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Boys Before Flowers: Episode 18

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both (and add a dash of the embarrassing) and there you have: A typical episode of Boys Before Flowers.

 
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EPISODE 18 RECAP

At the pool, Jun-pyo forcibly removes Jae-kyung’s arms from around his waist, but she wraps them around him again.

Jun-pyo faces her, and we can see he’s changed somewhat because his tone is almost gentle when he says, “You’ll find a guy who’s right for you.” (He tempers that by adding, “Since you’re not so ugly.”) Stubbornly, Jae-kyung insists, “I don’t want anyone else.” She asks cautiously, “Is there someone you like?” He responds, “Yeah.”

Jae-kyung just nods, so he wonders why she’s not asking about the girl. She’s already guessed, though, and her reaction is revealing of her character — despite her straightforward personality, in this she chooses denial over facing the truth. Jae-kyung shoves her fingers in her ears and shouts, “I don’t want to hear. Ahhh, I can’t hear, not at all.” And she runs off.

Jan-di doesn’t see the rest of their conversation, because she had turned and left after witnessing their hug. In shock, she sits alone in a daze, which is where Ji-hoo finds her.

He assesses her mood and takes her aside to a quiet corner. In true Ji-hoo fashion, he doesn’t ask questions and waits while she sits and fidgets with nervous energy. Jan-di looks at her shaking hand and mutters that the stupid thing won’t stop. Ji-hoo takes her hand in his grasp and tells her, “It’s not stupid, so don’t scold it too much.” It’s a really sweet gesture.

Ji-takes starts to play his guitar, until eventually Jan-di falls asleep on his shoulder. After a little while, Ji-hoo moves aside and leaves Jan-di to continue sleeping.

When he steps outside, he notices Jun-pyo exiting the hotel; soon afterward, Ji-hoo gets a text message from him reading, “I’m leaving first.”

Alone in the hotel suite, Jae-kyung smothers her sorrows in ice cream, and who can blame her for that? Although, if she were really serious she’d be using the big spoon, is all I’m sayin’.

Jae-kyung recalls all the signs that indicate that Jun-pyo and Jan-di used to date, such as the first meeting in Macau when Jan-di admitted she’d come to see her boyfriend. Looking over the couple rings she’d planned to give to Jun-pyo, Jae-kyung compares the inscriptions on the rings to the one on Jan-di’s star-moon necklace.

And now for some (unintentional) hilarity. I’m sorry, this whole section was almost too embarrassing to watch, even if it did finally feature more Woo-bin. On the downside to having more Woo-bin is that it felt like they were shoehorning in a Woo-bin Story of Drama and Angst purely because fans want more Kim Joon, and while I fully support that cause, I only wish it had been handled in a more skilled way.

Basically, Woo-bin parks his car along a bridge and thinks back to a recent encounter where he had been drunkenly walking the railing while Yi-jung looked on in worry. Woo-bin is wallowing in a bout of self-pity because — get this! — he’s embarrassed about his background.

Woo-bin says in a defeated tone that he’s only considered part of F4 because of his association with the others (uh, and what about the construction empire he’s inheriting, conveniently forgetful writers?). His shady associations make him ashamed — but only with his F4 friends. While he doesn’t care what other people think of him, sometimes “I feel so embarrassed that it irritates me to death.” (Irritate to death? That’s like saying something is extremely mediocre, or the best average.)

Frustrated, Yi-jung pulls Woo-bin off the railing, and pushes him against his car — and who else wondered for a second whether these two guys were going to make out?

Yi-jung’s mad now, demanding, “Is that all we are to you?” He thinks friendship runs deeper than that, and that they should be able to rely on each other and not feel ashamed.

You’re right, Yi-jung, because you shouldn’t be the ones feeling embarrassed — that’s for US to feel, watching this scene. (It is so, so uncomfortable.)

But now that Woo-bin is sober, he reflects back to the bridge scene fondly, and calls Yi-jung.

Now the tables are turned — Yi-jung is the one who’s drunk and in a foul mood. He staggers from his table at a club, nearly falling on top of one woman sitting at another table. When the girl recognizes Yi-jung, she’s flattered at the attention, and he comes at her with a kiss. This does not go over well with the men at the table, who shove Yi-jung aside angrily. Drunk as he is, Yi-jung is in no state to defend himself, and the guys get carried away beating him — one even stomps on his hand, hard.

Woo-bin to the rescue! He arrives in a blaze of fury, with a group of gangsters in tow. The club guys back off quickly as Woo-bin’s mobster henchmen offer to take care of them, but Woo-bin vows to take care of the bastards himself.

Woo-bin growls that in damaging Yi-jung’s precious hand, they may have destroyed something that’s irreplaceable. Woo-bin fights them, then takes Yi-jung away to get treated.

At the resort, Jan-di and Ji-hoo are greeted at breakfast by a cheerful Jae-kyung, who announces that she couldn’t sleep at all because “last night was a hugely historic night for Gu Jun-pyo and Ha Jae-kyung.” That’s not exactly false, but is intended to plant the wrong idea in Jan-di’s head. Jae-kyung compounds the innuendo by saying that Jun-pyo left early because he was embarrassed (over their supposed Big Night together).

So, Jae-kyung has decided on her battle plan — to take charge and do whatever it takes to win Jun-pyo. For what it’s worth, she seems conflicted about misleading Jan-di, but that doesn’t stop her.

Jan-di and Ji-hoo take a detour to a Buddhist temple, where they write wishes for good fortune on tablets. It’s sweet that both Jan-di and Ji-hoo’s wishes are for each other rather than themselves: Ji-hoo wishes that Jan-di will be accepted into medical school, while Jan-di’s is for Ji-hoo to “always be happy.”

A monk happens to be watching, and smiles at them in approval. The man tells Ji-hoo a little cryptically that Jan-di is like a lotus flower whom Ji-hoo should treat well, as she will “make you a family.”

Meanwhile, back home, Dr. President Grandpa Yoon has heart trouble. (It wouldn’t be a PD Jeon drama unless somebody has random heart trouble?)

When Jan-di arrives home, she finds her family in low spirits and her parents packing. They’ve realized they can’t support the family by living and working in Seoul, so they are going to move away to work and will send money back to Jan-di and Kang-san, who need to stay to continue school.

They name Jan-di the official head of household, to which Kang-san mutters, “Since when wasn’t she?” Truer words, dude.

Here’s an odd and interesting scene. In the morning, Jun-pyo finds to his surprise that Jae-kyung is directing his servants, which he finds intrusive. Undaunted by his lack of enthusiasm, Jae-kyung steers him to sit at the breakfast table. She’d thought long and hard about what she could do for Jun-pyo — which isn’t easy because they both grew up rich and privileged — and considered what she’d like for herself. The first thing that came to mind was how she hates eating breakfast alone.

Jun-pyo thinks back to his own childhood, how he always had to eat alone in the big dining room and how he hated it. It’s quite interesting because he stares at Jae-kyung in a new way, like he’s seeing her for the first time as a potential friend — or maybe more, a kindred spirit who understands him more than he’d anticipated.

He agrees to eat — a little reluctantly, as though he doesn’t want to feel kinship with her — so she excitedly serves him, which reminds him of breakfast with Jan-di’s family.

Jae-kyung presents Jun-pyo with the couple rings, and asks him to put hers on her finger. Jun-pyo reads the engraving, and the J ♥ J inscription reminds him of the same thing he’d put on Jan-di’s necklace.

This is a nicely acted beat, because for a moment you’re afraid he’ll actually go ahead with it, and Jae-kyung looks at him in nervousness, hoping he will. But the engraving is what snaps him out of it, and Jun-pyo puts the rings back inside the box and hands it to Jae-kyung. He leaves, saying, “I have somewhere to go.”

That turns out to be Yi-jung’s studio. Yi-jung’s right hand has been broken and he now wears a cast. He looks around his studio, as though missing it now that he can’t do anything, and remembers working alongside Eun-jae in the past. Even with Eun-jae, he’d displayed flashes of his current playboy attitude, telling her that girls are like math problems — they make him wonder how to figure one out (suggesting all girls can be easily reduced to a simple answer). His comment causes her smile to falter.

When Jun-pyo visits, Yi-jung is in a lost, bitter state of mind. He says, “It’s over,” referring to his career as a potter (which I don’t understand because yes, his arm is broken, but broken arms heal, no?). In any case, he compares his forced retirement to that of the swimmer with the bum shoulder, which makes Jun-pyo ask sharply if he means Jan-di. Yi-jung: “Is there any other swimmer we know?”

Yi-jung thinks, “It looks like you really came to your senses in Macau. Stuff like love or innocence never applied to people like us from the start.” Jun-pyo, however, just wants a straight answer from Yi-jung: What is wrong with Jan-di and why?

Yi-jung tells him that it was the blow from the chair that did it: “You don’t know how much Jan-di cried after she heard she wouldn’t be able to swim anymore, do you?” This hits Jun-pyo hard, but Yi-jung continues in his dull monotone: “People like you and I have nothing to give the women we love but hurt.”

Reeling from this news, Jun-pyo heads to the school pool, where he battles his guilt over Jan-di’s injury.

Meanwhile, Jan-di manages to find a new room for herself and Kang-san — it’s not a great location, but it’s what they could afford. Brother and sister promise each other to do their best so their parents won’t have to worry.

Madam Kang is traveling on a business trip to Vancouver, so before she leaves, she instructs Mr. Jung to keep a strict eye on Jun-pyo and to report to her at the first hint of something odd. Mr. Jung agrees, although by now it’s clear his loyalties to Jun-pyo trump those to Madam Kang, which we can see in his expression when he sees Jun-pyo sleeping with his pink curly-haired doll.

Mr. Jung also leaves a folder in Jun-pyo’s possession that shows recent photos of Jan-di, meaning he’s still keeping tabs on her and having her watched. I suppose this is supposed to be Romantic, not Stalker-Creepy?

Thus Jun-pyo has no trouble finding Jan-di’s new home, where he shows up in the morning as she’s returning with her brother from their delivery run.

He makes up the excuse that he’s not here to see them; he’s here because he’s also moving into the building. It’s not a total lie — he really IS moving in — but it’s obviously because of Jan-di.

Jun-pyo explains that this is a sort of test of life experience for the Shinhwa successor. He’s supposed to try fend for himself and experience independence for a while. (Yunno, leadership skills and building character and all that.)

This means he’s their neighbor; he’s taken a nearby apartment for himself.

Ga-eul continues with her pottery classes. Eun-jae reads Ga-eul’s dejected mood and guesses that she’s pining over the guy she likes, and urges her to confess her feelings before it’s too late. Ga-eul answers, “I’m afraid. He’s very different from me.”

Wisely, Eun-jae responds, “Love doesn’t work if you hold back. And it won’t remain hidden even if you try to hide it.” Ga-eul senses that Eun-jae is speaking from experience, so she asks why it didn’t work out for her. Eun-jae says that although she wanted to stay with her man, in the end she couldn’t — she kept wanting more than he was willing to give.

Jan-di comes home to find a huge stock of household supplies, which she guesses came from Jun-pyo. It’s cute that he knows how she’d respond, so instead of saying he got them for her, he makes the excuse that he bought too much for himself so he’s just “throwing it away” by dumping it in Jan-di’s apartment.

And then, he is distracted by the wonderful, wonderful smells of cooking ramen. The three settle down to eat, but Jun-pyo takes an instant liking to the noodles (it may be his first experience ever) and quickly scarfs down the entire pot, then asks for more.

Taking Eun-jae’s advice to heart, Ga-eul decides to be honest about her feelings. Despite his cool greeting, Ga-eul isn’t deterred and asks him to go out on a date with her. Yi-jung reminds her that they already did that, so she clarifies that she means a real date, not a fake one.

Yi-jung maintains his dismissive demeanor, but Ga-eul tells him she’s not joking. She confesses, “I like you.”

For a brief moment, it looks like Yi-jung is surprised (and more affected than he’d like to admit). But he covers that up with his usual defense mechanism, which is to push her away and act the cold-hearted womanizer. He says thanks, but recites his list of dating “rules”:

Yi-jung: “One, I don’t mess with nice girls. Two, I don’t mess with foolish girls. Three, I absolutely don’t mess with girls connected with my friends. Ga-eul, you know all three apply to you, don’t you? My answer is no.”

She starts to protest. He says, “You know the way out.”

Hurt, Ga-eul leaves, but his expression when he’s alone tells us that he’s lashing out because of his inner frustration — he’s kind of like Jun-pyo in that, actually. For Yi-jung, it’s not that he can’t have Ga-eul, but he’s afraid to pursue anything with her, so he keeps her away. But similarly to Jun-pyo, he has enough presence of mind to feel self-loathing over it.

That night, Jan-di’s studying is interrupted by a scream coming from nearby — it’s Jun-pyo, and the Big Bad Shinhwa Multimillionaire has just seen a roach. Okay, they are pretty gross, but Jan-di takes care of them easily and shoots Jun-pyo an annoyed look.

When she starts to leave, Jun-pyo hastily asks her to stay and keep him company. So she does, sitting by until Jun-pyo has fallen asleep. She tucks him into bed, then heads back to her apartment.

She has an unexpected guest — Jae-kyung, who heard about her move from Ga-eul. Frankly, I’m not sure what point this serves (probably a clumsy setup for a future point) because the obvious conflict is that she’ll realize Jun-pyo lives next door. But instead, we just get an abrupt transition from Jae-kyung’s visit to the next scene, which shows Jan-di in the school library.

While browsing the bookshelves, Jan-di comes across Ji-hoo napping in the aisle. When he wakes up, he notices the Matisse book she’s holding; he takes an interest in her mention of a school report, because this is something he can help her with.

Since his family owns several art galleries, Ji-hoo closes one to the public to allow Jan-di its exclusive use.

In the gift shop, Jan-di looks over a gift set of a ceramic lotus flower, which reminds her of President Yoon’s puzzle, so she asks Ji-hoo if he knows why lotus flowers bloom in mud. Unbeknownst to Jan-di, her wording echoes the monk’s words, and Ji-hoo thinks back to his comment that Jan-di will make him a family.

Afterward, Ji-hoo falls asleep while resting on an outdoor bench because apparently he is narcoleptic in this episode. Working off Ji-hoo’s sleeping profile, Jan-di sketches him while he dozes.

When he wakes, she gives him the drawing, which he says is so good it merits a present in return — he hands her a gift box containing the ornamental lotus blossom, and answers her question: “They say that even though lotus flowers bloom in mud, they make the world clean and fragrant.”

Jan-di thinks, “Their name is pretty, and so are their actions.” Ji-hoo: “You’re like that.”

At home, Jun-pyo busily packs his clothing. With Madam Kang still in Vancouver, he asks Mr. Jung for his cooperation in keeping quiet to his mother.

Jae-kyung bursts in, so he tells her exasperatedly that she should call and ask permission instead of barging into his room. This doesn’t faze her, and she flops onto his bed and makes herself at home.

In annoyance, Jun-pyo tries to pull her up — Mr. Jung leaves them to their privacy — but instead, he ends up losing his balance.

Jun-pyo falls, hovering over Jae-kyung.

She asks, “Want to make a bet with me?”

 
COMMENTS

Someone commented in a previous episode thread that it’s almost like Lee Min-ho and Lee Min-jung are trying to suppress the great chemistry they have together for the sake of their characters, and I have to agree — they do have chemistry, which is problematic since their chemistry threatens to outstrip the other couples. (I think Jun-pyo and Jan-di have chemistry too — only, we’ve barely seen them acting together in the past six episodes, which tends to erase that from our short-term memories.)

What’s interesting is that the whole Jun-pyo and Jae-kyung courtship is meant to be unsatisfactory, or at least should point to why these two aren’t right for each other, or at least why they’re less right than Jun-pyo and Jan-di. Textbook Kdrama Studies should tell us that they are supposed to be perfect for each other on paper but not in real life — kind of like how Ji-hoo’s the perfect guy for Jan-di but won’t work out because she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings (anymore). But it’s starting to feel like Jae-kyung really is the right girl for Jun-pyo, and that confuses me. Not that I think the production is going to flout convention and actually put them together — oh hayell no — but because I’m not seeing why we are supposed to be rooting for Jun-di over Jun-kyung, except maybe “because we’re supposed to.”

For instance, think of all of Jun-pyo’s and Jae-kyung’s interactions together. If we were starting this drama with “season 2,” you’d think that Jun-kyung was the ultimate pairing rather than the foil. Even the way Jun-pyo is treating Jae-kyung is softening, and he has a few moments of real connection with her (whether they’re romantic or even just platonic, in a human-to-human way). So why are they pushing this angle when I’m trying to root for the “real” ultimate couple?

We also have a similar issue on the flipside, with Ji-hoo and Jan-di. I know this may sound like a diss, but I don’t mean it that way — it’s more like glass-half-full thinking — when I say that I’m almost glad that Ji-hoo isn’t played by a stronger actor, because then I’d be completely confused about the mixed-up love lines in this drama.

To wit: Imagine someone like the silently broody Jung Il-woo (a la Return of Iljimae) or gentle Ji Hyun-woo (from My Sweet Seoul), or sure, Jang Geun-seok (Beethoven Virus) casting longing glances at Jan-di — I’d be on that ‘ship so fast my head would spin.

As it is, I’m liking their dynamic a lot — not necessarily the actors’ chemistry, but the characters’ relationship. One of my favorite moments is when they each write their wishes for the other person, because it’s poignant that they both would rather wish for the other person’s happiness more than their own. I’m guessing the monk’s prediction actually means Jan-di will restore Ji-hoo’s family (i.e., mend the bridge with his grandfather), but the other meaning (suggesting they’re going to marry) is an interesting thought. In theory.

 
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Thanks Javabeans!

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yay, review! :D

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Thanks for the recap!! :D <3

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I liked this episode! I don't think that JP was falling for JK when he was looking sad on the stairs! I think he likes her and relates to her, in a friend sort of way, and can tell by all the nice things she does that she really loves him. He doesn't want to hurt her, but he really loves JD.

I love this show. I am addicted, and will probably get fired when they check my history at work, because I was watching today when I was supposed to be working. Oh well, it is worth it :)

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i must say, i can feel the drag brought about by the extension already. nonetheless, there were scenes that i thought made up for the extreme emo-ness of the past weeks, and they were acted out very nicely. :)

1). ji hoo locking his hands into jan di's and telling her not to be too hard on herself, that's she's not stupid for the still loving the person she loves. if anyone would understand that, it's ji hoo. and i LOVE how that fact makes this scene so sweet, and at the same time, incredibly heartbreaking. sometimes, there really IS just one person who teaches you what love is, and another who reaps the fruits of the lesson you learned. it's a cruel truth.

2). that look that junpyo gives jae kyung when she fixed him breakfast. people might construe this look as junpyo possibly liking JK, but on the contrary, i think the look conveyed for the first time ever that he's actually SORRY for having to have to hurt her. he doesn't love her, but he understand the longing for love and sharing that she has; he has it as well. her wish about the full breakfast table? junpyo understands that. he's exhibited this same yearning for and to jandi several times already, and now that he realizes that she's actually kindred, he's finally felt sorry for not being THE ONE for her. that's why he assures her that she'll find The one for her also.

3). the secretary leaving him the pics of jandi. we all thought we knew the story of BBF, and then *jajang* secretary turns out to be junyo's dad! ...LOL kidding. although the dynamic between them is tangible and heartwarming. he IS a father figure to him, and understands him enough to know that he has found LOVE. it supercedes evil commands from the old witch mama kang. (plus in this scene, junpyo's hugging the stuffed cat jandi gave him: BONUS!)

4). jandi's chemistry with her brother.. it just really feels real, and it contributes a lot to the feel of *we can get through this*

5). junpyo explaining away the fact that he bought jandi things to help her out. "i didn't need these, so i threw them away.. here." ...like the sushi scenes, this shows that he really knows jandi enough to not make her feel like he's giving her charity. he knows she can take care of herself, but he just cannot NOT help. he loves her, DOH. the depth of how they curve into each other's quirks conveys their love for each other even better than romantic and fluffy words ever will. that's just how they rooooll.

6). having a glimpse of the old junpyo back, once he moved next door to jandi. the ramyun scene and the bug scene swere totally random for me, save the fact that it showed the dynamic and reason why junpyo and jandi ARE junpyoandjandi :) him asking her to stay a bit, was touching, because in his world where he has to take care of her secretly and not show his true feelings, those were the first honest words he's said to her in a while. i'm willing to bet a lot a lot that when she killed that bug, he only wishes that she had the same coloring book as minji,l that said, "mrs. goo jun pyo" on it. LOL

i always appreciate your take on things. awesome, recap, as per usual. :) THANK YOU, SARAH! :)

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omg i have been waiting for the whole day
the highlight of the boys before flowers routine :]

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So funny you mentioned about Woo Bin and Yi-jung making out cause that's what I was thinking when Yi-jung's face was so close to Woo-bins. AHAHAHAH!!!

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wow i must say
they are dragging this too far
i want lovelove mode already!

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YAY
hahah top 10?

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THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS FOR THE RECAPS!!!!
I WAS WAITING FOR THEM!!
its good that gu hye sun is much better from her accident now..:)
can't wait for tomorow!!!

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I have to completely agree. The Woo Bin scene on the bridge was really strange and felt completely out of place. I wonder if the PD put it in after Gu Hye Sun's accident... perhaps to lessen the number of scenes she has to participate in?

When the monk told Ji Hoo that Jan Di will "make you a family" I think that Ji Hoo interpreted that as him and Jan Di will become a family. I interpreted that as Jan Di will help Ji Hoo reconcile with his grandfather, i.e. make a family. What do you think? (oops i wrote this before i saw your comments)

I was very nervous when i saw the breakfast scene between Jye Kyung and Jun Pyo. The look that he gave her made me really nervous. It looked like he was starting to develop feelings for her... The PD has mentioned that they would do this Korean version of Hana Yori Dango differently. That doesn't mean that they're going to change the ending...right????????

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i love your recaps...i check back every few minutes to see whether or not youv'e posted. i totally thought yi jung and woobin were gonna make out! hilarity!!!

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Haha I was totally thinking the same thing about the awkward Yi jung-Woo bin scene...

And I agree with some other people, I hope they end this conflict soon. And I do like the fact that maybe Junpyo can now see his fiancee as a friend, because I think that is how they best turn out. I do agree however with you, the past couple of weeks' episodes are doing nothing for me in terms of rooting for the "main" couple. They need to get them back together soon, at least temporarily.

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Wow.. I absolutely agree! I find myself wondering why isn't Jun Pyo and Jae Kyung getting together. I really want to root for Jun Pyo and Jandi... but Jae Kyung seem so much better! It feels like Jun Pyo met Jae Kyung first, they would be together. I too wish there were more interactions between Jun Pyo and Jandi. I was anticipating it when he moved in next door... but all we got was a sleeping scene. I feel ripped off. I wish they would stop yelling so much and have some more serious moments. I like those more.

This episode felt so choppy and random. The entire scene with Woo bin... There were just question marks all over. Had no idea what was going on. I thought I missed something from an earlier episode! Yea.. something has to be done with the script writing or director or something. I'm tired of watching 2 minute music videos of jandi roaming around in the library, or people walking around every 20 minutes. Give me the good stuff!

Thanks as always for the recap!

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Woah.. Nice summary. I have waited for your summary since the morning.. It has become a habit for me now. lol Before I download the ep, I read your summary first..

Thanks for your work so I can read an interesting and nice recapped summary.

I think it is about time that Jandi should step up and fight for her love.. :( She is supposed to be a strong and fearless girl.

Yes, I think JunPyo is more compatible with JaeKyung, based on their living and background. She understand the loneliness and the disadvantages to be a rich heiress. But I think Jandi have taught JunPyo a lot of things and helped him experienced some things that he didnt do before. :) It smooths his longings to be belonged or to cared or loved.. :) She helps him to fill all of those missing parts in him and his life..

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Woobin scene out of NO WHERE.
And I agree, I thought they were going to make out after Yi-jung so tenderly put him on the hood of the car~

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Maria, I totally agree with you. I think that JP and JK have great chemistry together, and he seems to like her, but not in the romantic way. He just saw her as a person for the first time in this episode, not just an annoyance, and is hating the fact that he is being put in a position to hurt her. But he's still gonna do it :)

Debbie, the Woo Bin scene made me think of a bunch of writers sitting around a table, saying, ok, all the fans want to know more about Woo Bin, how can we work that in? So they came up with a completely unrelated storyline and squished it in there at the last minute. I am glad they tried, heaven knows, it's nice to have our opinions valued, but, hmmm. It did kind of seem like Woo and Yi were going to start kissing at any minute. And how did Woo know that Yi was at that club?

Thanks for your commentary Dramabeans! I love coming to your site, it makes me feel connected in a world where no one else has even heard of BBF, let alone cares what happened in this episode!

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thanks for the recaps! omg im still rooting for yijung and gaeul! i hope they get together~

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I think he totally likes her, but thinks maybe he's too good for her because he's rich, popular, and can do "much better". Or better put: Like he's reminding himself that his social status won't allow it, though he wants it.

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I agree that the Woo Bin scene was really weird and random. It's like the producers finally caved and decided to give him more screen time. I just wish they didn't just randomly insert it. It felt really out of place. And yeah I totally thought YiJung and him would start making out hahaha. There was totally a romantic vibe between them in that scene. What a hot gay couple they'd make lol

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Another way you could look at the couple problem is that they could other ways but because they have such strong feelings for each other they can't move on.

Plus, I'm wondering if the whole story of Hana Yori Dango is just different from typical Korean dramas, thus all the confusions you are having. But I'm more in favor that it's the scriptwriter's fault.

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I am delusional as hell, but I'm still here praying that the network will pull a Jandi/Jihoo ending at the last minute ):

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dude I say Yijung and Woobin should get together. They are the perfect OTP.

there's been way too many Jandi-Jihoo scenes. I don't think I've watched any version of HYD where Rui was this involved with makino. I don't agree with you about Jaekyung and Junpyo though, but that's probably due to my extreme dislike towards Jaekyung's character.

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I did not like her character from the start of being the fiancée. I believe she should have known from how Jandi was reacting to everything—she just wanted what she wanted. I’ve watched BOF 100 times. If it would have ended differently I would have never watched it again.

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Aw maaaan... looks like Jae Kyung is going to go the "Spurned Lover turned Manipulative Crazy Person" route... my least favorite drama plot.

And I got a new lesson in being careful what I ask for tonight. We said we wanted more Woobin. We said "give the boy a storyline, why don't ya?" And they reward us with the lamest plotline in history (it's official, I checked... this one is lready in the record books) coupled with the awkwardest four minutes of my kdrama watching life! If this is what there going to do with him I'd rather we go back to the days of "Yo, Yo, Ma Bro!"

Really, I feel like they were trying too hard on all the side characters tonight. Woobin's story is just wack... I haven't been so disappointed since The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was cancelled. Yi Jung's was unnecessary... he's already got the debaucherous father, the feelings/non-feelings for Ga-Eul, and the long lost first love, and the abandonment issues with his brother. Do we really need to add a ruined career in order to know that the boy has some drama in our lives? The same thing with Grandpa's heart condition... what's really the point?

On another note... I loved seeing Jandi and Jun Pyo back together again. It put a smile on my face. Especially since (I'll come clean and admit it) Jihoo does nothing (NOTHING) for me and, as much as everyone gushes over the sweet soulmatyness of their friendship, I just don't see it. They pretty much just bore me to tears. Big ol' bored tears... not a pretty sight... I'm just saying...

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I laughed out loud at your "yo yo ma bro" comment

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i forgot to mention how cute i think kang san is and how funny your comment was about ji hoo being narcoleptic...since when did this prince charming fall asleep on floors and park benches in the middle of the day?!

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Since the beginning! Remember JanDi would wake him up by screaming on the staircase in the early days of BBF. There is even a scene where the boys wonder where JiHoo could be and one of them says, "Probably sleeping somewhere." (Cut to him sleeping outside on campus. But I think he's actually on a hammock or somewhere appropriate that time). He's been a sleepy boy throughout the series. Almost like it's an intentional character trait. Except they left it out for a long time... and failed to explain just why he's sleeping all the time... I guess 'cos he can?

BTW I know I'm like, four years late in reading, recapping, responding and watching the series altogether. But I can't help myself. Love this damn show.

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The Roach scene was HILARIOUS. Jun-pyo was so cute!

I agree that Jun-pyo and Jae-kyung have great chemistry. I really started to wonder what if they will end up together. (silly me.)
I think the character who had a crush on Jun-pyo (the one who had all the plastic surgery and her name was Sakurako in the Jap. version) should just come back ans slap the sense into Jae-kyung. (maybe she should've came back before Jae-kyung even found out about Jan-di and Jun-pyo's dating history, and at that time, she could've yelled it stright at Jae-kyung's face: "THEY WERE DATING!!!") Cuase I thought that in one of the other versions Sakurako's character actually defends the couple when DOmyouji lost his memory and all that. She said that she admired Makino and all. I think that was really sweet. Haha.

Maybe they need a guy to root for Ga-Eul. That way, he'll make Yi-jung finally move forward. xD And/or maybe Eun-jae can help (though I doubt that).

Can't wait for tommorrow's episode. Thanks Javabeans. Awesome as always.

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Yay, cute and funny scenes make a much welcomed comeback! Despite making the plot inconsistent as a result, LOL. Things have been so depressing lately. Even Yi-jung and Woo-bin have shown their serious side so I really appreciated the happy moments. I couldn't stop giggling and the funny background music didn't help either. Hilarious!

The first scene of this episode was very painful to watch only because it looked so silly. It could have been a good one. But they made it look cringeworthy. I don't like the character Lee Min-jeong is playing but I really felt bad for the actress after watching her run around like a turkey and yelling nonsense.

We saw some dilemma between Yi-jung and Ga-eul. The way things are headed, I think they just might end up together and I would love that. Even if, as a result, it deviates dramatically from the original story. I first learned the story of Hana Yori Dango when I watched the Taiwanese version. And it left me a little empty when I realized they would never end up together. Up until the very end, I was still anticipating their return but I was disappointed. As for Yi-jung and Ga-eul, who are so cute together, I do hope for a happy ending.

Jun-pyo got me worried when he stared at the new girl for a long time in one of the scenes. I wasn't afflicted because he was staring. It was because I couldn't tell what he was thinking. All this time, I thought his feelings wouldn't waver even a tiny bit. But I wasn't so sure at that moment. And then I thought some more and realized maybe he was looking at her that way because he pities her. He knows what she's going through. He understands all too clearly the loneliness she went through as a child, and the pain and burden of pursuing an unrequited love. After all, it's a reflection of his past. I just hope that's all there is to it.

As for the last scene... I hope it's one of those cliff hangers where in the next episode, the supposed climax fizzles into nothingness. Like it was created only to hook viewers for the next episode, not to further develop the plot.

Javabeans, you really had me hurting there when I read your last comments (about Jun-pyo and new girl). I hope you stay loyal to Jun-Di. It's weird how I have no problem watching Ji-hoo and Jan-di get friendly but have a BIG problem watching the new girl with Jun-pyo together. And I'm not rooting for Jun-Di because they're "supposed" to end up together. I'm rooting for them because I believe in true love.

Hoping and waiting.

Thanks for the recap as always.

(apologies for the long post!)

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Aha. Wow. Again. Enjoyed reading your reviews more than the recap itself. I watch the raw version early in the morning but I always have to set aside time during the night so I can read your opinions.

Gah. Now I'm rooting for Jihoo and jandi/junpyo and jaekyung.
am i supposed to feel like this?
I guess the makers are making us feel like this so that when the story has its obvious twist (change of couples) it'll bring the emotions outside of us.:D

THANKS

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Its not better chemistry but but better writing on Jae-kyung/Jun Pyo front, jan Di and Jun pyo have had no scenes and the ones that they have had have been terrible. This show sufferes from seriously crappy writing epsecially in Jan Di's case who hasn't had a decent piece of diolgue for like 10 eps now.

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bravo nice review ....thanx a lot ,keep on going ok,I'm looking forward on your next review...

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hahaaha we've had so much jun pyo/ji hoo, it's about time we had some yi jung/ woo bin!!!! XD

i feel like jae kyung is the female version of jun pyo. she's doing like the same things to jun pyo that he did to jan di to win her affection. coming to his house unannounced, getting him food, etc.
i feel so bad for jae kyung though.. we all know how this is going to turn out, but i kinda want jun-kyung and jandi/jihoo. -_-

and omg poor ga eul in this episode!!!! T_T and yi jung! that poor, poor boy.
ah so much angst.. so much emoness. but i'm still loving it.

thanks for the recap! =D

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Do you remember in like episode 5 when Jandi had that dream and it was like your soulmate and your husband will be 2 different people? Dude when that monk was talking to JiHoo that is what totally came into mind! What if the Korean Version will change it up and make Jandi and JiHoo end up together? But honestly like right about now I dont mind it. the JunpyoJandi story is getting a bit thrown in the background. I almost feel like I should be rooting for Junpyo-Jaekyung and Jandi-JiHoo

Thanks for the recap!

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your side remarks are so funny javabeans =)
1) Although, if she were really serious she’d be using the big spoon, is all I’m sayin’."
HAHAHA I agree! A big spoon to match the big gallon carton/bucket of ice cream.
2) "Frustrated, Yi-jung pulls Woo-bin off the railing, and pushes him against his car — and who else wondered for a second whether these two guys were going to make out?"
LOL me! just for a second.

I liked the part when they write each other's wishes too. it was cute & sweet.

I agree with you that when the Buddhist told JH that JD was going to bring him a family, it refers to her bringing him & his grandfather together again, as a family. Like Master (jandi's boss) said in the episode when ji hoo for the first time sees his grandfather in the clinic, he told jandi that it was up to her (her responsibility) to reunite the two....also the grandfather told jandi that she reminded him of a lotus flower...I think they all connect.

the ramen scene was so cute & hilarious!!

I am REALLY excited about SoEulmate in the next few episodes. He will FINALLY stop being in denial & be true to himself and go for Gaeul =) SO EXCITED!
which leads me to my question, When YJ was talking to JP about how only guys like them can only bring nothing but pain to the girls they love, was YJ referring to Gaeul?? cuz it was be4 she asked him out... or was he referring to his first love? clarification would be appreciated, thanks =)

thank you javabeans, always! =)

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Thanks for your speedy recaps! I've been refreshing the page all night even though I know it takes a while for you to get them up! I always find your comments witty and insightful so please keep doing what you've been doing for those of us who don't understand Korean :)

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finally, there's a cute jun pyo- jan di scene in this ep! i was starting to wonder if they're still "connected" (well, emotionally).

i feel so bad for ga eul =(
i really wish she ends up with yi jung! or else, i would cry. or be really angry at this drama. whichever one comes first.

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i wanna quote this one:

Frustrated, Yi-jung pulls Woo-bin off the railing, and pushes him against his car — and who else wondered for a second whether these two guys were going to make out?

loz! seriously, i was laughing so hard when i saw this scene and reading your comment about it makes it way funnier...i thought im the only one who felt uncomfortable wih this. i got this goosebump and then i started laughing...

and the part where tha monk mention about jandi giving jihoo a family almost made me confuse.... i was thinking, hhmmm are they trying to change the story now?? lolz i think most people would have mistaken it (like me) that jandi is gonna be jihoo's future wifey...thank you for those people who enlighten me about this (i guess my brain is so swamp lately because of my student) i finally got the whole picture of it.

thanks javabeans for this wonderful recaps...i always make sure that after i watch each episode that i read your recaps right away.

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I see what you mean Javabeans; I had a similar thought...

if this wasn't a "Hana Yori Dango" remake, I'd be rooting for the unconventional pairings myself. As it is, the friends that I've introduced to this drama that have NEVER EVER seen HYD before were crushed when I told them Jun-pyo and Jandi were the eventual pairings. The comments were along the lines of :

"Why? Ji-Hoo does everything for her"

"Jae-Kyung understands him"

"So are Ji-Hoo and Jae-Kyung going to end up together?" XD

It's kind of funny actually; I'm half Indian so I tend to make a lot of parallels between Indian movies and drama and Korean movies and drama...
In most Indian movies, the ideal setting would be to diminish the "idealistic" first love and see that the parent's pick will eventually be correct... as in, the hero learns to love the new heroine. I mean, that's only allowing if Madam Kang was more benevolent XD

Thank you for the recap...I need to go watch it if only to see Kim Joon and Hyun Joong's pretty faces and Bummie and Minho's intensity >_<

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Really enjoy reading your comments and other readers' comments.. Totally agree with #5 Maria.. Pretty much sum up my thoughts for this episode.

Btw i am really worried when they show Dr. President Grandpa Yoon having a heart problem. I understand that it should be a factor for Ji Hoo to reconcile with his grandpa.

BUT i am worried that they changed the story and the grandpa eventually passed away. If he passed away, the quote "she will “make you a family.”" will be leading to Jandi-Ji Hoo marriage?

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There has been an interesting theory going through the fans
which is that the writer might have mixed
the (originally) cool character of Jae-kyung with
the supernice but clinging & cheating character of Umi (from the comics).

I was suspicious about that at first,
but Jae-kyung's tryings to appeal to JP and catch his heart...
giving false information to Jandi but still taking care of her even after she
knows Jandi is JP's love...

Well.. that somehow reminds me of Umi.

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yup, i agree on the better writing and more screen time/interaction JK and JP get as opposed to JD/JP. i mean, the PD is barely throwing us Joondi shippers a bone here. why are there so many intimate/semi-reflective scenes between the two when they are definitely NOT the main couple? i mean, i hate to bring in comparisons to previous versions, but in the japan HYD, there was some amazing makino/tsukasa interaction despite the whole fiancee arc. here, though, we only get tiny glimpses of the Joondi chemistry, which just makes me long for even more and hate the fiancee and her desperate ways a hell of a lot more.

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i wish gaeul and yijung will get together already!

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I'm so afraid that i'm going to jump ship. The problem is that, for me, Jae Kyung shines so much brighter than Jan Di. And her chemistry with JP just keeps getting more powerful with every scene. At the end of this episode, I just kept wishing they would kiss.

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Leslee-

I totally know what you mean about getting fired- I couldn't resist it and watched the episode at work today during my lunch hour. I am a total junkie, but hey, the first step in overcoming an addiction is to admit it. AND I ADMIT IT.

Regarding the Junpyo-Jae Kyung thing, I didn't take it to mean that Junpyo is starting to fall for her. When she takes the fish with her hands just like Jandi's mom, I was thinking the whole time that they would have a flashback of Jae Kyung at the breakfast table after spending the night at Jandi's house and Jandi's mom doing the same thing to her. I took that whole scene and Jun Pyo's look to mean that he too understands what it is like to finally be shown intimacy and love among families, not that he is starting to have a romantic inkling towards her.

I loved the scene where Jandi is sketching Ji hoo and the little detail of her feet crossing his feet at the library. This director tries to show the subtleties of the characters' relationships with one another through small details like that. I like that suble imagery.

I won't even get into the whole bizarre and uncomfortable scenes about Woo-Bin and Yi-Jeong land ost love and all that uninteresting waste of good time that could have been used for more Jandi/Junpyo scenes. Totally extraneous, badly acted and AWKWARD to say the least. I choose to erase from my memory altogether so as to not spoil the rest of the story. As Ji hoo wrote about the bathroom scene in Macau, "memory deletion complete."

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I'm so confused with my pairings! I want JandiXJihoo and JunpyoXJaekyung... but it's not suppose to be that way.. is it TT_____TT??

On the other hand, Junpyo with doll is.too.cute.*dies*

That aside, I'm still surprised how in all dramas in k-drama history, BOF is the one drama that HAS to have a bad director -_- (maybe not the worst, but not so great either). I mean, even in dramas that aren't that great or may end up in the not-so-memorable list at least have better directing, that it's just amazing how of all dramas, BOF (the MOST popular story) ended up the way it is and yet how it's too addicting -_________- Was it just coincidence that the ost pd isnt that great either....?

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You are just terrific in writin recaps! I'm glad you did!
Even though some episode sucks to the max, i swallow the pain just looking forward to read you recap which i myself find super entertaining.

I'm smiling just thinking of LMH and the Ramen scene.... Let's have RAMEN for lunch today! KAL JA!

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thanks so much for the recap, dramabeans! i always look forward to reading your blog. my thoughts on this episode:
-slightly better background music. the pop songs still drive me nuts, but there were some good moments.
-jandi's apartment is the same exact one as the female lead's in kdrama "attic cat." what a fun coincidence!
-loved all the JP-JD scenes. we finally got our tough jandi back. at least for a while. come to think of it, i miss the days when junpyo would call jandi "saht tang" or "jan di baht."
-when i watched this ep without subs, i didnt know what was going on btwn woobin and yijung, but it looked mighty awkward. still, i was happy there was more character development in this ep. and also interesting dynamics between jihoo, jandi, jae kyung, and junpyo.
the comments dramabeans made about the love polygon are really interesting and got me thinking. cause as a viewer, im starting to ship jandi and jihoo. im not quite sure about junpyo and jaekyung though, probably b/c i find jaekyung's persistence in latching onto junpyo annoying. but its very true that we are not given a real reason to believe that junpyo and jaekyung arent for each other except because the manga set it up that way. i think dramabeans really nailed it in her analysis. i agree 100% that the actors seem to withhold their chemistry for the sake of the drama. i felt really uneasy during all the junpyo-jaekyung scenes in this ep. looks like the pd and the writers will have to polish up this issue!

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i really hope the writers flip everything for jandi and ji hoo to be together! YEAHHHH hahaha

i know this will piss off a lot of junpyo fans but his fiance is kinda cute for him too.

plus, its ji hoo's turn to get some love. come on people!

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Thanks Dramabeans! As always I look forward to your review.

JK and JP do have chemistry and they seem made for each other. On the other hand, Dao Ming Si in MG1 told the fiancee that his heart was taken a long time ago. I guess the feeling is similar for GJP. Had JK appear first - it is likely that they would be perfect together. Jandi has altered him completely so it is hard to let anyone in. At least for now...

As for JH and JD, they are given so many opportunities to spend time together! Lovely lovely shot at the temple. They are like destined to be together. Again the monk's observation brought me back to the fortune teller at New Caledonia - that both her soulmate and husband were there at the same time. I cannot imagine GJP as her soulmate and JH is obe

The storyline seems to be drifting further and further from Jundi to Jun-kyeong and Ji-di. I like the possibilities. If JP wants to be with JD - we need to see him do more. Her response to him in his episode was justified as he had been really mean to her.

Look forward to tonight's epi!

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"For instance, think of all of Jun-pyo’s and Jae-kyung’s interactions together. If we were starting this drama with “season 2,” you’d think that Jun-kyung was the ultimate pairing rather than the foil. "

During the scene at Macau where JP and JK were fighting over that pair of shoes, the chemistry I noticed between them is more of a sexual tension type of chemistry. Watching them chase each other made me think of the type of people you see on tv arguing one minute and then ripping their clothes off the next. It's more of a playful flirty with a hint of lust chemistry. (Ok maybe I should keep this G-rated... >_<;; but that was the vibe that I got when I first saw them together.)

As for Jun-Kyung feeling like the ultimate pairing, I have to admit, this episode did seem to toy with this idea each time we see JP softening his exterior to JK, but we still see him pining away for JD so I'm not getting the vibe of JK/JP being the ultimate pairing. As for JK being the ideal girl for JP, she might be but for me personally I'm just not feeling her. There's something about JD, the way she struggles through her hardships, trying to take care of her family and pull X number of jobs at once, that makes her a good foil to JP's character, who's lived a much easier life (materialistically speaking). Their differences in background and circumstances help them open each other's eyes.

For me personally, I find Jandi's character much more admirable for all the hardships she survived and the strength of character with which she's endured them. Nothing's making me sympathize with Jae Kyung at the moment, only that she's in love with a man who doesn't reciprocate her feelings. Jae Kyung has yet to experience hardships. She's always had her bodyguards to bail her out when she's in trouble (ie fighting off the knifed robber in Macau). If it weren't for her bodyguards, JK'd be seriously injured. I wonder if she understands the consequences of her actions. Sure, she's a free-spirit, which would give JP a different type of relationship than what JD could provide. But with JP's wealth and lack of family, a free-spirit isn't what JP needs at the moment. He needs to learn the consequences of his actions (like issuing a red card) and what a family is, which is what JD provides.

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this episodes made me remember the word from the fortuneteller (during Jandi and F4 stays in the island), "your husband and your soulmate are two different persons"

if the story ended with junpyo marrying jaekyung, and jandi to jihoo, that will make what the fortuneteller said became true (implying junpyo is jandi's soulmate)..

i dont want that..

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so u DO like jang geun suk? lol cuz u criticized him a lot in hong gil dong. but i know u have a soft spot for him. :) j/k dramabeans!

once again, GREAATTTTTTTTTTTTTT review. u pointed out so many things that i didnt even realize! i sorta gave up on the drama a loooooong time ago. just now watching for the sake of the ending. but u can somehow turn the most boring drama into something thoughtful! well done well done!

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