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Coffee Prince: Fifth Cup

What I like about Coffee Prince is that it’s good-natured and feel-good. The male-bonding scenes are fun and energetic, and despite not having some evil force lurking in the shadows, we have plenty of entertainment. Then again, we’re only five episodes in, so who knows what may change. I’ve noticed a lot of shows start off strong for the first two or three weeks, but around episode 6 or 7, they start to falter. And yet because I’m the eternal optimist (hidden in a cynic’s body), I always think, This one will be good all the way through. I hope this one is.

(Note: I’ll be replacing some of the grainy caps with better/clearer images if I manage to get the vastly better-quality MickeyBaby version of the episode, which isn’t available as quickly as the ones I get now.)

SONG OF THE DAY

Coffee Prince OST – “Mocha” by Casker. I really like Casker. You can listen to another of their songs, “Every Saturday,” posted here. [ zShare download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

 
EPISODE 5 SUMMARY

Han Gyul awakens to see Eun Chan hovering right over him, but they’re interrupted by Ha Rim, who sleepily comes downstairs to ask what they’re up to, then teases them, asking if they’re dating. To which Eun Chan stammers that they’re not.

Han Gyul smiles as he reads the notes attached to the milk Eun Chan brought him:

(The note says: “This is a birthday present~ It’s three hours before its expiration date, so drink up quickly!”)

 

Ha Rim, Eun Chan, and Han Gyul go out for breakfast, where they wonder why Ha Rim’s sleeping at the store. He’s been kicked out from home because he doesn’t want to go into the family business. He mentions hating knives and blood, and Eun Chan perks up, asking if they’re butchers (everything’s meat-oriented with her, haha) — I wonder if maybe they’re doctors?

Seeing Eun Chan eyeing his food, Han Gyul laughingly gives up his kalbi (beef ribs) to her. Cute.

Eun Chan tells Ha Rim that Mr. Hong has a free room, so Ha Rim goes to see him, and they find that the cool, detached pretty boy Sun Ki’s also there. He heard a room was available and needs one too. Both guys enter in horror, however — if you thought Mr. Hong was filthy at work, that’s nothing compared to the squalor of his home. It’s disgusting.

At work, Eun Chan hears from Han Gyul that Min Yub quit suddenly. She berates Han Gyul for being so disinterested, not caring to ask what the matter was. Feeling sorry for his situation, Eun Chan finds Min Yub working at a pojangmacha (a streetside food stall).

She doesn’t understand why he’d quit the cafe to take over the pojangmacha for his friend, but Min Yub says the friend is a good guy who fed and housed him when Min Yub needed help. He’s returning the favor, temporarily taking over the food stand while his friend is sick. He didn’t want to quit the Coffee Prince (it’s the first time he’s ever done something for himself completely on his own), but things just happened that way.

Eun Chan helps him tend to customers (and drops the hint that Eun Sae loves to eat chicken feet).

At dawn, while Eun Chan’s out on her milk delivery, Han Sung waits by the gate with Terry (the dog) and wonders why she’s late. He gives her a call and says at first that Terry misses her, then amends it to: “No, I think I miss you more.”

Eun Chan tells him she’ll go over as soon as she’s done with her deliveries. He tells her he’ll be waiting, and Eun Chan happily pedals off, and sing-songs, “He’ll wait… he’ll wait… He says he’ll wait!”

Han Sung makes her breakfast, and afterward Eun Chan heads outside to play around on his decorative statues. He notes that she’s the first person who’s ever thought to sit on the horse — everyone else just looks at it.

Han Sung: “Isn’t it tiring, acting as a guy?”
Eun Chan: “No. I’m good at it. Don’t I seem like a boy to you too?”
Han Sung: “No. No matter how I see it, you’re a girl to me.”
Eun Chan: “On Valentine’s Day, I get lots of chocolates. But all from girls. And then I don’t get any on White Day.” [reverse V-Day] “I guess they can’t tell I’m not a guy.”
Han Sung: “How can they not recognize such a pretty girl? In my eyes, I only see you as pretty.”

Han Sung asks if she wants to go to a party with him, for the opening of an art show. She feels self-conscious about her appearance, figuring it’ll be a fancy event, and tells him that he’d be embarrassed to go with her. He tells her she’s great as she is, and she agrees to go — she’ll do her best to look pretty, to not embarrass him.

As she leaves, he calls out, “You know, you have the ability to make people feel really great.”

Min Yub prepares chicken feet for Eun Sae, and waits outside to give them to her… but then realizes with a shock that Eun Sae and Eun Chan are walking out of the women’s public bath together.

Ironically, one of Min Yub’s big grievances is having drunk-kissed Eun Chan (was he okay with that when he thought she was a guy? I suppose it could be an issue of his loyalty for Eun Sae, whom he really does seem to be infatuated with). Eun Chan begs him to keep it secret, dangling his affection for Eun Sae in front of him as incentive. She tells him she trusts him, and after all, he should be happy that she’s not Eun Sae’s boyfriend but her older sister — his rival has disappeared.

Yu Ju falls sick (fever and cold), and Han Gyul’s there to make her soup and tend to her. (When they spoke over the phone, he could tell from the way she said she was okay that she wasn’t really okay.) Wondering why Han Sung’s not there, he asks if they fought; she says she hasn’t heard from him for a few days, so it feels like they did fight.

Brief rundown of their relationship turns this episode: Han Sung reads a magazine article about Yu Ju, where she’s quoted as loving work more than anything and not wanting to marry. Later, as they dine with another couple, when asked if/when they plan to marry, Han Sung speaks up for Yu Ju and says she’s intent on remaining unmarried. Then, Han Sung watches as Yu Ju gives an interview, and overhears people mentioning how she’s still working with DK, even if they’ve broken up. So now, it’s been a few days and he hasn’t called her.

Anyway. Yu Ju looks at Han Gyul’s worried expression and wonders, “Were you always this handsome?” (I’ll just reiterate the “deliberately sending mixed signals” complaint and leave it there.) Han Gyul calls Han Sung to tell him Yu Ju’s sick; he should take care of her.

And so, Han Sung goes over to see Yu Ju, who pouts about how sick she really was, although he points out the obvious, asking why she’s drinking wine if she’s so sick. She asks why he hasn’t called, and he admits it’s still hard for him to realize she loves work more than him. Yu Ju says although what he said about her remaining single is true, it felt bad hearing him say that to the others. But for the moment their relationship is back on track.

Han Gyul shows up at the pojangmacha, where Eun Chan is helping Min Yub. He asks Min Yub if he’s going to quit Coffee Prince or not, and Min Yub says he’d like to continue, but they’re interrupted by a customer. Neither Eun Chan nor Min Yub know how to make an omelette, so Han Gyul steps in with a resigned sigh and cooks.

When a customer’s dog runs into the street, Eun Chan instinctively runs after it, and Han Gyul sees her running into oncoming traffic with alarm. He grabs her to avoid being hit by a car, and they fall to the ground.


Seeing Eun Chan’s bleeding hand, Han Gyul takes her to get it treated, as well as getting acupuncture for his injured shoulder. Eun Chan tells him a story of how when she was eight years old, she was playing around on the balcony and fell from the third story. (Han Gyul: “Ahh, so you fell and that’s how you became so weird.”) Her father caught her, but fell and broke his arm — but in his worry for her, he rushed her to the hospital not aware of his own injury. “That’s what I thought of. You were pretty cool today.”

Han Gyul asks why she keeps stepping in to help other people, like Min Yub and Ha Rim. Eun Chan cites a sense of loyalty and humanity between people, and when Han Gyul admits he doesn’t know that feeling, she points out that he came to see Min Yub: “You have loyalty. Why else would you save me? It’s not like you love me.” He tells her to sleep, and they do.

Taking advantage of the severe lack of business, the Coffee Princes convince Han Gyul to take them on an employee retreat, which Mr. Hong arranges.

When they get there, they find that Mr. Hong told his friend, the owner of an apple orchard, that the guys would help with the harvesting, and so they get roped into helping out. All in their special way: Min Yub shakes the apples out of the tree instead of plucking; Ha Rim takes photos; Sun Ki carves apple-o-lanterns; and Han Gyul gets talked into running the roadside stand.

Han Gyul gets a firsthand taste of how hard selling is, and gets really into doing a good job. He’s mighty proud of himself for selling off a huge amount of the inventory, until he finds out that he sold the prime merchandise for much less than their value. He feels awful, although the orchard owners are kind about it (it was the wife’s fault for leaving him there without instructions).

To make up for it, he helps with the apple-picking…

…and is there to catch Eun Chan when she falls off her ladder.

After a long day of work, the Coffee Princes cool off in the lake. Han Gyul apologizes to Mr. Hong for his mistake, and Mr. Hong shoves him into the lake (in fun), shouting to the Princes, “Hey! This guy says he’s sorry to you guys!”

Cutely, Min Yub now finds himself watching over Eun Chan, knowing she’s a girl and interfering whenever the other guys act ungentlemanly in her presence. It could be because he wants to make a good impression on Eun Sae, but actually I think it’s just Min Yub’s blockheaded attempts at chivalry. It’s adorable.

(Eun Chan asks Ha Rim about the girl Han Gyul likes, and Ha Rim says he’s been in love with her for nine years.)

That night, after the guys disperse and go to sleep, Eun Chan runs into Han Gyul outside, and they lie down to look at the stars together. Eun Chan, seeing everything as food, muses that she’d like to pluck the stars to eat them. Han Gyul asks how she’d eat the moon, and she answers, “Since it’s only a half-moon, I’d wait for it to fatten up, then steam it and eat it.”

Han Gyul gives her a little toy (looks like a Lego robot), and she says he must’ve had a hard time working today: “So if someone makes a mistake, understand them.”

He asks what her dream is, and she answers it’s to live well with her mother and sister: “I don’t know what my dream is exactly, but these days, I want to become a person who makes coffee well.” He says his dream is “To see only what I want, to not see what I don’t want, to live joyfully and happily.”

Eun Chan asks about his “habit” (Yu Ju): “When you were with her, you didn’t look very happy. What do you like about her?” He says there might be a million reasons to like her, but goes on: “There aren’t really a million reasons. I just do. Even if I try not to, it doesn’t work, so I can’t do anything about it.” Eun Chan says the phrase “not being able to do anything” is scary to her.

At home, Eun Chan talks with Eun Sae while playing with the toy given to her by Han Gyul, mulling over the phrases “habit” and “unable to do anything,” trying to make sense of them.

Preparing for her date with Han Sung (who tells her to dress just like she normally does), she gets help from Eun Sae and her mother… Oh man. Comparing her appearance as a made-up, dressed-up girly girl to her boyish behavior, there’s such a weird disconnect. (She reminds me of that Minho guy from High Kick, in the episode when Yunho draws lipstick on his face as a joke.)

You’d think Yoon Eun Hye finally getting to dress as a girl would produce prettier results, but thankfully (for the story) they’ve produced this awkward and horrible version of a girly Eun Chan, who looks like a manly hooker.

Han Sung reacts with good humor, but takes her to have her appearance handled a little more naturally… and even he’s amazed at the results.

Looking more like the real Yoon Eun Hye, he watches as she awkwardly makes her way down the staircase, and catches her as she stumbles in her heels.

 
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Wah! so fast! hehehe... bravoooo Sarah! ^_^
I enjoy this episode as well... no wonder the ratings went sky-rocket last night kekeke..
Tomorrow's episode looks great also... lots of 'mix' signals as well, but since HK asked her to hug him, I guess I just have to wait and see (and keep watch of this pretty girl YJ), even though I adore her scene with HS a lot... their chemistry is awesome. That lil peck on the lips today was quite adorable hehe!

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ahhhhhhhhh! So this is how they are trying to make her more feminine! Thanks for the summary!

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too cute...too hilarious...thanks for another awesome summary.

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THANK YOU! You made my day! What a treat to read one of your summaries at the end of a long day. *off to read the summary now* ^_^

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Awesome! I lmao when I saw her on that red and black dress!!!! lol. That was just sooo funny! I thought that they wouldn't make her look feminine, but I'm so glad that they are! I LOVED her in Goong! She was sooo funny!
Thanks again!

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wah.. thanks, sarah!

the "manly hooker" comparison is hilarious because she does look like one! It's really amazing what different hair and make-up can do to a person's appearance.

I, too, hope that this show will continue to go the way it's been going. When you said that most recent shows began strong but decreased in quality after ep. 5 or 6, I suddenly thought of "Witch Yoo Hee." Oh man, shuddering at the thought.. Coffee Princes, please steer clear of wackoville.

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Oh, Javabeans, you're right. According to the Chinese cast/character descriptions, Ha Rim is the son from a long family line of doctors.

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Thanks for the summary! I'm a little confused on this bit

> Eun Chan: “On Valentine’s Day,
> I get lots of chocolates. But
> all from girls. And then I don’t get
> any on White Day.” [reverse V-Day]
> “I guess they can’t tell I’m not a guy.”

So in Korea girls give gifts to guys on Valentines Day? And on White Day it's when guys give gifts to girls?

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Ah yeah White Day is the corresponding day in March for guys to give gifts to girls, not just in Korea but other Asian countries too like Japan (which was where I believe it originated from?) although my sources thus far are manga and anime so not sure how reliable haha

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Thanks javabeans for the quick but detailed episode summary. I'm an avid reader of your summaries 'cause they are seriously amazing.

I really loved today's episode especially Min Yeop's simple acts towards Eun Chan. He is such a big guy with a soft heart. I really don't find him annoying at all. LOL.

Anyways, I can't wait for Episode 6 tomorrow and your summary as well. =D

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oh me like this episode, i cannot wait for the next one because i wonder who will be at this party......hhhmmm, probably Han Gyul and i wonder how he would feel if he sees her with the long hair and dress like that.

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jessica-yeah that's how white and valentines day works in korea. except its more chocolate given than gifts.

even when she goes to professionals, she looks like a drag queen to me. idk why.
and min yup being nice to her makes me think he likes her. i'm sure that's not why, but hes just so ... haha!

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i absolutely enjoy reading your summaries, especially since the subs haven't been released yet! The caps and the side comments are adorable! keep up the great work!

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thank u sarah! i enjoyed this episode so much! anxiously waiting for tonight's episode again :) -- i find that i haven't been sleeping well because of Coffee Prince!!!

your summary is so appreciated! thanks again!

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Thanks kiwee!

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This episode looks fun! i cant wait for the subs....i think i might just watch it RAW because i dont know if i can wait...

Once again thank you for your summaries! I LOVE reading them...ever since you started writing about Que Sera Sera, i became a fan of your blog :D

THANKS!

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she looks pretty coming down the stairs!! she looks more like herself huh? lol

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Exactly after reading your summary of Que sera sera, I became one of ur fan.^o^. I even visit your site more often than soompi...LOL. I love reading your summary so much since I don't have enough time to watch the drama, i can drop by here and read..still catch what is going on..Thanks so much, Sarah!!

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Exactly after reading your summaries of Que sera sera, I became one of ur fan.^o^.
I even visit your site more often than soompi...LOL. I love reading your summaries so much since I don't have enough time to watch the dramas, i can drop by here and read..still catch what is going on..Thanks so much, Sarah!!

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Man. The story is getting interesting now. I actually like Han Sung. I wonder whether or not he will like Eun Chan after going to the party with her. It's just that the way he talks in this episode sounds weird to me. I think it must be some clues behind those speeches. I'll be looking forward to watching the next expisode. Your recap actually makes me really curious what will happen, even though I have not watched this episode yet. ;P

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Oh yeah I almost forget about the Coffee Prince novel. Have you finished it yet? I am so curious to read your recap about it.

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Oh...I just love reading your synopsis. It is very entertaining and the pictures make it even clearer. I can't wait to watch it!!!!!

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Thank God for your review! I was dying to read it as the streaming was quite bad yesterday ^^ I likes her makeover but I Would have liked it better if they had managed to make her look decent with her short hair. Anyway this episode was cute ^^

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thank you for the lightning-speed recaps, javabeans. i really love this series. so we finally get to the expected make-over part...quite early in the series. wonder how they are planning to go from here on. even though i am for the EC/HS relationship, i have feeling that he will just help to advance EC and HK's pairing. are they changing the pacing of the script and reveal EC as a girl to HK much earlier than we are expecting? it's such a sweet series so far.

you are awesome as always, javabeans... and i love Casker music also!

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waaa...can't wait for the next episode!!!!!

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haha....great! the manly hooker i was thinking along the lines of gay crossdresser haha! thanks for taking your time this is a big deal since the uploads are slow

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thanks for the summary, i hope that coffee prince stays on the same tract of being good.... i really can't wait for the next episode to see eun chan and han sung on their date.

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just wondering, anybody know where i can watch coffee prince with good english subs?

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Wino..........One evil force to reckon with I tell ya. LOL.

I was trying to imagine an eternal optimist (hidden in a cynic’s body)...and the image of the wonderwoman comes to mind instead.

Thank you Wonderwoman Javabeans! They should be getting into the "meat" (ha!) of the story soon enough, hopefully episode 6 or 7. Eventhough the fun is feel good, I am ready for real action, real drama! Up till now, Han Kyul seems to be interested in Eun Chan as a buddy and nothing hints of romantic links. He even thinks Eun Chan is weird. I am curious how they are going to make him sexually attracted to Eun Chan.
I hope they don't focus on the four-way relationship once she is revealed as a girl? (screams in head: nooooooooooooo) Please leave that wino out of the picture as much as possible.

Awesome cap! http://www.dramabeans.com/wp-content/images/cp/cp5-127.jpg

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ooooohhhhh! way exciting stuff! thanks for the summary!:D

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she looked so funny when her family did the makeuo(manly hooker hahahah)
But I wonder how will the relationship develope between them three.
Thank you for your summaries ^^
On Valentines day all the girls give to the boys chocolates and on white day a month later all the boys who received chocolates have to give something small back to all the girls who gave them chocolate(at least that's how it is in Japan)

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=p a manly girl hahahaha

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Javabeans..I saw the ep with your summary help.. I just wanted to say..thanks alot for your time and your efforts are highly appreciated .. I will keep coming here and I will leave you a comment on daily basis .. just to say chomal komowo..

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I really liked this episode!
I especially liked how YEH managed to give as the impression that she wasn't used to heels etc. boyish manner and actions but feminine dress
I thought that was pulled off pretty well.
I agree, Min Yub is sooo cute - awwww ^^

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HS and YJ are so not going to end up together in my opinion, she is so stupid, she wants to be surrounded by freedom, but give none of that freedom to others when it comes to her. Everything is about her, she has some nerves to still work with her ex. I hope she ends up realizing what she has lost, but when she does realize it, it will be too late, and the guy for her will already be gone. HS is an idiot for getting back together with her knowing she wants to never marry, and basically wants him for now but maybe not for later. HK is an idiot for liking a woman like that, who cheated on his cousin, ad left him for another man. If this bimbo is a habit, well break it, if she's addicting chew some YJ-gum or wear some YJ patches and get over her. I dislike her, more and more with each episode. Her princess complex is too much to bear.

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I wish we had White Day in America, that would be fun!!!

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I am so loving this series. Like one of those mousse-dessert thing. Nothing but fluff but, oh, so delicious. Can't get enough! Thanks, Javabeans!

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Your wicked sense of humor is what brings me back every day......I love how you write and the way you express your likes and dislikes...I actually prefer reading your summaries over watching the movies itself...Thanks for humoring us...this drama is drama free thus far..let's see how it unravels =D

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Ahhhhhh I love this show. Why is no one subbing this series? Either that or they're severely falling behind.

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Thanks for the summary, javabeans. Always look forward to them :). This drama IS being subbed, right?

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Thanks for the summaries...I just finished drinking the fifth cup and it was great. Lol, manly hooker and the best, cute part is Min Yub trying to protect EC, too cute when he realized she is a girl.

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actually to those people who are asking about the subs
there is a group subbing this series (WITH S2)...here's the link
http://fansub.d-addicts.com/With_S2

also of note is that chinese subbers are lightning speed, and subs get out like one day right after each episode, for more information you could probably login to soompi and check out this topic:
http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=126029

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I like it, but, is this a summary? :)

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Right on moochi2000, the chinese subbers are super fast (and their files are almost always less than 300mb in size but still good quality). Both Zhbbs and Tsxz/Tsks have episode 5 with subs out! Zhbbs even packed their epi05 torrent with NG and the OST! Woo-hoo! Off to watch the NG now. =)
Oh! I can't read Korean but I think this is the song HS sang to YJ: ????[???ver.] - ??? (it's on the OST and they include HS's version!!!!!) Here's a list of what's on the OST: http://www.coffee-prince.com/

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Thanks everyone for all the comments and kind words!

ginnie, let's just say the next episode gets things revving up in the drama department ;) for those of you wondering how the sexual attraction will develop out of the quasi-platonic male bonding we've established.

As for subs, yes that's the link to the subbers' page. You can see episodes 1 and 2 are released, and given that 3 and 4 aired a week ago, I think it's a little premature to be calling it "severely falling behind." Don't worry, With S2 is extremely aware of the popularity of this drama and will do its best to be timely with releases.

catinyourfridge, er, huh? unless you're alluding to the summaries being too detailed to be called summaries in which case, yes, i totally agree. I was going to start calling them recaps instead for semantics' sake but figured i was the only one bothered by the technicality. LOL.

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Wow, i love love this series. ahhh it's getting really interesting now. yayy !! thanks for the summaries, can't wait till next time !!!!!!!

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i love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you are a life saver, maybe one day i'll understand korean
but until then. keep it up!!^_^

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Javabean,
question, does Eun Chan had feeling for Han Sung too. I am kind of confuse.
I have not watch episode 6 yet. I think Han Sung has feeling for her. am i right.

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Annie, Eun Chan likes Han Sung openly... she's mentioned it to him a few times, and he understands, although they both know he's with Yu Ju. As of this episode, Han Sung's feelings for Eun Chan are mostly friendly, although i think we're going to be seeing that shift more as he pays more attention to Eun Chan and starts losing interest in Yu Ju (my prediction, not fact).

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Javabean,
Thank you for explain to me.

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Thanks! I was struggling with the korean drama without the subtitles and this really helped me to enjoy the drama even more. :)

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