City Hall: Episode 10
by samsooki
(written by Samsooki, editing, layout, design and Cityholic syndrome by 0timelost, cleown, and mead33)
Episode 10 – I’m Shin Mi Rae: Your Mayoral Candidate #5!
What an opening scene. It looks like Jo Gook has everything he can dream of in this hotel room: he has his billionaire cake and can pet his hamster too. Jo Gook looks like a kid on Christmas morning who cannot decide which present to open first. The only slight adjustment I would make, if I were Jo Gook, might be to have them not necessarily be there ALL at the same time…
After imagining the worst possible “business” arrangement to obtain campaign financing, Mi Rae finds out that the “VIP campaign sponsor” is none other than Go Go Hae, the fiancée of Jo Gook. Mi Rae, however, does not look entirely relieved that it is Go Hae rather than some sleazy businessman.
In fact, Mi Rae is just a boil of emotions now. Angered enough to want to storm out of the room after thinking that Jo Gook had pimped her out, she finds herself in an entirely different set of circumstances. Mi Rae is upset, but probably doesn’t even know why she is upset, or who she should be upset at.
The ever elegant Go Hae ignores the huffiness of Mi Rae and grandly slides over a check over to Mi Rae. Mi Rae huffs again, thinking that there is no way that she will be impressed with the amount of money written on the check.
Well, that’s twice Mi Rae has been wrong in the last few minutes. She IS impressed.
Go Hae has just given Mi Rae a blank check, literally. By the by, I feel like this whole “I am rich enough to give you a blank check” routine should be beneath Go Hae. It is the first time that Go Hae has actually shown her petty side. Insecure people do that, and so it is interesting that Go Hae is made to feel insecure by a woman who is “less” than her in every way that would count to a person like Go Hae.
A surprised Mi Rae has no idea what amount to write down on the check. She starts off writing down $80,000 but when Go Hae flashes her “I’m very elegant and pretty and rich and you are…… not” smile, Mi Rae quickly adds more digits to make it $320,000. “Are you serious?” Go Hae asks, officially pissing off Mi Rae. Taking back the check a second time, Mi Rae starts writing on the check again. Now it is Go Hae’s turn to be surprised and confused. Jo Gook takes a look at the check and bows his head to keep from cackling out loud.
Mi Rae has taken FOUR zeroes off of the check, and now the mighty all-powerful blank check is for a total of $32! LOL! With that, Mi Rae bids good night to the both of them and skips out of the room. A brilliant move by Mi Rae! If this were a cartoon, there would be cranial smoke leaking out of Go Hae’s ears right about now.
Go Hae feels upset, perhaps rightly so. She had come to the hotel, taking time out of her busy schedule to give Mi Rae all the support she could possibly ask for. But Mi Rae rewards Go Hae with a childish prank, making a mockery out of her generosity. And Jo Gook is merely amused by it all. He stands up and offers to give Go Hae a ride back home so that they can discuss other things along the way.
Go Hae isn’t ready to leave just yet, and drops a bomb. She asks if one of the “other” things to discuss would be Jo Gook’s overnight camping trip. Jo Gook is stunned that Go Hae knows. But, as it turns out, Go Hae only knew that there was a trip, and not who actually went. It is only through his expression of shock and guilt that Go Hae figures out that he didn’t go alone, and that Mi Rae was the companion! *cough* Jo Gook, wow dude, if that is your poker face, we have to play sometime.
But, Go Hae gives Jo Gook a rather interesting warning – Don’t get caught so easily again. She has no wish to end up like, and doesn’t have the patience of, someone like Hillary Clinton! (That’s it?! That’s the warning? What about, “If you cheat on me again, I’ll break every bone in your skinny body?”)
Back at Mi Rae’s campaign headquarters, Mi Rae’s friends express their dismay over her decision to not accept money from Go Hae. The expected campaign costs, including food, t-shirts, wages for contract help, total nearly $250,000. Mi Rae has a bright idea though, and enlists the aid of her friends who own small businesses, and is able to get “loans” from them by way of borrowing their services for food and snacks, truck rental, t-shirts, etc!
Mi Rae may not have financial resources, but what she has is the respect and friendship with people, and sometimes that can mean as much as money. Jung Do notes that even with all these help, they are still going to need a lot of cash quickly. Fortunately, Mi Rae still has Jo Gook, who has come up with the money that Mi Rae needs to fund her campaign. To receive the money, all Mi Rae has to sign a contract guaranty for the amount borrowed.
Mi Rae is stunned to see that the title of the Contract is “Surrender Of Body Contract.” It appears that Jo Gook wants Mi Rae’s body as collateral! Mi Rae looks like she will stab Jo Gook with his own pen, but Jo Gook has a good response waiting:
Jo Gook: Why are you looking at me like that? Besides your body, do you have any other collateral to use against the debt?
Sad, but true. Mi Rae backs down and signs the contract. She is then given her mayoral election sash and is instructed by Jo Gook on the finer points of meeting and greeting people on the street. An optimistic Mi Rae charges out into the streets of Inju City, but gets shot down by just about everyone, as she realizes how steep the climb will be, to convince people that 1) she is a capable candidate, and 2) that it does make a difference who you vote for.
Meanwhile, Jo Gook busies himself with writing Mi Rae’s campaign proposals and her speeches. Aghast at how the proposals are just empty promises and completely unlike Mi Rae, Jung Do accuses Jo Gook of trying to manipulate Mi Rae into making promises that will benefit Jo Gook himself.
Mi Rae is also dismayed by the contents of her campaign proposals, not one of the promises can she fulfill. But Mi Rae hasn’t even given any thought to her own campaign proposals. It is another rude awakening for Mi Rae, who finds out yet another thing that she has to overcome: her own ignorance.
Later, Jung Do meets up with Joo Hwa’s father, who questions why Jung Do is supporting someone other than his own father-in-law. Jung Do explains that it has nothing to do with his father-in-law per se, but that their beliefs are just different. Joo Hwa’s father then changes course and asks why Jung Do and Joo Hwa don’t have any children yet. Jung Do responds, it is his fault because he cannot have kids.
Outside, Joo Hwa overhears how Jung Do, even despite everything that has happened to drive them apart, and all the nastiness in their relationship, has protected her. It is more than Joo Hwa deserves, and she realizes that Jung Do still has hope for their relationship.
When Jung Do comes out of the meeting, Joo Hwa cannot help but hug the man that obviously loves her still, despite everything. It is less than Jung Do deserves, but for the moment, it is all that Joo Hwa can offer. Jung Do is uncertain of how to respond to Joo Hwa’s burst of emotion.
Joo Hwa isn’t the only woman who is feeling grateful for those close to her. Mi Rae is running dead last in the most recent polls, with less than 8% of the vote, and yet her friends are unflagging in their support, love, and friendship for her. Mi Rae feels the weight of responsibility to make their efforts mean something.
Not wanting to disappoint her tired friends who have passed out in the campaign office, Mi Rae decides to try her best to learn the campaign speeches that Jo Gook has written. She heads out to the sea wall and amidst the crashing waves to compete with her voice, she tries out her lines.
But these words are not her words. Mi Rae has no confidence in them, and her voice sounds weak and unconvincing, even to herself. Trying again, her voice fails to rise above the sounds of the waves. Mi Rae cannot learn this speech; she cannot give this political speech. Mi Rae is failing, and she knows it.
Mi Rae: I am sorry, everyone. Please forgive me, everyone! I made a mistake, everyone!!
Despairing, Mi Rae starts to cry, as her emotions start tumbling out of her. She pours her heart out toward the sea, as if the sea would accept her apology for being a fraud, for trying to be something that she cannot be. She cannot be mayor, if being mayor means that she has to fulfill empty promises like this. And everyone who has put their faith in Mi Rae will have been disappointed, cheated by Mi Rae who can’t even give a simple political speech. Mi Rae’s worst fears – that she will let other people down, are coming to life right before her eyes.
Mi Rae (crying out): I am not fit to live, everyone!! Please forgive me…
Beyond the dress-tearing incident, beyond the brutal egg-throwing and the multitude of put-downs by everyone, and even beyond the unique resilience of her crushed heart that inflates again and again for Jo Gook, this scene breaks my heart. Mi Rae cannot be a politician the way that politicians should behave, and that means that Mi Rae cannot shoulder the burdens and the hopes of everyone who has put their trust in her. This is a soul-crushing moment, and unlike Joo Hwa, she has nobody to hold on to. She is alone with only the ocean to catch her tears.
But, that’s scratch that. Someone else IS there. Jo Gook is there, and he hears every heart-rending sob. Jo Gook’s eyes tell the story of how he feels, and how Mi Rae’s pain is felt by him as well.
It is a beautiful scene, and one that I almost couldn’t recap.
However, not all hope is lost! Mi Rae’s campaign smartly decides to not make more impromptu speeches on the truck and instead, gets all their volunteers to make a difference in people’s lives by doing trash pickup and helping local businesses.
That decision, plus the Internet efforts of her crack team, are beginning to pay off and help Mi Rae advance in the pre-election polls. Inju’s citizens are beginning to realize that Mi Rae IS different. From below 8%, the latest poll results have her moving up like a rocket, trailing second place by less than 6% while she stands at 18.1%!! This is no longer about getting to 15% and getting a refund. This is about the future of Inju City. SHIN MI RAE, FIGHTING!!
As Mi Rae becomes more like a real candidate, the other candidates also take notice, especially the folks over at the Victory Party. In the next polling, Mi Rae’s popularity has now reached new heights, at 20.7%, less than 2% from being in second place! But as her popularity grows, so do the desperation tactics by her opponents. The secretary of the former Mayor Go decides to make a phone call to get some people to discourage Mi Rae from running any further…
After a long day of campaigning, Mi Rae comes back to her campaign headquarters, where she is ambushed by goons throwing tomatoes at her. Mi Rae stands frozen, taking the beating again.
This time, though, Mi Rae gets help. Jo Gook and Soo In are on the scene in seconds as they are driving to Mi Rae’s headquarters too. They jump out of the car and start kicking butt. Jo Gook has had enough of watching, and he is a man on fire. It is five against two, but with the anger inside of Jo Gook (and Soo In too!), the goons are no match for Jo Gook’s wrath. Jo Gook picks one of the guys off of the ground and starts pounding the nearly-unconscious gangster again and again but he is stopped by Mi Rae.
Jo Gook releases the gangsters and instead, raises his voice at Mi Rae, why didn’t she cry for help, or run away? Why did she just stand there and allow them to hit her like that?
With a single tear running down the side of her face, Mi Rae was unable to respond. In that moment, Jo Gook has a flash of insight and chastises her no more. Mi Rae says that she will go and wash up.
But Jo Gook grabs her and takes her to a hotel room, away from her home where her mom would be frightened by her condition, and away from the campaign headquarters, where her friends would be shocked and worried. While Jo Gook is out to find a fresh set of clothes, Mi Rae receives a call from Jung Do, who has heard what happened. Jung Do rushes to the hotel room bringing with him a spare set of clothes. Mi Rae thanks Jung Do for his concern and for the clothes.
Jung Do (smiling): Hey, these clothes aren’t free! Later, I’ll just get you to pay me back for the clothes. Oh, and in fact, there is actually something that I really want to receive from you.
Mi Rae (curious): Receive from me? What is that?
At that moment, Jo Gook walks back in, also holding a newly-bought spare set of clothes…
Heh, this is a slightly predictable ending, but with my heart in a blender, I can only say how grateful I am that this episode ends in a slightly trite fashion like this. My heart probably couldn’t take another stunner.
Comments –
What a fantastic episode! We are at the halfway point of the drama series, and the episodes’ pacing has turned into a sprint. Go Hae now knows about Mi Rae and Jo Gook, but Go Hae chooses just to warn her fiancé… for now. Jo Gook, in turn, agrees to Go Hae’s request that she’ll be the one to walk with him, if and when he reaches the front steps of the Blue House.
This is quite a maelstrom in the making as Mi Rae is becoming the sole hope for the people of Inju City, the sole target for her enemies, and every step she takes toward realizing the hopes of others means that much less freedom she will have for her own life.
And this is something that Jo Gook knows all too well. His deal with Go Hae puts any future with Mi Rae in jeopardy, but it is far too late to back out now. Three separate concerns of Jo Gook’s are now in Go Hae’s hands: (1) BB is kept on a leash, (2) Jo Gook’s and (3) Mi Rae’s political careers. All three concerns are critical, and so Jo Gook cannot break the deal. He is trapped.
The scene to watch for in this Episode: Mi Rae, at night, by the sea wall.
This scene is so powerful, and it pulls double-duty as an abridged summary of the series thus far. Mi Rae’s integrity and her sense of self will not let her be fake even if means dashing the hopes of everyone who put their faith in her. But rather than merely shrugging her shoulders and saying “what can I do?”, Mi Rae still accepts the responsibility and the burden of failure, even if the weight on her shoulders makes her cry out in pain. But even as frightened and in pain as she is, Mi Rae STILL does not collapse and she remains standing. She remains standing!
On the other hand, Jo Gook can only watch stoically from afar, in awe of Mi Rae’s sense of duty and her love for her people. But Jo Gook is unwilling to cross the gulf that separates the two, because while his heart is breaking, he knows that if he tries to comfort her, he will be causing more pain to come.
On To Episode 11!
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Tags: Cha Seung-won, City Hall, Kim Sun-ah
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51 alodia
August 4, 2009 at 9:47 PM
@38 budsdiana
Yes, I'm a proud Filipino. And mourning as well as we say goodbye to very own Shin Mi Rae. :(
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52 bspanda
August 4, 2009 at 10:59 PM
@35 ockoala
I totally agree with everything you wrote!
I do think that JG was the real 'silent sponsor' to MR for the full amount, cause the thought that Ms Devil Woman contributed that much to the campaign really makes my blood run cold.....
CSW really did look very action hero! Hey CHers can u recommend any of his movies so i can check out more of his Smexiness,m outside of my continual looped CH DVD? :P
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53 epyc
August 4, 2009 at 11:35 PM
@ 48 junkie and 49 ockoala
City Hall was the number one in its own timeslot (korea time 9.55 pm) throughout its airing from Ep 1 to Ep 20, if I remember correctly. Other higher ranked dramas are those aired at a different timeslots and the number one seemed to be a daytime drama. Nonetheless, CH's highest rating was only about 20% which I guess reflected the more mature audience it attracted. Teenagers might not find it as appealing. Brilliant Legacy's high rating could be attributed to the bigger range of (both young and old) age groups it got than, say, BoF. Just my two cent..
@ bspanda
Antoher reason why I think JG is the 'silent financial sponsor' of MR's election apart from those mentioned upthread by Alodia is that he virtually gambles all his (financial and politcal) capital on MR to show BB that he can succeed without him. MR's election as Mayor is his own pre-run of the National Assemblymen. It is his investment. He may not be super rich but his life seems to have been set up pretty well since the BB's abandonment.
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54 shin mi rae
August 5, 2009 at 8:58 AM
@51 alodia
hey im from the philippines too.
samsooki, congratulations. just a few days of posting and over 50 responses! by the way, very cool responses above, very careful not to give any spoilers!!! by the way, may i ask for your permission to copy your recaps for my files? i will put it on msword so i will always have it on my pc, even without internet access. im so addicted. im also willing to share pdf files to the rest of the cityhallers - again, with your permission.
on the latest discussion:
i've always been wondering how jo gook have so much money. any idea guys??? could it be he was also once a corrupt politician??? come to think of it, when he was BB's protege, he doesnt have morals so it is also possible thats how he amassed his wealth. he may not be as rich as GGH but i think JG have his own money. he doesnt strike me as a gigolo accepting material gifts from GGH.
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55 Samsooki
August 5, 2009 at 10:07 AM
@54 shin mi rae -
"by the way, may i ask for your permission to copy your recaps for my files? i will put it on msword so i will always have it on my pc, even without internet access. im so addicted. im also willing to share pdf files to the rest of the cityhallers – again, with your permission. "
Hi.
0timelost, cleown, mead33 and I have discussed this. We created these CH recaps for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone, and we are happy and willing to do so even as it has taken quite a bit out of us. To the extent that Javabeans has allowed us to guest recap, we are grateful for her support.
Our primary wish is that our recaps would be used only for the free personal enjoyment of everyone who visits dramabeans.com, but not for mass reproduction or for any commercial or other use. So, that's our answer. If, however, you do copy anything off of dramabeans, please ask for permission from Javabeans herself. This is her website, and we are all just guests.
thanks so much, and thank you to JB for being such a gracious host.
-0timelost, cleown, mead33 and samsooki
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56 fishbud
August 5, 2009 at 1:53 PM
Kudos to SamSooki and his diligent team members for another recapped episode well done. It has always been such joy to read your analysis and to re-live CH moments again. SamSooki, I totally agree with you that the seawall scene is so powerful in this Epi. I think that some of the best scenes in this series are the ones where there is very little dialogue between characters, and they speak through their body language. And I must say that CSW and KSA are absolutely superb in their use of facial expression and body language to portray their characters…thumbs up particularly go to CSW…his eyes speak it all!
I feel that the sea is a well used symbolism throughout this series. We sees a lot of things happened by the seaside in this series (don’t know if it’s a coincidence when they’re picking the filming location or if the writer specifically chooses to depict the scenes that way…but cinematographically and dramatically turned out really well). Remember in Episode 9 when MR and JG sort of have a heart-to-heart talk about their feeling toward each others? That was done on the bluff by the sea too! I think later on we may see other significant scene(s) happen by the seaside again.
I really love how well the writer as the director uses of the sea as symbolism. The sea figures predominantly in many literary stories as the bearer of all life. It is stormy, chaotic, and life-giving. Water often symbolizes the unconscious or the soul. The ocean may contain what one perceives as danger, such as lurking monsters, sharks or whales, storms, or tidal waves. These "dangers" may represent powerful and unpredictable feelings, a repressed aspect of one's personality, or an issue dwelling under the surface. In that sense, the portrayal of characters’ (MR and JG in this case) inner turmoil against the backdrop of the sea fits very here in this scene as MR realize her own sins and flaws and pouring her heart and soul out to the ocean, while JG on the other hand also realize his own sins flaws yet unable to pour his heart and soul out at all. I like your take on how JG is unwilling to cross the gulf that separates the two, because while his heart is breaking, he knows that if he tries to comfort her, he will be causing more pain to come.
I’m rather surprised that after the discussing about the significant of the MR mock speech scene at the sea, you didn’t go on and discuss more about MR impromptu speech scene and the race track scene that came afterward as well. I think both of those two scenes are pretty significant in the sense that they portray how both MR and JG attempted for redemption of their earlier mistakes.
MR made an impromptu change to her campaign speech because she could not betray her own conscience and the voters by making promises that she may not be able to keep. I absolutely love her comparison of coffee and politic and her poignant “I can’t promise you what I’ll do, but I’ll promise you what I won’t do” in the speech. Even though MR is often time being portrayed as a simpleton, but the writer sure made her pretty witty and well educated in her talk (after all, she kept up with the super-smart dude like JG pretty well in the verbal war). It’s not a surprise that JG was flabbergasted after hearing MR’s little improv speech despite the fact that he knew exactly why she did it (hello, you know what happened the night before at the seawall). I love how she fired him using his own words! (this is something that both MR and JG do well against each other…makes the other person eats his or her own words). I have to mention JG went to the bluff overlooking the sea (same one as in EP9) to calm down from the initial shock and lash-out session he had MR. Hmm, I sense the sea use as symbolism of JG’s inner conflict and turmoil as well as the use of the sea to create calming effect here?
Now move on to the race track scene. This scene portrays both MR’s and JG’s redemption. This scene is where MR tried to redeem herself by apologizing to JG and trying to get back in the race. JG, on the other hand, tried to redeem himself by not so much of admitting his guilt but more so in the sense of giving MR hope and encouragement (what he should have done earlier while holding her tight and tell her everything is going to be okay at the seawall scene last night!). I think between the two, the best one to watch in this scene is JG. Here, we really see more depth in JG’s character. It’s clear in his demeanor and the way he talked to MR in a calm as-a-matter-of-fact tone that he was not really mad at her for ruining the campaign plan or firing him from the staff. Instead, he was frustrated with himself and the situation he had created. This scene shows another turning point in JG’s character in that he internally started to question his own motives in getting MR to run mayor election, and had slowly come to term with the reality that this has something greater than himself. Here we can see slight shift in JG’s motive (I believe it’s not a total shift since he still has his own selfish motive in relation to his political career and BB issue). He’s now willing to put his hope and trust on MR as a candidate for who she is, not so much of who he wants her to be. Thus, he chose to redeem himself by empowering her to see further and dream bigger beyond the 2-year interim mayoral term, and to really become the candidate that she can be, the candidate who truly represents Inju citizens’ hope and dream. I really like how by giving in to some of their own character flaws and weaknesses, in some small ways, JG and MR in turn gave each other strength.
On the side note, the number thing sneaked up again in this scene. JG putting his bet on Horse Number 5 (same MR’s candidate number for the election) and it actually won the race is pretty touching here. Another significant theme was also discussed in the dialogue during the race track scene. Here we have the discussion of MR’s and JG’s differences in belief about how things are and/or should be done in life. JG only cares about the result, while MR cares more about the process. In life, what is more important…the result or the process? Or do we really need both? This little dialogue about process vs. result to me is like foreshadowing of more events to come that will test both MR and JG’s belief on this issue.
Lastly, I just love how Samsooki said it best with “Every time that Jo Gook follows Mi Rae around, he gets to see more about what Mi Rae is about. And every time Jo Gook follows Mi Rae around, he learns a little bit more about her and he falls a little bit more in love with her.” Just like us City Hallers, the more we follow CH around, the more we see what the buzz on how great this series is about and we falls a little bit more in love with the story and the characters. Sorry for the long rant, but just love every little details about this drama that I can’t help but share my thoughts with those who might be interested :p
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57 Samsooki
August 5, 2009 at 2:04 PM
"I’m rather surprised that after the discussing about the significant of the MR mock speech scene at the sea, you didn’t go on and discuss more about MR impromptu speech scene and the race track scene that came afterward as well. I think both of those two scenes are pretty significant in the sense that they portray how both MR and JG attempted for redemption of their earlier mistakes."
I would be surprised if I recapped that for this Ep 10.... since nothing like that has happened yet. (Who knows, I guess we have to wait until Ep 11). Shhhh! Let's not jump the gun... :)
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58 ockoala
August 5, 2009 at 2:28 PM
@56 fishbud
I agree that CH has effectively used certain locales well to compliment and further add meaning to a scene, a la the use of the sea and its symbolism. I also think that while CH shoots in very provincial and limited locales (i.e. in and around Inju, City Hall, JG's hotel room, JG and MR's respective houses, JG's pimp-mobile - and a few other awesome locations yet to come), the drama never gets redundant and we viewers are never bored by any scenary that is repeated. That's quite a feat for the PD to pull off. Take a story in provincial settings and make it seem grander, epic, applicable to anywhere, anytime.
I believe you referenced 2 scenes in your comments that are not in this episode, so has yet to be recapped by Samsooki. However, I do that often, as I watched CH in one long marathon and didn't always remember which episode a scene happened until I got the savor CH more slowly in my second rewatch.
I'm sure you'll get responses to your thoughtful critique of these 2 scenes in the comments section to the recap of Ep. 11. I'll weigh in then as well.
Also, folks, Viikii has 2 new interview segments with KSA and CSW up. Check it out!
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59 fishbud
August 5, 2009 at 3:51 PM
How embarrassing and my apologies to all...I guess I did jumped ahead of myself. I guess the mixed-up is bound to happen since I was recently working on subbing Ep 11 for Thai sub squad while suffering some major brain fart due to various stress stemming work-related stuff and recent crash of my dear computer :p
Thanks Samsooki and ockoala for keeping me honest here. Oh well, you may remove my comment so that it won't ruin it for everyone else ; )
On the side note, this would make it a total of 3 crashes (as I always believe things come in 3). I have this week alone: comp crash, car crash (ok, more like things crashed into my car), and now it looks like my brain is crashing too :p
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60 Samsooki
August 5, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Fishbud, we love your comments! No way jose!
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61 mzpakipot
August 5, 2009 at 4:51 PM
yes, i love your comment too, fishbud! I hope everything is fix now.
I like that scene when Gukie was putting on Mirae's Sash, he's such a sly-dog, he just wanted to give her a hug. lol
Ottoke, soompi is down, I am missing CH thread already. LOL
Samsooki, did you read the news about your Binnie? He's off the market. You must be ecstatic! :D
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62 Sueyip
August 5, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Thanks for reminding me about the scene at the race track, fishbud.
I just love the look they gave each other .... full of love and admiration.
JoGuk had that look again in the car with Mirae when they drove off.
That was real sweet.
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63 alodia
August 6, 2009 at 1:32 AM
Seems like you guys can't wait for ep11's recap, you're talking about it already. lol
@56 fishbud
don’t know if it’s a coincidence when they’re picking the filming location or if the writer specifically chooses to depict the scenes that way…
>>>we wouldn't know for sure (unless we ask the staff), but based on my experience (in philippine filmaking context) the writer writes freely and it's up to the location hunters to create a miracle and look for that specific location requirement. (i was once part of a team of location hunters and we were asked to look for 2 houses parallel with each other with the same big windows facing each other, and both houses must have basements and must be facing south and the stairs of the house on the right side must have 10 steps - times like that you want to kill the scriptwriter) Plus the fact that they shoot on different locations. Since Inju is really non-existent, some Inju places were in Busan, Incheon, Ganghwa Island, SBS Studios (lol) etc. It feels like the writer specifically requested a seashore.
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64 Sueyip
August 6, 2009 at 2:41 AM
Oops, sorry, that scene appears in the next episode, right?
My apologies. And I tend to agree with you, alodia. The money
could be JoGuk's. Looks like he's pretty comfortable and has
the means - he owns a house, a very very nice car, a car for his
mum, his expensve tastes, and ........... more
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65 Madita
August 6, 2009 at 3:24 AM
Hi,
I have a little request for this great drama.
I would like to sub into turkish language, but need proper englih-sub for this, as I cant speak, read korean. As I follow your great reviews here, I can see that the replics shown here are very good. How or where can I get this english subs ?
I would aprreciate your help very much ^^
And...Thank you very much for the great reviews. Its like watching it again, get deeper into it, seeing it from a other point of view is really a joy.
For me CH is the best K-drama I ever watched, toping all my favourite K-dramas so far.
KSA and CSW are the best couple...such a great chemistry and acting over the top. From the scene pics of JG you can see the honest and great playing...the emotion in his eyes, too. This is/was incredible acting. Where has he been so long ?
Both actors acting was like a competition of emotions.. BOTH have to win the award of BEST ACTORS in BEST DRAMA
Saranghae City Hall :)
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66 alodia
August 6, 2009 at 7:30 AM
@65 Madita
B..ON Funsubs is subbing this drama. You can get the City Hall hardsubs here:
http://bonchu.net46.net/city-hall/
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67 omo
August 7, 2009 at 2:09 AM
I learned something new today....eye-sex.
@16 langdon813, what will you think of next?
@23 alodia
@25 anonymo
@26 epyc
@35 ockoala
@52 bspanda
@54 shin mi rae
Thank you ladies for your analysis and thought process to that million dollar. From whom did the $250,000 campaign fund come from?
To be honest, up until Ep 9, I thought the money was from JG and went through the same thoughts as all of you and in fact wanted to believe that the money was from JG. In principle, I doubted MR would have accepted that amount of money from GH, the same principle MR used when she rejected Jungdo's offer.
So what changed my mind? The thought was probably introduced in Ep 8 when JG was so drunk and poured out his grievances to JD. It sounded like BB made sure JG had enough obstacles so that he never had a chance to advance politically or financially, just so that JG's background would never invite attention. 4 years ago, after graduating from the academy, he was sent to administer an obscure province. Without resorting to corrupt means, it's difficult to see how JG could have $250,000 cash at his disposal. The amount from lying mutt amounts to just over $5000, too small an amount to make a difference.
Then in Ep 9, when JG ditched MR at the road side and went straight to GH after a phone call. I got curious as to why JG still panders to GH whims, not unless the financial backing is still much needed to achieve his goal. If JG really had $250,000 in his bank account, he would have sent Ms Cryogenic to tundra-land. And if he had that $250,000, the showdown in the hotel room was not really necessary. Tsk, tsk, JG. You still have a whole lot to learn about putting 2 rivaling women in the same room....not unless you want to decide for yourself which is the shrewder one to advance your political ambition.
All in all, it's just easier for me to stomach that JG is using GH for the financial support than JG using underhanded means to obtain the money. I can see the cad in JG but I can't see a corrupt JG.
Posts are dwindling and so I should stop rambling too. If you are still here, see you all in Ep 11!
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68 Madita
August 7, 2009 at 10:32 AM
@alodia...#66
Thank you very much :)
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69 Arlyne
August 7, 2009 at 11:39 PM
To Javabeans, thank you for allowing City Hall recaps be posted on your site. And thank you to Samsooki and team for their hard work on making these recaps possible. I truly enjoyed this drama. It's now my all time favorite and no. 1 kdrama.
@ 32 Dodie, @34 Alodia and @ 54 Shin Mi Rae..... it's nice to see fellow kababayans dito enjoying this outstanding drama.
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70 Houxx
October 5, 2009 at 1:45 AM
I'm so addicted to CH...
and have been rewatching it again and again(...until I lost count,..)
My frenz called me nutz and rolled their eyes whenever i start talking abt CH )
This is the best kdrama I've ever seen. Really.
KSA and CSW are the best !
And not to forget Samsooki here! Thanx for the great recap !
Ottoke, i coudn't stop myself from watching CH and I am abt to sit for an important EXAM.....
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71
November 12, 2009 at 12:43 PM
episode 12-20 city hall
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72 Abdul
December 9, 2009 at 8:14 PM
GAHHHH!!!
This drama is driving me insane!!!!!
How can one person stand for so much injustice? Also, why is everyone from city hall looking down on Mi Rae. Backstabbed the mayor? Is this how korean society views whistleblowers? If someone would tell me something along those lines I'd blow up in their face. Also, I am so tired of writers making people in no position talking smack about Mi Rae. I don't know about you, but I am sure even the worst of people have a little shame. I am still so confused about the reaction of her fellow workers when they gave her back her money. What? They YELLED AT HER? Because she demanded her money which was HER RIGHT? The fact that she showed everyone how corrupt the mayor is? She did a HUGE favor for the town to get rid of him. It seems like no on in the city of Inju was paying attention.
Gah 2nd paragraph time.
Also, it seems that Mi Rae had a 180 degree change in personality. She went from being proud and almost shameless to being so... ugh what's the word for it? a total floormat. She just takes everything in and cries, cries, cries. What happened to the passion she had earlier about becoming a mayor and politics? Was that all bs? Plus. SERIOUSLY? Why did the secretary (spelling?) call a bunch of gangsters to throw tomatoes at her. Are there no laws in Korea or something? I would call the police right away, but it seems that in the land of Inju gangsters > police. Come on, she is a mayoral candidate. It's not like if she reports it the police.
Why does the secretary just have the number for some gangsters ready on his cellphone?!?!
One last thing. I doubt people are THAT RUDE on the street. If someone comes and starts talking to you. You don't turn around and RUN. You can at least say: "sorry I don't have time" or something along those lines.
Maybe it's not the drama, and it's just me, because I am REAALLLLY polite to people outside, and so, these kind of things just drive me NUTS.
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73 lover
January 27, 2010 at 1:38 PM
i love you kimsunah
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74 bengal
March 6, 2010 at 12:28 AM
SASHY! The mayoral sash was majorly provocative! Our dashing hero puts the sash on her and then says something about "press the flesh" to "win their hearts" (at least according to dramafever's subtitles) ... What a tease! Mirae looked stunned, just like the time when he wrapped his arms around her to tie the jacket... de ja vous...
Hillarity! and it also occurred to me that the reference of Hillary Clinton by Go Go Hae was also replicated by Mirae in Episode 9 as well, when JG wanted to make MR into the image of Hillary... thus, it makes one wonder who is cheating on who and with whom, if Mirae is actually closer to the image of Hillary than GGH...
BANANAS! that and King Kong seem to be a recurring image... in this episode these were the decorations on the card MR left for her hard working staff... and she certainly had the chest-pounding strength in her when she stopped JG's powerful strike mid-way before knocking that goon out cold...
More Please... did you notice that this time around, JG is offering MR free refills instead of the other way around? Last time we heard "free refills" was when MR apologized to JG for the romantic novel she was writing...
OBAMARAMA! I don't understand the part where MR met Waiter #5 Obama. What does that mean? Who is he? and why is he a candidate for the waiter profession? And why was he also a part of JG's resume when people rumored that JG met Obama.
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75 Jen Neri
April 8, 2010 at 7:36 AM
@ 75 bengal
OBAMARAMA! I don’t understand the part where MR met Waiter #5 Obama. What does that mean? Who is he? and why is he a candidate for the waiter profession? And why was he also a part of JG’s resume when people rumored that JG met Obama.
I think it’s one of the writer’s ploys to poke fun at JG and maybe insinuate that not everything people know or have heard about JG is true. People had thought the JG was friends with President Obama when in truth, the Obama he really know in person is Obama the waiter.
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76 toenail
April 8, 2011 at 7:43 PM
I am probably almost 2 years late to watch this drama, but this is easily becomes my top favourite along with Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I have been reading the wonderful recaps alongside the drama episodes, and really grateful that the recaps allow me to discover the subtleties and real wonder of City Hall.
I've always loved Kim Sun Ah since the first time I saw her on MNIKSS, then on When It's At Night, and some others like that movie with Gong Yoo. She's one of the best actress I've ever watched even including big Hollywood names out there. It's ironic there are so many very famous movie stars that don't seem to have even half of her talent in acting!
City Hall is full of great acting, very strong cast indeed. KSA's scene on the ocean wall and her single tears after tomatoes, CSW's expression at the night in the tent (his eyes so soft and loving, the corners of his mouth slightly move upwards concealing a little smile of happiness he silently hopes for), and the great Choo Sang Mi... so hilarious, total lack of integrity, and her relentless energy, combined with cuteness and wistfulness of a princess born with a silver spoon in her mouth. We can easily despise this character if not for the greatness of CSM's acting - she could make you feel like strangling Min Joo Hwa, but at the same time pity her, and wanting her to end up happier.
This drama is great for so many reasons, but also because KSA meets really good actors here. I enjoyed When It's At Night a lot, and I like Lee Dong Gun, but I don't think KSA matches well with LDG even if they are both excellent actors. She's on Duty should be good, but KSA and Gong Yoo are a bit like fish out of water there. But of course, all to their own, this is just IMHO.
Anyway, thank you Samsooki, and grateful for BON fansubs to provide such excellent subbing. It won't be as enjoyable if the sub was not as first-class as this.
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77 toenail
April 8, 2011 at 7:55 PM
Ah and one more thing.. how the great Min Joo Hwa is even able to manipulate her wealthy Daddy to take up politics without realising that he's been used for his daughter's own political ambition through the Winners party. Being a powerful businessman, Daddy surely is not a fool, but he ends up doing exactly what the princess wants him to do.
The scene where Daddy Min is campaigning side-by-side with Mom's First Love candidate is hilarious. That Mom's First Love is really a joke by spewing useless junkie promises, totally opposite of Daddy Min's serious and substantial (and potentially very beneficial to the economy, if he keeps it) promises. And in the end Daddy Min, who is actually a novice in politics, and probably a loser in love (got the lady, but not her heart? Aw... ) finally blows up! I love it!!
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78 Bintang
May 2, 2011 at 7:50 AM
The money are from the men whom Jo Gook gave his name card
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79 lovecityhall
November 4, 2011 at 12:51 AM
Thanks for the recaps. I totally enjoyed reading it! I also love the comments posted by so many city hallers. Feel like we are one big family even though we are of different races and nationalities. CSE and KSA are the best couple in Kdrama!
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80 umpa lumpa
January 13, 2013 at 8:35 AM
there are many episodes where JG gives the same hair-pin to MR.... the one that he had given already... failed
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