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Personal Taste: Episode 15

You know how there are a zillion and one romantic comedies out there, and some of the better offerings have started to get pretty creative with the meet-cute scenarios? The old standbys have gotten stale (for example, a pratfall lands one directly into the arms of the other, or a man and a woman crash into each other and pick up the other person’s cell phone, or they have a one-night stand only to realize one is the other’s new boss), but there are still ways writers have managed to wring more mileage out of the plot device. Like a guy hearing a girl sobbing in the bathroom after she is dumped… only to tell her to get out of the men’s room. Or the girl trips and falls on top of him… then vomits in his mouth. And so on.

Anyway, point being: I really wish writers would expend as much energy being as creative with the inevitable breakup scenes. Because this episode is pretty much one big pile of Predictable. The acting is good and the reasoning actually holds up in context of our story — it’s just that we don’t get a single twist or curveball here, which makes for an episode that is necessary but really just makes you want to get on to the next one, already. (Arg! Am pre-emptively jealous of girlfriday.)

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EPISODE 15 RECAP

Titled “Trying to Erase You,” Episode 15 kicks off as Jin-ho walks in just as Kae-in is having a major meltdown over her recovered memories. Jin-ho introduces himself to her father, but it doesn’t really mean much to Professor Park, who has bigger worries. Namely Kae-in, whose legs give out as she says brokenly, “I… remember everything.”

Dad kneels and assures her that it was just a nightmare. But it’s too late, and the memory is back in full force. Now Dad sees the framed photo, which Jin-ho had so thoughtfully gotten reframed, and asks where that came from. The truth dawns on him, and he asks if the basement has been opened with a horror that seems more appropriate if he’d been hiding dead bodies down there like something out of a trashy gothic horror novel.

(Speaking of which, this whole “Let’s convince my daughter that her traumatic past never happened” totally reminds me of this V.C. Andrews novel I sneak-read at the library in junior high, not that I’m proud of it, but we all have our lapses in good taste so don’t judge me, okay? Anyway, it was creepy in My Sweet Audrina and it is ever so slightly hinting at creepy here.)

I don’t mean that Professor Park is a creepy person, and it’s like he’s trying to make himself forget the past, which I can understand on a human level — it’s just twisted to continue in that line of thinking when your self-delusion requires you to actually alter the memories of your child. Even if you argue the “it’s for your own good” defense, which is sort of a cop-out since it’s just as much for Park as it is for Kae-in’s benefit.

Jin-ho confirms that Pandora’s box the basement has been opened, and can sense that this is an upsetting answer though he doesn’t know why. Sure enough, Dad blows up at him for being so presumptuous and orders Jin-ho out of the house immediately.

Dad looks around the underground workshop, which Jin-ho has so carefully cleaned out and restored. How sad that this should be the way his efforts are received.

At her mother’s gravesite, Kae-in tells Jin-ho that her mother died trying to save her. She’d wondered all along why her father hated her, but now she understands. She doesn’t blame him, because she wouldn’t have wanted to see a daughter like her, either. Aw, somebody give the poor girl a hug!

Thankfully Jin-ho’s there to do just that.

I’m thinkin’ Sang-jun must’ve taken girlfriday’s breakup pretty hard, ’cause he’s left the fan-friendly zone of being the sassy fake-gay best friend and charged headlong into self-destructive territory by pissing us all off with some plot-dictated idiocy.

Namely: The worker who is suing their company is demanding 200 million won, and this adds pressure to their already precarious situation. So Sang-jun makes a copy of the blueprints he found in Jin-ho’s office (calling them his “spade ace hidden card,” hurrah for mangled English malapropisms), and feels that this is their only hope for survival.

Sang-jun is clearly wearing his bad idea pants today, as he takes the blueprints to Do-bin’s office (uh-oh…), presenting them as the plans that his office has been working on (oh crap…). He asks for Do-bin’s opinion on the plans, saying that if they had his input they might have a better chance of succeeding. He knows this is breaking the rules, but they really could use the help. Do-bin is skeptical, knowing Jin-ho’s strictly principled attitude, and asks if he knows about this. Sang-jun assures him that Jin-ho does (threat level orange…).

Do-bin hands back the documents, but Sang-jun begs, as their office is facing a lot of difficulty. Please help!

When Jin-ho drops Kae-in off at home, he tells her that he doesn’t know what to say, but asks her to remember that he’ll always be with her. He concedes that his words must not be much comfort to her, but Kae-in tells him that “it’s everything to me.”

Dad sighs in disappointment that Kae-in has been living with Jin-ho, because he di’n’t raise no ho. (Well, that last part is implied.) He tells her that they’ll “talk about it later” — words that always made my stomach drop whenever a parent said them to me — and says that he has blocked off the basement, because covering over a problem always fixes it, don’tcha know? Kae-in says as much, answering that you can’t make something un-happen, and breaks down once she’s alone in the safety of her room.

Level Orange gets bumped up to Red Alert the next day when Professor Park meets with Do-bin, who thanks him for agreeing to judge the project. In fact, Do-bin has a particular set of blueprints he’d like to show him, and hands them over. (Yeeaaargh… all hands on deck!) Naturally, the professor recognizes the work as his own, but he doesn’t get a chance to ask about them until a little later, after Kae-in enters, invited by Do-bin to join the two men for lunch.

Do-bin has done this to play up Jin-ho’s talents (so sweet, yet so very unhelpful, as this is just going to backfire massively on him), and talks very positively about him, but none of this makes any difference because the instant Park hears the name, he knows what’s going on.

At this very moment, Sang-jun tells Jin-ho that he showed the blueprints to Do-bin for advice, and to cut him some slack, he thought they were Jin-ho’s designs. (Thus he wasn’t trying to plagiarize designs; he was just asking for advice.) Jin-ho races to the museum immediately to retrieve the documents.

Ah, but timing is not on his side and he’s too late. When he steps inside Do-bin’s office, Park glares at him and demands to know if these are his copies. Jin-ho can’t do anything but hang his head in shame while Park says that these are his designs for a Dahm museum project from thirty years ago. Did he move in to the Sanggojae with the intention of stealing them? Was it fun playing with his daughter’s heart too?

Kae-in watches in confusion as Jin-ho says that he didn’t mean to steal them, but that his feelings for Kae-in are genuine. Park scoffs at the idea of this thief asking him to trust him, and storms out.

Jin-ho follows him out and calls him “Father” — which, ouch, majorly bad call there, buddy. On the other hand, it does show how seriously he thinks of Kae-in because the sane thing to do is remain his respectful distance, so aligning himself as Kae-in’s man demonstrates where his priority is. For now, at least, before the Guilt Monster eats up his common sense.

Jin-ho asks Professor Park for a moment to explain, but now the man turns his anger to Kae-in, saying she’s a fool for trusting anyone. She protests (a little uncertainly) that his accusation’s not true, still wanting to think the best of this situation, and looks to Jin-ho for confirmation.

After a few stoic moments, Jin-ho answers, “Yes, you’re right.” When he first moved in, he did consider that he might be able to learn something, because he’d heard that Sanggojae was the concept for the Dahm project. However, he gave up those thoughts when he fell for Kae-in.

Dad’s not having it, and leaves in a huff. Now Kae-in asks haltingly if Jin-ho really moved in because of the project.

Jin-ho apologizes, and starts to say he was going to explain it to her, but she cuts him off: “When? After you won the project? Using blueprints you stole from my father?”

He tries to defend his motives, saying that she’s got the wrong idea, but she feels betrayed and isn’t in the mood to give him the benefit of the doubt. That means he decided from the very start to use her, doesn’t it?

Sang-jun runs to the museum to right his wrong, wanting to explain that he had really thought they were Jin-ho’s blueprints — he wasn’t trying to take credit for someone else’s work. But after being kicked to the curb by Kae-in, Jin-ho is defeated and tells him no. This was all his wrongdoing to begin with.

And why is In-hee there? Because the actress needs screentime despite an increasingly irrelevant character? Because In-hee has a built-in chip that tracks down people in pain and came to feed off their misery?

In-hee never met a story of someone’s anguish that she didn’t thrive off of, so she calls Chang-ryul to congratulate him. It’s like they don’t even have to be her own victories anymore in order for her to gloat. Just a person being in pain is enough for her to get a kick out of it. It’s like she’s somehow mentally attuned to all the badness in the world, like some kind of… all-powerful… Devil-Robot. Beep boop muahaha.

In-hee says that Jin-ho will now lose Do-bin’s trust, and Professor Park is spitting mad at him. Chang-ryul is incredulous, not expecting this of Jin-ho.

Dad barks at Kae-in to get Jin-ho’s room cleared out, threatening to do it if she doesn’t. She agrees to do it herself, but tells her father that if she weren’t his daughter, she wouldn’t have had any right to receive love from anyone. Which… is a really sad sentiment, and not one I’m all that pleased about, because it makes it seem like she has such low self-esteem that she believes Jin-ho would never have fallen in love with her if she hadn’t been Professor Park’s daughter.

The non-cynical interpretation of this is that Jin-ho did love her for real, but would never have gotten to that point had he not been motivated to move in because of the Dahm project. The cynical-er way to read it is that both he and Chang-ryul used her, but she wouldn’t have even had that much if not for her parentage. The reason I don’t feel happy to hear this is that Kae-in has made such big strides over the course of this drama in viewing herself with self-worth that I hate seeing her retreat to this sort of thinking. Kae-in! You are a beautiful person! You’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and doggone it, people like you!

Kae-in calls Jin-ho, who sees the call but doesn’t answer it because he figures there’s nothing he could say.

To his credit, Sang-jun takes responsibility for the mess, saying that it was all because of him that Jin-ho moved into the Sanggojae and dragged on the gay lie. Jin-ho says that no matter what Sang-jun did, he still caused all this, and making excuses now doesn’t erase what he did. Why is it guys always take responsibility for crap when it’s too late to make a difference? How ’bout you actually take a risk by doing the right thing when you still have something to lose, and not just because you’ve hit rock bottom, yeah?

Even so, Sang-jun urges Jin-ho to at least clear his name of the accusations for which he is not guilty.

Scarface makes another unannounced visit to Sanggojae, and really, I don’t think we needed some faulty window-floor to tell us that this design is severely flawed when there is no such thing as a lock on the door. For a dude who has been terribly secretive about this house for the last 30 years, you’d think he’d have implemented some security measures.

Chang-ryul talks to Kae-in, sighing about Jin-ho, “And I warned him to stop seeing you.” This strikes Kae-in as odd — so does this mean Chang-ryul knew about Jin-ho’s reasons for moving in? He answers that he didn’t want her to get hurt and reminds her of Jin-ho’s transgressions to urge her away from trusting him again. But Kae-in retorts that he’s the same — he started dating her again on his father’s orders because of the Dahm project. Chang-ryul feels wrongfully accused (and I think we can safely establish that he did care for her genuinely), but she tells him bitterly, “You’re all the same.”

Scarface pretty much has no shame, foisting himself upon the professor like this, acting like they’re great friends when in fact the latter’s first words were “Who… are you?” Scarface wastes no time badmouthing Jin-ho, describing him as a man with a grudge who went after Kae-in knowing that she and Chang-ryul were seeing each other.

Dad asks what her relationship with Chang-ryul is, and gets Chang-ryul’s answer that although they had been dating, he screwed up and they ended up breaking up. It’s a pretty mature response, but Scarface can’t leave that alone and tries to spin it in their favor, saying that even after being dumped, his Dear Son continued to ask her to come back and even bought a bunch of her furniture, and… uh… oh…

Kae-in hadn’t known this, having believed she sold that furniture order on her own merit. Chang-ryul tells her not to get upset, as though his gesture didn’t suggest that he basically didn’t have faith in her ability and had to help her out like she’s some sort of charity case.

Jin-ho sits in his car outside the house, and of COURSE he must see the Hans leaving the house just as he’s contemplating trying to clear his name of the false charges. He hears Professor Park asking Chang-ryul if he’s sincere about his daughter. Chang-ryul answers yes — he has hurt her a lot so she isn’t ready to accept him, but he can wait.

Park likes his respectful address and shakes his hand, while Chang-ryul promises to do his best. Jin-ho drives away.

Dad likes Chang-ryul, especially compared to the guy who stole his designs. Kae-in doesn’t want to talk about him and sticks to her faith that there must have been some misunderstanding about Jin-ho’s deception. Plus, Dad doesn’t know how badly Chang-ryul hurt her, or how Jin-ho helped her through it.

However, Dad argues that if she’s right, Jin-ho should have come by to argue his case. Yes, perhaps if the bad timing fairy weren’t working overtime today.

Kae-in says sadly, “You asked for a talk, but in the end you don’t listen to me at all. And you don’t trust me.” She then sits and waits for Jin-ho to call, expecting and hoping for an explanation. Instead it’s Young-sun who calls, having heard everything from Sang-jun. Jin-ho hadn’t stolen the blueprints, and Sang-jun made merely a mistake and took them to Do-bin. Kae-in counters that it’s still true he came to live with her under false pretenses.

Jin-ho goes to his father’s burial vault, where he confesses that he must really be pathetic, and his father must want to scold him: “But Father, there’s nothing I can do for her. I shamed her in front of her father when her only wish was to receive recognition from him.”

Kae-in leaves a voicemail message with Jin-ho, saying she’ll wait for him at the cafe. She’s there all night, diligently waiting while Jin-ho sits in his car watching her. Finally she sees him, relieved that he showed up after all.

Her tone is vastly different from the last time they’d seen each other; she tells him that she had been so angry she’d decided not to see him anymore, but she can’t really do that. She’s decided not to believe anything until he explains. Yet Jin-ho remains stubbornly silent — why won’t you speak? Unless you’re thinking you’re not fit to wipe the floor she walks on (which, okay, is true), you’d better start speaking!

Kae-in gives him an easy out, wanting him to tell her that this was all Sang-jun’s doing. Jin-ho is in full self-loathing mode and tells her, “I did it all.” That’s why he moved in, pretended to be gay, and took her father’s blueprints. Agh, now he’s doing that stupidly noble thing by making himself the bad guy… to spare her the indignity… of liking a guy so unworthy… or something? I’m sure it makes sense TO HIM.

Being purposely harsh, Jin-ho tells her that she’s foolish for having faith in him after he used her: “Do you think I’d like a woman that ridiculous?”

Kae-in doesn’t believe him and counters, “But you love me. That’s why you looked at me like that, and felt so pained because of me, and held me.” He returns, “I acted like I was in love, to succeed no matter what.” The only reason he’s telling her the “truth” now is because while she was easy to fool, her father is not quite so stupid.

Note that he’s finally talking to her (full-on, not switching back and forth) in the informal banmal speech — and while banmal is used between people who are close, it’s also used to be insulting. So he finally uses it with her, only it’s not to be close to her but to hurt her. (Granted, he’s doing it “for her own good” in the long run, but still, hurting is hurting.)

Kae-in knows he’s being mean on purpose and pleads with him to ask for her forgiveness, but he says he’s not sorry for anything, “So don’t show up in front of me ever again.”

Oh, you stupid stubborn idiot with your stupid stubborn fixation with self-sacrifice. Korean dramas, you do kill me so.

Jin-ho drives away vowing, “I won’t love Park Kae-in. I don’t love her.”

Jin-ho moves back home and tells his mother that he broke up with Kae-in, and she’s relieved. Kae-in goes home to tell her father the same, then cries in her room.

Do-bin can sense Kae-in’s mood and sees that she’s faking her chipper attitude over lunch. He invites her to confide in him about Jin-ho, to which she answers that Jin-ho copped to everything, and said he never loved her.

Do-bin doesn’t believe this, and points out that he gave up the gay act when it would have been better for him to keep faking it. But when he rejected Do-bin, he had explained that it was because he loved Kae-in. Therefore, can’t she tell how he really feels from the look in his eyes rather than from his words?

Sang-jun’s shocked that Jin-ho broke things off, but Jin-ho puts on his professional front and gets right back to work. He’s not giving up on the Dahm project, and gets busy designing.

Finally, the day arrives when applications open for participants, and Jin-ho files theirs. Do-bin sees their form in the in-box and sends In-hee to bring Jin-ho in for a talk.

Basically, everybody knows that Jin-ho is lying about not loving Kae-in, and in this conversation, he doesn’t even go out of his way to assert that it’s true. He just says that this is as much as he could do in this situation. What difference do his feelings make now?

Do-bin has decided to trust Jin-ho one more time, but it’s like Jin-ho hates himself so much he can’t stand to have others cutting him a break, and he answers that he’d mis-buttoned the first button at the start, which is why it should be no surprise that the bottom ones are all messed up. Essentially he’s in this “what else do I deserve” shame spiral, and he may as well just accept all the bad rather than trying to earn forgiveness that he doesn’t feel he deserves. Do-bin, however, points out wisely that he could just fix the wrong button. Smart, smart man. Listen to him!

Even Young-sun says that Kae-in should forgive Jin-ho now because it’s so obvious that he loves her, but Kae-in says everything is over.

Young-sun tries to ease into the topic, but Kae-in’s not having it — she doesn’t want to discuss him anymore, because it’s too painful to talk about. With that, she falls asleep at the table, having been knocked out cold from what appears to be a half-pint of beer. C’mon, this is the girl who knocked back two bottles of soju! I am disappointed in you, Park Kae-in.

Jin-ho finds himself back at the Sanggojae, watching the front door. He’s rescued from being (even more of) a creepy stalker by Young-sun, who calls him to let him know that Kae-in is passed out at the bar. He declines to come get her, but Young-sun says she’s got to leave, so if he wants to leave her unconscious here, it’s his call.

Of course this brings him to the bar, where he watches her sleeping for a moment. When she starts to lean off the table, he grabs her to keep her from falling, and this wakes her up.

Registering Jin-ho’s presence, Kae-in decides she’d rather not see him right now, and gets up unsteadily to leave. He follows her out and tries to stop her, whereupon she shakes off his arm angrily. Why is he even here? They’re over now!

Jin-ho doesn’t know why he came — he only knows that when Young-sun called, he found himself coming straight over. Kneeling in front of her, he tells her to climb on his back so he can carry her home. Kae-in is still hurting from his rejection and asks if he thinks she’s that easy, to come at his beck and call. “You’re really the worst. I should never have met a guy like you. But I met you and everything became ruined.”

She refuses to get on his back but he kneels a second time, more insistent. When she doesn’t, Jin-ho grabs her onto his back and starts walking anyway, and let’s just say that’s ONE way to flout the piggyback-as-romantic convention!

By the time they get to her neighborhood, they’re both quiet, his steps slow and steady. Kae-in narrates:

Kae-in: “After our separation, the once-clear skies have filled with torrents of rain. The tornado I see in my heart has made a mess of everything. But still, his back is quite warm. Now I won’t have a reason to be carried on this back anymore, will I?”

It’s a nice contrast to the first time Jin-ho carried her on his back, when she was the one who insisted and he only complied grudgingly. She’d been singing and happy then, the attraction just budding.

When he brings her inside, Professor Park waits like an angry dad two hours past curfew on prom night. Immediately, Kae-in jumps off Jin-ho’s back and to her feet.

When he asks if they were drinking together all night, Kae-in says no, but Dad scolds her anyway, taking her to task for being so foolish and trusting. Jin-ho doesn’t like seeing Kae-in treated like this and his face hardens, but Kae-in keeps her head bowed penitently and apologizes.

Finally, Jin-ho has to speak up and defends Kae-in — she did nothing wrong. Why must she apologize when it was Jin-ho who wronged them? Although he has done nothing worth bragging about, Kae-in did nothing but to trust and love him. Does Professor Park even know how hard she has worked to gain his approval?

Not surprisingly, Dad is not impressed with this display of gallantry and is offended to have this stranger butting in. Jin-ho agrees that this isn’t his place, “But I’m so angry I can’t help it.” He tells Park how Kae-in was so hurt after realizing the truth about her mother that she’d acted like she was a criminal, saying that her father would hate her for killing her mother. Jin-ho asks, “She’s your daughter. Why do you make her feel like a criminal?”

Professor Park has had enough of the upstart lecturing him and yells, “What do you know?!” Jin-ho answers, “As I see it, it appears that you have turned your own guilt back onto your daughter.”

Park slaps Jin-ho and calls him arrogant. How dare he! Go!

But Jin-ho isn’t done: “The reason you rejected the Dahm Museum project was because the Sanggojae was a failed project, wasn’t it?”

That actually makes Professor Park turn back, startled. And Jin-ho presses, “Isn’t that true?”

 
COMMENTS

I find the title more interesting than usual — the other titles haven’t struck me as that significant, but it’s ironic that this one should be called “Trying to Erase You” when Kae-in has just come into possession of an erased memory. And we saw how much good that repression did her (as in, none). Clearly this is not a winning strategy, which would be evident even if we weren’t one episode from the end.

Like I said, the acting’s pretty good in this episode, with Sohn Ye-jin brilliantly capturing Kae-in’s broken, angry uncertainty and Lee Min-ho repressing Jin-ho’s love with his overwhelming guilt. Kae-in wants to acquit Jin-ho, and she’s all set to do so if only he’d say the word — but how can you acquit someone who refuses to defend himself? This is the eternal problem of dramas like Cinderella’s Sister where the characters are so goddamned NOBLE that nothing ever moves forward. It’s like they think that making a noble sacrifice of themselves will help everyone else, but in fact it just makes everything worse by obscuring the truth. Just be honest and let the chips fall where they may!

But then we’d have no drama, right? It’s just that kdramas have this habit of trotting out the noble martyr in the late episodes, and nothing kills romance faster than a misplaced sense of sacrifice. Well, that and the In-hee Bot. We couldn’t respect Jin-ho if he were a coward, so he must follow this character arc even though lesser mortals like Chang-ryul can beg shamelessly for forgiveness, and sometimes even be granted it. I just wish that there were cleverer ways to deal with this stage of all rom-coms with more narratively interesting plot turns, because we all know the drill, right? The parent puts up fierce resistance until s/he sees his/her child suffering such grave mental anguish at being separated from his/her love that said parent then experiences a change of heart in the eleventh hour, paving the way for sunshine and roses and a happy final 10 minutes in Episode 16, right? We’ve only seen it in, like, every trendy drama ever.

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been refreshing like crazy, i live yooouuuuuu!!! thank you!!
.....do i need to go in some kind of kdrama rehab or something if i got all the references in the intro? ...i have to dmit, i cringed again at the you're beautiful reference. grossest meet cute ever. O_o

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I love fangirling at every Lee Min Ho and Son Ye Jin moment. But that's exactly the problem. The only reason I'm continuing to watch this drama (or at least trying really hard to) is because of them. I could care less about the rest of the casting, the plot devices, etc... I just wish that it was more than just that.

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emmmmm.....
hallo,lee min hoo its so nice boy.
i love him veryy much

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That episode was raw emotion the entire episode and they're all such great actors/actresses. It just got better and better this drama. I'm so sad it has to come to an end. This drama was the few that gave me a few hours of break from uni since it started back in march and I'll miss reading the recaps/watching the drama.

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Omgosh I agree with you 100%
the acting was beyond great-but it was very predictable. But syj and lmh were marvelous in this episode. Thanks for all the recaps. PT has been great. :)
I think all the actors in this drama are much better than the plot itself. Great recap javabeans!

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I can't wait to see what you think of the ending. ^_^ I definitely put this show on my Top 5 Best Ever. ^_^ Thanks for your recap as always. I will give Coffee House a try because of you! ^_^

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THANK YOU sooo much for the recap! I've been waiting the whole day :)
Oh how I wish the eps would get subbed quicker so I could watch them... *sigh*

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Can I just say how much I hate the that tired, worn-out, makes-me-want-to-pull-my-hair-and-scream Kdrama plot device. You know, when the hero/heroine lies through their teeth and says cruel, cutting words to their (supposed) loved one; because , heaven forbid, they tell the truth and allow the other person to have an informed say in the matter. GGGRRR!!! I've managed to put up with IH, HM, and CR in his worst moments, but this was the first time during this show that I wanted to reach through my computer screen and put the hurt on somebody! Okay...*taking deep breaths*...rant over.

Excellent recap javabeans. Reading the recap was more enjoyable than watching this episode actually.

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i have to say I LOVE the last picture of Lee Min ho because in that particular scene, he made me cry BIG TIME!!! I was just looking and little did I know, i was already drawn and crying.. For me I think Lee Min ho sealed the deal of him being an actor in this scene.. He did improve a lot from his BOF days..

Honestly I really didn't like this episode and the only thing that I love about it is Director Choi! I really didn't expect that he'll "surprise" Gae in "that" way.. I was crying with Jin ho, then that scene was next.. What's up with that! haha

GF will close this series.. I can't wait!!

thanks JB =)

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i wish we had more than just the last 10 minutes of happiness in these "trendy" dramas

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Thanks JB for the fast and always excellent recap...

I just want Ep 16 already!!! I sincerely hope that Professor Park redeems himself, because right now, he is not looking like a good father.

Let me also just say, for the record, that I resent the intrusive, inappropriate music that they play in the most random of scenes. I know that that new song by Davichi is number 1 right now, but did they really need to play it that loudly at the bar? (Maybe it's supposed to be bar music!)

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Like a guy hearing a girl sobbing in the bathroom after she is dumped… only to tell her to get out of the men’s room. Or the girl trips and falls on top of him… then vomits in his mouth.

CLASSIC

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Thank you for the recap. Your recap is more interesting than this boring episode. I know I am in the minority here,this drama is quite boring and predictable. The first 3 episodes were a bit rocky.The editing then was off, LMH was robotic,SYJ was overacting trying to be cute.They were not natural into their characters at the beginning.The saving grace was all the actors did a great job in the end amidst a weak storyline. I almost think the PD sensed it as he played up the romantic moments.

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Me, too... I love the last picture---the scene where LMH was silently crying--he made me feel his pain. It broke my heart and made me sad.

thanks for the recap..love it!

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Thanks!

I hate the Self-Sacrifice-Is-Better-Than-Truth trope to the point of screaming at the screen. Sigh.

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thanks for the recap... i really enjoy this show! pity it ends already (timely, but still...)

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I find it a bit eerie how there's visible niche mausoleum (aka burial vault). I can understand how if I pay top dollars for a fancy urn I may have a desire to show it off like a displayed commodity, however some customs just have that displayed in privacy of your own home not at a public sharing facility. Creeps me out a bit, yet I'm strongly intrigued by its rarity and will like to visit such a place to get a real experience.

Winding down to the final episode... it's a decent show but I wouldn't watch it over again. Ehh, not even for the HOT spicy kiss scene betwn JinHo and KaeIn.

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great recap JB...really gonna miss ur fun-upbeat PT recaps after this....

ommo...pity LMH got slapped n throwed papers right at the face...
i noticed u didn't mention the part Do Bin tried to suprises Kae-in but got stumbled instead....it was sooo funny, i watch it twice!

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Thank you for your recap. Did watch the raws and was struck by the growth that LMH has made as an actor. I truly believe that it is due to the strength of SYJ. Enjoyable series and as usual a pleasant read

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It's highly possible that I'm just shallow, with very LOW expectations. I started this drama/journey with Jin Ho and Gae In, just observing them grow emotionally ,individually and toward each other . This drama has given me lots of laugh( I think SJ and YS should receive an award for Best screen "couple",hehe), angst, tender(cute) loving moments(esp from Dir. Choi),and I guessed that all I wanted from a rom/com . This drama is by far not perfect, but (with all the yucks that I'm facing in real life), I'm grateful for the escape.
And of course, JB and girlfriday,a big "Thank You" for your hard work and great recaps(always) ;)

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this episode is a big cliche...BUT...i still love it! i love the acting! i am particularly pleased with lee min ho when he was just sitting in his room with almost-tears in his eyes..that's a really good scene! and i am happy that this sad episode of their lives won't drag for too long. in some kdramas, the dragging scenes would usually start at episode 8 and continues until episode 15 or sometimes until 16 and then show the characters a happy ending for, right, 10 minutes. granting that the happy ending would only be 10 minutes, i still love the idea that jinho and kaein have more happy memories than sad ones. from episode 2(i guess..) until episode 14, the couple were happy. there were misunderstandings, a bad bitch and a stupid jerk along the way but they managed to pull through. this episode might be a summary of all the break-ups in kdramas, but i'm fine with it. this one sad episode can never compensate for the 14 happy episodes of the couple :)

thanks JB for the recap! :)

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I read it and I don't think I can bring myself to watch this episode. Too much unnecessary sacrifices, too heavy! Aargh!

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thanks for the recap/

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I am so sad, one more episode and it's finish. No matter what the weaknesses I really, really love this drama.

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My sentiments exactly. The acting was really great but the plot and developments were so blah, I don't feel connected and excited like I was with the previous episodes. I really like PT mainly because of SYJ & LMH, then along came Do-bin, Sang-jun, and Young-sun which made it more fun. But there should be more that would leave the audience satisfied, not frustrated. I was watching this raw yesterday and I was pulling my hair, stomping my feet, and pounding the computer table, and cursing the show all the while. I really wanted this to be one of the dramas worth watching again from start to finish. Oh well, there's always the skip and fast forward buttons... I've watched episode 16 raw and I'm not that excited to watch it with subs. Still, kudos to LMH & SYJ!

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@19
Count me in I think I'm shallow also because I really, really love this drama from episode 3 till the end

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@19 and @25--I'm with you guys. Despite its flaws, I was entertained, loved the characters and was especially impressed with LMH's acting. SYJ has always been one of my favorite actresses and her pairing with LMH was a match made in heaven! Thanks JB for your brilliant recap. Am sad that it's coming to an end but I am looking forward to seeing more of LMH in future dramas. I hope that Do-Bin finally finds love in the final episode. I so love his character, as well as Sang-Jun and Young-Sun! Fighting! :)

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count me in too....love this drama and the progress of Jin Ho and Kae In's relationship from episode 5 till the satisfying end with all the lovable sidekicks Sang Jun and Youngsun , even the robot In Hee

want to do a rewatch

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I totally agree with what you say, javabeans, about the predictability of the eventual kdrama breakup. What killed me in this ep was the last scene with Kae-in's dad. When he yelled "Ga!" (Go!) to Jin-ho, his voice was so high and shrill that I couldn't help but laugh. Well, nothing spruces up a trite, dramatic moment like a little unintentional comedy. :D

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Sangjuuuunn...GRRRRRRRRRRRRR... baka baka baka baka baka baka Sangjun.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... !!!@@##@@!@##$$$##@@....... can't you identify your own Jin-ho's drawing... the texture of the d*mn smelly drawings... for the love of God... it's 30 years old.... baakkkaaaa...
OK.. I didn't see that coming... but can't help to be a little bit dissapointed neeeee.. Even though it was meant to complicate things, I feel that it's a lil bit too uncomplicated straightforward twist. gomen I don't know how to say it...
Just by looking at your images I know that the acting was for real...well still looking forward to it.. haven't watched 14 yet.. sad sad...BUT can't wait for Girlfriday's last recap... Ganbarimas!
*bows* thanks again for this recap, lucky I have just a lil bit more ointment with me, cause I bump my elbow just a lil bit too hard because of that bakaaa Sangjun :D

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hi jb!

thanks for the awesome recap! ive been living this drama mostly through the recaps that you & girlfriday do, because most of the subs are not yet available thru WITHS2 (no hurry though!). im the kind of person who's fine knowing what will happen first before watching the drama/episode itself. so sad that we only have one epi left. i love both LMH & SYJ together, they're just so cute!

again, thanks for the wonderful recaps! looking forward to ep 16!
***waves***

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'though this episode's so sad coz of the break-up but in ep-16 preview seems e'thing get better and finally making love..LOL...Thanx JB...Can't wait for ep.16 recap..

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This is a decent series with a decent cast. It has some nice and enjoyable moments but that's about it. I find no break through or anything of the outstanding quality. I agree with anyone who says that this will be not the drama I rewatch over and over again.
Thank you for the recaps, your work is much appreciated!

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"This is the eternal problem of dramas like Cinderella’s Sister where the characters are so goddamned NOBLE that nothing ever moves forward. It’s like they think that making a noble sacrifice of themselves will help everyone else, but in fact it just makes everything worse by obscuring the truth."

- definitely not only in KDrama. It's worse here in the Philippines, our drama runs for months! and it's a Monday - Friday show too. Our protagonist are always miss-goody-two-shoes while the antagonist wins and gets away several times before he/she finally loses.. it's infuriating!

Thanks for the recap though, can't wait for girlfriday to post the next one.

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"Like a guy hearing a girl sobbing in the bathroom after she is dumped… only to tell her to get out of the men’s room."

I understood the YAB reference but what about this one? Which drama are you talking about? :P This scene sounds vaguely familiar though...

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@Minah, it's a reference to My Name Is Kim Samsoon.

Just watched ep15 -- phew, it's not as dreary as I feared, particularly towards the end. As javabeans pointed out, it's all true to their respective character arcs, isn't it?

Fave bits:
1. DB's failed attempt to surprise KI
2. KI's reaction to what DB was told by JH when he revealed he wasn't of the gay
3. JH's reaction to KI telling him to ignore even news of her death

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love LOVE love LOVE your site <3
cant wait to watch :D
Thank youuuuuuuuu

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Indeed I never quite understood how cutting the heart out of someone you love, is doing them any good, but yes it pretty much a given in any K-Drama.
I decided the dad is just a weak arrogant little man, I had given him the benefit of the doubt and saying he hide the basement and all photo of his wife so not the traumatise his young daughter, but now it seems it was only done for his own self, and to make matter worse he has totally screwed up her life by dumping on her for years..poor father weak man.

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This episode was not as impressive as it should have been, mostly because it was filled with predictable cliches. I was already losing interest in the show after the main characters got together. Too many sweet moments and skinship ( too too predictable), which though add to the fans' excitement, do nothing to move along the drama plot. Initially, I was so excited at the refreshing pairing and the "architectural" theme to the show but now... this is one show I wouldn't watch again if it comes out in DVD. If it were not for Son Ye-jin, I would not have continued staying on board this drama.

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^ i think it's kim sam soon. :)

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Great recap, thanks javabeans.

I agree with you on the predictability of this episode. Thank goodness for the great chemistry between the leads and also the strong supporting cast. Otherwise, it would be yet another typical k drama.

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This episode plays to one of Son Yeh Jin's considerable strengths as an actor: using cognitive dissonance to build a character from the beginning of the story, slowly cracking when the inevitable "crisis scene" happens. When she unravels, it is a tragic. asunder thing to behold. She invests the ironic fissures -- the "but you said . . ." -- of a moment or dialogue with more intensity than almost any other actor in their 20s. And I mean, really nails down the uncomfortable parts of everything well. The story doesn't so much underline it, but Kae In is a person in arrested development. Living in not only the shadow of the father's legacy, but in the father's house, Kae In is kind of a "welcome to the dollhouse" only able to assert her own identity, not through love, but willfully enjoying her eccentric vortices while her father is away. If you rewatch the show, SYJ consistently interprets Kae-in that way; no matter how "Nodame" Kae-in gets, there belies a fear that when Dad comes home, all her joy gets sucked out,

I'm bringing this up because this episode largely succeeds due to the little things each actor brings to the situation. Son Yeh Jin hasn't really played a conventional romantic heroine since Summer Scent, and in a way this role really is a kind of throwback to the days when she was a melodrama queen. She hits the bitter notes of the part with precision. And in doing so, Moreover, Lee Min Ho does a really nice job of playing up Jin Ho's fear. The story does a nice job through the previous 4-6 episodes that Jin Ho was in way over his head, and LMH nicely underlined his character's cool exterior with a salty, anxious sensitivity. LMH plays him as a guy who wants to run away from the crime scene. Even when he's working K-drama breakupgirl convention,

Kim Ji-suk does a really nice job playing off both characters. Chang Ryul is not so much a character anymore -- his characterization seems to bend to whatever wind the main couple blows -- as he's basically moral risk management between the main characters.

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By finagling around, I've managed to find and see both
Episodes #15 and #16, but without English sub-titles........

Dad's got a lot of nerve to show up out of nowhere
and throw a fit at what's happened during his absence.
He's lucky that his daughter didn't find the mystery blueprints
down in the basement, and have them printed up for t-shirts
at twenty dollars a pop. And to sell them after the guided tour
of the house, at the cost of another twenty dollars per tourist.

Big shot architect / professor abandons his only child ~
emotionally, physically, and financially......what?....he couldn't
even hire a housekeeper / cook / companion for his daughter?
You may be "the elder" but I don't think you deserve any respect.

And here's why javabeans will never ask me to review a kdrama ~
Episode #16 is supposed to be an hour long. But all I can remember
is about five minutes. A lot of other stuff happened, but I forget what.
When you see #16, you'll know which five minutes I mean. ( Lovely! )

I do remember that there was a replay of that funny scene:
Jin-ho: "Don't you have any pride at all?"
Kae-in: "How's my pride now?"
Jin-ho: "It's awesome. Now put that chainsaw down."
How can you not love a rom-com where a chainsaw plays such
an important part in the romance? :)

"Personal Taste" quite simply, was a class act.
Beautiful romance, beautifully acted.

Could have used 187 more episodes though........ :)

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These kind of dramas make me think. Even though Dal Ja's spring and Coffee Prince is so old, I would watch them over new dramas any day. Especially Dal Ja's spring cus every ep has a message and the lead doesn't have to be bloody noble or "a superwoman" unless it has to do with the message of the day. That is why I feel I couldn't get enough of Dal Ja's spring even though it was 22 eps. Cus the scriptwriter had something to say every episode and I wanted to hear more of it yet he/she could nicely bring the drama to a close.
In coffee prince, even though eun chan doesn't admit that she is a girl in fear of losing her job or hurting him, she acknowledges in the end that the noble excuse was she just being selfish. So being "noble" doesn't drag the plot unecessarily. Plus there are bits and pieces of other characters' development and funny moments that beef up the episodes.
HOWEVER, I Personal Taste was fun other than 2 eps so okay, very watchable.....

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@belleza
wow, i really love your dissection. there seems to be a bit of text missing in the 2nd to last paragraph, though ...? The delicate consistencies of both the acting and the plot really appeal to me. i think KI shows us the sacrifice, foolishness and wonder of an other-centred, rather than self-centred love -- the kind we fall into by default.

@grace, TOFJUSA
you know, after watching the last ep, i must say that the show would have benefited greatly from an extension of even just 1 ep! it was a helter-skelter rush to the finish line! :/

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#44 ~ badtanline~
Yeah..........
With all of the commotion about product placement ads,
you would think that some wedding gown / tuxedo company
could supply the clothing for a wedding scene. Would it have
killed somebody to give us that much? And I was really hoping
for a scene of Kae-in showing her children's gallery area to a
gang of happy kids, thereby showing....us......the complete work
of her designs. The few glimpses that we got were charming.

And an extra episode of Kae-in and Jin-ho JUST LOOKING AT
EACH OTHER wouldn't have been too shabby none, either. :)

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@minah
its 'My name is Kim Sam soon'

I hope they don't rush the ending :( but the outlook of things looks as though that it is the most possible outcome TT_TT
i so agree with "The parent puts up fierce resistance until s/he sees his/her child suffering such grave mental anguish at being separated from his/her love that said parent then experiences a change of heart in the eleventh hour, paving the way for sunshine and roses and a happy final 10 minutes in Episode 16, right? We’ve only seen it in, like, every trendy drama ever. " haha but i think my name is kim sam soon is the only trendy drama that had the two mains end up together despite hyun bin's mother's disapproval :) Love MNIKSS!!

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I've got a question. Do you know the title of of the episodes? I'd be grateful if you could write them all :)

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Ahhh, V.C. Andrews...brings back bad memories:) For me, it was "Flowers in the Attic".

Now, off to read the recap properly!

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Just to comment on the beer. I have seen people who can drink fifths of liquor and have nothing happen to them but as soon as they drink beer it is a totally different experience. I am like that also. The grain in most liquor is different from the grain in beer so the way a body reacts to it, depend on the person's body. I have also seen people who drink cases and cases of beer and be fine but hard liquor floors them. That part is not as uncommon.

Thank you for the recap. You bring sanity back for those of us who are stuck waiting the insane wait.

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And this breakup is way too forced. After everything they had been through and proving how well he understands her personality. I was having a hard time believing he would sacrifice his feelings when she needed him the most. It seemed almost cowardly and self destructive, more than a backing out for her good.

@42 Grace

totally agree about the 5 minutes of episode 16. I really do not recall much else. I saw it 5-6 times without the subs and yeah...nice, very nice. PT was serious fun and I will miss it

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