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King of Dramas: Episode 11

Premiere day. Finally! It feels like a long time coming, and it’s nice to know our cast feels the same. There are plenty of real feelings mixed with shenanigans in this episode, all of which manage to keep the conflict engaging but light, at least at this point in the game. So far King of Dramas is proving to be an unchallenging watch (which is NOT a bad thing), yet one full of stakes and subsequent rewards. And laughs. And squeals. And yes, even tears. But when those tears come with a laughter chaser, I can hardly complain.

 
EPISODE 11: “The Line of Life and Death”

Anthony gives Go-eun his trust, but reminds her that it won’t be enough – if she found the two works similar, she’ll have to prove that she wrote her script first and clear her name. So that others will believe in her, too.

With that, Anthony has the microphones turned back on and addresses the entire production as he reminds the cast that they can’t treat their drama with distrust. He gives them all a pep talk, basically, asking everyone to band together and believe in Go-eun.

He also vows to prove that Go-eun’s work came first, and tells everyone to continue filming in the meantime. The last bit he directs to Min-ah specifically: “If you still can’t trust this script, then trust me and act for this role.”

Tears of frustration fill Min-ah’s eyes, while Hyun-min broods backstage.

Anthony’s on a quest to help Go-eun recover a file for Kyungsung dating before 2006, but the only place where one could feasibly be is on Writer Jung’s computer, from when Go-eun was an assistant. Unfortunately, Writer Jung is abroad.

Anthony solves this problem by lying to a locksmith that they’ve been locked out of their own home so that they can break into Writer Jung’s house. In order to fool the man, Anthony throws his arm around Go-eun, lying without a qualm that his “wife” does stuff like this all the time. Ha.

Once they’ve broken inside, Go-eun mutters under her breath that their age gap is too big for him to be lying about them being married. Anthony responds by teasingly calling her “yeobo,” an endearing term between husbands and wives. Double ha.

After ransacking the place, Go-eun eventually finds the old laptop. Score.

Meanwhile, Min-ah can’t seem to get her mind off Anthony’s “I believe in you” line to Go-eun, especially when she remembers an old fishing date her and Anthony had shared before her debut.

He’d told her he didn’t believe her when she claimed she wasn’t nervous, but that was because he didn’t believe in anyone. (Just like he told Go-eun.) But, he’d believed in Min-ah’s ability to become a world star.

Back in the present, Go-eun has no luck retrieving the file since the laptop has been wiped, while the SBC executives mull over replacing Kyungsung due to the plagiarism scandal. Again. Wait, again?

Things are tense over at World Productions, since the submission of evidence in the plagiarism case is due by midnight, and Go-eun doesn’t have enough to defend herself. Anthony decides to meet with Writer Jo of Fated Lovers, resolving that even if he has to kneel and beg, they have to get their drama to air.

Go-eun takes her search home, and her and Mom share some cute moments as Mom reminisces over Go-eun’s dreams of becoming a writer over the years. She has a box of keepsakes from Go-eun’s childhood, and just so happens to have saved a floppy disk from when Go-eun first wrote Kyungsung.

Luckily, it’s a file dating from 2005. Go-eun all but cries in relief, and calls Anthony just as he’s on his way to meet Writer Jo, exclaiming, “I found it! I found it!”

The filming atmosphere is on pins and needles the next day as everyone, including the SBC execs, waits for the court verdict. Go-eun seems in dour spirits as the leave the courthouse. Eek, did something go wrong?

Anthony calls Director Goo with the verdict, which he passes onto the production crew: Kyungsung Morning isn’t plagiarized.

The set erupts into cheers, while Go-eun remains overwhelmed from the whole experience. Anthony takes this time to teach her a lesson in saving and copyrighting her files, and hilariously refuses to accept his handkerchief back after she uses it to blow her nose.

Go-eun notices the initials “A.K.” on the handkerchief, and asks why Anthony was never given a Korean name if he had Korean parents. “My name was Anthony from the day I was born,” he replies flatly.

Only when she asks him why he never asked his parents about it does she learn that they both passed, though he’s not as affected by that as she’d think.

So she takes it upon herself to give him a Korean name, reasoning that because he receives so many insults, his name should be short for a term meaning “plenty of insults.” Hee. She does love to toy with him.

Unfortunately for him, they end up getting pulled over by the police for running a stop light, which forces him to give the officer his driver’s license. The officer reads his real name – Kim Bong-dal – and Go-eun starts laughing uncontrollably. Haha.

The name sounds funny and decidedly ungraceful for Anthony, but better yet is the meaning behind it – “Bong” is for mountaintop, and “Dal” is for moon. So to her, his name may as well be Kimchi Mountaintop-moonface, and she finds that to be just about the funniest thing she’s ever heard. At least Anthony takes her teasing like a champ.

Later, Go-eun hears some persistent knocking at her door and is reminded of Hyun-min’s last surprise entrance. So to prepare, she pulls her hair over her face and opens the door to scare him…

Only to find Min-ah on the other side. Awk-ward.

It seems like she’s come for an apology, and like a true writer, Go-eun only has coffee to offer her. However, Min-ah’s expression grows dark when she sees Anthony’s embroidered handkerchief on Go-eun’s drying rack.

To Min-ah’s credit, she does sincerely apologize for believing the plagiarism accusations, and Go-eun is nice enough to forgive and forget. She is taken aback, though, when Min-ah asks what her relationship to Anthony is.

After a few moments of blinking, Go-eun laughs off the thought: “What kind of woman in the world would like a man like him?” Ha. Poor Min-ah.

She goes on to say that if she had to put a name to their relationship, it’d be that of a demon and an angel. HA. Min-ah seems soothed, at least.

I knew the ratings were going to come up in meta talk. Or at least, I’d hoped they would. Anthony rallies the boys over securing first place with the premiere, even though “SBC’s” drama hasn’t even broken 10% in the ratings. And that drama didn’t have help from its predecessor, which we can equate to Faith in the real world. (Faith didn’t do miserably, but it hovered at or below 11% for most of the run.)

“It seems we will have a hard fight,” Dong-seok notes. “Of course it will be hard, but no matter what, we will win,” Anthony replies. Oh, the meta.

The Chairman finally gets his accounting books in the hopes of finding fraud from Anthony, only to find that the only illegal accounting Anthony did was under the Chairman’s orders. It’s with some surprise that he realizes Anthony never embezzled a single penny.

But, even though it was all his orders, Anthony’s name is still on the damning ledgers. The Chairman calls for his legal team in the hopes of using that evidence to lock Anthony away for at least a decade. Dude, sometimes you need to learn to let go.

Meanwhile, Anthony gets a text from Go-eun addressing him as Kim Bong-dal. Hee. She’s having so much fun with that.

A frantic call from her mom sends her to the restaurant, but she’s crestfallen that it’s only because there are too many customers.

…Except those customers are Hyun-min’s fan club, which he’s brought to the restaurant in order to promote the drama. Is this his indirect apology? Because it’s adorable.

After Hyun-min introduces her as “the beautiful writer” to his fans, he takes Go-eun outside to apologize for misunderstanding her script. “I thought that apologizing with only words wouldn’t be enough,” he admits, which prompts Go-eun to ask if he thought that apologizing with money and fans would be.

Instantly, Hyun-min’s air of seriousness is gone as he replies: “Because I have nothing but money and fans!” Haha. They’re back to their old bickering selves, and all is forgiven.

Anthony calls her in to do some script revisions on a clumsy and lifeless kiss scene, flat-out asking her if she’s never kissed a man before. Go-eun hesitates before replying that she has, which may or may not mean it’s a lie.

“Then, do it,” Anthony challenges. Omo.

He hands the script over to Dong-seok to do the reading as he steps in close to Go-eun. Anthony starts acting out the scene as Dong-seok reads, with Go-eun still in a state of shock that this is happening at all. (Dong-seok is barely keeping himself from cracking up. I love it.)

Actually, all the World Boys are trying to keep it in because of the cheesiness of the scene. Anthony acts out Hyun-min’s part while Go-eun acts Min-ah’s, and you can just see her squirming with awkwardness and embarrassment as she says her lines.

And then, at the end, Anthony stands up and declares that this is the moment Hyun-min is supposed to kiss Min-ah, except it doesn’t work at all. “I’m not an actress,” Go-eun defends, but Anthony fires back that a writer’s job is to write in order to make actors act. Basically, the scene is unplayable.

For proof, he tells her to ask the World Boys what they think as a male audience. She looks to them all hopeful, like, It’s okay, right?

But they all shrug in a way that says, “Ehhhhh.” So Go-eun gets to revise the script.

Min-ah keeps messing up her takes during filming because Hyun-min won’t stop making faces to distract her. This ends up being his personal revenge since he doesn’t know that Min-ah apologized to Go-eun, which is a cute reason except for the fact that they’re in a blizzard. I’d be saving revenge for an indoor scene.

Of course, they’re both horrified to learn that a kiss scene was planned in Episode 7. Min-ah’s only hope is that it gets revised.

Go-eun struggles on the revision of the kiss scene, mainly because she doesn’t have any kissing experience to write about. “Should I experience a kiss to write a kiss scene well?” she reasons aloud to herself. “Then, what about a story about a serial killer? Should its writer be a serial killer?”

She has a point there. In order to practice, she puckers up for a picture of Johnny Depp, and chickens out at the last minute because of that “Kim Bong-dal.” But then she focuses on his birthday in her calendar. Is today the day?

Anthony sends the boys home to rest for the premiere date tomorrow, only to have Dong-seok come back in… followed by the rest of the boys and Go-eun, with a birthday cake. They sing him an extreme rendition of “Happy Birthday,” replete with confetti and candles. So cute. SO CUTE.

Go-eun knows his birthday from their run-in with the police. Anthony’s face remains stoic as he orders them out. Can’t they see he’s working?

They shuffle out, wondering if they had the date wrong. Anthony remains in his office sitting across from his cake, and he doesn’t take his eyes off it until the candles burn all the way down. This is surprisingly sad. It’s like he’s never been given a birthday cake before.

Min-ah invites him out next to wish him a happy birthday, and passes over a ring box… it’s the Absolute Ring! Well, a copy. She knows how meaningful it was to him. (This one seems to be fashioned around the actual Lord of the Rings ring.)

He ends up rejecting it on the grounds that it’s not his ring – the one he cherished with his life because he believed it protected his success. Well, there can be only one.

We see why the original ring was so important to him in flashback, where his blind mother had given it to him shortly before he left to study abroad in America. It once belonged to his father. (Not going to lie, Kim Myung-min’s styling is really freaking me out because he does look so much younger. It’s downright bizarre.)

That night, he goes to a care center… to visit his Mom? So she’s alive. She’s asleep when he enters her room, but her nightstand is littered with newspaper articles about him. Aww.

As he’s about to leave she wakes, and instinctively knows it’s him as she asks if he’s had seaweed soup for his birthday. She apologizes that she couldn’t cook it for him in the state she’s in, which has him urging her to get better so she can leave. Something tells me that isn’t going to happen.

She “sees” him by touching his face, causing both of them to well up with emotion. Anthony almost loses his composure when she tells him that she’s looking forward to the premiere, both of them knowing that she won’t be able to watch it. But it’s the sentiment that’s sweet.

Both he and Go-eun are pensively hopeful about tomorrow’s premiere, and Anthony hopes to himself that he’ll finally be able to smile. Before he realizes it, he’s spread his arms out like wings in the same way Go-eun taught him last episode. And when he does realize it, he just gives himself over to it.

And on her rooftop, Go-eun does the same.

It’s finally premiere day, and the team scrambles to do all that needs doing: trailer cutting, news interviews, etc. Director Goo calls it a day early so they can all watch the broadcast from their homes, something which has Hyun-min on edge as he counts down the minutes to air next to a sullen-looking Bit-na and the rest of his retinue.

Comparatively, Min-ah is the very picture of calm, since she refuses to watch the first episode of any of her dramas based on the superstition that ratings will plummet if she does.

Anthony, Go-eun, and Director Goo get to watch from the broadcasting room. It’s all finally coming together, and the feeling is palpable. Anthony reminds Go-eun that she’ll be breathing with the audience for the next twenty episodes, and that she’ll need to study the live ratings graph to see what specific moments excite the viewers as well as which ones cause them to change the channel.

Everyone’s waiting – even Min-ah, as it turns out. And Anthony’s mom, too. She may not be able to see the show, but she’ll be listening in, while Go-eun’s mom has her entire restaurant watching.

The first episode begins. Ratings start at 7.1%, which CP Lee notes as being pretty mediocre. I actually feel the worst for Min-ah – everyone else is watching with a support group, but she’s the only one watching alone.

There are disappointed faces galore, though, as the sight of the ratings. SBC is pulling in the lowest line on the graph, and it’s heartbreaking to see Anthony literally fighting back tears. You can just see his hopes and dreams going down with those numbers.

It’s only a half hour in, but Anthony calls it quits. When Go-eun tries to stop him he soullessly responds: “Half an hour has passed already and the ratings are in the pits. We’ve lost, miserably.”

Anthony ends up drinking and taking his pills at a street-side stall, doing everything he can to resist the urge to break down.

That’s where Go-eun ends up finding him, which means she’s given up on watching her very first broadcast in order to comfort him. (And yeah, probably also herself a little.) He’s not interested in company, until Director Nam calls him with the final average. We don’t hear what it is, but Anthony’s face twitches infinitesimally.

Go-eun hesitates to ask what the number was, and Anthony’s poker face is firmly in place: “We must have had a spike toward the end.” She nods, waiting…

“Viewership rating was 15.7%,” Anthony exclaims. “We’re in the lead!”

I caught myself literally jumping for joy before I realized it, because Anthony and Go-eun are doing the same. That was a HUGE spike, so it’s no surprise that everyone would be losing their minds over it.

Hyun-min gets to scream and yell in happiness, and even Min-ah, all alone, becomes girlishly excited when she gets the good news.

I love that Anthony acts like he had faith the entire time, even when he’d been moping about their mistake in making Kyungsung noir and not melo. Strangely though, I can’t tell if Anthony is lying or not when he claims he can’t remember saying it. Could it be the meds?

They each get a turn to claim why they are the reason for the ratings success, until Anthony hones in on Go-eun’s kiss scene again. “Tell me truthfully,” he begins. “You’ve never had a kiss, right?”

Go-eun blusters a bit, but he sees right through her. “You haven’t felt your heart beating for a man,” he continues. She argues that she has, but he shoots back that he’s not talking childish crushes. He means the real deal.

And he knows just as easily that Go-eun hasn’t experienced that kind of love, which causes him to look at her in a new light. One that she feels a bit uncomfortable with, ha.

She mentions how he needs to stop drinking, to which he confidently replies, “I’m Anthony. Mere alcohol cannot defeat me.”

…Only for him to end up face down on the table. Go-eun ends up dragging his drunk bottom all the way to the production building, and into his hilariously lavish bedroom.

After dumping him on the bed, she feels entitled to speak in banmal as she tells him to sleep well. Hee. But she doesn’t get one step out the door before she’s grabbed by Anthony and pulled down onto the bed, her face inches from his. And he’s wide awake. Omo.

“What do you think about me?” he asks. “How do you think of me as a man?”

 
COMMENTS

Whoa. That was unexpected. I mean, anytime you get one drunk character in a closed space with another this sort of thing usually happens, and while I wouldn’t say that it felt out of place, it did feel sudden. Not bad sudden, not good sudden, just… sudden.

While we can’t pinpoint who fell for who first, I like the idea that Anthony was the one who broke first. It makes sense even considering his exterior, because we’ve seen how flimsy his outer shell of bravado really is. At any moment he’s on the verge of breaking down, which we saw clearly when he was eyeing the ratings. I’m hoping that at some point his depression issues are brought up and resolved somehow, unless the message they’re trying to convey is that the medicine he takes is good and necessary for his overall well-being.

I liked the meta reference to King’s ratings, which have once again dropped this week. Even I let out a sigh of frustration when looking at Episode 11’s numbers (7.3%, for the curious), wondering how they could lose what little footing they’d gained last week. While this show isn’t perfect, I *am* enjoying it immensely and am therefore a bit stuck wondering what exactly the viewers feel like they aren’t receiving from the show.

Conversely, it could just be that everyone is watching Horse Healer. (Sageuk always wins, unless it’s The Great Seer. Or Faith. Wait, sageuk hasn’t had a very good year, has it?)

I was hoping that we’d get a meta reference during Anthony and Min-ah’s fishing flashback, just because I feel like I’ve seen that scene in every drama this year. Camping/outdoor gear companies have been on a strangely aggressive marketing campaign lately, causing dramas like Equator Man and To The Beautiful You to have completely coordinated, mostly unnecessary outdoor excursions with which to show the camping products and coats. Even though we got a better integration of product placement here in the form of a flashback that didn’t derail the plot into some sort of group camping trip, a little wink and a nudge would have been fun.

Overall, I’m liking the turn we’ve taken this week and hope that the inevitable obstacles to come won’t end up feeling like curious afterthoughts or fresh off the assembly line. At least with the time slot fully secured by virtue of finally having aired, we might (at least) stop getting the Last Minute Replacement Threat from the broadcaster. But the drama world presented here is nothing if not ridiculously fickle, so there’s no telling where we’ll go. As long as the tone stays fun, I’m game.

 
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Thanks for the recap!
How can I be first????

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Wheeee, loved this episode! And finally, I can see the romance between them starting...yippee!

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Until now I can feel strong chemistry between Anthony & Go-eun just based on that scene in the bedroom. (Knowing what will happen later on)

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Thank you for the recap!

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Does anyone know the title and the name of the artist who sings the English song we keep hearing in this drama? It is a beautiful ballad, imo. Thanks!

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Those damn ratings! I will never understand: I give up. I guess we won't have our extension... :(
Teasing her boss was not a good idea but it's sure entertaining to watch: That scene in the car, I swear... her laughter triggered a mad laugh of my own at each replay.
On the other hand, yeah! for Anthony trolling his favorite victim (first kiss and experience in men). I think he is also trying to guess her past in order to find the best romantic approach. That scene at the pojangmacha when he is staring at her: Melting...

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Regarding ratings, they probably need a new system to include people watching from non-traditional means like cell phones, computers, DVRs, etc.

I love Anthony and the way he was trolling her and how she was making fun of his name. And I especially love the re-enactment scene with him playing the piano. His facial expressions were awesome and you can tell he fully commits to a role.

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That would be so difficult...and also IMO flawed in the sense that if you only take TV ratings, you are basically saying there is nothing else you'd rather watch at that time, unless you're also only taking into consideration people who are watching on cell phones and computers at the airing time. It wouldn't matter that I DVR'd it, and watched it later, the "weight" of that rating is not worth as much (IMO) as someone who watched it when it aired.

I know I'm not the popular opinion so to speak, but I really don't love KOD. I mean, I like it, and I would definitely watch it..... if it was the weekend and I had no plans and was bored. Actually I suffer from Gaksital withdrawal, I love meta, and Shiwon's my favorite member of SJ, so I'm stick around. The acting is also pretty great, and there's nothing outright wrong with KOD, like the way Faith had questionable editing/directing. But some of the humor falls flat with me, and something (I'm leaning towards saying pacing) is just holding me back from being really excited to see the next episode. I rate dramas twice - during when a drama airs and after. Sometimes, like Nice Guy, the story makes no logical sense, and is a totally unrealistic society, and after the drama's over, with all its holes I'm not quite sure why I liked it so much, but damn, I definitely googled the preview for the next episode as soon as I finished watching an episode. I don't get that feeling with KOD, whatever the reason. So personally I prefer watching Horse Healer.

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See, to me, whose watched a ton of dramas and dramas to spare, KOD is the ticket to watch.

Horse Healer is like a drawn out less better scripted version of Dae Jang Geum. The writer feels so lazy on it that I can spot it a mile off... I keep sighing each episode that they repeat the previous line like the writer got stuck and the added line to the transition "What do you mean _Line from before_?" Or "Is that right_line from before?" And the recycled plotting... I know the writer can be brilliant, but seriously... I don't reward laziness. I rather see them take a risk and fail than rest on their laurels and look like they can't come up with something new.

KOD is original. It has laughs, though mostly for the veteran K-drama watchers and lots of nods and winks which makes it fun to watch. It is a bit cerebral in places, but that's to its credit rather than detraction.

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I like Horse Doctor too (maybe because I didn't see Dae Jang Geum, so I can't compare) but I noticed than the last episodes began to be real slow and without nothing much happening. When the FF button starts functioning, ...
I love a show which can make me use my brain AND entertain me at the same time.

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I love Horse Healer. I've been a fan of Director Lee Byung-hun ever since time began. But KING OF DRAMAS is undeniably the best drama I've seen.

It's been a long time since Korean entertainment has reached this level of superior quality. And I guarantee that King of Dramas is worth every bit of your time investment.

I will spare every dime I have to own this drama, too.

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Cellphones, computers and DVRs don't count because what they want is sponsors. And sponsors come from the commercials before, after and during. There would be no good way to measure that. It's the competition that counts in the end.

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I'm with you Myst. Those damn ratings. Every week I hope against hope as I check, and every week I feel :(

*sighs*

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Darn ratings man

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Good episode. Kod continues to be a fun watch but this episode brings a big forward movement. Halleluiah! It took 11 episodes of KoD, but the first episode of Kyungsung Morning has finally aired. It sort of feels like a close friend is graduating, I feel proud that their hard work and determination has payed off. Obviously all the hard work isn't over just yet but a major battle has been won, though the war continues.

Real life Dramaland has countless numbers of conflicts and I'm hoping KoD will cover a more wide range of conflicts in this industry. Conflicts doesn't always have to derive from outside source such as the batshit crazy Chairman McEvil. Many conflicts we hear about in real dramaland are internal. conflicts between actors/actresses/writers/director is well known to us. Live shoot system and all its consequences is well known to us and there's a huge number of darker side of dramaland that we haven't even covered yet. Oh, and don't forget one of the greatest EVIL that greatly impacts a drama... Netizens. Kyungsung Morning is doing well ratings-wise now, but if its rating started doing poorly, the drama starts catering to the Netizens who probably cares more about abs and shower scene and more screen time with their precious Idol oppa than good plot and logical story telling. (I mean Netizens on average and not all, of course)

A few favorite moments:
Anthony (or is it Kim Bong Dal?) putting his name and reputation on the line and stating to the entire staff that not only writer Lee Go-eun but he personally also guarantees that Kyungsung Morning is the sole creation of Go-eun and them. It says a lot when a person such as Anthony makes his declaration of trust openly to the entire staff.

Yay mom! An unexpected solution for the plagiarism arc and I like it. A solution with a heartwarming moment. (aww, isn't it like most mom's everywhere to save every. single. little. memorabilia. of their children?) *shoutout to my mom, love you, mom*

Anthony: I mean, have you ever kissed a man?
Go-eun: I have!
Anthony: Then do it
Me: yes, do it, do it, you can dooo iiiittt.
(joking, well.. kind of, I don't think these two are quite there yet, but it's getting there, Go-eun attraction is showing thru quite clearly though I'm not sure she's aware of it yet and I feel that Anthony still hails from the river in Egypt: de-nile)

last, but not least,
The ending: RAWR! enough said.

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thanks for the recap :D

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I love Anthony so much. And writer Lee. Seriously, I really really love all these characters. There is this sense/atmosphere of love in the world production group. Even Diva and "hottie" feel like part of the family....like the immature petulant family members one has to put up with. I haven't seen a show convey such a familyness since Vampire Prosecutor. But although it has the same feeling of a large family as VP2 did, this goes further in that I actually get the warm fuzzies and gooey love for everyone in this cast...a real sense of joy and a big smile on my face when I see them. And I'll add that I'll put the Chairman and Mackerel Mom has honorary members of this World Production team.

Am glad PD Joo is falling in love. (Am i on the right episode? I hope so.) Am wondering if the writers realized some folks (like yours truly) was shipping PD Joo and Writer Lee....and the writers decided to give him a good love match so we wouldn't feel he's left behind. ;-) Glad they're thinking of us. And hoping the girl is a nice person.

And love Anthony's attempt at arms wide open acceptance of life. That guy needs to relax.

Thanks for the recap.

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I'm like you: Those group scenes and the way people care for each other always impact me strongly. The stolen glances, the little attentions, the joyful gatherings. Drama teams are like rag tag families.

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::nodding in agreement with ridiculously gleeful look on my face::

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The airport scene had me giggling inside so much because they had really made Anthony looks so young, but I was waiting for his extremely manly voice to come out and imagined how he would sound if he tried to make it little bit more high-pitched to sound more natural. :D

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LOL. oh man. i thought i was the only one.
The whole time mom was talking to him, i was waiting for the moment he would open his mouth.
I wondered, would he make his voice a little higher to sound more natural?
I'm glad there were some unspoken words in that scene because that made the goodbyes so much sweeter.
I cried when he walked away and she gave him the ring, actually.

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lack of eyeliner made him younger too

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I remember watching IYSS which KMM made in '04 and was shocked at how he was able to show his character aging from his 20s till when he died. I mean his voice changed, his facial expressions changed and the way he carried himself changed. So I have no doubt he would have pulled it off.

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What on earth did he do to look that young?

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I watched this episode 3 freaking times! It felt new all of those times. kYAHHHHH<3<3<3
I think Anthony broke first, as soon as he said he had more faith in her than himself.

And his real name...KIM BONG DAL, LMAFOOO, by far the funniest thing ever.

LOVED THIS EPISODE <3
Screw ratings, I'm watched ;)

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Wow. I seriously died with the look in his eyes at the end of 11. I already have finished 12 so I don't want to spoil anything but FRUSTRATION!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad that the skin ship is moving along, I just wish feelings were more honest.

Favorite part of this episode were Anthony and his mom and when Go Eun found out his name is Kim Bong Dal. haha! Classic!

Also, still shipping Minah and HyunMin. hee!

Anyway, I don't know why this show has such low ratings?? Confusing to me, really. But I think ep 12 had better ratings?

I kind of want to have the extension even though I hate them.

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about HM & Minah i have a feeling that kiss scene (and hopefully future kiss scenes) is gonna be their undoing...sloooowly but surely the bickering and supposed hate is gonna do a 180...there's only a thin line after all!

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I really hope so. Bitna is nice, but I have no connection to her. She's like a bubble of air! ha!

I feel zing between HyunMinAh. :)

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I'm also on the Hyunmin & Minah ship.

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Here's shipping Hyun-min and Bit-na. :-)

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Here's shipping Hyun-min and Maturity. *sigh* I know, I'm on a sinking ship :P

and, what's the difference between Bitna and Hyun-min? They're both bubbles of air.

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lol. I love that - shipping Hyung Min and maturity.

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Si-won's character is steadily getting funnier. I like that. The faces he can make can really get me laughing a lot.

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The ratings... Sigh. I'm now caught up to all three M/T dramas and can understand the current ratings standings.

1. Horse Healer/Doctor - It's classic Daejanggeum. The lead actor is genuinely lovely, not just physically. In the beginning, his acting was truly different from your average sageuk acting. It was more organic, fluid. Full of subtle, fluid changes rather than changes between sustained expressions. But the political machinations are now getting really tedious. So maybe it'll lose a few viewership points? Maybe it won't? Since the audience that typically goes for this type of sageuk is more stalwart, I doubt they'd necessarily turn to the grittier School 2013 or KoD. I wish they would.

2. School 2013. Wow. Just marathoned the 4 episodes last night. Wow. It doesn't feel like a kdrama. It definitely doesn't feel like a big 3 station kdrama. It's well done. Very well done.

3. KoD is so quirky, but the machinations and the ratings have taken its toll on the quirkiness. The pacing felt a bit off in this week's episodes. A little more forced. Until I watched School 2013, I thought it such a pity that KoD was losing the ratings battle. Now I get why. While KoD certainly has a quirkiness that's a breath of fresh air, its basic skeleton is still a kdrama, especially in these more recent episodes. I still really enjoy it and wish it could find more viewers though.

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Also, it's kind of erking me that Go Eun hasn't kissed a man yet and she's like 29. I kind of wish this drama addressed that too and made her NORMAL and not some fantasy CANDY girl like the rest of them. Kind of disappointed, really. :(

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You'd be surprised how many Korean girls reach their 30's and haven't dated or kissed at all. This is not to say the majority, but enough that Goeun is not an oddity. A kiss in Korea for many girls is a pivotal event. A student of mine (university) confided in me that it was her 100th day dating her boyfriend and that she was planning the first kiss with a cake, wine , sparklers in a park nearby - with a wonderful view of Seoul. I can never figure out what happens first in Korea - the drama or the life.

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It's not enough they have corruption and crime, they won't even release some steam. No wonder people keep killing themselves. That is not to say it's the reason, of course not, but if they are sexually oppressed as a people, it will have an impact in society just as society has to them. People should not keep things in. It goes for feelings and natural impulses as well.

It's fine to wait if someone makes a conscious choice and fully understands the significance of kissing and sex, but it sometimes feels like some people wait simply because they think it's something magical or because they feel it's not necessary. It's not magical. Love is magical. Not kissing and sex and we will not end up in "one true love" with everyone we have a relationship with. Neither is it something we can just skip.

It just feels like dramas (and apparently a part of society) view sexual impulses as a something to be dismissed. I'm all for cultural differences, but when those affect life and nature in such ways, it's hard not to pull your hair out in frustration.

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I agree. It's fine to wait, but it's disconcerting that most Korean dramas avoid sex when it's obvious that Koreans are having sex (look at all the motels, they wouldn't be in business if they didn't have customers).

I just think there should be some variety in order to really be honest.

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Oh well, I was just reading a piece about a man who raped his 12-year-old student and won't go to jail because she said she "loves" him. I tried to comment on the piece and the (Korean) commenting system wouldn't let me because I typed "sexuality" in the comment. So yes. Double standards.

It's a country where mafia-like businesses run people's lives, there are suicides all the time, crime, rape, child abuse, but God forbid if we show two consenting adults kiss and have sex on television! Think of the children! XD

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@ Orion, I'm guessing some money changed hands. Reading about the Korean 'justice' system is eye opening to say the least!

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@ Annie

Oh, their justice system is awesome. So are their lawyers. I got sick watching 'Silenced'. For many reasons. If you can pay, you get away. Unfortunately, not just a problem in Korea...

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As if we have it perfect in the West... LOL Better not to have kiss than to jump in the bed of any man (or woman) who says "I love you " to you. I'm kind of sick of seeing these young people jumping from bed to bed...What a way of releasing stress... It's just plain disgusting IMO. And people are not happier for that!
And our justice system is not that wonderful either... People let not judge others before we judge ourselves.

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@Emma

Things are not black & white... Sure, jumping from bed to bed may not be a good thing generally even though I strongly advocate for people's right to choose their way of living. But I don't think Orion meant this, that sex should be used as a coping method to avoid stress and with new partner every night. Mystifying sex and reducing it to a level of washing hands or going to toilet are simply two extremes. You can stay in the middle, too.

And honestly, I don't think you can speak of one justice system in the west. It differs so much by the country. You wouldn't speak of one justice system in the East (China, Japan, Korea, etc.) or in the Africa, either, would you? And to be honest, our justice system, namely Finnish one and by extension justice systems in Scandinavian countries, are better than corrupt justice system in Korea, for example. Of course they are not perfect, but that doesn't mean that they are not better. You don't have to be perfect to be better.

Also, I'm strongly against this "we have no right to judge others". If we don't NOBODY has right to judge anybody and that would be bad in my opinion, because people and countries are often blind to their own shortcomings. And that is exactly why we should judge them - and they should judge us. And then, ideally, we could all look into the criticism we receive and check if it's valid and then proceed to correct things if it is.

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Um..............?
I only know younger generations but I've never met a 30 year old Korean woman who hadn't ever kissed someone and most had sex too. Even from church. It's more RARE than not, IMO, these days.

It seems very overly conservative to me for that stereotype to continue to exist these days when times are changing.

I'm just sick of the idealization of "pure" women within Korean dramas as if every woman had to be pure in order to be successful. Of course the ideal of meeting a rich man being the epitome of success for a woman is somewhat disgusting too which is why I am very sick of chaebol storylines. Seems very much like a continuation of sexist Confucian indoctrination.

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I understand this and generally agree but in Go-Eun's case this just FITS her so well. As Anthony says, she just clearly hasn't been in love. She's still very childlike and naive and to be honest most such people loose some of those qualities when start their love life unless it's uncommonly happy. Go-Eun seems like a person who hasn't had major disappointments on the emotional level during her adult life. And somehow she also seems like a romantic who wouldn't kiss without being in love or at leas very interested and I doubt she has ended up in such a situation even if she has been interested. Hard to explain.

But anyways, these people DO exist. For example in Japan they have a service companies (or whatever they exactly are) providing "first sexual experience" for the "older virgins". Basically there are regular guys who have sex with these virgins because said virgins don't want to be virgins anymore. You could call it prostitution, I guess, but somehow it felt more like very lonely people getting some closeness for once in their life. And guys really seem to be just regular joes, not hansom or anything, because point is that women feel comfortable around them. (A watched a documentary about this.) So as said, these people do exist on the level that it's even a problem to many.

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I don't think it fits. Just because someone has a happy personality or is a romantic doesn't mean they are a virgin or haven't suffer disappointment. I think that's a huge stereotype in and of itself. She could simply have a youthful personality. Not everyone has to be jaded.

Virgins exist, but not so commonly that every other drama has to be filled with them.

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I guess I just cannot explained it, then. It's just a feel. For me Go-Eun simply seems like a person who hasn't been in love and is sexually inexperienced. I tried to explain and rationalize it but in the end it's just a hunch. As you say, there are happy-go-lucky persons who have had their hearts broken once, but for whatever reason for me Go-Eun has from the beginning been a character who hasn't gone through this.

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Thank you for your comment, very interesting.

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@ Laeah

While I do agree about making everyone virgins, it's actually not making them which bothers me. I mean, they show 30-year-olds who have been in relationships act like they've never been kissed and kiss like brick walls. That is the annoying kind. When a character is a full grown adult who's had boyfriends and then can't kiss like an adult.

So, I think making Go Eun a "geek girl" and a virgin was a better way for them to both be able to have her be cute and inexperienced and also make it believable. Meaning, who else would it be natural for to be confused about liking a guy, about kissing etc? Even virgins aren't so dim about such issues. Unless making her "ethically protected" and mentally pure (she's more virgin in that sense than the physical), it would feel weird she's going through the "romance" so slow. Same for Anthony. He's had sex, but not emotional bonding. It's therefore believable he'd be clueless about feelings a bit more. I think that's great. Having one person be emotional, but inexperienced and another one be experienced, but still blind to human warmth.

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To add, I would like some more sex in Korean dramas, too... Ok, of course there's this "oooh, I just want to see them kissing & doing sexy stuff" issue, but as many say here, it simply feels odd and out of place that Korean dramas are so very chaste when reality is so opposite to that. I have a Korean acquittance who said about one scene that few years ago that wouldn't be even shown in tv. Scene was in Secret Garden, the lift scene at the end when Joo Won enters and kisses Ra Im on the mouth. And those horrible "I'll just press my mouth onto yours and then we stand here for a while" kisses... ugh. They are awkward, NOT sexy. And wasn't there some talk about that one scene in Spy Myung-Wol, where the main couple actually did it (though very little was shown) and some people wanted to ban that scene? I don't remember so well anymore... I just remember liking it because it was a very complex scene and that's how sex is in real life, it's not always perfect and romantic, but can contain both positive and negative emotions.

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@Arawn - Well you are certainly allowed your opinion. I disagree but that's fine. Interpretation is always going to differ.

I just feel like ANY writing can struggle putting things down realistically and that doesn't mean they have to be inexperienced.

I just wish they had skipped that whole part because it felt utterly contrived, even though I loved their acting, the writing was a bit stretched and seemed like an easy way out as a catalyst for their relationship. Like: Oh, she's innocent so he will tease her and mock her for it. This could have been done other ways that are infinitely more creative. The whole point of this drama, in my thoughts, was to critique the nonsensical drama plotlines and address them in a satirical way, so when this went down, I felt a bit cheated.

@Orion - I mean, geeks have sex too! lmao. I explained a bit up there in my comment to Arawn, but I just feel like it was way too contrived to fit with what this drama is trying to do.

I just wish it didn't have to be subject matter at all for them coming together? How hard would it be to believe that she would struggled with her attraction to him simply because of who he was as a person and who she is as a person being very different. Why does it have to be because she is "pure"? Nothing against virgins but this is just overdone in Kdramaland and I find it's just a way of society reinforcing values that are not necessary realistic for society today.

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I don't mind virgins so much but what really bugs me is the "purity of the mind". It's like women in Korean drama don't even THINK about sex - well, before they meet the right man and marry him, of course. But even when they meet him, there seem to be very few instances where we are shown that female character actually thinks of him sexually and desires him. Korean women are so sexless in these dramas, mind and body.

And besides, virgins have fantasies and desires, too. Being a virgin doesn't mean that one's thoughts are void of sex, but this is how women are handled in Korean dramas. Men have desires, women are the ones who are desired. (But this tendency exists in western fiction, too. Just try to read few Harlequin romances for example...)

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@ Laeah

I feel that if you do like someone, in modern times, him being a bit of a jerk won't stop you. You'd maybe invest less and have a purely physical relationship.

But you forget that, even if more serious than most of its kind, this is still targeted at audiences who want rom-coms. Korean audiences of bitter ajummas and very young and dim girls who like "romance". The kind who yell if there is a gay couple on screen or if there is a "bed scene".

In a "normal" relationship, Bong Da-Anthony and Go Eun would have probably kissed and had sex already. Then they'd have to create more advanced emotional and relationship conflicts than the audiences can even comprehend and the focus of this series is not the romance. They would not have time to make a proper relationship well, so they need to stall until the end.

The only sane reason for two people who clearly dig each other to stall on kissing and sex is if they're clueless how to approach a person with that in mind. It's sad and you're right that it just reinforces the dated social norms, but one series which is not focused on the relationship can't fix that.

Those "wumantic" shows which we get by the truckload can. Shows about marriage can (instead of celebrating going back to a cheater and jerk ala Ooh La La Couples). All series can mention sex, hint it, have normal couples who have it in them etc. I think taking on the whole "unrealistic relationships" problem of kdramas would be biting on more than they can chew, for a series which likes to focus on many things not even related to relationships.

It's a biiig issue which is as much about kdramas as it is about society so I prefer to see it skipped than to see too little time devoted to it, when it needs proper attention. Remember, modern romances make sense to us, but you'd have to ease Korean audiences into them, when they're so rare in Dramaland. If they did it properly, it would take time away from other things in the series still needs to explore, so I'm fine with them sacrificing that.

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@ Arawn

Virgins are much more perverted than non-virgins. People with a sex life have an outlet. Suppressing something that needs addressing since puberty makes people even more naughty-minded, whether they admit to that or not.

And yes, women are "pure" and sexless in Korean dramas. So it's at least nice to see Go Eun having what-would-be-if-he-hadn't-woken-her-up wet dreams about Anthony. Bwahahaha. At least she's not a walking poker-face hymen.

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@Arawn - Oh I agree. Everyone has dirty thoughts!

@Orion - I don't know. I think some relationships are slower than others. I think there can be a balance between jumping in the sack and just never doing it.

I think they don't even realize themselves yet how they feel, so I think it's realistic for them to not have had skinship even if she had experience. Just my take on it. :)

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@Orion

I SO agree with you about virgins being the perverted ones... I've had many christian acquaintances who have decided to wait until the marriage. That's fine by me, do as you wish but boy do these people talk about sex a lot! Of course it's not in a same way as other people talk about it but more like the sex is an enemy for them, like their own desires, feelings and wants are something to battle against. They seem to dedicate a lot of their time to stop sex from happening which includes analyzing all sorts of things that are allowed and not allowed (can I kiss him on the cheek? What about the lips? Omo, I had a sexy thought!). All in all even though they claim that sex is an obsession for those sinful people who engage in it, I would say that the ones obsessed about are they themselves...

What comes to Go-Eun, yes, I liked it very much too, that she actually had a wet dream about Anthony albeit pretty innocent one. In this way she's shown wanting him, too, in her way so it's not just Anthony who has carnal desires here.

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@Laeah
I thought the main reason she wasn't confronting her feeling was because of who she is as a character and who he is. Like the way she explained to Minah that she sees them as 2 different people.

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Women trolling for rich men occurs in dramas the world over - imho Korean dramas are hardly the worst offenders in this regard. Makes me appreciate Jdrama a little more, though.

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@ Arawn

The strange thing is that I don't want more Korean dramas to contain more passionate kissing or sex scenes. One of the main attractions I have to korean dramas is precisely because of their chaste scenes. The romantic relationship builds up slowly and things as simple as hugging, exchanging looks, holding their hand, or other small skinship moments become meaningful and moving. For once, I'm not seeing the same old trite stories where a romantic relationship seems to have passion but little understanding, trust, and friendship between them. For once, it isn't just about sexual attraction. Those little subtle moments of seeing how someone gradually get along with someone, trust each other, be there for each other, offer support, and then fall in love with them... this is what I watch kdramas for. And I suppose people will think of me as unconventional, but I don't really enjoy watching long, passionate kissing scenes or implied sex scenes. It makes me uncomfortable, like watching an intimate personal moment between two people and wishing to leave them alone with it. Therefore, I want korean dramas to stay the way they are, for the most part.

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@Kirin

Than is very much a personal preference for each of us. For me American & British dramas (I rarely watch from other countries) tend to contain too much sex and I don't necessarily mean basic sexual acts but simply sex is everywhere, boobs are everywhere, people talk about sex all the time etc. It becomes boring and self-gratuitous.

However, personally I link love and sex together, especially romantic love and sex. Yes, they can exist separately, no disagreement there, but I would say that romances do usually depict people falling in love in a way that will lead to sex at some point. And I just feel more satisfied if I see this implied and some skinship and kissing. I don't need looong passionate kisses or overly done bed scenes (I'd rather watch porn, no, really, what's the point on going only half way there), but yeah, I do enjoy some sex.

So my case is a bit difficult because American dramas/movies are usually too sex-filled and Korean dramas not enough sex-filled. :D First world problems. ;)

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LOL, if that's the case, try watching Babyfaced Beauty, you'll meet a 34-year-old never-been-kissed lips. In real life, I actually know some people who are older in 29 and have never been in a relationship, also even never had a foolish kiss. The situation is just different from people, and from culture :)

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I don't deny your observation about the "Candy" type of character in so many dramas and that it's unrealistic given the number of dramas featuring this type of character, however, as long as we are on the topic, it's actually not completely unrealistic for this character to exist. I know more than one person in America, in their upper 20's early 30's, that hasn't really dated much or had sex. Some people just aren't all that interested in dating and/or lack the drive. It actually doesn't seem to be a deliberate chastity or religious thing with the people I know. They just say that they haven't found someone they were attracted enough, or the timing was off, or they don't want to risk a pregnancy, or have some other reason. They totally get mocked to death if it comes up, because in America, it's shocking to a lot of people because our society is a little over-sexualized to the point where people are sometimes mocked if they haven't done it in a few months even if they are between relationships.

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I can forever watch Kim Bong Dal (now that the fur is gone, this name is more fitting!) and Lee Goeun interact with sparks flying all over the place. I don't think I've ever seen a couple with so much chemistry. Great acting! And Hyun-min and Mina are catching up nicely in the romance department, methinks.

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I've seen couples with chemistry. But not as strong, as lingering and as sexually frustrating as this. I mean, they're doing nothing yet that's the established effect?! Wow!!

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Finally, the awful truth is exposed about Anthony Kim. He has reinvented a Prince persona so he can blank out his dismal childhood..shame about his poverty and family.

And it is Go Eun who learns all about him not Min Ah. His facade is crumbling slowly, and he tolerates Go Eun's banter about his real name, Kim Bong Dal. I think if anyone else did it, Anthony would have killed him. Couldn't stop laughing. So hilarious.

Both of them are in denial about their mutual affection/attraction toward each other such as Go Eun stating an age difference and his terrible personality and Anthony who is all business. It was interesting that it was only after Anthony was drunk that he asked her if she saw him as a man. OMO! that was really unexpected but very cute. Now that her drama has finally aired, it will be interesting how their unusual romance pans out.So enjoying both hilarious and excellent performances. Too bad about the ratings...

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yay for the recap....i'm just loving this show :)

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Episode 11 and 12 were AWESOME! I'll try to not talk about 12, but I really enjoyed these two episodes. There were so many awesome moments in each one, and I've replayed parts of both several times already. I don't think I could pick a favorite, because we got such an awesome variety of moments! SO much humor, heart, and spark! Though I do have to say, I REALLY loved Anthony's expression when he was looking at Go Eun before he gets defeated by alcohol. KMM is SUCH a great actor!

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That was a complete rawr moment. He was pouncing on her with one friggin' look. Acting with every fiber of one's being. The best kind of acting.

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"Acting with every fiber of one’s being. The best kind of acting."

That only KMM has. :-)

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He was totally checking her out! :D :D And poor girl didn't even understand it!

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I saw your post and went back to re-watch the scene. She's like "Huh..??" with a big fat question mark on her face! Anthony is totally sexy...can he check her out more often??

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I'm torn...I really want to ship Hyun-min and Min-ah, but then I remember how much I love Bit-na's character. Really enjoying the romantic developments between Go-eun and Anthony though. I just about died of happiness when Anthony was going through the kiss scene with Go-eun, but the music screeching to halt brought me back to reality pretty quickly...

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If it's only consolation, I also like Hyun-Min and Min-ah. But I want them to be best of friends than a couple after the drama.

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Haha, yeah, I'd be happy with that. I kinda ship them, too, but as Noemi says, there IS Bit Na and I like her very much, too! She is PERFECT for Hyun Min.

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I suppose that'd be a nice compromise :)

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I am curious: what is loveable about Bit-nah? she doesn't even have any character, barely appears, yet many readers here love her. Could you explain.... cuz to me she's only laughable.

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I'm in the same boat: Her character could disappear from the drama, I would barely notice it.

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You're right, Bit-na doesn't appear very much and she is laughable...but she has that sort of ditzy quality that I think compliments Hyun-min's own character so well. And I find the fact that he doesn't seem bothered by her atrocious voice at all sort of sweet. They're like the airhead match made in heaven.

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Me too. I don't get it at all. Just because she's a bit similar to Hyun-Min in that both are humorous doesn't really mean anything to me. She could have been left out entirely, tbh.

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I love Bit-na with Hyun-min!

Let Mina be with Oh Jin-wan instead LOL

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After watching 11 and 12 , I kinda ship Hyun Min and Bit Na more.

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Omg i loveeeeee it specially that last scene u cant wait for ep 12. Recap i watched a litte of it but its koreaaan which i dont understand .. Weeeeee

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Loved this episode.

I was surprised that the plagiarism plot ended so quickly though. They went straight to the romance - or the near-romance. ;)

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Wow, so good :-O............ What to comment, when everything was so perfect :D I needed a laugh dose so much. But I guess the next one will be sad again...

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haha...Me too. I have no idea what to comment everything is just perfect.

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I don't know what to say...
Especially when Ep 12 recap comes up.

It's so good, it's leaving me speechless.

I know I should say something, but I just can't.

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I take back what I said last week. I definitely love this episode more. Anthony's becoming chummier with Go Eun and I can't complain. They're so cute together.

It's good that this drama never covered up Anthony's soft side instead of making us think that he changed overnight because of the situation or because of a girl. He's a good person from the beginning and it's so nice how he's being more open about it through actions and not just merely saying it in words. Loved that scene where Go Eun kinda checked his butt while searching for her laptop. So awkward yet Anthony's faith in her is so sweet.

I got goosebumps with the ratings scene. It kinda felt like I was part of their team, cheering along with them. I feel sad for Min-Ah. She doesn't have anyone to celebrate with on such joyous times. Why do I feel like she and hyun Min will end up best of friends after Kyeungseong's Morning?

Again, thanks Heads for the recap. You're simply awesome.

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I'd love to see friendship between Hyun Min and Min Ah too. I think the whole bickering divas deal is fun, but I'd like to see a proposed solution to it. I mean, if people were a bit less paranoid about their spotlight and co-workers trusted each other, how well would that translate into chemistry and rapport? It would make filming easier and the acting more convincing.

I would love to see these two stop fearing of having their fame taken away and just be professional and do their job. I'd also like to see them realize not everyone is out to get you and that behaving that way, you alienate anyone with good intentions even more. I understand where they're coming from, but they should at least make an effort, like adults, to talk about it maturely and sort things out. Fine if it doesn't work, but you'll never know if you keep being a jerk to the other person.

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I wonder what they'll do to stop Hyun-Min and Min-Ah from getting into each others' throat. Is there a real-life situation here, too, like are there two real Korean actors/actress who annoy each other so much then end up friends after a life-changing situation? Is there another meta for this?

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"It's good that this drama never covered up Anthony's soft side instead of making us think that he changed overnight because of the situation or because of a girl."
^^YES!!! Well put. It makes the developments in his character so much more believable, and in my eyes, much more refreshing.

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Isn't he squishy? Don't you want to hug him because he's so adorable? I feel nervous though, after episode 12, coz something dark is out there that may just take away that awesomely sweet smile on his face...

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"It’s good that this drama never covered up Anthony’s soft side instead of making us think that he changed overnight because of the situation or because of a girl."

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with this comment. I get so annoyed by the "Jerk gets changed by the love of a good girl" cliche, and I like how this show is avoiding that. Go Eun complements Anthony and they work well together, but he hasn't become a different person because of her, they just found each other at the right time in their lives.

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Maybe the drama industry is so cut throat that Anthony didn't have anyone to show his cuddly self. But I can't help noticing that he's guarded even during those flashbacks when he's with Min-Ah. So it must really be Go Eun. Ah, they're a match.

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Yeah since in the drama world, everyone looks fake. It's all about depicting reality through a fake "drama" world. Anthony has lived with that environment. Ahhh, Go-eun, you changed Anthony's world. Definitely!

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Thank you for your fast and highly anticipated recap, Headsno2!

The only thing which this drama is lacking, imo, is a growing domestic viewership. I almost could not believe the ratings figures considering the high quality provided by the writer/PD/staff/actors. Seriously I'd be so disappointed in their shoes especially after Jung Ryeo Won and Choi Si Won's tweet for viewers to tune in on this episode. Or compared to too many dramas this past year.

Wish the popularity amongst worldwide fans would be taken into account. Well at least I am going to leave a message to KMM through his international fanbase.

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Ya, I wonder where the Super Junior/Siwon fans are... I thought dramas starring an idol actor would be an instant hit.

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I don't think idols have much of an effect if they're starring as secondary leads/side characters...

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But really, this is Siwon's best role.

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Wow, Anthony in a beanie, I mean he doesn't beat Bong-doo in QIHM. But still what a difference.

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No one rocks the beanie like Kim Boong Do; that was the first time someone wore a beanie in a drama and I didn't immediately think bank robber or rapist. That being said, this fit Anthony's theme of awkward-yet-cute really well.

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may i ask what is 'beanie'?
often saw this..

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Beanie is that "hat" that he wears in the airport scene.

Kim Boong Do and Kim Bong Dal could well be related. OK, I'm taking nonsense here ;P

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maybe Kim Boong Do is Kim Bong Dal ancestor?
haha~
:-D

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Ahhhh! I've already written so much about this episode that I don't know if I have any more to say... :D It was awesome. Again, an episode better than the last. Loved it.

Anthony & mom - so many FEELS. How caring, soft and emotional Anthony is with his mother. This is his true heart that he has been hiding from everyone.

Go-Eun's and Anthony's sexy scenes - wow! How hot can just one stare be. Almost kiss was epic and also when Anthony was on the bed and holding Go-Eun by the collar, saying these things. Poor girl didn't know what to do. :D

Mina & Hyun Min just crack me up. Wonderful enemies!

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I felt the most feels even without the actual intimacy yet.
That bedroom scene is still ahhhhhh, it kills my heartbeat.

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Oh, and the ratings scene. I was really cheering with the drama crew. Aloud. Waving my hands. I could almost feel how happy and enthusiastic they all were.

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Anthony stare to Go eun when they were drinking was PRICELESS ...
I loved this episode , Go eun teasing was so cute , and Anthony scenes with his mom are just emotional , he truely looked so much younger at the airpot scene...
I cant wait for the romance , since that kiss scene issue , I thought he will kiss her , so she can write the scene right with some experience , am anticipating the next episode ...

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I am missing the fur collars. It is clearly getting colder i.e. snow on the ground; what happened to the fur collars on Anthony's suits?

The guy is a force of nature that bows to no one...well he has been kneeling a lot BUT my point is the character does not care what the latest fashion trend is, he is the trend.

Bring back the fur collars. Fur is fabulous!

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I am surprised to not see more fur worn in these dramas; Korea is a cold country and fur is so warm.

The fur counsel needs to get on this!

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damn it, congrats to the hair and make up department for making Anthony so young! i couldn't believe it!!!!
i almost cried with the goodbye scene at the airport, even though Anthony wants to cut ties with his past you can feel he does care for his mother.
about GE and AK's pairing, awesome! i love their interactions and got blushed when he checked her out when he discovered he never had a bf. will they kiss???? i hope they do! can't wait for ep 12!!!!!!!!
also, HM and MA's fights are far from over, right? because i love them been so childish and their bickering specially because it's way to get Min Ah to chill and cut some slack, she can't be that stiff in real life... wasn't she jumping like a high school girl when she knew the final ratings?
KoD, FIGHTING!!!!!!

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Ratings are a funny sort...there is nothing inherently wrong with "The Horse Doctor" - it is an enjoyable but very pedestrian drama with a one-note 2D villain. Perhaps I have no taste or I a deeply unaware but I feel both "The Great Seer" and "The Great King's Dream" are much better sageuks.

But on topic - I will wait for this drama to finish before I marathon it!

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That's what I should have done as well!

LOL if only u know how hard it is to wait for another week for the next episode of KING OF DRAMAS.

I mean, for other dramas I've done it... And it's really easy. One week looked like one second.

But this thing, oh my goodness, I don't know it takes years for another week to pass by.

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This episode had me rolling—especially when Hyun Min was making faces at Min Ah and during Anthony's reading of the kiss scene. So. Hilarious.

I was also taken aback by how young Anthony looked in the flashback, and they didn't even use glasses. Haha! So unnerving.

This show really manages to get to me emotionally. This episode in particular made me laugh, tear up, and then cheer (although I had to do it silently because it was the middle of the night). I love that it can get me right there.

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i love reading KoD recaps on dramabeans. this drama is a drama made for drama addicts.. and only enjoying it with other drama addicts makes it worth it.. <3 IT!!!!!!

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agree~~

i notice this myself

whenever i fin watch ep, i would go like
'cant wait to see wat dramabean write, wat others opinion...are they feeling the same that i do'

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Thanks for the recaps! Have been waiting for it like forever!

I totally love the car scene! The way JRW was laughing in stitches seems genuine and not like she's acting. If theyhad a few NGs on this, then, wow, she's really a darn good actress! This teasing scene reminds me of Ojakgyo Brothers, when Joo Won was teased endlessly by his brother [The "gayo" (let's go) part].

I'm going to get fond of Hyun Min's laughter too. Oh, did anyone think CP Lee looks like Haha (Running Man) in this ep? He changed his glasses...

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AAAAMAZING CAR SCENE

Still ROLFling rn

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The ratings for KoD are really dismal. It's sad but it's OK. The show's a gem. Just like 'You're Beautiful' a few years ago, and it's the same director too. This just teaches me not to judge shows by their ratings :)

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This will end well. Quite sure of it. It's now Ep 12 and the staff has been giving us the best show possible. Hah!

When this all ends, the shipping fees of DVDs/OSTs and copyrights will go better with KING OF DRAMAS worldwide. Trust me. :-)

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I hope for that too.

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Will make it sure to bombard this with insights later ahhhh!

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Car scene's soooooo natural! Can repeat it all day long, and still have the same intensity of laughter!

I love it! Jung Ryeowon's an amazing laughgirl!

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Anthony Kim as Kim Woo-jin and Lee Go-eun as Jin Hye-rin during the piano scene...

HAD MORE CHEMISTRY OMG

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I know what you mean! I can't see Min Ah and Hyun Min as their drama within a drama roles while they're supposed to be acting, I just see them as Min Ah and Hyun Min, which I'm sure is somewhat intentional, because we don't get the same shots and angles and such in their acting scenes as we do when we're watching Anthony and Go Eun together. I do like that, because it does feel more like we're on the set of a drama for the filming parts, and we feel more of the process and how it gets put together rather than just the finished product. I wonder how many filmings are like when Hyun Min and Min Ah are harassing each other, but still turn out a watchable finished prduct :)

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Japanese Drama, where can I watch?

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I'm so glad I found these reviews, they are awesome!

Also, may I just say...I found an article elsewhere the said some viewers were unhappy because Anthony's character is too similar to KMM's earlier characters, in White Tower and Beethoven Virus. I completely disagree. There's a sense of mischief and playfulness in Anthony that is missing from the other two characters: I think he's also much more insecure and vulnerable, which brings a comic touch to the role that I love.

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I couldn't have said in in better words. KMM's Anthony character has more depth and has wider attitude options. He's funny, he's playful, but you cannot joke with him, unless you're Go-eun. It's far from his Kang Mae and Jang Jun-hyuk.

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Thanks for the recap! The clarification of the plagiarism scandal and the spike in Kyung-sung's ratings had me feeling pretty awesome! I'm glad they had reduced the screentime of the evildoers in this episode.

There is something that has been bugging me for the past 2 episodes - it feels like the Kyung-sung drama only has two actors and like a bajillion people working behind the scenes. Whenever I think of period dramas, I envision a large cast and a bajillion extras acting as villagers.

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Did anyone else notice that when Anthony first started drinking at the street-stall, the TV in the corner is turned on and THE GREAT SEER is playing?! I squealed so loud I even scared myself. I guess SBS can poke fun of itself.

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Yes, I noticed! And if I'm not mistaken, the broadcaster was labelled as KBC on the TV screen

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The Great Seer was on and it made him more depressed. I laughed so hard.

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LOL HAHAHAHAHA THE FOOD STAND CHOSE "THE GREAT SEER" OVER "KYUNGSUNG MORNING"

LOLOLOLOL

Anthony you're forever epic

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KIM BONG DAL!!! ABEOJI!!! GAHHHH.

I was at the verge of self-combusting after watching EP 11 and 12. I wanted to pull my hair out, trying to find other KOD hard-core fans to spazz with.

The part when Anthony made Go Eun act out the scene in the office was just ovary-exploding! If KMM just gazed at me like that, my knees would have buckled and I would have crumbled to the ground. Although the last scene, when Anthony pulled Go Eun over him looks menancing. It wasnt so much of a melodramatic gaze but more like a "You better tell me WHAT you think of me as a MAN, JIGEUM DANGJANG!"

When Anthony went for the buzz-kill, I was like. "WAEEE!!!!????" And I almost wanted to write in to KOD writer (hah.) demanding for an explanation as to why they are depriving me of a kiss! Maybe off-screen, KMM and JRW were having a Min-ah/Hyun Min moment where they refuse to kiss each other.

And can we just take a moment and appreciate the crazy antics of the Kyeungseong’s Morning leads. Can't help squeling in delight each time the purposely did an NG shot just to torment each other.

And Chairman and Director Nam are related. No way! I sense a father-son resentment which at least got Anthony out of jail.

How is it that each episode is bettern than the last one? I feel lost each time Tuesday ends. =( What's gonna happen to me at the end of Ep 20?!

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I realised I might have just gave away some spoilers to Ep 12. I'm sorry =( I'd watch Ep 11 and 12 that it both now seems to be one big episode which got me confused!

BUT ENJOY EP 12 GUYS!

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Enjoyed it immensely! Will still enjoy it until Ep 13 comes!!!

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i would also crumbled beside you with AK gazed.

SEXY~~

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Tight tension, extreme chemistry

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Ha! Anthony and this show just love to troll others. Other than that, the humor was lovely in this episode. Hyung Min's childish antics continue. Over and over again, I fall into the trap thinking he will have a deep, if not poignant, side to him but he's still all for money. Gah. It was still sweet that he tried to apologize to Go Eun in his way. And then the funny faces he makes at Min Ah while she's trying to recite her lines are just lol-worthy.

I was very surprised that Anthony's mom was still alive considering he didn't even bat an eye telling Go Eun that both his parents passed away. But I guess he's just the type to always portray himself as a one-man island only? Well, I'm the somewhat superstitious so it makes me leery to call one's parent dead when they're alive.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the chemistry between Go Eun and Anthony. I actually thought Anthony was going to give her a lesson on kissing (heehee) but that scene in the office left me (and Go Eun) hung and dry. Boo.

I'm also enjoying the continuous flashes to Anthony's past. Although I wonder why he rejected the birthday celebration and let the candles melt away. I was expecting a flashback for some insight into that. But I guess not.

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I think him rejecting it is in character with his facade he shows to others, like when they tried to give him money and he yelled at them and stormed out, only to break down and sob in the next room. It's a similar thing. He wanted to hide how poignant it was for him, so he shooed them all out the door brusquely then sat and had his own deep and personal moment with the cake. (Rereading that sounds odd, I mean, how deep can a cake be, hehe)

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If Min-Ah knows about his birthday, surely he has had birthday cakes before... just sayin'! Hee!

Anyway, I thought PD Joo was staying and sleeping in the office too in the earlier eps? Now he's like going home more often...

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mayb now has money to rent a room
or going back to parents house?

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Yeah... I agreed that it's also in his character to lie without batting an eye. He's gone back on his words many times during the past episodes but Go Eun hasn't. It's probably why he's put his trust in her. Totally cool to have Anthony's trust...haha ;)

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the recaps alone r already making me love the show.

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MOST. AWESOME. DRAMA. IN. DRAMALAND.

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VERY. WELL. SAID.

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I wonder if he's messing with her? He is drunk.

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I hear you about being "sudden". I'm pretty okay the way things are without romantic involvement between our two leads because everything is perfect. And then they do this. Hmmm, not sure what to feel. But this won't be a rom-com without the "rom", right? Haven't seen Ep12. Let's see how things progress..

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Omg please see Ep 12 hehehe!

For me it's not sudden. It's so progressive, their relationship... And Anthony being that forward to her. In Ep 5, Go-eun has already caught Anthony's interest. He even tried to save her from drowning. Yet deny it by saying "I slipped" and the denial comes and comes and comes.

To go to this stage, it's gradual. And Anthony perhaps can't handle it no longer.

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What a great ending, and I am eagerly anticipating episode 12.

I like where this show is going with the characters, and can only hope it stays awesome. I, also, don't see why this show is pulling in such low ratings. It's AWESOME! Well, most of it is. The Empire Chairman and CEO Oh are really annoying.

Thanks for the recap, Heads!

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CEO Oh is hot hehehehe I want him to court Go-eun :-)

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There was one thing I really liked about the car scene where Go-Eun found out Anthony's real name. Ok, she had been making fun of him even before that moment but afterwards she just wouldn't shut up. Anthony was visibly uncomfortable and annoyed that his name and his persona was being laughed at even though Go-Eun's fun making is not mean spirited at all. But no matter how much he sighed and rolled his eyes, not once did he bark at Go-Eun nor did try to punish her in any way. When PD Joo laughed at him in the hospital, he was promptly put on his place. But not Go-Eun. I think it shows how close these two are, that Go-Eun is practically the only person who has Anthony's "permission" to tease him and make fun of him. And honestly, I also think that it shows that Go-Eun likes him, too. This kind of liking isn't necessarily romantic, but you don't tease anybody like that if you don't like him.

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Agree with you! He only told her, "Don't laugh." But she still couldn't stop; in fact, she kept slapping his arm! I'll have to give credit to the policeman for that kimchi-mountaintop-moonface reference - that's the source for her teasing! Love her hand actions too :D

Even when I watch the car scene without sound, I can still LOL big time! I would love to see a BTS for this scene.

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Funniest scene in k-dramas ever. Of course there were a lot of funny attempts in other dramas. But this had me REALLY laugh my ass off. :-)

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It's only in this episode that we see Anthony without his 3-piece suit, right? In Min-Ah's flashback lake scene, he was wearing some windbreaker. And in the flashback at the airport, it's also the first time his hair is not gelled...

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its PPL windbreaker~~

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In ep 5, he was in hospital clothes - the part where he jumped into the water

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