40

Plus Nine Boys: Episode 9

Yay, we get an episode devoted entirely to the girls, and as a result, everyone’s love lives take big leaps forward. Not that I don’t love this drama’s unique take on life from the guys’ side of things, but when you’ve got three leading men who pretty much think women are capricious aliens, a trip to the other side is a welcome and illuminating detour.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Noh Young-chae – “끝나지 않은 노래” (Neverending Song) [ Download ]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

 
Track 9: “The girls’ stories”

We begin the day with Su-ah, as she puts in a good deal of time to do her hair and makeup just so. A pair of glasses and some bedhead are certainly not enough to make her look any less pretty in her natural state—it’s just clear that she’s a girl who puts effort into looking this pretty every day.

She enjoys the head-turning looks she gets as she walks down the street, but her new boyfriend Min-gu is the only one frowning when he sees her. He declares that this is against the rules: “You’re too pretty!” Seriously, this boy is a whole new brand of cheese.

He pouts that everyone’s looking at her, which gets her to smile. But as she turns around, her face darkens. Caption: “21-year-old Han Su-ah: My 2-years-younger boyfriend doesn’t know my true image.”

Se-young watches Jin-gu leave the office while laughing with Go-eun, and wistfully thinks back to Jin-gu’s answer about taking her bus for the past year so that he could spend more time with her.

She walks out alone, but Jin-gu is standing outside waiting to run into her. He makes awkward small talk about the weather, and then asks if she isn’t bored on her bus—doesn’t she miss riding with him a little? She scoffs that she hardly even notices the difference, though he points out that it’s probably because she always falls asleep.

He pointedly tells her where he’s headed before saying goodbye, and they part ways with that same forced chipper tone they’ve been using with each other for weeks. Caption: “26-year-old Ma Se-young: The man I thought was awful… might actually be sincere.”

And as Da-in heads home with her daughter Eun-seo that night, she sighs to see Kwang-soo waiting by the door to casually run into her. He totally overdoes the faux-causal act: “Da-in? Is that YOU?” She just ignores him as always, and he waves at her cheerfully. Caption: “33-year-old Joo Da-in: The man in my painful memories… keeps appearing in front of me.”

Over quick flash-forwards of what’s to come, our three leading ladies narrate in turn. Su-ah: “Because a woman’s heart is like a reinforced iron wall…” Da-in: “Even we women don’t know what’s inside, and what can break that wall.” Se-young: “But even after being closed tightly for so long, like a lie, it can all come crashing down in one moment. That’s a woman’s heart.”

When Da-in hears about Jin-gu’s year-long bus detour, she tells Se-young that she approves, and nudges her to consider Jin-gu seriously. How different you are when you’re talking about someone else’s relationship. Se-young insists that they aren’t ever going to be more than friends, and that he’s interested in someone else right now.

Da-in persists, knowing that Se-young used to like Jin-gu in the past, but Se-young swears that it was because she was fooled, and that it was hard enough to become friends in the first place. Da-in lets it go for now, and reminds Se-young to come by tomorrow for some cake since it’s her birthday.

Da-in is all smiles with Se-young, but as soon as she leaves and Kwang-soo walks in the door, she’s back to her wall of impenetrable ice. He follows her around the café, chattering nonstop about happy memories and songs she used to like, and how cute she was when she didn’t know how to work an MP3 player or change a light bulb on her own.

This time he leaves her a book called The Difference Between Coolness and Passion, and inside she finds an inscription she wrote to Kwang-soo when she gifted it to him, asking him to read the last page.

She thinks to herself that Kwang-soo is the man she loved the most, but he’s also the man who hurt her the most. She flips through the book, wondering why he keeps trying to dig up those memories.

At work, Se-young feels a little awkward joining Jin-gu and Go-eun in the break room, but tells herself that nothing has changed. But they’re eagerly discussing Game of Thrones, which he started watching on Go-eun’s recommendation, and Se-young feels excluded when she tries to join in but has no idea what they’re talking about.

They’re so engrossed in the conversation that they hardly notice as she gets up to go, and then she sees Jin-gu give Go-eun a present—a little Brainy Smurf flash drive filled with his favorite American TV shows. Se-young can’t help but sigh dejectedly, convinced that Jin-gu has already moved on.

But her jealousy starts to get the better of her as the day wears on. Jin-gu leans on her chair as he discusses location scouting and dinner plans with Go-eun for the next day, mindlessly swiveling her chair back and forth. Se-young just yanks her seat away at just the right moment for Jin-gu to fall on his ass, HA, and snipes at him when he tries to joke around with her. She tells herself to get it together, wondering what’s gotten into her.

Su-ah goes makeup shopping with her friends before meeting Min-gu for a date, and they have to remind her to take off her nail polish if she wants to keep playing the part of a high-schooler. They wonder how long she can keep up the act, and tease her about how Min-gu’s mind would be blown if he learned her real age, her real name, and her secret. Whatever the last thing is, it’s enough to wipe the confident smile from Su-ah’s face.

On their date, Min-gu orders enough food to cover the entire table, bragging that he’s got Mom’s credit card tonight. He lays it on thick as always, but now Su-ah finds it all very cute.

When they go to pay, they’re asked to show their student IDs for a discount, which of course she doesn’t have. He just assumes she left it at home and doesn’t seem to care, but Su-ah lets it get to her, worrying that it’s just a matter of time before Min-gu finds out who she really is. To lift her spirits, he takes her to a noraebang to serenade her.

Da-in comes home and answers the door to find an envelope with tickets to a Loveholic concert. Included is a note asking if she remembers, and if she’ll come, with a picture of Kwang-soo and Da-in at a Loveholic concert when they were dating.

Their song “If I Only Have You” plays as she contemplates the tickets, and then we see that downstairs, Kwang-soo is blaring the song and holding a speaker out of an open window. Hahaha, is this his Say Anything moment?

Even funnier is the fact that he’s straining to try and make the song heard upstairs… and then sees Da-in walking away in the street down below. He turns around to go catch up to her, but Dong-gu thinks this is a great time to lock Uncle Kwang-soo out on the balcony, and taunts him through the glass.

Eventually Kwang-soo catches up to Da-in at the market, and pretends yet again to be shocked to run into her. He rides his cart through the store just stalking her up and down every aisle, mindlessly picking up groceries and waving them at her (like a pack of pads, which he can’t possibly need in his house).

He buys her a headband and throws it in her car when she doesn’t accept it, and she finally breaks her silence to ask in exasperation, “Why are you doing this, oppa? Is this fun for you?” But he only fixates on the “oppa” and hears nothing else, and reminds her cheerily about the concert tomorrow, promising to wait for her.

Min-gu gets overly protective of Su-ah as they ride the bus home, and acts like her bodyguard whenever another man comes anywhere near her. She wonders if she should tell him the truth and start with her real name, but then when three loud schoolgirls with thick country accents get on the bus, Min-gu finds them unappealing, and she shrinks back nervously.

He laments having to get off the bus one stop early instead of seeing her home, but she reminds him that it’s the last bus and insists that he gets off first. He pouts in all seriousness, as if his world is ending, “But what if I miss you?”

She practically has to shove him off the bus, but then a second later, he’s running alongside it just to see her a little longer. He runs all the way to her stop, and holds out a wish bracelet that he forgot to give her. He tells her to make a wish and that it’ll come true once the bracelet comes undone on its own. She smiles up at him and wonders to herself if he’ll still like her this much if he finds out everything about her.

Though Soo-ah remains a mystery, it turns out that Se-young is a country girl—her accent comes out when she gets a birthday call from her mom, who promises to send up some food.

At work, Go-eun gives her a birthday gift box full of makeup, and puts a bright pink lipstick on her, swearing that it makes her look like Gong Hyo-jin. Aw, she’s a good friend. Of course, Jin-gu ruins her moment by asking if she ate spicy food and joking that Go-eun has quite the overactive imagination to call Se-young prettier than Gong Hyo-jin.

Se-young asks if he doesn’t have a birthday present for her today, and he tells her to hold out her hand. She smiles in anticipation and holds her hand out over their cubicle divider… and he grabs it to pull her close so that he can give her noogies. Pfft, boys are so dumb sometimes. Now it’s Se-young’s turn to keep stealing forlorn glances his way, which he doesn’t notice.

Da-in’s friend comes by her café and is surprised to hear that Kwang-soo is back in her life. The friend eggs her on to date him, thinking it sweet that he’s trying to win her over again after all this time. Da-in says she doesn’t want to go through all that again just to get hurt, but her friend insists that she shouldn’t be giving up on love at 33, and that she won’t know the outcome until she tries.

Se-young’s face falls when Jin-gu texts to say that his day is running long and they’ll have to do birthday drinks a different night. Jae-bum asks her to dinner just the two of them, and admits that he already made reservations.

He takes her to a fancy restaurant where he surprises her by going into the kitchen and making dinner himself. The place is totally empty, so she asks hesitantly if he rented out the whole restaurant, but he says his friend owns it and there are hardly any customers.

She enjoys the meal, but when Jae-bum mentions that things seem to be going well between Jin-gu and Go-eun, her mood darkens considerably. And when they pass by a couple on a bus on their way home, it just makes her think of Jin-gu more.

Jae-bum drops her off and puts a necklace around her neck before saying goodnight, and she admits that this kind of gift is burdensome to her.

He swears it’s just a friendly gift and that she shouldn’t think anything of it, asking to be allowed to do at least this much for her. She concedes and starts to say, “But…” and he cuts her off before she can say the words to let him down.

She watches him go and thinks to herself that maybe the one who was being the least sincere among all of them was her.

She gets one last call from Go-eun wishing her a happy birthday, and Se-young deflates a little to hear that Go-eun spent the entire day with Jin-gu, complete with dinner, coffee, and wine. She collapses in bed feeling even more disappointed than before, but then perks up when Jin-gu calls.

She pretends not to care at all and even lies that she’s out having fun with her friends, but he calls her a liar because he can see that her light is on. Surprised, she goes to her window and sees him standing down below. Swoon.

The look on her face when she turns around says it all—she beams for the first time all day.

Da-in’s friend even offers to babysit for her so that she can go to the concert tonight, but she still hesitates. She picks up the book Kwang-soo left her and flips it open to the page that’s bookmarked, and finds a line underlined. It reads: “If you ask me when I decided that you would come here tonight, I can only answer that it was 10 years ago.”

Kwang-soo waits outside the concert venue eagerly, but as more time passes, he grows nervous that Da-in might not come. He tries calling and she doesn’t pick up, and he looks more and more disheartened with every expectant glance toward the door.

But to his shock—and mine, frankly—Da-in walks in the door. He lights up instantly, and she tells us in voiceover that she doesn’t really know the reason herself, but she just couldn’t handle the longing she felt for him.

They take turns stealing little looks at each other throughout the concert, remembering being in this exact place together ten years ago.

Min-gu and Su-ah spend the evening studying in the library, writing cute little love notes to each other and playing peekaboo through the book stacks like they’re in a music video. Su-ah adorably gets jealous when another girl gives Min-gu a juice drink, and while he’s dozing off, she sticks a post-it to his forehead: “Has an owner!!”

When he wakes up and goes looking for her, he sees her whispering with an older guy—she’s telling him that she doesn’t want to go clubbing anymore, while he says everyone’s always asking for her. Min-gu asks the guy what he wants with his girlfriend and chases him off, just assuming that he was trying to pick her up because she’s pretty.

He decides that she should be the one wearing the post-it on her forehead, and ties her hoodie strings around her chin to pull her close… and gives her a kiss. Okay, that’s adorable.

Outside Se-young’s apartment, Jin-gu teases her for spending her birthday at home, so she brags that she ate steak and was given gifts, and he guesses that she had dinner with Jae-bum. He hands her his gift and says it’s not expensive, and she tries to give it back, joking that she won’t take it if it’s cheap.

He grouses that she’s not even his girlfriend so she doesn’t warrant an expensive gift, and then tells her to hurry inside because it’s late and she might scare other people. HA.

She takes the gift upstairs and opens it to find a thermos and a lunchbox, and a card complaining that she’s so picky that he spent the entire day going all over Seoul to find her favorite kind of seaweed (birthday) soup. Awwwwww.

She looks down at the soup and has a sudden seaweed-inspired epiphany, and races out the door. Go! Run!

She runs down the street and catches up to Jin-gu, who turns around in surprise, wondering what’s wrong. She gulps and starts, “Oppa…” But then his phone rings at that exact moment, and he says it’s Go-eun calling. He asks her to wait a sec and turns to answer the call, but then Se-young suddenly blurts, “Don’t answer it.” Omo.

He freezes with his thumb hovering over the screen, as she says it a second time: “Don’t answer that call.”

As Jin-gu and Se-young stand frozen in that spot, Da-in and Kwang-soo enjoy the concert, and Min-gu and Su-ah coo at each other at the bus stop, not wanting to be the first to let go of the other’s hand.

The girls close out the episode in voicever. Se-young: “There’s no special reason why a woman opens her heart to a man.” Da-in: “Even without speaking, without expressing it, there’s a sincerity you can feel with your whole body.” Su-ah: “That’s the only key to unlock a woman’s heart.”

And a short epilogue: As Su-ah leaves her tutoring academy, a teacher calls her back by her real name, Bong-sook (an old-fashioned country girl sort of name). She steps out and stops cold to see Min-gu standing there looking aghast. Min-gu: “Han Bong-sook?”

 
COMMENTS

Ha, I seriously doubt that smitten kitten Min-gu would break up with Su-ah over her real name, though I do wonder about her other secret. I don’t think it’s overly scandalous if her secret is that she’s a reformed party girl, but the problem might be that it’s not so much her past, but her present. I expected her to wreak a little more havoc on Min-gu’s heart, but she seems just as invested in the relationship as he is, and I find them adorable together. It’s a sweet simplistic relationship, and in keeping with their ages, they’re all about the goosebump-inducing declarations of undying affection right out of the gate.

It’s such a vast difference from the twentysomethings, who play everything close to the vest and talk instead in circles, saying the opposite of everything they mean. You’re so ugly! Riiight. I don’t even WANT a present from you! Uh-huh. (Hey, I didn’t say it was more mature, just more guarded.) And the thirtysomethings are downright cryptic, as if even speaking about a thing might be too much emotional confrontation for them, so that they’re reduced to silent looks and hidden messages lined in books. I like that each couple is portrayed as communicating in a totally different way, as opposed to simply giving them varied concerns due to being 19, 29, or 39. Though admittedly, sometimes Min-gu’s corny lines make my hands curl up, and I want to shake Kwang-soo and Da-in until words spill out.

Theirs is the only relationship that still confuses me, because we got an entire episode from the girls’ perspective today, but I still don’t actually know what Da-in is thinking. I feel like I experienced Su-ah’s change of heart towards Min-gu and Se-young has had me in her corner from the start, but even after this episode I’m not sure that Da-in likes Kwang-soo back. She must, if she showed up at the concert, but where was the moment of transformation? If it hasn’t happened yet, maybe she’s just giving him a chance to see where this leads; if it’s supposed to have happened in this episode, I’ll cry foul because I didn’t see it. I get that she’s supposed to be an enigma, but it’s pretty extreme if she had a change of heart and has started to see Kwang-soo differently now, because I missed that light bulb moment. I believe that she loved him in the past; I have yet to see that she has feelings for him in the present. For poor Kwang-soo’s sake, I hope that changes.

I appreciate that the theme of the episode is that there’s no such thing as a magical formula to unlock a woman’s heart and that it’s really just about sincerity showing through and being felt. In that respect, it’s all about the little things and the sum of their parts, not one grand gesture or one cool speech. It’s best represented in Jin-gu and Se-young, and the way she starts to see him differently when she finds out about him taking her bus for a year. I know it’s nothing grand, but it’s the consistency that matters, and the fact that he does it solely because he wants to. And of course the birthday soup just takes the cake. Jae-bum can rent out whole restaurants and cook her gourmet meals and buy her shiny things, but Jin-gu will spend his day scouring the city for the one kind of seaweed soup that reminds her of home. It’s the best kind of little thing there is—it’s sincerity, straight from the heart, for her and her alone.

 
RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , ,

40

Required fields are marked *

So good!! I had to watch without subs, but I love it that much :)

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Watch on dramacool.com they come out fast!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Lo puedes ver en myasiantv lo suben al día siguiente

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

for this ep, Kang min goo and soo ah made me smile a lot. pulled on my heartstrings,that's for sure. oh, to be young, wrinkle free and in love, the good times. / jin goo and se young, they are adults, they can play their game, i dont care much. / da in and kwang soo, da in is so wooden, kwang soo is doing all the cutesies, and that's all I need./ since evrything is going great at this point maybe until ep 10 , expect the conflict to begin by ep 11, hate that part. /so far so good, Plus nine boys. thanks,TVN! Only 14 episodes? Why?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow, so fast! Thank you, girlfriday!

I really loved how we got to see Su-ah's and Se-young's perspective this episode. I am 100% on those two ships now, and can't wait to see both of them open up to the respective guy in their lives about how they truly feel, or in Su-ah's case who she really is.

Da-in, I'm honestly really frustrated with. Before I thought the writer was pruposely keeping us from her thoughts but now I'm starting to wonder if she has any. The woman is silent and stubborn beyond words. Her only good quality is her taste in music. Kwang-soo was being a bit too stalkery in this episode too; I was cringing for him during the supermarket sequence. I really hope the two of them can have an honest conversation in episode 10 about the past.

Girlfriday, you're so right about this show being a music video with a story, like you said in the podcast... watching it every week leaves me with a certain mood rather than specific reactions or thoughts.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ah, Ming Gu. He's the ideal first love. Brings back fond memories. That is what I like about this show, it shows how different love can be at different life stages. Even though I can relate to the older storyline, I still find the other ones appealing.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can not wait to see moms reaction to her brother dating Da-in

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

" Jae-bum can rent out whole restaurants and cook her gourmet meals and buy her shiny things, but Jin-gu will spend his day scouring the city for the one kind of seaweed soup that reminds her of home. It’s the best kind of little thing there is—it’s sincerity, straight from the heart, for her and her alone. "

THIS! I really agreed wirh the statement :D and now she's opening up to jingu ! :D excited for the next episode :D

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me too. I loved what GF said there. After all, each of us wants to feel that we are loved specifically.. That no one else would have done and when someone took that time to discern us and know us this well, that someone must be loving us for who we are. Hope am making sense.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Me three!

JG knows his SY. He knows what her favourite type of seaweed soup is, the one SY's mom made for her, in absentia. And he made the effort to get it for her, scouring Seoul for it. Give someone what they love, and they'll love you for it. That sea weed soup really nailed it for him.

JG, SY, fighting! :-)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have mixed feelings about this myself. Jin-gu may know her better, but he's being awfully shrouded about his feelings. Jae Bum doesn't know her well enough to pick the exact thing that would make her feel better (and arguably, even if it were the exact right thing, she still doesn't really like him that way, so it wouldn't matter anyway). However, he's like, "I like you and I'm going to show you in a straightforward way." Even when the words come out differently, there's no mystery. For me, that's a plus. There are no games there.

Maybe it's because I'm old, but I prefer someone who's confident in his feelings, not trying to pretend at something or unwilling to try a little bit, which is my read of Jing gu ... he really only confessed pretty recently, and it was clear that her feelings are conflicted, not that she doesn't have feelings. nevertheless, he's doing things that are obviously going to make her feel bad. Insulting her, running around with another girl, excluding her from conversations in an obvious way... He's not doing anything immoral or anything, but I'm not overly swayed by the force of his feelings. If I were her friend, I'd tell her she might be able to date him, but he seems like the time who would be difficult to be with in the long term.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I am a tad disappointed on how Kwang Soo is being written these days. I guess I kind of expected to see some bitterness from him towards Da In since she did do a number on him 10 years ago. Da In going out with Kwang Soo again seemed more like a pity date than anything else.

I am starting to feel bad for Go Eun. She seems like a nice girl who would also be a good match for Jin Gu. Jin Gu's story will definitely have the most collateral damage.

I am looking forward to finding out the real Su Ah/Bong Sook. I hope she turns out to be some girl who has the reputation for being a bad ass. It would be nice to see Park Chorong display some of her Hapkido skills.

Thanks GF for the recap!

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I know I really like Go Eun too. She's such a sweetheart. I'm hoping her and Jae Bum can find solace in each other if ya know what I mean.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I feel for Go Eun too. She conferred with Se Young and actually sought her permission before officially starting her pursuit of Jin Goo. More than once at that.

Now because Se Young is technically the main female lead, should she automatically get a free pass for initially turning down Jin Goo's advances (granted they have a complicated history) and changing her mind only after she sees Jin Goo with Go Eun and her having to face the music starts to sink in?

Does that mean we should turn a blind eye to Se Young actions after the fact and not hold her accountable?

If it was the other way around would silence prevail or would people call a spade a spade? For example: Go Eun as the 2nd lead having a change of heart makes the decision to pursue Jin Goo only after she sees him with Se Young the 1st lead.

For the record, I like both Se Young and Go Eun. However, choices sometimes have consequences. Due to some of the choices that we make we cause ourselves undue/unnecessary pain and hardship. In life, 2nd chances are not always guaranteed or warranted.

On Kwang Soo and Da In...right now my response is :( Don't get me started!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

>Now because Se Young is technically the main female lead, should she automatically get a free pass for initially turning down Jin Goo’s advances (granted they have a complicated history) and changing her mind only after she sees Jin Goo with Go Eun and her having to face the music starts to sink in?

Not only that, apparently she gets a free pass for treating a friend as a jerk just because he was a jerk in the past. I do not understand that at all.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well, she didnt see jin gu in a different light because of go eun. She started that after she discovered that he was riding in the bus with her for a year to have a longer day with her. That made her start thinking that the feelings he confessed were sincere and werent just a recent development either.

Of course, go eun being there now makes it more urgent that she realises and acknowledges her own feelings on it. I think it is natural and realistic too that people 'see' another person with fresh eyes when someone else is in the picture.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Good point. I find it relatable that it is only human nature that when people start mentioning about a guy or girl friend of the opposite gender, you start to consider and look at them from a different light. In addition, jealousy is the best realization of your own hidden feelings.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Literally, JUST finished this episode. I havent read what you had to say but kwang soo made me cringe this episode and Da In made me hate her more. If she really wanted him to back off, why couldnt she open her mouth and put him ut of his misery!!! Gah, she really anooyed the hell out of me in this episode.

Min gu too in a milder form irritated me with being this silly jealous possessive bf but i guess at that age i can stomach it.
Am happy with jin gu and se young's development. Somehow this show makes me happy and warm despite my grouses with so,e of the characters.

Thank, girlfriday. Off to read :)

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

damn...this episode hit me right in the feels :)

but seriously, kwang-soo & da-in's story is frustrating... I demand coherent answers to da-in's change of heart/new attitude. Specifically, why did she decide to show up to the concert? Also, Kwang-soo's creepy behavior in the beginning of the episode was offsetting (thank goodness this is in dramaland, can you even imagine real life?).

As a viewer, I need to thoroughly understand Da-in's trepidation of accepting Kwang-soo. The silent treatment towards Kwang-soo and her moments of hesitation needs to be put in context because as a viewer we only see that she is selfish and unfair towards Kwang-soo. (& I do not like her character at all this pt)

We need answers, dammit!

loving Se-young's development this episode...I really wanted Se-young to figure out her feelings and decide what is best for her instead of being in limbo all the time.

If Jae-bum does not make her happy and she cannot reconcile with Jin-gu's past, she need to make a decision regardless. So glad she had her moment where she was able to come to terms of her feelings and acted upon it.

Despite the cheesiness of Min-gu's sugary loveline w/ Han Su-ah, the simplicity of their relationship makes it easier for them to communicate. They do not possess the emotional baggage of '39' or the the social red tape that characterizes the "friendship" of Jin-gu & Se-young.

Overall, I think the pacing of this episode was well-done. Last episode I felt was poorly edited because equal time was given to each 'age' and the flow of the story suffered as a result of allocating equal time among the different ages.

Can't wait for the next episode!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL I thought something a lot worse would happen, considering it's the 9th episode. But this is actually the best episode for them yet. Ironic :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

hahaha!

I haven't even thought of that! Great idea! Maybe if ep. 9 was so happy for everyone, their 9er years will also be? And the fortuneteller was wro-ho-ng. Haha.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap Girlfriday.

"...they have to remind her to take off her nail polish if she wants to keep playing the part of a high-schooler."

You learn something new everyday. Wow, I didn't know that nail polish was banned in Korean schools. For a while now, I've often wondered why is it such a big deal. Most kdramas strongly frown upon and discourage the Candy (or working class female lead with average/middle income) character from proudly trumpeting their love of wearing makeup, nail polish, and being a fashionista ( fashion conscientious)?

Is this why female actresses are styled beautifully for fashion pictorials but when it comes to dramas more often than not the female lead is deglamorized (for example: little to no makeup, unappealing hairstyle, and forced to wear dowdy, ill-fitting, and unattractive clothing for most of the drama - at least until the long-standing makeover cliché trope occurs)?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

>Is this why female actresses are styled beautifully for fashion pictorials but when it comes to dramas more often than not the female lead is deglamorized.

It has to do with that pure aura Candy characters must possess. Luckly I think that is slowly changing, there are many leads showing up more like a modern woman nowadays.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's interesting. The more you see Sooah's character, the more you feel for her. At first, I thought that she built this girl-next-door facade to get the boys or as a tactic of her rebelliousness. When I see her in this episode, I think that this flawless facade she built was only to hide her insecurities. Han Sooah, the girl who we all thought was smart, beautiful, flawless in every way.... is far from being perfect. In many ways, she is the opposite. I don't necessarily think that she built this facade to deceive people, but I think it's more of a self-assurance. She has flaws, and she's embarrassed of them, even though she acts tough in front of her friends. I think her character is so well written. Just brilliant.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for writing this so I don't have to! Completely agree :) Loving her more and more!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

'seaweed-inspired epiphany' Loool

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Glad that I'm not the only one who is getting so frustrated with Da In character.

She with her silence n stubbornness.... I just can't understand.
I still don't get it why she declined the proposal and suddenly dissappeared from his life...
Just because he was so busy...?
He wasn't even fooling around and he tried his best to always show up on their date.
She never said her objection towards his busy schedules... and bang suddenly she dissappeared.
They were in their 20s.... the age when you're supposed to work your a** off for a solid foundation for your career.
That woman is such a non sense.

And kwang so,
to start the relationship allover again without even able to define where things that didn't work and what things need to be improved... I'm just seeing a 2nd failure.

The problem wasn't the busy schedule but lack of communication. And I don't see it being solved in the new relationship....

Fortunately there are Mingu n Su ah to cover my cringe over Da In - Kwang So part.... otherwise o ahve to keep fast-forwarding thru eps... :(

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have no problem at all with Da In -- but Kwang Soo makes me nuts. He is trying to recapture a youthful love with a woman who since she left him, has dealt with the pain of losing him, been courted and fallen in love with another man, married, had a child, had her marriage break up, and become a single working mother. She is simply not -- and shouldn't be -- the same girl he fell for before, and he doesn't see or acknowledge any of that. The last thing a newly divorced woman with a child wants to do is revisit an old pain or start over with someone she failed with before. I found her decision to go to that concert completely unconvincing. And really -- who has a relationship discussion like that in front of their child.

Indeed, pretty much everyone in this episode annoyed me -- the 19 year old is controlling and his girlfriend seems to be pretty and not much else, and Se Young should keep her hands off Jin-Gu since he has become involved with someone she considers a friend, and who seems to be a pretty awesome friend at that.

Only Go Eun, Jin-Gu, and Jae Beom didn't get on my last nerve this episode.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes to what you said about kwang soo but if she wanted him off her back coz he was truly annoying and cringeworthy in his attempts for her, she should just tell him so. JUST SAY something instead of asking 'why are you doing this to me?' And i cant understand why she is so thick as to not know why he keeps reappearing And asking her out. Cone on la. Cant be so thick!!!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Here's the thing -- although it's moot given the events of episode 10. No matter what she says or how she says it, whether it's "here's why I left you" or "Get away from me" -- he's going to want more of an explanation, or to persuade her she is wrong ... and after a divorce you are pretty much not interested in more wrangling. You just don't have the energy for it. Not to mention that fact that her whole personality as shown so far is conflict-averse.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think Da-In is not understandable because the shows kind of sells her as a good person. If we change perspective it is easy to imagine why she doesn't explain.

Think about it, even if she did it without malice in the past, now she is not a girl anymore. She's been married, she has a daughter. After all that, she is still not mature enough to realize what she did became a trauma for him and just spend 2 minutes explaining and then just make him disappear?

The reason is simple. She enjoys the attention. Ten years back, she wanted him to hurt and spend forever trying to understand her and ten years later that's what she still wants. I hope there is no one like DI in the real world. If the writer thinks this is acceptable he is crazy.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

... Or Da-In is one of these conflict-adverse people who doesn't say a thing until they can't swallow anymore and they explode. That kind of people are hard or impossible to please, or have a relationship with since you don't know what's really going on. That's very tiring and unfair. That kind of person is bad news.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, I think the writer thinks of her as one of those people. He or she, doesn't seem to realize even them are usually able to have a talk after they explode. The fact that she never bothered to explain 10 years ago or that she doesn't realize what she did wrong and is still doing it even though she decides to show up for a date, puts her on a whole another level.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I love this show so much. So much! Each story has a surprising amount of depth, although I must say that KS and DI frustrate me quite a bit - he was displaying some creepy stalkerish skills there...and she, of all the girls, is the most silent (how could she be even more silent than SA??). Speaking of which, I originally though SA's character (and the 19yo storyline) was going to be super boring...but now I see it is clearly not! Look at all the stuff she's hiding from him (including the 'real' her). There's lots of potential there to really dig deep into issues like what it really means to be in a relationship, and truths and falsehoods. *rubs hands in glee!* also, SY and JG are killing it for me. I love it whenever they turn up! I completely understand how SY feels which says something about the writing of the character and how well she is being portrayed. Plus 9 Boys is totally my new crack drama. Thank you TVN and thank you GF for being so awesomesauce!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap!!!! I also don't understand why Da In went to the concert. I honestly don't get her. She seems to be super annoyed with Kwang Soo and ignores him every chance she can, yet I'm suppose to believe that underneath all that...she hates&likes him because he was the love of her life. I get why she broke up with him but I don't see how that makes "leaving Kwang Soo totally in the dark in regards to their break-up" justified. Nope. Sorry chica... no sympathy from me. -___- I just want KS to move on or Da In to apologize for assuming incorrectly that KS is a mindreader.

I LOVE Jin Gu and Se Young!!!! I understood why Se Young didn't want to give him a chance but the heart wants who it wants. As for Go Eun and Jae Bum...they knew that JG and SY weren't into them and didn't want to listen to any rejections so I honestly don't feel 100% bad. Jin Gu & Se Young! Fighting!!!!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Finally a turnaround. In episode NINE! Must have been on purpose. They made us wait soooo long for this. I love love loveee Jin Gu and Se Young's storyline as well as Min Gu and er, Bong Sook's!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The reason why there wasn't really a "moment" for DI was because there was no one moment. Each male character had a different way of breaking down the "wall" around the female's heart. JG broke it down through his sincerity shown through going home with her even though he moved houses. MG showed his sincerity through the concert and that final moment on the bridge after the concert. GS convinced DI of his sincerity through all his actions, day by day. That persistence and consistency was what DI wanted from him.

That's what is so good about Plus Nine Boys. They show different relationships and what changes and what doesn't change as you get older. All the females wanted sincerity from their men but as you get older, the way you show it is much different

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Is it odd that I like a show this much? I haven't been this giddy about a show since FOREVER!

The only problem is the 39- year old story line. It really drives me nuts.

The 19- year and 29- year storylines are my favorites. Even though Min-gu is REALLY cheesy, I find it sort of funny. Jin-gu and Se-young are great together, and I really like the workplace storyline.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Late as always, but I'm compelled to stick my oar in. I find the men's behavior, especially the 39 and 19, to be over the line into stalker territory. Is this something that the writers think is appealing or even acceptable to women?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *