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Dream High: Episode 10

Cute, fun, and angsty, all wrapped up in a big bow of feel-good. (And then some feel-nervous.) Now that’s my kind of episode.

No Song of the Day today, because there were so many in the episode proper. It’s a veritable extravaganza of song ‘n dance.

 
EPISODE 10 RECAP

Backtracking for a moment, we see our Misfits take third place at the awards portion of the Dance of the Year competition. They’re all thrilled about it (except for wonderboy Jason?), and Sam-dong calls out to Oh-hyuk in the audience, asking him to stay with them forever. Not betraying his promise to resign, Oh-hyuk just nods.

It’s time for the students to head out for their class trip to Japan, with the Misfits traveling separately to sing at the wedding to earn their plane tickets. At the last minute, they hear that Pil-sook is in the hospital, having fallen ill last-minute.

They’re picked up by their rich Japanese contact in a stretch limo and led to a yakuza-lined pavilion. Oh-hyuk mutters to a nervous Sam-dong that they’re not yakuza — just “important businessmen!” — but the check-in consists of a pat-down and a weapons surrender. ‘Cause the bloodbath’ll just have to wait until after the ceremony.

Sam-dong and Hye-mi take their places to sing their selection, but accidentally take up the wrong sheet music. (Pil-sook had packed it and included the music for the song Jason had been listening to in the previous episode, Lee Juck/Panic’s “Waiting.”)

“기다리다” (Waiting) [ Download ]

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Deciding to go with it, Sam-dong and Hye-mi perform it anyway, and the attendees enjoy their pretty rendition… until the one dude who understands Korean translates the somewhat inappropriate lyrics to the mobster groom, who is NOT pleased to hear that it’s actually about separated lovers who vow to be together… in their next lifetimes.

The groom cuts in angrily, accusing them of ruining his wedding. Our trio can’t understand his words, but they sure as heck can read the hostile energy in the room, and Sam-dong urges Hye-mi to run. Oh-hyuk buys them a few seconds by blocking the pursuers, and the kids flee through the neighboring streets.

They manage to hide, at which point Hye-mi scolds Sam-dong for almost getting caught when he turned around at one point. He holds out his hand to show her what he had to turn back for — the sparkly cell phone accessory she’d given him (a matching pair with Baek-hee), which I’m sure is gonna break my heart at a future point.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Kirin students check in to their hotel with Kyung-jin, where already we can see the lines being drawn between the debut hotshots, who sit off to the side and enjoy more comfortable accommodations, and the normies, who get stuck four to a room.

Oh-hyuk staggers in, hoping his students have made it here, and admits that he lost them. Mention of the Misfit Mafia grabs the attention of the Hotshots, and Jin-gook immediately volunteers to go find them, followed by Jason.

Sam-dong asks for directions to the hotel in his broken Japanese, while Hye-mi is distracted by the sight of a fancy enclosed Ferris wheel. Mere seconds after they head off, Jin-gook and Jason come by and ask (in Jason’s fluent Japanese) the same passersby for info on the kids, but since they’re looking for one guy and two girls, they get back a negative. This drama’s doing its best to push the Jin-gook-and-Hye-mi-as-soulmates storyline, and so, Jin-gook also finds himself transfixed by the Ferris wheel.

Hye-mi sighs that they shouldn’t have come on the school trip, but Sam-dong reminds her that she wanted to come, and that he knows why. But when she challenges him to give her reason, they dance around the truth, and Sam-dong chooses not to mention Jin-gook..

Right now their most pressing concern is hunger, and upon spying some street performers, Sam-dong suggests earning some money.

What ensues is an upbeat performance, albeit one that annoys me because they’re clearly singing without instruments or background music, and yet they somehow magically have an instrumental track accompanying them. (I know they do this in musicals, but not when the characters are supposed to be performing in the drama itself — is it too much to ask for an awesome a cappella performance instead?)

Gradually they attract a large crowd, even stealing the other group’s audience, and engage their audience to join in and cheer.

The song they pick is Lee Moon-sae’s “붉은노을” (Red Sunset) . [ Download ]

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As they wind down, a group of b-boys (part of the rival group) crashes their party and starts dancing, which catches them by surprise… capped off with the appearance of Jin-gook, Jason, and In-sung, who challenge the other dancers to an impromptu dance-off. Did I just type that sentence? Dream High, I love you.

Not far behind them are the rest of the Kirin students, who join in on the dancefest, including Baek-hee.

The Kirin kids “win” when a b-boy stumbles, and with emotions running high, everyone exults together. Even Baek-hee offers up a silent high-five to Hye-mi, who accepts.

Okay, we then get a series of adorably cute sequences that send my giddy little heart into overdrive. ONE would have been fine, but a whole slew, back to back? Aghhhhh, sugar overload (and I mean that in a good way):

Sam-dong crashes with Jason and Jin-gook, and I love how casually Jason asks him about Pil-sook, and then freaks out when he hears she was hospitalized for hepatitis, asking if it was A, B, or C. It’s A (the least dangerous), but Sam-dong didn’t pay attention to that little detail, and Jason bursts out that it’s really important which it was.

Hye-mi crashes with Ria and Baek-hee, and her stomach growls loudly but her embarrassed pride won’t let her accept the snacks that Ria offers. At first Baek-hee seems to be purposely mean, telling Ria to forget the offer, but later that night she casually nudges a wrapped pastry off her nightstand, then pretends to be asleep while Hye-mi takes the offering. Aw. She out of anyone knows how to work around Hye-mi’s brick wall of pride, and it’s sweet that she makes the overture.

Hye-mi eats outside on the balcony, where Jin-gook spots her and asks to talk. Still upset with him, she mutters (with a full mouth) that they have nothing to say to each other.

In the morning, Kyung-jin spots Oh-hyuk sleeping on the common area couch, since a room hadn’t been available. As she nudges him awake, he mumbles sleepily, “Teacher Shi… I have to talk to you…” and the realization that he’s somehow dreaming of her makes her aflutter with nerves. It’s hilarious to see the icy, hardass teacher reduced to schoolgirlish insecurity so suddenly — and by Oh-hyuk, at that. Well, stranger pairings have happened… (and if I have any hope for a certain leading couple, it’s that Dream High seems to be fairly consistent about the opposites-attract pairing over the two-of-a-kind type).

Another case in point: Jason hits the web to research all the various possible symptoms of the kinds of hepatitis, and grimaces when he finds one entry that lists hepatitis as a leading cause of death. LOL. I mean, death by hepatitis is no laughing matter, but Jason’s earnest concern? CUTE. Then he swipes Sam-dong’s pillow out of pique, accusing him of being a bad friend for sleeping through this crisis. HAHA.

In the hospital, Pil-sook (who has given in to her mother’s temptation of smuggled pork, despite the diet) takes a call from Hye-mi, who’s relieved to hear that Pil-sook’s all better now and will be discharged tomorrow. Jason spots her as she hangs up, and hesitantly asks about Pil-sook’s condition. Hye-mi asks, “Is this interest or manners?” and he readily replies, “Manners,” then asks for clarification of which type of hepatitis it is.

Hye-mi clocks his uncharacteristic intensity and starts to reply, “Of course it’s A…” but seeing how he reacts, she adds, “…is what they thought. But it turns out it’s B.” Jason freaks out, and Hye-mi adds with a secret smile that Pil-sook’s going to be hospitalized for a while.

Hye-mi points out that he sure is concerned for this to be mere manners, to which he retorts by accusing her of not caring at all, then storms off in a huff. Hye-mi scoffs to herself, not believing for a second that he’s so worked up over manners.

Later, the Kirin kids head over to the set to watch as the K members shoot a music video. Oh-hyuk reads over the synopsis for the MV and laughs at the absurdity, since the plot features Jason injured and bloody, reaching out for Baek-hee, who sees a figure in the distance and throws herself in front of him to take the bullet instead.

As Baek-hee collapses, Ria cries, then turns the gun on herself. Jason’s tear hits Baek-hee’s cheek… and revives her. Oh-hyuk chuckles, calling the “Midas touch” director a “minus” instead (ha).

While watching the proceedings, Sam-dong listens to the song playing in the background (it’s K’s single), and tells Hye-mi that while it’s a well-designed track, it doesn’t quite feel seasoned enough. It just needs a little “salt” to make it great, and Hye-mi agrees, thinking the repetitive tune may be the culprit.

Pil-sook freaks out about a 2 kilogram weight gain, which is why she misses Jason’s phone call. Worried to death, he’s at his breaking point and declares that he’s heading back to Korea asap, now that the shoot is over. Aww. What nice manners they teach in America.

Sam-dong recognizes one of the crew members at the shoot as one of the street-performing guys from the day before. The difference is, while yesterday he seemed like a petulant prat, today he’s much more polite and hard-working. He greets everyone respectfully, then heads out to distribute flyers for his crew’s first concert, though most of them get tossed immediately in the trash. Sam-dong muses to Oh-hyuk that today the guy looks pretty cool, whereas yesterday he hadn’t, and wonders why. Oh-hyuk smiles, and merely offers that those kids remind him of Sam-dong & Co.

It’s their last night in Japan, and Kyung-jin warns her students to keep it a low-key affair. The kids send each other winks and loudly proclaim their intentions of sleeping early, while Oh-hyuk invites Kyung-jin out later that night. She thinks he’s suggesting a date — while he remains oblivious — and accepts.

Oh-hyuk leads his kids out for the night, running into the K members on their way out. They’re heading back to Korea tonight and can’t come along — or at least that’s the excuse until Jin-gook tags along, and everyone follows his lead.

The Japanese dance crew is, appropriately enough, named Dreamer, and the hall is sparsely attended, with the audience sitting docilely on the ground. The lead singer stiffens to recognize Sam-dong, wondering if there’s going to be trouble. Instead, Sam-dong smiles and leads the Kirin kids in livening up the atmosphere.

Kyung-jin gets ready for her “date” (primping hurriedly while grumbling like she soooo doesn’t care) and makes her way to meet him, getting to the concert when it’s in full swing. Dreamer’s lead singer takes a moment to signal their Korean guests and introduces “yesterday’s enemies and today’s friends,” inviting Sam-dong and Hye-mi up to sing.

Sam-dong gives the violinist a note, then the music begins — what he’s done is (supposedly) create a riff on K’s song (the tune that needed a little dash of something extra), transforming it from empty techno beat to a catchy melody. The teachers are awed at his impromptu accomplishment, while the Hotshots recognize that this is their song and join the others onstage.

Dream High OST – “Dream High” — this isn’t a rip, but the OST track posted in a previous recap. [ Download ]

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Hye-mi takes the mic to (I presume) freestyle some lyrics, and here’s where we just set aside that whole suspension-of-disbelief issue and enjoy the effect, sort of like those old Hollywood movies where people “spontaneously” start dancing and end up in magically coordinated dance numbers. We’re just goin’ with it.

Jin-gook joins in with a rap, Dreamer dances with them, and it’s a big, warm, fuzzy ball of awesome.

Landing in Korea, Jason cabs it to the hospital and races inside to find Pil-sook. Directed outdoors, he finds her jumping rope (with her Jason doll).

She’s shocked to see him, and asks (with a teeny bit of censure in her voice) if he’s skipped out again, since he’s supposed to be shooting an MV. Upon hearing that it was hepatitis A (and cursing Hye-mi), Jason had turned to go, but at that he starts to exclaim, “Do you know what you put me through?”

He cuts himself short and says scornfully, “You really annoy me,” though it’s pretty clear it’s himself he’s upset with (though he hasn’t realized that yet). Just as he turns, Pil-sook hits the ground behind him, unconscious. He rushes to her side in worry, then carries her inside.

After the concert, the Kirin kids join the Dreamer crew for an afterparty, and Ria notes that Baek-hee and Hye-mi seem to be on better terms now. Baek-hee admits that she’s starting to think it’d be nice to get along again, but it’s a short-lived feeling; as soon as she steps out, she overhears the agency president (who’d followed the kids to the concert) talking with his assistant about how great Hye-mi is. In fact, he’s thinking of swapping her in for Baek-hee, and making her the face of the group. Ah, truce is so fragile.

The Dreamer singer gives Sam-dong two tickets to the Ferris wheel as a gift, explaining that he works part-time there. Excitedly, Sam-dong arranges to meet Hye-mi out in front, wanting to take her — but once again he’s one step too slow, because Jin-gook gets to her first, and wrist-grabs her off while Sam-dong (sob) waits patiently.

Hye-mi’s annoyed at his autocratic manner, her mood further tested when a couple of Korean girls recognize Jin-gook and snap a photo of them. Hye-mi’s about to swipe the camera away from them angrily, but Jin-gook intervenes and asks pleadingly for them to help him — he’s wanted to talk to his friend for ages, but has been unable to. “She’s so important to me that I don’t want to lose her like this. So please, help me so she doesn’t run away.”

The girls back down grudgingly and leave them in peace, but Hye-mi glares, saying that this is why she didn’t want to be seen with him and dragged into scandals. She’s more angry that Jin-gook was the one who broke the promise to debut onstage together, and he finally confesses that debuting was the only way he could stay in Korea, since his father was about to have him shipped off to America (has the script so soon forgotten that it was Canada?). If he hadn’t done anything, he would’ve just been swept away cleanly, part of his father’s messy past.

Hye-mi’s anger fades at his explanation, and Jin-gook asks her not to fight with him anymore — time’s too valuable for that. By way of response, Hye-mi takes her scarf and wraps it around his face to cover it up, suggesting that he wouldn’t be recognized with her this way.

Argh, I really, really wish this touching exchange were performed by better actors. I want to feel for them, really… but I’m fixated on how technical Jin-gook’s declaration feels. More on this later.

Kyung-jin is waiting for Oh-hyuk to make his move, so when he starts talking about how he thought she used to hate him, she listens expectantly. He, unaware of her line of thinking, asks her to take good care of the Misfits, who’ll be joining her class, and goes on to highlight their good points:

Hye-mi, for instance, seems difficult and irritable, but she’s actually quite soft-hearted and will follow eagerly if led gently. Sam-dong seems simple and foolish sometimes, but his innocence lights him up, and he’s a talented songwriter. Pil-sook’s just the opposite of Hye-mi — she looks weak, but she’s strong, though she doesn’t know it yet.

Kyung-jin comments that his statements are excessive, like someone about to leave for good, and rather than explain that that’s exactly what’s going to happen, he goes with it. Kyung-jin accepts his answer, but there’s something about his behavior that bothers her…

Pil-sook wakes up at the hospital with Jason at her bedside, having overexercised herself into exhaustion. He’s in a tense mood, and she asks if his behavior this time was also mere manners, expecting as much. He tells her no, but fumbles to explain that he only wanted to hear her sing, stammering a bit about how he likes — only — her singing.

Well, that’s not much of a compliment and Pil-sook nods glumly, while Jason grimaces — SO not what he meant. But instead of correcting himself, he digs himself deeper, telling her not to mistake things — he only came because he had nothing else to do, and he’d made sure to come after his activities were over.

With that, he heads out, though he immediately stops in the hall, upset with himself. And then, he hears the strains of a guitar playing from her room. Pil-sook starts to sing “Waiting,” and this time, the lyrics are appropriate:

Pil-sook version [ Download ]

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Waiting for you, I thought to myself
You’ve left, and you’re hurting so much
You’re crying on the road to returning to me

Watching you, the thought came to me
If the sky brightens one day
Just like I’d left you, you’ll come quietly to me
You, in front of me

Will you be able to see me again?
I’m not in your eyes
Familiar gestures and small smiles
linger dimly, and make me cry, but

You’ll return to me
If your heart calls out to me again
Don’t hesitate and come back to me, in front of me
and I’ll hold you like before

Sam-dong, still waiting for Hye-mi, hears that she left earlier with Jin-gook, and glumly trudges to the Ferris wheel. He arrives at the adjacent restaurant where the Dreamer leader works, explaining that he was stood up.

Sitting inside a car together, Hye-mi comments that Jin-gook had mentioned wanting to ride these cars before. Jin-gook explains that as a child, he’d had family for one day — his father had come on Children’s Day, and he’d gone to the amusement park. Because there were so many people there, the only thing he could ride was the cable car, and it had been surprisingly pleasant, content to spin round in it all day.

Tearing up, he confesses, “When Father abandoned me, when he used me, I could’ve just hated him. But because of that one day, I can’t throw my father away. Without that day, it would have been easy.”

Hye-mi’s moved at his pain, and cries silently as she listens. Jin-gook notes that she’d cried for him once before: “It was the first time someone had cried because of me.”

He kneels in front of her to wipe her tears and asks why she’s crying, knowing it’s because of him but wanting to hear her words. She answers that she doesn’t know, and he kisses her.

Which is, of course, the exact moment that Sam-dong looks out the window.

And, adding insult to injury (or perhaps its injury to insult), his hearing fritzes out again, and he falls to the ground in pain. While clutching Hye-mi’s heart-shaped trinket.

 
COMMENTS

Noooo, you can’t make Sam-dong deaf, d’you hear me, drama? That would be too cruel — you can’t make him lose the girl and his hearing! This is one case where I’d be perfectly happy to accept some medical deus ex machina of ridiculousness with a newfangled surgical procedure that magically restores deaf ears. Just sayin’.

My favorite episode before this one (which is still my favorite, I think) is Episode 5, which was mostly because of that street performance by the then-quartet of misfits. Despite the cheesiness of buying that these kids are just coming up with everything on the fly, I do like the impromptu performances more than the staged ones, because it’s about a more organic expression of music (at least organic in a narrative sense, since they’re actually polished and slick with dubbed-over vocals). And those moments are where music the theme collides with music the plot, and jives in this really nice, layered way. It’s like in stage musicals, where the numbers come out of the emotions of the moment more than a plot point of performance.

And I do love that each episode takes one (or more) old pop hits and revives them in a fresh way — practically after every episode, there are news articles quoting the original singers/songwriters thanking the show for such a respectful expression of interest in their work.

As for the acting… well… mostly I’m willing to overlook the flaws, because I’m so won over by the story. And I swear I’m not (very) motivated by my love of Sam-dong when I say that the Jin-gook and Hye-mi pairing just doesn’t work for me that well because of the lack of chemistry — in a romantic sense, but also an acting sense. It’s too bad, because I’m eating up their pairing in a narrative sense. I just wish I could feel for them, too.

I have no illusions that Taecyeon would bother to read this, but apparently he’s asked for acting critique, so here’s what I’d have to say:

He’s not explicitly bad. He cries at the right moments, he delivers dialogue adequately (though he can’t quite muster heartfelt yet). What I have a problem with when watching his scenes is that he feels very much like he’s performing to the camera. Which you’d think should be fine, only it’s like he’s only aware of what’s in front of him, and neglects to act with his whole being, and only acts with his mouth. Or with his face. Or with his eyes. You know how you look at yourself in the mirror and you think you look great? And then you go out and catch a glimpse of yourself walking past a window, unawares, and are horrified? You realize you’ve only dressed yourself for the mirror — the frontal, angled, prettily posed view — and forgotten that you’re in 3-D, and everyone else can see the rest of you.

That’s what he’s like for me (and to be fair, he’s not the only one). He’s acutely aware of his angles, and what exact pose looks the coolest, or emphasizes his beautiful bone structure the best, or highlights his intense scowl to the best effect… but he’s trying to look cool, and therefore he’s not in the moment. Whereas you look at someone like Sam-dong/Kim Soo-hyun, and he’s just IN the moment at all times — if you look at him from any angle, he’s there. He’s present, alive, and eminently relatable.

Anyway. My two cents.

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Waaahh...
I cried during Pilsook's guitar part.. T_T

I LOVE YOU JB for this recap! ♥

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yeah, pilsook's guitar was great ... so sad

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I also like the Hospital scene, even though i can't understand what they are saying. I felt the sadness and the misunderstanding in their acting.

JB, i agree in all your comments =). I don't want SD to be deaf, because then HM will feel guilty. I don't what their love happened because of guilt. Please Scriptwriter, just create a miracle. Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!

Thanks JB for the wonderful recap =)

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How did you know when the recap was up?

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jason was sooo adorable in this ep.
he was soo cute when he was searching about hepatitis

great episode!!!

but NOOOO!!! SAM DONG!!!!

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I've begun to hate hye-mi...WHY JINGOOK!????

I cried when sam dong cried! Why so evil drama? WHY? WHY? WHY?!

:'(

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No that kiss its a no!!!! I am so mad!!!! >.< They are not good together just horrible

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Thanks for the recap, jb!

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Thank you so much! I was waiting for this all night~
Now, for my weekly dose of Dream Crack :)

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Loved this episode, thanks for the recap.

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it was so awesome. cheestastic in the best way possible. totally loving woou and everyone else too. loving all of it!

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i agree with you about taecyeon.. but he's taecyeon.. i love him too much!!! and i am definitely a samdong sucker.. god, everytime he cries, i sob harder. geez.. what this country cutie does to me..

i love this drama.. but for some reason it bothers me a teensy bit that i can't predict the ending like EVERY OTHER DRAMA?

hahaha, dream high fighting!

gahh..woo-baby, just tell her you love her!!!

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@ Javabean and f1yh1gh10, I agree with you on Taec. I adore Taec as a person. And I am JG-HY shipper. When i was watching the Ferris Wheel scene. I wanted so much more from him. SD is Just too good. Kim Soo-hyun, may God Bless you. The last scene was like 1 min, and WAOOOOO.... I am speechless.

Now i all care about this drama is Sam Dong happiness. SD Dreams. He better be "K"

Wooyoung as Jason was so convincing in Ep.10. I cringe at his acting in early episode. Am so so glad to him improved. P.S I love his voice. I can stop listening to WooYoung cut's MP3 i converted from Youtube.

Wooyoung and Taec are so natural off camera (as in off drama camera : )). Watch their show in some K variety and interviews. You'll know what i am talking about.

PLEASE SOMEBODY WHO HAVE TWITTER ACCOUNT POST THIS LINK IN TAEC TWEET. As we all know he's pretty active.

@Taech, we just want the best for and from you. Please read Sarah's comments.

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I tweeted Taec this post. Hope he reads it and improve. Hehe.

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i agree with you. it's like taecyeon can't completely shed his idol skin to become jinguk. He try not to put himself in danger or something .

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Ditto! Love Taec to death, he's so lovely and he's character is clearly supposed to tug at the heart strings, I mean jeez, could his Pops suck anymore? - But I just don't feel it.

And Sam Dong is just WIPING the FLOOR with everyone - he just kills me with his bleeding heart. To me it’s all the more obvious that the kids are just mediocre (at best) because he's so good. Also, what the hell was that ending about? I'm just raging - I swear, if they kill him or do something awful to him I WILL LOSE IT!!!

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Yay!!!! I've been eager for this recap to come out! Thanks JB and GF for recapping this :)

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Thanks for the recap, Javabeans! BOY it's getting intense. I agree with your comments about Taecyeon - I couldn't have expressed it better myself. I really want to root for him; especially after his character's heartfelt goodbye to Eun-jo in Cinderella Sister, I want him to get the girl!

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thank you so much for the download link. i love it when samdong & hyemi singing together. their voices matches each other very well.

it's so heartbreaking to see SD cry. T_T. the ending is so dramatic.

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podcast!!! podcast!!! podcast!!!

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(lemme join ya)

podcast!!!

podcast!!!

podcast!!!

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yes, plz!!!!

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omg yes. +1
i'm aching for more jb/gf podcast goodness.

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I miss podcasts.

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Thanks for your recap. I love love your review on JG, that's exactly how I feel. He looks good on camera but I couldn't feel or touched by his love for HM at all. Even when he kneeled down in front of her, it supposed to be romantic and all but I felt nothing. Then I realized it's not because of JG as a character, it's Taec's acting. *sign*

I wish I could feel something for JG/HM pairing but I couldn't. And please the writer let JG moves pass the dad issue already! How many times do I have to see him cry over the same thing? I mean give some development to the dude. And if they're going to end up together, please no more crying when they are together will you, writer?

I hope this episode bring about good turn for SD and HM , and hopefully happier JG as he'd kissed the girl already.

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Haha, I feel exactly the same way!! When I saw him kneel on the floor, I felt like I was reading the actual script, and I didn't feel an ounce of romance between the two. And while I think the script has been extremely well-constructed, what with Jingook's troubled background and 'hurt heart', Taec's acting just doesn't do it justice. When I heard him talk about his dad, I seriously felt annoyed. He can't really pull off the whole emotional thing, so I'd prefer if the scriptwriter gave him more comedic or amusing parts instead.

And to be honest, I think Hyemi's feelings for him stem from her sympathy for him. I mean, each time they've shared a 'special' moment, it's always when Jingook's emo-ing about his mean old daddy or his awful childhood. I've yet to see them appreciate each other for who they are.

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Yay, it's here, been refreshing all day. Aw, poor Samdong! I am so with you on the deafness-- he shouldn't lose everything!

Looks like Jason's gonna giiiiiveeeee..... >:)

Re spontaneous song/dance numbers, they do happen irl very rarely and only when everyone's in the right mood... oh, I suddenly miss my own high school days, haha.

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who else thinks taec gets the girl in the end :(
i guess JYP has a say in this so it does not bode well for sam dong

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"… but I’m fixated on how technical Jin-gook’s declaration feels."

Technical is a very apt description of Taecyon's acting. But he's young and has plenty of time to grow.

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contrary to popular belief, this underdog story actually is UN.PREDICATBLE.

PLOTLINE IS PROFOUNDLY WRITTEN.

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@Kc Totally Agree With You, Hand's down.

That got me hooked in the first place. Acting, glad i came in we Zero expectation. Trust me, i am not complaining.
I am obsessed with this little drama.

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same here. I was just curious to see how it would pan out. and there I was scoffing at the thought that Dream High could be good before the show began.

I am so hooked to the plot developments that I ain't letting the acting and the other flaws bother me too much.

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*UN.PREDICTABLE

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yeah i watch for the plot, too.///

i mean, we have MILKY LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! (wow, that sounds wrong LOL) But I can’t help it! Jason and Pilsook, I love love love how you’re both *fighting* it, yet, NOT. Haha! The comedy at least is good balance to the angstfest that the JG-HM-SD triangle is turning out to be. Don’t get me wrong—it’s compelling stuff, but I just like it better when they’re being snarky and snippy at each other and wearing each other’s undies, instead of *accidentally* witnessing the other kissing/ dancing with hyemi and brooding off in a corner.
I’m liking how BH is starting to come around though… this is good fodder for my belief that K is actually all of them as a group (still hoping  ) and HM’s friendship with Pilsook is adoooorbs! They way she chides Jason and teases him for Pilsook’s sake is crazycute. …..if I were BH, I’d kinda be jealous of PS myself, I mean.. that’s how I would’ve like HM to have treated me when we were besties. Hmmm, I hope they explore that angle!
/so, yeah yeah, I watch for the plot, etc etc….. oh who am I kidding—
ICOMYM HOLLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Never before have I been so confused about the pairings in a drama:

-HyeMi: SamDong or JinGuk? (SamDong IS the main guy here...but somehow I wouldn't be surprised if SamDong goes solo in the end or if she ends up with neither.)
-JinGuk: HyeMi or BaekHee...or SamDong...or no one??
-BaekHee: JinGuk, JinGuk's friend (somehow, I wouldn't be surprised with this either...), or...HyeMi? None??
-Misfit Teacher (aka Teacher of the Misfits aka Candy): Teacher Shi or Best [Bro]Man[ce] Friend or Mr. Gangster (aka the Terrence to Candy).
-Teacher Shi: Misfit Teacher or JYP?
-Mr. Gangster: Candy or Candy's sister?

I'm so glad I can at least be sure about JasonxPilSuk (aka Milk Couple), lol~<3

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I found out that the whole kiss in the ferris wheel scene is set up for our main lead Samdong's heartbreak scene. Man, there's nothing romantic about it. It's pure tragic. Samdong is definitely the main lead. If you look at it closely, it is all about him all along. This is the story about underdog and his route to his success and his dream. He is not some you're-happy-I'm-happy-second -lead. He is the I-can't-live-without-you-main-lead.

Another contrast in this episode is how Samdong can make Hyemi all smile and lively even in their difficult time like lost in the city with no money while Jingook makes Hyemi cries in their romantic time. You can call it romantic if you like but I call it depressing.

PS I still believe SamMi is the end game.

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I love your point, even though I've been told that Sam Dong is the main lead, I've felt that the drama was trying to play him as the tragic-second-lead. Now, I'm really anticipating his story unfolding as I believe that he is K.

Although I'm aboard the SamMi ship as well, I'm wondering if and how SamMi will change and develop once Sam Dong undergoes his transformation. I hope that his charm to light up Hyemi's face will still be there.
As for Jin Gook, well, as long as he doesn't take a turn into NobleIdiocity, I can tolerate MiGook. Just make sure Sam Dong isn't deaf, Show. D:

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"you can call it romantic if you like, but i call it depressing."

hahah interesting point! but i dono, it seems like its generally easier to laugh and joke with friends, while negative emotions like sadness and anger is usually drawn out by people you care more deeply about (i.e. significant other).

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oh forgot about empathy. i suppose friends can get some of that too, but prob wouldnt cry for them. or i wouldnt. >)

anyone else love hye mi making fun of her own lack of expression when jason asked why she's not more worried over pil-sook. "this IS my worried face!" hahaha i really like how her character is so prickly and stony-faced. refreshing to me! but yea would have to say my heart choked up more for jason + pilsook than hye mi and jingwook.

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me too....I'm watching this show for more Pilsook-Jason scenes, and am not even a fan, first time to see this two in Dream High....

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Me three.

Pilsook/Jason is the best couple in this drama. Back in the showcase episode when he abandoned Ria, I was thinking, what an a-hole! Even if you don't like your partner, you don't do that on the day of the performance. That's rude. Was starting to like him a bit as his relationship with Pilsook was explored but still in the back of my mind, I remembered that he was very careless. Glad that they're giving him a chance to grow.

Absolutely love Hye-mi and Baek-hee - at least for once, kdrama women are not the classic good girl/clingy second lead duo, but frenemies who have reasonable cause to love/hate each other.

I'm not really into either of Hye-mi's romances, even though I adore Sam-dong, I think he's too good for her. (Sam-dong, don't go deaf!)

And I'm not feeling the chemistry between Hye-mi Jin-gook. It's weird because they have a lot of screen time together and ... nothing. Their back story is ridiculously boring. Why did Jin-gook remember it? If the scriptwriter couldn't do a better job of it, why bother at all?

Jin-gook/Hye-sung/Noona love triangle is adorable, though. Can we get more of that?

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Well, that may be true, but I feel that at least in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, it won't be healthy if all the times you have together are sad and emotional. Especially since they're teenagers, they're supposed to be having happy dates and enjoying being in love, not crying everytime they meet.

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THIS! THIS so much! You described my thoughts perfectly :)

I didn't find the kiss romantic at all. God, I hope SamMi will happen. They have so much chemistry <3

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this is SO not right==> what they're doing to samdong!
taec n suzy have NO chemistry whatsoeva!
im still rootin 4 SD 2 get the girl, i must be delusional since in all kdramas whoever u kiss 1st is who u end up with!

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Well Sam-dong technically didn't even kiss first (unless you are talking about the kiss on the cheek, which still doesn't count = P)

I have been rooting for the SamMI team and after reading about the Sam-dong heartbreaking scene all over the net, I'm still afraid to watch the episode cause I've been on his side the whole time T_T Don't get me wrong, I'm not leaving SD just cause he didn't get the girl (she doesn't want him anyway =/ ), he looks HOT with his new hair cut and earring ^_^ (I'm allowed to crush on him and not feel bad cause we're the same age =P )

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nahh, she will ends up with samdong. this ep is just an ep when the second lead win and make the viewers anxious haha you know usually in a k-drama there's at least an episode when the second lead win, but not in the last ep though. so no worries.

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wait... Jin-Gook isn't the male lead?

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Samdong and hyemi looks really totally undeniably cute together but I didnt see that one coming.. UNPREDICTABLE. like you, i belive that even if jin gook gets the firt kiss, in the end, samdong gets the girl.. ;)

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amen to that xD
samdong~~~~~~~ <3 <3 <3

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why why T_____T you broke my cute baby's heart T____T samdong come to meeee i love you T________T

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You explained perfectly how I feel about Hyemi x Jingook. In the context of the plot they have such great moments and really adorable moments... but I can't feel them as a couple together. I can feel more from suzy than taec... but soohyun really grabs my heart the most. He is such a great actor and he plays his role as sam dong so believably its really hard to not root for him, and hope he miraculously does not get deaf.

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I lol'd so hard when I saw the dual pictures of the SINGLE TEAR drop. >_<

Honestly though, it's part acting part storyline. Characters like SamDong just DO it for me and mr. puppy is amazing at it!

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Thank You, Thank You, Thank You....been waiting for this...^^

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thank you for the recap JB!!

sigh. loved iU's cover of Waiting.... replayed it a hundred times... totally hope they make an OST version that's clearer and complete...

the Pilsook/Jason story is probably what I'm following the most because I feel that they have had the best chemistry and sweetest story so far. I just can't get enough of this whole role reversal business with them two - all their encounters are just too cute... even when it's angsty!! <3

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I wonder if it's an effect of being a pop singer... you're kind of taught to be magnetic right in smack front of the camera for a single shot or so...cue a glare here... cue a cry right there... that it's carried over into Taecyeon's drama acting

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Seriously. The cracked-ness of this drama, my cute puppy-eyes aka Samdong, and Milky couple are the only reason I'm hanging on. The highlights of this drama, truly.

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I'm curious--is Jason's hesitation in confessing due to Pil-sook's comment about her giving him up because he has no dreams and goals?

'Cause, if that's the case...ITS SO FRIGGEN CUTE JUST KNOWING THAT HE CARES WHAT SHE THINKS ABOUT HIM

And, gosh, Baek-hee's pretty.

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its funny how he keeps telling her that he's not skipping schedules, that he only does it cos he's finished his schedules etc. it almost feels like he's trying to project a better image that he's trying.

and with that new preview of him wearing glasses, i have a feeling he's gonna try hard from now on.

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Taec is making me feel deja vu for Rain in this series.

Love the recap, can't wait to see it this weekend.

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I'm so going to tweet this post to Taec. He definitely needs this!!
And I know if he manages to read it, he'll accept it.

Thanks javabeans. I love this episode, and I know the newbies' acting are mostly bad, but for me, at least it's still bearable.

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lol..u should. tweet to him. he might read it... u never know. oktizen always surprised me. ^^

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Please Please do that in CAPs. : )

This noona LOVE you Taec if you are reading.

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hahah I did, before I loose my guts.
This Oktizen, he does read tweets, and he often replies some of the fans' tweet...so let's hope he read thisss..

( Noona love you too!! :P )

and oh, please help? if many of us tweet same link, it may raise his interest?

his twitter account : http://twitter.com/taeccool

thanks!

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the bad acting is what has kept me away from actually watching this drama (besides episodes 1 and 2 and then later episodes 5 and 8) of course Kim Soo Hyun is the exception..i might be the only one but i just cant get past the bad acting

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episodes 5 and 8

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This episode just cemented my belief that Sam Dong will be K. I'm still wishing for SamMi, and I do see the possibility, it's just that I don't want to set myself up for disappointment if MiGook is our OTP. :\\

I just feel conflicted about Sam Dong's upcoming transformation... DD:

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i think samdong/hyemi couple is a sinking ship D:
i agree with you about the lack of feeling in the jingook/hyemi couple
i always think their scenes are so...cheesy (idk if that's the right word)

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well... if it is sinking then Im going down with it!!! : )

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count me in. im going down with it too so i can have a chance to rescue samdong haha LOL

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I love Samdong so much better... I can see that the writers are trying so hard to pair her up with JinGook but her pairing with Sandong would be tons cuter!

gahhh WooU couple is sooooo cute <3 loving them!

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Taec acting is improving (though not 'good' yet), but the scene above is more glaring because the cast actually filmed the scenes in Japan first. That's why he handled his emotional scenes better in earlier episodes compare to episode 10.

I actually expected the cast acting (not just Taec) to be more awkward in Japan, and luckily it's not that horrible.

As for KSH, no doubt his acting is better compared to his idol peers, but I just can't feel much for SD, both as individual character or Hyemi love interest.

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Interesting. That would explain not only his acting but also the chemistry between JG & HM.

Unlike Javabeans, I actually find the chemistry between JinGook and HyeMi perfect. Perhaps I have lots of wooden, emotionally guarded people in my life. HM & JG seem to be on pitch for people who've been so traumatized that they've become pros at tamping down their expressiveness, lest they give away emotions that make them vulnerable.

As for KSH the actor, he's faboo. As for SD, great guy but no cigar. I'll go out on a limb and say it. I know that I'll probably have to duck for reeeeeeeeeeeeaaally long time, but I can't hold it in any longer:

Even as just a friend, I find SD tiring. I find myself thinking, You again? That's nice and cute, puppy. Why don't you go find someone else to be panting and wagging your tail?

I know that's harsh, but that is how the character makes me feel. At least as of now. Perhaps when he returns post haircut and earring, maybe he'll have gained a certain gravitas.

And thankfully, SD the character is on the receiving end of tremendous love that he won't be missing not getting any from me.

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Oh dear, so I am not abnormal after all.

Let me go prepare a bigger helmet - shield for us both.

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Hahahah! Yes, yes, indeed. Definitely HUUUUUGE helmet necessary! :)

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@anais I feel the same way about SD.

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though i love SD to pieces, i can totally see where you're coming from. i also think that he has been following and depending on HM for way too long, but, unlike you, I've been quite ok with it mostly because :
a) HM actually likes SD's company and she considers him as someone dear; and
b) i know that he'll change somewhere down the track (which seems to be the case considering the recent events).

oh, and don't worry, i won't brick you.

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*nods nods*

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i soooo agree! i had no expectations or knowledge about the story/stars when i started watching DH, but basically the JG-HY pairing had more of a "pull" for me. SD gets my sympathy but i would go for JG-HY anytime.

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i share the same view you. while i find samdong really endearing and nice, hyemi is not actually returning his feelings. jingook and hyemi seems to be shaping to the usual kdrama otp couple. but we shall see..

i still haven't made up my mind on who to ship, ill be happy if pil-son got together :D

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I also like the Jin-gook and Hye-mi pairing. Yes, the acting can be better, but the back stories and how they interact has drawn me in.

I feel sorry for Sam Dong, but not as much as I feel sorry for Jin-gook. For me, the story of a guy who wants his father's love is much more pitiful than a story of a guy who falls in love at first sight with a girl and wants the girl's love. That's why I can't really get behind the Sam Dong and Hye Mi pairing, because Sam Dong, even though he's a good guy and all, fell in love with her at first sight for her looks really. Yes, he got to know her better later, but it's really all on his side. Actually, I feel bad that everyone is disregarding Hye Mi's character. How would girls feel if they had a guy friend like Sam Dong who is in love with you and always so nice to you and doing all these things for you, but you love someone else, yet your friends all like that Sam Dong guy so they want you with him instead because they want to make Sam Dong happy?

Don't get me wrong, I still like the cuteness and innocence of Sam Dong's character, but he really needed a wake-up call, and seeing the kiss between Jin-gook and Hye Mi should give it to him.

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omg my sentiments EXACTLY!!!

and taec is doing a pretty good job with the acting imo. could be better of course, but it's not as awful as everyone seems to make it out to be.

also definitely not the boy's fault that he looks gorgeous from every angle (;

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SD might be the puppy dog... but really.. it gets very tiring and annoying to watch a guy who is always using the same sob story to win the girls heart.. how many time do we have to watch HM feel sorry for him because of his father.. come on HM's father abandon her and her sister to the debt collector, SD's father also abandon him as well.. its very annoying when JK talks about how much he cares for HM.. like hell.. he cares more about himself and his problems with his father... SD was always there for her. SD was the one that got hit with the egg, the flower pot, he repainted the picture on the wall of HM, he's been with her every step of the way... As a girl I hate it when you meet the type of guy that is always telling you how much they love you, how they are going to be there for you, making promise that they don't keep, they did this or that because of you.. when really they did it for themselves.. and that's how I feel about JG.
Don't get me wrong .. I know JG cares about HM but he cares about himself more... JG has selfish love towards HM.. so until that changes .. I will root for SD and HM.

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Well, I guess I will have to defend Jin-gook here. Jin-gook has done a whole lot to help Hye-mi out. In the beginning, he was practically the only person that was friends with her when everyone else ostracized her (well, that was 'cause Hye-mi was mean to Baek-hee, so she kinda deserved some hatred in the beginning). He sat with her and told her to ignore everyone's hatred (with the earphones). He helped her out escaping the debt collectors. He tried to find her to protect her during the flowerpot incident (it was just that Sam Dong got to her first). He confronted Baek-hee when he thought she behind the flowerpot (but she fooled him). And so on. Their feelings for each other were there even before Hye-mi knew about Jin-gook's problems with his dad (when he came and slapped Jin-gook in the face in front of her). Then all that mess with performing with Baek-hee (he was too sympathetic with her in trying to please her mother), and the debut. What exactly was he supposed to do? If he didn't debut, he would be sent to America (or Canada, wherever). If he was sent away, then there was no way he could keep that promise to Hye-mi anyways. So it was either stay and debut and break the promise or leave and also break the promise. But you can clearly see he felt guilty about letting Hye-mi down and breaking the promise. But the stupid thing he did was not tell her the reason for it. That was stupid on his part.

I mean, I understand how some people think what Jin-gook did was not cool at all, but I look at the overall picture and the situation. Just my two cents.

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Remember that he tried to tell her his reasons? He was denied the opportunity. Repeatedly. The intention was there. If JinGook must be accused of being stupid, accuse him for taking until Episode 10 to insist on being heard.

But JinGook is a guy who gets and respects Hyemi, also that life sucks, and that one can't always get what one wants.

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anais, sorry, I wasn't clear, but I meant he should have told her that night that he performed with Baek Hee unexpectedly because her mother. It's not something he should have kept a secret, knowing the rivalry between Baek hee and Hye Mi, and since it will eventually get out. I don't remember him trying to tell her right after... he attempted to tell her only after the next day (or was it the next day), after he was told to debut. Then she wouldn't have been caught by surprise later on. I know he tried to tell her many times afterwards, but it was already too late when he started to try to talk to her.

But just wanted to say nice talking with you about Jin-gook. It seems everyone is onboard the Sam Dong train, and while I like Sam Dong, I don't like how a lot of people are basically attacking Jin-gook because of it.

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Actually, he did try to tell her right afterward.

In Episode 7:

The Showcases happen.
He realizes on stage that he wants to be a performer.
He goes to his dad to return the emigration paperwork.
He texts HyeMi to meet him because he's made the decision to stay & work toward becoming a performer.
He gets kidnapped & taken to the airport by bad daddy's minions, dropping his cell phone along the way.

Hence, life got in the way.

If there was any moment he should have told HyeMi about his bad daddy was before the Showcase, when HyeMi hears that JinGook will not participate and confronts him about everything he's said about sharing their debut stage. But he was protecting his bad daddy at that moment, believing that his father did truly love him and was trying to protect him.

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@la dee dah.

just wanted to say nice talking with you about Jin-gook

Same here. Truly.

The episode 7 timeline above was a clarification less for you specifically than for all those whose antipathies toward JiinGook are based on flawed/selective memory of the storyline.

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first of all he didn't stay because of his promise to debut with HM.. he stayed for himself.. because when he was on stage with BH, he totally loved the crowd.. and sympathetic with BH in trying to please her mother, what about sympathizing with Sam Dong and his mother and the rest of the outcast crew that were promoting their own show case, which he was suppose to be in with HM anyways, which already made him break the promise.. And about him trying to save HM from the flower pot.. well yes he did try to save her (I give him credit).. but it was Sam Dong who saved her.. so the point goes to Sam Dong and JG. Before she see JG get slapped by the father... she already remember him going to the orphanage as a kid.. and its proably that fact that they both have really bad fathers that make her feel for him

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it gets very tiring and annoying to watch a guy who is always using the same sob story to win the girls heart.. how many time do we have to watch HM feel sorry for him because of his father.. its very annoying when JK talks about how much he cares for HM.. like hell.. he cares more about himself and his problems with his father…

To be frank, the talk he has with HyeMi in episode 10 is the first time in their semi-adult lives that he brings up his father to HyeMi, I believe. Up until now, he has either kept it to himself or tried to bring it up only to be shut down, hence his reference to all the misunderstanding that has piled up. WE as the viewers have been privy to JinGook's attempts to negotiate the mire that is his father, but HyeMi really didn't know anything. She knew as a child that JinGook had a sob story, which he did. She remembered as adults that JinGook was that child she'd met. But let's be clear that episode 10 is really the first time JinGook brings up successfully the specific details of his problems with his father.

And I think the charges of JinGook being selfish are really groundless projections. Fine, let JinGook not take care of his father BS, which whether he likes it or not will continue to aggressively torment him so long as his father continues to perceive him a threat. Let JinGook subsume the entirety of his being to being HyeMi's knight in shining armor. Have the first priority in his life not be him but HyeMi. Yeah, that sounds healthy, very healthy to me.

Frankly, I find Samdong's feelings toward HyeMi the more selfish one since he's IMPOSING his one-sided affection on someone who feels for someone else who reciprocates her feelings. Part of the reason why second leads tended not to appeal to me is that some second leads engage in emotional blackmail. With Samdong, I always felt an undercurrent of that possibility. And voila. You'll see.

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@debut

I never said that he stayed primarily to keep his promise to debut with HyeMi. Had that been the case, I'd have thought less of JinGook (just as I think less of Samdong for precisely the reason that the pursuit of his ambitions has taken a backseat to his pursuit of HyeMi). Of course, he stayed for himself. That's the point. And that's a good thing. Anyone who sees that as indicative of a selfishness that betrays HyeMi needs to reexamine his/her notions of what constitutes a healthy relationship.

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@anais- first of all , there is nothing wrong with doing something for yourself.. it's great when you do something for yourself.. What wrong- is when JG stayed for himself.. but try to pass on to HM that he was doing for her because he knew she was angry at him.. which than it become bullshit.

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I love Sam Dong!! But I agree with you on the puppy-like character aspects. Although I haven't tired of it (yet!) I'm really hoping they jazz up his character and make him come to terms with reality. His reality, one that isn't totally centred around Hye Mi. And I hope he grows as a person..

fingerscrossed that's what we're gonna get tonight :D

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Me too. I hope Samdong post 11 will eventually be someone who learns from his struggles that he must live first and foremost for himself, let go of groundless bitter resentment, be accountable for his own actions and feelings, and do as Sting says: "If you love someone (who doesn't reciprocate your feelings), set them free." I'm very intrigued to see how Samdong matures as a person, as his own person, first and foremost.

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"Perhaps I have lots of wooden, emotionally guarded people in my life".  LOL! Me too, I guess, cuz I don't mind HM and JG's relationship either! Don't get me wrong, SD is waaay cute but I'm not rooting for his relationship with HM as much as others.

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Yeah, acting for SD is great. I like how when he cries it actually looks like he's crying. Whereas for everyone else, its like... "is he drooling? oh wait, it has a trail coming from the eye so he's definitely crying" Though every time I see SD the only thing I feel is that I should feel bad for him, I really don't (aside from the potential deafness THAT SUX) He's got loving friends and family and is doing what he loves at a school that is famous for it.

Aside from not getting the girl that really hasn't shown any romantic interest for him, he's got it good. Hye Mi's and Jin Gook's story doesn't make me go "PICK SAM DONG HYE MI!!!" but rather "I hope he finds a girl that really appreciates him."

Its interesting to find out that Japan's scenes were shot first. Not surprising now that I think about it since its almost always that way. Its always awkward in fact when the last episode or two is shot in another country because the scene is usually filmed first so sometimes the characters don't quite feel right.

On Air, the drama made a whole plotline out of it, where after filming the last episode in Taiwan, the main character had deviated from the original shooting by so much that the entire Taiwan shoot was abandoned for a new ending.

Eh, what can you do though. That's show business.

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Though every time I see SD the only thing I feel is that I should feel bad for him, I really don’t (aside from the potential deafness THAT SUX) He’s got loving friends and family and is doing what he loves at a school that is famous for it.

Aside from not getting the girl that really hasn’t shown any romantic interest for him, he’s got it good. Hye Mi’s and Jin Gook’s story doesn’t make me go “PICK SAM DONG HYE MI!!!” but rather “I hope he finds a girl that really appreciates him.”

My sentiments exactly.

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"Aside from not getting the girl that really hasn’t shown any romantic interest for him, he’s got it good. Hye Mi’s and Jin Gook’s story doesn’t make me go “PICK SAM DONG HYE MI!!!” but rather “I hope he finds a girl that really appreciates him.”

That is so true, I do feel that he needs someone who appreciates hims. However Jin Gook's sob story doesn't make me go "Pick Jin Gook Hye Mi" either, its not that sad of a story and I don't thinks it romantic interest that she has for Jin Gook but more like pity.

Anyways there's only 2 guys to chose between in the drama, the puppy that follows you around and gives you unwanted love or the jerk that does whatever he wants but thinks that your love will always be his.

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Wow, I'm shocked by the number of people who aren't moved by JinGook's situation and who continue to choose to view him as a jerk. JinGook to this point has had to do a lot of things he most definitely does not WANT but MUST do. I think it's clear that he would have much preferred to debut with Hyemi and the misfits. Life just didn't let things pan out that way.

I think the show has made very clear that HyeMi has romantic feelings for JinGook. That empathy plays a factor in her connection with JinGook, yes. But her feelings are not limited to or based solely in pity.

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totally agreed. it is pity.. she saw JG get slapped by his father, she saw him cry at the dinner table and he gave her the daddy story on the ferris wheel. On top of that JG imposing himself on HM all the time, ...wait or is it call romantic because the guy is yanking you by the arm all the time. And yes Sam Dong does need to grow... but So does JG.. he just needs to move on from his daddy issue.. you can only be control if you let them do it.

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@anais
""JinGook to this point has had to do a lot of things he most definitely does not WANT but MUST do. I think it’s clear that he would have much preferred to debut with Hyemi and the misfits""

He preferred to debut with the misfits but he chose to debut with BH. When his dad had ask him to go to America prior to trying to make him go.. he agreed to it. He chose to go on the show with his dad and play like a good son.. those are all choices that he chose to make, not that he must do.

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I was totally bawling when samdong caught them and fell to the ground.

I just wanted to hop through my computer screen and hug him and cry together lol.

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Argh! I KNEW it! SD's hearing problem inexplicably causes no trouble for over 200 days... and NOW it comes back to break my heart! It isn't fair! *sob*

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curse you directors lol...i can't believe it, tsk tsk tsk shame on you hyemi and jingook

samdong should of cover his eyes

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i've been waiting for this recap all day! thank you :). and omg. i absolutely loooooooooooooooooooove pilsook and jason. and samdong. i watch this show for them because they are just SOOoooo adorable. gahhh. and the plot really is unpredictable. i have no idea what is going to happen. dream high truly is crack high.

and i looooove all the songs in this ep! gahhh.

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ooh that was a really good critique of taec
exactly what i wanted to say but didnt know how
seriously i dont understand how you can put your thoughts into such sensible words and make it sound interesting at the same time

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Why are you orange and everyone else is green?

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To be fair... most Koreans assume Canada is America.

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Tis true. So true. :)

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Well, in my geography class the taught me that America is a hole continent. Of course I understand that when they say America the think in the country United States of America.
If we think that he thinks like my geograohy class, he is right :)

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Ahhh!! Sorry, sorry. Whole and geography. I need to sleep.

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"..and he finally confesses that debuting was the only way he could stay in Korea, since his father was about to have him shipped off to America (has the script so soon forgotten that it was Canada?)"

^ I love how observant our recappers are! :)

Also: no exceptions for this. Taec lived in America so he could've easily corrected it to say North America at least. Lol.

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He would've been bricked by the director and scriptwriter for such ad-lib I think LOL insofar as it is right. Wish Wooyoung would stop speaking English though I LOVE the PS-Jason loveline. Misfits FTW!

SD breaks my heart and Taec needs to work on his acting. It feels like he knows he's reciting lines and...that's all they are to him...

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Quote: My favorite episode before this one (which is still my favorite, I think) is Episode 5, which was mostly because of that street performance by the then-quartet of misfits - GF.

Ooooh! So much same like me. I'm really enjoying that 4 misfits street dance in episode 5. I even downloaded that part and repeated it many times.

Difficult to gauge who will be K in the end.

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A dance battle in the middle of the street, a worried and cute Jason, they sing my favorite song of the OST, that would be “Dream High” (love the violin part), and as I predicted, I cried with Sam-dong ( I just watched the preview. OMG the hair cut. He is cute, but with the hair cut he looks hot). This episode was great.

I like the Hye-mi-Jin-gook couple, but during their declaration (well, sort of) scene, I felt nothing. I felt more with this two in the last episodes, in this episode the best between them was the Hye-mi-eating-a-cookie part.

After reading what you said about Taecyeon, I did I little recount on my mind and I think you’re right. He looks stiff (not only him) at times, like he is calculating his next step. Kim Soo-hyun looks natural and relaxed.

I lol at the video part, it was ridiculous (Ria´s hair, wow) and Pil-sook crying because she gained 2 kg. The girl is SO cute. I love her.

Thank you for the recap! (the color of the Replay button changed or it’s my computer?)

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Love the part in which Hyemi chomps away at the cookie while wrapped in a big poofy comforter, then turns just enough to clock what's unfolding. The blink blink HyeMi does when she registers she's been caught doing something that goes against the image she has worked so hard for others to have of her. Love that blink blink.

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thank you jb

I keep on refreshing the dramabeans since morning to check for the recap haha
I dun care about who is going to end up with hyemi though, either jin gook or sam dong has their own charisma..

but I love pil sook - jason pairing!!

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Yeah me too! It is like So-Eul couple. Cute~

Y do i get 'gong yoo' feeling whenever i see jason :P

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Poo: I feel the same

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Wow, your "two cents" about Taecyeon was right on the dot. (Man does he need to read your comment on his acting.) You're right, Taecyeon isn't really bad, but I felt like when he spoke to Hye-mi on the cable car he was just reading lines or something. He kept looking up every few seconds, and his delivery came off rehearsed and robotic instead of what he was going for, which was probably intense emotion. (But I totally didn't notice that Taecyeon was trying to look cool from the different camera angles... seriously? No wonder he came out so well in the screen caps. I thought he was naturally photogenic or such. Maybe he's both.) Thanks Javabeans!

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About Taecyeon, this is what i thought as well, but him "trying to look cool from the different camera angles" never crossed my mind..
I'd rather think he's an experienced idol who knows what his fans want ^__^

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I AGREE WITH YOUR TWO CENTS ABOUT THE CAST, THE CHARACTERS, and THE DRAMA OVERALL

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THIS JUST TELLS ME THAT majority of the idols aren't meant for acting at all that's why they're in idol groups so that they can show their face

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I agree with you on what you said about JG and HM couple. i mean, i love them individually and find them ridiculously sweet together, with the whole childhood history, birthday song etc. and i get that they share a deeper bond and have better understandings of each other. but i, too, am not feeling them, i don't feel warm and giddy the way i do when i watch SD and HM. (it's sorta like the same way i felt with Sunjoon and Yoonhee, though i knew they were perfect for each other, i still find myself rooting for Jaeshin the whole way through.)

anyway, loved the episode, the impromptu dance battle seemed a bit far-fetched but t'was entertaining. Damn that stupid producer person and his crappy ideas, especially when HM and BH were on the verge of reconciling! errr...

Oh Jason, why so shy? I love you and your um... overly friendly manners, just kiss the girl already. :P

Thanks for the recap.

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Was it just me or did anyone else find the Japanese b-boys far superior to our Dream High darlings, no matter how dear they are to us? I sort of couldn't figure out why the crowd booed and the Kirin kids so triumphantly high fived. Just because one b-boy messed up, when the rest of the crew was simply amazing? The b-boys I've known have been faboo, but even they don't hold a candle to the Japanese b-boys featured in this episode, especially the one whose schtick was limp noodle joints.

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Yes, the japanese guys danced better. The guys from Kirin danced well too, but below the japanese. For the sake of the drama (it´s almost a rule) the things had to happend that way and our darlings had to win. At the end, we enjoy good dance moves.

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Thanks for the recap! I'm on team the taec and suzy!! The kiss scene was so deep and real. That is what true love is about. Yes it was sad that sd had to witness it. But going through this pain will make him stronger and reach ultimate success at the end of this drama.

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I always love your recaps, they're awesome...I wait so impatiently for them every episode, even after I've watched the subbed episodes a couple of times.

Beware, I'm a 2PM fan, so forgive me if I seem like I'm just making excuses for them. It's really unfortunate that such poignant moments weren't able to reach their full potential (the ferris wheel scenes). With the exception of the MV filming scenes and probably Pilsook's hospital stuff, most of this episode was filmed in Nagoya, Japan back in early-December. And it really, really shows. In fact, I don't know if they filmed any other episodes of Dream High at that point yet, but I think they filmed episode 10 then because it fit in with everyone's (idol) schedule.

I think all of the actors started off shaky, especially Taec. All of the criticisms you've offered, I definitely agree with, on top of the fact that I felt like he didn't really know who Jingook was when the drama first started.

Since then, though, I think he's improved quite a bit. Everyone has. Bae Suzy. Ham Eunjung. Jang Wooyoung. The rest were pretty great from the start. If this episode were filmed last week like the filming schedule has been for most of the drama, I think they all could've realllly nailed those key scenes. What a shame. :(

You'd be surprised what Taec reads, lol. Thanks for the constructive criticism. It really helps him, believe it or not. :)

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Someone, tweet Taec the link to this recap episode! lol. I love him, but...yeah. He asked for critique, so it's necessary to get him the honest/good kind.

Narratively wise, I'm all Jin-gook/Hye-mi, but...yeah. They don't capture my heart. I like their line, their fate, everything, it's what I like butttt...I just can't feel it. The chemistry isn't there. I wonder if, judging from promo posters...they switch it back over to Sam-Dong/Hye-mi? Which at this point, you know, despite me liking the other pairing story-wise, probably will be better acting-wise in chemistry and all. Cuz Kim Soo-hyun rules the acting in comparison and can nail it so much better.

But the Pil-sook/Jason pairing, I am loving. CUUUUUTE.

I think Japan was filmed BEFORE some of the Korean episode already aired? I mean, episodes in Korea. So that might account for awkwardness.

Hehe, thank you for the recap! I kept refreshing, lol. Can't wait for next episode.

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I like Taecyeon I really do but what you said in your two cents, heck in your whole opinion on the Hye-Mi/Jin-Gook coupling is basically what I have been thinking. From a narrative sense I get the pairing and had they been acted by much better actors or just actors with more chemistry I would be on that ship in lightning speed but on screen I just can't jump on that ship because I feel nothing when I see them on screen which could be a mix of their very green acting abilities or the fact I just don't feel chemistry between Taec and Suzy.

I really hope they don't start up the Baekhee/HyeMi rivalry again by having HyeMi replace Baekhee, because I think that plot point for the most point has been driven to the ground. If they want to make HyeMi famous, I think it should be of her own doing and with her own identity. Also if we are to believe that she is indeed maturing as we are seeing, it would be two steps back for her to take something that was Baekhee's after knowing how it felt to be on the receiving end of that equation even if it was offered to her.

With 6 episodes to go I really hope they don't waste any time by rehashing old scenarios when they still have a lot to explain and tie up with little time to do so,. I would like to see HyeMi and Baekhee be friends at least by the end. Also we still have to explore Samdong in more depth and get the milky couple back together, find out who is K, possible Teacher loveline, the flower pot incident.

I really hope that Baekhee composes a song herself and gets an A without any underhanded tricks and gets to keep her position(I also hope the misfits get an A). In my dream world that song would then become an OST that Eunjung would end up singing for Dream High, since I have yet to hear an OST from her.

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Ditto re: your hopes for Baekhee and HyeMi. I hope that HyeMi refuses the offer to join K and instead wants to strike out on her own or with Samdong and Pilsook through her loan shark benefactor ajussi.

I was very glad that Ep 10 returned to the idea of Samdong being a musical genius. What he's shown so far is quite a bit short of genius for me but the show's at least begun establishing that his talent outpaces that of his peers by quite a bit. That is awesome. Bring on the musical prodigy Samdong! Maybe then I'll find myself falling for Samdong. Me likey talented men.

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I have the biggest, biggest girl crush on IU.
She is such a natural cutie and her scenes in this episode got me clutching at my pillow, awwing my heart out. I find myself eagerly waiting for her to pop up on the screen everytime, particularly her singing moments and of course Pilsuk and Jason! <3

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this is my fav episode so far!! ^^ love every moment of it.. i was upset about BH listening to those things said by their manager though. i was hoping they'd be good friends again, but there goes another 180deg twist..

as for taec's acting, i agree it's not his best. he's an ok actor, not perfect like samdong, but i think he's quite good though. in this ep, i agree it's not as good as the previous episodes. i like his character as one of the misfits, when he was happy. taec doesnt carry sad acting very well, but he does it perfectly (to me) in the scene with SD's mom. n i like his "touched" reaction, like when HM wraps the scarf around him, or when SD's mom feeds him. his widen eyes made me feel his character then. but yes, he needs more practice with sad scenes.

as for SD, that guy is one of the best actors i've seen in k-drama. he's very natural.. now that JG got the girl (hoping there wouldnt be another 180deg twist), i'm rooting for SD to be K now. n vice versa. if SD got the girl, i'll root for JG to be K..

i think the scenes in Japan was filmed a long time ago? i remember reading an article in here about SD's make-over, n it featured a scene with SD in a cream-colored scarf, like in the above pic. so i'm guessing the japan's scenes were filmed before they filmed ep 6++. which is why i think taec's acting is different in here. not as good as before.

milky couple daebak!! wooyoung's acting is really good.. i totally lol-ed at ALL his scenes in japan. ^^ n i could feel his character when he was with pilsuk. surprisingly, he was better than taec in this ep.. fighting milky couple!! <3 <3

sorry for the long comment.. hehe!

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i thought it was my bias towards wooyoung that makes me think his acting has improved heaps - from that awkward wink in the first episode into that scene with hyemi, and the one where he's searching informations about hepatitis. but he's proving himself to be quite a good actor :) so is IU.

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