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Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 13

Okay, this episode made me change my mind about wanting all feelings out in the open, because our hero’s achy breaky heart just kills me. It’s. So. Sweet. It’s a great example of when angst can be so good when it’s motivated by larger-than-life conflict, and when trying to hide your bleeding heart can be just as romantic as putting all your cards on the table.

SONG OF THE DAY

K. Will – “Love Is You” (Arang and the Magistrate OST) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 13 RECAP

We finally return to the confession (Man, what a long week) as Eun-oh says he doesn’t know why he’s like this, “But I’m going to like you, Arang.”

She tells him not to, and he reminds her that she’s the honest one, who said she was going to live doing and saying what she really felt. But she looks up at him now, “What use is that?”

She says she doesn’t feel the same, and turns to go inside. He grabs her wrist and pulls her close, “This is the last time… Is that how you honestly feel?” His pleading eyes kill me.

He searches her face, and she returns a quiet “Yes,” though her eyes start brimming with tears. He lets go and sighs with a little smile, accepting that it was he alone who struggled with his feelings. No!

Arang shuts the doors and swallows back her tears, because she’s a lying liar who LIES. Grar! Eun-oh spends the whole night pacing in the yard and sighing up at the moon.

He gets up in the morning and stands outside Arang’s room, and then goes to the marketplace. All the local townspeople bow to him now, calling him Magistrate and thanking him for what he’s done.

He stops by the shoe vendor and picks out a pretty pair for Arang (awww) and the man thanks him for changing this town—not just giving them rice, but a place they can go to when they need help.

Arang stands outside Eun-oh’s room, worrying that he went out last night and never came home. He returns to find her standing there, and tucks away his wounded heart to greet her with a cheery smile.

He presents her with the shoes and sits her down to place them on her feet. She pulls her foot back from his grasp for a moment, and he lowers his gaze, “Don’t worry. I know what you’re thinking. But I said I’d send you to heaven, and that’s the only thing I’ll do.” What? That’s not what she’s thinking at all! Waaaaaaaah.

He tells her that she has to look pretty when she goes to heaven, and asks if there’s anything she wants to eat, have, or do before she goes. “This oraboni [oppa] will do it all.” How cute. At least her going to heaven gives him an excuse to do everything he wants for her.

Her two requests: peaches every day, and for him to eat three meals a day, because they don’t even bother to give her food if the magistrate doesn’t eat. He asks if that’s really it—all food? She nods, saying that even a ghost who died while eating is always hungry.

Dol-swe gives them the stink-eye, and Eun-oh tells her to ignore it. They head out to check on Bang-wool’s progress, and don’t see Lord Choi’s minion snooping on them. He gapes to find the girl he killed… very much alive. Joo-wal heads in as well, a minute too late.

Bang-wool clutches the book she was looking for happily, and apologizes to Arang for opening her big mouth around Dol-swe. She’s figured out the talisman—it’s not for blocking ghosts, which is more like a side effect of sorts.

The talisman is to block out heaven; ghosts are just included in that package deal. Arang and Eun-oh look at each other curiously. Arang remembers the liver-eating demon in the cave and says that must be what Mu-young was talking about: A soul gets trapped somewhere and gets twisted and turned until it’s unrecognizable.

Bang-wool confirms that whatever keeps ghosts out also keeps them in. Arang never saw any ghosts on that property though, and Bang-wool guesses that whoever made the talisman is doing something with them.

Lord Choi stews at being ordered around and left out of the loop, and wonders why Mom would want that girl to be untouched when she’s already dead. But that triggers a memory—him as the young hunter, and Wife in a different body—telling him that she believed that such a being existed, and if she could have her, she could live forever.

He gets confirmation from a confused Evil Junior that the girl is alive and well, even after he made sure she was dead. Lord Choi still feels like he remembers her face from somewhere too… and then recalls having seen Seo-rim when he went to see the magistrate years ago.

He laughs, finally caught up to speed on what Joo-wal and Mom are up to. “It has come! It has come!” He’s even more amused to hear that Joo-wal stopped by looking for Arang too, as Evil Junior shares his suspicions that the young master is in love with her. Lord Choi cackles in glee.

Joo-wal waits and waits outside Arang’s room like a lovesick puppy, as the Bangs note his strange behavior.

Back at Bang-wool’s, Arang sighs that finding out the truth about her death scares her now. Eun-oh tells her she has nothing to be afraid of; he’ll find out the truth and send her to heaven, like he promised.

Bang-wool says the counter-talisman will take a while, so Eun-oh gets up and says that Arang was right all along. The fastest way in is to just hop the fence. He has a pretty good guess too… where suspicious activity might be going on in that creepy house.

Mu-young tells the Jade Emperor that he has it wrong. Uh, pretty bold for a grim reaper. He swears that he’s ready to do what is necessary, but Jade hesitates—how could he possibly have come to a conclusion already? Doesn’t he need to think, weigh his feelings, figure things out?

Mu-young reminds him that becoming a heavenly being meant cutting all those ties and living without any of those human conditions (and connections). But Jade actually disagrees, thinking that the process is necessary to be sure of one’s heart.

But Mu-young insists that’s for humans, and he’s the grim reaper. “What do I have to do?” Jade finally relents and presents him with a dagger. He says it must go in the heart, and can only be used once. Seriously? You couldn’t have made a spare?

Mu-young asks now what the reason is—why he’s the only one who can do this. Jade: “Blood. Only the strength of the will to cut the ties of blood can kill her.” I knew it.

Goddamn, fate’s a bitch. But it also means that Eun-oh’s got a chance too, right?

Mu-young gets straight to work and goes after another of Mu-yeon’s demon reapers. She can sense his disruption and fumes, breaking the jar and killing her own soldier so he can’t be used to track her down.

Back up in heaven the kings resume their usual badook game and Hades gloats that he was right about Mu-young all along. He never once rebelled when Jade kicked his sister out of heaven, and before that he even chased her down and brought her back when she escaped. Interesting.

Hades puts up a side bet that Mu-young will capture her successfully, and offers a hellfire barbeque. Hee. Jade asks what he wants, and then quickly adds, “But not my goat.” Ha.

Eun-oh tells Arang to wait a safe distance away while he scopes out the House of Horrors, and she laments not being able to jump rooftops like she did in her ghost days.

Mom heads out as Eun-oh gets closer, and she senses something… Arang? She decides to go take a peek at her face, and just misses crossing paths with Eun-oh. He makes his way inside to the house with the trapdoor to her lair…

Mom wears her black veil and makes her way down the road, but then stops in her tracks when she senses something else entirely. Is it Eun-oh? She whirls around. Oh, it’s Mu-young!

His face changes immediately as he recognizes her, and she smiles, “It’s been a while. Four hundred years?” She says she looks a little different, but whadduya gonna do; it’s the price of being human.

Mu-young: “Is that why you’re living like this? To be human?” She calls him oraboni and actually says this is all his fault—if he had helped her up in heaven, she wouldn’t have had to do any of this.

She knew that the Jade Emperor had a way of making her human, but Mu-young tells her it was wrong. “That’s why I found my own way, but you ruined that too!”

Flashback to Mu-young taking away a young woman’s soul after she died. Mu-yeon has followed him there, and once he leads the soul away, she sneaks in and lies down in the dead body, possessing her first shell.

She flashes an evil smile. But as soon as she steps foot outside, Mu-young chases her down and knocks her out of the body, kicking and screaming. She wails that she doesn’t want to go back there, but he ties her with the red rope.

Back in the present, she asks bitterly how he felt, giving her up to the Jade Emperor. Was he relieved when she was kicked out of heaven too? He sighs that rather than suffer in hell, he thought she’d be better off.

Mu-young: “But living like this for four hundred years, hopping from body to body… not human, not ghost… I never imagined you’d live this way.”

She thinks it’s impressive what she’s managed to do, but he warns that she’s possessed with ambition, feeding into that one deepest of human ambitions—to live forever. She wonders why that’s such a bad thing, and he has to spell it out, that in order for her to do so countless innocent people die.

He takes out the dagger. Mu-yeon actually moves closer, like she’s daring him.

She puts her hand over his and pulls the dagger right up to her heart, calling him oraboni and telling him to stab her in the heart and prove to them that he’s a blameless heavenly being. Oh, she’s good.

He freezes, his hand trembling in hers. And then we see that this whole time, it’s Mu-yeon’s face he sees looking back at him. She smiles and says she was too hasty because she wanted to see Arang’s face, and asks him to tell them that she is indeed good bait. She says they’ll meet again, and walks away. Mu-young stands there holding the dagger, shaking.

And up in heaven, Hades reels. Jade sits silently, having known this would be a bigger dilemma for Mu-young than he cared to admit.

Meanwhile, Eun-oh hasn’t found anything suspicious yet, but then his demon-killin’ fan starts to shake in his hand. Okay, that’s creepy.

He flares it open, and it causes the trapdoor to crack ajar. Whoa. He tries to push it open the rest of the way, but it won’t budge. The fan still shakes with some kind of mystical energy in his hand, so he stands back and swings it at the door… and it slides open. Nice.

He makes his way down and wonders what the hell these people are up to. He tries to pry open one of the jars, but it won’t budge, so then he just carries one out with him. Yessss! I love a practical hero. Just take that jar home!

Arang waits outside, but it’s Joo-wal who finds her first. He says he waited for her to come home and warns her not to come around here, his voice trembling.

But it’s too late, and Mom’s voice rings out as she approaches. He quickly moves in front of Arang, holding her hand with a vise grip. He tells her to stay behind him.

Mom finally gets a peek at Arang’s face and smiles at the pair of them. She introduces herself as Joo-wal’s aunt, and says she was just out to meet someone, and that at night, things you can’t see during the day appear more clearly.

Joo-wal can barely contain his terror, but holds it together as she heads inside. She turns back to compliment Arang’s figure, which is so creepy because you know she’s sizing her up like her next outfit. *shivers*

Arang tries to get Joo-wal to loosen up on her hand, which he hasn’t even registered that he’s holding.

But Eun-oh walks up just then, and sees them holding hands. Aaaaaah, the pain, the stabby pain!

Joo-wal finally lets go and tells her to go home safely, and heads inside. Arang watches him go with a wistful look, and Eun-oh’s heart sinks even more. He asks her what she’s doing, and she doesn’t tell him about Joo-wal, which just makes the whole thing worse.

Joo-wal finds Mom waiting in his room. She wonders why he brought her here—is it because he’s changed his mind? She lights up at the thought of having Arang’s body, making her even more anxious to get rid of this tired old meatsuit she’s been wearing.

She says she gave him a second chance because his ambition was unlike others, and he wanted so desperately to live as a human being. His ambitions were simpler than any she’d known before—to have a home, and food, and a mother. But she warns that there are plenty more where he came from.

Arang touches the jar and feels a weird, cold energy from it, but doesn’t know what it could be or how to open it. Eun-oh just shoves it aside, clearly not the first thing on his mind right now, and lies down. He says he’ll take it Bang-wool in the morning.

She wonders what help a shaman who can’t even see ghosts will be, and adds that she couldn’t even hear other ghosts besides her.

She gets up to go to her room and he calls out with his eyes closed, “Arang, I will somehow endure you not looking at me. But you looking at someone else… isn’t so easy to endure.”

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

She doesn’t say anything in return and lingers outside his room instead. He opens his eyes once she’s gone and lets out a sigh.

Mu-young returns and asks for another chance. Did you learn nothing the first time? Jade shuts him down right away and Hades just stalks away without a word, and Mu-young bows his head contritely. Jade warns that the bad mood will last a while this time.

Mu-young finally asks about Eun-oh—he had the Jade Emperor’s things in his possession. What is he? Is he the contingency plan? Jade: “Yes.” A direct answer? It’s a miracle!

Mu-young asks about the blood tie then, and guesses correctly another time: that the body Mu-yeon is wearing is Eun-oh’s mother.

Eun-oh heads out early the next morning and brushes past Arang coldly, telling her to stay home. He brings the jar to Bang-wool, and asks if she can’t feel the weird energy from it. She can’t and pitches a fit that he’s showing off, and then quickly apologizes for her outburst.

He tells her to figure it out because there isn’t much time. I don’t see why you wouldn’t do the same thing you did with the mass grave—just tear those suckers off and pry it open.

The Bangs offer Arang a special tonic, and she eyes them suspiciously, but figures it won’t matter if they poisoned it anyway and drinks. Heh. It turns out they’re being nice because they want to know which ship she’s on: Joo-wal or Eun-oh.

But she runs off in the middle of their question when she sees Dol-swe, and he shrinks back when she touches his arm. She apologizes sincerely and asks him not to be so hard on Eun-oh, because he really depends on Dol-swe.

She says that it’s not what he thinks, and Eun-oh is just helping her with something. Dol-swe argues that that is the troubling part—his master isn’t the type to care an ounce about anyone else’s problems, but look at him now. Look what she’s done to him.

Arang just offers the only word of comfort that she can—that she’ll be returning to the afterlife soon enough, and he can have his master back. Dol-swe turns around to find Eun-oh standing behind him.

Eun-oh sits him down and tells Dol-swe who Arang really is, and calls her the agasshi he guarded with his life that night. “H-how does a person become a ghost, and then a person?”

Eun-oh says she’s a person and he’s helping her with something. He admits that he’s someone who never once cared for another living soul, muttering that Dol-swe seemed to describe him eloquently to Arang, heh.

“But like you said, I’ve changed.” He says for the first time in his life, he was worried about someone else. “I’ve felt something lately too… that you, Dol-swe, are a hundred times better than I am.”

He says that Dol-swe guarded Seo-rim with his life without ever once having met her, but Eun-oh is just starting to care about the plight of others. He muses that someone like Dol-swe really ought to be the magistrate.

Dol-swe calls it nonsense, but Eun-oh means it, and says that rather than those who are born to noblemen and have nothing but that in life, people who can be kind to others ought to be the magistrates of the world.

Dol-swe promises to stop being mad and picking on Arang, and then wonders to himself as he walks away how long Eun-oh has seen ghosts, and if that means those rumors when he was a child were true.

Eun-oh sits the Bangs down and asks about Lord Choi, acting like he intends to become better acquainted with the man and be on friendly terms. The Bangs say that he wasn’t from Miryang, but came about twenty years ago, from Hanyang.

They note now how interesting it is that every nobleman who lives in that particular house does really well for himself. Ya don’t say.

Lord Choi was pretty famous for offing any political enemies and getting anything he wanted, but it was Eun-oh’s father who ousted him from public office. That’s news to Eun-oh, and hopefully a lead that’ll send him digging into his family’s past.

Meanwhile Lord Choi’s doing to same, and sends his minion to find Eun-oh’s mother and bring her back here.

Joo-wal just sits in his room brooding, and stares at the table of food sitting in front of him. Mom’s words that all he wanted was warm food and not to be ridiculed by others sting, and he overturns the table in anger.

Arang sits in her room as well, and then decides that she can’t just sit here thinking about Eun-oh, and tells him she’s going to Lord Choi’s house to look for those ghosts who were supposed to help out, but went missing.

Eun-oh tears out of his room and blocks her path, and tells her not to go there. She declares that she’s going, and Eun-oh shouts at her to just listen to him for once. She shouts back, asking why he’s been avoiding her all day, why he won’t look at her or talk to her.

Eun-oh: Because I don’t know! I don’t know what to do. I promised that I’d put your heart at ease, but that’s not so easy to do. I barely pushed it all down, but you… you were looking at him. When I saw that, the heart I had pushed down started to quake, everything turned upside-down, and I couldn’t keep it at bay any longer. That’s why… I began to regret that night.

Even if you said we couldn’t, I should have argued. When you said you didn’t feel the same, I shouldn’t have believed you so easily. Even if you said that was how you honestly felt, I should’ve ignored it; I should’ve convinced you! But… I can’t do that. I promised I’d send to you to heaven, so how can I lose face and turn back now?! That’s why… because I don’t know what to do. Damn it. Why is it so complicated!?

Oof. I died about three times over in that speech.

He storms off leaving Arang spun around… and of course Joo-wal chooses this moment to come for a visit. Eun-oh seethes as Joo-wal bows and says he’s here to see Arang. If there were lasers in those eyes, Joo-wal would be a mound of dust.

Joo-wal apologizes for not escorting her back last night and asks for some of her time, to accompany him out. She looks up at him…

But Eun-oh interrupts, “I can’t [let you] do that.” Joo-wal says he was asking Arang, but Eun-oh gets up in his face. Oh, it’s go time.

They stare each other down, and Arang looks back and forth between them. Eun-oh repeats that he’s not going to let that happen, “So get out!”

 
COMMENTS

The confrontation between the boys isn’t so much of a climax since it’s a conflict that already exists, but the confession was. Such a great outpouring of honesty from Eun-oh, who has taken some huge leaps as a character in the last few episodes. Arang’s denial is frustrating in the sense that I want to see her hurry up and embrace the life she’s been given no matter how short, but I love that for the time being, it has the effect of making Eun-oh struggle with his heart.

The one refreshing thing about this particular denial situation is that Eun-oh knows all the reasons why she’s denying her feelings. That’s why it works well as a source of angst and doesn’t feel like a cheap drama-driven Big Misunderstanding. Here it’s the laws of heaven and earth, life and death, that keep them from acting on their feelings, and they each know that. Eun-oh is just the first to realize that he can’t control his heart, even if it’s on a crash course, and a cruelly short one at that.

It’s nice to have Mu-young’s conflict come to the foreground, especially because he illustrates the interesting dynamic between heavenly beings and humans in this universe. He was so convinced that he had left all his humanness behind, and yet there’s a line he can’t cross because of his human connections, no matter how old. I’m fascinated by Mu-yeon’s backstory, and love that her conflict is at the core, the same as Arang’s—they both desperately want to be human.

The simplicity of that adds a surprisingly sympathetic dimension to Mu-yeon—not in a you’re-not-evil way, of course, but more like we get the why in the thousand years of death and destruction. Agents of chaos, evil for evil’s sake, someone who just wants to defy the gods because she can: scary, but not so interesting. A supernatural being who just desperately wants to be human again: suddenly verrrry interesting.

Now I find myself curious what life is really like up in heaven, because she makes the Jade Emperor sound like an overlord and heaven like a prison. Was she unhappy? Bored? Did she simply desire something she couldn’t have? If she always had that streak of evil, how in the beans did she end up in heaven? There’s something I really like about her in that basic conflict though: She knows the difference between just existing, and living. Her problem lies in the very nature of life though—that it ends. It sets up Arang and Mu-yeon to be two sides of the same coin—accepting death gives one life, and clinging to life brings the other death.

All we need now is for Arang to wake the hell up and start living. There’s eternity for thinking, but very little time left for smooching!

 
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Yesssss Thank you GF :) <3

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YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!Thanks GF for the recap! Been waiting foro this!

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BEENREFERESHINGLIKECRAZY.THANKSGF.

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HAHAHAHA.That's also what I did.

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me too.. until my mobile battery runs out!

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Lol same here plus downloading K. Will – “Love Is You” totally took the life out of it.

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K.Will is such a gem. Listening to his songs are always heart-warming.
If Baek Ji Young is the ost queen, k.will is the ost king.

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Thanks girlfriday. Been refreshing the screen for the past 30 minutes.
This show and Nice Guy make me want a podcast in the worst way. I just love knowing what you and JB are thinking.
Im gonna read and then comment again.

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I agree, a javabeans and girlfriday podcast would be AWESOME!

However, we do also appreciate the amount of time it takes simply to do the recaps too! ^_^

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Haha you're last sentence... amazing. Smooches all around please!

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Thanks so much for the recap. I've been dying to know what happened. Its amazing how addicting a good show can be!

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omo~~ lov this show

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"Yessss! I love a practical hero. Just take that jar home!"

LOL. I laughed so hard. xD

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LOL ~ i love your "take the whole jar home" - true enough our Sato is a very practical hero (:

and then, find a way to open it at home rather than trying it there.

and after he took off from the house, he even closed the gates and left a gap there - as in no one went in before. Clever!

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Thank you for the recaps !!! ^^

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Gosh, I've been waiting for this recap. Thank you so much.

comment before reading:
So many things happened on last night epi but I didn't understand a word...urghhh... need.to.learn.korean. But I like the scene btwn Eunoh and BW where EO put his hand on the jar, say something to BW, she put her hand on the jar and I think she said something snarky because she kinda bowing after that?

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ahhh... so that is the continuation from last week. No wonder he had that defeated smile on him.. And I finally understand what Eunoh said to Arang just second before Joowal come. Break my heart to pieces... TT_TT First the rejection and than the confession. You can feel his feeling by just looking at his eyes alone. ohhh... Arang, accept him!!! Spend your numbered days with him and team up to solve the mysteries.

I guess JE is right on his money when he didn't trust MY on whether he'll be able to kill his sister. The way she challenge him to stab her shows how confident she is on that account. Can't wait for Eunoh to meet his mom but at the same time, I didn't them to meet. Wonder how will JW feel if Eunoh call her mother? It would drives him nuts.

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omg been camping out here all day. Viki subbers were really fast today! I love you, subbers! Yet I wait here to read your recaps first. Lol. Now will watch the video~ be back after watching. Thanks a bunch gf!

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thank you!!! Eun Oh breaking my heart this episode;( but soooo damn good!;)

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Thanks for the recap.

Come on, Arang, YOLO, or in your case, You Only have One Life LEFT to smooch!!!

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and hopefully she does smooch him great!!! hahahhahha

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I know ratings are dropping but I, for one, am addicted as ever. I am in total agreement with your last sentence. Arang - get a move on it!!! Please... there is very little time left for smooching... and living!! :) I do agree that she should live since she has returned as a human and some living is a must. Of course, doing some awesome CSI work as well.

Eun-Oh has such a long way as a character... I loved his confession and then his 2nd confession. His jealousy is so perfect (as jealousy can be and not -- annoying crazy). I feel like my heart is being rung out just like his.

This OTP is just so lovely... but I do really need Arang to start stepping it up too and pronto!! Time is a ticking! She gets to see him in a sleepwear -- that's highly uncommon back then right? So wink wink... time to do something about that advtg hehe!!

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I wish ratings weren't dropping, 13% is considered decent, right? :(

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So does Mom always stays at Miryang or does she originally comes from Hanyang too? Since Lord Choi has been doing well for himself before he came to Miryang means he doesnt need any help then. I wonder how did Lord Choi and mom meet. Hope that they have flashback for Eun Oh's father. His story seems interesting to me. With Lord Choi being the one that turned mom's family into traitor and Eun Oh's father is the one that ousted him out from public office. and why does his father still agrees to treat Eun Oh like his illegitimate son given all the things that happen with mom's family being traitor.. ahh mysteries

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oops i mean legitimate.

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Seems Big Bad always presided in this mansion. The mansion has a way of weirdly bringing prosperity to those who live init. Which would mean that Ju Wal might have been originally from the area...cause Big Bad was walking around when she saw him in the marketplace.

Yeah, I am totally wondering what Lord Kom knows and doesn't know and when he knew or didn't know whatever it is he does know.

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smooching! smooching! smooching!!!!

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hahahha that's exactly what i said too!

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I don't know how many times I have said, I love this show, it i will say it again. I love this show.

And even more after this episode, I love Eunoh. Oh my god, how I love him. Starting wit the scene where we left off, he asks Arang how she feels. He implores her. When she says no he asks again, to be sure, to give her a second chance if she's lying (because he must feel that she does care). But when she says no again, he accepts it, and accepts it quietly. Not only is it heartbreaking, but it's respectful of him. She has given her answer and he has to accept it because he respects her. God, a man who respects a woman? Totally sexy.

And then the next day he tries to honor her wishes. He is straightforward wit her; he knows her worries and wants to alleviate her fears. He won't press the point, but he still wants to help her. He wants to be kind to her and make what time she has left happy. He doesn't try to manipulate her or force a kiss to try and force her to feel for him what he feels for her.

And when he becomes jealous after seeing her with Joowal he tries to keep a distance so he doesn't act rashly. And when she asks him about why he's avoiding her...he's honest. There are no Big Misundertandings or Noble Idiocy moments.

What I love about them is what girlfriday said: their conflict is organic to the story so the angst really works. But what I also love is the through this Eunoh acts like a grown-ass man. He's honest. He's respectful. Now that he's admitted it to himself he's not being inordinately huffy or passive aggressive. It also helps that Lee jun-Ki is playing him so masterfully. The quiet reactions and every feeling pouring out of those soulful eyes. I haven't felt such a hurry standby shipper ache in a long time. And I love it.

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"He doesn’t try to manipulate her or force a kiss to try and force her to feel for him what he feels for her."--- this! I was afraid he was going to pull a I'm-going-to-masterfully-kiss-you-into-loving-me move, but he didn't! whew!

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I'm not sure who I'm in love with here, Eun-oh or Lee Jun-ki. I feel like dying a thousand times everytime he opens his mouth to express how he feels.
I understand where she is coming from but still, how does she do it?. Let a man be that pathetic infront of her. Ahhhh so frustrating.

Lee Jun-ki, "call me maybe" lol.

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I know,..in any other situation a mature man like that would be completely irresistible!!

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I love this analysis of Eun Oh. It's everything I was feeling and thinking and hadn't quite put into words. He's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite heroes. And not only for how he treats Arang, but also for how clever and able he is. Lee Jun Ki is amazing!

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Sageuk hall of fame: Kim Eun-oh and Kim Boong Do.

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AGREEEEEEEED :D both man are the perfect image for man on joseon era! should be in the magazine cover on that time!

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kiara & hons; u guys r COOL
i havent forgotten bout KIM BOONG DO..
yes, they should be in the HALL of FAME (joseon era)

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Yes, that Kim Boong Do is just as irresistible...

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Totally one of my all-time Kdrama heroes so far, for sure.

I wanted to add, too, that when Arang asks him why he's been avoiding her, he goes through the list of what he should have done (or what other Kdrama heroes might have done): not accepted her answer, forced her to answer, to give him the answer he wanted. But he didn't. And he still doesn't. He STILL DOESN'T, because he won't go back on his word to her. That's a gentleman. That's someone who really loves her because it's not what she would have wanted, not what would make her happy in that moment.

And saying that, that's what's also really cool about Arang. She's not one of those Kdrama heroines who says one thing but wants another. She's not putting herself in a position where she wants him to force an answer from her out of some weird passivity or passive aggressiveness. She knows he loves her, and on some level she knows she loves him and has admitted it. What she's doing is intellectualizing the situation. She has to go to heaven or hell in like a month, and she doesn't want to hurt him, so she denies thinking it will spare him the pain. What it will come down to though is her realization that love waits for no (wo)man, and that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before. And I like that--that he's come clean, and now it's time for her to do so, too, but not because she secretly wants the guy to force her to that decision, but because she comes to the realization herself and then acts upon it.

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Perfect post, as usual. I think you got Eun Oh down pat. He truly is a gentleman, and a refreshing one amidst all the other K-drama heroes because he's just so nuanced and complicated and, well, perfect. And I LOVE that he's not a noble idiot. I would've been seeing red.

It helps that LJK plays him so wonderfully. Man is he good, and his eyessss. I can get lost in them forever.

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*slow clapping then standing ovation* your post straight to my heart.

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I just realized my iPhone autocorrected to write "hurry standby" shipper. I have no idea what I meant now anymore, but it was certainly not "hurry standby" lol.

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Thankx for the recap!
I just realized something Mu-yeon is Im Joo-eun! Loveeed her in What's Up and Wild Romance! Now all she need is a lead role!

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OHHHHHHHHHH its HER I thought I recognized that face!

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Thank you girlfriday!!
I couldn't stop laughing when Eun-oh took the jar and was carrying it around :D hah! And it reminded me of Eun-soo!
I really hope Arang tell him how she feels already, because Eun-oh is just breaking my heart.

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I have pretty much accepted that there will be no perfect, happy ending in Faith. But I demand a happy ending in Arang !!!!!!! They must stay together...in any form. Let them both become reapers or fairies, I do not care. I threw a tissue at my screen at the beginning when Arang denied her feelings (the one I knew I was going to need for this episode). But oh my, Eun-oh was just so gallant and romantic tonight. So awesome! Tomorrow cannot come soon enough because the previews promise hugs!!!!

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LOL I think the Arang couple is more doomed than the Faith couple unless Eun-oh dies and joins Arang in heaven... He would make a bad-ass reaper, but Arang might just want to be a reaper too.
What made you lose hope for the Faith couple? Don't forget that Hwata was pretty cocky when he/she left Goryeo the first(?) time so Eun Soo pro'lly becomes a seasoned time traveler at some point. She can visit her boo anytime she wants or just take him with her or whatever.

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Just like Arang, Eun-oh died before so I think they are both on borrowed time. When Jade gave him life again he told him that one day he will remember. I have a feeling they will end up together. How, when and where?. I dont know.

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CY is doomed to have his head chopped off as an old man according to Wikipedia. That means he stays in Goryeo. We know ES has to go back because of the notebook. Even if she comes back, she is now a target. Everyone wants her because of her knowledge so she can never be safe. And she would not want CY fighting for her all the time. But I do like your idea of a lifetime of visits, and that could make sense with all of the notebook entries. I think Jang Bin is Hwata...not sure why.

As for my beloved Arang couple, the have much in common. They are both unique, undead beings. Both created by JE and probably doomed as humans but can hope for an eternity together in heaven. We know that both are not on Earth permanently. I can totally see them as a married reaper team, where EO throws down his badass fighting skills while Arang runs off looking for peaches.

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O_o Wow... you just crushed all of my dreams and illusions. Choi Young dies? In history? Dang...
If CY and ES don't end up together, Sageuk is dead to me. They're taking liberties anyway, they can take that one. I want a happy ending TT^TT

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(to me: Well duh, he dies) but I didn't know it was like that.
He was old though. Doesn't that count for anything?

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He was defeated, exiled and then beheaded by General Yi (the young boy that Eun-soo saved).
I hope it ends with Gongnim's death then Young took Eun-soo to the portal but he couldnt bare to let her go back alone so he went with her ...... The End. The heck with history this not a documentary film so they change it if they want.

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CY dies in his 70th something, beheaded and betrayed by his young general (Yi), Queen Noguk hardly bcome pregnant in her 16years marriage times, and then she dies in Labor. King Gongmin fall into desperate for years and then become careless to his kingdoom as he spent most of his time grieving in his wife's thomb. then King gongmin turn into bisexsual, chasing young boys and even make some private soldier consist of young pretty boys. He then died in his sleep, being stabbed to death by his one pretty boys who accidentaly inlove and having a child with Gongmin's concubine.

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General Yi (the one who will kill CY) is the first King of Joseon...if I'm not mistaken...

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@Reena. He is and the up-coming "Great Seer" is based on that part of history.

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This was really Eun-oh's episode for me. He killed me about 12 times. I really don't know how Arang can resist Eun Oh/Lee Jun Ki's magical puppy dog eyes. I mean puppy's are jealous of Lee Jun Ki's eyes seriously.

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hahahaha. I like your comment. Yeah, puppy will definitely jealous of LJK's eyes. But those puppy eyes also shoot laser beams to pesky competitor. How cool is that!!! And Arang/SMA has more willed than me, for not jumping on him. Props to her. (^_^)

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Sigh, my heart was aching all morning watching it. Then you made me laugh with your recaps.
But that last speech, it made my heart bleed again. :-(
That close up scene with Hong Ryeon creeped me out. That woman should never have close up when she is smiling. It's SCARY!!!

Sigh, I don't have a good feeling about this week's episodes.

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Thanks for the recap, javabeans! I loved this episode! It's got a really good mix of romance (Eun-oh's confessions broke my heart multiple times) and mystery-solving on Arang, Eun-oh, and Bang-wool's part. I'm glad some of the secrets are now in the open now and I really enjoyed the reveal of Mu-yeon's desire to be human. It definitely gives her more dimension than the I'm-evil-because-I-am schitck. And it totally fits with the whole theme of wanting to be human.

Poor Joo-wal, I felt really bad for him this entire episode. He definitely got ripped off on his part of the deal. And I feel like kdrama case law indicates that he will have to die at the end of the series in order to repent for the girls he sent to their deaths. That guy will only have like 5 minutes of human time.

After all this, I think my favorite part is Eun-oh just stealing that jar. I could not get over it. OMG, how is he even allowed to do that? Just walk off with it?! This may even be more shocking than Eun-oh killing that evil reaper with his fan.

Regarding the mysterious jar, why isn't anyone taking the seals off? It's obvious the jar won't open with seals on it? Right?

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I mean, girlfriday!

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I assume the seals are hard to remove. That's why she put them there. But Eun-oh opened the door covering the pit of death before and broke through the seals(looked like her nearly popped a blood vessel) so idk why he doesn't (or can't) do it now. Doesn't want to risk it?

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I think it is more on he choose not to rip it off yet because they (Eunoh and Bang Wool) still can't figure out whats in the jar.

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I hope there is a pretty lady inside the jar to make Arang jealous lol.

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Could it be EO's mom's soul in the jar?

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Ooooooohhhh going crazy over your comment. Seriously, what if

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Whoa I was just kidding but you got a point. I wonder if those souls are the secret to her power. If they are killed or released it would have an effect on her.

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LOL! "K-drama case-law." Love that. But yeah, alas, it's true. But I'm thinking k-drama case law has a little pathos in it and if he is "good" in the end, there will be some redemption even in the afterlife. Not sure how the Buddhist hell forgives a repentant murderer who gives up his life for a love (which i think is what it's gonna come to) but am hoping Joo Wal will have some mercy from the Jade Emperor...or from the Jade Emperor's goat.

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lol at Jade Emperor's Goat!!! ^^

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I agree that Arang should just admit her true feelnigs to Eun-oh so that they can have their little bliss before she has to go back. But then again, I think that she believes it will be harder for them to part that's why she is denying it. Since, he already lost his father and mother, how can she let him lose her too?

I love reading your recaps Drama Beans because it is full of fun comments. I laughed when I read what you wrote about how Eun-oh's seething at Jo-wal could turn Jo-wal to a mound of dust, had it been lasers coming out of Eun-oh's eyes. ROTFL. Thanks!

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Wow! An honest guy! That's miraculous be it in reality or dramaland. Yeah, why is it so complicated? I've got a solution, though. Smooch already! Aish!

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Oh tomorrow can't come soon enough! I'm so glad the subbers are back to finishing earlier.

My poor heart broke too many times this episode. Dammit Arang you lying liar! I want her to accept her feelings ASAP, but i don't want it to come about because of near death or something of Eun-oh. Bring on the smooches show! By next week tops! Please.

I also love that the angst makes sense here. She's not denying her feelings for a reason that all viewers can understand, the laws of heaven and hell and life and death just aren't on their side and she wants to spare herself and him the pain or parting and just deny her days away. It's done right which makes it heartbreaking and not infuriating.
That being said, make use of the less than a month you have left Arang and accept your feelings. Also i pray for a happy ending. Happy fairy and reaper in heaven? Jade Emperor uses his wish to give Arang a normal life? Anything please, because this can go wrong is so many ways.
I also can't wait to see more of Eun-oh's family since I can see it's heading there. Hopefully a flashback of him and his master? Here's hoping!

Can't wait for tomorrow!

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I think the reason why the 'angst' is working so well in this drama is that it isn't angst, really (as a feeling of anxiety, turmoil, apprehension). What we are getting in AATM, especially from Eun-oh, is sadness, not angst. Yes, there’s jealousy and yes, there’s heartbreaking confessions that have an angsty undertone (and break my heart soooo much) – but the all-embracing emotion is the absolute certitude of loss. Once you not only know but also accept that someone is going to ‘die’, angst evaporates. You just want to make the last days meaningful for this person; you want to give them everything you can (like shoes, peaches, clothes … but also friendship. Oh god, the way he talked about himself as ‘Oraboni’ kills me…).

He said several times that he is ‘sending her off’ – it’s not a sending off because she is going on a journey, but it’s the last possible sending off – into oblivion, which is death. It’s the final goodbye, and it is unconditional and completely selfless – in a way, this is the purest kind of love you can give somebody. One of the things that gets me is how cruel it is that Arang has forever changed him from a cold, detached bastard into this incredibly passionate and caring person (or, rather, has unlocked what was always there, but was deliberately buried) and that this very change is the reason for his incredible suffering (and we haven’t seen the end of that yet!).

I guess I need to applaud the writers (though I do hate them for it, too!) for not giving us – and them! – even the slightest bit of hope. The happiest ending that seems plausible at the moment is that Eun-oh dies and they can be in heaven together. But then, we’ve just been shown that heaven might not be paradise after all. Mu-yeon’s storyline is there to show that being in heaven is nothing compared to living on earth – that even half-living in borrowed bodies is better than not-living in heaven.

And then, there’s another twist. Yes, we know that Arang is Arang and Lee Seo-rim was Lee Seo-rim and we know that Arang has very strong feelings for Eun-oh. But … if Eun-oh is serious about sending her to heaven, they need to solve the murder mystery. And the key to that are her memories. We also know (and they both know) that in these memories, there’s love at first sight for Joo Wal. If she remembers her past, she will become Lee Seo-rim again; a changed Lee Seo-rim, probably, but nonetheless, the essence of her is in the past. And her becoming Lee Seo-rim could very well mean that her love for Joo Wal would return.

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So true. I love these writers! There is nothing better than reading a good book and seeing a good movie and feeling one is in the hands of a good writer. I feel so confident in the maturity, skill, and sanity of the writers that I trust their goodwill toward the viewers. OR at least toward the characters. They won't make it a sad ending unless the truest ending of the story is a sad one. Which means, death might not be a sad ending at all. IF Eun Oh becomes a Grim Reaper, he will definitely be a compassionate reaper of lost despairing suddenly-murdered ghosts..and he'll have a wonderful loving fairy wife to come home to in heaven.

And ;-) heaven alone knows what I will do when Arang is finished. I'm getting separation anxiety already.

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Arang foreeeeeeeever! If they don't give us a 20 episode extension or a second season (which starts immediately after season 1 ends), I'll just marathon it as soon as it's finished. probably five times.

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Is it normal for me to cry while reading your comment? All my feels

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:-)

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:-(
I'm sorry about that. But ... I also cry (when writing them) and then, this drama is so awfully heartbreaking, so I cry when watching it, too!!

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My heart bleeds for Eunoh in this epi.and I actually cried for him!

Thanks so much for the recap!:)

I'm a Junki fan ...always...

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Eun Oh's angst is so satisfying because it hits all the right places. I knew he'd accept Arang's rejection and act as if nothing happened, but I wasn't expecting him to turn back and be so bold again per that second confession. This drama surprises me every time! Hardly any cliches! Love it.

Also, was it just me or did Lady Seo say (this episode or last week's) that she knew Arang's desire? Does she really? If so, how'd she find out? For me I think Arang either truly desires 1) to be human or 2) Eun Oh, though I think ultimately it'll be the latter.

As for the bloodline and how EO can kill Lady Seo, I think it's a given that she'll die, right? EO's mom's body, I mean. Because in the end he's going to choose Arang (at least I hope so!).

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The comment about fate has got me thinking. I wonder if there's going to be teamwork action: Eun-oh has to kill his mother to force MY out, then the reaper has to take out his sister.

T-7 hours until next episode!

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That's what I think too, that everyone's going to be involved, even Dol Swe and the Shaman. I think it's awesome because then it'd come full circle! :)

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I was actually thinking that Eun-oh's mom might already be dead - the flashback showed us how Mu-yeon got into a dead girl's body to possess it. But then, it makes for a much better conflict if mom's 'in there' as well and can surface once she meets Eun-oh. Who wants to bet he can't kill his mom??

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Thanks GF, excellent recap! Yeah, you go Eun Oh. I love how you bravely confessed your feelings for Arang, no mush, all bare honesty.

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Thanks for the recap GF!!! arghhh!!! this eposide so killing me... cant wait to watch the sub tonite.. My love to Eunoh keeps growing and growing... and its really break my heart when Arang denied her feeling towards him =__=

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Thank you GF! I've been waiting patiently like a crazy ghost!
Ugh! Arang I'm so torn! I want you to let your feelings be out in the open but at the same time I like that you haven't told Eun Oh because I'm falling in love with him more than ever. He is such a gentleman and the way he changes because of you. Subconsciously, he change so much and became a better person because of his love for you!

Do I need to become a ghost to find my own Eun Oh too? *sigh* :D

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hahaha! nooooo! let's just go and take joon gi in person.

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@gelai: Let's clone joon gi because a lot of people wants a piece of him hehehe

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...n time traveled to the year of Joseon era to be able to meet your own EO? Umm, you need to check the date when the heaven's portal will be open too then... ^^

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@gaeina Lee: but if I go there Arang will be there too and she'll beat the heck out of me...I'm no match of her kekeke

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"Eun-oh: Because I don’t know! I don’t know what to do. ..."

Out of topic: Somehow, I think Eun Oh's words reflects what Choi Young's mind right now (ep 14). Both of them are trying hard to find a way sending their women to the heaven, but both of them are reluctant to do it.

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If either/both EO and CY finally send their women to heave... No worries, they can come to noona anytime... *winks*

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i'm gonna cry for sure once this series ends, either it becomes a happy ending or not. i'll miss them SO MUCH.

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Oh lovelorn Magistrate!
His speech at the end of the episode was so heartbreaking!

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This show just kills me.(but in a good way!) :) Angstville here we come!

EO workin' his fan-fu with the evil lairs trap door was pretty cool, I have to admit! :)

Awesome recap as always GF! Thank you.

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**There’s eternity for thinking, but very little time left for smooching!**

I love this statement!!

Arang needs to let eunoh know about her feelings...isnt feeling in love part of living? being a human?

its interesting how heaven & its 'workers' are showing that they have feelings too. Hades actually feels disappointment /anger with moo young...am pretty sure he knows the feeling of love too...perhaps when arang finally admits her feelings for eunoh, it might convince hades to let them remain together whether in heaven or hell or earth!

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I like that we got some new answers is this episode:

1) Big bad has to be killed by a blood relative, it it can be the body or the soul relative.
2) Eunoh is the backup plan weapon
3) Big Bad has not always been in possession of Mom's body
4) Eunoh's father knows things about Lord Choi; what will be revealed if we get to meet him? What about the rest of the family?

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I wasn't much surprised about Eun-oh being the backup plan, since I expected that ever since Jade called him a 'weapon'. What I do fear is that this weapon may have multiple purposes; Jade obviously has not one, but several contingency plans.
Plan C is Arang's body. I'm guessing it's a prison for the evil fairy and when she'll expire, evil fairy will be trapped (and they both go to hell). So Eun-oh will have the choice to either kill his mother or, if he fails, have Arang possessed by the evil fairy. Quite possible that Eun-oh would also be involved in Plan D, which would then be about killing Arang, if Plan C goes wrong.

I've been curious about Eun-oh's father for a while now. He is a rather pivotal figure in the story, though absent (because he has given Eun-oh a chance for a normal life). I guess he knows that Choi is responsible for the downfall of Eun-oh's mother's family and that's why he kicked him out. However, is there more to him?

I'm also curious to see why they are bringing Arang's servant back into the picture (since I read the 'Tale of Arang' I know that she plays a big role in the initial there). The murder mystery is still unresolved - and though it seems more of a ruse to get Arang back to earth and into Big Bad's path at the moment, I'm pretty sure there's a major twist to be expected in that department ...

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Yesssss, the servant thing! I don't know the myth other than what I've read on Wikipedia, but the servant that betrayed her...I have been wondering ever since I read about it if the writers were going to put that into play at some point. It would be interested if they did, and interesting to see how they did.

What I'm curious about is this--if the servant lady that supposedly "loved her like a daughter" still lives in the town, why hasn't she seen Arang? And what if she did? She's the one person who really knows Lee Seo Rim's face.

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Oh please, please, please, no! Don't let Arang's body be used as a prison I hadn't thought of that and I don't want to think of that now.

But then again...what is a human body except as a vehicle for human desires? Does one need a human body? Only Jade Emperor can hop into human form with his own body but fairies and grims seem to need other bodies?

Would servant be asked to look and see if the girl is a ghost? But what would that result in? So yeah, I'm at a loss as to what Lord Choi would be thinking. Old seamstress might jog some memory for Seo Rim, though. Or maybe old seamstress could reveal something about Seo Rim to Big Bad? I am waiting to see Lord Choi's evil plan. I like the old geezer, baddie though he is. Something about the actor's ability to show aging and agedness.

Death is the big bugaboo in this story. No one really wants it. But Lord Choi is the only one so far who is a character who shows the effects of aging on the human body. He is sickly, old, and tired..and he still wants to be around ..and is jealous of the young "suitor" for Mi Lady Big Bad's hand. I understand his fear of being cast-off and his desire to knock away the third member of the triangle... But I think he's also itching to destroy Big Bad as well. Which would be interesting. Will see how that comes out.

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YES, i felt the same way about mu-yeon after today's episode—i started to feel pity, sympathy for her. you could almost relate to her and compare her to arang when she started screaming that she didn't want to go back, that she wanted to be human again. omg, this drama is good at delivering these subtle unexpected twists.

so she was kicked out of heaven, and it seems like mu-young might have had a hand in her coming down to earth again (the alternative being sent to hell). did she come as a ghost? i need more backstory NOW!

oh, and the actor playing the grim reaper deserves a strong mention. i'm really loving his acting—there's a stability to it that both suits the character he plays and speaks to how well he plays it. initially i admired how well the costuming and makeup suited him, but as the series progressed i really looked forward to his scenes.

he looks fierce and badass (he IS badass), but his character is thoughtful, reserved, and softspoken. he's dutiful and responsible. as a human he must have been a decent and honorable man. but he's dealing with this tremendous inner conflict, and it's his character i'm really keen to watch develop for the remainder of the series. i don't think i've loved a character this well since city hunter's young-ju last year...

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oh and i want dol-swe to finally spit out what he knows about lord choi!

i think from episode 1 it's been hinted that there's a story to lord choi that people whisper about. there was a scene where he turned to eun-oh and started asking him "do you know, did you hear about how lord choi got to be in that position—" and somehow got cut off. i don't recall it too accurately. and today he made the remark, "so the rumors were true?" regarding lord choi.

this drama's been sprinkling clues/hints from day 1. it's in perfect control of itself, and i love it for it.

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I think DS was referring not to rumors about Lord Choi but to the rumors of EO being able to see ghosts. EO mentioned before that his father used his position to quash the rumors about the illegitimate son being able to see ghosts and then included EO in their family registry.

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@saranga: I also like Mu Yeong. I researched this actor and found out that he played the prosecutor in "Prosecutor Princess". He is the guy with the young daughter that both the lead actress and secondary actress are interested in.

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yes! he's the second lead in Prosecutor Princess..i also love that drama..it made me cry a couple of times..good thing it has a sweet ending..

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That was a lovely drama. Loved PSH and KSY.

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"Oof. I died about three times over in that speech." Me too. I also loved your closing line, because we need some smoochie times! And so does our OTP!

I loved your comment about Moo Yeon knowing the difference between existing and living. I find it interesting how she's chosen to live, though. Arang hasn't quite figured this out all the way, but when she does, you know that she'll make the most out of her life by loving Eun Oh and generally being awesome. But Moo Yeon lives her life to defy the Jade Emperor. She wants great power, but it's still in quite a small sphere. She surrounds herself with men to do her bidding, but has no emotional connection to them at all. Even if she manipulates an emotional connection out of them. She is really a fascinating baddie, and I love all the little glimpses we get of her past.

I love love love Eun Oh! Every episode he gets better and hotter (if that's even possible) and so much awesomer. Haha. I love that he's finally taking an interest in others, and how his interest for Arang's well-being is trickling down to others, from Dol Swe to Bang Wool, to the townspeople. I love his resourcefulness and intelligence in trying to solve things. Like taking a jar with him, although I totally expected him to get caught. He's just a great hero, and Lee Jun Ki makes him oh-so-much better than he's written. Such beautiful acting!

Thanks so much for your awesome recaps! I really look forward to them!

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Eek! I can't wait to watch! Also, I'm reviewing Arang and the Magistrate on Youtube. You can watch reviews for eps. 11-12 on my channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlueJeansJane/videos?view=0

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Smooch already for the love of all that is Holy!! I pulled out my hair when Arang rejected him. Are you crazy? WAE? Seriously, how can you say no to those eyes. Aish!

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This show does a great job with complicated relationships. Obviously we have Arang and Eunoh, but we have Mu-Yeon and Mu-Young, Eunoh and Dol Swe, Arang and Joowal, Joowal and Evil Mom and it goes on and on. They are all compelling and interesting and have been surprising and nuanced.

Like I love the credit Eunoh gives Dol Swe--tells him that he thinks he's a better man, which must mean a lot to DS.

And the siblings Mu. Oh goodness. I can't wait to get more backstory on that. I love that she has a solid reason for her evil, as corrupted as it is. She is what wanting to be human can become if driven by hate and resentment. Arang is what could be if driven by love.

And Joowal is so much more interesting to me as we go forward. He craves love so much, but it is not easy to turn from the only mother figure he has. Even if she has been horrible to him, she has been there.

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I got this feeling that in addition to just showing Dol Swe his respect for him that Eun Ho got a presentiment that he would not be around and he was passing on his job to him. IT really felt like Eun Ho was kind of committing himself to his death, in some weird way. And however he dies, I feel he will die, and Dol Swe will be the new magistrate after that...to investigate his death or whatever.

I don't think Eun-Ho's mom is in the jar. The writers know how to use coincidence and "bad timing" to push a plot along but I don't think they would do something so flagrantly coincidental to move the plot along. I think it's one of Big Bad's (stolen) reapers. Lord knoweth what will happen when one lets one of those loose in the world.

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oh, my beautiful OTP *weeps*

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Omo--what if it is Eunoh's mom's soul in that jar? What a twist that would be. But then from the previews perhaps not if they open the jar and the minions pop out to fight Eunoh? But again, that could just be classic preview misdirection...

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I loved this episode, don't get me wrong. But, in the process of telling Sato's story, I feel like we're losing our grip on Arang. Arang, who was strong, sassy, vocal, and stood up for herself, is now regressing, it seems, into a meeker, sort-of-your-typical-wide-eyed-kdrama-female-lead version of herself. I've enjoyed every second of seeing Sato's immense growth with each episode; I want to see the same for our heroine as well.

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I agree that Arang needs to show more growth and have some episodes. But I don't think she's becoming a cliched heroine, rather it feels like she's learned a different way to approach her problem. Running around all crazy-like just kept getting her stabbed or killed or almost possessed, so she's started using more subtle means. I do miss her brassiness, but I don't think it's gone, she's just learned other ways to work things out.

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I kinda think Arang is where she ought to be. She has been growing. Just because she isn't growing in sassiness doesn't mean she isn't growing. Folks grow quiet when they're suddenly faced with remembering who they were before they died, having a guy confess his love to you knowing you're gonna die, feeling discomfort cause the guy you were in love with in your past life didn't know zilch about you and now is always mooning around you, and dealing with the dislike of the best friend of the hero who just declared he liked you. There's a lot going on and contrary to other dramas, this is a time for "don't just do something, stand there!"

Secondly, there's a lot to figure out in the plot. There is the myth-worldbuilding, the backstory of the Big Bad fairy's relationship with her brother and the Jade Emperor, there is the emotional issues the secondary characters are going through. If the secondary characters didn't matter, then one could focus totally on the main characters growing. But I think the writers have created a perfect moment. They have to put Arang into a state of stunned non-movement so the rest of the characters and the rest of the story can be told.

And really, what would Arang be doing anyway now? She has disobeyed the magistrate several times before and only ended up in trouble. We can't have a plot that is moved along solely by character doing stupid headstrong things. She was pushy when she was just a memory-less ghost but now she has grown to see that other people's feelings matter. (And boy do they matter!) So, if she is growing in other ways that are more silent and more internal it's best for the story to be balanced overall. Nothing worse than a writer ruining a whole story because he gets caught up with the need to make the character do something brassy and active just to please viewers or readers.

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I think it's Arang's turn now to really grow. I think we needed Eunoh's confession first because 1) she's still relearning what it means to be and feel human, 2) she has a definite tie to the world of the living now, which she didn't before, and there are consequences when she leaves this world, and, 3) she is getting closer to the truth, but the truth is no longer I think, her dearest desire. Her growth, like Eunoh's growth, is largely due to her interactions with one another, but her curve is steeper. I think it makes sense that as we move into the homestretch her arc begins to take center stage.

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I held my horses and watched the drama through becos I knew if I started reading, I will just barrel to the end LOL ... So good too that I watched... Eun Oh is being sooo refreshingly honest and open about exactly what he thinks and feels, that I am sighing and cheering here on my end... The way Lee Jun ki emotes with his eyes... is just....gaah....

I was a little taken aback when he said ' thats why I regretted the other night... ' I was like... Oh no you didn't... don't tell me you want to say you shouldnt have confessed... but THEN he went on and said all those touching words.... I am just floored and insanely happy with his pain... ( oh no did that come out too sadistic...)... that he can express himself...

I love all the truths that came out today, and the characters all have a brain and can make references from the info presented to them:

- from Lord Choi making the connection and remembering Arang was Lee Seo rim...

- Mu Young asking Jade if Eun Oh is his replacement ( UH OH!! WHAT!?! So his borrowed time has a heavy price at the end? Not that Eun Oh wouldn't look good in sombre black, but I want him alive and breathing)

- Dol swe realised that Eun Oh could see ghosts even when he was little, and it just warms my heart that at no point in time did he even think of Eun Oh as some kind of freak, but just took it all in his stride and lament that Eun Oh's first love is a female ghost PFFT... XD

Lastly can I point out that piney Eun Oh seems a bit suicidal? XD The way he was telling Dol Swe that he is the better man, and should become the new magistrate, it felt like he was trying to tie up loose ends... oh maaan....

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So he is in the the open but we don't see much of her. Arang is a little emotionless in this episode. Or I don't know if "emotionless" is the word.
Great episode anyway, I love the show, thank you.

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Ahh!!! Thank you for the recap! Eun-oh's confession at the end... He's honest with his feelings! When you said "because she’s a lying liar who LIES." I totally agreed with that. Arang don't break Eun-oh's heart you love him too!

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Thanks, girlfriday, for another thorough, insightful, delightful, humorous and awesome recap...as usual!! :)

Your comment about Eun Oh's practical nature to simply cart the jar with him had me in stitches of laughter!

Lee Jun Ki is an absolute marvel! This fella can convey the full gamut of feelings and expressions simply with his incredible eyes. The fact that he has one of the sexiest tones of voice also helps, of course, but those amazingly expressive eyes of his: Stars! Stars!

The first confession and then the last had me reeling in compassion and sympathy for him....and annoyance at Arang for letting him suffer so...time's passing quickly...get movin' to spending time with him!! Aaarrrghghh Arang!!

Thanks again, girlfriday! Your recaps and those of javabeans make my evenings cheery!! muah! hugs!

Garrdan75

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"the fact that he has one of the sexiest tones of voice also help"
Omg this!! i thought that i'm the only who notice!! his voice is just SO SEXY. it's deep but not that husky.sexy nevertheless.hihi

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