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King of Dramas: Episode 1

King of Dramas may not have started off with a ratings bang, but this first outing proved to be a zippy and surprisingly nerve-wracking look into the crazy world of drama production. There’s straight-laced humor interwoven into the life-and-death stakes, providing plenty of fun in a very polished package. (Seriously, the show looks great.)

The self-aware commentary is definitely a highlight, and it’s nice to see a drama bring to light all of the behind the scenes happenings in a thoughtful (and sometimes very funny) way. When it wants to be funny, it is, and when it wants to be serious, it is.

That part definitely surprised me most, since I wasn’t expecting to be moved emotionally when characters are racing against a literal ticking clock trying to get a scene in for broadcast with the same kind of time-crunching gravitas you’d see in 24. And you know what? They sell the stakes here. If we can buy into the world, then we’re good to go.

I’m a little late to the party, but we’ll be catching up soon. I think we’ll all be needing a good comedy after Nice Guy, so here’s hoping King delivers.

 
EPISODE 1 RECAP

A voiceover discusses the effects of Hallyu (The Korean wave) throughout Asia, and more specifically the biggest names – Yon-sama (a nickname Japanese fans use to refer to Bae Yong-joon of Winter Sonata), and Lee Young-ae from Dae Jang Geum.

Everything from dramas is converted into money, from the cosmetics the actors wear to the cars they drive. Even ddukbokki, rice cakes normally served as street food, are served in Japan like fine cuisine. All because of – you guessed it – Hallyu.

People of all ethnicities are shown learning Korean from Secret Garden, and satellites are brought on horseback to tents in the middle of Mongolia just so Korean dramas can be watched. Well, we’ve all been that desperate one time or another.

The narrator mentions how those who work in the drama industry live a third-rate life, just as a director falls asleep at the helm. Hah – did that actor just fool him by using saliva instead of tears?

(Blink and you might miss it, but the actress on the receiving end of the spit-take is Park Shin-hye.)

Our narrator is ANTHONY KIM (Kim Myung-min), CEO of Empire Productions. He’s in charge of the drama we’ve been seeing in the midst of live-shoot called Elegant Revenge, which is just a hilarious title. He tells his lecture group that dramas boil down to one thing: M-O-N-E-Y.

And what’s a drama, he asks? A war with numbers. Special attention is paid to a gold ring on his pinky finger as Anthony proudly admits that twenty-seven out of the twenty-nine dramas he’s produced have been a success.

When asked what happened to the two that failed, Anthony coolly replies that the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 outbreak of mad cow disease caused the ratings to drop. As long as those things don’t happen again, Anthony stresses, “I’ll absolutely never fail.”

So the ring on his finger is called “Absolute Ring,” and he’s called the “King of Dramas.” No surprise there. A note with bad news stops his lecture.

We find our heroine, LEE GO-EUN (Jung Ryeo-won) attempting to get yet another bank loan. Her errant teller brightens up once she sees Go-eun’s occupation listed as “drama writer,” and launches into squeals and questions when Go-eun shyly admits that she’s working on Elegant Revenge.

Of course, the teller’s face falls when Go-eun reveals she’s a secondary writer. To her, that may as well mean Go-eun’s unemployed.

The shy Go-eun disappears in order to set the teller straight – her job is just as important, she’s paid her loan interests, and she wants her loan. NOW.

We find out what’s so pressing for Anthony – the finale for Elegant Revenge is airing tonight, and they don’t have the last ten minutes because the writer refuses to change the script to add some orange juice product placement.

This news is relayed through OH JIN-WAN (Jung Man-shik), who’s revealed to be the Managing Director of Empire Productions, and second-in-command next to Anthony.

In her studio, Writer Jung is failing miserably in trying to add orange juice to the script. A call from “Cheongdam-dong Crazy Dog” Anthony means she’s used to his temperament, and she explains coarsely that there’s no place for orange juice when the main character is supposed to die “elegantly” after completing his revenge. Pfft.

“No” is not a word Anthony likes to hear, so he switches to banmal as he orders Writer Jung to add the juice, or else she’s fired. One pack of orange juice equals three-hundred-million won, and as he explains: “Dramas may be an art to you for all I know, but to me, they are business.” End of discussion.

Not to mention, they’ve got ten hours till airing. I love the ticking clock that flashes in the corner and the super dramatic music.

Writer Jung furiously kicks the boxes of orange juice Anthony sent as a friendly reminder, and takes out her anger on assistant Go-eun the second she walks in the door: “Does this make sense? The main character who is about to have a heroic death dies after drinking the orange juice of PPL? Does it make sense?” (PPL = product placement advertisement.)

Pfft, it’s just so ridiculous. She finishes the script and hands it over to Go-eun, who notices that there isn’t any juice. Writer Jung tsks at her that real artists can’t bow down to greedy businessmen, before dismantling her phone and leaving Go-eun to edit and deal with the production company.

Anthony rages over the juice-free script and the fact that he can’t get ahold of Writer Jung. Jin-wan wonders if they can’t just hand the lead a juice box before filming, only to have Anthony fire back that getting the juice in the lead’s hands has to be explained.

So, for ten seconds (and roughly $300,000) worth of PPL, they have to change the location and dialogue. The scene has to fit around the product, which is a pretty sobering thought.

The Chairman of the company calls Anthony for a status report, and Anthony assures him that they’ll make their broadcast while creepy music plays. It’s time to move to plan B: Who’s the assistant writer?

He pretty much pounces on Go-eun just as she’s leaving, and concocts a lie about Writer Jung getting into a car accident right before she planned to edit juice into the script. He appeals to Go-eun’s dreams of stardom by telling her that Writer Jung appointed her, her “other half”, to make the changes.

Go-eun is dubious, but Anthony puts on his straightest face as he asks, “Do you think I’m telling a lie?” Bahaha. His expression totally sells it, and Go-eun buys it.

Man, he’s a smooth operator. He might have done his research on Go-eun, since he knows just enough to lead her into giving details, all while seeming interested in her work – like that script she’s been working on, what was it called? “Gyeongsang Morning,” Go-eun eagerly replies.

He tells her to bring her script by tomorrow, and that she’ll debut with the next show. Go-eun, meet Hook, Line, and Sinker.

She’s ushered into a fancy production RV to write on the way to the filming location. Her and Anthony brainstorm a way to include the juice and settle on changing the final location from a construction site to a juice factory. Hah.

Meanwhile, instructions are sent to the filming crew to move locations. It’s pure, but somehow organized chaos. Even I feel nervous, and I’m not even on their deadline.

Anthony, seemingly used to the chaos, orders that a helicopter and a quick-service driver be sent to the shooting location to transport the final copy ASAP, since they’re a couple of hours out of Seoul.

Filming commences on the scenes Go-eun freshly sends over, and she isn’t even done yet. The lead disposes of baddies surrounded by orange juice boxes, and takes one to go. Cut! Time to switch locations.

It’s 5:27pm, and the director just receives the second to last scene in piecemeal, which they’ll have to film while they wait to receive the final scene.

Anthony has a planted spy in another broadcast company (the hint being that it’s MBC) who tells him that their rival show’s running time is just over sixty-five minutes. So, if they can make Elegant Revenge one minute and thirty seconds longer, they can scoop up last minute ratings when nothing else is airing.

Go-eun is fine with the idea, but claims that there isn’t anything to add since the lead dies alone in the final scene. Anthony agrees – they don’t have time to film an additional scene anyway.

So how do they add the time? Why, they’ll just edit in a flashback scene. Ahaha. We’ve so seen dramas do this. (Maybe one too many times.)

Go-eun finishes the last scene and shows it to Anthony, who hones in only when “orange juice” is mentioned. Pleased, he sends it along to the filming crew scrambling to finish the show.

They film the lead as he walks to the shore with a gun, and Anthony forces the director’s hand in doing a closeup of the orange juice… which the lead dramatically squirts into his mouth seconds before shooting himself. Hah.

The finished tape is given to Anthony, even though the director worries that it takes four hours to get back to Seoul while the broadcast is three hours away.

The helicopter isn’t able to come due to weather, so he turns to the quick-service driver instead. He offers to give the man a hefty sum to deliver the tape to SBS within one hour. Lordy.

Everything is percentages and numbers to Anthony, since he recognizes that the driver’s chance of success (without, you know, dying) is 36.2%. But if he follows on another motorcycle, the chances increase to 72.4%. Again, I say: Lordy.

He’s willing to risk death, because as he tells Jin-wan, “What I’m afraid of more than death is failure.” He orders Go-eun to ride behind him since they’ll need her for editing, and off they go.

They’ve got thirty minutes till broadcast, and the broadcasting company crew is feeling the pressure. There’s a lot of chyron introductions in a short amount of time, and it’ll probably be easier to identify them when they get individual scenes later. But just know we’ve got coordinating producers, drama directors, and deputy directors up the wazoo.

The two motorcycles rush toward Seoul, but the quick-service driver crashes. Eek. Anthony skids to a stop behind him and gives the exact coordinates to 911 before approaching the bloody driver sprawled on the asphalt.

The driver reaches up to Anthony for help, and Anthony takes his hand… before fishing the tape from the guy’s pocket?! Are you serious? That’s cold.

The man trembles and loses consciousness, accidentally pulling Anthony’s “absolute ring” off in the process. It rolls into a storm drain and he has no choice but to leave it.

Go-eun can’t believe he’s about to leave a dying man, but Anthony’s patience is running thin as he tells her there’s nothing he can do to help anyway. They’re off again.

They’re halfway into the finale by the time Anthony delivers the tape by driving the motorcycle into the broadcasting station’s lobby. Hardcore. He literally sprints to get the tape to the editing room only five minutes and twenty seconds before the scene is supposed to actually air.

The ratings are rising by the minute as the broadcasting crew waits nervously for the final scene. Fifteen seconds to air, fourteen seconds… Gah, my nerves. How do they handle it in real drama life?
As the seconds tick down dramatically and Anthony rushes to deliver the edited version to the broadcasting room, the motorcyclist is rushed to the hospital. The final scene is plugged in mere seconds before it was supposed to air while the unconscious cyclist undergoes defibrillation.

The cyclist dies, and the minute-by-minute ratings surpass thirty percent. While everyone cheers in the broadcasting room, the cyclist’s body is covered with a sheet.

Anthony seems unsurprised but satisfied at the results. He turns to Go-eun: “You asked me earlier what on earth a drama is. This is the drama we make.”

He attends a funeral the next day for a high-profile corpse, and not the cyclist. Jin-wan informs him that the man died, and Anthony merely remarks that he’s sorry to hear it.

Meanwhile, the cyclist’s funeral is attended only by his grieving wife, daughter, and brother. Go-eun has come to pay her respects but hesitates in the doorway, since the sight of the crying daughter reminds her of her own father’s funeral.

In the end, she can’t work up the nerve to go in.

Anthony’s fellow rivals from different networks “jokingly” rib him about his recent elegant success, only to curse him the second he turns his back. Even his own broadcaster’s Drama Director MOON SANG-IL (Yoon Ju-sang) mutters “Right now, he’s hot. But some day, he will fall. When it comes, let’s be sure to step on him.”

And Anthony is no fool, since he murmurs to Jin-wan that he knows those directors are waiting like vultures for him to make just one mistake.

Go-eun pays a visit to her mom, who owns a small restaurant. The two are cute and friendly (why do I feel like nice mother/daughter relationships are so rare in dramas nowadays?) while Go-eun asks for the night off so she can prepare her script for tomorrow’s meeting.

She still thinks Writer Jung is in the hospital, and leaves a thankful message on her voicemail now that she’ll get the chance to debut because of her.

Anthony visits the motorcyclist’s funeral while Go-eun stays up to finish the script. He pays his respects to the dead before telling the man’s wife and brother that he was responsible for the delivery that got him killed. Huh. Points for honesty.

At least Anthony seems genuinely torn up about it, but the grieving wife won’t accept his consolation money. Even Jin-wan doesn’t think the money was necessary – it came from Anthony’s personal account, and it’s not like he’s legally responsible, either.

Anthony turns to him, his face grave. “Someone died while working for my drama. And I’m in charge of that drama. Is any other reason necessary?”

Later that night, Anthony watches about six TVs and broods in his luxurious apartment overlooking the city.

Go-eun brings her script to Empire Productions the next morning, and sees the sane director and lead actor from Elegant Revenge. Ha, is the vicious cycle starting all over again?

She’s a bundle of nerves while Anthony seems strangely surprised to see her, but he covers for it in that effortless way of his. He claims he’ll read over her script later (I doubt it) and can’t seem to remember his own lie when she asks about Writer Jung. Or he’s just pretending not to.

Right on cue, Writer Jung storms into the office to demand to know who butchered her script. Seeing Go-eun in the same office is all the evidence she needs, and she starts pulling Go-eun’s hair as payment for betraying her teacher.

Go-eun pulls away and defends herself by saying that she edited the script because someone told her that’s what she wanted, and Writer Jung demands to know who. Anthony: “I know, right? Who told you that?” Haha. He’s really going to throw her under the bus, isn’t he.

Go-eun tells her all about Anthony’s lie, but Anthony pleads innocence and claims that Go-eun offered to change the script in exchange for him to look at her script. Thinking Go-eun turned against her in order to debut, Writer Jung tells her that she’ll blackball her in the industry so she can’t work again.

After another catfight, Go-eun stands alone before Anthony: “Why on earth are you doing this to me?” He pleads innocent, again, and Go-eun’s temper flares. She’s worked under Writer Jung for five years and he’s destroyed her in the blink of an eye. What does he plan to do about it?

“I’m sorry,” Anthony replies. She’s flabbergasted, especially when he offers to read her script and get back to her, since she can’t believe his lies. He pretty much sits her down and explains that he just had his eye on the prize, and there’s nothing wrong with what he did to achieve it.

Poor Go-eun. Everyone watches her as she trudges out of the office. At least Anthony pulls out her script to take a look, but shakes his head at what he sees. It’s a Gaksital-esque story, which means money. He files it away to the island of unread scripts in his office.

Later, his meeting is interrupted when news breaks out about the motorcyclist’s death, along with Anthony’s part in causing it. He looks down to his empty ring finger and remembers it falling near the body.

Instantaneously, every phone in the meeting room goes off as the news spreads. The office goes into damage control mode.

Anthony tries to get the articles pulled through his connections, but the news has spread too fast, and no one wants to do it alone. He finally loses his patience after he’s spurned again and again.

The media is swarming outside of the office, all of them blaming him and his greed for the motorcyclist’s death. Worse than them is the Chairman’s call, as he expresses disappointment in Anthony and tells him he’s doomed.

Anthony’s eyes fill with tears as he asks the Chairman for clarification, and he gets it: He’s fired. “Who made Empire Productions number one in Asia?” he asks. “How could you say I’m doomed? Because of me, Empire was made. The fame of Empire was made because of me, Anthony!”

The Chairman is nonplussed and his decision remains, so Anthony issues his own veiled threat – he’ll leave, but he’ll take the writers he’s raised with him. He warns the Chairman: “You know well, that baseball is dependent on a pitcher, and a drama is dependent on a writer.”

The Chairman’s reaction? Game on.

Ah, but we find out the man behind the leak is none other than Managing Director Oh Jin-wan, who wants nothing more than to see Anthony fall. He’s in cahoots with the Chairman, who tells him that he’ll get Anthony’s recently vacated spot if he can stop any writers from going with him.

So while Anthony tells writers that he’ll offer them more per episode than Empire, Jin-wan basically tells them that he’s full of shit. Plus, they’ve got contract breaching penalties to think about if they leave Empire.

Jin-wan makes sure to remind writers that Anthony mutilated Writer Jung’s script, while Anthony claims he didn’t mutilate it – the show reached thirty percent ratings, after all.

As the calls go on, Go-eun walks into the office carrying a bucket of orange juice. I. Can’t. Wait.

And just as Anthony is about to talk to the number one most sought after writer, Go-eun marches in and throws the juice on him. Fist pumping is happening on this end.

When Anthony blusters, Go-eun gathers her courage and declares: “I’m Lee Go-eun, who got screwed over in this field because of you!

 
COMMENTS

Not the greatest cliffhanger ever, but for the most part this opening really clipped right along, and managed to build a lot of suspense around something we all know about, but aren’t able to see in fine detail all that often: Live-shooting. Because, honestly, how does the production team even find time to talk about live-shooting when they’re all too busy live-shooting?

That’s why most of the events struck a chord with me, and I’m guessing it’ll be why viewers find it compelling – we can all believe what’s happening. We’ve heard about the bus crashes, the car accidents, the debilitating illnesses, the IV treatments. The rush to get Elegant Revenge’s final scene in reminded me a lot of Episode 19 of Equator Man, except Equator Man didn’t have an Anthony to rush the tapes in. That episode unceremoniously cut off ten minutes short of its ending because they just didn’t have a scene to broadcast. (It was a pretty awkward watching experience.)

So we’ve seen live-shoot go wrong, and we’ve seen it go right, usually at the cost of everyone involved. That’s why Anthony’s speech about the people involved in drama production living third-rate lifestyles worked, mostly because it’s all very true. Sure, there’s the glamour and pride for a job well done. But all the stress it takes to get there? My heart was racing just watching. And that wasn’t even a real drama.

Character-wise, I like what we’re working with. Go-eun is average done right, as opposed to a wild character without much of a basis in reality. Her conflicts are relatable and her reactions make sense, so she’s an easy like in my book. Doesn’t hurt that it’s Jung Ryeo-won, who was all kinds of amazing even as a spoiled princess with the mouth of a sailor in History of the Salaryman.

And then we’ve got Kim Myung-min, who’s certainly bringing intensity to the role. Anthony has potential to veer into caricature territory, but so far he’s proven his worth and even proven his humanity by visiting the motorcyclist’s funeral. Granted, we could argue that him leaving the motorcyclist in the first place was rather inhumane, but I think regret counts for a lot. And he looked pretty damn sorry.

I went into this drama pretty much unaware of anything but the initial synopsis, so as the episode went on I was wondering exactly where this was all headed. Now that Anthony’s kingdom has crumbled, it’ll be fun to see him hopefully team up with Go-eun to take the drama world by storm. It’s never fun when someone starts at the top and stays there through a series, so with Anthony knocked down a few pegs, we can get a general feel for the conflict to come. And when it’s handled with this kind of slickness and a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor, I just can’t say no.

 
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Yeahyeee!!! its here!

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yay for recapping this......the only drama i'm watching after nice guy..among the currently airing ones :)

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and it's just so good :D

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Agree! I am not one of those who like watching drama while it airs particularly for a drama that I like because waiting for the next ep and subs is a pure torture.

But I can't stop myself from watching this one. And totally in love with it.

Hopefully it doesn't get worse as most dramas tend to be. KMM means it's going to be great. But Siwon means it's going to be bad or at least mediocre. I'm hopeful that it's going to improve with each ep.

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Siwon is actually funny in this drama. He has been portraying his character fairly well, in my opinion. Haha

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Which one is Siwon? I looked it up on dramawiki but I didn't recognize him. Is he the trailer guy in the first episode?

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@ladysa... Siwon will appear in 3thd episode.

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true. Siwon is so far pretty good. I guess Siwon isn't that well off with serious roles. But since his character is rather funny and egomaniac ....he can pull it of.
Does that say us something?

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LOL well turns out siwon was the best part of the drama!! never judge b4 you have seen the work

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Anyone know where I can find the ost for this drama?

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It's on Youtube. Sung by Lee Hyun. ENGRAVED IN MY HEART. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ucQ1leKpQ

DL link is there too!

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I'm 'shirtless Si Won' happy, ecstatic pants that someone is recapping this drama. It is awesome sauce. I can't wait till you catch up with the recaps. Thanks bunches!

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Yay! A recap for King of Dramas. Thank you Heads... But is this just a one time recap? Anyway, im loving this show so far!

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Thanks for doing recaps for this drama! I watched Ep4 (this week) just now and I like the KMM even though he is evil but good at the same time! ^^

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Yay thank you! Thank you for recapping this awesome show!

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I'm glad you're covering this! I love the show!

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First there was 'chep' and now 'Ansony'...aarrgghhh!!! mweoya?!I shouldn't but its so grating on my nerves!
So far so good tho, anticipating ep 5!

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Cool! It's Heads who recaps this. :)
As hardcore fans, such a Dramaception can only go straight to our hearts. That's why I completely agree with your comments. I find the casting excellent (so many known faces!)
That all MBS / SBC war is quite entertaining. I have an idea on who's the model for the big mouth arrogant senior writer but I won't say anything... Bwahaha...^^

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I was watching you enjoying this on twitter - hadn't really considered it a priority, but you were having such fun and I had a free evening so...

Wow, what fun! And actually - quite nervewracking at the same time! If it continues like this, I'll be a fan for sure. Kim Myung-Min is new to me (I know, I know) but I do see SO many familiar faces, and I love that. I LOVE dramas that have a supporting cast of a crowd of actors I know and from whom I can reliably expect decent performances. It makes me feel very confident about the overall product.

Kim Myung-Min's voice. Is it always like that? Because I am a FAN of that voice. I ship this relationship: that voice/my ear. I ship it hard.

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Hello JoAnne, I just watched episode 4 and so far, KMM's voice is the same. You should get to epi. 4 (the last 15 mns or so) to see what nervewracking is (in two instances towards the end). This drama is fast paced, intense and I totally love the OST they have been playing so far. I will let you get to episode 4 to see what I mean. I also love that it has its emotional moments, and they get to you as well.
I hope your day is going well.

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Episode 3 is really the one to watch. So many things go right in that episode.

Episode 4, not so. It was slow, lacked fireworks because they failed to go off, despite so many potential materials for tension and conflicts, and rendered everyone to look and act oh so uninteresting. And the last scene, in which Kim Myung Min gets down to his knees to beg, is simply gag-inducing. I really wish Korean people would stop resorting to kneeling (do they still live in a feudal age?), rather than oratory or outside-the-box persuasion, when faced with life-or-death obstacles.

Episode 2, not worth commenting. That one was a throwback to Korean dramas from the stone age.

I like Park Si Won, both the actor as well as the character that he plays. But Kim Myung Min, the actor, should really stop taking himself so seriously. Though he gets the top billing and his character is indeed the title character, he is not why viewers will flock to the drama. Need I say more?

Finally, the actress playing the writer - can she possibly learn to sublimate her street-trash-talk? She plays it simply vulgar and crude, and not at all processed. That may be an exact rendering of how some Koreans really talk. But hello, you are in a drama. You need to bring your method acting to it. Review Liz Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, if you don't get my meaning.

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Awesome!!! I was hoping somebody would recap this show because I am loving it so far... I did not skip the first couple of episodes and not only that, I actually enjoyed them and that's not common for me, I usually tend to get bored with the set-ups... Thank you HeadsNo2!!!

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finally. this drama is absolutely amazing and just what i needed after gaksital and nice guy... too much melo in my life! absolutely cannot wait till you start recaping episode 3 and 4. siwon (i'm honestly not saying this just cause i am a fan because even as a fan i find his acting painful... most of the time) is absolutely ADORABLE here <3 :3

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Thank you so much for recapping this drama (which I am hoping you will recap in its entirety and not just give a nod to the 1st episode) *crossing my fingers that this drama will be recapped here.*

I LOVE this drama and I didn't know about the lead actor, by that I mean that I "knew of him" (I have read about him) but I had not seen him in anything. I am not a drama expert, but I like this drama sooooo much. I love the acting, the OST so far, how it is placed in the drama, I love the female lead (totally love her here) and I even like CSW when he shows up. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bad guy * SPOILER ALERT: who tries to take Anthony down, END OF SPOILER.* I love the pace of the drama (so far), and I am just grateful and excited that we have a place here to comment and get excited about it and rave and rant (if and when it comes to that) about it. I love all the characters (and how they are played) so far.

OK, I can take a breath now. Thank you so much for recapping this, HeadsNo2.

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Ivorie~

This is the first role I've seen Kim Myung-min in too.

He's really intense. Very convincing portrayal of a con man.

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Hello John, good to see you here. I agree with everything you have said, absolutely!!!!

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John, not only is he intense (KMM), but he emotes really well and he is a great physical actor. I really love the antagonist as well, I personally think that he is very good as well and that he was well casted.

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I have a question: I can understand that the 2002 World Cup was more watched than dramas (and that would explain why Anthony Kim's drama failed, I am assuming). I didn't understand however the correlation between the 2008 Outbreak of the Mad Cow Disease and the ratings falling as a result of that. If anyone could enlighten about that, I would appreciate it.

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Hello Ivoire!
Pure speculation about 2008: Viewers were too busy checking the News because of the collective psychosis and the ratings for all other programs dropped?

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Yeah, I'm guessing they were all watching the news, or regularly scheduled programming was probably interrupted with news updates.

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Hello Mysti and ladysarahii, and thank you for your input. What you guys said made sense, and I will just go with that.

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I would also like to add that that drama has money (it seems) and so far, it shows. The outfits, the sets etc... And the cinematography is really good.

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MBC aired a documentary about mad cow desease in the USA blowing it out of proportion. Korea imported beef from the USA at a far cheaper price than the domestic one. Patriotic (nationalistic?) netizens used the desease spreading rumours that thousands in the USA are dying and that only bad beef from the USA was imported to Korea. There were huge demonstrations all over Korea against the import of AMerican beef, and I mean HUUUUGE. Seoul was blocked for days on end, adn that's all TV stations reported. I guess, such a big deal took over the ratings from the drama. Now, everyone is happily buying AMerican beef cuz it's cheaper. Korea is a bit liek that -goes into passionate hysterics over some unfounded rumours and then it all dies out.

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Hello Chickletta, and thank you soooo much for explaining this. This really helps. I love understanding every second of a drama, because I feel that it adds to my viewing experience and it helps me understand the drama better because I then understand the context in which the drama is set in.
Your explanation helps me understand why sometimes in dramas, when people go out for barbecue, they proudly say "this is Korean beef, the best kind there is." I never understood why they said that, but figured it must have something to do with Korean culture or Korean pride. Now I understand and I see why they say that (I think).

You have helped me understand this episode better, and some of the ones (episodes) I have watched in the past (a few come to my mind). Thank you for that.

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My pleasure. I guess living in Koea for 10 years has taught me a thing or two (or a thousand ^^) about Korea. Many Koreans believe that everything Korean is the best - and many times they happen to be right. I disagree about the beef though - too fatty for my taste.

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It's Kim Myung-min from White Tower! He did a phenomenal job in that.

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Thank you!! I never thought anyone would recap this drama. No idea why something about it just reminds me of King 2 Hearts - whether it's the humor, the surreal mood or the intense colors.
By virtue of its setting, this drama affords so many meta moments. <3

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it kinda does (but please don't end like that, please don't, please don't)

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King of Dramas is all kinds of awesome. Love the two leads. Jung Ryeo-won looks great now that she's gained some weight and it doesn't distract me from her acting abilities. As expected, Kim Myung-Min does not disappoint with his version of Anthony, but I can't help expecting a caricature of Andre Kim, must be the western names.

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Hello All4movies! Like you, I loved that JRW has gained weight. I do think it looks good on her and she is a great actress. She brings it.

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I haven't really watched JRW after Kim Sam Soon but she's so good here I'm hooked. I love how she can show a range of emotions without going overboard, and be cute while being gruff. It's refreshing. I want to watch History of a Salaryman just to watch her.

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Thanks for this information! I wasn't going to watch this, just because of Jung Ryeo-won - I thought she was a terrible actress in MNIKSS (so wooden, and with a very whiny, nasal delivery like a Valley Girl), and she was so horribly thin I could barely stand to watch her - but if her acting has improved, and she's gained some weight, I might give it a try.

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Hello Skelly, I would encourage you to give it a try. She really looks different here, prettier imho with "some meat on her bones." Her skin looks great and when she smiles, it is such a beautiful smile. I didn't like her character in MNIKSS and thought she was too thin, but I thought it might have also served a purpose for her character.

She excels here (imho) and sells her character really well here. She is extremely believable and she matches KMM's acting, meaning she doesn't look weak or less good of an actress when she is playing opposite him, and that to me says a lot, because he is just great, acting wise. He is intense, emotes well and plays his character to a T and he has a great voice.

The drama itself is also intense and draws you in, which I personally like. I also personally like the side characters and I LOVE that they also are great at what they do. I LOVE details, so I would rewind and rewatch some scenes, because I liked how they contorted their faces or said certain things. I have noticed that all the actors stay in characters even when the camera is not directly on them (if they are disgusted or angry or jealous, you can see it on their faces or body language and that helps me understand their characters even better).
This drama has a great ensemble cast (imho) and that is another reason why I LOVE it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the 2nd lead who is also the antagonist (great actor, he was in TK2Hs and in Best Love).

I am not a drama expert (knowledgeable about acting, directing, lighting, etc...), but I really loved this drama so far, and its quality. I like that it doesn't look like it is cheaply made either (you might understand what I mean when you watch it).

Sorry this was so long, rave over. I hope you will watch and enjoy this drama and I hope it will stay good till the end. I think it might be worth your time. Have a wonderful day!

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Am I the only one who though JRW always looked great?

As a fellow petite girl, like her, I hate that everyone keeps looking at her weight and telling her to "eat something" or "put some meat on her bones" and saying that it was distracting to her acting abilities. It's stuff I've been hearing myself for years from ignorant people who equate a thin frame to unhealthiness even though I'm healthy as anyone and have always been. It really strikes a nerve within me as it's really offensive/rude/hurtful.

I'm not saying you guys are ignorant or trying to be rude but I really hope you and others will stop saying these kind of things. Body positivity should embrace all types and not certain ones or some kind of median healthy weight.

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I know how skelly feels. I watched Accidental Couple/ That Fool and saw Park Ha Sun in it. I hated every scene with her in it. Seriously it was pain (yah the script didn't help much), I never watched Dong Yi.
Seeing Park Ha Sun in High Kick 3 was a shock. I thought she has no talent. And I always thought I would be able to see talent. But she taught me differently. You'll never know. Until those actors get a good role that lets them shine. You will never know how good they are until they try. All they need is a good spotlight.
I never learned the names of the villains. I should start to recognize their work!!

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So shocked that someone could have THAT MUCH of a negative reaction to Jung Ryeo-won in MNIKSS! I liked her a lot in that, but had an opposite reaction to all the things you mentioned. I have no problem with her thinness, no problem with her voice (I thought she had a very cute American accent), and no problem with her acting abilities. Still shocked at your reaction to her. But wanted to weigh in so that there's some sort of balance. So that she knows that there are people out here who really like her!

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^^^^^I am totally on the same boat as you are! I just don't know why people could have "THAT MUCH" of a negative reaction to JRW! She is a great actress skinny and all. I totally adore her since I first saw her in MNIKSS and love her even more after WSAYF!

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Yay for Heads recapping this. Can I tell you? I watched episode 1 and was absolutely floored. Fell. In. Love. Then even more with ep 2.

I hope this drama doesn't fall into the irony of live-shoot because that irony would be too sad. I almost forgot about that huge Equator Man blunder. *facepalm* - that was awkward to say the least.

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This is good. I'm hooked. The story is veeerrrryy interesting. I love all the meta, and dramas about drama-making aren't that common, no? The only one I can think of is World They Live In, but that one veered too much into Boredom.

Anywho, I love dramas where the lead is unlikeable at first because I can expect some good character growth. It's funny yet it leaves me slackjawed. Love the blatant orange juice PPL bit (and I absolutely hate them in dramas--nobody cares for camping gear!)--it was hilarious.

Also, I've begun watching History of the Salaryman, and that is making me adore Jung Ryeo-won. I love her here too! I'm excited for this drama, so I hope it won't disappoint!

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The other drama about drama-making that I know is "On Air". Different approach but if you're curious about what happens behind the curtains it's worth watching. It was way better than The World They Live In (boring as you said).

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I endorse On Air as well. It was a nice BTS look.

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Also an SBS one. I'm really digging what this station occasionally does. They challenge many difficult topics.

And On Air does have its rough moments, but the cast rocks it, so it's quite a good watch.

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I know! I'm channel biased too (a little bit)... Of the Big 3 it's SBS which is my favorite channel. I realized that a time ago when I started to compare who did what in the list of my liked dramas. Not that they don't have their share of accidents but... in the end I think they have the best pool of writers.

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One more thing: I'm glad Go-eun stands up for herself and isn't one to back down when someone wrongs her. I'm just realizing now how this past year's female characters in dramas have stopped being whiny, pouting weaklings. Baek Yeo-chi, Kim Hang-ah, Ueno Rie are a few that come to mind. Or maybe I'm just subconsciously avoiding dramas that I know won't have strong female characters :)

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Hi tapioca pearl, I have a quick and short question: PPL, does that stand for Product Placement? (I am just curious)... Thanks to anyone who lets me know :-).

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Hi Ivoire, yes it stands for "Product Placement" and HeadsNo2 pointed it out in the recap too.

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Speaking of PPL, i just happened to find this article about PPL from kakashi's blog

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/08/373_116708.html

And kakashi wrote about PPL too...

http://dr-myri-blog.blogspot.ch/2012/11/random-thoughts-on-product-placement-in.html

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thank you HeadsNo2 for the recap, please continue covering the series! KMM and Jung Ryeo-won are awesome as expected, and Siwon is doing a fantastic job! Super excited for next week's episodes :)

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Thanks for the recap!

I love all of the tiny details in this--in the scene when Anthony is watching his 6 TVs, one of them is showing Downton Abbey.

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Downton Abbey -- I love that ahhh Hugh Bonneville!
KING OF DRAMAS and ANTHONY KIM fighting!!! ;-)

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I just watched the first episode of this. Wow, it was funny and I know maybe not totally accurate about the drama biz, but you feel like you learn something. best thing is, its a drama inside a drama..Can't wait to see how that develops.

I've only been watching K-Dramas for a few days now.. mostly melodramas so I definitely need this show to balance things out.. ha..

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ONLY WATCHING K-DRAMAS FOR A FEW DAYS?????

Wow, welcome to our world of addiction, you won't believe what you've been missing.......

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Welcome on board! This is one addiction you won't regret!

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Thanks :) I had a friend on twitter who kept talking about Kdramas and I was curious.. Well, I found drama fever. last week and um, I watched the first episode of "i miss you" because it was the first one to come up...

I really dug the teen romace and he feel of the show so far...Then I looked around, watched every episode of Nice guy lol... Moon Chae Won grabbed my fan heart and won't let go.. Can't wait for the end of that drama..

Finally, I started watching City Hunter because of the ratings here and then King of Dramas last night.

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City Hunter is awesome. I also recommend Dream High (the first one, not DH2) - it moves quickly, has plenty of drama but is also funny. All about k-pop stars in training.

SO many other good shows out there, but I won't overwhelm you with a list! :D

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Hi Matt! Just be warned that once you start watching KDramas, it's hard to go back to your old programming! You'll be hooked soon enough ;)

You should check out the Open Thread here on Fridays. All the drama addicts on DB get together to chat about what we're watching. Lot's of helpful, fun people.

I would recommend you watch King2Hearts. It's funny, intense, romantic, and at times pretty heart-stopping. Everything a good action drama should be.

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Thanks for the welcome lady tron. I know what you mean, I've all but forgotten about my shows here in the states because of KDramas lol.

i have a very addictive personality so anything I like, I latch on to and KDramas is at the top of the list right now.

I'll be here for the chat.. Dramafever is not really a place to chat and I found a forum but it's so busy so I think I'll stay here mostly.

I will look into King2Hearts.. I should really finish what I'm watching first though lol.

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King 2 Hearts is awesome. It's my second favorite drama after Gaksital, so I second this recommendation.

OK, so now that you have a giant list, you have enough to watch to last you for quite awhile, don't you? Haha.

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Lady Tron, I too loved King2Hearts. Lee Seung Gi was my first K-crush. :)

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KING OF DRAMAS is the perfect choice. :-)
Try also the classic SBS romantic comedy LOVERS IN PARIS.
Wow, that's really classic. Won the Daesang in the Baeksang.

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awwww... you're a K-baby. lol. just kidding. I'm only 5 months old. hehe. It's crazy isn't it? My friends don't get it.- I've been coming to these blogs so I don't completely weird-out everyone I know with my K-drama, K-pop, Lee Minho adiction trifecta.
Anyways, I'm loving this drama so far. Since Arang ended I've been wandering around watching a few epis of this and that. This is the first new one I've gotten excieted about.Hope it stays good. I noticed, in the begining when the camera was paning around the protagonist's original office, a picture of him with LMH. Sooo I'm so hoping for a cameo! :D

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Heads, I love you. The end.

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Glad you picked this up. Now I can have at least one other soul to maybe share my opinions.

Loving this drama at the very least for not making me want to cry endless tears.

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You are right, it's stressing to watch Nice guy that's why I still havent started I miss you yet.Good thing this one is fun and not another sobfest.

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How cool is this show? How cool is the King? Mega-cool
Please re-cap.

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Thanks for recapping this. I was just wondering if anyone on ye olde DB was going to start blogging it and lo' and behold... I watched the first two episodes back-to-back over the weekend and I instantly fell for this show. It's so meta. And it's a great comedy that uses its characters to drive most of its humor. But, it's also got a grain of truth in there regarding the Korean television industry. Anthony really is the driving factor, though, when I think about it. He's cartoony, over-the-top, and dramatic, but there's a glimmer of an actual heart and real human being. He turns on the jerk for business, that much is clear. I'd like to see him outside of that situation. And, hopefully, we'll get it with him on the ropes.

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I am way on board with this drama, it has humor and drama happening at the same time hehehe..I really like how the story plays and even if it is a few ep's ahead, I'm so glad someone is recapping it :D!! I love the characters, especially Anthony, he's someone I just want to see more of and go-eun, I like how open she is and that she's not afraid to do anything. Especially throw orange juice on someones head.

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Saw the first 3 episodes and I like it. Siwon plays a wacky character that I was hoping for, and I super love him when he acts all silly. I heard ratings were up by episode 3, I'm happy because this one is refreshing showing what exactly goes behind drama productions and man it's seriously chaos and all.

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wow I feel stupid,got the wrong information about the ratings.They rated 7.1% by episode 3,0.2 %lower than the previous one.

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**MAY CONTAIN SPOILER***I already watch episode 4 and its probably my favorite Jung Ryeo Won character. I love her personality and how she just doesn't back down because she's been look down upon and this personality wil definitely show in ep4. She is definitely not the kind of heroine to mess with and i love it.
and i'm really glad they decided to make this drama, it gives us idea about what drama productions and live-shootings are like. maybe after this, Korean drama productions will learn a thing or two about why live shooting is never a good idea.
AND hah!! the orange juice thing is freaking ridiculous!!

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I had so much fun watching the first two episode, I'm so glad, I really need a good fun exciting drama right now
and Kim Myung-min...he's fantastic, gonna rewatch Beethoven Virus to make the time pass faster between episodes

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Whaaaaaaaaaa! Are you recapping this whole show? So great! I've been trying to find recaps for King of dramas and couldn't find any which saddened me because I really like this show.

Thank you so much!

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For me the bike rider knew the risks. He accepted the challenge because of the money. So I don't blame Anthony at all for the accident. Should he have stayed on location? To do what? He is not a Doctor. He called the ambulance, the best he could do next was delivering the copy so that the accident didn't happen for naught. I wish the PD-nim has inserted a tribute in the opening of the episode, like "without XX this wouldn't have been possible". The end.

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Uh. That was supposed to be a reply to Laurita at #29.

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But... given that the final tape got to them with scant minutes to spare, it wouldn't have been possible for them to insert a tribute at the episode's opening. (also, tributes in television seem to be inserted mainly when someone has died, and the motorcyclist died only when the episode was ending.)

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What do you think about the scene with the motorcycle driver?

I can't work out the morality issue here. To leave the driver is just somehow really really bad, but, basing it on logical reasoning, they called the ambulance and there were other people, so what else can they do? I think Nice Guy messed my brain a little and I'm confused. I feel it's bad, but I can't see the logical reason why (especially if we imagined the situation where the driver wouldn't pass away in the hospital) So, Anthony did a bad or a reasonable thing???

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When a person is injured, they are afraid. They look to a familiar face to give them some comfort. Anthony was the only familiar face around and the biker did reach out to him.

I think that no situation (unless another life-threatening one of a person closer to you) is an excuse to treat a dying man like that. Whether you believe in the afterlife or not, you don't abandon someone when they need support in such potentially final moments.

He didn't do anything bad if we go by logic. Only if we go by morality.

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Right, so he is at fault from the moral side, right? But, on the other hand, the biker chose to risk his life for money himself as well, as said Mystisith...(Although the "tribute" at the beginning of the drama in exchange for clear conscience is a little bit ironic, but that's just my opinion) So we cannot judge Anthony (from moral side) also (?) since the biker chose himself...

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It doesn't matter. Of course a poor person will take the opportunity and at the moment of distress, one should not think of the how and the who's fault etc. You don't look at the "logic" of things at such moments, unless you're a robot without a soul.

It's simple. A man is dying, they are afraid and are reaching out to you. The fact that it was their own fault for getting there does not mean they're evil and don't deserve some human warmth when they're so vulnerable and scared.

If a man is asking for support at a very dire time and hasn't killed your entire family or something, you give that support. No one deserves to be left like that at such a time, no matter how they got there or what "logic" says.

And I'm personally fine with it, because Anthony realized how inhumane it was himself. I don't expect the leads to be perfect human beings and I am personally pissed when their flaws are presented as virtues or simply brushed off. So I'm glad they face these issues here.

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Thanks really, you've just cleared my initial confusion about that scene.

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I agree that it wasn't the kind thing to do to leave the motorcycle rider after the accident, but at the same time, his staying couldn't have prevented his death.

HOWEVER - what I do have a problem with is the fact that Anthony sent him on this death mission in the first place. Perhaps the messenger knew the risks of trying to get there in an hour, but it's doubtful that he realized what they were with the same mathematical precision as Anthony -

He clearly stated that the messenger only had a 30-something percent chance of making it there at all, which means more likely than not, he would have an accident. On a motorcycle at high speeds, this means serious injury or death.

Anthony knew that the messenger didn't make much money and ENTICED him into making the wrong decision by promising such a huge reward. Actively encouraging someone to risk their lives for a TV broadcast is what is seriously morally wrong with the situation.

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In fact, even leaving money and enticements out of it -

if you know somebody has a greater than 50% chance of critical injury or death, isn't it the moral thing to do to try to persuade them NOT to do it.....?

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Surgeons do risky operations with less than 50% chances of survival every day. They are just clever enough and with enough time in hands to make you sign a discharge.
Now I agree with you, he didn't warn the biker explicitly about the risks. Which makes me wonder: Where did he find those statistics?

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@visitor, I think you are very much right with that enticement reason. And I won't leave it out, because if we look only to the percentage of the risk, would Anthony be more "moral" in the same situation if the risk were only 49% or 30%? I don't think so.

His statistics are quite a mystery, but as we can see from other episodes, he is really quite a good mathematician.

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It was never a question of preventing his death. Think of the feelings here. Try and think of this in a real life situation and put yourself in the biker's shoes. A person is dying and they are afraid.

Think about how that man felt, lying on the street there. Thinking about his family, feeling abandoned and used, staring at a bunch of strangers around watching as he slips away.

He needed someone to hold him. Just to know a familiar face will be there when he goes. Someone, anyone he can get courage from, with one simple holding of a hand.

It's human, it's natural and anyone denying that to a dying person is cruel. It's simple. Simple human decency, or lack thereof. Which is why they keep addressing it and showing how affected Anthony still is by it.

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I do really agree with you and this answers the question that I initially asked. And I think that you correctly explained why they are still putting it in the show.

But visitor here emphasized another situation, I will cite: "HOWEVER – what I do have a problem with is the fact that Anthony sent him on this death mission in the first place."
Thus I also think that there is some (additional) moral fault to entice a person into the obvious risk...

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Oh yes, that is definitely an additional bad move. To entice a person in need of their paycheck with money, however, the biker was an adult and experienced driver who knew the risk. Anthony is a jerk, but he can't be blamed for the biker accepting his offer.

And I mentioned the emotional need of the biker as he was dying because of the "his staying couldn’t have prevented his death" part in visitor's post. I'm just saying, it's not a viable reason for it to be ok to leave, since it wasn't about preventing a death, but about letting the person leave in comfort, with an understanding and supportive person on their side. ;)

As morally wrong as it was to entice a person, Anthony did not force anything on him. But to see that decision lead to the person's injury and then force a lonely death onto them, that is the really immoral part. At least that's how I see it.

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@Orion Yep, I understand it now (glad that I asked about my confusion there). It seems Anthony was blinded by the need of success...

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"Anthony sent him on a death mission?" Well Anthony followed him didn't he? So Anthony himself went on a death mission.... it was a horrible accident. and yes they- the courier and Anthony- both were greedy and desperate. it could have been Anthony who got in an accident, ever thought of that? it comes with the job, don't you think like a soldier going to war - don't they expect the possibility of death?
there's no need to put blame on others- it is not a morality issue, people make their own decisions and they are responsible for their own actions and the results that follow their decisions.
Anyway, this is a very good story. Worth commentating and arguing about:)

I just finished reviewing some awesome historical dramas - i am a bit spent emotionally after a marathon of jumong, emperor of the seas, queen seon deok, god of war...
It's a relief to come back to modern world :)

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I liked the first two episodes, but I'm not sure how much comedy we're going to be getting. I was really surprised by the cyclist's death. It's interesting, because generally that's something you'd see in a flashback rather than firsthand, but it really sets up the world and the characters.

Here's hoping they bring the funny along with the drama.

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Hi Heads, I absolutely love this drama and I love you more for recapping it, it's such a breath of fresh air with all the melos that are floating around.

Will be waiting for each and every recap to spaz :D thank you

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Yay for the recap! I was wondering if anyone at dramabeans would pick up this one. Thanks, HeadsNo2!

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I find Kim Myung-min's acting too exaggerated; similar feel to the drama, Beethoven, in which he acted as the conductor. I gave up watching that one so don't know if I can last catching this one; if not for watching Siwon.

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KMM is a method actor. And method actors are usually intense and dramatic to put more impact in their performances.

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@s21783 you should watch Closer to Heaven. He was so good there! This is my first time watching him in drama but am not seeing any problems with his acting. Oh just wait for episode 2, where he's trying not to cry like a baby. His moments of vulnerability are precious.

@gakky I've watched several method actresses as well, and I can say that they are truly living their characters even off cam. It's a little worrying sometimes, coz some find it difficult to get out of the character once the drama ends.

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Yeah....Method acting is extreme.

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Oh MY!
1 minute and 30 seconds longer!!! Hahahaha!! Why do I remember some drama with that kind of trick? ;)

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I'd probably pick this up.

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Interesting! The show piqued my interest just for having Siwon and his abs, but this solidifies it. Imma watch this right after I melt into a puddle of conflicting emotions because of Nice Guy.

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whoa! i'm so waiting for this. thanks for the recap. :D

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Great drama... It has great pace, good writing, loving both actors...siwon too

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This drama pleasantly surprised me!
I honestly didn't expect to enjoy it so much and KMM and JRW has a really nice chemistry working up.

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I DEFINITELY DID NOT disappoint myself giving all my time for this drama.

And yes, very strong chemistry indeed between Anthony Kim and Lee Go Eun.

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I was feeling a little sad thinking that dramabeans won't recap this drama, but now, THANKS A LOT!!! I seriously liked this drama (which can turn to love depending on the next episodes). The pacing of the first episode just blew me away, and the story is so well done I laughed and cried simultaneously like a crazy guy.

This is my first time commenting on a recap done by HeadsNo2, but girl, you're a natural. It's so well done and so unique, there's no doubt you belong on this roster of distinguished recappers. I just gotta give it to you. Thanks so much! Will wait for the next episode!

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very well said! you said all of I wanna said!

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DITTO!!!

Thanks HeadsNo2. ;-)
Love u so!!

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Thank you so much for the recap. I went into this drama with trepidation thinking it's not my thing.
However minutes in I was hooked. It's fast, it's got acting talents everywhere and oozing with great pace.
Love it, absolutely love it. My heart was racing at all the tense scenes. How the heck does the actual real drama teams do it? Since we know the PD or the cast actually require IV treatment. And persevere on in spite of injuries.

The Korean drama and movie industry is one scary monster.

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I love how dramatic the OST is, makes it more intense :)

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Thank you for recapping this. I'm thinking about watching it, because I'm interested in the whole "let's show what the live shooting is" and I hope they will show us more "behind the scene" moments.
I personally never got why Korean dramas feel the need to live shoot as it often backfires them, so I'm definitely interested in knowing more about it.
And laugh in the process. The whole orange juice revenge make me laugh so much!

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Thanks, Heads. Glad you're on board. Still loving this after four eps.

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i'm toatally into this one.love the lead actor,afterall who would ever forget his sterling performance in Beethoven virus.the lead actress is also totally amazing in the history of the salary man and with an added bonus at that...siwon of super junior.i'm done with the first ep.it looks promising.

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HeadsNo2 ~

Thank you for recapping this. I'm hooked. Kim Myung-min is intense.

Looking forward to the next recap.

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An excellent show so far. I "tried" it without much anticipation and I binged on the first two ep. Amazing.

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THANK YOU FOR RECAPPING THIS!

I have been following this drama since the beginning and totally in love with it. I was so upset that no one is really recapping this drama when it is really good and has a lot of potential.

Looking forward to your recaps!

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great drama , i'm watching epi 4 now , excellent acting ,
KHM never disappoints me , two young actors are very good
in acting too .

interesting drama .
smart people in business world .

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Thanks you very much for the recap. I was hooked since episode 1. One of the main actors , Kim Myung-Min...is amazing. I think Im gonna have a love and hate relationship with his character.
Thanks again for the recap !!

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I am so loving this drama. A part of me does NOT want a romance between the two MC's but I'm thinking that maybe I havave a seriously bad case of general second lead syndrome. I'm always disliking and fearing certain main character hook-ups.

The other thing is there is this running theme of secrecy where heroine does a lot for Anthony and he is totally in the dark about what he owes her and about her sacrifices for him. IT gets wearisome and I'm tempted to ask, "Are there a lotta women out there who feel as if their man doesn't understand them?" Of course, they aren't a couple yet..so maybe I'll just say maybe it's about important guys who don't know how much they owe their secretaries or underlings.

But am so so so loving this show. Am up to episode 4 now and I really can't think of any character who annoys me.

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Carole, I too am hoping for a lack of romance between the two MC's. I'd like both Anthony and Siwon's character to achieve a lot of personal and emotional growth through their interactions with our heroine, but only have Siwon be interested in the girl. I just can't see Anthony as a romantic character (and this has nothing to do with his age or looks).

Also, I want to thank Heads for recapping this! I was so hoping someone would do it. All the ladies at DB have such amazing writing and analytical skills that it's a joy to follow a drama along with you.

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Maybe it's because you haven't seen Kim Myung Min do very many romantic roles that you can't imagine the romantic potential.

Try watching Bad Family and you will fall in love with him.

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I'll watch it. I am already somewhat in love with him here. It's just the possible pairing that I'm worried about. Thanks.

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Right now I'm battling within myself. A part of me wants Anthony to grow up and stop being so addicted to power, which would mean it would be good for him to actually fail miserably. Like be down in the gutter. (Although I really am wanting to see what the drama within a drama will look like.)

But another part of me wants him to succeed since he's the protag. But it'd just feel so weirdly unreal to have him totally change to Nice Guy & succeed AND be rewarded with the girl.

I really like our heroine. She's tough and stands up for herself, even if sometimes she doesn't tell all she knows -- or does for Anthony. I'd love to see Siwon's character and her hook up. He's kinda Anthony Kim lite so that would be better. I don't mind the age thing, although I feel if Anthony and our heroine hooked up there'd be a kind of paternalization where she is basically his noble sacrificing sensei/caretaker. A normal pairing in dramas, yes...but here --since she will probably be his agent of change-- it would be too much.

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I am sorry to disagree with both of you. I've see Kim Myung-min in many movies, and he is one of the greatest actors in Korea. He can pull off any character. I think a romance between the two would be great. The feisty young optimistic thing that Goeun is and a jaded, cynical almost middle aged man brought back to humanity by her love.. I would love to see that. I think Anthony is not a bad man. I expect there would be some explanation for his cruelty, and I think he is not beyond redemption. I wouldn't be so thrilled by Siwon and Goeun pairing. however, i suspect both guys would fall for her. expecting the love triangle to be fun to watch and hoping she'd choose (a much changed purring on her lap) Anthony.

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