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Wild Romance: Episode 1

Wild Romance faced some stiff competition during its premiere on KBS this past week, bringing up the rear as far as ratings were concerned. What it has going in its favor is a small and intimate world, funny characters, and a light storyline (like if zero-calorie-cola were a drama and not sadness in a can). Without really a hint of melodrama to be found in the first episode, we can at least be cautiously optimistic that the show will keep its tone and serve as a less-serious alternative than its fellow dramas – especially with our heroine’s family being as single-mindedly dedicated to their favorite baseball team as much as they are to our entertainment.

 
EPISODE 1 RECAP

Two opponents face off in crime-thriller lighting, with wind blowing through their hair and a serious guitar riff playing in the background. It’s not a competition so much as a one-sided affair, as he’s quickly thrown over her shoulder onto the cold, hard ground of humiliation.

A video of the throw has now gone viral, and it’s decently embarrassing (for him). No one may know who the girl with the perm is, but everyone knows the man that got tossed – he’s PARK MU-YEOL (Lee Dong-wook), a star baseball player for the Red Dreamers. He’s going through the ringer with his manager, KIM TAE-HAN (Kang Dong-ho), whose deadpan expression tells us that he’s managed many a scandal before.

It’s not as if he’s trying to Mu-yeol’s shiny image – to the contrary, Mu-yeol has the reputation of being voted as the worst role-model for children by parents. In fact, he’s an all around bad-tempered egg who’s even considered the worst sort of influence among celebrities (but at least he abides by the law).

Manager Kim isn’t the only one running damage control – the judo athlete who threw him, bodyguard YOO EUN-JAE (Lee Shi-young), has got the reputation of her agency to uphold. Unfortunately, she lets slip that she knew who he was before the fight to her boss, so it only makes it seem that much more unthinkable that she went through with it. Defending herself, she explains that he’s the Park Mu-yeol – a thug that plays for the Red Dreamers (said as though that’s the ninth circle of hell). Using intercut scenes, both parties are forced to explain the events that led up to the video.

So, it all started because it was her father’s birthday and he wanted to sing karaoke. Her boss seems to know her well, since she changes her story from “I didn’t drink” to “I didn’t drink much” to “Just one or two…” to “Three or four” to “Beer and soju mixed”. Ha.

The Dad in question, YOO YOUNG-KIL (Lee Won-jung) was having a grand time on his birthday… until he drunkenly stumbled into Mu-yeol’s karaoke room. It’s only until he made it back to his own room that the identity of the man he just apologized to dawns on him… and the face of excitement he makes? Priceless. A confrontation between Dad and Mu-yeol inevitably ensues, moving along briskly because the flashback is narrated along by both Mu-yeol and Eun-jae telling the same story (with differing details) to two different people.

Both storytellers get interrupted at every turn, with Eun-jae’s boss asking why her father would have bothered with Mu-yeol in the first place. She doesn’t need to answer, as we hear Mu-yeol answer the same question from his boss: “They’re anti-fans and rabid Seagulls fans.” Dad calls Mu-yeol a thief, because he stole the championship from the Seagulls. They are really serious about this – but when you consider that they are a family dedicated to everything Blue Seagulls, they start to make some (crazy) sense.

To his manager, Mu-yeol insists that he didn’t pick a fight… but when we flash back to the scene, we see his bad temper shining through. He tells Dad, “There’s always going to be people looking for an excuse for losing. We won because we were better. Your Seagulls sucked so they lost. What do you want me to do?” I really do like that he has no regard for his public image.

Naturally, Mu-yeol’s words get a rise from Dad, Blue Seagulls’ Number One Fan. Dad grabs the baseball jerk by the collar and causes a ruckus, which Eun-jae walks in on. Seeing her father on the floor she assumes the worst, and since she hates Mu-yeol on principle anyway, she swiftly disposes of him like a rag doll. None of her family members are apologetic – in fact, they all cheer as Mu-yeol lies on the floor, stunned. “If there’s anything that I did wrong,” Eun-jae explains in all seriousness to her boss, “it’s not being able to control myself at the sight of my old father falling.”

The animosity Eun-jae and her family have for Mu-yeol is not just because he’s a member of a rival team, rather because they hold him solely responsible for their team losing the Korean Series. During the game, Mu-yeol was up to bat, and kept dodging the ball that may or may not have been thrown directly at him. Taking it as an affront, Mu-yeol threw his bat to start a fight with the pitcher from the Blue Seagulls and both teams charged onto the field for the scuffle.

Eun-jae & Co. watched on, decked from head-to-toe in Blue Seagulls gear, elated when Mu-yeol was declared out. When their star pitcher was also declared out, though, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So that’s how the story goes. There’s a moment where Mu-yeol pulls off his shirt, showing the bruise he sustained from the fight to his manager like a little kid to his mom. When his manager does nothing, he asks innocently while still frozen in place, “Aren’t you going to take a picture?” He wants to sue, but that’s the exact opposite of what Manager Kim recommends – because if word gets out that Mu-yeol fought a girl, it’s over.

Things are going pretty much the same way with Eun-jae and her boss. He has to inform her that because she has a black belt, any use of her martial arts is considered a lethal weapon. Across space and time, both Eun-jae’s boss and Mu-yeol’s manager determine that they need to resolve this situation with each of their respective charges, stat. The only difference is that Manager Kim wants to solve the problem by finding Eun-jae, and Eun-jae’s boss wants to solve the same problem by never letting anyone know who she is.

Despite Eun-jae’s best intentions, she’s found out pretty easily and quickly by Manager Kim. She gulps at the sight of his business card – Red Dreamers – and soon finds herself stalking her boss’s office while the two men have a chat about how to handle this publicity nightmare. Her boss seems well-meaning but slightly bumbling, and is easily influenced by Manager Kim’s short and to-the-point manner. I can already tell who’s going to be calling the shots on this one.

Under Manager Kim’s orders, Mu-yeol has been sequestered to the house of friend and fellow baseball player, JIN DONG-SOO (Oh Man-seok). Dong-soo is the straight-man to Mu-yeol’s flights of fancy, and notes simply that Mu-yeol has taken up all the top internet searches lately. Mu-yeol then plays masochist, and reads all the negative comments being written about him on the internet. Most of them point out that he had his ass handed to him by a girl. Who’s the one who should have really been wearing a skirt in that video?

He’s interrupted by a phone call from his manager, and is prepared for a press conference. Both Eun-jae and Mu-yeol do their respective complaining, but in the end it’s no use – they’re being forcibly dragged off to answer to the public together. They meet for the first time since the throw on the way, and can’t get along for a second. Mu-yeol deliberately ribs her about how he’s not surprised she’s a bodyguard when she comes from a family of thugs, and it devolves into a “who started what” battle with Eun-jae bringing back the Korean Series game and accusing Mu-yeol of starting that fight.

How does he get back at her? He calls her an ajumma because of her hair. It’s mean, but pretty appropriate. She retaliates by calling him a thug, and he demands her apology for throwing him – which of course she doesn’t plan on giving. A great comedic moment results when Manager Kim opens the door to the press room, hears Eun-jae and Mu-yeol yelling, and calmly walks right back out.

Introducing Eun-jae to the press requires a little setup, as Manager Kim gives all the reporters copies of the many pictures and threatening letters Mu-yeol has received since the championship series. With such clear-cut threats on his life, Manager Kim explains, some protection was called for. It’s nice that we’re given answers through intercut scenes again, as we see Dong-soo receiving live updates from his home that explains the outcome of the press conference: Eun-jae, acting as Mu-yeol’s bodyguard, was simply teaching him a judo technique in the video. Everything else was misconstrued.

The reporters gathered are wary – but for every question they have, there’s an adequate answer. For instance, when one of them notes that Eun-jae wasn’t dressed like a bodyguard in the video, Mu-yeol rubs in the fact that she was supposed to dress casually… but he didn’t expect her to dress so terribly. She gets her revenge when one of the reporters asks about the danger of the throw, and Eun-jae pokes fun at how it wasn’t so bad, considering the fact that he’s supposed to be a big bad athlete.

And poof! Just like that, the bad comments disappear and the public tide is turned. They just have to keep up the farce of Eun-jae being Mu-yeol’s bodyguard to make sure everyone keeps believing it.

In my favorite scene of the episode, Eun-jae and Dad have a serious discussion about her being assigned to protect the enemy of enemies, Mu-yeol. This family literally lives, eats, and breathes Blue Seagulls, making for a fun take on severe fan culture. In a dead serious tone, her father comforts her (like she’s going off to freaking war), “Although your body may be by his side, your soul is blue.” Haha. Dad begins singing the Blue Seagulls anthem, and Eun-jae and her brother chime in at the end like it’s the ‘amen’ to a prayer.

He just has one request of his daughter… what if she tries breaking Mu-yeol’s wrist? You know, just a little, so he can’t bat anymore? She responds simply that she would go to prison, and Dad gets upset because she won’t take one for the team. Ha.

Eun-jae tries to make the best of her first day on the job, but she’s not getting any help from Mu-yeol. Her grudge stems from him playing for the Worst Team Ever, but his grudge just seems to be at being saddled with an anti-fan. They squabble in the car and outside of it, stopping only when Eun-jae face-plants him onto the car in an effort to ‘protect’ him. Pfft, some athlete he is.

If he does get one benefit out of her company, it’s that he’s batting better. Could be because he imagines her face on every ball he hits.

There has been many a man-child in dramas, but Mu-yeol is literally more and more like an actual child at every turn. Is there a reason to take Eun-jae up into the mountains just so he can tell her to find her own way back home? No, but he enjoys doing it all the same. His fun derives from other people’s misfortune – and now with Eun-jae to pick on, it’s like he’s drinking liquid happiness.

Eun-jae’s not much more of an adult, and after kicking his car she makes a run for it. But she’s without a phone and a means of getting home, so she tries to wave down any car she sees for a ride. She finally ends up stopping one, and she recognizes the woman inside as the same one she bumped into leaving the karaoke bar the night of the judo throw. She hasn’t been formally introduced yet, but we’ll go ahead and dispense with that here – she’s OH SOO-YOUNG (Hwang Sun-hee), apparently on her way to meet Mu-yeol and unable to give Eun-jae a lift.

That leaves our plucky heroine to walk home all on her own, cursing Mu-yeol every step of the way. It’s not surprising that she ends up sick because of it, but she doesn’t let that deter her from doing her fan duty to the Red Dreamers by posting salacious rumors about him on the internet. “He’s the biggest asshole in the world,” is the reasoning she uses to defend her actions. I have to appreciate her devotion – and the fact that her room looks like it should belong to a twelve-year-old boy.

The next day, Eun-jae is forced to attend to Mu-yeol at a Red Dreamers fan-signing event. She’s a little off her normal game because of her cold, of which Mu-yeol displays no sympathy – he just threatens her life should he catch it from her. Eun-jae is then forced to silently bear all his devout fans sing his praises, her negative thoughts boiling up inside. She’s got an answer for every word of praise, but it’s even funnier when she starts singing the Blue Seagulls anthem in her head to counteract a group of fans singing the Red Dreamers anthem.

Her boss is there with her, and notes a suspicious person in the crowd with a blue bag. She spots him, but can’t help overhearing two students that start lauding Mu-yeol and decrying how he was treated unfairly during the Korean Series – after all, it was the Blue Seagulls’ fault!

Mu-yeol is very well aware that this is a sore subject for Eun-jae, and takes pleasure in the fact that she can’t do anything about it. He even encourages the biased conversation just to see Eun-jae squirm every time the Blue Seagulls take a verbal hit. She looks like she’s about to pop, and Mu-yeol begins to laugh hysterically at her expense. Her mind is clearly elsewhere (and probably mentally beating the tar out of Mu-yeol), which gives a suspicious man in the crowd time to hurl an egg. Eun-jae sees it happening in slow motion, with the egg headed right toward her face…

…Except she chooses to dodge at the last moment, and the egg collides right into Mu-yeol’s face instead. Well, at least that stopped him from laughing. He has a cry about it in the shower later (don’t worry, it’s shot from the neck-up so we’re not missing it), which is nicely gratifying. (The cry, I mean. Not the shower.)

It’s celebration time at the Yoo household, and Dad’s prepared a feast made of money and pride for his daughter. Of the guy who threw the egg, Dad inquires, “What happened to our martyr?” Haha. Okay, the seriousness of his fan love is funny.

Eun-jae just needs a few drinks to loosen up, and it’s not long before she’s relating the Egg+Face=Victory story to her family with wild abandon, her energy and happiness contagious. They all cheer at the ending, unsurprisingly.

Elsewhere, in an unspecified but creepily-lit room, a hand repeatedly punches a picture of Mu-yeol. Hmm, so maybe the crazy anti-fan claims weren’t all made up after all.

It can’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Eun-jae intentionally dodged the egg, even though her boss knows it to be true. Still, Mu-yeol seems to be acting strangely kind and understanding when he calls her out to guard him on a jog that quickly turns into competitive running. He knows she dodged the egg on purpose, and encourages her to admit it – he’ll forgive her. After all, he started it, right?

When he eventually gets her to admit that she didn’t necessarily not dodge, he’s insanely happy about how he was right and she was wrong. He can’t figure out her tone, though, and tells her to either pick one or the other – formal or informal – but the second she switches to informal speech he threatens her with death.

With neither of them wanting to admit defeat first, they end up running close to twenty miles. By the end of it they’re practically crawling along, sweat pouring down their faces as night replaces day. Mu-yeol swears that he could go straight to the stadium in this condition, he’s that fine, but Eun-jae is the first one to veer off the path to vomit. Even though he can barely breathe himself, he declares himself the winner of his made-up competition.

Cell phones don’t exist in this world, apparently, so both Mu-yeol and Eun-jae find themselves stranded far from home. She’s the only one that tries to hail a car for a ride, and they peck at each other over even that. “A bodyguard isn’t a servant,” she has to remind him, but that tidbit falls on deaf ears. When another car fails to stop for them, he resorts to blaming it on her face. Mu-yeol: “There are faces like yours all over the wanted list.”

They start really going at it, and she hits him where it hurts (again) – the Korean Series game – claiming that he threw the bat because he couldn’t hit the ball even if he tried. No matter how he blusters, she doesn’t back down, and they bicker all the way home.

The fight continues even when they’re apart, albeit over the internet and under anonymous screen names. She’s doing her usual online character defamation of Mu-yeol, typing things such as, “When God made him, he got a bit lazy on the character part.” Mu-yeol is busy posing as a fan to defend himself, which is both sad and funny. Through a digital effect we see their words going back and forth to each other, but my favorite exchange is when he asks her who she is. To the faint tune of Star Wars, Eun-jae simply replies, “I am your father.”

Acting on an assumption, Mu-yeol accuses her of being… well, her. Eun-jae’s eyes widen, and she signs off immediately. He only gets to see that ‘World Without That Jerk’ has left the chatroom.

 
COMMENTS

This episode moved really fast, didn’t it? I’m normally all for getting to the point in dramas, and here we’re thrown into the thick of action (literally), with the root of the premise over and done with by the end of the first half. No fanfare, no frills, straight to the bodyguard-ing and bickering. Only – the show almost seemed to move too fast, but that might be because the stakes didn’t seem as high as they were being made out to be. For instance, Mu-yeol seemed to survive fine on his terrible reputation up until the fight, except it’s then made to seem as though Eun-jae’s throw would be the true end of his career. If he was such a terrible influence before, was that throw really the worst thing he’s ever done (or had done to him)?

We’re then told that Eun-jae’s job is at stake, but there’s no real reaction to what might happen if she were to lose her job. Basically, I understood why doing this kind of damage control might be important on Mu-yeol’s side, but I’m not quite buying the gravity of impact this would have on Eun-jae if she and her boss just decided to just not go along with Manager Kim’s plan.

On the flip side, there’s a definite basis for why guarding Mu-yeol is such a chore for Eun-jae, but not necessarily for why Mu-yeol hates their situation just as much as she does (if not more). We can chalk his constant ribbing of her up to his personality, but because he doesn’t operate at that extreme all the time (i.e. with Dong-soo, or Manager Kim), the sudden change to his childish self whenever he shared a scene with Eun-jae seemed a bit sudden. Then again, maybe the poor guy just doesn’t know how to let go of a grudge.

Overall I enjoyed the cast – Lee Dong-wook proves he has a nice grasp of comedic timing, even though he doesn’t seem to be as bad as the show wants us to believe. As a die-hard baseball fan who uses her strength to bring home the bacon, Lee Shi-young delivers believably, from her hair all the way down to her mannerisms. The only unfortunate thing is that most of the information we know about her are just things we’ve been told, not shown (again). But what we are shown is a funny and animated performance, because she’s just plain adorable even with the ajumma hair.

The jokes had a tendency to fall a bit flat for me during the first half – and I don’t think this was a writing issue so much as some overcompensation by the editing team. With the over-playing of sound effects it seemed as though the editors were afraid that scenes weren’t funny enough, and tried to do everything they could to make it so. In the end, we were getting visual gags, dialogue gags, and sound gags all at once. The best jokes of the episode went unaccompanied and were far better off for it – take, for instance, every line Eun-jae’s Dad had about the Blue Seagulls. Actually, his whole character was comedy gold, which isn’t too surprising when you have a seasoned supporting actor like Lee Won-jung.

It’s fun and refreshing that our two lead characters were shoved together in the blink of an eye, and I hope that just because they’re already at the bickering stage it won’t mean that we’ll see less of their individual personalities shine through in the future. Wild Romance may not have hit that rom-com sweet spot for me right out of the starting gate, but it looks like it’ll be a light and zippy ride that’s well-suited for spring. And though I won’t be continuing recaps, I will be continuing my hope for a real Lee Dong-wook Shower Scene™, because that first one doesn’t count.

 
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i really hope it doesn't end up like Lie to Me.

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Ditto!

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Agreed. But I don't think that it will. *fingers crossed*

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so far 'am not sold...still under the ether of FBRS..tsktsktsk

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yappp soo true

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No way, the plot set up is far better in Wild Romance than Lie to me.

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At least the ratings for Lie To Me isn't nearly as bad as Wild Romance. Ratings for Wild Romance is 6.2% which is terrible.

Too bad for Lee Dong Wook after having a good series with Kim Sun Ah had to deal with a major downgrade partner like Lee Si Young.

Another thing, I dont see dramabeans and girlfriday bashing this sucky drama like they did with Lie To Me, simply because they like Lee Dong Wook.

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Thanks! this show had low rating but you know, it's quite funnie. ^^ It's definitely different-- lots of fluffy love for sure and I hope--no hidden evil person/s doing bad things or twist of baby switched at birth. LOL

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Meh. It seems like every other romantic comedy.....

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I liked the first episode to a degree, some of the camera work kind of threw me off to be honest. I want more dynamic between them like her *actually* guarding him or something...progress which I hope will come in the future and not too far off. Rather sad that it's taking longer to sub the second episode but will wait patiently for either that or the 2nd recap. Thanks!

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I saw the episodes on viikii and I love it!!!!!! I love Lee shi young before but I am completely in love with her now. She really acts her heart out. I wish they didn't have to perm her hair, it wouldn't look half bad. I hope they have enough story to stretch the funny.

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She is working that perm for character, though. It's amazing what a silly haircut and wearing flats will do for a person.

(She seemed so tall in Playful Kiss and Boys Before Flowers! Her legs are still pretty long, but she seems so tiny and cute here...)

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she is indeed adorable. i fell in love with her as bu tae hee in birth of the rich. she's really pulled off that crazy brat role. and i'm sure she's gonna do well on this one too. well, i hope.

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She's a really good actress, I almost didn't recognise her

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Yessssssss I was waiting for this to upload. Loving this drama so far. :D

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Thanks for the recap! I've watched the first two episodes and I found the drama pretty fun. A great drama to unwind to after a week of stress. It didn't touch me emotionally nor did it make me LOL, but I find it charming. LSY is adorable, but it was too overacted (reminded me of Ella Chen from Taiwan, who thinks comedy means overacting every single second) I was pleasantly surprised by LDW. I knew he had done comedy before with My Girl, but he was never really that funny. Lee Da Hae had most of the funny parts. LDW's great here as the man-boy. My favorite scenes were of him snickering like crazy over stranding Eun-jae on the mountain, his distorted, insane laughter when he and his fans at the signing were trashing the Seagulls, and him getting Eun-jae to sort of admit to dodging that egg.

I'm curious to find out how they are going to keep up the spazz-tastic energy. I sort of hope they play this drama out as just a comedy rather than a rom-com. So far we don't really get much emotion or backstory from either main character except for their need to irritate and best each other. it's going to be hard to move into your average kdrama rom-com tone without seeming uneven.

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wow you took the words right out of my mouth! She COMPLETELY reminded me Ella, and the entire feel of the show reminded me of a Taiwanese drama - over reaction, gimmicky editing, fluffy bickering, etc. What I hope Wild Romance would do is to have better writing and character development. Like HeadsNo2 says... yes, we're TOLD that it'd be very bad if Eun Jae lost her job, or absolutely devastating if Mu Yeol let this video end his career... but... HOW bad would it be for Eun Jae really? and WHY would it be so bad that this video leaked out? WHY is it even an important video to begin with?? I don't feel the character's plight at all.

But I did laugh like a crazy person during the first two episodes, so they're doing SOMETHING right. I can enjoy a silly over the top Taiwanese/K-drama once in a while though, so I'm not really complaining.

Both characters are quite endearing. :D

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I don't think Eun Jae went along with the bodyguard scheme just because she would have lost her job, it was that Kevin's Cabin would have had to shut down because of the scandal caused by her (remember, Manager Kim pointedly mentioned that one of Kevin's Cabin's bodyguards broke a middle school girl's arm). That said, I do find it hard to swallow that being thrown by Eun Jae would be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, forcing Mu Yeol to end his career. Oh well, this is supposed to be a fluffy rom com, right? And both LDW and LSY are adorably petty. :)

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I thought it was more along the lines of "This bastard fought a girl?!?!?! That's the last straw!" as the reason for it to be career ending.

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Yeah, that's what I got out of it, too, Ani. Big bad athlete fought a girl, which is bad itself, but he was defeated on top of it. lol

And with her, I got the feeling she was the only bread winner in the household - or at least that she was the one bringing in the bulk of the income. If Kevin's Cabin were forced to close, she and the other bodyguards - and her boss - would lose their livelihoods and reputations.

So far, so cute. I don't mind the light and fluffy, since there doesn't seem to be too many of those out there right now. Episode 2 was very, very good, and seems to be leading nicely into a little more friction, but the comedy is still there.

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I enjoyed it so much up to episode 4. Lee Shi Young is good, hilarious especially when she rolls her eyeballs. OMgosh!

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I thought it was hilarious, and I am really looking forward to watching it. I just don't know how they are going to turn the hate > dislike > tolerate > like > love, without messing with the comedy. Except I can't wait for Daddy's reaction when it turns to LUV (or even like), I just get a mental picture of him showing up at the wedding in Blue Seagulls gear. :D

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I know right? I love Dad. He's freaking awesome! "Your soul is blue. The light in your soul is blue" Hahahaha.

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I thought he was handsome in his role in Scent of a Woman, but he's ADORABLE in this. Much more lovable if a bit of a rascal. ;)

And it would be awesome if they went on to have adventures that bond them and fall in love, but continue to fight over baseball loyalties. Because that does happen...

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The Dad is quite a nutcase... but a hilarious one. Hehehe... I can't imagine what it's like to have a father like that, but it's like you have got no choice about certain things.

And though the kids are totally Seagull fans like him, I kinda liked that LSY drew the line at his suggestion to do something totally evil like breaking the guys hand. I think it hinted at the fact that she will stand up against her dad when she does end up falling in love with the guy.

Although I could see this ending with her still being a total Seagull fun BUT being in a relationship with LDW's character.

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really? I can kind of already feel there an attraction growing there between them, they already act like a couple that know each other for years rather than a few days. It helps that both a bit short in the light bulb department, very dim in those heads of theirs lol The wife of his best friend hmm I think there nothing between them 'now' though in the past yes for sure but she picked the 'safe' option and married the more sable guy, I think the meeting more to do with money and the way her husband career is heading down hill. Though I can not help think the drama giving the idea that his friend maybe be linked to the stalker at times, though again from the last note sent it seemed the stalker was female. But it gives the main couple something else to fight over so all is good.

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That scene when he tells her that her soul is blue, even if her body is next to the enemy's... Lee Won Jong delivers it sageuk style, which had me cackling like a hyena.

Even though the jokes weren't belly-achingly funny, the strange thing is that I found myself laughing nonstop hilariously. Their interaction reminds me of some of my most hilarious friendships. So childish. So immature... :)

I hope the show continues to deliver. Lee Si Yeong rocks. Love her!

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I agree...

I think on some level the show is better than I expect, in part because I had no expectations to start with (with all the other drama distractions out there at the moment). I ended up watching this just because it happened to be subbed (and "Moon/Sun" wasn't yet, but it ended up being surprisingly entertaining.

Not in an impact-me-in-long-term way, but enough for some decent enjoyment for an hour or so.

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I found myself looking forward to more hilarious scenes like that and Manager Kim - he is freaking stiff but funny!

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I did enjoy a large part of Ep2, but the last 5 minutes had hints of going down the Lie To Me path. The weakest point IMO is still the writing. I can't see the whole point of excessive bickering when both are going to end up passionately in love anyway.

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ok after seeing LDW in crying/weeping show of Scent of women, it was AWESOME to see him all smiles and dimples in this show.

Special love to Oh Man Seok!!so glad to see him in two shows four times a week, aaah what bliss.

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I'm with you on this : In fact i could watch that show only for Man Seok : I'm i the only one that finds him more charismatic and cute than LDW ? But i also love Vampire Prosecutor best friend daddy. What a gifted actor. And i like the pop culture reference " I'm your father " : Don't know a better way to close the mouth of an adversary. :) I mean did they scan my brain ? Because it seems we have the same classics on our list even if we are worlds ( or continents ) apart. It feels like chatting with close friends, sharing stupid jokes and winks.

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* Am i the only one...

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Lee Won Jong and Oh Man Seok definitely need more screen time, even if it's just to watch Manzzang in Hammer pants cleaning the floor. ;)

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But but but... Oh Man Seok's character's name is DONG SOO? WTF really?!? The Drama Worlds have collided and my head has officially exploded now. :)

Love the premise and the actors, but I'll wait on watching this one until KBS World puts it up with subs. Waaaay too many other stories cutting into my valuable sleep time these days...

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Don't worry cherkell, we know Dong Soo the Glorious Warrior belongs to you. Here, take pills for your headache. :)

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Lee Dong-wook is pretty charismatic (in the funny vibes way) in this show, to me at least. This is the first time I've found myself actually liking Lee Dong-wook.

All around, I'd say a pretty good cast.

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I thought this was a fun episode...mindless fun, but light and enjoyable. The whole super-fandom storyline really hits home for me. I've got a brother who's a die-hard L.A. Dodger fan, and a brother-in-law who loves the San Francisco Giants. You know how they say the two things you should never talk about at family gatherings are religion and politics? At our family gatherings there's only one topic that's taboo: baseball!

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I'm loving the petty fights in this drama. I find it fun to watch since they're both equally childish. I love Lee Shiyoung's hair. It's so fitting. And she takes the tomboy act to a whole different level. Lee Dongwook is totally hitting this baby out of the park. I hope they continue to bring the fun and not go down the Lie to Me path or even Myungwol the Spy.

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I loved it so far. Thanks for the recap.

About "Lee Dong-wook Shower Scene™" I think he gets thinner isn't he? His torso in SOW seems like a space shuttle for me

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/04/09/article-1264584-09092381000005DC-286_634x440.jpg

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lplavn5Kpc1qgyv6b.jpg

:P

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huhuhuhuhuhuhuh, totally looking forward to gratuitous shower & changing scenes *nyeknyeknyek* ;) mmmmmmmmm...

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I'm still not interested 'yet' in WR..with all the 3 dramas, I think the ratings are spot on...I reacted well (despite myself) to Captain's first 2 eps...maybe becoz I had such hope for WR and it didn't quite deliver...I kept saying, so? so?...it needs a deeper meaning,,though it's comedy...I find myself laughing but not feeling the character's depth. I loove LDW though...so I'm not giving up yet.

What do you mean you're not continuing recap? Is someone else taking over?

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Considering this writer's track record I suspect it's going to start getting a lot darker. That story line with a married woman looks creepy.

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It was total garbage. I am surprised some people could bear watching the entire episode. This type of comedy is so slappy not funny.

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the exact reason I can't finish the 2nd ep...but it's still too soon to tell...i can't see beyond the overreaction+physical gag+over-the-top facial exercise at this point of time though...I do love comedy, but I happen to be a thinker aswell...

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lucky you, I dont have the same patience as you. I can't bear watching this type of over the top comedy and acting. Plus i can't stand the ajumma hairstyle of the girl.

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it's not a "LOL every 15min" as claimed by a fellow KDrama viewer, because I find alot of the gag points pretty cliched.

however i'll still watch it. for LDW!

PS: does anyone find Kang Dong-ho and Jung Yong Hwa can act as brothers??

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yes I thought so too!! Haha. They could totally pass as brothers.

I understand how some people might have been a bit underwhelmed by the first episode of WR. After seeing episode 2 however, I honestly think that it's getting better, and I am still very hopeful that the story as well as the characters will develop further in the succeeding episodes. I am especially curious about the story angle involving the mystery anti-fan and Jin Dong Soo's role in the whole story. There seems to be more to him that meets the eye.

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Yong Hwa, Kim Hyung Joong and Kang Dong-ho look like they could be related. Something about the hair and the utter stillness of the faces.

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Wow, you noticed that too, huh? At least it totally works of Kang Dong Ho in this storyline though. At times, I like Manager Kim and Dong Ha better than the lead characters. They're pretty hilarious.

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wow it kicked off at a good start

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I'm actually super enjoying this--but I love stories where people are forced to be together and have that kind of wicked chemistry of dislike at first, turning to synergy.

And these characters are fun because they're so alike, you can feel them ricocheting off of each other. Though the acting is a little over the top at points, Lee Dong-wook is much more fun to watch in this than in Scent of a Woman, though I liked the more thoughtful tone there.

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Not that funny, but I'll watch it because of LDW. Glad to see him smile and in a comedy.His SOW was a downer.

So far, this romance isn't wild yet, but I'm hoping it'll catch fire soon.

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Her hairstyle is soo terrible BAD!! Yuck and a half!

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Manager Kim is so cute.

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but will he ever smile!
they could have an entire episode on just that..how Manager Kim smiled.

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LOL I'm already swooning when he's walking around with a poker face. Imagine what would happen to me if he smiled.

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I'd drop my pants if he did.

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Love Manager Kim. He was the highlight of the entire show for me.

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I just don't know what to do with this drama...I love the two leads, but then again that is why I was suckered into watching lie to me, and we all knew how that ended...point being I gave up halfway....second episode is slightly more interesting, though I feel no connection to the characters, but still too early to override my love for the leads...

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Personally this drama is what I need right now. It makes me laugh, naturally. I've watched many rom-coms and know what's my taste. My RL is getting too tiring, I don't need another package of melo during my free time. I looked forwards to WR at first for its writer that I lovee, then when the cast was announced my excitement doubled! LSY has proved to me her immense presence on screen and her incomparable comic chops. It's kinda sad how viewers these days (seem) only go for the look, 'where's the shower scene?!!' 'omg he's sooo hot' etc ohman. Downright just being shallow to me. No offense to anyone. It's beyond me how a detail like hair can be a hugeee thing. I guess their standards are too high sky compared to mine. Beside, really, LSY pulls off her look brilliantly, she brings a charm to her character and make Eunjae unique and cute. Love her for that. And there LDW, I admit I haven't seen his last drama, cause well I hear there's lot of crying and that's a no for me atm. But in WR, he totally wins me over lol He reminds me somehow of Jinsoo in CH, I like when the leads are odd ball, troubled personality and not complete gentile perfect kinds. LDW has shown that he can do more and fans can only rejoice. Storywise, it's only 2 eps, it'd shown bits of different storylines. I notice this writer's style, she likes to take it slow and melo only comes when necessary. To recap, I have faith in her, so far I have same feelings as when I was watching AIL and it's a good thing. I feel delighted watching the eps raw and subbed and at work I keep smiling thinking about a certain scene. lol
WR fighting!

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'm having so much laugh with this romcom!!i luv it...*-*

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Me too. I wanted a rom-com, and I'm liking this old-school over-the-top fluffy sugar-coated rom-com, hope it continues to be like that with some developments (I don't expect maturity but development is good)

And also a good break from other drama, I'm hooked on What's up, but I'm stuck at the recent arc.

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Enjoying this drama so far...the two leads have great chemistry! Yes, there is some over-the-top acting but I think it actually gets better as the story unfolds & develops some depth. LSY is so cute as a tomboy..I love her look minus the short perm. :) Looking forward to new episodes!

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so sad to know that there is literally no one recapping this cute show at this point in time. I just hope some kind soul out there would continue to recap it.

Fingers crossed. Here's to hope..cheers..

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I don't know what's with everyone else, but I loved this from the first five minutes of episode one! That doesn't happen all the time for me.

This is my new crack drama. And, I'm currently loving the hate-hate chemistry that I'm actually weary of them actually *gasp* growing fond of one another. The production team was RIGHT when they described it as dumb man meets dumber woman. =D

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I fell in love with it from the minute she judo tossed him. Hahaha. And yeah, episode 2 just highlighted how stupid they are. Hahahaha. I love this show.

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Me too, I'm loving this. It has this old-school over-the-top vibe and I guess it's not everybody's taste. But after watching so many recent dramas, it failed to hook me completely - I don't remember finishing one. Unlike my oldies, rarely had that issue.

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This drama made me laugh. I am happy with it. Irregardless of what everyone feels. It's nice to have something to laugh at.

Not every drama needs to have an Emmy award winning screenplay :-) Plus the cast can act.

If it entertains and doesn't make me curse too much or shout at the screen ... yay for us fans.

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This is my new k-drama crack. I loves its simplicity. The two leads are freaked hilarious. The acting may be over the top at times but it suits the drama. I can't wait for the next episodes. I hope someone continues to recap it... I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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It was ok. I'll reserve my judgement after watching the second episode.

I just wanted to reiterate my love for Manager Kim. He needs to be in ALL episodes....seriously. I'm gonna need him to be the second lead or something because he needs more screen time. Can you imagine him falling for LSY? So fun.

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Cruelsummer, you MUST watch Ep 2. It has LOTS of our darling Manager Kim. I have decided to share him with you because of your moving post.

Halfway through ep 2, these thoughts, half-formed in Ep 1, suddenly took very very clear shape:

1. I LOVE Manager Kim
2. I want Manager Kim to be in every scene.
3. If Manager Kim cannot be the lead, I want him to be the Second Lead. Second Leads have a much better chance of getting the girl.
4. I want Manager Kim to fall for LSY.
5. I want Manager Kim to smile at me.
6. I want Manager Kim to wear that yellow coat forever. I can't remember whether the yellow coat appears in Ep 1, but it definitely appears in Ep 2. The yellow sets off the yellow in his hair. I know his hair is not really yellow but he still looks lovely with yellow hair. I have a thing for poker-faced guys in yellow hair (I LOVEEEED KHJ in BoF).

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OMG...yellow is my favorite color in the whole wide world.

I'm so excited to share the Manager Kim love. This is my first time being instantly interested in any character other than the lead.

I'm scared of coming down with the dreaded second-lead syndrome (even though he's not confirmed to be so). So I'm preparing myself for the inevitable disappointment and the crazed rant that will follow.

He needs to smile. *sigh*

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He has perfected the poker, one-line but perfect remark/answer, blank (questioning) stary face! He's hilarious even when he's not smiling or talking!!

And oh, there's a chance he might go for Eun Jae's landlord (Oh Doori in What's up).

And there was a great fight (I mean real fights, not screaming) scene between LSY & LDW in ep4, with some pent-up emotion in them. It's great acting!

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ive been waiting for this recap, finally~~!!
this drama is so good so far..
thaaaankss :)

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I'm really enjoying WR -- the dialogue and yes, the slapstick humor. There were moments when she reminded me of Lucille Ball in "I Love Lucy". And, I love that she matches him insult for insult -- whether on their 20 mile "jog" or in the chat room. Yes, she's got that ajumma hair, but he's got that sleazy moustache! And, I also enjoy the funny smaller touches -- her Dad and brother's totally insane dedication to their team even to the decor of their home and the design of their store; her boss's photos enlarged on his office wall, looking like a cliche secret service agent; deadpan manager Kim not even blinking each time he has to come up with some plausible story to cover for LDW. It's like a mental dessert -- not as heavy as all the serious melodramas, and a lot lighter and more fun to "consume". And like others, I hope this doesn't turn into Lie To Me -- perhaps maintaining the "funny" more like Protect the Boss?

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Yeah, the jokes were a little too slapstick for me as well and I was hesitant to keep going, but I think the second episode was a lot better. Not as over the top, but the jokes weren't as flat as they were in this episode. I think the drama will find it's way, so I'll stick with it.

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To be honest I feel relieved to watch WR. After watching "A Thousand Kisses" where every other person is yelling at another or throwing water in people's faces or disapproving an unsuitable mate/employee/spouse/whatever (just typing all that got me stressed), WR is refreshing. I'm looking forward to ep 3 and also solving the mystery of Park Moo Yeol's scary anti-fan.

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Word!!
:)

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I hear you... I'm taking my "A Thousand Kisses" second vacation right now.

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I must be really shallow cus this drama had me laughing the whole time. I wasn't really planning to tune it at the 1st epi but found myself liking it. And slapstick jokes aren't my thing but I dunno why...oh well, to each his own

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I thought it was fitting this recap came out on the same day as the (U.S.) College Football National Championship game. There are plently ou LSU and UA fans who would gice the Blue Seaguls and Red Demons a run for their money.

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I absolutely hated Spring Waltz. To date, it stands as the K-drama I hate the most. But I watched every frakking episode because Han made it bearable. Okay, Daniel Henney takes most credit for that. But she's a good actress who made her flat character (based on the writing itself, not her characterization) very likeable. The lead actor was terrible.

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""Daniel Henney takes most credit for that... The lead actor was terrible.""

I 2nd that 200%.. spot on

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Great recap, chum! Was considering whether to watch this or not :)

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Lee Shi-young's "crazy eyes" acting is just adorable. :P

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thanks for the recap! i loved the first two episodes. sure, it was way over the top and lacked depth or reality. but from a drama like this, i'm not looking for depth or genius. it's no Sherlock (a show i am in love with, by the way).

the show doesn't take itself seriously, which i appreciate. plus, the slap-stick, over-the-top acting is very apropos for this kind of drama. lsy and ldw have great comedic timing. can't wait for the next epi. this and moon sun make me look forward to weds/thurs.

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I just flat-out LOVE this one, and make no apologies for it.
The humor is over the top, yes, but immediately sets the tone for the story.

Wookie and Shi-young play brilliantly off each other with rapid-fire dialogue - it's like watching two 12 year-olds squabbling on the playground over 'my-team's-better-than-yours-and-you-suck' issues. Rarely do I ever sit and just laugh through most of an episode - this one is doing it for me and I'm happy.

Manager Kim is absolutely priceless with that long-suffering, expressionless face. He kills me with his perfection.

Biggest surprise? Lee Shi Young. Had NO idea that she could bring the funny like this. Talk about a transforming role!

Sorry to see that this won't be recapped - after watching episode 2 and seeing how the story is developing a modicum of gravity with the rabid, crazed-fan-with-murderous-intent inclusion, plus the wife/GF triangle, I'm looking forward to seeing the next two eps.
:)

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She was hysterical in Birth of a Rich Man.

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love it that you make no apologies - me neither. watched the two eps and man, love the zany. soooo lookin' forward to ep 3 now!

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I really, really enjoyed this episode from start to finish. I actually thought it brought the funny, and it wasn't anymore slapstick or immature than any rom com by the Hong Sisters or FBRS. So, I'm confused by the "bleh" reaction to this type of comedy!

This was just a slice of delight. Lee Shi-young absolutely owns her character, and I love the hair. I also love that she frequents boards and that she's got laughably bad comebacks: "I am your father". It was just an all around great performance. It's good to see that her relationships with her boss and her father will be rife with comic gold. I am ready for more Eun-Jae!

Ah, and we've got Lee Dong-wook. I'm fresh off SoAW and so I'm still kind of harboring leftover feelings. So, I liked his character, a lot. (The bastard). I think maybe they're overselling his badness? There are a handful of real-life sports stars that are infamous for their over-inflated egos, but he just doesn't seem to be that bad. He seems more like a pretty big douche; bad at handling the media, and perhaps he doesn't conduct himself the best on the field. I could see how that could draw ire from fans of the rival team, but to be universally loathed? IDK. Either way I was pretty happy to buy into it. Mu-Yeol's annoying little mustache helped, kind of like Eun-Jae's hair. And it helped that LDW definitely played up the "biggest asshole" angle. The scene where he was laughing with his fans? He totally deserved that egg to the face. Definitely tuning into more of this!

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Thanks for the recap:) I hope someone decides to recap the entire series, because I found the first two episodes extremely enjoyable! I have a good feeling about this one! I am also finding MY really attractive.. LOL I don't usually like the overacting part of drama's, but this is just too cute. I like all three of the Wed-Thurs dramas but this is the one I look forward too the most!

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I thought the first episode was a bit slow/off. But as I continued to watch the series, I am enjoying it.

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Thanks for the recap! I watched the first episode yesterday and I really enjoyed it. I loved it when they they were running forever and ever. I was laughing so hard at that part. My real life is going to become stressful and hectic for the next couple of months so watching this will allow me to shut my brain off and just enjoy the over-top characters and comedy.

Here's hoping it doesn't become a trainwreck...though I will probably still watch since I am a big LDW fan. :)

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Thank you so much HeadsNo2, for recapping the two shows I'm most excited about! : )
I'm yet to watch this. Even if it fails to be awesome, I'm pretty sure I'll be hooked just based on the leads and the premise.
With this and Salaryman I feel spoiled!

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Am I the only one digging the Douche stache? Lol.
I love it on LDW, and I don't normally like facial hair (:
Kinda on the fence with the drama though.

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Your not the only one diggin' the 'stache. I love it :)

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he looks hotter with it ;)

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actually, it didn't have me right at the get-go, but after watching Episode 2 i'm now eagerly awaiting ep. 3. i think episode 2 was so much better than the first ep.

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I like this drama just because it is not trying to be more than it really is. They said comedy and that's what we got in the two first episodes. However, I am not sure if it is going to keep up the tone of comedy with a slight silver lining of mystery/crime story. If a chaebol with a birth secret appears, I will be very... disappointed ;)

From the first two episodes I gathered that there might be something shady about MuYeol's friend. Why? It's because of the batting scene - his tooth glistened so ominously and made his otherwise warm smile just so cunning and false. Like, is he a wolf in a sheep's skin? I guess I know why he might be like that, hopefully they won't make his storyline sad or overly dramatic.

At first I didn't like LSY's performance. She resembled me another actress with her over the top physical way of acting and facial expressions. But she got better in course of time, good thing I watched the 2nd episode.
I especially value the ability to show a self satisfied dummy who's just played a practical joke. She can do it. I'm on with the drama.

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dude the internet battle is my favorite scene too..and yeah i love the " i am your father.." part as you do.. :)) i forgot how many times i rerun this part.

but i think you must have heard it wrong coz i am so sure t'was from superman's OST, in fact t'was JOR-EL's voice ovah...

anyways, i hope you change your mind and continue to feed us with your recaps. this is refreshing after having SunMoon and Padam.

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I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 eps. LDW is so hillarious as Mun Yeol, he really delivers.
As for LSY, I've not watched any of her work (except 5 minutes of Poseidon), but she's really cute in this drama.
I hope the rating climbs up for this drama.

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you should watch birth of the rich...she was really good in that drama. Although you might get bored at the first few episodes, by episode 5 it really gets interesting a lot. hehe..

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