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Beauty Inside: Episode 6

The transformation hijinks are in full swing, and it’s everything that we needed to build the romance. You wouldn’t think that a cameo of the opposite sex could be this compatible, but it’s absolutely fitting for the dynamics of our fake couple in denial. As they begin to realize how special their everyday interactions can be, our leads form an undeniable connection with someone they never imagined they’d cross paths with.

 
EPISODE 6 RECAP

Se-kye recalls how her transformations hurt her relationships — with a friend, disappointed that Se-kye didn’t attend her wedding, and with her mother, offended that Se-kye didn’t come to the hospital for her surgery. Se-kye narrates, “I felt victimized ever since these symptoms arose, but I couldn’t cry every time. Ten years was a long time, and misunderstandings were my long-time companion.”

We learn that Se-kye actually attended her friend’s wedding as an ahjussi and also went to the hospital for her mother’s surgery as an older woman, peeling fruit for her mother at her side.

As a transformed man, Se-kye used the men’s bathroom, but she exited the stall transformed back to her original body, shocking the men at the urinals. She thought she was used to these situations, but this was her first time experiencing this — the fiasco with Do-jae’s mother.

After Do-jae and not-so-Se-kye (Kim Min-seok) escort Do-jae’s mother to the hospital, Do-jae tells Se-kye to wait at his house. He checks the necklace and believes Se-kye for now, but he’s not done confirming her identity. They tell each other not to run away, though Se-kye looks more concerned about scaring off Do-jae.

In her hospital bed, Do-jae’s mother asks how old not-so-Se-kye is, but Do-jae isn’t sure because they’d just met. Mother is appalled that her son would sleep with someone he barely knows and spirals into her own assumptions about her son’s sexual orientation.

Do-jae’s stepfather Professor Kang enters with a bouquet of flowers, and Mother tries to tell him that her son is gay. Do-jae says that he has no prejudices and clarifies that he’s not gay, but Mother doesn’t believe him.

When Professor Kang hands Mother the bouquet of flowers, she immediately brightens up, but Professor Kang explains that the flowers have a sad meaning of unattainable love. That reminds Mother that she’s sad, and she screams in denial.

Gramps runs inside the hospital room, and he offers to do anything for his daughter. Mother says that she wants Se-kye, and Gramps interprets that as her daughter wanting the world (Se-kye’s name also means “world”). This nonsense keeps getting better.

Do-jae receives a call from Secretary Jung and pretends that he has an urgent matter at work. He excuses himself as a courtesy to his mother and himself.

Woo-mi drops her phone while trying to pick up a call, and not-so-Se-kye catches it before it hits the ground. She looks at him with interest and rejects the call from Se-kye right in front of her/him to try to cast him into her company. He says that he’ll call his mom to ask, and Woo-mi complains about Se-kye calling again. He tells “mom” to pick up, and Woo-mi finally realizes he’s Se-kye.

Se-kye grabs a beer from Woo-mi’s fridge to cope with making Do-jae’s mother faint, but Woo-mi snatches the beer away from the kid because he’s too young. Se-kye admits that she slept at Do-jae’s house last night, and Woo-mi unexpectedly embraces her proudly. Her baby’s all grown up!

Woo-mi asks if Do-jae was surprised and if he called her by her name. She knows Se-kye’s wish for one other person to call her by her name regardless of her appearance, and she asks if that one person is Do-jae. Se-kye says that Do-jae wasn’t surprised, and Woo-mi accepts Do-jae as that one other person for Se-kye. Aww.

Secretary Jung briefs Do-jae on their rival airline (Sa-ra’s company) eliciting an explosive response by launching a promotional event. They haven’t formulated a reasonable campaign to compete, but Director Kim is pushing for an event for first class customers.

Do-jae isn’t keen on the idea and walks into the conference room saying that economy class triumphs over first class in size. He disputes that first class costumers won’t bother to participate in their event because they know that they’ll be treated well regardless.

Do-jae argues that their job is to make obvious mundane routines into special moments through travel. He shifts their target to economy class and proposes random upgrades to first class among event participants. A director notes the stark price difference for international flights, but Do-jae considers this an advantage in fostering event participation.

Director Kim teases Do-jae for favoring Cinderella scenarios, and Do-jae commends Director Kim’s idea — they’ll bring a real Cinderella, Se-kye, to their promotional event. Director Kim criticizes Do-jae for bringing his personal life to work, but Do-jae says that he’ll just excel in both dating and work. Do-jae orders the event launch to be scheduled for next week, since he knows Se-kye is preoccupied this week.

Sa-ra attends a luncheon with other airline representatives, pleased to be accepted as the first woman in their circle. One representative says that she’s easier to work with than her brother because she’s a woman, and Sa-ra corrects him that it’s not because she’s a woman, but because she’s more ambitious than her brother. She uses the oppa to reference her older brother, but an ahjussi representative tells her to call oppa if she needs help and discusses the photo of Sa-ra in the flight attendant outfit. Ick.

Sa-ra bites her tongue at this boys’ club conversation and tries to pour herself a glass of wine, but a representative takes the bottle, saying that a woman shouldn’t pour alcohol. They lift their glasses, but Sa-ra excuses herself for a work matter. The representatives tell Sa-ra that she doesn’t need to work hard because she’s pretty, and she leaves the table without another word.

Sa-ra speeds away in her car, enraged by the ignorant men. Driving into a car wash, she finally breaks down in tears in private and calls herself an idiot for expecting more from this invitation. As the car wash comes to an end, she quickly wipes away her tears and rolls down her window to pay. Of course, it’s Eun-ho working another part-time job. He notices her tears and offers to cover her car wash in exchange for a cup of coffee.

As Sa-ra eats steak across from him, Eun-ho regrets only asking for coffee. He asks why she cried, and Sa-ra admits that it was because of men. Eun-ho finds that unexpected, since she looks like she would make men cry, and Sa-ra also acknowledges this.

Sa-ra asks if Eun-ho is dating Se-kye, and he clarifies that they’re childhood friends. She doesn’t believe that a man and a woman can be just friends, and he says that she can’t assume that her experience is everyone’s experience. Touché.

Eun-ho refuses to answer questions about Se-kye, so Sa-ra directs her questions at Eun-ho. She asks if he’s interested in her, with the multiple run-ins and getting her number. Eun-ho says that it’s a misunderstanding and clarifies that he doesn’t like bad people. Ouch. He chugs his coffee when he gets a request from Se-kye to bring her dog, and before he leaves, Sa-ra rejects him as well, claiming she doesn’t like good people.

At their staple pojangmacha, Woo-mi and Eun-ho warn drunk Se-kye to be wary of Sa-ra, who seems suspicious of her fake relationship. They worry about where Se-kye will sleep that night, and Se-kye suggests going to the sauna with Eun-ho. He’s horrified by the suggestion.

Eun-ho’s sister Aram brings Se-kye’s dog to them to avoid the possibility of another scandal, and Eun-ho hesitates to give her his precious money for the errand. Se-kye snuggles her dog, and Aram looks interested in not-so-Se-kye. Aram flirts with Se-kye, and Woo-mi and Eun-ho let her live out her mid-summer night’s dream that will disappear in a week.

The pojangmacha ajumma comes to their table and asks for Se-kye’s ID because he looks too young. Se-kye hilariously admits that he was born not so long ago, and the ajumma kicks him out.

As Do-jae sketches the new version of Se-kye, he hears the arrival of drunk Se-kye with her dog. Do-jae sees Se-kye as herself, though she’s still in the transformed body. Se-kye assumes that Do-jae’s mother is fine because she called Se-kye multiple times, and Do-jae says that his mother has been through much worse. Se-kye can sense that he’s about to tell a pitiful story, so she drunkenly walks away toward the couch.

Se-kye says that this is her week off to eat and drink anything because she’ll return to her original body just as she was before. (S)He lifts his shirt to scratch himself and accuses Do-jae of looking at him with bad intentions. Do-jae refuses to converse with a drunk person and retreats to his room.

The next morning, Se-kye smacks herself for her drunken behavior and notices that her cohabitant has a good body. As she starts feeling herself, she’s met by freshly showered Do-jae putting on his bathrobe, and she covers her eyes instinctively. Do-jae points her to the shower and closet, and she notes to herself that Do-jae also has a good body.

Do-jae notices Se-kye struggling to shave, so he takes the razor to help. He provides a tutorial as he shaves Se-kye’s face, and we see both transformed and original Se-kye standing still in front of Do-jae. It seems that Do-jae sees the original Se-kye as she thanks him for a clean shave and offers to help him shave next time.

Do-jae tells Se-kye to pick out an outfit from his closet, and the only thing that fits is Do-jae’s high school uniform. As she ties the necktie, she remembers the necktie moment with Do-jae and shakes the bad intentions out of her head.

Se-kye walks out in the uniform and wonders why Do-jae still keeps his uniform so clean. When Do-jae explains that the uniform was handmade by his father, Se-kye offers to change out of it, but Do-jae stops her and tells her to come to him. As she walks over, we see both transformed and original Se-kye stand in front of Do-jae.

Do-jae interrogates her about when they first met and what he gave her. She responds that they met at the roof of the hospital and cheekily says that he gave her shame. Then, she clarifies it was a handkerchief. He asks what they first ate together, and Se-kye answers insults (“eating insults” is the literal phrase of “being insulted”) then correctly answers sushi.

Se-kye remembers the sushi being delicious but says that her dining companion was rude. She acknowledges that she was also uncouth, but Do-jae says that he just didn’t know her then. Se-kye’s dog runs to its owner, and Do-jae acknowledges that this high schooler is really Se-kye.

Do-jae asks when Se-kye will return to herself, and she gets self-conscious. She asks if he’s uncomfortable, and Do-jae confirms this, saying that he wants her to return soon because this body is not Se-kye.

Se-kye stuffs her face with ddukbokki as she indignantly thinks about Do-jae’s rude reaction to her transformation. (S)He overhears a group of high school boys paying their friend for winning a bet about a girl confessing to him. The bet winner brags that pitiful girls easily fall for him at the smallest nice gesture, and Se-kye notices a girl crying at the next table.

Se-kye approaches the girl, Joo Ga-young, who the boys had placed their bets on. Se-kye also recognizes Ga-young from the children’s fund event as the student targeted by the sleezy donor. She offers to help Ga-young get revenge, since she was in a lousy mood anyway and always wanted to try out this genre in acting.

Eun-ho comes home to his angry mother, who’s discovered his seminary preparation documents. She yells at Eun-ho for choosing this path despite her opposition, but Eun-ho says that he’s thought long and hard about this decision. He hands her his bank book with the money he’s been saving for when he’s gone at seminary, but she throws it back at him.

She tells him to leave her house, since he won’t be her son anyway when he becomes a priest. Eun-ho looks hurt by his mother’s stern disapproval, but he maintains his composure and says that he’ll be back after his job.

Eun-ho goes to Sa-ra’s house for his housekeeping job, and he notices that the chandelier light is out. He tries to fix the light, but it comes crashing down, just like his spirits. He crouches down to pick up the pieces, and he despises himself for being so good that he can’t even curse properly at times like this.

When Sa-ra returns home, she runs into Eun-ho finishing up his housekeeping work. She’s annoyed that she had looked for Eun-ho everywhere when he was here at her house.

High schooler Se-kye waits for Ga-young with flowers while the surrounding students admire his looks. Se-kye marches up to Ga-young and demands that she pick up his calls. He hands her the flowers and says that he missed her.

Following their script, Ga-young throws the flowers and tells Se-kye to stop calling her. Se-kye confesses his love for Ga-young, and in his head, Se-kye approves of audience’s reaction to their roleplay.

When player boy arrives, Se-kye asks Ga-young if this is the poor boy she’s been playing around with. The player tells Ga-young to choose between him and Se-kye, and she starts to walk toward the player. Se-kye dramatically grabs her arm and tells her not to go, but Ga-young goes to the player anyway. Getting revenge, she calls the player ugly and tells him to stop messing around.

The insulted player lifts his hand to hit Ga-young, but Se-kye steps in. The player and his posse walk toward him to fight, and Se-kye insists that they come at him one at a time. They don’t agree to his terms, and Se-kye ends up running away. Ha, not the cool exit as planned but successful revenge.

Do-jae fails at the fish memorization exercise with Secretary Jung, who wonders if Do-jae has been blinded by love. Do-jae asks Secretary Jung if he’s ever been turned on by a man’s body, and Secretary Jung warily steps away from Do-jae with his hands crossed over his chest. LOL.

Then, Do-jae receives a call from the police about his son being involved in an assault case. He’s confused by the call and asks what year the police are calling from. Hahahaa.

When Do-jae arrives at the police station, Se-kye greets him as his father, and the player posse mothers sneer that Do-jae likely had his son as an unplanned accident. They lament that their sons had to interact with such lowly people and blame Ga-young for seducing the boy, prompting Se-kye to defend her.

The mothers threaten to sue them for damages, but Se-kye clarifies that the player posse instigated the fight and hurt themselves by tripping over their own feet. That provokes the player to push Se-kye to the ground, and Do-jae exchanges a look with Se-kye to exaggerate the injury from the fall. Do-jae hands his business card to the mothers to handle this through the law, but the mothers back off when they recognize his business card.

Once they’re out of the police station, Ga-young thanks Se-kye for helping her. She asks for his number, but Se-kye says that he’ll be studying abroad in France. He promises to return as a better man for Ga-young, and she appreciates his perfect ending to their roleplay. They adorably bow to each other to conclude their act, and Ga-young watches Se-kye walk away.

In the car, Se-kye grumbles about Do-jae coming to help despite finding Se-kye uncomfortable. Do-jae pulls over to resolve Se-kye’s sulky mood and clarifies that he only finds Se-kye uncomfortable because he has an airline event at the end of the week that requires the original Se-kye. He reminds her that Se-kye was always Se-kye in his eyes, and that assuages Se-kye’s anger.

Do-jae apologizes for his unintentionally hurtful language, which causes Se-kye to sheepishly feel sorry for the misunderstanding. Since Se-kye feels sorry for causing trouble, Do-jae suggests that they live together to protect Se-kye from further problems. Plus, Se-kye doesn’t have anywhere else to go anyway.

Eun-ho offers to work as a live-in housekeeper for Sa-ra to pay for the broken chandelier, since he doesn’t have the money. She asks why she should trust him, and Eun-ho shares that he’s an aspiring priest; thus, he has no interest in women, including Sa-ra.

Later that night, Se-kye tells Eun-ho that she’s temporarily living with Do-jae and asks where he’s staying. Eun-ho says that the truth is dangerous and doesn’t share his arrangement with Sa-ra.

Looking through documents, Sa-ra calls herself crazy for agreeing to the arrangement. Do-jae also flips through documents before bed and smiles, calling Se-kye a strange woman.

The next morning, Do-jae drags Se-kye out to exercise, and they carry out normal daily activities and conversation. As they watch TV, Se-kye jokes that they should write their own version of a love story in which Do-jae confesses by saying that he’s never met someone so kind. Se-kye narrates: “In retrospect, those were a series of strange days. Like it was nothing, I ate with someone, greeted someone, and joked with someone.”

Do-jae takes Se-kye’s memorial photo for her transformation, and Se-kye continues to narrate, “Like it was nothing, we recognized each other. Because it was like nothing, it felt like any day.” Se-kye wakes up back in her original body, and Do-jae greets her in the morning. She confesses to herself that for the first time, she regretted returning to her body.

Se-kye participates in a photoshoot as the airline model, and her photographer notices that Se-kye looks better than usual. She presumes that it’s because she’s dating, and Se-kye just smiles.

Se-kye visits her usual ddukbokki shop and looks around for Ga-young. When Ga-young arrives, Se-kye covers up her recognition by awkwardly asking if she wants an autograph. Ga-young declines, but as they eat, she thanks Se-kye for everything. Before they can discuss further, they’re interrupted by a call from Do-jae’s mother.

Do-jae’s mother meets Se-kye with bags of luxury items, and Se-kye assumes that they’re another form of bribery since Se-kye returned the money. But Do-jae’s mother apologizes and asks Se-kye to stay by Do-jae’s side. She proffers the limited-edition shoe that Se-kye lost while running away from the award ceremony and desperately asks Se-kye to be her Cinderella.

Se-kye wears the limited-edition shoes to the Cinderella airline event, awarding a couple with an upgrade to first class. She looks around the crowd for Do-jae, but he’s not at the event.

Later that night, Se-kye adds the photo of the high schooler to the memorial. She notes that she saw Do-jae endlessly as the high schooler but barely even once when she returned to her original self.

As Do-jae labels his sketch of high school Se-kye with her real name, he receives a call from “Aunt” a.k.a. Se-kye. She reports that she successfully attended the airline event, and he knows because he saw the pictures. Se-kye wonders if he could have attended the event even though he wasn’t obligated to show up, and Do-jae asks if she missed him.

Se-kye vehemently denies this and claims that she just called to make sure that he wasn’t lazing around while she was working. He takes it that she missed him, but she unconvincingly denies this with a smile. She then randomly asks about her razor, and he says that he threw it away.

Do-jae tries to hang up, but Se-kye extends the call by telling Do-jae not to watch their unfinished movie without her. He promises not to finish the movie, and he tries to hang up again. Se-kye stops him by asking if he’s ever been inside the air traffic control tower, and Do-jae tells her to come out.

Do-jae brings Se-kye to the air traffic control tower, and she admires the night view of the airport. Do-jae understands her amazement, since that was his initial reaction as well, but now, he regularly visits the tower for work.

Se-kye asks Do-jae why he works so hard for the family business, considering his prosopagnosia. He says that he finds his work fascinating — that people from other sides of the world who may have never crossed paths could meet, fall in love, and live with each other for a lifetime. He defines his work as connecting people who may have never met and allowing people to love someone they may have never loved.

Se-kye says that it sounds like fate, and Do-jae asks if she’s taking about them. He cracks a smile to indicate that he’s joking, but Se-kye seizes that moment to softly kiss him. She steps back in realization of her impulsive act and apologizes, but Do-jae pulls her in for another kiss.

 
COMMENTS

Ahhhh! What a rewarding payoff for this romantic build-up. I really enjoyed this episode for its perfect use of the transformation and cameo to build intimacy between our leads. Se-kye’s narration that for the first time, she didn’t want to return to her body resonated with me — for the first time, I actually wanted the cameo around for a little longer. Kim Min-seok was a wonderful choice as Se-kye’s counterpart in this fundamental phase of the romantic development, and he set the bar for future cameos in this series. I loved the portrayal of Kim Min-seok as a high schooler (that man is almost 30 but his baby face is going nowhere) and the continuity of Se-kye’s troublemaking kindness for Ga-young. I appreciate that continuity, as it makes the story feel more thought-out and purposeful.

I’m finally onboard with Sa-ra, and I’m glad my patience has paid off. Her inferiority complex as a woman in power is relatable, and that brief moment of vulnerability in the car wash felt raw. The way the boys’ club incited that crushing feeling of being objectified and silenced grinded my gears, and I’m ready for her to make all those men cry. I agree with Eun-ho that she definitely looks capable of this. Speaking of Eun-ho, I found the cohabitation agreement between him and Sa-ra to be rather rash, but I’m not one to dispute this because the potential for hijinks always outweighs rational thought in my book. I’m ready to witness their opposite energies clash and bloom.

Now that our leads have essentially confirmed their feelings for each other, I’m curious to see how they navigate themselves out of their fake relationship into a real one. The business partner excuse has been tossed out of the window, so everything they do now means something real, for better or for worse. That last scene at the air traffic control tower was the epitome of the rom-com prowess of our leads, and I’m eager to see more of their chemistry unfold. Needless to say, I cannot wait for next week.

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This episode was so intimate and I enjoyed every bit of it. Kim Min Seok was darling and I kept yelling he is a grown ass man, haha. So baby faced. The shaving scene was so charged, I love it. I also laughed a great deal this episode. Well done to all involved.

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That shaving scene made me blush, the two guys were so good lol... I want to see the bts footage, im sure there were a lot of ng's

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there is back hug scene min-seok & min- ki, not scripted in bts cut
my bromance couple is sailing smoothly

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The mother is so funny. Now, she will be their biggest supporter :D

I like all the transformation part : the actor who played her (we could still recognize the main Se Kye's features), the fact they used the both actors for the same scene, all the time they spent together, how they bonded to each other.

Otherwise, I still don't care about Sa-Ra and Eun Ho.

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Guess I'll look on YouTube for the Kiss Scene. Thanks for your recap, since it's no longer available to watch legally for some of us.

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Kim Min-seok's cameo was amazing! I loved the time HSG got to spent with SDJ while she was "transformed." However, I feel like all the
lead-up to the times they do spend together is always a little forced; like in this episode she literally could've stayed with her manager.

Also, I know the shaving scene was meant to be charged with romantic tension or whatever, but it was a little silly to me I just couldn't stop laughing.

One last thing. I don't like how in dramas, they always make fun of a character being potentially gay. As if that's the worse that a human could be???
I appreciate SDJ saying he had no prejudice against it though.

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Sigh.The treatment of any thing that deviates from heteronormative narrative as a punchline is unfortunately still so prevalent in media.
I was totally rooting for omma to be friends with Se Gye but bribing SHJ to date her gay son wasn't the accepting moment I had in mind.You would rather have a girl you believe to be greedy and opportunistic in your son's life than have him be with someone he genuinely likes??😯
Initially I was willing to give her the benefit of doubt that may be it was the seeming youth of her son's suspected lover that was having her break out in hives,but clearly not.

and Do Jae gave lip service to equality by stating that he is not prejudiced😒.

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I think he really is not prejudiced - certainly that shaving scene and a few others were quite sexually charged between those two men. And then he asked his secretary if he ever found men's bodies attractive.
Methinks he actually WAS attracted to the male version of Se Gye AND her male counterpart.
What was amazing was how casual he acted about the whole thing.

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TBH I sensed more steaminess with Lee Min Ki and Kim Min Seok and that was the only point in the episode where appaearance of SHJ took the feels away suddenly.

but I thought the shtick was that DJ was still seeing SG in her female form while the rest of us saw him with KMS!!So I was confused when he asked Jung Biso about being attracted to men 🤔.I put it down to one of those weird tangents his character sometimes gets into,but may be he was seeing both forms??

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He sees the male form, but knows it's her. What he's working out, and what we see in the shaving scene, is that he is physically attracted to her even when she does not look like a beautiful movie star.

What I liked about his reaction to this incarnation of her is that he never recoiled. Yes his mother acted like a homophobic caricature, but did we expect anything different from a kdrama (I'm not sure I would expect much different from an American show, to be honest). And yes, his secretary backed away when DJ asked about being attracted to men, and that was disappointing, but I think it is a good step forward in dramaland that DJ himself took it all in stride. Honestly, I got the feeling that DJ was a bit intrigued by notion that her condition will allow for some interesting variety in their relationship.

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I don't think he was seeing the female form -i may not be very aware about his condition, but I'm guessing he can tell the difference between male and female. I do think however, that he saw Se Gye in KMS's mannerisms - from the way he walked, talked etc.

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Oh ok.I was aware of him sensing the difference between male vs female bodies but went for the literal interpretation of him seeing SG regardless of the body when she kept showing up on screen.
Much prefer what you guys are seeing - him sensing her and being unconcerned (even better intrigued)by her many transformations.thanks for patiently sharing your thoughts @stpauligurl,@egads and @greenfields
That is one way to advocate acceptance without spooking out the crowd.
Oh and I by no means was calling out kdramas alone for their depiction of homosexuality.It s sadly a common denominator across cross country content.

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@ashes2ashes - where else but here on DB can we engage in such thoughtful (and sometimes a wee bit naughty) conversations and reflections on what the dramas say and DON'T say.
I love the sharing of thoughts and ideas.

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@ashes2ashes
Re:"...him seeing SG regardless of the body when she kept showing up on screen."

I understand your confusion, and I actually think it arose from the lack of DETAILED information about SDJ's condition. The show just tells us he has prosopagnosia.
Even before it aired, I was so excited to hear that this disorder was going to feature in the show, because I had been studying it in one of my courses.

There are two types of prosopagnosia: apperceptive prosopagnosia ( where people have difficuty in the actual perception of faces and see them as being distorted) AND associative prosopagnosia ( where people perceive faces normally, but are unable to associate them with any available information).

What's not clear to me is what type SDJ has. It seems that he does know that a face is a face, but sometimes the show also portrays it as if he doesn't (when they blur the faces). They seem to be portraying it as if he has both types, but I don't think that's possible.
Not that I really expect scientific accuracy from a k-drama (or any show), but it just slightly nags at me.

(Apologies about me geeking out... it's like my two worlds are colliding.)

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@yuyuu - thanks for this insight! Since Do Jae draws the faces he sees in order to remember characteristics, it could be that he isn't seeing them distorted?

Also, is it into one of the other? No umm spectrum over which the types of prosopagnosia could blend? (From my completely unscientific basis)

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@greenfields Nice observation about him being able to draw the faces!

And there is only one (unscientific) way I can see the two types of prosopagnosia blending together... and that's if his condition is improving. That would mean he would've initially had the usually more severe apperceptive prosopagnosia, and then he starts to improve and actually see faces; leaving him with associative prosopagnosia. Which is actually more common.

However, prosopagnosia is irreversible and there are few effective therapies. Those that do exist focus on recognition strategies, but there is no "cure."
But for the sake of our love story, I hope the show gives us a miraculous cure!

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@yuyuu...oh wow.,thanks for some scientific background into the disease.First came across the condition in another kdrama where the MAle lead literally would see blurred faces-(only caught few episodes of that).So I started this show with the assumption that it would be same situation here.But when I saw his sketches and saw shots of him 'seeing' Se Gye in her true form ,i just went for the easier interpretation😊.
I am now very curious -with associative prosopagnosia is that the condition affects the memory retainment?Not being able to perceive a face has always sounded like a whole different ball game to me.Cause that would mean our brain has specific areas that deal with specific types of visual cues?Coz how else is visual distirtion only limited to faces 🤔.Or is it that apperceptive prosopagnosia,all forms register as distorted beings?
I don't know much (read anything)about the condition but it looks like some googling is called for.

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@yuyuu the whole idea of associating a face with a memory reminds of all the times when I meet someone in a place that I don't associate with them. There is a sense of "I think I know you because your face is familiar, but I can't remember you" and how disconcerting that is.
The difference between that and NOT having the brain issue is that eventually, I will place their face with the correct memory.
This is a very interesting conversation and it will be interesting to see what the show does with it. Wasn't he the one who saved her from getting run over by a car the first time she transformed?
The backstory was that she was so freaked out she walked in front of a car, but a man pushed her out of the way and was himself hit.
Also, someone in the family made mention that his 'condition' was a result of an accident.
So maybe, in this case, they will find a way to fix it OR the two will end up leading a very interesting life together.

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@ashes2ashes
Re: "I am now very curious -with associative prosopagnosia is that the condition affects the memory retainment?"

No, prosopagnosia is actually not a result of memory problems! Those that have associative prosopagnosia are just unable to distinguish one face from another. They will just see everyone as having a nose, a mouth, eyes, etc. just the normal features of a face, but they can't name them or bind them with any knowledge. And that won't be due to any sensory or intellectual deficits.
As for apperceptive prosopagnosia, only faces seem distorted. Although there are also cases where people will mistake objects (like hats, doorknobs) for faces. There's a huge variety in symptoms.

And you're kind of right when you say our brain has specific areas for specific visual cues; but it's also more complicated than that, because those areas are also interconnected. For simple and basic functions like detection of color or production of speech, we might be able to point to specific brain areas, but it's much harder for higher level functions like thinking, planning, etc.

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Kim Min-seok was so good (and I always love little reunions between cast members)...like HSG, I was a bit bummed when she returned to her original form.

I think the reason she couldn't have stayed with her manager is that it would be socially inappropriate for her to have a strange man stay at her place (and don't her parents live with her too?). And I don't think she could have stayed with Eun ho because again, it would be weird for him to bring a random guy over to stay a few days and then the guy just disappears not to mention the fallout he had with his mom about his career choice.

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I do have an issue with the way Do-jae's mom acted towards the possibility of her son being gay...but that does reflect the broader experience of the LGBT community in reality. The chances of parents acting that way are high.

On the other hand, part of her freaking out is also the fact that she thinks her son is with someone potentially underage. So that colours her reaction as well.

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This drama is so good, the best of the currently airing lot in my opinion

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This episode was so hilarious I enjoyed everything about KMS cameo, the scenes at school and the police station was priceless, I laughed so much.

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Another great episode. Do-jae looks so different when he smiles. They look good together but the kiss looks fake.

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Yay,after their not-a-date,date last episode,I was afraid if the transformation would hinder the flow.But the cameo worked well and SHJ showing up in between kept up the chemistry they have been building up.
The show really does come up with contrived excuses to get both our pairs co habiting but not complaining too much as the payoff has been good so far.
Appreciate the show finally giving EunHo 's convictions some air.His self aware use of his good looks/charm with the ladies had me believing that he ain't that serious about priesthood till this episode.
Se Ra's plight spoke to me this hour.the step siblings really are similar, lonely and locked in their own worlds though for widely different reasons.after seeing how the rest of the world treats her,I am even more convinced that her competition with oppa is half ambition and half childish need for attention and recignition.Hope the show will eventually work their way to having them trade more than insults at some point in time.
The trio's friendship despite the cameos remain another strong point for the show.Se Gye really is blessed for having friends who call her by her name despite her many looks.
King kang continues to be the MVP

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Thanks @dramallama
That was a shaving scene to beat all shaving scenes. I don't know if I laughed more or cringed more at Se Kye being 'shaved'.

I'd been waiting for some time for the changes (cameos) to take place and for more fun times with misunderstandings and new opportunities that wouldn't happen if Se Kye remained the same. This episode made such good use of the change to dear sweet Kim Min Seok, and milked a whole lot from his youth and gender. That was a fun episode indeed!

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Thanks for the great recap @dramallama!
I LOVED this episode. When it was done I decided that this show is at the top of my favorites right now.
To me, the dialogue is interesting and witty with her voice thinking as we look at his face. It takes me a bit to understand what they are not saying as they say it. I like that kind of writing.
However, the star of the show for me is Kim Min Seok and how adorable he is while at the same time you could really see her personality through him.

That shaving scene was just fantastic as was the scene when he/she met the CEO who was thrilled and cooed all over him, at the high school defending the girl, and then at the police station. LOVE THIS SHOW!
I'm all in for the ride.

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Seeing it's only episode 6 and the kiss already happened, I'm not sure, but this usually means they're going to break up or something and eventually getting back together... or not. This is rom-com after all.

I wonder if Ga-young recognized Se-Kye in Kim Min-Seok's body. The conversations seemed suspicious, or just a total coincidence. But coincidences don't happen in dramaland.

And I'm still having this Oh Hae-Young and Nam Se-Hee vibes between the leads. Not a big problem, though, but perhaps, a little bit improvement would be nice. Still enjoying this episode so far XD

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@andrianajones Kittykatty
I had the same thought about Ga Young seeming to recognise Se Kye or rather seeming to see Min Seok in Seo Hyun Jin, when she thanked her for everything. I thought that was really strange.

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I thought so too but it could also be for her help during that event in ep 1.

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I thought the same thing, but she could've said, "thank you for saving me at the event" or something like that. Her saying "everything" sounded like Se-kye has helped her more than once and suddenly the scene was cut off before she could explain anything. How strange!

But yeah, it also probably didn't mean anything. Still, I hope to see her again in the next episodes

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I definitely think Ga-young recognized Se-kye as Kim Min-seok/teenage boy. Maybe she's going to be a link between Se-kye and Do-jae, an intermediary who can always see the faces, or see behind faces? Maybe she has another power?

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@cloveredlioness,

I, too, got an inkling that Ga-young sort of recognized Se-kye's vibe in the handsome schoolboy.

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The kiss itself was a little disappointing? The build up ie this while episode & that final romantic scene at the ATC tower is SO GOOD but then the kiss. Falls flat. I mean it's reciprocated, but by just touching their lips & holding them together? Isn't this the dead fish kiss but with eyes closed. 🙄

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Especially since we know both actors can actually deliver during a kissing scene. LMK gives lessons after all.

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And Seo Hyun Jin is no small fry herself. One of my favorite
Kisses is the ep 1 Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim kiss with Yoo Yeon Suk.

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Still one of my favorite kisses, Damn

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If it's any consolation, the kiss was cut. I guess if they had to hold that pose for a long time, it would only be possible if it wasn't a dead fish kiss. The other thing ... it might have been the 'first' kiss for Do Jae, since he never really managed to date successfully. So a passionate kiss may be a little too soon?

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Oh! Didn't know it was cut. That's true though - it IS his first though I'm hoping it's not her first.

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I was thinking that as an actress, she would at least have had to act kissing scenes, so not her first kiss... but maybe the first time a kiss actually meant something to her?

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I was disappointed by the kiss too. But maybe they'll pick up from there in the next episode and show us the full kiss? I hope so.
I really liked the lead up to it as well, especially the fact that HSG initiated it.

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I too was disappointed when Se Kye changed back to her original body.
What a shaving scene. Choi Min seok!! Setting a high bar for cameos indeed.

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his name is kim min seok

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I love, love, love this episode. That Kim Min Seok cameo was definitely setting the bar for other cameos to come! He's awesome in it, and the chemistry between him and Lee Min Ki was sooo adorable and sizzling! Now THAT chemistry is difficult to achieve. During the shaving scene, I'm not sure whether I laughed or cringed or melted or did all three at the same time. I never thought watching a shaving scene can be so romantic, heartwarming and confusingly funny at the same time. I would never see shaving scene the same way again.

I liked the theme of making ordinary things special and making special things ordinary in this episode. When Do Jae discusses the new campaign of how common the first class vips would find if the focus of the promotion continues to be on them, and how economy class passengers would appreciate the little gesture of making them the Cinderella of the day. The theme hits full circle when Se Kye narrates how the mundane things they both did at Do Jae's place feels so special to her, and how moved she was when Do Jae treats her normally despite her 'special' changing body situation.

I haven't warmed up to Sa-ra and Eun Ho, and I hope it will be soon. It still disturbed me on how contrived the plots surrounding these two, as if the writer is too lazy to find other excuses to shove these two together. I don't really mind lazy plot holes if it doesn't affect the drama much, but their story feels so lazy with too many co-incidences.

And meanwhile, I still need more Secretary Jung and Woo Mi's scenes!! Don't disappoint me show!

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"During the shaving scene, I'm not sure whether I laughed or cringed or melted or did all three at the same time. " --> me too during that scenes. hahahahahaha

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kyahhhh

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The best episode yet.

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Thank you for recapping, @dramallama!

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Kim Min-seok's cameo was a delight. I really got the feeling that he had studied Seo Hyun-jin's facial expressions and mannerisms and impersonated her to perfection. I agree that he set the bar high for her future metamorphosed selves. I would love to see Kim Mi-kyung and Yang Se-jong take a whack at channeling her. -- As for the timing of Se-kye's transformation, it was hilarious. What a great scene.

Do-jae's giving Se-kye a nice, close shave was a lovely, tender scene. Finally she has someone to give her some pointers.

I loved that little soap opera-within-a-drama interlude, too. Se-kye's performance as a jealous boyfriend was just great, as was his farewell as he set off for his studies in France. Even better was his calling up "Dad" to come to the police station. LOL!

In this episode we got two Mom Meltdowns. Do-jae's control-freak mother falling all over herself to curry favor with the "tramp" who wasn't good enough for her precious son was so satisfying to watch. On the other hand, Eun-ho's mother's tirade over his vocation was painful to view for both their sakes. He's such an introverted person, her kicking him out of the house and furiously disowning him felt devastating indeed. What a sad situation.

The Cinderella upgrade program was truly inspired, even if the name came from Do-jae's nemesis. The transformation theme from the fairy tale is very apropos for Se-kye, and has nothing to do with Prince Charming. I was also glad she got her missing shoe back, courtesy of Do-jae's mother, who seems desperate enough to go the Dr. Faustus route and sign a pact with the devil to protect her son's reputation. The chaebol insanity is strong in this one.

I'm feeling a bit more kindly disposed towards Sa-ra, but I cannot abide how she treats her stepbrother. The Male Chauvinist Pigs at lunch made me want to throw something on her behalf, however. I can foresee Se-kye teaming up with her in the future to pay the old farts back with interest, and they will never know what hit them – because she will look like one of them. Park Chul-min, perhaps. Har!

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Agree with everything you said.But wanted to put in my 2 cents in Se Ra's defence.Her attitude towards Do Jae is always competitive but I felt that they are both stuck in this game of one-upmanship,partly thanks to the haraboji who loves playing them off of each other.
From the very brief scene with the whole family,i read that her dad married his mom around the time Do Jae got into THE accident.Me thinks that DJ having freshly suffered the injury musta been even more frosty than now and she took that to be a rejection of her as a sister?🤔

During most of their scenes,she seems affronted/hurt whenever he walks past her or fails to acknowledge her.It doesn't help that DJ threw the fact that she doesn't share the same bloodline as grandpa during their first convo we got to see.
even though she is fighting him tooth and nails,I haven't yet seen scenes that had her cross any personal/professional line.

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I actually really like that...she wants acknowledgment from her brother and to have a relationship of some kind with him, but Do-jae is super rude to her because it's how he protects himself from revealing his illness/condition. I get the idea that only mom, Secretary Jung and now Se-kye know about it.

So now instead of seeking positive attention from her brother, she seeks it in a more negative way in order to find out his secret and ultimately prove herself worthy of attention.

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Part 1 of 2

@ashes2ashes,

I rewatched all 6 episodes to get a better handle on the family dynamics. You make a very good case for Sa-ra. Grandpa carries on like King Taejo of Goryeo as he pits his heirs against each other. It is guaranteed to make everyone miserable while being a waste of energy and company resources. What a sadist. Or maybe he thinks he's presiding over his very own gladiatorial games. (Gramps, take yourself to professional boxing matches. Or MMA. Don't make your grandkids loathe each other for your pathetic entertainment.)

You are so right about the impact of the timing of Sa-ra's introduction to Do-jae. We have not seen Do-jae's behavior and/or temperament prior to his head injury. (He may have already become competitive because of the cutthroat corporate politics and Grandpa's manipulations. Plus Mom is pretty ruthless herself.) After the accident, Do-jae would have been petrified of being found out. He treated everyone “coldly” and with literal “indifference” (i.e., he could not differentiate them). He didn't single Sa-ra out for neglect. But she had no way of knowing that.

I agree with you that she interpreted his failure to greet her as purposeful disrespect. If only she had had a little time to get to know him before the accident, she would have had a sense that he was a changed man. But Sa-ra's new stepmother saw to it that her son's sudden weakness could not be exploited by fractious executives and board members out to amass power and overthrow the heir apparent. She covered up his condition by assigning Secretary Jung as his assistant, wingman, and walking facial recognition system. Jung is an administrative ninja who protects him while he's “swimming with the sharks.”

In episode 1 after encountering the upstart board members at the airport, Do-jae ran into Sa-ra, President of the startup airline OneAir that was plundering his operations for aircraft, experienced pilots, and gates. She was dressed in a customer service uniform and looked like a flight attendant to me. He read her name badge and asked what she was pretending to be. She replied, “A hard-working president,” then inquired whether his job were just a hobby.

Then she told him he should probably change his spokeswoman, and that Grandpa was furious because of Se-kye's latest scandal. Sa-ra thanked him for making mistakes, and noted that Grandpa does not let anyone off the hook, even if they are blood kin. Do-jae retorted that that's why she was appointed president even though she is an in-law: because Grandpa is a classy man. “Even if it's a low-cost carrier, how could he entrust it to others?” When she told him to keep well, he advised her to stay healthy herself and take a break. He would be happy to do her job for her as a hobby. He dished it right back at her.

- Continued -

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Part 2 of 2

I interpreted Do-jae's asking what Sa-ra was impersonating as being in response to her wearing a uniform. It sounded as if it were a new behavior – and blowing her own horn to boot. He himself was dressed in a conservative business suit. They sounded like bickering kiddies. Sheesh. And it only went downhill at the family barbecue in episode 4. Grandpa, a mean-spirited old bat if ever there were one, has successfully sown discord. Hail Eris! Is he getting kickbacks from the scheming board members?!

I agree with you that Sa-ra was never out of line, although she was very snarky. She vigorously attempted to make her way in a highly-competitive business.

For his part, Do-jae never stooped to the kind of patronizing, sexist innuendo the Good Old Boys spouted at Sa-ra at lunch. When he questioned her at the family luncheon about the certificate of airworthiness for the used aircraft she bought cheaply at auction, I heard that as his concern for passenger safety. (The air crash in MAD DOG was caused by an airline's purchase of an old, high-mileage aircraft that was an accident waiting to happen, so Do-jae's concern was valid. Especially since the plane that crashed had a certificate of airworthiness.) He repeatedly expressed his concerns over service, too. At the meeting with the foreign airline executive whose daughter communicated with sign language, he stated his desire to extend that service to all passengers in need of it, not just VIPs. He focused on substance over flash.

It would make so much more sense for Do-jae and Sa-ra to pool their talents to form a solid management team. For now, Hell would probably freeze over before that happens. Given the opposition by rivals on the board of directors, however, the strategic planner and his stepsister have great incentive to bury the hatchet.

-30-

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Wow.@pakalanapikake You really went back and watched those scenes😁.When you listed the possible results to the business and surrounding due to his meddling,Haraboji =Eris sits much better than the impish role I was imagining him in.
Like you,I am also rooting for the step siblings to work together.They have so much in common.
Se Ra is made to see her birth and gender as handicaps thanks to the those 'elite' boys club.She even said something to the effect of finally thinking she had done enough when she was invited to lunch there?As a result she lashes out and is nearly always sneaky like u mentioned.
Do Jae on the other hand is hiding is actual handicap and dishing it out back to anyone who tries to take a go at him,but he is much more equanimous in delivery while Se Ra is more emotional.His perceived dismissal and valid criticisms/observations seem to be landing with Se Ra the same way as the execs.In her eyes he might be another guy questioning her place in the company.Except it is personal coz he is family.
Really hope the show digs deeper into these facets of their relationship.At the end of the day,they have both closed themselves off in many ways and would only benefit from a more positive connection with each other.

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@ashes2ashes,

Yes, I went back and rewatched everything, not just the scenes of stepsibling rivalry, and got a better grasp of Do-jae's and Se-kye's conditions and interactions. I never fast-forward while watching Kdramas because it's too easy to miss important developments. Retaining them can be enough of a challenge. (I'm live-watching too many shows.)

I think that Grandpa would like people to think of him as being an imp, but he's too mean-spirited to be let off the hook so easily. If he had had a son, would he have made Mom vice chairman? She seems to be the apple of his eye, and presumably had a good business education. As for his step-granddaughter, would he have appointed her president of the new airline spin-off if he hadn't been trying to amuse himself by stirring up his own family drama?

It sounds as if Do-jae's artistic father were persona non grata. Could it have been because he was neither an enthusiastic participant in the family business nor the family feud? Maybe he finally adhered to the immortal words of Hollywood movie mogul Samuel Goldwin: "Include me out." Perhaps Grandpa caused the trouble between his daughter and her husband. It's interesting to me that everyone, including his son, badmouths former son-in-law #1. I want to hear Dad's side of the story.

Somehow Grandpa has not managed to alienate son-in-law #2. It may not be for lack of trying. I see the old coot as a two-faced manipulator. Maybe underneath it all, Grandpa is lonely. He wants Dr. Jung to call him abeonim, but it's asking a lot of a man his age, apparently. Has he bought Doc Jung's loyalty with corporate funding of his agronomy research lab? Dr. Jung seems to be a decent sort, and not the stereotypical greedy chaebol. He has a profession of his own, and seems to be highly regarded. Hmmm. But is there more to his story?

Where's Do-jae's Grandma? Did she divorce Grandpa after getting fed up with his abusive, manipulative treatment? Or did she kick him to the curb years ago and break his heart, creating a tyrant in the process?

I get the feeling that there are a bunch of skeletons in Do-jae's family closet. The past may be casting long shadows on the present.

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I love this drama! I enjoy it and cannot wait for each new episode. Kim Min Seok was an excellent cameo. The leads are connecting like a real couple. Pace is excellent. Now if only I could watch consistent up to date episodes, but since Dramafever ended.. this has been difficult. I am mourning the closing of Dramafever. I will miss the experience of quality online streaming desperately.

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Darn you, DF. Couldn't you have waited one more episode before disappearing?

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Lee Min Ki is such a good kisser. I love watching he’s dramas because he gives the right kind of emotions😍

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I LOOOOVE this drama. I say that all the time, but I do lol.

Kim Min-seok NAILED Seo Hyun-jin as Han Se-kye. He was totally able to seamlessly become Han Se-kye and give off the same flair and charisma. I loved Se-kye's melodrama with the other teenagers. It was so over the top and appropos because it gave us that hilarious scene at the police station. I loved everything at the police station. I died at the hilarity and rewatched the part when Do-jae asks her to fake injury like 10 times in a row.

One thing I really like about this drama is how it talks about what it's like to be a woman in a feminist way and really gives the agency to women to act when they are in vulnerable positions and help each other. And I like that the belittling, sexist and harassment behaviours are called out and negative. Moreover, I really like that Se-kye calls out crap when she's dealt it.

As hard as it was to watch Sa-ra get harassed and belittled, I'm glad she was able to do what was in her power and leave the situation. I really enjoy the gimmick of Eun-ho and Sa-ra being fated to meet through all his crazy part time jobs. And I really wonder how their relationship will turn out...if Eun-ho will still end up being a priest. And if their relationship will end up being bittersweet. Because as it stands, I can't see Eun-ho becoming anything but a priest due to his conviction. Maybe he'll find another way to help people through the church since it's important to him?

With Se-kye I really find it interesting that this is the first face she wants to keep. And I really love the parallel structure of the struggles Do-jae and Se-kye go through and how their conditions have disappointed others in such a heartbreaking way. I also find their closets and journal/photo room fascinating since it's another parallel. Se-kye values clothes because of all the different bodies she has to inhabit so she can blend in/hide. Do-jae values clothes because it's one of the only things he has to differentiate others/himself/stand out. They have the photo room and the journal, respectively, to remember faces, except in different ways...to commemorate/remember a life that has been lived or to remember someone who is significant still living. But for both of them, everything is always in flux, a source of frustration, which is why history, pottery and historic buildings are a source of comfort.

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I also think that Se-kye and Do-jae's conditions are a very interesting way to explore and talk about how society views gender, sexuality, power and social mores. I think Do-jae acts rude to people because it's more socially acceptable and easier to live with than revealing that he can't recognize faces. The rudeness protects him.

I also don't think Se-kye can be as bold as she is if she had never been in the bodies of other people and experienced the power others have that she wouldn't normally. I don't think she would be as empathetic either since she's experienced both sides.

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Enjoyed the episode and I'll patiently wait for more hot kisses 🙊

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I 'Beauty Inside' now dead for international viewing?

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In ep. 6, I was intrigued to learn that Dad had sewn Do-jae's school uniform, so he wasn't just into ceramics. He must have been loaded if he collected Joseon porcelain. I have a feeling that Dad is a significant figure. See my comments above: http://www.dramabeans.com/2018/10/beauty-inside-episode-6/#comment-3325649.

What if Dad had been face blind himself, and Do-jae had inherited the condition? Perhaps the accident worsened a mild preexisting case of prosopagnosia.

As of yet, we know zilch about Se-kye's family of origin, aside from the fact that she has a mother whom she has shielded from her burdensome secret. Why has she not told Mom? There is no mention of her father, and that gets my attention the same way that Do-jae's absent father does.

I've seen the movie version of THE BEAUTY INSIDE, and I loved it. I was skeptical that a drama remake would work well, but so far, I like what I'm seeing. You don't have to watch the film in order to enjoy the drama because they implement spontaneous metamorphosis in very different ways. Face blindness was not part of the original scenario, and adds a fascinating dimension to the drama. I will refrain from commenting further on the movie, except to say that there was a twist in it that was very satisfying, and that makes me pay careful attention to all the kinfolk of the drama's OTP whom we have not yet met. As for the drama, I suspect that Se-kye is not the only character who has run away for a reason she cannot publicly disclose.

I love Vincent's title track from the show's OST. What an earworm. The incidental music (and hilarious sound effects à la OH HAE-YOUNG AGAIN!!) is great, too. I've posted the first three OSTs on my fan wall, starting here:
http://www.dramabeans.com/members/pakalanapikake/activity/629607/

Lastly, I've detected another trend/trope to keep face blindness company in Kdramaland: Mr. Clean aka Handsome Hunk Of A Housekeeper. Yoon Kyun-sang's upcoming CLEAN WITH PASSION NOW will be the third show this year in addition to this one and YOUR HOUSE HELPER. Special mention to Woo Do-hwan for anticipating this trend with his housekeeping skills in THE GREAT SEDUCER. Kudos to undercover agent So Ji-sub for his hunktastic babysitting and kiddie chaos containment skills in TERIUS BEHIND ME / MY SECRET TERRIUS. I half expect to see him do a sendup of the old Aerowax floor wax commercial with bullets ricocheting off the shiny kitchen floor. ;-)

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I have to say I really suspect that Do-jae got face blindness after his accident saving Se-kye as an old grandma back in Europe. So it might be a consequence of saving someone who can change faces, losing the ability to see faces. It's an interesting contrast of having/seeing multiple faces (Se-kye) and seeing no faces (Do-jae).

However, it would be interesting if dad had something do with it too. It really is mysterious that all he left his son was a vase. There's definitely more to be discovered. Plus, we have that added symbolism that Joseon pottery is something beautiful and unchanging over time...like love? Se-kye has been compared to Joseon pottery (which I think suits her since Seo Hyun-jin has great classical features) and she even bought Do-jae Joseon pottery magnets lol. I kinda LOVE that...because you have that very staid image of Joseon pottery, but Se-kye is this very vivacious, over the top figure that's prone to tackiness, kinda like a magnet of Joseon pottery.

I kinda also wonder if mom is so against her son with Se-kye because she sees it as another rehash of her relationship with Do-jae's dad...an eccentric artist who cares nothing for the pursuit of art, who can only truly love their exploration of art and not the people in their lives.

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@cloveredlioness,

Maybe we'll find out that the Joseon vase is actually the abode of a genie -- or is a powerful dokkaebi [goblin]. Heck, maybe the vase is Do-jae's Dad. ;-)

I suspect that Se-kye's father may have had the same unusual talents she does, but we'll have to cool our heels until we find out more about him.

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@cloveredlioness,

I think that you are onto something with the vase as a symbol of visible beauty that transcends time. But what makes a vase truly useful? Its interior, which cannot be seen. The "emptiness" inside is actually a field of possibility and potentiality. Within the dark, enclosed space of the vessel's interior, there is a place of safety and security.

The vase-shaped refrigerator magnets just grabbed my attention -- or more accurately, magnetism did. I suspect that something akin to a sense of magnetism is what enables Do-jae to recognize Se-kye no matter where she is or which outer form she happens to exhibit at any given time. I think he's tuning in to her ch'i, her life force, her heart/mind. Or maybe he senses her presence as energy/consciousness different from his own. Aha. Maybe he senses Otherness that resonates with his own ch'i.

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With @tipsymocha's update on PRIEST, which will be premiering on OCN after THE PLAYER takes its marbles and goes home, I've come to realize that handsome exorcists are now the latest craze in Kdramaland. I can't wait for the trend to cross-pollinate with the Handsome Hunk of a Housekeeper genre. Let me be the first to predict/propose a crossover in which exorcist priests, baksus, and manshins are called in to administer to a face-blind Handsome Hunk Housekeeper who became a possessed zombie after being electrocuted by a shorted-out vacuum cleaner while hanging up wet laundry during a thunderstorm. A gifted chef, he begins to hear smells and see the color of flavors after being hit by the Truck Of Non-doom while en route to a picnic after his release from the hospital in the company of his shape-shifting neurosurgeon girlfriend with nine tails. They regain consciousness in Goryeo...

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I'm also starting to wonder if the director is Do-jae's real dad...an auteur director who loves art for art's sake above all else.

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@cloveredlioness,

That's an interesting idea. Do-jae's surname (Seo) differs from Director Lee's. (Is it a stage name?)

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Right? Plus he would also be Se-kye's pseudo father figure. And if his behaviour towards Do-jae and Se-kye would kind of line up.

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I just wanted to say Kim Min Seok's portrayal of Se Kye was excellent! I can almost see her in him! Best Se Kye out of all cameos so far.

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I was out of town last week, so I'm not getting to catch up. And I'm sure this has been discussed in depth already. The part where the kid pushed Se-kye to the ground in the police station and the overacting on her (his?) part was absolutely hilarious! And everyone's faces! I have had to rewind it three times to watch it again. I am crying from laughing so hard.

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Can someone please explain the meaning why ga-young thanks se-kye and said that she thanks her for everything as if she know her secret. Did she really know se-kye secret or she just thanks her for what she did during donation event?

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