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Orange Marmalade: Episode 5

We enter the Joseon phase of our story, and vampires are living in hiding, getting ready to rise up against the humans who fear and despise them. We get to see our characters from a different perspective, though they face the same issues and challenges as they did in the modern era. Not much has changed in four hundred years, and it’s more than just prejudice that could keep our three main characters apart.

EPISODE 5 RECAP

It’s the 17th century in Hamkyeong province, and two men pull a covered cart down a dark forested road. They’re stopped by a regiment of soldiers, but before they can even state their business the general pulls his sword and slashes one of the men’s ribcage wide open. His eyes glow red, and the wound immediately heals.

The general says, “They’re vampires,” and even more men appear from the shadows with flaming arrows aimed at the cart. They fire, striking the cart and the men pulling it, and now the vampires fight back. Whoa, one of them actually lifts the cart and uses it to bowl down several soldiers at once.

Despite being outnumbered, the vampires have the upper hand in terms of strength and invulnerability to injury, and they manage to kill most of the soldiers. One vampire gets away, while the other is captured with chains that seem to burn and weaken him.

The cart turns out to be full of gold and maps, and we learn that the vampires are planning a widespread uprising. An urgent message is sent to the capital, warning all citizens of monsters who bite human necks for blood. We see another group of soldiers unearthing several dead bodies, all with teeth marks on their necks and wrists.

We see our hero Jae-min, a Sungkyunkwan University scholar, reading the notice out loud to his friend and fellow scholar Shi-hoo, who seems more annoyed than concerned. Shi-hoo wonders if there could really be vampires in the capital, grinning that he’d like to see one and fight him.

Shi-hoo pouts when Jae-min doesn’t want to talk about vampires and ghosts, saying they should have each been born in the other’s family. Jae-min is the scholar born into a warrior family, and Shi-hoo is a warrior from a scholar family.

When Jae-min continues ignoring him, Shi-hoo pretends to lament about the unfairness of his family being stuck with a son with a bad attitude. This finally makes Jae-min laugh, and Shi-hoo nudges his table — hard enough to send it flying. Used to this, Jae-min just calmly sets his things back down as they fall.

Shi-hoo pouts with Jae-min to play with him, suddenly attacking him with a fan. Jae-min defends, then rolls up his book in turn, and it’s on. The two friends spar, and it looks like fun as they kick and throw punches, clearly having done this many times before. They seem pretty equally matched, though Shi-hoo’s inhumanly fancy moves betray his vampire nature. Jae-min still manages to take the victory with a scroll to Shi-hoo’s belly.

Shi-hoo says it’s a pity Jae-min is a scholar, as he’d have made a great warrior if not for his “illness.” Jae-min sobers at this reminder of his weakness, and his father’s disgust that his son passes out every time he sees blood. Shi-hoo looks sorry to have brought it up, and distracts his friend with a few more thwacks.

Shi-hoo escapes over the wall, saying that he’s found a hideout with no reminders of books or ink. He takes the scroll with the vampire warning with him, though he could be punished if he’s caught with it.

In another part of the city, a group of people meet, but their silly antics cause their leader (Ma-ri’s father) to bark at them for acting like badly-behaved humans. He tells them that twenty drained bodies were found, and the blind elder says it must be the Wonsangu clan.

We see the Wonsangu clan, all sleeping in a cave, with Jae-hee (Teacher Han in the present) among them. Their leader, a fierce-looking female vampire, wakes and leads them all out of the cave. She yells at her follower, the one who got away from the ambush in the woods, for letting all their gold be confiscated.

The loss of the money is a harsh blow to their uprising plans, and she complains that the humans will know their identity now, but her lackey says he thinks they already knew. She instructs Jae-hee to send out Huk-bi, which has him darting his eyes at her in surprise, telling him to have the vampires who live on animal blood taken care of.

Jae-min’s father is presented with the results of the autopsies done on the bodies, confirming that there was no blood in any of the corpses. Every one of them had teeth marks on the neck and other parts of the bodies, like canine bites. He tells his assistant that a vampire was captured, and has him secretly collect whatever information he can find.

Ma-ri’s mother prepares bowls of homemade blood for their visitors, and Ma-ri arrives home with reeds to use as straws and a little bouquet of flowers for Mom. She seems like a happy girl in this incarnation, all smiles and sweetness. The visitors drink contentedly, wondering why the Wonsangu clan is so greedy.

Their talk reveals that they were the ones who leaked the information about the Wonsangu tribe’s activities, since they don’t want to see a war started. They just want to live in peace, and to be accepted by the humans.

Ma-ri’s dad tells his friends to lay low and not attract attention, since the humans will be extra-nervous right now. They counter that hiding in Banchon (the Sungkyunkwan grounds) makes them safe since the soldiers aren’t allowed to enter here.

Mom gives Ma-ri a clear liquid to drink, a precursor to the SPA injections, that will protect vampires from the sun. Ma-ri brightly says that she thinks of it as tasting the sun, and they bottle up servings of it to pass out to the local vampires. At the market the next day, the bottles are secretly distributed so that everyone gets their share.

An angry professor singles out Jae-min, demanding to know where Shi-hoo is lately. There are rumors that he’s been out misbehaving at night, and the teacher orders Jae-min to bring Shi-hoo to him by the next morning. So Jae-min goes looking for Shi-hoo’s hideout, which is supposedly out in the forest. He hears a haunting sound, and the music draws him to a glade where he sees Ma-ri playing a reed flute, and he’s struck dumb by her beauty.

She stops playing when he steps on a twig and, ladies’ man that he is, Jae-min turns and flees. Hee. He berates himself for letting his head get muddled by a woman, but he hesitates for just a moment — long enough for a venomous snake to strike his foot.

He works fast, slicing the bite open with his knife and pushing the blood out, but his foot swells at a frightening rate and his vision starts to blur. Luckily Ma-ri finds him like this, and she uses one of her reeds to pierce the cut and starts to suck the blood out.

But despite her good intentions Ma-ri is overcome by the sweetness of Jae-min’s blood, and her eyes glow purple and her fangs pop out. She leans down for a drink, but Shi-hoo arrives just in time and Ma-ri runs in horror. Jae-min gasps out just before losing consciousness, “Don’t go. What’s your name?”

Ma-ri washes her mouth in the river multiple times, reminding herself that she may be in a vampire clan, but she’s not a vampire. She reaffirms her vow never to drink human blood.

Shi-hoo gets Jae-min to a doctor in time to save his life, and he’s taken aside by the professor to talk to him about his nighttime activities. He doesn’t deny it, but the professor says a favor was asked of him and there will be no punishment this time. Shi-hoo asks if it’s fair that exceptions can be made to the rules just because of who a student’s father is, insisting on punishment.

Shi-hoo goes back in to see Jae-min, telling him that he’ll be fine since the poison was extracted in time. He mischievously warns Jae-min not to eat the meat at dinner on a certain day, but refuses to say why.

On the day in question, the students go crazy over the meat that’s so rare in their diets, but regret it later when they all end up with upset stomachs. To make matters worse, one of the bathroom doors is broken, and the frantic boys end up running to the woods to get sick.

Though his foot isn’t healed yet, Jae-min is forced to go out with the few students who didn’t get sick, to investigate the source of the bad meat. The leader of the group is critical of the students who gorged on the bad meat, saying the school shouldn’t admit poor scholars who become gluttonous on the school food.

They single out Ma-ri’s father, a butcher, for selling bad meat to the school. He swears he’s innocent, since some of that same meat went to a noble household and there’s no sickness there. Jae-min is willing to check out the story, but the student leader is too prejudiced to listen and orders Ma-ri’s dad taken away.

During the struggle Ma-ri comes home, and Jae-min reels to see that the girl from the woods is related to the man they’re arresting. His own prejudices come forward when he’s upset that she’s from a butcher’s family, which are considered the lowliest of servants in this era. Back in his room, Jae-min says to himself that he knew Ma-ri wasn’t a noble lady, but… and he shakes sense into himself. How dare a lowly butcher make him feel this way?

Ma-ri’s dad is sentenced to ten days in the stocks, and his family knows that if he doesn’t get blood and the sun-protection drink, he’ll be dead long before then. His clan tries to come up with a plan to break him free, but Mom says she’ll handle it herself.

Shi-hoo finally comes home looking like the cat that ate the cream, and Jae-min angrily informs him of the situation he’s created. Shi-hoo brags that he laced the food with herbs that loosen the bowels, saying it’s good for the students to have their stomachs cleaned out. Jae-min is furious, yelling that an innocent person is being punished for his actions.

Jae-min lets Shi-hoo go when he notices a bruise on his collarbone that’s not healing, but Shi-hoo waves off his questions. Jae-min tells him to straighten up and study for the government exam, but Shi-hoo has no intention of taking it at all. He says ruefully that he’ll pass no matter what if he takes them, because of his father, and his life will never be his own.

Ma-ri decides to take matters into her own hands, and sneaks a bottle of sun-protection drink to her father. That’s pretty brave, considering that she has to walk within feet of the two sleeping guards. She starts to feed her father the drink, but a crow caws and wakes up the guards, and she’s pushed to the ground.

Thank goodness, Jae-min arrives, and he orders the innocent man set free. But he doesn’t have that authority, so he changes tactics and confesses to have tainted the food himself. Ma-ri looks at him like she may think he’s lying, but he walks away without saying a word to her.

Jae-min goes before the professor for punishment, but Shi-hoo is on his knees outside the professor’s quarters, making his own confession. He begs to be expelled, hoping to be set free of this restrictive scholarly life. Jae-min is also suspended for two months, as punishment for lying.

Though Jae-min is still angry with Shi-hoo, Shi-hoo follows him home anyway, like a loyal puppy. Jae-min’s mother is a housekeeper in this timeline, Lady Yang-pyong, and Jae-min tells her to get rid of Shi-hoo. But she knows him well, and he wheedles her into letting him stay and not telling his family.

Jae-min’s father meets with a colleague, whose daughter Ah-ra impresses him with her impeccable manners. They discuss arranging a marriage between Ah-ra and Jae-min, and the matter is settled easily.

Lady Yang-pyong is shocked when the normally-squeamish Jae-min orders raw meat bibimbap, and even goes to the butcher himself for the meat. Aww, that’s so cute. He can’t even watch as Ma-ri’s father cuts the meat, but he gives Lady Yang-pyong a big cheesy grin when she studies him closely. It’s sweet how his eyes dart around, and he wilts when he doesn’t see Ma-ri.

Jae-min’s hands shake when he’s presented with the food, and he asks for some scorched rice to get Lady Yang-pyong out of the room. He runs outside with the bowl to hurriedly feed it to the dog, then sits on it when Lady Yang-pyong comes looking for him. HAHA.

He takes his soiled pants to the forest, supposedly to wash them in the stream but going straight for Ma-ri’s glade. He lucks out and Ma-ri is there, lifting her face to the leaf-dappled sunlight. He approaches her to ask where the place is to wash clothes, and informs her that she has to clean them since it’s her fault they were stained. Wow, Jae-min has no game in either incarnation.

Ma-ri looks at him like he’s nuts, but she takes him to the river. She grins at his fumbling, and takes over, and Jae-min is stunned at her touch. He fantasizes about taking her hand in his, but can’t pull it off for real.

Ma-ri thanks Jae-min for helping her father, saying that she heard he wasn’t even the culprit. He explains that he owed her for saving his life when he was bitten by the snake, but she gets nervous when she remembers how she almost drank his blood.

Jae-min asks what Ma-ri was staring at when he found her today, looking up into the trees, and she says it was the stars. She takes him to her rock to see, but he obviously can’t see the stars since it’s daytime. He’s embarrassed and accuses her of teasing a noble, then immediately backpedals and asks if he made her uncomfortable.

But Ma-ri just smiles and says that yes, she’s a commoner, but that doesn’t make her lowly. She says that if she thinks of herself as precious, then she’s precious. Okay, that’s beautiful. She points up a the sky and suddenly Jae-min sees the “stars” in the way the sunlight twinkles through the leaves.

That evening we find Shi-hoo in a gambling den, standing in a ring and wearing a mask to hide his face. The Wosangu vampire who got away from the forest ambush is there, and he punishes another vampire for letting a scrawny guy like that fight here while he was gone. The other vampire tells him to just wait – the guy can fight.

Sure enough, even though he’s up against a fighter twice his size, Shi-hoo uses his quick reflexes and handily wins the fight. The Wosangu vampire looks at him with a curious expression, but Shi-hoo exits the arena before he can approach him.

Ma-ri makes a meat delivery that night, and she’s cornered by a group of thugs who try to steal her wares. She talks back and they decide to teach her a lesson, and laugh when she brandishes her reed flute at them. But they’re shocked when she neatly fends all of them off with the flute, as Shi-hoo watches from a distance in amazement.

The thugs regroup and all move toward Ma-ri, but Shi-hoo steps in the middle to issue a good beatdown (and tossing them some money for the medicine they’ll need now, ha). When he’s finished he looks for Ma-ri, but she’s already on her way to finish her delivery.

Jae-min’s father informs him of his upcoming marriage to Ah-ra, telling him that he has an obligation to continue the family line. Jae-min may be weak, but Ah-ra’s family is strong and can overcome his disappointing qualities. He tries to object, but his father orders him to obey.

Shi-hoo takes Jae-min to his hideout, offering him a chance to talk about whatever is bothering him. Shi-hoo says that they just bow to their families’ wishes out of habit, but he plans to find his own way. He drops the bomb that he’s met the girl he wants to marry, asking if Jae-min has someone like that too.

Jae-min smiles sadly and says that the first time he saw her, she seemed to be from another world – a magical girl who sees stars in the daytime. Shi-hoo says that he feels the same way about the girl he loves, admiring her fierce spirit. They both watch the sky with smitten expressions, each thinking of the girl they love, and never guessing that they’re one and the same.

COMMENTS

Okay, so if I’m honest, I’ve been looking forward to this portion of our story. I’m not familiar with the manhwa – I chose to wait until the drama was over before I read it, because I wanted to be able to recap the show without any preconceived notions. But I understand why many fans of the manhwa are upset that the source material is being changed so drastically (because I swear, there will be Harsh Words if the writer of the Bride of the Water Gods adaptation alters things too much!). But as someone who is experiencing this story for the first time, I find the switch-up of the timelines fascinating, in that it lets us see the characters from different angles. Maybe it’s not true to canon… but as someone unfamiliar with canon, it’s kind of a lot of fun.

It’s strange, but I think I’m enjoying this timeline even more than the previous one. For one, I love sageuks, and it’s fun to see the characters we’re already familiar with in a slightly different setting. For another, I think these incarnations of our main trio are much more innocent and carefree, even though they live in times that are just as precarious for the vampires. Seeing Shi-hoo smile and have fun, even though he’s still rebelling against the system, is a breath of fresh air. Jae-hee’s straight-laced arrogance makes more sense here, since he’s not grouchy because of a situation he created (his anger at his mother’s marriage), but because he was born into a family that wants him to be something he’s not. And Ma-ri, by blessing of being born into a low class, actually has a sort of freedom that comes with being someone that nobody expects much of. She’s still smart and insightful, but she’s not burdened by trying to fit into a system that oppresses her. It’s exactly the opposite – she’s peaceful in knowing her place in the world, even if it’s a common place.

It’s so cute how our characters aren’t all that different four hundred years ago, and play out the same scenarios despite the setting being so different. Jae-min is just as arrogant when he approaches Ma-ri in both timelines, expecting her to be so grateful for his attention that she falls to his feet in gratitude. And he’s just as adorably befuddled when she doesn’t comply either time. And though Shi-hoo has a family in this period, he’s just as separated from them as he is in the present day. Only this time, it’s because he’s a square peg in a round hole, a fighter trying to fit into a family of academics. He wasn’t wrong when he said that he and Jae-min were born into the wrong families – so though their personal situations are different, the two boys struggle with their relationships with their parents in almost identical ways. But the one thing they have in the past that they don’t have in the present, is each other. I loved seeing them as friends here, though I’m sure that won’t last long.

It will be sad when the two friends discover that they love the same girl. I found it fascinating that they both saw her in different ways, ways that reflected their own desires. Jae-min, the scholar and deep thinker, saw her as an almost magical creature, not of this world and to be admired from afar. But Shi-hoo, the fighter and rebel, saw her spirit and strength and loved her for them. They’re both right about her, but neither of them sees her as the whole person that she is. I have a terrible foreboding that this inability of either boy to accept Ma-ri for who she is, fully, will be the downfall of all three of them.

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Off to read
Thanks lollypip

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I like the sageuk backstory, honestly, it was getting boring there in the present time, this was a welcome change.

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I just have one thing to say: Yeo Jin Gu is always looking so fine in sageuk attire. :)

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Though different from the webtoon, I'm really enjoying the Joseun timeline! Thank you for recapping, Lollypip.

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Why everything is in italics?

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Well, I feel like watching thrice reincarnation story. I'm curious how the joseon era lives will reflect on present time line and did Jae Min remember Ma Ri from Joseon era? They must have a good reason to take us to Joseon rather than saguek genius Yeo Jin Gu.

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I just want to know how the sageuk part factors in to present time.Le sigh...
I had such high hopes in you show,stop crushing them.

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2015 Worst Drama Award Goes To..... Orange Marmalade.

They killed the original webtoon.

In Time With You (Korean Remake) will be the same.

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For someone who knows nothing of the toon, I must admit that I'm enjoying the drama. I don't think I could handle any more high school stories, classes and the band (I've watched way too much of Glee, anyway!)
My only sincere question is whether you would have liked this one, hadn't you been familiar with the original work in the first place. Is it a good drama or not after all? Are the performances compelling or not? I'm really curious ever since the drama stopped following the webtoon!:-)

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I am not replying for ForeverYoung, this is just what I've noticed and I stand corrected. The Girl Who Sees Smells or Misaeng didn't make people angry like that although at some point they deviated from the original story. Originality is always better I believe.

This is the first time I've seen a fanbase so angry at a remake. I think they feel cheated, since it was promoted as a webtoon remake but I read that beside the title pretty much nothing is the same. So I understand the fans.

At the same time, the non-fans who expected nothing are enjoying it, which is just as understandable. The problem is the webtoon fans are the biggest potential in terms of ratings, and if they don't see what made them fans in the first place it is bound to flop.

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PS: Originality is always better, provided that the main ingredients of the webtoon are here, that's what I meant.

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They should have made it clear they would not use the webtoon's plot so we would have known in advance

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This show apparently pissed off the fanbase of the webtoon Orange Marmalade because basically it doesn't much in common with the webtoon but the title. Apparently this explains the flop because the fans were the ones anticipating the show. Now, to add your own original twists is good and even better, but if it's a totally different thing to the point of alienating the fans, you're losing a huge potential support.

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Didn't mean to ruin the mood though, if you guys are enjoying it, don't mind those posts. I was just curious about the situation. Got the news from one my fav blogs.

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I feel you on this and why I dropped the drama. The webtoon was awesome and it really was a nice slice of life story where a vampire integrates with human society. The romance was a major part, but that is not what drove the plot. This, I just can't. I don't get this version and that saddens me

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Thanks for the recap, LollyPip!

I didn't mind this sageuk ep. that much after seeing it since it was great to see JM and SH being close friends in this era. Mari's strength and knowing her place in this world were good to see as well. They all seem much happier in this timeline

Let's hope that after this Joseon phase, it will transition well to the modern setting.

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I just finished another sageuk and I was enjoying the original, modern era of Orange Marmalade... Oh well... Another clichéd back and forth.

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More sageuk? I've just finished two in a row! I was looking forward to modern problems in the current era.
Oh, well.....

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So is Shi-hoo really vampire here...? Or will he become one..

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He's not because he sustains injuries. However I'm guessing he's going to be turned by the faction of vampires that drink blood. That one vampire seemed much too keen after he saw how well Shi-Hoo could fight.

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*a vampire

But anyway, I think the Joseon part is okay so far..

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Thanks for the recap, miss LollyPip. Here's another one who's not familiar with the webtoon but I still like this back and forth to time.

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Interesting...it's like they completely hit the reset button with the sageuk portion. I mean, you could literally take this as the first ep of a series and it would totally stand on its own.

Sigh at the repetition of the love quadrangle of doom though.

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As someone who's read the manwha, I really like the drama's turn to saeguk. It gives a more interesting spin on the characters. Plus we get to see Yeo Jingu in his natural habitat. I'm liking the drama more than the manwha because Jaemin and Mari's relationship in the manwha is a more will they won't they. I often found myself yelling internally at Mari to just go for it. The drama doesn't seem to be stuck in that plot rut...yet. I think the back history to the vampires is just as compelling as present day. We'll be able to understand the present day characters more after we learn about their ancestors' past.

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Ditto.
I stopped reading the webtoon around the time Ma-ri and Jae-min got together for various reasons.
But I like the way the drama is leading the story, though Shi-hoo's death (while pretty well-handled, dramatically speaking) really came as a shock.
Sure, some tweaks feel stereotypical compared to the webtoon (Ah-ra's portraying being a prime example), but I have to say that I'm looking forward to how the drama will spin the story.
Also, +1000 for giving us Yeo Jingu in a hanbok+gat combo.

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Since you have read the webtoon, do you think you could explain about the story's alternate plots? I've heard some people comment that the webtoon has alternate plots and paths the story follows but the explanations weren't very detailed so I'm wondering what they meant. Maybe they were just saying the show is following an alternate path from the original? Or did they actually mean there are several versions of Orange Marmalade, each in a different setting and with modified storyline?

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The webtoon has a different focus then the drama.

The drama mostly appears to be Romance based (as in the only focus is the love triangle), were as the Webtoon is more about friends, family and knowing how to fit in.

Some of the biggest difference, without getting into too much detail.

Ma-ri - has 2 female best friends, who found out she was a vampire and accepted her and at times help defend her. Which is a huge deal for her as she until then, never had friends, or at least none that she could be herself around.

Ah-ra - while is suppose to be a Villain, is basically a toothless tiger and all her plotting backfires (some of it's quite funny), she eventually becomes good friends with Mari.

Jae-min - there is more explanation and understanding as to why he hates vampires and his mother, and more a journey to understanding and accepting them. He also come off as a creepy stalker dude in the first few chapters.

There is a lot more going on sub-plot wise in the webtoon with Shi-hoo, who is nothing like the drama version. For example in the drama he is made out to be a victim by accident, in the Webtoon that is not the case. He hates humans, unless they suit his purpose, but there is still a one sided love thing though.

The biggest disappointment for me was the removal of the friends.

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LOL "Yeo Jingu in his natural habitat"

I came into this show with zero expectations and now I can't stop watching because of Yeo Jin Gu. I can't believe how assured he is. Gonna be dangerous when he hits 20 and starts taking real adult roles.

My thoughts during ep 5: Where the heck did several centuries just go?!? Why are we in the past?!? Oh, there's Yeo Jin Gu! (End of rational thought.)

I'm glad to hear that not all the manhwa readers are annoyed because I'm finding OM very entertaining.

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I take back most of the mean things I said about this show last week, now the Joseon part makes sense, although I rolled my eyes at some things but I enjoyed the episode, somewhat. Not having seen the webtoon has it's advantages since I'm not constantly gritting my teeth at how much has been changed, I can just enjoy the show for it's own merits. On a completely shallow note, Shi-hoo looks really good in a mask, he somewhat reminds me of Yeo-reum in SKKS. I think it's that careless, nonchalant attitude that's just a front for all his deep existential problems.
Oh, and BROMANCE!!!!!

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Haha, glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking of Yeo-reum (oh, SKKS, how I miss thee)
And YaY BROMANCE !

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I had the same thoughts. Maybe overtime Jonghyun can hone his acting skills through future projects and star in an action/vigilante type of drama. While watching this I kept thinking, "Man, it would be really cool if he could star in a drama as a masked hero". As I watched that scene I kept thinking about Joo Won as Gaksital and hope we can see Jonghyun in a project like that in the future!

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I gotta admit the saguek part of this kdrama is charming. What drives me bonkers is figuring out how it relates to the present time. I question the relevancy of this love triangle in the Joseon era. If they needed to delve into the history of the fued between vampires and humans why use the exact same characters there are in the modern day? I swear, even Ma Ri's parents are the same! By this extrapolation, Shi hoo's uncle is still a vampire which makes me wonder if Shi hoo isn't a vampire posing as a human. This would explain his unaccounted for disappearing acts at night in school. I do hope that they bring some closure to the love triangle in the saguek era. It would be too disappointing to watch them fall in love all over again for another tragic ending.

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He can't be a vampire, he had that wound on his chest from fighting. If he was a vampire then it would have healed right away. My theory is that he's going to be turned by his "uncles" group of vampires - one of them seemed very interested in his fighting skills.

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Really? Is it possible to be turned then?

I thought in this world vampirism was something you were born into? Remember Ma Ri's younger brother and even Shi hoo in modern day Korea?

I had no idea the rules of this world allowed 'turning'. If that's the case, it opens up a whole can of worms.

And I don't recall Joseon Shi hoo getting injured on the chest. Could you remind me when that happened?

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Jae-min spots on the bruise on chest when Shi-hoo comes back from one of his nights out just as Jae-min was about to go and confess to spiking the scholars' food to save Ma-ri's father.

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I have no idea if they can be turned, but if you can then it would certainly be something they hide. I'm just guessing based on the fact that SH is the only character that isn't the same vampire/human line in both the modern and sageuk settings. And that guy just seemed too interested in his fighting skills.

One of the scenes with Jae-Min and SH in the school has Jae-Min shake SH and SH gives a little grunt of pain and they show on his chest that he has a bruise. Jae-Min asks him what he's been up to at night in the same scene I think because the bruise is worrying. Clearly he's been doing those fight nights a lot.

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Wow~ I'm such a happy historical drama fan. This episode of Orange Marmalade was damn interesting. This saeguk switch is the best thing that happened in this drama so far. The episode overall was way better than the previous episodes. If only Orange Marmalade was a historical drama!
I'm in love with the characters in the saeguk part. ShiHoo is still my favorite though. The Joseon ShiHoo reminds me so much of Song Joongki's character in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, he's adorable, nonchalant, mischievous but still mysterious. And I'm curious! Is he a vampire or not. I doubt he is, I think he will turn into one unfortunately.
Jaemin whom I hated as hell in the modern part, I liked him so much in the Joseon part. He's innocent, cute, down-to-earth and somehow playful. That scene when he was about to throw up just by seeing the meet was very funny HAHAHA
The bromance. God! The bromance! I love it. I ship Shihoo and Jaemin. They are so cute. They care and protect each other. I'm touched. What happened to them in the modern world!!!
I love the love story of Jaemin and Mari more in the Joseon part. It's just so sweet and innocent and all. The cute is back and even stronger than before. Awwwwwwwww~!
Finally, all the characters look really good in traditional clothes. YAY!

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Is it too weird that I was thinking these exact same things?
(Well except for hating Jaemin, I kinda liked him in the first episodes but I always thought Shihoo was the most endearing character as you said)
This sageuk-turn reminded me of Sungkyunkwan Scandal with Shi Hoo as Yong-ha and Jaemin as Wang Seo Bang <3
Even as I've read the manhwa, I think the time travel was kinda necessary. Seriously, the modern story is just too fast-paced and is basically doing 360s in no less than 10 minutes. This is a nice change. :)

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I haven't read the webtoon, but I have to say I'm glad they've gotten away from it if for no other reason to shut the manhwa fans up. The change was abrupt, even knowing that it was coming, and without a hint of purpose, but we'll see.
I'm actually not liking Shi hoo in the Joseon period--he looks way to effeminate for me. His tiny, delicate features didn't seem as pronounced in modern times, but in that mask, with his hair up in his little bun, and with his hat tied around his face.. un-unh.
I'm actually not particularly fond of the animal-blood drinkers desperate desire to belong and be accepted by their oppressors. Neither do I like the human-blood drinkers who see themselves as superior and justified in their desire to destroy the humans. Self-hate and delusions of superiority in people bother me. With that said, the Joseon error is already more exciting.

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Actually I'm liking Shi Hoo in this era, I find him more handsome with long hair. Believe it or not, Lee Jong Hyun is actually quite manly...he has a great body. I've seen photos of his abs before :P but then again that's just my opinion since he's my bias :)

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My issue with this show wasn't that it suddenly jumped into a Sageuk, or that it deviates from the source material, but the pacing of 3 & 4 really did a disservice to everything. However I've explained that reasoning far too much on these pages, so on to this episode...

It feels a lot like we're just starting over. The pace even feels similar to the beginning which is nice but makes me nervous about what's going to come. I agree that it's especially nice to actually have a bromance going on (and I'm still not over nobody caring about SH dying in the modern world).

I'm hoping for something original though in these flashback episodes because right now it's not really showing anything new for vampire lore, and it's very similar in idea to the four episodes we've already seen.

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I like it, partly because I like sageuks, but I'm watching it as its own drama and not as "Orange Marmalade." The bromance is the best part of Joseon, but I wish there was some way Shi Hoo could still be a vampire and besties with Jae Min. My first thought: At least Jae Min is not an ass in this era. But spoke too soon, he's still a self-entitled prick making Mari wash his clothes. Why is Jae Min’s mother his housekeeper in this timeline? I wish the familial relationships stayed the same, like Shi Hoo's uncle was still his uncle. I wonder when we transition back to present day whether the kids will remember their reincarnated selves. Thanks for the recap, LollyPip!

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Haven't read the webtoon. I love sagueks. I also love "time travel" or time jumps. But this is very jarring. We've watch these chars in 2015 for 4 eps; Next min, we are shown the same faces in Joseon era. The human brain has the function of making sense of things, so the natural tendency is to want to figure out how the chars relate in the 2 time periods. That becomes so distracting, whereas I should have been just enjoying the boys in hanbok and saguek-speak.
The distraction hindered my enjoyment enough that I quit 15 mins in. Will make another go of it later, in several weeks.

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I'm actually okay about the time switching thing. The Joseon era was when the peace treaty was signed, so I think something important must have happened to the characters for the writers to make such a bold move (with the high risk of losing most of the fanbase from the webtoon). OM team did this sageuk part nicely, but I'm curious and worried how will they connect this part to the modern era.

Anyway, the 3 leads are much more adorable in Joseon! They look so much carefree and I love the unexpected bromance between Jaemin and Shihoo. As for the budding love triangle, it's gonna be more heart-wrenching because the boys are friends......

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i actually like EP 5. i felt like the pacing for this Joseon episode is way better than EP 3 and EP 4
and the leads have more personality compared to their modern counterpart
Jae Min was less annoying, lol i can't stand the modern Jae Min
glad to see Shi Hoo is back in the drama

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Yep. It's definitely off from the webtoon, which made me curious as to where this is leading.

hmmm... I'll keep on reading this for now.

Thanks LollyPip!

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Let see what will happen after this saeguk's part finished. How it will tied with modern day story and characters.

If it only want to show how peace treaty being made, I think this is too much and waste of episode. But, if this connected in a way where modern day's characters will actively fight for vampire freedom and politics stuff, I do think, they set the drama tone wrong. And this drama only have 12 episode. Isn't this means, the writer will fast forwarding everything?

And I do understand why the fans of this webtoon is angry with this deviation. If you want to deviate this much, why bother to said this was an adaptation? Just said this drama main idea is based on orange marmalade, so it won't give this webtoon's fans a false hope.

But, in another note, this saeguk portion is more interesting for me. Thus, make me wonder what if this is a saeguk drama from the start? A story about how those pacts being made, a back story of orange marmalade. With only 12 episodes, the love story, politicking, and everything can be tight and effective. And the webtoon's fans will intrigued to watch but won't go berserk by the changes. Or they can stick to the original source...

*sigh* I have a high hopes, since this is Yeo Jin-gu debut as a lead in drama. Right now, I just feel like the writer want to eat more than what he/she able to.

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I also like episode 5 and the sageuk story, better than the drama eps 3 and 4. Yeo Jin Gu carries this drama as usual, he is so perfect as an actor. And even Lee Jong Hyun got a lot better, their bromance is sweet and funny. Mari still seems alittle bit too much like a textbook manhwa heroine/actress is lacking (I keep wishing for someone like Kim Yoo Jung in the role instead, she makes better work of these kind of roles), but I like the setting.

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@klava
I think

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i wish that the joseon part of the drama were the whole drama, it's completely perfect as a stand-alone.

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omg bride of the water god yesssss. I need a drama adaptation ?

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I was worried and downright startled at the weird and sudden switch to sageuk at the end of episode 4 - with no explanation or easing into it. So I took a deep breath and plunged into episode 5 - just for the sake of how much I love the story and, I'll be honest, for the sake of Yeo Jin-gu. I will watch him doing ANYTHING - I think he's that golden boy who will be the absolute super star of the future...and I'm not at all disappointed in this turn of events. It certainly helps that we're used to seeing Yeo Jin-gu in Joseon garb and the story suddenly started moving along, actually becoming more believable as it correlates across the globe to Medieval times of vampires in Europe. BIG risk, writers and director - really big chance at losing a bunch of viewers - but the smart ones will hang in there, lovin' it!

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Well, I take exception at the suggestion that those who love it and hang on are smart, while in contrast those who have problem w it and leave are dumb. That superior attitude is always the worst way to comment, whatever one's intentions.

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+1 re Yeo Jin Gu. Only after I started watching OM did I realize I'd seen him several times before, at several different ages. Each time I'd seen him, he was the child actor who was as good as or better than the adult actor who replaced him. It's crazy that at 12 he had more charisma than some actors twice his age.

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They should do this sanguek portion first, than call it something like Yam Paste.

Than the twist happens in episode 5 which is the present, which suddenly becomes Orange Marmalade. and all the webtoon fans will go crazy, scrambling to watch the prequal.

Finally, we will go to the future where we have Strawberry Cake.

I love strawberries.

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LOL. Love your comment. I agree 100%.

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LOL! That would definitely be thinking out of the box. Makes a lot of sense. I am one of those that was completely thrown off by curve ball change from present to historical but curiosity is keeping me reeled in. Not a big fan of sageuk but have to say ep 5 was interesting and the leads look fabulous in hanboks. I am hanging in there on this ride to see where this leads us. Great one for a kdrama case study.

Absolutely agree with the many comments that the diehard fans of the manhwa probably felt cheated as it was advertised as an adaptation of the original.

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I have this feeling the boys are going to get everyone killed this time. Not just Shi-hoo this time but Jae-min, Ma-ri and their families.

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With Shi-hoo burning off at sunrise in the present, I was looking forward to his character in the Joseon era, and I am not disappointed. I actually like his character the best.

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i'm just so happy to see Yeo Jingu back in sageuk attire. let me dance in happiness in my little corner hehehe...

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Okay so I know that most people are angry at this drama for being different from the original....but I just admit I'm really enjoying this drama. We can think of it this way... Part 1 is just one mini drama & have finished. Now we're watching a new mini drama (part 2). I this Joseon era much more than the school one to be honest.

Also, who here thinks Lee Jong Hyun looks so handsome with his long hair?? For some reason I always find guys in Saeguk (with long hair) looking 10x handsome than their usual self. Hats off to LJH not only having the looks, but for playing Shi Hoo so well. He's proving that idols can indeed act :D

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I agree about the actors looking 10 times more handsome in saeguks lol Especially when they let down their hair. I loved Lee Minho, Lee Seunggi, Park Shihoo, Yoo SeungHo and now Lee Jonghyun looks super duper handsome in that fighter mode!!! I was worried about his acting before the drama started but he seriously shocked me. He's really good in this drama.

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@ 4D('s reply to my comment) (somehow I cannot reply to comments anymore):

Yeah I thought the same thing but LollyPip wrote "They seem pretty equally matched, though Shi-hoo’s inhumanly fancy moves betray his vampire nature." So I wasn't sure. Thanks for the reply.

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Well, I mean, it's my interpretation of what's been shown. I could be wrong but that's what I got out of it.

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I roll my eyes whenever I read the comment that this is the worst drama of the year just because it deviates from the webtoon. big LOL.
I did read the webtoon, and absolutely charmed by it, but this drama adaptation is interesting too. and luckily, I knew beforehand (from the news) that it's gonna have 3 timelines, so the jump to Saguek was not that shocking. I was actually waiting for it to happen since episode 1.

anyway, love the recaps, thanks for writing them, Lollypip.

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Really loved this episode.

It had the same ethereal and out-of-this-world feel as episode 1, but still in a completely different light.

I think the twist is welcome and I always like to give dramas that make innovations in terms of script and storytelling a chance.

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The biggest drawback for me in the way the timeline abruptly shifted was that the writer lost the intensity of the build up of the story. There was no dramatic pay off. Suddenly, we are back to building a story from the beginning.
It doesn't matter if the adaptation does't hew closely to the original. That is the reason the word "adaptation" is used.

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The shift was shocking but I'll forgive the writer since I enjoyed epi 5, more than the the previous episodes actually.

Thanks LollyPip for the recap. ^^

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Thanks again LollyPip! And Hi @Giegie!

This episode was fortunately even more enjoyable than the first 4 (which I also enjoyed) and took on the sedate pace that I sort of expect from a sageuk, ... which give me lots of hope that most of the character and relationship developments that could not take place in the present, will have the chance to unfold in the past.

It's true what I believe some have said, that this seems like a fresh, new show, and if it had been totally produced as a sageuk, it could probably have worked as well. I want to keep the faith though, as this is still ? Orange Marmalade, that this portion will throw lots of light on the future and rectify the errors of the past-present in the future-present, or at least link them in a coherent way. What I (we?) want is resolution ☮ - resolution for our young couple, in better/fairer interactions between vampires and humans, between Shi Hoo alive and well with his parents, and Jae Min with his ? mum.
(Credits to @Snickers for the borrowed emojis :) )

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I saw the first ep in part but i'm on the fence abt watching it. Should I? Not fond of the vampire trope.

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i've read the manhwa, and now i just discovered the drama. ha! haha.. IT IS SOOO NOT A DISAPPOINTMENT! trust me! i sincerely thought it would sucks because of the plot changing, but, nope. this? just blew my mind.. applause to everyone who works for this drama. XD

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Hello. I stop reading the manhwa because I got bored with the story. This drama adaptation is better. I don't mind seeing our characters acting in the Modern Era-Joseon Era- then back to the Modern Era. It's actually an interesting twist.

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