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Sly and Single Again: Episode 2

Hi everyone! I’m purplecow, and I’ll also be covering Sly and Single Again. We’ve had two episodes to introduce the characters and set the mood, and while I can’t say I’m completely hooked, I’m looking forward to good things ahead. In Episode 2 we learn a little more about how Jung-woo went from spurned ex-husband to Chaebol of the Chiseled Jaw, and said chaebol has a few chances to rub his ex-wife’s nose in his newfound good fortune, which he takes with great gusto.

 
EPISODE 2 RECAP

Episode 2 starts where we left off, with Ae-ra stuck in a holding cell, sporting crazy-hair and severely smudged lipstick. Who should stride in through the front door but Jung-woo, looking sharp. Take it from a guy who knows: this is the dream of every man who’s been dumped. Showing up to bail out your ex, while looking fabulous and knowing that you’ve become the kind of man she never thought you’d become… let’s just say, Jung-woo’s tasted revenge, and I’m guessing it tastes good.

Best friend Min-young pushes Ae-ra to say a few grudging words of gratitude to Jung-woo, who is about to drive off with his adorable secretary GIL YO-HAN, played by idol star L.

Jung-woo coolly says that he would prefer not seeing each other over something like this again, which drives Ae-ra to retort that she feels the same way, thank you very much. Her rudeness is refreshing, because it shows she’s not overawed by his new status.

Jung-woo drives off with Secretary Gil, who fishes for more information by saying that he had thought the boss’s ex-wife would be really pretty. Jung-woo replies that she was pretty, which prompts a flashback to their restaurant days. Bowl Cut Jung-woo awkwardly responds to Ae-ra’s questions about why he eats alone, and what exam he’s studying for — this is a different Jung-woo, insecure and naive, and he’s a goner the moment Ae-ra winks at him from across the restaurant.

Jung-woo says that Ae-ra believed in him more than anyone else… until he started failing at his business, and her personality seemed to change. The flashbacks continue, showing the night Ae-ra locked Jung-woo out of the apartment. He crouches by the window and calls out to her, but she’s not having it. The next scene is the real kicker, when Ae-ra looks Jung-woo in the face and coldly tells him to get out of her life. She refuses any kind of alimony, which says something, but she certainly doesn’t pull any punches when she tells him to get lost.

In the present, Secretary Gil reflects that marriage sure is scary, but that Ae-ra must have regretted her actions when she saw how cool Jung-woo was earlier. Jung-woo doesn’t say a thing, grinning like a cat that’s got into the cream.

Meanwhile, Ae-ra and Min-young take a taxi home, and Ae-ra is still miffed about the rumors floating around about her. Min-young says Jung-woo probably didn’t have anything to do with them, but Ae-ra insists that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. She then asks how Min-young contacted Jung-woo, which is how she learns that he hasn’t changed his number.

This intriguing piece of information cheers her up, until she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the window, looking like the Joker.

Back in his apartment, Jung-woo protests that HE isn’t the one who should have to change his number, and gets affronted when Secretary Gil teases him about having feelings left. Jung-woo declares hotly that Na Ae-ra was his life’s greatest mistake — methinks the chaebol doth protest too much, and from his knowing tone, Secretary Gil agrees with me.

Ae-ra, on the other hand, gets miffed when her friend doesn’t automatically take her side. Min-young points out, quite rightly, that Jung-woo is no longer the man who came running when Ae-ra crooked a finger. Ae-ra takes offense that Min-young isn’t consoling her like a best friend should, and when Min-young brings up the icky Skin Doctor from the dating show it’s the last straw. Ae-ra walks out in a huff.

Her wounded pride won’t let her apologize or forgive, so she spends the night at a jjimjilbang. I’m not crazy about Ae-ra’s prickly side, but I have to say, she knows how to rock the jjimjilbang orange.

A quartet of ajummas give Ae-ra hope by gossiping about a Dry Cleaner Ajusshi who struck it rich and got back together with his ex-wife. The light bulb goes off in Ae-ra’s head, and it isn’t long before she decides to look up Jung-woo on the Internet.

She begins to understand just how much she stood to gain if she hadn’t thrown Jung-woo away, and she vents her frustration by headbutting the wall. She ruminates on how cold Jung-woo acted at the police station, only to realize that the ajumma lying nearby can hear her every word. Ae-ra’s exaggerated facial expressions really make this scene — she goes from outrage and scorn to embarrassment without missing a beat.

Jung-woo prepares for the day, while Secretary Gil continues to needle him about alimony. He claims that Jung-woo is being hypocritical by saying that Ae-ra never contributed anything, because in his interview earlier he said that Ae-ra was the person who made him determined to succeed (Jung-woo didn’t mention her by name, of course, but Secretary Gil made the connection). The point is well taken, and Jung-woo rushes off immediately. Secretary Gil allows himself a little chuckle, enjoying his ability to manipulate Jung-woo with his words.

I have to say, I’m loving the interactions between these two, and I hope we see much more of them. These moments keep Jung-woo from veering too far into the Cold Chaebol archetype, since his earlier innocence shines through when he’s being pushed by Secretary Gil to be a better person. Ae-ra may not have fallen in love with Bowl Cut Jung-woo, but I certainly did, and I’m going to be very sad if there’s no remnant of the adorkable buffoon hidden somewhere under Jung-woo’s emotional scar tissue.

At the jjimjilbang, Ae-ra receives a text from Jung-woo saying, “We need to talk.” She lights up and prepares to reply immediately, only to reword her text so as not to appear as though she was waiting for him to contact her.

They agree to meet at Jung-woo’s workplace later that day, which means Ae-ra has to hustle to get a makeover. Not sure there’s much Ae-ra can do to erase Jung-woo’s memory of the Prison Debacle, but I’ll give her credit for trying.

At the hairdresser’s, Ae-ra calls in sick to work and really hams it up. The hairdresser ajumma compliments her on her acting and her good looks, and Ae-ra makes a pretty terrible impression by agreeing and talking about how difficult life was when she couldn’t even walk around without talent scouts trying to recruit her.

The ajumma’s expression is priceless, and as far as I’m concerned it conveys exactly what we ought to think of Ae-ra at this point in time. She’s sassy and headstrong, which I love, but she’s also got an ego the size of an elephant.

Ae-ra takes a taxi and arrives at the Dontalk headquarters, which is a kind of futuristic cross between an egg and the Starship Enterprise. The obvious wealth makes an impression, but Ae-ra only shakes her head and flounces into the waiting room. She brushes past our second lead Kook Yeo-jin on the way to Jung-woo’s office.

Jung-woo sits down across from her, and then proceeds to lose most of the respect I had for him by oh-so-casually asking his gorgeous secretary what time he’s supposed to give his guest lecture at Seoul National University. Ae-ra gives the secretary dagger eyes, and as petty as our heroine can be sometimes, I find myself cheering her on.

Now it’s time to get down to business: Jung-woo offers Ae-ra an envelope full of money. He tells her that even though she refused compensation when they split up, he wants to give her money now so that he can feel at ease. He asks her to sign a contract agreeing not to use the compensation matter as an excuse to contact him in the future. He’s clearly loving this, and Ae-ra is visibly upset at being treated like a gold-digger, though she makes a heroic effort to compose herself.

She tears up the contract, throws it in his face, and stalks out. She turns back to say that she only came to thank him for helping her yesterday. If there’s any hope for Jung-woo, then he’s not enjoying his moment of petty revenge as much as he thought he would.

Ae-ra’s brother, NA SOO-CHEOL (Kim Yong-hee), calls to ask whether Ae-ra knows her ex became a chaebol, displaying an extraordinary gift for bad timing. He hangs up after Ae-ra starts screaming into the phone, and complains to Mother that she and Ae-ra really dropped the ball by not contacting Jung-woo after he became rich. Mom asks him why he returned from Vietnam if his business was doing so well, and Soo-cheol hedges in a way that spells trouble.

Ae-ra’s father makes an appearance next, returning from a health club wearing a salmon suit jacket that just brightened my day. Ae-ra’s mom listens to her husband’s complaints about getting old, then calmly tells him she has no money for treatments to soothe his vanity. I like how she handles the two layabouts in the family, putting up with them in spite of their (numerous) faults.

Ae-ra finally makes it back to the apartment, sneaking in because she still hasn’t made amends with Min-young. Instead of apologizing, she casually drops the fact that she met with Jung-woo, using the resulting gossip session as a way to repair the relationship. It’s good that she wants to reconcile, but seriously, Ae-ra, would an apology kill you? Min-young says it’s a shame she didn’t see how much money was in the envelope, but agrees that Ae-ra was right to stick to her guns. They trade apple slices while fighting back sniffles, friends once more.

Uh-oh — Mustache Oppa (ok, Soo-cheol) has gone to see Jung-woo, which can’t be a good thing. Jung-woo gives Soo-cheol the money he tried to give Ae-ra, and this time he meets with no resistance. Soo-cheol waits until he’s alone in the bathroom to count the bills and can’t believe his luck.

The scene changes to a private stable, where Yeo-jin rides a horse around an indoor track. Her old college roommate arrives just in time to see Yeo-jin tumble from the horse. Yeo-jin snaps at the attendant who tries to help her up, showing that she hates any appearance of vulnerability.

The newcomer acknowledges that Yeo-jin was right about Jung-woo — he responded exactly as Yeo-jin said he would in rejecting her advances. The friend is ready to give Yeo-jin the horse as the bet’s prize, but Yeo-jin declines the winnings, saying that she was extremely curious to know how Jung-woo would respond to her friend. The answer is what she wanted, not the horse.

Next we see a new member of Yeo-jin’s family: her younger brother KOOK SEUNG-HYUN (Seo Kang-joon), who has just arrived at the airport. He is met not by his father but by DIRECTOR OH (Lee Byung-joon).

Seung-hyun knows that his father must be really angry at him for changing his major, and that Director Oh has been tasked to bring him home. Unfortunately for Director Oh, Seung-hyun decides to make a break for it in a crowded intersection, leaving Director Oh to face the CEO’s wrath alone. Seung-hyun promises to come home later with his sister, in an attempt to avoid a paternal beat-down.

Back at Ae-ra’s workplace, trouble arrives in the form of the wife of Creepy Rich Ahjusshi from Episode 1. Apparently she got her hands on a photo of Ae-ra and her husband together and misunderstood the situation. She returns the wallets ordered earlier and slaps Ae-ra full across the face, telling her that she shouldn’t run around tempting married men just because she’s divorced.

To top it off, the wife is friends with the president of Ae-ra’s company, so her boss has no choice but to fire her then and there. Ae-ra’s brother calls and drops broad hints about “something good” that happened, and says he wants to meet her. He reminds her how she said she wanted to quit her job and open a store, and promises to make that happen for her. As she’s hanging up, Ae-ra drops the box with her belongings and has to stoop down to gather them up.

Who should come along but Seung-hyun, who helps Ae-ra pack up her stuff and gives her a kind smile. Hardly any words are exchanged, but I’m thinking that was our heroine’s first encounter with the Second Male Lead, who has considerable puppy-dog charm.

He tries to exercise said charm when he returns home, to no avail. Seung-hyun has just enough time to see Director Oh kneeling in penance with a bruised face (HA!) before his father unleashes a flurry of mostly ineffectual punches and kicks.

Seung-hyun suffers the blows without complaint, except for asking dad not to mark up his face. He’s saved from further punishment when his sister comes in. They go upstairs together, leaving poor Director Oh wondering whether he’s allowed to stand up yet.

Seung-hyun shows Yeo-jin some pictures from his time abroad, one of which sparks a memory. It’s just a brief moment, but it shows Yeo-jin in a car, wearing a wedding dress. She leans over to kiss the man in the driver’s seat, but we only catch a glimpse of his face.

Now I understand why Yeo-jin seems so mopey all the time: she has a Tragic Past. I wish I could muster up more sympathy, but her character is coming off a little flat for me — but more on that in the comments. Yeo-jin shakes off her moment of bleakness and asks how their mother is doing. Seung-hyun tells her that she’s improved since moving to Paris, and that Yeo-jin should call. Yeo-jin wonders if their mother would even want to hear from her. Seung-hyun changes the subject by asking after Jung-woo.

Seung-hyun and Jung-woo drink together in a classy establishment. Seung-hyun reproaches Jung-woo for caving to his father’s demand to hire him into the company, but Jung-woo replies that he only agreed because Seung-hyun has potential.

After some reminiscing, it comes out that Jung-woo was the tutor who introduced rebellious Seung-hyun to alcohol back in his middle school years. Then Seung-hyun calls Jung-woo’s attention to the hottie at the bar, boasting that she’s been checking him out. Jung-woo corrects him: “She was looking at me.”

They make a bet about who’s right, and then Seung-hyun sidles up to the bar to show off his slick moves. Too bad the woman at the bar is, well… isn’t Seung-hyun’s type, let’s say.

He tries to pull a fast one by telling her that Jung-woo wants to have a drink with her, but Jung-woo stays a step ahead by escaping before she sees him. Seung-hyun is well and truly trapped, and as he looks helplessly around the bar, Jung-woo gives him a gloating thumbs up before slipping away.

I have to say, poor form from Jung-woo – you never abandon your wingman or wingwoman! That’s the Golden Rule, and you shouldn’t break it… not even if it’s funny.

Now comes the moment we were waiting for since Ae-ra’s brother took the money envelope from Jung-woo. He’s walking along the street in a snazzy new suit, when a trio of thugs intercept him and start beating the living daylights out of him. He thought he could evade them by running away from Vietnam, but he underestimated their reach. They take him out to the middle of nowhere and literally make him dig his own grave, then fill it up until only his head is aboveground.

The head gangster delivers his threat, saying that there’s nowhere Soo-cheol will be safe unless he repays the money he owes. I find it hard to dredge up much sympathy for the brother, but I do feel sorry for Ae-ra. Not only did she lose her job for something she didn’t do, but now her brother has accepted — and lost — the money she rejected out of pride.

Back at the Dontalk office, Yeo-jin asks Jung-woo why he changed the date of the company’s inception, since it was originally some other day. Jung-woo replies that he changed the date to the night heaven turned to hell, triggering a flashback. Jung-woo sits by the bank of the Han River in the dead of winter, finishing his third bottle of soju.

He stands up to scream his frustration into the uncaring night, which is when Director Oh drives by and, understandably, thinks he’s witnessing a suicide in the making. He runs over to Jung-woo, shouting at him to reconsider, but his actions only startle the inebriated Jung-woo, and into the river he goes.

Director Oh makes up for his bad timing by jumping into the river after him, and somehow neither of them dies from hypothermia. Cut to President Kook’s house, with Jung-woo swathed in blankets and shivering uncontrollably, and a dripping wet Director Oh explaining the situation to a ticked-off CEO.

Yeo-jin comes stumbling down the stairs, looking like a zombie, probably still in recovery from whatever tragedy separated her from her Mystery Husband. She locks eyes with Jung-woo, but instead of his face she sees her husband. Thinking she saw a ghost, she collapses to the ground.

In the present, Jung-woo smiles and reflects that on that night he and the company were both reborn, which is why he felt he should change the memorial date. Yeo-jin replies that it was also the day they first met.

Meanwhile, Ae-ra meets her brother in a cafe. He’s sporting a fresh black eye, and we know this isn’t going to end well. Ae-ra shrewdly guesses that he’s come because of the Vietnam venture but lights up when he hands her an envelope with some money in it, until she finds out that he got the money from Jung-woo.

Outside in an alley, Soo-cheol claims that he was only acting to protect her, since she was too proud to take the money. But this doesn’t mean much in the end, because it comes out that he took the vast majority of the money as a “handling fee.” (Jung-woo gave 300 million won, about $300 grand, but oppa only passed along 5 million, or about $5,000 US.) Ae-ra demands the rest so she can return it, but of course he no longer has it.

It’s just one blow after another for Ae-ra, and it’s no wonder that she sinks to the ground in despair. Maybe for the first time, Ae-ra loses control and really rips into her brother. She tells him to get out of her life, echoing her words to Jung-woo, and screams that he’s as bad as their father, who always wasted the hard-earned money brought home by their mother. Ae-ra sobs and sobs, and Soo-cheol can only watch, knowing how monumentally he has screwed up.

But Ae-ra is too stubborn to stay down for long — possibly the trait I like most about her — and she dusts herself off to confront Jung-woo at his office. He agrees to meet her at the nearby park, and as she heads there Ae-ra sees a banner celebrating the anniversary of the company. The date makes her pause.

Jung-woo speaks brusquely, saying he doesn’t have much time. She scolds him for offering money to her brother after she refused it. But she says that she has ultimately accepted it, that she had no reason not to accept it, and now they have no reason to see each other again. They will go their separate ways, each living well without the other.

But she can’t walk away without asking him one more thing — why is the anniversary of his company the same as the date of their divorce? He responds that a huge investment came in the day she divorced him. When Ae-ra asks why he never contacted her, he says he was only following her request.

Jung-woo: Don’t you remember? Valentine’s Day. The day we broke up. “Don’t use alimony as an excuse to contact me, and leave my life quietly.”

He’s quoting her words exactly, and as he speaks, Ae-ra remembers that day. Now it’s time to make her regret those words: Jung-woo leans in close and says, “Just leave my life quietly… Na Ae-ra.”

Then he turns and leaves her speechless behind him. He thinks, “If you came back for the money, it probably wasn’t love.” As he walks away from Ae-ra a gigantic grin spreads across his face — but for Ae-ra, who’s still shaking with rage, this is only the beginning.

“I’m going to crush you, Cha Jung-woo!” she vows.

COMMENTS

I like the way the show is going — both leads are charismatic and fun to watch, and the show doesn’t take itself too seriously, despite several sincerely emotional moments. It’s a nice blend of cuteness and angst so far, with some great supporting characters, especially Secretary Gil (can we just call him Secretary L?) and Director Oh.

I’m a little skeptical about Yeo-jin’s family, because at first blush they seem contrived for plot reasons. The father exists because his patronage allowed Jung-woo to launch his business, and Yeo-jin’s only purpose so far seems to be to inject the show with some obligatory angst. I see a love triangle shaping up, for example, but I’m not nearly as invested in it as I could be, because so far Yeo-jin doesn’t seem as interesting as the main couple.

If there’s hope for this family, I think it lies with the younger brother, whose comfortable relationship with Jung-woo ought to make for some quality shenanigans once they start butting heads over Ae-ra.

As far as the main couple is concerned, I’m not all that worried about figuring out who’s “more at fault” for the failed marriage, because the way I see it, both of them made mistakes. Jung-woo fell for Ae-ra without actually getting to know her or what she wanted. Then he decided to quit his job without telling her, and while I applaud his determination to follow his passion, I’m not at all thrilled about the lack of communication. Marriage is hard enough without throwing away your sole source of income – here’s a piece of real-life wisdom, folks: talk with your spouse prior to all major financial decisions!

I can completely understand how Ae-ra might become disillusioned and bitter, and if her sickness during the first episode was a miscarriage, as I suspect it might have been, then she has even more reason to feel wronged. That doesn’t mean she was necessarily right to act like she did during the marriage, but I don’t think most of us are in any position to judge her.

For me, the bottom line is that they both hurt each other, and neither really knows the other. That’s why I’m looking forward to next week’s episodes so much – once the intrigue begins and our leads start their elaborate dance of seduction, their relationship will be stronger than it ever was because this time, they began knowing each other’s faults. If they come to reflect, just a little, on their own mistakes rather than their partner’s, I’ll be behind this drama 100% – and if Jung-won brings back the Bowl Cut to Rule Them All, make that 110%.

Although Sly and Single was a little slow getting out of the gate, I think it has all the ingredients of a great romantic comedy – if it can avoid the pitfalls we all see looming ahead. I’ll be waiting for next week!

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Liking this drama a lot :D Thank you for the recap & welcome~<3

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Just for a fun fact just wanted to say that ricky kim is playing the husband kim gyuri thought she saw when she saw sang wook dripping wet in the blanket.

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Love this drama. Better storyline compare to EC. Looking forward for next episode.

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Thanks javabean for the recap.. i see the flow of the plot is promising!

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I mean purpleclow, thanks for the recap.. didn't really focus when writing this comment, sorry.

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wrong again, purplecow! *what's wrong with me? anyway, great recap :)

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Thank u for the recap

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Welcome to the recapping team, purplecow!

shallow note: Seo Kang-joon is quite dashing. Charismatic screen presence, certainly looks older than his actual age (20). Has potential. Will definitely see him more in the coming years.
A new star is born.

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he reminds me of Song Joong Ki.. not just becos he is pretty.

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i like him already, his eyes are tantalizing! i can't recall where i first saw him i mean which drama recently

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Suspicious Housekeeper with kim so hyun

Made his debut in youth drama-toon After School Bokbulbok with kim so eun (which i plan to watch soon).

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Thanks for recapping this show =)

I really like it so far because it seems like it's going to be a fun and easy watch (with some angst later on but I can deal with that) and I need that right now^^

I don't really like YJ so watching the love triangle unfold will be painfull but well...

YAY for Seo Kang Joon =) I really liked him in Suspicious Housekeeper and am really glad that he is in another drama so soon again :)
That cameo of Oh Nami as the woman at the bar had me in stitches^^ Love cameos like that xD

Can't wait for this weeks episodes :)

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I think this is a good start to what could be a good drama. Thanks for the great recap, purplecow.

Oh yeah, and what is a jjimjilbang? The public bath house? I know I've seen people in dramas in them before but I don't know what they are.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jjimjilbang

funny story: This one time i went with a group of friends and one of the guys left the gender-segregated/changing room area STILL full on nude into the unisex area (didn't know, his first time). Also want to add that he is of african american descent so blending in is the last thing on his mind. This was also a Saturday so there were many families. Suffice to say he has been scarred since and never wanted to go back.

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Thanks for the link. And HA!! Poor guy.

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Thanks for the recap but could u please tell us your oppinion about the characters in the comments and not in the recap.thank u

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Welcome purplecow and thanks for the recap!

Just wondering, but is your username at any way related to a milk tea establishment...? :)

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@domo i was wondering abt that too :-)

maybe i read the recap wrong, so another question just to reconfirm, are you a guy?

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Your comments section perfectly captured how I'm feeling about this show! Literally word for word. While I have some concerns about it and am not completely satisfied, I am excited for what it could offer in the future once their dance of seduction begins!

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Same here. While the main characters seem to be making a pretty good show, I am a little afraid that the side shows are more of a distraction than anything else, and hope they don't carry them too far.

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SKJ lipstick needs to go, I wonder why they keep getting it wrong, maybe the camera filter change the colors?

http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu26/dramabeans/drama/2014/slyandsingle/sas02/csl2-00030.jpg

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Agreed.

May work for Jeon Ji Hyun, yet just because her make-up is currently popular and being imitated a lot right now, it does mean e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e should do it. *Stares at SKJ*

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Wahey, new recapper!

*interpretative welcome dance*

Take it from a girl who knows: I applaud your manly insight, masculine syntax and macho screen caps.

Hahahaha, your first paragraph just inadvertently cracked me up. But nice job on the recap.

Complete agreement on your comments section, but I have some differing opinions elsewhere. Firstly: I randomly enjoyed that Ae-ra and Min-young made up without an explicit apology - it makes their friendship more realistic. This is particularly the case since both sides were at fault: Ae-ra was overly sensitive, whilst Min-young was thoughtless. Secondly: I get that the Angry Dad scene might have been played for laughs, but it fell very flat for me. This kind of scene has been in countless dramas, but the admonishing parent generally administers an ineffectual 'beating'. It's a different case when the hits land and are forceful. I just can't go: "Bruises - HA!"

Anyhow, I'll be continuing with 'Sly and Single Again', so fingers crossed that it stays cute and fluffy. And long may your manlike recaps continue.

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Yeah, I was really unhappy about the bruises on Director Oh. Definitely no "HA!" from me at that. Poor man.

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I never saw a purple cow
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one! Gelett Burgess

Enjoyed your recap and comments...welcome.

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Yes, I agree.
Let's just call him Secretary L.
Hahahahaha...

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I'm loving this show...It reminds me of Persuasion, i love that story and I'd been wanting to find a plot similar to it...

I really liked your recap ♥♡♥♡♥♡ thnx

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Omo, you're right! I finally convinced my gals to watch that and we all like it just as much as Pride and Prejudice. This drama does give off those vibes.

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Ah, that smirk at the end. Makes me want to watch him suffer more in the upcoming episodes.

I hope they tone done the cliches a bit. Loan sharks, son from overseas who is going to be a total nice guy and fall in love with the lead female, another son back from overseas who is going to continue to ruin her life.

I can see the love triangle happening, but Seung-hyun is just not a viable option for her. He's too young and has no career. I can't just can't see it. This isn't the best show, but for some reason it really grabbed my attention. I suspect we are going to have a lot of back and forth fighting and revenge between the two before they both realize they still love each other and they were both wrong.

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Although I see the battling couple ending back together again, I'm thinking younger brother would be semi-perfect for our heroine. BECAUSE he is so young, and because she would have to believe in someone again. Although, Lord knows, she doesn't need to go through trusting another relationship with a dreamer.

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I sort of disagree with both of you - younger brother is the son of a rich family, so even if he doesn't have a good career, he'll still be well off (unless his father disinherits him or something, which I suppose is possible). I imagine that would make him attractive to our heroine, though it wouldn't necessarily mean he's a good partner for her. For one thing, he can't truly understand the hardships she's gone through when he's never wanted for money.

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Well, yeah money wise he's okay I guess, but I can't see him dad liking him getting with a 34 year old divorced woman. But yeah, just based on life experience alone he's not a believable partner for her like you said.

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He's a perfect partner 4 me ? lol

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We haven't met him yet ..but i said semi-perfect..not perfect.

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Glad to meet you, Purplecow.

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Welcome, purplecow! Thank you for the great recap, in a fresh, honest, straight-forward style with No Snickering. Daebak!

I wonder what Aera is thinking when she gets all 'dolled up' in that particular style to go meet her ex in his fancy office. She is dressed like my 13 year old niece, with her twin red ribbon hair clips and matching outfit. That's supposed to make her attractive to a chaebol!? Hahaha.

The female 2nd lead is a basket case, and so is her father/family, except for little bro. Waiting to see him fall for the immature Aera.

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Thanks for the recap Purplecow!!! :) Really enjoyed your comments as well

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I really don't feel sorry for anyone. No offense, but they all seem like bastards to me. I don't know. I guess I just have to wait some more.

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Great job, purplecow! I can't speak for other readers about why they follow dramabeans, but I read recaps even after I've watched the show for insights that I might've missed, and especially for the concluding comments. Javabeans and Girlfriday are always SO on-point, and even when we don't always see eye-to-eye I've always enjoyed reading their views on the character and their analytical writing.

Your wrap-up was succinct and well-written, and the rest of the recap didn't disappoint either. I can't wait to see more from you!

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this drama seriously upset me
at first i was only going to watch it for myungsoo but the storyline is great!
jung woo is being mean, but i understand why he would feel that way. and he knows ae ra would be upset over his success.
and she divorced him on valentines day?
wow, smooth

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*hm* purplecow ===> milka chocolate? :)

(Ok. So I'm in bed sick and crave choco. Or actually anything that's not rice poridge. Meh.)

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Welcome aboard purplecow!!! And yay, such a fun change to have a guy recapping again!!!

Good recap, and I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one sympathizing with our heroine. I thought it may be that I'm gender-biased, but maybe not. Not that she's perfect, but I like her.

Anyone else think the promos made it seem like we'd get a worse heroine? Or at least, one with worse starting intentions?

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Yeah, the summary made her sound terrible. I didn't mind because we get enough jackass lead males, what's wrong with a female lead who isn't a nice girl to start with.. but watching it I was surprised I liked her a lot more than him.

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i actually pity Ae-ra more than Jung-woo. She supported him for 4 long years. I think something broke the camel's back that made Ae-ra toughen up and divorce JW. I have an idea what, but we will know later. If JW has a conscience, she should have paid her during the time that she was supporting him. If this happened in America, she has grounds to get half his asset, even after the divorce, hahaha =)

JW is an ass. I haven't seen something that would make me pity him. He didn't value the love and support given to her by Ae-ra, which means he doesn't really love her. Oh i forgot this is a drama, the story is made that way =).

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4 years is a long time and he obviously didn't appreciate it. He made major life decisions without even speaking to her. I support her and want him crawling back because he needs to look at the past in context since he obviously did not respect her or her efforts...especially if the miscarriage did happen

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Yeah, he think he's the only one who suffered. Obviously she thinks she's the only one who suffers too, but her suffering was forced upon her while his was totally by choice.

I just can't get it out of my head that he's so upset about betrayal and what he calls lack of trust. It's like he wanted a puppy with unwavering support in him or someone who would always tell him he was awesome regardless of if the gas got turned off or they were homeless, and not wife with actual opinion and feelings of her own.

I'm no lawyer, but it does seem like she'd have a good case against him. She supported him all the marriage and he got funding the day of the divorce. She also is the one who came up with the idea for the app. In the real world, I'd tell her to get money and move on.... :D

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Thanks for recap. going to follow this drama.

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Thanks for the recap purplecow! You did well. :)

Also, hello to some familiar names here. I haven't seen you guys since Master's Sun! Haha. I'm watching this drama now too, hope to see you around.

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why am i sad that i'm not finding chemistry between Driver Gil Yo-han and Jungwoo? Maybe it's still to early to tell, but i don't see any sparks between their banters unlike that of Hyun-bin and Kim Sung-oh in Secret Garden, as well as Kang Jihwan and Kwon Se-in in Lie to me.

I'm looking forward to the bromance rather than the romance, hahahah =)

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I feel the same way about the bromance so far. They lack rapport or chemistry or whateveruyou call it. I hope they get better in upcoming episodes

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On the contrary, I thought they had good chemistry for an employer-employee. I think "L" is pulling his weight so far in his role. However, I do have to admit that Jung Woo has much more chemistry with Seung-Hyun (but considering the story line that they have more history together as tutor/student, it kind of makes sense).

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The plaid scarf that she found in the tree was so random. It looks like she took it and started to wear it in the next episode.

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That was funny. I thought Seung Hyung had dropped it...

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Yay for Secretary/Chauffer L~! XD

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Will look forward to more recaps by you, purplecow!

I wasn't that impressed by the first two episodes, but I'll follow it anyway. I wanted the female lead to be in a good position herself and I wanted her to be evil, like, actually trying to woo him back just to crush him for revenge.

If this story takes even a slight turn in that direction, it'll require a really good writer. This...premise can be messed up really easily, so I'm treading carefully for now and would try to not get too invested.

Hey, why are the jobless siblings in all K-dramas like that? It's pretty hard to imagine brothers doing things that would hurt their sister's ego/self-respect in real life. :/

Fair share of K-drama cliches, I agree on that.

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Hey, why are the jobless siblings in all K-dramas like that? It’s pretty hard to imagine brothers doing things that would hurt their sister’s ego/self-respect in real life. :/

There are two kinds of jobless people in life. One, its because they have no choice. The economy isn't doing well or they want to stay at home as homemakers or something. The other kind is because of choice. Because they're too lazy. For the latter kind of person, how do you think he manages his daily spending necessities? He mooches off others. After a long while, he doesn't really care about how he got the money except that he gets the money (without working AT ALL is the best). Sad, but true. And I assume that the Korean economy has been doing well.

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ughhhh the lipstick is so distracting...i can't stand it...it's awful..why do they put it on men?

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I thought he gave her ₩3 billion ($3million)

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He gave her worthless brother a bunch of money, but he used 99% of it paying off dept collectors. (and why do we have to have evil brutal debt collectors in so many dramas?).

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I think he gave her worthless brother money because he knew fully well that that idiot brother would take it and very likely spend most of it on himself. He wants his wife indebted to him. He also wants to rub his success in his wife's face. It was quite clear, she didn't want his money when she tore up the envelope and threw it back in his face.

Now that stupid brother has used all the funds to pay his debts and now, she feels obligated. Poor woman! She has it tough enough without family members putting her in difficult situations and injuring her pride.

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He gave him around 300,000 US dollars. He used most of it and gave her 5k us dollars

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You know what pisses me off the most regarding this male lead? Ae-ra was still paying off their debts after the divorce. Alimony or not, he should've taken care of those and paid her back. He would've known from the creditors how much was getting paid in and could've seen them being paid down.

But wait, he's a dreamer and a genius, so how can he possibly take care of practical matters or show some decency to anyone else? [Heavy Sarcasm]

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I found that to be a plot hole too... it's his debts, so if he did make it rich, then he should be at least a little responsible.

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I think she's been assuming that he's too bankrupt to pay off those debts. She probably also feels guilty for ending the marriage so she's paying it off for him. It was only recently that she found out how rich he was. And I bet he has no idea how bad things were during the marriage so he might not even be aware of those debts. It makes sense in my head somehow.

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If she was the one managing the money in the marriage, maybe he wasn't aware of those debts? I find that hard to believe though

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Right, so, while the show has it's ups (mostly the acting) it has writing flaws which make me want to drop it, but not quite able to drop it yet.

Plot hole 1: Ex-Husband doesn't understand her family.
That confused me--he should have heard her talking about her family before and from what was said he *met* her brother before so should have known that her brother was irresponsible, so why did he give her brother the money again? That confused me, because a good writer plots out things in advance like past relationships. (Also, at least in the US, she would not be held liable for what her brother did and her ex-husband's negligence..)

Plot hole 2: The loan shark business.
The brother was overseas (this time not in the US... so he didn't come back cold-hearted) and he lost his business, yet the family didn't know he lost his business and he kinda pops up out of nowhere. (This is a bit of cultural stuff, but usually the family pitches in money for the business of a relative because Korean families sometimes run like a co-op.) Yet the loan sharks spoke Korean, despite it being a foreign business. Did I miss something?

Plot hole 3: Ex-husband doesn't seem to know *why* she wanted to be a housewife, which is odd, because if the timeline is right, they at least dated for a year. He should have met her lazy father, so his grandstanding doesn't make sense at all, but he's acting as if he doesn't understand why she wanted to be a housewife in the first place, which is a gaping plot hole.

The thing is that these plot holes contradict each other, such that the actual event chain makes less sense. For example, if the brother, as acted met him, the Jung Woo would have understood to not give him the money, because Ae-ra would have likely told him, which would not cause the problems at the end.

And if Ae-ra introduced Jung-Woo to the family as her family seems to act like, he should have known that she wanted to be a housewife and for what reasons she wanted to be one, and thus had a pittance of consideration for her. If Jung Woo never met Ae-ra's family and she eloped, then the script should have supported it and the director should have fallen in line, but the script, and the acting and the directing all points out that Jung Woo *did* know what she want and why she wanted it from the first, but he chose to ignore it, which is a totally different beast--he's not just oblivious, but a royal jerk (Which none of the trifecta really supports, BTW)., in which case the highest character arc is not Ae-Ra, but him... however, the script and writer doesn't seem to be aware of the plot holes and what it implicates, which makes me want to borderline drop it. An oblivious writer is seriously impaired when it comes to writing a story...

Even the most oblivious of characters would get it if it's laid out right in front of them and if during Ae-ra's marriage history her father was a delinquent, Jung Woo should have been aware of it, even with no noonchi.

This is the reason I had trouble--not only the cliches, but the gaping plot holes.

I'm still giving it another week. Sometimes writers are slow to actually pick up on what they've written. If the writer picks up and fixes the plot holes in retcon mania (which the writer seriously needs at this point) and gets their footing by episode 4, then I'll put this on back burner, but not on my recommendation list. If not, it's going into the drop list But I feel really unsteady...

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I'm hoping they will explain these plot holes better in coming episodes. As for #2, I have lived in Vietnam. There are a lot of foreign businesses there and many Koreans working and living there. Being the idiot brother he is, he probably did borrow from Korean gangsters in VN. Yes, there are Korean gangsters over there just like there are Chinese and Japanese gangsters. Where people go, gangsters will follow. And gangsters have international networks now so it's possible that they found him in Korea again. This isn't a plot hole for me.

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It's the "family doesn't know he lost his business" which is the crux of the plot hole. Also that it was overseas, it's likely her loser brother used the funds of the family (Korean families tend to work like co-ops) in order to start it, which means he would have told them or at least they would have checked up on him. If he lost his business then they should also know as investors, but he kinda landed like an air raid helicopter. Granted that this is a cultural plot hole that Americans won't quite get. The script nor the acting addressed this problem...

But the family acts like they never heard of him, never been in touch with him, etc. This is a failure in directing, if the script meant to support it.

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For plothole #1, he could have done it because he knew what type of person he brother was. Did he really want her to have the money to be happy with... I don't think so. He wanted to stick it to her somehow and she wouldn't take it so he gave it to her leech of a brother, knowing he would spend it and she would be indebted to him.

plothole #3 - It could be that he did know, but he was wrapped up in his own little world and didn't really consider what she had gone through or how hard she was working those 4 years. Or that he thought he could make his business work a lot quicker than it managed to happen. I do think it's going to be part of their growth, to realize they both hurt each other.

So right now I can't view them as plot holes. Unless he later acts shocked about her family, I'd say he does know about them. It just didn't matter at the time or doesn't matter now.

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I agree with your points too. #1: Yup, JW wanted it to hurt, he wanted his revenge, and he's known AR and her family for over 6+ years. He's not daft and would know the leeching brother would spend it all. JW did say he was going to call him.

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Plot hole three means he did know, but he's a royal ass jerk. 'cause that means he didn't even think about her when he quit. But that also means he has no ability to run a multimillion dollar company if he's that callous to people's actual needs, which means it still creates a huge plot hole. To fill it, you need a second in command that knows how to actually run a company while he does flights of fancy. But in such cases, such people usually get ousted out of the company--Steve Jobs, for example. Because the company doesn't really need them in order to truly function. Idea starters get ousted in the real world. So plot hole.

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Hm, I don't really think so. People can be smart in business and have no social skills and not much empathy. He's obviously not the only person running the company. He's just the brains. He seemed rather single minded and pretty naive about how the world works. I would guess he didn't come from a family that ever suffered. Though it does make me question why he cares so much about customer service over profits if he's a person who didn't even bother to consider his wife's feelings even once.

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Plot hole #2: I didn't really think it was a plot hole. I figured before the brother went to Vietnam he borrowed money from the loan sharks and then used that money to set up a business there. Having failed and coming back to Korea the loan sharks then tracked him down and threatened him.

As for how the family can be ~oblivious~, well I'll take that as a drama cliche. Hah.

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Actually Korean dramas don't do that kind of oblivious plot hole... Korean families are very close to each other--especially the extended family. It's still a plot hole.

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Exactly TS. You're the only one who thinks it important to mention this point. Where the heck was he during the three years he was raking in his millions? How can he not know?

She on the other hand, for the past 3 years was trying to make ends meet and pay off his debt. How on earth was she to accomplish much having to give up most of her salary to do that? Geez...

I think he has to get off his high horses and his head out of his self made cloud thinking that he's the only victim here.

Between the two of them, I'm on board with Ae-Ra. I may not agree with her every action and decision but at least she doesn't runaway from responsibility except with her friend who's coughing up most of the rent. Poor thing...

Unless more are revealed of why it is so and redeem this huge misstep, big minus to Jung Woo.

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Jung Woo comes off as a typical narcissist to me, right from the get-go when he rocked a bowl cut.

I hope he gets shown up as incompetent or as a jackass in some way.

I also really hope Ae-ra will end up with someone else, but sadly, that's not how these dramas work. :-(

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I'm behind Ae Ra on this one! Honestly can we really blame someone for choosing divorce only after four years, when she has spent a lifetime witnessing guys at home doing pretty much the same thing and failing to get their acts together?

Looking forward to Jung Woo's character arc!

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I'm enjoying this drama a lot so far. It has great potential. The characters are plenty flawed, but with enough likability that I look forward to seeing them change and grow. I like how tough Aera is. I've seen synopsis of her character that says she is materialistic--and I do see some of this but I see more--that she did love her husband when they were first married. Or do you guys see something else, too, I wonder?

I'm excited to have a new show to watch now that "You From Another Star" is over.

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I think it's going to be a fansub war on Wednesdays between this show, the Yoochun drama, and the Kim HyunJoong drama. Probably those two will get subbed first, and then this Sly & Single show.

Sigh, I always go against the crowd!

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Welcome Purplecow.. :)
ARGH! that smirk on Jung-woo annoys me! Lol.. For now I'm on team Ae-ra, although she is kinda childish..

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I don't understand this show makes perfect sense to me the has she reasons to be upset but so does he I mean did she tell him anything that happened to her No she locked him outside the house . He only at fault but so much n he did offer 2 pay her alimony but she decline . I guess their marriage went on the rocks is because of lack of communication& Misunderstandings . Well that's how I feel about the show .

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I agree with @Mrs. Jang Geum Suk.. the failure of their marriage is not only because of one side's fault.. but it's because of both sides'. so I think the both leads will learn their past mistakes and recover them as the plot goes on..

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i think she doesnt deserve to be back to her ex, she was a mean-spirited wife, i think if you luv someone and you vow at your wedding day to be supportive of each other in sickness, health, etc. you shld'nt look the other way, but this is just me talking, we're entitled to our own opinion right? he's too good for her & i hope that he doesn't take her back but this is kdrama so what will be, will be, que sera sera! she only luvs him now bcoz of his success but if he had stay the way he used to be after he quit his job, you think she'll try to get back to him? andwae andwae, i like both the leads so i'm watching but the story seems farfetched! again don't get angry with me, we're here to rave, rant etc. :)

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"she only luvs him now bcoz of his success "
hmm I don't think she loves him at all right now though.

I agree that she wasn't the best wife, but I don't think he was the best husband either imo. I feel like the show has let a lot of details out that I hope we find out.

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As with some of the other comments, I agree that the actions of both parties caused the breakdown of marriage. I think in the episode it said that Aera had to provide for Jung Woo for 4 years. 4 YEARS of doing low income, low working standards jobs and each time only hearing that her husband has not made progress in finding the right investor. If that doesn't take its toll on a marriage, I don't know what will. Both sides were under immense pressure, it was probably for the best that they separated then. I'm just curious as to how all the intertwined relationships unravel themselves and how the main couple will get back together. :D

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Hmm maybe it was because I was sick, but the show left a bad but intriguing taste in my mouth.

Some moments I wanna punch Ae-ra and others I love her. She's at least funnier and more likable than Jung-woo though.

I can't believe Seo Kang-joon is younger than me D:
He and L are enough eye-candy to keep me watching though. I started watching because of L anyway.

I'm actually more interested in Yeo-Jin. I find her fascinating for some reason.

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wow she is very pretty her hubby is one lucky guy..
btw L is here.. wah he is one very handsome guy..

i am damn sure he is gonnabe a LEAD of some drama soon

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i just love this character... she is not taking a sh*t though she is on the ground... i want her to be good not weak and taking everything in

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@purplecow.. a warm welcome... thanks for joining so that we could enjoy more of recaps...
CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE THE SENTENCES SIMPLE OR NOT-TWISTY... ENGLISH IS NOT MY 1ST LANGUAGE AND I HAVE TO READ TWICE TO GET THE MEANING....

THANKS FOR RECAPPING..
(dont take it as critic just a request..)

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Welcome Purplecow!

I am watching Sly and Single again ....I am still looking for my Master's Sun fix...and I am sure this is going to be a nice drama....

...but can you consider recapping "Bride of the Century," since you are not completely hooked on this drama.

I am not sure how Dramabeans select the shows to recap, but if you looked at the ratings on the various drama websites Bride of the Century is running circles around Sly and Single Again. They have only aired 4 shows, and we have seen the storyline before....but the leads are sooooo adorable. This drama is not the Master's Sun, but it is a nice fix for my romantic comedy craving.

I had not seen a lot of fanfare concerning this drama, but from searching for another drama after the endings of I Need Romance 3 and My Love From Another Planet...the positive comments from the public drew me into watching the first eps and by the 2nd I was hooked!

Have anyone checked out Bride of the century...what are your thoughts? Thanks!

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Me love that show too XD wish someone here in JB would recap it *pleadingpuppyeyes* the main couple is so cute. Out of all other shows that just started, "Bride of the Century" and "Sly & Single Again" are the best (in my own opinion :D ).

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Thank you so much for your post. I had to check the drama you recommended and it's so good. Better than Sly & Single. Can't wait for eps 5 & 6 this weekend.

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OoOoOh, that's kind of drama I like!!!!it's fun!!!:D

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Ooohhhh looks fun o.O i love the actress and love her character here...fingers crossed.....i feel like this is gonna turn into a business rivalry just to prove something to her ex...eventually getting back with him :/ but then again what do i know :p

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Hmmm, seems like I'm the only one who actually prefers Emergency Couple to this for now... but then it's only been 2 episodes, so I'm hoping this drama will improve. Right now it's a bit lacking to me.

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you should see episode 3..! it's hilarious and much better than the previous episodes..!

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