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It’s Okay, It’s Love: Episode 2

Who ever thought that living in a house full of basket cases could be so fun? Our hero decides to take an interesting leap into another world, though it’s funny to watch just how much of his old world he has to take with him to make it feel like home. What begins as an exercise in curiosity morphs into a journey of self-discovery for Jae-yeol, providing some of this episode’s most poignant moments as we watch a man who, despite dedicating his life to writing about other people, seems to understand so little about them.

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EPISODE 2 RECAP

We find Jae-yeol returning home after getting patched up at the hospital as he reads a note Hae-soo left before he woke up. In it, she tells him to text her his bank account number so she can compensate him for his injury, which gets a rueful laugh out of him before he crumples and tosses the note.

Thinking twice, he picks it back up and decides to call her. He’s taken aback when Hae-soo is so completely unfazed by his call that she threatens to hang up if he doesn’t get to the point now, so he simply says that they should make sure to see each other at least once before they die. Click.

He mumbles an insult under his breath after hanging up, while Hae-soo looks at her phone like it sprouted legs: “He doesn’t want any money? Forget it then!”

She’s got more important things to worry about: The female patient (Soo-bin) who was escorted out of the hospital by her mother against Hae-soo’s explicit warnings, is back in the hospital after a failed suicide attempt.

Hae-soo’s frustration with Soo-bin’s mother is apparent, so much so that Doctor Lee sends her outside since the woman is in hysterics after the incident.

After getting a call from ex-wife Doctor Lee about Hae-soo needing therapy, Sunbae Jo has to deal with a minor attack by one of his angry psychiatric patients by reminding him that if he doesn’t continue therapy, he’ll be imprisoned for domestic abuse against his wife and son.

Hae-soo is not happy when Doctor Lee confronts her about the therapy issue, since she sees nothing wrong with having yelled at Soo-bin’s mother for almost killing her daughter.

Doctor Lee’s argument is that outbursts like hers creates mental patients, and that Hae-soo didn’t have a right to be upset at Soo-bin’s mother when that woman almost lost her daughter. Hae-soo losing a patient pales in comparison.

If this sounds like a serious issue, it’s because it is. If the cheery music playing seems jarring, it’s because it is. Even if both Hae-soo and Doctor Lee know each other well enough to toe the line between a “talking-to” and friendly advice, these weirdly chipper music choices are just bizarre.

But since Hae-soo is still her student, Doctor Lee entrusts her with a difficult new patient who’s obsessed with making erotic drawings of anyone he sees—and to make matters more complicated, Doctor Lee adds that taking his sketchpad away causes him depression and insomnia. If Hae-soo wants to prove herself, she has to find a way to help him.

Jae-yeol’s editor (who we’ll just call Editor Bae) is incensed about his girlfriend plagiarizing his book, as well as the audacity Pul-ip had to claim that he was the one who plagiarized off her.

She chides Jae-yeol for talking about his novel when he should’ve just kept things physical with Pul-ip, to which he cheekily replies that people talk about all sorts of things in bed—and the fact that she doesn’t know that is the reason she’s still single.

After telling Editor Bae to move forward in suing Pul-ip, he’s greeted like a celebrity as he attends his book signing. His young admirer, Kang-woo, is also among the crowd with a happy grin on his face.

Jae-yeol’s attempts to field questions about the plagiarism scandal fail when one press member mentions that Pul-ip’s publisher released a statement claiming that he plagiarized her book, along with the request that all copies of his book be pulled off store shelves.

Editor Bae assembles her team to deal with the situation, but they’re unsure how to proceed—Jae-yeol is all for suing Pul-ip, but his buddy and editing team member TAE-YONG is suspiciously against the idea.

Things get extra tense when Jae-yeol shares his conviction that someone in the inner circle sold Pul-ip his book file, since there’s no way she could’ve remembered his book word for word even if he had recited it to her.

Since Tae-yong has been tasked with finding Jae-yeol a new place that will actually tolerate his ridiculous requests, he calls up his old friend Sunbae Jo. He then suggests that Jae-yeol go live in that house, because he’d be sure to mine a novel from a few months spent with two psychiatrists and a Tourette’s Syndrome sufferer as his roommates.

Jae-yeol isn’t enthused about the idea until Tae-yong shows him a video from their recent house party—and there’s Hae-soo, his potential future roomie.

Realizing that seems to be Jae-yeol’s deciding factor, and the idea of living with her brings him out of his post-plagiarized slump. Tae-yong is more excited about the possibility of a book coming from all this, but Jae-yeol is definitely more excited about Hae-soo.

However, Tae-yong’s loyalty is again brought into question when Jae-yeol borrows his car and finds Pul-ip’s address in his navigator. He now knows Tae-yong lied about not knowing where Pul-ip lived.

At Casa Crazy, Sunbae Jo and Soo-kwang have to put up with the construction noise coming from Jae-yeol’s soon-to-be bedroom and bathroom, since it has to meet his exact specifications and be locked to all outsiders.

Sunbae Jo doesn’t mind the fuss, even if Jae-yeol will just be living with them for two months—he paid up front and is filthy rich, so who cares about a little remodeling?

Hae-soo is the only one unaware of who their new roommate is, even though she’s the one forced to answer the door with wet hair when he arrives since Sunbae Jo is helping Soo-kwang through an episode.

Her expression falls the moment she opens the door and recognizes Jae-yeol: “Oh my god.” He, on the other hand, could not be any happier as she grudgingly points him in the direction of his room.

After mistakenly opening Sunbae Jo’s door to find him helping Soo-kwang through an episode, he finally reaches his room, which is an exact replica of his old one. Even the bathroom is the same, all meticulously arranged and color coordinated just the way he likes it.

He seems uncomfortable when Sunbae Jo and Soo-kwang enter his space to give their introductions. Soo-kwang is polite but robotic—but when a motor tic causes him to squeeze Jae-yeol’s hand when they shake, Jae-yeol’s automatic response is to squeeze right back. Hard.

Afterward, Soo-kwang launches into a practiced explanation of his Tourette’s Syndrome, if only to warn his new roomie that whatever he says or does during an episode doesn’t mean anything.

Sunbae Jo explains how the episodes are as uncontrollable as a sneeze in an effort to make sure Jae-yeol understands. Even though he promises to be more considerate, the two don’t seem to hit it off mostly because of his awkwardness.

Hae-soo is the next to visit Jae-yeol’s room, and immediately picks on the specific color scheme and how even his clothes don’t deviate from it. “Are you OCD?” she asks, to which he quickly replies that he may have OCD.

He’s off like a bullet when she tells him where her room is, and he’s not disappointed when he opens the door to find a pigsty. Since Sunbae Jo said there were no rules, Jae-yeol has decided to make his own as he tells Hae-soo that he gives as good as he gets. “You screw me, I screw you.”

In this case, since she barged into his room, he barged into hers. He seems to enjoy teasing her as he says he’ll see her at the welcoming party Sunbae Jo is throwing for him tomorrow, but she’s not so easily stepped on as she interrupts his cool exit with: “So who plagiarized who?”

Now she’s the one enjoying getting under his skin, as she recites the rumors she’s heard while chomping on an apple. She seems surprised when he stalks toward her, takes her hand, holds her pinky…

…And then uses her hand to pick a piece of foodstuff from her smile. Hah. Jae-yeol: 2-ish, Hae-soo: 1.

The transgender patient (named Sera) from last episode approaches Hae-soo about being discharged, since she claims to understand why her parents and brothers reacted with violence when they found out the truth.

Hae-soo refuses the request, because releasing Sera would mean putting her back in danger, which is something she can’t do. To prove why, she wheels Sera to a mirror so she can confront her own bruised and battered reflection.

Hae-soo: “One woman has been beaten by her own parents and siblings. Beaten for one sole reason: to be understood by those who can’t understand her. Even though her face is bruised and her leg broken, that woman says she wants to go back to that house, that she understands those who beat her. If she goes back to that house this time, her head might bust open from being beaten. Not her leg, but her back might be broken this time. But she says that it’s okay, because they’re her parents and siblings. She says she deserves to be beaten, so she’ll endure the beatings.”

Sera breaks down into tears as Hae-soo tells her that she can either run away from her family or be forcibly committed for her own safety. She squeezes the girl’s shoulders reassuringly as she adds: “Sera, the only person you really need to understand, even more than your parents, is yourself.”

Sunbae Jo has a talk with Hae-soo about her outburst with Soo-bin’s mother, since her disdain for mothers is a recurring issue with her. Hae-soo does the psychoanalyzing for him by admitting that her behavior traces back to a childhood trauma, and because of that, she believes moms should be moms. Is he done?

He tries to get her to open up about an incident from her childhood where she found her mother kissing someone who wasn’t her dad. But Hae-soo is determined not to talk about it, and manages to hold out till their agreed-upon time is up.

After telling Jae-yeol that Pul-ip won’t be able to see him until the weekend, we find Tae-yong with Pul-ip as he brags about having bought her time to promote the book before her planned escape to the States this weekend. He’ll make sure the lawsuit is dropped while she’s gone.

When Jae-yeol comes knocking at her door, Tae-yong hides by hanging outside her window. But Jae-yeol’s no fool, and is not only able to corner her on the plagiarism issue, but has also figured out that Tae-yong is the one who betrayed him.

Pul-ip finally breaks, but tries to lay the blame on him by claiming that this wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t always ignore her manuscripts, to which he honestly replies that he did because he knew they were all plagiarized. He just never told her until now.

Desperate to get to him somehow, Pul-ip then claims that their three year relationship was just a sexual exchange, since he only spent what little time he ever did with her when he wasn’t too busy writing.

Those words sting, even if he does a marvelous job of hiding it as he admits that he wasn’t able to figure out what he meant to her or what she meant to him until she cleared it up just now. She might have seen them as just sex partners, but he didn’t—even if he doesn’t admit it straight out.

Still, it doesn’t change the fact that Pul-ip crossed a line she shouldn’t have crossed. “You reap what you sow,” Jae-yeol says before he leaves.

After Jae-yeol takes a baseball bat to Tae-yong’s car, he spots his former best friend trying to sneak back in through the window and snaps at him to shut up when he cries that he’s sorry.

But as he stalks off, he calls Editor Bae to call off the lawsuit and pull his books off the shelves—he’ll make up the loss with his next novel.

Jae-yeol ends up passing Kang-woo on his drive home, but despite Kang-woo’s pleas as he chases Jae-yeol’s car on his bike, Jae-yeol keeps on driving.

It’s Hae-soo’s 300th Day Anniversary with PD Choi, and he calls to remind her that he’s booked a hotel room for them. She frets after as she wonders if there’s anyone else who suffers from sex phobia as severely as she does.

After she passes up a ride from him, Hae-soo finds Jae-yeol standing outside the house. He’s nervous about going in with all the noise coming from inside, since he doesn’t know what’s going on.

“My boyfriend and friends are over,” Hae-soo says, which earns a shocked reaction from Jae-yeol as he repeats the word “boyfriend” like he’s never heard it. She challenges him on his surprise—did he think she wouldn’t have one? (Yes, yes he did.)

I love that he brings up the fact that his welcoming party was supposed to be tonight. “No, we’re just watching the soccer game,” Hae-soo chirps back. Jae-yeol can only shake his head. “What is it with these people?”

It’s a bit awkward for him to watch Hae-soo and PD Choi kiss, mostly because he remembers catching him locking lips with someone else backstage. He keeps that tidbit to himself, at least.

When Soo-kwang invades his personal space, Jae-yeol finally decides to lay down the groundwork with him: He won’t treat Soo-kwang any differently because of his condition, so Soo-kwang better not expect anything.

Soo-kwang gives Jae-yeol the rundown on how everyone in the room is connected, including but not limited to: Sunbae Jo and Doctor Lee being divorced, Hae-soo kissing Sunbae Jo once when she was drunk, Hae-soo being his first kiss, and how Hae-soo and PD Choi are likely to be married soon but ONLY because Soo-kwang conceded his loss to PD Choi.

Jae-yeol’s reaction is priceless: “Does everyone here have to kiss each other and live together… and do all that to be part of the group?” The look on his face! Haha.

I think he actually misunderstood what Soo-kwang said, since he seems to be genuinely curious when he asks Hae-soo whether she’s “sharing” PD Choi with Min-young, the PD girl.

She’s genuinely confused, and says that Min-young is just a colleague. But Jae-yeol, unaware that he’s divulging a huge secret, tells Hae-soo that he saw them kissing before their interview. Yiiiiiiiiiikes. He really thinks they’re just in some weird open relationship, doesn’t he.

Hae-soo marches into the living room, turns off the TV, and asks Min-young flat-out if she kissed PD Choi. Jae-yeol’s face falls as he realizes that it was a secret, while Sunbae Jo breaks up the party once he realizes that PD Choi is guilty.

Min-young freaks out and starts screaming that she liked PD Choi first, and has to be literally dragged out of the house. Jae-yeol tries to pull Soo-kwang off PD Choi when he starts beating him, but a solid kick to Jae-yeol’s family jewels cues that happy-go-lucky song, which may as well be a metaphorical kick to our balls too.

All the men in the living room start brawling, and Jae-yeol even tries apologizing to PD Choi, but that doesn’t end well. Luckily the music is there to remind us not to take this scene so seriously. Phew, right? I mean, for a second there, I was actually engrossed and in the moment. That is clearly not what the show wanted.

Jae-yeol is ostracized from his roomies after that, so much so that any room he enters is immediately vacated no matter how many times he tries to unobtrusively insert himself into the group. Awwwww.

His imprisoned hyung calls him just to say that he’s thinking of stabbing him in the neck when he’s released this time. “You framed me for the murder you committed so you could enjoy the good life. It’s not that unfair, is it?”

“I didn’t kill anyone,” Jae-yeol replies. There’s not a tinge of menace in his voice as he tells his hyung that he’s not the same person he was before because he can fight back now. Even so, he earnestly tells Jae-bum that he misses him, and that they should drink together when he’s released—leaving Jae-bum to muse that his little brother’s all grown up now.

Hae-soo visits her parents’ home, and helps her unni bathe their severely mentally handicapped father in a kiddie pool near the kitchen. Mom plays the nice and loving wife, but escapes to another room when she gets a call… from Ajusshi Kim, the name Sunbae Jo brought up with her during her “therapy” session.

She flashes back to that moment of her childhood where she and her unni happened to see Mom kissing Ajusshi Kim. It’s sad how her unni tried to protect her by distracting her, but Hae-soo never forgot.

After finishing a DJ-ing gig, Jae-yeol gives his mom a call, and affectionately calls her by her first name, OK-JA (Cha Hwa-yeon). He’s just calling to tell her how much he loves her, which is cute. (Meta Moment: Mama Ok-ja is watching this production team’s last drama, That Winter The Wind Blows.)

Sunbae Jo meets the prison inmate Tae-yong personally asked him to counsel pro bono, and it turns out to be none other than Jae-yeol’s estranged hyung.

“I’m convicted murderer Jang Jae-bum,” he says by way of introduction. That’s not awkward.

Hae-soo makes it a point to walk away when PD Choi approaches her at work, but a broken heel ends up thwarting her efforts. She finally just breaks down into piteous sobs even as she adamantly rejects any efforts he makes to apologize.

Jae-yeol tries to make amends later with a bottle of good wine, and prevents Hae-soo from shutting the door on him with his foot. He claims that it’s a comfort drink, since he’s in the same boat as her: His best friend from childhood betrayed him and his girlfriend of three years plagiarized his book.

This seems to get through to Hae-soo, who accepts a very full glass of wine…

…Which she then chucks at Jae-yeol’s face before she slams the door to her room. She swears she’ll have him packing or else she’ll leave, but whatever the case, it’s WAR.

She opens the door when Jae-yeol knocks on it, only to end up covered in wine as he chucks his glass right back at her. “I told you. I give as good as I get. You screw me, I screw you.”

Hae-soo yells after him, and Jae-yeol just turns around with a cavalier smile as he shakes the wine bottle invitingly. “What? Do you feel like a drink now?”

 
COMMENTS

What an interesting show. I really didn’t know what to expect going in, even though I’ve seen every collaboration between writer Noh Hee-kyung and PD Kim Kyu-tae and loved some, but definitely not all. To that end, I knew that no matter what the story turned out to be, it’d at least be presented prettily—and not in the generic way dramas can easily achieve these days just by virtue of being in focus. So while I do tend to like PD Kim’s work whenever he manages to dial back his penchant for shoving lenses up his actors’ nostrils during any given scene, I’ve also been severely and irrevocably burned by following shows out of respect for the production team. Because doing so has never, ever, ever, ever turned out to be a good idea. Ever. (Do Not See: Basketball, Shark, Sword and Flower.)

That being said, I’m cautiously optimistic about It’s Okay, which has a lot going for it that didn’t necessarily rear its head in the first hour. It’s clearly a slow burn as far as establishing character goes, which has its merits when it comes to multi-layered people like Jae-yeol and Hae-soo. We don’t need to see their whole lives in flashback to know that they have well-established pasts, which turns the tantalizing glimpses we do get into a fantastic impetus to keep watching—as long as that build-up is used correctly. And we really won’t know whether it is unless it’s used incorrectly, which we won’t know until the future. So all there is to do now is sit back and enjoy the ride for as long as the road stays smooth.

As far as heroes go, Jae-yeol is definitely one of the more interesting ones right out of the starting gate, isn’t he? And that surprisingly has little to do with the overt character quirks he has on display, like his possibly OCD-related level of finickiness or his perceived distant exterior. It’s not even a case of a cold chaebol with the traditionally warm underbelly, because the more we see of him, the more we realize that he’s not at all the typical rich man who has to set aside his disdain for his fellow and lesser human beings for the girl unfortunate enough to receive his affections, nor is he any other thing that can be neatly boxed and packaged. That undefinable aspect to him is what cinched the deal for me this hour, especially after I was left feeling interested but fairly lukewarm after the first episode. But give me an emotionally vulnerable hero and I am sold.

It’s almost hard to believe that someone like Jae-yeol actually exists, which is part of the reason why he comes off as so unexpectedly interesting and fresh. And what an unexpected twist to add to a forced cohabitation storyline with a hero who’s so socially awkward and endearingly naive, especially when that flies in the face of all his swagger. I can’t help but think about how drastically different this show would be had Jae-yeol purposefully ostracized himself and treated the idea of living in such an unfamiliar place with all the curious detachment one might feel at a zoo—it’s fun to look at the lions, but not so much to cuddle with them.

And the crazy thing is that it was pure curiosity that led him to move in, whether he did it just because of his fascination with Hae-soo or because he’d have a great story after climbing into the exhibit. What matters is that he’s actually trying to fit in even if he’s failing, because the very act of trying at all makes him instantly relatable to anyone who’s ever felt like like an outsider looking in, otherwise known as everyone.

 
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Can we all thank the producers of this drama for giving us so many closeups of Jo In Sung's face these past two episodes? God knows that's all i think about LOL

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And Gong Hyo Jin...both have such amazing skin it's crazy...

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Gong Hyo Jin looks amazing in everything she wears but I'm so jealous of how nice her legs are in shorts LOL :(

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I look at those two and know that there is a God in heaven, and my heart overflows with gratitude.

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Totally agree! these closeup shots are insane - flawless skin, making me super jealous. And that super sexy smile of Jo In Sung, SWOON!

Loving the quirkiness of the show, characters and its music. Very intriguing and has a rather charming attractiveness that's got me hooked! Looking forward to next week's episodes.

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this the typical shoot from the director and team of this drama. He likes the closeup shoot. It's the same director and team from 'That Winter, The Wind Blow' too. Geez, it's crazy watching the closeups of Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo from ep.1 to 16. after watching, I feel ashamed with with face lol

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Oooh, so that's why the art direction is superb. I also thought about it when I noticed a lot of CU & CF-style shots but never really looked into it.

How I wish my skin would look pristine like Song Hye Kyo's. Gotta have the "Three G's: good genes, good habits & good dermatologist." No luck on the 1st, still working on the 2nd, & I'll need oodles of real "Gs" for the 3rd. $_$

As for Jo In Sung, I remember reading some comments back on TWTWB about not knowing who he was. It was like, "Song Hye Kyo...and what's his face?"--Dude, c'mon. Really? I was smitten the first time I saw him in "The Classic" ages ago and kept imagining myself in that "museum scene" while The Scenery of Riding Bicycle's 'I to you, You to me' playing. Aigoo. Haha!

I also think that DOs character is one of which: a self-manifestation/ pstd hallucination and/or an imaginary friend. It reminds me of an indie film titled, "Paperman" in where a struggling writer is having a hard time clearing his writer's block and letting go of his imaginary super-friend then he meets a young loner girl who also has an imaginary albeit suicidal/emo friend.

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The close ups are Director's signature cinematography style similar in Padam Padam and That Winter, The Wind Blows combine with his sidekick drama writer's fresh & modern love story scripts

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On the actual show itself, I think 2 episodes is too early to be sure about how good a drama will turn out but I'm definitely enjoying these first two episodes.

I really love the line where Hae Soo stares into the camera and says "The person you must understand is yourself" which I think is something really important and should resonate with everyone. I hope I'm not the only one who really felt that when she said that line.

I also enjoy that Jae Yul , may seem like a sleazebag, but I think from certain moments in this episode it's clear that he's not. He clearly has emotional baggage that he deals with and it'll certainly be interesting when more of that comes to light.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the dialogue, cinematography of this drama so far and I certainly hope that it'll continue to get better as more pieces of the puzzle fall.

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just kill me---but i really have no business (or time) investing in ANOTHER drama...

just finished watching epis1-2

and i agree with you...not sure about this drama but liking it while holding my cards close to my chest, all the same.

i'm digging the 'power/professional' role that Gong Hyo-jin is playing. never saw this side to her, so it should be an interesting ride.

still confused by the "roommate" house. um, yeah, confused...so i guess this means i'll have to watch epis 3.

just kill me.

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I feel you on the whole not-needing-another-simulcast-drama thing. Was already watching King of High School, Trot Lovers, Joseon Gunman, Fated to Love You, Marriage Not Dating aaaand HS Love On but so far I'm liking that this drama is shedding light on some psychological conditions that aren't usually touched upon in Dramaland (though it's entirely possible some Second Leads, Dramamoms, etc suffer from undiagnosed cases...)
I'm looking forward to the next episode (and sincerely hoping to find the time to watch it, haha).

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is it just me?

or does anyone else kinda find it a stretch to believe that JaeYoul's childhood friend, TaeYong, stole his book to give to JaeYoul's sex partner of 3 yrs?

we learn from TaeYong that there is no skinship involved, so what gives?

i know, y'all are prolly reading this and saying i should just be quiet and watch the show...it'll be revealed soon enough. sigh.

thanks for the recap, Heads2no. make room in the car for me...

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Hm, I didn't really think about that but that definitely doesn't make too much sense. I would never throw out my childhood friend like that at all. And I have the same thoughts as you about Gong Hyo Jin's character. I love how forward she is and how much her character just doesn't give a fuck(excuse my language). Cheers to hopefully even better episodes to look ward to :)

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He told her to promote the book for 2 more days, then get ready to leave for the U.S. The two of them will go together. So I think he is "sweet on her" and do it out of "love" or the desire to bed her. Let's face it, w/o offering her JY's book, he has no chance of even getting to first base, right?

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I thought the same thing. The only thing I could come up with is that he's thinking with his d*** and maybe Pul Ip is stringing him along with the potential to have a relationship with him.
Also - maybe he has a buried resentment towards JY? Coz he asked sunbae to meet with JY older brother? I dunno - it could be TY trying to make amends, but the timing is odd, and I feel like nothing good could come out of it.

Man I really wanted Jae Yul to follow up on the lawsuit and sue her for all he could. It infuriates me that Pul Ip is going to get away with her plagiarism.

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I read this comment while watching this drama that wondered the possibility that D.O.'s character is a figment of Jae-Yeol's imagination. Like it's his former self. If that's true perhaps it sprouted from the mysterious "murder" that Jae Yeol's brother is in jail for?? I dunno. In any case I really love everyone's acting and the directing of this drama! Thanks for recap!

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Oh, and a question. There's a model named Lee Sung Kyung in this drama...who is her character? Is she the girl that cheated with Hae Soo's ex boyfriend?

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Lee Sung Kyung's character will be Lee Kwang Soo's Love Line in that drama.

She's a School troublemaker who its expelled from the school and ends working in kwang soo's coffee shop-

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Jae Yeol's ex-gf was actress Yoon Jin Yi

Lee Sun Kyung will come in later as a high school student and, I think, patient of Hae Soo?

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the girl that cheated with Hae Soo's ex boyfriend is Moon Ji-In (I believe)

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I may be wrong since I watch English subs, but I could have sworn that there really wasn't ever a murder. Or maybe it was multiple murders? The way I read it, he believes he murdered people (or a person), but he never actually did. Which is why I can see him being in jail for a long time period for assault, maybe even attempted murder, then being released: because he actually didn't murder anyone. Does that make sense? Am I reading the translations wrong?

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I'm of the opinion that the kid (Kang-soo?) is probably not real. He doesn't interact with anyone except Jae-yeol, and he shows up *everywhere*. I think he's a symptom, and probably related to Jae-Yeol's incarcerated brother.

That's what intrigued me the most about this show - that Jae-yeol is clearly, if quietly, insane. (And a bit oversexed. The fact that he leapt immediately to 'group sex' from 'here's the relationship backgrounds' cracked me up. But his chagrin at having stepped squarely into a lover's issue seemed genuine.)

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I totally agree with you about D.O.'s character. It makes sense, too. I think it pairs with some kind of trauma that Jae Yeol is trying to hide from the world with his playboy-rich guy image. In any case, i love love love D.O.'s character, too cute.
I think everyone in the show is just a bit insane, haha. From Kwang Soo (Soo Kwang?) to Jae Yeol's wacky love-hate relationship with his brother, there's something a bit off about everyone in this show...but that's how i like it :D

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I really like your theory about the kid. I will go back to watch the episodes again to see if I can pick some signs!

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some Signs. Don't know if that was intentional or not, but ha ha ha.

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Oh that's interesting! I was just getting annoyed with this random kid popping up everywhere with his silly smile. Now I'm gonna be on the lookout for clues too!

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Totally agree. He's part of something from Jae Yul's past. What nailed it for me was the bike scene.

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I think Jae Youl is schizophrenic...

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It's too difficult to make judgements about a drama like this so early on, but it feels different than any drama I've ever seen. Hopefully it turns out to exceed expectations :)

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People keep raving about the chemistry between the actors or the idol casted and all I can think of is: What a great story and interesting universe! People trying to survive and protect themselves despite their social or mental or medical issues. I love that there is no condescending behavior. Misunderstanding, yes but no 'insults' so to speak. And the cohabitation is a good idea: The best way to peel potatoes is to put them together in a bag and shake. They will peel each other.

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The roomies being potatoes peeling each other -- great metaphor!

Such an interesting mix of characters! I am most intrigued by Jae Yul at the moment. Also love the chemistry between the OTP. I like JY's "You screw me, I screw you" attitude, especially with regards to HS. Him throwing the wine at her face was daebak. JY fighting! Much as I love you, Gong Hyo Jin, your character thoroughly deserved that!

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I love the set up, the chars, and that everyone is a bit off. That's what makes it unpredictable and interesting. That the leads are sped gorgeous is just a bonus.

Would love it if people don't Spoil it by bringing in links from tumblr or other sources to tell us what hasn't been dealt with in the show yet. It's so rare to come across a show that actually keeps you guessing.

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This show has got really and I mean really good taste in music.

2 episodes in and I am already kinda obsessed, tbh.

I must be the only one that likes when the camera lingers on their faces. This pd likes his close up shots. Well, not complaining, I could stare at these two act all day.

the award for most realistic crying goes to gong hyo Jin. That uncontrollable sob is how real people cry.

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I'm enjoying the music too. Definitely several songs where I was like "need to google for that".

And I like Hae-soo's T-shirts. "Psycho". "Please". LOL. Let's see which other ones she'll pull out of her wardrobe!

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Maybe it will become a sentence someday? :)

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I too was paying attention to her t-shirts trying to see if there is a hidden message there :D

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I'm not sure if they'll spell out a sentence or some secret message, but she was wearing the PSYCHO one when he moved into the house, so he got a fair warning there (it's also funny in the sense that a psychiatrist would be wearing a self-deprecating T-shirt like that). The PLEASE one was at the end, which was funny too because it was like Hae-soo asking to have the glass of wine chucked over her in return.

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Remember the one she wore in "Master's Sun"? 'Jesus Save Me'.

Maybe, the full sentence will show up across dramas. LOL

The characters are absolutely wonderful. Perhaps, weird and/or wacky. But, perfectly human.

As I used to say about the Psych. Ward, one can't always tell the in-mates (patients) from the out-mates (staff). LOL

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Sometimes there are words on the back, too. I believe the back of Psycho said Help. Not sure about the back of Please.

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I thought the one at the back of Psycho was smile and at the back of please might have been help.

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Please, do you know what song they used for opening in ep 2 ? They played it frequetly ... (One apple ... One plum fruit .... Blablabla) lovin' that song but i can't find it :( . Thank you

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It's sunboat by little suns. :)

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I'm loving the soundtrack too. This show has a very quirky, indie vibe that I'm digging. Even the tonal inconsistencies are interesting to me because I feel like they are conscious choices. The director clearly has style and vision.

I too was wowed by GHJ's sob in the stairwell. I believed her 100%.

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i haven't done the research yet, but is this the same pd from that winter, the wind blows?

lol i only wonder because your comment suddenly made me recall an interview (healing camp, i think) where actress yoon yeo-jung half-jokingly griped that the pd/director in aforementioned drama was obsessed with close-ups of song hye-kyo's and jo in-sung's faces (cause they were so pretty), and that they probably didn't even need to wear clothes or something because only their faces appeared onscreen. it was hilarious hahaha

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Yes, this is the same team (writer/director) from TWTWB, which also had plentiful close up shots. heads also recapped that show.

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Aware that I'm in the minority but those endless close-ups in TWTWB became extremely boring in the last 7/8 episodes. It seemed as if the pd thought the close-ups could compensate for the incoherent story. Yes they are gorgeous, however,
imo good acting beats looks(don't get me wrong, the looks are important too. but this extravaganza of narcissism takes away from the drama.)

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I love all of the characters and the ost. So beautiful especially with the Sera patient. LOL at Jaeyeol. "I'm so sorry I didn't know you were a player/cheater!"

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My best part was when he knocked the door and pour exactly the amount of wine into her face and said I give as much as I take. Smiling and shaking the wine bottle Invitingly to her saying if she want to drink wine now. Am impress with the conversation. It been long I enjoy such

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Yep. That's my favorite part of this episode too.

If she can dish it, then she must be able to take it and I loooove that Jae Yul didn't take it like a gentleman but gave bach as good as he got.

Honestly though, I don't get WHY Hae Soo is so mad at Jae Yul. It's obvious that what he revealed embarrassed her, but wouldn't she have wanted to know? Who the h*ll would want to continue dating a two timing jerk and her phony of a friend. The guy did her a favor, though as a viewer, I understand that she didn't know he was honestly confused about Soo Kwang's revelation s and thought they were into group sex. Ha! I was genuinely confused myself for a minute. Soo Kwang's explanations were confusing.

So far so good. Love the tonality of the show. It has a homey feel to it with a sense of community. I am loving the adult themed modern show that deals with every day real life issues. Looking forward to the next episodes.

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I don't quite get why she's mad at Jae Yeol either... I mean, if I were in her shoes, I'd want to know.

But, I do think some people might initially react like that and I'm guessing she'll get over it pretty soon. Especially with her profession, she knows he's not the one to blame here...

Soo Kwang's explanations were meant to be confusing (I didn't even try to keep track), making the point that there was a mess of connections between all the people in the room. Which sort of reflects the complexity of each character and their backstories – there'll be lots of stuff to untangle.

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Seriously, he saved her ass literally since she didn't have to sleep with sleezebag ex-choifriend! Instead of throwing the drinks, she should be buying him one as a thank you!

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Agreed, but she's probably in a sort of shock/angry denial mode.

His method (and timing) of revealing it was pretty bad (would you do that if you had just moved into a house?), so that might be part of the reason for her immediate reaction. Plus, they didn't exactly hit it off before....

But I think she's a smart cookie, and I'm pretty sure she'll be buying him a drink soon (while continuing to exchange hits with him, whether in the form of words or wine).

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I'm not so sure she is just mad at him for spilling the beans. I think she may be more mad at him for his condescending attitude at the talk show.

And, something about his writing must have changed in the last couple of years because he was her favorite author. But, she doesn't seem to be impress with his writing any longer. Either that or his writing hit too close to home for her. ???

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Hah! One of my fave scene too. And I'm waiting Jae Yeol quote "You screw me, I screw you" become "You jump, I jump". LOL. Titanic lalalala old day :)))

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I loved it too. Reminded me of a personal situation I had with a boy when I was a teenager (maybe even a pre-teen). Taught me quite a bit about fairness :)

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I really was afraid of how they would treat the subject of mental health since it seems a somewhat taboo subject in Korea. But I was pleasantly surprised so far since the message so far is that everyone is a little weird but you should seek help if you are having trouble functioning. Which I love! :)
I just love how complex the characters are and you are really curious to know more about them.
The music hasn't put me off so far because it seemed to me because it makes you feel the oddness of the scene rather than just accepting it as ok. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it?
Anyway thanks Heads for the recap!

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Kwang Soo's performance it's brilliant, i hope this year he wins an award.

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i want a kwang soo's love line pleasee

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I like the two lead actors (Gong Hyo-jin just strikes me as über-cool. Not cookie-cutter at all.) and I like their characters.

All characters seem to come with a lot of baggage, which should be interesting. At the moment that can feel a little confusing as I'm just not quite clear what direction we'll be going, but that doesn't bother me so far.

Yes for having a transgender character and treating the issue sensitively up to now.

Good riddance to the cheating boyfriend, the fake friend, the plagiarising girlfriend and the sell-out childhood friend... well, they might stick around, but I'm glad that their betrayal was revealed right at the start.

Hyung is going to cause trouble, isn't he? He creeps me out so far and I'm going to bet he'll lie through his teeth to sunbae Jo.

Interesting theory that some people are having about Kang-woo being a figment of imagination. If he's not that, he might cause trouble later (Jae-yeol ignoring him sometimes can't be good), if he is... perhaps he's some sort of younger self of Jae-yeol. The part of Kang-woo saying he's learning to fight and defend himself against his dad that beats him... it could be a connecting point, also with the story of Jae-yeol's hyung (Kang-woo says he can defend himself now, Jae-yeol sort of says the same his hyung).

I do wonder how they can all afford to live in that house? Especially the guy with Tourettes who apparently jobs as a waiter in a café but even Hae-soo since she is not very far up the ladder at work yet?

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Thats how u do it, a girl chucks a drink on ur face and u chuck it right back-best drama scene ever! U see us ladies tend to get away with too much cuz u know if the guy's a gent he aint gonna retaliate. I say as long as it's not gonna hurt but pretty much just humiliate you guys should just "screw us right back"! Well unless they've messed up that is but still i just hate women who cant use words but resort to violence instead. Love u drama!

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I'm a gal too and I loved that wine scene where he splashed it right back at her. I love how real these characters are. Gotta be able to handle what you dish out. We don't get pushover characters that drive us nuts. Both are so interesting in their own right which makes watching this show both refreshing and complex.

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the upbeat soundtrack initially had me a bit puzzled too, but i actually like it so far. like you said, the story is a slow burn, but the music makes it feel zippier. and i really prefer it to a more traditionally tailored soundtrack, where dark moments might be accompanied by dramatic melancholy music, etc. it feels like a reminder that life needn't always be taken so seriously.

this feels most familiar to worlds within (minus the narrations), which i absolutely loved and would earn a spot on my top 5 list, were i to formally draft one. worlds within didn't have the traditional drama setup in that there was no one Big Dramatic Conflict, but was more of a character study. this feels really familiar to it, so far. so far, really good, for me. i'm quite keen for more.

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Yeah, I just realised it's from the writer of World Within, which I quite enjoyed a lot. I mean, it had its flaws but it was refreshing on so many parts, definitely one of those "a bit different from standard kdrama fare" ones. Which makes me very hopeful for It's Okay, It's Love!

I wonder if this drama will do without love rivals – it well could, I think.

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I dunno, I like the campy music.

I think the crux is that it's a clearly external element – i.e. not part of the actual set, and markedly different in tone at that – which is why some find it jarring.

But this adds dimension imo! Its montage-y feel (which I like hehe) glosses over certain intense scenes in a sense, taking away their gravitas and saving them from getting all melodramatic.

At the same time its incongruity with everything else onscreen means the intensity of the characters' emotions and interactions remains fully showcased, maybe even highlighted in contrast. We see how fully engaged the character is from a more detached and mildly amused perspective – exactly what I want from a "slice of life" drama.

I have a feeling this is the show's way of keeping us from emotional investment in some scenes so that the scenes that matter do hit us hard – notice that during the girlfriend's betrayal and the malice-laced showdown between Hae-soo and Jae-yeol (ok actually am not sure about this, too lazy to rewatch) the music doesn't play.

Sleep-deprived so I hope this makes some sense haha

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Nice take! Makes perfect sense, don't worry.

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I agree with your interpretation of the music. I feel like it's a very purposeful directing choice to distance us from certain emotional scenes in order to more fully build the world & avoid melo territory. I feel like actually what the music is doing is telling us the story from Jae-yeol's perspective. He finds the car chase entertaining, and that scene is set to light music. He is an observer of human behavior, and sits back to watch the ridiculous fight scene emerge after he reveals info about the cheating. If the cheating reveal had been accompanied by dark, intense music, I might have gotten wrapped up in the drama of it all and missed out on Jae-yeol's experience of that drama.

Another thing that the light music during the fight did was illustrate to me, the viewer, that in this world, people hash out their disagreements. It's not a scary or even bad thing to fight, and in this makeshift family, fighting isn't the end of the world (or even necessarily the end of the relationship, as we see with the divorced couple, who remain friends even after their divorce).

If the show ends us distancing us from feeling ANYTHING for any of the characters, then that is problematic...but the things that it chose to lighten up, I'm cool with.

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"..Another thing that the light music during the fight did was illustrate to me, the viewer, that in this world, people hash out their disagreements. It’s not a scary or even bad thing to fight, and in this makeshift family, fighting isn’t the end of the world.."

Well, I agree totally. I think the music is supposed to give us a feeling of nostalgia or recognition, like this is life you know? Its nothing to be scared of, this is what living is. We've all lived through crazy moments, crazy fights with family, betrayals, street chase etc and I'll add what I wrote about the music in the first recap by gummimochi:

Some songs sound happy and yet give you this bittersweet poignant feeling, of happiness mixed with sorrow, and yet feeling alive. Similarly some sad songs evoke feelings of hope, a contrary happiness and resilience or something. I'm not sure I'm explaining this well but I love the music choice so far, rather than distancing my emotions it made the moments more poignant, I think this is what the hero meant in SLA when he said a major chord feels like a minor chord and vice versa:

"But [my mom] says it’s strange , after listening to it. She says, why is it sad, when it’s light and cheerful . I feel the same. A major chord feels like a minor chord, a minor chord feels like a major chord…"

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"..Another thing that the light music during the fight did was illustrate to me, the viewer, that in this world, people hash out their disagreements. It’s not a scary or even bad thing to fight, and in this makeshift family, fighting isn’t the end of the world.."

Well, I agree totally. I think the music is supposed to give us a feeling of nostalgia or recognition, like this is life you know? Its nothing to be scared of, this is what living is. We've all lived through crazy moments, crazy fights with family, betrayals, street chase etc and I'll add what I wrote about the music in the first recap by gummimochi:

Some songs sound happy and yet give you this bittersweet poignant feeling, of happiness mixed with sorrow, and yet feeling alive. Similarly some sad songs evoke feelings of hope, a contrary happiness and resilience or something. I'm not sure I'm explaining this well but I love the music choice so far, rather than distancing my emotions it made the moments more poignant and real to me, I think this is what the hero meant in SLA when he said a major chord feels like a minor chord and vice versa:

"But [my mom] says it’s strange , after listening to it. She says, why is it sad, when it’s light and cheerful . I feel the same. A major chord feels like a minor chord, a minor chord feels like a major chord…"

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The music actually makes me think it's going to get a great deal worse, here on in. You don't get into a Noh Hee Kyung story expecting everything to be obvious from the first; if the music is saying "this is business as usual", I believe it.
It also matches the setup. The chase had Hae-soo responding like a pro, under duress and in distracting conditions. The fight was Hae-soo calling bullshit, on a situation we know hurts her beyond the norm - probably according to a policy decision she'd made a long time ago. Jae-Yeol doesn't bat an eyelash at death threats from family. He's the guy CHASING in the car chase. Maybe the music is blase because both our leads are.
I admit, I'm no stranger to real-life dramatics of this and other sorts. The music choices, for me, weren't really jarring as much as they were funny. It felt like laughing at the histrionics of it all.
And you have to admit, watching Jo In-sung be kneed in the balls just for getting involved is funny. Hell, Jae-yeol APOLOGIZING to the two-timer for outing him made me fall out of my chair. "My sincere apologies for messing with your delicate social ecosystem, respected fellow primate. OW."

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Some of the details of the show don't really pan out well... however, I really do appreciate that the show goes out of its way, even sticking its neck out on mental health and mental health issues.

They don't make people who have mental health issues all convicts, have no life outside of their mental health issues or label them with "crazy" *cough* Basket case *cough* or oddballs. Rather that they have a life outside of it... I can list the cases, even the incidental ones show this clearly.

The woman with depression and gender identity issues was shown having a family and a life and how paralyzing it was to be judged just on those labels alone. She clearly has a family too invested in her being a guy, and they went out of their way to call her a woman in the original Korean, saying things like "Yeoja"

Then the guy with schizophrenia had a girlfriend. The entire time she didn't call him crazy, and calmly worked through the situation. The guy with schizophrenia had a name, a family, extended family who were all named in the sequence.

Soo Kwang (kekeke) is also shown to have a life outside of Tourette's Syndrome. He's said to have had a girlfriend before but that she judged him harshly on his syndrome and label over who he was.

Then they also show that people can have mental health problems without needing a label--that things can be temporary. And sometimes what someone needs is the ability to talk to someone frankly and safely.

They stuck their neck out on saying gay was not a mental health issue and that gender identity issues are not easy to handle and are often coupled with suicide and destructive behavior *because* of lack of support.

They also mentioned suicide as a problem.

The problem, though is in the irksome details... while I like the social side, the science side doesn't quite pan out 100%--some of it seems on par, while others don't quite seem like it's correct. However, as a friend told me, I think this show is more about resolution, working through problems, even when they are permanent and working to rather than fix them, work with them and accept them, but still accept responsibility for the behaviors. (Such as Soo Kwang explaining himself and saying sorry--or the punishment for ruining the soccer game).

JY will resolve the problems with the guy in prison, learn to mitigate some of his OCD behavior which is making him lonely in many ways, and Hae Soo will learn how to move forward from her break up. This show seems like it's about healing the heart as much as the mind. It's a drama with an even keel, though I don't think it has 100% of its footing yet. One more week and it'll show up the final direction it wants to go. Given that mental health is a huge issue in Korea, with the ajority of deaths from suicide from last report, I'm trusting that socially they are trying to handle it well, if not scientifically.

BTW, not all people with OCD are neat freaks. Hoarding, for example is...

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Hoarding is OCD behavior. Tourettes is often tied to OCD. (The doc I watched said people with Tourettes often also take OCD medicine with their other medicine) Hair eating is also OCD behavior. Basically OCD is ritualized behavior. From what I understand it's often triggered with more stress because it's a way to control and order one's world. But that ordering may be destructive or illogical to the people around them in extreme cases. In other cases it's just mildly annoying. (Just saying there is a range of manifestation of OCD)

It's not all about being tidy and neat. It can be as simple as picking up and dialing the phone and then hanging up and then repeating it x number of times per day and if one doesn't do that, they can't calm down and stop the irking feeling.

TV tends to make it out like OCD people are neat freaks... but it's not true.

Upside, depression was shown not to be a deep sadness. That's a big thumbs up from me. I've seen people with real depression. Depression is a feeling of numbness and hopelessness as if everything has lost it's color and flavor. That's not the same as being sad. It's the opposite of vibrant. And the opposite of vibrant isn't sad.

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I LOVE the fact that they say that being gay is not a disease.

The patient being beat up by her family for being a woman now is suffering from and needs treatment for DEPRESSION. She is person not a freak.

I love the fact that they show that being treated for a psychological problem is no more shameful than having cancer.

I don't know if the science is the point, as you said, it is bringing out into the open and healing.

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I love the random-crazy-fighting scene in living room. LOLOLOL :)))

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I don't mind the music, it's more the fact that they're sort of overloading the drama with it so it feels intrusive rather than it just naturally complimenting/enhancing the show.

I've noticed this with alot of shows recently - they love blaring their soundtracks. It's like they're afraid of silence and letting the acting/directing speak for itself. I hope they tone it down a bit in future episodes.

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Seeing how he keep his bathroom securely locked, the poster of both of them in the/his bathtub made sense.
I'm liking this show already, but I think it's Gong hyo jin effect =). I'm gonna be Jo in sung fan because of her just like how it was with Cha seung won and Yoon kye sang during The Greatest Love.

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Did anyone notice that Soo Kwang, Hae-soo and Sunbae Jo were watching Running Man when Jae-yeol walked in ad they left the room? I could see some nametags and Haha..... so much meta!!

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I understand the meaning behind "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," but I have to admit I cheered when Jae Yeol threw the wine right back in Hae Soo's face. Why are the housemates ostracizing him when he did her a favor by exposing her cheating boyfriend? Did she want to live a lie for the rest of her life?

I wish Jae Yeol would fire Tae Yong for betraying him because his conspiring with Pul Ip is unforgivable. I predict Sunbae Jo will have a hand in mending their friendship, since Sunbae Jo is close with Tae Yong.

The meta bits were fun to spot: Lee Kwang Soo's Running Man, Jo In Sung's That Winter The Wind Blows. They need to watch Gong Hyo Jin's Master's Sun on television next.

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if only hae-soo were romantically interested in him, she could make that "eye for an eye" thing work out quite nicely for her... puhahaha that's what was scampering across my brain when he said that!

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It took me until the second episode to realize this might be a dark/black comedy a la Heathers. But I also realized I don't know if this genre is heavily represented in Korea. It also explains the happy music it what seem to be twisted situations. Any good dark/black Korean dramas?

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An intellectual ego showdown between psychiatrist and author with damaged emotions and betrayal in the mix to boot. I like it.

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I just love Jae-yeol's "You screw me, I screw you" rule, and I super love the lead characters. A psychiatrist wearing t-shirt with the word "psycho" written on it, made me giggle, rich but not like the typical one,Jae-yeol with troubled past and possibly sick psychologically, I am so curious about his past and how his older brother became his enemy. And JIS and GHJ are both gorgeous on screen. ^^
Thanks HeadsNo2 for the recap. :)

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Hahaha, in all kwang soo's dramas there is always a reference about running man xddd

Goddess of fire not because that its a sageuk xddd

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Okay now how am i supposed to have a good night sleep with too many shows to watch? How in the world can one pass on Jo In Sung, not me.

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i think what i like about this drama is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. I mean, on paper, this drama will be straight melo but who will think drama about people with mental disorder can be this fun? I will pick this kind of drama over lovey dovey rom-com or tearjearker melo anytime. Loving it!

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I love it that everyone's just that shade of weird in this show XD

Hae-Soo fits GHJ to a T! I'm sure it's the one character that's mostly like her personal self; she's just too cool and direct to stay in damsel-in-distress roles. I watched one of their interviews and she said she appreciated that her character doesn't mince words. And I'm rubbing my hands in glee whenever Hae-Soo sticks her tongue out the left side of her mouth, it always feels like she's going to open some whoop-ass on some unsuspecting folks XD

How OCD is Jae-Yeol to need an exact replica of his room in Crazy Townhouse??? It threw me for a moment and I thought I was in a time-travel drama for a few seconds! I love it that the show throws up surprises and also moments like when Jae-Yeol discovers his friend's betrayal. It's something everyone has experienced (if you didn't you are so, so lucky), and I'll admit I shed a tear for how badly Jae-Yeol tried to hold his in.

Korea is a Christian society, and I'm again surprised that this show is taking a stance on homosexuality that this particular religion might reject fervently (that it is nature not nurture). And that even though it's an Asian society and one is taught not to speak up against the elders, the show is telling an abuse victim that she herself is in charge and that she needs to remove herself from family when it's toxic.

It is mature conversations like these that will make this show a success and a hotpot of discussion. And that's probably what the writer intended.

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Majority of Koreans are actually atheist from last count. net up is Christianity, though it fluxes a lot, then Buddhism and then "other"

The phobia around homosexuality is actually from Confucianism, which posited that it was not "natural" and somewhat Taoism which says it's a corruption of the yin and yang, where you need balance for a healthy life. Generally, though, you tend to find more homophobia in agricultural societies, where the survival of the bloodline is often put up as important due to land ownership. So if you find something with a strong inheritance line, particularly patriarchal, it's disadvantageous for your sole male heir to be homosexual.

This is why when most of the religions go towards agricultural, there is a leaning against homosexuality. Of course there are exceptions with that. (Hinduism, for example. The homophobia was imported with the British Empire and extensively outlawed, etc even though Hinduism largely supported homosexuality before then, though some sects had exceptions--of course.)

But it's not because Korea is Christian that it was against homosexuality, you can blame Neo-Confucianism and Taoism for that Buddhism didn't care and Muism actually encouraged it to some degree, even protecting them in their society--many people who are gay find safe haven in Mudang society as baksu. I researched it because I was curious.

Homosexuality found acceptance with the movie The King and the Clown. That was the turning point for many people and it was really popular. It's gained support and steam since then, especially with advocacy in small ways. There are movies, etc.

Transsexual/Transgender found acceptance with Harisu and was shown on screen in Sex is Zero 2 making the transition. She decided to transition in real life and married (IIRC). The Korean government legally declared her a woman too. I believe she also adopted. The actor community largely supported her as well stating things like even when her sex was male that they always called her "Eonni" and "Nuna" anyway. She's the only public transgender person in Korea--and astoundingly in the US there aren't famous public figures like her. She's also worked to fight for LGBT rights in Korea and did other films too.

Mainstream Korean TV has also astoundingly addressed Transvestitism correctly too. (Which the US still can't get their head around). They didn't link it being gay!! (Seriously, I was floored seeing that.)

But yeah, not because of Christianity. However, don't forget that Christians are exporting their homophobia to African countries. In some you can get jail imprisonment and even the death penalty for being gay. That's happening in our here and now. There still is a long way to go.

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I would link death penalty for homosexual acts with Islam rather than Christianity.

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Thanks for that, especially the bit about Taoism. As a Hindu yes it is true that homosexuality was no big issue if our texts and sculptures are any indication. However like with a lot of Asia while there was no stigma against it or a phobia, family and bloodlines takes precedence. Marrying and producing a child is like a scared kind of duty.

I see a lot of comments on homophobia in Korea. While this may be true in society as a whole I don't really find this in dramas. If anything I think it has more nuance than the West. Having lived in the West for a long time I find that attitudes here aren't as enlightened as usually projected.

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Liking this drama so far and I might be the only one here but I kinda like the song choice. It's weird but good weird (for me, at least)

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Omg. I love this drama so much! They have such CHEMISTRY its heating up the screen. And I swear Jo In Sung is like a walking sex god, every move, every word is so sexy. With that said I do love Jae Yeol because he is refreshing to see. And on top of that the storyline is interesting and new. Plus I love how mature this drama is, its very new and open to mature content which makes this show even better.

I love this drama. ?

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I'm really intrigued now as to why JY thinks his brother committed murder, and why his hyung thinks he framed him. When I first saw that scene, i thought the show was trying to hint to us that maybe JY murdered someone? But I feel like they wouldn't have the hero of the show be a murderer?

Guess I'm just going to have to watch the rest of the series :P haha

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Does anyone know the song where Jae Yeol(main lead) called his mom during the radio session?

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extremely drunk l also loved this song got so angry i couldn find it but I FKN FINALLY DID!! YATTA!!!
LOL ITS BY :
RuRu Chapeau - Everyone Has A Little Star

your welcome. now to drink some more lolol
but honestly why the fuck do they exclude this song
from their soundtrack list?!!! i find it
extremely disrespectful. stupid production.

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I hope I love this drama as much as I love Padam Padam.

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I was getting ready to ask if anyone else thought that kid Jae-yeol keeps seeing was a figment of his imagination, but I guess from reading the comments I'm not the only one.

So I need someone that speaks Korean, we're going to fly yo Korea this weekend and take over as the music producers for this drama, who wants to come? lol.

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I am intrigued with this drama and its funny how there's a plagiarism issue and the drama was also caught up with the same issue.

I'm loving the oddness of each character. I really think that DO is just his imagination.

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Did anyone else find her behavior annoying after she found out about her boyfriend cheating towards the author guy?wasn't that bullying? isn't she an adult going through for Psychology? is it really to much to ask for the character development to be on point, shouldn't she be more mature? was kinda annoyed with that part of the 2nd episode....

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i guess but, she is also human.

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She is mostly just ignoring him – I wouldn't call that bullying, just immature behaviour. Soo-kwang is just going along with it for solidarity (she's probably done a lot for him, incl. given him his first kiss, while writer-nim is a stranger), while sunbae Jo hasn't even realised that that's why he doesn't get to continue watching TV.

Bit too early for character development, we've just gotten started here. I also think she's still in the immediate-reaction (denial/anger/shock) phase (see her total breakdown in the staircase), which doesn't make it any less immature or more justifiable but she should snap out of it soon.

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I think they were angry at Jae Yeol not because he told the truth, but WHEN and HOW he told it. They thought he did it on purpose with the intention to hurt Hae Soo. And perhaps to also show his superiority and how he smirks at them.

So far I find the story and characters interesting. And I like the choice of music and some funny scenes - it adds to the general feeling of watching an Absurd Drama.

...I admit I also have my Gong Hyo Jin and Jo In Sung bias :--)
And I think they have great chemistry.

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Ok, I can see their behavior fitting if its for those reasons, I also love GHJ, she is a super actress and tres beautiful, very natural looking in comparison to some serious plastic sergery nightmars... I find myself re watching the part where they are in the bathroom in the first episode, something about his facial expression after he checks out the (figment of his imagination) teenagers wee wee, its kinda creepy and also brings to mind a drag queen for some reason, anyhoo, thats random I know but maybe someone else thinks the same

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Phew.

I found this episode so much easier going than the first.

I could understand the relationships better.

I was able to get into the story more as it seemed to flow better and it wasn't so fantastic.

There are still elements that I find a little over the top but they don't bother me so much now.

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I am also going to say I think his mother is dead and that phone call was in his head, or at least there was no one on the line, I think the brother killed her, thats the 'she' that he is in prison for murdering...maybe

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I've heard on Tumblr that D.O's character is just an illusion...

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does anyone know/can share the song that was playing towards the end of the epi 1 and the beginning of epi 2. duet with a male and female singer each.
many thanks.

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So many interesting twists and turns possible here.

I agree that the kid is a figment of the writer's imagination. I wonder if he actually first showed up (or at least, showed up most recently) when Hyung stabbed JY two years ago because that act of violence brought him out. That would also be when and why his writing changed so much- a form of schizophrenia.

I'm also thinking that JY's eye for an eye philosophy is going to turn out to be not so much of a good thing after all, and may hearken back to his own troubled childhood. Clearly, the brothers had an abusive father, and we see JY's alter ego saying that he's learning to fight because of his dad's beatings. At any rate, I suspect that the murder has something to do with JY's eye for an eye approach to life.

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I just wanted to sing

Heads, Heads, Heads, Heads, thank you for recapping this drama!!!!!!!!

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I just wanted to sing

Heads, Heads, Heads, Heads, thank you for recapping this drama!!!!!!!

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Anyone know where to find the soundtrack? I love the song when they were running in the street.... what's the name of that song.... it goes like "one apple one plum fruit...... let it be alright ".......

Thanks much!!!

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No one's mentioned yet anything about the premise that brought JY to that house. For me, it bears a rewatch, as I'm not sure how much I missed in translation.

His childhood friend TY appears to have set it up before they had a falling out, then we later see that same friend setting up counseling for JY's hyung in prison. Why is he even involved? And why does JY need to move anyway? And what connection does TY have to whoever gave him the tape from the house?

Mention is made that the house is set up as a "project" where psychiatrists live with their patients (wow, no ethics issues there!), and they are secretly videotaped without their knowledge at least once. That tape is used to lure JY into the house. Is the whole thing a set up for a TV show? (Crazy Roomates?) Are they taped all the time?

It's clear that Sunbae Jo is Soo Kwang's doctor, and also HS's shrink, but is HS the doctor for JY the patient? And since Sunbae Do knows this is a project, does HS know, and is JY the only one not aware? Did JY's friend know he needs treatment and this is the only way to get him some? HS sees JY as a game player, but they both may be getting played. I'm confused and intrigued!

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I thought both the house and the prison counselling were set up before. Given that sunbae is doing the counselling in prison, I'm not sure that matters much with when it was set up with TY.

I'm not quite sure about the house itself, I thought TY and JY both have an ownership in it (as well as in the publishing company), but I'm may be wrong there. Would have to rewatch.

I thought JY had to move because of some work being done in his own place and also partially to escape the press from plagiarism scandal? Why he wouldn't stay in a hotel / with his mom / etc is another question, since he clearly has money (more than makes sense, but that goes for anyone in that house: that's NOT a cheap place to rent).

I don't think the tape to lure JY was without their knowledge. I thought that was simply a birthday video that people do when they get together. Especially these days, where people post any and everything on FB, Youtube etc.

There may be a "house project" – I don't think it's been made clear. It could be that they will be tricked into it, or it might happen openly. There's plenty that still needs clarification (including why TY betrays his life-long friend for an essentially insignificant girl; the hyung 'murder'; whether any characters are figments of the imagination etc etc).

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so far love this drama...ep 2

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does anyone know what is the title of the song when jo in sung driving his car all the way to the boarding house?its an english song.....

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