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Gu Family Book: Episode 5

Things get kicked into high gear with evil swinging into action, and our good guys rising to meet the challenge. We’re also counting down on our hero’s whole secret identity, which doesn’t have very much longer during which to remain secret. With such a ticking clock on our hand, there’s a lot of plot to get through quickly to set us up for the next phase, so let’s get right to it.

Ratings: The top two shows are pretty close, with Gu Family Book still in the lead at 14.4%. God of the Workplace is close behind at 14.2%, while Jang Ok-jung seems headed for mania drama territory with a brewing romance but low ratings of 6.9%.

SONG OF THE DAY

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EPISODE 5 RECAP

So begins the ambush, as orchestrated by our resident baddie Jo Gwan-woong—or as he calls it, the “hunt.”

Thus Kang-chi and Yeo-wool find themselves surrounded by a small army of ninjas, whose supernatural powers allow them to materialize out of dark mist. The ninja-phantoms draw their swords, and our heroes prepare for battle.

Slashing their swords through the phantoms only makes them dissipate back into black mist, though I suppose that’s better than nothing. Kang-chi’s caught by surprise and gets sliced in the arm in his distraction, butYeo-wool keeps her cool, having dealt with these foes before. Even a kick through the phantom’s body will make it disappear, which is good news for Mr. Brute Force here, who launches into the fray with fists and feet.

Inside, the head ninja reveals his true face to Lord Park (having disguised himself as monk So-jung) and demands to know the secret of Kang-chi and his bracelet. However, he’s interrupted by the arrival of Lord Park’s head guard, Han-no, who jumps to his defense.

Outside, Kang-chi gets slashed in the back, though he’s more frustrated than pained—there’s just no way to beat these guys. Yeo-wool gives him the tip that they have to just find the one real guy among them and defeat him in order to defeat his doppelgangers.

So the Agent Smith-style barrage continues, though Han-no and his men also join in the fight from the other side. It’s not looking good for our guys, tiring now, and Yeo-wool gets cut in the arm too. Kang-chi scours the crowd, trying to find their weak link.

And then, as the fighting crescendos and a ninja launches himself in the air at Yeo-wool, Kang-chi leaps in front of her and blocks the sword—with his bare arm. Yeeeeeouch.

The scenario sends Yeo-wool into a flashback we’ve only been teased with previously, of herself in childhood being cornered by a wild dog. She’d been huddled in fear, but a little boy had ordered her to stay put and promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” And when the dog had attacked, the boy had thrust out his forearm, gritting his teeth while the dog tore up his arm.

Now Kang-chi grabs the blade with his free hand (yeeeeeouch x2) and his bracelet glows red. “I’ve got you,” he says with a smile. The ninja widens his eyes as he’s kicked back, and all the phantoms poof into black mist. One other attacker remains standing, but throws a smoke bomb and escapes.

With safety restored Kang-chi starts feeling pain, though he assures Yeo-wool that it’s nothing, just as he did as a little boy. She whacks him upside the head, ha. Naturally he’s surprised, and says she could just say thank you. Yeo-wool yells that he could’ve gotten himself killed, whacks him a second time, and declares, “I’m not so weak and defenseless that I need you to save my life for me.” Thank goodness for that.

Yeo-wool stomps off still shaken, and finishes her flashback: Even as Young Kang-chi is getting his arm shredded, he tells her not to worry. Soon he soothes the dog enough to tell it to go home, and just like that the dog trots off, calm as you please. Figures, dramaland’s marquee puppy is a dog whisperer.

Young Kang-chi then shows off some fighting moves to assure her it doesn’t hurt that much, which results in: “Hiiiiiyah—ow ow ow!” Haha. Glad to see some things don’t change.

He hears that she’s a recent visitor to the Hundred Years Inn, and boasts how he’s not afraid of anything in the world. At which point a huge spider comes down on its thread and freaks the living daylights out of him. She teases him by pretending there’s another one, which leads him to trip and fall on her. Uh, I get the intent but these kids are babies. Can we put away the Baek Ji-young song till they’ve at least hit puberty?

He warns her not to tell anybody about this, or else, or else… “Imma make you my wife!” Lol. Is that a threat or a promise?

Aw, how’s a girl supposed to run away from that kind of fate? Maybe that’s why Yeo-wool swears and kicks a tree, which is how Gon finds her. He flips out over her wound, though she dismisses his worry. She does admit, though, that it was thanks to Kang-chi that she lived.

Now that danger’s gone, Kang-chi is hilariously wimpy as his wounds are treated, whining that it hurts to the head servant whom he calls Father (it was his surname, Choi, that Kang-chi was granted). Only now does he realize that he doesn’t even know the name of “that guy” he fought with. Gon appears to supply it, calling him “Young Master Dam,” so I guess Yeo-wool IS supposed to be disguised as a young man instead of just being mistaken for one. You’d think Gon would be more careful about calling her “young lady” when they’re together, then.

I love how grudging Gon is with the medicine Yeo-wool sent for Kang-chi, even surlier than usual. Then he gets all hot and bothered when he returns to their room and finds Yeo-wool with her top off, although she’s totally blasé about him seeing her half-dressed.

She makes sure that Gon properly conveyed her thanks, which he confirms with a vague “Yes I did… more or less.” Flashback to the moment shows him calling Kang-chi a pain in the ass instead.

Yeo-wool asks how he responded, and Kang-chi’s angry “Wanna fight? Son of a bitch!” gets translated into “He didn’t say much. More or less.” Ha, close enough? Hee. I love petty jealous bodyguard, especially when he’s paired with petty jealous hero.

Han-no reports the results of the fight to Lord Park. One assassin got away, but Kang-chi apprehended the one he knocked down and recognized him as Jo Gwan-woong’s man.

Han-no also informs him that the reason he was able to return to the inn in time to save Lord Park was because of the aid of a monk named So-jung, who had warned him of danger. Currently So-jung is out in the woods, sighing up at the moon that Kang-chi only has ten more days left till he turns twenty. Eep! I have no idea what happens at twenty, but this drama has taught me to be wary of any ten-day time span.

Chung-jo hears of the fight and finds Kang-chi outside, pushing past his “I’m okay” facade to challenge him—why does he say he’s fine when he’s clearly hurting inside? Just admit it: “At least in front of me, you don’t have to act like you’re okay.”

Kang-chi smiles and tells her he’s really okay; seeing her has made him all better, and she’s more effective than any medicine in the world. Moved, Chung-jo hugs him and tearily wonders, “Could I leave you behind and live on?”

He holds her too, and across the yard Yeo-wool whirls around and leaves the scene.

Righteous and principled Tae-seo insists that deal with Jo Gwan-woong properly and not let it be hushed up. So the next day he pays a visit to inform him that one of his assassins has been caught at the inn. Tae-seo is brimming with fury, wanting to have Jo dragged in by police for questioning, but out of respect for Jo’s position he demands merely that Jo apologize to his father and explain his actions. Not that Jo Gwan-woong will comply, of course, but he does get points for trying; Tae-seo actually matches him pretty well, force for force.

Preparations for Chung-jo’s wedding proceed, and have her sinking into gloomier depths. She thinks back to the embrace the other night, and how he’d promised to do whatever she wanted of him. But she’d known too well that he wouldn’t be able to betray her father or brother just to be with her forever. And neither could she.

So-jung finds Kang-chi sitting by himself and sidles up to him, acting like a friendly guest at the inn. But Kang-chi realizes he’s no ordinary stranger when So-jung says he’s only got ten days left till he’s twenty, then warns him not to stay at the inn tonight. He feels a similar energy to one he felt twenty years ago, and it’s imperative that he stay away until sunrise tomorrow. “You must, Kang-chi.”

Tae-seo is alerted to the arrival of guests, and takes a minute to recognize Yeo-wool, who’s only now presenting herself officially. He greets her with a wide grin and calls her Lady Yeo-wool, which is cute, but it’s Gon’s hilarious WTF looks that make the moment. You can practically hear his inner monologue: Another one? How many yahoos do I have to put up with? He has the best deadpan reaction shots.

The two fathers confer, with Dam Pyung-joon confirming that the assassins used a type of black arts. It’s something he’s seen before, and it points to Jo Gwan-woong aligning himself with foreign (Japanese) forces. It also explains the mysterious serial killings and points to more disturbances in store for the future.

Dam Pyung-joon suggests that Lord Park offer himself as support to Jo Gwan-woong. Hm, a fake-out strategy then?

Another man joins them and is treated with awed deference. He’s introduced as Lee Soon-shin—ah, that Lee Soon-shin then? The famed commander and war hero?

He’s here to request funds in order to build up the navy, in case of foreign attack by sea. The mood is a bit tense because Lord Park insists on a clear explanation (and his unwillingness to back down is a bit of an affront), but Lee Soon-shin concedes and shows him the plans for his massive, heavily fortified warship.

Lee has been denied funds by the state, but he’s certain the ship is necessary to preserving the country’s safety. Lord Park is convinced, and settles down for more serious talks in private.

Kang-chi arrives outside Lord Park’s pavilion and wonders what Yeo-wool and Gon are doing there. She’s still huffy about his alleged ingratitude about the medicine and the hug she witnessed, so she makes Gon her messenger while Kang-chi stands right there in front of her. Ha.

That tickles his temper, and his temper tickles Gon’s temper, and soon our two boys are growling in each other’s faces about ripping each other’s hands off. But before things come to actual fisticuffs, head guard Han-no intervenes, scolding the both of them for kicking up a commotion under his watch. Kang-chi actually points a finger, all, Hyungniiiiim! He started it!

Han-no warns them both to cool it, and the two boys literally shove back from each other and pout. Hmph!

Once they’re in complete privacy, Lord Park steps aside as a secret door is revealed. He leads the men into the secret chamber… where he stores all his riches. If he weren’t such a principled fuddy-duddy, I’d be wondering where Lord Park got all his cash money (or rather, how), but in any case we know he’s the good guy here and he pledges every penny to Lee Soon-shin’s war funds, asking him to protect Joseon with it. Eee! This is a much better chamber of secrets than that other one.

Jo Gwan-woong hears of of the visit, and with his rivals swinging into motion he decides it’s his turn to act. He heads to the authorities and reports a man missing—a man who had been dispatched to investigate a treason case. To (where else?) Hundred Years Inn. Ack. So you’re raising the stakes that far, huh?

As Lee Soon-shin takes his leave, Lord Park introduces Kang-chi to him, speaking of him in superlative terms and asking the commander to teach him if the occasion rises. But Kang-chi refuses straightaway, insisting he isn’t going anywhere and that he won’t serve anybody other than Lord Park. But Lee Soon-shin chuckles at his loyalty (while Yeo-wool mouths, “Dummy”).

Yeo-wool walks her father out as he asks about Kang-chi’s character. Yeo-wool starts out with insults, but quickly adds that he’s not a bad guy either, lest Dad get the wrong idea. (Watching Gon’s reactions should be an extra game; he likes the insults and frowns at praise. Hee.) Dad just says that there’s something about Kang-chi that bothers him (or niggles at his mind, more ilke), though he doesn’t explain what.

Dam Pyung-joon instructs Gon (out of Yeo-wool’s earshot) to keep a close eye on Kang-chi and alert him should anything strange occur.

Jo Gwan-woong makes his preparations, with the entire police force at his beck and call. They storm the Hundred Years Inn just as the wedding procession arrives—and a gift crashes to the ground when the table breaks, just in case we didn’t get that this is a bad omen.

The officers are ordered to search every inch of the place for a hidden traitor. And whaddaya know, there happens to be one of Jo Gwan-woong’s men being held captive here after all…

Kang-chi is ready to leap into the fray at first notice, but today he hears a strange voice on the wind calling his name warningly. He recalls the monk’s warning and sees that the sun is about to set—this is the event he was meant to avoid. Outside, the monk watches the gates and tries to will Kang-chi to leave.

The officers ransack the house and emerge with the ninja captive, whom Jo gwan-woong was sent to investigate the rebels’ actions. Tae-seo fires back that it’s the assassin sent to kill his father, and now we’ve got a game of he-said-he-said.

Lord Park addresses Jo directly, asking what he’s up to. What’s he planning that he’s allied himself with those using black arts?

Alas, the ransacking turns up an incriminating-looking letter in Lord Park’s possession, marked with the bow and arrow symbol used by Dam Pyung-joon. And unfortunately, Jo Gwan-woong is shrewd enough to twist this to fit his story—that his name in the letter and the assassins’ mark point to Lord Park being involved in treasonous plots.

It’s not exactly airtight evidence, but Jo Gwan-woong threatens the officials with a similar fate, and thus Lord Park and Tae-seo are arrested. Wife and daughter arrive as they’re being tied up, and Jo steps up to offer up the same words he offered up to Seo-hwa’s father: that he’ll be sure to take the girl once she’s been sold to the government as a slave. Ick. Shudders.

He leers in his creepy perv way… but then Kang-chi’s voice bellows, “SAYS WHO?” Oh right, history isn’t just gonna repeat itself this time. Phew! Also, Oh no!

Kang-chi shoves aside the officers and releases the ropes. He warns all the intruders to back off quietly, giving them his usual count to three. Upon hearing the word “treason” leveled against them, he scoffs—if the righteous and generous Lord Park is guilty of treason when he feeds the poor who have been failed by their own country, then what does that make Jo Gwan-woong, who actively robs those people to shore up his own coffers?

Kang-chi takes on the first man who attacks him, disarming him with a harsh warning. But then a second man grabs his sword suddenly, and Lord Park reacts instinctively… and jumps in front to save Kang-chi. Ack!

Everyone watches in horror as Lord Park is stabbed through the chest and gurgles blood. Even Jo Gwan-woong is stunned, but that doesn’t compare to Kang-chi’s rage as he knocks the attacker, then grabs Lord Park as he falls.

As Kang-chi he sobs over him, Lord Park asks, “Are you hurt?” He reminds him, “Don’t forget. You are just like my son. You must… protect… our Tae-seo and Chung-jo.”

With that, Lord Park dies.

Kang-chi begs him to wake up. A fierce wind blows through the estate, knocking people over, and So-jung senses the disturbance.

As the wind subsides, Kang-chi looks up, finds Jo Gwan-woong, and glares hatefully at him. His eyes burn green, beast-like, as he growls, “I will kill you.”

 
COMMENTS

Well, now you’ve done it, Evil Baddie. Gone and woken the sleeping beast. Good luck with staying alive now.

Today’s episode felt a bit choppy to me, which I attribute to the show needing to set us up for the big reveal once Kang-chi actually turns twenty and his true nature is discovered. I’ve liked the pacing of the first four episodes so I almost forgot that we’re still at the very nascent stages of our hero’s journey, since he doesn’t even have a big cause to fight for yet, or know who he is. Since the drama is supposed to be about Kang-chi trying to find a way to become human—hence the need for the whole Gu Family Book in the first place—it’s probably best we move along to him realizing he’s not.

That said, there were smoother ways to transition between plot points, with the introduction of Lee Soon-shin being jammed in there and Phase Two of Badness McBadderson’s plan being unleashed. I don’t mind the nature of his plotting (treason plots are sageuk’s greatest narrative friends, in that they raise stakes sky-high and keep dramas moving quickly), but how we got there was awfully quick.

Not to mention the way Lord Park died. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand why he needed to die, even though as a loving father figure and all-around decent human being it’s too bad we have to lose him from the show. But now Kang-chi has something to avenge, and the nature of Dad’s sacrifice may prove pretty rich dramatic fodder for his relationships with Tae-seo and Chung-jo in the future. So in that sense I was fine saying goodbye to Lord Park.

It’s just that, puh-lease, you couldn’t think of a better, more logical way to off him? Kang-chi’s the guy with superhuman strength and fighting skills and a knack for cheating death in combat, and the helpless nobleman jumps in to take the sword? Ack! And even if he were in mortal peril, I surely didn’t feel that sense of danger in the moment (whether you blame it on hurried editing or writing is up to you). Again, the intent works; it’s the rushed result that feels like it missed a step.

I still thoroughly enjoy the show, so I’m not knocking its appeal—it’s wholly entertaining. I do think it’s worth pointing out that I think its gorgeous camera and appealing cast do obscure some flaws, or at least minimize their effects. I did feel that the drop in cohesiveness was more noticeable this episode, which makes me wonder whether we’re now in live-shoot mode. Which is fine—I’ve watched enjoyable live-shoot sageuks before, and even when camera quality dips I don’t care so much if the story continues to entertain. And that’s what I like about this drama, and what all dramas should remember: That you can’t manufacture heart, or quantify it. This show engages me in the heart, which is why I’m invested and coming back for more. That, and the hilarious, petty byplay between Kang-chi and Gon, of course. That stuff makes my day.

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Thank you for the recap! Gonna read it now!

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Okay, as always a great episode. But this episode did feel sort of slap-dash. It was rushed in some places, like the writer realized "Crap, we're already on episode 5, I need to move the plot along!" This didn't detract from my enjoyment of the show, but it did bring certain things to the fore that I thought could have been pushed aside for now. Like Lee Soon-shin showing up. Where'd he come from? He was just suddenly there. And Lord Park's death. Couldn't that have waited until episode 6? And he was awesome! Why do all the decent drama dads die?

Also, I was a bit uncomfortable with the whole children scene. Are they seriously gonna feel some attraction for each other? I agree, they're just babies, was that scene really necessary? Yeo-wool could have liked Kang-chi if he just saved her from the dog, he could have been like her hero, that, as she grew, her admiration turned to love. But seriously, falling on top of her? That's a bit much, even from a Korean drama. That's what kids on the cusp of adulthood, teenagers, should do and feel, not babies.

Moving on. I love Gon. He's so funny with his petty jealousy. Sung Joon is perfect. Really, he's gonna make it hard to not root for him. I think the scenes he and Lee Seung-gi have together are the best.

Now, that ending was something. I get the feeling that there is gonna be a great deal of revulsion felt towards Kang-chi by a number of people, because you can't hide those eyes. He may even feel some, too, but hopefully, the monk will explain things to him. Also, Jo Gwan-woong is just so slimy, I'm looking forward to seeing him die later on.

Thanks for the recap, JB!

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Thanks!

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Thank you again for the recap, JB!

I have a few questions:

1--When JB says this, "So the Agent Smith-style barrage continues,..." what is she referring to by "Agent Smith-style?" Would that have anything to do with some of Will Smith movies, or is it a reference to the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith (which I haven't seen)?

2--In this sentence, "Eee! This is a much better chamber of secrets than that other one" I was wondering what the other chamber of secrets would be. Anyone has any ideas?

I personally liked this episode, and I am curious as to the drop in cohesiveness JB mentioned. If anyone can shed any light on this, please do.

I didn't understand Gon's jealousy and pettiness towards KC, since KC still thinks YW is a boy/man (which I am assuming Gon is aware of?), and as such KC has no feelings for YW (yet), his attention and heart are still for CJ. Yes, he has saved YW (and she saved him in a past episode), but really he doesn't see her as a woman... until I realized that maybe Gon is jealous of KC (and petty) because Gon has noticed that YW is interested in (and intrigued by) KC? That would be the only way that his jealousy and pettiness would make sense to me. Also, maybe Gon is jealous and petty of any male who remotely looks at YW, because TS has not shown any feelings for YW yet, and Gon again was jealous.

I am very curious as to why YW remembers KC from her childhood, but KC does not, even though it is clear that they met back then. What happened to KC that made him forget her?

I also agreed with JB about the supposed butterflies in your stomach scene between younger KC and younger YW (when he tripped and fell on top of her). I had the same reaction, the kids are still young, I don't think they react like that at that age (not that I remember when I was that young having such reactions. And I work with a lot children, I have not seen them being like that at that age/around that age, which I am assuming is 7/8/9/10ish?)

I find that KC and CJ have great chemistry together and I find their attraction believable. I am curious and look forward to seeing how KC's interest will turn from CJ to YW and if their chemistry will be as palpable as what I have seen between KC and CJ (and the actor and actress portraying them).

I might be back later with more comments... Thanks to anyone who answers/can answer my questions.

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I think that Gon is jealous of KC, because it's pretty obvious that YW likes him.

As for kids acting like that, very possible in Korea. And I've seen and heard kids wanting to marry each other - on pair even went so far as to walk down the aisle! My elder daughter and another use to kiss each other when they met, on the lips, a quick one. And my younger daughter once confessed that she would like to marry my friend's son cos he's nice to her!

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Hello again crazyajummafan,

Thank you for your answer. Thanks for explaining Gon's reactions when it comes to YW.
Regarding the kids, I can understand them having a crush on each other, I don't discount that. What I question however, is how it was portrayed in this episode. The falling on top of her, I could understand. The eyes shifting and other reactions that indicated that he was attracted to her physically, were the behaviors I had an issue with/was uncomfortable about.

When we have seen that kind of behavior from adult actors, it is because they are physically attracted to the other person, and they are aware of it (or becoming aware of it). It feels OK and understandable to see that behavior in teenagers and in adults, however I find it disturbing in children the age KC and YW seem to be in this episode. I personally felt that that scene (when KC falls on top of YW and the shifting of the eyes) was not necessary.

I understand the "I will marry you, the walking down the aisle, etc..." you mentioned, however this scene was different.

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Let me see...

For the chamber, I think she's referring to "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Well, that's the first thing that crossed my mind anything.

I also think Gon's jealousy and pettiness is understandable. Kang Chi might not yet show signs of being infatuated, much less in love, with Yeo Wol, but YW is obviously crushing on the guy. That already makes him a rival, regardless of his feelings at the moment.

For the memories, I think it's mostly because KC started caring for and focusing on another girl--Chung Jo. The memories and feelings he have for CJ is much more vivid and stronger that they generally make other memories bland and unimportant in comparison. Those kinds of memories are buried at the back of our heads and often forgotten completely.

Those aside, I think this ep. has been a relatively exciting one. I want, want, want to know what happens next! Can't wait for ep. 6! >.<

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Hi Ivoire! I can answer #1 for you. I think javabeans is referring to the movie the Matrix: because "reality" is computer-generated by robot overlords, bad dudes can pop into existence through any "person" you see, so when the hero's on the run, everyone around him starts turning into similar-looking black-suited sunglassed baddies who try to kill him.

As for #2, I'm not sure. Is this a reference to Arang and the Magistrate, guys??

TOTALLY agree with you about the kids, btw, but in my case "oops, I fell on your lips" is never believable anyway.

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Oh, Arang and the Magistrate sounds right. My answer's totally off. XD

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Agent smith from the Matrix (the movie)
Chamber of secrets is the name of the second Harry Potter book and is this giant chamber with secrets

You my friend need to brush up on your pop culture references.

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Eh, I guess depending on your age those "pop culture references" might be a bit dated ... :)

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Oh, one more thing. I don't think that KC can't remember little YW. He just doesn't make the link cos he thinks she's a guy.

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Thank you Crazyajummafan, that is a very good point!!!! One I had not thought of (obviously :-) ) and one that makes sense!!!!

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if it's as simple as that it would be funny, but so KC like. The more he thinks she's a guy the more I think that's possible. At first i thought he had some sort of traumatic experience to make him forget his past lol

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Thank you guys, for all the answers and comments. I will be back later to respond/comment. I am running late (I will have to go back to work soon, with the kiddies), and I would like to watch ep. 6 raw and try and understand as much as I can, so I can appreciate tonight's recap of ep. 6 better and comment/ask questions.
If you do remember, please check back here tomorrow or during the week. I would appreciate that :-)...

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thanks.....

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Been refreshing like crazy. Finally. It's here!! Thanks jb!

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Great episode! And thanks for getting the recap up so quickly.

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Gee, Lord Park why did you have to do that? You should've used let Kang Chi be sliced, then remove his magic bracelet then voila! He'll pull off a Wolverine and heal all his wounds.

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Yeah, but then that would expose Kang-chi to people who might not understand his nature. Despite not knowing Kang-chi's true identity, Lord Park still wants to protect him.

Goodbye, Naeuri, and thanks for the memory.

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How can he be sure that KC can survive the stab? Besides, he might think that KC can protect his family more than him with his superhuman nature. So better risk himself to protect KC and his family.

I'm fine with the way the father dies. Only that I wish the other family members will also go towards the father and hold onto him, not just KC. I understand that they want to focus on KC's emotional depth more, but having the other members surrounding the father too would be more believable I think.

Thanks for the recap Javabeans. I'm loving this drama a lot despite its flaws because what this drama is good at is what I want from a drama.

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Maybe that would be for the next episode. As in, the next episode is the immediate continuation.

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i agree. I was wondering why no one else ran towards Papa Park. It could have been initial shock, but after a while, they should have run forward. More realistic, unless people in Joseon era didn't do things like that!

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This, "More realistic, unless people in Joseon era didn’t do things like that!" I thought, "yeah, who knows..." Good point though!

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This, "I’m loving this drama a lot despite its flaws because what this drama is good at is what I want from a drama," I second that opinion... It is what I want from this drama.

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Call me cold hearted but I kinda like it this way. As far as we know Lord Park had a inkling that Kang Chi could heal himself. The fact that he chose to put himself in danger rather than hope for the best and stand back because Kang Chi had healed himself as a child , is something a parent or a loved one would do.. It makes his "you are like my son" all so wretched. Plus gives it more bases for him possibly turning evil, or walking in the grey path to avenge someone who loved him and and died for him rather than someone who he thinks he owes something, just coz the person took him in because the person was told doing so would bring him luck. In a way it bring a nice contrast to Kang Chi's father's story, coz unlike supernatural dad, Kang Chi was loved, somehow this makes him more human...

Am i making any sense? Coz today is one of those days where i seem to be saying a lot, but a lot of it is crap....

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Hey slfowie,

You do make total sense to me and no, what you said was not crap. I think that Lord Park dying made his love for KC more real, more palpable. He just didn't think he loved him (he never said it, just said that KC was like his son), he actually showed his love, by dying in his place. That places KC in Lord Park's heart in the same place as TS and CJ, even though KC didn't not participate in the family outings (I would not be surprised if mama Park had something to do with that).

I also think that Lord Park's gesture makes things more tragic for KC (and more of a burden). To have someone sacrifice that much for him, it was what his dad did for his mom, but didn't get in return (Papa Oh). I am hoping that KC will get that from YW and possibly from her family in the end.

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Agree. And having him die this way is also a better setup for an escalation of Mama Park's hatred and scheming.

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Hey Gidget, very good point about Mama Park's escalated hatred and scheming. It IS a better set up, that way. I thought about that but I didn't write it. Thanks! :-)

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No, I totally agree. I think it makes perfect sense. It doesn't matter that KC is stronger and can possibly heal himself. To Lord Park he's still someone he must protect like his own son. He's not blowing off the danger KC is in because he thinks he can get out of it himself.

Add in when CJ and TS find out he's a "monster". Their father died for him.... it's only going to make things worse.

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I agree with you slfowie. I think it was an instinctive move to protect the one you love. When you love someone, you don't think, "will he be able to protect himself? I'm sure he can heal quickly". You just do it.
But it seemed as if Lord Park was trying to stop the guy from slaying KC rather than take the blow.

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Dam why do nice daddies in k-drama have to die all the time?
And i'm glad they played out the overplayed childhood portion in a short and adorable way. More in snippets.
Thanks JB for the recap!

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seriously, the nice dads never stick around for very long

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Its a K-drama staple like amnesia... cancer and birth secrets....

k-dramaland the place were good dads go to die :/

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@mav - RE: k-dramaland the place were good dads go to die :/"

HA!!! awesome comment. (hug)

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I 2nd what sally_b said...

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Adopted daddy dying like that sort of makes it worse for Kangchi and the siblings (and evil mother) have more reason to blame him. I see it as showing that Lord Park loved him and didn't want him to be hurt even if Kangchi didn't really need the help. In part KC is actually to blame because he's so hot headed and doesn't think clearly. He does seem to cause more harm than good at times.

Seunggi's crying scene was pretty freaking awesome though. I'm still half shipping CJ and KC as well. We'll see how they move along the plot for him to fall in love with YW. Right now I'm seriously not seeing how they'll do it, especially with his guilt and dad's dying words.

Gon and Kangchi are both so petty and awesome when they fight. They should go on adventures together. I thought Gon would be the third wheel, but right now YW kind of is...

And why won't anyone listen the poor monk????

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Haha, poor monk, totally agree with you

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Poor monk indeed! But I think it's because he's being too cryptic, telling people to do things but never explaining why it matters =/

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Yes, Seunggi’s crying scene is so damn awesome! He has really improved on crying and kiss scenes since TK2H. Heart him!!

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This comment has ***SOME SPOILERS ABOUT TK2Hs***

I agree, LSG's crying scenes are great. I only saw him in TK2Hs before this drama and I have to say that it is not only his crying scenes but when he gets emotional as well. In TK2Hs, he would do this thing that many Korean actors and actresses (I think) do quite well: the "I am about to cry, however the tears won't completely come out, and this won't be the ugly (all out) cry" face. Their eyes get red, moist, humid, their face shows the emotion (sadness, angst, breaking down, loneliness, fear, heart break etc...) and they get to the cusp of crying, but they don't cross that line, they just get really, really close to it and their face says everything (about what they are feeling at the moment).

I always wonder how they do that when I see it. LSG was excellent at that in his last drama. I remember two scenes vividly: 1-- when his brother died (and he was alone in his room, changing) and 2--when Hang-ah got shot and for a few minutes, it looked like she was dead (she was in a jail in China). Those scenes were so powerful and he was so great in them!!!! OK, Rave Over :-)

OK, now I have a question, because I have only seen LSG in TK2Hs. Based on your comment, he wasn't good in his kissing scenes before TK2Hs? (I haven't seen his previous dramas yet).

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I am not saying he wasn't good before but rather he just got BETTER ;) And my standards are set at I Need Romance / Coffee Prince / Lie to Me :D

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i know right, he's about ready to do a facepalm lol

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If the monk had told KC that if he didn't stay far away from the inn that evening, good daddy will die and awful things will befall their family, KC would stay away even if it kills him. Being so cryptic really does no one any good.

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But the monk doesn't know the future. He can only tell signs like regular fortunetellers. You can't totally blame him.

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I agree, I think the monk senses things, and he finds out later on what happened, like when WR was killed. SJ ran to the Moonlight Garden, as if he knew something bad had happened to his friend, but he wasn't sure (yet) what had happened and why.

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Hello Lemondoodle,

Interestingly enough, I have yet to see KC act in a hot headed way. So far, I have seen him (more often than not) observe the situation from a distance (he hesitated before going to the Inn that evening) before jumping in, or he goes to help because he is wanted (TS asked where he was when JGW "visited" the 1st time, and CJ also wondered where he was). It seems that people became used to him (over time) being the one who fights, rescues and protects the weaker ones or the Inn and they expect that of him, and they are probably used to him complying (it has become part of his role). His family and the village people feel safe around him. I see KC as passionate and very protective of the people around him, he cares a lot about people, and the less fortunate (the merchants whose money was stolen and KC got it back for them).

The other thing to remember is that, KC does not usually just beat up people right away, from what we have seen so far. He seems to always give them a warning, hence his "trademark" counting to three. Those who provoke/attack him know what is to come (he is likely to fight with his fists), however, KC always gives them the option to leave or get in the fight. We have seen him do that a number of times. That to me, is not being hot headed. In counting, KC gives his opponent a few minutes to think and decide what s/he wants to do. KC doesn't shrink away from a fight, however, I see him trying to have some restraint and possibly (at times, given the opportunity) walking away from a fight. That might be different where Gon is concerned, however, we have to admit that Gon does provoke him/pushes his buttons (out of his jealousy and pettiness).

I do agree with you that Lord Park dying does murk the waters for the rest of the Park family. We already know that mama Park does NOT like him, so given the opportunity, she would be more than happy to throw KC under a bus (and make sure he dies, maybe). I could see how, in their grief and pain, CJ and TS might see KC as a probable cause of their father's death, and that will make it hard for all the children, and especially for KC, because it is the only family he has, and the only family he has ever known.

Re: Papa/Lord Park's death, we knew he had to die, in great part because he always protected KC. The writer probably felt that he had to be out of the way and in dying the way he did, we (the viewers) know that he loved KC till the end. He never had a reason to fear him or be disgusted by him (since he didn't know about his gumiho side). I also see his "taking the bullet" (Lord Park) as an expected thing a parent would do. It was instinct that kicked in for Lork Park. I work with a lot of children (and hence I am around their parents a lot as well), and a normal parent cannot see their child suffer. They just can't, it hurts them tremendously. They would rather take the pain than see their child suffer, and many parents say so. So I personally was not surprised that Lord Park did what he did. That made sense to me and it was a very honorable way (imho) to send him off, AND create a cause/reason of possible conflict down the line for TS, CJ and KC.

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Hello! :)

Interesting yes, I think hotheaded might not be the word for it? He will give you a chance to stop. He's just very passionate and protective. He's not someone who beats people up first and then asks questions later.

He's also the person people always want to run in and save them. When GW was causing trouble everyone wanted to know where KC was. When Lord Park was in trouble everyone wanted KC to go help. You can't ask for someone's help but then blame them when the help doesn't work out like you wanted it to. KC for years kept them safe from harm and people always looked for him in their time of need. It's unfortunate it worked out like this.

Agree completely about the parent/child relationship. My nephew is taller and bigger than me, but to me he's still my kid and if he were in danger I wouldn't hesitate to endanger myself to help him even if he is stronger than me.

Lord Park dying like this makes it more tragic for KC and does muddy the water on who to exactly blame. Of course the evil guy deserves it all, but CJ and TS might end up feeling differently once emotions get in the way.

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@Ivoire @ lemondoodle
Agree with both of you. Remember that KC hesitated returning to the inn when his servant came looking for him on the night of GW's arrival. But as they looked for him and there was possible trouble, he went. It's just that KC needs to learn that not all problems can be solved by using brute strength. With characters like GW, you need to outsmart him too! Now's a good time to make friends with Lee Jaeha!

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I need more Yeo wool in this drama.

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agreed. totally want her backstory. plus a spinoff of her and gon's adventures pre-kangchi

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Kangchi and Gon adventures would be more interesting.

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I'm so into this. I wonder how Gon become so loyal to Yeo Wool..or more like how he fallen in love to her. yeo Wool might be so sweet to him.

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Good question... Now I am curious about that too...

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ooh, ooh, great idea!! Sorta the Hobbit version before LOTR.

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I too hope that YW's story will be fleshed out well... It would be nice to have a heroine who is well written.

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Right now, the Kang Chi-Yeo Wool ship is sinking after hitting the Chung Jo iceberg.

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It does feel like it...

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That's really what it does feel like, lol

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I'm just waiting for her to reveal herself to the world.

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I want to know her more too....

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wool my baby yeah!

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She's my favorite. I hope to see her more too. :(

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GON-CHI FTW! <3333

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Young Kang-chi is so cute :-) What a player.
Gon’s jealousy so funny :-) and yes KC and Gons bromance FTW! I want more KC-Gon.

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imma take a sword to gon's mane.

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So was that THE Lee Soon Shin? I wonder that when they said his name..Also how do people in dramas build secret rooms witout the people around them knowing? i mean someone should had notice the dirt being moved? the boxes of gold being brought in? but no nada, noone ever knows about the secret rooms. I love all the facial expression Gon kept making every time someone spoke to Yeo-Woo. I know the story is still building up, but what's up with second male lead? We have seen more or hot body guard, then him. Give the kid something to do writers!

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Hi MariD,
Good questions about the secret rooms in Kdramas. Sometimes, it just seems that we are supposed to leave our brains at the door when we watch Kdramas. That, or simply suspend belief...

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Thanks JB! Off to read :-)

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Nice episode but I'm kind of annoyed w/ so much flashbacks and linger camera points in some scenes. They have to minimize it.
Gon and Kangchi's bickering though...lol
Tae Seo crushing on Yeo Wool so cute and Gon side eyeing every possible rival coming for his "master"
Another decent character died. :(

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why is it always the nice dads? i don't get drama writers obsessions with killing off model father figures

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Well, they left Hang Ah's awesome dad alone!

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Yes they did.....
I am trying to think of another instance where a awsome parent was left alive.. all i can think of are the parents from TK2H, though we can argue, biff Oppa was kinda like a fatherly figure to the spotlit brat of a prince, and he was killed...

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Well thank god for that :-)

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Arang and the Magistrate left Eun-oh's awesome dad alone, but he wasn't really a character there, more like a plot device who showed up to be awesome twice.

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Yeah... I also feel like this episode is a little choppy as there are too much details to cover and to start off Kang Chi's story.

I think it might be just me but Kang Chi/Seung Gi is just so stunning and pretty that sometimes I find myself unable to focus on the plot but only on his expressive eyes... haha~

I need more and more and more of the Gu Family Book~~~

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in KDRAMALAND good hearted secondary-roled characters die earlier,,,

and those baddies badder than satan live AMAZINGLY longer...

haaizz...

I am worrying for KC to get hurt :(

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Thanks for the recap!

"It’s just that, puh-lease, you couldn’t think of a better, more logical way to off him? " --- I definitely cringed at this part, though the sadness of Lord Park dying and uttering those last words distracted me enough. A great dad....gone...

Yeo-wool isn't getting any more interesting (and no, i don't think it's Suzy's fault). I sort of wish this could just be a story of Kang Chi and his trusty sidekicks - tomboy/platonic friend Yeo-wool and his bro4life, Gon.

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The last scene broke my heart and I was like why? Then Kang Chi's eyes turned green and I was like yeahh, go Kang Chi, kill him.
Thanks for the recap JB.

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Without eng sub, I find it lacking so maybe after I watched the subbed version I can have some insights...but thanks for the recaps!

poor dad...

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No one said anything about Suzy's acting?
It bothers me so much because she is so bland and emotionless and has no chemistry with LSG at all
I'm going to drop this show because I can't handle her anymore....
Sorry LSG

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She's fine to me though. Her character is interesting.

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Suzy's character is more interesting than Yoo Bi's, but Yoo Bi brings her character to life more than Suzy does for hers.

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YW is more interesting to me than CJ. I get bored of them so easily.Well opinions and such.

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Yoo Bi only has so very little scenes compared to Suzy. Chung Jo doesn't even really do anything except interact with Kang Chi and still with fewer scenes with Kang Chi and much fewer scenes than Suzy, Yoo Bi is still coming across the screen.

You can just imagine if Suzy was given the character Chung Jo and Yoo Bi given Yeo Wool. Suzy might completely disappear in the drama. I'm not even stretching, but Suzy with all those scenes can't even outdo Yoo Bi in her limited scenes with her limited character.

When I watched Yeo Wool turning around as she saw Kang Chi and Chung Jo embracing, I thought she wasn't turning around because she saw her first love/destiny/crush hugging another woman but that she realizes she forgot something and stopped to go back and look for it. LMAO.

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It's still early for YW to do emo on that scene. She's still contemplating and remembering KC as her childhood friend who save her from a wolf w/ all those flashbacks. She haven't really have deeper emotional viability to react in such a scene. it's not like she admitted she loves him pronto. She might be interested to KC for now.

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I don't see why we're under the impression that characters have to admit to themselves that they're in love, or attracted to each other, as an excuse to justify not-so-great chemistry or a weak performance.

Park Shin-hye and Yoon Shi-yoon had a definite connection in Flower Boy Next Door LONG before anything turned even vaguely romantic, ditto Lee Jun-ki and Shin Mina in Arang, those two had chemistry even when she just saw him as a one-man investigation bureau and he thought she was a crazy homeless ghost - long before the clothes-measuring scene of episode 2.

Hell, even Jang Geun-seuk and Yoona had better chemistry than YW/KC here in Love Rain in their early scenes when they didn't like each other/were bickering, and Yoona is no great actress either.

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Aye.. this is the sad truth >.<
It's weird.. I like Suzy's character better than Yoo Bi's, and yet, i like watching Yoo Bi in her character more. It's a weird contrast.

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Its weird ... but i find myself rooting for kang chi and CJ.. And when i saw the preview for tonight episode on how kang chi lovingly kiss CJ forehead.... WOW!!!!

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Yeah, if I were reading this as a novel/manhwa I'd like Suzy's character better, but onscreen Chung-jo is far more compelling to watch thanks to Lee Yoo-bi

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lol you must really hate suzy.. i always saw you complaining about her character in soompi, lee seungi wordpress, netizenbuzz.. are you a troll or what ???

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maybe I'm weird, but I actually enjoyed her in this episode.

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you're not alone, I like her here and I want to get to know her character more.

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If people dont mention about her acting, let's just leave it at that and enjoy the show. I dont understand why people keep bothering with this because some of us are obviously moving on already...

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Exactly!

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....and people shouldn't be bothered by bad acting? She's better these last couple of episodes, but still far from pulling her weight the way the rest of the cast - even minor characters like Tae-seo, Gon and Chung-jo are bettter played.

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She's not in it enough to really be bothered by her.

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I beg to differ. I think she has made improvements in this episode.

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Only problem I have is that she doesn't have the right kind of face for her tom-boy character - too girly? Nothing to do with prettiness. Some pretty girls can look like pretty boy - but Suzy just looks like a pretty girl, dressed as a boy.

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I kind of don't think she have to act like a guy. She's still a girl who cross dress but I don't think she intends to be seen as a guy. It's KC's fault if he can't see her as a girl.

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I actually agree with you on this.
It's not about acting like a guy.. Some girls can actually pull off the whole crossdressing- boyish vibe even with a pretty face. I don't know what it is.
It's probably because Suzy doesn't have a strong acting range; she's still young. Im thinking positively; i hope she can improve with each role she takes on.

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Spots on!

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Her acting is meh and she totally miscast here.

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I like her so I might enjoy this drama. :D

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her acting improved. she was a robot before in Dream High 1...

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She is bland and boring! But she appears like 10 minutes of the drama in total so you can just skip her scenes lol!

BTW i like that story centers so much on LSG! Les time for Suzy to screw up the drama!

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I find that Suzy's YW has a certain charm, tho no way in hell would anybody w eyes mistaken that for a guy.
I definitely think her char is way more interesting n attractive than CJ. So she is fine to me too.

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her character is interesting while her acting is totally opposite and that what make lots of us frustrated. I really want to enjoy this drama. It has heart. But Suzy's acting really disturb my enjoyment. Maybe i should eat ramen and look away from the screen when it is her scene.

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she's so fine. i think i'm in love

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Awww, I love me some Gon. His reactions to his two "rivals" and his lady are the best. I luff him.

This episode did feel a bit rushed and sloppy despite the beautiful camera work. But I guess they do have to get the plot moving along since we aren't even to the main story of the drama yet.

So far I really like all the characters we've seen except for the badder then bad villain. I definitely don't see this as a drama without flaws. I just care about the characters enough to look past them.

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am i the only who thinks lee seung gi has way more chemistry with lee yoo bi than suzy? and suzy has more chemistry with sung joon? >.<

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Seunggi and Lee Yoobi yes. Suzy and Sung Jooon. Uh, not really. They are both kind of blank and he glares behind her. He has better chemistry with Kangchi. The best chemistry she has so far is with YS.

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Er TS, the brother... At least we got a smiley reaction of her.

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Oh yes! Best chemistry of all - Kang Chi and Gon! So cute! Glaring at each other and then both pouting when head guard scolds them for fighting!!!! Love that scene!

Also love little KC and little YW! There's chemistry there! Love how these two little tykes give each other embarrassing side glances!!! So adorable!

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Er... 'chemistry' between those two little kids? You must have a different definition of "chemistry," and not one that means sexual attraction.
I thought that scene was artificial - not like what real kids would do - and a bit disturbing. You can go too far to try and prove how a couple was "destined to be."

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When I mentioned chemistry between the two kids, it's not sexual of course. They have chemistry in the sense that they relate well with and seem comfortable with each other.

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I felt the love between kang chi and CJ... but then their love are supposed not meant to be... sobs :-(

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The only chemistry Suzy is having is with that tree.

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Hahahaha, you hit the right spot!!! But I think the tree flowers dont even blow at the right time either, guess she doesnt have chemistry with the tree too :))

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LOL, True, I just cannot root for her Iam trying and her wacking him on his head all the time is annoying. I keep waiting for the moment she can endear herself to me, but I cannot feel it coming.

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I am annoyed that I am even supposed to try. But wait! She's improving! She smiled in that scene! Sigh. Audiences should not have to bend over backwards to convince themselves the actors are doing their jobs.
For me, it is not enough that she is pretty. She's got a big, potentially juicy part, and while the script isn't doing her any favors, there are other actors in this show doing way more with less. In someone else's hands, this could really be good. I wonder how many shows we will have to suffer through until she either grows up and gets a little better or is replaced by other cute and talentless idols.

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I agreed.

I just watch ep 3 yesterday, I have to bare with Suzy's modern acting and stiff performance to know the plot and the story. I can't help but wish Lee Yoo Bi playing Suzy's character instead and someone else other actress playing her character as Chung Jo. There is plenty who can play a yangban daughter.

Looking at her (Lee Yo Bi) acting it is very great and convincing I believe she can pull any role at any times.! Plus she has a great chemistry and great acting eventough her character is not that interesting.

Make me wonder, why such an important role in a fusion saeguk was given to a green actress like Suzy. A role and character that can be pull out into a massive and coherant great performance and turn a drama into a new level..*sigh*

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based on how the drama is showing (interactions)
KC-CJ> KC-YW
YW-Gon> YW-KC

chemistry...

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It doesn't help that the song playing during Kang Chi-Chung Jo scenes is better than the song during Kang Chi-Yeo Wool scenes. xD

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I was bored to be honest. I just want this family arc to finish and have Kang chi in training. He also needs some discipline because his recklessness can cause major disaster.

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Thx a lot, dramabeans!

I agree with u about Lord Park. Is this the tendency of this.writer to create..well..a plot that feels too easy? Coz I felt the same in Baker King. This writer is good in showing emotional relationship between the characters, but sometimes there are too many conincidenc or..yeah..the plot seems too easy.

Anyway..LSG's acting getting better and better, isnt it? I didnt feel awed waching him in MGIG and K2H, but I.cant take my eyes.off him since epi 3. The last scenes were just awesome.

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Yeah. I think one of the weaknesses of this writer is her ability to think creatively with scenes like these. For her, the importance is not with the how we get there but the what happens after. Good daddy needs to die so I can continue to tell my story and put Kang Chi on the path he needs to go. For her, it's like oh I'll just kill him off, But i won't think of a clever way to do it. I think sometimes the audience appreciates the little things like these. Its what impresses us.
I think she does have a strong point in that she has alot of heart incorporated in her stories. Baker King was chock full of makjang but it also had alot of heart, and it was genuine. you felt it. That's how i was even able to stick through all those 30 episodes.

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I think you are on to something mango lover..... It does seem like a theme in here dramas.... the stories are going somewhere, as in there is a plot with defined stakes and clear conflicts for the characters and what not... however it's how she executes things that is constantly off...

I guess if we compared her story telling to a sentence... it would be like ermmm she keeps using verbs and forgetting about the adjective... I guess...

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she forgot the adjectives because...wait for it...she got amnesia and her parents aren't her biological parents. Amirite? xD

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Yes you are! She is too busy trying to find out who destroyed here biological family so she can get revenge... cause apparently you don't need adjectives for revenge...

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How true it is, same like you mango*high five* i notice that too, to easy plot but lotsa heart, which you cant describe andbit's adfictive that you cant help but love it, though you cringe over scenes. I really hope she made improvement, so the show will able to run smoothly

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a bit clumsy, this. how some scenes are more like chopped in between rather than merged (the childhood encounter and the very unnatural way of a dog "attacking"). the "fade to past" was not very convincing. cause plastic dolls like Suzy can´t have any memory.

there were other things made way too obvious, way to plainly in sight.

ninjas - are you going all Naruto here?

but Gon and Kang-Chi bickering - that is so awesome. Sung Joon might have a small part, but he is doing it with perfection, and he gets to play opposite Lee Seung-Ki. Directly.

Can we please get a movie with these two as a pair of detectives, or I am not playin´.

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Exactly what I felt when I watched the episode yesterday. Yes, Lord Park may have that instinctual fatherly protectiveness over Kang-chi, but I find it hard to believe when Kang-chi has all that ability to fight plus superhuman strength, and Lord Park JUST have to jump in front of him to take the blow. Unless he was on a suicide mission. I dunno, they could've showed Kang-chi barely able to avoid the sword, and needs some saving, at least.

Good thing: Beast Kang-chi has finally awakened :)

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Didn't he have 10 more days of good luck?
.....getting killed on day 10 doesn't seem so lucky or prosperous

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I think the monk's main concern is for KC to be raised as a human and live as one for 20 years. If he is, then he will become human. Sorta like if one lives as a PR w a green card for X years, with good behavior, then one becomes a naturalized citizen! :) KC is 10 days short of becoming a full-fledge human, like his dad!
An evil smell is in the air. Didn't the monk say the sincerest wishes always bring the biggest danger? So both Lord Park and KC's fates are in jeopardy. But Lord Park's dying and KC's turning into a gumiho could have been avoided if KC had listened to the monk n stayed away. Too bad the monk didn't explain that if he didn't do as told, Daddy Park would have to pay for it w his life, n all hell will break loose for their family n those at the inn. I don't think KC cares abt protecting himself nearly half as much as he does that family.

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I think his good luck days were over when Mom told the bodyguards to ensure that he never comes back. Since then, bad things have been happening.

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I'm hating the fact that this story is relying on amakjang element such as childhood love (even if it was one sided). When SeoHwa and WolRyung fell in love with each other, I felt moved that characters could love each other without the pretense of childhood crush. I thought it would break from the makjang mold in this way again with the YeoWool-KangChi love... Alas.

As for the plot points presented in today's episode, I'm sure they could have been spread out in the previous 2 episodes for better cohesion. This episode was like "oh, I forgot I needed a plot in addition to this cute chemistry I'm trying to show so I better give you that information before I forget again" (an obligatory stuff-we'll-need-for-later episode rather than a cohesive story).

The "action" scenes could probably be shot and edited together to make KangChi and YeoWool actually look cool. The choreography/action scenes are not living up to their supposed badassery.

Complaints aside, the KangChi-Gon relationship is the best part about the past few episodes. I want more scenes of just the 3 of them (KangChi-Gon-YeoWool) bickering. >.<

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Lolwut? The action scenes are fantastic. Besides, Kang Chi has yet to learn martial arts, and awaken his gumiho-ness.

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No matter how I look at it 80% of YeoWool's fight scenes do not make her come off as badass. A few of her kicks are good and well integrated into the fight montages but her stances are too upright for me. If we take the part where KangChi takes the sword to the forearm as an example, YeoWool is not in any fighting stance as we do the slow-mo wide shot of scene nor is her sword even up at the ready. I don't think most badass fighters would be able to drop their guard so quickly be it in a fight or even a sudden bit of nostalgia mid-fight.

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The noticeable change in the movements when the scene changes from her to her stunt double and back make it even funnier.

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Poor Gon is friendzoned by YW. His reactions are hilarious. LOL Totally love KC and Gon's dynamic. I guess we will see more of them once KC started his journey with YW. I really want to know more of YW's background. It's really amused me that KC is so clueless about YW's gender...lol Can't wait to see how he will know this truth.

KC and CJ really like each other so it's interesting to see how the writer gonna work on KC and YW's story after this. Especially now the dad is dead and KC will feel the burden and guilty for that. Which makes him cared even more towards CJ and her family. But i still can't get on that ship because i was spoiled with synopsis earlier and i know how she will act later on. ha..Speaking of the Park family, i need to get my tissue ready for tonight episode. *sobs*

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I think the writers are setting us up for CJ's reaction later. It's already seen when she keeps saying that she's marrying for the sake of her family. Even when she hugs KC, because she truly cares for him, she asked him if he could betray her father and TS. Of course he can't, and similiarly, neither can she. She was probably brought up to put family first, and that's what she's gonna do later.

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Aw Gon why are you so funny! Lol

I also am sort of eh with the father's dying moment.. Not why but how they decided to kill him

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The first few episode was the best compared the latest. Still awkward to see Suzy's acting & LSG is quite OK.

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I love this episode cos it has so much heart!

I love the hug scene cos it's the girl that initiates it. Normally in Kdramas, the guy hugs and the girl just stands there with her arms hanging limply to the side. It's the reversal here. KC is so shocked, all he can do is stare blankly with his arms hanging limp. BUT I'm so glad he responded later by giving her a good hug back! Seunggi's good with hugs! And did you all notice his manly, veiny hands?

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I've been noticing his manly veiny hands since back in the heartie days.
I remember we went gaga over that simple detail LOL. Man, we were obsessed.

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Yes, I noticed that. So Hot! Hehe. Did you also noticed his manly, veiny neck when he told lies to Lord Park in ep 4? When he said nauriiiiiiiiiiiiiii..... ;)

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Ha ha! We had lots of fun spazzing over his body parts then, didn't we?

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We did! His hands, his neck, his legs, his dimple, his eyes, his eyelashes, his back, every part of his body. Ah I miss those days. <3

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Ive been a silent reader here on DB and been hanging out this recap since ep.1 and what makes me chuckle of all the comments is this topic: LSgi's body part..hahaha guys count me in though i wasn't there during TK2H days. i do hope it'll not make us look like some pervy fans..

i'm not a good critic when it comes to drama & plots all i knew is..so far im enjoying the ride.

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Do I have this right ... Suzy is daughter of the Guhimo hunter? Then what is Gon ... bodyguard? I don't understand Gon's role ... it can be Tonto the loyal sidekick, can it? I really find Gon compelling to watch and I don't want him to be a character who doesn't get a real storyline.

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Yes that's her dad. Gon is more like her...companion it seems. He's not constantly following her around guarding her or protecting her.

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He addresses her as "Lady Yeo Wool". If I'm going to make YW a normal noble lady then Gon's position is that of a loyal maid.

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a very good looking sexy voiced loyal maid at that.. ;)

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He's listed as her bodyguard in the online description of his character.

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partner? as in a pair of detectives?

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Thank you JB for the recap, awesome as always!

I loved the episode until the last 10 minutes, which as Javabeans said felt rush and lacked the sense of danger in that pretty poignant scene. However, the drama is absurdly engaging, with characters I'm already rooting for - something which is becoming less and less common in dramaland.

Also, OMMOOOO! I'm in love with Gon and Kang Chi! the boys got the bromace chemistry going, they are going to be the equivalent of the couple that falls in love bickering, haha. And I don't know what is the general consensus on Suzy's Yeo Wool, but I'm loving her too, she has this cool and collected feel to her, like I believe she is this kick ass chick that lives outside of social conventions. And I think people were compleaning that Yeo wool didn't feel like jonseon lady... but she I think she isn't supposed to feel like one.

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The thing is...people already jumping into the bandwagon about the lack of chemistry of this particular character. This particular plot is not YW home court so the advantage would totally be on the Park's family since it's their story that is been focusing by the writer. YW was just there to recollect and create a certain connection to the main protagonist. Her character's purpose is not suppose to be revealed until KC can get out in the family circle story. I'm going to wait for that plot and see for myself YW's purpose because I too am interested with her backstory.

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Exactly!!! It's like right now she is more of a secondary character than the leading lady.. I don't think at this moment we are supposed to see more of YW than what we are seeing... She has mad fighting skills, is pretty blaze about things, is curious about KC and has some past encounter with him, that's it. There was this moment in episode 4 I think, were Gon tells YW not to interfere since they are just there to watch/ do recon... and in many ways that is what they have been doing so far...

If anything, just like you, all the things not being said about YW just make more curious. I can't wait to see how she and Gon ended up working as sort of spies, when is clearly from a decent family. It felt in that little interaction we saw today between her and her dad, that while she acknowledges her as his daughter he treats her more like a son....

And I'm getting the feeling that people are just hatting on YW cause they are hatting on Suzy... which is sad... since if you are watching a drama only to find the flaws it may have you are killing the experience on you own.

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I can't wait how KangChi will react if she saw YW (Suzy) in her girl image…..hahaha…damn to this young woman, she's so hot…she's very pretty to be mistaken as a boy...

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she's too hot. i can't blink when her face is in the screen. maybe because she's a warrior that's why she's so hot looking.

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the bromance btwn kang chi and gon is really hard not to ship lol

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here's my theory if how cheungjo's ship will sink and kang-yol's will sail. remember how seohwa reacted when she found out wol ryong was a mythical beast? cheung jo will react the same way, may be worse. bur seeing how yee wol had that "meh" attitude towards things, she won't be as taken aback. hence the start for kangyol ship to sail.

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That and it'll sink because her family is more important to her than he is. Getting her family honor back is going to be a more pressing issue than getting together with KC and she'll do whatever necessary to do that. Honestly CJ and KC seemed like a more adult relationship...since things won't always work out even if you love each other.

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and seeing that he is going to be blamed for the death,, even if at first she takes his side, she'll also blame him of murder. it's one thing dying for a human. but when she kearns that kangchi is a "monster" and that her father died because of the monster, she'll end up blaming him for the downfall of her family and everything. like her mother.

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I'm still curious as to how the writer will create a situation where she would have to put her family ontop of Kangchi which will force her to break up with him and allow Kangchi to properly pursue Yeowool. I'm hoping the writer would show more creativity with how she handles this (no more seohwas plzz) and not won't make CJ a complete bitch and whore. I'm hoping for this to not drag on too long. But seriously in what drama does these 2nd lovelines not drag on these days.

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I also didn't like how the dad's death was handled. He's gotta die some way or another but at least have him died protecting someone like CJ instead of KC. or have him assassinated while KC was occupied with the other guys. Writer why must you pull another seohwa???!!
This episode felt a bit choppy compared to the rest. A little less flashback cuts would be appreciated.
Seunggi's crying scene at the end~~ aww..reminds me of his intense crying scene towards the end of K2H. Suzy is gonna prove that she needs more than just a blank pretty face to play DW. I'm liking her character but she's seems like Suzy playing DW not DW.
However despite some flaws in this episode, I'm looking forward to the next episode as the drama begins its phase of misery. The preview so far looks pretty epic with lots of pathos. And hopefully MS's death is the last of the seohwas the writer is pulling..though I'm starting to doubt it.

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The scenes with Kang Chi and Gon together are so funny....lol...love it...
Thanks for the recap jb....

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everyone needs to chill on yeo wool's case. regardless of her being a woman in joseon era, it's pretty obvious that she was trained to be a soldier or like a soldier. and showing emotions and girly feels are not very sightly for a soldier. especially if s/he is the/an heir of a military commander. may be she was trained to get rid off her emotions so she wouldn't be as weak as she was when she was little. I think that's common sense.

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I like Yeo Wool!!! more of her please.......

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I feel bad for YW and Gon. Seems like everyone has more than a set of clothes other than them two.

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I didn't feel there was any drop in cohesiveness in this episode. About the only thing that was somewhat unsatisfying was how Lord Park died, which was very effective dramatic scene but didn't make all that logical sense if one thinks about it.

I think that the one problem might be that this show is packing and tackling on 3-4 drama's worth of plot lines and themes all at the same time. There's the backbone of the story, the fantastical mythology of gumihos, and then there's the love tragedy between KC and CJ as well as budding romance between KC and YW (not to mention Gon as the third point in the triangle) with all the requisite childhood connections. Then there's the political intrigue with Yi Soon Shin and Jo Kwan Woong, and the revenge angle between KC and Jo Kwan Woong. When a show tries to do too much, it sometimes ends up leaving things in unsatisfying states.

But so far, I think they are doing a laudable job keeping audience engaged and entertained. And with such an effective villain like JKW and protagonist with such a fascinating backstory, I think this show will remain wonderfully entertaining to the end.

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So basically we're in the timeline leading to the Imjin Wars (aka failed Japanese Invasions)? Since there's the true Yi Soon-shin, and the King in this story (forgot who he was) was basically a jerk.

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oh...! I love it! except the middle part of this episode. It was totally boring but the ending was a total winner! I hated the fact that Lord Park died. He was my favorite character so far.

OBSERVATION: History repeats itself?

1. Lord Evil framed Lord Park for treason. It happened before.
2. Lord Evil liked Lord Park's daughter (eeewww!)

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thanks Javabeans!!^^ now off to watxh the raw ep5..hehe ;)

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O.M.G...The sleeping beast is woken up.. (>__<)

For Gumiho transformation, His father with Gold eyes and Son with Green eyes. Different transformation, but I like both of them~

I like this episode. The best appearance of Lee Kang Chi.

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oh, by the way! I forgot to mention it before, but isn´t the Kang-Chi - Cheung Jo line very much like Heathcliff - Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights? Except it shoulkd supposedly take a different turn...

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I appreciate your hard work and logical comments! I'm your comments fan!

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Wow Kagebunshin technique!

Liking the actions :OOOO
kind of crap the daddy died in his arms now the nine tails will unleashed.

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Ha ha! Glad I'm not the only one who keeps thinking about Naruto watching this :)

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