hinted, has something to do with the promise he made his grandmother).

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It would be kind of annoying if that man is his father, but whatever. I am continuing to enjoy the drama. It started off slow to me, but I am really liking it now.

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The cameo of Her Private Life characters! And I just mentioned her this week during the moms drama chat haha
Seeing her had me once looking at Her Private Life clips and it's such a slippery slope to just watch Kim Jae Wook fanvids on repeat haha. I wonder why he doesn't do more romantic leads or characters. I think he's done 2 (and I've seen both haha. I would choose HPL over Crazy Love but both are fine). I would even rewatch his segment on Death's Game and he played a serial killer in that just to get a Kim Jae Wook fix
(Actually, another option is to watch his appearance on Seo In Guk's youtube channel haha)

Anywho, back to this show haha
I liked that cameo and I loved how it totally fit in the world of both shows haha.

The "smell of sunshine" was touching. I would've never considered that.

Something else I liked was how the CEO and the writer engaged with each other this week. It did seem plausible that feelings could possibly develop between them because they are seeing each other as people and not just a writer behind a screen or a malicious commenter. I really like how their dynamic is playing out because she's really making him deal with the consequences of his actions and earn her forgiveness AND expanding his worldview (unknowingly bringing him into Ji Uk's orbit haha) by having him volunteer. For his part, I can totally see why he would end up falling for her.

I can also see her having her interest piqued in him but I wonder if she would incorporate him into her novel haha. Like that would be the way she deals with her burgeoning feelings.

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When the show does the emotional moments they really hit deep. That sunshine smell got me too.

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I think it's because the show uses the emotional moments at key parts. It doesn't just bash us over the head with angst or makjang kinda moments. Like Queen of Tears where characters were literally crying every single episode (granted, the title did warn us)

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Haha I loved the cameo of Director Eom and her purse carrying secretary 😂 I didn't watch HPL but she was a fanwall favorite

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The way he carried that purse was so silly I loved it

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I think the ceo's mom is the one who brought Ji Uk into the company but also seemed like the CEO knows or suspect him of being his son. That whole dinner seemed very invasive and "family meeting".

I liked Ji Uk & Gyu Hyun and I wonder if there will be more scenes with them.

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There would be no way the mother would bring Ji Uk into the company as he is a direct threat to her son and him becoming Chairman.

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Well, it would affect the company and she had the memordum written to say if the Chairman's actions ever affected the company, he would have to step down from his position and give her shares (or something)

With that power, she could her son in the position.

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That's an interesting point we will have to wait and see! Ironically I don't think Ji Uk has the slightest interest in the position and I really like that he and half-bro have started to bond.

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I am really curious to see how they handle this trope. So far the show has surprised us with their handling of tropes.

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I also found it interesting that the ex also can't handle alcohol and is a cheater. Coincidence?

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I think more suspicious of the Yi Jin seemingly trying to endear the ex to the Chairman and/or his wife.

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We should start a betting pool and plot prediction on Ji-Uk's parentage and what exactly is the game plan to get him into Khulbee Ed!

1. Chairwoman: She wants to use *love child* evidence as leverage / bargaining chip later for her son
2. Chairwoman: Ji-Uk is actually HER own love child! (all that appetite for spicy erotica didn't come out of nowhere)
3. Chairman: Ji-Uk is his backup plan
4. His real mom: No, she is the REAL powerhouse (she isn't married to some pastor but instead is a very powerful business owner, or married to one) Since she can't persuade her son to join her in Canada, she arranges for him to enter Khulbee cos she is engineering an acquisition and wants to groom him to take over the biz then.
5. Mysterious Secretary: is a double agent trying to serve both the chairman and chairwoman

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Haha, I feel spoiled for choice @empressgirl 😂 I can't even choose because the way this show is going anything is possible.

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Ha ha, love your MCQ! With this show, anything is possible. Great options btw, I hadn’t even considered #4.

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I too think it's the CEO's wife who has Ji k "threatened" and brought into the family. I am thinking that back then SHE paid of Ji uk's mother, and the CEO never knew that he had a son with the other woman. Now, years later, maybe the CEO's wife has become repentant and want to bring the son back, but in a way that would still protect her own's son's inheritance? So, maybe she's actually trying to see if Ji uk would ever be interested in the company in this go around way. And I would say the CEO is currently clueless about who Ji Uk is (I take his questioning of Hae-young as "normal" for the type A CEO he is, rather than finding out more about his possible daughter-in-law). But this whole storyline is still intriguing and suspenseful that I want to see how it play out.

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My question is - what have they done to Shin Min-ah's face?? She is gorgeous, of course, as she always is... but her skin is TOO perfect. She looks almost flat; there are no shadows on her face.

And when I tried to look her pics online, she does have some lines and normal shadows and folds. She looks magnificent. Why do this. :(

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Unfortunately they're blurring her for some reason, it's really distracting. She doesn't need it, she has amazing skin.

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How people didn't recognize him as her husband?!? He didn't even wear his glasses during the wedding... It really didn't make sense at all. So it was the wedding, now they're working together, when will be the cohabitation? 😁

It was weird the episode 5 stopped without giving us a hint about Ja-yeon's situation, I was quite worried! But fortunately, she just needed a good sleep in a very expensive room 😄 I like their interactions. What he did was really wrong and I'm happy she didn't forgive him easily. But in the same time, he's not a bad person, he just needs to work on himself to understand this (sexual) frustation.

This drama would way more fun to me if the ML was acted by another actor. KYD brings nothing to this character (who already seems so perfect, it's kinda boring), he's too robotic. It's sad because Shin Min-ah is great in this role. LSY and HJY are pretty fun too.

(I wonder how KJY's height is 185cm and Go Wook's one is 187cm, GW seems more around 190cm.)

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I guess a few inches make a big difference haha
Plus it was months ago

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No one recognized Clark Kent was Superman either! Crazy.

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I always wondered what was the weirdest part the haircut/glasses disguise or the slip above the pants.

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I think it's that the "S" doesn't end up standing for "Superman." What nonsense. 🙂‍↔️

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With Christopher Reeves I can kinda buy it
With literally everyone else? Nope haha.

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Right, but Clark Kent always wore his glasses!

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Uh...did he tho?

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I disagree I think KYD is doing a super job, he is keeping apace with SMA and definitely holding his own.

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I'm really enjoying how KYD plays uri part-timer turned husband. He does just what the character needs, which balances out with FL perfectly. I think that's why their dynamic works so well. Our petty banter couple XD Also, his comedic timing is spot on 😂 he totally nails the swoon-worthy moments and the laughs I can't wait to watch more! 🥰

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+1 I think he suits this role a lot. He might not be the greatest actor but this role plays to his strengths. His comedic timing and smirks are spot on. He can go from swoony to looking up to Noona in a second.
And dang the visuals 💙

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I was looking at clips from other things and this role is definitely my preferred role of his so far.

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@britney I liked him a lot in Sh**ting stars too. But I do think he is bringing a bit more depth in this role.

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I've seen Sh**ting Stars but I don't remember it or the performances.

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I think he's doing fine too. I know about his acting criticism so I find myself often looking at him more to notice anything off. >_<"

I like that not everyone is acting loud and wacky. Need a chill, calm person to contrast all the wild quirkiness.

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Actually on the contrary, I think KYD excels in this type of role.
The casting knowingly plays up to that stereotype of him being a perfect plastic ken doll, only to reveal his hidden depth much much later. His prior roles (even the minor ones) tend to have this pattern: Extraordinary You, When the Weather is Fine etc.

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I think he's better when he can overact like in Sh**ting Stars. Otherwise, for me, he's just there. He has a very monotonous tone.

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Hae-young's soul leaving her body, as the random aunty gave her the exact "you should make him breakfast" lecture she had been dreading, was my favourite moment 🤣.

I'm still enjoying this a lot. Hope it keeps up this level of rom and com all through its run!

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I loved that scene! It was hilarious.
And it reminds me of everytime I visit family and they start with the annoyingly predictable questions. 🥲LMAO

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Same! Been there, experienced that 🤝!

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Hae-yeong is rapidly becoming one of my favorite FLs of all time. Her flipping off Ji-uk in her dream. The way her soul left her body when she was being told to make breakfast for him, and then wondering why she has to be the one to make breakfast. The way she just obliquely stated, "Are you asking if we've slept together?" instead of being all passive. Her trying to intervene when she suspected a kid was being abused. She is wonderful. I also love her relationship with her sisters.

As you all know, I madly ship Ja-yeon and Gyu-hyun (see my fanwall for my take on his character) so I was loving them this week. They're showing incredible chemistry despite only having had a few real scenes together so far. Their conversation about his online comments was really intense and heartfelt and then their interaction in the hospital was just comedy gold. I also laughed so hard at the subverted "truck of doom" trope, especially when a very stunned Gyu-hyun gave the driver the thumb's up. I can't wait to see more of them, and ep 7's preview looked very promising. I would bet a large sum of money that he's going to fall for her first. Speaking of, someone on MDL said that Spice Up Our Love is going to be 2 episodes. Doesn't that seem way too short? Do 2 episode dramas even exist?

It was also really refreshing that Gyu-hyun doesn't drink. I assume that at some point he will, just like Ji-uk. Also, that scene where he and his father are sober and bored out of their minds with everyone drunk around them was incredibly relatable.

I have a sinking feeling that Ji-uk had feelings for Hae-yeong all along, which as you know is something that romance dramas keep doing that annoys me, but it's not a dealbreaker. At least my second couple doesn't have that dynamic.

Overall, i think this drama is showing that romcoms can have substance without having to incorporate serial killers / murder mysteries or cancer. It's a screwball romcom, which is awesome, but it also has really compelling and well written characters.

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We still don't know how/why Hae-young's father died. There's still space for MAJOR melo here.

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True, but it's not as heavy handed with the trauma as other dramas have been. Even Ja-yeon's clearly traumatic past isn't dragging down the romcom vibes (well, at least not yet).

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Maybe I have outsized expectations for the writing, but at this point I'd be a bit surprised if his death was a totally "normal" one. He must have a secret connection to at least one other character somehow.

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100% agree, Peach!

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Ji Uk looked like he was about to get into another fight when the ex was insinuating about whether they had sex.

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1. Hae Young is awesome. Period.

2. That ToD cameo was hilarious. I laughed so hard when the driver was like 😎 and Bok Gyu was like 👍

3. "I have a sinking feeling that Ji-uk had feelings for Hae-yeong all along, which as you know is something that romance dramas keep doing that annoys me, but it's not a dealbreaker."

I'm feeling that too and I really don't want it to happen. I hope he had a soft spot for her because she's her mom's daughter and that he liked her (as a person), but nothing actually romantic.

4. "Overall, i think this drama is showing that romcoms can have substance without having to incorporate serial killers / murder mysteries or cancer. It's a screwball romcom, which is awesome, but it also has really compelling and well written characters."

Perfectly said! ☺️

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I think he cared for her because of mother but I believe the feelings have started only when he started having real conversations with her. He is seeing her in a new light as a thoughtful and caring person.
I really love organic development of love so I hope the show doesn’t do the ‘you were my only love’ arc.

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We've seen enough of his interactions with people other than Hae-young to believe he's a good guy who isn't afraid to stick up for others (like in the horrific job interview and then befriending the fellow worker after), so it's entirely plausible he was nice to her in the past without being in love. Otherwise he would have responded to her first wedding proposal quite differently.

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I really like that both the ML & FL are people with balls who are not afraid to stand up for justice even when it brings about a "loss".

We see this as early as the pilot for ML - (as rightly pointed out by Peach Mochi) at the sexist interview.

But this week's ep cemented it for me when the FL (who has been portrayed as calculating) stood up to the abusing dad who threatened them and said: "Well since we are going to get a criminal record anyway, it had better be for something worth it!" (and nearly proceeds to a fight)

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My theory is Ji-uk was looking out for Hae-yeong before as a promise to her mother, but he really didn't like her all that much. I think he only started to develop feelings for her only when he got to know her through the fake wedding shenanigans and realized she wasn't completely cynical and callous like he thought she was.

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@Unit thanks for the recap however I think that the Mother changed the subject as she could see that her husband's line of questioning was way out of bounds, whether she suspects what is going remains to be seen but it was obvious he was sizing up Hae-Yeong as breeding stock...he is so repellant. He is not much better than the other abusive parents we have seen thus far.

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I loved the cross-drama continuation of the sageuk comparisons this week! First BME with the outrageously out-of-place sageuk-speak bedside, and now here with the hilariously appropriate comparison between peeking through the paper screens at newlyweds and the "relationship microscope" under which Hae-young and Ji-uk seem to be at work. So funny.

Also, the subs translator on Prime was nice to offer "HANBYEOL Orphanage" to us! Seems to be an Easter Egg as that's a Sh**ting Stars reference for KYD...plus also, obvs, the Her Private Life cameos.

I think it's relatively clear that the ML will NOT be the son of the CEO at this point, but as the very spoilery Prime synopsis writer suggests (@hopefulromantic was very right!!)...just who the secret love child will be, will certainly be interesting!!!

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Wait, what?? He's not his son? I need to find the spoilery Prime synopsis, apparently

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I'm also firmly on the ship that he is not a chaebol or at least not Chairman Bok's son. The show has done pretty unconventional things with tropes so I can expect them to flip this too. However, what's the spouker in the previews? Dark side folks are actually kept in the dark lol.

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Oh, fret not. It's not THAT spoilery for future episodes, but the summaries give away a bit tooo much for each one they describe.

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I liked the summaries. It made me snort when I saw the one for episode 6 in particular haha

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Can you link? You can post on my fanwall if you aren't comfortable doing so here!

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Do you mean the part in the synopsis that says “Will the true nepo baby’s identity be revealed?”

If yes, I believe it very clearly alludes to ML as the true nepo baby (as opposed to the Bok officemate that FL and her co-worker suspect in the episode). I get how it can be understood differently though.

Also, I’ve been rewatching Sh**ting Stars and noticed the Hanbyeol reference too.

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Do you mean the part in the ep 6 synopsis that says “Will the true nepo baby’s identity be revealed?”

If yes, I believe it very clearly alludes to ML as the true nepo baby (as opposed to the Bok officemate that FL and her co-worker suspect in the episode). I get how it can be understood differently though.

Also, I’ve been rewatching Sh**ting Stars and noticed the Hanbyeol reference too.

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No I think the reference to the true nepo baby is because Haeyoung thinks the coworker who reported the harassment is the nepo baby. So I don’t think they’re trying to suggest Ji Uk isn’t. Although I would love to see it. It would be hilarious if the chairman realizes it isn’t Ji Uk after all and the sends his henchman to politely request the car, card and apartment back with more unthreatening threats!!

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Wouldn't that lead straight into the cohabitation sitch we're all longing for?

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The moment I saw the rooftop room at Hae-Young's house in the first week I said to self 'see how long it takes before Ji Uk moves in there'.

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"It would be hilarious if the chairman realizes it isn’t Ji Uk after all and the sends his henchman to politely request the car, card and apartment back with more unthreatening threats!!"

Your alt-plot-line is hilarious! 🤣🤣

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The plot twist would be fun, and it would also be a relief since the CEO is an awful man who no one would want as their dad.
So I really hope your right!!!

But I hope the male leads become hyung-dongsaeng anyway. They're cute together, I want that bromance to happen. ☺️

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RE: Hanbyeol Orphanage- nice catch!!

1. OMG that makes it all the more hilarious cos in Shxxting Stars he accidentally got coerced into doing "volunteer work" in Africa for good optics and "positive press" in a satirical story beat, much like our SML in the orphanage too🤣🤣!

2. Also, can I say -- that Director Eom cameo literally got me shrieking in laughter! That crazy woman is inimitable in HPL! I hope they keep up this winning streak in cameos every ep -- so good

3. And of course, "Righteous Wives of Criminals Club"
"Oh! Your husband is going to jail again?" 🤣🤣

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I think Ji Uk is our nepo baby, the prime synopsis was alluding to the red herring that was the friend who dropped our lovelies in the poop. Happy to be wrong but hard to explain CEO's treatment of our boy (especially at the dinner) if he is not his son. PS Loved that Ji Uk calls out his father as an asshole.

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I think the CEO does indeed think Ji-uk is his son. He’s just going to end up being mistaken.

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maybe a rabbit hole too far....but just going to enjoy the ride!

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This show is crack!! OMO! That ending. 🤣

This is Noona romance done right. Love the dynamic between our leads. It’s the right balance of letting the ML be swoony and then having him listen and learn from her. I especially loved how quick he learnt to be shameless to overcome the office scandal 😂😂. They are just so awesome.

The way he looks at her!! Dang! MY HEART!! 💙 The show delivers so many heart fluttering moments. I love how he gets annoyed yet does these things.

That realization that He always had her favorite breakfast in stock while working in the convenience store was so well done. There was this silence when it sinks in for her and us. There was no need to state the obvious.

Every time he gets mad he leaves only to return 10 seconds later!! LOL.

He BOUGHT THE RING!! Omo!!

And the tropes! They are having so much fun with the tropes. The ToD ended with thumbs up!! lol.
And the stairwell scenes - the women always check up and down before spilling the beans. This is not a drama where someone is going to overhear a stairwell conversation!!

I realized only in ep 6 that Sonnim was a play of words. Ms.Son-Nim (her name) or Soonim (customer)!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show! Thanks for the spazz recaps @unit

I am waiting for more tropes - cohabitation is next in line right?? We need to bring the Aegi/baby cat back!!!

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I am already enjoying this show but yet another moment when I had that thought was during the elevator scene after the reveal. The "round 1,2,3,fight" had me smiling so much haha. Plus the music cues for that scene haha.

Oooooohhhhhhh, so that's why Yi Jin thought he was calling her a petname/nickname?!?!?! Ahhh, that is smart haha

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Shameless is THE way to beat a scandal!! I love her. And I love him more for being such a good learner. He executed her mission with clinical precision!! I love these two!!

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The truck with a driver who could use the steering wheel and the brakes correctly was the high point for me in this episode!

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"Every time he gets mad he leaves only to return 10 seconds later!! LOL."

He's ADORABLE.

And yes. Let's make that cohabitation happen!! I was worried that the vibe wouldn't be the same with them working together at the company, but the show is making it work so well! So now I'm excited for more and more!!
I'm addicted.

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Re: "I realized only in ep 6 that Sonnim was a play of words. Ms.Son-Nim (her name) or Soonim (customer)!"

Again, good catch! I did not realise that, I just thought he was just playing into that whole "at your service, m'dm" dynamics that started in the convenience store to their fake contract marriage gig. 🧡🧡🧡

But so far, Show has been hilariously subverting tropes -- it got me clapping in laughter.

Besides a Truck-kun who *actually* stops on time, I love the slow-mo soft-glow "flapping-our-billowing-white-bedlinens-dry" trope: I can so see a bromance brewing for our dear Bok-hyun who never has a friend LOL

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I know it's a drama but Hae Young still lucked out getting a guy like Ji Uk. He's a good guy, he's handsome, and he's considerate. Thank goodness, he saw the message before that host/hustler/whatever he is saw it and agreed to the arrangement.

Even when he was combative or seemingly antagonistic, he was still looking out for her.

I'm liking the male lead in this role. I think their back & forth and non verbal actions are all so good. Like the scene when he heard how she evaluated him or when he caught her as she fell. (Sidenote: he must've had superman's speed to get back to her haha)

I wonder when and why he bought the ring.

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The terrace scene. He went away but he closed the door (we only heard the sound) and walked back to her. She did talk a bit before stepping down. So he really was coming to her when she fell and was near her. So it seemed very plausible to me. 😉

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I binged this in two nights and I’m not disappointed. It make me laugh out loud, and our boy is so I love with the FL. Can I just say Love the cameos of director Eun form chum gallery in her private life and ceo Nam from strong girl nam soon. I wonder how many more they will throw in

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Although this is very much a kdrama, with traumas and sentimentality about childhood connections, this remains one of two funniest rom-coms of the year, the other being Dreaming of a Freeking Fairytale. The scene that Unit points out with the deadpan "infertile." The scene where Ji-Uk's looks are highlighted in a golden glow, with a heart appearing from his breath, the scene that @vienbenimo highlights, where Hae-young’s soul appears outside of her body when someone says to her exactly what she predicted and the last scene where the ex boyfriend appears, out of the sheets, as if he'd been birthed by Hae-Young-those were highlights for me.

But really, the best part of this rom-com for me so far is the way its lampooning male talk about the birth crisis in Korea. First there is the whole setup of the show, the fact that the three women and Ji-uk are from the same foster family, and then why Hae Young has to pretend to be married in the first place, to help remedy the Korean fertility crisis so more educational software can be sold. And then when the office discovers they are married, all the talk is about sex and having babies, with the office workers appearing as peeping busybodies. Then when the middle foster sister says to Hae Young she doesn’t want to get married, Hae young says that she is “wasting the best years of her boyfriend’s sperm.” Although this dialogue was partly to set up a clever (and daring) double entendre from the sister, which I won’t repeat here, because it will bring comments on how western decadence has destroyed the innocence of kdramas, it also is a funny reversal of the argument that women need to get married in their prime child bearing years.

I’ll be interested to see if the show does end with babies, or at least jokes about having babies, pulling its punches a little bit, or whether the women remain somewhat defiant to the end, as I think they will!

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What scene featured a heart from his breath?

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When he took off the bumble-bee head 🐝

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Agreed. Let's not be misled by its funny and delightfully bonkers package, this show is packing a punch and saying A LOT of important and meaningful things too. It's holding that tension beautifully.

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Whoever comes up with the sound effects in this show knows what they're doing haha. I'm still laughing over the ending of episode 6! There's just so much to love about this show 🥰 The tropes, it's sweet/heartfelt moments, and I really love that it shows these issues like all the workplace nonsense that Hae-young especially has to deal with, and how they're handling the hate comment storyline. It's always the best when so many Beanies are enjoying a show together too. May the truck of 2nd half drama problems be driven by the same guy they got here ✨️

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The sound effects make me laugh so much. They are so on point.
I trust the writer to deliver the next six episodes!! 🙏🏽

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They are 😂

Writer, we trust you. We believe you

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Haha I see what you did there!

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touché

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I'm hopeful too because this is 12 episodes. I feel like 12 episode dramas have tighter writing on average

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Given how cleverly NGNL has delivered on all its trope inversions so far -- princess catch and carry, white truck of not-doom. morning-after-drinking bed check -- there's reason to hope it'll subvert the second-half slide too. I appreciate how Ha-yeong and Ji-uk bring different types of consideration to their relationship. It's more straightforward on his side -- he's been taking care of her in small ways for a while, from knowing her favorite candy to saving breakfast for her. But despite her so-called calculating nature, she's considerate, too, not just of him but her family and strangers like the little boy. And when she acts, it's not a moment of impulse but because she has weighed the consequences and decided that yes, going after the abusive father with a chair is totally worth it. 

I can't wait to see the sparks fly when she and Ji-uk are forced to ramp up their couple act. Her annoying ex is good for something after all -- forcing them together. Whatever the family connections turn out to be, that's going to be some series of delicious reveals. Fingers crossed NGNL keeps us laughing out loud with delight and surprise until the end.

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"Her annoying ex is good for something after all -- forcing them together."

We give him permission to keep being as annoying as he wants. 😉

"Fingers crossed NGNL keeps us laughing out loud with delight and surprise until the end."
Fingers crossed!!!

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The truck of not-doom. 😂😂 Even with the knowledge I was watching a rom com I still viscerally expected that truck to plough him down 🙈 I didn't expect to be laughing so hard at a TOD. The times are a-changing indeed.

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Hahaha, I love how this show plays with tropes and adds their own twists like the good ol' Truck of Doom swerving this time and missing! It was a close one too. And then the show made Gyu Hyun's saving Ja Yeon scene so funny with his extra gym moves.

Another example was when we saw the next morning scene of Hae Young and Ji Wook in bed. Oooh la la, they were close in bed together. Nice... Then their mutual screaming was just the start of the comedy. Next the camera pans down to the shot of her ex's head. Lmao, he looked like he was just born and the baby sound effects added to the surprising scene!

Hae Young and Ji Wook are now reunited and back in each other's life. I can't wait for them to grow their attraction more and acknowledge their feelings.

I'm somehow hoping there's a twist with Ji Wook's birth secret. I thought that maybe Madam Fangirl is the one behind the threats and Manager Jang. But then Chairman Bok was acting so obvious and rude during the dinner.

So far, the antagonists haven't been frustrating. They've managed to be silly, funny. Only a little pesky. And the angst has been minimal. I hope the future angst will be handled well.

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The ex has been annoying but in a fun way. I still can’t believe THAT was the ending of ep 6 😂😂 The way the ex slid up, the baby sound effects had me rolling.

I am eagerly waiting for the romance to kick start!!

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Haha, you know, I literally forget there are antagonists in this show! Except for the awful abusive dad but my heart was already breaking when the lawyer arrived and he was scared.

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I am simply loving this show 😀 It's the Kdrama highlight of my week now... just so funny, and touching, and swoony, all at once, and like the younguns say, the chemistry is chemistrying.
So many moments again this week...
The dorky hairstyle she gives him, as if it will lessen KYD's hotness even a bit haha. He could sell me the Eiffel tower, I would sign my kid up too, after the thirsty bee costume/ laundry scenes!!
The trust/ strength test.
The Fight rounds in the elevator, which reminded me of Physical 100 voiceovers.
The Joseon peeping with headbands, moustaches , and rouged cheeks (had me laughing so hard)
The candid aged sperm conversation between sisters LOL
The drunken bacchanal dinner party, with CEO and 2ML bored and exasperated beyond belief at everyone else's antics,
And finally, MLs confession about why he accepted to marry and loves Hae Young... He meant every word of it, which is why he didn't give up the wedding ring.
This show is everything, everywhere, all at once, and doing a damn good job of it, at that.

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I love the sisters and their candid conversations. All of them have such distinct personalities and the writing is just amazing.
That confession was just beautiful! And yes he meant it and she knows it.

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Forgot to add more moments... Because this show is just serving up soooo much, I can't keep track!...
The way he needs nonchalantly feeds her pangpang jelly, and she eats it just as naturally... Be still, my heart.
He kept aside her favourite kimbap! (mustard, again?!)
That spy guy is just 40 ? hahahaha!!! Poor man- hormones, or lack thereof, do make one age faster?
The 2FL and his Lucifer...
All this is making me want to rewatch... Excuse me while I go do exactly that!

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The scene of him feeding her the pang pang was EVERYTHING. I'm obsessed with it. I love how comfortable and natural they're around each other. *Melts softly*

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Right?? They are so comfortable with each other. And they speak to each other in a way that is honest and free of judgements. They just click.

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YES.
They have three superpowers, imo:

1. Zero misunderstandings. They ASK and ANSWER each other questions. Even if it is only to say that they can't talk about it. And they even respect that.

2. They show their feelings and they're comfortable enough with that.
I like that Hae Young didn't pretend that she didn't know about his feelings, and I like that Ji Wook didn't deny having said feelings.

That information it's there in the air, and that's okay. Hae Young doesn't look uncomfortable around him, and neither is Ji Wook trying to avoid her.

3. They complement each other perfectly.
They are very nice people and all, but the reason why they work so well together is what you said: they just click.

No one else would react to Hae Young's crazy plans the way Ji Wook does. I love her, but there's no way I would spend an entire night in a freaking hotel counting some money that isn't even mine. 😂 I would be like "girl, you can do that when you get home".
But Ji Wook, like the good boy he is, did all the work and even wrote a letter for her.

And who else would react like "glad to see ya, I missed you" after their fake hubby disappeared on them for months and then got hired in their freaking company? 😂 Only Hae Young can do that. And being so understanding after he literally tells her nothing...

They're just made for each other.

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Also, they are both ardent subscribers to justice or fairness, though coming from different persectives.
I hope that sense will unfold and bring them together as justice warriors as it already did for the little domestic-violence-exposed boy.

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Ahhh! You reminded me of what I wanted to mention. I liked how Ji Uk specifically said he wasn't hesitant about his feelings because it seemed like a callback to her telling that if he was hesistant or unsure of what he wanted to tell her then to just save it til later.

I like that to others her calculating nature might be a turnoff but to him, it was validating. Just another moment when it seems they're a good balance for each other.

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Ah! Well spotted! And that fits perfectly with my feeling that he was sincere and that she was moved by it.

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Given the announced spin off for Ja Yeon and Gyu Hyun, I know we are supposed to ship them. So I was surprised at the set up of Gyu Hyun’s character. He is a thirty something year old man who has been severely controlled, socially isolated from women, and has been threatened and warned about having relationships with women. His parents have used him as a pawn in their completely angry and dysfunctional marriage. His complete displaced rage when finds out his mother’s reading habits led to his vitriol at Ja Yoon. It’s not just what he said, which we know made Ja Yeon feel like he wanted to kill her with his words, it was also the sheer volume of his rage. Frankly, this anonymous online vitriol seemed like incel behavior. Before they put them together, I was looking for real change, self-reflection and even something akin to therapy. However, his apology, which only came after she pressed charges, was forced by the fear of legal and PR ramifications, and his defensiveness about her very real anger and hurt after rejecting his obviously forced apology showed that he really hadn’t understood what he did. He didn’t even seem contrite when he was doing community service—he tried to get out of doing hard work and was a reluctant volunteer. For a show with a lot of good commentary on women’s issues, I was surprised that they chose to soften Ja Yeon’s feelings to him not by some real change in Gyu hyun’s behavior or psychology, but by her realization of his potential wealth. My Sweet Mobster’s Il Yeong wins again! It feels like the show is depending on wealth and Lee Sang Yi’s charm to gloss over a truly problematic character. Sure he can change, but let’s see him work through enough to make him seem like a good potential boyfriend. If anyone could use a 3 year separation to work on themselves it is Gyu Hyun,

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Ah, man, I'm trying not to be too ardent of a Gyu-hyun defender to the point where I come across as a stan, but I do have thoughts...

I totally get the concern. This is not behavior we want to see in a future romance lead. At the same time, IMO the drama has been very clear that this was uncharacteristic for Gyu-hun. All of the things he's been dealing with sort of crashed down on him and he essentially snapped. Sometimes people can be pushed to do things they wouldn't normally, and the drama has been very clear that he probably only was at mean as he was because of the anonymity and distance of the internet. He also seemed to feel bad right afterwards, hence why he had a mental breakdown. Originally he wanted to avoid consequences, but he reached the point where he decided he would accept whatever punishment was given to him, and anything he did for or gave to Ja-yeon was done freely, not in an attempt to sway her to not punish him. He also made that comment about her injuring her hand and carrying her to the hospital. I personally believe THOSE behaviors are what is softening Ja-yeon towards him, not her finding out about his wealth.

Gyu-hyun also wouldn't be able to grow without these external influences. If he hadn't snapped and finally done something that was out of control, far in contrast with the highly controlled situation he's in, he would be the same repressed person.

I don't think his reaction to the volunteer work is reflective of attitude that it isn't deserved. I think it was more of a rich, spoiled kid who's never done any actual work in his life.

I don't know, I love how complex he is and I find him far more interesting than these perfect male leads with no internal life of their own that we get so often lately.

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I agree with you, he basically lost his mind for a moment and wrote comments that, quite rightly, are completely inexcusable and he needs to atone for them. He has also grown up in an abusive household so like you say it will be interesting to see how he grows from here now that the bubble he has been living in has burst.

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I want to like him—Lee Sang Yi has such good soft charisma. I keep looking for a clearer redemption arc—one that shows work through done very long standing issues created by his parents. which I am sympathetic to. However, what he did is serious even if broke under pressure and indicates a lot of unresolved serious problems. In this day and age, men who displace their own issues by raging anonymously at women on a real issue. It is especially problematic by men who are isolated from women and don’t have any meaningful relationships with women. The show has set him up as such a guy as his backstory and current situation. In addition, what triggered him was her sexually frank novels. So it is hard for me to get on board until I see some real work on these issues. So far what I have seen, and I have been really looking, is not enough for me feel good about her softening towards him. I just don’t understand this show that is smart about many things women face in society romanticizing this couple so quickly.

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Yeah, I agree that this storyline would be concerning in another drama, but I think this one will handle it well. I think it's helpful to remember that there's more going on to this than an "incel" being triggered by female embracement of sexuality:
1) He's had it drilled in his head that he is a ticking time bomb of sexual depravity just ready to go off at any moment. His mother won't let him even be around unmarried women because he's so untrustworthy.
2) He finds out that his mother who is so punishing and controlling of her son's sexuality apparently, herself, reads erotica. Like, that double standard would feel pretty infuriating, I think.
3) He's clearly aroused by the novel and has noooo idea what to do with that. In fact, I would posit that some of his anger was probably less actual anger and more misattributed physiological arousal.
4) Above all that, the male lead in this very sexy novel has the same name as the only person he feels close to emotionally.

I remember someone saying that in any other drama, Gyu-hyun would probably be the incel serial killer. But, i don't think he's a bad guy. He made a mistake and I think he's showing genuine remorse and trying to make repairs. I also don't think the show is trying to make us swoon over them just yet. I think they have great chemistry, but that also comes from the actors and also just being well developed characters who have an interesting dynamic.

Anyway, I'm just sharing my own thoughts, not trying to dismiss or invalidate yours. You are certainly free to dislike Gyu-hyun!

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3) 100%

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Beautifully said @vienibenmio 🤗

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I understand what you are saying about him not being a bad guy—I am not saying he is unredeemable. Clearly, he is not supposed to be as he is the second lead and getting a spin off.
This issue gets me because this show is just okay for me. It’s entertaining while I watch, but once I watch it, I mostly forget about it. However, the scene that most stuck with me so far was Ja Yoon’s hurt at the police station and then her real anger about his apology, which did not feel sincere to her given his vitriol, both the rage and the sheer volume. His explosive misdirect of anger by a socially isolated man, yes, reminiscent of an incel, is the evidence of a huge problem, even if explained by his backstory, that needs addressing. If he had broken by directing his anger at a key source of his problems by telling his parents to F* off and then starting his life without being in their web of manipulation and money, that might have worked for me. But he is still in that dynamic, not showing true reflection about the source of his anger, still reluctant about his remorse, which did not happen towards her until he was found out, so that makes me very uneasy about how quickly the writers have her soften, ostensibly over his wealth, before they have shown some real change on his part.
In the end, it’s just a show. I have no doubt they will make them a happy couple. It’s just the part that made me care, and I just can’t jump aboard this ship yet.

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I can understand your hesitation @gumshoe. I think it actually captures a real life dilemma when dealing with this kind of nuanced situation. We don't always know until we know where men who act this way are coming from - do they have a background like Gyu-hyun's and truly ignorant (always a hard sell in this day and age of course) or are they just misogynists preying on women (seems like the immediate stance we take nowadays, again, not without historical reason). A clearer redemption arc is warranted, absolutely. Yet, a softer approach is possible too which is what I feel this show is leaning into. We can literally track Gyu-hyun's internal wrestling with himself, his actions and the situation and the shifts he's making because of that. It won't feel like a dramatic change when he falls in love with her partly for that reason, I think.

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Oh my cat, I'M IN LOVE!
Writer-nim, I trust you. I. Believe. You. 😂 So, please don't disappoint!

Episode 5 tried to be a bit more calm and thoughtful since varios serious issues were addressed, like the domestic violence/child abuse and Jae Yeon's storyline. But then episode 6 went back to the neverending comedy and I loved it!

1. Hae Young is ICONIC. Period.

2. I love our main couple so much!!
The "I-don't-know-what-this-is to lovers" trope, is perfect.

One minute they're on the same team, and they're like super considerate and gentle with each other, and the next second they're bickering.
One second Hae Young thinks he's taking revenge on her and next she's talking about trust falls. LMAO
I love them so much.

The only problem I have is that Ji Wook is keeping too many secrets. He knows her mom, and her boss (or more like "her boss knows him"), and he isn't telling her any of that.
If he wants her to make the calculations right and see if her relationship with him doesn't cause her losses, then she needs to have ALL the information.

Her work life can get messy because of him (it already did tbh), and that's not fair. So he better tells her everything next week.

3. Beanies, when are we going to get a confirmation on the middle sis' relationship status?
They're definitely not conventionally dating.
And I feel like she likes someone else. Ah! I'm so itchy to know!

4. Flaw of the week: not enough Secretary Yeo.

5. I'm loving the second leads!
Maybe it's because I'm less focused on their future relationship and more focused on their present, just as two individuals, but I love their storyline.

First of all, I love Bok Gyu as a character. He's neither a cold and trashy chaebol who treats everyone like garbage because he can, nor the utterly unrealistic chaebol with a heart of gold and the morality of an angel.

Dude's just human. We see how growing up with so many privileges makes him think he's superior to others, but that's not because he's a bad person, but because he's ignorant. And we see how the unhealthy parenting has not only made him sexually repressed and immature about some aspects, but it also made him believe that he doesn't have to take real responsibility for his actions.

However, it's also clear that he isn't against change. He can learn and grow. We already saw that in these two episodes.
His first apology to Jae Yeon was horrible. He didn't understand what he had done wrong. The emphasis was on him "feeling sorry". For him, those "sincere" emotions were enough. He was like, "why can't she understand that?"

But after the ToD visit (best cameo of the week), when she got in the taxi and he apologized again, this time the emphasis was on her feelings. He apologized for causing her all this pain.

Same thing when he went to the orphanage. He thought he could just buy some washing machines and call it a day. But then, thanks to his dongsaeng, he...

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Same thing when he went to the orphanage. He thought he could just buy some washing machines and call it a day. But then, thanks to his dongsaeng, he realized that there's more to it.

Anyway, I like that he doesn't feel like an annoying cliche. He felt like a real person this week. A person learning from his mistakes.

And I think Jae Yeon felt the same. That's why she smiled when she saw the picture he sent. She saw his sincerity and decided to give him a chance to redeem himself. She wants him to understand and improve, because she also knows that he isn't such a bad guy after all.
She's such a lovely person. I hope she gets to heal all her wounds of the past.

Btw, if we think about it, the drama never tried to make their scenes swoon-worthy or force any type of romance. They're just two people in a complicated situation, getting to know each other, and healing the pain one caused the other.

In conclusion, I like these characters and I can't wait to see the development of their relationship. It has been great so far, imo.

The only problem I have with this future OTP is the mom. Dad seems ready to drop his son the second he finds another one, so he'll probably won't care. But the mom is super invested on her son's romantic life. She's was creepy this week. I can't imagine her as a mother in law.

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I love the points you made, especially about Gyu-hyun and Ja-yeon. I totally agree, and I am such a fan of his character. It's great that Lee Sang-yi is getting to play an actual character, not just another bland perfect guy who has unrequited love for another woman.

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That second apology was sincere and heart-felt and brought tears to my eyes. As you said, he is not against change and he's learning from his mistakes and experiences. He's embracing growth at a pace aligned with his nature and character. LSI is wonderful in this role 😍

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He is! ^^

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So well said!

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Thank you for the witty recap. I should mention that there was another white truck of doom in Perfect Marriage Revenge that kept honking but simply passed by.

I’d like to gush about Han Ji Hyun a bit. This is my first time watching her acting in any drama, and I’m simply charmed by her. I literally get cute aggression during her scenes lol The way she face plants into her duvet with shame at the hospital, and all her scenes during the girls’ out of doors exercise routine -spinning on the workout gear and collapsing on the bench- stayed with me, she was so memorably hilarious in those short moments. She also has insane chemistry with all her costars.

Hae-yeong and Ji-uk making the news is funny, now the whole country knows they’re a couple lol.

I’m a bit confused about Yi-rin’s (ex’s wife) attitude towards Hae-Young; didn’t HY basically ruin their wedding shots? Or was all that in HY’s head? She’s also clearly manipulating Woo-Jae; she was throwing him at the president throughout the dinner even though he was not at all interested. I don’t think she’s clueless about WJ and HY’s history either. That girl is brewing something I’m telling you.

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Maybe woojae can be the long lost son instead and the dad and him can deserve each other! And that’s why she would hang onto him even if she knows about his cheating.

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I'm onboard this theory; he's a douche and a cheater who cannot hold his liquor.

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I'm also in love with Han Ji-hyun. I even checked out her insta the other day (I haven't done that since Son Hwa-ryeong in Love is for Suckers!) She and Lee Sang-yi did a gorgeous photo spread for a magazine in Korea, i want to say Allure.

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I was just checking her insta. They look amazing together.

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The wedding shot scenes were all in Hae-young's head. But you are right, I'm sure Yi-rin has something up her sleeve. She certainly is aware of her husbands history, and the fact that he carries such lingering feelings that when he gets drunk he always heads to Hae Young.

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Same!! She's so cute!!
I just found out she's the FL from Cheer Up. Her vibe seems different there which makes it even more interesting.

I also find Yi Rin sus, even tho the wedding photoshoot was just HY's imagination.
She's related to Bok Gyu (cousin?) and we know how toxic that family is, so I wouldn't be surprised she has some evil plan in process.

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Ooh, that didn't cross my mind. I've been thinking she' "nice". Now I'm curious about her intentions.

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I thought the same, but this week I started suspecting her. The scene with Woo Jae was kinda sus. "You're ambitious, that's why a chose you" was an interesting choice of words. She was sus during dinner too.

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I would just imagine she was a gold digger, but then things are going on... Mother Bok making her boy sign all of his assets off to arranged-bride-to-be, not least. Conditionally, but still.

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Finally, finally, a k-drama that has me hugging myself with glee every week. The writer is having so much fun with all the tropes!

Highlights of this week's episodes include:
- the swerving Truck of Doom
- Ji-wook coming out of his bedroom to find Secretary Jang (otherwise known as Misfortune!) lurking in the living room
- that moment when Hae-young goes to leave, then suddenly turns back to Ji-wook. I'm expecting her to beat him up, but she gives him a centre-parting!
- Nam Ja-yeon's imagination running wild with the "Whenever I eat pork cutlets, something good happens" line.

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I feel like that last one is SO RISKY for Ja-yeon. You can write off one similarity (the name) as coincidence, but he has the same name and says the same thing he told her? I would be so worried about Ha-jun finding the novel and figuring it out.

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I am 110% sure exactly this is going to happen.

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I hope it happens *after* she realises she's in love with someone else.

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