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Noonas Over Flowers: Episode 1

EPISODE 1. Broadcast on November 29, 2013.

javabeans: After much ado, we finally have the premiere of Noonas Over Flowers, which I hope lives up to its hype. This show hasn’t exactly been on top of its advance planning, with the last-minute scheduling and the uncertainty over how many episodes we’re getting, but at least I trust the crew to give us an entertaining trip.

girlfriday: Yeah I’m hoping that with Grandpas under their belts, this is just a matter of finding Noonas’ own flavor. And that flavor is likely Seung-gi’s tears. After a preview montage of what’s to come, we go back to the cast’s first meeting at the Answer Me 1994 writer’s studio, since writer Lee Woo-jung is just insane enough to be going on this trip with Na PD WHILE her show is still airing.


javabeans: This is the location we’ve seen in the previews, with the cast gathered around the table discussing initial travel preparations. The noonas come in one by one, scenes of them getting acquainted with each other mixed in with their confessional comments shot later, and we can see little bits of their personality already. Yoon Yeo-jung, the eldest, is the straight talkin’ sunbae, Kim Hee-ae is second youngest and appears to be somewhat demure and soft-spoken (though we know she’s a big eater), and Lee Mi-yeon just sits right down on the floor and talks about how having short hair is great on a trip because you don’t have to do anything with it.

girlfriday: And Kim Ja-ok seems exactly as you’d imagine, with that characteristic sweet delivery no matter what she’s saying. Finally we have Luggage Boy Lee Seung-gi, and talk turns to what to pack for the trip. Already Seung-gi and Na PD stick out with their strange comments. Na PD: “CC cream? Is there a DD and EE too?” Seung-gi: “Can’t we just take one hairdryer?” Yoon Yeo-jung sighs that he does well in school but uses his brain for useless things. Ha.

javabeans: Na PD announces their location as Croatia, and says that there are no direct flights there, which has everyone’s jaws dropping. I dunno about you, but I wouldn’t want a direct flight that long! Instead, they’ll stop first in Istanbul, and Na PD says it’s up to them to make their own travel reservations. Mi-yeon says in confessional that her mother opposed her going on the trip because she’d be seen in her less-than-best moments, and Yeo-jung says that her family opposed it too, laughing that she didn’t expect a family opposition for anything less than a remarriage, lol.

girlfriday: I love that she ends her confessional with a cheeky, “Never trust an actress.” Heh. Back at the meeting, the doorbell rings, and the cast is shocked at the arrival of the halbaes. Awww, I missed them.

javabeans: They all settle down at the table with wine, and then Il-sub halbae looks around for food. Ha, so now it’s the new maknaes Mi-yeon and Hee-ae scrambling to find food in daughter-in-law mode, while Seung-gi heads out for takeout.

girlfriday: Omg, pressure.

javabeans: It is adorable when Ja-ok, who missed the halbaes’ entrance, gets brought into the mix and she scurries back out, gasping, “Omo omo omo.” The others joke that it’s like she’s meeting an ex-boyfriend.

girlfriday: She is SO CUTE. Even after she sits down, she squeals, “Oppaaaa~!”

javabeans: She directs that at Il-sub halbae while the others get called teacher, so Yeo-jung quips, “I bet they have something in their past.” Ha, can you imagine her aegyo-calling him Oppa the whole time they were playing spouses?

girlfriday: Gah, how adorable. Now I really want a season where all of them go on a trip together. Seung-gi and Seo-jin can commiserate in the rear. After wine turns to soju, Gu & Sub get increasingly drunk and start yammering about stuff that has nothing to do with anything, and you can actually see Yeo-jung getting progressively annoyed, until she just yells, “Why did you even come?” I love her sass.

javabeans: Finally Soon-jae halbae is first to leave, and as he does he shoves an envelope in Yeo-jung’s hand. Aww, is the mat-hyung giving allowance money to the mat-unni? She gives it to Seung-gi, saying that she’d just spend it, haha. Back at the table, Il-sub halbae hears that Soon-jae halbae gave 300 dollars and offers 200 more.

girlfriday: It’s time to start planning for the trip and making reservations, and Mi-yeon is especially inquisitive about every little aspect, having never done this before. She also just seems like an over-planner.

javabeans: They must’ve each been sent home with a camera to record their planning, and I’m dying when it’s Seung-gi’s turn because he spends for-ev-er just making himself look pretty in the frame. I freaking love that Na PD kept that all in.

girlfriday: I know. I’m cracking up. Mi-yeon is all about the searches and travel details, and Seung-gi’s like, Does this lighting make me look fat?

javabeans: Haha, he reads that one hotel provides a hair dryer and gets all smirky. The caption scoffs, “And you say I don’t know women?” Oh Seung-gi-ya, way to fixate on what’s important. Hee-ae, meanwhile, starts cooking up a bunch of Korean food she can take with her on the trip. I know this is such a Korean thing to do since I’ve lived with it my whole life, but it still strikes me as so weird that Koreans can’t go on a trip and just trust that they will eat the stuff there—you need your kimchi and your ramyun and your pickled beef and your ready-packs of rice…

girlfriday: It’s simultaneously practical and impractical, but that’s just the way we roll. In the days leading up to the trip, we watch the ladies pack and then Seung-gi reads some of the group’s chat on his phone. Mi-yeon asks if he’s okay staying in a room with them and he points out he’s probably the one who should be asking if they’re okay with it.

javabeans: It cracks me up, especially the parts where they’re talking about Seung-gi as if he’s not there. Yeo-jung: “Let’s not order Seung-gi around too much, his mom will call us.” Then it’s time to zip up suitcases and head out for D-day. Hee-ae is the first to arrive, and gets greeted by a line of fans carrying Noonas banners (and Seung-gi ones in particular). She’s so cute, wondering if she’s dressed all right—she opted for plane comfort with these huge wide-legged pants, but also wants to look pretty for her airport fashion moment.

girlfriday: Did Mi-yeon pack coffee for the group to drink at the airport?

javabeans: I love her already, she’s so boisterous and positive. And up for anything. It’s fun seeing her and Hee-ae together because they’re similar in age but so opposite—Mi-yeon’s all tomboyish and loud, and Hee-ae is very elegant and proper. Of course, then Hee-ae says she’s really careful about what she eats for dinner (for diet purposes), only to be contradicted by tons of footage showing her chowing down with the best of them.

girlfriday: Hee. To the tune of “It’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie~” no less.

javabeans: Haha, so the ladies chat about the ground nuts they eat for their health, and Na PD asks blankly why, all amazed at the explanation (you know, for your health). Ha, I think it’s Na PD who doesn’t know women—he and Seung-gi are going to be so hilarious together.

girlfriday: I know, I can’t wait. Mi-yeon made the first night’s hotel reservation on her own, so Na PD asks if she planned how to get there from the airport and she looks at him all aghast, “That’s Seung-gi’s job!” When Na PD pushes to have her do it, she suddenly gets all aegyo-y with her voice, “Why are you doing this… to m…e…?”

javabeans: Ja-ok arrives to a crowd of excited fangirls, and it’s her reaction is so cute. I wonder if the noonas will go through the same thing as the halbaes did, of not really expecting this level of attention at this stage in their careers.

girlfriday: Yeo-jung is especially taken aback: “Fans? No really, who are they?” Then she realizes they’re Seung-gi’s fans because they have signs with requests to take care of their Seung-gi, and Yeo-jung quips, “What, are we gonna hit him?”

javabeans: Finally it’s Seung-gi’s turn to arrive… and right from the get-go Na PD is harassing him, teasing about his Everest-climbing gear and his last-place arrival and warning that his ten-day hell is beginning. The noonas point out that he’s 15 minutes late, and he admits that he was a half-hour early but got the last-minute jitters over doing variety after a long break. He meets a wall of puzzled faces, ’cause they’ve never done any and are like, “What are you talking about? What does that mean for us?” Seung-gi’s caption: “….why did I say that…?”

girlfriday: Na PD asks Yeo-jung about having to skip the Grand Bell awards for the trip, but she’s like, “I figured I wasn’t going to win so it’s fine.” They discuss the hotel reservations they’ve made in advance, and Na PD simply subtracts that cost and hands them the travel money that remains. It’s that collective moment of horror when you realize how little you have on Day 1.

javabeans: Man, I wish the noonas would have gotten that tip from the halbaes of refusing to give up any money to Na PD, but they’re so shocked that they sort of just let him run through the calculations. The brief teaser of future scenes shows us that they’re gonna feel the pinch later down the line, but for now they’re happy to hear that the production will at least cover transportation costs.

girlfriday: Even just getting to the gate is stressful with so many fans milling about, and Seung-gi loses Yeo-jung in the crowd for a brief moment. Hee-ae has this outburst when a staffer notices she doesn’t know their itinerary and jokes that she’s just here to play. She turns to the others expecting them to back her up that they’re not here to work, but gets back blank stares. Obviously Seung-gi’s here to work, and even Yeo-jung tells her it’s a little murky. Welcome to variety.

javabeans: They stop by to make sure their phones are all set for internet and roaming services, and it’s so funny to hear Ja-ok because it’s like my mother trying to talk about the internet. She gets all her terms mixed up and doesn’t quite grasp the difference between internet and chat and roaming, which is cute.

girlfriday: They finally get past the gate and the doors close behind them, but then ten minutes later Seung-gi comes running back out. It turns out Yeo-jung’s carry-on had lotions that were too large to pass through security, so now he has to figure out how to fix it. He heads to the drugstore, and they have empty bottles of the right size he can transfer them to, which is a relief.

javabeans: LOL, I love how Seung-gi can only laugh to himself as he’s squeezing toiletries into smaller bottles, because it’s just so ridiculous.

girlfriday: There’s something about the pump that makes it extra silly. We get a preview montage of all the Yeo-jung-related troubles in Seung-gi’s future, and then he gets asked in a later interview what he would’ve done if those lotions were his mom’s. Seung-gi: “I would’ve thrown them away instantly!”

javabeans: You see them make the first leg of their trip, and I feel like Seung-gi’s brain is starting to unravel, little by little. It’s not any one thing that is stressing him out, but the whole experience that’s disorienting. He sorta leads, but isn’t really sure he’s going to the right place.

girlfriday: As soon as they get off the plane he’s tripping on moving walkways and Yeo-jung worries they’ll have to protect him.

javabeans: He’s one step behind them, which is funny since the ladies are handling their baggage and he comes running up, too late to do his job. But he tries, god love him, and I swear it’s like when you see a toddler following around a parent, totally wanting to help by getting in their way. There’s this feeling that’s both really entertaining and uncomfortable where Seung-gi (and Seo-jin before him) has to project an air of calm control, even as it’s clear he doesn’t know what the heck he’s doing. Seung-gi is less good at this than Seo-jin was, so you can actually hear a thread of panic in his voice as he’s guiding them along, all, If we just find a coffee shop, you can rest and I’ll check all that for you…

girlfriday: And it’s worse because the noonas are in no way trusting like the halbaes were. Women generally have less patience for inefficiency, so he’s got less time to figure things out before Yeo-jung starts getting antsy about how capable he is. It only takes two minutes before she’s saying, “I think we’ll just have to do this on our own…”

javabeans: Upon exiting the terminal, there’s a wall of Turkish Seung-gi fans with signs and flowers, aw. Seung-gi is so distracted with his need to find Starbucks that he can’t really appreciate it, but Hee-ae has sort of taken up the role of his manager, which cracks me up, and takes the gifts saying, “I’ll pass them on to him.”

girlfriday: It’s stressing me out that Seung-gi is so fixated on coffee right now, when that’s not really his objective. It’s supposed to be a distraction while he figures out how to get to the subway, but it turns into this whole thing.

javabeans: Isn’t that totally one of his black holes? He fixates on the small thing as a way to get a grip on the bigger thing, and then the bigger thing gets away from him? Like Yeo-jung fusses with clipping a mic on her shirt and he gets all hover-y, trying to help with that.

girlfriday: It SO is. But it’s so much worse when the fate of an entire group rests on his ability to just let that thing go. I’m scared. It’s times like this I don’t think I could be Na PD, because I’d just be like, “Seung-gi! Get it together!”

javabeans: Or like in those nature documentaries where you see danger and can’t just let it happen? Yes. Seung-gi is the unsuspecting prey, and you just want to do it FOR him at a certain point.

girlfriday: Omg it cracks me up when Mi-yeon comes up behind him at the coffee counter and he freaks out that she’s hovering, which is the EXACT same look that Seo-jinnie used to get every time he asked the halbaes to wait while he did a thing, only to have them follow and stress him out more. I guess the reaction is involuntary. What is it? What do you need? At least he finally realizes that he can leave Mi-yeon to the coffee and goes searching for a way out of this place. Baby steps. Meanwhile Ja-ok is like, “Why can’t we just take a taxi?”

javabeans: He finally gets the relevant info, so that’s good news, but the bad news is that it’s only 4:30 am and most services don’t start running till 6. They decide to take the bus to their lodgings, but that will require one transfer, and Seung-gi heads out saying, “I’ll just find out where we board.” And then the show replays that in ominous slow-motion… oh no.

girlfriday: He begins this endless quest for the bus stop and it actually takes him a full half hour just to find it.

javabeans: Back at the cafe, the noonas are getting impatient, and they admit that Seung-gi’s a nice kid, but man is he slow. Yeo-jung says, “It’s not that he’s slow, but he doesn’t know anything.” Mi-yeon half-jokes that she’s on the verge of complaining, “Are we gonna just sleep here?” In a later interview, Yeo-jung says, “I found out that Mi-yeon is the most impatient of all of us.” Haha. But we do see a flash-forward of Mi-yeon and Seung-gi bonding over their trip, which looks really cute.

girlfriday: But right now she has no idea what she’s in for, as she jokes, “He couldn’t have gotten lost, could he?” Um…

javabeans: “Did he go all the way to the bus depot?” “No, he went to the depot, and rode it there and back.”

girlfriday: Yeo-jung: “We should’ve followed Seo-jinnie. I think Seung-gi’s going to get fired at the airport.”

javabeans: Omo, and then Mi-yeon strikes up a conversation with two travelers ONE TABLE OVER, who happen to be Korean, who happen to be regular business travelers here. This cracks me up.

girlfriday: I’m dying. She’s so gonna figure this out in two seconds, while he’s still trying to figure out how to get back inside.

javabeans: Then Yeo-jung decides to do some asking herself, and gets into a fluent English conversation with an airport employee about how to get to the shuttle buses. In like two minutes.

girlfriday: Pwahaha. It has the double effect of being impressive and squashing Seung-gi to shame in one blow.

javabeans: And THEN, Hee-ae goes looking too, and looks into direct shuttles with pretty good English herself. Lol. They really would’ve been fine to travel without him—Seung-gi really is here just for entertainment value. I like Ja-ok’s style, sitting calmly writing in her diary, saying, “Why is everyone so panicked? It’ll all work out in the end.” I hear ya. I’m the one wondering why they didn’t all just sit sipping coffee till 6 so they could take the metro, instead of spending an hour running around frantically for alternate options.

girlfriday: It’s hilarious how different they are. Ja-ok is the type to just lie down for a nap, while Mi-yeon and Yeo-jung are so control-freaky that it stresses them out just not knowing every detail. Yeo-jung determines that Seung-gi can’t be trusted, realizing that he’s probably never even taken the bus in Seoul. Ha.

javabeans: Every time Seung-gi says, “I’ll just ask and be right back,” it’s like a collective Nooooooo from the group. He goes off to ask about taxis, and for some reason stops a traveler to ask how much a taxi would charge. Hee-ae and the writer just stand by watching, feeling sorry for him, and then Hee-ae leads him to the booth she inquired at earlier. Ha, she’s basically spoon-feeding the solution to him, rather than stepping in with the solution that she already knows will work. She must be a mom.

girlfriday: Hahaha. She totally pretends to hear the information for the first time when he comes back and explains it to her, even though she already knew exactly what he’d say.

javabeans: It’s so the encouraging noona/mom thing to do. She’s all, Oh, really? That sounds like a good idea, Seung-gi. Good job.

girlfriday: And when Mi-yeon shows up to nag about how long this all took, Hee-ae shushes her so as not to bruise the boy’s fragile ego.

javabeans: Hee-ae reports to the others, and when Yeo-jung approves and asks whose idea this was, Hee-ae is all, “We went together.” It’s cute how Yeo-jung might grumble when he’s gone, but to his face she heaps on the encouragement.

girlfriday: And you can actually see the immediate effect on his face, because he really does just light up like a puppy when he’s praised.

javabeans: Even if he admits later how several times he wanted to take off his mic and cry in the corner to himself. Aw. But it looks like this is only the beginning, because next episode begins the “curse.” Uh-oh.

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Thank you!

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Seunggi ya....why so cute?

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Oooh!! I've been waiting for this! Thanks guys... *off to read*

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Thank you! I was waiting for this.
Amazing. First episode had a 10% rating already!

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I used to do a ton of traveling, and Seung-gi's reaction is not as uncommon as you might think. In Tokyo/Narita I once saw a woman stress out for almost 2 hours because her US cell phone was not working. She was still there frantically pounding keys when I got the shuttle to the hotel.

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Where can you watch this?

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Good question, found a couple of poor quality raws, but no subbed.

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It's supposed to be on Hulu today

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Is it under Noonas over Flowers? I was watching Grandpas over flowers on Hulu and they only have it subbed until episode 10, the day before Sunny left from Taiwan.

I would never imagine watching a K-variety show before but Grampas was awesome, and judging from the recap this too will be just as epic.

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It's not there yet I don't think. I'm not sure what the title will be. But I don't see anything. The press release said Dec. 2 though, but it's getting kind of late!

mineememe(.)blogspot(.)com/ has the raw

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I didn't know GOF was in Hulu. Yay, I'm so catching up now!

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So my background is in finance and it's hard for me to avoid looking at the business aspects of things I'm interested in. The business side of this franchise (GOF => NOF => etc.) has really been bugging me. Anyone know why they keep selling the syndication rights to a company that fails to get the product to market within a reasonable timeframe?

The only thing I can figure is that CJ E&M, owner of TvN, was both an original investor in Dreamworks, and is the current distributor for Dreamworks movies in Korea. Dreamworks is now owned by Disney. And Disney is one of the 3 major sponsors behind Hulu. Is that it?

Yeah, Hulu is the 900lb gorilla in this the online content market. And, maybe they were even willing to pay more. But if they're not willing to get the show to market, isn't selling them the distribution rights short sighted? Seems to me that a big part of how a show/franchise builds brand and thereby value, is in the distributor's ability to nimbly capitalize on the buzz created by netizens. Getting a show subbed and distributed months after it airs would diminish the international revenue potential for both the show and the franchise. Once a show has finished its run, most people move on to watch what's currently airing and what their friends are talking about. I'd think that's particularly true for variety.

And then there's the impact distribution has on the brand of the creative talent/team. I mean, you can't imagine seeing a creative talent like Jerry Bruckheimer (who's a good example of an entertainment professional who's established a strong personal brand identity) producing a show and then being content to watch his show sit on a shelf gathering dust until it became irrelevant.

These are smart guys producing these programs. Why do they make distribution decisions that make absolutely no sense? I'm hoping someone who has visibility into the business side of Korean entertainment can offer insight.

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My best guess is that they consider syndication rights to be kind of like a byproduct- an additional way to squeeze out a bit more profit for what they have, but it is simply not a priority, so why should they really care how and when Hulu comes out with the episodes?

The reason I say that is because if you look at an entertainment company's financials, a huge part of their revenues come from advertising. That means they only really care about getting viewers in Korea to pick up the remote and watch their channel. What that means is that they don't feel the need to prioritize international viewers, because thats not their target audience, neither is it their main source of income.

As for netizen buzz, you have to remember which netizens are important to them: Korean netizens, who can pick up their remotes, and turn on their channel. Those netizens would be found on korean language based sites, however, the majority of netizens who use Hulu are English speakers. So, again, TvN doesn't really have a real motivation to get the show out there for international viewers. With that in mind, it makes sense that they would probably just sell the syndication rights to the highest bidder.

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If you can navigate Korean torrent sites, it was up two days ago.

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Here's the link for good quality raw:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17sfav_%E3%84%B4%E3%84%B4_travel#from=embediframe

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17sffb_%E3%85%82%E3%84%B7_lifestyle

Unfortunately... don't think there's subs yet, although the chinese subs are out, so I'm expecting some of the Chinese Airens to sub it through that in English. But it probably won't be for another few days, so lets hope Hulu has it up soon.

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So you have the link for Chinese sub? Thanks :)

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funshion dot com has it in Chinese sub...enjoy. :-)

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Do you know the link to the Chinese subbed version? Or what the Chinese name to use to find it on funshion?

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Awesome! Thank you

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http://www.ujoon.com/series/1180

no english subs though

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I liked this better than I thought I would. Poor Seung-gi-ya! For some reason I feel a lot sorrier for him than I did with Seo-jin. Maybe because he's younger and I like him more? Plus he's just so freaking adorable!

I like all the actresses, but I can't tell who's who just be the recaps, since I can't find this anywhere to watch it with English Subs. Any ideas?

Thanks for the recap, JB and GF!

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Seung gi oppa is so cute

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omg this is all kinds of hilarious and I've only read the recap..can't wait to watch!!! I love how the show is the same essence as the first season with a whole new flair with female travellers at the forefront lol

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I really liked this. Oh Seunggi. I feel bad for him. Not only is traveling stressful, but it's not like he's ever really lead people before and planned things out. He's smart, but just has no actual life experience. But he tries so hard and smiles through it all, even if he's crying on the inside.

I love all the noonas. I think they are going to be difficult for him though because they are competent enough to do everything themselves, don't really need him and don't trust him at all. The impatience also adds to it, since they'll just do things themselves while he runs around. Oh man, can't wait to see how this turns out. How long before he's really crying in the corner?

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THANKS SO MUCH! been waiting for this post :):):)

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Aww bless, seungi is so adorable when he's fidgety and praised! And hehe I like Hee Ae already! Thank you for the recap!

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Thanks. Been waiting for it. Looking foward for more.

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Loved it!

I wasn't sure how this would work out with women instead of the halbaes, but it turns out it was really awesome.

Seung-gi is so bad with directions I'm half dreading/half anticipating what will happen on the rest of the trip.

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Thanks for the recap ladies, have been curious about the show, it looks a hoot, might be my first K-vairety

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there are good quality raws but no subbed, please someone, anyone sub it....chebai!!

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Omo..omo..omo.. It's here.
Thank you so much JB and GF.
Wow, those Turkish fans are daebak. They're waiting for Seung Gi even though it's 4 am. It's so nice of him to ask them for the transportation.
Seung Gi ya, I love you more and more.

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Why didn't he just ask them to guide him to their hotel? I'm sure they'd love to be "used"! Ha.

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the fans said the staff wouldn't let them lol. they wanted to help him.

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That makes sense. They'd make it too easy, and SG won't get to suffer for the sake of entertainment. Poor puppy!

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Thank you so much! I watched the show raw on Friday and I glad to inform that I did understand most of it yet is always good to have you confirm my doubts about what really happened.
I loved Seung gi for so many reasons but I can't not deny that I also loved seen him having some trouble in life. :P It's tough love :P.
I can't wait for next episode :) Seung-gi fighting!

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I watched it live, and saw his stress and helplessness, and totally felt for him. It was funny that he kept stopping random travelers to ask about transportation into town.
Really impressed that Yoon spoke such good English.

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"...so weird that Koreans can’t go on a trip and just trust that they will eat the stuff there—you need your kimchi and your ramyun and your pickled beef and your ready-packs of rice…"

That's fascinating! I had no idea, but now that I reflect on it, it makes so much sense!

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It is not just Koreans - have seen it before with other countries - but it was nearly always the older generations that did that.

First time my wife and I came to the states from Japan, her aunt was trying to force all kinds of stuff into our limited baggage. One of the funny things was that at least a couple of the items said plainly in English "Product of California, USA".

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Thank you for recap. I've been waiting a long time. Hmmm, this is sligthly different betwen GOF and NOF. The NOF looks Nunas more initiative and even keep Seunggi. Pity Seunggi but i am excited for next week. Seunggi figting!

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It is finally here. The recap was hilarious. Hopefully it will be on hulu soon. Granda over flowers is still onep 11.

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this looks like a whole lot of different fun from the halbaes!can't wait to watch the actual video..this recap already had me smiling like an idiot while on a train to work early in the morning!and I definitely have to agree...승기야..y so cute?

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Awww, poor Seung-gi! I feel bad for him but this is just too entertaining. Hope to see more of Na PD bumbling around as well.

Anyways, I hope someone can post a link to a fully subbed episode of this. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks for the enjoyable recap, JB and GF. :)

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Anyone know where to watch this with english sub?

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That preview calling it Finding Seunggi was right lol

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Thank you for the recaps JB and GF. I love Kim Hee Ae for being such a caring noona for Seung Gi. Now I want to see them in a drama together. No, I want to see the five of them in a drama together. No, I want to see the five of them and halbaes, including Seo Jin, in a drama together. Is that even possible? I'm greedy, I know. :D
Or, as GF said, I also want a season with all of them go on a trip together. That would be a great idea. The name of the show is Halbaes and Noonas Over Flowers: Run Away, PD Na! :D

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Hey Osi, I am with you on this. The ratings will be above 20% then.

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Right? Don't you think that would be the right time for them to take revenge on PD Na? :D
If PD Na has the idea to have the 10 of them in a trip, he has at least 2 options, I guess:
1. completely erase the idea from his head;
2. come with the most evil plan ever.

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He'll need an extra brain to came up with THE evil plan if they are all there to raid

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I love Kim Hee Ae for not telling Seunggi what she found out, so that he'll feel inept. Liked that she simply directed him to the counter and let him find out the details himself, and then pretend that she didn't know anything! So sweet of her! So sensitive and concerned about the young, bruised male ego!

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If this show were up on viki, I would sub it. Unfortunately, it's not.
The episode was pretty funny, especially the part when the Noonas are waiting for Seung Gi.
The subtitles were: 15 minutes... 20 minutes.. 25 minutes... 30 minutes... etc.
lol.

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They should rename it to Noonas Guiding Seung Gi. Lol. He's so clueless and adorable.

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*hrmpf* I feel you with the whole bringing food along thing. It's not just the Koreans, let me tell you. All my European family is just like that. One time when I was going _to_ Turkey, my Turkish aunt actually made börek for me to take along, because apparently she wouldn't trust them other Turks to make edible börek ... ? ^^; And come to think of it, I've yet to leave my Japanese inlaws' place without home-made onigiri and stuff. (Not that I'm complaining, or anything. :3)

Well, to be fair, I do feel it's a money thing. Eating out is always expensive. More expensive than bringing food, anyway. On the other hand, not being able to eat regional food, because you feel obliged to eat all the stuff your loving mama made for you ... *le sigh*

And the worst part: when my hubby goes somewhere, I give him food to take along. I'll end up being exactly like the rest of my family... ^^;

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But...but...if you go to another country for leisure and don't try the food there, why go at all???

I get the 'eating out is expensive' reasoning if you're at home but in another country ... Your flight ticket's already more expensive than your food, so why save on food???

But I'm a foodie, so this 'eating only one's own food' hurts me deeply! All kinds of food, the treasure of the world!!!!

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I know right?
I was really stressed out when Seo-jin's first option after escaping from the halbaes was McDs.

I'm a Muslim & we have food restrictions, so I totally get why people pack their food with them though.

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Lol, you were stressed out by that?? You have priorities issues, gurl.

Haha, but I totally understand. I myself was thinking 'WTF?!' when I saw that moment.

And I understand people with dietary restrictions.... I kind of feel bad for them, what with all the lost experiences....

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I usually end up searching for the nearest Subway while travelling ;)

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OMG!! :D

When I was hitting places like Bangkok and Taiwan, the first place I would head would be the street stalls. I used to figure on spending a lot of my free time at the Taipei 101 food court.

The one thing I cannot live without though is good coffee, and outside of franchises like Starbucks and a few others, it can vary from very good to horrible, especially outside Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, and of course Hong Kong and Singapore.

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As I noted in an earlier message - I feel your pain :D

But the fact is, with things like excess baggage fees, security and customs restrictions etc. now on so much it can get pretty expensive and difficult to take much. And really, in many places unless you are in dire need of some regional specialty I have yet to find anything important in the way of Asian foods that I could not find here in Phoenix.

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Loving the mix of the 4 noonas already. YYJ is the sassy boss, KJO the calm princess, KHA the elegant madame, and LMY the hyper noona.

The noona killer getting killed by noonas, karmic.

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Totally spot on, Topper!

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Love Seung Gi as always... noonas are great.
Congrats to SeungGi for hosting, performing and winning at the 2013 MAMA awards........ and for your New Firstlook outerwear endorsement. breaking all records in one day sold out his yellow coat he wore........ Looking forward to his new drama next yr too.

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Wait... he has a drama next year?? Or is that a speculation, cz I haven't heard anything about it and OMG I would freak if that were true!

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Supposedly. On SBS early in the year.

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LOL I would never want to go on a trip with him. Sorry SG.

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You are kidding, right? ;)
Most of us would so go on a trip with him, and be happy to "hold his hand", figuratively speaking, or not!

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I'd go. I can do the work. He can just be cute.

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+ infinity

On second thoughts: he can do the sexy dance with me (ala Bora) as a way of showing gratitude for all the hard work I had to do ;)

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"He can just be cute". Hehe.
I'd go, too, and do the work. It's Lee Seung Gi we talk about. He can serenade me with "Will You Marry Me" at the end of the trip.

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I love it that you think Big!

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... and I say "I do" even before the first verse is finished.
I always think Big! Hehe.

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I would love to go on a trip with Seunggi! Can get lost together! How awesome! I'll make sure it's somewhere quiet, and since he's quite well off, won't suffer much hardship!

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LOVE THIS RECAP!! I was laughing all the way and I can't wait to watch the subbed version (please.. anybody please...) Oh, Poor Seung-gi. Well at least the noonas are helpful? Imagine if it's the halbaes hee hee

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Actually with the halbaes it's less stressful as they will sit around and wait. With the noonas here they will go find the solution themselves haha.

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Hah I think Seo Jin said the same thing when he was asked about the first episode. They chilled out and waited. Having 3 of the 4 noonas trying to do your job, while you can't do your job very well, just adds to the stress of everything.

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I may sound a bit ignorant, but I am just wondering why viki/DF pick up tvN dramas like AM1994 (which I am SOOOO grateful for), but not the variety shows (even the hit ones like this)? It's so hard to find subs for the Halbaes over flowers, and now this. I'm not complaining, cos I'm already so grateful for all the eng subs out there for other shows, I just wish this show could get more exposure to the english-speaking world. Na PD is a genius, as always.

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It is a licensing thing. And sometime I think that places like Viki, DF, etc. don't think the show will be popular enough to pay for the license. Most MBC stuff is on Hulu, I think MBC does it's own subs.

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Watching Seung-gi stress makes me so miss Seo-jinnie.

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Firstly thanks so much for the recap, I understand the episode alot more after watching it unsubbed & feel doubly entertained & doubly sorry for Seung Gi who is meant to be the luggage boy but became just luggage & now we all know why.
He's been in the entertainment business for about a decade & after seeing him in all his entertainment facets & in person he really has to come up with alot of courage & perhaps dig deep for the assured confidence he projects on stage because as this show allows us to see, he's just an adorable puppy who, due to age & experience, can only tag along wagging his tail enthusiastically. That only makes me respect him even more as it can't be easy making himself do the things he does in front of thousands of people when all he wants to do is run to a corner & cry.
Also showing us a small part of Seung Gi's home for a celebrity who is very private & the back of Seung Gi's mom, big thing for his fans!
Love this show!

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"..wagging his tail enthusiastically.." :D

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i don't know is only me or what... i find the show stupid...
how can someone go to travel without preparation...

everyting make them dumb...

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Ummm... if they go fully prepared, then what's the point of making this a variety? It would simply be a normal travel experience with everything ready to go and just them relaxing. Where's the entertainment in that, and where would the 10% ratings come from?

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sorry, but are u travel without prepared...
in this case, just dont buy the flight ticket & make them figure out too. hahaha

the minimun travel guide will tell you what to do...

the all show, make them dumb...

maybe is not my kind of fun, i don't find that cute

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they are prepared somewhat. they made arrangements. they have a hotel they are going to and an itinerary of where they are going. not knowing how to get there exactly isn't that unusual.

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They did prepare, just that Na PD wants add some hardships for them and book the flight at that early morning, who will travel at that time?
Moreover, you can't compare them with normal people, they are celebrities, every moves are prepared by managers, call them inexperience yes, call them dump just make you... (fill the blank yourself). Tell you what, even with people traveling a lot, there are sometimes unexpected situations happen although they fully prepared.

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It's ok. One man's meat is another man's poison. You go watch other shows that you think are cute. To me, even if the show is not cute, I will watch just for Seung Gi and PD Na, just simply love these two guys together.

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When we watch a show, any show, we've to get with the program. The program here is: Watch SG suffer!
With 5 of them, it is more economical to take a taxi. It's 4am, it make more sense to take a cab than wait around for 2 hours.

But in order that we see him fret, the show makes him figure out how to use public transport, when he probably hasn't ever taken PT in Seoul.

They can all afford to pay more, the show, the actresses and SG. So why try to live within the limits of the limited allowance, if not to make SG suffer?

If you don't get that, then this show probably isn't for you, and that's perfectly ok.

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Agree with everyone here. And not to be bitchy or anything but if you find them/this show 'dumb' then I honestly think you shouldn't be here commenting on the recap or watching the show. If its not your kind of fun and cute, then I hope you can find something that you enjoy and leave this to us.

Mostly everyone here finds this adorable, as does Korea (if ratings and reactions are indication enough) so...

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".. I honestly think you shouldn’t be here commenting on the recap or watching the show... "

Hmm.. Why shouldn't he?

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I don't think he/she meant it in the way that op cannot comment. I think it's more like, if you don't enjoy it, as a human who probably wishes to gain maximum happyness, you should watch something else and leave this show alone. Why watch something you don't like and feel horrible and then complain and make others feel horrible?

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Uhm.. that is the whole idea - to go cold turkey into someplace you have never been to. If it was all planned out, escorted, guided, and planned what would be the point of the show?

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That's the point of the show.. besides, if you think like that, then a lot of variety will seem pointless.

I am sure there's always a fail-safe plan by Na PD, so, he probably did all the preparations, just withholding it from the cast for entertainment value.

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Based on the show, the staff is extremely prepared for any situation and they probably have backups for backups. It is the actors that are unprepared which brings in all the fun.

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my initial reaction
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
this just made my day ^^

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As Seung Gi said in an interview during NOF, "Making mistakes is the privillage of youth, so that you can rise and mature through the challenge", I guess in the end they bonded and became good friends, 2 noonas even went to his concert after this...haha

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Thank you so much for your recap. I laugh alot although no sub but you make me laugh again with brillian recap. Love this varity , i understand why it hit so amazing in cable tv! poor seunggi but i feel sorry and thank him. To all noonas , them really cute. Now i'm proud like is woman! I was read interview of first express about this show with seunggi. He said he doesn't want more people watch it cus he scare and embarrassed . He joke by hurt himself so poor job and all actress hate him. Oh seunggi , you really good job . You try best by self . Now your varity really awesome. i really love writter and pd na. Can't wait next !

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Did anyone see this week's ep of Running Man with Seung Gi? It was a throwaway comment to Kwang-Soo on one of the missions, but he basically said he only got cussed out by the noonas. I was cracking up.

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yup just watched that, poor puppy still suffering the after effects :) hope that wont tarnish his love for noonas!

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He is just one adorable puppy isnt he! Thanks for the recap! :) ♥

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Is it just me or does Lee Mi Yeon look so much like Shin So Yoon (Yoo-jung from 1997)? I kept staring at her and the way she smiles and then it clicked - they look like they could be siblings. Even the way they laugh and giggle is so similar, I had to google to make sure they weren't related!

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Thanks for the recaps. This helps non-Korean speakers a lot; especially those with no access to Hulu.

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YAY! thanks for the recap. can't wait to watch the episode ^^

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Aaahhh finally! Thanks for the recap been waiting for days :-) watched it raw twice and even though i didn't understand, just looking at their reactions (especially Seungiya) it's priceless. I was laughing my butt off :-D

Aaaww my poor adorkable puppy. Don't worry u will get through this.....

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Omg. I couldn't stop laughing through this whole recap. Need to watch this ASAP!!! Thanks for the hilarious recap!!

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finally my stress reliever is back...Lee Seung gi and PD Na bring it on...he he eh PD Na i love him telling in the end Lee Seung gi become more than a luggage...the noonas are cute they took care of him exact opposite of Seo Jinie...but you bet i can watch this over and over again...good job to everyone...love it...

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omg...this is really cute overload. :P

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Thank you very much !

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