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Coffee Prince: Ninth Cup

First things first. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, and continue to enjoy the way they are progressing the relationship between Han Gyul and Eun Chan. But let me get this bit of criticism out of the way, and that is that this episode didn’t flow perfectly.

There were a few awkward transitions, which felt choppy at first. Disjointed. I think they were busy trying to squeeze in some new plot points to set us up for more stories — like exploring more about Han Gyul’s birth, for instance — and because elements felt shoehorned in, it disrupted the otherwise nice developments of the episode. Thankfully, that bit of awkwardness mostly occupied the first half (minus the very beginning, which was entirely too cute); the latter half was lovely.

(Background) SONG OF THE DAY

Arco – “Perfect World.” This song plays in one of the early scenes between Yu Ju and Han Sung.

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EPISODE 9 SUMMARY

Now that they’ve agreed to be like brothers, Han Gyul starts off the next morning goofing around and making Eun Chan breakfast. Eun Chan wonders what’ll be different now that they’re acting as brothers (in a “hyung-dongsaeng” relationship), and asks, does that mean she’ll be treated with more love? Han Gyul awkwardly mumbles at the mention of love, and Eun Chan asks, then will he treat her better? That he can do, and to show it, he heaps food in Eun Chan’s bowl.

Eun Chan tests out the word hyung, joking around as she calls him that repeatedly. It also appears that at some point, they’ve pierced Eun Chan’s ear and marked it with one of Han Gyul’s earrings as “proof” of their sworn brotherhood.

At work, the two continue their happy, giddy new relationship. Seeing the two of them getting along so well strikes the others as strange.

Sun Ki: “Wait, were you together this morning? Do you like each other?”
Eun Chan: [shushing him] “Say something that makes sense! What would he think of a guy like me?”
Sun Ki: “But you’re a girl. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman. The important part is a person liking another person.”

Sun Ki uses the fact that he knows she’s a girl to blackmail her into promising to help clean out his (Mr. Hong’s) home. Min Yub notices that she’s wearing Han Gyul’s earring. And Ha Rim is put off, grumbling that he’s known Han Gyul much longer than Eun Chan. If anyone should be such a close hyung-dongsaeng relationship, it should be Ha Rim, not Eun Chan.

Sun Ki to Ha Rim: “You’re so unperceptive. Can’t you see the boss likes Eun Chan?”
Ha Rim: “What are you talking about?”
Sun Ki: “They like each other. Is that strange? It’s not a big deal in Japan.”

Yu Ju asks to meet with Eun Chan after some hesitation. Her relationship with Han Sung has hit a bump after she ran into Eun Chan after Han Sung surprise-kissed her. Han Sung understands that Yu Ju’s upset, and tells her he’ll wait until she’s ready to talk to him. When Yu Ju meets Eun Chan, she doesn’t quite know how to begin, but Eun Chan answers the questions before they’re asked.

Eun Chan: “Actually, I did like Han Sung before. That was before I knew you were Girl B.”
Yu Ju: “What about now?”
Eun Chan: “I like him now too, but not in a romantic way. Because there’s someone else I like.”
Yu Ju: “Han Gyul?”

Eun Chan tries to deny it, sees Yu Ju’s perceptive look, then admits, “Yes.” Yu Ju asks why she doesn’t tell Han Gyul she’s a girl, and Eun Chan replies: “I’ve thought a lot about it too. He suggested I be his younger sibling. If he knew I’m a girl, I couldn’t be with him like now. And things aren’t bad, they way they are now.” Eun Chan tells Yu Ju that she doesn’t have to worry about her (regarding Han Sung), and Yu Ju sees Eun Chan’s response is sincere.

I love this shot. Their distance is so eloquent. Yu Ju asks if Han Sung’s feelings wavered because she’d made things hard for him, and he answers no. Yu Ju: “It would be easy if it were because of me. Since then I could just fix myself.”

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(The song posted up top, Arco’s “Perfect World,” plays.) Han Sung tells her he’s in the middle of thinking over what happened, figuring out what it means. Yu Ju: “So you’re saying it wasn’t a mistake, but that you love her?”

Yu Ju: “What do you want me to do?”
Han Sung: “I’ll get over my feelings.”
Yu Ju: “I worried that you’d be hurt because of her… but it seems I was hurt more.”

Han Sung suggests, in a somewhat urgent (last-ditch-effort?) tone, that they go on a trip together.

Everyone goes to Mr. Hong’s place to clean the place up, and Eun Sae keeps sending Min Yub away to do chores so she can be alone with Sun Ki. Although Min Yub knows she’s not treating him well (as does everyone else, including Sun Ki), he still follows her orders, doing the laundry, taking the trash, doing the dishes — until finally she’s so dismissive that he can’t take it anymore.

He stands up to her — just because he likes her, she shouldn’t use him like that. Eun Sae: “Who asked you to like me? Just give up! I really hate you following me around too! You’re ignorant, and all you’ve got is brute strength. I was really embarrassed showing you to my friends, you know!”

With no other way of venting his aggravation, Min Yub growls and runs around the neighborhood — trying to climb poles, lifting furniture, and at one point running around with a refrigerator. HA!

Eun Chan tells Eun Sae to apologize to Min Yub, figuring she doesn’t really hate him: “People fight as they grow attached to one another.” Eun Sae asks, “Like you and your boss?” Eun Chan sighs with satisfaction: “I get to see him everyday, we spend time together, play around, have good conversation. It’s great.” But Eun Sae says she’ll start wanting more — that’ll lead to wanting to hold hands, then wanting to hug, and then wanting to kiss.

Han Sung and Yu Ju go on their trip, and seem to have regained some semblance of their former relationship, but Eun Chan is still a barrier between them. Yu Ju sees that he’s not answering Eun Chan’s calls and tells him that he’s the adult; he should be mature and talk to her first. Han Sung says he will when he’s gotten his feelings in order. He gets a text from her, an awkward message that asks: “Ajusshi, you’re doing fine, right? I’m all right. Please give me a call when it’s convenient. Bye.”

Sun Ki, meanwhile, sees a woman with a young child and chases after her — looks like he’s found the one he’s been searching for — but is unable to catch up. He manages to see the name written on the van, and urgently tries to find out more about it over the phone. At the same time, a pissed-off Min Yub tries to pick a fight, asking if Sun Ki’s enjoying Eun Sae’s attentions. He provokes Sun Ki, and the mood turns dark as they nearly come to blows.

Okay, here’s where they start to lose me a little, because they introduce a new character who hints at mysteries to come. He’s an older man who speaks quite familiarly with Han Gyul’s father, and of whom the father is very wary. (He asks about “Mother,” and I wonder if they’re brothers despite having different last names.) The man, Lee Myung Jae, is in Korea on business and asks if Han Gyul is doing well.

Then, Han Gyul has lunch with his father. He asks his father to not mention to his mother that he knows about his birth secret, and also inquires about his birth mother. Han Gyul knows his father had an affair, sent him to an orphanage, then later adopted him back. Han Gyul’s father describes his birth mother as a warm, affectionate person, a middle-school teacher. Han Gyul cuts in to ask, “Did she leave you? Or did you abandon her?”

Han Gyul’s father admits he left her — at that point in his life, he wasn’t ready to be responsible for anyone. She died in a car accident before Han Gyul’s 100-day birthday (a big event for Korean babies). Han Gyul’s reaction to his father’s cowardice may be best described as disgusted — it might’ve been disappointed, but he’d have to have had faith in his father in the first place to be able to lose it now.

In a despondent, pensive mood, Han Gyul calls his mother to tell her, “Mom. You know I love you lots, right?… Thanks, Mom. Thank you.”

When his mother hangs up, Han Gyul’s father’s and grandmother’s reactions indicate that they know the full story, whatever that is. They’re suspicious over the reappearance of Lee Myung Jae, and Han Gyul’s mother warns her husband to be careful: “I can’t allow our Han Gyul to meet that man.”

Han Gyul then drives over to Eun Chan’s house, still in his quiet, reserved mode. He parks outside and wakes her from sleep with his call.

 

Han Gyul takes Eun Chan to the batting cages to relieve some tension, and suggests they go to the beach. He lets Eun Chan drive his car (complaining all the while at how fearlessly she drives), and they arrive at the ocean in the middle of the night.

With Han Gyul’s mood much lifted at Eun Chan’s antics, they laugh and goof around on the beach. Han Gyul asks about her birthday and blood type (December, O) and Eun Chan jokes around by telling him (with a straight face) that she doesn’t like guys with his blood type, B — they’re fussy and uptight. Han Gyul protests that he’s not like that at all, defending himself, before realizing Eun Chan’s teasing.

Eun Chan asks when he started liking toys so much, and he says he played with toys since he didn’t have many friends. Kids disliked him because he has a rather unfriendly personality — he’d get angry and annoyed easily.

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“Last Arpeggios” by 푸른새벽 (Blue Dawn) plays. The mood of this segment is so tense and pregnant with meaning that I wish I could convey it in words. You’ll just have to watch. Basically, they both skirt around the topic they both want to broach but are too afraid to — and both tentatively draw closer with the words they want to say, then pull back in skittish fear, covering up with their excuse of being in a brotherly relationship. It’s all nerves and hope and fear.

The ambiance grows more serious when Eun Chan faces Han Gyul, and steps closer and closer, while he backs away, unsettled. She asks, “Do you really just like me as a sibling? What do you like best about me?”

Han Gyul tells her uneasily to stop joking, then asks what she likes about him, and she answers, “Everything.” Having laid one truth out plainly, she retracts it a bit as she walks ahead of him, adding, “But of course, as a hyung.”

After staring at Eun Chan for a long moment, Han Gyul walks up to her and casually takes her hand. Without looking at her surprised reaction, he explains, “As hyung and dongsaeng, we can do this much.”

And then, Han Gyul takes the hand he holds and intertwines their fingers together. They walk along wordlessly.

Eun Chan uses the same reasoning to lay her head in Han Gyul’s lap as they sit on the sand: “As hyung and dongsaeng, we can do this much.” She snuggles into his side and falls asleep.

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Azure Ray’s “Across the Ocean” plays some time later, as Han Gyul looks over at the sleeping Eun Chan. He hesitantly draws nearer to her, lying close to her back, touching her hair, tentatively cupping her hand in his.

After resting like that for a moment, he rises abruptly, disturbed and conflicted. He looks over at her, sleeping soundly, and says, “Go Eun Chan. I can’t go any further.”

He drives her home, and she awakes with her usual cheer, unaware that anything’s the matter. Han Gyul tells her quietly, coldly, that he’s decided he can’t be her hyung; they’re over. “Let’s stop meeting.” Eun Chan assumes he’s joking, and goes to work eagerly anticipating seeing him.

When he won’t look at her, or talk to her, Eun Chan asks what the matter is — did something happen? Did she do something wrong?

He tells her curtly to stop coming to work; he’ll forgive her debt. She doesn’t understand, and insists she’ll keep coming, and he says, “Fine, then I’ll leave.” He reminds her of what he said that morning, and Eun Chan realizes he meant it — but how can someone change so much in one morning?

Han Gyul: “I’m that kind of guy. Didn’t you know that?”
Eun Chan: “You’re right, I didn’t know. How can you treat someone like that — are you playing around?”
Han Gyul: “I don’t like you. I’ve come to dislike you. So stop bugging me, it’s annoying.”
Eun Chan: “So you just change whenever you want, since you do that so well. First acting one way, then the opposite.”

Han Gyul tells her, in a wearied tone, “I really… dislike you.” Eun Chan responds, as though in challenge: “Why? Because you love me?” He doesn’t object — just laughs a small, rueful laugh. At this point, both have traces of tears in their eyes — Eun Chan’s indignant, Han Gyul’s regretful.

Eun Chan: “Why are you laughing?”
Han Gyul: “Is this easy for you? Ah, I guess it is. It’s no big deal for you. This is just difficult for me.”

Han Gyul walks out and drives home, where he idles his day away in frustration.

Likewise, Eun Chan spends her day listlessly going about her daily work, her heart not really in anything. Mr. Hong wonders how long she’ll keep her gender hidden from Han Gyul, and she answers: “If I tell him the truth, everything’s over. He said he was glad that I was a guy.”

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Kim Yeon Woo’s “나는 사랑이 뭔지 모르나봐요” (“I must not know what love is”) plays as they go about their day. Han Gyul doesn’t respond to her messages asking him to come in to work.

Han Gyul ends up trashing his apartment, throwing things, beating his head into the wall.

Finally, Eun Chan arrives outside his place, pounding on his door. “Boss… Boss… Please don’t be like this. Okay? Boss…”

Getting no response, Eun Chan returns home, and writes (but can’t finish) a series of text messages: “I miss you…” “Where are you?” “Please call me.” “I love you…”

Thwarted at every turn, Eun Chan shouts in bitter frustration, “Hey, you jerk! Why won’t you call?!” as she cries.

 
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first to comment! yay! thank you.. been refreshing your page like crazy and you never disappoint! much thanks!

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thank God theres another episode tomorrow...haha...dont think i can just wait another week

but its inevitable that they are going to put a real big cliffhanger on the next one

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wow...intense. look forward to seeing it.

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i haven't fully read this yet but OMG i cant believed the episode summary that i just scanned.... its so cute and sad at the same time especially the ending... thanks dramabeans
:D ;P

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First? :O)~

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argh!

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yay, thanks... you dont know how many times i refreshed my comp today=) . thanks a lot.

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ahhh .. that beach scene was way too painful.
gong yoo is such a good actor. for a minute there, just watching his facial expressions and the tears forming in his eyes - holding back an embrace he would would've expressed to the person he loves, really made me believe that Eun Chan was really a guy!

and the soundtrack fits beautifully as well~

thanks soo much for the summaries!

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Thanks for the summaries!! I love 'em. Oh, how I wish she'd tell him her true gender now! Coffee Prince is so great!

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Wow... simply wow.

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this episode is too sad for me to watch so i'll just wait for the next one..(Even though i'll probably end up watching it anyways ^_^)

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Sun Ki: “But you’re a girl. Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman. The important part is a person liking another person.”

Great line, and so true, all that matters is that you like a person regardless of their sex, love isn't and shouldn't be limited by such things. That is one of the reasons I like this drama, it shows how love doesn't see in such a black and white fashion!!

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thank you, thank you, thank you!

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i've been hitting "refresh" a lot too! thank you javabeans. man, i can't wait for tomorrow to come. dang this drama. i don't want to have an outside life anymore.

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OMG! ^.^ So quick with your summary! I SO need to watch this episode now ...... *cries in frustration* T_T

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thank you so much for your summaries. i really love the series, and i also love your site. thanks again for your work!

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hmm... i saw a little bit of the preview. Of course i don't understand korean but was there an instance that Eun Chan was being dragged away from Han gyul's car and he followed her afterwards?

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That beach scene was so well done! As well as when both Han Gyul and Eun Chan were crying, Han Gyul in his car and Eun Chan at the Cafe. Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo are just two amazing!

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The beach scene is really a poignant moment in this drama so far, it is filled with unfulfilled desires and so on. I have to say I love the part where he is slowly embracing her as she is sleeping, it is just full of so much wanting and love it makes a person ache to feel that way about someone. I am really excited for tomorrows episode and what it to come.

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i was wondering when how long will eun chan and han gyul beat around the bush, i guess this is the episode... the tension and awareness between them during the recent episodes were evident. i can't wait for your episode to see the outcome.

thanks, javabeans...

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I've been waiting anxiously like a crack-head for your update.
Thank you.

That last scene segment sounds so painful. HG and EC can really bring the heartbreak.

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I've been waiting anxiously like a crack-head for your update.
Thank you.

That last scene segment sounds so painful. HG and EC can really bring the heartbreak.

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My heart bleeds for Choi Han Gyul. T__T It must be very painful loving someone and yet you cant have that person because you know its not right. This is my saddest episode so far.
Only Go Eun Chan can solve both their dilemma, but i dont want the truth to be out yet.
The preview for episode 10 looks cheerful though..
Cant wait for my 10th cup tonight ^^

Thanks a lot javabeans^^

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OMG, I have drink the ninth cup, thank you for your treat, javabeans. I can't wait until tomorrow.

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Oh the beach scene was divine...i always watch the episode then read your summary hehe

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i lost my words....i hope too that they'll expose her true gender soon, it's just too painful to see them suffering not knowing that they could really be together....ah..
anyway, thanks for the summary again!

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Wow, i cannot wait eun chan tell han ghul that she's actually a girl!!!!THanks javabean for updating us bout this drama series!!!!

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OMG! i just read the summary at a leisurely pace, digesting everything.. thank you so much for your great writing and for understanding the fact that you are an addicted person's link to sanity. it's not even funny how many times i refresh your page. and i'm supposedly at work right now, in my desk at the office. i am so in trouble. thank you dear javabeans! can't say it enough. God bless you! i wanted to sound more upbeat and grateful but the tears stinging my eyes and threatining to fall is really distracting! argh. the pain, the torment.. such a heartwrenching episode. *sniff* so sad. episode 10 you better be good... :)

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thanks for this!
gosh without your summaries i think i'd die waiting for subs!
GREAT WORK! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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He is going to be pissed when he finds out that "he" is a GIRL
She has made him so miserable

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thanks for the cup of coffee, as always! :)

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the beach scene was superb. goong yoo's acting is excellent. he wasn't saying anything but his actions and his eyes showed you the pain he was in. he loves eun chan but tries to stop himself. and in that moment when she was sleeping, he did what his heart wanted to do which was get close to her as a man to another man (hehehhe, we all know she's a woman). he touched her hair, snuggled next to her, and hugged her. and then, he realized that he can't do it. you can tell everything was hard for him. but he decides that he can't go no further. and so it begins, he pushes her away. parts of the preview for next episode suggest that they'll be working together as hyung-dongsaeng. but i'm interested with the part han sung will play in all of this. coz it seems that he fell for our dear chan. and with the arrival of dk and his wavering feeling for yu ju, would he persue her? how would han gyul handle the attention given by his cousin to my chan? it's 7 more eps so i don't know what to say.

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Hello Dear Javabeans
8:20 AM
Thank you for your excellent summary.
I think these songs " Love? What's it? (or What is love? ) (artist: Yang Pa) " and
" I love you (artist: lly) " are really beautiful and you can use them for random songs (or half-random songs :) ) .
beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You.

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best scene definitely the beach hugging scene..

gong yoo owned the scene..
i actually feel sorry for him...
i can't comment any further becuase my heart is still aching...
hehehe

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ahhhh this ep hurt. they're both so hurt and u just wanna bawl
i love this series! TY so very much javabeans!

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another great episode.. wonder when he'l find out her gender.. i guess they just drag it till the end so that he can just be happy to learn that she's a girl after all that he went through to suppress his feelings.. he can finally be with her without gender issue.. lolxx

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WOW. I think that maybe she will try to be more feminine towards the end? I don't think that they'll just leave her like that looking boyish even though it would be cute.

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THANK YOU very much for all your summaries. You're wonderful. Love this drama.

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This episode started a bit sluggish but thankfully picked up pace a bit on the end. I still love the last episode when she kissed him out of the blue. Hopefully the upcoming episodes will do better. C'mon now, don't drag the suspense all the way to the end; it'll get too annoying and stupid.

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goodness. i LOVE this site!! ^^

this episode was sooooo dramatic!! i wonder what's going to be in episode 10.

@__@"~~

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Wasn't that something special?
Sigh! those hands shots, those lovely hands shots! Feel the poignant silence. See the way the camera kept lingering on Han Gyul's tortured face. Beautifully done, Ms. PD.
OMG, how they've all suffered - Han Gyul/Eun Chan for all the things kept unsaid and Han Sung/Yu Ju for all things that were said. **sniffs sniffs**

"I just want a perfect world..."-Arco.

This drama has the BEST music compilation, hands down.
As always, thank you javabeans for your speedy recap and insightful analysis.

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I wiksh she would just scream "I'M A GIRL!".... but then who would want to watch that right? its getting better each episode.

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OMg!! this was such a tension filled eppie. Agghhhh YEH and GY are doing such a great job!! Im just tearing up after watching those last scenes, ouch!! I wanna see tonight's ep already!!!

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THANK YOU THANK YOU !!
Ah !!!!
^.^

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hi!!
thank you so much for all your hard work :D
your reviews are amazingly helpful, they give me a much better
understanding of coffee prince and also the music is awesomeee!

i was just wondering where you watch coffee prince episodes
i have a hard time finding them

once again, THANK YOU!!

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I've really been refreshing your page non-stop!!Thank you for the summary!!You are the best and keep on doing it!Fighting!I am looking forward to see the next episode!

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Your written story of Episode 9 is tooooo good. It tempted me to look forward watching this episode in few weeks.

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Seriously, I have been checking your website more than three times today just in hopes that you write about episode 9. Heheheh,^_^

A difficult episode indeed but all the more it's getting to the point. For some reason I feel like every episode has a point of its own and doesn't seem somehow to bore me even though the story is similar to what I wrote...well the girl as a boy that is... ^^

Well, hope to read the next summary soon since I don't know korean and can't be up to date with the episodes in korean, thus ending up reading summaries, enjoyable though.

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Thax for your summary. The plot is getting cliche somehow....
I prefer reading the novel...

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thanks 4 da summary, im sooooo addicted that i'll get as much info as i can get on the new ep!!! and your summarys are really great. thanks for the time and effort. i wonder whats going to happen in ep.10, well hopefully we won't have a long time to find out since the ep is out again. thanks again dramabeans :)

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