City Hall: Episode 1
(Note: much gratitude and thanks must go to 0timelost, cleown, and mead33 @soompi, for their tireless efforts to edit my drafts, create screen caps, edit, do layout work, edit some more, comment, and then do more editing. They didn’t want full credit, but since I am writing the recaps, I get to write that this project would not have happened without them. Thank you so much guys!)
(Second note: a humble and a very heartfelt thank you to Javabeans, for allowing this recap project to bloom).
INTRODUCTION TO CITY HALL.
Let’s get this out of the way: Forget what you heard or might have read about City Hall, the 20-episode SBS drama that began airing April 29, 2009 and ended July 2, 2009, with the irrepressible and incomparable Kim Sun Ah, she of the legendary drama series My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, and a relatively new face to the small screen – the very tall and instantly likeable Cha Seung Won. My emotions with respect to this drama are all over the map, and I’ve never felt this way about any drama series I’ve ever watched.
Still, to be perfectly honest, the first few episodes of City Hall can be difficult to sit through, as the beginning may be a little choppy for some. But for those with the patience to wade through the thickets of an entirely unfamiliar world of rural Korean politics, City Hall might end up being the fairy tale story that is worth waiting for. Bear through these initial episodes and then strap in for one of the best dramas…maybe ever?
This story takes place in the land of the make-believe city of Inju, an unfashionable coastal city in Korea where all politics are indeed local.
EPISODE 1: The Beginning – A Rocky Start
City Hall Episode 1 opens with Election Day for a tiny village in the city of Inju. The village is voting on its Chief, and the vote is 25 to 24, with one abstention… we have a swing vote possibility! Who could it be?
We get our first look at our heroine, Shin Mi Rae, munching on kimchi pancakes.
“Hey, Shin Mi Rae! You haven’t voted!” Mi Rae, a junior secretary in the office of the Mayor of Inju, has learned from an early age that being completely neutral works for her, and she tries to do her best to become one with the food. The candidates immediately try to wheedle her swing vote, but fail to get her to vote at all, as the final tally remains 25 to 24, with one abstention. Mi Rae prefers the taste of fried spicy pancakes over the taste of power.
Civil Servant Rank 10 (lowest rank) Shin Mi Rae spends her days making tea and coffee for everyone at Inju’s government center, and does her best to keep out of the affairs of governance, which apparently, in Inju, means corruption as a daily routine.
But as Mi Rae is serving coffee to the City Council officials, she finds herself abruptly being questioned by irate Council members who are trying to get to the bottom of where Inju’s tax dollars went. Teflon-coated Mayor Go Boo Shil greasily defends himself by stating that he doesn’t even know the meaning of the word “lobbying” (or the word, “chicken legs”) and plays dumb, which apparently isn’t too hard for him.
But with honest Mi Rae being questioned and struggling to find words that would neither implicate the Mayor nor lie outright… Min Joo Hwa, a City Council member and the chief brains behind Mayor Go’s corruption wagon – and honestly, quite a cutie in her own right – jumps in to save the day before Mi Rae is forced to spill the beans…
…which then leads to the typical ending of yet another day in Inju’s City Council chambers. What’s with Korean lawmakers and their penchant for “piling on”?
Following this near-debacle, Council Member Min Joo Hwa tries to browbeat Mi Rae, blaming her for nearly causing the Mayor’s slush fund, *ahem* budget, to be challenged.
But Mi Rae isn’t as defenseless as she appears to be.
“Hey! I may not have graduated from high school or finished middle school, and I may have been a Level 10 Civil Servant for 7 straight years without promotion, but don’t even think you can look down on me.”
Scary.
But with greater scrutiny over the Mayor’s slush fund coming, Mayor Go needs a new way to make cash to send to his political cronies. The old “we’ll announce a bridge-building project but divert the funds” plan has been used too many times already. City Council member Min Joo Hwa comes up with a new plan: to use the remaining budget for a beauty pageant, rig it so that an accomplice wins, and divert the contest’s prize! It’s a plan so crazy, it just might work…
With the new budget corruption scheme in place, two more characters are introduced, responsible for running the beauty pageant:
Mi Rae’s best friend, admin office worker Jung Boo Mi, a feisty ahjumma and mother of three, and Lee Jung Do, Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau. Both are honest and hardworking, but are also cynical enough to know what’s really going on in the Korean version of Tammany Hall, and pragmatic enough to keep their eyes facing downward.
Rounding out the initial cast of characters are the mysterious and powerful BB, the man rumored to have handplaced the current President of Korea into the Blue House (the presidential seat of power, like the Korean version of the White House), and his number 1 protégé, Jo Gook.
BB is a man with incredible presence, intelligence and political influence. Jo Gook is his protege, who is working his way up the political ladder at the provincial level (one step above municipal, one step below national). Jo Gook is drawn to BB for the same reasons that all ambitious men have – they are attracted to power… or so it seems?
From his Kennedy-esque compound, BB suddenly orders Jo Gook to go down to Inju and start doing… something. Jo Gook is bewildered by the clear backwards step in his career (going from the provincial level back down to municipal level, and to a backwater municipality of no consequence like Inju at that), and argues against the plan. An annoyed BB dryly notes that he wasn’t asking, he was ordering. Jo Gook has no choice but to go.
With his rather ambiguous orders to stir things up in Inju, Jo Gook stops by the Provincial Governor’s office and secures a sizable increase to Inju’s budget. With that, he waltzes into Inju with the supplementary budget and a condition – he is to be the appointed Deputy Mayor of Inju, replacing the current deputy.
This part resonates with echoes of a John Hughes 80’s movie – a good-looking, all-star QB with dreams of the NFL is transferred to a hick high school for reasons he can’t understand, and begins by facing off against the class president, his gang of flunkies and the student council / head cheerleader, and meanwhile replaces the current QB, and has everyone asking, “Who is this tall, mysterious and good looking new guy?”
Below, the “gang” of the Mayor, first lay their eyes on Jo Gook, the transfer student star QB.
…and in the middle of all of this, you have your unpopular wallflower girl of integrity and a generous heart, who is stuck in a dead-end low paying job.
Yes, Mi Rae is pretty in pink! (And she thinks the new QB is a hottie!)
To add to the clichés, it appears that Mi Rae has multiple part-time jobs, mainly due to the fact that she, in her unlimited kindness, has agreed to be responsible for the credit card debt of a man who then dumped her. Among the odd jobs she does, some for free, some for pay: delivery person, collecting and delivery of food donations, wallpaper hanger, painter.
A few days later, Mi Rae finds herself being called on to do various home improvement projects on a nice looking house, but when she shows up…
Jo Gook is there. Coincidences of coincidences, it is his house! And every time Jo Gook calls the Inju operator for another contractor, he is connected to Mi Rae. Ahhh, the perils of living in a small town.
So our first concrete story line is beginning to take shape. Chief bully Mayor Go and his brainy cohort Joo Hwa need a new way to run tax money into their political allies’ pockets, and decide to create a rigged beauty pageant, the Miss Baendaengi Contest (baendaengi’s are a type of local herring).
To keep the newly-appointed Deputy Mayor in line, slimy brainy cutie Joo Hwa makes plans on entrapping Jo Gook by giving him the Miss Baendengi Contest to run, since the whole contest is just a money-laundering scheme anyway, and Jo Gook will be inevitably knee-deep in that conspiracy.
And Mi Rae, the poor wallflower who happens to be $16,000 in debt, overhears that the contest has a $16,000 first place prize…
Looks like we might have our first contestant!
COMMENTS:
Now, I am a pretty big fan of Kim Sun Ah. But I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed by this first episode. Kim Sun Ah’s character, in this first episode, does not seem to be much more than a bundle of clichés. Poor girl with a heart of gold who works multiple jobs and who has but one parent? Check check check. Nevertheless, there is something about the way that Kim Sun Ah shows the inner strength of her character that is quite unique, just makes me want to be on her side and root for her.
From a genre perspective, this Episode 1 has me a little confused as to what kind of drama this will be. Not quite a comedy, not quite a political drama… It is like the PD and staff started with a story of political corruption… but then to stop it from being terminally boring, asked Kim Sun Ah to make it lively. The result is a big fish in a small pond story line, with Kim Sun Ah playing the part of an ungainly small fish who catches the eye of a big fish in all the wrong ways… how will the political story be developed, if at all, from that?
But overall, a choppy first episode is not a death knell for the series. A lot of dramas start a little slowly, as they get caught either trying to do too much or trying to do too little. City Hall seems to be trying to do a little bit of everything, and while it could have been smoother, there are hints at how much better this drama can get, just by looking at the characters.
THE ONES TO WATCH FOR IN THIS EPISODE: BB and Jo Gook.
The BB – Jo Gook relationship and characters are clear standouts in this Episode 1. Both actors, Choi Il Hwa as BB and Cha Seung Won as Jo Gook have so much screen presence; when they are in the same scene together, it can be hard to take a breath. As a point of reference, Choi Il Hwa played the very mild father of Choi Han Gyul (Gong Yoo’s character) in First Shop of Coffee Prince, but the difference between the two characters is startling, as BB just oozes a sense of power and authority here. Just a spectacular job in character creation by Choi Il Hwa.
Finally, I have to add this extra point about Cha Seung Won paying the role of Jo Gook: I’ve never seen a character like him in Korean dramas before. Ultra-smooth, confident and intelligent, arrogant but not arrogant at the same time, Jo Gook immediately draws attention to himself, but not quite in an egotistical manner. It is about time that we had a new type of hero come along, one that doesn’t quite fit the mold of K-drama heroes past.
And best of all, Jo Gook doesn’t look to be the type who will be foolishly caught blind-sided by someone like the Mayor, which is refreshing to say the least, because then I can throw away many of the clichés that follow the lead characters in a Korean drama who blindly never see the blow coming.
ON TO EPISODE 2!
RELATED POSTS
- Kim Sun-ah is a Fresh Woman
- Pageant finalist Kim Sun-ah
- Kim Sun-ah and Cha Seung-won dance for City Hall
- Currently airing dramas: A roundup
- City Hall’s mayor Kim Sun-ah
- Lee Jun-hyuk joins City Hall
- Kim Sun-ah takes on Allure, City Hall
- Kim Sun-ah back on television
Tags: Cha Seung-won, City Hall, guest bloggers, Kim Sun-ah
thanks for the recap(: i was thinking of starting this but i was a little unsure after what i’d heard. after reading this, it really doesn’t seem as bad as i thought it might be. and even if it was, i dont mind waiting a little while before the True Amazingness Of A Drama kicks in(:
This was a nice surprise knowing that it already ended.
Samsooki & Javabeans, you totally made my day! Thank you!
the best korean drama is being re-capped!!!
thanks so much for it.. LOL…
Love KSA + CSW are the best couple ever!
WORST DAY EVER!!
And then I come home to this.
Absolutely worth the wait, Samsooki! Wonderful recap! You’ve really set the stage perfectly and I can’t wait to read more. I’ve been holding off on a full rewatch until I could have the recaps as a companion to it. I think it may be even better the second time around.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I have to agree Samsooki, first few eps are…mmm……have to forced myself to watch….aaaahhh…..hehe ^_^
But, i have to say, Kim Sun Ah is very much cuter here! love her hair!
and Cha Seung Won…*grinning* , yup very tall and with much appeal, (and oh nice butt by the way)… him and KSA (thank goodness she is tall herself!) pair up well, there’s cute, hot chemistry going on, ….
the only thing i am not fond of about CSW is, his hairstyle (sometimes that unruly part of his hairstyle makes me think of a bird’s nest laid on top of his head, covering his slanted bangs), and his well-defined high arched eyebrows (always makes me run to the mirror to check my own eyebrows!lol!)…and am not sure if he is using an eyeliner, sometimes it seems like it…. ^-^
will be waiting for the next recap! ^-^
Thank you for the recap.
I’ve just started the drama after all the rave reviews in Open Thread.
I actually found myself giggling at the delusional Mi Rae through Episode 1.
Glad that you are bringing attention to this drama. True: just sit through or even skip the boring parts, but make sure you watch until the end. Probably, also the best drama …ever ?….for me. It is a drama with the most funny parts, the most boring parts and the most romantic parts and the best love story..ever?… for me. Actually it gets better, when you rewatch it. It is less boring then, because what seemed boring at first watch, appears to have a meaning as well. Good luck with your recaps and big thank you to you and your “colleagues”.
ty ty ty to samsooki, soompi team, and javabeans!! i have been excitedly waiting for this lol. great recap, and i loved city hall! im so glad this drama made its way into javabeans’ blog. good luck with the rest of recapping!
Wow! Earlier than anticipated! Thank you! Off to reading it!
short and sweet! You really get into the point of the story. i love it! Great job Samsooki and the rest of the team!
Also, Big Thanks to Javabeans for this wonderful blog and for letting us spread some CH Love here. (I hope you’re not getting tired of us, JB?)
@MEIKO
you’re funny, is he really wearing a manliner? He’s got long eye-lashes though. Yeah, he does have a nice bottoms.
Samsooki! What a lovely surprise! I just started watching CH becoz of the fabulous KSA and the writer whose other work I enjoyed a lot …Lovers in Prague is my all time fav drama. The two leads were fantastic.
The two leads in CH are fantastic too. KSA is so beautiful in this drama. And I have fallen madly in love with CSW. He is amazingly hot. So nice to be excited about a drama again after such a long time.
Many thanks to Javabeans for making this happen.
PS: I must say, that I found KSA very annoying, when she tried to act cute when watching this drama the first time. She can be funny, but not cute..IMHO. But second time watching, she did not get on my nerves anymore, because it is part of the story how a “simple” OL in a little town and a very ambitious and intelligent, confident man from the big city with a fiancee fall for each other. Can’t imagine, anybody but CSW as JG. So mighty glad that he got the part. The same goes for KSA actually.
Reading the comments of those who have seen this drama already made me smile(:
To be honest, I didn’t watch the first episode. It was on the day after Cain and Abel, and that drama was still in my mind.
Then comes next week…
ADDICTION!
I won’t spoil things…just know if you decide to watch this, you will never regret it and you’ll probably end up thinking it’s one of your favorite kdramas.
The cast is AMAZING. Cha Seung-won is perfect, Kim Sun-ah is perfect… (I didn’t actually pay THAT much attentiont to the others…sorry:P).
#5 SMR + #5 JG always!
@11mzpakipot
mmmm….am not sure if he is using one….
but he’s hot though, tall and lean, with nice butt…hehe!! and oh yeah, his lips too… especially when he is looking serious…not smiling… hehe!
True, this is one drama which many will put away after watching one, two, or even three episodes. But this is no different from how a few of my all time “greats” started:
1) Damo – got interesting only at the END of the 4th episode, the cliffhanger. I would have abandoned it earlier if not for the rave reviews, and downloaded six episodes already. The series got better and better, and the ending was the climax! Life altering experience, as they say.
2), Que Sera Sera – finished it a few weeks ago after abandoning it twice in the past two years. Couldn’t get beyond Episode 1. But I decided to pick it again, because almost every review that I read in the past two years was positive. And I was fed up with those kindergarten and highschool fluffy stuff (like BOF, which I like, actually!). And I was disappointed over big budgets Cain & Abel and East of Eden. Boy! Was I in for a surprise. The complexity of QSS’ male lead’s character, the story, the maturity and realism of the plot and its characters… well, everything was different. How refreshing! Then, as I was watching The City Hall, it occured to me this series is very close to Que Sera Sera in the uniqueness of its plot, its complex male lead and its realistic approach to love. The male character is difficult to fathom, the love story is complex and deep. The series, like QSS, is one of a kind, no cliches – no Cinderellas, no evil stepmothers/stepsisters, no fluffiness – guaranteed!
3) Prince Turned to Frog. Again, I was getting impatient by the third episode. At that time, the series was the highest rated ever for a TW series. And I found it boring? Again, I had to continue, because I had already downloaded 20 episodes. But from the 4th episode, it got better and better… And I had a marathon, 12-14 hours, because I didn’t sleep that night.
Step aside MNIKSS, you’ve just been trumped by City Hall.
Congrats to Kim Sun Ah and my new favourite cutie, Cha Seung Won who was so wonderful in the movie Blood Rain. So glad the other actor didn’t stay with the project.
Samsooki, i love your writing style. Thanks for bravely taking on this on and filling in all the parts that I glossed over. I will probably follow it even though I have already watched it twice (sort of) and am eagerly waiting for slo-mo when I get the series.
I think I have become a die hard fan of CH. Yikes.
btw, I love the first picture of MiRae. She looks so cute and innocent.
Great summary of episode one. Your wit and comments are so interesting, it’s like watching CH all over again. Amazing.
Totally worth the wait. Ch fans unite and let’s have another lovefest!!
I apologize, what is up with the “chicken legs?”
I guess it’s safe for me to say this Officially, City Hall is also my All time Fave now, MNIKSS is 2nd. Perfect lovestory, perfect dialogues, perfect couple, perfect OST, perfect Ending and of course those perfect kisses!
Wow, thanks for the wonderful recap! Although I’m relatively new to Dramabeans, I’ve always been interested in what you had to say in your comments to Javabeans’ posts, Samsooki, and this recap is a page full of good analysis! Funny thing is, on my way home a few minutes ago, my mom was telling me about a recent Kim Sun Ah drama that was popular with people she knows, though she couldn’t remember the name of the drama. Perfect timing!
Samsooki and team, you did a great job!
Ya, I agree with you that the beginning is a bit choppy. I feel especially the
part of the election part in the village, it seems a little out of place. Though,
I guess maybe the writer wants to show that Mirae does not care about
political power but still a little out of place.
thank you dramabeans! lookoing forward to more recaps on this show
P.S. I have to make a distinction between QSS and CH, though. There may be similarities, but CH is much better.
1) CH has a killer OST. Like Damo and Prince Turned to Frog OSTs, I played it over and over again.
2) The chemistry between the two CH leads is electrifying. They left me breathless many times. In QSS, I didn’t like the female lead. Actually,
3) In QSS, the two female leads are very so-so, or below average in acting skills. In fact, in the middle of the series, when one of them was dumped, I should have cried my eyes out. But what happened? I said: “Serves her right!” (I was that disappointed with her acting). If only they had cast female leads of Kim Sun Ah and Sang Mi’s caliber, QSS would have been great. In City Hall, the four or five leads are all awesome, and the supporrting cast, too! Not a miscast to be found here (if there is, I didn’t notice!).
@18 mzpakipot -
When the City Council members are grilling the Mayor on where the Inju City tax money has gone, they accuse the Mayor accepting gifts in exchange for doing favors for Madam Jung (an owner of a brothel), i.e., accepting “lobbying.”
The Mayor responds that he has lived his entire life without knowing the meaning of the word “lobbying.”
They then ask him to explain the fact that he and Madam Jung secretly met at a mountain retreat and ate a chicken and rice meal together. They accuse him of literally accepting chicken legs from Madam Jung (figuratively, they mean that the Mayor accepted gifts).
The Mayor responds very coyly that he has lived his entire life without knowing the meaning of the words “chicken legs.”
LOL!
Thanks for the recap! Love, love, love CH! Two thumbs and two big toes up to this fabulous drama! The only k-drama so far that has got me so emotionally involved – it made me laugh so loud, cry so many buckets, swoon so much and bang table so hard. Mirae is the most loveable heroine ever, even with her smelly hair. A potent combination when mixed with the suave Jo Gook who oozes charisma out of every pore. They really sizzle! Awesome show that exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. Hang in there, once the beauty pageant is underway…the good times start rolling.
Thanks for the recap samsooki, 0timelost, cleown, and mead33!
You guys are totally awesome, I salute you for being dedicated and addicted to this drama City Hall, it benefits as City Hallers. I miss this drama already and I don`t know if I can watch other drama without Suna and Cha in it. I love Suna way way back MNIKSS days, I can say that her performance in CH topped her excellent performance in MNIKSS. I hope this drama will give her more awards and recognition. She never fails to amuse her fans and I know Suna fans are overwhelmed with all the praises from other people, who have been appreciative with her role in CH.
This drama starts from being good, better and best.
Now it`s number one to everybodys heart. I hope that many people will discover what this drama is all about and may be we can hear Javabeans views about this drama, if she get the chance to watch this.
To those people who said it was the worst drama, i hope you will give this a try and I hope one day we can hear good reviews from you too.
Happy City Hallers day to all!
Thanks for the recap! I was thoroughly confused by all the politics talk in the beginning episodes and that really detracted from my overall experience of the show. But it definitely gets better!
OMG! Our wish has FINALLY come true………………..I’m so emotional to see the City Hall re-cap finally turning up here.
Javabeans, Samsooki, Otimelost, Cleown, Mead33 (and Alodia@Soompi) – THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
We City Hallers have now had something to look forward to during this very sad and hard withdrawal period!
FINALLY our wish has come true. You have no idea how emotional it is for me to see this re-cap on this site.
THANK YOU to Javabeans, Samsooki, Cleown, Otimelost, Mead 33 and Alodia@soompi for making this happen. This is absolutely the best thing since CH ends for us City Hallers!
I just wish that more people will come to enjoy and share the joy of watching this WONDERFUL drama through the generosity of JB and the re-cap project team.
Sorry for the double posts as I thought the first one didn’t go through – my apologies!
“Finally, I have to add this extra point about Cha Seung Won paying the role of Jo Gook: I’ve never seen a character like him in Korean dramas before. Ultra-smooth, confident and intelligent, arrogant but not arrogant at the same time, Jo Gook immediately draws attention to himself, but not quite in an egotistical manner. It is about time that we had a new type of hero come along, one that doesn’t quite fit the mold of K-drama heroes past.”
My sentiments exactly!! CSW got a very complex character to play and he did it brilliantly. The way JG carries himself : his expressions, body language etc. are unique. Never saw an actor portray a character like CSW did in City Hall and now I find myself comparing every other actor to him. and they all fall short…
I enjoyed reading your recap, but it was too short
Im addicted to City Hall and must find the time to re watch the first few episodes.
Samsooki,
If this is the best drama of all time, I have to know what other dramas you like and what rating you would give them. I know how much I agree with dramabeans, but I don’t know your tastes. Can you give a little hint at what other dramas you love/hate? Right now, I’d have to go with Que Sera Sera as the best drama (because it stopped my heart with THAT scene- still recovering!).
Also, do you prefer ViiKii subs or the Band of Nuts subs for this series?
Thanks for all your advice…I’ll have to try that steak recipe…
Thanks for the recap! I have tried watching CH but can’t seem to get past ep.3. So I’ll just spend some time with Binnie and the Snow Queen. Then read your recaps and start with ep.4.
My mom keeps telling me to watch this but I’ve resisted. With your recaps now, maybe I will.
Loved the recap!!! it’s definitely helping me cope with the end of such a wonderful series! I agree Jo Gook is unlike any other kdrama hero! and i doubt there will ever be a kdrama hero like him in the future.
OMG, City Hall recaps on Dramabeans blog, is this heaven or am I dreaming? I just finished watching ep. 7 on LA18 tonight, it’s like my nth time watching that episode (and every other episode), but I still can’t turn away from the CH addiction.
Samsooki, your recap was succinct and spot on, and thanks for all the wonderful commentary. I wonder if you will insert your (minority, but only because it is unpopular and not because it isn’t also spot on) opinion about a certain GGH, who has yet to be introduced.
I wish you could have added a screencap of Jo Gook walking through the village in the first scenes of ep.1., initally I glossed over it, but upon rewatching to savor every second, it’s a lyrical and meaningful way to start the entire show, the wayward son coming back to Inju. JG has no desire to be there, yet you can feel Inju stirring him ever so slightly, and knowing the “typhoon” is coming and the changes about to be unleashed, it’s the calm before the storm.
Also, it might be nice to share the hidden meaning behind each of the character’s names: i.e. Jo Gook means My Country, Shin Mirae means New Future, etc. I don’t know all of them, but I recall on Soompi someone shared the secondary meanings, and it was all so tongue in cheek. Love the writer, she’s got so many weapons up her mighty pen.
Go forward, Samookie and recapping team, I wait with baited breath for the remainder of the episodes. Please be as fan servicy in screencaps as the PD has been to all CH watchers (i.e. more JG-MR scenes please!)
Thank you for all the hard work and dedication, and allowing us all to continue sharing our love of City Hall with other k-drama watchers.
Hubby is not totally jealous of my CH love and has taken to mocking JG’s outfits in ep. 7 (“he’s dressed like a New Jersey pimp”). But even he can’t deny CSW’s amazing charisma and screen presence.
Thanks for the recaps. I love this drama!
@35 ockoala
Here’s what each character’s name means. Some describe exactly the person’s character or personality.
Jo Guk = My Country
Shin Mi Rae = New Future
Ha Soo In = A Follower
Lee Jun Do = The right path
Min Ju Hwa = Democratization
Go Bu Shil (former Mayor) = Highly Unreliable
Bu Jung Han (Congressman) = Dishonest
Maeng Hae Ra (Secretary wearing huge ribbons) = What a foolish
Park Ah Cheon (Manager in Secretary’s Office) = Flattery
Jo Yong Hee (Jo Guk’s mother) = Quietly
Jo Rang (Jo Guk’s adopted son) = Pony
Jeong Bu Mi (9th grade, Mirae’s friend) = Government rice; rice which goverment sells
Go Go Hae (Jo Guk’s fiance) = Proud Loneliness
courtesy of saturn, spot translator of The City Hall, B.O.N.
I really salute the writer. Brilliant script. Her best, by far. I’ve seen all her drama works.
Yipee! First Episode Recap! The wait is over!
To Samsooki, with your Korean background and being a lawyer by trade makes you the perfect person to helm this recapping project for City Hall.
And to Cleown, Otimelost and Mead 33, after reading all your posts at Soompi, you all have such a good grasp on this drama that would make this an awesome recapping team
A big THANK YOU to all of you.
It’s the first drama I have ever seen with the 2 leads so EQUALLY WELL-MATCHED in talents.
Haha! Now that we have a place to reminisce on our love for CH, we will not swamp Friday’s Open Threads!
THANK YOU!! for doing this, and looking forward to more interesting reads on CH.
I am a newly-minted Cha Seung Won fan too, because of City Hall. ^ ^
His Machiavellianish, diabolical look took some getting used to at first, but definite ditto on comments he totally delivered a very enjoyable Jo Guk!
And yes – gorgeous OST too!
Oh, a pleasant surprise. THANK YOU Javabeans for allowing the City Hall fever intruding your blog. Thank you Samsooki, 0timelost, cleown, and mead33 – the City Hall recapping team, you guys make my day
Please keep up the good work.
Wave to all City Hallers.
Oh, so happy to see this recap here! I’d watched all my favorite scenes over and over and over and was ready to move on since this drama was preventing me from attending to my own small business and such. Now, once again, I get to re-visit the whole show here. Don’t know if it’s a good thing for me or not… Nonetheless,Thank you Samsooki and all others! I just love the show very much!
good morning , it is been a while since i comment in your site java beans , since boys before flowers , so finally CITY HALL , i love this drama it is very funny and also theirs a romance between the tow leader , i advice you all to watch this drama .
it is trues that i watch this before maybe 3 OR 4 time , but i will read your recap because i miss you very much
THANKS .
love this series and i have watched it 3 times at least looks like i will start on the series again! thanks for recapping this series
omg! finally somebody have the heart to do this wonderful drama. im actually on episode 16 now and im totally like head over heels in love with it. its true, the first few episodes are kinda boring/less interesting coz of too much politics going on but dang, like they said people thAT have patience will be rewarded and indeed its true. im really glad that you guys are making an effort to do it. sun ah and seung won’s chemistry here is beyond anyone’s imagination~i we just didnt know that CSW is already married then we’ll be thinking there’s something going on between this two behind the scenes. sun ah, she’s amazingly great! u can never go wrong with her. CSW, omg! where have u been all my life?? *err maybe all this time im into kdramas and movies* this is the first time ive seen this guy (except for family outing, which his episode is on my top 3) and he leaves u speechless and helpless ahaha and the kisses, all his cute moments, and his heartaches u just wanna be with him in those times. okokok im talking too much. do i sound excited?? ahaha its a must see drama PERIOD>
I LOVE City Hall! I’m so glad to see recaps. I watched it after I saw Cha Seung Won on Family Outing and now I like the actor and the character. I so agree about Jo Gook. He is such a refreshing character. Furthermore, the series itself is really INTENSE. That is just the only way I can describe it. The romance, the drama, the suspense, the funny parts etc. it was like they milked out every scene to get the emotion they wanted and they succeeded. So not like the regular series, where they only succeed in one or two emotions. Sure, you do have to move beyond the first few episodes, but then it’s just such a (great!) emotional rollercoaster. And another pluspunt, I now think I understand a whole lot more about the inner workings of Korean politics (although it’s sad to see how easy it is to be corrupt, but I’m just hoping that the drama was a bit over the top on that point).
TO Samsooki and Team….Add in our wonderful JB, for the generous use of your blog for the team and all the other guest ReCappers…..Huge Thanks, made my day.
Feel like a loner as I found the first few set up plot episodes to have depth behind the front gloss of sit com. placing the characters on the story map with a very careful hand.
For all the new fans of Cha Seung Won, go have a drool over the topless, muscle man CSW in the movie Jail Breakers, not quiet as slim as now, but that voice still stands out, a mile and the eyes – if you can detract from the body. lol.
Not only is the drama CH one of the best ever, some of the camera work is fairy tale brilliant. Latest desk wallpaper, CSW in the blossom of Mi Rae’s garden in the sky blue jacket…..
Looking forward to No: 2 Power to the pen/laptop Samsooki.
Ohh thanks Samsooki!
Got my hands on City Hall DVD 2 days ago – and while I have not watched it as yet (suprised? hehe) am sure your recaps will come in handy if/when the subtitles go to hell.
Looking forward to the rest of the recaps!
Yehooo. Finally. Recaps are here. You rock samsook!
Even though I watched the City Hall over and over already, it is pleusure to read your recaps and comments. Ku ma o or thanks
Whoah there, what is this I see? City Hall recaps on dramabeans? And just in time for my reviewing pleasures too!
THANK YOU, SAMSOOKI! And to EVERYONE HERE for making City Hall such a fun group event.
@47 BSPANDA: You have the City Hall DVD? FROM WHERE? WHAT ARE THE SUBS LIKE? I love the Bon and viikii subs so I am spoiled rotten. I have been waiting to buy the boxset so can you tell me what the quality of the print and of the subs is like?
How can DVDs be out of this already?
–
About EP 1, which I rewatched — there are some lovely gems in it. The opening scenes of JG walking through the village is symbolic and very apropos of the story to follow. He is like a lord, almost, surveying this quaint, rural town, trying to get its pulse, to figure out its weaknesses and faults for his own use. He walks around like he is the boss, in an arrogant but also observant way. It is a great, great intro to our man.
Samsooki, this is a very short and sweet re-cap which is appropriate for Ep 1. I particularly appreciate your highlighting the political bits that will help new audience to start this drama. Your comment on the BB-JG relationship is spot on which is among the main planks of this drama. Look forward to seeing the second instalment.
To the new City Hallers, it is worth to watch the first few episodes in full because they will all make sense in later episodes up till the very last minute of the drama! This is the wonder of this drama and the most well-constructed and beautifully woven drama I’ve seen. You will be totally rewarded.
@ 31 Max
City Hall is the best drama of all time to me too. As far as Kdrama is concerned, I have to say it is head and shoulder above my other longstanding favorites: Coffee Prince, My Girl and MNIKSS. I like QSS too as I have never thought Eric Mun could move me but he did. If you are talking about the big scene of QSS, then there are A LOT of as, if not more, intense moments in CH, except they are done so romantically that brings the meaning of emotional rollercoaster to another level. I guess the big difference between QSS and CH, to me, is I can only watch QSS once and would not like to re-watch it. For CH, I have watched it from beginning to end three times already, plus numerous times over all my favourite scenes. With this re-cap going on, I will have my fourth ride and I am so looking forward to doing it AGAIN
What sets City Hall apart from othe dramas are the script and the two leads. It is a perfect combination that makes everything work. I doubt CH will be as successful if without the KSA and CSW team – the thought of RSW in JG’s role makes me cringe … no offence to RSW fans.
@35 ockoala
I also love that very first scene of JG returning and walking through Inju. It is a prophetic scene of the long lost son coming home without his own knowing. BB among all his sins had done the right thing by sending JG to Inju.
The KSA and CSW pairing is beyond praise! I am never a KSA fan until after CH. With CSW, all other Kdrama actors now pale into comparison…. Enough said, let’s start the City Hall journey again.
I feel so tired of driving 6h straight today, I’m so happy to see this baby being here already… *sigh of relief*
ALL MY GRATITUDE goes to Javabeans for making this all possible, Samsooki for the amazing drafts, 0timelost and mead for making the recapping work so much fun and – of course – the one and only Alodia <3
I hope you all enjoy the end result as much I did, hehe.
Many thanks to Samsooki & crew who have produced a wonderful recap of the first episode of a wonderful series!!! Although I have finished watching City Hall in its entirety, I am planning to re-watch each episode as each recap becomes available because if the first recap is any indication, the recaps are going to be awesome! The detailed analysis gives me so much more to enjoy and makes me realize how much I missed watching the first time around.
It’s so much more fun watching a drama when you have people to enjoy it with. And none of my friends or family has yet been hit by the City Hall typhoon, so thanks to all my fellow dramabeans readers who are helping me enjoy and appreciate this drama!
@37 rambutan,
Although I speak Korean, (albeit not very well at all as I need English subs to watch), I did not pick up on any of the names and their meanings. Thanks for the list you have provided.
@ dramabeans,
Have you watched any episodes at all? Your fans are eagerly waiting for your reaction to the later episodes. Aren’t you at all curious about the KSA-CSW white-hot love?
@49 Nom_Kitteh
I really like your description of the scene where JG visits Inju. Perfect analogy of a lord visiting his village!
Thanks for the recap! This was unexpected since the series already ended. City Hall is at the top of my ‘to-watch’ list!
Thanks for the splendid recap!! I always liked Cha Seung Won ever since I watched him in the Bodyguard… I guess his onscreen presence comes from all the movies he’s been acting in. He was more of a silver screen presence before, it’s hard to imagine him acting in sappy Korean dramas because he’s always type-casted as this macho thug person. You don’t see his kind a lot in Korean dramas. I loooovee Kim Sun Ah! I mean, who doesn’t? I’m trying to watch City Hall now I’ve finished with Queen of Housewives (lovely!), just trying to find the time, what with university classes starting up again….
@52 edit to my own post
@ dramabeans
I know you watched a few of the early episodes and wrote about them, but I meant “Have you watched any of the later episodes at all where the amazing chemistry between KSA-CSW shines?”
Oops..this is my 2nd post.
After reading this recap, I watched Ep 1 again.
For those who thought and thinks that Ep 1 is a little boring, dull or slow, then I think the writer and the PD did accomplish what they set out to do in this episode. The 1st episode sets the stage for the cultural aspect and the political climate of a little town called Inju City. If this episode (or the next 2) appears to be haphazard, rustic or laid back, I do believe the writer did intend to make us feel that way. At the end of Ep 20, when you look back, you will realize why this is so.
Let me comment on BONs subs vs viikii subs. I was a subber for CH, so I will just briefly state what I think of these subs.
It’s not the quality of the subs but a question of the quality of the videos.
BONs has completed subbing till Ep 11 up to this point. They are out at an average of about 2 epis a week. BONs videos are HQ and so the sound quality is also a whole lot better. Their consistency in description of places and people makes it a lot easier to follow. A big plus is that the lyrics of the OSTs are subbed too.
Viikii is completely subbed till Ep 20 (final)
Viikii (CH) was subbed by a dozen subbers, so consistency is not quite there yet. (Though I do go back and change some things occasionally). The sound quality is quite bad so a lot of us subbers had trouble figuring out some of the things being said. However, if you are impatient like me, and you want to go through the entire drama in 2 or 3 sittings, then by all means, go to viikii
@ 47 bspanda
I am just wondering if the DVD set you have is the OSTs of CH. If it is, not to worry, it’s one of the best OSTs I have ever heard. A lot of people at Youtube and Soompi were clamoring for them.
Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic drama [ I think I'll love it even more after following the entire Epi 1-20 recaps from you]
I placed an order the copy of this drama week ago at VDO store in Boston’s china town I hope they’ll call me soon. so, I can re-watching it with my sister I try so hard to not talking much about my craziness to my sister I want her to feel the experience herself.
I have to copy your sentence Samsooki ‘cos its exactly how I feel.
“My emotions with respect to this drama are all over the map, and I’ve never felt this way about any drama series I’ve ever watched.”
No question this is the #1 Korean drama I’ve ever watched
I’ve just finished episode 10 and look forward to more City Hall. I’m glad everyone is enjoying it as much as I am. I find this drama quite funny not just because of Kim Sun Ah but the cast of laughable villains. Whenever the 3 “stooges” civil servants appear, I have a horrible urge to ruffle their hair and smack their heads. Council woman, Min Joo Hwa, is doing her best to be evil but I keep laughing at her comical facial expression. Samsooki, I’ve enjoyed reading your opinions. I’m glad you have your own recap to write now, good luck.
City Hall is brilliant! I can’t count the time I laugh and cry in this drama. It’s about time someone does the recapping and so glad that Samsookii and the group spare their precious time doing the recap. Its really worth watching it.
i was really surprised that you wrote an episode recap for ch… i love this series, i’m on ep. 11 since i’m downloading each episode as bon releases them on mu.. . i have to say that i love bon funsubs for picking up this drama… it really seems like the subbers there really like ksa since they subbed her previous drama as well… i agree with most of you with the conclusion that the first episode doesn’t give the series (even though i’m only on ep11) much justice… the series has so much more to offer and the lead and all the supporting character shine in all of their roles…
i have to admit that i had no idea who csw was when they started promoting this drama.. but then i saw him on fo and realized that he had a lot of charisma… there’s something different about his aura… the feeling he gives off especially in ch… his character is one that i’ve never seen before in korean, taiwanese or even japanese dramas… it’s hard to describe.. hahaha.. but i’m sure i’m not alone in thinking this about csw and his portrayal of jg either..
ksa… what can i say? i love her in mnikss and this is the only kdrama that i can watch over and over again and not get sick of it… when i was in korea, i wanted to buy that pig stuffed toy of hers… i saw them being sold on the street stands but then it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase…. hahaha… she’s a great actress…. you cry, get angry, frustrated, laugh along and empathize with any character that she portrays… i find her acting very effective, personally, i hate actresses that over-cry in dramas when it’s totally not necessary… ksa, she keeps it to a minimum but gives off the same effect or an even greater one… csw and ksa have great chemistry together and it was refreshing to see her with an older guy this time… you just have to watch it and see for yourself… >.<
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
@31 Max –
“If this is the best drama of all time, I have to know what other dramas you like and what rating you would give them. I know how much I agree with dramabeans, but I don’t know your tastes. Can you give a little hint at what other dramas you love/hate? …Also, do you prefer ViiKii subs or the Band of Nuts subs for this series?”
Well, I have had the benefit of everyone else’s opinions for almost everything I have watched. So, the dramas my wife and I have watched over the last 7 months or so have almost always been really, really good: hong gil dong, mnikss, coffee prince, soulmate, gourmet, bad family, dal ja’s spring, my girl, last scandal of my life, and some of the more popular fun dramas like goong, full house, super rookie, evasive inquiry agency, delightful girl choon hyang, etc. We haven’t really had a bad drama because we only bought or watched dramas that we had a really high percentage chance of being good or excellent.
As for dramas I didn’t like – there aren’t that many, maybe one (Sweet Spy – which I bought without reading any reviews because I thought it would be good, but it turned out to suck…. badly). If a drama hasn’t gotten good reviews by Javabeans, likely, we haven’t seen it.
***
As for sub’s.
Viikii subs for City Hall…. most of the time, they are EXACTLY right. I have read their subtitles, and most of the time they are right on the money (even words they choose are the same words and phrases I would choose). Other times though, even in the same episode, the subtitles are just off – it is like they stopped translating and just put in their own dialogue. Like, the whole sentence is completely wrong. Overall, it didn’t make a difference because their substituted dialogue was just as good as the original Korean, but it isn’t a translation anymore but a substitution. It doesn’t hurt the understanding that much, but it sort of surprising to see since they are so good most of the time.
BON Subs for City Hall – well, I have to say first, I am a BON subber now as a spot / main translator. So, I may be biased, but at least I know that BON Subs are good, and I am familiar now with the process by which the subtitles comes out, and the level of detail and debating/agonizing over even a simple phrase (whether it is better to be more literal and hope that the watchers get the figurative meaning by context, or better to be figurative and sort of eschew the direct translation)… it is highly commendable.
Bottom line – Viikii subs are good enough, most of the time they are spot on. (Of course, I think that Bon Subs are better, and not just because I translate for them. Hehe!
)
@49 Nom_Kitteh
The copy I got is a China ed. aka bootleg from my fav (but making me bankrupt) DVD shop. I had gone there the day before seeking CH (due to the positive ‘reviews’ by my fellow Dramabeaners) and was disappointed it was not there. Next day it was there! Woohoo
Just checked out a few min of Ep 1 for the subtitles (also because Samsooki’s review made me even more curious). So far it is OK – but am sure it (subtitles – not the series!) will got to hell by the finale.
The most awesome thing is the DVD shop (which is like my kdrama dealer hehe) has 2 for 1 – so I even picked up ‘Strike Love’. Did I mention this DVD shop is sending me broke? My pile of To Be Watched (TBW) DVD has pretty much tripled since I discovered this shop. It is close to Mt Fuji height now! They are very fast too – they get the DVD about a week/2 weeks after it finishes airing. Have to hand it to the bootleggers/China ed – they sure are fast.
@56 omo
Sorry but am not 100% sure what you meant by ‘is OST in the DVD set.’ If you meant whether the OST as a CD was included then the answer is no. The DVD set is a compressed version (ie 3 discs). (I hope I answered your question)
I am super excited and happy to be reading CH recaps! Thanks to everyone who helped piece this all together! I am currently watching it the second time around. Every scene does makes sense now that you had watched it in its entirety. All in all the whoe drama was a great surprise and delight to watch. Yes, it is slow and political at first but that is for us to know the history first before changes can begin. They make us notice the differences and how much the city and people have changed.
I adore KSH and CSW! They are CITY HALL. The script was great but the actors are excellent. They make the characters come alive. They make you laugh, cry, mad, and tearful! I cried alot with each of them because I felt their emotions. Love all the actors! I can not say enough. This is one of the best dramas I have ever watched.
@ 62 Anonymous – Is that you Samsooki?
What omo and Samsooki said about the Viikii and BON subs are pretty right. I watch both versions for different reasons – Viikii is the fastest and the subs are done more or less within 24 hours after the live run in Korea but the video quality is understandably not as good. I am always thankful to the fan service and enthusiam of the subbers there. For the favourite episodes and scenes, there could be as many as over thirty fans working over it. BON subs come with HD resolution and there are additional background information explaining things unique Korean and the lyrics are subbed as well – all these add to the viewing pleasure. The lyrics of the CH OST are just as good as the lines in the script as they echo the characters and plot development.
If you can read Chinese, I would recommend your watching C-sub versions as well – either through Tudou or Youkou. Again, there are different goups doing C-sub and I watch them all – how hopeless can I go?? Nevertheless, the point is many CH dialogues/features cross reference Chinese characters and history. The names of all CH characters are a case in point as per the post of 37 rambutan. Each of those names are funny and meaningful at the same time. The terms of ‘passing of the wind’ and ‘typhoon’ have their Chinese origin too. So, watching CH in C-sub is a real pleasure as well.
I have to say though CH is the only drama that I would watch so many different sub-versions PERIOD.
this is WONDERFUL! I see a lot of familiar commenters from the Open Threads. I am also glad that JB gave us this wonderful space to cure our CH Separation Withdrawal, so we don’t have to bombard Open Threads.
@Samsooki, thank you so much for responding to my question regarding the “chicken legs” LOL
Not sure if this is correct etiquette here, so please forgive if I overstep the bounds.
I have the OST to ‘City Hall’ a friend sent me the link. AS a ‘City Hall’ OST Fan wave has hit.
Is it ok with you to blab it here, JB and Samsooki ????
I enjoyed watching City Hall with my hubby and it’s nice to review from the beginning, so I’m glad to see the City Hall recap here! Samsooki & team, thanks for all your hard work! Soo-go!
I am especially looking forward to some of the recaps from the middle of the series. We were devouring these episodes as soon as they were released, so many times, especially in the middle, we watched them before anyone had time to finish the subs. I have a decent understanding of conversational Korean, a lot of the political talk went right over my head. So it will be nice to finally understand what was said in all those meetings!
Samsooki, what will you and your wife watch next?
@68 UrbCowgirl -
Well, let’s see. As you know, we have Two Outs In The Bottom Of The Ninth still sitting in shrink wrap at home on the coffee table, and we watched but three episodes of Star In My Heart, and those DVDs are sitting out. And Javabeans highly recommends Triple. There’s also Partner and Friend: our Legend. And there’s Sons of a Sol Pharmacy too… and a Story of a Man… we’ve not watched Boys Before Flowers either… Beethoven’s Virus, Return of Iljimae, omg.
I’ll leave it up to you, as soon as I get my City Hall recapping done.
I’m so envious of those of you who can watch City Hall (or any other Kdrama, for that matter) with another person. If I could convince just ONE person in my life that they’re missing out on some of the best TV there is, I’d be so happy. But so far I haven’t been able to, so to be able to talk to you guys is a lifesaver. And I don’t say that lightly, I assure you.
So I’m doubly grateful to JB for hosting this wonderful, insanely informative site and to Samsooki (who I’m sure is quite sleep-deprived at this point) and all of the other fantastic City Hallers who are so dedicated to spreading the word about this great show. You are all amazing!
@37 Rambutan
Thank you for the character name secondary meanings, I so wish I could speak Korean. Some T-drama shows also do this sometimes, Fated to Love You has some cute names, but it was meant to be cute, and not as political commentary and foreshadowing as it is done here in CH.
@50 epyc
When I finished the emotional and visual roller coaster that was CH, I went back and looked for the quiet lyrical moments to unwind, and amongst my favorite scenes are when JG is walking through Inju, so I thought I’d mention it. Thanks for sharing in the JG love.
@46 B.B.
The camera work for this drama is the first time I have noticed it being wielded so effectively in a small screen show. Javanbeans during her BBF recap days would occasionally note a brilliant screen shot, (but these were few and far between, and marred by OTT acting and bad acting and general cheese that I devoured nonethess ), and she did so especially often in Story of a Man (which I know must be great, but I can’t get myself to come down from the CH hot tamale train to start watching a show I know is deep, dark, twisted – plus I strongly dislike the female lead, he face looks weirder and weirder each time).
I, too, want to put up as my background the cherry blossom scene at the end of ep.7 (when JG strolls into MR’s view, my heart fairly lept out of my throat). How can KSA and CSW convey such attraction and tension and charisma, I can only count myself lucky I watched this show.
Finally:
Samsookie and recap team: I just have to say this – I do NOT know how you are going to recap the most perfect episode of k-drama in all of history, ep. 15 of City Hall, but I am counting down until we get there. From ep.8 onwards, you know the emotional roller coaster we’re all in for, I just have to give thanks and props in advance for the sure to be difficult task ahead. Only because every moment becomes so important and every emotion conveyed by CSW and KSA so vibrant, I wonder how to capture it in words to do it justice. But I know you are up to the challenge! Fighting.
ohhh. Thanks so much for the recaps. I can now relive CH again episode by episode and I love how there are added info like the chicken leg explanation. The first few episodes were a bit trying. It was only after I finished episode 20 when I was hooked and addicted that I went back to the earlier episodes to absorb the details that I had glossed over when I watched with half-interest. The early episodes did improve upon second revisit but I still had some problems with them.
I’m not a fan of the writer but I have to say this is her best work to date and what made CH special to me really is the individual talents of the main actors and the chemistry they have together particularly in the later episodes. It doesn’t hurt that physically they make a great looking couple. I have to admit I did have some problems with KSA’s acting in the early parts which I attribute two things:
-I find KSA is so much better in dramatic or more subtle comedy that is dialogue heavy rather than in physical comedy which the early episodes were riddled with.
-I also think KSA might have been struggling a little with finding the soul of her character. Once she understood who Shin Mirae is, KSA was just really fantastic.
Looking forward to more recaps. I’m just addicted to their love story.
@70 langdon813
I totally second that, watching City Hall has been a revelatory experience, and the only other person I usually watch and discuss dramas with is my darling sister, who is currently in Hawaii vacationing and then busy with her return to medical practice that I am seriously stalking her to watch CH. Hubby watches if CH is on TV, but he’s no fun with watch with, esp. here since he’s jealous that I adore JG (and yes, it’s the character, not a crush on CSW, though he’s a mighty fine man).
I’ve taken to cyberstalking her, I sent her emails of pics from ep 20 (I shan’t describe them to avoid spoiling for folks who have not finished yet). My sis says KSA’s ensemble in the end of ep. 4 of WIAN (when she attend the party with LDG) was her most gorgeous on-screen. I just need to show her how radiant KSA looks in City Hall. Like GGH tells her (snidely), you look different than when I last saw you, you look beautiful, is it because you are in love? It’s intense to watch both characters blossom in CH as they fall in love.
Thank you thank you Samsooki for taking on this project cuz I know that this is a drama that requires in-depth knowledge of Korean culture and politics to fully appreciate. And you’re helping people to thoroughly understand this drama that by doing this recap.
@ rambutan: Just some friendly comments. What a different taste we have.. cuz I regard QSS OST as one of the best Korean drama OST, which I listen to everyday btw, whereas CH OST was.. meh- I would say average.
I would also like to make some minor clarifications on what the names mean:
Ha Soo In = A follower -> it’s more like a consipirator or someone who does the dirty job for his boss.
Lee Jun Do -> Lee Jung Do
Bu Jung Han (Congressman) = Corrupt
Maeng Hae Ra (Secretary wearing huge ribbons) = What a foolish -> more like what an airhead)
Park Ah Cheon -> Park Ah Cheom
re: chicken legs
Just curious but in Chinese a “chicken” is a slang for prostitute (while a “duck” for gigolo, heehe).
And I was wondering if this was similar in Korean?
I like City Hall, and so happy that there will be episode recaps for this. Totally think it funny, sweet and there are a lot of thruths inthe story line. Looking forward to more episode recaps for this.
this drama is an amazing drama.
no joke. the first episode is indeed hard to sit through but if you do, you will definitely not regret it. once again, amazing drama with an amazing storyline
I’ve read this over and over and over since last night….
As usual, I’m left speechless. I’ve really bad with words for something I really like – or for something amazingly good (this recap is both i must say). Seems like thoughts are rushing through my head and I end up not knowing what to say. (i might go back once my thoughts are more organized.. hahaha)
But let me say THANK YOU to our dear Samsooki. I’ve thanked you a dozen times already ever since you started talking about City Hall on Friday Open Threads. But I’ll never get tired thanking you. Thank you for the great pilot recap! We are all looking forward for the next one.
The entire recap team which is also part of my Cityhaller famliy at soompi; 0timelost, cleown, and mead33! Thank you! You all did a wonderful job! Love you guys~
Oh and I did say I love the pilot recap, didn’t I? >.<
Oh and I forgot to thank Javabeans!!!
JB dear, thanks for giving a space for City Hall in your awesome blog even if you are not into City Hall. Thank you also for your open threads that became our little home here in DB for the past Fridays.
im just curious why the korean entertainment media IS NOT reporting much on CH and its main leads since it was quite “successful”??..
i wish to see more news on CH and KSA and CSW… argghhhh….
i’ve wondered how come dramabeans have yet to recap this most GREAT &AMAZING KDrama of all time…but the long wait’s over, thanks to Samsooki!!! I totally agree with all the 79 comments before me & absolutely will religiously follow your recaps while rewatching CH for the 4th time!!! thanks too, Dramabeans!!!
I loved this drama…I usually wait for your recaps to see if the show is good and I took the risk because I liked Kim Su Ah so much at My Lovely Sam Soon and I always wondered why I never found almost anything here.
This is such a funny and lovely show, I highly recommend it! this girl is a GREAT actress and he is good too, not handsome at all but end up loving him!
Many thanks to Samsooki & crew for doing this recap and Javabeans for making this happen.
Love City Hall and really looking forward to more recaps.
I agree the beginning was not that impressive but with patience you get to enjoy the story. I finished to watch it but now I have started it again because I needed to understand the beginning to put some pieces together. It was a nice one, very nice sound track. Thanks for the recap!!! The leading actress is lovely to watch,original and their kiss scenes were looking real. The leading male actor, I was not sure as it was my first time to see his acting, but he did well! Looking at his face expression as he grew to love Mirae, was the best part or when he was jealous! Do not miss it!
thanks for doing the recaps.. last 2 weeks i watched the first episode and read java beans comment that it’s boring so i decide to not go through with it…
today i read your recap and start watching it…..
oh boy.. how i was so wrong…it’s really really really great drama…
“dont judge the book by its cover…”
thaakss samsooki and team recap
this is a very nice drama. I have already watched 20 episodes on mysoju.com.
It is really worth watching!
wow lotsa good comments!
re: B.B. #67 (soundtrack):
will you be adding a song from the soundtrack for the next recap?
episode 1 should have “Kurae Nareul Midja 그래 나를 믿자 (Okay, I’ll Believe In Myself)
by: Jung In (feat. Bizzy) 정인 (feat. 비지)”
Oh, thanks for recapping this.
Choi Il Hwa does a great job in H.I.T., too, as the eldest member of the investigative team (and, in two episodes, a father with good intentions, terrible follow-through).
Hey Samsooki,
Thanks for the long reply! I noticed when I watched the Viikii subs for Triple it was more of a recap than a translation…a really image heavy recap..more like, all-the-images-recap. I did enjoy the comments in the banner over the video the most. There was a lot of “eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww” and “he’s your brotherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” and everything had “!!!!!!!!!!!” It made me laugh so hard that it disturbed the peace around here. (I think one of the translations was also “#@$%@#$” which was probably the best one.) I felt like I was watching it with a group of friends. It seems like CH is a little more subtle than Triple, so I will wait for the BON subs to get the full meaning of the drama.
But in the end, since I don’t speak Korean, I don’t care how translations come- I am thankful for any and all recap/translations/hints/clues/ suggestions that come my way about kdrama. I adore watching them and being able to gossip about the plots.
Thank you to you and all your tribe for spending time to include me.
Samsooki,
Thanks for doing this.I am still having withdrawal syndromes from this drama.Both KSA and CSW acting were great /fantastic and it is a refreshing kind of feeling when you watch the 2 of them from episode 4 and onwards.
In fairness to Viikii,the fans are really hardworking you can watch it their and I am one of them but I am not doing any subbing for I don’t know korean language so I am relying on them for subtitles.They are great within 8 hours since the live telecast in korea you can watch it ,although it’s not complete subbing but it helps to understand,you know what I mean.
Currently,I am watching brilliant legacy as well,hope everybody’s weekend will be alright…cheers
Samsooki,
, but I guess I’m not alone here 
. He set the male acting standars really high (sorry guys, but you have to work really hard to catch up).
Thanks a lot for this recap, as many people I’m missing CH so much and my dearly Gumi couple.
What can I say that wasn’t already said, …this drama was the best one I have the pleasure to watch. From the storyline to the acting to the love story, Perfection!.
KSA performance was brilliant, even better than in MNIKSS, as Mi Rae she clearly demostrates her comedy side but her dramatic side too, she’s the whole package.
CSW, I didn’t knew him before this, but now, I’m a big fan of him… What an attractive character, Jo Guk was a revelation to me, not the usual pretty boy, .. but a manly, strong, mature, attractive, romantic man (not a boy…a total man from head to toe)…Yeah, I have a crush on him
YOU,….yeah…YOU, the one reading this right now, if you didn’t watch City Hall yet,…what on earth are you waiting for???…give it a try…not give up on the first chapters… go on… and I’m sure, you’re going to find one of the best (if not the best) drama of this times…cross my heart
Thanks Samsooki and the group for this recap. Really appreciated! Thanks for being so thoughtful to add additional notes about the background.
I just watchd Ep-1 two days ago, hence it’s interesting to read this post.
I love this cast. I am enjoying Kim Sun Ah every bit. I’m still trying to form my own notes on Cha Seung Won. See some old faces whom I like from previous dramas (I’m delighted to see how Lee Hyung Chul differs from “On Air”) . I am hoping that Choo Sang Mi’s acting don’t get too much on my nerves…
I caught the vibe that character Jo Gook’s attachment to BB is like a abandoned-son:father more than just lust for power. JG looks sad (repressed disappointment) when BB asked JG why he would know Inju was JG’s birth place.
The scene JG was trying to catch Shin Mi Rae from falling in his house – I got a good laugh there, tho the first thing that came to my mind was whether that hand position of JG – was it really natural (reflex)? Perhaps he plays volley ball a lot?? But that’s entertaining regardless.
I just finished Ep-2 last evening… looking forward to your next post! Thanks again, Samsooki.
I took a vacation on Kdramas because I couldn’t find one that was worth watching… until now. WOW, within ten minutes I am hook on City Hall… thanks for the recap. I fell over laughing when the Mayor said that he has lived his entire life without knowing the meaning of the words “chicken legs”.
@93 ilcu4
Welcome back to k-dramas, CH is truly an original and takes the cake. You will also be rewarded with many more hilarious double-entendres.
wow! i so love kim sun ah..i’m a super fan of hers especially in my lovely sam soon..i’ll find time to watch city hall. i think it’s a great tv series..kahnsamnidah for posting!!
This is really beautifully written – real good introduction and I just
love the way you introduced the different characters – how witty!
I love the very artistic layout of this recap too – well chosen pics.
Real wonderful to see Suna in a drama again and she looks
absolutely cute and adorable and sweet and her costar – is simply
delicious. What an awesome pair! Thanks Samsooki and team for
taking up this project.
Finally!! All i have to say sincerely from the bottom of my heart is that this drama is one of theee best! i agree the couple of beginning episodes are a little choppy to digest, still humorous though but once you get past that- “BOOM” it’s just….. i have no words to describe it– adorable, damn spankin’ funny, heart warming, delicious! hahahaha.. kim sun ah and cha seung won have a wonderful undeniable chemistry..This drama will truly make your day! Now what are you waiting for, GO WATCH IT!!! =)
Yehey!!!! City Hall recaps! I was hoping someone would do it. Thanks Samsooki and Javabeans.
I cannot get enough of City Hall. For me, the drama is so great that…
* I have watched all 20 episodes twice already, plus numerous fave scenes countless times.
* I am eagerly awaiting the release of the DVD box set in SG. (I have watched a lot of shows but i rarely buy the box set unless its so good).
* I wanted to read the drama recaps from other fans to see and compare our perspectives as the story unfolded.
Having the drama recap on javabeans is just perfect (i visit your site daily, you know!) and will certainly sustain my current City Hall addiction.
I like the role of KSA here because in her previous shows- When it’s at night and My name is Kim Sam Soon, she played different roles as well. slightly similar, but as usual, her acting prowess gives much insight to her roles. LOVE IT. Jo Gook is cute too:D
You’re heaven-sent Samsooki and team. Your recap is compact and precise. You hit all the highlights of the episode. Yes, just like you, I’ve never felt this way about any drama series I’ve ever watched. City Hall is totally a new and exhilarating experience for me. The plot, the characters, the cast, the sound tracks, too. It won me since part 1 of the initial episode, politics included. It has touched me so much that I was moved to make a review which I have never done before in spite of the many Kdrama watching I’ve done.
I’m so glad there’s a whole lot of Kdrama viewers who share the same sentiments for this drama.
Go, go, go, Samsooki!
samsooki,
thanks so much for the recaps. you are right about the first few episodes. i actually started a number of kdrama last may (boys over flowers, cinderella man, kingdom of the winds and cityhall). i finished boys over flowers and the feeling was when you eat too much of something you just wish you didnt at all. i dropped cinderella man because i cant take the leading lady. kingdom, i dropped with a promise to return. with city hall, i actually dropped it after the first 3 episodes. i didnt like cha seung won at first. i just picked up city hall again when there was a broken link in cinderella man so i decided to look back. and after that, i was hooked. cha seung won is like sushi, he is an acquired taste. but once you start liking it, there is no end to it. i love how his eyes are so expressive. sometimes i wonder if its just me but his eyes have different emotions. and sun-ah is a revelation. im so used to seeing her in a comedy role that i was caught off-guard when she showed her soft, vulnerable and very dramatic side. she is most effective without words. i just love her.
thank you for your recaps. and im eagerly waiting for your comments. like everyone, i wonder how you will recap episode 16 to 20.
i also saw the city hall dvd. the ones we have here are the compressed dvd9 that has all episodes in one dvd. i was so tempted because i havent discovered bon subs when i saw the dvd ( i was watching throught viikii and mysoju). but when i asked to test it, i noticed that the translation were taken from chinese audio. the town was even called a different name, definitely not Inju. (from my experiences with these dvds, the subs are horrible. the names are used inconsistently. female and male pronouns are used interchangeably. just not understandable. so i told my friends to go to viikii and watch it there.)
anyway, just as much as i wanted my own copy, i stopped myself from getting the dvd. i dont want anything to destroy my love of city hall.
I must say, I was bored by the beginning of the first episode so I didn’t continue this drama… however, I thought I would revisit it b/c nothing else out there seemed interesting to watch, and City Hall did not disappoint. Wow. KSH and CSW have some amazing chemistry and their comedic timing is impeccable. I normally don’t like the look that CSW has, but he made a fan out of me. But one question… why does KSH’s character have smelly hair? Is it b/c she sells fish part time? That would be a major turn off for me if I were a guy.
i loved this show! i missed the last episode, but thankfully my mom watched and told me. i honestly never knew anything about korean soaps until she told me and i started watching them with her. now im addicted. soooo much better than american soaps! more realistic and romantic without being sleazy. good job guys!!! i love it so much i want to learn the lanuage!!!!!!!!! OH OH OH CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE OPENING SONG IS? I LOVE IT SO MUCH I HAVE NO IDEA I WANT TO D’L'IT TO MY IPOD!!!!
i love you kimsunah you are best actor korean. i love you .a am lover you
dear kimsunah please send for me email your