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Scent of a Woman: Episode 10

Hurray for a plot that knows when to kick it into high gear. I worried at how closely this drama might follow the old-school melodrama recipe – heavy on the angst, double dose of misunderstandings, dash of happy just before death – and I’m happy to find that it plays with the conventions enough to keep things moving quickly and exceed my expectations. Though Yeon-jae stays true to the long-suffering heroine type, the hero breaks out of the mold enough to push us past familiar territory.

 
EPISODE 10 RECAP

Yeon-jae doubles over in pain as Sae-kyung walks up, asking if this is her idea of revenge. She tells Yeon-jae that it doesn’t matter what she does to seduce him, because “Like marry like.” Gross.

Yeon-jae tosses back, “I don’t care what happens in a few months’ time. Today, right now, my feelings are most important.” She says that if Ji-wook wants to meet her, she will, because she wants to see him too.

Sae-kyung scoffs in disbelief, asking if this means she won’t give up. She tells her that if it were anyone else but her (she says it like, a thing like you), she might’ve let it go, but now she’s going to get her revenge.

Aaaargh. I suppose this at least provides her with some pointed motivation for meddling, since second leads so often do so for no logical reason. It still drives me batty, but I guess incendiary jealousy is better than “because I can”?

As soon as she leaves, Yeon-jae crumples to the ground in pain. Oh crap.

Thankfully, at the same time, Eun-seok is waiting for Yeon-jae to show up for her postponed chemo session, and he finally can’t take it any longer and calls to yell at her. He asks what could possibly be more important than her cancer treatment, and tells her to get her ass over to the hospital.

Tears streaming down her face, she finally ekes out, “Eun-seok-ah, it hurts.” He springs into action and gets an ambulance to bring her to the hospital, and runs out to meet her. She doesn’t look good.

He calls out her name to try and get a response, and she finally opens her eyes, “Eun-seok-ah, I think this time… it isn’t constipation.” HA. He yells at her for joking at a time like this. I love that she’s the kind of person who will make jokes to cope, while he remains humorless.

Eun-seok runs tests and finds that her tumor has grown. Oh no, that doesn’t shrink her already short time left, does it? He watches over her as she sleeps.

Her phone rings with calls from Ji-wook, and Eun-seok decides to reject the first call and then pick up the second. He tells Ji-wook that Yeon-jae can’t come to the phone right now, and Ji-wook freaks out at the man answering her phone late at night.

He asks who it is, and then guesses right away that it’s “her doctor friend.” Eun-seok just repeats that she’s not in a situation where she can answer the phone, and hangs up and shuts off her phone.

Haha. I love that there was absolutely no reason for him to answer the call to tell him NOT to call, but he does it purely out of petty rivalry. It sends Ji-wook’s head spinning, of course.

Yeon-jae dreams of her tent-toppling kiss with Ji-wook and wakes up with a smile on her face. Aw. Eun-seok is standing over her bed, and when she expresses relief that she suffered a complication and that she’ll be okay with treatment, he flips out at her again.

He tells her that there’s to be no more of this postponing chemo, and running around doing whatever it is she thought was more important. He basically tells her to get her head on straight, and adds that it’s time to tell her mother.

She refuses, of course, not wanting to make the people around her suffer, least of all Mom. Eun-seok asks what she plans to do then, just suffer alone? What happens when she’s hurting and no one is there for her?

Yeon-jae turns to him: “I have you. When I’m hurting, you’ll be there.” Aw, that kills me because it’s true on so many levels – because he’s her doctor, because he’s her friend, and because he’s in love with her. GAH. Just stab me and get it over with. Watching Dr. Poopypants be the stalwart friend by her side while hiding his ever-breaking heart is surely going to kill me first.

To his credit, Eun-seok tells her that “that man” called last night. She sees that he called all night long, and screws up the nerve to call him. He’s sitting at his desk unable to concentrate on anything, and lights up at her call. I love that after all that self-denial, he’s so transparent now.

He asks why Eun-seok answered her phone, why they were together so late, and what could possibly be a situation in which she can’t come to the phone but he’s answering for her. I really wish we could’ve entertained his horror-filled imagination with situations that fit the bill.

She tells him that she’s at the hospital… but lies that it’s because of her mom, and everything’s fine now. He breathes a sigh of relief and asks her to dinner that night, and she uses his line back at him, that it’s her turn to play him hot and cold so that he misses her. He smiles and relents, but makes her promise to answer her phone at all times.

Sae-kyung’s tactic for holding onto Ji-wook is basically all daddy-related, as she makes the rounds from her father to his father, trying to keep that engagement ball still up in the air.

Eun-seok braces himself to see Yeon-jae off, but doesn’t tell her about the tumor’s growth. She busies herself with makeup and asks if she looks sick, and he tells her with a smile that she doesn’t.

She apologizes for making him worry and promises to get her treatments on time and listen to him from now on. Well, at least she’s making baby steps out of denial land.

Yeon-jae comes home and uses Hye-won as a cover with Mom. She wonders if something serious is going on with Hye-won, but doesn’t push it, excited to show Yeon-jae the sprout from one of their plants that was broken and dying.

She looks at it with wonder, comforted by the symbolism, as Mom decides that it means good things are going to happen.

Ji-wook’s presentation on the Wando trip goes over well, or as well as begrudging acceptance gets you, and Yeon-jae calls to make a date, to give him something. He attempts to make her dinner, but when he announces that he’s going to make squid noodles, she has to point out the fact that he forgot to buy the squid.

He hangs his head in embarrassment, and announces that dinner will now consist of veggie fried rice. Heh. He cuts his finger while trying to hack at vegetables, and like a little boy, he just sticks his finger out at her.

She looks at him, wondering what he’s doing, and he mimes the thing that all moms do – blowing on a wound to make it all better. She laughs and shyly blows on his finger, and gives it a kiss.

But of course Dad chooses that exact moment to walk in the door. He doesn’t even seem surprised, so this is what Sae-kyung must’ve visited him to say earlier that day. Shouting at the top of his lungs, Dad asks if dating a “woman like that” was the reason he broke off the engagement.

Belittling her in all of the classic evil classist in-law ways, he declares that even if he dates this woman, they’ll never be able to marry. He adds that Ji-wook can do what he wants with her, but he’ll still have to marry Sae-kyung. To Dad she’s even more of an angel now that she’s stepped in to stop her father from further damaging their company.

Ji-wook tells him that that’s absurd, and that he’ll continue to see Yeon-jae. Dad tells Yeon-jae not to even dream of marriage and storms out. Wow, he managed to insult her age, class, character, and work ethic all in one blow. That’s some efficient evil daddying.

They both reel from the visit but try to ignore the giant elephant in the room. Yeon-jae gives Ji-wook her gift, the new sprout from her plant that she repotted, and puts it on a shelf.

She’s trying her damnedest to put on a brave front and he knows it. When she has her back turned to him, he walks up and backhugs her tenderly. He whispers, “I’m sorry,” and tears stream down her face.

He turns her around and tells her not to think weird thoughts because of his father, and she nods, understanding what he means. Despite the fact that she doesn’t intend to marry him because she isn’t going to live that long, it doesn’t stop her heart from breaking at being rejected by his family.

The next morning he goes to Sae-kyung right away to ask what her deal is, stepping in to save his company like that. She tells him that she wanted to do it for him, and says that she hasn’t given up on him yet. He doesn’t understand, having made his intentions clear, but she just tells him that they’ll be seeing a lot of each other for work.

Yeon-jae spends her time in the coming days looking for that hill that Ji-wook’s been searching for. He told her that he hid something there with his mother but can’t manage to find the right place, so she goes through her research from her years at the travel agency, looking for his hill.

She finally finds one that she thinks might be the right hillside, and takes him there. He tells her skeptically that he’s searched for over ten years, and she reminds him that she’s spent those years working as a scout for a travel company and tells him to trust her.

They walk up to the top of the hill, and come upon a giant tree at the top. He stumbles closer to it in awe, as his memories come flooding back. He starts digging feverishly and Yeon-jae joins him, and he finally uncovers his time capsule.

He takes it out of the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. He tells Yeon-jae that he and his mother buried it there and he promised to come open it when he turned twenty. “But I couldn’t keep that promise. I forgot this place. And my mother, who did remember it, was no longer in this world.”

Trembling, he opens it up and finds an array of toys, and a letter from his mother. She wonders if he’s all grown up now, and if he’s found someone to love. She writes that she’d be happy if he came to read this letter with the person that he loves.

She tells him not to hate his father too much, since he’s making sacrifices for their family, and she writes that even in that moment, she loves his father, and loves him too.

He breaks down and weeps at his mother’s words, and Yeon-jae puts her arms around him and comforts him as he cries.

He tells her about his youth, he and his mother always left alone, even after Dad had come back to move them up to Seoul and into a fancy house. He thought they’d finally be happy, but Dad just continued to be away. One day Mom had asked him to go to the grocery store, and he ignored her because he was busy playing games, and that’s the last impression he left, because she died of a car accident that day.

In tears, he tells her that he decided that was the last time he’d ever send someone off like that again. Ruh-roh. You’re putting him back in that exact situation. But it does mean that he’ll have the chance to do things differently with her, once he does find out.

On their way back, Yeon-jae struggles with pain and rushes to take her medicine in secret. While he waits, he sees her bucket list notebook with her Junsu picture sticking out of it, and laughs to see that she carries the picture around like an adorable fangirl.

He flips through the first few pages of the bucket list and sees a few of the things on the list like making Mom smile and learning to tango. He smiles, assuming that it’s the normal kind of bucket list that people make to try new things, not the dying kind.

One of the ones he finds is “To live for a day like a heroine in a movie,” and smiles as he ponders it.

Yeon-jae goes to see Eun-seok the next day, after struggling with pain all night. She tells him that the painkillers aren’t working anymore, and asks worriedly if something’s wrong. She can feel that she’s not the same as before, and asks for the truth.

He braces himself, and finally tells her that her tumor has grown, and that he’s planning to adjust her treatment accordingly. She asks if she’s going to make it to the end of her five months.

He doesn’t answer, and she asks again angrily, tears spilling out. He answers back in frustration that this is why he told her that nothing is more important than her treatment.

She comes home to find Mom hurriedly drying the laundry in the yard before cranky landlord gets home. She asks how Mom felt when Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Not knowing Yeon-jae’s intentions, she says the exact wrong thing – that it was torture to know when the person you loved was going to die. That it felt like someone hammered a nail into her living heart, and then day by day, hammered it in just one centimeter more.

Oh no. I don’t doubt that it was true, but couldn’t Mom have picked a different way to tell it, like she was glad to have the time to send him off without regret?

Ji-wook adorably asks the women in his office about this living-as-a-movie-heroine thing, and he nods at the makeover shopping spree idea, but doesn’t like the two men fighting over her idea. It’s so cute that he’s doing research.

Hye-won asks why he’s interested in this, and he lies that he thought it might be helpful for a trip package he’s working on. Uh-huh.

Yeon-jae thinks about Ji-wook’s decade of regret over never having told his mother that he loved her before she died. She gets so lost in thought that she ends up at the end of the line in the bus depot, with the driver having to tell her to get out.

Hye-won calls, and over drinks she angsts over getting her first marriage proposal, only she’s come to find out that the guy is poor. This time it’s Yeon-jae’s turn to be a terrible friend, because she just gives her half-assed advice like, “Don’t marry him then,” followed with the equally blank, “Then marry him.”

Hye-won calls her out for her thoughtless answers, throwing back that she doesn’t understand her worries, dating someone like Ji-wook. Yeon-jae spills her angst in turn – what’s the point of dating someone like him? Will she be able to marry him, or have children? She reminds her that she has none of that to look forward to, and storms out.

Hye-won catches up to her outside and apologizes for her shortsighted comments, and Yeon-jae finally confronts the source of her angst.

Yeon-jae: What do I do? What do I do about that person? I must’ve been crazy. There’s nothing I can do for him. I can’t even stay by his side. I shouldn’t have fallen for him. I shouldn’t have confessed. I shouldn’t have accepted his heart. I didn’t think. I was so crazy about him. When I die, how he’ll be… I didn’t think. What do I do now?

She breaks free and walks away, tears still streaming down her face. It’s nice to finally witness her confronting the fact that she’s started a love with only one thought, only to realize that she never considered the back end – what happens to him once she’s gone.

Eun-seok takes Malbok-ie for a walk, smiling to himself as he thinks back to the day that Yeon-jae brought him over. Just then, she appears right in his path, still crying.

She comes right up to him pleading, “Eun-seok-ah, save me. Save me. You’re a doctor, so you can save me.” She falls to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably as she says over and over, “I want to live. I want to live.”

Ack, she breaks my heart. Eun-seok struggles to hold back his tears. He crouches down to the ground and puts his hand on her shoulder, comforting her as she cries.

He drives her home and tells her that maybe she should tell Ji-wook the truth. Yes, you really should listen to Poopy-seok about most things. But of course she refuses, saying that it’s better if he doesn’t know, since they’re bound to break up anyway. Aaaargh.

Ji-wook watches Pretty Woman and Roman Holiday, taking notes for his big movie heroine project like a big dork. Yeon-jae thinks over his confession about his mother, and braces herself as she makes a decision. Oh, why do I have a feeling this is your stupid noble idiot turn we’re about to take?

She calls and asks, voice trembling, if he has time tomorrow. He answers in his trademark goofy, “Tomorrow, I’m sorry… yes I do!” They make plans for a date. Aargh, it’s already breaking my heart that she’s planning to break up with him while he’s watching Pretty Woman for ideas.

He waits for her outside the next day, and she comes up with a wave. Ji-wook: “I have a present for you…” He presents his face: “Me.” Pffft.

They stroll along with ice cream cones, and he holds her hand with glee. Out of the blue, he attacks her dress with his ice cream, and then oh-so-casually decides he’ll have to buy her another one. HA. This is your attempt to be Richard Gere? So funny.

I love that he tries so hard to couch it in real-world motivation, with the ice cream attack. So off they go to a fancy boutique, where he tells the manager that he spilled ice cream on his girlfriend’s dress so he’ll be buying her replacements, and many many of them at that. He presents his credit card with panache.

It cracks me up that he’s enjoying this more than she is. She tries on a few dresses and he shakes his head no, following the script, until she comes out in a dress that makes him slack-jawed.

On their way out, he asks disappointedly why she only bought one dress, apparently having failed at the spree part of shopping spree. They come across a flower vendor on the street, and she starts to tell him that she has something to say…

But he interrupts her, saying that maybe the dress is missing something, and purposely backs up right into a bucket full of red roses, knocking them all over. He does the whole – Aw shucks, guess I have to buy them all now – and smiles at his genius plan.

Hee. Your attempt to be suave is so awesomely un-suave in every way.

So they head to the river (Oh no, mistake!) and he waits awkwardly for something to start that isn’t starting. She starts to say that she has to tell him something, but he tells her to say it later, and runs off to make a call.

He tells somebody on the phone to start in two minutes, and puts a headphone in her ear, saying that he knows she likes Junsu’s songs. They listen to the song together and he tells her that something amazing is about to happen.

And this time, on cue, fireworks go off over the river. She asks starry-eyed if he prepared all this for her. He’s a little disappointed as he asks if she noticed, and she confesses that she caught on a long time ago.

He leans in for a kiss as the fireworks go off overhead. A tear falls from her eye, and once the sky clears it’s like she comes back down to earth. She struggles to keep back the tears.

He takes out a ring box and opens it up. Inside is a kid’s blue plastic ring, and he tells her that he remembered this ring that he found inside the time capsule. He had put it in there as a kid, intending to someday give it to the person he loved. “I think I’ve found its owner.” Gah, why is he so perfect?

He takes her hand and says, “Stay by my side for a long, long time,” and takes the ring to put on her finger.

But she curls up her hand to stop him. She sighs and tells him that she can’t accept it. She tells him that she doesn’t want to see him anymore. Stunned, he asks why all of a sudden… and asks if maybe it’s because of his father.

She uses that as her excuse and through her tears, she says that she thought about it and realized that she didn’t need to hear those things from his father and suffer that kind of abuse.

She pulls her hand away from his, and he calls her timing cruel. Dude, you never should have brought her to the Han River. That was your first big mistake. She tells him that she’s not going to feel burdened about it, since he said that breaking off his engagement wasn’t about her, but about himself.

And with that, she gets up and leaves.

Unable to accept it, he chases after her and tells her that he’ll do whatever it takes to turn his father around. But she tells him that she doesn’t want to see him anymore. He apologizes, thinking he’s done something to make her angry, and grasps at straws.

He tells her to rest and that they’ll talk tomorrow, but she shuts him down again and leaves in a cab.

Eun-seok waits all evening for Yeon-jae to show up at the hospital, staying past his shift and pacing back and forth. She finally arrives, in a daze.

Eun-seok rushes up to her, and she tells him tearfully: “I hate myself. I really really hate the fact that I have cancer. Because I’m this kind of person… The fact that I can’t even love… I hate it like crazy.”

She drops her roses, and then collapses to the ground.

Ji-wook calls over and over again, to no avail, so he shows up at her house the next morning. He asks Mom if Yeon-jae is home, and Mom says that she’s away on a work trip. He’s obviously confused at the answer, he doesn’t press it.

He goes to work and asks the planning team if they asked Yeon-jae for her help again, but the manager says no. He asks Hye-won if she knows where Yeon-jae is, but she lies that she hasn’t talked to her in ages, and runs off.

He has a hunch so he follows her outside, and overhears part of her phone call to Yeon-jae that she’s nervous about being found out, and that she’s on her way to see her. He decides to follow her. Oh, awesome.

He tails her all the way to the hospital, and walks a few paces behind her. He looks up at the sign and stops cold as he realizes they’re in the cancer ward.

He watches as Hye-won walks into one of the rooms. He walks down the hall with determination and dread, half marching forward, half sinking backwards in fear. He stops in front of the door and looks over at the patient’s name written on the outside: Lee Yeon-jae.

He trembles as he raises his hand to the door…

Eun-seok’s voice calls out his name. Ji-wook turns to see him and asks, “Is the Lee Yeon-jae here the Lee Yeon-jae I know?”

 
COMMENTS

Oh thank goodness he knows. Yay for speedy developments! I knew the noble idiocy was going to rear its ugly head, but I didn’t expect that he’d find out the reason for it so soon after. I’m so very pleased that he only had to spend one night thinking that she didn’t love him, because there’s so much real angst to be had with her dying, that it seems silly to waste time on fake angst from her stupid plan to push him away to spare him pain. Why do people still do that? That never works, people. That’s like telling someone with a mack truck headed straight for them to think happy thoughts, instead of getting them out of the goddamn way.

I liked the developments in this episode, because while I’m actually one of those people who’s okay with Yeon-jae making supremely selfish choices in light of her condition, I still wanted her to acknowledge the fallout from doing so. I don’t need her to be heroic or noble, and in fact I prefer her to be realistically selfish, but it’s time she faced the shitstorm she’s sitting in, and confronted the consequences of her choices.

The still stupid part is her decision to break up with him, since that doesn’t actually stop him from suffering (see: mack truck, above). But clearly, the drama knows what it’s doing in letting her make the attempt to break it off and having him so quickly discover the truth, just as the drama’s second half gets going in earnest. I know it would’ve been nice if she had actually chosen to tell him the truth, but it’s consistent with her character that she thought this was for the best. Oh that I could beat the long-suffering heroine out of you. Thankfully all that really matters is that he knows now, which changes the whole game.

 
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Yay been waiting for this but before I read it I'm gonna go watch episode 9. : )

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Was I the only one pulling my hair out as he was walking ever so slowly to the hospital room door?

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Uh. no...I was screaming "WALK FASTER DAMNIT THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORE MINUTES LEFT IN THE EPISODE"

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OMG I WAS SAYING THE EXACT THING! I kept looking at the time as he walked in the door to the hospital!

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hahaha!

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hahaha lol i laugh aloud reading ur comments. so true. After watching it i stil like to come here read d recaps- not just cause girlfriday's humour gets me going- i love reading funny n somtyms insightful comments from everyone else

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LOL
btw, GF, thanks for your recap and thoughts

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haha! My thoughts exactly ;)

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Kind of... I was focusing more on the look on his face as soon as he reached the hospital: dread, disbelief, anxiety, apprehension, unease, confusion... Especially his eyes when he realized that he was in the Cancer Ward. Gosh... My heart broke when he asked Eun Seok "Is the Lee Yeon-jae here the Lee Yeon-jae I know"?

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I felt exactly the same . Actually , the show is more about him than about Lee yeon - Jae . Maybe that's why she is crying so much - I guess every one will say this is a lame joke .
I feel uneasy about the writer's choice : very hot sometimes and so suggestive that the actors fill awkward ( thumb's scene ) and sometimes as shy as teenagers , specially the way they kiss .
Anyway , it is such a good drama to follow !

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right there with ya. my heart was in pieces and i guess it showed on my face because my hubby did a double take as he walked by me and was all "what happened? whats wrong?" and i told him to "shush! there is only 1 minute left!" lol

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LOL!!!! lucky your husband saw you. when SOAW comes on i kick everyone out my room so i can become engulfed in it. it's like CRACK for me. every saturday and sunday i get on this drama-coaster ride I start feeling jittery like my body knows it's about to start and when it do start i scream, cry, laugh, get all hot an bothered (Tango), sometimes the ride end so fast i'm like WTH? it's over already...hahaha

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And if you add Eun-seok's feelings into the equasion: seeing all of those emotions on the face of your rival, and knowing that his discovery will hurt him which will destroy the woman you love, making things EVEN more heart-breaking for you.

Poor Eun-sook!

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That was awesome acting by LDW btw =D awesome!!!

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kim sun-ah is the best korean actress i know... no one can portray emotions like her esp when she cries.... we laugh when she laughs .. cry when she cries... she really pulls u in... love u...

but i really didn't like how the mom told LYJ abt her feelings abt her dad's death... i mean no parent should do tat to their child.... being so open abt their parent's pain will only hurt the children more even if she was not suffering from cancer...

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so true, ive never seen a more talented emotive korean actress than kim sun ah, she has a gift for moving the heart and making you truly believe, for that moment, in what shes portraying and making u empathise with her character, relating it to your own life and people around u. thats what true acting is all about i guess.

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LOL!!! me too i was holding my breath so long, and shouting run damn u run and when he was about to open the door, i thought PUSH it just push the dang door! hahaha

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HAHAHA

LOVE IT!

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Thanks GF and haha lol same ^^ was like hurry it along....

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I miss Episode 3, when the two were carefree in Okinawa and had the best time of their lives. The sunny and flirtatious song, Bluebird, seemed to capture their mood (as well as the future directions of the drama) perfectly. But then, the next 7 episodes arrived with so much foreboding, angst and fragility, even during rare moments of happiness, which is better summed up by You Are So Beautiful.

Which opposite will prevail in the end?

In Episodes 9 and 10, I cried my heart out each time Kang Ji Wook cried (but not when Lee Yeon Jae cried or collapsed). His tears truly pain me. I suspect that the next 6 episodes will tear my hearts to pieces and do some serious damages. Instead, can Kang Ji Wook and Lee Yeon Jae bravely opt for happiness and great memory together until the end comes?

Based on the 10 episodes thus far aired, it seems that Scent of a Woman is really about Kang Ji Wook, not Lee Yeon Jae. Thus, Lee Yeon Jae’s final months from diagnosis of cancer to death constitute the narrative structure (the mileposts) of the drama, while Kang Ji Wook brings the dramatic substance (the meat) to the drama.

Moreover, though Lee Yeon Jae may be the catalyst for Kang Ji Wook’s transformation (and growing pains) leading to a new life and ultimate manhood, Lim Sae Kyung, as someone with her own tragic past to reconcile and transformation to undergo, appears to be groomed to become Kang Ji Wook’s companion for life. (Dr. Chae Eun Seok’s place in the drama is still unclear, though.)

This sudden realization startled me a little. I am now watching an entirely different drama, though this is fine by me.

By the way, does anyone know the make and model of the red sports car that Kang Ji Wook drives?

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Thank you for the recap! It cleared up what #8 was, and why he did the things he did.

Of course, the movie isn't Pretty Woman but Terms of Endearment, so he needs to get a new plan...

I agree with this: Based on the 10 episodes thus far aired, it seems that Scent of a Woman is really about Kang Ji Wook, not Lee Yeon Jae. since this journey won't end with YJ's death. In the time it took for him to realize she was in the cancer ward, you can already see his thoughts converting. "How can I make her love me?" changing to "How am I going to make her remaining time with me better?" He has already shown himself to be a man with a plan; I can't wait to see what he comes up with.
I hope he makes her take care of him a little, and pouts a couple more times. It just makes me so happy to see that side of him. He prolly hasn't been able to get his way on childish things since his mama died.

They did a great job casting LDW for this role because he can do all sorts of magic things with words on the page, and even more when he doesn't speak. With his large gleaming eyes, and soft sad mouth, he is our little boy in a man's body. Already from beginning of the series, he has grown up before us. Now that he has to be the strong one, now that he gets to take care of the one he loves, rather than play games and regret, he will grow up even more, and yes, he rips my heart right out.

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Jomo, i love love LOVE how you pointed out that wookie is that little boy in a man's body, because i think that's why i react to his so intensely. his face, his expressions, his eyes.. it's all so gaddamn EARNEST and honest and asking for love, yunno? (someone love this boy, quick! or i will)
and now, as you say, he has to be the strong one, and his eyes-- I SWEAR you see the moment where his expression changes from, "i need love" to "i'm gonna love you". and that. just. kills. you forget how earnest little boys can be, and this is just such a great portrayal of that. :D

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omg, I love both your comments (yours and Jomo's). I couldn't have said it better.

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maria
he is a great actor

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I agree with you about Yeon-Jae being a catalyst for Ji-Wook growth.

But it seems to me in most k-dramas that is the situation. The female lead is fully human and their interaction with the (damaged or undeveloped) male lead cause them to take the final step into adulthood or humanity.

Secret Garden, Best Love, Kim Sam Soon

49 Days is the rare exception. The female leads Yi-Kung and Ji-hung were both damaged or undeveloped.

Han Kang was the full human lead=wihich is usually the female role.

Kang Min Ho is your usual damaged male lead.

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LDW reminds me of a puppy dog, I couldn't pinpoint at first what was so attractive about him, but that face when he's sad and pouting.....just shoots you straight in the heart. XD

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@Dominique: Thank you! That's a great way to view the remaining episodes because it returns meaning to what seems to be a meaningless waste of LJY's life.
The result being we get a different kind of inspiring happy ending.

@Jomo re LDW casting. That describes exactly what is so appealing about LDW. Hot new body aside, LDW's big eyes and wide lips were evoking 'gecko' to me for a while.
*beating off the fan girls*

Full frontal facial shots are his worst angle. But when those eyes and that mouth are used to convey "vulnerable but determined" man-boy...sigh.

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OH ...OH MY ..
I LIKE READING YOU REPLY ....

and even more when he doesn’t speak. With his large gleaming eyes, and soft sad mouth, he is our little boy in a man’s body. Already from beginning of the series, he has grown up before us. Now that he has to be the strong one, now that he gets to take care of the one he loves, rather than play games and regret, he will grow up even more, and yes, he rips my heart right out.

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I would have an absolute cow if show was to go the route of even hinting that SK & JW was to be the eventual pairing. Even far far far into the future That just gets a huge "Oh Hell No!" from me.

Normally the evil second lead doesn't get to me, but this time I literally can't stand her. I swear I can feel my blood pressure go up every time she is on the screen. :)

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@trixicopper

maybe that's why they've been exaggerating the rich-bitch look with Dynasty-dresses, orange lipstick and evyl eyes. Perhaps she'll undergo some change as well and we'll see the softer more human part of her appear for the next 6 episodes. I've never seen this actress elsewhere before, but someone posted that she's actually got a pleasant side to her.

That, or they can always develop her further as In-Hee Bot, v.2. :)

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I wasn't talking about the actress. She is obviously doing a great job or I wouldn't have the reaction to her character that I do. :)

It's the character. To me she has NO redeeming value at all. What, I'm supposed to feel sorry for her because her ex was/is a douche? A lot of people have exes who were rotten. That's why they're exes. It is not a get out of jail free card to treat others like garbage.

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the actress is Seo Hyo Rim and she also played second lead in Sungkyunkwan Scandal... but i best know her for hosting some music shows before and she is quite charming... it actually surprises me to see her very bitchy here so i commend her acting... in SkkS, she plays a naive brat LOL, and uses her big eyes to act innocently surprised and a way of trying to win the main lead's affection...

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Or have her suffer amnesia, be taken in by a blue-collar hunk who tries to get even with her earlier nastiness by lying to the now amnesiac Sae Kyung that she's actually his fiance, etc. Jo Anna redux.

That would be an awesome way to humble Sae Kyung.

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I don't think she deserves Kurt Russell.

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LOL! I forgot. The original that wasn't the original was Overboard, ey? I was thinking Oh Ji Ho in Fantasy Couple.

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I don't know why anyone would want to see SK and JW together. I hate when people start put the main lead and the second lead together, not because they really think they should be together, but because they realize the main pairing may not work out.....because one of them is gonna die.

SK does not love JW. She wants him cause she thinks YJ is trying to take him away from her for revenge. So far she has shown very few sincere feelings towards him...why would anyone wish SK on JW. ugh. Then both their father's can rule JW life till they "pick out the coffin he's buried in."

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It's a Spirra.

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Thanks Jughead, I was wondering what kind of car it was myself - it amazes me how Hye-won completely fails to spot it at the hospital, despite it being the only other car there... oh well....

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Lol, I felt the same way as you when his red trendy RED car arrived just behind her taxi. How can you not notice this car, which could be spotted from miles away, tailing behind you, lol ???? But on the other hand I suppose it wouldn't be totally illogical to think that she was so preoccupied and worried about her cancer friend that she missed it...

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How you do you know she didn't spot it?
Maybe she even told the driver to slow down so he could stay on her trail?

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Oh Jomo - you are wise in the ways of convoluted kdrama plottings...

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Saekyung and Jiwook? I would just be so annoyed--but not surprised. Only b/c it would it mean that Yeonjae's not around. Just let me bathe in the river of de-nile. Please. I mean, maybe it'll be the opposite of 49 Days where we got the opposite of what we'd be led to see happening?

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There was a moment when Dr. Eun Seok refused to do Sae Kyung's bidding in her dad's hospital room when I thought that a Eun Seok-Sae Kyung pairing could be kind of awesome. Can't you just see him refusing to bow down to her wealth and power, while she counters his brusqueness with her own rude comments?

I hope Ji Wook and Sae Kyung don't end up together in the end. I think it would be hard to redeem her character enough to convince the audience that she deserves the happy ending with Ji Wook. And even if the two choose of their own will to marry each other, it's still going along with their fathers' plans, of which the Yeon-Jae-inspiration is supposed to help them break free.

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Nope - I'm still shipping Eun Seok with Veronica the tango teacher, although she's been sadly absent from this episode.

As Malta has said earlier, Sae Kyung is an example of someone who needs to be single for a while :)

Eun Seok has been very human in his responses to Yj, even apologising to her. I'm just wondering why he is so abrasive with his other patients.

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Me too! Eun Seok and Veronice would be interesting!! Maybe she'll be his tango partner for the hospital's 50th Anniversary celebration? ;)

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I think it has potential.... hmmmm....

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I agree with all your comments.....except the part on Sae Kyung.....she does not deserve KJW.

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Looks like a Korean sports car called a Spirra.

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"it seems that Scent of a Woman is really about Kang Ji Wook"

STRONG *****

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Loving this drama! I am preparing the tissues already!

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YAY......!!! i've refreshed every minute.....thank u...thank u ^^

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yippie.. I'm first thanx for the recaps can't wait for the subs. very good drama, I already cry before I watch it.,, :_(

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i really enjoy your recap miss koala.. thanks a lot

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wrong site, LOL

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holy buhjeebus! wrong site!!

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First???? WOOOOOHOoooo this drama just getting beter and better

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ohhh i enter first but comment later!!!

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ksa and ldw are very very talented actors who make the story so believeable that i am rooting for them to live on forever!! bravo!! super hot couple...

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yessss i'm agree wit u!!! hiks but please no sad/bad ending please.... :(((

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i think they r really a power couple here...they complement each other...kudos to both of them!!

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Every once in a while I catch myself regretting that KSA has to die. Then I get really happy and remember it's only a SHOW!

We WILL see her again. Yay!

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have i ever told u how much i love your recaps ?

i think i probably read your recaps even before i go searching for the next episode to watch online.

thanks again .... while i calm myself down before i go in my online search for the episode

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I am not all that crazy over the OTP or anything (other than that Tango scene). I watch this drama as a breezy drama, despite the fact the heroine will likely die at the end.

I just wanted to preface my following comment with that.

I don't think Eun-seok is in love with Yeon-jae. She was his first crush "first love" from elementary school. Perhaps he never really liked anyone else afterwards, since he was busy studying and being a top doctor and all that. But I certainly don't think he spent all his years pining over Yeon-jae.

When she came back into his life, his feelings did re-surface and he started liking her again. But it's not so far as being completely in love with her. Does he like her, yeah. Will he be devastated, yeah. But since he found out about Ji-wook, any thoughts he may have had about pursuing her her, or making it anything more are gone.

Does he still like her? Yes. But I wouldn't classify it as being in love with her. But then again, I'm picky like that.

Overall, I like how Eun-seok is being written and portrayed. He's not some hapless second lead who is hopelessly in love with the heroine. And it looks like it's going to stay that way, which I am extremely glad for.

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Ooooh--that's a nice reading into Eunseok's character. You're right about him being much more palatable as a 2nd lead--they can often get soooo 2-dimensional in their pining. It definitely helps that it's Um Kijoon we're talking about here.

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I really like him as the second lead. I think I'm going to say I think he's a better second lead than Pil Joo. Because Pil Joo was the perfect guy (with the exception of his mother) in love with the heroine, who we knew would lose.

I prefer someone like Eun-seok. I don't want him to be in love with her. Liking her a bit, and then things going another way is one thing. But I don't know why I would want the second lead I like to be in love with the heroine that is not in love with him and won't ever be, because she found someone else before he could get a chance.

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The last sentence. Hah! Yet I go gaga over poor Ryu in Spy Myung Wol. But I guess the difference there is that I really root for him to win the girl. It was obvious from the beginning that Ryu loves MW.

While with Eun-seok, I never really rooted for him to get Yeon-jae.

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I agree with your analysis of eun sook's character. But i also think that he believes himself in love with her, all 20+years. But he really is not in love with yoon jae because she is a different person from the nine year old girl he met in school. He is in love with a girl named lee yoon jae, but that may not be the woman who is yoon jae now.

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SHE CHANGED HIM,,SHE REALIZED HIM FROM HIS HYDEN DARK WAY OF LIFE ...

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Hear hear!! I agree completely!!

Is it only me who feels so badly for poor Eun seok rather than jiwook? The way he looks at her and tries so hard to not show his true feelings, as well as he is the one helpless to save her life. That even though they met again, he will not have a 2nd chance...esp with Jiwook cutting in his dance...

I am dreading the ending .... probably Ji wook will be left with his little potted plant... and... Eun seok.... his copy of Anne of green gables.... >.<

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Weirdly enough, I'm emotionally detached from this drama. Not to say I don't like the drama. I do. And it's shot and acted so well.

If there is a character I understand most, though. It would be Eun-seok

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"I don’t think Eun-seok is in love with Yeon-jae. She was his first crush “first love” from elementary school. "

I agree...I know kdramas are liberal with their use of ummm reality, but the whole childhood love thing is my biggest pet peeve cliche. Elementary school children don't fall in love. >:(

I really like Eun seok, but he really shouldn't be her doctor given the feelings he does have for her (even if they aren't romantic love). Doctors generally don't treat their own family members or close friends because it's too stressful and their decision making is compromised. Like when YJ arrived at the hospital in an ambulance, Eun seok didn't look like a doctor concerned about his patient, he seemed like a friend/relative who was in distress over the whole situation.

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About him treating her despite knowing her personally, I've been wondering about that as well.

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@firsttimenewbie: same thoughts! :)

Eun Sook likes (or is in-'love') with the Lee Yeon-jae from his childhood (memories).

Ji Wook is in love with Lee Yeon-jae (who will leave him with memories... *if Yeon-jae dies... (is it still an 'if'?))

(oh no, its the last line of Junsu's 'You are so Beautiful' and lyrics of 'Another Day' by Buckshot LeFonque all over again.)
*these songs and Kang Ji-wook. T_T*

this memories talk... makes me teary-eyed............

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I agree, except I do think Eun-seok likes her for who she is now. It's just he's not in love with her, and he's stopped himself from falling for her further and kept his feelings in check as soon once he found she was going out with Ji-wook.

I will also point out, that Yeon-jae was kind of interested in Eun-seok in the beginning, the same way she was in Ji-wook when she first saw him. Like the obvious--see a good looking successfull guy, size up your chances, see if you can make a move.

It's just Eun-seok shut it down with his don't care/don't remember attitude.

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why do i get the feeling he will go back in the arrange marriage i hope that wont happen i just have this hunch he will go back in the engagement i dont know why

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SO GOOD!

Thank you! WHEEEEEEEEE Finally! I'm so happy about this drama. 6 full episodes to deal with the cancer! YAY for good plot development!

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The pic is very nice with the fireworks and the river

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I knew i wasn't going to be able to sleep until i read this. I watched the episode w/o subs and almost died not knowing what they were saying \: Ive got to get my Korean on.......

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thank you for the recap!!! off to read it!!

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Thanks for the recap.

so happy they didn't prolong the noble sacrifice/ misunderstanding.

The moment Ji-wook saw the Cancer Ward sign the jig was up.

Loved the music they played during the break-up scene and at the end.

What is it?

Who is singing?

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i was thinking the same thing, the voice seems like im jae bum. been looking for that song all over the place. anyone has the title?

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It's JK Kim Dong Wook. Apparently, the song is called Bucket List. I think he has an amazing voice. His song Parallel Lines from the OST of Conspiracy in the Court (Seoul's Sad Song) is a favorite of mine.

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Thanks!

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I LIKE HIS VOICE
JK Kim Dong Wook - Bucket List - The Scent of a Woman OST (여인의 향기 OST)
Be with me when I miss you
Laugh with me when I'm happy
Protect my sad love and this moment right now

All I can do is just look
I can't do anything for you
It's so foolish, it's so stupid
That I am in love you

The lingering scent in my heart
The love that was only permitted to me
I'm so thankful, I'm so grateful
I am looking only toward you

Be with me when I miss you
Laugh with me when I'm happy
Please don't ever silently be sad and cry

Always look at me by my side
Until always, like this moment right now
Protect my sad love and this moment right now

Be with me when I miss you
Laugh with me when I'm happy
Please don't ever silently be in pain and cry

Always look at me by my side
Until always, like this moment right now
Protect my sad love and this moment right now

Always stay by my side

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This drama... I didn't really expect it to be awesome but it's so awesome right now... I think we're facing a sad ending but right now, this show is really worth watching. :')

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Sae-kyung tells Yeon-jae that it doesn’t matter what she does to seduce him, because “Like marry like.”

IDK maybe she was just voicing her support for same-sex marriage.

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LOL

I have nothing to add, except it really did get a good laugh out of me.

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OK,that was funny. :)

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ROTFL!!!!

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LMAO

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ROFLMAO

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gah. i can't believe it. i was making up the script in my head because the subs weren't available yet and when the scene came up as he walked through the hallway after her friend. i held my breath for the longest time.

this drama is amazing in every way. a- may- zang!

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Thank you so much for the recap!

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I really like the fact that this drama never beats around the bush. When ji-wook said that he's going crazy because of her, the viewers already knew that yeon-jae knows that what he is actually is that he likes her... unlike other dramas where the man/woman obviously likes the each other but has to go through A LOT OF RITUALS/SHENANIGANS just to prove that they REALLY do like each other. It was palpable all throughout that they both know they're attracted to each other.

and you know, being that the drama is direct and all, a little SEXY time won't hurt. hehe :D

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**actually saying...***

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I can understand that Yeon-jae was playing the noble idiot by saying she wanted to break up w/ him. I mean... if this were real life, she couldn't be sure if Ji-wook would really care about her enough to want to stay with her knowing that she's terminal. He could just be a jerk and walk away from her. But for the drama's sake, I wasn't worried that she called it off bc we already know they're gonna end up together. And thank goodness Ji-wook finds out now rather than 4 episodes later when it'll just be anti-climactic.
I do miss the happy moments when she was healthier though. The tango scenes. The time spent between Yeon-jae and Eun-seok. The trip to Okinawa. I feel like all those events passed by too quickly. Maybe that's just the way life is. It all goes by too fast and may be too late unless we make the most of each day. But I have hope Yeon-jae will fulfill all the stuff on her bucket list. And I also hope the little plant survives 'til the end of the drama and it symbolizes something GOOD.

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Seems that the route this drama writer going to go, that at the end, after Yeon-Jae passing, since the MOE still in place, SaeKyung will have chance to maintain her relationship with Ji Wook. (A purely business relationship)
Damn!
So there goes the brooding period of Ji Wook in last episode, and how he will live on.. ("for Yeon-Jae"'s live per sae I supposed)

Or... I would rather Ji Wook to travel around the world and see the world that Yeon-Jae couldn't experienced herself. That would be a beautiful ending. But still in reality that would be just a sad saddddd ending too!!! Live goes on Ji-Wook!!!

That's just my penny worth though.

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I can absolutely see Ji Wook doing that. Travelling around the world living life to the fullest, all in her name.

Oh, also, I hope in the next episode she's honest with him. If he tells her that he knows, and asks her if that's why she broke up with him and asks why she started dating him in the first place, I hope she just says that she wasn't thinking and she was selfish but then she fell in love with him and realised it would be worse for him in the long run to get any closer to her.

I really want to know how he's going to react to all of this. Next week can't come soon enough!

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I can live with that, as long as there is disclosure.

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Thanks, been waiting the whole day :)

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Awh, he finally found out. At least she doesnt have to suffer alone now :(

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Thanks for the recap! This episode would have been perfect if it wasn't for the horrible Saekyung and Elitist Dad scenes. Seriously, cancer is already enough angst! I'm sooooo glad that Ji Wook found out!

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I miss those happy days of sexy tango scenes. I'm so sad about Kang Ji Wook and Yeon Jae's mother suffering in the future. But I have to say, while I get that they might put him and that awful creepy woman together, I certainly hope they don't. She appears selfish in every way and, if she's starting to like Ji Wook, why the hell would she want to hurt him that way? Just out of spite for the woman she wrongly accused of stealing?
I can cope with Yeon Jae dying but not with Sae-Kyung and Ji Wook being together in the end. Maybe if she grows up a little, I can take a friendship out of them, but not a romantic relationship. I think he should just end up alone but hopeful of a new love.
Thank you so much for the recaps, girlfriday, I always read them while I'm watching, since I don't understand korean and therefore have to wait the whole day anyway for the subs. I love your insights into the story and I too believe that the noble act is very outdated.
On another note, I'm totally in love with Ji Wook's character and Lee Dong Wook. He's got beautiful lips and a cute smile and has been so adorable lately.

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I'm with you on many levels. Lee Dong Wook pulls off a great disinfected young rich dude with a troubled past, and he's oh-so luscious, and when he and Kim Sun Ah are together I do feel the chemistry between the two!

I also like how they keep Ji Wook consistently disinterested in Sae Kyung, so I hope the writers don't mess things up and create a romance btwn the two. I like the sub-plot of Sae Kyung's personal growth due to Ji Wook's influence, whether he's aware of it or not, even better that it's intentional he's unaware of it.

BTW - this drama got me interested in LDW so much I watch La Dolce Vita (aka Bittersweet Life), which made me feel that he was even more appropriate for his role.

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Agres with you on LDV.
Those of you who really love LDW should run over to Dramafever, or where ever your drama pusher/fixer is and watch all 24 episodes in three days. I plan on rewatching it soon.

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Jomo, I feel like I have reached my Recommended Angst Levels for this week. I'll give Dolce Vita a shot after SoaW is finished...

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are the next episodes gonna be like:

he helps her fulfill her bucket list while "he knows, but she doesn't know that he knows" ?

</3

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Yes, he will be by her side to help fulfil all those wishes.
That's our adorable JW.

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sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosad

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ohhhhhh,,, I'm Late today :(

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I'm crying seeing Ji Wook in a lot of tears,,,, How dare you make my man cries:( I can't imagine when he find out about Youn Jae's cancer will he cry like that again. Please writer don't let Ji Wook cries anymore...

Sae Kyung is the most evil bitch I've ever seen in K-Drama. Hate her so much.....

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That metaphor yeon jae's mom said about a nail being hammered into her heart that was inching inwards more as the days passed........this drama is like that for all of us I guess with each episode. T_T

But don't you think it's too simple if they take either route, tragic ending or happily-ever-after? They might choose the "interpretative" ending instead, "yeon jae lives longer past her remaining 5 months, but is still terminally ill, and may or may not survive, yet Ji Wook stays by her side and although the future is uncertain, they cherish the moments they have together in the present." They can even trick us into thinking she dies, but then fast forward to the scenario I mentioned above.

But then they might just kill her off, since that would leave the biggest impact on all of us T_T. NOOOOOO, I DON'T WANT THAT!!!!

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They might make us think she died

then give us a scene that suggests she's alive

then have that scene imply that she is in heaven or
that it is a figment of someone imagination

and then have that figment of imagination be a dream

of Ji-wook's daughter who was dreamt up the whole series because on her wedding day her father is sharing the story of his wedding to his first love who died of cancer

or so the thought. . .

but. . .

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damn you just me me sadder with this scenario.Oh man...

of Ji-wook’s daughter who was dreamt up the whole series because on her wedding day her father is sharing the story of his wedding to his first love who died of cancer

Oh man oh man that would be so Kdrama-ish but so so so sad.That is because you're right,I think Yeon Jae is his first love.

Sigh and we all know 1st love is sacred.SIGH again.

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First love is sacred unless he was actually crushing on your best friend the whole time.

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the daughter dreaming is fair game for the screen writers, but somehow all of that might be too much at the end. Too many things going on might not leave as much of a powerful impact as it would if it were just a simple wrap-up. Which is why I'm so uneasy about this drama, b/c the more I think about which method is the best to wrap things up, the more I think they're going to kill her. Dammit, this drama is so sad, yet addicting T_T

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The best ending would be her dying, but I kind of want them to go "bugger it, she's gonna live". Like in Stranger than Fiction. In the end, the author doesn't kill the character. And it means her book isn't as good but she thought he was worth keeping alive anyway. Lol, not like that at all really but i'm sticking with it.

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I'm all teary eyed. And this is just a scenario.

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I wouldn't mind if someone is telling this story in the future about YJ's life, but she has to die in the story to give it impact.

The writers are doing everything they can to make sure we understand that SHE WILL DIE! There aren't any clues to the opposite.

Despite being on the new drug, she has already lost some of her time because the tumor got bigger.

She got down on her hands and knees in front of the doc to beg to live. He couldn't comfort her because he has been treating terminal patients for years. He cannot give her false hope. They didn't have him give a hero "I will climb to the top of Mt. Lily and find that miracle drug found only in the rarest high elevation evergreens...I WILL save you." speech.

(Though I wish he would.)

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"The writers are doing everything they can to make sure we understand that SHE WILL DIE! There aren’t any clues to the opposite."

I am already bracing myself for LYJ's death.

This drama reminds me of Love Story. There was no way that story could make the impact it did if the character played by Ali McGraw did not die.

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T_T its a higher possibility that she will die...

Bucket List Number 20.

i think its just a matter of "when". T_T

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I think imma ready my box of tissue :(

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Thank God.. JW found out about YJ's illness so quickly within 1 day after she broke off with him.. I can't stand misunderstanding that goes on for too long... Now.. It will really be interesting to see how JW cope with YJ's illness.. I really hope that YJ will find out that JW knows her illness... Will love to see the open and honest relationship between them and how they cherish their time together with the clock ticking for YJ.

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thanks for the recap! this story reminds me abit of the movie "a walk to remember".

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i havent even watched this episode yet and im crying like a baby here! this drama is so good and so sad. he finally found out!! THANK YOU!!!

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So so so glad he found out! It means that the Doc is gonna have to watch him be around Yeon Jae a lot more though, that won't be good for his heart :-(. God this was a sweet and sad episode, every episode just makes me love this show more and more.

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Thanks for the recap off to read now.

I've just watched ep 10.All I can say without writing an essay isthis...it hurts so good.

No other way to say :-(

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Miracle anyone...maybe she can live? Healed by the power of LOVE and the super skill of Dr. Poopypants. Can I have one Kdrama where the person doesn't die of cancer, please.......

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but, it will be a really bad ending since in real time, advanced cancer can't be healed no matter what.. hahahaha..

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That "me present" gesture reminded me of Dokko Jin.

While I have nothing against prostitutes or call girls per se, I do wish that the Julia Roberts character is Pretty Woman would stop being called up as an appropriate fantasy aspiration for women/girls.

That being said. . .

This is the second time in a K-drama where the rich guy buying his girlfriend a new outfit made sense.

The first time was in Coffee Prince when the Han Kyul bought his faux gay lover a suit. If you hire people you need to pay for their work clothes.

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Dokko Jin - yes!

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Yeah.. The I'm-your-present! gesture is sooo Dokko Jin.. ^^
also when he talks in goofy way saying, “Tomorrow, I’m sorry… yes I do!” it also reminds me so much of Dokko Jin..

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god my heart ached alot while watching this episode....

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This is the first time I've just read your recaps without watching the actual show. I do want to watch it, and these recaps only make it seem more tantalizing.

Beautiful writing job when Yeon-jae tells Eun-seok she wants to live. I'm sure it was poignant in the show but I teared up reading that part of the recap, and now I definitely want to start watching this show and catch up before next week.

On a side note, this camera is great for locations but is it just me or does the very high-detail of this camera make everyone look a lot less glamorous? (e.g. all the tendons in Sae-kyung's neck)

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I'm happy with the detail. Especially when it's shower time... or close up LDW's hands. Ooh veiny, big strong hands... *fanning self AGAIN* now see what you made me do....

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All the more for me to notice Wookie's big broad shoulders during the backhug.

Did you notice the screencap above.My what big shoulders you have Ji Wook :-)

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The post daddy rant back hug was one of the best visuals i've seen of a back hug.

Because of his height and her diminished size, he totally engulf her and seemed like a bulwark against all harm (except cancer-darn!!)

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Those tendons are signs of a tyrannosaur in the making.

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She reminds me of a velociraptor, small and vicious.

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"That’s like telling someone with a mack truck head straight for them to think happy thoughts, instead of getting them out of the goddamn way." I'm sorry thats just epic

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Thanks 4 the recap i'm really <3 ing this drama :)

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Im dissapointed because I wanted her to told him that she has cancer. My wish had no fundation given her actions and thoughts and her friend's reaction. But I really don't like the cliche road when the lead breaks up with the other lead "for his/her good" like girlfriday said, it will never make them good. Thank god he knows now, I like that.
It killed me when I read the "I have you" part.Of course you have him, but he wants you and he cant have you! And if Ji-wook goes to her treatments, Eun-seok will see them. He knows they love each other, but its hard to watch it.
Thank you for the recap!

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I wish Yeon jae had told him too, but at least he found out really quick. I'm really interested to see what Ji wook does now. Does he let her know that he knows or does he keep it a secret...

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I understand your feeling but

But I can see Yeon-Jae perspective

Hye-Won is a crying mess

Yeon-Jae's Mom has given every indication of being unable to deal with her cancer

and

stated watching your love one die is like having a nail hammered into your heart

Yeon-jae hardly knows Ji-wook

-so if he is a lightweight- he'll run

-and if he has staying power she can watch him suffer while a nail is being hammered into his heart.

It would be nice is Ji-wook is the person that help Yeon-Jae's Mom deal with Yeon-Jae's illness.

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Love this show so much.

Time and time again it has surprised me, in the good way, and therefore I have absolute confidence that it will have the best ending ever.

Really, really glad that Ji Wook knows finally, I was hoping that Yeon jae would be the one who told him, but there is only so much courage a person can have, no? Perhaps she didn't realise the extent of his love; in the fireworks scene you can literally see her thinking that this is too much, this is all too much, too much for her to bear. It's such a bittersweet episode, oh my.

On a side note: Break my heart will you, KSA? She must have like a hidden tap inside of her. Sigh.

Scent of a Woman, <3

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And BTW, the OST for this show is out.

It it utterly GORGEOUS, eck.

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By all that is holy, episode 10 just made me bawl like a freakin’ baby.

Dang. They just love each other so much and it’s making me cry even if they seem happy at the beginning of the episode because i know the time would come when Ji Wook would lose Yeon Jae and it would just break him.

Like the “crush his heart, rip it out of his chest and then pulverize it until it turns to hamburger” kind of heartbreak.

Dammit. The way he looks at her with so much love in his eyes just crushed me.

And the agony on both of their faces when she broke up with him?

Ugh. It gets me right HERE. *points to heart*

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY DO YOU TORTURE US SO SHOWWWWWWWWWW???

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY???

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Heartbreak abound.

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the scene whereby YJ was crying and begging ES to save her life is the most heartbreaking scene eva...
i was crying buckets and feeling both YJ and ES sadness.. for him not being able to do anything more to save her and for her... wanting to be able to live just a bit longer. to be begging for your life... that is really sad.
I love KSA, her acting skill is truly the best ever.. when she's acting all shy and cutely (scene where she blows JW hands upon getting hurt), i was so happy for her and when she is feeling the pain and fainting, i was so worried for her... it seems like she was really in pain.

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Thank you again and again!

I only had 3 hours of sleep, right after the live viewing, i watched Ep 10, in YT (Thanks to psycho_2005) I don`t want to do anything except to watch Ep.10 over and over again. My eyes are swollen...huhuhu!
Last night, my husband was asking me if I understand the dialogue in the drama, he even remove my earphone to hear if it`s in English, he asked; how can you watch a drama that U don`t understand. I said...I don`t need to understand, i just need to feel the emotion that it convey. Funny that he was so curious about it...hehehe!
He even said that since 2005, I only watch drama if it`s Suna is the actress in it, he asked me why I`m so loyal and avid fan of Suna and I said... because she is like a chameleon, she can transform herself into the character and that makes her a brilliant actress!

SOAW writer, if you read this, I have a favor to ask, can U include a bed scene of YJ and JW in the remaining 6 episode, I think YJ forgot to put that on the bucket list...hahaha!

Needless to say, KSA once again proves that she is a remarkable actress, one of a kind!
I can see to her eyes and skin complexion the pressure of making this drama, I believe this is the most difficult role that she ever made in TV-drama. all her crying scene are so touching and acting out when she`s in pain, seems so real.

My only wish is for YJ and JW to be married and live as a couple and if were lucky, we might see a romantic honeymoon. After last night episode, i don`t want to carry this heavy feeling anymore. I`m looking forward to a happy and romantic episode next week.

I have the feeling that JW will be brave enough to enter YJ hospital room and let her know that he knows the situation and assure her that he will be there till the end.

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Good to hear there are other confused husbands out there in the world.
A few days ago I heard him tell my kids, "She's watching shows without subtitles now!" The way he said it, you could substitute, "She is growing her own opium!"

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hahaha! You guys are so funny :) Has your husband ever watched any drama with you? I think husbands/boyfriend secretly want to join in on the obsession after a while! Naturally they want to know what it's all about.

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hahaha! My husband has pretty much accepted my kdrama addiction too (as if he has any choice). He's generally okay with it (read: grudgingly indifferent), maybe except for the gratuitous shower scenes where he noticed that I kept on hitting the playback button... *whistles*

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Jastinel, I think both of us share the same taste in korean actresses...KSA is the BEST!! No doubt abt it...like you I cannot pass any of her dramas, even the not too hot ones but then again, that was only 1 in a bunch of roses...wow, City Hall still gets to me soooooooooo deep...the chemistry is the best between her and CSW...and here...although i dun like the story line going that way....but she's so drop dead gorgeous and every episode, i am more entrapped!! And yes, my husband watches the show with me...yay!!! although he grumbles abt having to watch with me, i think he secretly enjoys it...he even shed some tears watching this chapter...hahhaha! 3 cheers to korean drama watching husbands!!!

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SOAW writer, if you read this, I have a favor to ask, can U include a bed scene of YJ and JW in the remaining 6 episode, I think YJ forgot to put that on the bucket list…hahaha!

I WISH THAT IT WILL HAPPEN.
OH MY GOD IT WILL BE LIKE A TORNADO ABOVE MANHATEN

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omg tears. :'(

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