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Itaewon Class: Episode 13

The Danbam team perseveres through endless obstacles and rises above their rivals beyond expectations. They’ve learned to thrive under pressure, stronger together and stronger for each other. As Danbam grows steadily into IC, their enemies grow alongside them, constantly strategizing and preparing for their next move.

 
EPISODE 13 RECAP

Despite controversy around Hyun-yi, “The Best Pub” producer proceeds with the show to let the judges decide the winner. The final round begins, and Hyun-yi remembers her promise to become stronger for the Danbam team after hearing Yi-seo read the poem about the diamond. She looks at Sae-ro-yi and remembers his encouragement.

The judges partake in a blind taste test for the final round, and the host interviews the top chefs. At Hyun-yi’s turn, she stares into the camera and announces that her personal information was disclosed without her consent. She confirms that she’s transgender, and the studio audience murmurs at this shocking acknowledgement.

The flustered host quickly summarizes Hyun-yi’s comments and frames this competition as a stage to prove herself. Hyun-yi looks at Sae-ro-yi and confidently responds, “I don’t need others to understand who I am.” The host asks why she’s taking the stage, and Hyun-yi looks to the Danbam team as she shares, “For the people who make me strong, I stand here to repay them with my delicious food.”

The host asks her to predict her ranking, and she says, “I work at the best pub with the best people, so I will remain the best.” The Danbam team looks at her proudly while the Jang Ga team looks irritated, though Soo-ah looks impressed.

It’s time to reveal the winner of the show, and the Danbam team eagerly awaits the results. The host announces the winner (drumroll please) — it’s Hyun-yi! Overcome with emotion, Hyun-yi bursts into tears and immediately runs into Sae-ro-yi’s arms. Geun-soo frowns in defeat as he watches his former team celebrate their win. The Danbam team embraces each other in utter joy, and Yi-seo watches the live broadcast as she exits the airport. She smiles and says, “Unni, you’re the best.”

President Jang confronts Soo-ah and Geun-soo about the results of the show and asks what he should do, given his threat to oust Geun-soo if they lost the final round. He asks Soo-ah what methods Geun-soo utilized, and she shares that he changed the rules of the final round to a blind test to neutralize Hyun-yi’s popularity and pressured their chef to up his game.

These two methods don’t impress President Jang, but when Soo-ah shares that Geun-soo also disclosed Hyun-yi’s personal information to the press, he approves and gives him points for this dishonest tactic. President Jang dismisses Geun-soo and asks Soo-ah in private if Geun-soo would be a suitable successor to his position. Soo-ah responds that Geun-soo takes after President Jang, and he laughs in satisfaction.

As Geun-soo walks down to the lobby, he recalls Soo-ah’s dismay at his unfair blow at Danbam. He seems disappointed in himself, but then he sees Yi-seo in the lobby. He reminds himself that she’s the reason why he’s doing this, and he happily greets her. She approaches him and slaps him across the face.

Yi-seo accuses Geun-soo of disclosing Hyun-yi’s personal information to the press and reminds him that she has connections to reporters through her three years of modeling. Geun-soo admits that he’s the culprit but justifies his actions in the spirit of competition. He says that Yi-seo wouldn’t have gone easy on her opponent just because they were friends, and Yi-seo tells him to act like himself and that a pushover suits him better.

As Yi-seo turns to leave, Geun-soo says that he’s doing everything because of her challenge to pursue her. Yi-seo breaks it to him that her challenge was all nonsense, but Geun-soo won’t let her brush aside his emotions. He angrily argues that she can’t disregard him because for the first time in his life, he’s doing something for himself and abandoned everything to be here.

Yi-seo says that she doesn’t want to wreck Geun-soo and starts to quote Sae-ro-yi about emotions not being something you give and take, but Geun-soo yells in annoyance at the mention of Sae-ro-yi. Yi-seo apologizes and rejects Geun-soo, and he looks devastated by her blatant rejection.

As Yi-seo walks back to Itaewon, she finds Sae-ro-yi waiting for her. He awkwardly tells her that she should have taken her break, but Yi-seo knows that he doesn’t mean it. Yi-seo confirms that they delivered their side of the deal for the investment with their win on “The Best Pub,” and Sae-ro-yi commends her for her hard work.

She leans in and asks him to pat her head as he always did, and Sae-ro-yi doesn’t know what to do. Yi-seo looks amused at Sae-ro-yi’s awkward reaction, as he changes the topic to their investment contract.

The next day, Loan Shark Investor Gran meets with Yi-seo and Sae-ro-yi to sign the contract. She assures them that she stays true to her word and tells Sae-ro-yi to stay true to his word — his promise to be number one. Sae-ro-yi assures her that he’s always stayed true to his word, and she signs the contract.

Yi-seo’s mom sees the news of IC’s 10 billion won investment (approximately 8.2 million USD) and seems impressed by Sae-ro-yi. She remembers the last argument she had with Yi-seo before she left the house. Yi-seo had claimed that she wouldn’t be satisfied being the boss’s wife because she’s smarter than that. Yi-seo’s mom smiles and seems to have hope in her daughter’s future.

As Soo-ah wraps up for the night, she notices that Geun-soo isn’t picking up a call from Seung-kwon. She assumes that he feels bad, and Geun-soo shares that Yi-seo found out about him outing Hyun-yi. Soo-ah says that if Sae-ro-yi found out, he would just say that nothing can stop him.

Geun-soo tells Soo-ah that he knows about her relationship and history with Sae-ro-yi. With this knowledge, he implies to Soo-ah that he knows what could stop and ruin Sae-ro-yi. He warns Soo-ah that he’s different from her, and Soo-ah fearfully asks what he plans to do.

Seung-kwon gives up trying to call Geun-soo and drunkenly gets up to share an old memory of Sae-ro-yi with the very drunk Danbam team. Hyun-yi tries to stop him, and he asks why she’s always so feisty with him. He says that she can’t do everything she wants just because she’s pretty. Hyun-yi blushes at the compliment.

As Seung-kwon continues on with his repetitive story about Sae-ro-yi’s commitment to achieve his goals, Yi-seo lovingly looks at drunk and sleepy Sae-ro-yi. Seung-kwon finishes his “I told you that Sae-ro-yi is great” story and wakes Sae-ro-yi for a toast. Sae-ro-yi reminds his team that they can achieve anything together and asks who they are. They all yell, “IC!” and toast to their company.

Sae-ro-yi says that his wins are all thanks to them. He also remembers how his father was proud of him and begins to tear up. He says that Jang Ga can come at him because he’ll win, and taking his hand, Yi-seo confirms that he will. They smile at each other, and Sae-ro-yi passes out drunk. Seung-kwon drunkenly cries for unconscious Sae-ro-yi not to die (lol) as Yi-seo looks at him earnestly.

Later that night, Yi-seo watches Sae-ro-yi sleep in Danbam and strokes his head. Referring to his lonely and bitter nights, she asks, “It’s still bitter, right?”

President Jang plays baduk with Geun-soo and tells him that Danbam scored an investment while Manager Park (the chef) was fired after Jang Ga’s loss on “The Best Pub.” Geun-soo places his stone on the board, and President Jang seems impressed by his game. He brings Geun-soo to his meeting and introduces his board to his second son. Then, he announces that Geun-soo will be his successor, and we see Soo-ah, amongst others, reluctantly applauding this news.

Mob Boss Hee-hoon (Sae-ro-yi’s ex-cell mate and Seung-kwon’s former boss) reenters prison, and he’s greeted respectfully by his cell mates and the guard. He notices a cell mate in the back doing push-ups without acknowledging him, and we see newspapers on the ground with headlines reporting Geun-soo’s succession. The sweaty cell mate stands up, and we see that it’s Geun-won. Oh, what interesting potential this brings…

On Danbam’s rooftop, Sae-ro-yi meets with Yi-seo and Ho-jin to discuss their plans with this investment. Ho-jin says that they have 7 million won remaining, even after finishing their building and operationalizing all the franchise shops, and Yi-seo excitedly suggests that they scale up a national franchise. Ho-jin sighs in relief and congratulates Sae-ro-yi for achieving his dream. Sae-ro-yi remembers how he scraped by to make money from deep-sea fishing and manual labor, and Yi-seo acknowledges his hard work.

Sae-ro-yi notes that it didn’t take long to grow the investment to over a billion won and comments on how interesting the capital market is. He notes that the phrase “low risk, high return” becomes more attainable as you gain more money, and Yi-seo wonders if he wants to grow their investment through stocks.

Sae-ro-yi shows the two his next plan: a franchise exhibition in Shanghai. He tells them that he wants to expand to China and then the world. He reminds them that his goal is to beat Jang Ga as number one in the country, they need to act accordingly with more ambitious dreams. He says that this is just the beginning.

Four years later, we’ve finally caught up to 2020. Sae-ro-yi drives to work in his car, and he walks though his thriving company as the CEO. Yi-seo, now sporting long hair, sits in a meeting with their management team, and questions a manager’s proposal to invest money and guanxi (networking) in a new partner in China because their current distributor, Masa Distributions, isn’t doing well.

Sae-ro-yi asks for Director Choi’s opinion, and we see that it’s Seung-kwon, ha! He says that Masa supported their entry into China, so he would consider this a betrayal. Also at the table, Hyun-yi argues that spending 3 billion won for guanxi seems outrageous, but the managers defend that guanxi is the core of business in China. They claim 3 billion won can go far and that they understand guanxi as the people on the ground.

Yi-seo asks if the managers know what guanxi really means and spells it out for them. Guanxi is all about relationships, and Masa Distribution’s oldest son will be marrying the daughter of online platform Tancent’s CEO. The managers look surprised, and Yi-seo smiles as she scolds them for their ignorance of such big news while being the people on the ground.

Sae-ro-yi asks the team what their company’s values are, and Seung-kwon responds that their values are people and trust. He says that following their principles will bode well for them this time and decides to continue with Masa as planned.

The Danbam team meet in Sae-ro-yi’s office, and Seung-kwon complains about how hard this position is for him. He asks “hyungnim” to send him back to the pub, but Sae-ro-yi says that he’s doing well. Yi-seo scolds him for using informal titles at work and orders him to maintain professional work etiquette.

Then, Yi-seo proceeds to call Hyun-yi “unni,” asking her to cook for a buyer in China at the end of the month. Seung-kwon points out that they’re treating him unfairly, and Yi-seo says that he’s different from Hyun-yi. Haha, poor Seung-kwon.

Yi-seo presents Sae-ro-yi with references for his next meeting and briefs him on his schedule, now packed with meetings and seminars. Seung-kwon tells Yi-seo to take it easy, but Sae-ro-yi says that they’re not ranked number one yet. Jang Ga still holds that title. He says that Yi-seo is setting him up to achieve that number one status, and Yi-seo comments that this is why she fell for him. Sae-ro-yi reminds her to stop making these comments, but he seems used to them now.

Since they’re all together, Seung-kwon suggests that they have a team dinner together with Geun-soo, who’s returned from Jang Ga’s branch in the States. Yi-seo seems surprised that Seung-kwon still keeps in contact with Geun-soo, who hasn’t reached out to Sae-ro-yi in a while.

When Geun-soo exits the airport, a familiar voice calls to him as Director Jang. It’s Soo-ah, and she complains that she needs to work as his chauffeur. He says that he has an excellent superior, and Soo-ah laughs in annoyance. Then, Geun-soo puts on his earphones and listens to a recorded conversation with Seung-kwon, in which he shared Sae-ro-yi’s frequent visits to Pajin to meet with Min-jung.

Min-jung meets with Officer Oh and comments on how much Hae-won has grown. Officer Oh laughs louder than necessary, and Min-jung asks what he finds so funny. He responds that he’s just enjoying himself, and she asks if he likes her. He denies it with a straight face and then shares pictures of Hae-won when she was younger. Hae-won sees the two together and looks at them knowingly.

At Jang Ga HQ, Geun-soo presents his proposal to invest 40 billion won to buy property in an obscure neighborhood with struggling businesses. He presents this as an opportunity for Jang Ga’s brand and affiliated companies to rejuvenate the area with a unified look and create a popular street as a cultural hot spot.

Doubts about the temporary popularity of such streets and the value of the investment arise, but Geun-soo argues that even the temporary popularity increases the real estate by three or four times, growing their 40 billion won investment to 120 billion. He adds that this value increase will also benefit the Jang Ga brand.

Soo-ah asks what happens when the value of the street declines, and Geun-soo has a solution. He proposes that Jang Ga sell their assets in the neighborhood at their peak, leaving the buyers with the consequences of their sudden retreat. He says that their marketing team will frame the street’s inevitable decline in the absence of Jang Ga as a sign of Jang Ga’s incredible value, even though it’s just a consequence of a dying fad. President Jang grants approval for Geun-soo to carry this forward.

As Geun-soo walks with President Jang, he advises his father to maintain good relations with the district mayor of the area they plan to buy out. Weaker and coughing occasionally, President Jang agrees to this plan. Then, he tells Geun-soo about Sae-ro-yi’s growth during his absence and warns him that Sae-ro-yi will come after them.

Ho-jin consults Min-jung on the culture street-building plan from Jang Ga, and Min-jung shakes her head at the plan to foster gentrification. Ho-jin notes that Geun-soo is well-received by Jang Ga insiders and could easily be the successor of Jang Ga. Min-jung agrees and says that she has no clout anymore to pose a formidable challenge.

Sae-ro-yi finds Yi-seo looking up jewelry on his computer and asks what she’s doing. She marvels at a pretty necklace and asks him to buy it for her tomorrow. He says that his schedule is full tomorrow, so Yi-seo suggests another day. Sae-ro-yi tries to remind her again to restrain her advances, but Yi-seo argues that she decides how she wants to express her feelings.

Feeling burdened, Sae-ro-yi asks if she thinks about his perspective, and she understands that she’s putting him in difficult spot. Yet, she confesses her feelings for Sae-ro-yi again. She suggests that he just fire her, but he can’t because she’s too good at her job. She knows that her absence will make his life more difficult, and she continues to tease him.

Yi-seo says that there’s a solution to this situation: he could just like her back. Sae-ro-yi doesn’t know what to say, and their interaction is interrupted by Hyun-yi. Cheerful Yi-seo heads out, and Sae-ro-yi lets out a breath in relief. Then, Yi-seo turns around and whispers, “I love you.”

Hyun-yi seems more used to this situation than Sae-ro-yi, and he tries to pretend nothing happened. As he looks through payment for signature, Hyun-yi notices the nice pen that Sae-ro-yi pulls out. Sae-ro-yi says that it was a gift from Yi-seo on his birthday last year, and Hyun-yi asks what he got Yi-seo for her birthday last year. From his blank stare, it seems like he didn’t get her anything.

As Ho-jin crosses the street, he freezes in recognition of a familiar face. It’s Geun-won, and he looks away in panic as Geun-won walks past him. He seems shocked but calls out to Geun-won, who looks back at him blankly. Geun-won asks who he is, and Ho-jin trembles in anger and fear.

President Jang struggles to eat porridge, and Secretary Kim worries that he isn’t eating enough. Geun-soo enters his office and asks President Jang to attend a dinner with the district mayor to help their case to establish the popular street. Secretary Kim says that President Jang’s health is not good enough, but Geun-soo insists that President Jang’s presence is important, since he’s the face of Jang Ga. President Jang agrees, but as soon as he stands up, he collapses.

At the hospital, the doctor informs Geun-soo and Secretary Kim that President Jang has pancreatic cancer that has already spread and potentially metastasized to other organs. Considering age and stage of cancer, radiation and chemotherapy are the only viable options. Geun-soo asks how long President Jang has, and he estimates about six months.

Geun-won visits President Jang at the hospital and admits that he was hesitant to visit him because he’d been abandoned. President Jang didn’t visit him a single time. Geun-soo enters the hospital room and barely acknowledges Geun-won. At the news of President Jang’s remaining time, Geun-won looks surprised and says that he made President Jang get a physical exam every year when he was director. Geun-soo questions whether that’s within the director’s responsibilities.

Geun-soo says that they blocked media coverage this time and advises that their announcement should be carefully messaged. He asks if President Jang is well enough to go into work, since a successor selection meeting due to declining health will result in a dip in Jang Ga stocks. He advises President Jang to announce the next president while he’s in better health.

Enraged by Geun-soo’s insensitivity, Geun-won grabs his brother’s collar and notes how much he’s changed. Geun-soo responds that Geun-won hasn’t changed at all, and President Jang demands that they stop. Geun-won lets go of his brother, and Geun-soo tells his father that he’ll attend the dinner on his own.

After Geun-soo leaves, Geun-won comments that President Jang made an exact replica of himself in Geun-soo. President Jang says that the resemblance is what makes Geun-soo qualified for his position. He defends his decision to protect Jang Ga and says that he doesn’t regret putting Geun-won in jail.

Geun-won looks hurt and angrily asks what all of President Jang’s commitment to Jang Ga is for. Before he leaves, he tells his father that he knows why his life turned out like this. He vows to protect his father’s precious Jang Ga and walks out. What does that mean?!

Soo-ah waits outside of IC and runs into Sae-ro-yi on his way out. She claims that she was just passing by, and they head to Itaewon together. Sae-ro-yi receives an urgent call from Ho-jin and apologizes to Soo-ah for having to bail. She understands that he’s a busy person, but she looks bummed as he runs off. As Soo-ah continues to walk onward, she runs into Yi-seo.

The two rivals meet at a café, and Soo-ah claims that she was in Itaewon on a date with Sae-ro-yi. Yi-seo laughs because she saw Sae-ro-yi bail, and she wonders when Soo-ah will let him go. Soo-ah tells Yi-seo to ask Sae-ro-yi when he’ll let her go. She claims that Sae-ro-yi promised to become rich for her and defeat Jang Ga to free her from being in the middle of their fight.

Yi-seo reads through Soo-ah’s bluff and notices her uneasiness. She says that Soo-ah used to confidently claim that Sae-ro-yi likes her, but she’s sensing insecurity now. Yi-seo presumes that Soo-ah is scared that Sae-ro-yi may like her instead, and she’s disgusted by Soo-ah’s selfishness. Yi-seo points out that becoming rich and destroying Jang Ga are all in Soo-ah’s interest, and all Soo-ah does is wait with expectations.

Bothered by Yi-seo’s presumptions, Soo-ah says that Yi-seo knows nothing. But Yi-seo claims that she knows at least this one thing: She loves Sae-ro-yi more. She shares that after hearing Sae-ro-yi’s story, she was determined to make him rich and destroy Jang Ga for him — not expecting him to do this for her. Yi-seo tells Soo-ah to continue standing by doing nothing if she really loves him and walks out.

Sae-ro-yi meets with Ho-jin at Danbam’s rooftop, and Ho-jin asks if he still remembers the sentiments towards Jang Ga’s unforgivable harm. He shares that he ran into Geun-won today and says that he forgot that he was released. He says that Geun-won didn’t remember him at all while he’s remembered him every day. Though he’s changed and Geun-won lost everything, Ho-jin admits that he was still a bit scared. Sae-ro-yi comforts his friend.

Ho-jin shares that he’s making new plans with Min-jung on lining up a successor, since it looks like President Jang will select Geun-soo. He explains that President Jang has terminal cancer, and Sae-ro-yi looks shocked at this news.

In his office, President Jang wheezes as he remembers his days running a small shop with his friend. He fed his younger sister and insisted that she ate despite her poor appetite. He reminded her to eat well so that she could achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor, and she asked him what his dreams were. He responded that he wants to own a 10-story building, and his friend doubted that such things existed.

Back in Jang Ga HQ, President Jang laughs at his doubtful friend. He says, “I begged, bowed my head, betrayed, expelled, stole, trampled, and dedicated my whole life to achieve Jang Ga.” He coughs as he laughs, sounding closer to death. Then, he receives a call from Sae-ro-yi.

It’s been a while, and Sae-ro-yi says that he heard about President Jang’s condition. He says that President Jang shouldn’t be allowed to die so easily. Sae-ro-yi says, “Divine punishment? Not so fast. You deserve to be punished by me. Don’t die just yet.”

President Jang finds it amusing that Sae-ro-yi is the one person that wants him alive, and he responds that Sae-ro-yi will be his final fate. Sae-ro-yi promises to meet him soon, and with a new vitality, President Jang says that he can’t wait long.

 
COMMENTS

Though President Jang has become physically weaker, I doubt that this handicap will have any effect on his wrath against Sae-ro-yi. He looks close to death, and his zombie wrath will surely be as violent and repulsive, if not more. He’s nurtured a copy of himself in Geun-soo, who’s smart and nimble, and his ticking clock will probably make him more merciless in his attacks.

I’m mourning the loss of our sweet Geun-soo, who really just took a deep dive into the dark side. He’s a lost cause at this point, having zero remorse for outing Hyun-yi and rationalizing his immoral actions. Competition is no reason to violate someone’s personal information, especially when this information could endanger and threaten someone’s safety. He took advantage of Hyun-yi’s trust and the friendships from Danbam. He’s still taking advantage of these friendships through pure Seung-kwon, and I’m sad that he’s such a lost cause.

Every one of the Jang Ga men are significant threats to Sae-ro-yi at this point, but the biggest wild card is definitely Geun-won. What the hell has he been up to? What is his connection with Mob Boss Hee-hoon? What did he mean when he promised to protect Jang Ga? From his conversation with President Jang, I could tell that he was still hurt and resentful of his father’s abandonment. The betrayal could manifest in many ways for Geun-won, who lacks the brains but definitely has the impulse to make some big irreversible mistakes. Will he prove his loyalty to Jang Ga or will he get revenge? My bets (and hopes) are on President Jang having to confront a demon of his own creation, because unlike Sae-ro-yi, I believe in divine punishment and can count on karma to be a bitch.

Big Bad Jang Ga aside, I really loved seeing the Danbam team come together as a stronger unit in the face of adversity. Sae-ro-yi’s team is full of quality humans, and I love that this team has really become Sae-ro-yi’s family, and family to each other. Sae-ro-yi’s dreams are BIG, and he follows that up with a big vision and a big heart. Nobody is left behind as he manifests his dreams and goals, and I love that Yi-seo makes it known that his ambition and conviction are very attractive, chestnut hair and all.

Yi-seo’s sharp observations about Soo-ah really turned the tables, and I can tell that Soo-ah is losing her momentum with Sae-ro-yi. It seems like Soo-ah continued to wait through those four years, during which Danbam, Sae-ro-yi, and Yi-seo all grew and achieved new milestones. That’s four years of complacency while your love and rival built something together. At this point, I don’t know how to make a case for Soo-ah to win over Sae-ro-yi. Their long history now seems more like a nostalgic childhood first love than something real. Hustling alongside Sae-ro-yi is something very real and tangible. Yi-seo has witnessed and contributed to the success of Sae-ro-yi as a CEO, which is intimately tied to his personal endeavors. Something like that can’t be beat by nostalgia, and I’m rooting for Sae-ro-yi to realize that the person at his side, the person who constantly confesses her love, the person he can’t fire, is the person he’s come to depend on beyond just as a business partner.

Editor’s Note: Please don’t discuss spoilers because we’d hate to delete your comment! This includes anything shown in previews.

 
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WTF!!? It hasn't been seven years; it's only been four. How is Geun-won out of jail already?! "When I was abandoned." I'm supposed to feel sorry for that son of a bitch? I don't. "I took him to his checkup every year." Is Show redeeming him!? "I will protect your cherished Jang Ga." No thanks, Geun-soo's got this. I wanted Hyung-nim to beat his ass in prison as revenge for Sae-ro-yi. "Nugu?" Bullies never remember their victims, but victims never forget.

Geun-soo all the way!! "The doctor says there's no point in getting treatment." Yes, let him die! "Can't you go to work?" Yes, overwork him to death! I don't need to see "Dae-hee oppa" feeding his little sister and reflecting on his ten-story building.

Geun-soo is the clear winner of our timeskip makeovers. IC's hairstyles walked out of the '80s. When Geun-soo introduced himself as the successor of Jang Ga, I said, "They need to put his hair up now that he's a villain," so I was extra happy to see his forehead at the airport.

Before Geun-won showed up three years early, I was enjoying Jang Ga's Geun-Soo-ah more than IC's Danbam, which was "saranghae sajang-nim, saranghae daepyo-nim" ad nauseam. Do Seung-kwon and Hyun-yi not know Geun-soo was the one who outed Hyun-yi? Who else do they think leaked it to the press? Where's Tony? is the new Where's Waldo?

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This four-years-later hair comment wins.

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I assume that he got time off for good behavior.

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Three whole years? The justice system has failed.

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Yi-seo serving up some truth bombs to Soo Ah this ep! 👏👏👏 When it comes to loving Sae-royi, Yi-seo is clearly the winner.

"Rich?" "I will make you rich."
"Jangga gives you a hard time?" "I will destroy them for you."

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This was the best wake-up call for Soo-ah, and I'm glad Yi-seo delivered it. It was so perfectly done.

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I loved the look on Soo Ah's face as she sat there stunned as realization hit her smack dab in the face.

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I am a bit overwhelmed by the time lapse and sudden speeding momentum of the show! Finally Sae-ro-yi has his franchises and we slowly struggled beside him for so long and wow time skip we are here. I am so happy for him, and I understand the fast-forward, but definitely felt a bit jarring pace-wise.

@dramallama's commentary concerning Soo-ah and Yi-Seo, "four years of complacency" vs "your love and rival built something together" T_____T I am sad for that Soo-ah's character development was left behind while Yi-Seo's gets to be the one giving so much support. I do love Yi-Seo's go-getter attitude when she's like "Sae-ro-yi wants Jang Ga crushed? I'll crush it for him. He wants franchises, I'll build it for him." I admire that quality in her and am glad she can be such a strong support... But Soo-ah's my ship, and I'm starting to lose hope she'll take action. I see the ship going down and I am saddened T____T

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I think that Soo Ah is out of the picture now, she and Sae-ro-yi just don't realize it yet. Soo Ah has basically done nothing - she is still right where she was years ago, while Yi Seo has accomplished things that have put her far ahead.

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I really dislike Yi Seo which is contrasting with my indifference towards Soo Ah (and the rest of the characters really). I find her behaviour very problematic. I had a problem with her kissing Sae Royi when he fell unconscious after drinnking in the initial episodes and then later on smiling at the thought she was his first kiss when he doesn't even know! Creepy to another level. Similarly in this episode, Yi Seo continuously makes advances at Sae Royi even after he very clearly has previously told her he is not interested! It was so so inappropriate! Especially because both of them work in the same professional environment and when Sae Royi tries to stop her (because ofcourse he feels uncomfortable like any sane human being) she goes on to say that she knows he can't fire her because he needs her work skills, all the while romantic music playing in the background!!. Just imagining this is making me sick!!
The whole sequence was so problematic on so many levels ughh! It would be fine if they were treating her behaviour as problematic but really they are romanticising it especially since there have been so many hints that Sae Royi too likes her!
Idk what's up lately! Dramas that I think I will love I end up not caring about (Itaewon Class and Crash Landing on you)! Do I really not know my preferences?

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Totally agree, I’ve managed to watch some more episodes and the series just went downhill fast. It’s funny how with every episode I dislike more and more characters to the point where the only remaining ones I like is Tony, Hyun-Yi and Seung-Kwon.

Regarding Yi-Seo’s behaviour I completely agree and I’m surprised that more people don’t find it problematic especially after MeToo? Here is the thing, Yi-Seo confessed and got rejected and I agree with her that she is allowed to still have feelings for Sae-Ro-Yi because her feelings are her own, but what I’m concerned about is her constant comments about liking Sae-Ro-Yi in the workplace. This obviously makes Sae-Ro-Yi uncomfortable and when he pleads with her to stop she refuses and later states that she’s too valuable to be fired. How does this not ring people’s alarm bells!??

This is classic MeToo, because imagine if the roles were reversed, imagine a male employee constantly making comments to his female boss about how much he is in love with her. She clearly finds this uncomfortable but he refuses to stop because he knows he is too valuable to the company to get in any sort of trouble. Imagine the female boss constantly having to deal with this, having to go to work everyday and deal with this harassment

Yi-Seo’s behaviour isn’t cute, and Sae-Ro-Yi shouldn’t have to get used to it. Not only does this inappropriate behaviour make Sae-Ro-Yi uncomfortable but it sets a precedent to the company, reinforcing toxic culture. If you are valuable to the company you can do whatever the fuck you want, basically everything that Sae-Ro-Yi is fighting against

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You worded it all perfectly!!

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Yet they expect us to see such harassment as romantic & just accept the idea that PSR is suppposed to fall for her because of that. Urghh..

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The moral of this drama is if you love someone, confess to that person every hour of every day, and four years later, he/she will eventually love you back. RME

It’s funny how with every episode I dislike more and more characters

I've never seen any drama with more unlikable characters than Itaewon Class. I literally hate everyone in this show.

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What is ironic is that the drama seemed to push for strong, independent women, but what I witness has been obsession and selfishness. I think the only acceptable female character here is Hyunyi. I dun get how Soo Ah is able to work with the company her love crush rivals against for like around 7 full years. Despite some moments which highlighted that she did thought of leaving, she has yet to realise it. But she is still better than Yi Seo, whose goals and aspirations revolve around a single guy. As much as we can justify that with the fact that she bets her future with him, it does not nullify her persistence.

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I was also not a fan of the in your face constant declaration from Yi Seo especially after having been told numerous times by the object of her affection to stop it as it's making him uncomfortable. I mean, Geun Won was low key coming on to Soo Ah constantly and that was considered inappropriate and brutally dealt with. So....

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I know right!? The double standard is too real!

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I don't disagree with you on YiSeo's obsession with PSR. I realized how creepy it was while watching this weekends episodes. It is actually one of my big kdrama pet peeves that obsessive persistence in liking someone who doesn't like you will get you your wo/man. I think it could have worked organically because they work so closely together without her having done any of those things.

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I totally disagree about Yi Seo, but perhaps that is because I am coming from a male viewpoint and have grown weary of the usual candy and similar weak tropes for women in kdramas.

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Finally! I admire Yi Seo originally but this clinging behavior is getting to my nerves.

What’s worse than Candy? An otherwise smart woman who constantly and clingingly in-your-face - declares her love - your feelings be dammed - reiterated again and again. And behind the scenes slyly without your consent taking advantage of your state of drunkenness makes physical contact with you.

The fact she’s a Woman does not make it ok.

The fact this behavior will get rewarded makes me drop this drama so fast. Goodbye IC!

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Same. It's totally okay for her to confess her feelings but to do it repeatedly AFTER being rejected is wrong because she's making Sae Ro Yi look like a bad person. In the real world, that behaviour is borderline harrassment. And she makes a bad case in leveraging her competence at work to be able to harass her feelings towards Sae Ro Yi. WHAT. This is so unhealthy!

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You mentioned another good point there that SRY would potentially be judged as a bad person if he never responded to YS’s repeated confession and yet didn’t fire her either.

The problem here was that YS had exploited her skills and importance to IC company and SRY. She knew that she was too important, an employee too hard to be replaced to SRY, and used that as a warranty for her harassing behavior.

That, to me, also counts as some kind of slow manipulation.

Yeah.. because YS HAD PUT SRY IN HUGE PRESSURE FOR YEARS with her constant confessing every now and then, accumulating pressure for SRY to respond to not be judged by other people while she gave him ONLY two choices of respond that SRY didn’t want to do (accept her feeling or fire her).

Basically, YS had put SRY in torture until he could decide what is more important to him:
1. SRY himself (meaning: fire YS), or
2. His company (meaning: accept YS’s feeling),
all while knowing SRY’s tendency to be selfless and care too much to his people.

Now tell me that it wasn’t a manipulation !!!

I don’t know if she was being intentional or not, but my suspicion grew because I found a pattern here with her repeating manipulation attempts (with Geunsoo and Geunwon for example).

This is why I have a serious problem with YS as a character.

And the show really shouldn’t have portrayed that kind of behavior as something cute and rewarding !!!

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I think they tried to leverage on Yi Seo's characteristic as a sociopath - that she cannot comprehend her actions as inappropriate. I really agree with you on everything you said!

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i just have to mention that President Jang's wardrobe is super cool -- his wool jackets/suits are modern hanbok style, very NICE! props to the costume designer/stylist...

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Agree. The stylist has done a good job dressing the characters. I would love to have Yiseo's wardrobe.

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I loved the red teddy coat that Yi Seo wore in episode 1. Tried to buy it as a gift for a niece, but was sold out.
(and was $430 with shipping). https://www.shopyourtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/red-teddy-coat.jpg?v=1582962009

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Actually I think the stylist has done a good job with all the characters, unlike far too many dramas where product placement takes precedence over style.

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Yes. For the entire drama that is how he has been clothed even in the hospital.

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It’s so refreshing to see a character calling out on another characters BS when it’s something we as viewers are thinking. Yi Seo spitting out straight facts when she told Soo Ah off for her selfish behaviour because everyone seemed blind to it. I hope the Sae- Ro-Yiseo ship sails next episode pretty pls. Saeroyi pls open your eyes to the girl next to you not in front of you!

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Ah, I was afraid that the time skip would be use as some sort of deus ex machina for for YS-PSRY romance...and I was right. So I guess we’re supposed to just imagine/accept that PSRY grew to like YS romantically during those 4 years without being shown anything. Using a time skip to explain away how feelings change is such weak writing, especially when you’ve made the romance basically your whole plot in the last few episodes (honestly, has anything happened in the revenge plot since Geun Won went to jail?)

I will comment more in the next episode’s recap, but wow, just wow at this writing.

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Yeah, I have words for next episode too, although I do agree they made Soo Ah lazy in the love department, but i agree with your overall sentiment.

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Not sure why you are upset - Yi Seo *IS* the lead, so it was almost a given that they would end up together. I assumed it from the start, so not a surprise.

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Please read my comment, because I explicitly stated that my problem
is that we are not shown how his feelings grew to change to romantic. That’s bad writing, period.

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Quite agree with your statement @ "Using a time skip to explain away how feelings change is such weak writing, especially when you’ve made the romance basically your whole plot in the last few episodes" <<<< bad writing, Sae ro yi comes across completely an idiot. There was no need for him to keep saying to Soo Ah so many times that he really likes her and she can decide whatever she want with the relationship. Per his character graph, he should have told this just once or so; and then just have been a bit cold keeping in mind Soo Ah was working for Jagga, his enemy company. [SPOILER REDACTED]

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I thought the writer has been dropping hints that Saeroyi is starting to fall for Yiseo in the last few episodes. His body language and tiny gestures like touching his hair for examples. It's just that he doesn't realise it yet.

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I think this drama lost me.

First, DanBam and the IC franchise lack an identity. I don't know how a simple pub like that can become a franchise without a recipe making them unique. Hyun-yi winning the contest was weird too. I can't see her as a good chief honestly.

The love stories are not good. I think Sae Ro Yi and Soo Ah's relationship is a thing of the past. Sae Ro Yi and Yi Seo's relationship makes me feel unconfortable. I usualy don't have issue with love stories at work but all the "I love you, I know you don't want to hear it but I know you need me for the work" is twisted. If Sae Ro Yi has to fall in love with her, they fail to show why. I don't think the actors have chemistry that can explain the change of mind.

The family Jang is lost... Between the father hit by karma, the both sons in the dark side of the Force... I hoped Geun-won will be smart for once and will understand his father doesn't deserve anything from him and wil move on.

The make-over of Danbam's employees was not very good. They gave Soo Ah's hair extensions to Yi Seo and that was not a good choice. It doesn't work on her.

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Agreed on Yi Seo - I loved her previous hair style. The new one is kind of blah.

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Park seo joon has a luck of getting gud script and i think this one got me again i like everything about this series i mean every goddemn thing

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what yi-seo tell soo-ah is hard-truth you love someone fight for him be there for him but that selfish vindictive female fatale like bitch have the got to wait for sae ro-yi to finish with his revenge and come back for her without her doing anything what a hole LOSER

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You just echoed my sentiments exactly but was holding back. :)

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True. Soo Ah doesn’t deserve Sae-ro-Yi. But in her defense, it was Sae-ro-yi who promised all those things to her. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying Soo Ah deserves his love. I understand and support Sae-ro-yi’s later actions on her. Soo Ah made her choice, it wasn’t a good choice, but she didn’t demand all the promises - it was willingly provided. So I don’t dislike her but I’m personally apathetic about this loveline.

In contrast, Yi Soo is showing her psychotic behavior - not at work - but at Sae-ro-yi . Would you be comfortable being with someone who slyly takes advantage of your drunken state - knowing you would definitely protest if you were sober(how many times has Sae ro yi said no?) - to score a physical contact with you? Who acts like she’s betrayed when you’re with someone? Who trades her skills at work to harass you for several years?

Am I supposed to find this romantic? No no no. I thought IC writing was clever in the beginning, turns out it’s plain juvenile. ( including the fairy tale of an ordinary cook winning a contest, including the fairy tale grandma etc). But I can still happily lap this up, logic lapses and all, if not for the cringey psychotic behavior that will most likely be rewarded by the finale!

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In my last comment, I said I was afraid Geun-won might do something drastic because he was abandoned by his father. But now that he's out and still thinking of 'protecting' Jang Ga for his father, when since the beginning, he hasn't shown any aptitude for it, he might do something again to the DanBam group. Geun-won's mindset has always been violence to enforce his will.

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Isnt Guen won sentenced to seven years in prison? Why is he out after four years?

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The wigs are so bad in the future, it is incredibly distracting. That being said the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder is nonsense. @dramallama you are spot on. Soo Ah's arrogant belief that PSR wouldn't change his love for her overtime is her downfall in terms of love, you have to fight even a little. To be fair to her she was probably giving him room to grow his business and didn't want to be a distraction, but she should have had weekly dates with him at the least.

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My sympathy for Soo Ah is running around 1-2% at best.

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She has all of my sympathy, she is still my favorite character,but I can also acknowledge you have to water a flower for it to grow. She didn't water the flower, they don't explain why, but she didn't.

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She's the most pathetic in the drama. I don't know how more pathetic the writer is gonna make her. But still, she has become more interesting now since we know nothing about what will happen to her yet we pretty much can foresee the ending of PSR and YS.

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We can agree to disagree on that. I don't think she is pathetic at all.

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Isn't it crazy that the more negative a reaction is, the longer the comments? You would think Itaewon class is pulling in 3-5% ratings considering all the hate. And yes, it is hate. There aren't any constructive criticisms, just nitpicking, ship bemoaning, outsized Yi-seo trashing, and stuff on "tropes". I'm not saying positivity all the time, but if we must criticize, can we not do it objectively?

Anyway, this episode was a good transition episode for the end run. IC has grown and is growing, and Jangga is still number one. The last scene between PSRY and Chairman Jang underlined that the competition is intensely personal for PSRY, and also showed how much Chairman Jang needs an adversary (poverty, IMF, and now PSRY) to press ahead.

Jangga is relentlessly cool while IC is more retro, which is fitting since it reflects the post-Gen X generations who are updating 80s and 90s fashion and aesthetics. It's a bold style choice, but I'd take big hair on Hyun-yi than whatever that wig is.

And now, On Yi-seo's Couch: Her matter-of-fact evisceration of Soo-ah is a philosophical treatise on love. Love is supposed to be active; it is supposed to regenerative, not static and unchanging. To love is to be a revolutionary, and every thing Yi-seo said to Soo-ah, she has done. And she does it despite PSRY not reciprocating.

Her love is not contingent on PSRY loving her back. Her love is not conditional. She loves PSRY because of who he is, and who he wants to be, and how he wants to do it, and why. This is not disgusting or obsessive. It's her one selfless thing, and it has changed her life, Danbam, PSRY, Hyun-yi, Geun-soo, even Jangga. So I am firmly on the side of Yi-seo, just as I am firmly on the side of every single love interest we normally root for on this site who does whatever they can to better the life of the person they love and receives praise.

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Ironic statement because the longest comment here is yours LMAO, I guess you hate the drama.

Your mentality is like that of a kpop fan girl, that we’re “haters” and that apparently our thoughts on the drama are irrelevant because we’re “nitpicking, ship bemoaning, etc.” and then asked that we do it objectively when your comment is heavily biased. Hypocritical much?

The plot points a lot of us are having issues with aren’t something nit picky, it’s huge. It’s not as if we don’t realize we’re watching a drama, and don’t let some stuff slide. For example, in episode 2, what is the probability, that the day SA was assigned to the Itaewon branch is the same day as the day PSRY moved in? It’s completely unrealistic but no one bemoans it. But the holes and the issues now are huge, and we are allowed to point it out. If you like the drama, great! But that doesn’t mean you get to belittle our complaints and criticisms. I mean, episode ratings have dropped for three consecutive episodes before slightly rising in episode 14, though still not as high as 10, so clearly the audience doesn’t like it as much as before also.

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My comment's length illustrates that it is possible to discuss Itaewon Class at length without the express purpose of hating it.

If you equate providing an oppositional response to continued negativity directed towards a popular show, then yes, I am a Kpop fangirl.

There is a difference between "belittling you" and disagreeing with the intense dislike this show has garnered on this site. Since you feel personally attacked, then you need to question why that is. However, feel free to not reply again with your feelings. They are your own.

Also, this is a drama. This is fiction. There is room to disagree and engage in meaningful conversation. But when it gets to the point where the conversation is breaking down every instance where fiction breaks from reality, then all it is is the noise in a vacuum.

Oh, and the ratings, while not 20%, are still in the double-digits. Considering this is a cable drama, I'd say people are watching, despite all that's going on in the world (and all the plot holes).

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IC hit 14.2% on EP14, which is extremely high for a subscription channel.

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We are social-distancing here. All dramas have higher viewership. Not that I dislike Itaewon Class or anything like it.

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Where have you been all my life. Can I like profess my love to you or is that weird? ♥

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For all the comments about liking or disliking the drama, a few have been the nastiest. The bitchiness actually comes through from the people who dislike it.

Like, I understand people hate it and plot holes suck. The funny thing is, some shows with the least plot holes and are actually decent also get disliked and have wayyy worse ratings. That’s fine, all personal preference.

But some of the comments is straight up mean. Like you can HEAR the meanness in the comments. It amazes me it triggers people so much...

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Anyone else feel like this time jump should've happened a few eps earlier? I feel like we could've had more breathing room to witness character growth (esp Yi Seo) and more of how DanBam became the IC juggernaut it is now. Especially given there was some stalled action (as per kdrama usual) in the middle.

This ep kind of affirmed my thoughts around Geun-soo joining the dark side. (You can find that idea vomit on my fan wall if interested.) He's finally doing something for himself, setting his own expectations and not really answering to anyone else. He's a jerk, for sure, but he's his own man for the first time in his life - which actually makes him a bit more interesting than puppy version.

As for Geun-won... I did watch ep 14, so I feel like I don't want to comment much on him except that he's a product of his highly conditioned behaviour (courtesy of Chairman Jang), so when was all like "I'ma protect your precious Jang Ga" - I had a feeling it might be through unconventional methods...

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Wow, Yi-Seo confronting Soo-Ah like that. That felt really refreshing and much needed.

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And Soo Ah's reaction was priceless, one of those "WTF have I done" expressions. I have to say there is some good acting in this show, unlike far too many kdramas.

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yes Kwon Nara plays Soo Ah really good. She has been able to portray the conflicted personality extremely well. From initially the confidence she had in herself and disdain she showed to Yi Seo and to this confrontation where Yi Seo shows her the mirror ... very good acting indeed.

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Right now kim da-mi is my latest spicy girl that i want to cheat on my girlfriend with after kim tae-ri

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She kind of burst onto the scene and is now my new favorite. From what I can see this is only her 2nd major role, and the first was a movie (The Witch) .. (which BTW will have a 2nd episode but apparently not until 2021).

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Loved this episode, things are finally coming to a head in the fight against Jang. Yi-Seo is the shining star in this episode, especially the way she took down Soo-Ah, it was epic and very true. Soo-Ah has just been sitting on the sidelines doing nothing - she is still where she was 10 years ago.

The one thing I would like to see more of is Yi-Seo's mother.

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Can't wait for you all to see the Episode 14 [SPOILER REDACTED]

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Please don’t discuss spoilers because we’d hate to delete your comment! This includes anything shown in previews.

We are only supposed to discuss Episode 13.

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I didn't write any spoilers, I just said there is something very interesting in Episode 14. Please do not over react unnecessarily.

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Your not-spoilers were redacted.

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[SPOILER REDACTED] IC was really interesting till about episode 8 and then it started to drag; with these 2 episodes, writers did pull up their socks OR maybe they changed the writers... whatever it may be, I am really liking it. Can't wait for 15&16 .. I hope the drama goes on till episode 20 or more

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The writer is still the same: Jo Gwang-jin who wrote the webtoon.

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First off: I like the drama. It's entertaining, great acting, great chemistry between the two leads (yes, absolutely, I can't understand those who say there's no chemistry), great acting from most major characters. The script suffers from usual Korean drama ailments - big jumps and big inconsistencies, and I've learned to accept it as it is. I just want to address this whole "yi-so's inappropriate behavior at work." I work with friends and among ourselves, when no others are around, we can be quite 'inappropriate' / honest/, horse around. Never when others are around, never in a professional setting. Yi-seo and DanBam crowd have been toghether from the very beginning. They are friends! The boss is in the room and the former waiter is lying on the couch. They share passwords with one another. That's also unprofessional - why? Because they are friends first and foremost. Yi-seo told her boss and keeps telling him if he wants to fire her over her constant confessions, he's welcome to do so. She said, I'll accept that. But he's keeping her first because she's his dearest friends and second he needs her. It's not like she's touching him inappropriately or embarrassing him with her confessions in front of other workers. She gave him a light peck on the lips in a public place after a night of drinking - hardly qualifies for sexual assault. Get off the whole #metoo. It doesn't apply here at all. The actress playing Yiso is phenomenal. She has countless facial expressions.

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Four years of sexual harassment in the workplace I don’t find amusing.
Maybe I missed something but I can’t see any evidence would lead Yi-seo to believe Sae-ro-yi he has any romantic interest in her. Even after he received a lovely birthday gift from her he never bothered to do the same for her.

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Watch the next episode...

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Sexual harrassment is done by a superior on an underling who's powerless. Sae roy has the power over Yi Seo but he chooses not to fire her. She told him herself: fire me if you cant handle my feelings. She is honest about her feelings and the only thing she gets in return for all her hard work is the right to occasionally tell him that she loves him. Why does the poor victim, seroy, the owner of the company, put up with it? Well, either he doesn't fire her because, yes, indeed he likes her but he's boutn to Sooah by a promise and nostalgia, or if you don't buy into that then he's awful because for the benefit of his company and his revenge, he puts up with sexual harassment from his most competent employee. Get your definition about what sexual harassment is, straight. It's what Harvey Weinstein did to aspiring Hollywood actresses: if they didn't put up with his advances, their chances of success were smaller because he has a lot of power in Hollywood. Yi Seo is the employee, Seroy is the boss. By default she can harass him.

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No you are mistaken. Just sharing one's feeling does NOT make it "sexual harassment". Sae ro yi is owner of the company clearly means he had power to not just take action against Yi Seo or even reprimand her; he did neither so clearly he was confused about his feelings for her.
Please read up about actual sexual harassment and not just make every romantic gesture as "sexual harassment"!!

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Yes, everyone has the right to confess their feelings.

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I havent watched this ep so cant say if I feel like there is any sexual harassment, but their does not need to be a power imbalance for a behavior to be defined as sexual harassment.

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But i don't see sexual harassment here, why would you say that? I don't think Sae ro yi sees it as something worth firing her. Remember, when she did something he didn't like, he wanted to fire her.

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Agreed. I also see the writing on the wall that he'll decide on his harrasser. I expected better from this one.

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No you are mistaken. Just sharing one's feeling does NOT make it "sexual harassment". Sae ro yi is owner of the company clearly means he had power to not just take action against Yi Seo or even reprimand her; he did neither so clearly he was confused about his feelings for her.
Please read up about actual sexual harassment and not just make every romantic gesture as "sexual harassment"!!

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I have read up. In the US this is a form of sexual harassment.

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I think you all missed that after getting the investment from that old Hymoni; when YS says ILU to YSR, YSR actually feels happy and just acknowledges her, so your judgement that her saying ILU to YSR is sexual harassment is wrong, he acknowledged her love, 2 episodes back !!!!

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I should add that he's told her to stop and why he wants her to stop. Anyplace I've worked, the next step would be to go to a supervisor and inform them what's happening, but since he's the top, he'd need to involve his human resources director. Then they'd document what was happening, probably find a way to not have them ever meet alone, and potentially fire her if she was unwilling to stop.

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Can I just chip in that the context is not US real-life. It's a korean k-drama... My opinion is that a lot of people watching this drama are going at it from a Westernised-perspective. To prove my point, if we really look at it from a legal and real-life standpoint, I would have definitely been uncomfortable with an older guy(my boss) patting my hair repeatedly when we're not that close (*cough PSRY...cough). But in dramaland? Skinship happen between the characters especially if there are romance overtones in the story. It all depends on the context of the story. If the drama was about sexual assault then of course, unnecessary skinship would be highlighted as inappropriate.

So yeah, I think everyone commenting about YS's actions are missing the context completely , or have some kind of double-standard /bias against her character since nobody complained about PSRY's hair pats in earlier episodes.

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Call me old-fashioned. Yi-seo's actions may not constitute sexual harassment but I think they are inappropriate in a professional setting. After work once the soju bottles are opened that is another story.
I can't see Min-jung or even Soo-ah in a professional setting playing cute like Yi-seo.

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Is it weird that suddenly I am curious about YS’s reactions if only the situation was reversed and SRY was the one who played cute and constantly confessed his feeling to YS without her reciprocating it? 😂😂

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Ouch. Even though President Jang Is evil and undeserving of sympathy, I’ll admit it hurt to see Geunsoo not care that his father is dying and Also ask him to work even though he’s ill. I felt he at least felt something for his father when saeroyi was trying to take down his father At the beginning of the series, but those years spent working at Jangga eliminated those emotions completely. Imagine what a few more years will do . . .

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Does anyone know the tumbler/mug that seungkwon is holding in the office room?

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I’m absolutely shocked that some people are actually on here defending Soo Ah’s character. I literally almost gave a standing ovation when Yi Seo told her she only cared about herself...she hit the nail right on the head with every sentence! Just bloody brilliant, cause I’ve been having the same exact thoughts since the first episode!

If Soo Ah really, and I mean really! loved Sae Ro-Yi she would have left that company in a heart beat. Like how can you stay in a company that killed someone that was like a father figure to you? And then turn around and call his son poor, or ask his son to rescue you when he’s rich! Absolutely vile and disgusting.

I’ve never been so proud of a k-drama character as I’ve been with Yi Seo (the actress has done the character proud) she’s been consistent since episode 1. In most k-dramas, midway through the plot the main female character always goes soft (big pet peeve), especially when they started off strong. But Yi Seo! She’s been her strong headed self throughout. And I absolutely love it.

Bravo! I love me a strong female lead man.

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"I love that Yi-seo makes it known that his ambition and conviction are very attractive, chestnut hair and all"

I guess there's no changing the hair now, since it's practically a brand image >.<

Yi Seo killed it in her convo with Soo Ah! Soo Ah's not a poor, helpless orphan anymore, she's smart, strong and financially independent now so her inaction in not helping Ro Yi or turning a blind eye to Jangga's misdeeds are unacceptable. Pick a side already and stick with it girl!

Also, can someone bring Seung Kwon up to speed about Geun Soo cos we know he's gonna blab something important if he thinks GS is still the nice guy they all knew.

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