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That Winter, The Wind Blows: Episode 3

This is the first show of 2013 that has me wholeheartedly, head over heels invested. I’m talking the kind of invested where you laugh way too hard at the funny bits (which come as a pleasant, but not at all unwelcome surprise this episode) and hold your breath way too long during the romantic moments. The kind of invested that makes every tear shed on screen feel real because you know just how broken Soo and Young are, and darn it, you just want them to be happy.

Ratings-wise, That Winter managed to hold its own against big-budget competitor IRIS 2 this episode by tying at 12.4%. Already-established Level 7 Civil Servant fell behind at 12.1%, but that’s a minuscule difference. I love a tight ratings race between worthy shows, so let the games begin. Or let them continue, in this case.

 
EPISODE 3 RECAP

The moment of truth comes as Young steps toward the oncoming train, but Soo springs into action by throwing his arms around her and putting his body in between hers and the train. No one’s hurt, but Soo is rattled as we hear his thoughts:

“I, who wants to live, met a woman who wants to die. We are clearly very different. But for some reason… at that moment, that woman seemed like me. For the first time, I became curious about that woman.”

While running reconnaissance at the coffee shop where Mi-ra works, Jin-sung and Hee-sun end up with front row seating during Secretary Wang’s tirade, since she’s found out that Mi-ra left Young with her brother and is NOT happy about it.

One of the other shop employees stands up to her, citing that she isn’t even Young’s mother, but is cut down when Secretary Wang reveals that she loaned money to get the coffee shop started. Waitaminute. This sounds an awful lot like Secretary Wang is PAYING Mi-ra to be Young’s friend.

I don’t know if it was intentional, but Soo’s insistence that he’ll never take Young to a train station again got a laugh out of me. She asks him why he didn’t push her – if she were in his shoes, she would have done it.

Soo scolds her a bit when he tells her that she shouldn’t speak so carelessly about dying, and she guesses that there must have been a time when he wanted to die, otherwise he wouldn’t feel so strongly about the topic.

He flashes back to the accident that killed his former lover, Hee-joo, which must have been when he considered dying. But instead he lies to Young that he’s experiencing that feeling now, “When the all my one and only sister wants from me after being reunited is for me to kill her. When she’s telling me she wants to die. This exact moment.”

Tears spill from Young’s eyes at his words, especially when he finally explains that he didn’t ask about her eyesight because he felt sorry that he came back to her so late. The question is, does she believe him?

Family dinners at the Young household keep escalating in awkwardness, as Secretary Wang all but throws a fit over Young’s absence, and puts Soo in his place when he tries to intervene by reminding him that she’s Young’s legal guardian, not him.

So Young calls Lawyer Jang on the spot to confirm that she can change her legal guardian at any time. HA. I think the saying “every rose has its thorn” applies pretty well to her.

She reminds Secretary Wang that she’s her employee, and can be fired at any time. When Secretary Wang insists that she spoke against Soo for her sake, she calmly fires back, “If it’s for my sake… then please be quiet now.” Damn. She literally just took Secretary Wang to school.

Jin-sung is wowed over Young’s lack of manners toward the woman who raised her for twenty-one years, but Soo sees it as a good thing – it’s better to use a mean girl rather than a nice one, right? “And the fact that she trusts no one here means she has a higher chance of trusting me.”

(And yes, Jin-sung’s at the table again, which makes it seem fairly certain that he got to move in with Soo. Which, hah.)

Myung-ho tries complaining to the good-hearted Lawyer Jang about Soo’s intentions, but he isn’t provided with a sympathetic ear. At least Myung-ho has his minion to remind him that Secretary Wang let Young’s father die so he could become chairman. Jeez, is all the money these people make coated in angel dust? Why are they all psychopaths?

Soo visits Young’s room that night, and cites a passage he’s memorized from the book she’s listening to. She instantly picks up on the change in his voice when he’s reciting the words, and recognizes that same voice… from the man who read her brother’s letter to her one year ago. He’s caught.

She’s her usual collected, alllllmost smug self as she tells him that being blind doesn’t make her a fool – her ears are her eyes, and she remembers his voice. She can also pick up on how he clenches his teeth when he talks: “It’s proof that you’re thinking a lot on what you could say to stir me, what you could say that I’d like. You’re coming up with tricks all the time.”

Soo intentionally rolls up her sleeves before he takes her by the shoulders, wanting her to touch the burn wound as proof.

“You’re right,” he says with a half-nervous, half-sly smile. “I want to look good to you, and I want you to like everything I say. I desperately want that. So if you can trust me and open your heart, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes. Why? So you can be less lonely. If you’re suspicious, be suspicious. Just don’t take too long.”

This last part he whispers next to her ear as he slips the necklace he bought around her neck. This should be squicky… but it isn’t. This show makes me feel like I need a therapist.

Maybe the burn gave her pause, but not for long, since she gives him a problem he can’t easily wriggle out of (which is the point): Her brother promised to buy her something special the day he left, something he used to soothe her to sleep at night. This will be her way of verifying Soo’s authenticity: “Memories unique to you and I can’t be fabricated. So if you bring that, then I will believe you.”

Uh oh. She’s smart. And for Soo, that’s not a good thing.

Jin-sung notices one of the house maids stealing Soo’s razor, only for her to deliver it to Myung-ho for a secret DNA verification test. Soo saves him before Myung-ho can catch him, though Jin-sung doesn’t know how they’ll get out of this one.

Soo’s solution? Call Hee-sun, who leaves her job at a flower shop to help.

She instructs Jin-sung to find a black envelope left in Friend Soo’s house, but Jin-sung arrives too late. The house has already been sold, and all the stuff inside just got thrown out.

Jin-sung chases down the garbage truck, but things are looking grim… until the garbage truck comes to a sudden halt.

And we see why: Hee-sun has thrown herself onto the street in order to stop it. You can tell she’s scared out of her mind, but you gotta admire her courage. (If throwing one’s self in front of a garbage truck can be considered courageous, anyway. And it can, because this is dramaland.)

They both pick through the trash together, and Jin-sung finally finds Friend Soo’s razor in his box of stuff. Hee-sun is so happy that she kisses him.

And then when realization hits, she she slaps him, like he came on to her. Haha.

Jin-sung sneaks back into the house and swiftly hides when Young comes down the stairs. She hears Soo showering and leaves… but not before she doubles back to turn off the hallway lights. Whaaat?

Jin-sung is also shocked, and goes running to his hyung claiming that Young can see. How else would she know the lights were on, in order to turn them off? Now he wonders if she can see everything, and whether she’s been onto them this whole time.

Now Soo doesn’t know for sure either, but then he remembers the incident at the mall, which means she must be blind. Right? Either that, or she’s a better con artist than he is.

I love that Soo addresses Moo-chul’s constant vigilance by asking him if he ever sleeps, because I was wondering that myself. When Moo-chul asks why he didn’t just kill Young, Soo cites that any ensuing police investigation would root out his true identity. He’d never get a dime that way.

Their past with Hee-joo comes up, with Moo-chul accusing Soo of lacking human decency (says the dude who stabs other dudes). Did he save Young because he likes her?

Soo scoffs. “Even when Hee-joo died, I went on eating, sleeping, and breathing. I’m still living. Do you think I’d be affected by a total stranger? I’ll do anything to survive.”

Soo follows after a jogging Young and Mi-ra while Secretary Wang sneaks into his room. Moo-chul confirms his earlier suspicion that Young is blind, now realizing how Soo is pulling off this scam. This guy is as creepy as he is thorough.

Secretary Wang eventually finds what looks to be Soo’s journal, and compares his handwriting with one of the letters she’d hoarded from Friend Soo. She’s smart, but lucky for Soo, he practiced forging Friend Soo’s handwriting.

Her sleuthing operation is interrupted when he finds her in his room, and with her ridiculously nervous reaction she might as well write “GUILTY” on her forehead.

She scuttles out, but Soo is more than prepared – a camera in his room recorded everything. He knows she snooped in his journal and why. Good thing he’s prepared.

At the dinner table, Jin-sung studies Young’s every move as he looks for evidence that she can see. He even asks her if she can see some things – that’s how he sees blindness depicted in the movies, anyway. Hah. Talk about hanging a lantern.

Secretary Wang answers that she’s totally blind, but we’re able to see through Young’s eyes and it’s the same picture as always. She can see some colors, faintly, as if she’s looking through a pinhole lens.

Soo interrupts the meal to confront Secretary Wang on her snooping, and he produces everything she could have been looking for – from his passport to his journal. Points for being direct.

Secretary Wang admits that she doesn’t trust anyone once they take their conversation someplace private, and describes what growing up was like for Young. She was never an outcast because of her chaebol status, but girls would steal her dolls, her money, her jewelry. And worse yet, they’d make her go out with them. Er.

This is where Soo stops her – what’s wrong with Young enjoying life like everyone else? It’s clear that Secretary Wang wants to treat Young like she’s a piece of furniture who can’t leave the house, so Soo tells her, “If the world is such a dangerous place, then I’ll stay by her side. In the world, she’ll have me. In the house, she’ll have you. Let’s draw our roles that way.”

But Secretary Wang declines the offer because she doesn’t trust him.

Soo is onto her when she gets a call from Myung-ho, who’s currently on his way to deliver the razor for DNA testing. There’s nothing to fear when Team Soo is on the case, with Hee-sun trailing Myung-ho’s car and Jin-sung posting a 24-hour watch in front of the hospital. Soo, you have some seriously awesome friends.

He wishes Hee-sun luck, and she wishes him the same with Young’s riddle. Ah, I almost forgot about that.

The man from the coffee shop earlier stops Soo on his way to the house, introducing himself as SHIM JOONG-TAE. He’s all, “I was your mentor once!” Soo looks like he’s been caught off-guard. Did this guy not come up in his studies?

Young surprises Lawyer Jang in wanting to write a will, but Secretary Wang makes an appearance as soon as Young mentions appointing Soo as her legal guardian, citing that the only reason the board accepted Young as the interim CEO was because she was her legal guardian.

She pulls out the “I’ve treated you like a daughter” card in an attempt to shift pity onto herself. Young knows it too and fires back, “If we were to just listen to what you say, I’m an evil person, treating someone who’s been like a mother to me for twenty-one years so poorly. Right?”

Secretary Wang tries to use the defense that she could have taken the family’s money at any time if she wanted it, and that it’s proof of her good intentions that she hasn’t. Young’s voice starts shaking as she admits that she knows she’s incapable of doing anything without Secretary Wang.

Young: “And the person who made me this helpless is none other than you, Secretary Wang. I’m aware of that as well. Dad died of natural causes? Do you think I can believe that?” Ooohhh. Does she know?! She’s awesome.

She starts crying as she continues angrily, “My loss of sight is because of a brain tumor? There’s nothing that could be done? Do you honestly think I really believe all that?!” Whoa. What exactly is she accusing her of?

Young takes her leave only to find Soo outside the door. He’s heard everything, and stares holes into Secretary Wang’s back: “Young had a brain tumor?”

Secretary Wang flashes back to the morning when Young woke up blind, gripping onto her arm as she called her “Ajumma.”

We cut to Lawyer Jang and Secretary Wang speaking privately, where it seems he’s asked her to leave the house to start a new life. She refuses, citing that exact flashback, and how everything changed when Young called her “ajumma” instead of “Secretary Wang.”

“At that moment, I became a mom,” she tells him. So she’s staying until she can be sure that Soo is there FOR Young, and not just for her inheritance. Only when she’s sure Young is in good hands will she leave. I wonder if she’s actually being sincere, or whether she’s just that good of a liar.

Young tells Soo that she’ll write in her will that he’ll get every penny of her inheritance without a police investigation should she die for any reason. The caveat? “You have to promise that you will kill me.”

She’s clearly testing him, so he tells her to go ahead and write it when she can’t stop doubting him. I love that she doesn’t make any bones about the fact that she doesn’t trust him, so he all but dares her to write it to see what he does.

But for the moment, he plans to take her out. She reminds him of the homework she gave him – has he brought what she asked for?

Soo becomes nervous as he brushes the topic off, and Young can’t help a little smile. She knows he’s avoiding the topic. Hell, everyone knows. Poor Soo couldn’t be any less obvious about it. (Internally, though, he’s thinking about her brain tumor and the chances of it relapsing. Is it because he wants her to live, or die?)

He takes her to a theme park, which is just adorable. She becomes scared as people brush against her in the crowd and inches closer and closer to Soo, the knuckles in her grip growing whiter. He almost snorts: “When you’re ready to die, why are you scared?”

He tells her ahead of time that he’s going to hug her from behind in order to protect her. Omo. Ack, why do I feel so guilty? They’re supposed to be fake-siblings. They’re supposed to be fake-siblings. They’re supposed to be fake-siblings.

Then he actually does it, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as while he urges her to just relax, lean on him, and listen to the music. OMO. Omo omo. Omo omo omo. (Seriously, though. Is there a therapist in the house?)

Our ice princess starts to let go of his arm, starts to loosen up just a little… until they’re jostled by the crowd. The moment is gone, and Soo gives a resigned sigh.

He tries to win her a doll in a game of chance and fails miserably, and his attempt to be cool about it is awkwardly adorable. Young is actually having a good time and… smiling? Huzzah!

Young volunteers to give the shooting game a try, so Soo stands behind her to help hold the gun. She fires, and gets the doll in one shot. Hah.

This next shot just has to be seen to be enjoyed:

It’s a water balloon contest, so Young’s goal is to hit Soo’s face. Soo keeps calling out the wrong directions to her so she misses, but the crowd helps her out, and she lands a perfect hit. Soo’s face is doused with water, and my stomach hurts from laughing.

He reacts nervously when she offers to dry his face, eventually giving in. But each pat of her handkerchief seems to make him more nervous. (Is it all becoming too real for him?)

As she helps him, Young remembers drying her brother’s hair with a towel when they were kids. Oh no.

Hee-sun follows Myung-ho into the hospital bathroom on his way to turn in the DNA sample, but he catches onto her attempt to switch envelopes and turns the right one in to the lab. Mission failed. Now what?

Talk turns more serious between Young and Soo when she asks him why their mother never visited her. He claims that she always said she would later, but she died before she could.

Young has been taking some mysterious night walks, so Soo follows her when she takes the next one, leading into a locked greenhouse only she has the keys to. And then… she disappears through a secret door? Strange.

Soo picks the lock after she leaves, and goes through the secret door into a basement set up like a completely normal woman’s room, filled with pictures, video tapes, and cameras. Ah, it was Young’s mother’s secret room, and she loved to film her children.

He sits down at the projector with some of the tapes, unable to stop himself from smiling at the happy images of Young and her brother. They were such a happy family.

Soo skips to the tape labeled “The day mom left.” It’s a video a young Young took herself addressed to her mother. In it, she cries and begs her mother to come home, claiming responsibility for her divorce. Heartbreaking.

Two things happen next: Young realizes that she forgot the bell she attached to her keys in the greenhouse, and Myung-ho gets the DNA test results.

She returns to the greenhouse to find the lock undone, because Soo is still inside. Oh no. Oh crap.

He knows he’s caught as she comes down the stairs, though he attempts to hide himself in a corner.

She hears someone in the room and turns in his direction: “Who are you? The one inside this room right now.”

Soo slowly steps out.

 
COMMENTS

First things first: I love this show. I completely love it. I’m a little alarmed by how much I love it, actually. I liked the first episode, really liked the second episode, and flat-out loved this one. I’d be worried about pacing for the rest of the show if we weren’t in such good writerly hands, so now my only worry is how long the days will seem until the next episode. That feeling of being unable to wait until the next dose of drama crack, like a kid on Christmas Eve? I’ve missed that feeling. So. Much.

This drama does a really good job at keeping things tense from scene to scene, mostly due to the fact that Soo has to be on his toes at all times. He’s got problems from all sides, whether it’s the looming threat of a very painful death, the constant suspicion he has to fend off while living in Casa Young, or his inherent inability to control his curiosity when it comes to Young, which keeps manifesting itself in ways that he can help her. I’m sure it’s all meant to help him in the long run, but unfortunately for his cause he’s NOT that cold and uncaring guy I think he’d desperately like to be, because it’d make this whole ordeal so much easier on him.

And to me, that’s where his character truly shines. He’s not your typical cold-exterior-warm-interior kind of drama hero, in that he doesn’t really have that cold exterior to fall back on in the first place. Even before Young, we could see evidence that he cared for other people, whether it’s the makeshift family of Jin-sung and Friend Soo he kept under his roof, Hee-sun who he’d always give money to, or the fellow gamblers whose lives he helped rebuild. I think it’s important that the gambler who betrayed him and nearly had him beaten to death mentioned that Soo didn’t just give him money – which is fairly easy – but a second chance, a house, a job, a life. And I’m sure all Soo wanted in return was to not suffer blunt-force head trauma.

Soo had the realization that he and Young aren’t so different, and the show has taken pains to show us that, especially with both of them suffering maternal abandonment that led to them having to chase after the cars their mothers abandoned them in. They’re both broken people, and the last two episodes have done a great job in endearing Young to me, even with all her prickliness. Her character is what I wanted Moon Chae-won to be in Nice Guy, but without the early-onset personality transplant. Young does a great job of balancing the pain she feels with her desire to trust, and we can see her fighting that urge at any given moment, making for some nicely layered scenes.

So I find myself struggling, because while I want her to learn to let go and trust in others, the only person who seems capable of teaching her is bound to betray her in the end. And it just seems like that would do her in, for real, so while I want Soo to live I want Young to be happy, too. (And okay, maybe I want them to end up together.) I guess we wouldn’t have much of a drama if all these things weren’t mutually exclusive, but my nerves would be so grateful.

There are so many questions this show has set up as we go forward, like what influence Secretary Wang truly had in Young’s childhood, why Young’s mother was driven into a basement (by the way, I loved the visual juxtaposition between her mother’s basement and every other set we’ve seen – it was the only place with warm light and a cozy atmosphere, compared to all the big, wintery, de-personalized spaces populating most of the scenes), why her mother only took one child and why it wasn’t her, and what the real cause of her blindness is and why she doesn’t believe it’s a brain tumor. I really want to know about Soo’s past with Hee-joo and just how much her death affected him, where Moo-chul came into the picture, and how.

…So, I guess that means I want to know everything that ever happened to everyone in this show. Sigh. Love hurts.

 
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I'm quite surprised that I enjoyed the show as well! Despite the makjang elements, the writing was fast paced and the characters all have realistic motivations. And the screenshots are so prettyyyy, it makes the show looks like an film.

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I would say, despite, on paper, having makjang elements, NONE of the traditional dumb, overacting makjang elements are really acted out. I feel like the drama knows how to pace itself, really drink in the subtleties of the acting, or the scenery (and yes, I love how the show even looks pretty!)
ugh, I love this show too much right now.

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I do not get a makjang vibe from this show, at all. No shoutiness, no hysterics, just cause leading to effect, set to the measured beats of the OST (which I love). There are birth/family secrets, but these are part of the characters, and you want to get to know the characters and learn their secrets, rather than feeling like these are thrust at you for shock value or in some unrealistic plot manipulation. The writing, the acting, the careful direction - make it all somehow plausible, even if it does sound unbelievable on paper.

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Has anyone seen Magic starring Kang Dong Won? This show has some elements from that old drama. Kang Dong Won was very good in the drama but I also suspect it's what stopped him making any more and sticking to movies.

youtube converter

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I’m watching this for the first time and it really is pretty good! Considering that it’s from 6 years ago now. The first thing about I notice when I watch a past show is the clothing that people wear. Fashion just changed so quickly that things become outdated real fast. But for this show, the clothing being worn didn’t bother me at all but instead it still looks pretty good! The plot seems quite new for me as well. I’m really enjoying this! I just hope that we’ll get a happy ending.

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Love this to bits! Jo In Sung really shines!

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I'm loving this show as well, which is really surprising because I'm not into melos usually. This drama has everything that I would usually hate (typical lonely heiress, a guy who's going to use the girl, etc), but somehow, it works well. It could be the fact that Jo In-sung and Song Hye-gyo play their characters extremely well and that the entire drama is simply shot beautifully. And, despite the fact that it's a melo, nothing seems over-the-top or too dramatic so far, which is a definite plus. Looking forward to the eps that will be airing next week! :) Thank you for the wonderful recap.

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I don't have any regrets for dropping off one of mon-tues drama time slot, hehe just becoz i choose this much better than the rest.
Thanks girl. I do love this drama.

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This drama is so unexpectedly amazing, I can't get over it. I never thought I'd love a melo.

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this drama is so gorgeous, it's worth watching for its visual appeal alone. the fact that we get pretty people and solid acting is a plus, but i feel like its cinematography is the star . . . but that's probably b/c melo is not really my scene and this is melo all the way.

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See what a pretty heroine can add to a drama? Level 7 Civil Servantas (with its ugly-as-sin leading girl), move over!

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Choi Kang Hee is actually pretty, she isn't ugly. But to each their own I guess. The only problem I see is that Joo Won looks too young for her. I liked her with Ji Sung in Protect the Boss, their pairing is much better since they look like in the same age. Joo Won and CKH, just doesn't look good together. pfft. Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo on the other hand, are perfect for each other, superior visuals. They'll have beautiful kids, I tell you. TWTWB fighting! Drama's awesome!
Thanks for recapping heads. :)

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JIS and SHK are just beautiful ...that picture above where soo is in his room standing, and she's sitting reading a book...it's looks like a magazine spread!!! they're just too beautiful...and the acting is gahhhh!!!

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I wish Lee Si Young was a lead actress of Level 7 Civil Servants, would be so wonderful... ahhh

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Gross.

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CKH looks really pretty in Running Man with bangs and ponytail. If only she had that haircut in Level 7 then people wouldn't be complaining of how ugly she looks :(

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i did not think she was THAT attractive either & her haircut certainly does not do her any favors, but i noticed on the openings and posters she looks quite pretty. i have not seen her in anything else and it did cross my mind a bit whether the show purposely made her a tad plain looking to play this part--which i think happens quite a bit in dramas--especially when the lead is the typical poor-yet-optimistic-hard-working-girl-next-door.

however, i always hesitate to out and out call anyone, even actors, ugly because it's hurtful. i guess entertainers put themselves out there to be judged, but in everyday life it'd be quite sad for people to be just blatantly called ugly and unattractive.

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The problems L7CS is having have nothing (nothing) to do with its lead actress. And TWtWB isn't good because its actress meets your particular beauty requirements.

I do give you mad troll points, though. You manage to insult two actresses with one blow and set back the fight for equality by 3 or 4 decades.

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You're a troll everywhere aint you?

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I disagree.
If Song Hye Kyo hadn't improved in her acting then despite her pretty looks, I wouldn't have been able to stand this drama. It works because this character fits her like a glove. If she had been a typical thorny, rich, logic-less character, I would have rolled my eyes and ran away from this show. I think Nice Guy suffered a lot from simply ....not being "realistic" enough in terms of human emotion...and not being really logically thought out. As for this drama, so far, the real human vulnerabilities are there, the characters are DYNAMIC, not simply "tortured, cold man". The actor playing Soo sublty betrays his cool facade with the slight watering of his eyes, or a frown, or a strain in his voice. Song Hye Kyo too is learning how to subtly express the pains of her character and helping the audience understand (instead of either keeping the audience out of the loop/treating us as if we're stupid).
Also, I think Choi Kang Hee is incredibly pretty and has beautiful eyes

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I think CKH is pretty despite the bad haircut (and she grew on me in PTB). Yes, it can't be denied that SHG is universally prettier than her. But other than the fact that melos/makjang aren't my cup of tea that's why I can't get into this even if I did watch SHG in Autumn in My Heart way back then (and enjoyed it, hah!), I'd rather watch CKH's "imperfections" on L7CS than SHG's "perfection" in this drama. I can't get past the slightly blind but has perfect make-up thing. It boggles my mind. Seriously.

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just to clarify something . . . my comment that this drama is worth watching for its visual appeal was referring solely to the cinematography . . . which i think is gorgeous. the colors, the shots, the scenes are just really great to me and i can't say the same for many other dramas.

the lead actors, and even the secondary characters, like yummy kim bum!, are bonuses and i had to acknowledge them as such. the acting is a bonus as well. i personally see nothing wrong with watching a drama purely to look at (i.e. salivate over) an actor (i sat through runway plan b purely to oogle my beloved RAIN) but i was not suggesting this drama is worth watching purely to oogle the pretty people in it.

i don't normally respond to mean and/or aggressive posts but just thought i'd put that out there . . .

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"This last part he whispers next to her ear as he slips the necklace he bought around her neck. This should be squicky but it isn’t. This show makes me feel like I need a therapist."

YES. THIS. Why do I not find it gross even if technically it's faux-incest? Damn the lighting and music!

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Honestly, there is so much sexual tension and it's unsettling and fascinating at the same time. It's like, half the reason why I'm still watching. DANG those two highly attractive angsty fake siblings. asd;fa;skdf.

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I think it's because things like this are usually weird one person thinks the other is their sibling but "omo!what are these feelings?!" but Young doesn't seem to think Soo is her brother and is still suspicious but also she doesn't dislike him. And because Soo doesn't actually have intentions of being her brother...just acting like it. So, it's a bit different from usual faux-cest, me thinks.

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I agree. That's why I like that they met pre-deception and they clicked a little during that meeting. And also that Young even recognizes him as, or is suspicious of him being, the guy she met before.

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Ah yes! I think it's the fact that Young is still so suspicious and keeps upping the stakes that's keeping me on the edge.

And both the leads have such great faces. The constant close-ups are killing me (in a good way) - I think my fav was the last part where Soo had to reveal himself from behind the closet and his face is just - GUH.

I really really hope the show stays the course and not turn out to be like Nice Guy. *crosses fingers*

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I think the reason it hasn't really bothered me is that the characters seem to be under no illusion that they're really brother and sister. It seems Young knows which Soo she's dealing with and is playing him. The question I think she's trying to find an answer to is whether she can trust him as much as her real brother trusted him.

In the one letter she received from her brother she learned he was a player (hence the take-off-my-stockings-in-front-of-you tactic to bait him); but more important, that he was the only person her brother could really trust after their mother died.

My guess is that our feisty heroine has an agenda all her own, and that she's trying to figure out if our hero can be trusted to stay by her side and help her.

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...and they'll strike an arrangement to help each other...and then fall in love for real...and then she'll get sick again...and die...which will take his reason for living away...and then he'll do something stupid that'll cause his death.

Gah. Why do I let myself get invested in dramas that I know will extract buckets of tears? Is choosing to invest oneself in dramaland heartache a self-harming behavior?

Sheesh. I need a therapist too.

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Ah, but we don't know if she's really sick just yet, do we? Lol, don't get too far ahead! We're still a ways from that, hahaa.

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Orrrrrrrr...

she gets sick again... it's terminal... there are love confessions and - heartbroken - he returns to the tree his mother left him under...

Only to find out it's a time travel machine...which he uses to discover the original mixup of MRI results...and makes sure she receives the correct diagnosis... that it's operable...

The surgery has complications...nobody can figure out why she's not responding normally... her life hangs by a thread...when the doctors discover that it's not a tumor, but a gummy fetus...

She goes into a coma and wakes up 25 years later...to find out her true love was just a dream...but she thinks it was too real to be just a dream... and as the camera shows her walking through the greenhouse, the lovers' images superimpose as though they are really crossing paths...she starts crying uncontrollably...

And then the camera pulls back, showing that we're just watching the filming of a drama...and our OTP are a real life couplel..but they're having problems...

...

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maybe because this would be natural brother/sister behavior, but because we are aware that SOO is not infact the brother, we identify the situation as fauxcest, but we're also okay with it because we know...it's fauxcest...as in, they are related so its okay in the end.
: )

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This show is soooooooooo good it hurts! *sigh* Everything about it is good - acting, directing, cinematography...... but the music..... I cant remember the last show where background music affected me so much. Even the transitions from OST to silence are beautiful. And lets not talk about all the pretty..... sigh
How is it possible that I'm officially in love with OhSoo even though I know he'll break my heart? There's clearly no hope for Youngie, she will fall like the rest of us.

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Yes, totally agree with you about the music! It's so awesome that the music really compliments the scenes and the transitions are smooth. There have been too many other dramas with bad OST and disturbingly abrupt transitions that I thought the music was such a distraction.

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Absolutely - technically, it's even slicker than Nice Guy (which was incredibly slick, until Excessive Flashback Time) and FAR more beautifully shot (I hope they keep that quality and don't sacrifice it to the live shoot like Arang and the Magistrate did), and I'm another one who thinks the music is perfectly used as well as gorgeous on its own.

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Agree. I honestly thought nice guy actually overplayed their music at times, although it can be quite compelling when used correctly.

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how much do i love your name ;dongsaengkiller...haha...too many noona killers around....anyway, I agree with everything u said. I was cautious at first with this show coz I know even two beautiful leads could break a show,,,and I've said earlier that i find JIS too attractive, too tall, sometimes to be real in his acting, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. I agree that each scene and transition is so well thought and made...that's why I usually watch each eps more than once coz there's so much to appreciate...

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I totally love this show (for the first time, I love a melodrama). I just have the feeling that Young isn't her mother's real daughter.

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Yes, may be Young is not her mother's real daughter. Or, may be the other Soo is not his father's real son. I have the feelings that Young and her brother do not share the same farther or mother.

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My bet is that the secretary and Youngs father's affair led to Soo being a half sibling

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That's what I'm betting on too. It would explain why Secretary Wang is so obsessed/oddly sincere about being "motherly" to Young, despite seeming like a gold digger. My only question is why she would allow herself to be hated by Young if that were the case, and why she didn't just take the matriarch spot the moment Chairman Oh's first wife left--she easily could have.

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I'm hoping she's not (lord we've had enough of the majkang tropes running amuck this show) -- she did say she only entered her life when she was 6.

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Interesting points! I never even thought that those siblings may not share the same mother or father. Maybe Secretary Wang is Young's real mother and that's why she was left behind?

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The DNA test will be positive. Either Team Soo has an inside technician at the lab, or the Chairman is his father. After all, if he had one mistress, why not more?

Since the chairman is described as cold and aloof in the letter, threatening a pregnant lover would seem logical.

Ooh, Wednesday can't come soon enough!

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I agree with you. I think Soo is the chairman's son, perhaps secretary Wang is his mother. The mother that abandoned him looked a little like her. That takes it out of the fauxcest realm into incest, unless of course, the chairman is not Young's father. I foresee a lot of "he is" and "he isn't" twists coming.

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nonono
the actress playing the mother of Soo is DEFINITELY not Secretary Wang. Trust me.

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i am somewhat astonished to how much i'm IN to this drama, too. i've never been a fan of the makjang genre but for some reason I'm watching this.

on a totally shallow note: this is one gorgeous looking trio. and maybe I need that therapist too cos I've been replaying the touchy parts between the 'siblings' HAHA CRAZY!

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I agree...this is like crack. Watched eps 1-3 in one sitting. Man, I forgot that if done right, Korean dramas are super addicting...dunno how I'm going to survive waiting till next week.

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Great chemistry and I love the story!!

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I watch a lot of Korean dramas but normally, I don't feel addicted like I do to this one.

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i regreted watching this drama.
so addicting.
like junkie i feel i want something to fullfill my addiction!!..
please give me other episodes please!!!

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me too! so did not expect to love this as much as i do, also cant wait for next wednesday!

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First thing first: Thanks for that fantabulous recap. After that, you will not be able to deny the fact than you're in love with Show, Heads. (I know! Why would you want to do that?)
I'm wondering who will need a therapist the most in the end. The characters, us, the actors? Let's just say "those who are still alive".
This drama reminds me of the Hitchcock movie: Suspicion. It's deliciously twisted. OY is testing OS not to know if he is a true brother but to know if he cares enough for her NOW. She wants to test him and see if he is a worthy human being for a possible future together. Heartbreak?
I love how fast the story is progressing: Only 16 eps and they are going to be packed with a lot of goodness.
Never too soon to start: I'm officially in campaign. I want a realistic and happy ending for those 2 characters. Writer-nim knows what I'm referring to here.

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For “those who are still alive” in the time this show end, should form therapist group with Head as the head, puurfect right?

thanks for the recap...

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I just realized this show really is only 16 episodes!
A dying breed indeed, ESP for a melodrama.. I always have the impression they believe the longer the better (raking in the ratings).
I think this means no room for dragging. Which, I welcome warmly.

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I'm not watching yet, but might. Am following your recaps, thank you! Don't worry, I'm one of those that would only read the end of the book before actually starting one...so spoilers, WELCOME!

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I would encourage you to give it a try. I myself does not like melodrama in general but this one is different. And I do not at all regret watching this.

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Same here. Generally I avoid melodrama - I've got enough sorrow and worry in my real life, thankyouverymuch - but this story just pulls you in - I haven't felt this way about a melo since I watched Mawang. I am totally addicted. This is going to be one of those shows where I watch the raws, wait for subs, read all the recaps, watch the show with subs from a few different places to get the nuances...

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I'm enjoying the fact that the heroine isn't as dumb as a bag of rocks. Really enjoying it. I think I must have watched some bad melodramas lately, because this one is a surprising blast of awesome.

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Thank you, HeadsNo2, for sharing your insightful thought on episode 3. I love this drama and your recaps and hope that the drama and your recap will continue to be this awesome.

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I need a couple of reality check here: first, would a brother really get that close? Okay, maybe with a blind sister in a crowd. But still, it's a bit Lannister Twins.

(Sidebar: GOT in March! Woohoo! And Kings Landing court dress is just the same as in Great Queen Seondeok! Caught you, HBO costume designers!)

Second, OY is an adult, so why can't she insist on talking to a doctor alone about her blindness? And why didn't h father check, double check, triple check, take her to other countries etc?

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First, from my own experience, I think a brother can really get that close. But more importantly, to OS, OY is not his sister and to OY, OS is still not a brother (she is trying to figure out whether he is a real brother or not, and for the most part, she does not trust him yet). In short, in their eyes, the other one is not sibling.

Second, on the medical history of OY, I don't think OY has not checked. And that's why she does not believe that it is not because of a brain tumor. But I guess we have to wait for a few more episodes to have this uncoverd.

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Very sharp observation on the relationship between OS and OY. Agree.

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oh, i forgot about my love for tyrion because I was so immersed in this drama! Thanks for reminding!

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Have been reading the first book just lately - I know, I joined this parade late - and Tyrion just had his trial for murder where Bronn was his champion. Kinda likin' the little dude, I have to say. I think I want to watch the series...but first I want to read all the books.

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In Korea it's sosososososo normal for a brother and sister to be that close. Don't forget you are watching a KOREAN drama. : )

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Some most memorable moments for me in this episode:

- When OY asked OS whether he was the man she met one year ago.
- When OY told Secretary Wang that she knew what happened last winter.
- When OS watched the video.

By the way, in last scene when OS knew that he was caught by OY, his face looks like a guilty child. So well acting.

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JIS does guilty so well - actually, I think his specialty is in portraying weakness: cowardice, fear, guilt, he seems to be able to tap into the inner child and bring it all out. Not many actors can do that.

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I am also intrigued about how things will unfold in this drama. There are so many things that can happen. That whole conversation with Young accusing Secretary Wang of 'all things wrong with her life' was totally awesome. It brought up tons of questions. And btw, I can't believe a word that secretary says..

I just love Soo and Young. I know Soo is conning a blind girl but I feel that he is also the one person who means well (somewhat, considering he wants to take her money). And about us needing therapy.. at least in this one, one of them knows that they are not siblings.

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Thanks for the recap! Episodes 1 and 2 were solid but not amazing, but episode 3 was where it really started getting interesting!

It seems that both OS is quite cunning and OY is perceptive, and I hope as the show progresses, they do not magically become dumb and frustrate me. Despite the super makjang elements, the show is surprisingly...realistic? Weird, I can't explain it. But SHK and JIS are realllly good fits for their roles.

Also yay for Hee Sun and Jin Sung. I like that there is a little fun amidst all the melo that is to come. Though I think Eunji's still a tiny bit awkward (improving though, she'll be good in a couple of eps!), I think her + Kim Bum have natural chemistry - good casting to draw in the atypical non-ajumma melo crowd.

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It feels realistic because the characters feel, think and behave like normal human beings. This writer is good with "dramatic slices of life" and knows when to put the tension. She doesn't do overkill with the sad or the happy and she doesn't betray her characters's personality (big flaw in my eyes). She's good with dialogues too (a rarity these days...): There is almost a "documentary" flavor to her writing despite the supernatural beauty of what is shown on the screen.

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I can't believe this is only Eun-ji's second role ever, if I didn't love her with Bummie so much I'd be wishing she was doing that Gu Family Book sageuk with Lee Seung-gi instead of Suzy.

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she was not that good in this drama though, because she basically play herself from reply 1997 i dont feel excited with her character and she still has problem with accent even in this drama was pretty obvious

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The accent may not be perfect, but she's far more natural onscreen than many, many idol-turned-actors. They're not a breed I like, but when one of them does do well props must be given (whether it's Yoona in Love Rain, Eun-jung in Dream High or her in AM1997)

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Whoever you prefer it's fine, but can you please stop bringing idol names which has nothing to do with this drama...This is not place to discuss who you think better.

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....and who died and turned you into the comment police?

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@jdjj - You pretty much underestimates Eun Ji's acting skill.

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Young smiled! So sweetly. :)

That scene when Young recognized Soo's voice, holy shit, that whole part was pretty intense. Also, the part where Young asked for the homework, ha! BTW, Secretary Wang, the way you talks seem so sincere and nice, are you for real? It's so hard to tell..

I'm not fond of the story (something about it seems off, excluding the faux-incest. I don't know what it is..) but the cinematography is too beautiful, the acting is great, the dialogue is pretty well written.. I don't love this drama (yet), but so far I'm enjoying this a lot. I will take whatever this show gives. (OT: I'm watching Ad Genius now too, and this show is carelessly directed and horribly edited. Probably 'cos of the huge contrast which makes me appreciate this drama even more.)

P.S. Song Hye-kyo... too beautiful.

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faux-incest is the supposed-to-be-siblings (but somehow they're not) falling in love with each other, I guess

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I think what HT means with "something about it seems off, excluding the faux-incest. I don’t know what it is", the I don't know part is about the something's off but she/he couldn't pint point what, not the faux-incest. I'm sure she/he knows well what faux-incest means :)

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I think i replayed that scene where young questions soo suspiciously like a bajillion times.
Obviously, we got a pretty badass heroine up in this wahoo.
This is the heroine i yearn for in melos.
I love how everyone expects the blind girl to be easy. But she's anything but easy.
She's cynical, aware, and pretty fascinating at the same time(due to her blindness).

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^I know, right; she's so self-aware and sharp, I love her character and the way she's being portrayed SHK!

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Hee, love that last pic of Jinsung and Heesun! I seriously love Eunji's facial expressions...

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Oh show, I've fallen in love with it.

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Thank you for your positive and fantastic review.. I enjoy reading your recaps about this drama..

Honestly, this is the most anticipated drama in 2013.. The first ep had already proved their incredible acting skills, beautiful scenery, the best lines and if course, the great chemistry between the main actors.

I'm totally addicted with this drama and cant wait for the next ep.. Hopefully the rating will continue increase and got no. 1 in it's time slot..

I love song hye gyo and jo in sung soooo much.. :-)

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i saw an interview with JIS and was asked how will he portray a duplicate character and he said " i don't do reenactments". I will try to make my character as different as possible.

And as a viewer who saw the original jdrama, I would say HATS OFF for having a job well done. I am emotionally invested on you just on the second episode.

You are really proving now that you are not just a kkotminam but an actor to watch for.

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Oh, how I love my melos! And this, my friends, is the best melo since Padam,Padam. Enjoy!

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so freaking awesome, but I still think that at this point Soo's only interest in Young is to get money out of her, he's maybe a little curious but that's it, though I do think the videos of the real Soo and Young's life with their mom had an affect on him, but whether it was positive or negative remains to be seen. As for how she knew the lights were on we know she can see those colors splotches so she can probably tell the difference between light and dark.

Can Jung Eun Ji just quit her stupid girl band, A-purple, or orange, or blue whatever it is, right now and focus solely on acting South Korea and the rest of the fans worldwide will be losing out on something special if she doesn't, she still has lots of growing to do but I've seen her future and it's very bright indeed.

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If she chooses the right projects, Jung Eun-ji could well be the next Yoon Eun-hye (who quit her group before taking up acting full-time) in terms of idol-to-actor success - she's very green, but there's a natural quality to her onscreen that some actors with more experience than her lack.

(I do wish that when agencies try to push idols as actors, they'd go with the Eun-jis and UEEs of the world instead of the Kim Hyun-joongs, Suzys and Taecyeons - I'm still trying to get over how bad the latter two are in Dream High)

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ah, but have you heard her really sing? She has an amazing voice. While I truly enjoy her acting and want her to continue - and really I just want to see her because I LUFF her - I would hate not to hear that voice again.

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I've heard her sing and she is awesome it's just, there's plenty of people out there that can sing but not enough that can act

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Ikr? I mean she's only done 2 projects but in both she plays this sassy girl that needs no looking after and stuff and then u watch her being all cutesy and stuff as an idol and all u think is what a waste of sass! If she was in a group like BEG or better yet if she was solo like Ailee then cool but cutesy, nonsensical A-Pink?!!!

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Definitely a little raw but with loads of potential, if she picks the right projects. Problem is she actually has a pretty great voice (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZp-rUDD2Es and R1997 duets), so I'd be sad if she didn't sing either. Maybe act + OSTs everywhere?

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Well...this is first time for me to see Eun ji acting, and to be honest I don't understand why people prize her so mush. She is OK (though she was bit awkward in episode 1), but she is also luck of emotions. Maybe her role is too little written to judge, but I don't see how she portray her character yet. Let's see how she improve.

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lol i feel the same way, her expressions and emotions are very uncomfortable to look at since they're so awkward. and we can all see how her acting pales in comparision to the other actors/actresses... she was good when she was with a team of idols, but actual actors/actresses? nah, she sticks out like a sore thumb.

but her singing is really really good, i would like for her to be a solo singer rather than a group idol or an actress.

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Eunji's awkward to look at. Good thing the story is good for me and SHK and JIS are such so easy to watch that I can forget about others.

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Super Junior Yesung just performed the OST live!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XpDfzvEI_I&feature=youtu.be&a130217

I think the song and the lyrics go really well with the drama! Here's the official MV with most clips from ep 1-3 (maybe some spoilers)

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

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I'm crying listening to the live version.... You don't even have to understand the lyrics to feel the emotions... It's KRY Yesung after all.

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Thank you for the link. He was off key sometimes but able to convey the emotion.

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Apparently, the stage was last minute and he didn't have much time to practice... He tweeted that he didn't get to rehearse much. And if you watch carefully, he was sneakily trying to read the lyrics he wrote on his hands. lol. cute

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Haha. I don't think he was trying to read from his hands. Yesung has an obsession with philtrums and he usually touches SJ members' so that's probably why his hand was so close to his face. But you're right, he barely had any practice for this. I still thought it was very moving.

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lol. Your mention of his philtrum obsession made me lol. If you look carefully, he wrote the lyrics on his fingers since a palm could be sweaty. I wouldn't put it pass him. He was really nervous in this performance, playing around with his fingers and stuff.

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Thanks for the links! Has scenes from future episodes that show them so happy together. These two definitely have great chemistry.

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Thank you for the links!!! I love it! I'm glad the OST is getting support. It usually means the drama is gaining popularity as well. :D

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I wasn't expecting to like this show since I tend to prefer lighter romcoms, but this show has really sucked me in. The characters are interesting and smart and the performances are really subtle. It's dramatic, but not over the top. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

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i already heard ost for this drama,, so painfull,, i just hope this drama not end up with tragic plot,,

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At first I was like, nah, I won't watch this drama cuz I'm not really a fan of melodrama. Then I read some comments here and went trough the screen caps of the first episode, I realized Jo In Sung was in this and people were giving good feedback. So I watched the first episode and literally fell in love. It keeps getting better with every episode and I can't wait for the next one!

I wonder who is Soo's mother?
I wonder what's the result of DNA test.
I wonder if Young will ever be able to see again.
I wonder if anyone will die in the end. I really hope no...

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I really wish for a happy ending.
While watching 3rd ep, I kept thinking "Please don't give me a WHIB ending again!"
I had 2 full weeks of depression after WHIB ended.

But then, WHIB was my top favorite drama. The ending made it so special and memorable.
So now I don't care what kind of ending we'll get with TWTWB, because hell I'll just enjoy this ride!

Jo Insung, you show me that you are deserved to be waited for 7+ years. How I missed you.

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I love WHIB too..... I dont think there will be a happy ending to this coz like the movie version Love Me Not expect a sad ending : (

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Im head over heels for this drama i dont knw what i should do now while waiting for wednesday to come.

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Thank you for the recap.I am surprised as to how much i fell in love with the leads of this drama after this latest episode,esp. Soo and Young as I'm still figuring out if i have seen them before.To me, I always have second thoughts if the casts are not popular to me cause i don't know much about their acting.My first impression(i first saw him on ep 1's recap)with the actor who plays Soo was he was too pretty for my taste but the recap was good so i thought i'd give it a try.Now i'm so in love with him i want to eat him alive.Harrrrrrrr!!!^^,,,I'm kidding.

I agree,this show did raise a lot of question from the very first episode up to now.I like how they made us understand the characters yet still wanting to know more.I still don't buy the whole chaebol and abandonment cliche's of the story,yet at most i find the characters entertaining and that's all that matters.

So i'm not gonna put my hopes up for this drama but if it can keep me on a steady note then i would still be grateful.

TWTWB,FIGHTING!!

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yeah, the chaebol/abandonment storylines on their own leave me a bit cold, but the results - Soo and Young's interactions, all the tension in that house - are magnificent.

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Noh Hee Kyung i think is really good with interactions between characters, all in the little moments that add up and can have a deadly effect on us.
I really appreciate her style of writing, although i hope she doesn't get too fancy in the dialogue that it starts to lose some realism.

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This show is AMAZING! I love every bits about it and I love song hye Kyo...she is so pretty! and I am in love with Jo in Sung for the first time. =)

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I really wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, but OMOOOOOOOOO IT IS GORGEOUS, gorgeous enough for me to turn the sound and subtitles off and just stare at the pretty, pretty scenery for ages. Admittedly, the second leads are what hooked me, but the OTP have me holding my breath at every turn. I did love Moon Chae-won's character in Nice Guy because characters coded as 'unlikable' fascinate me, but Young and Soo are completely different from Eun-ki and Maru and at this stage, it feels like their relationship is going to develop a little more naturally (if faux-cest can be called 'natural' ) than Eun-ki's fall-for-Maru-in-five-minutes routine.

(also Bummie and Eun-ji have great chemistry, it's great that the writers chose to use that and have their cuteness/bickering as a counterpoint to the angst of the OTP - they've done a much better job of it than Nice Guy did with Jae-gil and Choco)

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Hah! I keep comparing it with Nice Guy, too. :) And I totally agree that the supporting characters are being used a lot more smoothly. I think it helps that they're involved in the plan and therefore the story. So the drama doesn't screech to a stop when we cut to them.

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I feel like those guys who werent so crazy about gaksital like the rest of us were. I mean its been said over and over that the visuals are ridiculous in this show and i agree but everything else is just ok for me. And i may be the only one to think this but I choose KB over JIS-100%! maybe its the wardrobe thing...awful!

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I'm not full-on crazy about this show either, despite my admiration for the technical side of it,the second leads and JIS but it is a touch more engaging than Nice Guy and doesn't make me feel all 'let me get my popcorn and watch this mess'.....YET.

(also Kim Bum is one of the reasons I'm watching this show but there is no way his character is more stylishly dressed than JIS, I actually love JIS's trouser braces and tailored coats)

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I LOVE HIS WARDROBE TOO!!!
I love his shin length sweaters and collarless button ups and suspenders.
Gawd.

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well, you may try to imagine switching their wardrobes and see who's hotter lol. That's what is amazing to JIS, he'll have crappy clothes but he manages to carry it confidently.

I do love both of them, and JIS' style isn't my style either but there's something in this guy that I really can't explain...it's really the X?factor or maybe he's just oozing with sex appeal that eventhough he's too pretty, he looks titilating.

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I thought JIS's clothes are great. They look good on him. My favorite is the one he wears while spying on Young at the blind center and mall; that long maroon coat with those Ray Ban sunglasses. Totally rocking the outfit :)

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I agree! I think his style his very age appropriate; sleek, mature, and oozing with sex appeal. It has both warm tones and vibrant like the maroon and blue coat. The coats and suspenders really elongate his already tall statue.

If I saw a man dressing like that on the street, I'd stalk him home for sure! Jk ...

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i don't see anything really off with his clothes either. it's not a look that i particularly love—i prefer casual clothes on guys, like well fitting jeans with button downs. i actually actively dislike the city, dandy look JIS has been sporting on the show. on most guys it's usually a little much, or like they're trying too hard. but he manages to make it look cool. he has the proportions and the body—the height, the lean and toned body. so he makes it look effortless and not contrived. plus the lines are clean and with minimal detailing, which helps.

i love song hye-kyo's clothes on the show. the classic couture rich girls wear on korean dramas is so cliche, and oftentimes tasteless. but so far she's been wearing a lot of subtle things in luxurious colors, and accessorizing with pearls instead of diamonds. classic, flattering, and sensible :)

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I am enjoying the show very much, thank you for recapping it!

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Heads~ I knew you would be victorious against the triple-header, but I also know that producing three kickass recaps back-to-back takes its toll on a recapper. We're lucky that you're such a trooper, and a talented one at that. Thanks so much for all your hard work!

This is a particularly delicious game of cat and mouse because the the roles keep getting switched. It's a good thing I stopped biting my nails! What makes me really nervous is whenever Soo and Jin-Sung are having one of their con convos at Casa Young. They were smart enough to put a camera in Soo's room-- so why doesn't it occur to them that the mega-mansion they're staying in most likely has a surveillance system, and that with so much money at stake, someone's apt to be monitoring them as well?

I got a good laugh out of Hee-Sun's lack of impulse control-- I loved the kiss-slap! I bet she's hilarious when she's drunk.

I wonder in what capacity Joong-Tae was Friend-Soo's mentor and what became of his conversation with SooNo2.

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This drama brings the "wow" factor. story line check. sexy beautiful actor with undeniably chemistry, check. amazing ost, check, keeps us on edge with anticipation. Oh, here you can see real actors act not some wannabes.

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thank you so much for the insightful recaps, headsno2! am loving this show so far, despite initial misgivings because of the premise, but so so good drama so far. wont be getting of this train any time soon.
btw, love your segue about the therapy sessions, my thoughts exactly! despite the faux incest, still able to enjoy the little moments of romance because they have great chemistry!

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Jo In Sung. Song Hye Kyo. I regret nothing!

Love this show to bits!!!!!! Thanks Heads for the recap!

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Thanks for the recap! You're amazing!
At this point, I'm considering not watching until the final ep. is out. I'll be really upset if there aren't happy endings all around (unlikely?) Ah, well. <3 <- my feelings for this show.

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I <3 THIS DRAMA:). It feels great to be an admirer for melodramas and this drama just makes me love the genre more. Dramabeans thanks for the recaps and time. YOU DA BEST TO.

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Song Hye kyo & Jo In Sung chemistry is so good .. light, but enough to feel it!

This drama so far is the best .. I am hardly wait for Wed.

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Thanks so much for yet another recap, Heads! I wanted to quote everything you said about Soo, but managed to contain myself to this:
"He’s not your typical cold-exterior-warm-interior kind of drama hero, in that he doesn’t really have that cold exterior to fall back on in the first place. Even before Young, we could see evidence that he cared for other people..."

I love, love, love that this is the character we've been given. That he's a rescuer and has probably been a rescuer all his life. (Probably why Jin-sung used the, "you'll have to be the one to leave me" argument to put an end to Soo's attempt to push him away. Soo, I suspect, wouldn't leave anyone he's pulled under his wing.) And that he's been dropped into the world of a character that needs rescuing. It's going to be his rescue-instinct fighting against his survival-instinct. And we get to watch and see which side wins out.

Though, I should add, I wouldn't define Young as a poor little damsel in distress. She's in a fix, but she strikes me as someone who only needs an assist or two before she rescues her own self. (Oh, how I hope that's how this plays out! Then maybe she turns around and rescues Soo? I hope?)

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Omg we quoted the same line from heads.
haha. But totally agree with everything you said!
This is why i love Oh Soo. i came in this show expecting a cold bastard pretty much -- but i feel the sincerity in his actions. Even if it's all part of the "plan", he's doing a darn good job at making even US believe he's real.
Young is pretty awesome, as i've mentioned a bajillion times. If her character stays consistent along with some growth, I'd be okay. Too many times i've loved heroines for the first few episodes and find them meh towards the end.

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Okay. First off.
HEADS YOU ARE FRIGGIN' AWESOME.
3 recaps in a row? Surely you must be some kind of goddess that dropped down to this heaven like-blog.
I'm just suuper glad you'd recap this series(i totally hoped you would) because you are just perfect for shows like these.
Alright. off to read everyone's comments and rave.

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I agree about Heads' awesomeness. I was like, WOW, MORE RECAPS ??? BEST PRESENT IN FEB!! thank you !!

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A little birdy told us she relied on ice cream and coffee to get it done. I want to know what kind of ice cream because hey, if it improves productivity...

Heads? Can you share or is it a trade secret?

(I'm probably too late to get an answer, sigh.)

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Soda and Korean Red Ginseng. Mostly soda.

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"He’s not your typical cold-exterior-warm-interior kind of drama hero, in that he doesn’t really have that cold exterior to fall back on in the first place"

Thank you for pointing this out. I was getting kind of tired of that kind of character depiction for practically every hero out there.
Soo doesn't give off those "cold" vibes.
He's kinda what i wanted Maru from Nice guy to be like.

So basically, this show is everything i wished nice guy was.
I pretty much LOVE young (despite her wish to die), and i really hope she doesn't get amnesia down the road and switch personalities the same way MCW's character did.

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Hey Heads, thanks for the recap!

Just one thing. I think he was trying to win her a bell at the shooting game, cause he was pointing at the white box (which was the bell box). The same bell she left behind in the basement later.

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That's my observation too. In addition, if anyone out there wants to get into a guessing game on the riddle Young gave to Soo about what the real brother promised to bring her when they meet, my guess is, it's a wind-chime. Young seems to like the bell that she won very much, plus, I remember seeing in a teaser where Soo chuckled by the window holding a wind-chime as if suddenly something struck him.

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Hi HeadsNo2,

I'm actually certain that I don't want to watch this show. (at least while it is still airing) Okay, honestly I'm afraid to watch this because I really love the four leads. I don't wanna end up---well, not really hating but not loving them that much anymore. But after reading your recaps, I'm on board. I'm glad I got the chance to stop by and read.

Thanks for your wonderful insights!

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major props to this show, it has completely exceeded my expectations, which were, admittedly, somewhat low (in the sense that i didn't want to watch a tearjerker of a melo). but like you wrote in an earlier post, it's not a melo for the sake of melo and tears. this is what nice guy should have been more like. and song hye-kyo's acting—still impressed, and so proud of her as a longtime fan!

i too am burning with curiosity about so many things—why was the son allowed to leave with the mother, and not the daughter? we all know that in many cases, sons are valued over daughters. or why were they split in the first place? did young possibly mean that wang had something to do with her going blind? could it be true? we aren't given much insight into wang's mind.

i'm also deeply curious about young's biological brother. when did young and her father find out the mother passed away? was it soon after her death, or years later? because soo mentions to young he'd grown up in an orphanage from age 14 after his mother died. is that friend soo's story, or his own? i'm thinking it's friend soo's, since he has to keep up the pretense. did the father ever try to find his son? what happened, if anything, between the father and son that the father would order everyone not to search for his son?

remember? secretary wang said young's father had ordered her not to look for soo, but young retorts back that that was the case before her mother died. so had they not been able to locate soo all this time, until lawyer jang found soo on the rooftop?

AHHH QUESTIONS!!!!!!

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Love love your recap Head! Looks like we are in this boat together. Now for more awesomeness!

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