So good! Certainly still high on the angst factor, but still gets a lot of chuckles. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this level of excitement and anticipation about a drama. There have been a few gems that I adore, which are excellent examples of quality dramas, but I think You’re Beautiful taps into something on a more gut level. The drama is less intellectual, for sure, but for what it is, it’s not only written well but also hits the right emotional buttons. Given the fan response, I have to think many would agree on that. The last drama to do that for me was… Coffee Prince, I think, and that was over two years ago. (Man I feel old.)
Also: Jang Geun-seok, you break my heart. In a good way.
SONG OF THE DAY
Loveholics – “아픔” (Pain). This is from the rock (now-)duo’s first album since losing Jisun, but I think that this song — courtesy of the vocals by Jang Eun-ah — actually recalls classic Loveholic the most.
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EPISODE 8 RECAP
When Mi-nyeo races out of the studio in tears, Shin-woo chases immediately. Tae-kyung remains behind and asks Hoon-yi if something happened prior to the recording session. Hoon-yi says that he’d advised Mi-nyeo to let her emotions burst, and this is the result: “They’ve burst onto Kang Shin-woo!” (Oh, I love this. It’s too bad for Tae-kyung, but dramatically, it’s great.)
After sobbing all over him, Mi-nyeo apologizes to Shin-woo, then glances up and sees Tae-kyung. She leaves right away, prompting Tae-kyung to follow, but Shin-woo holds him back.
Shin-woo: “Don’t go. You should leave her alone.” They exchange intense stares, but Tae-kyung stays put.
Hoon-yi is relieved that Shin-woo’s explanation (that Mi-nam is stressed) shows that he hasn’t caught on to Mi-nyeo’s supposed feelings for him. But when he asks Tae-kyung what they should do now, the latter gets snippy. This isn’t his business. Tae-kyung walks away feeling peeved that Mi-nam’s feelings have “burst” for Shin-woo, and gripes that it’s absurd.
Mi-nyeo sits alone and prays, as her image slowly turns transparent: “Mother Superior, my feelings keep trickling out. I wish I could become invisible, so that my feelings won’t be discovered. If I gradually disappear, nobody will see me, right?”
But as she is about to fade completely (figuratively, in Mi-nyeo’s imagination), a voice calls her back to solid form. It’s Jeremy, sitting on a bench in front of her.
She asks, “Jeremy, can you see me?” Smiling, he answers, “Of course. I’ve been watching you for a while.” She sighs, “So I didn’t disappear because you were watching.”
He takes her hand and says, “You can’t disappear. You have to come with me to a party to celebrate your first recording.” She notes how much he likes to throw congratulatory parties, and he replies that congratulations are good things.
He can tell she’s feeling down, so he promises, “I’ll let you cry to your heart’s content.”
What does he mean by that? Spicy food!
Eating spicy Indian food gives Mi-nyeo (and Jeremy) an excuse to cry. Afterward, they eat ice cream to cool their tongues, and he announces that since that she’s had her cry, now it’s time for some laughs. Off to the arcade they go.
(Jeremy is so cute. I’m so glad they gave these two some bonding time. It’s also good to see Jeremy move beyond the comic relief into a more substantial role.)
Next, he takes her to his special bus; he’s letting her in on a secret. This bus is pretty empty and completes its circuit in one hour. When he’s depressed, he rides this bus, which allows time for his feelings to “return to normal.” She wonders if that’ll happen to her feelings, and he assures her, “Of course! My bus is a magic bus.”
He says, “Let’s meet in an hour,” then sits back to give her space.
As he watches her silently, Jeremy wonders to himself, “In an hour, will they return to normal? For an hour, I’ll like you, Go Mi-nam.”
(Awww.)
Mi-nyeo apologizes to Hoon-yi for running out. He is glad that she’s let out her emotions for the sake of the song, but she needs to learn how to manage them so they don’t get out of control. As a tip, he tells her about various pressure points that a person can press to “control” different reactions. You can touch your ears, hand, or temples to help endure things like temperature or sleepiness. For instance, when she has trouble managing her feelings, touch her nose.
Mi-nyeo takes the tip to heart and thanks him, leaving Hoon-yi feeling guilty for giving fake advice. But he figures that if she busies herself making that pig-face, at least her feelings won’t be discovered. (It’s a good thing for him that Mi-nyeo has a childlike trust, because as long as he gives Mi-nyeo an explanation, she’ll be distracted enough that the problem doesn’t hit crisis point. It’s the placebo effect.)
Tae-kyung reacts with some shock when he’s faced with Mi-nyeo’s pig-snout face. She’s just trying to tamp down her unruly feelings for him, but he thinks she’s mocking him about the pig chase in the previous episode. Not only is she like those detested rabbits, now she’s also playing the part of a pig.
He tells her, “Listen up, Pig-Rabbit.” He has been working on a plan: to tell Shin-woo that she’s a girl. She wonders why, and he answers, “Because I hear you like Shin-woo. Of course when I heard, I couldn’t believe it, but after thinking about it calmly, I saw the path. Go Mi-nam, I’m passing you over to Kang Shin-woo.”
She protests, “That’s not what it is. You have seen the wrong path.” Cutting her explanation short, Tae-kyung holds up a chart he has drawn:
In the Event You Confess to Shin-woo
The X’s indicate a bad result, the O’s a good one. As we can see, this works out nicely for Tae-kyung. lol.
| Accepts | Doesn’t accept | |
| Kang Shin-woo | X | X |
| Go Mi-nam | O | X |
| Hwang Tae-kyung | O | O |
Table translation (In Tae-kyung’s words): “Case 1, he accepts you. You may feel sorry to Shin-woo but it’s good that you can get your feelings into the open, and I’ll be glad to be rid of you. Case 2, he doesn’t accept you. This is only good for me, but try hanging on to Shin-woo and begging him so this scenario doesn’t happen. If you only do that half as much as you did to me, you’ll be able to cling to Shin-woo. ”
Mi-nyeo mulls over the chart while telling herself that it’s good that Tae-kyung didn’t catch on to her true feelings, but on the downside, he’s totally misunderstood the situation.
She nervously hides the paper when Shin-woo comes by and makes the excuse that she’s folding paper airplanes. He knows she’s just trying to hide it from him, so he shows her how to fold it so the inside doesn’t show. He calls her clumsy, and relates another story of a clumsy girl who harbored “a really big secret.” She was so bumbling that she was actually discovered right away, but didn’t know it.
Shin-woo explains, “At first he was going to see how it played out. He was a very bored guy.” As he speaks, we see flashbacks of Shin-woo witnessing Mi-nyeo mucking up her boy impersonation.
For instance, Mi-nyeo had accidentally caused a ruckus by entering the ladies’ restroom. Shin-woo continues: “But the more he watched, he found that she was really bumbling. It was both funny and a little sad.” In another scenario, Sung-chan had pressed her to go to the sauna together (a guy-bonding thing), which Shin-woo saved her from by taking her to eat out instead. Shin-woo: “His eyes kept going to that girl, and it was the first time he’d had such an interest in anyone. And at some point, he started to help her.” When Mi-nyeo had struggled with equipment, he had taken the heavy case from her. When she nodded off in rehearsal, he swooped in to provide a shoulder for her to sleep on.
As they are speaking in generalities, Mi-nyeo has no idea they’re talking about her, and wonders why he didn’t tell the girl the truth. He answers that it was to preserve her peace, but he’ll explain his feelings when the time is right.
After he leaves, she thinks, “Shin-woo hyung is a good person. I can’t tell him.” She decides she’ll have to beg Tae-kyung to reconsider.
Meanwhile, Tae-kyung is unable to concentrate on his work, for which he blames Mi-nyeo. He scribbles her name on the sheet music as he vents, “She likes him so much she bursts into tears? So this is the accident she said she caused! I’d really better not let my guard down — that rabbit-like guy!”
Vexed, he wonders if she’d already confessed to Shin-woo and is sucking up to him now. That spurs him to look around the house for her, starting to feel concerned that she may have confessed. Thankfully for his pride, he’s spared from dealing with his jealousy (although he doesn’t recognize it as such) when Mi-nyeo texts him the plea, “Hyungnim, please don’t pass me off to Shin-woo hyung! I promise not to be a pain!”
I love that Tae-kyung’s uneasy frustration gives way to that self-satisfied smirk, because we all know he’s pleased to have regained his equilibrium, even if he doesn’t admit it. Therefore, when he returns to his room and sees Mi-nyeo buried under her covers, he acts put-upon despite feeling relieved.
He addresses the lumpy bedding on the ground, asking whether she’s intending to burden him with the truth, and whether she knows what a great inconvenience she is being to him. The lumpy pile nods its head to acknowledge this.
As he goes to bed, Tae-kyung sighs, “Ah, what a pain.” But he peers over to check on her, and half-smiles as he goes to sleep.
Meanwhile, the management team discusses their next move, which is to come up with a killer music video to showcase the song. Hoon-yi suggests getting Tae-kyung and Heyi to appear in it, and provides the story: an action-packed blockbuster!
In it, Tae-kyung (“lonely killer”) and Heyi (“sexy killer”) jet-set around the world on secret missions.
It’s definitely a Bond parody, but the Hong sisters get in a poke at their competition, too, with a nod at IRIS. Sung-chan vetoes the spy plot: “Just because you go abroad, blow stuff up and shoot guns doesn’t make it good!” HAHAHA.
The stylist suggests an erotic love story, but Sung-chan says no to that, too — he wants a young, fresh image. He strikes upon the concept: a first love that came and went “without a word.”
With the theme in place, the MV rolls into production with a high school setting. Mi-nyeo and Tae-kyung, who have roles in the video, are costumed in school uniforms. Tae-kyung is not looking forward to working with Heyi and instructs Mi-nyeo, “When Heyi gets here, stick to my side.” Thinking of her promise to not interfere, Mi-nyeo says she’ll stay away, but he insists she stay nearby.
During a shoot in a classroom scene, Tae-kyung notices an extra staring at Mi-nyeo. She ducks in alarm to recognize her brother’s best friend from high school. What to do? Tae-kyung advises her to greet him like a friend, but the problem is that Mi-nyeo can’t remember his name.
She pleads with Tae-kyung to help, so he finds himself reluctantly getting involved. He catches the extra in the hallway and tells him that since he kept looking at him, he must be a fan. He offers an autograph, which gives him an excuse to ask his name. Too bad the extra declines the offer politely. Tae-kyung glares and grits out: “Your. Name. Is?”
Hearing that his name is Kim Dong-joon, Mi-nyeo is able to greet him like an old buddy. Overjoyed, Dong-joon grabs her in a hug: “Do you know how sad I was, thinking you were ignoring me now that you’re a celebrity?” Yet when Dong-joon grabs her hand in an enthusiastic handshake, he notices that a scar — from a bike accident they experienced together — is gone.
Thinking fast, Tae-kyung tells Mi-nyeo that there’s no need to hide the surgery from a friend. She explains that she’d had a little work done before debuting, and Dong-joon says he understands.
She finds herself in a tricky situation when the director announces their last call for a bathroom break, and Dong-joon perks up. They can go pee together, for old times’ sake! After all, they’d used to bet who could pee farther.
Major lulz! Oh, Hong sisters, you sure do like your toilet humor!
Mi-nyeo turns pleading eyes to Tae-kyung to save her, so again he finds himself reluctantly stepping in. He takes the urinal on Dong-joon’s other side and distracts him with questions, so that he can’t notice that Mi-nyeo isn’t actually using hers.
Dong-joon isn’t really familiar with A.N.JELL’s music, but Tae-kyung has to keep distracting him, so he interjects, “You probably know this song,” and starts to sing “Promise.” Dong-joon recognizes the tune and picks up the chorus, while Mi-nyeo takes the cue and “finishes” up.
I love Tae-kyung’s muttered comment that if he had rid himself of Mi-nam, Shin-woo would probably have swooped in to save the day instead of him. No he’s not jealous, no not at all!
Next is a lunch scene. Mi-nyeo comments that her character is rich, so her lunch is yummy. Tae-kyung scowls as she points out, “Hyungnim, you’re a poor student so all you have are anchovies. I’d like to give you an egg roll, but it’s too bad I cannot.” She’s having fun taunting him and it is adorable.
Seeing her egg rolls, Dong-joon reminisces that they remind him of Mi-nam’s sister, since she liked them. Mi-nam used to gather them from schoolmates and give them to Mi-nyeo. Dong-joon: “I don’t like them, but that’s why I asked my mother every day to make me egg rolls. Because she would eat them.”
Tae-kyung smirks, saying that he must have liked her, then looks on in surprise when Dong-joon bows his head bashfully. Dong-joon admits, “I’m saying this now, but I used to really like your sister. I couldn’t say anything since she was my friend’s sister, but she was my first love.”
Dong-joon is heading off to the army tomorrow, and had thought a lot about Mi-nyeo: “Now that I’ve seen you, it’s like I’ve seen her.”
All the while, Tae-kyung watches the exchange with distaste and shoves food in his mouth grumpily. He’s further dissatisfied when Mi-nyeo reacts with sheepish pleasure to the revelation.
Tae-kyung’s displeasure grows after lunch, when Dong-joon asks if Mi-nam’s sister ever visits the house. When Tae-kyung confirms that he’s seen her, Dong-joon sighs, “Isn’t she beautiful?”
Tae-kyung replies, “Since you’re about to go to the army, try asking Go Mi-nam to let you meet her.” But Dong-joon says no — he’ll see her after he’s discharged. He’s studying pharmacy, and he plans to return to their hometown and set up a pharmacy there. He’ll seek her out then: “It’s my dream to marry early, set up a pharmacy, and live happily.”
Filming an outdoor scene next, Tae-kyung can’t resist mocking Mi-nyeo: “I didn’t know you were a future pharmacist’s wife.” She’d better send him vitamins and medicine later!
He’s pushing her buttons, so when the director tells them to act friendly, Mi-nyeo grabs some dry leaves and “playfully” tosses them at Tae-kyung’s head. Tae-kyung returns the gesture, and things escalate as both use the mock leaf-fight as an excuse to annoy each other. He wrestles her to the ground and continues tossing leaves on top of her.
At one point, though, Tae-kyung’s laughing goes from sarcastic to genuinely happy. Looking up at his smiling face, Mi-nyeo’s feelings start bubbling to the surface again, and she makes her pig-nose. Of course, this makes him think she’s mocking him again.
Heyi arrives on the scene and has to contend first with the persistent reporter, who is still sniffing around about the photo. He knows the woman in the picture isn’t Heyi and threatens to ask Mi-nam. Heyi intends to warn Tae-kyung about the reporter, but seeing his cozy interaction with Mi-nyeo makes her jealousy flare.
Heyi interrupts, fake-sweetly “congratulating” the two of them on their natural acting. She deliberately asserts a possessive air over Tae-kyung, which makes Mi-nyeo feel left out. She leaves while Tae-kyung tells Heyi to lay off.
She responds, “Why? You were good just now. Laugh like you did then. If your acting is good, I’ll give you a prize.” He replies, “That wasn’t acting.”
Tae-kyung leaves, and a miffed Heyi decides that she’d rather not warn him about Reporter Kim’s snooping after all.
Aunt Mi-ja meets the fan club members, offering them some of the A.N.JELL boys’ personal items like Jeremy’s face wash, Shin-woo’s razor. They’re disappointed that she couldn’t swipe something of Tae-kyung’s, but at least she can offer some gossip: Mi-nam is shooting a music video, and Tae-kyung will appear in it wearing a school uniform.
Aunt Mi-ja doesn’t quite see the A.N.JELL charm, though, and asks why they love the guys so much. Surely they’re not all that.
Blasphemy! Sayuri answers that if Aunt Mi-ja knew “the oppas’ legends,” she wouldn’t say that.
For example: Shin-woo’s “legend” shows him as a badass fighter who had once roared up to a gang of delinquents on his motorcycle and taken them on in a 17-to-1 fight.
(Note: This seems to be a riff on Lim Chang-jung’s famous line in the 1997 film BEAT, which popularized the “seventeen-to-one” phrase. The movie starred a young Jung Woo-sung; you can watch a clip here.)
Jeremy’s legend features him as the grandson of a Scottish aristocrat, and he was once engaged to a princess. He gave it all up to pursue music in Korea, which is, according to Sayuri, the princess’s loss but her gain!
Meanwhile, Tae-kyung’s legend speaks of a huge birth secret. This one has the ring of truth (to us), as she describes his mother as a beautiful, famous woman who is unknown to everyone except Tae-kyung and his father. Even his real birthday is a mystery to the public; the one that people know is just his “official” birthday.
As it turns out, his real birthday is actually today, which we find out when Tae-kyung’s father calls to wish him a happy birthday. Tae-kyung had forgotten and says that “today doesn’t mean anything to me.” Still, his father has sent him a gift from the States, which he should be getting in the mail today.
Heyi wanders around looking for Tae-kyung, and spies Mi-nyeo with Dong-joon. (She complains, “Is she pretending to be a guy just so she can hang out with guys?”) She figures she can have some fun bringing the reporter into this mess, and goes off to find him.
After Mi-nyeo signs Dong-joon’s shoe, he looks at hers and notices something weird about it. She doesn’t pick up on the reason why, and says her goodbyes before heading off with Tae-kyung.
As she walks away, however, she realizes what’s odd: Mi-nam and Dong-joon have the same size shoes, and her feet are much smaller than her brother’s.
Mi-nyeo runs back, but by now the reporter has found Dong-joon and is chatting with him. She realizes that Dong-joon will have figured out that she’s not Mi-nam, and they all exchange loaded looks, anticipating the moment when Dong-joon will announce that this isn’t Mi-nam.
But Dong-joon looks at Mi-nyeo and answers, “Mi-nam is my best friend. He’s a good person, and he’s a really cool guy.”
Aw! Dong-joon knows this is Mi-nyeo, but he keeps up the ruse out of respect and uses the name Mi-nam. He assures her that once he’s off to the army, he won’t have reason to see anybody, nor is he the type to gossip.
Mi-nyeo is grateful for his graciousness and thanks him. At the last moment, he’s overcome with emotion and grabs her in a hug. He tells her earnestly, “I really liked your sister,” then he runs off in high spirits. Once again, Tae-kyung is NOT happy to see their closeness.
But next, it’s time for Mi-nyeo to feel left out, because Heyi claims Tae-kyung’s attention. She demands a ride home, and with one last look back at Mi-nam, he leaves with her. Mi-nyeo watches them go sadly, but reminds herself not to be an annoyance.
Just as Tae-kyung drives away, Shin-woo pulls in, having come to take Mi-nyeo home. She wasn’t expecting him, but since he’s here she may as well go with him.
Having passed by Shin-woo’s car, Tae-kyung keeps an eye on the rearview mirror to watch Mi-nyeo, while Heyi points out how nice Shin-woo is to Mi-nam: “He still doesn’t know she’s a girl, right? If he did, he’d really feel bad.”
Heyi wants some spaghetti and instructs Tae-kyung to take her to the restaurant. Just then, Tae-kyung gets a phone call from Mo Hwa-ran, who requests a meeting. So he pulls up to the restaurant, tosses Heyi the keys, and points out, “Like you said, I brought you here.” He didn’t promise he’d eat with her. He leaves Heyi pouting in frustration.
On his way to meet Hwa-ran, Tae-kyung notes that this is the first time in 10 years that she’s remembered his birthday. But when he arrives at the table, he finds that she’s waiting with a few others. A reporter enthusiastically greets him, saying that once he heard Tae-kyung would be remaking Hwa-ran’s song, he was eager to interview them.
Tae-kyung sizes up the situation, then makes the excuse that he cannot stay due to a personal issue. Excusing himself, he leaves. It’s particularly sad, because although he’d told his father that his birthday doesn’t mean anything to him, he was obviously feeling hopeful when his mother called him for a special meal together. How crushing it must be to realize that she wasn’t calling him to wish him a happy birthday, but was only doing it for her own PR.
Mi-nyeo finds that Aunt Mi-ja has already opened the package containing Tae-kyung’s present, and tries to figure out how to reseal the package. A note drops out, which she reads: “This is the album you wanted so much. Happy birthday. From Dad.”
Thinking of a nice way to surprise him with a birthday present, Mi-nyeo brings out the autographed photo of Hwa-ran, which she’d gotten from the singer at the music festival. Mi-nyeo thinks it’ll make Tae-kyung happy, since he’s a fan.
When she asks if Jeremy is throwing another party tonight, she’s puzzled to hear his answer that it’s not Tae-kyung’s birthday; they’d already celebrated it earlier this year. Furthermore, Tae-kyung won’t be home tonight because he’s working at the studio all night. Deciding to go to him, Mi-nyeo heads off to the agency.
Hwa-ran finds him at the office, confronting him for humiliating her at the dinner. He sneers that she must no longer be afraid that the truth will leak out, and she admits openly, “What do I have to lose? To be honest, I’m considering revealing that you’re my son. That’ll draw some attention.” She sees his hard expression and asks, “Why, are you afraid now?”
Hwa-ran explains that she’s very ambitious about her new project, and in order to command a lot of attention, she needs him. Understandably, he’s not exactly moved by that proposal, and he jeers, “Did you love the songwriter that much? The reason you left me is because of that love, wasn’t it?”
Hwa-ran answers coldly, “Don’t sneer like that. That was the most precious thing to me.” (Ouchhhhh. Hard words to hear from a mother)
Tae-kyung returns, “That was the most terrible thing to me.” He turns to walk off, and she bursts out, “But I gave birth to you!” She makes her case, and as awful as the words are, they do have a ring of honesty about them (not that it makes them any better):
Hwa-ran: “Because of you, because I gave birth to you, I lost that precious thing. Yes, you probably thought it was a terrible thing because I abandoned you. But because of you, it was horrible for me when I lost him. Since I lost him when I had you, help me keep that love as a memory.”
Not a persuasive argument to say to an abandoned child. Tae-kyung faces Hwa-ran, the tears in his eyes belying his cool words: “If you want to take credit for giving birth to me, at least you should remember when that was.”
His reaction makes Hwa-ran guess, “Was it today?” Tae-kyung walks away, leaving Hwa-ran standing alone outside.
Only… she’s not actually alone. Mi-nyeo has witnessed the exchange, and claps a hand over her mouth in horror.
Tae-kyung’s coldness to his mother is really a front to cover his hurt, because once inside the building, he slumps against the wall, bravado crumbling. He tries in vain to choke back his tears.
Down the hall, Mi-nyeo witnesses his pain and cries, too: “Mother Superior, my star is crying in the dark. What should I do?”
COMMENTS
Damn. These things are getting longer and longer. As someone once said, if I had more time I would have made it shorter. I’ll try harder next time, promise!
Yesterday had the awesomely sweet “I can only see the moon” line, and today had the equally touching “My star is crying” line. Sigh. There’s something very poignant about Mi-nyeo calling Tae-kyung — in a completely non-possessive, un-ironic way — “my star.”
I don’t have that much to say in addition to what I’ve already said, except to marvel at Jang Geun-seok. He’s been great all series long, and I don’t want to suggest that the only way an actor can show he’s good is to cry a lot — but his crying scene was really, really well-done. Completely believable because it wasn’t one of those self-indulgent actorly weepfests, where it seems like they’re saying, “Look at me, look at how prettily I can cry!” (We do tend to get a lot of those in kdramas, don’t we?) I love Tae-kyung’s vulnerability in that moment — how he tries to tamp it down even though he believes himself to be alone and doesn’t have to hide from anyone. He doesn’t want to give in to the tears, because he doesn’t want to admit that his mother has that kind of hold over him, but he can’t help it. He’s a big ol’ softie, and now it’s his turn for the feelings to “burst out” of him.
(I wonder if this is an emotion that Mi-nyeo has prompted in Tae-kyung. I don’t want to attribute every little thing to the love relationship — that gets tiresome — but I do think that Mi-nyeo is the one who showed him that forgiveness can be more powerful than turning your back on the one who hurt you, as she proved with the ring scene earlier. She’s primed him for this emotional vulnerability to break through to the surface, so now I wonder how he’ll be able to bounce back from it, because I don’t think he’s ready to accept that emotional vulnerability can be a gift rather than a character weakness. He’s certainly not ready for forgiveness yet.)
And just because I have to say it: I love jealous Tae-kyung!
RELATED POSTS
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 7
- Jang Geun-seok flooded with CF offers
- Park Shin-hye is tired but happy
- A.N.JELL’s music is a hit
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 6
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 5
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 4
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 3
- Behind the scenes with You’re Beautiful’s cast
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 2
- You’re Beautiful: Episode 1
- FT Island’s Hong-ki ready to return to acting
RECENTLY COMPLETED
Thanks a lot JB and # 202.
I’ve joined SBS website to support YB as much as I can. I posted my comment at #153 in this site and asked everyone how to support our beloved YB and cast.
Really thanks
When I started watching episode 7, I had something that I wanted to comment about. But since I partly watched episode 8 already, I’ll combine both.
If episodes 5 &6 for me was realizing that they (TK/ MN) could be attracted to each other, episodes 7 & 8 were MN realizing that she likes TK (but we knew that was going to happen) and TK, realizing the possibility of having competition for MN.
I am happy that I get TK as a character. He is so wonderfully written that if you tell me that he is an actual person, I would believe it. Seeing him jealous is funny. But for me, we haven’t seen his ‘real’ jealousy.
In the episodes, we see that TK, in all his slight prissiness and all that, is still a guy. And most guys, even if they are as perceptive as TK, can be dense sometimes. I have a feeling that TK has no reason to think that MN likes him. I even think that he doesn’t know that HY likes him for real. Before you guys start hitting me, let me explain further:
TK and MN are close because of the secret they share. It is established that MN is a good person who takes good care of everyone, even in if the means are disastrous. Maybe in TK’s eyes, everything that she does, her thoughtfulness etc. is just the way she is. We, as the audience see that she does make extra effort for him. And what I want to see is TK realizing that he is special to MN. MN giving extra attention and support/effort to him.
So what do I want to happen in the next episodes?
(1) I want MN to comfort TK and maybe even give him a small birthday celebration. For me, this will really make their bond unbreakable as I feel everything TK is has been revealed to MN.
(2) I want the manager to see MN do the pig nose gesture when she is with TK. Then the manager will know that MN’s wonderful singing is because of the emotion she feels with TK and not SW.
(3) I want HY to state what she really wants – right now I don’t know what she wants. Get TK to like her? Her actions are not pointing towards that. Be TK’s friend? Maybe that is why she holds on to him. Get TK to stay away from MN? To maybe have a chance with TK? …..ARGH. WHAT IS IT?!?!
I feel like her character hasn’t grown. I don’t know what she wants from the fake relationship. I don’t know what she aims to achieve by throwing those child-like tantrums. ARGH. Guys, JB, please help me understand.
Thanks JB for the summary. Wish Wednesday will come sooner.
#189 Ana, I love this blog for the same reason too… really wonderful to hear about various insights gathered from all the viewers.
#252 bumpkin, your second wish, for the manager to see MN do the pig nose gesture when she is with TK, is just brilliant !! I didn’t think of that. It’ll definitely be great for someone to find out in a ‘safe’ way that MN is in love with TK… knowing Manager Ma, he might just suggest a hilarious way for MN to hint at her feelings to TK. Also, like you, I am not sure where the thing with Yoo He Yi is heading … the show doesn’t mention how long TK and HY intend to keep up the pretense. Heyi says in ep. 7 that she intends to be the one who will end it first, but I can’t see TK holding on indefinitely without some agreement with HY on when the charade should end.
I hope HY will the one to help TK realizing his feelings for MN. I don’t think HY is evil, she’s just bitchy, and I think once she feels she has no hope with TK, she will dump him and kinda makes it clear to TK about his feelings.
@bumpkin
“So what do I want to happen in the next episodes.”
1) I want MN to comfort TK too but not sure what would be the right approach. I don’t think he’ll want a celebration because he hates his birthday, probably even more so now after what his mum said about giving birth to him. Like you, I want him to realize he is special to MN – he’s her star. That one star that is brighter than any other starts.
2) It would be awesome if the manager sees her doing that with TK. I think he might do something stupid and hilarious like fall off his chair or something when he sees it. He is adorable.
3) My take on HY is that she likes TK but knows he doesn’t share her feelings. The only way she knows to keep by her side is to blackmail him and hope that he’ll change his mind about her and them if given enough time, without MN around. I don’t think she realize MN and TK is attracted to each other. She’s just jealous of MN because of all the attention she is getting. I think once she finds out about how they feel, she may turn up her bitchiness another notch – threaten animals often bite.
I really enjoy this drama, for all those reason that were stated here before,
BUT
I think it’s a bit too much that three popular stars in a row fall in love with the lead actress after such a short time.
I also think that TK’s smirk looks really unnatural and that the actors – especially Go Min-Nyu and Jeremey – are too sweet/cute. Min-Nyu is more like a lumbering cub than a woman. She’s really childlike, it’s hard for me to take her love seriously. The way she stumbles along rather than running, the way she is talking and behaving and her facial expressions: She’s a true baby.
The director and scripwriters do a terribly hard job in making us fall in love with (almost) all the characters.
Thanks for all the wonderful recaps, please don’t shorten them – they’re really great! Finally a show that i’m excited about (and worried about), and a song that’s stuck in my head (despite my not knowing any Korean). It’s great knowing that there are so many fans out there.
I think perhaps one reason why many love this show is that it’s got a very hopeful vibe, that one can be loved solely for who they are, not how beautiful, or how talented or whatever. That love transcends gender, looks, class etc. On a very primal level, i believe people crave that kind of acceptance, and to see GMN receive it from all around her, as opposed to TK’s rejection HY’s fakeness despite the adulation from clueless fans, strikes a chord.
I know i’m not making much sense, but I just wanna say how this drama makes me feel young again ^^
i like the jeremy in this episode! it’s been a while since i last “chase” a korea drama. i like this one more than coffee prince.
and thanks for the recap!!
Thank you for your recaps. They are really very detailed and good(:
@257 cartesiancircle -Thats an interesting POV:-) I think that the ‘hopeful’ vibe is part of YB’s charm.The show as a whole is all heart and isn’t pretentious.I think the characters resonate with us because even though they are afraid of opening up their hearts for the fear of getting hurt,they do it any way.And also as people, don’t we always root for the underdog to win and here we have a classic case of the underdog verses the ‘obvious winner’.
Another thing setting it apart from other K dramas (atleast from the limited no I’ve watched so far) is the difference in the character of the second female lead (He-yi ).Generally the second female lead is mean to her competitor but appears to be perfect to everyone else including the main male lead.But in YB, the main male lead ( Tae-kyung) sees right through her and she’s obviously mean to him.But she keeps an air of goodness with everyone else and none of them seem to be able to comprehend her fakeness, even her ‘competitor’ Go Mi-nam.
I like the way the characters have been fleshed out and also JGS has to be commended for the way he makes his character Hwang Tae-kyung his own with all his tiny quirks and eccentricities.Such attention to detail is amazing and I think thats one of the reasons that makes this show a cut above the rest:-)
Seriously, Jang Geun Suk’s message made me really sad! )):
It’s annoying that they have such low ratings even though the show is awesome, just because IRIS is airing at the same time. (WHY, IRIS, WHY MUST YOU AIR DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME HUH?) I’m pretty sure that if they air during another time slot, their ratings would have been sooooo much higher.
I’m praying hard EVERYDAY that their ratings would go up!!! (:
Come on, any koreans here? If you see this, please leave your TV on, convince many many many many many friends/relatives to watch this show! Hopefully their RATINGS WOULD GO UP!!!
Really, even though people keep saying “ratings” don’t matter so much, the actors still won’t feel acknowledged if the ratings are consistently not that high right! Hope the cast and crew will know that there are many international fans CRAZY about this drama! What can we do to make them (especially Jang Geun Suk!!!) feel better???????? Write in to Korea?
love the recaps!
but i’m confused. do you like JGS or do you not? on Hong gil dong, you said he was a really bad actor and his facial expressions werent that great, but now you are praising him… maybe I missed something, I’m slow like that
i never want this drama to END AHHHHH. its getting so GOOD!!!!! thank you for doing this!! i enjoyed it immensely!
I’m seriously in love with this drama. Thank you javabeans for posting the recaps because that’s how I ended up watching You’re Beautiful.
Does anyone know where I can find the english lyrics to the song “pain” by loveholic? I really like it.
I just rewatched episode 8 (to watch w/ the subtitles)… and my theory on the parentage issue is that it will turn out that TK and Yoo He Yi are (half) siblings, which is why the ajummah in the village recognized both of them but did not recognize Mi Nam.
I haven’t thought it through thoroughly but the village ajummah’s comment seemed pointed and purposeful. I was trying to work it out but it makes my head hurt.
Anyway, that’s my theory.
First off thanks to everyone for your cool comments- and JB for your super reviews- I love coming here to indulge in reading what fellow fans of the series say and benefit from all your carefully thought out views and shared insights!
All right, I’ll say it again- Episode 9 is CRACK!
This is the episode I’ve rewatched the most times- primarily because TK is so adorably all-glares, all-scrowling jealousy! The many faces of his incredulous fury or sour disbelief at things which inspire feelings he cannot admit to, and so are followed by twisted expressions of suppression are simply too precious! In so many ways he’s dimmer than Jeremy and more innocent than MN!
I LOVE TK’s strategy for dealing with jealousy here- he doesn’t admit it, he doesn’t deny it, he simply twists it into something that is MN’s fault and not really having anything to do with _his_ feelings-
“Ungrateful MN,” “after all he’s done for her”, he wrings his hands (metaphorically) and writes her name on his music score in annoyance (or so he tells himself). He sets her the ultimatum of going to confess to SW, telling her the whole time how it’s good for himself. Then when MN is gone for too long, he anxiously goes out to make sure she didn’t have the chutzpah to _really_ take his advice… did she??!
JB thank you for your note about TK’s smirk when he gets her message- it was so touching and funny at the same time I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or to cry! He was so relieved, so happy that his arrogant (even if insecure) assumption that MN’s existence revolves around him and him alone was correct after-all… even if she has some ludicrous crush on SW… humbug!
He glares, he gawks, he tries to burn a hole in her forehead with his killer light sabre look of disbelief when MN gets all coy and happy that her brother’s childhood friend confesses he loves her!
He can’t believe anyone would fancy MN is what he tells himself and near chokes when said-friend confesses to TK that his dream is to marry MN! TK goes ballistic in his usual controlled, prim way with jealousy- his only way of expressing himself is scrowling ever more magnificently and making ever more ridiculous remarks about a certain “pharmacist’s wife” until he and MN have to have a leaf fight to vent their annoyance.
Only we all know how that one ends… with hearts pounding and noses pushed up!
Ah, TK, TK, when will you ever learn to face up to your feelings like the wonderful God-Angel-man you are?
Ah genius Hong sisters, don’t stop taking us on the exquisite ride on the razor’s edge between angst and hilarity!
@265
how about Yoo He Yi and Go Minam being related??? Maybe cousins? Yoo He Yi resembles Go Minam’s mom, which the ajummah recognized because they look alike, maybe she saw a photo when the dad was there or the aunt (Yoo He Yi’s mom) came to visit him regarding her sister’s kids? And I do agree, the village ajummah probably will hold the key to the secret!
Do they talk about Yoo He Yi’s background in ep 2 or 3 when she is introduced as Korea’s fairy? I’m going to re-watch it….
And my theory on Mo Hwaran:
how about she and Go Minam’s dad were first loves or getting along fine until TK’s dad came along–maybe like in Beautiful Days they were music rivals, but TK’s dad got the fame. Maybe there was a one night stand between him and Mo Hwaran, they got drunk or she slept with him for fame or for GMN’s dad, maybe he/they needed money, who knows, and then she got pregnant. GMN’s dad was heartbroken, but eventually fell in love again with GMN’s mom. When Mo Hwaran was able, after the divorce, to get back with GMN’s dad, he was no longer in love with her and had his own family, hence her hate for TK”s birth which ruined everything for her except her career at the time.
Ok…I need a life.
Oh I forgot one more thing…the twist…
In the end, TK will be able to forgive his mom because he will realize how much she suffered for GMN’s dad and because of his dad. Maybe his dad deceived her, and TK will actually forgive them both, realizing his dad was as guilty.
Ok, now on to getting a life…
@ 267, 268 : Oh yes! it could be Mi Nam and He Yi are related… but then why did the ajummah not recognize Mi Nam, but did recognize TK? Hmmmm. I had for a brief and fleeting moment the whole thing worked out in my head –kind of along your lines: TK’s mother was married to Mr Go, but had an affair with Mr X and got pregnant and so Mr Go left her and then she realized she really loved him it was too late– but then when I tried to write it down I couldn’t make it fit. Does she say the songwriter is a Go? And if it’s the He Yi half-sibling thing, where does she fit? Why does the ajummah recognize the children who are NOT Mr Go’s? Then I thought, maybe Mi Nam is not a Go but TK is, … and then I thought, like you, I should really go get a life.
It’s Halloween. Time to go hand out candy.
@269
Yes, I know what you mean!
Well, MHR seemed pretty honest when she said she gave birth to TK in ep 8. So for sure she is his biological mother, but do you think Mr GO is TK’s biological dad??? But then I thought, can’t be, because why would she hate/blame TK so much otherwise??? So TK must be from the Hwang/Mo relationship. MHR also doesn’t like his dad, they got divorced, so somehow she must have been forced to marry him.
I think the village ajummah recognized TK because his dad was famous and probably was on the TV shows they used to watch when they were young. But why did she recognize YHY??? YHY’s mother must have either visited GMN’ s dad, or could YHY’s mom also be GMN’s mom??? She didn’t die, but lost her memory as they do in Kdrama….or YHY’s mom was GMN’s twin sister!!! which would explain the twins….
but it’s true, why wouldn’t the village ajummah recognize GMN if Mr GO had brought the children there?
Yes, I’ve been thinking I really need to get a life, and then thought, wait, this IS my life at the moment!
Ok, pathetic I know…. Happy Halloween, no kids in my apt complex, so no life, too old to go out and trick or treating…
can’t wait to know what happened!
BTW, it’s been so many posts ago (maybe even on a different site, opps!), I lost track but that’s an awesome idea that the Ahjumma’s are the key to the mystery!
Thank you whoever you are!
I’d love to think they know MN’s a girl and that TK resembles his dad (who is the person MN _thinks_ is her dad), so the ahjumma recognizes him. Not to mention they know TK is lying when he says “Yes, she’s my girlfriend”… FAKE girlfriend!
The mysterious three Macbeth witches can tell the future and see through lies because they know “Fair is foul and foul is fair”!
@269, 270
We can be the “Homeless on Halloween” together.
I’m stuck in a hotel thousands of miles from home for work- but the good news? We have YAB! 
Okay, bear with me, I _have_ to get this one off my chest or I’ll never sleep happily again!
Same scene that everyone else is raving about. End of last episode TK tilts his head ever so slightly when MN starts to sing her heart out to him “my love came and left without a word” I really, really dig that scene.
MN grew up right before our eyes, just because TK walks in the door… without a word, without accompanying music, just walking in and looking at her.
Then magic! MN goes from being one-tone comic female lead to a woman-in-love, woman who can channel her love into her voice and produce ART.
PSH really scores better in sad scenes than comic ones- she hit this one WAY out of the ballpark. She showed us that MN now has an understanding of sadness and longing and, is appreciating and experiencing them as real, human feelings, rather than her usual confused innocence.
I listened to PSH’s version of the OST before and found it lacking compared to the professionally sung one by 9th street, but when I saw PSH as MN closing her eyes and giving the song everything MN had and more, I was sold! (Actually I think the studio and the OST versions even sound different… the studio version was more dramatic… the OST version was just quiet.)
And of course everyone has already raved about TK’s eyes in this scene, his unblinking, can’t-believe-what-he’s-seeing-hearing look… but what made my breathe catch was his every so small head tilt right when MN starts singing.
He’s hearing, seeing, sensing MN for the first time, as we all are, in her newest incarnation-
Yes TK, I agree, it IS an amazing thing to see a butterfly emerge from the awkward chrysalis.
And I think the artist in him, the person who wrote that song, was genuinely touched- quite apart from being practically a social retard not to realize MN’s in love with him, at least as a singer he can hear something new and beautiful just start right before his eyes. (And ohh…. such eyes. My lover’s eyes are certainly nothing like the sun…I mean that eye-liner, ouch! Only JGS can get away with it!)
@reluctantbutaddicted and @YAB addict
What the ahjummas said has also been making think a lot about the family relationships. I really think Mr. Go is Tk’s dad. Here is why I think so:
1) the ahjumma recognised him and not MN because he looks just like his dad (Mr. Go) when he was that age
2) he is a songwriter like Mr. Go
3) at the fateful restaurant when he said he looked just like his dad (Mr. Hwang), something MHR said still bothers me – she was obviously upset by that comment and said something about not getting along with geniuses.
4) That is the only way TK could ever forgive MN
MN is not Mr. Go or MHR’s child. Here’s why:
1) Why did the ahjumma not recognize her? There must be some resemblance if she was related to Mr. Go. Instead, they saw that in TK.
2) MHR said “another GMN” non-chalantly. She was not mad or upset. It means she has heard the name but not emotionally connected. If MN was really Mr. Go’s child, MHR would have a different reaction, especially if they were hers or his wife/other woman’s child.
3) Mr. Go has no pictures of MN’s mum or of her with the kids
I still think Mr. Go didn’t really want a child or thought the baby MHR was carrying was Mr. Hwang’s so pushed MHR away. At that time, she was either an up and coming singer or already famous, she could not be a single mother (especially not back then – 20 years ago would have been even more a taboo). Mr. Hwang must have been close to both her and Mr. Go (somewhat like the MN, TK and SW triangle). Mr. Hwang probably in love with MHR (like SW with MN) and equally successful decides to take TK and raise as his own. MHR acknowledges TK is her son (that’s why she sees him once in a blue moon) but it hurts too much to see him because he reminds him of Mr. Go and the love they shared (resulting in this child).
Mr. Go probably met MN’s mum (another singer he worked with) after MHR but she probably already had the twins, maybe single mum too. When something happens to MN’s mum, his guilt of abandoning TK and maybe MHR, made him want to somehow take care of the kids. He remembers his sister and brings them to her. He left a picture of him with the kids not the mum because he’s not related to MN’s mum – no pictures of her and can’t get a hold of a picture of them with her.
Phew! Did that all make sense. In my mind, that’s the only possible scenario based on the current evidence (and because I really hope TK and MN are not related). But of course, the Hong sisters can always throw in another twist.
As for HY and the ahjumma’s comment. It could be just the Hong sisters throwing us a bone to divert us from making the conclusion about TK and Mr. Go or maybe she is related to TK. We don’t know HY’s background so the Hong sisters could write anything there. In the hospital, I think she told the little girl she has to overcome this because she has overcome tough times too. Was that just a fable as part of her fakeness or really true? What if her mum had some kind of relationship with Mr. Go. She looks like her mum so the ahjumma again recognizes the resemblance. And her tough life was from her mum being a single mum/widow since we know Mr. Go died right after leaving the twins with his sister. And another twist, he couldn’t take the twins in because he already has another family (HY’s) and since the twins were not his own, he thought of the next best plan – leave them with sister. Come to think about it, HY and TK makes some similar facial expressions.
What do you all think? Does this make sense? Sorry it’s so long but had to connect the dots. Probably missed something that would throw this whole theory out of the window too….oh well…
@Fan
I love reading your posts. You have great points of view so thank you for sharing.
I mentioned awhile back that I think the ahjummas hold the key to the mystery of the parents. I have a feeling we might see them again later. And really dig that they knew MN was a girl and how they said: Is that your girlfriend?
TK: Yes.
Ahjummas: And that’s your girlfriend too. You’ve been lying all day.
TK is so dense here he doesn’t get what they were saying.
Jealous TK is indeed quite a treat for the viewers. That scene with the leaves really was needed. Someone mentioned how scary he looked when he first threw the leaves at MN. That’s testament to JGS’ acting again. TK must be extremely annoyed/upset by now. First SW, now this dude from nowhere is hitting on his girl. So the leaves gives him an avenue to vent. But being with MN (and sharing that moment) only means it brings out the best in him so the laugh. He was so into it, he forgot where he was until MN gave him that piggy nose.
I think TK hearing MN sing in the studio was surprised by the emotions from MN. I would like to think that for just a split second, he connects the lyrics of the song to how MN feels about him. But I doubt it because he asks manager ma if something happened before the recording. Nope, he didn’t really get it that she was singing to him and that he was the source of this new found emotions. Instead, he bought that it was because of SW.
Ahh…this drama is getting me emotional. Must get back to football….
@fan
well, not so much “homeless” but “halloweenless”, but yes, YABful!
@yvhsien
yes, so confusing…there could be so many scenarios…i don’t know about Mr Go being TK’s dad though…because MHR would not have such hate/resentment for his birth otherwise…TK, or TK’s dad, ruined her relationship with Mr Go…the village ajummah was banging on the TV, so i think she saw them (the people who resemble TK and HY) on TV. Else they could have said he looks like Mr Go. Maybe TK’s dad went to the hometown looking for Mr Go…and that’s when they saw him, or they were on a show together…but i do see how TK and HY could be related, their personalities are very similar…maybe they do share the same genes…
i think with the comment at the restaurant, MHR was more discontent about the fact that TK continues to ignore her, turned against her, now that she “needs” him, wants to use him…when he was young, she was the one who called the shots, now that he is grown, he’s calling the shots, she doesn’t like that, maybe that’s how Mr Hwang was…
I think maybe another reason, other than love, TK would be able to forgive Mr Go is if he knows that Mr Go was wronged by his dad, as maybe was his mom… argh…so many possibilities, but I think they all sound good! and we know that in the end, TK and MN should end up together! So whatever obstacles they are facing, will be somehow resolved! Can’t wait!
It is so fun to read all the comments and speculations while in agony waiting and wishing for Wed to come much sooner .
YAB has turned everybody into a don’t – want – to – be – cured – addict . Googled and visited all the sites that has YAB news . Reading all the comments and even all the quiet lurkers were out in the open – just to show how much YAB has tugged its fans hearts to the core .
Here is another preview from Thunderbolt . It is so fun to read as she is so hilarious .
Enjoy while waiting for the preview of episode 9 to be out ….
http://thundie.wordpress.com/2009/10/24/youre-beautiful-yes-you-are/
http://thundie.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/youre-beautiful-episodes-5-6/
Thank you so much JB . Your writing is wonderful . Please do not shorten any of it . Do you know how many times we re-read your recaps ? Lost count
as we love YAB so much . We all are crazy about YAB so it is not supprising that your site has +50K hits within 24 hours . GOOD ON YA 
:):)
@ yvhsien, YABaddict, fan…
The ajummahs are definitely the holders of the key… especially as Mi Nam’s aunt said she didn’t have anyone she could ask for info, and there they are, right in front of her.
I’m going for the TK-YH half-sibling relationship b/c I think it is a way for YH to be rehabilitated and not simply thrown away when TK and MN get together; she’s shown that there is a tiny part of her that is not ‘fake fairy’ and that should get its reward, so if she’s TK’s sister she can stay in the circle. If MN and YH are related there will still be rivalry. If TK and MN are related I will be furious. FURIOUS.
And you’re right (yvhsien?) that TK’s mother doesn’t really react to Go Mi Nam except to just acknowledge the name. It is kind of odd.
We’re on to something here…
Just realized that Go Mi Nam and Go Eun Chan were both Gos. … Will YEH turn up as Mi Nam when it’s time for the big reveal (she made a better –more believable–boy than PSH)? There was an insider joke at end of My Girl… so they might try to do the same here?
YABaddict : how could I have forgotten the Amnesia Plot Device!?! Of course it could be used here, in any number of ways.
Just a thought:
Maybe when the manager sees MN’s MV, he will see the pig nose gesture and figure out that MN likes TK and not SW.
Here’s my take on the Mr. Go – Hwa Ran thing:
Maybe TK’s mom was in a relationship – a functional one not necessarily a romantic one – with Mr. Hwang. I can soooo see the typical ‘I’m a struggling new artist so I have to be with someone famous so I can get some attention’. Maybe that is why TK’s mom and dad were in a relationship. It was really for their respective careers.
As the relationship turned bad, that’s when TK’s mom meets Mr. Go and falls in love with him. Now this is where it gets tricky…
I think that since what they had is an affair, a baby on the way will make the guilt worse. I believe that TK is really Mr. Hwang’s kid. If you think about it, leaving your husband/wife to be with your lover may not be a bad thing for some people but leaving children to run away with your lover? Now that is really bad. Adults can get over it, people break up all the time. But you don’t ‘break up’ with children.
Maybe that is why TK’s mom blamed TK for everything. (I admit I find that stupid because she was the one who got pregnant in the first place) Maybe that’s the reason why she abandoned him for some time.
Maybe now she is willing to fix things though we may not approve of her ways. They say time heals everything and maybe she is ready to be the mother of TK. I think that she just doesn’t know how to do it. It also goes to show that she doesn’t know her own kid. I think in the end, she wants to make Mr. Go’s song be popular, more like a parting gift for him so she can finally let him go.
This drama makes me laugh until my belly aches and cry until my heart breaks. It’s truly a pleasure and I am totally addicted. I feel like a teenager again.. and it’s been a while since. It brings many beautiful feelings to memory and I want to hold on to them while this drama lasts.
Thanks JB so very much for the thorough and insightful recaps. I just discovered them and I love them. I think I will be here for a while.
love this drama, but btw, does tae kyung know that shin woo knows that mi nam is a girl?? it was subtle, but since i don’t speak korean….here in your recap it says…
Shin-woo: “Don’t go. You should leave her alone.” They exchange intense stares, but Tae-kyung stays put.
HER?? it obviously seems like tae kyung doesn’t know, but was he just not paying attention or what?…
I had to restrain myself from reading this before watching :S And no don’t make it shorter!! This drama is seriously the best drama I’ve ever watched…admittedly I haven’t watched many, but since the only k-dramas I watched were all the old ones like Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart (cos my mom was watching XD), I had this impression of k-dramas being all weepy and predictable.
Boy did YB prove me wrong. Where to start?! I love EVERYTHING about this drama, all the characters, writing…and JGS! He’s turned me into a total fangirl, like everyone else I love his eyes and he has really made TK into a character, I’ve fallen in love.
Plus this is the ONLY drama where I cheerfully rewatch the episodes and force everyone I know to try it out.
I feel bad that the ratings are low!
I’ll try registering for SBS, the cast and crew need to know how much they’re loved! I for one will try my best to get the DVD when it comes out, hopefully it’s not too expensive XD Seriously though, this is a gem to be treasured and next week seems way too far away.! T.T
Hi! Thks for your preview. May I know when will you write the preview for epi 9 & 10? Thanks for your help
I’m sure i have nothing to add that someone hasn’t commented on already – considering there is 280+ posts here. However, i just wanted to note this is my favourite episode so far. JGS OWNED this episode, from the cute jealous fits to the heart wrenching scence at the end – blub.
I’m astonished that this drama has managed to keep up the momentum – kept it funny, kept it fresh and very very watchable from episode one all the way to episode eight! – As always, this drama has me wishing my life away counting down the days until Wed/Thurs!!
I’ve said this before way back at the beginning of the series – but not only do I love the show, but I love how much everybody else loves the show! I often read JBs funny and insightful re-caps, but only occasional I skimp through the comments, if at all.
But I’ve really been finding the time to read many of the comments (which can take freaking ages, cos there some many of them) and I often finding myself nodding along, agreeing with what people are saying, seeing things in a different light cos others have noticed things that I didn’t or considered it from a different angle or laughing my ass of cos some of the comments are laugh out loud funny – talking about you Colleen F-H @ post 152. lol.
It really feels like I watching, enjoying and discussing this drama with 100s of friends, be it friends that I’ve don’t know or have never met….Thanks to you all for enhancing the experience – See you all next week friends!!
I’m a silent reader ,finally have time to write comment coz I’m just sooo busy reading ur recap n comments..
thanks DB!! =)
million thanks..
I’ve to write in list or else this would be too long..:
1)It’s 2 years already since CP??.. in past,I could even watch CP without SOUND and still love it till death..I would do the same for YB..haha
2)JGS couldn’t be resist..best actor of all..but other casting are also doing dang GOOOOOD job.. thank u all!!
3)just love this drama..no word can describe how much we all looooove YB..
thanks…thanks…thanks…DB,castings,crew,writer,PD n all the fans out there that make this drama more beautiful day by day…=)
Is in Wednesday yet???! grrrr…
I am starting to wear more eyeliner now in honor of JGS… hahaha
Is it wednesday yet???!! grrr
I realize I am starting to wear more eyeliner in honor of JGS
Withdrawal symptoms are getting bad again… shaking and listening non-stop to the OST- urg! I hope someone in SBS has mercy on us addicts and posts a BTS or something… even pictures of crew members, or the Hong sisters would help!
BTW, someone kindly put up a translation of the BTS where we have JGS and PSH’s playing around on the bed scene and it sounds even _more_ flirty and cute with the translation:
Credits to Rainbowbrite over at the soompi forum
http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=308926&st=4680
“http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/H-e2LlAQrLc/
The scene where JGS and PSH are *erhm* playing around on the bed:
JGS: Do you like me?
*PSH pushes JGS away*
JGS: Really?
PSH: Oppa…
JGS: Why are you so nervous?
JGS: Ya, What’s wrong with you? Look at me.. Answer me..
JSG: My initial question.. Do you like me?
JSG: Oh! Park Shin Hye likes me!
PSH: Oppa, Why are you acting like a fool?
JGS: What? The crew members are all around..
JGS: Do you know why Oppa is acting like this?
JSG: I have another thought now..
JSG: Someone like you.. you also know..
PSH: Oh you really..
JSG: I’m wrong.. I’m wrong..
JSG: I’m wrong.. I know it.. I know it..”
Now _that_ made me squeal… like a pig!
I am so glad that I found this site. I was confused about the table, have to say your recap clear me up. It’s a great drama and makes me cheer up. Furthermore, it draws my attention back to korea drama which I used to be crazy with but not since the last year. Good job, buddies!
@288 Fan
Did JGS say that someone else likes PSH and she know it too? Or am I misinterpreting that?
@ yvhsien
I think when he says “I’m wrong” and “I know it,” he’s joking that he knows he went to far, because that’s when PSH was pretending to want to use the taser on him. At least, that’s what I get in the context of the video.
@290 yvhsien
That has me puzzled too-
I’m quoting the text as it was posted, so I don’t have any more information, but my _guess_ is that he’s just teasingly referring to himself as an admirer.
(Okay, okay, I just WANT him to be doing that!
)
I admit two things crossed my mind after reading this
1) JGS himself said that he was trying to lighten the mood of all their filming sessions as he feels it’s his ‘job’ as the most senior of the group to set a good tone for filming, so he could be doing that. (I thought PHS’s response was quite cute… I think she was embarassed!
)
2) (I know this is unromantic, almost ungenerous) Perhaps JGS realizes that a few flirty moments on the BTS would be fan service
Either way, the way he was smiling, brushing her hair aside, pulling in close and saying all that at the same time? Whatever his reasons it certainly made me squeal!
I commend the writer/s here in dramabeans. Great job! It wasn’t long ago when I discovered this site. I’m glad I did.
– a huge fan of YAB and Jang Geun Seuk here.
Okay, who else here wants the YAB cast to really film an MV with “Without a Word”?
Actually who wants 3 MV’s versions with three different singers?
TK/HY/MN PSH and/or TK singing
SW/MN Yong Hwa singing
Jeremy/MN Hong Ki singing
Please Santa? I’ve been such a good girl and this is _all_ I want for X’mas….
Does anyone think that JGS sometimes looks like Hyun Bin, or am I making non-existent YAB connections to my favorite leading man?
@276
Thanks for the heads-up on Trudie’s site- it does rock!
(I too have been desperately reading anything/everything to do with YAB.)
BTW, as a small request to the hardcore group here- if any of you know of good Chinese sites I’m willing to try to buckle down and try to understand some of what the Chinese fans are saying about this and how popular it is there.
Even if us scattered, English-writing fans aren’t very significant to SBS, surely the Chinese fans must count for something to the Korean advertisers?! (Giant market right on their border… don’t tell me SBS’s advertisers don’t find that compelling statistics if YAB is popular there!)
@296 Fan
While I haven’t gone too much on it myself, you can try searching baidu (make sure you type the name in chinese though)? The BBS there generate quite a lot of hits / replies and I often notice that some pics on the the soompi forum are from there.
@292 Fan
I have a theory. I think they are talking about Jung Yong Hwa (SW). I’ve noticed he and PSH are super close in the BTS videos. I think it’ll be cute if there’s something going on there. At least he gets the girl off-screen.
JGS had mentioned in some other shows/interviews that he preferred more mature women so I doubt there’s that type of attraction with PSH.
Posted this on episode 7 recap (so technically this is my 2nd post..lol)
I’ve been lurking on your site since this drama but this is the first time i will comment.. lol..
i cannot even put into words how much i LOVE & ADORE this drama.. You have said it all, this drama is not only directed, and acted well, its all about the PHENOMENAL WRITING.. ive been watching KDramas since 12 (now im 19) and i know a great drama when i see one.. and this is One of the Bests ive seen!
All the emotions possible in life can be felt through this drama.. most especially the FUNNY scenes..i find myself ROFLMAO at work, or at school and at the house when i check this drama…
i would like to commend you for your BRILLIANT WRITING! ive enjoyed all your posts/recaps…
ive said alot and i havent even gotten to why i FINALLY made a comment.. its because i believe that EPISODE 7 and 8 are The BEST Episodes so far! they just keep getting better and better… but ep7 really did it for me! This drama needs to get AWARDS! JGS, PSH and the crew and writers need to grab all those awards.. they deserve it!
ill try to be more active here as possible.. I LOVE YOUR SITE!
Thank you for quenching our YAB addictions! Cant wait for eps 9&10
Thanks JB for the the drama cap…always loving reading your drama cap esp. on this drama..lol…another excellent episode, I must say…as for the mother, totally dislike. Ouch, saying those harsh words to Tae-kyung…just because she give birth to him…she sure has some logical esp. when she abandon her child for her career…seriously, does this woman not have a conscious at all, he is her child, the child she carry for what…9 month of pregnacy…lol…from what it seem, I totally dislike her. It seem the songwriter left her because she was pregnant per what she said, correct me if I’m wrong *smile*? So from my opinion, since she said he left her when she was pregnant with Tae-kyung, if she love the man and that man is not Tae-kyung’s father, I wonder if she cheated on the songwriter, that why he left her? If so, what right does she have to place the blame on Tae-kyung, if she was the one who cheated…this is all my assumption but that woman is so wrong..placing the blame on her son, one who may seem resentful of her on appearance but inside, still long for her affection…what a HORRIBLE mother! I swear, that woman has no conscious, abandoning her son and then coming back expecting him to do what she want him too…lol…
Its okay, Tae-kyung! If she don’t love, I’ll love you *smile* or better yet, WE ALL WILL LOVE YOU! =)
I sure can’t wait for more of TK & MN…wish there were preview…I want to see what MN is going to do for TK…she is his MOON…hahahahah..they’re so cute together…