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Triple: Episode 8

Somebody commented (sorry, I forget who) in a previous post that this is a drama whose flavor gets lost in the retelling, and to an extent I’ve got to agree. Well, all dramas lose something in the recapping process — there’s no way mere words can equal acting, filming, music, and mood — but Triple is one of those that is especially dependent on execution. Like an indie movie. So I hope you’d judge this drama for what it is after you’ve seen it — it really is much better that way.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lucite Tokki – “기다리는 하루” (Awaited Day) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 8: “Injury”

Episode 8 opens with the theme of the day, as Haru narrates that one injury can lose an athlete her career, or require a long recovery period before she can jump again.

An injured Haru is taken to the hospital. Hwal bursts in and has to be told to leave the room while Haru is under examination; Haru keeps her face averted. He waits anxiously outside with Su-in and Hyun-tae for the results.

This collision of physical and mental pain has her directing her emotional outburst at Hwal: Hyun-tae offers to drive Su-in’s car back so the others can go together, but Haru pulls back and says she’d rather go with Hyun-tae. Hwal knows that Haru’s reaction is because of her feelings for him, but he doesn’t have the patience for her protests and picks her up to put her inside the car.

I think there were comments that blamed Haru for acting immaturely here, but I don’t know, I sympathize quite strongly with her. She’s an eighteen-year-old girl (which would make her seventeen by Western standards) who has just been injured, is scared that she’ll never skate again, and is being treated like a child by the person she likes (ostensibly her first love).

I find Haru’s reaction really realistic, to the extent where I was a bit angry with Hwal for putting her into the car — he knows Haru has feelings for him and that alone should make physical contact a particularly touchy issue, pardon the pun. She’s feeling raw and vulnerable, and Hwal just picks her up and deposits her in the car. (A guy who forcibly exerts his wishes without regard for the girl’s feelings would infuriate me.)

Hyun-tae is the odd one out in this situation, having less of a claim to either Haru or Su-in, and therefore he comes home separately. As he mopes, Hae-yoon seems to take a sympathetic line… until he pantses (pants?) him, yanking down his sweats and telling him to get his act together. HA. Thank goodness Hae-yoon isn’t just The Voice, but also the Voice of Reason.

Back at the hospital, Su-in and Hwal speak with the doctor and are told that Haru has had a weak knee ever since the car accident five years ago. Haru has never shown signs of pain, and Hwal frustratedly says that she should have spoken up if she was hurting. Su-in blames herself, thinking that Haru was particularly stressed out over the music glitch.

When they tell Haru her diagnosis — it’s mostly inflammation and she is prescribed rest — she perks up because she doesn’t think it’s serious. She wants to head back to practice immediately, which sparks Hwal’s temper because he feels she’s being foolish and stubborn.

During the drive home, Su-in makes an attempt at a friendly gesture by suggesting they all go out to eat. Haru turns her down, preferring to go home; her resentment is left unspoken but fills the air with tension.

In contrast, Haru brightens to her normal upbeat self when greeting Hae-yoon and Hyun-tae. While Hwal is partly to blame for Haru’s coolness to him, I think he feels left out by the slight — as though he had taken her sunny attitude for granted and now misses it. Not that he’d ever admit that.

But once in her own room, Haru takes down her Euro-Asia skating poster and lets herself cry.

Hye-jin surprises Su-in by showing up unannounced at her house and asking her to be her coach again. If Su-in agrees, Hye-jin is sure she can persuade her mother to agree. The request takes Su-in by surprise and she asks, “Didn’t you hate training with me?”

Hye-jin had done well at the competition without Su-in, but she feels the difference with a new coach and replies, “You’re right, I was really annoyed and I hated you a lot, but I don’t think there’s anyone who’s as good as you. So much that it’s embarrassing. Please make me into a much better skater than I am now.”

The next morning, Hae-yoon goes looking for Haru to announce breakfast, but finds that she’s gone. She has gone to the ice rink alone, and skates around the empty rink.

When she comes home, she finds Hyun-tae in the yard and wonders how he’s handling the fact that the person he likes likes someone else: “Don’t you want to split them apart?” He says yes, but advises her not to give her coach a hard time, even if she’s hurting.

She jokes that Hyun-tae’s a fool, and he concedes, “Well, people in love are fools. Haru, you’re a fool.” Haru teases back, “Oppa, you’re a fool too.”

Hae-yoon chides her gently for leaving the house without notice. Hwal is less gentle; he glowers and scolds her, saying that she worried them by slipping away. Haru retorts, “Since when did you worry like that?”

This sparks a more serious argument, and he yells that she’s not supposed to skate. Defiantly, she throws back at him the words he’d once said to her: “It’s none of your business so butt out.”

(Again, I can see where some might see Haru as a brat here, but I cheered her on in this exchange.)

Haru continues to ignore the recommendation to rest and shows up at the ice rink again, surprising Su-in and Hye-jin. Frustrated with her stubbornness, Su-in pulls her aside and instructs her to keep off the ice until she gives her consent. Haru protests — she’s fine, so why can’t she skate?

Haru seems shaken when Su-in tells her heatedly that she might put herself at risk for good, but she gets on the ice anyway (with tears in her eyes).

Unable to get through to Haru, Su-in calls Hwal, who is in a celebratory meeting with the Bok Man Chicken president. Tonight is the premiere of their commercial, and they have gathered in the office to watch it during the 9pm news hour. Hwal hesitates when he sees the call, but this is an important moment and he puts the phone away.

Su-in tries Hyun-tae next, who steps aside to take the call. Hearing the problem, he excuses himself from the gathering and heads over to the rink, where he assures Su-in that he’ll get Haru off the ice.

The guys face a problem when the ad doesn’t air in the news hour, so Hwal assures them that they must have meant the ad would show in the post-news slot. So they wait another hour, but still no ad airs. Hae-yoon gets on the phone to see what happened, but the president exhibits his indignation by pouring a bottle of beer over Hwal’s head.

Hyun-tae’s method of getting Haru off the ice is hardly subtle, but therein lies its effectiveness. He falls purposely, exaggerating his groans of pain. Hyun-tae tells Haru sympathetically that he understands that she’s pushed herself into a corner with her pride and can’t back down now, even though she wants to. After all, she’s been on the ice for hours, and she must be tired.

He leans in and says conspiratorially, “In times like this, just pretend you’re beat. Watch.” Then Hyun-tae makes a big show of saying he wants to continue skating, making it seem like Haru is insisting that he stop because he’s hurt. He pretends that Haru is steering him off the ice and then “concedes” that they can both stop because he’s not up for it.

When they arrive home that night, Hyun-tae tells Hwal, “You should answer your phone.” Then he reconsiders, “No, don’t.”

Hwal looks at his call log, finding it full of missed calls from Su-in, and calls back. She explains what happened, and asks him not to get upset with Hyun-tae since he helped.

Although Haru and Hyun-tae don’t have any romantic chemistry going on, I really like their interactions together, since they seem to understand each other. Take this scene when Hyun-tae shows Haru a mock presentation of her skating career on the blackboard, tracing the trajectory of her injuries.

When the graph is done, it resembles a skate, and he asks, “Do you remember every moment when you hit the very bottom?” (She answers no.) He continues, “Aren’t you just one moment in that graph now?” It’s a nice way of getting his point across as he reminds her that her injuries are just one moment, but that it’s important to take care of herself now.

Haru goes to Su-in, but rather than treating her with surliness like last time, now she is contrite as she admits that she was afraid when she fell. She’d worked so hard to resume her skating that she feared that if she stopped, even for a short while, she might not be able to find her way back.

Su-in suggests that Haru take a break to be with her family for a while. Haru says, “I was punished. I think that’s why I was hurt. I destroyed that CD. I’m sorry.” Su-in is baffled at why Haru would do that, but Haru keeps her head down regretfully.

Having failed in their last attempt to show their chicken ad, the Bond Factory guys again convene in the Bok Man president’s office to screen the finished product. The mood is tense as they anxiously await the president’s reaction, which is — thankfully! — pleased. He thanks them for a job well done, and they sigh in relief.

In a good mood from that success, Hae-yoon goes to Sang-hee’s bar, where Jae-wook (a hockey player) makes him think of Haru. He asks, “When athletes get injured, do they get depressed? Do they suddenly get angry or upset, like they’d want to die?” Jae-wook responds that he’d rather get revenge than die, which amuses Hae-yoon.

Feeling generous, Hae-yoon tells Jae-wook to move back in, knowing he’s roaming around without a permanent place to live. Jae-wook declines, saying he prefers the jimjilbang (public sauna), but Hae-yoon chides him for being foolish and tells him to move back. Sang-hee looks at him, touched at his thoughtfulness because she wanted to say the same thing but had been holding back.

And then she wonders, “Wait. This is my place, so why do I have to get your permission?” She turns to Jae-wook and tells him, “Sleep here, with MY permission.” It’s cute.

That night, Haru looks past the closet separating her room from Hwal’s and calls over tentatively, “Can I go over to you?” It’s nice how such a simple statement carries a clear double meaning, which you can read in Hwal’s (amusingly) alarmed expression.

Haru makes her way to his room, and when she stops in front of him, she raises a hand to his face. Uncomfortable, he holds her hand to pull it away, and she asks, “What should I do? Can I really go?” She’s referring to the suggestion to go back down to her father’s house, and Hwal advises her to take some time to recover and work things over in her mind (as in, to get over her feelings for him).

She’s not sure she can get over her feelings and says, “Words like ‘You’ll forget in time’ or ‘Later on, you’ll be able to talk about this with a smile’ all seem like a lie.” Still, she’s going to give it a try because she agrees to return home tomorrow. Haru hugs him and apologizes for acting like a brat.

The next morning, Haru leaves the house, driven by Hae-yoon who jokingly tells her that if she doesn’t return, he’ll kidnap her back. As she goes, Hwal calls Haru’s father to let him know that Haru has had a minor injury and is on her way down for a temporary stay.

I like that Hwal calls from Haru’s empty room, and that he feels her absence but can’t quite bring himself to see her off with friendliness like Hae-yoon or Hyun-tae. They’ve always been the affectionate big brothers to her so they can tease her now, but Hwal has difficulty overcoming his own gruff nature. (And Lee Jung-jae does such a great job showing that conflict naturally within the character.)

Back after winning the gold medal, Poong-ho bursts into the rink looking for Haru, only to hear that she’s been injured and went back to her father’s house. Alarmed, he pesters Hye-jin for details, causing her to snap in annoyance, “If you want to know, ask her yourself!”

He does just that, making his way to Haru’s family home, and the adorable thing is how he keeps his gold medal out even though it’s raining and he’s wearing a plastic parka.

It’s also hilarious how quickly and eagerly Poong-ho prostrates himself on the floor as he greets Haru’s father and Coach Nam, then joins them for dinner (keeping the medal on). When asked about it, he puts it on Haru and announces that it’s a gift for her, since he promised to win it on her behalf.

The adults laugh in amusement as Poong-ho continues in his childlike courtship. He says things like, “Promise me that you won’t ever get hurt again, and I promise not to leave your side ever again.” Haru’s reaction is to point out that he can’t go to overseas meets anymore, then, and he corrects her: “No, I’ll take you with me in my bag.”

Haru may not be happy to see Poong-ho, but let it be noted that her protests are fairly weak. (While she used to shove him aside in annoyance, now her reaction is more like an eye-roll.)

He prods her, “Tell me the truth, you’re glad I’m here, right?” He sets out their schedule for the next day, starting with a morning jog and training session. As promised, he wakes Haru up early (with Wal) and drags her along for a jog.

I admit the editing is pretty abrupt as the puppy runs into the street just as an incoming truck screeches to a halt. Shaken, they rush over, and Poong-ho keeps Haru away from the sight — his solemn reaction scares her and tells her everything she needs to know.

Hyun-tae drops by the rink, this time to let her know that Haru has gone home. While I wouldn’t say she’s glad to see him, at least by now she’s no longer upset at his constant appearances, and she feels grateful for his help in managing Haru.

Their conversation is interrupted by a phone call from the hospital that sends her into a panic over her mother’s health. Hyun-tae guesses the nature of the call and offers a ride on his motorcycle — it’s rush hour, so car traffic will be bad.

She arrives at the hospital to find that her mother has lost consciousness and is hooked up to a respirator. Su-in calls Hwal in tears, and he agrees to come out right away. All the while, Hyun-tae keeps a respectful distance, quietly offering her a seat and a drink.

(I think the point is that Hyun-tae is always there, anticipating her needs while Hwal is far away. When Hwal decided — however reluctantly — not to pick up her phone call, Hyun-tae answered his phone and came out to save the day. I don’t think the point has been handled particularly skillfully, though, because it’s not like Hwal is away out of disinterest or lack of concern — the circumstances have just placed Hyun-tae closer.)

Following the car accident, Poong-ho and Haru dig a grave in the backyard and give Wal a funeral. (I wonder if this is a symbolic gesture for her feelings for Hwal?)

Poong-ho apologizes for dragging her along on the run, while Haru says she’d like to meet Wal again in the next life. She wonders sadly, “Am I not supposed to like someone? If I like something, why does it leave so quickly?”

Poong-ho guesses (not that it’s much of a guess), “You like somebody, don’t you? And you’re having a hard time because of that?”

He pulls her to him in a hug. Haru balks at first, but she makes no move to push him away or leave as he continues:

Poong-ho: “It doesn’t matter to me who you like. Right now is what’s most important to me. I want to do everything without regrets. I won’t give up on you. Don’t talk about next lives or the next chance or whatever. What’s most important to you right now is skating. Focus on skating. I’ll protect you.”

Now that Sang-hee’s relationship with Hae-yoon is on solid ground, she wants to make some kind of gesture, and asks Jae-wook what guys like. His fantasy involves a woman waking him up and cooing that breakfast is ready, dressed as Catwoman; imo it’s kind of lame, but it’s worth it to see Sang-hee dressed (kind of) as a cat that night, sneaking to Hae-yoon’s room by way of the roof. She grunts and awkwardly makes her way into the room, which is cute for its unromantic-ness.

And then, when she drops inside the window, it’s the wrong room. HAHA. She’s climbed into Haru’s empty room, so she creeps along until she enters Hae-yoon’s.

She wakes him up, and as he mutters groggily, she announces cheerily, “Jo-kun! This is a dream.”

While he’s still grumpily waking up, she kisses his forehead and tells him, “You’ve been upset a lot because of me, but I’m so thankful that you were patient and stayed with me. Who else would put up with me? Let’s live happily for a long, long time. Jo-kun, you’re the best.”

At that, he has to burst out laughing. A little while later, he looks over at her while she’s sound asleep, and thanks her for putting up with his temper. He asks, knowing she can’t hear, “Should we live together?”

When Su-in’s mother wakes up, she speaks alone with Hwal for a moment, telling him that he’s the only person Su-in has. She asks him to be accepting of Su-in and to stay with her.

(Dying mother’s deathbed request = not burdensome, no not at ALL!)

That evening, as Hwal walks around deep in thought, he takes out Haru’s trampoline on a whim and starts to jump on it. His phone rings, and he answers — it’s Haru.

She tells him, “Like you said, I’ve worked things out. I’m only going to think about skating now. Can I come back to Seoul?”

It’s my inference that Hwal is relieved that (1) Haru is speaking to him normally again, and (2) that she’s returning, but with his reticent nature he doesn’t tell her that. He answers that she can do whatever she wants because it doesn’t matter to him, but his words have no bite to them, so Haru understands that he’s okay with it.

Haru’s narration: “When you pass through a dark, difficult tunnel, the most important attitude to have is composure. Get rid of impatience, and when you’re facing difficult moments, at some point the end of the tunnel will appear. And if you’re a little lucky, you might be able to see a beautiful clear sky.”

 
COMMENTS

I must confess that the level of disgust leveled by some at the Haru-Hwal storyline has me perplexed. Maybe I don’t feel that disgust because it has never been my opinion that these two are being paired together for an eventual relationship. I say this without knowing any particular spoilers, but based on Lee Jung-jae’s comments in a recent interview, I really don’t think the series is going there.

Even if they did go there, I’m not against the pairing, age gap be damned. I just don’t think it will happen. For one, the romantic feelings are entirely on Haru’s side — and who among us has not felt an adolescent crush on somebody much older? One of my first celebrity crushes was in fact on Lee Jung-jae, soon followed by Keanu Reeves back in his Speed days (hey, he was hot) — and he was probably more than double my age at that point. For that matter, how many of the fans who have actor-crushes on Kang Ji-hwan (32) or Song Seung-heon (32) or Jang Dong-gun (37) or Lee Byung-heon (39) are in their teens? Is that creepy too, or just part of teenage emotions?

Triple is laying out Haru’s feelings for Hwal, not pushing us to accept them as right or wrong. I find it similar to Jung Il-woo and Seo Min-jung in High Kick — he was the rebellious high school student, she was his sweet, well-meaning teacher — and no way that was going to happen, but I thrilled at every development just the same. It also has shades of the pseudo-romantic connection in Lost in Translation or Beautiful Girls — at best, there may be romance in the moment but not a realistic future.

As to the other charge, that Haru is behaving like a brat — well, she is. But I don’t find her any less likable for it, and actually identify with her a lot. Maybe I feel a bias because I think I’d react in a similar way, but I can see things from her point of view. She’s not blaming Hwal for not liking her back — she’s trying to figure out how to deal with her feelings and feels hurt when Hwal (inadvertently, or unknowingly) disregards her for someone else. She’s trying to keep to herself and Hwal doesn’t let her (with his hot temper, he’s the type to confront), and it’s when he pushes her that she acts out. If he’d left her alone, she’d brood quietly, out of his way.

When she does snap at him — like when she retorts for him to mind his own business — I think she has a legitimate point. Hwal has treated her like a dispensable being, and we see that he’s growing fond of her but he isn’t willing to admit it just yet, so in that respect he has been taking her cheerfulness and attention for granted. (By “taking for granted” I’m referring to the way Haru looks after Hwal, not just in doing house chores but in the way she goes out of her way to be solicitous and thoughtful.)

Despite all this, I don’t dislike Hwal, and I think he’s caught in a truly difficult spot. I appreciate that Hwal is put into an awkward position, because he doesn’t want to encourage her feelings, but he also doesn’t want to hurt her unduly with a harsh rejection. Yet while this is all initiated by Haru, I don’t see the conflict as purely the result of a bratty girl throwing a silly tantrum, either. It’s more complicated than that, as is the case with messy human emotions.

 
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I think u make me fall in love with Lee Jung Jea,javabean

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great recap~~~ as always ^^b

and i definitely agree. i mean im not a fan of the haru-hwal thing but also am not completely grossed out only b/c i dont think it will happen. as in, i dont think they will end up together in that way. it seems like its just adolescent love~~ (((but omgsh poongho is too adorable!!! eee!!!)))

hyuntae tho. SIGH. his character needs to do something different b/c his annoying obsession is hard to relate to. i wanna smack him out of it haha i hope his character goes somewhere after all of this.

and as morose as su-in tends to be, she does tend to come to life a bit when shes around hwal. as in... she actually has somewhat of a personality. i just hope her character develops as well b/c it seems kinda regretful if she doesnt?

and -of course- sang hee and her "jo gun" are too cute!! love The Voice and love his character

ahhh i am just loving the drama so far in general :) its got this very .... nostalgic??? feel to it that i like.

cant wait to see the recaps for 9 and 10!

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thanks for the recap! my fav scene was towards the end with sang hee and hae yoon. "you're the best"...her speech brought the biggest smile on my face. LOVE their relationship and how it's panned out.

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as you watch later episodes it gets harder to believe that the Hwal and Haru storyline will not go there. Trust me very, VERY hard to believe that.

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DUDE! spoilers!

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i agree. i think that Haru is just acting the way any other person her age would act and might just have this HUGE crush on Hwal. Also, in the beginning, i really didn't think that there would be a romantic relationship between Haru and Hwal, but as this drama progresses, it seems that the people behind it are going towards that direction.
i am hoping that that doesn't happen though coz i want Haru and Poong-ho to be together in the end. Poong-ho seems to have sincere feelings for Haru, and i hope Haru recognizes and reciprocates those feelings in the end. And it doesn't hurt that Poong-ho is such a cutie, and anything he does is just SOO adorable.

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excellent review! im glad the characters are making some headway in their relationships......... its still like russian roulette as to who ends up with who, though.

btw swallow the sun is now airing!!!! i caught the raw episode 1, its looks interesting, high budget, albeit abit cliche (love story in vegas!) ... would <3 to read your take!

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I totally don't mind the two of them together at all. Age is really just a number to me and I think if the series went a bit forward into the future I could see something going on between them. I find that Haru is the only one who can open Hwal up....Su In is just....kind of boring to me.

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omg javabeans is a fellow haru and hwal shipper!!!! *hugs*

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They didn't have to kill the puppy for the sake of symbolism. I'm not animal rights activist or anything but I felt bad for little Wal.

Other than that, great show... I'm still waiting for subs from last weeks eps but I've definitely enjoyed what I've seen so far.

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Hey JB!

We are just about to start Triple, so we are about, oh 8 episodes behind the rest of you guys! See you guys in about 12 episodes, when we will be caught up by then maybe!

Thank you so much for your recaps!

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question:
"She’s an eighteen-year-old girl (which would make her seventeen by Western standards)" what does that mean?? O_O?

and ok, don't listen to me if you don't want to because i've only seen like three episodes of this show, but age issues aside, hwal and haru just straight up look awful together! i'm still gonna hope for a haru and hyun-tea story to develop or a haru and poong ho story. but NOT haru/hwal HE LOOKS LIKE HER HER UNCLE PEOPLE.

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I really like Poong-ho and Haru interactions! I'm totally vouching for them. PU-LEEEEEZ be together!! :)

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You said it right Javabeans, about the relationship between Haru and Hwal, I can't agree more!

And exactly, tell us if there aren't readers here who still at their teens, and idolized someone twice their ages?

I've seen ep. 9-10, but still I believe that they are not going to happen. Hwal is just confused with his feeling - like Haru, finding this new emotion and the relationship with his 'new' sister. And his complicated relationship with Su In doesn't help either.

I love how Poong Ho reacts to Haru, even he made it clear that he likes her, he doesn't really push her to accept him. And for the next 2 eps, he got more screentime! :D

The rating is bad, isn't it? But then, people also didn't quite like Story of a Man and City Hall too, so I think we should not worry about it, right?

I'm waiting for your next recap Javabeans, thank you!

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With the trendy music, the trendy clothes, the trendy idea of let's go off mainstream and start over ourselves, I felt, wow, this totally has that Coffee Prince vibe. I think that while the packaging was very Coffee Prince, this really isn't Coffee Prince.

Not that it's a bad thing -- I've learned to let go, seeing comparing this to Coffee Prince can lead up to expectations and then to disappointment...

I am really not sure how I'm feeling about the Hwal-Haru storyline...And where Hyung-tae is really veering off to...and yes, I did realize that Haru and Hyung-tae have some sort of mutual understanding going on. Argh! It's just so frustrating since unlike most kdramas, the main pairings aren't so obvious this time! Perhaps that's a good thing!

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I quite understand and agree on JavaB's comments regarding the Hwal-Haru situation....
I agree that there's hardly a chance that Haru and Hwal will become a couple, nonetheless, the Hwal-Haru interaction is the biggest thing that keeps me watching....

....i dont mind though, if the storyline will surprise us by making them a couple, really, actually, sometimes, i would hope they would be(sorry but i really dont see them as related) .... someone said Hwal looks like an uncle (Lmao on that!!^-^ funny)... i say, Haru looks like 13-14 for an eighteen year old! LOL! Oh well... ok, ok, he does look older...but, but, .... *stubborn* ok, ill just watch what happens then.....

before people will start saying i'am crazy and unstable! ^-^

thanks JavaB!

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Lately, the relationships are getting better. Hyun-Tae is being less stalkerish... Sang-Hee and Hae Yoon are now balanced, and Haru and Hwal have now sorted out their feelings.

I think I can get back to enjoying this drama since I can't keep up with the drama of 7 people and their love lives all at once.

Thanks for the recaps~ ^^

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I see a lot of people don't think that Haru and Hwal will happen but I'm going to take a leap and say it will happen. What's wrong if it did? This story is what keeps me around and loving every minute of it. One minute your pulled here and then later your pulled somewhere else, its like a roller coaster and I love it. :)

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@MEIKO (my housemate)

He looks like her Uncle...admit it....definitely not a chance...

and yeah u're on the verge of insanity...lol!!

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I am rooting for the Haru and PoongHo relationship... he is so sweet to her without being creepy like Hyun Tae. It really bugs me that he seems to have no problem going for his best friend's wife, just b/c he experienced love at first sight. He needs to choose friendship over what he thinks is love. And Although I want Hwal and Su In to get back together, somehow, i feel that their relationship is doomed... there just isn't any sparks between them which I don't know is intentional by the Pds or actually a lack of chemistry.

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OH, and compared to Air City, Lee Jung Jae's acting here is soooo much better. I think I'm in love.

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@Piano...
aha! I see, am not the only one who is wishing and hoping.....^-^
*grinning*
am normal with just strong emotions....LOL!!!

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@Susie

Yes, you are right... i dont see any chem between those two (Hwal and Su In)....nothing....really...

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OMG , come on guys Lee Jung Jae is hot. Every movie this guy has been in is smokin. When he rips open that shirt it is hotness galore. Hot damn that man is sexy, watch the movie An Affair and you'll know what I mean.

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No Haru & Hwal please. PLEASE just don't go there.

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@12 loveydovey, Haru's 18 Korean age, 17 Western Age. That's because in Korea (and a few other asian countries, i think) a person is 1 year old from the moment they're born, whereas in the western world, you're 1 a year after you're born, so there's a "1-year age difference" depending on where you are. So like, I'm 17 in the US but my grandma in korea tells her friends she has an 18 year old granddaughter. hope you understood my horrible explanation(:

Anywho. i really love poong-ho. i have this habit of rewatching poong-ho parts because he's so adorkable. i'm watching the episodes on viikii because i lost essentially all my korean after starting kindergarten in the states (lol... it was my primary language for the first 4 yrs of my life, but NO LONGER!) so i require english subs. i've noticed though that a LOT of people have issues with the haru/hwal relationship possibility, to the extent that it's being deemed incestuous and gross.

personally, i don't have a problem with it. I've said it before and i'll say it again. They don't seem like they really ever had much of a brother-sister relationship. Like, yeah, okay, their parents were married so they were step-siblings (read: NOT BLOOD RELATED) and they lived in the same house, but it doesn't seem like Hwal was around much (recall the first or second episode where Haru tells Hae-Yoon that Hwal didn't eat with the family, that he was always working). I don't know. I don't find it incestuous or "gross." It's a big age gap, yeah, but honestly? My parents are 14 years apart, so its plausible.

i love your recaps, javabeans(:<3 i like reading them after i watch the episodes. its like, getting to go over my favorite moments, and think about things a different way, and kind of just rehash everything that went down in the episode. but i totally agree that the full flavor of this drama gets lost in recapping. words just cant really convey the atmosphere thats created by the acting and the music and the pacing & overall execution.

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Can we please have a moment of silence for the cute puppy that has lost his life for the sake of symbolism.
I'm actually a bit angry that they had to kill the cutest thing in the show over Haru's feelings, SOMEONE CALL PETA ASAP! XD
On another note I really like the flow of this episode, even though the puppy's death was so quick and without notice I think this is how realistic change happens, like you give things a thought but when that feeling of change comes it's not gradually but like a hit in the gut, an awakening of some sort.
POONG HO WHY SO ADORABLES BBS?!
I'm really rooting for the two, one because they compliment eachother and two because they love alike, so simple mindedly and yet give all their feelings into it.
What I love the most about this drama is that it's easy flowing and the angst isn't thrown in your face. It reminds me a lot of coffee prince how you could literally feel an episode.
For me I can't help but start to like Hyun tae though annoying at first I can understand the way he crushes or loves someone like Haru he does it simple mindedly giving his all in order to make the one he likes happy. Though he does it in a selfish manner, isn't love selfish in the first place. Seeing Him realize that maybe he doesn't stand a chance with she who should have got hit by the truck instead makes me see him in a new light. He isn't so selfish after all and though childish he understands you can't control ones heart and you can't force attraction. But I don't blame him for trying so hard earlier in my opinion she didn't put up much of a fight, which is why I can't bring myself to like her. Much like that woman who was paired with the voice in Coffee Prince (woman gets mad because he of the sexy voice gets shaken up by go eun chan while she's leading han Kyul on and dated that one dude while knowing this guy loved her sfm. PSH!)

Thanks javabeans :]

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@24 Piano...

LMAO!!!!! ill check him out.... ^-^

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Some very nice acting by Min Hyo-rin.. and I completely agree with your comments.

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@Meiko:

"i say, Haru looks like 13-14 for an eighteen year old!"

ooh, and isn't she like 23/24-ish in reality?
Gah, those anti-aging hormones!

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oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god
you need to see episode 9 & 10 ASAP ASAP ASAP
!
)@(#*)(*@)(#*$ :D :D :D :D :O ! :D :D :O )@(#*#()

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! LOL i can't wait for you to watch them hahhahaha. *SO TEMPTED TO SPOIL YOU*

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I've been spoiled enough already about them and it kinda pisses me off. Spoilers just make me not want to watch anymore, which is why I try so hard to keep this place spoiler-free.

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I do not find anything wrong with haru's actions, totally support hwal and haru! but this is a little confusing.... aren't they half brother and sister? in a typical korean drama, a certain someone would pop up and oppose to their relationship (heaven knows why) and they would spend a few eps looking at each other in romantic pain. so the big question is," is haru and hwal's relationship taboo in the korean society??" not that I want complications, but it would be a little weird not having them in this show when it had been an issue in so many other shows, regardless of whether it was a misunderstanding, i.e. winter sonata, autumn in my heart etc.

@27 yumi chan
omg I can't believe they would do that to the dog as well! that is just plain cruel.

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@30 Biscuit

REALLY??!!! wow, i havent check her biodata...and i thought she's somewhere around 17-18...

mmm....what is she taking?! want one!!

and ooohhh...if she's really twenty something...*giggle* ....then the more I can picture her and Hwal together....*giggle*

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@33 sugarpunch

Haru's mom got married to Hwal's dad (people correct me if im mistaken), not really related by blood.... and from what i understood, the two havent had any communication for years so there wasnt a sisterly-brotherly relationship that has been going on....

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hahaha!!! funny
poongho followed her in their house same situation with hyuntae chasing with
su in OMG!!! what a kind of story made me sick .yah ! there's is somene i know
that she don't watch the drama if not yet finish all the episode because that will
make her sick .Waiting the next episode for one week it takes so long to wait
OMG!! i'm craving for the next ep.

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I quite like the Haru-Hwal relationship, myself. It's realistic, and sensitively done. Hey, inappropriate crushes are an essential part of the growing up process! When I was a teenager I had a mild crush on a cousin - mind you, he is once removed and was living on the other side of the planet - but I wasn't sent straight to hell and have managed to grow up fairly normal. :-) I think the Haru-Hwal dynamic is nicely done because it's not gratuitous. It really tells you something about each of their characters and journeys - his inability to deal with awkward emotions, her frankness and courage. When someone a lot longer older and apparently a rather cool adult is initially aloof but then starts to thaw and show some tantalising signs of humanity and care, I think it's unnatural for a girl, away from home and in a new environment, NOT to develop a crush!

I wonder whether some people are freaked out by the Haru-Hwal thing because they haven't followed the plot and don't realise that they're not blood-related?

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I think, most of the people that don't like Hwal-Haru's pairing find that Lee Jung Jae is not 'cute' or 'handsome' enough.
I read comments - they mostly stated that LJJ looks like her uncle, bla bla.
Lee Jung Jae IS not that handsome for general taste, I have to admit that.
While other 'fake incest' like Eunsuh and Junsuh in Autumn's Tale was more favorable because viewers thought Song Seung Hun & Song Hye Gyo looked good together.

At this point I won't choose Haru/Hwal or Haru/Poong Ho. I want them to be happy! :D
Poong Ho is adorable - he definitely looks great with Haru - double cuteness - but maybe he's not suitable for her.

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I think what wierds me out about it is that, even though Hwal never thought of Haru as his sister, Haru considered Hwal her brother the whole time. Then she moves in and is like "Hmm.... my brother's kind of hot, let's redefine, shall we?" Which, I guess is a typical teenage thing to do when you have a crush. The whole situation is not so icky if it's just Haru crushing on Hwal (me myself, I would have picked The Voice), but it gets super icky if Hwal reciprocates. Admit it, when have you ever heard of a 30 something man dating a teenage girl and not said "ewwww." If she was a couple years older I think I'd be alright but the character is and acts every bit of 17/18.

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You know your good and I say you’re really, really good. You’re brilliant putting your thoughts into words. I’m quite flabbergasted reading your analysis coz it’s what on my mind but unable to form the right lexis. I’m working on how I could enjoy the series without questioning the writer’s point of view. The story is getting me no where. It’s like firecracker; making you excited coz its shining out there and in a split second it just disappear. It’s a pity that despite the good directing, excellent actors I couldn’t feel the drama but still I’m really crossing my fingers (I do) on the coming chapters. I wouldn’t miss Lee Jung-jae for the world (lol) blamed it to Il Mare.

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I loooooove your recaps Javabeans !! I saw episodes 9&10, don't worry i won't do spoilers !
Well i agree with you; Haru's reactions and behavior are completely realistic since she's 17... (oh my she's 17?! so young!)
BTW i was so freakin shocked when Wal died ! It was so unexpected, poor little doggie *why?* T__T
I love everytime Poong-Ho appears, he's sooooooo cute ! I want him with Haru, really ! I don't wand to see Hwal & Haru as a couple, she's so, i don't know, Hwal is a man, a real man who's too mature for Haru, she's childish next to him..I know they're not bloody related but the age gap bothers me too..
If the drama will end with them as lovers, i'll be very very disappointed.

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@ katy rose.: thank you! lol no it was a really good explanation wow that's interestig i never knew that.

@z: lol i agree about the part that haru thought of hwal as her brother and then actually started liking him, it is a little weird. but even thought they're not blood, they would just make a TERRIBLE couple. in Who Are You, yoon kye sang actually looked good with his younger girlfriend; i don't know, maybe they should of picked a younger looking hwal. or handsomer.

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i think you did a great job analyzing haru's character! well im a teen as well and my actor crush now is cha seungwon... :0 !!!

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i find the age thing a little gross, cause she is suppose to be underage, but i find their sibling relationship even more gross cause even if they aren't blood related their parents had relations. also Haru&Hwal seem to have issues.

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okay i am one of those that really found Haru annoying in this episode, i get that she has everything happening to her at one time but boy did she annoy the hell out of me in this episode...at this point i really want Hwal and Suin to workout

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This is not my favourite episode, except the very last scene.

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Thanks for the recap you always make me think. :) I like the Hwal-Haru pairing...I don't know why because I also like Poong-Ho lolz;)

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I actually find it kind of ridiculous that step siblings "shouldn't" hook-up. It's not the faux siblings fault they are now related by marriage. If adult X found adult Y hot, why couldn't X's daughter find Y's son hot too? Ugh, these societal mores.

Additionally, as long as both parties are in agreement and at the age of consent, how does other people's business and ages affect your life?

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I kind of agree with #39 Z.
I'm not so much weirded out by the age gap as I am with the step-siblings issue because although they aren't blood or legally related, Haru initially treated Hwal like a biological brother. She was the one who set up the relationship between herself and Hwal in the direction of a younger sister and older brother. So to redefine the way she sees him from "biological" brother to somebody she likes romantically, weirds me out. If she had not steered the relationship in that direction initially, then it wouldn't be as weird to me. Or if she had not first known that they were related somehow (unlikely since that's not the premise of the series), then I wouldn't be weirded out even more. lol.

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Javabeans! Is it just me or is Poong-Ho in the Ogamdo film/series/whatsit coming up? I could have sworn I saw him in one of the posters, but I wasn't able to check =\

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