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Master’s Sun: Episode 6

With a brand new beau and a lollipop to prove that he’s sweet on her, our heroine sets out to live her dream as a regular girl with a regular life. Easier said than done, of course, when the dead come knocking with unfinished business, and she finds that the choice isn’t as easy as she thought it’d be. Can she turn a blind eye to the things she can see, or is there no unseeing the pain of others?

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Hong Dae-kwang – “You and I” for the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 6 RECAP

After receiving her lollipop declaration of “I’ll be brave/You be strong,” Gong-shil runs in slow motion to her bodyguard in shining armor. Her hair’s behaving way too poetically for this to be real.

Kang Woo turns around and she tells him that she’s ready now, and she’s found the strength to tell him the truth. She takes a breath, and then confesses that she can see ghosts. She asks if that changes how he feels, and he declares grandly: “You could tell me you’ve been abducted by aliens. It wouldn’t matter.” Hahaha.

And then he grabs her for a hug as the camera swirls around them, revealing a circle of ghosts clapping for the happy couple. A UFO beams down a light for the cherry atop this crazy dream sundae.

In real life, Gong-shil asks, “Couldn’t this dream become a reality?” What’s even better is that it’s not a dream, but a fantasy she’s describing to Joong-won. HA.

He says her chances aren’t exactly high, and she pouts that she once met a crazy guy at the asylum who swore he had been abducted by aliens, and even he found a wife to love him. Joong-won takes issue with her calling anyone else crazy, and Gong-shil says she was totally open-minded and went UFO-hunting with him and everything, and when she told him she could see ghosts, he called her crazy first.

Joong-won deadpans that she could’ve been abducted by aliens, and she agrees that it was dangerous after all, since ghosts are real, so anything’s possible. I love that Joong-won spits out these sarcastic remarks, she takes them at face value, and then it just infuriates him all the more. He grumps that talking to her turns him into an idiot.

She wonders if Kang Woo will believe her like Joong-won did, and he offers a piece of genuine advice (I do like how he’s her romance coach, even if he’s reluctant about it): ask Kang Woo if he believes in ghosts first, before just dumping the whole truth on his lap.

She flits away happily, musing that she never thought something so sweet could ever happen to her, and he tells her to go be sweet with Kang Candy all she wants.

But then when she really leaves, he mutters to himself that it used to take three tries to get her to go, but now she’s leaving at one. As soon as he says it though, she’s back for more questions, and he ends up having to fill his get-lost quota anyway. He decides it’s a good thing that she’ll stick to sweet Kang Candy and leave him alone.

On her way home that night, Gossip Man jumps out at her in the alley, and she pelts him with her bag and goes running the other way. Turns out Kang Woo brought a few coworkers home for a visit, with Uncle VP’s assistant in tow because she’s being a spy.

As they sit down to eat, Gong-shil apologizes to Gossip Man, letting it slip that she didn’t think he was a person, but that naturally leads the conversation into ghost stories, and everyone takes turns talking about their spooky encounters.

Gong-shil notes that Kang Woo remains silent throughout, and she asks if he doesn’t like ghost stories. He says he hates them, and thinks that anyone who believes in that crap is stupid and pathetic. Oh noes.

Gong-shil frowns, her dreams of hugging Kang Candy under a UFO beam floating away with every word. But when Kang Woo storms off to the bathroom, he jumps at his own reflection, revealing just how frightened he was by their stories. Hm, a crack in the Mr. Perfect armor?

Meanwhile, Aunt is busy playing matchmaker with Joong-won and Yi-ryung, and all it really takes is for him to hear that Yi-ryung is going to inherit her family’s ginormous fortune, before he decides he’d like a long leisurely dinner to get to know her better.

But all Yi-ryung wants to do is talk about Gong-shil and how crazy she is, thinking that she’ll woo Joong-won away like this. He cuts her off, not giving a damn about that, and asks her to talk about her family’s plans for building a new resort. Heh.

Uncle VP is still in the office till late at night, and he stops when he hears whistling down the long, empty corridor. He follows the sound, and it leads him all the way into Gong-shil’s office.

It’s dark and there’s nothing inside, that is until he moves aside a stack of boxes. A quick flash reveals a face looking back at him, but soon it changes into a dog with glowing red eyes. It lurches and bites, and Uncle flees in terror.

He calls everyone back to the office, and the entire security team sets out to find the dog that bit him before opening tomorrow. Yi-ryung confers with Kang Woo after her date, and says that Gong-shil doesn’t seem to mean anything to Joong-won. Kang Woo says there must be a reason that he’s keeping her close, and Yi-ryung remains convinced that he likes Gong-shil and is jealous of Joong-won.

Gong-shil gets to her office, and the first thing she does is root around for her Kang Candy, relieved when she finds it. It’s broken in two though, and Joong-won can hardly contain his amusement at that. He finds a dog collar on her floor, with an army tag for the dog’s nameplate.

She sees how stressed he is about not being able to open Kingdom’s doors in the morning, so she assures him that she’ll find the dog. Her bright idea: walking around the mall with two sausages on sticks, calling the doggie’s name.

She stops to ask the other mall ghosts if they’ve seen the dog, but doesn’t get much help from them. Joong-won is scowling the whole time, until talk turns to Gong-shil’s failed attempt at telling Kang Candy the truth about ghosts. He visibly smiles to hear it went badly.

He says that all people hate ghosts, and he just lets her be around him because she’s useful. So she takes that as advice and decides she’ll find the dog to be useful to Kang Woo. Heh. You can practically hear the little boy voice in his head: You said you were going to find the dog for me.

Elsewhere in the mall, a man hides in terror. He sees Yi-ryung drop her purse nearby, and crashes into her to steal her wallet. Do they… recognize each other? It’s unclear if it’s recognition or just shock, but in any case, he goes running again, and Kang Woo gives chase.

The man scrambles for an unlocked exit, and oh, he isn’t the dog. Is it weird that I assumed he was a shape-shifter? The dog runs after him, barking and growling the whole time.

Gong-shil follows the sound and comes face to face with the dog, just as the man slips away. One of the security guards gets a look at the man’s face, and he says he was an employee at Kingdom who went off to the army.

Kang Woo finds Yi-ryung in tears, and wraps his jacket around her. He carries her away in his arms, like a big ol’ hero. She’s falling pretty hard for him, whether she likes it or not.

Gong-shil tells Joong-won that she found the dog, and sure enough, the dog is now placidly sitting next to her and letting her pet him. Kang Woo catches that bit of the conversation as he’s leaving, and wonders what she’s talking about.

Gong-shil says the dog is clearly trying to show her something, and decides that she should follow him. But Joong-won refuses to let her go running after a thief, and touches her to make the dog poof away. Aw.

She smiles to realize that Joong-won is worried about her, and grabs his hand in gratitude, saying she misjudged him. He promptly charges her for the handholding, just to cover up his involuntary bout of niceness.

Meanwhile, news reports reveal that the pickpocket is AWOL from the army. Kang Woo checks the security footage to make sure there wasn’t a dog, and then goes looking for Gong-shil. He sees her shoving something into her back pocket, and asks suspiciously what it is.

He says he overheard her telling Joong-won that she saw the dog, and she hesitates before saying he misinterpreted her, and she was talking about a person. He continues to interrogate her, asking what she’s hiding in her pocket, and she sheepishly takes out the lollipop he gave her, cracked in half.

She apologizes for letting the precious lollipop break, and runs off with her head hanging. See, now don’t you feel like a heel for giving her the third degree?

Kang Woo reports the day’s events to Daddy Joo, and then heads up to the rooftop where Gong-shil is still sighing over her broken lolli. He apologizes for being so harsh earlier, and admits that he doesn’t hate ghosts, but is afraid of them. He says he witnessed some pretty gruesome deaths in the army, and the thought that ghosts are around would be too much to bear.

He tells her not to put too much meaning in the broken candy, and says that it was meant to be eaten that way. He takes half and they share it while making moony eyes at each other. Cute.

Joong-won saunters out to his palatial garden, where suddenly the ghost dog appears in front of him. He can see it? It’s definitely the same dog. Suddenly, dancing girls appear and start singing “Nobody,” and the dog joins in. Gettin’ weird.

He tells himself it has to be a dream, but when he slaps himself, nothing happens. Finally after the third slap he darts awake, wondering why he’s having dancing dog dreams.

At the office, he orders Gong-shil to follow the dog and stop him from having strange dreams, and she refuses, wanting to ignore that part of her life now more than ever. She reaches out to touch him, but he backs away and insists he’ll go with her to fulfill the dog’s last wishes and send it on its way to doggie heaven.

Yi-ryung saunters into Kingdom and presents Kang Woo with a pair of musical tickets to thank him for last night. She starts naming a place to meet before the musical, and he wonders why she’s making plans with him. Haha, embarrassing.

She says it like it’s suuuch a chore, but that she’s willing to be his date for the evening. He just cuts her off and says he already has someone to go with. I do enjoy it when he flattens her ego.

He goes straight to Gong-shil to ask her out, and she giddily accepts, though she warns that she doesn’t do well in the dark, and might run out. Kang Woo says it isn’t a horror musical, and besides, she can always hold his arm if she’s scared. They agree to meet tonight.

Thus when Gong-shil heads out with Joong-won to follow the dog, she’s in a hurry to get this done so she won’t be late for her date. Joong-won is extra pissypants today, and insists they stop for a drink. You’re totally going to make her late on purpose, aren’t you?

He doesn’t even let her order the thing she wants at the coffee shop, and orders the same thing he always gets, because he can’t read the menu board (a fact he keeps to himself). Gong-shil asks if Hee-joo ever appears in his dreams, because she hasn’t seen her around Joong-won lately.

She asks him to talk about her in an effort to draw her out, but he refuses, saying that telling people about himself leaves him vulnerable to showing his weaknesses, and he can’t have that. She wonders if he doesn’t trust her, thinking that she’ll run off with the money. He says he doesn’t trust her in the least, but she points out that following her, following a ghost dog—that’s technically trust. Heh.

The dog leads them to a furniture store, where the AWOL soldier is crouched in a storage room, at the end of his rope. He takes out his gun and wonders aloud if he should just end it now and go to his friend.

A flashback reveals their sweet backstory at the army base. The soldier was assigned to train the army dog, and they became the best of friends, him teaching the dog to dance to his favorite girl group, and the dog coming to his rescue when his superiors bullied him. Life was tough for him, but his friendship with the dog kept him going.

One day the dog fell ill and became too old for army duty, and the soldier pleaded with the vet to save his life, promising to take him home when he got out. But the rules were strict, and he was forced to put the dog to sleep, by his own hand. Augh. That’s horrible. No wonder he’s traumatized.

Compounded with the loss, life at the base became unbearable, and he finally snapped and fought back to his superior officer and ran away.

Gong-shil says the dog is trying to stop his friend from doing something bad and raising a paw at her, but Joong-won says that if he’s armed, this is as far as they go. He makes her wait outside for the military police to arrive, but she hesitates, especially when the dog starts crying.

Joong-won reminds her that her whole goal was to ignore what she could see. He stretches out his hand: “You have a date at eight o’clock. Go home and shower and put on nice clothes and do your makeup, and go on your date like a normal woman. Isn’t that why you’re always asking me to hold onto you?”

He steps forward and urges her to take his hand, but this time it’s Gong-shil who pulls away: “I must just be a crazy woman, and it can’t be helped.” She runs inside after the dog.

Upstairs, the soldier raises his gun to his chin, and reaches down to pull the trigger. The dog races toward him, and in the last second, a beam falls from the shelf above him and the shot misfires into a feather pillow.

Joong-won hears the shot and races inside after Gong-shil. Aw. She gets shuffled along by the panicked crowd trying to leave the store, and Joong-won actually gets upstairs to the soldier before she does.

He’s met with a gun, and an agitated soldier at the other end of it. Eep. But thankfully he doesn’t seem interested in harming anyone but himself, and lets Joong-won go.

Joong-won takes two steps away before stopping with a sigh, as if Gong-shil has rubbed off on him like a terrible disease. He turns back and tosses the soldier the dog’s collar, and lies that he can see the dog’s ghost.

He says exactly what Gong-shil would’ve—that the dog is always by his side, watching over him, and that he doesn’t want his friend to do anything bad. He adds that the dog is raising one paw at him, which was their special way of telling each other that everything would be okay. The soldier breaks down in tears.

What Joong-won can’t see is that the dog is doing exactly what he’s describing. Gong-shil watches it all with tears in her eyes, as man and best friend have a heartfelt and bittersweet reunion. The SWAT team arrives just behind her, and the soldier lays down his weapon and gets carted away.

She smiles up at Joong-won, moved at what he did, while he mimes his annoyance at her. Ha. And as the soldier gets taken back to the base, he hears “Nobody” playing overhead.

Joong-won lies to the furniture store manager that they came to buy a sofa, and he suggests they look at beds too. Yes, please. They wait there until the news crew clears out, and Gong-shil says he did a pretty good job pretending he could see ghosts.

He’s watched her enough times to know the drill by the now. She asks if he’s going to keep his promise, and we see that Joong-won offered the soldier a job at Kingdom if he finished out the rest of his service without incident. Oh you big softy. (I like that his last words are, “Don’t forget pil-seung,” which is the name of the dog but is also the army salute, like he’s saying, Don’t forget your duty/allegiance.)

He sighs now that the ghost dog is smart—he saved his master AND secured him a future. Gong-shil says it was a good idea not to ignore what she saw, which only irks him more, since he was the one who ended up in the line of fire. He leans in close and warns her to listen to him next time.

He pushes her away which only makes her sit closer, and she hands him the release form from the furniture store to sign. He waves it aside and tells her to read it, and she says she already did, insisting he read his own copy.

He decides he’ll take it to his secretary, and that raises her suspicions—can’t he read? He finally admits that he can’t, asking if she’s happy to have found one of his weaknesses. She just remains quiet and looks on with sympathy, and he finally tells her the story.

He says that ever since the kidnapping, he can’t read, because they made him read out of a book the entire time he was held there. It also happened to be a book about people dying off one after another (Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None), and he grew increasingly terrified that once everyone had died and he finished reading, he’d be the last to die.

He didn’t die, but now every time he tries to read, he starts to throw up. She wonders if there’s anything she can do to make it go away, and offers up her arm for him to touch, to see if that works. Ha, cute.

She decides that she’ll help him read from now on, and takes the release form to read aloud to him. Naturally he’s a big pain in the ass about her pitch, speed, and intonation, and she can barely get through the first line.

We cut away to the neighbor boys, who return to the playground the next day. The creepy possessed doll is still right where they left it. Little Bro runs up to shake its hand, and the doll smiles back. Bah, I thought I dodged the Chucky bullet, but I guess I should be grateful it wasn’t the main ghost today. *tags javabeans* Not It!

Yi-ryung ends up buying tickets to see the same musical that night with her manager, and sees Kang Woo waiting outside. He answers a call from his boss, and she overhears him say that he’ll continue to observe Joong-won, but that he doesn’t feel comfortable lying to Gong-shil anymore, because he feels like he’s betraying her.

Oh crap. He gets off the phone and Yi-ryung comes right up to ask why he’s spying on Joong-won.

Joong-won calls Secretary Kim to pick them up, and peers over at Gong-shil, who has fallen asleep next to him. He thinks over her proposal that he try holding her hand to read, since holding his hand makes her less afraid of ghosts.

He picks up the signed release form and slowly reaches over to take her hand. He looks down at the paper, and then back over at her, and starts to lean in closer… and closer…

 
COMMENTS

Dangnabbit. You would end there. It was a sweet episode, though I was hoping for a little more advancement in the central mythology, now that there’s more for Gong-shil to worry about with ghosts and possession and being their possible window back into this plane of existence. I did like the Ghost of the Day, probably because I’m more easily moved by animal love than human love. I thought it was a shame that the dog didn’t stick around to just be Gong-shil’s ghost pet, because she could certainly use a guard dog, even if he is dead.

It was a nice reversal today to have Joong-won be the catalyst for solving the dog case, even delivering the clincher speech while posing as the ghost dog whisperer. He notably touched Gong-shil first all episode long, which is such a great way to turn a practical gesture for her (ghost-zapping) into a meaningful one for him. Try as he might to ignore the plight of others, he seems to be a caring person underneath it all. This way, he gets to be the good guy, and then blame Gong-shil instead of admitting that he has feelings. His fear of showing another person his weaknesses was a good way to make him relatable, because even though he talks about it like he’s at war and showing his soft underbelly would be a weakness that leaves him open to attack, it’s also just a simple universal fear of being honest and vulnerable.

His is pronounced, of course, with his traumatic kidnapping and all, which is why it says so much that he’s willing to tell Gong-shil about something that would make him seem weak. It really is a case of I-show-you-mine-you-show-me-yours, because all she does all day is show him her weaknesses and share her neurotic fears, and lean on him for support. My favorite thing is how she asks for his advice on her love life, and he actually advises her pretty well despite himself. I really hope he’s the first to fall hard, so they can milk as much petty jealousy out of the setup as they can. It’s telling that all she really wants is for Kang Woo to believe her like Joong-won does. And there’s no denying it anymore, even if he still calls her crazy. Like she points out, once you’re already following the crazy woman, following an invisible ghost dog… well, there’s no arguing that you’re a skeptic anymore.

The biggest step for Gong-shil was in choosing not to ignore the ghost for the first time, when she had every opportunity to take Joong-won’s hand and go meet her dashing prince on her fantasy date. For all her wishing that she could just be normal, she can’t ignore the plight of others either. And that seems to be the best balance for her—it’s not that being with Joong-won makes the ghosts disappear, but that he gives her the strength to face them. She thought she wanted them to just go poof, but what she really needs just to know that there’s a safety net in place.

 
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I looooved this episode and the randomness of the dream hehe

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Thanks for the recap.. :-)

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Yesterday's episode was better than today's imo, which was more filler than anything. But there was progression between our two leads so I can't complain!

Now for my "hand analysis" again where I'll focus near the end. Ugh, I swooned when JW held GS' hand. He already opened up to her about his weakness (which was HUGE lbr) and when he thought about her offer of holding her when reading, SJS displayed so many emotions there: apprehension, fear, hope. BUT THE WAY HE MOVED HIS HAND THOUGH. At first hovering, then slowly and gently resting it on hers, as if mirroring how he is slowly falling in love with her and how she is slowly settling on his heart. There was just something so calm and beautiful about it, like he finally found a way to regaining peace again.

I can't get too happy about the almost kiss though because this is dramaland and when an episode ends like that it's always just a tease!

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Teehee I love your hand analysis! I was giddy when that happened. I keep replaying the last scene over and over!

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I literally held my breath in that hand scene.

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Didn't we all? I seriously had hearts in my eyes hahaha.

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And the paws! The whole hand shake thing... paws are just dog hands by a different name.

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I know! You'd think all the hands and hand-related things would be too much but nope, keep them coming. Haha.

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As the ending credits rolled, I could hear the universal yells of "You blinking tease!!!" similar to the "Don't take eeeeet!" when the boy reach for Chucky.

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Should we call the doll Chukirina? Or Charlina? It is a female doll...

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Great analysis of the last scene. The walls he has up break my heart. I want to go in and knock them down, because they are so overdue for demolition. What can I say, I'm impatient and like to just get things down? ;D Gong-shil is welcome to him. I don't have any particular interest; I just hate to see people miserable and not living life to the fullest.

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Been refreshing like crazy. Yay it's here! Thanks gf! Im ready to swoon!

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Long post, but this show begs for details to be pointed out.

The episode is so filled with cute and little bits here and there that I am detecting a big gut wrenching change in tone later down the line. Even the stakes were raised in this episode. While the previous episode seems to be about raising the stakes, this one seems to be about cute before the storm and also establishing the previous plot points that were fed earlier, and reminding us they are there.

It occurred to me while I was watching this episode that Koreans tend to be touch in family relationships... in fact, in Korea, that's what makes you more human. So I kind of found it resonating here. The theme of touch was brought forward with things such as the hand shake with the dog. And at the end when he tried to read by holding her hand. Koreans can be very physical in non-romance situations. (And yes, I do know how that gets people uppity with the Western idea of Personal Space which is why I still think Super Junior's Full House clip is still some of the funniest thing I've ever seen)

The For-episode plotline seemed to run parallels with KW, though they veiled the connection a little bit as well. The shell shocked soldier seems to illuminate KW and his motivations a bit more than our main couple. I may have to watch it a few times more to see if I can hunt for the indications better.

That given the start of the episode had me laughing all the way through. It was so deliciously subversive, I had to pause to listen to the episode. The various recycled shots used in all dramas was a great parody.

Other themes I noticed they brought forward: the dog jokes were endless. The Candy jokes. The punnery. Viki did a great job of covering them.

Signatures of this episode I definitely think is the classic Hong Sisters, you are laughing while you should be crying bit and then they do a tone shift about the same thing and your heart is touched by the same beat. (Which makes me envious) I wish I could do that kind of 2 line shift without the person consuming blinking.

This is best shown through KW, whom you laughed at for being afraid of ghosts and fronting, but then you are feeling so much for him when he talks about his shell shock. This happened later with laughing a JW saying he sees the dog and laughing at the soldier crying and then one beat later you're feeling so bad for him because the ghost of his dog is there--again, there are strong parallels between the two. And this ties both the soldier and KW to the original theme of living versus being dead. KW in a way was also dead while living--an empty shell as well, which ties him nicely and thematically to GS.

The little beats I love throughout are the references to Wolf boy, Whispering Cooridors (though I think it's meant as a subtle pun with whistling corridors--they matched a shot from the first movie.), the chopsticks used to signal trouble (chopstick upright stabbed in food like that invites death and trouble, like in Chinese lore.), The popsicles used as dousing rods, the dog dancing and the Wonder Girls showing up (anyone notice it's the same place used to shoot YAB???), and of course JW saying he sees the dog in his stiff voice. I do want to know if the whole alien sequence was a reference to a movie. It feels like a meta reference... anyone know? (It reminds me of Love Phobia, an older movie, but it may be more recent?)

Plus the whole reason he can't read tied back with the classic one beat laughing next beat feeling for him.

On clothes: I think the green and the blue at the end are significant. She's the sky, like the sun and he's the grass, and the ground. At the end they "meet". like the sky and the ground through touching. So maybe our sun is getting free from the darkness. In this episode he also acted like the ground as well. At least I thought so. He gives her a safe place to hide (like the sun hides behind the ground), and he gave her advice which she highlighted in this episode. It makes me feel like both characters are starting to live more, but maybe KW is being left behind since he's only worn black, even when meeting for a date or lounging around... There were a lot fewer nighttime scenes overall too...

And that doll is super, duper creepy. OMG. Without using the usual horror conventions they nailed it.

Also KISSS HERRRRR~.

And for whatever record, I watched ALL of the Hong Sisters dramas pretty much as they were coming out.

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Haha! I was waiting for your post! Your comments are very enlightening and I thoroughly enjoy them! Thanks for sharing!

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Kim Yoonmi, please please please write analyses for every episode of this series!!! It's always nice to see your deductions!

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I second this KimYM, please do. I'd subscribe. ;-)

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Thanks.

It's fun reading your thoughts. LIke the recap, reading the perspective of other viewers really adds to the experience.

I hope he doesn't kiss her. I love that he wants to kiss her, but I hope it doesn't happen.

I find the trope in J-dramas/k-drams of kissing sleeping women in whom you don't have an established physical relationship with disturbing. I notice it a lot in Japanese drama and when I see it either creeps me out or if the drama has set it up well, it leaves me conflicted.

When the drama is working well the audience knows the heroine would want the kiss so we root for it. But we also know that the hero usually has no way of truly knowing the heroine's desire so their is an ick factor. Therefore the Sleeping Beauty moment becomes an act of intimate physical contact without permission.

The hand kiss in IHYV really hurt my heart. I so wanted it to happen, but I also knew at it core the behavior was a serious transgression.

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@Yumi

Which is why my favorite kiss in IHYV is when she initiated the peck.

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Yes, IHYV young and fresh the kiss here sort of creepsss.. but its fine. I couldn't say if this series is better than IHYV, because Hong Sister starts to be a big mess when Episode 13-16 starts.. yah know what I mean the noble idiocy. And the makjang.

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What I would like is for her to wake up and kiss him instead, thinking it's a dream or some such. Or some subversion since she's more sexually forward.

But Hong Sisters like reversals... no matter the theme and the pacing. The tone shifts they do are amazing. So I'll trust them to deal with the kiss properly.

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I don't think she's more sexually forward though. She's definitely more inclined to touch him - because she sees it (at this mo) as nothing more than something that helps her repel ghosts. No sexual connotations, whatsoever.

Of course, that will change...

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She's definitely more sexually aware, though. 'cause of the talk with the stuff animal... am I the only one that remembers that? Also she had little to no objections to the idea of actually sleeping with him in a physical relationship when her sister suggested it.

The whole dialogue about the should I sleep with him and try to get a balance of yin-yang bit. And then worried if she does she'll lose her "hideout".

She also had no objections to waking up next to him either. He had more objections overall. Usually it's the woman screaming and OMG, did we do it, but here she's like Oh, yeah... Well, no biggie.

She's definitely more sexually aware and has no qualms with it compared to the usual female lead who is borderline prudish and ignorant. "I've never had a boyfriend before" type.

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@ Celery I think you are right
and I think KimYoonmi have a point.

Gong-Sil is not sexually moved by Joong-Woo at this point. She loves touching him, because it feels good and keeps ghost away.

And although Gong-sil was fantasizing about getting his energy, it didn't really seem about him, so much as following her sister advice and keeping the ghost as bay.

She is more practical, grounded and honest about her sexuality to herself. But I'm not sure that leads to her taking action in a relationship. [Even though it does seem to make it more likely]

He is beginning [to play with Kimyoonmi metaphor] to be brought back to life emotionally. Or in Coffee Prince Speak--he is being shaken my her. They both linger on the residual tingle that results from their touching, but her lingering seem more joyful and 'innocent' knowing she as a fortress against ghosts. His lingering seems very specific to what THIS woman is making him feel. HER touch awakens/revives him, and so far he always felt the need to tamps it back down.

I'd say right now he is beginning to see her as a woman, and she is seeing him as a human being/friend/counselor and safe harbor.

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Oops, I was about to reply and then I saw @yumi's response so I wouldn't repeat what has already been mentioned.

Like @yumi, I never thought her idea of sleeping with him amounted to anything sexual in nature, despite the ying/yang talk - it's more literal than anything. To her, it's merely just the act of sleeping together - like how she would with a pillow or toy doll - which is why she has zero objections about waking up next to him. On the other hand, he's well aware of the "sexual" implications of having slept next to a lady he's not familiar with - well, mostly because he's definitely more well-adjusted socially and has no supernatural crap to deal with. (Not saying that she's sexually repressed or anything, but girl really has bigger issues to think about.)

At the end of the day, I can't come to the conclusion that she's more sexually forward or aware pertaining to her current actions towards JW because I see no element of sexuality in it. Until it comes to play and she takes action motivated by it - more so than the male lead -, then I can say, okay, yep, she's defo more aggressive than him in that sense.

That's her battle - to see him more than a ghost repeller. It's definitely going to come later than JW's awakening because of reasons that have already been mentioned here and there.

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It's missing the comparison aspect.

Her aversion to actually going through with it isn't an aversion to sex, per se. It's the loss of him and using him as a person, which would make her spiral.

More it's the comparison to other main female leads who usually have to act innocent and hand overturned on forehead I'm pointing to here.

She's definitely no prude at all.

While there isn't an emotional connection, this isn't her main reason for saying no. Nor any kind of sexual aversion at all. She doesn't say, "Omg, I don't want to show him my naked body." It's her loss of safe hide out if it doesn't work and a way to get out of the mess she's in.

Her kissing him, isn't that far off of a reverse from most main female leads who are like *blink* *blink* what's sex? Or the even funnier WTF Paris take on it. >.<;; If the woman is tired, obviously... obviously, she doesn't need a real exorcism. keke. ^.~

The usual reason set forward in other dramas like these is that the female lead doesn't want to do the act of sex itself *blush* "Oh stop it! How could I with him~" Also followed by "I'm not sure if I like him. If he force kisses me and I scream no, does that mean I like him?" *sighs* Gong Sil is definitely aware of her attraction to him physically as a place, but also aware that she kinda likes him more than that as with the talk with the doll in her bedroom. "You can't see him more than that. You'll lose your hiding place."

It's the exact comparison to other female leads of this kind outside of the Hong Sisters Universe that I'm pointing to. This makes her definitely more sexually aware and a lot more sexually forward that the majority of female leads in K-dramaland. And also more likely to do the kissing than be kissed than previously.

If she were to kiss him first, I would have no problem with that story-wise with only cursory set up. In the other scenario with the submissive blushing girl, I'd have more issues (besides the total lack of understanding...)

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That's my point exactly.

Until sexual connotations comes to play for her, and then if she's forward about it and does not act prudish/shy from a real touch that's sexual in nature/takes blatant initiative with an act that speaks volumes about an obvious physical attraction, then I would say okay, she IS more sexually forward than him or any other female characters that are coming into the romance with obvious physical/sexual attraction to the male lead.

Her lack of spatial awareness and how it can make the male lead uncomfortable stems from the fact that she doesn't see it any more than comfort - like how one would grab onto someone close by when in a scary situation. Not that she's adverse to sex, but at this point in time, sexual aversion/attraction does not exist even as a concept, pertaining to their interactions.

Right now, it's clear that sleeping together with him is not sleeping together in that... banal sense. It's probably going to muddle her thoughts in the upcoming eps, but I don't see it happening in the current eps. She's probably going to get apprehensive about touching him when the other obvious motives pop out, but it's definitely not happening. Yet.

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I don't think he's trying to kiss her (at least I hope that's the case.) The timing is just not right. I think he's just being curious about her and leaning in to see her face up close.

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They've both verbally wondered at the possibility of a sexual relationship, the idea has stayed with JW almost despite himself whereas TS decided it was a bad idea and for the most part has friendzoned him. KW has her attention.

I'm pretty sure the secretary is going to be the interruption and I'm hoping he'll tease JW about molesting sleeping women. The reaction or non reaction to the Sleeping Beauty Kiss bothers me. A parental kiss on the forehead is sweet but the same act takes on a disturbing undertone when there's a sexual component.

That he wants to kiss her makes my inner 13 year old squeal and flail but what I'm really taking away from the scene is he wants her to be his hideout too.

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I think the saucer is pretty stereotypical alien stuff--Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET both had one that was about the same.

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The line you won't hate me even if I'm an alien from the opening was one taken from Love Phobic (It's a sad movie, BTW), but the line about the man who married a woman and built a castle, I think has to be a specific reference to a movie... feels like it.

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Ahh! I missed typing one point. That is that KW is the one doing all the scheming. And our second female lead (Our Little Sun) is acting so air headed that it's subverting like crazy all of the stereotypes of second female leads. I think I'm in love with that, which really came forward in this episode. She offered him tickets in the classic second lead gives female second lead tickets, and then did a total reversal.

I knew they wanted to try evil second male lead eventually, but this is far more clever than I thought they would go.

Our Second female lead is air headed, easily manipulated, also has been living like she's dead in a way... wears less make up than our main female lead, acts more innocent than our main female lead, acts hurt more than our main female lead, wears more simple clothes, generally than most second female leads (the parody was sharp on this several times.) And she does zero scheming. Only follows what other people say. It's a great paordy as well as a subtle look at forwarding feminism...

While our Second Male lead is scheming away, trying to break up our main couple, yet I don't hate him. Yet he's doing everything the second female lead usually does. I actually feel for both second leads.

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There is a lot of subversion in the second lead role.

[Aside: I cannot for the life of me tell the difference between Yi-rung and VPUncle assistant. They both look very similar to me. At first I thought it was Yi-rung at the after work hang-out]

1- Yi-rung's interest in Joong Won is perfunctory. She's trying to disrupt a relationship between Joong-Won and Gong-Sil that doesn't even exists. She has no interest in Joong-Wong and is only acting on vengeance against Gong-Sil and even so she is very easily distracted from that goal whenever Kang-woo shows upl [It's like she has a severe case of ADD and keeps forgetting to take her Adderral]

2- Both female leads are focused on the second lead male at this point, but only Yi-rung is interested in Kang-Woo specifically. Gong-Sil is just entranced with the idea of a man recognizing her as a woman. I suspect she would have responded similarly to Gossip Guard had he approached her. So at this point, Gong Sil is more interested in her own reawakened femininity than any specific person.

3-I'm also not sure that Yi-rung is that committed to vengeance against Gong-Sil, her behavor comes off as more pro-forma than invested, so as a disruptor of the OTP. eh?

I think she will be more invested in disrupting Gong-Sil and Kang-Woo's relationship, but I doubt if he will let her until late in the game, if at all.

4-Yi-Rung doesn't have that exalted sense of entitlement that often comes with the second female lead. Her year of playing second fiddle to Gong-Sil makes her more human in her privilege. Additionally Kang-Woo's refusal to see her as a goddess deflates her ego repeatedly.

So the classic Rom-Com love triangle dynamics seem to have been shift from the first male lead and the first and second female leads to the second male lead and the leading women.

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Yes! So spot on. I love what you added.

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It's interesting what you said about Yi Reung living like she was dead because as I watched her, I felt that she only really came alive during her interactions with Kang Woo.

Most of the time, she is parody of what we have come to be a second female lead (well except when she was doing the Fire ad .. pfffttt). But when she is with Kang Woo, she is endearing and klutzy because he exposes past her delusions of grandeur to that lost, vulnerable little girl still huddling in the shade.

I also like how the actress is making a distinction when she is in full battle gear (makeup, killer heels & body molding outfits) and when she is in sweats. She's obviously thought out her body language for this role and kudoes to her.

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I love reading your analyses. Keep 'em coming!

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Oh my gosh, woman! You are sooooooo good!

Love your posts.

I'll just add that I really liked the way it touched on abuse and alienation in army hierarchical settings. I love it when we see the plight of soldiers being dealt with. And after the soldier leaves that army, he will end up in the Kingdom...how good is that?

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Just one question: what Super Junior full house clip? I just googled SJ FH and got a whole show! :-)

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It's the one where they learn English, which is episode 7. It's some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen, but the whole show is pretty educational on Korean views of foreigners v. us model. (though obviously not that serious) My friend at the time it came out agreed with the contrasts (She grew up in Korea... I only grew up there for a few years).

BTW, the "teacher" is very well known in Korea.

Also highlights thought on how do you learn a language, which culturally changes...

"Don't get me wrong... You look like Nicholas Cage."

Siwon is in it... very young~~ Hee Cheol was the actor at the time too... Hee Cheol and Hyun Joong have some bits where their image was similar...

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Also - the whole toilet ghost clogging up the toilet -- anyone else thing Moaning Myrtle?

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The doll reminds me of The Conjuring HAHAHAHAHA I HATE IT xDD

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Thanks for the recap.

It great to see the big sun ray's getting brighter.

And I was so glad he gave her great advice about introducing the idea of ghost to Kang-woo.

So far the Tae-yang and Goong-Woo only want the best for each other. Well in Joong-Woo's case so long as it doesn't cost him financially.

I hope that continues, because that how love should be, wanting the best for the one you love.

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Lol, This drama should be nick named the hand drama because everybody's always talking about hand movements and about how nice So Ji Sub's hands are:)
There's something about Joo Joong 1 falling for Tae Yang first that's clutches at my heart and adds on the the addicting factor. I really liked the last thing and I'm surprised he liked her so fast.
This episode was enjoyable although a bit..weird, hahah. I like animals don't get me wrong, but I've never had a pet so I can't understand why people get so emotional over dying pets. It's not that I don't feel for them but more that I have to experience it for myself to understand.

I have some questions though. Did anybody make any analysis between today's ghost story and the main couple? I know yesterday, some other watchers made connection between yesterday's story and the main otp couple and I was just wondering if anyone picked up something else because I really enjoy reading people's interpretation of things, haha:)

My other question is, what happened to the Beauty ghost? I was really interested in that arch and disappointed it was just...cut off? I remembered again because in the beginning when the ghost are gathering and cheering Kang Woo and Taeyang on, the beauty ghost is part of them, lol.

Anyway, this feeling of excitement towards a rom com has been missed. I really missed being impatient and waiting for an exciting rom com drama! Don't mess up!

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And also, the part where Joo Joong 1 gives her advice was my favorite. It was actually insightful and I found myself taking notes! I'm going to use that tactic next time I have a big secret i want to tell someone I like, lol

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I think the beauty ghost was a different kind of arc. It helped to foreshadow what we learned yesterday, that not all ghosts just want to be helped and then go off in peace. Some have much more selfish and sometimes sinister motivations.

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I would call the Beauty Ghost a jinn. I'd say the same for the Chuckarina doll.

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Already covered the parallels here. Thematically it also worked with yesterday's episode of unfinished business too. (With some sharply dark humor in places.) That was really cruel with him putting down the dog...

The beauty ghost merely moved on to a person that JW didn't care about. The Beauty ghost showed up in an earlier episode, if you remember, going up the escalator, so I think they will simply continue.

This episode also made it clear that some ghost's problems you can't really resolve, like the man flipping the trash lid.

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I really like that aspect of the world-building, that there are all sorts of ghosts or spirits everywhere. I mean, death is a fact of life, and she can't send all the ghosts everywhere on, so it's nice to see that not all of them are terribly dissatisfied with their lot.

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I was actually curious about the beauty ghost and if and when it would return. It feels like an open arc that might recur.

Additionally, I expect/am looking forward to coffee ghost playing some greater role in future episode than he does now. I mean for all the coffee she buys him, I think he needs to pay off that debt with some assistance in the future.

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BTW, main couple connection is him reading people who gradually died and the PTSD he got from the kidnapping, if you need that main couple connection. But girlfriday already went over that a bit.

Still, the main connection I still see as KW with the soldier given the matching little beats from laughing at the character to feeling for him. Makes this episode a bit surprisingly political in a fashion.

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I glimpsed the beauty ghost in the circle of ghosts clapping in the opening dream scene, but that one might just be around forever, fed by people's vanity. I want to see what happens when he latches onto a man, though. That would be funny.

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"I want to see what happens when he latches onto a man, though."

OMG let this happen please!

I'm glad you mentioned seeing the beauty ghost in the circle. I saw it too, and thought it was confirmation that it is most definitely still around and not just "forgotten" conveniently.

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First off, the dog was NOT a pet - it was a military dog. But there were a host of other issues I had with that ghost of the week thing also.

1. Nobody in their right mind would put down a trained military dog because it's "keeper" screwed up. That whole scene was just stupid.
2. I am not sure why I am supposed to sympathize with the deserter. Could someone explain that to me?

The weekly ghost in ep5 was not bad, the one with the high school girls was just hokey.

While I love the dialogue and the (not so) veiled references to past horror movies and scenes, the puns, the double entendres, etc. - a lot of the "filler" stuff is just lame.

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I understood the scene as the dog was either ill or suffering the effects of aging. Di I miss something?

The bond between service animals and their human partners are quite strong and if Korea does it the same way as many other countries do, these dogs are placed with their partners at an early age and the pairing is often life long, and quite often if one partner is killed the other is traumatized. Was this soldier a 2 year guy or a career guy to have such a partnership? He didn't appear to be a career guy to me, just saying.

All that said, I do not know how Korea handles aging service animals. I am no expert and I think things have changed some in the US in the last decade, but I do not think it was or is uncommon for aging military dogs to be put down.

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I am not sure about Korea either, but quite often in the US Army the dogs are put up for adoption, usually to the trainer. (At least it used to be so, but things may have changed since I got out or the military).

To me, the soldier seemed to be totally unfit for service, and the requirements at least in the US are pretty high to be a dog handler. So I basically did not buy that whole scenario.

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The closing remarks for the episode states that at present, the Korean Military is working on having military dogs put up for adoption or place them in a better place if they can to ensure their continuing welfare. So it could be, that the current situation still sees some dogs putting down if deemed unfit for service.:(

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Well, since South Korea's military service requirements take in all adult men who are physically fit/don't have debilitating conditions that could act up, I can see how someone so obviously unsuited to the army ended up in it for his 2-year term.

And yeah, the putting-the-dog-down storyline was rather....I don't think armies have done that since the Nazis (who went one up and made it worse - they apparently used to force recruits to raise and then shoot dead a dog)

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My department recently received a former military dog - at seven years old, it was rotated out of military service and offered to us.

Our particular dog is being retrained for use in explosive sniffing, and was assigned to one of our trained canine officers whose previous dog was retired from police service. That dog is still with the same handler now as a household dog.

We don't put down our horses or our dogs, but find them homes outside the department.

You're right, though, it may be different in other countries.

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In the U.S. military dogs were still being put down in the early 2000's. I recall one case but can't remember specifics other than the dog was no longer fit for duty because it had aging issues, like arthritis or something-the human partner made some noise-but the appeal failed.

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LOVED IT~

Thank you for the recap!

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It is in no way weird that you thought the soldier was a shape shifter...mostly cause that was my first though too :) My second was that the dog was possessing him which led my fear that the dog was about to possess Gong Shil next...glad I was wrong.

I think this is the first drama where rather than rooting for the lead or suffering Second Lead Syndrome, I'm actually just rooting for our heroine. Every time she is happy I'm so happy for her. I just want whatever she wants :)

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Ooh, that's true. I think at the moment, rather than rooting for a couple, I'm rooting for all four characters to grow as individuals. And on the way, they'll fall in love :')

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"I’m actually just rooting for our heroine. Every time she is happy I’m so happy for her. I just want whatever she wants" Yeees this so much!!

In dramas, I usually like the couple or the man, the heroines are good but they dont win me over. But Gong Shil is just amazing. I like Joong-won too, but she is the number one.

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I want her to get Both guys. I mean I want Both guys to fall hard for her, and Gossipy Han as well. They can all fight for her favor.

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Yes Gong Shil is just amazing. She is charisma ... I wach in "Pasta in Love"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBNQQReqq58

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Yes Gong Shil is just amazing. She has charisma ... I wach in "Pasta in Love" ^^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBNQQReqq58

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Same here, I care so much for Gong Shil in this drama and I didn't know to what extent until this episode. I was afraid of the possibility of Gong Shil being possessed by the dog and was relieved when that ended up not being the case. And when she decided to confront the ARMED soldier I was freaking out in case she got hurt...and I attribute that to the way the character has been written as well as Gong Hyo-Jin's acting, so warm and so relatable! I love that she is developing well as a character, that she is starting to understand that she cares for the plights of the ghosts that haunts her more than she has convinced herself to believe. I love that she has shifted her understanding of what Jong Won means to her, that he is not a solution to her problems but is a safety net in case her encounters with ghosts get too overwhelming. And I love that Jong Won is doing the same, shifting his perspectives from seeing Gong Shil's crazy ghost seeing abilities as a 10 billion dollar asset to his company to considering Gong Shil as a possible companion who he is starting to feel comfortable sharing his experiences with. Although I would love there to be more romance, touching and kisses will satisfy my greatly, it makes me so happy to see both our hero and heroine growing from their interactions with each other and that is what makes their relationship so addicting to watch.

That's it, I have officially been put under the spell of these two actors. Miss Gong Hyo-Jin! I can't believe I have not noticed you before, now I think I love you. And So Ji-Sub is shaping up to be quite an engaging watch as well. Sorry for the long reply, I was just so happy to see that there were others who have grown as attached to the heroine as I have, hence the verbal regurgitation :P

Oh and thanks GF for the smart and funny recap. Such a pleasant read as always :)

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I agree! I said somewhere else (because I can't quite stop looking Master's Sun up anywhere I can on the internet) that Joo Joong Won became more handsome the more I watched and then I looked up his profile on dramafever's web and in his pictures there is one with him holding a camera that I think it made time stop for just a moment! Wow, he looks so different but holy moly after that I just think that I went mad, lol!
But anyway, his acting made me notice him immediately in this drama, simply because you can almost see the wheels turning and his deep thoughts and he acts with his eyes, too, so I really like how talented he is.
The actress that plays Gong Shil, is equally riveting and as someone else mentioned, so good at making you believe this character really exists and is feeling these emotions. She really gets into a role! And like Joo Joong, she became even prettier as this drama has progressed.

I only wish that in the previous episode where he hugged her amidst the bus wreck, that Kang Woo would have been walking home and witnessed it, adding to his curiosity and jealousy and making him slowly put the pieces together, or something like that, since I have had a few days to think of nothing else (even when I probably should be, Lol). Maybe I just want to play up the drama (like there isn't enough :)).

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YES. AGREED. more more AND some more petty jealousy plssss :D haha can't wait for next week's episodes :3

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Over on Good Doc, we have a Dog-Girl; Here, we've a Dog-Ghost; On 2 weeks, our runaway hero literally runs into a woman in labor, in the hills, in the middle of nowhere! IDK.

Is having a Dog-ghost cute? Or is it the writers being 'at the end of their rope/wits'? Why do I find it a bit stupid, a bit trite?

I can almost hear the two writers working backwards: We need a ghost that would jeopardize an event in the mall. What could it be? We've had many ghosts and will have more; For the sake of variety, why not have a Dog-ghost? The relationship between Dog and owner will be sure to tuck at heartstrings too. A bonus. Dog-ghost it is then.

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For me, the ghost dog tied back to her being possessed by a dog earlier, the dog jokes, and also that they are aiming firmly for Buddhism.

'cause in Buddhism you can be reborn from other animals who have legitimate souls. They treated it as such here too.

It's a under current of world building without getting the hammer and railroad spike.

I would think it's more like, We mentioned a dog and dog jokes--how can we meta capitalize on it? Wolf boy! No! No! We need more meta than that. Aliens! And do you remember Love Phobia? Most of the Hong Sister dramas work a lot like that you can definitely see it with the most pitiful character they ever wrote. The potato. OMG, I cried at the potato.

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Hey, at least it's not a Ghost Shark. After watching that show, I am not nearly as critical of Kdrama.

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@KDaddict:

I have to agree with you on this. Dog-ghost is just... cheesy (throw in AWOL soldier with a rifle going amok in a shopping centre, cheesier). Not that I don't feel for dog owners around the world who have gone through the same plight, but I was cringing whenever Nobody was playing in the ep. So jarring AND cheesy.

I know they are shaking it up because yunno, human ghosts (done), possession (done; exploring), inanimate ghoulish objects (on the way) but I was hoping it would have been subtler. I know the Hong Sisters aren't for subtle but when it comes to orchestrating heartwarming, feel-good stories, you really need subtlety.

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I found this week's dog ghost soooo annoying. Hated it. Esp. when they crowned all this lonely-human-loves-his-doggy with forcing him to euthanize his own dog. We all know the image of the Korean army, but that was way over the top, don't you think?

I only stay with this show for the smokin' hot lead couple and very well written interaction of those two. (Honorary mention of So Ji Sub's hands. A visual feast.)

The whole ghost concept just doesn't do it for me. The second leads' story line is boring and weak. Also Candy Kang spilling out his utmost secret in public (Yes, daddy, I'll continue to spy on Kingdom's CEO.)? Yeah, right.

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Yeah, that was pretty aggravating that he would have to euthanize his own dog.

But then, I wondered: if he's in a K-9 unit, then perhaps that's his responsibility? It seems cruel, but if a K-9 soldier is in the field, the dog is so badly injured it can't be moved safely, then they'd probably be required to euthanize their canine partner themselves.

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TQ for this thought. I was all bent out of shape that he was forced to put his dog to sleep. I know I'd go bonkers too if I was forced to do that to my dog, and thought the army totally inhumane. But yeah, it'd be the dog-handler soldier's responsibility, I suppose.

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@kdaddict Basically, that poor guy is not really cut out to be a soldier. Unfortunately, he has to suffer his two years, just we all have to suffer some bad time of our lives.

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I thought about it, but then again, shouldn't it be the duty of each soldier to kill a man? Cause in war that will be his job, too. This is a situation you can not train. Be it dog or human. The vet could have given an explanation, but although this guy was clearly distressed and hurt, they forced him to do it. Or the writers forced him to trigger something in the audience. But it didn't make me feel for him, it may have turned me away from the series even more.

Could someone please explain to me, why the dog was presented as an evil creature in the beginning? Or were we supposed to see the soldier as dog, because the Vice President was clearly bitten by a human? Confusing and unanswered. As I said, I am not happy with this ghost concept.

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@TS,
I agree that that guy isn't cut out to be a soldier. In a country with mandatory MS, everyone has to go, and the mentally weaker ones crack, given one push or another.

@Newbie,
The dog was presented as evil creature at the beginning? U mean in the store room in the dark, when JW's Uncle found him? I think the soldier was hiding in there, eating GS's sandwich and crackers, and the dog-ghost was there with its master. So when Uncle walked in on them in the dark, the dog-ghost scared away the Uncle to protect its master. But it was the guy who bit Uncle, seeing the bite marks were small and shallow, very unlike a German Shepard's bite!

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@KAddict Yes, that's what I meant. They showed us a dog with glaring red eyes. Only Gong-shil is able to see the ghosts in this drama, nobody else, yet the VP was convinced, that he saw a dog. He went to the room because of whistling. Who whistled? The hiding soldier? Lame.

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That entire scenario with the K-9 and deserting soldier was just so lame and stupid that it ranked up there with some scenes from Kung-Fu Grandmothers. If those ghost of the week things don't get better I may end up giving up on this one, despite my liking for the actress.

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The military aspect was added to parallel Kang-woo's PSTD.

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It seems odd,but why do I feel good doctor stoiy have connection with master sun and 2 weeks. in good doctor have dog girl story, meanwhile in master sun have dog ghost. Also in good doctor, CHJ play as doctor (director) and he plays as doctor too in 2 weeks. Lol

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I think I'm just a big sucker for animal friendship stories (and all my childhood dogs were German Shepherds) because this ghost story moved me in a way none of the others have. No it didn't contribute as much to the overall story arc the way the Ghost Matchmaker lady story did last ep., but I loved the reversal with Joong Won and the speech, and I was in tears over the dog reunion.

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I felt the same, I was in tears by the end of it all and was quite satisfied with the ghost story this episode, the part where the dog was offering his paw to his master one last time? I couldn't even see through my tears by then. I guess different stories resonate with different people, and this one seemed to have resonated with me stronger than previous episodes could.

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It tugged at mine, to the point where I found Taeyang and Joong Woo really annoying. I also super-felt for the soldier and his getting bullied and then his PTSD.

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Yunno, a dog ghost was coming one way or another. I'm surprised one hasn't shown up in Who Are You yet.

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I have been waiting for the dog to show up. There was no way this show was not going to work in the pesky dog aspect. Totally Scooby Doo love all up in this drama.

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Okay this episode was a winner for me. I like all four leads' personalities (even the male spy, he's hilarious in everything - I hope he gets a major role soon), and the way they're being revealed to us.

I was impressed with Joong Won being all Dog Whisperer, because you can see the strength of his character in the way he talks slowly to the man with a gun. It would've been a flashback to the worst period of his life, and we can see the way it still haunts him - sure he's probably repressing his memories, which is why he can't/won't read - but he's still making huge strides in trying to be 'normal' in society. He's overcoming obstacles instead of shying away from them. And he's got a grip on reading people, due to the fact he's always been surrounded by sycophants.

Kang Woo's back story was understandable and real too. The Hong Sisters might not have layers of meaning and be the most nuanced of writers, but I've always appreciated how they bring human nature out in a humorous way. All of these characters are trying so hard to be normal - and most of the time, they're able to - but it doesn't mean they don't have chinks in their armour. He's scared of ghosts, he has nightmares, he's needed to see a psychologist.

Yi Ryung has always lacked self esteem due to bullying in high school. She knows she's gorgeous and rich, but that won't stop her from second guessing herself because of her past.

And it's so good to see Gong Shil stepping up, finding out for herself what kind of person she is. There's this wide eyed wonder in everything she does and a pureness about her that not only attracts ghosts to her, but people too. It's no surprise Joong Won likes her, she's stripped of all the fakeness of society he's been surrounded by.

In the end, all these characters are striving to be 'normal', but don't realise they are normal. It's normal to have fears, anxieties, worries. It's just a question of whether you'll be able to face them and overcome them. And what's great to see is that all four of these characters, because of each other, will probably end up becoming better people. (I'm really hoping Yi Ryung does. The Hong Sisters have been better to their second leads of late, I think.)

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The Hong Sisters have been playing with their Second leads since My Girl, I think. They twisted and tried to play with the second male lead in a way which was innovative at the time. They really played it up in Greatest Love. But here the subversion is just making me grin every time I spot it.

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Heh My Girl. Forever one of my favourites, but when I think of second leads in that drama, I just think of how boring the tennis scenes were. And how bad I feel for an actress who has since then proved herself because she was basically sneering or acting heartbroken the entire time. But yeah, Best Love was great. (Props to Yoon Kye Sang though, he gave that character life.)

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Well said. This episode turns out to be one of my favorite! Everything about it was so different from the previous ones. Instead of a human-ghost connection, we get a rather loving story between an animal and its owner. I was mostly touched by this story out of all the rest because it's just damn refreshing. It isn't about romance, but friendship and royalty.

And can I just say this. But Joong Won won me over this episode. I love the way he approaches that situation instead of Gong Sil. The way he lies about the dog being next to that guy was hilarious. I almost died laughing at the scene even though it was supposed to be sad. LOL. He finally listens to Gong Sil's words and uses them to his advantage.

Gong Sil. I FREAKEN LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HER. no further :D

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oops i meant loyalty* :P

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Loved your thoughts! I'm with you all the way. I don't know how much I care for the storylines, but I can say I love every scene with one of our four leads. I find them all interesting and really human despite their K drama character trappings.

I especially love the 2nd leads. Love that Kang Woo is still shady enough to be untrustworthy, yet still somehow a complete gentleman. And I find I like Yi Ryung more and more every ep. She is self-centered and petty like most 2nd female leads, but she doesn't come across as cruel. She kind of half-heartedly plots against Gong-Shil, but in the end just ends up lurking or pouting. And she is funny, too. I keep thinking of that scene with the frying pans and the fire lol.

Honestly, even if the story veers a little and the writing isn't as strong as I'd like, I'll still be pretty happy just being able to watch these four interact week after week.

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I like Yi Ryung too. I hate when we are told to hate on second female leads, so it's refreshing to find one I like and can cheer along.

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I definitely understand where you are coming from with the way the second leads are being portrayed in this drama. I was so afraid that we would get a cardboard cut out of a second female lead, you know annoying, prone to jealousy, evil, manipulative yadah yadah...but I am surprised that Yi Ryung doesn't necessarily fit that description. Sure she is prone to jealousy and is plotting childish schemes to get her way, but she is not harmful and is actually quite funny and endearing in her own self-centered way. And thanks for recalling that scene with the brimestone fire and the pans, that was hilarious! Bring on more of this, and I can gladly excuse some of the flaws of this drama.

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Yay, great analysis! I, too, like the dimension everyone's getting. I do love how Gong-shil is becoming stronger as a person, now that she has more of a support group, and how it highlights her caring personality. Go Team Ghost Whisperer!

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thank you for the recap!

can I just say.. that last scene. it was beautifully shot! you can tell everything was slowed down a bit but not to the point where it's tacky. The close ups, the fade in & out, GAHHHHH.... T^T I love it.

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I like where this is going IF GS's supernatural power is rubbing off JW in a literal sense, like how the ghostly entities send signals to his subconscious (for instance, wonder girls song tip-off from ghost dog in his dreams). Maybe being around her so much changes his yin/yang balance, lol. Anyway, in that sense, it makes two of them equal accomplices in their ghostly encounters to come in the upcoming eps.

I'm still suffering from second lead syndrome though cos' KW is soooo mysterious with misguided agendas BUT overall feels rather genuine in his emotional responses to the people around him, namely the two female leads. Either way, whatever secret mission he's on WILL come and bite him in the ass since he's second lead.

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However, ep 5 > ep 6. Not too big a fan of the ghost of the day story in ep 6, but still an overall improvement from the first few eps.

And was I the only one who LOL-ed at dream!KW's facial expression when he was hugging it out with dream!GS? Freakin' hilarious.

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I found this ep was a bit boring too... Master's sun please don't loose your charm!

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I can't sit through it in a single watch, seriously -_-"

I did for ep 5 though!

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Yeah, that whole scene was priceless, from the pop song to the UFO. Honestly, I was sad it was a dream. Hey, Hong Ladies, let's do some aliens for the next drama!

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Haha oh yes, Kang Woo's face was absolutely gold during the hugging scene! I wonder how much fun it was to shoot that day-dream sequence, dramatic run towards love interest with hair flowing in the wind, cheesy line from said love interest, cue clapping supporters of the budding relationship (albeit dead supporters), and beam of light from an unidentified object! Some might find the comedy of that moment crude, but I am lavishing in the wacky and randomness of some of the scenes.

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Damn this ending! I can't wait a week... I'm gonna go crazeballs.

I feel bad for JB she gets the Doll episode. Fighting!

Thanks for the recap!

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Why dogs? WHY? If you want to make me cry really bad, just give me a sad or poignant dog/child story and I'm going to be reduced to tears. And my dog was sleeping next to me, so watching her and watching the drama at the same time just made me cry more.

Although I liked the hug from episode four (and I squealed), the romance was the third thing I like about this drama. I liked, yes, the jelousy and stuff ,but I was missing something and by the end of the episode, with the holding arms and the reading, just did the trick. Aaaahh so awesome. I love when the man is the first to fall and i like that despite him being an arrogant some times, she turns it the other way. For example, he pushes her away, she gets closer with a smile and he does nothing :D.

Thank you for the recap !

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I know! I don't own a dog, but I'm friends with a German Shepherd and I was bawling like crazy over the the friendship between the lonely army guy and his dog. Even in death, the dog was there to protect and comfort the owner.

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it definitely seems that joong won is going to fall for her first! LOVE this episode!

thanks for the recap!

CHEERS FOR THE OTP!

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I was really glad the ghost dog was not a demon dog. Too bad he couldn't haunt the horrible military veterinarian.

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But I think that goes to the theme that sometimes the living are more scary than the dead. A Hindu friend told me that ties very much with Hinduism's views of souls...

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Gotta say, his feelings for her are coming a lot quicker than I thought...

I really enjoyed this episode, much more than yesterday's. I loved Joong Won's gradual shift from his disbelief of Gong Shil to becoming her (rather reluctant) ally. Like an above commenter (kit) noted, his attraction of Gong Shil is probably because of the fact that she has no phoniness to her. I think that's why he is more (or probably less, given his attitude) than willing to help her. But OH MY GOD, that last scene! I was on my heels: does he think her idea is good? Is he starting to turn around? Does he LIKE her, for chrissakes? Just become a couple already!!

I don't have much interest for Kang Woo yet, but it's sweet that he likes her and refuses to invade her privacy anymore. I still support Gong Shil with Joong Won because of their chemistry (I am totally wishing their kiss scene to be hot), his (grudging) support of being her "bodyguard" and sidekick, and his possible turnaround with his feelings.

Can't wait for next week. Here we go!

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so sweeet!!!!!! at first i was doubtul but i ended crying... i love the dog story
and JW+GS i need them together every second, they're the best
i know the kiss won't happen... whyyyyyyyyy, tehy're playing with my feelings
on a shallow note i always knew that sjs was beautiful in every way but here i'm loving his profile more than anything

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Hahaha, ding dong!!! Joong-won u fall for her already, don't tell lies.

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btw i always hate demoniac dolls... everytime the doll shows i'm really scared...

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My, my, the cliffhanger always comes at the right place. Lovely episode this one, with dogs and lollipop, and some advancement in Gong shil love life.
Duuuuuuh... Can't wait for the next episode (but somehow I don't wanna watch the scary doll which makes me in a turbulence of dilemma).

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Your insights in the episode may have rescued my waning willing suspension of disbelief from implosion.

I want to like this show because I have so much respect for Gong Hyo Jin's chops. And I was doing really good until this week. Now, I'm not so beguiled.

Joo Jong Won is just too similar to Dokko Jin from "Greatest Love" and I don't think it is the actor's choice. I think that is a writing problem. I still have no freaking idea why JJW may be developing feelings for TGS. It's all way too sub-textual at this point. Same with Kang Woo. Why are these guys attracted to this girl? I mean, I like her, but I don't get why they do.

So yeah, I was going to stop watching, but you saved me. I think.

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But... but... she's adorable! And vulnerable, which I think makes it easier to get to know a person. Plus, I think her natural tenderness comes out the more they see her, since she's trying to help so many people. Eh... my description is making her seem sort of Mary Sue-ish, but she's too matter-of-fact and sort of cynical about the ghosts for that.

Plus, Kang Woo didn't really fall for her at first sight; he got close to her to get to Joong-won (apparently?) and then liked her once he got to know her a bit better.

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Hmm, I don't get why they like her either. But then, I never understood men.

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Great episode! Really curious about where the story will go from here...

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i also think so ji-sub's character is really reminiscent of dokko jin of greatest love—i admit, though, i didn't watch said drama completely. definitely skipped around a lot. so i may not be the most accurate judge when i say i'm inclined to think so ji-sub's joong-won is a dialed down version of cha seung-won's dokko jin. the characters are arguably similar, but different enough that i think it could have been very possible for an actor to make joong-won distinguishable from dokko jin, using joong-won's intense inner vulnerability, for one. (i forget what vulnerabilities dokko jin may have had...) just don't think SJS is quite bringing enough to his character... he's lacking a certain percentage.

and i'm finding, i'm increasingly doing a lot of skipping with this drama too. i'm getting tired of dealing with new ghosts each week—it's feeling awfully predictable and formulaic, like a police drama or something where a new case is introduced weekly, while through it all, the leads grow closer romantically. i kind of want more substance than this. eventually when the story digs deeper into joong-won's kidnapping, i'll no doubt be very interested, but that's probably a few episodes off.

just took a peek at the hong sisters' wiki page, and realized the only drama i REALLY loved from them was fantasy couple, which ranks as one of my all time faves. i liked my girl and choonhyang but anything after 2006, i've not enjoyed so much. i didn't realize till now just how long it's actually been. all these years i think i've just been waiting and waiting for them to reproduce their old magic (at least for me). i'm not saying anything after 2006 was bad, but there was always something that i actively disliked, whether it was the actor/actress or the way it was told, that prevented me from falling under its spell. sigh.

what made me laugh out loud, really hard, was the scene where seo in-gook spiritedly ranted against people who talked about ghosts. the more heated he got, the more obvious his saturi LOL. his seoul accent is much, much better in this drama than it was in rascal sons. but for a couple of moments there, he nearly sounded like yoon-jae (reply 1997). hehehe

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I agree but at the same time, I think he got better in ep 5. I haven't completed ep 6 yet (I just can't seem to sit through it in a single sitting). There's quite a fair bit SJS can work with, but I don't think he is. For example, I think he can play up the vulnerability a little and dial down on the assholery (because I honestly don't think he's one). Very subtle things that he can work with but he isn't really doing it.

But like the others have mentioned previously, it's possibly because romcom as a genre is extremely foreign to him. With GHJ putting her best foot forward (plus she has had a lot of experience), SJS's portrayal might have suffered in our eyes as a direct result of comparison? And CSW's iconic DKJ... hard to beat and yet hard to resist mimicking.

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BTW, I really hate his clothes although I know why he has to be dressed like that but argh, the flamboyant scarves...

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I don't speak Korean so I know I am missing the nuance of language performance of Joong-Won similar to Dokko-Jin. I loved The Greatest Love, but will admit to not rewatching it after its initial run. That being said I find the conception of the characters Joong-Won and Dokko-Jin very different. I actually see them as inverses of each other.

Dokko-Jin was always alive and full of verve and had to repress his energy. Even when he was depressed he was so full of his depression. He was naturally an arrogant, bombastic, jerk and Cha Seung Won performed him with the energy of a horse release from the gate after hearing the starter gun. I remember many people found him annoying because he was so over the top. The character was an extrovert with very few moments of reflection at the beginning of the series. The only thing that reigned him in was his belief that he was in danger of dying from a heart attack.

Joong-Won is different. Comes off as deeply introverted. The character is like someone who is finally woken up by being kept in a deep freeze. In the beginning he hardly used any facial muscle. I notice that with every episode more oh his facial muscles come into play.

Dokko Jin's arrogance and indifference was a performance he cultivated and relish executing, Joong-Won's is a result of locked away in deep freeze.

But it seems I am the only one who is experience the comparison that way.

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Nope I feel the same way too. You're definitely right with DKJ = extroverted and JW = introverted. When I think of DKJ I immediately think of exaggerated and very animated expressions (and that *laugh* lol) while with JW I think of restriction and guarded. Sure they're both rich and arrogant but they're very different if you just pay attention to some of the details.

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The similarity is there. They are not the same character, but they have similarities, silly hair, arrogant and totally egocentric, and snarky to the max. Not to mention bat shit crazy. Not unlike Tae Kyung in You're Beautiful. Same writers, so that is understandable.

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I think the problem that most of us have is that we see waayy too much DKJ in his performance than is necessary. And it's jarring because fundamentally, like you said, the characters aren't similar at all.

I don't speak Korean so I can't elaborate on SJS's speech nuances but as a big fan of TGL (re-watched it a couple of times), I see certain mannerisms and facial expressions that straight up remind me of DKJ towards the end of ep 3 to ep 6. I think SJS just needs a lil more time to ease into his character and I think he is slowly doing it from what I see in ep 5 (I see more DKJ in ep 6 again).

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Before I posted, I went back to episode 2 of The Greatest Love and watched the hospital scene with Dokko Jin just to make sure I wasn't mistaken about my impression. Even in the low key moments, Dokko was energized and preeny. Joong-Won does not preen. He has a huge helping of vanity, but I don't see him as peacock preeny as Dokko-Jin.

Well one element the characters share and the perhaps the actors manifest similarly is the idea that their bodies border on being national treasures and being allowed to touch it/them is a great honor that is beyond what the heroines could ever earn or deserve, and it is only through the heroes' charity/grace that they will suffer through the heroine's touch.

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I agree with you, Yumi. I think So Ji-sub uses more subtle facial movements than Cha Seung-won, which fit the character well. And I can see a lot of different emotions on his face as he's opening up to Gong-shil, even if he's not being too flamboyant. Some of the general habits are similar to the Dokko Jin character, but I think he's setting himself apart enough. I see more similarities to Hyun Bin's Secret Garden character, and paisley shirts are sort of replacing the sparkly tracksuits, but SJS is still more dialed down.

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I totally agree with you, So Ji sub has a natural shyness and his eyes sometimes are like a swamp not revealing much about the interior,he is doing a great job here,he is far from Dokko Jin character.

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I feel exactly the same as you. Other than being arrogant jerk early on to the female lead Dokko-Jin and Joong-Won has not much in common. Greatest Love is so famous that people think it invented that type of character.

Otherwise they are the opposite in extrovert and introvert characters. Dokko was the opposite of cold, hiding from being close to people as JW is. You cant never say Dokko Jin was living like a ghost, away from people. He was a superstar movie start that lived the most flamboyant life that is miles from the work only sad life of Joong-Won.

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i agree with a lot of your points on the personality differences between joong-won and dokko jin. your post did help to jog my memory about greatest love and dokko jin's character. as i stated, it wasn't a show i watched extremely closely.

i think what i was trying to work out for myself up there was that the speech, so ji-sub's very clipped line delivery is arguably really similar to how cha seung-won did his for dokko jin, and that, i think, is the strongest reason why dokko jin keeps popping up in the master's sun discourse.

initially, before writing my first post, i'd thought the characters were too similar. but as i thought more about it, realized they were obviously different enough from one another. but dokko jin and joo joong-won are similar in the sense that both are very obviously wealthy (shiny cars, luxurious surroundings, etc.) and both had strong, extremely distinctive personalities. both also had that aloof-ish, look-down-at-you-from-the tip-of-my-nose type of manner. gong hyo-jin being the female lead didn't really help either.

i still maintain, though, that i think there could be a better, more distinguishable version of joo joong-won out there. i am NOT saying the role should have gone to a different actor; rather, that so ji-sub isn't really 100 percent in this role. at worst, he is 75 percent. possibly 80. i'm still reserving full judgment.

maybe it's the actor, maybe it's the script, maybe a bit of both, but while i know these things in my head, it's still the truth that i'm forcibly reminded of dokko jin far too many times in an episode for my comfort.

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Javabeans mentioned in Episode 3 recap that the similarity between the performance of the two roles is mainly in the the SJS's line delivery.

Since I am not atuned to the to the nuances of Korean it goes right by my ear, which is why I suspect that I am not getting an echo of Dokko Jin in SJS performance of Joong-Won.

I don't find anything lacking in SJS performance. Yet I would agree with your 75%-80% distinction. But I think it is deliberate. I don't think that the actor is performing at 75-80% capacity. I think it is a choice meant to signal that the character Joong-Won is not fully present in his life. Joong-Won has narrowed his options for living in the world and banished the gentler aspects of who he his to avoid being hurt. SJS is 100% yet subtly [without broadcasting or indicating] playing a character who is living life at 65%-85%/ capacity.

If the character changes and we see that through SJS's acting choices, then we can chalk up his early performance to a strategy for performing the role.

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Well, we are in the 6 episode yet,I go on thinking about So ji Sub roots to performance this role on Cha Seung wo roles as City hall and dokko jin ,but Soon Yoon ki in S.Scandal used captain Sparrow too ,and all actors pick up gestures if you are more talented you can shadow this copyrights but he is doing his second role in comedy and So ji Sub is a hardworking actor with normal acting skills and he is doing his best jumping this big wall...well done with his natural charisma.
So Ji Fighting.

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oooooooh THAT'S what saturi is. This might be the thing to get me to learn Korean, which I've previously been a bit afraid of with all the rolling L/R sounds and vocal pitches. I loved Answer Me 1997, but I wouldn't know a Busan accent from a Seoul one if you hit me in the face with it. I think I sensed certain word-ending differences as I watched, and it seems similar to the Japanese kansai-ben dialect in its raucous attitude.

Anyway, I would have loved to get the full impact of that scene.

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i didn't mean that the use of saturi was intended for that scene—i have no idea, actually. there was no REALLY discernible use of it. it's just that i have a pretty keen ear when it comes to accents in general, both korean and non korean. (konglish accents make me cringe).

the actor in that scene, seo in-gook, originally speaks in saturi. he's from busan or somewhere around there. i understand that he's had a difficult time adapting to the seoul accent, like many natural saturi users often do. his saturi in reply 1997 was entirely his own (and i loved it).

the drama he did right after reply 1997, the weekend drama rascal sons, i cringed a lot when he spoke because the saturi would often peek through in his speech.

he's much, much improved here, but i saw a glimpse of that old habit in said scene, but here it just made me laugh.

they say, actually, that seoul people use saturi too. seoul saturi. the way they drag out certain vowels (or whatever) or elongate certain parts of sentences. i understand that announcers/television anchors have to work at eliminating this sort of thing from their speech.

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oh, non koreans have often told me that korean is one of the more grating asian languages on the ear due to the frequency of up-and-down pitches in vocal tone. it's a language that can easily sound heated or angry, i've been told... but i also contend, koreans as a people are pretty hot tempered too, so it may well be that if it sounds angry, it IS angry. lol

japanese and mandarin, i've been told, are the most pleasant asian languages to listen to. i don't know about mandarin, but i definitely agree that japanese is absolutely beautiful and relaxing to listen to. sometimes i turn on a miyazaki animation (kiki's delivery service!) and watch/listen to it in japanese. oddly, it helps me wind down. i didn't know the japanese language had more noisy-ish dialects either, so that's really interesting! i'd love to hear it and see if it alters my opinion on how japanese sounds to my ear. (i know nothing, nothing about the japanese language. should have studied it...)

to help you understand what saturi is, aside from defining it as a dialect, i think comparing standard american english vs. southern accent might help. it's very much like seoul saturi (if you want to call it that) vs. busan saturi. the differences are VERY obvious. whereas western, eastern, and midwestern american "dialects" may be more subtle.

hope this helps! :)

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I figured the saturi wasn't supposed to be in the scene, but it would have added to the hilarity to be able to notice his slips. I knew watching Reply 1997 that they were speaking a different dialect, but it was a bit difficult for me to pick out the difference.

I don't mind the sound of the korean language, but I worry about being able to pronounce it correctly. I've learned a little bit of Japanese, and because it has fewer sounds, it's easier to pronounce. I really want to try Korean, though. I love how expressive it sounds.

Cool, that's a good analogy for saturi. I grew up in the South, so I know aaaaall about those accents. It's also interesting to think of the different dialects in America. I think most of us don't notice it, but there are some areas where English sounds very different, and I bet it can be difficult for non-native speakers. For Tokyo vs. Kansai-ben, an example is "It's hot, isn't it?" In Tokyo, it'd be "Atsui desu ne", but in Osaka you'd say "meccha atchi yanaaaa" with much more modulation.

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As non-korean new fan of korean dramas, films i must say Korean, its different dialects is much easier, kinder to my ears, less grating than Mandrin,Japanese. Korean sounds more rythmic, musical in its high tones, sounds.

Mandrin sounds more chopped, japanese much harser, angrier in comparison. This is all from my POV who sees the sounds, words of the language from the outside.

I have seen much more chinese films,japanese films than i have seen Korean dramss or films so korean doesnt sound different, better to my ears just because i watch alot of dramas now.

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I agree with you,Japanese talk faster and chinese sounds are difficult to support sometimes when they are crying or arguing,but in Sageuk the actors speak better than in nowadays may be is like making speeches on the stage.

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I really enjoy reading everyone's thoughts it helps me look at each episode in a new light. It also helps me better appreciate all the details that might go over my head. Furthermore, it just makes me want to watch the episode again to look for the nuggets that I might gave missed the first time around.
@KimYoonmi, I also remember the conversation GS had with the stuffed animal. I do think she is more aware and can be more forward than him.
I can't believe that next week we are heading into episode 7. I could honestly watch this drama seven days a week. The more scenes between our OTP the better. I have a feeling that complications and hurdles on the horizon.

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Awww such sweetness and light in this episode!! And such a lovely recap to go with it. Thanks girlfriday!

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I was all set to agree with raficoso that the Dokko Jin similarities were due justto the writing but dangit you've made me doubt. I'm not really sure who is to blame, partly the writers of course, maybe even the director a bit, but I think you're right that Ji Sub could have distanced himself a bit more with some subtle changes.

I watched all of Greatest Love last week so it's pretty fresh in my mind. JW is without a doubt Dokko-lite from the first half of that series, but Dokko's character evolved and didn't really resemble JW for me at the end. So I have high hopes that as JW evolves Ji-Sun will put a lot more distance between the two characters and make JW his own.

Also, I wish I spoke Korean so I could hear all these accents! No fair!

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This was meant as a reply to saranga just up there btw...Idk where i clicked but obviously not in the right place lol.

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Yeah, SJS has to juggle between being Ae Jung to GHJ in Master's Sun and playing the mercenary JW. AJ is plenty sympathetic enough for us to sympathize with her character in TGL so SJS does have an uphill battle with his character portrayal in MS. At the same time, I would like him to dial up the awkwardness and vulnerability that his character actually does have.

I'm hoping as the series progresses, he gets to see a lil of what GS sees - maybe faint impressions of ghostly beings? I think he might - if the indication of his dream about Dog Ghost is something that holds more water. Wishful thinking on my part? I hope not.

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letting you know, i did read your comment! :)

like you, i'm a little bit swayed every time i read differing opinions, but for me it just really boils down to so ji-sub. i think he's great here, and i really like him, but i think he's not quite 100 percent. there's just no... no real click. at least for me. at least not yet.

like how something about lee min-ho's portrayal of gu jun-pyo just worked—he just SOLD it. and given best love's massive popularity, i'm guessing a majority of people would say that cha seung-won really sold dokko jin too. hyun bin definitely sold his character in secret garden.

maybe i just have really really high expectations? hehe.

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i'm sorry.. the only character that I don't like acted by lee Minho is gu jun pyo. the rest I would say well done.

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@saranga:

"there’s just no… no real click. at least for me. at least not yet."

You are not alone in this (as of ep 7, for me).

And I still see too much DKJ in his performance - and by saying that, I don't mean similarities between their characters but gestures, expressions, mannerisms - body language stuff.

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I have been pondering why So Ji Sub would risk the inevitable comparisons in styling his character so closely to Dokko Jin, especially when his fellow lead also played opposite the iconic character.

He strikes me as a fairly thoughtful & intelligent actor so I can only assume he is doing it deliberately. The reason may be that he is saving something later to pull out of his bag of tricks to completely blow this comparison out of the water or he thinks his hands waving in front of the face trick can sufficiently subvert from it (which I sincerely doubt).

It is a daring and confident move on his part and I can only hope he can pull it off & with impeccably timing as we are already into Episode 6.

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I was wondering the same thing. While I think his performance has improved (and I think that he has great chemistry with GHJ) he does remind me of DKJ, minus the really crazy strange (super awesome) antics.

I was checking out some of So Ji Sub's earlier works and the man seriously knows how to brood and all (dayyyyyyuumm) so maybe when the story progresses to the point where all the stakes are raised, and when JW is forced to admit not only to himself but to GS his bleeding heart and whatnot, SJS will break out of that reserved ass shell he has now, armed with tears and an unabashed pensive look. Too melo?

For right now, at least in this ep SJS has developed some funny smirk looks every time he hears of GS's troubles with KW. The man is just too gorgeous for words.

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I was actually hoping he would not descend to the melo fall-back since it is kind of his trademark but pull something else off to showcase his versatility. But hey, that's just me ...

I might get bludgeoned for this but I really do not get his much-touted gorgeousness. I think he is fairly attractive but certainly not gorgeous but then again, I was also the one who mistook a supposed Taiwanese heart-throb to be a Planet of the Apes extra. So what do I know?

I just kinda see So Ji Sub as an actor's actor but not an idol-type idol. If that makes sense.

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@Duncerblur

I don't get it too! Let's get bludgeoned together! Haha, I think he's fairly attractive too but when I first saw the stills, I thought SIG was hotter. Purely superficial observations though.

Might change when/if I do find his character attractive on an emotional level. That's what happened with HJH and KWB in White Christmas - it really takes the character portrayal/the way the character's written for my attraction to be cemented.

@Ellie

I think he might pull those melo chops towards the third quarter of the series. Like what happened with DKJ :DD

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Heee, it's so interesting how lots of people can think someone's gorgeous, but then lots of others just don't see it.

I haven't watched SJS in anything else, but I like him in this. I understand the comparison with Cha Seung-won, but I think SJS just has a different style of facial acting. He's able to convey hurt, jealousy, fear, worry and tenderness without a whole lot of facial movement, which I appreciate. I think the more reserved sophistication, spiced with a bit of petty rich guy, works for him as an actor, and for the character.

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LOL at funny smirks because I did LOL at them irl.

I found his other look, the one he gave when TS said that she's going to find the culprit for KW, hilarious as well. Like it was practically screaming, "nuh-uh, sista, FOR ME. FOR ME!"

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I hear you! The way his face fell during that scene from smirking to jealousy is priceless!

@ Duncerblur - yeah I was being slightly sarcastic about SJS pulling out his melo chops. Maybe they can parody a melo dream sequence with him ;). I just wish we can more chances to see him emote! Staring at his hand all the time does not = emoting! Haha.

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LOL, at the rate we are going, we might have to rename the drama Master's Hands. Pffftttt ...

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cannot help but need to comment on sjs.

I tried to watch i'm sorry I love you but don't have enough courage. watched the last epi though and I got to say he's good. he got me bleeding my heart out for him just in that epi.

in this drama, I think he's doing well as Joo Joong Won (though others said he talked/acted like Dokko Jin?? sorry.. never watched that drama). at first, he was expressionless/stiff that's bcoz his character and the writers/director wants him to act like that. and he will grow in character, like now he's giving more different expressions. I love it how slight facial differences we know that he was hurting inside or jealous or happy while not showing on the outside.

in other words, I like him as Joo Joong Won. he's perfect for that character.

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Honestly, because I am such a wimp, I can't even watch the drama so I just read your recaps (which are just as entertaining, I guarantee). I usually super minimize the window and use my hand to cover the pictures (in case there are ghosts) but since puppy was the main ghost today, I relaxed and then BAM chucky. sighhhhhh TT_TT i really want to watch it though since seo in guk looks sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOooo hot haha

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I feel you sister! Despite my fear of ghosts, i find myself keep waiting for the recaps of this drama. I must thank GF for that! I'm still considerating to watch this or not though.... *shivers*

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Haha exactly right? I wish they made the ghosts less scary.... I mean, why can't it be like Arang and the Magistrate where the ghosts looked NORMAL?? SIGH.

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IKR. I watched Arang just fine i don't know why i can't watch this one. Even the caps look scary for me :( Maybe it's because in Arang the ghosts are dressed like Joseon people with pale faces but in this one huh i don't know what to say about those ghosts here.. The story seems unordinary funny and sweet though, which is why i keep wanting for more.

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Solidarity! I'm terrified of ghosts as well (I literally can't watch ghost movies because they terrify me for months) but I find myself staying with this show because I just adore the character interaction. I do have to sometimes pause and check back to the recaps to be prepared for what's coming up.

Thankfully, I liked today's ghost story. It was endearing and only slightly creepy at the start. I'm really dreading next week's ghosts though. Possessed, evil, child-harming dolls are on a whole different level of creepiness.:(

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hmm.. personally I find the ghosts in this show about as scary as Fraggle Rock.

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HA! So funny, "scary as Fraggle Rock!" I would agree, it is fairly campy. But it is definitely taking the Joss Whedon Buffyesque approach of taking ordinary things and adding a noo! quality.

Have you ever watched S5E14, "Smile Time," of Angel? With the demon possessed puppets?

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i seriously love this ep...
but i think this is going to be the last time i am going to write my comment...
keep up ur good recap....
i love to comment here everytime you post the next recap but i think i cannot after this....

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Thanks for the recap! OMG. That last scene... I just couldn't get it out of my head.
But, that moment when Joong-won touches Gong-sil's hand while looking at the form, is he finally able to read it?
Is it possible that Gong-sil is the cure of his fear just as Joong-won being Gong-sil's safety hideout?

I can't wait for the next episode.
And, I don't think the kiss will happen. Secretary Kim is coming after all. I bet he's gonna spoil the moment.

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Also, this may be reading into the drama too much, but I found it interesting how JW mentioned that he needed to tell GS to leave 3 times in order for her to leave... I thought back to when the number 3 was last used and remembered Hee Joo... Joo goong 1... 2... 3...

Maybe this show is making me paranoid and I'm connecting too many dots. Or maybe it's the Hong Sisters at work? Idk...

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No, the number 3 is being used intentionally.

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Oh no! Why do I have a bad feeling about this...

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well if at the end he did indeed read the page as he held her hand it gives him yet another reason to keep her close than just the ghost idea.
I have to say though the dog thing..I hate to think that was indeed Korean Army rules that the handler had to be the one to put down his dog. Though in a way I can understand it kind of but such rules would have been made for war time where dogs could have got hurt during service, thus putting down an animal would have been more a blessing for the dog.
I know that police dog handlers here get I think mandertory counseling if they lose their dog, the idea that one told to put his animal down and be expected to act normal the next day is brainless/heartless even for the army.

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I cannot believe that the ROK Army is as stupid as is often portrayed in k-dramas. But then again, k-dramas seem to cast just about any authority or pseudo-military (police) figure as totally incompetent.

In short, don't get your cultural clues from dramas.

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Quick question about something that has been bugging me: Can dyslexia/dyslexia-like symptoms be triggered by emotional/mental trauma? (Is it even considered dyslexia in the first place?)

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I don't think it is dyslexia. His description doesn't fit most of what I've heard about dyslexia. Dyslexia is neurological and has to do with readers confusing letters and or numbers.

Actually before they showed the word moving almost as if he had double vision and he talked about wanting to throw-up when he tried to read.

That sounds like my physical reaction to reading in a moving vehicle. I get terrible motion sickness.

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Yeah, I wasn't too sure whether it was or wasn't at first cos' I vaguely recall moving words (but wasn't sure whether they were rearranging themselves cos I can't read Korean).

It's probably just a side effect from the whole ordeal, I suppose.

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Did they really confirm it was dyslexia on the show? From what I've seen JW can still read but just can't because of his trauma. Like whenever he sees words he wants to throw up or refuses to read them, which is very different from dyslexia.

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It's not dyslexia, it's psychosomatic, PTSD related.

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It's not dyslexia - dyslexia is what we thought it was when he first saw the words swimming in front of him in ep 1. With more info on what caused the condition, I'd say it's pretty clear it's a PTSD symptom, not dyslexia at all.

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it makes me wonder, doesn't Secretary Kim curious about Tae Yang and Joo Goon at all? What kind of relationship they have seeing Tae Yang keep touching Joo Goon and wants to be close with Joo Goon.
I don't think Secretary Kim knows that Tae Yang can see ghosts. But he's happy all the same seeing that Joo Goon is opening up to Tae Yang.

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How amazing would it be..if he had to kiss her to be able to read??!!..say it lasts for half a day..and then he has to kiss her again...*swoon*..*..fantasy..* XD

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You're not (that) weird. I totally thought it was a shapeshifter. Or at least, him being possessed by the dog. I guess he was, a little.

Hm, Seo In-guk looks really hot while licking a lollipop. Duly noted. *fans self, goes for cold shower*

The dog scenes killed me. Tears. So many tears. Puuuuuppyyyy! Sniiiiiiiiiiff

I agree on your thoughts of Gong-shil's new-found source of courage. I love how they're showing them fall in love organically, with personal touches, and supporting each other. Also, I like how it's not just the kidnapping trauma that makes Joong-won prickly, but his trust issues with Hee Joo. I mean, honestly- your first love in high school betrays you for your money? (Probably) OUCH. I'm sure we'll find out more about her motives, but at the moment it makes sense.

Aw, Kang Woo waiting for her at the musical is so cute. I like the vulnerability we saw in him this episode; it gives him a bit more dimension. I also like that Yi-ryung isn't quiiiite a bitch yet. Still crossing my fingers for her to become a better character.

Lastly- kid! RUN AWAY FROM THE CREEPY-ASS DOLL. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. AHHHHHHHHHHH (When I type in all-caps, I'm not yelling, really, just speaking in a slightly forceful monotone.)

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Yes i agree! Seo In Guk is so hot while eating the candy! By the way, would you happen to know the song that was played during that scene?

I couldnt find it..

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saw the teaser on One HD and finally started reading the recaps yesterday. gotta say I'm really hooked on this show. Can't wait for the premiere hehehe less than a week now. though it means I'm gonna start having nightmares, but hey sometimes you're just willing to pay the price for something so good even if it's bad for you.

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I wonder which drama will win sbs best drama this year. Theres twtwb, ihyv, masters sun and heirs(hope it will be good). Sbs is the best this year!!

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I love this episode and the random dreams are so funny. Give it up to the Hong Sisters...

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oh my gosh

I loved the Nobody but you theme running through this story and the last moment it ws played gave me gooseboumps.

I'm pretty sure the Army guys didn't turn on the song for our soldier but it "happened" to be on their radio. And when the soldier heard it and looked heavenward and said "Thank you!" I got goose pimples.

There is nothing more healing when one is feeling isolated and alone and forsaken to have a godwink from the universe that makes you feel God or heaven or the fates set up a wonderful event for you to make you feel loved. And that the song's meaning (Nobody but you) was effectively flipped to feel like a love song from the universe.

oh my gosh! So subtle but so powerful. Sure it's cheesy but it is so true to life because the universe often does such cheesy loving things to comfort us.

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I just want to comment here, totally random and off topic, that watching K dramas where (so often) the fact that much of the time I like the 2nd male lead more than the snippy, (mean?), distant first lead. This helped me to decide to make the 2nd lead nice guy get the girl and the "happily ever after" in my first published romance. (Not that I'm trying to sell any copies, since I already spoiled my own book) but just that if I were given the choice, I'd pick Kang Woo. (Just sayin')

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What's the song that's playing in the beginning scene?

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Anybody knows the name of the song played while Kang Woo and Tae Gong Shi are eating the candy at the roof top?

Thanks!

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Does this type of thing really happens in S.K's Military Service? It really makes me think considering I asked all my male Korean friends if they want to go back to training and they give the same answer, "NO" but I never heard of bullying though.

Who can enlighten me?

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Thank you so much for the recaps~

I gotta say, I absolutely love the ending scene of this ep. The slow mo and the part where Joong Won was about to touch Gong Shil's hand, there was no BGM or anything. Gah, I can't get over that scene <3

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I loved this ep. It was fun so see so many actors pop their eyes wide open so often.
SJS really connected with me everytime he popped his eyes, yes my mom made us keep out eyes popped wide open to look pretty, in preparation for moving to USA. Now I love SJS even more.

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I really loved this episode. The ghost being a dog was a nice change. Also, Joong-won doing the touching first, and helping the soldier and ghost dog, AND telling Gong-shil about his kidnapping, was a great change. He does trust her, even if he doesn't want to. Nor is he a skeptic. He's just a big teddy bear on the inside with a prickly outside.

I'm kind of starting to feel bad for Kang Woo, if he really is growing feelings for Gong-shil. I think he's gonna be stood up for their date, albeit unintentionally. And now, Yi-ryung knows he's spying on Joong-won. Don't know if I like this development or not. Depends on how she handles it. I do like them together as a couple, but Yi-ryung by herself I can't stand.

I wish this episode went into more detail with the possession thing, but maybe next week. I'm not looking forward to the Creepy Doll story. I hate those kinds of stories.

Thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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