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City Hunter: Episode 3

Ahh, my initial liking for City Hunter just bloomed into love. It’s slickly packaged, yet manages to keep a sense of heart. That’s not easy to accomplish — and to make that feel so effortless on top of it all is impressive.

On top of that, I’m in love with the tone of this drama. Somehow, its dramatic moments manage to be dramatic without going too far, and that’s key. When a drama overdoes the grand, stately moments, it can often seem bombastic or, worse, cheesy. City Hunter manages to walk that line skillfully.

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EPISODE 3 RECAP

At the welfare building, Yoon-sung sees the nervous employee, Shim Jae-dong, shredding documents and makes note of the building’s layout and security. He sets a fire in a trash can in the bathroom, positioned near a vent to send its smoke through the cubicle farm, and hits the fire alarm.

Chaos reigns as people rush out of the building. Nana looks around for Yoon-sung, but she can’t find him since he’s busy being Spiderman, sidling along the railing several floors above ground level.

I kind of love this about Yoon-sung — admittedly, some of his methods are simplistic for what we’d expect of a trained hit man (a magic whistle to calm attack dogs? o…kay), but the low-techiness has a simple, functional beauty to it. For instance, here he’s at the right angle to avoid being seen on security cameras, allowing him to slip inside the appropriate cubicle to find the register for the food assistance program. A few snapshots and a trip to the shredder bin later, he’s done, and finds Nana outside.

She takes Yoon-sung to task for ditching her, only thinking to save himself. He scoffs that he had enough dignity not to barge into the ladies’ restroom (what a comforting thought, in your hour of hypothetical life-or-death urgency), and carries a plastic bag containing the paper shreds, which he says he grabbed to block the smoke. Shim Jae-dong spots Yoon-sung carrying it away, though he can’t do anything about it.

At home, Yoon-sung painstakingly goes through the strips, taping the documents back together. Like I said, it’s low-tech — but effective, for all that. (Mind you, I’m hoping we get some cool action/intrigue sequences in this drama, but I don’t think you need fancy hypothetical gadgetry to magically all solve problems, either.)

It takes him all night, and when he’s completed the task, he notes that the two abandoned kids, Mi-jin and Do-jin, are in one roster but not the ledger. Simple deduction: The kids starve, and someone else takes the money.

Yoon-sung listens in on a wiretapped call between Shim Jae-dong and Target No. 1, Senator Lee Kyung-wan. Shim reports that the 200 million won siphoned away from welfare funds for children and the elderly have been distributed to five accounts in false names, and is sending over the bank cards and PINs.

Yoon-sung arrives as Shim Jae-dong is leaving for the hand-off, oh-so-casually saunters up from behind, and grabs the pouch containing the documents. He doesn’t even make a break for it, but swiftly takes out his attackers with cool efficiency.

In the DA’s office, prosecutor Young-ju is frustrated that none of Senator Lee’s ledgers match his actual receipts. Clearly these are forged books drawn up hastily to thwart the investigation. Problem is, even if Young-ju’s right, it’s a delicate matter to accuse someone so powerful and his boss shuts him down, warning him not to do anything crazy. I say, define crazy.

Young-ju receives an anonymous delivery, containing the taped-up ledger pages, photos of Lee Kyung-wan meeting with Shim Jae-dong, bank books…and the wiretapped phone conversation.

Ooh, I LOVE this partnership. It’s so Batman-and-Commissioner-Gordon. Working on the same side anonymously by night, fighting over a girl by day. What’s not to love?

Young-ju and his fellow prosecutors must obtain agreement of the National Assembly in order to arrest a sitting parliamentarian (given that the accused wasn’t caught red-handed). Lee Kyung-wan delivers a speech to his fellow assemblymen about being unfairly targeted, vehemently insisting that in his two-plus decades of faithful service, he has not received one penny of dirty money.

Young-ju listens anxiously in a separate room, while Yoon-sung sits in the press box, muttering, “Not one penny? And how much is your one penny?”

Then the vote, which turns out to be a landslide: only 11 vote to arrest, 267 against.

Lee Kyung-wan exults in his victory, while Young-ju positively seethes in fury at the injustice of it all. Equally furious is Jin-pyo, watching the vote from his lair at home, shattering the glass in his hand. Yoon-sung clenches his fist thinking of the two hungry kids.

Senator Lee basks in his moment in front of the press, and turns to tell Young-ju patronizingly to earn his salary catching real criminals. He insinuates that Young-ju will soon be out of a job for using illegally obtained evidence. That’s the rub: because of the dubious sources of the evidence, the prosecution can’t release it to the public, so for now Lee walks away clean.

Senator Lee hears Shim Jae-dong’s accounting of the Tall Dark ‘N Handsome who stole the bank docs. Shim racks his brains — a relatively quick process — and recalls the stranger at the welfare office asking about the children and his tax dollars.

It’s the senator’s face, superimposed over the hungry children’s, that Yoon-sung thinks of as he nails shot after shot on the firing range — so accurately that there’s only one hole in his target. The other Blue Housers brag about how many holes puncture their targets — the more, the better — so it’s with misplaced pride that geeky Ki-joon exults over beating their American PhD. He wonders smugly if he needs to give him pointers.

Nana calls Yoon-sung over for dinner with the kids, and he adorably eats the fish from the sushi before giving the kids the rice. Nana yells at him for eating all the good stuff, until Mi-jin assures her that it’s because they don’t eat raw fish.

There’s an abrupt change in atmosphere when Yoon-sung compliments her jjigae, and she asks proudly, “Isn’t it just like your mom’s cooking?” That’s something he wouldn’t know.

As they enjoy coffee on the rooftop, Nana sighs contentedly, saying that people like Lee Kyung-wan won’t understand this kind of satisfaction. Yoon-sung feigns ignorance at her mention of the embezzling scandal, playing up his image as a careless playboy.

Time to introduce another potential love interest, though it’s just a tease: After his dispiriting day, a weary Young-ju arrives at the office of a vet who greets him like an old friend, though with some coolness. This is JIN SAE-HEE (Hwang Sun-hee), who works in the vicinity of the Blue House and whom Young-ju says he came to see because she’d understand how he feels today.

Interestingly, they both know Nana, and seemingly not just from their nightclub encounter, since he works with her aunt.

Later that night, Yoon-sung eats in his dining room alone, the humbleness of his ramen in discord with the lavish room. It’s cute and a little sad when he calls out a random “Ahhh” just to hear the echo in the room. His conversation with Nana has put him in a homesick mood, and he calls ajusshi Shik-joong in Thailand to say hi. When he reports on Nana’s financially strapped situation, Shik-joong asks him earnestly to help her out.

Yoon-sung asks if Shik-joong’s ever been hungry, like a curious child who’s familiar with words but not the experience of them. Shik-joong says being hungry is the saddest thing in the world, and makes you despair of life. Yoon-sung says that he wishes he could eat Shik-joong’s food, because “To me, that’s what mom’s cooking tastes like.”

Jin-pyo decides that it’s time to send Shik-joong to Korea, and instructs him to join Yoon-sung. Hesitantly, Shik-joong asks if it’s possible to quit the revenge plan, having watched from the sidelines for years, but lets it drop when he sees that Jin-pyo’s not about to entertain that idea. He also recognizes a photo on the desk as Yoon-sung’s mother — he’s keeping tabs on her — but doesn’t press the issue.

The Council of Five convenes in the president’s office, and the divide that existed 28 years ago becomes more apparent: President Choi on the side of the idealists, and the Corrupted Four out to protect Number 1. (Naturally, in a group of shrewd opportunists like this, there are four Number 1’s.)

Smug now, Lee Kyung-wan chuckles about the hot-blooded prosecutor’s “mistake,” but President Choi muses that perhaps there was something backing his charges. He accepts Lee’s declaration of innocence, but tells the council that he believes that any corruption among them deserves justice.

The statement doesn’t go over well with the others, and one of the four (name: Chun Jae-man) notes that those who don’t bend will break. Lee Kyung-wan vows to forge ahead and destroy those who oppose them. To that end, he intends to draw out the mystery avenger using the two children, whom he will summon to present a token gift at his upcoming book launch event.

Da-hae finds the president in his woodshop (a sign that he’s troubled), and cajoles Dad for a new tutor. She’s got just the guy in mind! He happens to be employed at the Blue House, so it’s convenient, and he’s smart. Also really, really hot. Though I suppose the last part is just in her head. (Okay, also mine.)

As Nana runs to work that morning, Yoon-sung pulls over and she bounds up to the car for a ride. I love that she’s already treating him as her buddy, although he locks his door and tells her he isn’t about to drive to work together and feed the rumor mill. Telling her to keep running, he drives off, the cheeky bastard.

By the time she gets to work, Da-hae is pouting by Yoon-sung’s car, demanding he tutor her. He gets out (knocking her down without apology) and tells her no, but she keeps nagging, promising that if he does, her father may even give him…*thinking*…an award! Ha. Yeah, that’s just what the hottie PhD with truckloads of cash wants: a token award, an extra job, and a brat to babysit.

Ki-joon overhears and offers his own services, which go roundly ignored. Yoon-sung calls Da-hae a child, despite her protests that she becomes an adult in two days (i.e., turns 20), and laughs when she offers, “I’ll date you!” Like she’s some prize. (Ki-joon offers himself again, and goes ignored again.)

Yoon-sung tells her she’s not his type, and Nana suggests Da-hae find a different tutor: “That guy’s dangerous.” Suuure, that’s gonna make him less appealing to the teenage princess. Perchance it would be more effective to shoo Da-hae away with warnings that he’s criminally boring. Or geeky. Or gay. (Oh right, that one doesn’t work.)

At lunchtime, Nana finds Yoon-sung to deliver the message the that First Lady wants to see him. Too bad he’s already got a lunch date, with “someone I just have to see every day, or else I go crazy.”

Nana scoffs at his playboyish ways, but if only she knew the truth: It’s Shik-joong he’s so eager to see. She’s totally not jealous (totally in denial, more like) that night as she sends Yoon-sung an oh-so-casual text about how he’s not making much use of his designated driver/errand girl.

His dismissive reply raises her hackles, so she writes back testily that she, Mi-jin, and Do-jin are making decorations for Lee Kyung-wan’s book launch, and that he’d better not to come looking for them. Lol at her inept jealousy management. (“I SO don’t want to see you!…Here’s my address.”)

Mention of the kids being involved in Senator Lee’s book launch piques Yoon-sung’s curiosity, and gives him the idea for the next phase of his plan.

At the event, fellow council member Chun Jae-man warns Senator Lee that there’s still a lot of talk about him in the general public opinion. He’s much warier than the overconfident Lee, concerned because he’s on the hook too, for falsifying the ledgers. Furthermore, the more Lee’s scandal draws media attention, the more people ask for Chun’s opinion, and that makes him uneasy. He orders his henchman to watch Lee and keep him in line.

Also here is Young-ju, who greets Chun politely but with an undertone of Don’t-fuck-with-me, saying that he will root out the truth. A fellow Council of Five-r is also present, Kim Jong-shik, who appears to be Young-ju’s father. (Not positive, but I’m thinking yes.) Ooh, that’ll be a juicy revelation further down the line — righteous prosecutor son destroys corrupt politician father unknowingly. Innnteresting.

Young-ju runs into Nana outside, who has accompanied Mi-jin and Do-jin here to deliver their token gift and meet the senator. (The gift gets tossed into the trash immediately, which is particularly dickish of the aide since he does it in front of the kids, in full view of anybody.)

Nana tells Young-ju that she saw him on the news and encourages him to fight for the people, not caring that such a statement runs counter to the general sentiment here, amongst Senator Lee’s faction.

From outside the building, Yoon-sung monitors the scene via a planted camera, while Shik-joong gains entrée dressed as a maintenance man.

Mi-jin and Do-jin are brought to Senator Lee, who asks about the tall ajusshi they’ve seen around. The older Mi-jin is rightfully wary, though Do-jin lets slip “How do you know hyung—?” before his sister cuts him off.

But no matter, because Lee’s next call comes from Yoon-sung himself, who says, “You must be looking for me.” He offers to show himself once the children are dismissed, and Lee takes the deal. Yoon-sung is swiftly apprehended by bodyguards and taken to the back kitchen, where he faces the indignant senator with a shrug and a smile, identifying himself merely as an unemployed guy who hates seeing kids go hungry. Unlike Lee, whom he calls a thief.

Lee Kyung-wan: “Thief? Is the country an orphanage? Why does the country have to take responsibility for children whose parents neglect them? The citizens’ taxes? So what if I help myself to a bit of it? If not me, some other guy’s going to take his cut. In that case, isn’t it a hundred times better if I take it, since I work hard for the people? I’m a champion for the people, through and through.”

Dude, maybe you wanna think twice before spewing all that honesty at a stranger. Have you never seen Scooby Doo? But I suppose this is in keeping with the megalomaniac power trip that he confuses for invincibility. What Lee doesn’t realize is that Yoon-sung’s glasses are more than mere fashion statement, and are recording his declaration. With Shik-joong nearby manning his own tech gadgetry, he’s able to upload this transmission immediately.

Lee leaves Yoon-sung in the care of his thugs while he takes his place at the podium and addresses his partygoers…only to have his own face cut in on the screen. Not only does this play at the book launch, the video — routed through the Blue House — transmits over the internet, overriding any attempts to shut it off…to the entire fucking country. Ahhh, this is great.

Now everyone gets to hear his incriminating speech to Yoon-sung, and I freaking love this effect, because the speech is directed at Yoon-sung, but because of the perspective of the camera, it’s like the senator is talking to the people directly as he says, “The law makes allowances for me, because I have power you don’t. That’s what power is, and that’s why everyone wants it. I eat up guys like you.”

Lee tries to order the video to be cut, while his Council cohorts, Chun and Kim, look on in dismay. Chun orders his minion to escort Lee away, while Young-ju gets on the phone to request an arrest warrant, now that Lee has confessed.

Yoon-sung easily fights off his captors, but the burly chef is another story; he throws Yoon-sung to the ground like a rag doll and reaches for his butcher knife. Thinking fast, Yoon-sung grabs a spoon, digs it into the guy’s shoe, then twirls it around and wields it like a lethal weapon. How resourceful — give the guy an inch, and he’ll scoop up the opportunity. (Ba-dum-ching! Couldn’t resist.)

Spotting Lee about to escape via boat, Yoon-sung uses his backpack to zipline himself down to the dock — gah, why so cool? — which just tickles my fancy, given that his line is a string of national flags. Like he’s a crusader riding the line of public sentiment on his way to mete justice. I bet it’s not even intentional, but I love it anyway.

He leaps off the dock to land quietly on the yacht as it pulls away, just in time to stop the aide from strangling the senator, on Chun’s orders. Yoon-sung tosses the aide overboard, then whips out a gun and levels it coldly at Lee. And shoots —

— a tranq dart.

Disguised as delivery men, Yoon-sung and Shik-joong drop off a package on the steps of the DA’s office, addressed to prosecutor Kim Young-ju. Reporters crowd round, having received an anonymous tip that a trip to the DA’s office would yield “something interesting.”

And inside the slightly moving box? A bound and gagged Lee Kyung-wan, wearing a sash that reads — sarcastically now — “In Korea I trust.”

Lee blusters about being wrongfully accused, but Young-ju points out that he confessed. Curiously, the senator is wearing a bunch of dog tags around his neck, which he knows nothing about. He bursts out, “I didn’t even go to the army—!” before catching himself. Hee! Not the thing to say to restore you to public favor.

Young-ju answers a call from an unknown source — Yoon-sung — who tells him, “I’m leaving that trash Lee Kyung-wan to you.” Then Yoon-sung tosses his phone into the river, mindful of erasing his tracks.

Shik-joong wonders if he got permission from “the boss” to act like this, since he knows Jin-pyo wouldn’t like it. Yoon-sung tells him, “Killing isn’t my way. I go for total destruction.”

As though seeking comfort after his own brush with corruption, Yoon-sung calls Nana for an “errand” — to bring him coffee. In an earlier scene, he’d grimaced at the taste of Shik-joong’s coffee, once his favorite, saying he’s grown used to someone else’s. Now he decline’s Shik-joong’s suggestion to go celebrate, saying, “I’m in the mood for someone else’s coffee.”

He meets Nana and the children at a courtyard and splashes in the fountains like a free-spirited boy. I do love these flashes of the youthful spirit in him, because it shows that his father hasn’t stamped out his real self. These glimpses at that side of him set the stage for what will clearly become a conflict later on — his sense of justice and capacity to love, warring with his revenge mission.

Yoon-sung invites the children to join him, but Mi-jin is particularly bitter with today’s events, telling him that she doesn’t want to live in Korea when she grows up, which is full of fake, untrustworthy adults. Yoon-sung playfully ushers them into the water anyway and, spurred by his energy, the gloom lifts as they play in the water together. Aw, there’s something so sweet about all these people without a family, forming a surrogate one. *tear*

Afterward, Nana brings him coffee and sits back in satisfaction, saying she feels good now that the kids are feeling better.

Young-ju questions Senator Lee, asking him why he was given the dog tags, which currently turn up no information when investigated. Lee blusters that Young-ju ought to catch the guy who did this to him, and Young-ju replies that he will — but for now, he’s more curious to know why the mystery man delivered Lee to his doorstep.

Lee warns, “Do you know that this could happen to your father, too?” Young-ju’s response (“Don’t insult my father”) forebodes that his discovery of the truth is sure to be a doozy.

Yoon-sung drops off the sleepy kids at home, and then declares himself cold and hurries into Nana’s apartment, ignoring her protests. He helps himself to some food, making himself quite at home and even wearing a judo uniform, which I find hilarious since I suppose it’s the only dry clothing Nana would have to offer him.

Jin-pyo sees news of Senator Lee’s arrest and angrily wonders what the hell Yoon-sung is up to. He calls, only to have Yoon-sung ignore the phone.

Nana figures it’s another of his many women, but Yoon-sung just busies himself with dinner, picking all those pesky vegetables out from his food. He whines for some meat, saying he needs it after all the hard work he did today, which makes her scoff. She spots Young-ju on the news and says admiringly that there’s a guy who did good work today — not like somebody who just complains about his food.

The news broadcasts people’s angry, disillusioned reactions to Senator Lee’s corruption scandal. One salaryman declares the need for a person who will hunt down all those corrupt officials — like a modern-day City Hunter. Nana likes this idea, and wonders who could have delivered Lee to the prosecutor, while Yoon-sung keeps up his ignorant front. Ooh, I think I’m gonna love these Clark Kent moments, once Nana starts gushing about the awesome City Hunter…

When Dad calls again, he steels himself and answers. Jin-pyo rails at him for his weak move, saying that they can’t trust the police to punish the criminals, not when Korea’s police kowtow to those in power. Yoon-sung says he’d like to trust them anyway, which Jin-pyo calls foolish trust, saying he should have killed him. Yoon-sung counters that this is the only way to have turned Lee into someone unable to receive forgiveness.

When Yoon-sung comes home, he finds a mountain of kitchenware in his living room, presided over by an excitable Shik-joong, who declares Korea heaven: “Just one phone call, and they deliver!” Haha, looks like somebody caught the home shopping bug.

The mood takes a turn when Shik-joong asks if Yoon-sung’s looked for his mother yet, and gets back the cavalier reply, “Why bother? She’s the woman who ditched me to live happily on her own.” Oooh, interesting. So Daddy Vengeance wasn’t entirely honest about his origins, which goes a long ways toward explaining Yoon-sung’s participation in the revenge plan.

Despite those words, Yoon-sung still has that taped-together photo of his mother (notably missing the face of President Choi — Jin-pyo’s playing that one close to the vest for now). Shik-joong understands that soft-hearted Yoon-sung still cares, and takes it upon himself to start looking, particularly since he thinks he recognizes the building in the background.

The communications team reports to the president that they’ve been unable to source the hacker behind the hijacked internet broadcast, as the trail points back to the Blue House. (I love that they assume that means the transmission must’ve been routed there to confuse people, rather than thinking it originated from within.) The president is more worried about the tax embezzlement, and tells his advisor that he wants to use this opportunity to set an example and punish Lee Kyung-wan justly, to jolt all officials out of complacency.

The president is told of the dog tags, which have been traced back to special agents who went MIA on the same day in 1983. Though the true story is only known by our Council of Five, the advisor has nevertheless made sure that information on the men is blocked.

Shik-joong takes the photo of Yoon-sung’s parents and manages to track down the restaurant where it was taken, which leads him to a woman who recognizes her as Kyung-hee.

He rushes home to share the exciting news with Yoon-sung, who doesn’t take it as expected. Yoon-sung asks in a hard voice, “Whose mother is that? I don’t have a mother. Don’t go around doing these things. I’m not free enough with my time to go looking for someone who threw me away.”

Shik-joong leaves her address anyway, suspecting that Yoon-sung doesn’t mean that, which goes to show how well he knows him. Yoon-sung can’t ignore this chance to see his mother, and finds her working at a snack shop.

He watches from a distance, struggling to keep his emotions in check. Kyung-hee is approached by a man in a suit who says that there’s somebody who wants to speak with her, and leads her to a car parked nearby.

She starts at the sight of President Choi sitting there waiting for her — clearly not pleased — but joins him in the car nonetheless.

Yoon-sung hasn’t noted anything particularly odd about this scene and turns to leave…only to see Jin-pyo standing there. Ohhh, shit.

 
COMMENTS

I know some commenters have had trouble buying Yoon-sung’s motivation in the revenge, which is a point that never bothered me. I thought it made sense, actually, that he’d want to avenge his father’s death once he learned of it. Yes, we can accuse Jin-pyo of stealing his life from him in the name of his vendetta — he sees Yoon-sung as a tool, a means to his end — but you can argue that Yoon-sung would put the blame on the Council of Five more than on Jin-pyo.

And that’s before we take into account what we learn in this episode, which is that he was told his mother didn’t want him. Ahh, now that makes sense. If Jin-pyo positioned himself as the loving best friend who cared for his friend’s child as his own, it follows that Yoon-sung would feel allegiance to his surrogate father, not his supposedly unloving mother.

I love the conflict that’s brewing between father and son, which I had no clue would emerge so soon. I’m always excited when things happen faster than expected because that keeps us on our toes, and why drag out the point when you can get there right away? We’ve seen that Yoon-sung knows how to manage his father — sort of, as much as Jin-pyo can be managed (which isn’t much). I don’t think he’s ever seen himself as capable of being a cold-blooded assassin, no matter his upbringing. Instead, he’s been shrewdly laying groundwork for this philosophical defection, asking his father for permission in advance to carry out the mission using his own methods. And he’s plain about his stance to Shik-joong, saying he opts for total destruction rather than death.

That fits, because Jin-pyo’s out for a personal revenge — death to those who wronged me and mine. But Yoon-sung is out to set right bigger injustices, and for that he needs the destruction to stick. He can’t just wipe out the lives and be satisfied — I’d argue that what he wants is a more complete revenge than Jin-pyo’s bloodlust. So I see Yoon-sung harboring and cultivating an entirely different set of motives than his father, but he’s going along with the plan for now, since both their goals involve the same baddies.

I love the Batman/Clark Kent/Secret Superhero dichotomy Yoon-sung is playing out, because that duality is reflected in multiple levels. There’s the day/night metaphor with his cover job and his City Hunter exploits, and his status as double agent who infiltrates the presidential residence in order to kill the president. We also have the light/dark aspects of his personality, and it’s nice to see that his lighter side is still intact when he’s “off the clock,” usually with Nana. If his father’s the one driving him to the dark side, it’s Nana who’ll pull him back from the brink. (One hopes. Considering the melancholy, moody tone this drama has established, I’m hopeful, but not certain, of a happy ending.)

There’s also the playboy/assassin duality, which is a clever way to twist the original Ryo character, the obvious perv who also fights crime. Here, Yoon-sung adopts the false persona of a playboy to cover his crime-fighting secret identity, like Bruce Wayne — if we must update the premise, it’s nice that it works on a symbolic level.

Then there’s the alliance of our two leading men, which is another thing I love. Young-ju is the lawful one, who’s upright and uncorrupted, but finds that that very sense of justice ties his hands. On the other hand, Yoon-sung has no such qualms about bending the law to obtain his justice by whatever means necessary, like a dark avenger. That makes them the perfect partners…or eventual foes.

What I want to see from here on out, though, is Young-ju stepping up to put in his contribution. It’s satisfying to watch our Batman do all the dirty work and disappearing into the shadows like a cool cipher, but I’d love to see more of a two-sided dynamic emerge between the men — with all its attendant conflicts if/when they start to clash.

So while City Hunter has got the style of Bad Guy (cool, lush, moody), I’m actually getting some Story of a Man vibes with its plotting structure, which excites me. This is a case where the arc/mini-arc structure really works to build and keep momentum going within each hour, and also from episode to episode. Every hour has a mini-mission, keeping the goals tangible and delivering payoffs on a regular basis, but they’re built into the Bigger Bad.

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Whee! Thank you for soldiering on with all the recaps. I'll get down to reading now. (drops what she was just working on . . .)

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Sankyu for the recap ^.^

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Lee Min Ho is hotter than hell! I gotta pick up this drama!

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yeah..definetly agree. but why has this dude to wear lipgloss????whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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Thats better than the dry crusty lips I see a lot of the leading men sporting in dramas

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LOL!!!
This comment gave me a good laugh.
A+

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Don't some of these guys HAVE to wear the white stuff because their actual lip color is too pretty?

I, for one, do not mind seeing L(ips)MH all kissable!

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I also really like this drama. I really wasn't expecting to, but everything works together well. Lee Min Ho is exceeding my expectations.

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actually, i feel the same for this drama.

initially, prior to the first ep and due to the pre release image, i thought of not following this. glad i did not.

this one is actually good!

for those needing english softsubs of this drama, they are available at http://www.darksmurfsub.com

direct link to the drama:
http://www.darksmurfsub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/1527-city-hunter-2011/page__st__160

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Same for me. It's nothing like the original story, but I still like it.
I've a vague idea why they insisted on filming this story under CH title. All in all, I like the story and actors. I hope they won't put a sad ending just to be current and 'realistic'. Happy endings are the reason why I watch kdramas ^_~

Thanks JB for recaps!!!

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Yes, thanks JB for this. I have to admit I longed for this one to read. I decided to not watch in the beginning. But now I'm in love.

Even though they just combine an endless amount of cliches and famous storylines. This mini-arc thing was always smart - always a reason to watch sailor moon - always left the viewer with a good moral, a feeling of accomplishment and less angst. And leaving out fillers makes it even better.

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JB, thanks for the recap! whoa, subbed episodes before recaps, i'm liking this! :)

and i'm loving this show and i don't know why. something about the combination of LMH and PMY makes it crack-worthy for me. i remember reruns of I Am Sam being shown at an ungodly hour and me staying up faithfully just to watch. and LMH gets the girl this time! (in the other show, LMH and TOP both lost PMY to . . . Yang Dong Geun. YDG FTW!)

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oooh, third!! Thats never happened!! I have been refreshing this page for ages hoping for the recap so thanks!!! I must say, lee min ho's character is growing on me, i am loving yo sueng at the moment i just hope he and nana get the happy ending they deserve!! Just saw the fourth episode and must say a jealous yo seung is such a cutey!! And the love triangle (rectangle?) begins to have solid ground!! Thanks and hoping for the next episode recap XD

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YES, YES, YES!! ***squees with glee!***

I've been waiting for your recap and hoping that you had the same reaction to City Hunter as I did!
My LMH love has reached a new level - and just how badass is StepDaddy?!
Some commentators have stated they want a harder edge to LMH's character. I'm so glad that the writers are taking the humanistic slant and not gone that way. LMH is bringing such sensitivity to this drama - I find it startling at times from such a young actor. And his leading lady is keeping up with him - there's certainly no need for her to be defending herself taking on the NaNa role in the media.
She's sweet and terrific!
Can't wait to see how the reconciliation scenes are played out with LMH and the mommy.....
:)

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And forgot to add - after seeing ep. 4 (no spoilers here!)
all comments JB made are even more concrete - my mouth is still hanging open from viewing this next episode.
Unbelievable.

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I totally agree! The fact that he has some human sensitivity can set the story for real conflict down the road. Conflict because he will have to make hard choices as he continues to grow. I'm so looking forward to it.
I think ep 4 gives us even more but I will wait for that recap.

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I can't believe that I just went and watched ep.4 AGAIN!
It just gets better. No spoilers, but I do have a few thoughts/observations that won't make any sense until 4 is viewed.
FLYING PINK PANTS
PINK WALLETS & THE BEST DICK-FIGHT EVA!!

And, on a serious note, City Hunter has one fine OST - absolutely pitch (no pun) perfect and getting better with new tracks added to each episode. 4 ends with a head-banding hard rock cut - it's not on YouTube yet but I'll be waiting to add it to my favorites.
City Hunter's OST is such a contrast to Miss Ripley's OST.
One done right, one done wrong!

Lee Min Ho. My own adjumma love(r)! :)

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Sorry - that should read "head-banGing" not head-banDing (which makes it sound totally '70's Hippie)...

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The song "it's alright' is actually the opening song in ep1, but was only released a couple of days back. I had originally thought that it was a japanese song, given its really heavy manga feel!

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now that you mention it, i havent seen the opening credit of City Hunter yet! now i'm eager to watch it. i wonder if it has been uploaded anywhere on streaming sites. anyone mind to share?

i remember watching IRIS's one and thought it was so cool for a drama.

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btw, i really love the 1st OST 'Love' by Yim Jae Bum. has been on repeat until now. it's beautiful and sad . LOVE it!

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City Hunter opening (song "It's Alright" by a new group called Yanghwajin)
here u go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReNh_VQ70M4

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what is that song used in the mud scene?

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Gee, I don't know.
I guess that means I need to do you a favor and go watch LEE MIN HO WRESTLING AND GETTING ALL COVERED WITH THAT REALLY WET MUD.....

I'll need to rewind several times to listen to the song track you're interested in. Several times 'cause I seem to lose my train of thought when the camera focuses in on his face with that mud running into his mouth and down his neck and onto his chest while I'm just staring in amaz...........

Uhh, what was I saying here?.........

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FLYING PINK PANTS
that was funny!

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darn missed, oh well sixth is good??

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Recap in da house! I LOVE CITY HUNTER!! Episode three just did it for me. Lee Min Ho is doign a great job and the story just gets better each ep.

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I LOVE this drama, I'm hoping that it will see an increase in viewers and ratings! I feel like it's not getting the attention it deserves.

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YAY IT'S HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

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YAY! I just watched this week's episodes, like JUST NOW LOL. I thought the beginning of ep3 was rather jumpy which confused me a little but it was better after the first few scenes.
I LOVED the spoon fight, it was totally awesome but when chefdude smashed his glasses off, my thought was "oh great, that's gonna come back and bite" especially since he threw away his cellphone to get rid of evidence. The glasses would have his fingerprint on them wouldn't they? Hmm..
BTW his driveway/garage totally reminds me of the batcave, just saying~

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I thought the same thing about the glasses! He's so meticulous so why did he just leave it there? Wouldn't that thin have a microchip or something that can be analyzed and traced back to him?

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i think he totally forgot about it because he even threw away his cellphone *shiver*

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He did pick the glasses back, i think. It was beside him in the van when he threw the iphone into the Han River.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/202/e031102.jpg/

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omo, you have sharp eyes!

but the camera focus to the scene when his glasses fell like it will be a plot device later. i hope the glasses being there in the van was not a plot hole, like it really was supposed to be forgotten by YS and later becoming the evidence for people to track him.

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Lol, yep, when the glasses fell I was like, oh snap. That can't be good. The spoon fight was awesome though. I loved the action this ep. I feel like LMH did a great job showing his character's cold, cool side.

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I'm loving this series more in each episode...

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I think Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young are fabulous together. I'm particularly impressed with Park. I guess I never noticed how talented she was. Her emoting is great. I cried twice just watching her cry

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Ha! been waiting for this recap for over three days eventhough I have watched the episode. Now I am eagerly waiting for episode 4 as I cannot watch it without subs. Pleeease hurry up girlfriday and thanks very much for all the recaps!

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Viki.com has it up with full eng subs. Their subbing team is in love with drama!

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while i also keep refreshing this site for the recap, i much prefer Javabeans & Girlfriday take their time and enjoy the episode. the mood when you do the recap can really reflect how your recap will turn out. i remember reading My Girlfriend is a Gumiho recap, i thought Javabeans recap sometimes sound unenthusiastic. i thought it was because she didnt really enjoy the show but was surprised later to see the rating she gave to MGIAG. i think she was just exhausted and pressured to do the multiple recaps. haha sorry if i look at it wrongly

but really, take your time Dramabeans's ladies!

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YESYES!!! The wait was so long I thot JB's giving up on this one! Boy am i glad to see this recap!
Love LMH!!! And I love how his character was written out. They make

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every sense to me judging from how he was depicted in ep1, that soft kind side of him.
It really pains me to see how lonely this boy is...

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Thanks Javabeans for this awesome recap....

I am invested already on this drama...full of intrigue and so many things to anticipate. I zealously watch the raw episodes and repeat it so many times even if most of the conversation, I can't understand...:)) I am just happy I can see LMH's face...and boy did he really improve. It is just so funny because he is one of those actors that whenever he smiles, I smile back...hahahaha. Easy to look upon and such smoldering hotness.....whewwwwwwww....

Looking forward to next week...judging by the preview, it will be so exciting.

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He he.. Totally same here!
I never thought its possible to watch a kdrama without subs! But LMH did it for me!!!
I dont even care if I Understand nothing! Am just satisfied with his beautiful face on screen!!!!!

*Ep 4 JUST GETS BETTER*

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Thanks!!

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im totally in love with this series already - hopefully it will stay this good all the way through *fingers crossed*

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Next time i go out i am definitely walking with a spoon to defend myself just in case someone attacks me.

I am so glad LMH character is not just some cold hearted person just out for revenge since this will make him clash with his fake dad for an epic showdown

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Haha that made me laugh. If only I had the training to fight off bad guys with a spoon!

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The spoon fight brought me memories of Robin Hood, when Nottingham says " I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon."
And then his explanation is: "Why a spoon cousin? Why not an axe?
Because it's dull, you twit! It'll hurt more."

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haha I remember that scene. But which movie adaption was that? A comical one right? I just remember Men in Tights, but that's not it right?...right? It was Prince in Thieves - I asked Mr. Wikipedia. That guy in Men in Thights was my first ever crush...woah how time goes by.

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Pince of Thieves...I'm tired

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i like it so munch , i maynot be a action fan but i like it the simplicity of the gadget well im not into techi munch movie that all u see are gadget that make the hero get a away i like it thanks for the recap

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Awesome and cool!

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I love how it never dwells in angst but keeps moving. And it's awesome how they're not really constantly tossing up between he likes her, he doesn't, but that it's established pretty up front that he's interested, but can't do anything cos of his revenge mission.

sign you're addicted? when you're willing to watch with chinese subs and limited chinese reading ability with google translate open, just so you can watch it a bit sooner.

<3 loving City Hunter!!

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Puahaha I did that with Midas when the viki subs were being sporatic but then halfway through I realized I had to study for finals and then never went back to finish watching..

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LOL! I do that with Best Love! But there must be a ton of people in love with this drama because the English subs are wicked fast.

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Thanks for the awesome recap!

Watching this drama has got me thinking that Lee Min Ho might actually have it in him to be the next Cha Seung Won or Lee Byung Hun - acting wise. I wasn't convinced before but his portrayal of his character in this drama is getting my hopes up.

I love Park Min-young! I thought I wouldn't like her here but she's just so darn cute, relate-able with just the right amount of sass and fragility. There seems to be a genuine niceness about her that just makes you want to root for her.

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lol I want her monkey toy. it's really cute. ^^

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Loving this drama big time. :D

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I love the pacing of the drama, although some parts are a tad jarring (death of ahjusshi's wife for eg - what was up with that?). It helps that so far everyone has been acting aptly and the plot and it's various dichotomies are so engaging that I can't help but want to find out what happens next! Revenge thrillers normally are not my thing but I'm totally on board LMH's ship here, wherever it may go...

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Gah, I love this! Of all the craziness of the May dramas, this turned out to be my favorite, but well, only because I haven't gotten around to watching Best Love..

But for now, this is what I want to follow. Another crack, finally :)

Thanks JB! Uhm, I guess I have to get used to the recap sked to avoid the stalking DB for days on end hehe. Thanks so much for this! <3

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Yeah, i've been stalking DB since thursday morning and i'm so happy to finally read this recap and jb's opinion about city hunter. thank you very much javabeans

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Thank you so much JB!!
I gotta say that Miss Ripley and City Hunter have got to be the more satisfying dramas this season :)

I can't wait to start watching it. Thank you!

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Totally Agree with you. This are the only drama i am sticking with at the moment. I putting on hold all the Rom-Com.

But, i believe we are a minority in our taste of drama.

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romcom is normally my main favourite genre of drama. but since City Hunter started, it stole my attention big time. i rewatched the raw episode multiple times and then while waiting for the recap, thats then i catch up with other dramas. its like, my romcoms now become fillers just to make time flies faster

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I'm really liking this show and I'm soo happy about it. Even though they are using a lot of material from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (I mean that scene where he delivers Lee Kyung wan to the prosecutor is from The Dark Knight).

I'm a huge Batman fan so I'm really liking the similarities since Batman is awesome. Batman/City Hunter, Lee Minho could do both :)

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Actually no,

If you are familiar with the original Manga dated back in 198x, delivering the caught bad guy to the police (or persecutor) in a box while in humiliating state:

messed up hair, half or almost naked, lecherous in nature-wearing pantie as hat (depending on the crime involved), or others stuff with or without evidence attached in the badguy's body....

is City Hunter trademark/staple that lasted for quite a while (long volume of the tankubon/volumes).

Similarly with Kaori's (nana counterpart of the heroin - judo throw) staple 100t Hammer bash or overhead throws whenever Ryo Saeba (Yoon Sung counterpart) is caught molesting his clients.

A lot of material straight referral to the original work of the characters creator Tsukasa Hojo.

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lol@magic whistle... dog whistles can be used to stop barking, youknow :O)

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This drama has a lot going for it. Whether the writers can keep the plot and characters development remain to be seen. The cinematography,the ost,the veteran actors and LMH are awesome. My main problem is with some of the things the writers took the liberty of putting in even if it does not make sense and its many coincidences. An inexperienced guard for the president.Kim Na Na couldn't be poor if she can afford a dog(think of the vet fees),goes around with brand name handbags,etc. It must be nice to be employed in the Blue House,not having to do much work-one has time to stalk the bad guys,and enjoy some judo wrestling. How about not getting arrested by getting your fellow assemblymen to vote against it. How did LYS get off the boat with an unconscious man without being caught by the patrol?
Also I know Trugen sponsor the 50 outfits LMH wears, but does every shot has to be like a photoshoot and we have to admire him from every angle.
I do wish they pay attention to the small details so that City Hunter can be better than it is now.

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Exactly, so many strange stuff going on that they could have made a bit more realistic.

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I agree with those lapses in the writing. It's for these that I don't quite understand why I like this drama so much. It requires a LOT of suspension of disbelief from the get-go.

But they're pretty good with building the conflict so far, of the killing-machine-with-a-conscience-and-daddy-issues. The fact that I want to know what happens next all the time usually means I'm having a hella lotta fun with it.

I won't so far as to compare it to Story of a Man because that show was genius and this is not (or rather what I've seen of it so far). So I'm choosing to ignore logic every once in a while to enjoy the not so Shitty Hunter.

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Exactly,

There are few voids in writing that cause raising eyebrows and also the acting itself by the lead actor/actress.

Min Ho acts is like 16 year old trying and forced to act 27-28, rather than a 20+ male with childlike quality that is displayed occasionally. Unstable in many moments, such as when he is alone and does not have to act "fake" to deceive others or to protect himself/hiding his feeling. Sometimes he acts like he is his current age of 20s by the story sometimes 16: The inconsistency of the portrayal of City Hunter while being alone (therefor minus the necessity to act not being the true self).

Yoon Sung is like one with identity crisis/double personality rather than one trained/cool 20+ male with mischievous traits who has control of the acts.

Looking at Nana, it comes to mind; what are (if any) qualifications she has to become bodyguard, albeit still rookie/trainee. The acting is more believable if she works for small scale/budget security company rather than one works for presidential.

Those aside, the drama itself is very fun to watch though. Looking forward to seeing it until the final episode.

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As I told before, Korean people should be banished of making Kdrama versions of (using) japanese Manga/Anime. Even Taiwanese do better than them. RS becomes skinny fashion model KT with guns and pink pants. No comment about Kaori stuck in a "love triangle" ewwwww !

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haha given his look and tall model-like physique, i don't think he can help it if his every angle looks like a photoshoot, with or without Trugen sponsorship

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I totally agree with LMH's look even you dress him with a rag he will still be outstanding

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or even if you dont dress him at all... *sheepish smile* *blush* blush* ^^

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it will be much better, lmh without a dress

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Actually I am talking about too much makeup,not a hair out of place and impeccably dressed like in a photoshoot,and the cameraman lovingly going round and round catching every angle. How about roughing him up a bit and make him look more realistically.

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Forget it - the boy doesn't have a bad angle.
And really, didn't y'all think he looked especially HOT in the mud wrestling scene?
No makeup, no neat hair, and practically no clothes.
I could stare at him all day long. And then some.
:)

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You got it. He looked a lot HOTTER in the mud wrestling scene and more natural,which is better than a photoshoot look.

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off-topic (since I don't watch the drama anyway), you CAN afford to have a dog, even you aren't rich. just saying :D

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Well in this drama, Na Na is supposed to be in big debt,as she has to pay the hospital bills for her dad who is in a coma for 10 years. She has to work many jobs, the belongings are being repossessed,the house is being autioned off,she cannot afford meat,and only eats ramen.

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But isn't NaNa somehow connected to the veterinarian?
If so, she could be getting doggie goodies (like food) from her.
Just a thought. :)

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HOLY HALLELUJAH! i LOVE my Wed-Thur, Best Love + City Hunter = simply awesome :) ... Lee Min Ho why are you so hott??? sometimes i find it hard to concentrate because his hotness is sooo distracting *wipes drool*

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I've held off watching this show until BL and LTM are over. I want to savor the beauty that is LMH. :) I hope I can last that long. Quit trying to seduce me in to watching it now! Stop already! Really.... Stop!

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true say!! i am currently watching RT n BFB....bad choices coz the subs aren't out like 1-2 days later!! not that i appreciate them any lesser..... I've heard loads of good things abt CYHMH but am holding off until it's nearing its end so i can marathon it....i'm planning on doing the same for BL n now CH!! reading the recap n comments is really tempting but am gonna hold off!! hopefully it's gonna work n i don't give in! :D

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I wasn't expecting to be so deeply hooked by this drama, but it's my newest "I gotta see what happens next" addiction. Great pacing, great action, great visuals, while not drowning in tears when the storyline touches upon the personal tragedies of the characters. I do hope the role of the prosecutor gets beefed up in the future. And what's the vet's role in this going to be?

After watching Ep. 4 (no spoilers), I'm anxiously waiting for next week.

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I just don't understand what role does goo hara play in this story ? Her character is annoying and pointless.

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ia. As much as i love Hara her character is truly annoying. So glad LMH tells her like it is

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Actually, I like Goo Hara's character in this. Her "bratty princess" routine facilitates the plotline - i.e., dragging the bodyguards to the club where all main leads interact.

I'm pretty sure her character will provide several more reasons for this story to barrel forward - it should be fun to watch. I think she's doing a really good job for her first big role - girl's under a lot of pressure to perform and she's pulling it off admirably.

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What we have here is a loose cannon President's daughter whose purpose is to:
1. humanize this man who wittingly allowed all those men to die. They will have deep conversations about life, right and wrong, etc, which will come back to haunt him once the truth is out in a future episode.
2. Get kidnapped and require rescuing in a future episode.
3. Take part in a running gag about how cute LMH is because we have not quite figured that one out on our own.
4. Won't she also be on the OST?

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I like the show but i am very disappointed by the unrealisticness of the bodyguards. I mean you work for the president and you still have time to socialize???????

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I'm glad that they're developing LMH's character (he's starting to make sense!) but I'm still annoyed that the show is being so lazy about simple stuff.

I could pick apart pretty much any scene, but I'll just choose one for now: when he goes after Lee on the yacht.

When he leaps off the dock and lands on the yacht, the cut is terrible, and makes his jump look extremely fake. I literally guffawed, and my husband said it looked like a take from Army of Darkness (which is a comparison I got mad at him for).

The rest of the scene cuts back and forth between a boat that is moving quickly, a boat that isn't moving at all (and everything in between).

LMH hesitates before shooting (even though he's just using a tranq dart) and continues to shoot with one arm just to look like a badass, even though he trained with Weaver-stance as a child (which is a much superior gun-stance).

We are left to believe that he jumps off the yacht with Lee, but since the two boats arriving on scene are right there, they would obviously see him swimming away since he has the senator with him.

Usually in action shows flaws don't bother me (in fact, I expect them). Any one of the things I've mentioned wouldn't bother me on its own, but there are so many tiny things wrong pretty much constantly in this show that it's becoming distracting.

It's not like any of the mistakes propel the plot or have a purpose either; they're just a result of laziness.

I'm still enjoying City Hunter and like the overall tone (not to mention the cast) but it's certainly making my appreciate shows like TBDAW and Iris for their attention to detail.

Also, LOVE LMH in glasses.

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Yes, a lot of laziness that make episode 4 look stupid...

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OH. MY. GOSH. i THIS this SO MUCH. being a girl who loves the bourne series and someone who only ever watches action movies in theatres, i was like WHA?? are you SERIOUS?? hahaha. yeah, i'm pretty forgiving, because i actually do like the series for what it is, but any more of these tiny detail slip ups and i might turn my head.

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I'm a die hard fan of the Bourne series but to be fair Jason Bourne is a trained CIA assassin and LMH's character wasnt meant to be a hardcore killing machine from what I'm getting here.

What do you think of Jeremy Renner in the new Bourne Legacy?. I thought no one can replace Matt Damon but Renner is a great actor so I'm reluctantly giving him a chance.

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i'm talking more about the slick, mysterious, super human type lee minho's character should be coming off as, like bourne, or prison break's michael scofield. someone who knows exactly what he's doing, because he's good like that, and executes well. lee minho is only skimming the surface of that with his performance. i actually think he's a good actor, but i feel yoon sung should be even BETTER than what lee minho is getting at.

and i didn't know renner was stepping into that role!! WOW. but he's a good actor, so i might give it a shot. he's too good at playing a bad guy all the time that i'm glad he's getting a chance to play the hero. still, i LOVE matt damon as bourne! and i would actually be very okay if they just stopped it is a trilogy. haha.

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*as a trilogy.

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Forgive me for the first part of my post. I think my comment was to someone else. I do agree with your comment though and I'm trying very hard to like it because I'm not a girly girl when it comes to the kind of drama and movies I like. I think one rom.com a year is good enough for me lol. Thank you Best Love.

I think Bourne Legacy is going to be more of a spin-off so I gueess its safe to say that the first 3 is the triology :).

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thank you for the recaps javabean !! this drama is turning out be pretty awesome ; hopefully there'll be a happy ending...

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Awesome recap, as per usual.

There was too much violence in the first episode for my taste, but I'm really enjoying this drama now. The superhero-incognito element (like Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent) makes it much more fun and I much prefer Yoon Sung's revenge strategy (make each bastard's life a living hell) to Jin Pyo's just-shoot-'em plan.

Another great thing about watching this drama is that during any scenes that I'm not really into, I can just switch my focus to how breathtakingly beautiful LMH is! ;D

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Despite others saying otherwise, I think Yoon Sung motivation and his Dad's make sense.

Jin Pyo and the real dad relationship seems to be more than mere work colleague, maybe oath brother or some sort, shown in various occasions like how Jin Pyo visited the wife after giving birth (as if she was his real sister in law).

The kidnapping is also explained in a way that the son should be the one enacting the vengeance repaying the country's blood debt toward not only the real parents, but also toward the others 20 men (jin pyo being one of them).

They tell us how Jin Pyo is strict as parent. But, we are not told that Yoon Sung thinks Jin Pyo does not love him as a son. Jin Pyo sacrifices himself to bail Yoon Sung out after getting caught in land mine.

The above make Jin Pyo accusation for stealing Yoon Sung life for simply Jin Pyo's personal vendetta just does not quite fly.

Another thing to note.
Jin Pyo sees death as the ultimate punishment of crime. Yoon Sung, on the hard, see destroying a person reputation/livelihood/dream/family to be more punishing than death.

In that sense. Jin Pyo's view may seem dark. But, by no means "evil" as a number of people voiced. To think about it, turning a person's livelihood upside down, affecting the person at various levels AND while keeping the person alive to savor the moments (Yoon Sung's -Destruction-) IS actually more... evil.

On side note,
I find City Hunter enjoyable to watch. Some facets of the story and characters share few similarities found in the original Tsukasa Hojo original adaptation.

On contrary to the story, I find the lead actor and actress inadequate. Aside to how much a hottie he/she is.

Nana does not convey the feeling that she is "tough", has undergone hardship to get to where she is. Doing various jobs to extend his father's life, paying rent, etc just does not show in her acting. Weak teen is the vibes emitted by the character. The Judo scenes does the contrary in convincing that she is an expert to name a few of the long list.

The same thing can be said about Lee Min Ho. Yoon Sung character simply lacks of charm, mischievousness aura, and the smarts. He is good looking, but he is not "cool" (the kind Cha Seung Won emits, for instance) in City Hunter. Depicting Yoon Sung character lacks confidence and determination and feels very thin. I was looking forward to seeing him improve after BBF and Personal Taste, but dissapointed to see Yoon Sung character turn out to just like food with not enough spice.

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I totally agree with you there, as much as I find Lee Minho "hot"/good looking, I've never been much fan of this acting, I tried watching BOF and Personal Taste, whether its the script or his acting, I wasn't sucked into his world nor convinced, I felt that something was always "lacking" with him, so I stop watching those dramas. City Hunter on the other has strong plot, moving on a good pace so you're easily sucked into watching it, even so, I still feel Lee Minho's "something-that-is-lacking" vibes again, - I guess Tomato's comment are spot-on.

From day one I've never been sold on Park Min Young playing as Nana, as soon as I heard description of Nana's character- I thought "wait a minute, PMY won't suit it" and I wasn't proven wrong. Even my sister (whose not avid k-drama fan) said "that girl does not suit this character." And I agree, no matter how many times PMY overthrows LMH on the judo mat, I'm not convinced. I don't feel the sense of "toughness" from her =/

Despite somewhat disappointing weakness of main cast, I'm enjoying the drama so far, and the vibes are spot on.

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I agree with you that YJ needs to beefed up, his coolness factor is at 30%, but I think that works for the character.
(He NEVER would have been able to pull off "perv." Way too young and clean.)

YJ has trained to do a lot of fancy daring things, but this is the first time he is planning and executing on his own. I expect that with more episodes, and more successes blowing up locks with gum, or fighting off assailants with credit cards, he will be more confident. The character and the actor, I mean.

CSW has 15+ years on LMH, and at LMH's age was already a father. But I'm not sure even CSW was Dokko Jin cool at LMH's age. I like the comparison, though. Cause as "hot" as we all say LMH is, his charisma cannot compare to CSW's who physically is not as pretty.

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I laaaavvveeeettt!

The story is very well done which is the cake to Lee Min

Ho being the icing. He's acting very well these days and

my heart just goes thump when he appears on screen.

Soooo drool worthy!

I feel like I should do a Dokko Jin and monitor my

heartbeat whenever I watch City Hunter!

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Haha, I'll laugh when nana talks about how hawt CH must be, and YS going FMLFMLFML

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awesome read. thank you for the recap! v^_^v

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Im enjoying this very much. The schizophrenic trailer was, well schizophrenic. But actually they do a good job balancing action, drama and even funny moments. They are at the right time.
In episode 1, when he asked "And if I kill those five men, will you and I be able to live well again, in a place where nobody knows us?" For me those were the words. I wasnt buying the "That’s my fate" I accepted because it make sense. But for me, his first motivation was to do the revenge job and that way his (fake) dad would be in peace and they can carry on with their lives. But I agree about that now he seeks for a greater good, more than revenge.
I love when we can see his 17 year-old-self. Also, when he goes to Nana, I remember that he used to talk to Nana´s photo, so this habit to talk to her after stressful moments is something he did before. And now he has the real one.
More love? Ok. The little bromance between Yoon-sung and Shik-joong. I dont now if bromance is the right word, but their realtionship is...(damn my lack of English Vocabulary). Anyway. I love it and its funny too.
And last, Ahh Lee Min Ho, so handsome. Im starting to like your hair.

Thank you for the recap!

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City Hunter is getting really good now! Loving the Batman concept :D

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About Yoon Sung's mother abandoning him,

We learned that Yoon Sung initial knowledge was that his mother had passed away.

Along the line between the revelation that his birth mother is still alive than his making his remark to Shik-joong about his mother not wanting him, i believe is more of putting up front (the kind like a boy not wanting to admit that he likes a girl when his friend drills him about it in fun gathering).

We are still kept in dark as in what Yoon Sung know about his mother situation in relation to his being separated...at least up to this episode. But, if we look at his growing up surrounding in the tough/unforgiving/death-is-daily-stuff environment and how he meets Shik-joong after so many years, it is understandable if Yoon Shik does not want Shik-joong to know if Yoon Shik is missing his mother (or not).

@Belle
As for Lee Min Hoo doing well portraying the character (or acting well these days)......

Let's take the fighting action for instance. There is no weight shown in his punches/kicks. Yoon Sung/Min Ho does not act/show hip movements etc. that more veteran action actors show in their act. His stabs, his kicks, his punches are the kind that go thump but not THUMP, enough impact to know big bald guy down.

"...City Hunter has got the style of Bad Guy (cool, lush, moody)..."

I think so too. Even after seeing City Hunter character as not carbon replica of that in the original manga. But, Minhoo still projects his character as if it's teen high school Private Investigator from school detective club NOT as the "cool, lush, moody" (and lecherous) City Hunter. Don't get me wrong though. I love Lee Min Hoo, to the point that I will spread my legs, making sure I am always ovulating and ready to conceive his child (or any body contact and fluid swapping exchanges attempts) for him. But, as actor portraying THE City Hunter (Yoon Sung), he is far from adequate.

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Thank you for the recap. I am enjoying this drama for what it is. It fun, pretty to look at, and entertaining. Ha ha, btw did anyone else want him to bust out and say

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. "

when he pulled out that gun. For some reason that popped into my head and I couldn't stop laughing.

Ha!

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I love how you pick up loadsss of things I don't notice and even cross ref it to other dramas. Your wit is just fantastic. That's why I have to watch the drama before reading your recaps because your recaps are just too awesome for the real thing to beat.

Of course there are moments where the scene can't be summarised and put into words. But most of the normal scenes become boring once I know what is gonna happen.

I always would wanna read your recaps because of this. Because you always pick up things I don't.

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Oh. Shit. In-deed.

Javabeans! I have been stalking this site for days looking for these recaps. Lol.

Spider-man. Clark Kent. Batman. Damn! a triple threat, superhero. Which is next? Mr. Fantastic? Wait, he's already that too. Lol. :p

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yay!

I am so thoroughly addicted to this drama.

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