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Ma Boy: Episode 1

Aww, this show is super cute. The gender-bender mini-drama Ma Boy initially got on my radar for its simple twist of taking the very familiar girl-dresses-like-boy-to-infiltrate-boy-world premise of so many dramas, and giving us a boy dressing as a girl. I know, right? Finally!

Some of the cross-dressing offerings in dramaland have been awesome and cracktastic, while others have been less so, so the premise alone isn’t enough to make this great. Thankfully, though, the show works with a charming vibe and enough heart to sustain its plot beyond the initial gimmick. That’s always a worry with these one-gimmick concepts, that the show will forget to have an emotional throughline or characters we care about. But one episode in and I’m already feeling for our hero(ine)’s predicament.

Ma Boy is definitely geared toward a younger crowd, airing on cable station Tooniverse, and there’s a distinct Disney Channel sort of vibe to it. It’s adolescence through a kaleidoscope, not quite real but enjoyable in a light and fizzy way. But it’s a Lizzie McGuire kind of Disney (What? The Lizzie McGuire TV series was great), not… I dunno, whatever forgettable stuff they’re churning out these days. And you know, I have a lot of fondness for those Disney and ABC Family movies/shows—I have seen waaay too many Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes projects—or at least the good ones, which take little slices of life and make them engaging and relatable.

This is a very short offering, clocking in at a mere 3 episodes, so that’s one limitation. If you watch knowing that this is aimed at a different audience than the prime-time broadcast dramas we’re used to, and adjust expectations accordingly, you might find Ma Boy to be a pleasant watch. You know, if this stuff is your kind of thing.

SONG OF THE DAY

Touch – “같이 걷자” (Let’s Walk Together), the group our lead, Sun-woong, belongs to.
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EPISODE 1: “Who are you?”

This is our heroine, GEU-RIM (Kim So-hyun), a newly arrived transfer student to the Daehan Arts High School in Seoul, which is basically another Dream High. A big fish in her old, smaller pond, she’s about to find out that she’s not automatically the coolest at her new school.

That doesn’t get her too down, though, because Geu-rim has a bright personality. She keeps her outlook sunny and brushes aside the naysayers.

Kim So-hyun has built her young resumé playing evil characters—notably the young queen in The Moon That Embraces the Sun and the sister-burning (and -abandoning) character in Rooftop Prince—so it’s a change of pace for her to play the cheery heroine. As it turns out, I think she suits upbeat roles and she’s got a bit of an Amanda Bynes vibe; overall I find her endearing.

Geu-rim has a huge crush on the teen idol of the day, TAE-JOON (Min-hoo), who’s in her class at school. He’s essentially the school’s marquee star, going to class in between shooting music videos.

She quickly learns that even liking idols isn’t fair game at this school; a trio of mean girls claims exclusive rights to Tae-joon stalking/fawning/adoring. The call themselves Tackle, derived from “Tae-joon’s Club,” although it may as well refer to the way they attack anyone who dares look in beloved Tae-joon’s direction. Geu-rim’s all, “Whatever, weirdos,” which makes me like her even more because Tackle’s fuming all on their own and she doesn’t care.

Then there’s IRENE (Sun-woong), the school’s other megastar. She’s a CF queen, Korea’s little sister, and cultivates an aura of mystique that stirs a frenzy of curiosity about her. Tabloid reporters stalk her trying to find a crack in the mysterious facade, and at school she literally leaves boys drooling in her wake.

Too bad for them Irene’s a boy.

I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in. Scroll up. Scroll down. Scroll up again. Yep, still a boy.

Irene’s real identity is HYUN-WOO, who is a very reluctant participant in this masquerade. He’s grown tired of playing the role, and especially balks at the news that he’s been assigned a roommate. A girl roommate.

Hyun-woo’s uncle/manager tries to argue with the principal to keep Irene in a single room, since the school has hitherto been accommodating of their big star’s peculiarities (Irene doesn’t speak, for instance, doing schoolwork only in written form). But the headmaster is feeling the pressure of favoritism complaints and Uncle is unable to give a good reason for Irene needing a single… so roomies it is!

So how did Hyun-woo become Irene?

We flash back to a year ago, when Hyun-woo’s just a teenage boy with a dream of becoming a performer. But despite his hard work and drive, he keeps getting rejected from auditions, so he’s not even a proper trainee. Just a wannabe.

Uncle, who runs his own struggling entertainment company, has a last-minute cancellation and worries about filling the schedule. His manager-assistant jokes that they should use pretty-faced Hyun-woo to fill in for the girl’s spot… and out of desperation they twist his arm into agreeing.

Who could know that Irene would become an overnight sensation? “One job only” turned into another, and another… The money was a much-needed boon and now that Irene’s a huge star, it’s tough to let go of that income stream.

Still, Uncle reminds Hyun-woo that thanks to Irene, he got admitted into his dream school. It’ll just be a little while longer, he promises—when he gets the company in better shape, he’ll support Hyun-woo’s own dreams so he can take off the disguise and pursue a career in his own name.

Which is how Irene and Geu-rim end up sharing a room. It’s a bigger trial for Hyun-woo than for Geu-rim, who extends a friendly hand and suggests they get along well together. Hyun-woo keeps his mouth shut per usual, but notably his inner monologue groans that of ALL the students in the school, it had to be her. You know, the pretty new girl.

His cover’s at risk, though, so he hides behind his wig (covering his Adam’s apple is a nervous tic for him) and the icy persona. At least this way it seems like Irene shuns her out of disinterest rather than, oh, abject fear.

Geu-rim runs afoul of the Tackle girls again, who are fiercely protective over Tae-joon. The thing I like about Tae-joon is that although he’s a national star and the big man on campus, he’s actually a nice guy—even kind of dorky at times. Take the time Geu-rim runs into him and sprays him in food, and he just smiles and tells her it’s all right.

Tackle doesn’t think so, and bully her around. Fortunately, Tae-joon steps in and orders them to back off, coming to her rescue.

The hilarious thing is, Tae-joon thinks it’s Irene he’s saving, because he has a huuuuuge crush on her. It’s common knowledge that he’s been following Irene around and showering her with gifts, which she pointedly refuses.

But he’s not one to give up, and tries at every opportunity to win her favor. It’s actually really adorable; he kind of turns into a moony-eyed dolt around her. You also want to tell him he’s barking up the wrong tree, but y’know, the truth just might be a bigger shock than thinking Irene merely doesn’t like him.

As for Hyun-woo, he keeps his dancing hopes alive, although it’s fueled with this undercurrent of desperation. His dancing crew buddies are all better than he is and encourage him to do better next time, that it’s just a string of bad luck. But Hyun-woo says humbly that he failed because he’s not good enough.

His audition failures weigh on his mind—and that translates into a depressed-looking Irene. She’s got her own fanboy following, who assume she’s upset about her terrible living conditions. Thus they gang up on Geu-rim in a misguided sense of chivalry (ah, the irony—bullying a girl to defend a girl), telling her to get lost. Geu-rim, thankfully, has a lot more pluck than they do and sasses them right back, which gets them off her back. For now.

Sharing continues to be uncomfortable for Hyun-woo, who has to contend with Geu-rim barging into the bathroom (“What’s the problem between roommies?”) or walking around in a camisole after a shower.

On the other hand, Geu-rim is half-annoyed with Irene’s constant aloofness. The other half is determined to break down the barriers and become besties. Aw. She’s sweet.

With Irene constantly rebuffing his overtures, Tae-joon turns to Geu-rim for help. As the roommate, she should be able to figure out what Irene likes, right? She can ask around and give him hints so he can figure out how to appeal to her, can’t she?

That’s a blow to Geu-rim and her own monster crush, but she can’t refuse to help him. And so, she looks around the room for clues on Irene’s preferences. There’s nothing very telling, except for a dance notebook… and a photo of Hyun-woo. Ruh-roh. Geu-rim notes the resemblance and wonders if it’s Irene’s oppa, which, hey, is probably more logical than the truth.

Just then Irene returns, sees her looking at the photo, and angrily snatches it away. Geu-rim assumes Irene’s upset about the snooping, but Hyun-woo directs his ire toward his Uncle, insisting he wants to put an end to the charade. He’s thisclose to getting caught!

That night Geu-rim waits outside the school for Irene to come back so she can make amends, and gets in a bit of a pickle with some leering ajusshis. Just in time, she’s helped out by a mysterious stranger, who takes care of the thugs.

Hyun-woo’s shrouded in shadows so she doesn’t recognize him. He, on the other hand, is touched that she was waiting for him. Er, her. Her-him.

Hyun-woo takes out his frustration at the dance studio, practicing late into the night. His manager hyung warns him not to overdo it, asking teasingly whether he isn’t satisfied with all the work he’s doing as Irene.

Hyun-woo scoffs sadly, “Irene? Without Irene, what am I?” Aw. It’s an unexpected touch of bittersweetness, seeing our hero searching for some sense of identity when all he’s got as himself are a string of failed auditions. Then he shakes it off and gets back on his feet.

But all that overworking takes its toll on his body, and that night Hyun-woo shivers in bed with a fever. Geu-rim hears him in the middle of the night and wakes up, instantly alarmed at the fever and shaking, declaring that she’s off in search of a doctor.

But he grabs her hand and shakes his head no insistently. She says she’s going anyway, and when he falls out of bed to stop her, his wig falls off. Then he slumps over and Geu-rim grabs him to hold him up… and her hand connects with a very unmaidenly bosom.

Eyes wide, she gasps, “You… you…”

She thinks back to the photo she saw and connects that this is the guy. But just as she starts to panic and blurt something, Hyun-woo reaches up and covers her mouth to shush her.

 
COMMENTS

This show is super adorable—it put a smile on my face practically the whole way through. No, it’s not doing anything edgy or genius, but it accomplishes its goal and does it with a nice, light touch. It’s benign and friendly.

Furthermore, while Ma Boy falls into the category of easy-breezy dramas, I wouldn’t automatically call it a throwaway. There’s a heart here, and Hyun-woo’s character is actually really compelling; I love the way he has this identity conflict beyond the obvious setup of him pretending to be a girl.

That’s actually something we didn’t see in many of the girl-dresses-as-boy dramas, even the better ones: You’re Beautiful and Sungkyunkwan Scandal’s heroines, for instance, didn’t experience internal turmoil over their disguises. Their motivations were always noble and their big fear was getting caught by others, but it didn’t cast them into the throes of identity crises.

That isn’t to say that Hyun-woo is going to spiral into a deep existential dilemma, of course. But I appreciate the subtle, sad, questioning attitude he holds about being Irene. This is a drama that could easily have run away to the crazy train simply on the basis of its one gag—pretty boy looks like a GIRL!—but Sun-woong plays Irene with a sort of quiet dignity.

Sure, there are the requisite comedic bits, like Irene cringing at his pretty roommate trying to use the toilet while he’s in the bathroom (oh, Korea, you and your love affair with the toilet—which, okay, I get after generations of having to use those terrible squatting commodes). Or hastily covering his throat every time anybody gets near. But you get the sense that Irene isn’t the sum of her joke-parts. There’s something to this guy, and I feel for him. There’s a melancholy aspect to his understanding that he is failing on his own merit (as dancer Hyun-woo), and succeeding with someone else’s name.

By the way, I like how there’s a distinct difference between the way Hyun-woo carries himself in both personas. Irene isn’t super-feminine (she pulls off the surly, silent, mysterious star reasonably well—thank goodness for hipsters making the slouch trendy), but he does hold himself differently when he’s being her. He’s light-footed and more flowing.

That makes it extra incongruous when he’s walking around as himself in the Irene getup, all broad shoulders and lumbering gait. HA. You definitely don’t look at the boy version and think he seems girly in behavior. Not aside from that face, because there are some angles where he just looks so much like his female half that it’s disconcerting to see him walking, dancing, and talking (with his deep voice) like an ordinary dude.

I also like the way they portray the Other Guy, aka Tae-joon, who could have been an ass. That’s such an easy archetype in dramaland that he could have stepped right into the shoes vacated by so many other haughty star characters and not missed a beat. But I like that he turns into this dork around Irene, all teenage infatuation and starry eyes. It’s so cute.

In fact, I like Tae-joon enough that I’m hoping he sees Geu-rim’s charms and goes after her instead, while Hyun-woo’s stuck pretending to be Irene, unable to challenge the rival. Alas, at a short 3 episodes, I don’t know that we’ll get to explore that angle. But I can hope!

Last but not least, there’s Kim So-hyun. Honestly her character doesn’t have much depth, and I don’t know that we’re going to get much backstory or internal struggle from her. There’s just no room for that in this show.

Thankfully I’m okay with Hyun-woo getting the bulk of that emotional storyline, and Geu-rim being the clever little helper bee. Based on the previews, it looks like the next episode will have her playing lookout/sidekick/cover-up for Hyun-woo, helping him keep his secret hidden from the rest of the school. Silly, but cute.

Granted, you’ll have to take my comments with the caveat that I’m totally adjusting my expectations for this genre and the length of the show. The acting isn’t extremely bad or extremely good; it’s a little green but pretty solid for what it needs to accomplish.

I had no great hope that this would be any good, so I’m pleasantly surprised at the execution and enjoying a world that’s sunnier than the one we inhabit. Maybe a little more candy-coated and rosy-colored, but in a good way.

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Thank you !!!

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About the identity crisis: they went into that in one cross-dressing drama with Moon Geun Young...that sageuk....what was it called?
I forgoottt..

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Painter of the Wind.

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your UNBEATABLE JB, how did you know that i'm doing this ..
" Scroll up. Scroll down. Scroll up again. Yep, still a boy "

i laugh so hard after reading just what I did, scroll up, scroll down!

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same here! went up and down again and again and yes...still a boy! hahahahahha

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Thank you for the recap!

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Also thank you, for your intro about the drama regarding its genre and the need to adjust our expectations, so we can fully appreciate the drama and not be (too) disappointed. That helps!

I do like that this drama is only 3 episodes long, it makes it easier for me to consider watching it. I am also curious about how dramas that are geared towards a younger audience (in South Korea) look like, as I have not seen too many of those (I could count them on one hand).

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Does anyone know where we can watch this online, please (with English subs)? Thanks!

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You can check out this site to watch it but it does not have the english subtitles yet: http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-drama/ma-boy/

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Thanks Ginny for the info, I will check out the site.

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Ha! I was kinda embarrassed about watching this, but it's cuuute!

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I wasn't embarrassed persay - its definitely not hitting my demographic by a long shot. But I am still a goofball at heart & definitely loved ABC Fam & Disney Teen Shows by the boatload myself =) in the late 90's - mid millennium. I just adore the TWINS (yes, Mary Kate & Ashley). Even though its not something that I particularly shout to the world, I do enjoy my light fluff from time to time =). Watcha gonna do... You only live once.

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WHOO! I loved it!

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Awwww JB, thank you...super cute!

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I really wanted to watch this actually, but I can't find eng subs anywhere (can't even find chinese subs and usually chinese subbers sub a lotta stuff). D:

so cutee, and the guy as a girl is really pretty haha.

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Ha! This looks adorable! Also, I unapologetically loved Lizzie McGuire. And ABC Family shows are totally my guilty pleasure. There are some legitimately good ones, though!

*crawls back into hole of shame*

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Aww, no need for a hole of shame! I used to love LMG back in the day as well. Some of those older Disney shows were really fun and quirky.

As for ABC family, they have great programming and original movies (I'm admitting this proudly too!). Greek was one of the best written shows about late adolescence/early adulthood ever to be shown on American TV.

And Ma Boy looks like a lot of fun. Can't wait for the subs. Please, someone...

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Yes! I loved Greek! I also adored the tv version of 10 Things I Hate About You. Yes, I KNOW, but if you give it a try, you will love it too.

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I haven't watched 10 Things I Hate About You yet, but it's on my list. The movie has a special place in my heart, so I'm a little hesitant about watching the show (even though I hear it's great).

I also really liked the first season of Pretty Little Liars. It started to get somewhat repetitive and draggy after a while, but it's still a fun show.

Honestly, US television has lost some appeal since I started watching dramas. I love the fact that you get a complete story, then it's on to the next one! No 7 seasons and a movie in drama land.

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Wow. Thats so true. I have been totally off American TV shows ever since I stepped in to K drama world. I think the format of 16 episodes helps. But more than that, I feel there is a closure in K dramas - a definitive ending. In many American shows, when a season ended I often used to wonder if they will ever make another season. Not that American shows suck or anything. I still watch a few eps of Psych on Netflix for laughs.

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YES to every single thing you said. I, too, hesitated to watch 10 Things (tv show) because I adored the movie when it came out. Once I watched the first episode, though, I was sold. The tv show actually has VERY little in common with the movie. I really wish they had named it something different, because it is legitimately a thing unto itself. Not even in the same ballpark as the movie, really, aside from soooorta sharing the same premise.

Yes to Pretty Little Liars, too. I feel like we are TV twins, lol. I also enjoyed the first season but couldn't really get into the second season b/c it was too repetitive.

I've barely watched American TV since discovering kdramas a little over a year ago, too. I find I have NO interest whatsoever anymore in procedural dramas that don't have an ongoing plot to drive them forward. I am addicted to the character development and plot layering that is possible with the Korean drama format. It's honestly like watching a 16+ hour movie rather than a tv show. Which allows for SO MUCH richer characters, relationships, and plot dynamics. Heck, I've found I'm not even that interested in watching movies anymore since they seem so glib compared to the extended-format storytelling of kdramas.

More recently, wanting to take a break from the angst of kdramas, I started watching Luther and Alphas. They are both really well put-together and satisfy my need for a serial plot. They're cinematic and have a strong arc, complete with character development and evolving relationships. These are the first non-Asian dramas to truly interest me in about a year. They're not as cracktastic as kdramas, but if you're into reaaaally dark shows (especially Luther which is hands down the most disturbing show I've ever seen, yet so well-produced and acted, and so fascinating that I can't abandon it completely), you might want to check them out.

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You would love She's the Man and 10 Things I Hate About You. In 10 things, they do a good job of translating Shakespeare into locations. It's rediculously over the top in the Uber Rich town where everyone has a car and there is a golfing and archery club at school. They mostly remain in the fluff, but there are hints of real angst, teenage style. It doesn't hurt that the females are good and kick-ass strong.

She's the Man is the Amanda Bynes gender-bender ala Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (Duke Orsino is the main character in both versions) mixed with fun cheese. Amanda's not a pretty guy and is really awkwardly awesome. Channing Tatum isn't bad to look at either.

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Loved Greek Make it or Break it, and Lincoln Heights.

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hahaha, "hole of shame"... it doesn't matter, everybody has a list of guilty pleasures and it happens that many of us watched the ABC family and Disney sitcoms "with the little cousin/nephew" of the family... yeah, that was my excuse before i admited i like to watch them, they are catchy hehehe

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I lol'd at "with the little cousin/nephew." Whenever I babysit my niece, I try to get her to watch shows that I'm too embarrassed to watch alone.

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Me too! Let me join you in your hole of shame

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There's plenty of room down in this here hole!

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rearwindow, i'm with you.
i loved lizzie mcguire & that's so raven.
all the disney shows today are bleh for me, so i try and stay far away.
Some of the abc family shows i consider decent.

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Ah, those were the days! Even Stevens, Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven. Heck, even Hannah Montana the first two seasons, Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Life with Derek.

Phineas and Ferb is currently my guilty Disney pleasure. I don't much like anything they are churning out these days though.

Three TV shows I am obsessed with: Revenge, Once Upon A Time (OUAT), and Game of Thrones (GoT). With the exception of OUAT, I recommend that you are over the age of 16 (Revenge) and 18 (GoT) to watch. GoT is on HBO, 'nuff said.

As for Ma Boy, sounds interesting. I'll watch after the second episode airs.

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I never watched That's So Raven, but I totally agree that today's Disney shows are majorly lacking. Even Stevens was great. This may have been before your time (man it feels weird to say that), but I LOOOOOVED Jett Jackson when it was on. I think that was my favorite.

@Florentine, I've heard good things about Phineas and Ferb. I love me a good witty cartoon, so maybe I'll check it out :).

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Not before my time! Jett Jackson was awesome. Lizzie McGuire was probably on the outside edge of my age group, but I still enjoyed what I saw of it.

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I know this has been mentioned before, but there are times when 'Irene' looks so much like Suzy that it's... well, disconcerting, knowing that she is actually a he (er, Irene, not Suzy).

Thanks for the recap, javabeans!

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i thought that 'Irene' reminds me of Park Shin-Hye in some angles...

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Hm, maybe I've found a drama I'm too old for. Just have to watch this to see if that's the case.

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I was not embarrassed at all about watching this! Having to watch a miriade of shows when my girls were growing up (Sailor Moon, Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan in her good days, as well as Amanda Bynes), I was hoping this was as cute as the premise made it out to be. Have seen the raw but the cute still showed through. Can't wait until its subbed so I can get the full treatment! I watched this after Gaksital and what a mind relief this was! Thanks for picking up this extremely cute little mini-drama!

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OMA the pictures are awesome. Gotta check this out.

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omo finally lol I saw the raw and my limit korean didnt let me understand a few now this is a ig clarification thanks ^^

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JB~

Thanks for the recap. Looks good. I'll watch it once it's subbed.

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OMG this feels almost like the live action version of a manga called Tenshi Ja Nai! =D I really hope some subbing group will pick it up someday...

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I think this is probably based largely on Tenshi Ja Nai - the boy's girl character being a famous model, the normal girl roommate, the famous guy in love with the guy-as-girl...It all fits

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yep, when I first read about the synopsis my mind shot straight to Tenshi Ja Nai. lol it was a great manga!.

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That's what I thought too! I really liked the manga, and this drama seems cute. Especially since Kim Sohyun is such a pretty little one~

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aww, i want to watch this one. even raw is fine. where o where? anybody can point the way?

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dramacrazy has the raw and will be subbed, eventually I was told.

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thank you thank you!

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Thanks for the recap! Will read now :D

And whoa I'm still getting used to the new colours. Har

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Thanks for the recap! I like it so far. I want to watch more! What's the schedule for this drama? :D

Also, loling at the fact that this drama has a character named Tae Joon played by Minhoo while TTBY's male lead is also Tae Joon played by Minho, and they're both gender-benders :D

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Love it! Tnx for recap,wish you continue it!:-)

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awww ^^ it's so full of fluff <3 love it!

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One word extension

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keh~ gender bending boys has always been my favorite manga trope. It's nice to see it here in dramas since Korea is already overusing the girls. Many idols fall into the pretty boy category but I like that in this drama theh used a boy who looks like a girl but his body looks like a normal boy. I'm going to enjoy this even though its wee too short.

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nice recap... like my fluffly, candy coated, super sweet teen dramas, i also watched many of the ABC family and disney series and i won't mind if this is not the best drama of the year but a good teeny tiny treat. hope we can get the recap of the last two episodes.
thanks!! :)

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Wow, my name is Irene and it's very funny and strange to "heard" my name in a kdrama. Use it well Hyun-woo! :P

Sounds interesting, thanks for the recap!

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My mother was seriously concerned for me when she saw me watching this show at my age. Then I made her sit down with me and watch. And then she made my sister watch too. He. Then we went on to search some Touch music too. So I totally enjoyed this show! And the amazing thing is that Hyun-woo plays his girl part extremely well, better than any girl-dressed-as-boy.

And Kim So-hyun is such a cutie and should play more of these good-hearted characters.

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I can't wait to watch it. It looks super cute.

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You know, the more I see this, the more I think it's based on the manga, Tenshi Ja Nai!! I'm pretty sure there's a similar scene where Izumi (the boy dressed as a girl) gets sick in his girl disguise and Hikaru (the girl) finds out.

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Exactly what i was thinking. I loved Tenshi Ja Nai. It's my second favorite gender bending manga. (First being Hana Kimi)

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I totally agree!! its so similar to the manga!!

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Kim So-hyun, in her 3/4 view, reminds me of Han Ga-in and Son Ye-jin.

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I'm so used to hating her by now, it has nothing to do with her but she's made me loathe the 2 characters she played. What a change to see her in another role.

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Love this show, so cute.

SIGH. I miss Lizze McGuire...I pretty much lived on Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes as a kid.

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I really wanna see this...i hope it gets subbed!!
Out of all of these actors i am only aware of Kim So Hyun and i think she is adorable^^

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Oh also Sun Woong really reminds me of Song Joong Ki in some of these pics^^

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Seriously? The guy is more beautiful than the female lead. He he...

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is it me or does the guy look latina when he plays a female

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Aww ...even the recap makes it sound cute.I was smiling when I was reading it.But Irene has this really nice lips, great complexion and nice big eyes.He's really pretty as Irene.

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This is a cute show, and I like the leads and Tae-joon. It's not quite what I was expecting. It's better.

I looked up Touch on YouTube and I'm now a fan. :)

Thanks for the recap, Javabeans!

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This such a weird but at the same time cute twist LOL! I'm happy you're recapping this I hope there will be subs!

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Love, love, love this drama. I watched it as soon as a link showed up in DC, and it was really cute and fluffy and sweet, even if there are parts I can't understand. So, thank you very much for this recap!

I do wish it's a full drama, though. I read the manga and think it could be made at least into a short drama series.... >.<

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what is the manga called???

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Tenshi Ja Nai. "I'm no Angel"

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I think "it" looks better as a guy :p

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Could you please post a link to an eng sub site? I really want to watch this drama and I can't find the subs! Thank you!

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Could you please let us know if there is a place where we can find this drama with subtitles in English? I really want to watch this drama and I can't find the subs! Thank you! Love your recaps!

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omg this looks super cute! I hope that it will get subbed tho... so many smaller screen dramas don't :(

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wat that it?!?! i want more! this is definitely topping the list to watch

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I just finished reading the manga its based on - Tenshi Ja Nai. And I wanna...I wanna...I WANNA watch this subbed. lol.

Thanks for the recap~!!

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I've SO read this manga. Love me some gender bending!

Thanks!

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it's sad that this show is only 3 episodes long... can't they extend the show? 3 episodes seems too rushed.... and it's an interesting and different feel to it.

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omgosh, the strut of the three bullies. PWAHAHA! the adam's apple cover up. ha! hilarious. is it weird that hyun woo actually looks more manly as irene? ha.

cute.

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Whoa -- "Irene" looks just like Jung So Min! I had to double take. They could be twins. :D

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This show is really loads of cuteness!

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at certain angles, the female lead looks like a younger son ye jin...

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I loled for real when I noticed that "Irene" was wearing Calvin Klein boxers/briefs.

Thanks for the recaps! I only understand about 85% so they help patch up on fuzzy spots and I love how you pick up on little nuances.

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RIGHT? The Klein undies were hysterical. I wonder if it was intentional, or a mistake for some poor continuity employee.

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