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My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho: Episode 5

I love a drama that makes use of nice, tight mythology. Even better, I love it when a drama using mythology ups the ante midway through and modifies the rules, keeping us on our toes.

This week brings a couple of familiar faces to My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, with You’re Beautiful alumnae UEE and Park Shin-hye making cameos. UEE’s comes in this episode, while Park’s is slated for tomorrow’s Episode 6.

SONG OF THE DAY

Shin Mina – “Sha la la” from the My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho OST. You may recall that Shin Mina has sung before, such as this collaboration with rock duo Loveholics for “Miracle Blue.” [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

 
EPISODE 5 RECAP

Dae-woong doesn’t immediately realize that Mi-ho is gone for good, thinking that perhaps she’s out scavenging from trash cans. But his suspicions grow, particularly upon seeing the beef still untouched.

Slowly his memory trickles back of seeing Mi-ho last night while he was drunk. However, he doesn’t remember the part when he asked her to leave. When he drops a heavy bag on his foot, he wonders why it hurts so much if he’s got the bead’s protection. Does this mean it’s gone? Does that mean Mi-ho is gone, too?

He rushes outside to look for Mi-ho, but finds no trace of her. Dae-woong comes back inside with slumped posture, looking disappointed, almost like he’s going to burst into tears…

…of joy. He exults, “The gumiho has finally left me!” He basks in his newfound freedom.

Hurriedly, he packs his things — he doesn’t want to press his luck in case she decides to come back. In the process, he discovers Mi-ho’s hidden stash of chicken coupons, just one short of the 10 needed. He’s unexpectedly touched by the gesture, then shakes himself out of it and heads off. He doesn’t see Mi-ho watching his departure, noting, “Dae-woong looks thrilled. Tch! Isn’t he overly pleased that I’m gone?”

Suddenly, rain falls despite clear skies, and that stops him in his tracks, making him think of Mi-ho… except it’s just a man washing his car. HAHA.

Still watching, Mi-ho says, “Woong, goodbye.” For a brief moment, more water sprays on Dae-woong, and he turns to complain to the car-washer — but there’s nobody there.

Dae-woong can’t shake this unsettled feeling, even though he acts like he’s perfectly happy. For instance, he tells Grandpa that since Mi-ho left of her own accord, he has done nothing wrong. Grandpa is dismayed at the news, because he credits Mi-ho with turning Dae-woong into a mature adult.

Dae-woong tries to relax in his room, but he’s bothered by this unease that he can’t quite understand. He describes the feeling as “empty and uncomfortable,” but as he’s still in denial that he might actually miss Mi-ho, he finds this mighty perplexing.

Hye-in is gratified that Dae-woong comes running when she calls. She advises him not to get involved with Mi-ho even if she returns, and is pleased at his answer that he doesn’t know where she went or how to reach her.

However, her smile fades as he continues complaining that it was rude of Mi-ho to leave without saying anything — shrewdly, she asks if he’s sad that Mi-ho’s gone. He insists that he’s thrilled, but somehow he’s not quite convincing.

Mi-ho has found her way to the university, where she lurks out of sight of humans and empties the vending machine of cider cans (“cider” is a false cognate, and in Korean it means lemon-lime soda similar to Sprite).

Now that she has her fox bead back, her heightened powers are also back, meaning she can move superfast, glide in the air, and basically terrify the students who come across her in darkened corners of the university like something out of The Ring.

For example, a student (UEE, in a cameo) paints in an art studio, not noticing Mi-ho’s darkened figure gliding by in the dark. A plaster bust is knocked to the ground, splattering the ground with red paint and making the students gasp in horror.

The purpose of this visit becomes clear when the students take a snack break and reach for their hamburgers… which are now missing their meat layer. HAHA.

Outside, Mi-ho happily munches on stolen burger patties. Yet when she sees an ominous-looking figure approaching — Dong-joo — she runs away.

He catches up to her, and a well-placed jab knocks her unconscious. Not only that, it propels the fox bead out of her body, and Dong-joo grabs it.

Unaware of all this, Dae-woong goes out for a drink with his friends to celebrate his movie role. However, the smile leaves his face when Byung-soo asks if Mi-ho knows the good news. They urge him to invite her over, so he retorts in frustration, “Even if I wanted to, I can’t!”

That night, Dae-woong drops by the action school looking for Mi-ho, carrying some beer, hoping that she might have come back. He tries to convince himself that he’s glad she’s not here, then sits outside to drink the beer alone while wondering what made her leave.

He starts to sing a song, making up the lyrics as he goes: “Mysterious Mi-ho, Mi-ho, Mi-ho… My friend Mi-ho, the cute — the scary gumiho… Hoi-hoi… The gumiho is my friend…. Hoi-hoi… Mi-ho is my scary friend.”

It’s so cute and sad.

Dong-joo has taken Mi-ho to his apartment, where he presents her with two vials: her bead in one, his blood in the other. Contrary to her belief, he wasn’t out to kill her; he merely wanted to take her bead for safekeeping to prevent her from causing trouble. He points out that she’s been terrorizing students and stealing their food — “Aren’t you ashamed?”

Dong-joo guesses that Dae-woong rejected her request to help her become human. She admits that she didn’t even have a chance to bring it up: “Dae-woong said I was his friend, but he must really have hated me for being a gumiho. He asked me to disappear.”

He asks if she has given up on her desire to become human. She hasn’t decided yet.

Dong-joo lays out her two options: fox bead versus his blood. Or, put another way, a blue pill vial and a red one. (This cracks me up so hard. Trust the Hong sisters to turn an important plot point into a pop-culture parody moment.)

Drinking from the red vial represents choosing the human path, because his blood has the power to kill her gumiho side. If she takes the blue vial, she’s reclaiming her fox bead and must return to her temple. He gives her time to think it over, allowing her to stay in his place for the time being.

Dae-woong signs his film contract, which in turn earns him talent agency interest (via Hye-in’s own manager). (Trivia! The agency name — Dodo — was also the name of Uhm Tae-woong’s company in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang.)

Riding high on this upswing in events, Dae-woong’s already halfway back to his spendthrift ways. He won’t be making tons on this movie, but he calls his salary “spending cash” and is confident Dear Grandpa will buy him a new car.

An almost-collision with a motorcyclist sends Dae-woong to the doctor with minor scrapes, but the doctor can tell from his X-rays that he was recently in a huge accident. Although he has healed, he is advised to take it easy for the sake of his weak bones.

Dae-woong is relieved to be given the okay to film a movie — “unless it’s a very demanding action movie.” If he injures himself in this condition, he might find himself unable to walk.

Dae-woong wants to protest, but that’s a pretty dire prognosis. Loath to give up the movie, Dae-woong mumbles that the bead had previously kept him healthy, and now he realizes, “I need Mi-ho with me.”

Dong-joo watches soccer on television, saying that the game explains all about human nature, so Mi-ho settles down to “study” alongside him. He says that when it’s World Cup time, the whole world watches that ball being kicked around. To which Mi-ho giggles to herself, exclaiming, “Wow, then it would be such a blast to pop that ball!” Seeing his expression, she adds, “But I won’t.”

(I LOVE HER.)

TV programming turns into drama hour, and Mi-ho is perplexed by the plot: “Why does that old woman keep yelling at that young woman?” Dong-joo’s explanation? “That’s a mother- and daughter-in-law. That’s just what they do.”

When a couple starts getting amorous onscreen, Dong-joo looks over at Mi-ho, waiting for her to ask about it. With a knowing smile, she tells him, “I know what that is. They’re mating.” He gives a little uncomfortable cough and changes the channel.

The next program — a report from a cattle farm — reminds Mi-ho that she’s hungry, and she starts to cast longing looks in Dong-joo’s direction. She whines plaintively, “I want to eat meat.” Alas, he’s immune to her attempt to manipulate him.

She goes out to eat some cow, and packs away ten servings. She doesn’t have any money to pay for it, though, and tells the restaurant owner, “Since I ate like a human, I’ll cover the cost like a human.” Which means… washing the dishes.

She’s so fast and thorough that the owner is impressed, and offers her a job. She turns him down, because she’s not ready to make connections or “belong” to any affiliation. As a gumiho, she’s may get to live in the world, but can’t be connected to it.

With her meat craving satisfied, time for some cider! She faces off against a vending machine, and announces, “I could just hit you and make you throw up the bubbly water, but I’m going to settle this like a human.” Which to her means lifting up the machine with her superstrength to retrieve the coins underneath.

The catch? She has been seen by two little girls, who stare in amazement. Mi-ho decides she’ll have to settle this matter like a human, and hands them one of her coins. She understands enough to know that being human = paying people off. (I love when the Hong sisters get sharply satirical.)

She’s proud of herself for pulling off the human act successfully, but as she contemplates the red vial, she says that being truly human would be even better. Looking around at the families and couples at the park, she decides that she’ll have someone with her, too (as in, someone to “belong” to): “It would have been nice if it were Dae-woong.”

Dae-woong returns to the action school loft to search for clues about Mi-ho’s whereabouts, but the only thing he finds are the chicken coupons. Disappointed, he sighs, “Gu Mi-ho, how could you leave like that? After I called you my friend…”

That word — “friend” — finally triggers his memory, and now he remembers his drunken request. With shock, Dae-woong realizes that she left because he asked her to.

Taking a cue from her movie studies, Min-sook tries the femme fatale look and dresses in black leather to invite Doo-hong to lunch. A clumsy step sends her toppling over into a statue… leaving a pink lipstick kiss on the statue’s ass. Wildly, she tries to wipe it off, just as Doo-hong comes upon her. Awkward!

She insists she’s not some weird pervert who goes around kissing the butts of statues. I do think these aunt-director scenes could veer on tiresome, but the reason I don’t mind (thus far) is because I find the twisted gallantry so very amusing. Case in point: Doo-hong sees how embarrassed she is, and offers to solve the problem himself. Removing a medicated patch from his arm, he transfers it to the statue to cover up the stain.

This gives Min-sook the courage to drop some hints, and when she catches wind of Doo-hong’s “You’re too refined for me” sense of inferiority, she hastens to assure him that she likes rough, unrefined things. She’s not an Audrey Hepburn, as he believes, but a tougher Angelina Jolie type.

Screwing up the nerve, she invites him to lunch with her, but Doo-hong resists, still believing her to be married. With a parting metaphor about how Angelina Jolie has Brad Pitt and how he doesn’t romance women who are taken, he leaves.

Dae-woong finds him in his office to ask about the filming schedule, trying to figure out if there’s a way he can shoot his scenes last so that he doesn’t have to quit. Seeing the director’s grim reaction, he retracts his request, and is instructed to show up to action school tomorrow for “bone-crushing training sessions.”

Doo-hong also sends Dae-woong off to scrub the lipstick from the statue, adding that his aunt may be embarrassed so he’d better keep it a secret from his uncle. At that, Dae-woong is confused, saying he doesn’t have an uncle; Aunt Min-sook isn’t married.

This gives Doo-hong a jolt, both of hope and of dismay at having mucked things up with his misunderstanding. Meanwhile, Min-sook drives away crying the makeup off her face, hurt at this perceived rejection.

Trying to locate Mi-ho, Dae-woong tries calling the temple to inquire if the missing fox from the painting has shown up. Belatedly, he recalls that Mi-ho once left him a voicemail message, and calls the number. It is answered by the lady who owns the chicken restaurant, with whom Mi-ho had once gotten into a fight over the coupons.

Mi-ho finds a tenth coupon and takes it back to the action school loft, adding it to Dae-woong’s stash. Glumly, she figures he won’t come back here anymore, and says, “I really, really miss Dae-woong.” She thinks to herself, as though addressing him:

Mi-ho: “I can see really far and hear very well, but since I can’t see or hear you, you must really be far away. I’ve been living for so long that I didn’t know how time flowed, but after I met you my heart began to tell time. While I was with you, I would think, ‘Just a little longer’ while the time passed really quickly. But without you, time goes so slowly as I think, ‘I miss you.’ You know what, Dae-woong? It feels like my heart has been bewitched by you and counts time all on its own.”

As she thinks this, Dae-woong races back toward the loft, ostensibly having spoken to the chicken lady. As Dae-woong arrives in the neighborhood and runs toward her, she catches his scent and cheers up, exclaiming, “Dae-woong is coming toward me!”

It’s really quite adorable how happy both of them look when they finally meet again. Dae-woong in particular — he may make up excuses for himself, but in this moment he’s just happy. Mi-ho asks hopefully, “Were you looking for me?” She loves hearing him answer yes.

Dae-woong first says that her departure left him really sad, but she points out that he was really happy when she left. He admits that yes, he was happy at first, “But it was for a really short while.” He starts laying it on thick, saying that he felt really empty after she left.

We know he’s buttering her up because he needs her bead, but Mi-ho takes him at face value and her face lights up. Even so, it’s worth pointing out that everything he’s telling her — which he thinks he’s saying just for Mi-ho’s benefit — was actually stuff he honestly felt.

Plus, it’s interesting that he’s abashed when she catches on to the fact that he had come here repeatedly looking for her — he can deal with faking affection, it seems, but is uncomfortable confronted with evidence of real affection.

Mi-ho takes this moment to work up the nerve to ask how he’d feel about holding on to her bead for just a little longer. Not knowing that this is exactly the goal he’s angling after, Dae-woong eagerly agrees.

I LOVE THIS. She thinks she’s tricking him into holding on to the bead so she can become human, and he thinks he’s tricking her into letting him have the bead so he can do his movie. They both are using each other, feeling guilty, growing more attached to each other… IT’S FANTASTIC.

The bead is with Dong-joo, so Mi-ho has to retrieve it from his apartment. While she does that, Dae-woong goes back home to pack his things now that he’ll be moving back into the loft.

I generally don’t feel sorry for the Gumiho Hunter, but there’s a moment that hints at greater angst to come when Dong-joo cooks meat for Mi-ho, against his better judgment — he’s vegetarian — and notes that it’s been an awful long time since he has waited for someone. His smile fades when Mi-ho bursts in excitedly and tells him that Dae-woong came back.

Grandpa is thrilled to have Dae-woong move out, as this is the first time Dae-woong is leaving home with the intention of working hard instead of running away from problems. Grandpa tells Min-sook to take Dae-woong to the action school, but she’s nursing her wounded pride (and about a gallon of ice cream) and refuses.

Belatedly, Dae-woong recalls that he has dinner plans with Hye-in, who is looking forward to having his attention firmly fixed back on her. Of course you are, Princess. Before the meeting, he goes shopping for couple rings, eager to clear the air and make his intentions clear with Hye-in.

And how much do I love that on his way out, he’s distracted by a huge stuffed toy of an oversized chicken leg? He comments that “It’s just Mi-ho’s style” and, deciding he’s in a generous mood, buys it too.

Hye-in hears from Sun-nyeo about his medical issues and calls in a tizzy. He assures her that things will work out and reaches for the rings to make his big declaration. However, she’s too wrapped up in what this means for HER HER HER, and cries that she recommended him to her agency. If he can’t act in the movie, she’ll be made a fool! She’s still a rookie actress and can’t afford to have people thinking she lied to her agency on behalf of her boyfriend.

Dae-woong deflates. Disillusionment running through his voice, he tells her that he will make sure she isn’t misunderstood about lying on his behalf or him being her boyfriend. He puts the ring box away.

Trudging back home in dejected spirits, he sighs, “I didn’t mean to lie to noona. The one I was meaning to lie to was Mi-ho.”

At the Gumiho Hunter’s lair, Mi-ho has made her decision. She’ll choose the red vial: humanity. Dong-joo asks what she’ll do if Dae-woong runs to another woman during the 100 days he has to keep her bead, to which Mi-ho answers that she trusts him. Dong-joo tells her that the woman she resembles also answered in that way: “She wanted to become human and loved a man, but in the end she was betrayed by him and disappeared without a trace. Can you die like that, too? Can you really endure death?”

Mi-ho nods.

Dong-joo accepts her decision, but leaves her with one bit of advice: Don’t tell Dae-woong she is trying to become human. She’ll need to keep a little fear in him to prevent him from running away too readily.

So here are his instructions: When she drinks his blood, she will start to die, gradually. Her gumiho energy will slowly empty away while her bead will live in the human for 100 days and take in his energy. When she reclaims her bead, she will become human.

Dae-woong waits up for Mi-ho, hugging his chicken leg. Omg, if the Hong Sisters give it a ridiculously cute name I am their bitch forever. Oh, what am I saying, I already am.

He finds Mi-ho outside, contemplating her vial, and she confirms that he is willing to keep her bead again. He eagerly agrees, but she warns him that while he carries her bead, he can’t run far away. He can’t share his ki with another woman, and he has to stay with her for 100 days. He can’t quit midway through, either.

Now that alarms him; 100 days is too long! She’s not even his girlfriend — it’ll look weird.

The solution seems simple enough to Mi-ho: “Then I’ll be your girlfriend!” There’s something very cute and absurd about the way she pouts, “Dae-woong, let me be your girlfriend~~”

He refuses and storms back inside, freaked out at the thought of being a gumiho’s boyfriend.

His reaction tells her he isn’t ready, and Mi-ho realizes that he won’t do it after all. Mi-ho tells him sadly, “I’ll leave. I’ll go back to where I used to be. If I leave this time, I won’t be able to come out into the world again. I won’t come to you anymore.”

Faced with the other extreme, Dae-woong feels another pang — that means he won’t be able to see her again? And she’s leaving now?

Conflicted, Dae-woong tells her that she misunderstands one thing — he lied to her, and the reason he was looking for her was because of her bead, not her. “Can you still give me your bead?”

Mi-ho nods, but oddly, that doesn’t make him feel any better. He prods, “Don’t you even feel bad?” She answers that although it would be nicer if he needed her, her bead is still one part of her. Plus, if he needs her bead so much, he won’t leave her while he has it.

Half-reluctantly, Dae-woong confirms that it’s just for 100 days, and agrees to do it. She asks excitedly, “Then am I your girlfriend now?”

He still feels bad about all this, and says with dissatisfaction that this is all wrong. He heads back into the house, making Mi-ho think he is calling this off. But he isn’t backing out, and comes back carrying the ring.

Dae-woong tells her, “Since I’m a human, I’ll do this human-style. Gu Mi-ho, please be my girlfriend.” And with that, he slides the couple ring on her finger, and she marvels at it happily.

In fact, she’s so happy that her nine tails pop out.

However!

Adding an ominous tone to this moment is Dong-joo, who murmurs to himself, “The most painful death to a human isn’t his own, but the death of a loved one.”

As Dae-woong and Mi-ho take a drink of their respective vials, Dong-joo reveals one last detail that Mi-ho hadn’t caught on to: that after the 100 days are over, when the human surrenders the bead back to the gumiho, the death that the newly humanized gumiho must face isn’t her own…

It’s Dae-woong’s.

 
COMMENTS

One great aspect of this gumiho premise is that Mi-ho gets to fall in love without really understanding it on a cognitive level, so her head doesn’t interfere with her feelings. I love the analogy she draws about her heart telling time — and because she’s like this alien being who doesn’t interpret the signs like we mortals do, we can feel her falling in love. It’s palpable, instead of just telling us she’s in love without showing it in a real way. (Which happens in so many dramas.)

This is the first episode that I felt anything for the tortured Gumiho Hunter, which is a good sign. I do find Noh Min-woo to be very pretty, but hadn’t found anything in his character to connect with on a deeper level, so this is a welcome addition. Frankly, I tend not to connect with second leads in Hong Sisters dramas, no matter how kind and benevolent and beautiful they are.

I hope this character will do justice to a mythology that is set up to be, imo, quite intriguing. I love that he seems to have genuine care for the gumiho, and that he isn’t outright malicious about his intentions. However, this latest twist shows that he’s got a darker edge. I don’t think he’s evil, but I like dark and complicated. Bring it on.

And HOW GREAT is this dilemma? It’s the whole “one cannot live while the other lives” crisis that, in a romance, is as epic as you can get. If Mi-ho wants to spare him, she has to die. If she wants to live, he has to die. AGHHH! I love it! (Naturally I’m expecting a late-stage twist to Make It Work so that nobody dies, but even with that expectation I love the angst.) It’s Buffy and Angel, it’s superhero in love with a supervillain, it’s Harry and Voldemort (well, without the romance angle).

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thanks for the quick recap :D

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yay! it's here! thanks so much for the quick summary <3

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almost be the first commenter..^^

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Oh thank u ,thank u so much for the recap!!!

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JB: i want to say that first time i see ur blog it probably caught my eyes.i really adored your blog. thanx for all info that u give regarding korean drama :) to be honest ur blog became the platform for me to improve my english.u always wrote awesome word :) congrat blogger :)

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AARRGHH!!!

A GIANT STUFFED CHICKEN LEG??!?

I AM SOLD.

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Why is everyone excited to be the first to comment lol.

I liked this episode but I think I'm going to love the next one better. Because they're now officially a "couple"! :D

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Am i first? haha. Anyway, yes, it's Harry and Voldemort story.

Thanks for the great recap!

:)

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HA! ive always known that Dae Woong will die when he'd hold the bead for that long! what a dilemma...!!!

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I swear, this episode nearly killed me with its awesomeness. The tears (of joy!), the guy cleaning his car, the "hauntings," Noh Minwoo's lovely physique in that tank top of his (I'm shallow :D), the red vial/blue vial bit, the CHICKEN LEG (never have I so badly wanted a stuffed piece of meat), the awkward TV-watching bit, that cute moment where Daewoong and his grandfather shake their heads in tandem about Aunt Misook, and then that AWFUL (by which I mean awesome) plot twist at the end! SO GOOD.

Is it tomorrow yet? *jonesing*

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Thanks for the fast recap!! I just finished watching the episode, and I was completely enchanted by Dae Woong's dimple by the corner of his mouth. Clearly I wasn't paying much attention to other things. Gumiho hunter ain't too bad either, I'm beginning to feel his aura. Yay for cute dramas with hot guys :).
I love the aunt scenes, haha the jolie comment made me laugh.

I'm so glad this show is turning out much better than I anticipated. I'm guessing MH isn't about to let DW die, and maybe the gumiho hunter will use his skills to save both of them. Clearly his blood is superior, what with it not clotting after leaving it outside all this while. And all will be well in dramaland.

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LOL amen to mysterious powerful blood that does not clot
*and thus dramaland went on its merry way*

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i'm dying to see this drama. can someone suggest me the best web to see dis series with eng subs :(

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search for viikii website and then search for Gumiho there.

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tq so much

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I use mysoju.com or dramacrazy.net. But viikii is definitely the fastest - however you should wait until the ENTIRE parts are subbed before streaming them, because then it just causes lag and slows down the subbing process for everyone. Happy watching ^___^

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try also on http://kimchidrama.blogspot.com/
I watch it from there..

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LOL at the Harry and Voldemort part.

Great recaps, as always.
Thanks JB!

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girlfriday you are to put it in my own lame words "the bomb"
your recaps never fail to make me laugh out loud, "i am your bitch forever, oh who am I kidding I already was"
i agree noh min woo is SO HOT! anyways thank you for this recap as always i loved reading it

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Ps. This particular recap was done by javabeans.....

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Ps. This particular recap was done by javabeans.....

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yup. i know i was reading a girlfriday recap on my next tab and accidentally posted it here :/
but javabeans your the best too!

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LMAO XD that chicken leg. WANT! haha x)

dude i am so loving this drama right now. thanks for the awesome recaps. ^ W ^ i also liked the analogy miho made in this episode. :D and haha i was thinking about Harry Potter and Voldemort too XD (though theyre the farthest thing from a couple ever..)

also, can anyone explain to me what pop culture thing the blue vial and red vial are referring to? o w o;

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It's an allusion to 'The Matrix' where Keanu Reeve's character was asked to choose between the red pill or blue. The former would allow his character to break from the Matrix whereas the latter would send his character back dreaming and continue to be fuel.

Or was it the other way round?

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No, I think you're right, it was the red pill! : )

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Thank you for the recap.I enjoy it as much as the episode and I loved shared suffering...can't wait for tonight and waking up to ep 6 recap!!
My midweek has never looked so great :-)

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I would have felt bad for the hot-gumiho-hunter if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't tell Mi-ho that Daewoong was going to die. The whole Daewoong needing to die makes sense, but it's not like MiHo will figure it out herself. What a dick move, hot-gumiho-hunter! Before the big reveal, I was sort of hoping that there's some non-human out there for him to share his life with and watch the world cup with.

I'm also curious at how he manages to be a vet. I feel like animals would sense he's not human and freak out.

Anyways, loved this episode! The Hong sisters really know how to put a spin on things- Director Ban's refreshing brand of chivalry, making fun of all the vices that makes one human, chicken leg stuffed toy (for real! that is definitely a never-before-seen for me), etc. And Daewoong finally realizing that the sun doesn't shine out of Hye-in's butt! did it by episode 5!

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yeah, maybe the animals sense tht he's a creature (mystical, but still a creature) and not human so they him better than humans....

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it sounds more like he is an ex-human he had the bead and killed the guminho before he died --- from the flashback she may have asked him to it

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Exactly what I thought.

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I was thinking the same thing! That's why he had to kill the first Gumiho...aw...sooo sad!

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I thought the same after he explained the whole blue/red vial thing and the last part about one needs to die for the other to live - that he was talking from prior experience. The previous gumiho might have decided she would die rather than cause the one she loves to die.

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Yeah and maybe.....in the end he sacrifices himself by giving up the fox bead in him to either MH or DW so that they will not die...

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That's how i see it too.

Or (to make him even...dickier)

He wanted to help the gumiho he loved to become human, so they could be together. But when he found out, that he had to die in order for her to become human, he betrayed and killed her. So he could life. But because he was carrying her bead he became supernatural himself. And now either wants to make it right (by helping a gumiho to become human [which is still him dicking around if he doesn't tell her the whole deal]) or he wants to get rid off all the gumihos.

Or he totally lied to Mi ho and his blood is going to kill her.

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Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit! i didn't work that out and until you've just said! and it make absolute sense....You have TOTALLY RUINED IT FOR ME!!!! LOL

Oh please, not that!

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Don't stress. If I figured it out like that... it is probably (hopefully) to easy

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Love the recap! I am glad as a fellow Delightful Choong-Hyang enthusiast that Hong sisters continue to evolve with their new dramas ! Great catch though (dodo)

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LOVE IT!! the Hong sisters sure knows their way to a girl's heart right..we don't want cheesy we want drama and twists!! thanks for another great recap..Lee and Shin are so cute together..they should date after this hahah

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this drama makes me want to see a real fox... hoi hoi...

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'twas a good episode! awesome recap btw JB! MH and DJ watching the 'Mating' scene had me cracking up laughing esp when he changed the channel, awkward much? her oblivion made it even more funnier.. also how can anyone eat a cereal bar so Angelically?

Zomg the Chicken Leg Pillow was super-duper Adorable! Pig-rabbit has a contender for overly-adorable-plushy-things-in all of the universe!

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YAB = pig rabbit
MGIG = chicken drumstick
Hong sister ...you are really great .... as a story wise i love this drama more than YAB .... and Shin mina as Gumiho is such a blessing .. she is so adorable ....
LOL with university scene
tomorrow GO MI NAM is coming ... so happy

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my favorite episode so far!! hehe the part where miho smiles all cutely and says "i know what they're doing"- in reference to the onscreen couple. and dongjoo's reaction hahaha

red vial and blue vial? red pill? lol i don't understand how it's a parady moment...

the aunt/butt scene was reminiscent of go minyeo's opening scene in you're beautiful, when she tries to clean bird dropping off a statue's butt haha.

and did anyone notice, in the director and aunt scene, that all the white cat statue thingies in the lobby were wearing sunglasses? like the director!! haha it was an amusing shot :)

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The red pill/blue pill thing is a reference to The Matrix.

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it refers to the matrix with keanu reeeves.

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whoa, can hardly wait to watch these with subs! Thanks for recapping!ü

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I got goosebumps reading the recap.. I read the recap first since it comes out the day after and I can only watch the episodes on Saturdays..

Though even I have read the spoiler.. It just makes me more attached watching eventhough I know how the story unfolds..

HOwever.. JB honestly .. you're recap is already as good as watching it.. seriously.. the last part.. make my heart stops for a second cause.. I thought that this is just a cutesy show.. but.. now I appreciate the depths of the character and the plot.. and all there is about being human.. in the point of view of the Hongs..

I like NMW since he was Rose in the Trax..
but I feel for him.. because he has to go through it all over again.. we've been arguing here if he fell in love with the Gu-Miho look alike from the past.. or he was the one who betrayed her.. at least.. things are clear as early on..

I dont like sad endings.. I hope this one does not go that path.. but if it end up doing so.. I'll just have to bear it since I decide to invest my time watching this drama.. Sorry to PK (I have to choose this one)

God Bless... and continue with your passion!

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asddadadadadada

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Great recap! Re: Gumiho Hunter's backstory, I'm wondering ...

Perhaps the original Mi-ho lookalike was killed by the GH because of the he-dies-or-she-dies situation (i.e. he killed her because otherwise he would have to die -- he'd had her fox bead [if she was indeed a gumiho] inside him for almost 100 days -- or maybe she only realised the implications later and in some way forced him to kill her), BUT the twist would be that there was some piece of info the GH himself didn't (and still doesn't) have that would have meant both him and his lady love could have survived. Maybe in willingly giving up their lives, they could have saved each other ... hmm.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing how this pans out! Excitement!

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my theory:

the old gumiho trusted a human to keep her bead, fell in love with him, but later found out that he had to die, so she wanted to die with him. And the GH was in love with her, but he doesn't want her to suffer. so he did what she wants him to do - kill her.

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that is ingenious!

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Both very interesting but but wen the historical shin mina was dying.... Am sure she was saying sorry while she died... Correct me if am wrong ;0/.

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Yeah. she did, so maybe she's sorry because she can't return the GH's love (and ignore his advice to trust humans). it's just a theory. :D

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Thank you, as always your recaps are wonderful and very well written. Dessert for my lunch. Thanks

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I would just like to point out that the "mating" scene that Mi-ho and Gumiho-hunter (I'm just gonna call him Hunter) were watching was Edward and Bella having their first kiss in Twilight. There was much throwing back of the head and clapping of hands due to laughter. Because if there's one thing Edward and Bella fail at, it's mating.

I want to grab Dae-woong, Mi-ho and the giant chicken leg and just love on them and squeeze them all to bits. I LOVE THEM! Especially that chicken leg. I had fried chicken for dinner this evening. It was good.

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Damn, I forgot to thank Javabeans. Thanks for the even-more-fantastic-than-usual recap, JB! I am going to go to sleep now, all happy-like. Looking forward to more tomorrow Gumiho fun tomorrow with Girlfriday!

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Wow you are right. It is the stoned ones, indeed. The sisters are really outdoing themselves in this one, aren't they?

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Wow, imagine that. You posted about mating.

All that went through my head was, "Wow. It's that evil girl. And she's talking about mating."

LOL!!!!

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Please forgive me for repeating myself. I tend to do that with insomnia. It's funnier when you're slap-happy.

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Hahahaha! Don't worry, Brookeeve-unni. It was funny to me too. And I'm sorry for what I did to you on the Open Thread with comment # 27.1.1.1.6. Sometimes the evil within me just rises up and spews forth like a ... geyser of evil.

So is your new name for me That Evil Girl? It's like Cinderella's Sister's Ki-hoon calling Eun-jo You Bad Girl. I like it! I'll go by the initials: TEG. Pronounced Tega (like Sega). :D

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"Because if there’s one thing Edward and Bella fail at, it’s mating."

There has never been a truer statement in all of the universe. I salute you.

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This drama is definitely not a mania drama like YAB (which some may still compare it to), but I welcome the changes, and the tone-down hilarity (with much better drama plots). They're going pretty fast, and I love how the plots are well thought out. This Harry vs Voldermort thingy has left me with such unsettled feeling...damn u hot-vegetarian-gumiho hunter!

oh, I love that the pillows in DaeWoong's room actually spelled L-O-V-E but only a scrambled O-L-E resided on the bed and V on the chair. Well planned! And it was right before DW wondered whether Miho has taken other things beside her bead. :D

And gah. I so want the oversized chicken leg! Muahaha, that drumstick surely gave a brand new definition to cute stuff toys in kdramaland!

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I so didn't catch the pillow thing. I bet you rock at Scrabble.

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Wow, you are so alert!
*bah-dum ching!*

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Haha. I was wondering about the significance of "OLE." Action star, bull fighting...?? How cute. Thanks for pointing that out! I'll have to go back and look for the V.

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Thank you Javabeans for the recap! Always look forward to your insights!

I am glad that the Gumiho hunter's complexity is being slowly revealed. Hopefully he will become increasingly involved as the drama progresses.

But what I don't understand is why he would keep the catch 22 from her if he somewhat cares about her wellbeing. Of course, that is based on the assumption that he has some sort of interest in her due to the fact that she resembles someone he felt for before. Would it be okay to see him as a romantic rival against Dae Woong?

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prolly because she would want Daewoong to die, so she prolly won't want to be human. but seeing that she wanted to be human, then the Hunter would have to let Daewoong die and suffer the consequences. oooooohhhhhhhhh...

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Can't wait to watch. Something to look forward to every Wednesday and Thursday. Love LSG and SMA !

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I'm sorry, I know this is awful but this part:

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm96/javabeans122/drama/2010/gf/gf1/gf5-00126.jpg

THIS WAS SO DIRTY (what with the sexy times going on in the movie they were watching). =X

(My mind is usually very far away from the gutter, but...this was impossible to miss! Ahhh!)

(And for the record, this drama is charming my soul right out from under me. So funny, so cute, great!)

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phallic much? :)

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haha you're not the only one.

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Not to mention No Min-Hot's granola bar. That it probably took him at least a half-hour to eat.

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gosh!!!
i'm hook to this drama!!

thanks for the fast recap...

hehehe i watched the episode
and i don't understand....

thanks for the help...

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THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! I am falling in love with this show and the two main leads.

I watched this episode last night and got the gist of it, but my (very, very basic) Korean meant I was still left wondering about stuff, so your recap was amazing!

This is the first time I'm actually watching a show as it happens live instead of watching the whole bunch at once (Oh, how many hours of sleep I have lost with my KDrama marathons), so your recaps are the best thing since sliced bread.

So Thank you, again.

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I swear, I always get these black mental holes after watching an episode where parts of it seem to be missing in my memory.

The story looses all kinds of coherency and my attention span towards dialogue is like zero whenever The Gumiho Hunter shows up in the drama.... like an instant turn on-meets-train wreck, you just cant ignore it.

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you and be both, sister. total train wreck. and i keep telling myself, what the heck i don't even like pretty emo boys with asymmetrical hair. and then he shows up and my mind goes kaput...gone..just like that.

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Haha, you are so happy that you found a good drama to watch (just like me) I am feeling like our nine tails already popped out :D

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Oh, man. Love-love your humour, JB. Your recap is awesome as always. I really laughed my face off when that Chicken Leg
came out too. :D It's so cute.

Also,
" It’s the whole “one cannot live while the other lives” crisis that, in a romance, is as epic as you can get. If Mi-ho wants to spare him, she has to die. If she wants to live, he has to die. AGHHH! I love it! (Naturally I’m expecting a late-stage twist to Make It Work so that nobody dies, but even with that expectation I love the angst.) It’s Buffy and Angel, it’s superhero in love with a supervillain, it’s Harry and Voldemort (well, without the romance angle) "

This so much. Haha. This also made me realise how much I
missed HP. I haven't read/seen it in so long. Looking forward to the next one!

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Did anyone else laugh really hard at the VERY inappropriate reference when Dae-woong yelled "FREEEEDOOOOOOM" to some very Braveheart-esque (if it wasn't actually off the soundtrack) music?

Refer to the clip below, from around 8:00-8:30. (Major spoilers if you haven't seen the end of Braveheart. Also, just a warning, the video is pretty violent, though not so much at the time I suggested.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hce-Xvp1gm8

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Yup. You weren't alone on that one.

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a harry and voldermort shipping huh?
xD
this couple is so adorbs <333
i'm sure there'll be plenty of angst later but whatevs i will look forward to it.

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Thanks, JB!

In general, I got the feeling that Dae-woong still has a long way to go, as far as character development goes, though he's admittedly less immature than before. The fact that he was pretty much overjoyed with Miho leaving did not sit well with me, but that was mostly because of my own shallow belief that there should be more blatant, awkward lovering going on! Rawr. But he made up for it by being (somewhat) forlorn by small things, like the nine coupons she left behind and the soda water. He proved himself a pighead once again though, by looking for her ONLY when he found out he couldn't do the action movie without her fox-bead. I know our hero is flawed and I know we're supposed to like it, but must he be QUITE so easy to dislike? (Though I suppose it was the same with LSG's character in Brilliant Legacy, at first Hwan was an asshat but at the end, I loved him to bits.)

In the meantime, second lead love, anyone? Apart from the fact that NMW is a HOTTIE, I love the interaction between him and Miho! Plus, is he actually a legit Gumiho hunter? Like, taking the gumiho in when she left Woong, that's not exactly what a hunter is supposed to do, is it? I have the feeling that he's sympathetic with her situation, and is trying to help her in his own way, probably partly because she resembled the one he loved from long ago. I think his job title is more like, confused-gumiho-helper. I think if he was a hardass hunter, he woulda just done away with her when he had the chance. But of course he is emotionally tortured and whatnot, plus we gotta have the 16 episodes.

Plus, holy crap??? Before I read your recap I didn't know about Woong having to die instead of Miho, since I missed that last part. (I was watching the raw and some meanings slip by me. I just assumed it was ominous, cuz of the broken glass and all.) This sets up the drama for some hardcore, epic angst. Like I said, the Sisters are outdoing themselves. :D Pretty much loving it.

Also, "it’s Harry and Voldemort (well, without the romance angle)" made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the enjoyment, JB.

P.S. who else squealed like an idiot when Go Mi-nyeo appeared in the preview? Haha. xD

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I totally squealed outloud when I saw Go Mi-nyeo appear! Ah, Hong Sisters, I love you both! <3

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haha count me it
I cant wait to see GMN again lol
*still have hope for YB2 ** ^^;;

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I thought it was so cute that he changed the words to the Dooli song....

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also i obviously meant javabeans i was reading a girlfriday post on my next tab. oops

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Once again, awesome recap! Loving the show, and thanks for pointing out interesting Hong Sister additions that I sometimes miss due to cultural differences.

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I'm just throwing a theory here but wouldn't it make sense if the Gumiho Hunter was actually the human past-Gu Mi Ho trusted to hold onto her bead? I feel like every time he says "Humans can't be trusted" he is talking from personal experience. Maybe being an immortal Gumiho Hunter is his punishment for betraying past-Gu Mi Ho. Also, perhaps this connection to Gu Mi Ho is why he is so reluctant to send her back to the painting.

I don't know how legitimate that theory is but only time will tell. Thanks for the recap! Always, always appreciated!

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ooooooohhhh. i like your theory! Brings another layer to the Hunter that justifies his dark/edgy sexiness.

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Yeah! I have the same idea!

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your theory is a good one...I thought of it in first ep... after that I thought maybe the old Gumiho chose death instead of her lover human...other than Dong Joo... to me Dong Joo seem too powerful against Gumiho and if he had gumiho beads wouldn't he transform into a gumiho too?-he is a spirit now ... his face when saw raw meat was pheww (I laughed pretty hard at that)

ohhh I'm not the only one who's losing her head- when No Min Woo is on screen but his prettiness might be a disadvantage : you first look at him and after that you remind about he is sayin' something-often important things to drama plot- btw he has very expressive eyes...

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Yup, that is my theory too. I am excited, especially because he's getting to show some emotion and shake the plot up a little, rather than just sit there dripping (more) sexy all over the drama.

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is it just me???or is the only thing that can make them both alive is if they mate???? because they can share their ki right???? ^_^

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good idea

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LMAO!

Yes, please. I hope so.

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Wow..i rarely see so many theories on kdrama..it is so unpredictable and that's fun !i love this one..please do,please

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BEST. THEORY. EVER. Bring on the k-drama R rated funtimes! lol

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OOOOOH! I'm so into that theory!

I wonder what will happen if Gumiho ends up with the hottie Hunter?

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They can do that while they were both about to die.. that would be an awesome romantic scene if it happened!!!
very Twilighty..
it'll be big time screaaaammmin for everyone..

I dont know if LSG can handle if there would be.. but Shin Mi-nah can sure do..just watch.. The Naked Kitchen..

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good one! that's the ONLY solution!! xD

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i was planning to watch this episode later, and now i see you already posted a recap on it! i'm SO tempted to read it. BUT, i don't want to spoil myself... yet~ i'm really liking this drama though so it's why i can't read your recap before watching! it feels like cheating (: lee seunggi is a mega cutie.

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love love love this!!!! thanks JB!! i love the twist the Hong Sisters threw into the 'How To Become a Human' formula. Can't wait to see what other twists they surprise us with :D And I love how you're relating it to Buffy/Angel. Damn I loved that show.

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Having Park Shin Hye reply Gu Min Nyo proves the theory there is a Hong Sister universe, and all the characters from this drama and past Hong dramas co-exist.

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The Hong Sisters drama characters do co-exist.

Remember in My Girl, in the very last scene the real granddaughter and her husband are paying a visit?
It turns out that the real granddaughter is Choon-hyang and her lawyer husband is Lee Mong-ryong, and they live in Namwon...

...as they do in Delightful Girl Choon-hyang. =]

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girl you're observant. @_@ how'd you take note of all of that?

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Hi le meera,

I'm actually an old fart of a dad(with two college aged daughters), and I'm not that observant. lol

My very first drama was My Girl. Until Coffee Prince arrived, it was my favorite, so I remember a bunch of small details.

After Coffee House ended, I was between dramas so I decided to watch Delightful Girl Choon-hyang. I realized that Choon-hyang and Mong-ryong looked just like the real granddaughter and her husband in My Girl...so I re-watched that last episode and saw the Hong Sisters' tie-in.

And of course, Mong-ryong's parents in Delightful Girl were the personal assistant and the aunt in My Girl. Not the same identities, but still connected in the Hong Sisters' drama universe. =]

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its harry and voldermort without the romance angle! LOL

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Ikr. :D

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