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Nice Guy: Episode 11

It’s everyone’s turn to play Hide The (Amnesiac) Chaebol, with no one excelling at the game quite as well as Maru. It’s nice to see him have purpose again, even if that purpose is saving our resident damsel in distress from Jae-hee’s evil clutches. Unfortunately for him, most of his forward momentum takes him out of the frying pan and into the fire, and he’s going to be facing his fair share now that we’re getting all our big players under one corporate roof.

Ratings for Nice Guy have been declining bit by bit lately, starting this week off at 14.3%. Not bad, but not Episode 7’s 17.3%, either.

SONG OF THE DAY

Nice Guy OST – Jo Eun – “A Good Person” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 11 RECAP

After Maru forces Jae-sik to come to a stop, he then proceeds to drag him out of the driver’s seat, demanding to know who ordered him to do the kidnapping.

Jae-sik pleads innocent until the end and claims he was just bringing Eun-ki to Maru, and Maru’s stopped from doing serious damage when Eun-ki intervenes. While Jae-sik uses this opportunity to run away, Maru tears into Eun-ki about her stupidity in getting into a stranger’s car.

Apparently she intervened without realizing that she’d even been drugged, and then when Maru tells her that he never asked Jae-sik to bring him, the conclusion Eun-ki comes to… is that Maru’s mad because Jae-sik was going to bring her without his permission? Oy, Eun-ki. I can’t be mad at you with your cognitive difficulties, but still.

Eun-ki: “Do you hate me that much? I didn’t think that you’d hate me, abhor me, that much. If I had known, I wouldn’t have looked for you.” He tries to drag her to his car, but she wrenches herself out of his grasp with tears in her eyes, apologizing for ever asking him to remember her, help her, or wait for her.

She still doesn’t think Jae-sik did anything wrong, and even tells Maru not to blame him, but her. The look on Maru’s face is something close to disbelief, but when he grabs her wrist this time, it’s no joke. Still, she wrenches free again.

Eun-ki admits to knowing she’s pitiful for clinging to him and confessing her love, but now she wants to end it. “Don’t make me any more miserable, please. Even if I’ve lost my memories, I know how embarrassing I am.”

Maru lets her walk away while she blames herself, and looks on silently. Why wouldn’t you just force her to watch Taken, point at it, and tell her that’s what was going to happen to her? Or, inversely, just tell her that you saved her from slavery?

As Eun-ki cries on her cab ride home, Maru sits in his car pensively. In voiceover, we hear him say, “Don’t you know what I had to do to send you away? What can I do now that you’ve returned? Seo Eun-ki, you fool.”

And Jae-hee is just as nervous as she stares at Jae-sik’s picture of Eun-ki. We flash back to reveal a conversation she had with her brother, who’d known enough to use her fear of Eun-ki returning against her.

Ah, so it wasn’t Min-young who paid Jae-sik to get rid of Eun-ki, because he’d told him that he didn’t have the authority to make that decision. Which is why Jae-sik took his footage to Jae-hee, threatening to reveal Eun-ki’s existence to everyone if she didn’t give him something in return.

The signs seem to point to Jae-hee ordering the kidnapping, having promised Jae-sik property and money as compensation. He sends her a text later that night that says the situation has been resolved. And by the way, can she give him that building any sooner?

Meanwhile, Secretary Hyun tries to get a reluctant Eun-ki to see her doctor for more therapy. She’s not sold on the idea since she feels like she’s made no progress, and continues to listen to “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”, the very song she’d listened to with Maru on their first car ride out to retrieve his sister.

In order to drown out what she doesn’t want to hear from Secretary Hyun, Eun-ki continues to raise the volume on the song, until she remembers Maru doing that exact thing in the car. She remembers that ride, at least.

And Maru, still sitting in his car but in a different place, remembers Eun-ki telling him that she won’t cling to him anymore and makes a call.

Cut to Jae-sik betting away all he has in a smoky gambling den, clearly counting on receiving a boost from Jae-hee soon. He ignores seven missed calls from Maru in the process.

He calls Jae-hee to demand where his money is right after she’s ended a call to the police. Sirens flash as officers arrive to raid the place, and Jae-sik instantly suspects Jae-hee of calling them. “I know exactly what kind of person you are,” he grits out, like he’s suddenly in a higher place to judge.

But they’re two sides of the same coin, since Jae-hee knows exactly what kind of person he is, and knows that his blackmail and extortion wouldn’t just end at one measly building, or money. “You’d blackmail me, torture me, my entire life.”

Curiously, she then tells him, “Our Eun-ki. What happened to her? I’ve told you not to touch a single hair on her body. I told you specifically that if you touch my child, I won’t let it go. I won’t stay still even if you are my brother or anyone else. I warned you.”

That all makes it sound like she didn’t order the kidnapping, only for Jae-sik to fire back that she ordered him to do it. She acts innocent as she asks, “When did I? Where? Do you have evidence?”

Oh, man. So she did order it, but double-crossed her brother in the process. (Not that he didn’t deserve it.) She lets him know how easy it would be to lock him in prison for a decade, only then she tells him that she’ll give him immeasurable wealth once he gets out. Which is kind of like giving the poison and then the cure, isn’t it?

Jae-sik vows to kill his sister as soon as he can get his hands on her, but their conversation is cut short when he’s discovered by the police.

When Maru finally returns home from spending a night in his car, Jae-sik is waiting, bedraggled and grungy. Maru’s first reaction is to shove him against the door, but Jae-sik throws his hands up in defense: “Jae-hee told me to do it! To prevent Seo Eun-ki from coming back to Taesan, she told me to do whatever I want. She told me she would pay me well then.”

Eek. Maru doesn’t seem inclined to believe him until he remembers Secretary Hyun’s fear of Jae-hee where Eun-ki was concerned. Jae-sik claims that he’s telling Maru in order to do the right thing, but honestly, it’s pretty hard to tell when he’s being sincere.

The realization that Jae-hee would be capable of such a feat hits Maru like a ton of bricks, even as Jae-sik falls to his knees to beg Maru to save him from Jae-hee. Okay, now he’s exaggerating the truth. She threatened to throw him in prison, sure, but not that she was going to kill him.

Maru heads straight to Eun-ki’s house after getting her address from Jae-sik, except he’s not the first to arrive – Secretary Jo is already there and reporting via phone to Min-young that he’s found her hiding place.

Min-young’s expression is dark as he tells Secretary Jo that he’ll be sending people there, which just can’t be good in any universe. He’s interrupted when Joon-ha arrives to ask whether Min-young is having a good time trying to kick Eun-ki out of the company.

Min-young is straightforward, and asks Joon-ha why Eun-ki’s being hidden away if she’s living well, even though Joon-ha denies the fact that he knows where she is. Min-young knows better and suggests that he take Eun-ki abroad and live quietly if he loves her that much – that way, the secret he wants to keep from her will stay hidden forever.

Joon-ha isn’t sold and takes his leave (I love that his bow includes a side of “Bitch, please”), but Min-young knows their time is running out. He calls up some men to retrieve Eun-ki, stat.

Maru picks Secretary Hyun up on the way to her house, and asks how he can be of help. “How far is the objective you have? To drag Han Jae-hee down and become the CEO of Taesan, is that the objective?”

She doesn’t answer directly, but grows worried once she sees Secretary Jo snooping around the neighborhood, brainwashing ajummas as is his custom. Maru knows this means Eun-ki is in danger, so Secretary Hyun charges him with saving her while she tries to buy some time.

Luckily he’s the first one to make it to her house, though Eun-ki treats him like a stranger she wants nothing to do with. The last thing she wants is his pity, but when she mentions that he loses his cool and shouts her name to bring her back to her senses. She pushes him away in retaliation and heads inside alone.

Maru picks up the book she threw at him, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, before following her.

Meanwhile, Joon-ha gets a text from Secretary Hyun that Jae-hee found out about the hiding spot, while Secretary Hyun is faced with a smug Secretary Jo. He even makes the call for Eun-ki to be taken right in front of her like he has nothing to fear.

Eun-ki’s locked her bedroom door against Maru, who futilely tries to get her to open it. She throws his words back at him about going places with strangers, and since she now considers him a stranger, she refuses to comply.

While Secretary Hyun keeps stalling Secretary Jo, Maru and Eun-ki stand back to back against her door. Still holding the children’s book, Maru calmly begins to tell the story of their past; how they met on a plane when he performed first aid, and then when she had a motorcycle accident and he fell off the cliff trying to retrieve her doll.

Maru: “‘Why did you do it? What do you want? If you fell off and died, who were you going to blame? You found an easy target, so how much were you going to rip me off for?’ This was the first time I ever saw someone with such an attitude. She was as twisted as she could be. She thought that there was no one she could trust in the world. She was arrogant, overly-confident, cold, and picky. A girl with no manners, not knowing how to say thanks when she needs to, and not knowing how to apologize when she needs to.”

These words move Eun-ki, not necessarily because she believes him, but because she can’t imagine herself being like that. Either way, she opens the door, and Maru grabs her wrist for the umpteenth time this episode and tells her that they can finish reminiscing in the car.

Joon-ha arrives just in time to stop Secretary Jo’s men from scaling Secretary Hyun’s walls, and threatens to throw the book at them if they dare to trespass. Like Secretary Hyun, Joon-ha denies all knowledge of harboring Eun-ki, and succeeds where Secretary Hyun failed to keep them out of her house.

Secretary Hyun knows it’s just a temporary fix, and is relieved to find that Eun-ki’s already been taken away by Maru. Joon-ha stiffens the second he hears that name. Eek.

In the car, Maru reaffirms to Eun-ki that yes, she once was a rude girl. He explains that the third time they met was when she came to his house to find him and expressed herself in nonsense and “bullshit,” when really, she missed him.

More interesting than that is the reveal that he’d long since realized she had a roundabout way of expressing herself, and that her anger was a cover for emotions she was really feeling.

Eun-ki thinks he’s making all this up, and accuses him of pelting her with lies just because she can’t remember the truth. Even when he starts to tell her about the things that happened when they went to find Choco, she cuts off the end of his story by predicting the ending: “I guess I had a fit and was rude and all, right?”

Maru doesn’t correct her, and decides that this is enough reminiscing for the day. In order to cut the silence Eun-ki turns on the car radio, and since the only song on the radio is “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”, memories of their car ride return to her.

While Joon-ha repeats Maru’s name over and over in his car, Secretary Jo gives his report to Min-young. He’s sure that Eun-ki is hiding with Secretary Hyun and orders them to break in if they have to, though he seems most curious about why they’d hide Eun-ki in the first place.

He’s called away to a meeting Jae-hee is holding with the board of directors concerning Eun-ki’s dismissal. One of the board members is quick to point out the suspicious nature of Eun-ki’s shares being sold along with this sudden meeting, and doesn’t see the problem with keeping her seat empty for however long it takes her to return.

He makes sure to remind her that she’s an interim chairman and not the actual chairman, which interestingly causes her to change her tactics. Now she speaks like a mother to Eun-ki as she proves to everyone present that she has no intention of returning by showing them the brief video of her.

It’s like she’s speaking from a pedestal she’s never stood on when she claims that, as Eun-ki’s mother, she wants her daughter to live the way she wants. Her tone is self-sacrificing as she admits that Eun-ki has chosen love instead of Taesan, so who is she to interfere?

After this speech, she again asks the members to vote on Eun-ki’s dismissal, and Joon-ha receives a text with the verdict of dismissal shortly after.

After a phone call with Maru, Jae-gil is sure that he must now be on the run. He’s not even surprised since he’s considered it an inevitability, even though it seems like Maru is suggesting that they move.

Regardless, he finds Eun-ki in Maru’s yard and practically dies of happiness to see her. He’s giddy as he tells her how much he and Choco missed her, and how he’s not so sure about Maru because he never said anything. But it was only after the accident that he figured out how important she was to Maru’s life.

He’s therefore a bit deflated when she has no idea who he is. He reminds her about the taxi ride, how he lent her thirty dollars, and how his face is not an easily forgettable one. Eun-ki: “Were we close?” Jae-gil: “…What is this? Is there a hidden camera?” Ha.

Jae-gil finds Maru packing in his room, and seems pleased as punch to have Eun-ki back even after finding out that she’s an amnesiac. Maru informs him that she’ll be living with them from now on and that he needs to pack his things too, because they’re not safe with Jae-sik and Jae-hee knowing where they live.

He’s more surprised that Maru wants to move now, and not the 189257 other times he tried to get him to move. Maru: “Seo Eun-ki came back, didn’t she?”

Ha, Jae-gil’s jaw literally drops: “Were you waiting for Seo Eun-ki all this time?” He ribs his best friend about actually liking her for her and not just using her for, you know, revenge. He’s about one step away from ‘Eun-ki and Maru sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Maru gets a late night text from Joon-ha asking to meet in a nearby coffee shop. He immediately confronts Maru about his intentions with Eun-ki, knowing that he used her for revenge against Jae-hee in the past.

He threatens Maru with telling Eun-ki about his real objectives and exactly what kind of person he is, to which Maru calls his bluff and tells him to go ahead – if Eun-ki’s final destination isn’t to become CEO of Taesan.

But then he asks Joon-ha, “Do you like Seo Eun-ki?”

Choco’s returned home at Jae-gil’s call, and frets over Eun-ki’s new state. “It’s because of my Oppa, right?” She then sweeps Eun-ki into a hug and assures Unni that she’ll help her regain her memories.

Curiously, she apologizes on Maru’s behalf, and begins to explain something about Maru that Jae-gil hushes her up about. Huh.

Though it seems like Joon-ha is intensely distrustful of Maru, he ends up asking for his help with Eun-ki. He seems dejected when he adds, “More importantly, the one Eun-ki trusts and likes the most… is there anyone else aside from you?”

Maru takes this all in stride, though he asks if that’s all there is to the request. We don’t hear Joon-ha’s answer.

Jae-hee hikes up to Maru’s house that night only to find that he’s long gone, and she sinks down on his porch in tears. Meanwhile Maru drives a car full of sleepy roommates behind the moving truck while Eun-ki grips his hand in her sleep.

The next day, Jae-hee revels in her new position as Chairman of Taesan Group during a celebratory gala. She even smiles to see her new title and name forming a header above the doorway, and launches into a speech to those gathered about how she saved Taesan from ruin during her year as an interim Chairman.

It’s the usual rhetoric said to inspire, though her face falls the second the main doors open. It’s Eun-ki, accompanied by Secretary Hyun.

She knows it’s Eun-ki, we know it’s Eun-ki, the audience is beginning to realize it’s Eun-ki, yet she still tries to carry on her speech, stuttering as she goes.

Only when Eun-ki reaches the podium does she stop, and makes a show about pulling Eun-ki into an embrace while she explains how worried she was. Eun-ki calls her ‘Mother’ and keeps apologizing, though it’s doubtful that her tears are fake.

Joon-ha watches from the audience with a smile as Eun-ki takes the stage, seemingly hiding her insecurities as she faces the crowd and apologizes for taking a year away to recover from her severe accident. Jae-hee’s hands are clenched tight as she sits nearby, her face scrunched up with anxiety.

Eun-ki explains to the crowd that she’s suffering from prosopagnosia, a disorder that affects her ability to recognize faces. “Because my body is still not in perfect condition, until then, I will need to get help from someone.” She looks into the crowd as she says, “Kang Maru.”

Maru stands from his table, having been present the whole time. Eun-ki: “I would like to introduce him to the Taesan family. He is my fiancé who will help me lead Taesan.” Omo. Omo omo.

Maru smiles, Eun-ki smiles, and Jae-hee makes a face like someone’s just stabbed her in the gut.

 
COMMENTS

Hooray for declarations of company warfare, nay for what bringing Maru into Taesan might mean for our future: Endless Corporate Machinations. I have no doubt that Nice Guy will be able to handle its corporate ascension storyline better than, say, Rooftop Prince, but still. The grass does not seem greener on that side of the lawn quite yet, even though the introduction of Maru as her fiancé was an unexpected twist.

I’ve always found Jae-hee a nicely conflicted and layered villain, especially with her penchant for making really terrible gut decisions that always come back to bite her. In a show where retribution comes hard and fast, Jae-hee’s mostly suffered her share for the suffering she’s brought upon others. That’s something I like even though she’s currently enjoying a lofty position, since the fact that she’s always on edge lets me know that even if she’s where she wants to be, she can’t rest for a second because she knows she hasn’t earned her place properly.

However, as of late her greed has been winning out over any semblance of humanity, which is a new(ish) transformation for her. And though I could kind of buy that she had a moral compass she just chose to ignore up until now, selling one’s stepdaughter into what’ll probably be a short life of slavery before an untimely and horrifying death does seem a bit… much. The kind of muchness that doesn’t have me rooting for Jae-hee to find redemption anytime soon, because she’s got some serious explaining to do.

There’s no guaranteeing that she did it, though I’m inclined to believe that she did and denied the fact afterward just to save her own skin. Maybe she really wants to believe that she would protect Eun-ki and says as much to help her sleep at night. Who knows. But Jae-sik doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do something if it didn’t benefit him, so the apartments he was elated about getting in the car points to a promise Jae-hee would have made to him, which would explain why he was expecting a payment without suspecting anything.

Even though those two siblings definitely seem cut from the same cloth, the level of trickery between them varies. While I can believe that Jae-sik started out worse and helped to make the monster that is Jae-hee today, she’s no less cunning because of it. How she operates from here is anyone’s guess, although I’m curious as to how much longer she can stand all the uncertainty her tenuous position brings.

We still don’t know much about the accident, so while Jae-hee bringing up Eun-ki’s wish to throw away the company for love came from a selfish desire to take her place, part of me wondered whether it was actually true. Once Eun-ki fell in love with Maru, Taesan seemed one of the furthest things from her mind. And if she did just drive to what she assumed would be her death after her Dad died, did she really have the company on her mind?

So the plot to bring Eun-ki back into Taesan by Secretary Hyun and Joon-ha is a curious one, since now more than ever we don’t know what it is that Eun-ki wants, since she doesn’t even know what she wants. Maru’s concrete reason for stepping in is unknown, though we can say it’s possibly to protect Eun-ki, or to get back at Jae-hee for what she almost did to her. Or both.

There is something interesting in this episode’s use of Aesop’s “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, especially when we take into account the moral of the story: Even if a liar tells the truth, no one believes them. This goes for pretty much everyone, but especially Jae-hee and Maru, who have both lied to themselves and everyone else so much that it’s almost impossible to believe a word they say.

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i love this drama!

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Translations

Watched this episode at viki.com. All conversations with Han Jae Shik (JH older brother) didn't make much sense to me.

Watched this episode at dramafever.com and WOW--what a difference. It's like a different episode.

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This episode was AWESOME. It was like being shot through the heart with a happy bullet. OMG.

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So agree with you... a shot through the heart with a VERY happy bullet. I'm still swooning over the awesomeness in this episode. :)

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I was so worried about the amnesia but I hesitantly say I think its okay. They worked it into the drama, and it doesn't feel too tropey (okay, I know that's not a word but it seems to fit). This show is great! I just keep hoping the ending will be very happy even though I should know better...

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I definitely feel like Nice guy handled the tiring amnesia drama scope much better than what we're so used to seeing.
I didn't feel like it was there to make things dramatic or invoke O-M-G feelings.
I think it moved the story forward from the whole Maru/Eun-gi revenge to a time where it's now maru's turn to help her reach her potential.
I feel like for now, they can both start off on a clean slate (that's not to say eun-gi won't regain her memory later on) and properly fall in love.

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I'm still not over it; I keep going back and forth! But I know, I know, been there, done that.

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SHOW!!!!! /bows deeply thank you for the speedy time slip. i was pleasantly surprised at the "< 1" (less than one) episode for amnesia chick (long kiss goodnight reference).

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you SHOW. (here in texas, even our thank yous are bigger)

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Thanks so much for the recap!!!

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Holy those last 2 minutes of the episode escalated rather quickly.
All in all, the last 10 minutes of this episode got me back on the nice guy obsession train.
Things I loved:
- How even though joon-ha was obviously jealous of Maru, he still asked for his help for eun-gi to return to her prowess-ness. This just makes the man even sexier than he was before, if that was at all possible.
- The scene where jae-hee discovers that maru&co all moved out. I relished the moment where she realizes she no longer has a “warm house” to go back to anymore. Loosa. But I definitely love how moving out symbolizes a new chapter for Maru. Before, he stayed there just in case Jae-hee ever wanted to come back. Now, this proves he is officially over you, lady.
And that OHMYSHAT look on her face during eun-gi’s return/speech was bonus.
-The return of the EunMa team ready to bring the baddies down.

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Greets Mangoes--
thanks for bullet points. i concur.

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I totally love Joon Ha! He's so awesome and cute

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Thanks for the recap! It was nice to see that SEG definitely still retained her stubbornness, even if it's a little misguided due to her amnesia. She's definitely still feisty, and I loled when she threw her book at Maru. Take that, jerk! I hope she gets even more of that back as the drama continues to unfold.

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Thank you for the recap HeadsNo2!

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"Jae-hee makes a face like someone’s just stabbed her in the gut."

Bahahahahahaha! Jae Hee's got a fabulous troll face.

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lols @ "troll face" hehe

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Hahaha! She totally does! I noticed she kept doing this lip curl thing this episode. I was like, "Ok, she's officially evil, she's doing the Lip Snarl of Doom."

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Thanks for the recap!

Episodes 9-10 were sort of slow, but episode 11 picked up right away and whoa, with that scene at the very end. The moment I knew Eun-gi was returning to the public, I held my breath, awaiting Jae-hee's reaction. And then the Maru-as-fiance reveal! WHOA!

As much as Jae-hee's the bad guy, I feel like Ahn Min Young is even more horrible. Feel so greasy watching him and Secretary Jo.

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I love Maru's slow but beautiful outing of his love for EunGi . But I have a creeping sense of foreboding...
That Maru's brain might just flood-up & be comatosed or heaven forbid..DIE. Does this writer have a track record of throwing in the Happily-Ever-Afters as a closing?
PLEASE DO. PLease don't give us a bittersweet Padam-Padam type ending where the lovebirds walk off into the sunset joining Maru's remaining days cos thats like giving me a scoop of my fave Haagen Daz then pushing offa my hands!

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Greets Butterfly---

sorry to jade your outlook, but pretty much everyone is gonna die except the Chairman's son who finds out MaRu is really his father. I'm guessing the little guy will be sent to some orphanage in Siberia to knit mittens.

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I like it when there's more unadulterated Murphy's Law advocates than just lil' old me !
Awe , your after my jaded heart , you are .

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'Cause when the Happy Happy happens despite the gloom & Doom thoughts.. Oh , the Joy!! The Joy is Glorious!

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Yeah, no. Take a look at A Love to Kill and Sang Doo, Let's Go to School.

This writer is melo to the MAX. I do have to say that her skill seems to have improved. While I love those two earlier works with a passion that is NOT entirely due to the fact that they star My Beloved...I just have to say that Nice Guy's plot is much more twisty in a very good and actually believable way.

And yes, let's hear it for an episode of amnesia we can all support!

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heads I thought that Choco was apologizing to Eun Gi about Maru being the one to crash into her or vice versa, cuz Eun gi still doesn't know that it was Maru in the accident with her right which is why Jae Gil tried to shut her up.

Am I wrong?
Ps thanks for the recap :) Writing is superb as always :)

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a good episode again :)

by the way when i read that "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" in today's episode, i remembered about song joong ki's new movie "a werewolf boy"....lol :D

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and i really found it cute when Choco showed so much affection and care towards Eun-gi..

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Awesome episode, we finally got some insight into Maru's feelings through Jae Gil - He pretty much spelled it out to us that Maru has genuine feelings towards Eun Gi, the whole packing up & moving to a new place was a massive moment because it's the final nail in the coffin in regards to any more lingering feelings Maru has for Jae Hee, before he stayed at that place for Jae Hee to return but now his reasoning was to wait for Eun Gi to return and she actually did come back (which I felt was a nice touch to the conversation they had earlier in Japan on that bridge where he discovers her waiting for him.).
Also the opening sequence was the real eye-opener to Maru with the current state that Eun Gi was in, I don't think he had processed the extent to which Eun Gi's amnesia like state had left her in until that point, where she would naively follow a random man just because he mentioned his name. Not only that we got to see the stubborn, hardheaded Eun Gi once again when she refused to go with him in his car & also at the house. I loved that scene of the two talking to each other through the door, the first time we get to see Maru finally open up to her about how they met. The fact that when he has his first real moment with her and it's through a door, I had to admit made me laugh abit.

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but one thing i don't understand....why after the accident,Maru suddenly stopped his desire of taking revenge from jae-hee????

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He had actually stopped his "revenge" on Jae-hee before the accident. Jae-hee had tried to manipulate him, beat herself up, and called Maru to tell him that her brother had beat her up so that Maru would come see her. While he was getting the first aid kit for her, he got a call from her brother and found out that the bro was in police custody in Busan and couildn't possibly have hit her. So Jae-hee was a liar liar pants on fire with a side of crazy. Maru decided, then, to let her go.

And he said it really wasn't revenge he was after. He was so obsessed with her, he wanted any reason to be near her (I guess Jae-hee felt like he had some revenge plan in mind for her because...frankly...she deserves to be revenged upon).

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okay....now i got it....thanks :)

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If the first half of Nice Guy was dedicated to a revenge against Jae-hee, I think the 2nd half is preparing him for redemption and another chance at love.
Writer lee kyung-hee probably already had this in mind. If we continued with a revenge against jae-hee for the rest of the show, i don't think there would be much going on. It'd be a lot of repetition and push-and-pull i believe.
The fact that he stopped his desire to take revenge on Jae-hee might also do with the fact that he's finally moved on. During the speech eun gi gave, he merely glanced at jae hee like she was just a fly and then placed his attention on Eun-Gi. I think the moving out of the house also means he no longer yearns for her.
Following the car accident and time elapse, Eun-Gi and Maru are given another chance. He moves in with her, he helps her, slowly starts to fall in love with her..
(let's hope it's not just because she seems like a kid that needs to be protected!) God, i missed our fiesty eun-gi.

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WHOA THIS SHOW IS INSANE

so excited for the next episode! Some things don't make sense but it's like w/e the Nice Guy train keeps rolling towards it's next revelation. I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

and enjoy Song JoongKi's beautiful face. How is he so pretty, someone tell me. *_*

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lawyer park screencap at the end is so purty...
thank you Heads!

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Yes, I agree.

It tells me:
Heads and Sang Yeob sitting in a tree...

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One thing Maru should take into consideration is the major difference noted in this episode between Jae-Hee and Eun-Gi. Maru always made sure his doors were open for Jae-hee to come home one day, which is why he never moved for so long. But she never came home to him. Recently, we discover Maru perhaps stayed even longer for Eun-Gi – with hope that she may come find him again one day. And she did. I say Maru and Eun-Gi were always meant for each other.

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Omg the end! So shocking! It was a good feeling though. Maru really showed he cares about Eun Gi in this episode.
Aww poor Jaehee. So sad when she came to Maru's old place and it was all empty. I felt really bad for her. But the next scene with everyone sleeping in the car was so cute. I feel like even if Jaehee did get all the money and power she's ever wanted, she still won't be happy. Its sad, really. I hope she can redeem herself somehow and have a good ending because, despite everything she's done, I still really like her. Please writer, let her be happy!
Argh, that Attorney Ahn! >:/ I think he is the most bad one. Even though everything he does is because he likes Jaehee. He has a dark aura around him. If he was as handsome as Joon Ha I would probably like him more...But he is kinda creepy to me...
And Maru's head injury! Please don't let anything bad happen to him!

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SERIOUSLY! THAT ATTN AHN!!

I feel like his character had so much more potential. And while I can find it believable that he's playing evil Lancelot to evil Guinevere, at the end of the day he is no dark knight in shining armor, but an overzealous minion.

I say overzealous because he doesn't WAIT for her to tell him what to do. He's proactive and even thinks 2 steps ahead of her sometimes.

Mmm. I mean, there have been flatter characters, but I'd love to feel a little bit more conflicted about him.

Outside of "love-at-first-sight" I really don't get the level of devotion he has for her. He's fairly respectful, so it's not like it's even creepy obsession yet.

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Hi HeadsNo2! Thanks for the recap! I've been waiting for this since yesterday. I still haven't seen this series, but reading your recaps makes me feel like I am already watching the show LIVE. Hoping the best for Nice Guy! May Eun Gi and Maru have a happily ever after! :-)

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Thanks for the recap! Just finished watching the episode too and I'm loving it. I think it's safe to say that Maru is totally over Jae Hee and that he probably has some feelings for Eun Ki. Well, he definitely feels protective and maybe even guilty of her.

The ending was quite exciting. Loved that breathtaking smile that Maru gave to Eun Ki and a mere passing hard look at Jae Hee whose expression was so priceless when she saw him. I am literally cackling in glee here right now....muahahahaha.....

I feel a bit bad for Lawyer Park since he's been around the longest near Eun Ki and apparently has feelings for her too but I don't blame Eun Ki for falling in love with cold-hearted betraying Maru rather than the actual nice guy of the show, Lawyer Park. Cause y'know, bad guys are totally hot, adventurous, and bring a whole lotta drama in life. Nice guys....are just nice. Lol.

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the fact that she thinks he's gay probably doesn't help either

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I don't think that should stop Eun Ki from falling in love with him anyways, lol. That's like saying people shouldn't fall in love with married people 'cause they're already taken but it does happen. :P

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Just an aside. I just hate it when my practical mind comes in to hijack my romantic mind. Like when Eungi wakes up in Maru's house & she's facing the sleeping Maru & they wake 6inches from each other's face & here too in this episode , when she wakes up at the seaside ,
all wrapped up & she walks close to talk to him...
It begs the random question " Doesn't Eungi know she's got eeky morning breath?" Love has its limits.
And 2nd loud practical whisper in my brain is when Maru is driving with Eungi beside him & she's always clinging on to his right hand or holding hands. Brain screams.. "You both just clawed back from the dead from an automobile accident so, BOTH Hands on the wheel is GOOOD!" Oh , practical brain stoppa talkin' to me!

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lol :D

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Butterfly---

like minds. she woke up at MaRu's house after puking her guts, intentines and bowels out...and then she kissed him as her "answer". i threw up in my mouth, a little over that (dodge ball reference).

but yeah---so glad to have a commrade battle the logical brain during romance scenes. you have a friend in me! (toy story?)
:)

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Awww, THANK You all !!! I feel all better now.
We're the Practi-Romantics !!

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I wish I could marry this glorious comment =D

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Yea, and at a 10:10 position at that, right?
But, rest assured, for maru and eunki are goddesses and their breaths are always fresh..morning, night, midnight, you name it. And while we're hovering around the subject, they don't use toilets because they only eat dews.

:)

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Cue commercial break - For fresher breath in the morning... use ORACARE!!! XD

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OMG, rofl...yeah, that's troubling...but this is dramaland. Waking up after getting smashed doesn't ever result in messy morning hair, bloodshot eyes, the desire to puke even more, and stinky stinky breath. Or who knows, maybe Maru brushed her teeth before putting her to bed. We can imagine stuff like that to read between the lines. ;)

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my apologies in advance. i just ate some fresh-still warm chocolate chip cookies and i am SUPER SUGAR RUSHING on a warm belly...sorry.

whomever the writer is....give him a HUGE KISS on the lips and make it a wet one!!!! hell, give him TONGUE, even! I LOVE THIS WRITER...shit happens and BAM! we are clued in right away or resolutions are snappy done-like. it's almost like the writer believes that viewers have brains and IQs over 50.

Seriously, I had to bake cookies after watching this episode. Overwhelmed by the pace of this drama.
*cries* thank you SHOW. thank you Heads recapper. thank you world.

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LOL. You're cute...

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Love this drama to Dead..
I still try to find which word suit for NG drama standard...
It's was more than awesomeness...
story.,
acting.,
graphic.,
Ost.,
Directing.,
All just unbelieveble beauty..
the best in 2012..
the cutest and best couple MCW-SJK
and thnks for recap this great episode,HN2.

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intense!

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I think we're going to find that Jae-hee has been a manipulative, scheming, fox from waaaaay back. There have been clues all along. We keep discounting her brother's testimony because he's so evil, but remember, almost everything we know about him comes from Jae-hee to begin with.

In one of her conversations with her brother, she hints (and he has said the same) that she is responsible for getting him put in prison the first time. I wonder if it was anything like the phony set up she tried to create for her brother with MaRu. I am wondering how many other scenes where she's been victimized will turn out to be set ups for her chosen audience.

And when her brother offers to get rid of Eun Ki for her, I think his words suggest he's done a similar service for his sister in the past. I think those siblings are both equally broken messes- he is more physically brutal, but she's smarter than he is.

We already know that she was having an affair with the President of the company when she was with Maru and supposedly still young, fresh, and free- and she was manipulating her stories as a reporter to cover for him even while pretending to be on the side of the little guy. We might feel a pang of sympathy for the bad decisions she's made in a panic, but There was really no justifiable reason for that.

About that affair- when she threatened to have an affair with the husband of that woman who was putting a spoke in her wheels, she says, essentially, "Think I can't? I got the late President to cheat on his wife, and he was true-blue and loyal to her." So she was already quite the unfaithful schemer when MaRu was still in school.

I'm also curious to know more about the car accident- I wonder if they actually talked to each other and made a joint suicide pact or something else. After all- she crossed into MaRu's lane, but Choco thinks it's her brother's fault and the friend says both were at fault.

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I like your thoughts on this, I thought that JH was bad news, ever since the beginning on the day she killed that guy and ran off immediately to the chairman to hand him that envelope and said something in the line of that she was protecting him...

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I agree completely about Jae Hee. Sure, her brother's bad news, but the type of animosity he has towards her is rooted in something much deeper than "she escaped from the family and made a life for herself." There's got to be something more to that story. I'm wondering if it has to do with something Jae Hee did to their mother.

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Yep, I've had this thought too, ever since her brother said 'You have no idea how evil that girl really is' wayyyyy back before most of this stuff happened.

I'm guessing that when we first met her (she was being chased by the brother and ended up in Maru's dooryard) - that beating she had gotten was well-deserved.

Not that I advocate violence but hey...I'd like to take a swing at the bitch, too.

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same dog...old tricks.

my take on this is that Jae Hee orchestrated BOTH car wrecks.

EunGi's mom's fatal car wreck AND EunGi+MaRu's car wreck. And that dweebie Ahn had his grubby mitts in on it too.

i also think, that they are using [the supposed story] that Attny Park's father was in on EunGi's mom's death as a means to keep Attny Park in control.

that's right, peeps. i can twist one just as good as the next drama viewer....

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first, thanks for the recaps !

i'm so nervous about where this drama is going to go :(

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That's how I feel - nervous. The revenge stakes have just been raised!

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If they kill maru, I'm forming a group to attack its site. Netizens have a penchant for online murdering.

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You do that while I cry on and on and on and on....rofl...

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i will help you.

*rolls up cybersleeves*

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Awesome drama. One of the deepest I've seen so far with great directing. I love reading the recaps even though I've watched just to see what others go through as they watch it. I just wish javabeans or girlfriday took this drama to recap because HeadsNo2 has absolutely no grasp when it comes to this drama. I am not judging the person but I am judging what is written. The recapping started ok but seems to have to have lost its way 6-7 episodes ago when the beautiful twists and turns started.

Just look at the first sentence of the comments:

"Hooray for declarations of company warfare, nay for what bringing Maru into Taesan might mean for our future: Endless Corporate Machinations. "

Ummm, helloo. Are we watching the same drama? This is one of the few chaebol dramas were any corporate machinations are actually swift and immediate and no dragging whatsoever. Heck did you see how fast Jae Hee became president?

I have to go to Koala's Playground just to get a decent recap of Nice Guy. And I'm sad because dramabeans is where I love going for recaps. It's actually a blessing that the release of Nice Guy recaps here are so slow. That way I don't get to read this crap while I'm still on a high watching one of the best dramas in a while. Sorry I really wanted to keep my mouth shut but your recapping is very below par.

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This is incredibly rude. "Read this crap"? Wtf?

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Wow. I for one LOVE Heads's recaps. The discussions here are unparalleled, and I'm pretty certain you are in the minority. If you disagree with something that Heads says, why not articulate an alternate viewpoint rather than attack Heads for posting hers? That way we can actually have a dialogue about it, which in my opinion is much more interesting than just attacking someone who's donating their time and energy into writing something for your entertainment.

Heads, I hope you aren't deterred by this comment. Your Nice Guy recaps are some of my favorites of any show out there. Keep up the great work!

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Love this comment. Seriously, if you disagree on some points, then just say that. No need to bash someone's hard work and opinions. :/

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If you don't like the recaps, don't read the recaps. If you disagree with her opinions, then discuss what you disagree about. There's no reason to be rude and verbally abusive, for how she understands and reads the drama. It's beyond the pale.

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I had to read this twice to make sure it said what I think it said. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I guess it is OK to express your dissatisfaction here.

Mostly, I want to be a reminder that recappers VOLUNTEER to do this for the LOVE of dramas, yes, but also it's fun to be the discussion leader. Our feedback is what keeps her going.

So, please, heads, don't take this to heart.

I won't get into the "whose recap is better than whose" discussion, but I will defend Heads.
She is a gifted writer, has BOTH of her heads watching and analyzing at the same time, so we get a nice combo of serious and fun from her. Her POV makes me think of things I didn't, and I love that. Her fangirling warms my heart.

If you want some brilliant writing about a serious and historic drama, read her Tree with Deep Roots recaps.
If you want to chuckle along with everything that is wrong with Dr. Jin, read those recaps.

You may or may not revise your opinion.

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Mars, your bashing violates the "rules" of what a spirited online blog discussion is meant to be. Personally attacking HeadsNo2 is so off-base, rude and an embarrassment (for you).

I agree with Jomo and the others' responses to Mars' ugly post. What were you thinking - so uncalled for! You can have your opinions and even go toe-to-toe with the recapper, but be respectful and try to maintain integrity (yours).

HeadsNo2 and dramabeans at large- we love you! Thanks for all you do to make kdramas and the time between episodes bearable with your clever, humorous and insightful recaps :)

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thanks, jomo.
nice post. yay.

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Thanks so much for the heads up on Koala. I'm new to K-Dramas, and hopelessly addicted from the get-go (what IS IT about K-drama that makes this so addicting?) and didn't know about Koala's Playground- I just went and read all their recaps of this show.

I think the criticism of DB may be a wee bit harsh, but I agree that Koala's playground seems to have a better grasp of Nice Guy.

One thing I've quickly learned in my addiction is that what floats one person's boat completely eludes another, and this is just one of those instances, I guess. I'm loving this one, and really hoping that Kang MaRu and Eun-Gi survive.

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Welcome to Earth: where people can listen to the same piece of music, look at the same work of art, watch the very same tv show and have different reactions and opinions. Sometimes in direct opposition to one another.

The truly civilized use this as a launching base to insightful and sometimes eye-opening conversation. Someday you too might pick up this technique. It's pretty awesome -- I totally recommend it.

What you've written on the other hand... Let's just say that with friends like these, Koala's Playground probably doesn't need any enemies. Hopefully their recapping is also open to discussion and varied opinions. I love that HeadsNo2 expresses her opinion, feels free to express doubts, and has never once complained when someone said they saw a scene differently. I very much enjoy her recaps, her writing style, her analysis and her humor.

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Mmm. You should have followed your original intention and kept your mouth shut. That way we wouldn't have to read this crap while we were still on a high from reading HeadsNo2's recaps.

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Trolls be trolling :P

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Re: Mars

I love reading comments. I don't judge the person but I judge what is written. The comment started okay until about 6-7 paragraphs when words started to turn mean, twisted and darn right rude.

It is actually a blessing that there are plenty of goodhearted decent commentators who are quick to respond.

Dude (or is that dudette.) Maybe you should take a dose of your own medicine and think before you post.

Tsk tsk tsk...So not cool!!!

----------

On the other hand, been a lurker for ages and just love different reading so many great comments and recaps from all facets and appreciation. I agree with Betsy Hp's comment, everyone have different reading of the same work and actually so what? I often find myself upon repeated viewing, and then developed different reading of the same work from first time.
The recent discussion with colour motifs, symbolism is interesting, but I am not sure whether everything should be attributed to the writer. I personally think this drama's aesthetics is more a team effort, probably with input with the actors with their costume/wardrobe people and probably with discussion with their director/writer, where essentially everyone must have contributed their own part to make their mark which was why it gelled so well instead of feeling calculated or manipulative.

I do have a huge fondness for all the writer's past works, and can easily overloook the negatives. She is a true master craftsman who were instrumental to establishing Kdrama Cliché 101 vocab that had became popular devices/copy in Kdrama (e.g Tragic hero, amnesia plots, unconventional heroines, unequal social/class pairing, injustice put right, misunderstanding based on past regrets etc.) but truly she is maestro who commands her elements with such ease and assurance so seamlessly by now, it is impossible not to fall into her weave of intrigue with hopefully a satisfying payoffs at the end (since she had a few occasion to learn already.) I am hopeful for a satisfying ending since we managed to get some small dosages of perfection already, and we only have 4 episodes left. How much damage can there be? (4 episodes left.. sob!! In some ways I don't want it to end, it is too good)

This drama is an exercise is master drama making, with intelligence and creativity. It has the marking of a real classic for future Korean dramas standards and I can easily see all actors sweep the awards at the end of the year.

For example, like many, I grew to love and appreciate the character Eun-gi, one of the most fully realised female character in a very long time, and arguably most of her most interesting qualities do not appear on paper in the lines in the script. Most would have certainly been fleshed out through the acting (and guidance of writer/director) of one supreme Moon Chae Won, who seems to have fully immersed herself to this role with such incredible intensity, commitment, and ease. Yet with such finely tuned nuanced clarity to her character at different stages, it is actually quite a shock to see she appears to be such a easy going 'happy' person on set and not brooding around on set like a Daniel Day Lewis doing one his Oscar intense roles. One thing I noticed, she seems always had great chemistry with all her co-stars. That is pretty incredible.

Song Joong-Ki is an utter delight, I have secretly thought he is too pretty to ever be a proper leading MAN beyond the Romantic Comedy variety, similar to the ranks of like Jang Geun Suk (who by the way I simply can't stand. He need to go to the gym, get a haircut and break some vanity mirrors) , but I have never been more happier been proven wrong. He seems to be this generation's SojiSub and in many ways, he has his own unique aura that is entirely different. Maru in any other people's hands would have been a hated / idiotic character who's out for revenge, but his Maru still retains sympathy, mystery and vulnerability despite what he is doing and cold calculated exterior. I am really intrigued by his Wolfboy movie now.

I am very curious behind scenes mood. It seems a cohesive team effort who love their job and each other's company really makes the best dramas. eg. Coffee Prince is still a fav and that had one of the best cast/set ever.

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Mars--greets.

i'm sure you've noticed, by now, that your post isn't well received. because we can't "hear" the tone of your msg, your msg gets lost in your negativity.

suggestion: if you 'understand' a blog better than the ones at dramabeans, then point that out by using phrases such as: "For me, ..." -- "Over at such and such blog, they shared ____(blah)", etc.

also too, if you feel different about a scene than the recapper, clearly explain the difference without belittling the recapper or other viewers.

be nice, ok? be cool. i like to think that we're family. mKay?

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THANK YOU HEADSNO2!!!

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the emotional story they're telling about EunGi's and Maru's connection through the use of COLOR.

I mean, we began in the previous eppy with Maru dressed all in black from head to toe and EunGi dressed in white from head to toe. She even writes (incorrectly) in the white krehpass and him (correctly) in the black -- with EunGi's heart in an innocent and pure place and Maru's swallowed up in the darkness.

So I love how at the start of this eppy, Kang Maru is still sporting black, but with a gray shirt underneath w/ a crazy pattern underneath it. Stylish? Yes. But communicating the gray area of his inner feelings, his inner conflict? Absolutely.

The way he talks on the outside is still cold, but how he feels on the inside is different.

And EunGi. Lovely EunGi, dressed in a bright, romantic watermelon pink sweater thrown over a white dress that's belted black.

The first thing you see is that pop of pink-red, EunGi, literally wearing her heart on her sleeves, excited and breathless to meet Maru.

It's interesting that there's a little added focus on the black belt tied around her middle in the scene where some of her illusions are shattered, her innocent heart threatening to close up like a fist in "realization" that Maru isn't her knight in shining armor.

It's interesting that Maru's still wearing the same outfit (same state of conflicted emotion) while EunGi's thrown on a gray sweater over the red, like a gray cloud trying to repress the passion she still feels inside.

And so it's interesting to see that by the time Maru's in talks with Loverboy Lawyer, he's wearing a plain gray tshirt, which kinda isn't his style to begin with. But gone is the pattern, the black or the conflict.

He's in a gray area, but pretty clear on what he's planning to do. He's still in the gray, so he's definitely no saint, but it's a nice way to meet EunGi in the middle with the rollercoaster ride of their emotional states.

It's that internal dialogue, even to the very end with Maru in the brown suit and gray tie, wearing a pristine white shirt underneath for the first time, signalling that there is something pure in his intentions this time around.

And EunGi in her beiges and mauve-pinks, not quite white and pure, not quite passionately red or bright pink, but muted, uncertain, and yet hopeful.

Brilliant. It was just lovely to watch.

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ooohhh wow! I like your analysis! :) never thought of it that way.

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I love your discussion of colors, especially Eun Gi's "heart on her sleeve" outfit. Brilliant.

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Wow, I love that you picked up on all of that! Like someone else said...especially the 'heart on her sleeve' analogy. How fitting!

Perhaps these choices were somewhat unconscious but on some level, input from the emotions of the characters does affect the choices of the costume person, so I think you are right on target with your analysis.

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Very nice analysis! I, on the other hand, was thinking how hot those were looking their clothes, nevermind the colors and their meanings. LOL.

Jokes aside, I agree and I certainly feel that's the way things are going. When Eun Ki was deciding between the white dress and the pink-red one and chose the latter, I felt it enhanced the liveliness she was expressing on her face...very much like wearing one's heart on one's sleeve. The white one seemed more fitting of her former self.

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Very cool use of colors, and insightful post, Alice of the many "i's."

Why do you think that Joon Ha is always in brown?
Non threatening, maybe a little weak, not exactly a good guy but not a bad guy?

Cause you know if they put him in the slim black outfit that Maru had on the other episode, OY!, we would be spending a little more wordcount here on him that we are now.

The guy is absolutely beautfiul.
I loved looking back and forth across the table at his and MR's meeting. *sigh*

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Hmmm.... I'd posted a reply but it seems to have disappeared so at the risk of creating a similarly worded copy....

Thank you so much for analyzing the colors! I'd missed the earlier black/white dichotomy with Maru and Eun-gi and loved that it got pointed out. So when Eun-gi picked out that pink jacket I thought, but what does it meeeeaaaan??!? How lovely that you heard my mental cry and answered the question so well.

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Nice analysis. I also noticed that Jae-hee is always wearing some combination of red and black. Power/evil colours.

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...actually speaking of which, noticed the only black colour Eungi was wearing at JH's CEO inauguration was her shoes, that totally stood out from the rest of her pastel colour outfit?
Thought that was a nice touch. It clearly don't go, yet symbolically fitting.

The shoe was chosen and handed to her by Maru on their next journey together... just like the hiking boot he bought her and then the break up and car crash.

Maru please buy her something nicer next time. How about some bedroom slippers?

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Love this, so cool.

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Daebak! What an interesting analysis! I wonder if this drama really planned their costumes as you've noted..

It's given me a new perspective next time i watch the succeeding episodes. =)

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Is it just me or the lawyer ajussi is revoltingly creepy?

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yup. I keep wonering what he will do next to make us even more revolted.
A well written character, I guess. And the actor surely does what he's paid for.

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I'd like him to teach me how he does evil eyes so brilliantly!

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Does he even have evil eyes? When I look at him, I just see a blank stare, lol. It's just according to the situation, my brain interprets it as "evil look", "romantic look", and "I've got my thinking cap on look".

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I was wondering that too, and I noticed that his emotion never reaches his eyes. Only the bottom half of his face ever moves, which gives his eyes that dead soulless look. *shivers*

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@Rachel-
Congrats on choosing 2 very apt words for Ahn to wear, inside out or outside in.
He IS creepily revolting & revoltingly creepy.
I havta remind mysel fthat he's probably human, by replaying the scene where he was exercising in his living room That he doesn't sleep in a cupboard like some scary wound-up doll cos he sure looks like one.

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The song San Francisco (be sure to wear flowers in your hair) - what's behind the song in this drama? It's totally 1960s hippie - any significance?

I just wanna call Maru Dr. No. Cuz he's not.

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I was wondering that myself. The best I can come up with is that the show is both about the corruption of innocence and about hope in one's darkest times. The song is all about taking a journey to a bright, easy, optimistic place where people give love freely and are always welcome. In that way, Maru and Eun Gi's are each other's "San Francisco"--or at least, they both yearn for that free, easy, innocent love but lack it sorely in their lives. They are both on a journey to find each other and they both have the potential to be each other's metaphorical "San Francisco" if they open themselves up enough (especially Maru). The show is all about journey--Maru's away from Jae Hee and towards Eun Gi, Eun Gi' away from her family and towards Maru, Jae Hee's isolating everyone from herself--and so is the song.

There's also something a little haunting about the tone of the song, and the "flowers in your hair" bit reminds me of Eun Gi's girlish innocence both before the accident and after. While Maru now expects the worst from everyone (especially himself), Eun Gi actually has an optimistic streak that allows her to imagine a better future for herself and for Maru.

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Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone is another song (ep 1 or 2, I think) that is 1970s R&B - I like the songs, I just can't decide if I like them for a kdrama.

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But this song was pretty much telling what JH was for the old Maru... So I think for this drama the songs work :)

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,

I know, I know,
Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Only darkness every day.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.

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The song Kiss (You don't have to be beautiful to turn me on) in LoveRain was SO SO perfectly hotdang matched to the story/kissing scene at the end of ep 9. Loved it SO MUCH!! I'm trying to decide if I think these 2 songs have the same match punch to them. Pondering, that's all . . . .

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This drama is perfection! I wrote most of my thoughts on another discussion board, so I won't repeat it here. But that's all I need to say: PERFECTION! :)

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Alright I'm getting more used to the new Eun Ki but I still prefer old Eun Ki which based on the pace of the show overall we should get back sooner rather than later. Though since her amnesia is related to brain damage I wonder if we'll get her back at all.

I've changed my mind a little about the ending now I want the writers to forget what show they're working on and have Jae Hee and Maru kill each other in a huge magnificent sword fight in the middle of an abandoned field.

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the thing I like the least about Kdramas like this is the "good guys" always at least try to forgive and forget all the horrible stuff the "villans" can we please get an ending where that doesn't happen

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WOAH!!! LOVE THIS SHOW ,LOVE SONG JOONG KI :* :* :* he's a great actor,thank you soooooooooo much HeadsNo2 for the recap :*

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Just watched the episode yesterday and man, this is definetely 2012 best drama so far. Not only is the plot different from other dramas, but the chemistry between Eun Gi and Maru is just off the charts ^_^v

"Seo Eun Gi came back, didn't she?". And how Jae Gil responded with "Even when you watied for Jae Hee, she didn't come back". It's nice Maru has a reason to be alive again, not roaming like lonesome wolf when they were seperated.

HANDS UP!

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“Seo Eun Gi came back, didn’t she?”

That was THE eye opening moment for me. Everything went STOP, and I thought, "Wow, he WAS waiting for her. Love story ON!!"

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I reacted the same at the same scene....

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yep it cued fangirl squees here too

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I don't care what people say I would choose Lawyer Park anyday over Maru!

Maybe not in the beginning when Maru was sweet and caring but now (even though I understand him) I can only say I turned teams and I'm all for the super nice and cute Lawyer Park...can I take him if Eun Ki isn't interested?? :D

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What is about Joon ha that's so likeable? He betrayed Eun Gi in the most criticle times; he witnessed her fathers death and hid it, not to mention he did the same with her mothers death just to save his father who we have no idea of his whereabouts..., that's certainly NOT love, iyam. The least he could do is help Eun GI get back what belongs to her.

About Eun Gi not wanting the company, thats mot true and we have seen the passion she has for her job. It's that she was convinced that her father didn't want her around, which was JH's doing all long. EG has no idea that her father left everything to her in the damn will.

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critical times*

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I'm starting to wary of this show. Tough, independent Eun-ki: fun. Damsel-in-distress Eun-ki: not so fun. However, I'm willing to hold out and see how her character develops next week.

Ditto about Eun-ki being CEO. It definitely feels like a path that Secretary Hyun and Joon-ha are pushing her on. Even before her father's death, Joon-ha had warned him that if they don't get Eun-ki back now, she may find something outside of Tae-san worthy of never coming back. Joon-ha, like a few others, see the CEO position as Eun-ki's rightful place with little regard to what she may want in her life.

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Hm, damsel-in-distress Eun-ki stood up to Maru more than tough, independent Eun-ki ever did. Even resisting a couple of Kdrama wrist grabs. I don't see her as weak. You can clearly see she still has a lot of spunk in her. I'd call her vulnerable or innocent if anything, but just because she didn't know any better. Once she learned she wouldn't do it again (leave with someone she doesn't know)

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"Damsel-in-distress Eun-ki stood up to Maru more than tough, independent Eun-ki ever did."

-YES, this. I actually think the "reset" (so to speak) gave Eun Ki a little more power when it comes to Maru. She's not approaching their relationship from a place of being madly in love with him, which led her to rationalize a lot of serious red flags before the accident. Rather, she's approaching their relationship from a place of curiosity and learning, which is forcing Maru to actually be honest with her (and himself). As we saw both when he confronted Jae Hee's brother for kidnapping her and when he was trying to lure Eun Ki out of the secretary's house, he can't just count on her blind trust anymore. He has to earn her trust, and he can only do that by meeting her halfway.

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Soo...Joon Ha isn't gay after all ; )

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Dear God, Park Jun Ha is soooo sexy

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I am so in love with this drama! It even aired its premier on my birthday so it's like a gift that's meant for me. Haha! Eun Gi and Ma Ru couple fighting! Though the drama's plot reminds me of The Slingshot (which was also very awesome!), I very hopeful that the writers will give us a happy ending. This is the only drama I have watched that used amnesia in a true sense. It is true that when one loses all of his or her memories, one should lose his/her cognitive abilities as well. Good job writers! Korean dramas are surely an obsession.haha!

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the plot to bring Eun-ki back into Taesan by Secretary Hyun and Joon-ha is a curious one, since now more than ever we don’t know what it is that Eun-ki wants, since she doesn’t even know what she wants. Maru’s concrete reason for stepping in is unknown, though we can say it’s possibly to protect Eun-ki, or to get back at Jae-hee for what she almost did to her. Or both.

In many ways, what Eun-Gi really wants is irrelevant to Joon-Ha and the secretary. This is all about protecting her inheritance from her father and her rightful place at the company, and Joon-Ha's knowledge of and the secretary's suspicion of how her father died have turned this into a kind of moral obligation for them.

Maru's concrete reason for stepping in is all about protecting Eun-Gi from Jae-Hee. He could care less about Taesan or Jae-Hee, but if he believes her to be a threat to Eun-Gi, capable of removing her, he's not going to stand by idly. If he felt the best way to protect her was to keep her as far away from Jae-Hee as possible, he'd figure out a way to do it (or die trying). But clearly that's not how Joon-Ha sees the situation, and I think Maru has come to agree with that as well.

As for what Eun-Gi wants in all this... it's only episode 11 and that she'll recover her memory is a question of when, not if. She'll become much more proactive about the choices before her then. I don't think it's time to fret about those around her stepping in to help her, while she's feeling distressed and disoriented while she's trying to recover her faculties and reclaim her former life.

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My crush on Joon-ha knows no limits at this point. Gotta say, however, that if I see one more Korean drama with someone suffering from prosopagnosia (or pretending to suffer from it) I'm gonna scream.

Am glad all that amnesia thing and amnesia-in-hiding thing is kinda over with.
-C

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Calm down love they r only getting started with the propo...i cant even spell it ...idea he he! I guess av missed a coupla dramas though cuz this is only the 2nd time am encountering that condition...

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Who else?
I just know from Rich Man Poor Woman, and that is J-dorama. ;)

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List below. And note how all these prognosiacs came out between 2010 and 2012. Kinda trending, it would seem. Or maybe I've been watching way too many Korean dramas

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Rich Man Poor Woman
Syndrome
Nice Guy
Re-Memory
Faces in the Crowd

There may be others I don't remember. Or blocked out of my mind (amnesia.) I think after Shin Hae Chul told about his battle with it, it became the hip illness for folks to have cause it's such a fascinating problem. That said, the drama that did it dramatically best was Syndrome and the one that seemed to do it most realistically was Rich Man Poor Woman.

I will try to calm down but honestly, it is really a bit much.

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Dang, sorry! Rich Man Poor Woman is Japanese and Faces in the Crowd is American. The three Japanese face-blindness dramas were Re-Memory, Syndrome, Nice Guy.

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Ack! Aaaargh! What's with my brain today! Meant to write The three KOREAN stories are Re-Memory, Syndrome, Nice Guy.

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I hope this drama end in the good way...I mean,you know...Maru & Eun-ki together & happy...:D

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Jae Hee is an interesting character because she’s very complex. As someone mentioned above, she seems to have been betraying Maru even before the murder incident in the beginning of the story. I also wonder why she was a reporter. Why, even after having a good career as a hardworking, honest career as a reporter and an excellent loving boyfriend who would do anything for her, she would forsake all that to go after Tae San? What does Tae San actually mean to her and why of all things is she targeting Tae San?

It struck a chord in me when her brother would tell Maru that Jae Hee isn’t what he thinks she is and then Park Joon Ha remarking that what could possibly make her kick Maru out of her life? I don’t think she’s really in love with Maru or rather had any love for him (because of her actions towards him) but then why does she go to his house to seek him out and then when she finds it empty, she breaks down into tears? She appears to be contradictory and I’m not really sure what her ultimate goal really is. To take total control over Tae San? But why? What’s so important about Tae San? I certainly hope there will be some more backstory of Han Jae Hee.

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About Eun Ki, I find the difference in personality pre- and post-accident plausible. When you can’t even spell simple words and have trouble remembering your past, you’re bound to be more innocent, child-like, and mellow. She can’t exactly bare her fangs like she had before without knowing why she is doing so. But despite that, I see bits of old Eun Ki in her: sometimes her eyes will harden like they did in the past, she isn’t clingy and tries to work hard to achieve what she has been told what she was. I also like the new Eun Ki as much as the old one because the new one has a chance at gaining something she could not in the past: less feelings of pain, anger, hurt and more carefree-ness. I also get the feeling she will gain her memories sooner but hopefully not too soon that she and Maru can’t have a budding romance that will hopefully change them both and heal some of their wounds. And that’s possible because Maru doesn’t seem to have any evil designs for her and genuinely wants to help her (of course, I’m saying this now that I also watched the next episode).

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It is to MCW's credit that we all have accepted her as the new EG without really complaining about the difference.

As you said, it's plausible and there is just enough of the independent fighting chick post accident for us.

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Hello HeadsNo2:

There have been a multitude of comments made here after your current recap, so I'm not certain whether you'll read mine...that's fine ...I simply want to offer my personal comments about your recap and mars's critique of it... to "vent" a bit about mars's rude behavior...

Please be assured that I, along with many other readers, are very appreciative of your recaps and personal comments regarding the episodes and characters. I have been a fan of yours, javabeans and girlfriday for quite a while now, having enjoyed all of the recaps posted of current dramas showing.

Your recaps are thorough, insightful, candid and very enjoyable to read!

Never mind mars's comments----totally out-of-line and discourteous!! Such ungracious attitude should be ignored and disregarded. There! I'll let off steam and feel much better now!! :)

Was having fun reading the many interesting comments offered by viewers who are enjoying the drama, like me, and it was a tad jarring to come across mars's negativity.

Please continue to do as you do...Thank you very much for your recaps...they make my day or evening!!

Best regards,

G

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Thanks HeadsNo2 for your insightful and wonderful recap!

To be honest, this is my first time commenting on dramabeans although I have been reading recaps here for quite a few dramas by now..And it was all because of Mars's comment that ticked me off so badly that I really need to credit dramabeans..I really want to thank each person at dramabeans who have worked so hard to recap every episode for us!! Kamsahamnida!! :)

*Two Thumbs Up!*

Dramawise, is anybody getting this gut feeling that something is not quite right about the car accident?

I mean the writer seems to have drop us a few hints about how Maru has hurt Eun Gi (quite terribly/deeply) before/during the accident.. I felt that Maru's words to Eun Gi at the beach before the accident was indeed hurtful but it doesn't seem to be that hurtful to the point that Eun Gi would want to attempt suicide especially given that Eun Gi has such a wilful and strong-headed personality..

Anh Min Young..That minion definitely has something up his sleeves..When Jae Hee was giving her "Oh, look at me the wonderful and caring mother speech" during the board's meeting, his glance towards Jae Hee looked nothing like love...haha..look more like hatred and disgust to me..either the actor portrayed the wrong feeling or there is really something up his sleeves...

I am truly loving this drama ;)

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The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a great story and a smart inclusion in today's episode. I am glad Joon Ha is still in the story but hope we learn more about him. also wondering why the secretary is so close to Eun Ki when everyone else seems to he distant.

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I am guessing that after she left Intensive Care, Joon Ha and the secretary hatched the plan to hide EG away.

It wasn't that EG had a choice, she just followed like the good little duckling she has become.

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Thanks for the recap!

Jae Sik - such a weasel. Not only can you not trust him when he tells the truth, you can't trust him when he lies.
He's a great character because EVERYTHING from him is a misdirect, or is it?
It's like when he talks, he's standing in the middle of a see saw. You want his words and actions to make him fall decisively on the WRONG side, but then he says something that may possibly be stretched to be true, so he's RIGHT? He provides the perfect amount of tension and fear in each scene. I am really surprised that so far JH has not put a hit on him. It certainly can't be for love, but does this show she has a heart somewhere in there beating?

Maru continues to be a cipher, too, although I am starting to trust him...a little. Problem is NOT that I think he will hurt EG now, but I don't think we know enough about the accident and his injury to completely understand his motives. I do not want him to sacrifice for EG, or Choco or anyone. He needs to want to live for himself. He needs to forgive himself.

I forgive you, pretty Maru. I just need to invent my time/space/reality machine so I can meet you as the perfect age in the drama.
Don't laugh, DBeaners! :D

One day you will be watching a K-drama, and THIS time, the the red-head American chick from the background will swoop in and steal him away. That'll be ME.

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Ah, weasel - my fav word for a shifty, evasive scrawny personality-type person. Jae-sik. Piofect, jomo! Is Jae-hee the female version then, perhaps an ermine? family blood line and all - heh.

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