Coffee House: Page 13
by javabeans
Sorry for the delay, it’s been a busy week!
It appears there’s some confusion in the air regarding Coffee House‘s length, because the drama hasn’t given an official explanation for the supposed change and fans are confused. But according to posts on the drama website, it was initially planned for 20 episodes and will be now ending with 18.
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As One – “Drive” [ Download ]
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PAGE 13 RECAP
Jin-soo arrives in Korea all gussied up like an idol star, with slick clothes and a cool swagger. As he drives by in his rented sports car, Eun-young looks up — she doesn’t see him specifically, but senses, perhaps in her gut, that Jin-soo is back.
She goes on to her business meeting, which involves the opening of a new book cafe, one that is expanded in size and scope, incorporating multi-media features. When Eun-young gets back to the office, her employee informs her that a visitor is waiting in her office, and she immediately tenses, recalling her earlier feeling about Jin-soo. She takes a moment before entering her office with nervous anticipation, bracing herself to see Jin-soo…
…but it’s her college sunbae instead. For a split-second there’s a mix of relief and disappointment on her face, and then she pulls it together and receives him with warmth.
They make some polite chitchat and Eun-young inquires after his latest business dealings. The sunbae is frequently abroad to manage a business venture, and remarks that he ran into Jin-soo last month in Mumbai — and that mention makes Eun-young freeze. Both afraid and eager to hear about him, she asks hesitantly how he is doing, and hears that he seemed healthy. He looked like a ragged mess, but that was from his constant traveling and he was well enough otherwise.
Furthermore, Jin-soo inquired after her, and the sunbae had told him she’s good, as usual, and busy making money. Eun-young knows Jin-soo so well that she imagines hearing his voice responding to those words — Jin-soo laughs that that sounds just like her.
Eun-young tells her sunbae that she has some news for him, which she had been planning to tell him sooner or later anyway. There are little hints dropped throughout the episode regarding this news, but for now we must remain in the dark.
As for Seung-yeon, she’s settled into a level of comfort with her job as a radio broadcast writer. At work she looks much more polished than we’ve seen her, but at home she’s the same relaxed Seung-yeon we knew two years ago. But she’s learned a few things in her career so far — for example, when her boss calls her for a last-minute interview that night, she changes her clothing appropriately. The last time we saw her in this situation — when Jin-soo called her for their sudden Jeju outing — she’d come dressed all wrong, but now she looks polished and professional.
In contrast, her hoobae (junior colleague) rushes to meet her at the hotel where their interview will take place, but he comes in a plain T-shirt and jeans, and Seung-yeon takes him to task for not thinking. He should have deduced from their job description and the hotel location that he ought to have dressed for the occasion, and he looks at his outfit sheepishly.
What a change to see Seung-yeon in the position of the sunbae now, and in the position to chide her juniors and give them practical advice. She may have not learned specific practical skills under Jin-soo, but she’s learned in a general sense that acting professional is a state of mind.
The two head upstairs to the room of their subject, a writer, and knock on his door. Inside the room, Jin-soo wakes up at the sound, and wonders who it could be — just as Seung-yeon’s hoobae makes the stricken realization that they’ve got the wrong door! The writer they’ve been scheduled to meet is actually one room down the hall.
Unfortunately, Jin-soo is already on his way to the door, and he pokes his head out. Seung-yeon and her hoobae duck into the doorway, trying to hide themselves from view, pretending they weren’t just banging on the door a few moments ago. The hoobae is uneasy and notes that the guy is looking their way, but Seung-yeon orders him to stick to their act and ignore him.
Their writer subject greets them in the hallway, and asks to conduct the actual interview in the hotel restaurant. Seung-yeon and the guy head downstairs to wait for the writer, who is finishing up a business call.
They take up seats at the bar and wait for a table to open up, and Seung-yeon excuses herself for a bathroom break. Meanwhile, after being woken up by his visitors, Jin-soo can’t get back to sleep and heads down to the bar for something to eat.
As he heads in, he bumps into Seung-yeon on her way to the restroom, but both of them have their heads down and excuse themselves in a perfunctory manner, not really taking a good look at each other. A few minutes later when Seung-yeon reclaims her seat at the bar, she and Jin-soo again briefly nudge each other. Again, a brief “excuse me” is all that is exchanged and they don’t recognize each other. (Rule of Kdramas sez: After a time gap, the reunion of the characters must be teased several times before actual contact.)
A table opens up, so the two co-workers move away from the bar. As Seung-yeon gathers her notes, a pencil rolls away from her. It is picked up by Jin-soo, who notices the curious similarity to his own pencil-sharpening preferences — but before he has much time to dwell on that, Seung-yeon’s voice floats over as she delivers a scolding to her hoobae.
Not only does the voice sound vaguely familiar, so do the words. She lectures her co-worker for doing his job poorly, telling him to use logic, to focus on one thing, etc. She’s repeating a slew of things Jin-soo used to tell her and makes particular use of his own favorite: “Are you crazy?” Her words and delivery are a close imitation of his, and now Jin-soo laughs as he recognizes her. Finally, she caps it off with this gem: “You have to focus on one thing in order to succeed. That’s what a pro is.” At mention of the word “pro,” Jin-soo sputters, spewing his beer over the bar.
Seung-yeon turns toward the entrance and rises to her feet in greeting. For a moment, Jin-soo looks eager to have her recognize him, but it turns out she’s greeting her interview subject.
Jin-soo listens at the bar while the meeting progresses, and murmurs with amusement, “She’s grown up.”
Back in his room, Jin-soo calls Do-sang (Seung-yeon’s sunbae) to ask what Seung-yeon is doing these days. Hearing that she’s a writer amazes him, and he asks for her phone number.
But would this be Jin-soo if he called her simply to say hi? Of course not. Instead, he fakes a regional accent when he calls Seung-yeon, introducing himself as the lawyer representing Jin-soo in a lawsuit — against her. He tells her that Jin-soo is angry to hear that she has been going around ripping off his words, and that this is a clear case of copyright infringement. He informs her that she and her family will be investigated, and sighs in mock sympathy that it’s very unfortunate that she’s basically going to get beat up in court.
After hanging up, Jin-soo says to himself, “I told her not to be a writer. Foolish kid.” But he’s amused by it, since he’d always said her foolishness was her strength.
Despite the jokey tone of his prank call, I love the little beat that fills the space now — a moment of silence that stretches through the room. Now that he’s had his fun, he sits alone in his empty suite. It’s sad.
Next, Jin-soo calls Eun-young. Her assistant answers, and almost hangs up on him because he will only identify his name as “Bastard,” and she thinks he’s being a prankster. However, when she tells this to Eun-young, she’s surprised that Eun-young agrees to accept the call.
Eun-young eyes the phone warily and takes a few long seconds to prepare herself mentally before answering. And when she does, she answers hesitantly, “Hello?” I love how he responds with an equally uncertain “Hello?” — these two are old friends but there’s such baggage here that they’re both kind of afraid, and that makes them hesitant.
The awkwardness melts away when Eun-young asks, “Is this really the Bastard that I know?” Jin-soo replies, “My nickname is Bastard, sometimes Trash, and when it’s bad I’m Son of a Bitch.”
She says warmly, “Ah, then you are the Bastard I know.” They both smile, happy to be talking again. She’s shocked to hear that he’s in Seoul, though, which throws her into a flurry of nerves. It’s too late to meet tonight, so they make plans for dinner tomorrow.
Eun-young can sense that he has something to tell her, and he confirms that he does. However, it’s “too shocking to tell you by phone,” so he promises to tell her in person. Eun-young returns the gesture, saying she’s got surprising news of her own, which she’ll wait to tell him in person.
The next morning, Seung-yeon arrives at work distracted by her legal conundrum. As a writer, the charge of plagiarism is particularly shocking, especially since she believes that she has actually committed a crime by cribbing from Jin-soo’s words.
Her nerves take a further hit when she arrives in the studio and hears her hoobae on the phone with the lawyer, confirming several of Seung-yeon’s favorite sayings — more phrases taken from Jin-soo’s cupboard of insults and rebukes. According to her co-workers, the lawyer went around asking detailed questions about all the things she regularly says.
Panicked, Seung-yeon takes them to task for selling her out like this, arguing that they totally exaggerated the case. But she contradicts herself even while defending her position, because a few of Jin-soo’s phrases slip out automatically — they’ve become a part of her own vernacular.
Seung-yeon calls Do-sang to ask if he’s been in contact with Jin-soo. Hearing that Jin-soo asked for her number, she assumes it was to file the suit against her and freaks out. (Most of us would know that plagiarism is a much more serious thing than merely repeating someone’s words in one’s real life, but I’ll cut her a little slack for being thrown into chaos from the scary lawyer’s call.)
Seung-yeon sits in misery, crying over her misfortune. How could Jin-soo do this to her? How petty and cruel of him!
Her co-workers find the situation a little bit amusing, and the DJ of her show makes an open request over the airwaves asking for legal assistance for their poor writer. Jin-soo listens to this announcement from his hotel room, and so does someone else — it’s Dong-wook, who has been gone without a word for the past few years.
Dong-wook had quit working at the book cafe soon after the last time we saw him, and all they know is that he retired to the countryside, presumably to his hometown. Eun-young is determined to find him to hire him for the new cafe — nobody has performed up to her standards since he left — but it seems he’s in Seoul now. Furthermore, he looks polished and chic, and drives a sporty car. The rest remains a mini-mystery.
Now Jin-soo calls Seung-yeon directly, pretending to be confused about all these reports from his lawyer saying that she’s going around copying all his words. He takes a concerned tone, saying that he knew she wasn’t the type to do that, and calls her behavior the result of influence, not plagiarism.
Seung-yeon is so relieved at his understanding that she practically melts in gratitude. He suggests lunch in a half-hour, and Seung-yeon’s immediate reaction is slight panic. She looks like a slob, so she rushes to a boutique for a new outfit in time to make their lunch date.
It’s not a romantic thing, but driven by a desire to impress her former boss with her newfound professionalism. To this end, she harasses the saleswoman with the frantic urging, “Do you have anything to make me look like the ultimate career woman? No, not just a regular career woman, but a total pro! The most pro of the pros! Someone who just screams professional!”
When he picks her up, she makes a big show of acting cool and collected. As he zooms off in his car, she notes that he seems to have changed.
They end up in a fancy restaurant, and she offers to treat him. Trying to act as much of a pro as she can, she urges him to order whatever he wants and orders wine for them. Jin-soo watches this all with a small smile — he’s on to her act but lets her carry on.
Jin-soo tells her she’s changed, and she enjoys hearing that she seems grown up.
Jin-soo wonders what happened to Dong-wook, and she answers that nobody knows. She doesn’t seem particularly worried as she says that he disappeared soon after he left, cutting off all contact.
She asks why he came back so suddenly, and he answers that he came to “make a phone call.” He had made up his mind earlier to make the call, but found it took him two years to work up the nerve. He hasn’t decided whether to go or stay — he might leave right away, or stay for a while. Clearly it has something to do with the phone call.
It’s only at the end of their meetup that Jin-soo reveals the truth to her — as he drops her off, he says that his lawyer saw her at the hotel bar. “Do you still not know who he is?” That makes her look at him in shock, as he puts on his lawyer voice and demonstrates.
He tells her (contrary to her words) that he hasn’t changed much. After he drives off, Seung-yeon grumbles over Jin-soo’s outrageous antics, but that soon turns to a smile as she figures that he really hasn’t changed after all.
Jin-soo drives past the book cafe, keeping an eye out for faces he recognizes. To his surprise, he’s spotted first and is forced to stop in the street while Ji-won greets him enthusiastically. He smiles uneasily and exchanges some pleasantries, and is puzzled when Ji-won tells him that he’d heard that Jin-soo returned from Eun-young. So they’re still in contact…
A few more clues about the big surprise are peppered throughout this scene, but let’s not ruin the big reveal just yet.
Hyun-joo recognizes Jin-soo and greets him warmly. She suggests that he head up to see Eun-young, since she’s in her office. He declines, saying he’s very early for their planned meeting, but Hyun-joo assures him that nobody else is in the office so it’s no big deal.
So Jin-soo heads inside, looking around with fond eyes, and smiling to overhear Eun-young’s voice coming from her office. He starts to head over, but a stack of envelopes catches his eye. He opens one to find a fancy card — a wedding invitation — and the bride and groom’s names are Eun-young and Ji-won.
Just then, Eun-young emerges from her office, and sees him in surprise. As he lowers the envelope, he takes in her outfit, as she is wearing a wedding dress.
His expression now serious and intent, Jin-soo doesn’t say anything while Eun-young babbles on nervously, saying how unexpected this is, and how she’s been so busy she had to have her fitting in the office.
This shot is a nice bit of composition, reflecting not only the physical distance between them but also the way the plane is bisected by that diagonal divider. They stand looking at each other for a few uncomfortable beats, and then Jin-soo attempts a smile and strives to sound casual as he says, “So this was it — your surprising news.”
Eun-young relies on her usual mode in times of awkwardness, which is forced cool, and as always she sticks with it despite not quite being able to pull it off.
Fumbling for something to say to fill the pauses, she looks down at her dress and says self-deprecatingly that it looks strange since it’s not her style.
Gently, Jin-soo says, “No, you’re pretty.”
False cool never really worked for them, so Eun-young now addresses the issue head-on and says that they may as well talk plainly. Now that he’s seen her surprise, what’s his?
At that, his right hand, tucked into his pants pocket, curls around the object it has been holding all this while — a diamond ring.
COMMENTS
Now that we’ve seen Seung-yeon being professional and mature (well, relatively speaking), I wonder if Ham Eun-jung was instructed to exaggerate Seung-yeon’s bumbleheadedness earlier in the series. It’s a common thing to see kdrama heroines acting excessively cutesy, especially when they later change. Like in Cinderella’s Sister. If that’s the case, I see why Eun-jung played her that way, although I still feel it was way too contrived and hammy. (At least in Cinderella’s Sister Seo Woo acted immature for four episodes, in contrast to being a grown-up for 16. Here, she was the flailing bungler for 12 episodes.) It makes me wonder how Seung-yeon would have been played if we hadn’t had the time skip, and whether I would have liked her better then. But all that said, I like her a lot more now — she’s not a 100% pro yet, but has enough flashes of competence to be respectable, with enough flashes of silliness to be likable.
This episode doesn’t provide an explicit reason for Jin-soo’s physical transformation, but I think we can glean an explanation for his actions from the context. (I say this without having seen Episode 14 yet, so I don’t know if there’s a more complete reason given later.) We know from the brief glimpse of Jin-soo on the plane that he had previously been disheveled, bearded, and unkempt. This is supported by their sunbae’s description of Jin-soo in Mumbai as being a sloppy mess as he went on his nomadic journeys.
It seems likely that his polished appearance is a bid to look good for Eun-young, which is mirrored in the way Seung-yeon reacts to meeting Jin-soo. They both go out of their way to look impressive, and they both end up overcompensating. I think his excessive getup is a manifestation of his insecurity at meeting — and proposing to — Eun-young after all these years. It’s also his way of showing her outwardly that he’s changed, perhaps so she’d believe he has changed inwardly as well. Perhaps he’s trying to persuade her unconsciously that he’s improved.
It’s interesting that for all his distancing and pranking, Jin-soo now seems like a sad character — everything he does seems like a defense mechanism. For instance, his plagiarism prank. He might say he’s just having a little fun, but I interpreted his elaborate move as a way to contact Seung-yeon without betraying actual desire to talk to her. This way, he gets to keep the upper hand — maintaining that control he loves so dearly — and dictate things without showing any vulnerability. You’d never get Jin-soo just calling to say, “Hey, what’s up? Good to hear from you, I want to see you.”
Eun-young had assured Jin-soo that she would forget him to enable him to try to move on — but I doubt he expected that she would actually move on with hers so completely. We’ve seen him take her for granted all these years, and I suspect he always thought she’d be waiting around for him.
(Now, the bigger question is how Ji-won convinced her to come back to him, because he never deserved her, as far as I’m concerned.)
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51 nzgirl
July 17, 2010 at 3:53 AM
@ Kayt
I totally agree with you on EY POV.
If EY went on 100 blind dates, that means that she only had about a week with each of the guys, considering how busy she was that probably means 1 date with each guy. So she never really gave anyone of them a chance. So she may as well settle for the guy she was originally going to settle with.
I was just struck with a random thought. Both JW and JS expect EY to be there for them when they come back two years after breaking her heart.
I think I have a girl crush on EY, now if only she could make better choices about her love life.
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52 fromdblock
July 17, 2010 at 4:33 AM
at last! ;) after reading your comment.. i understand jinsoo better... i mean, i know how he really feels but how he reacted in the situations have deeper meaning and explanation... for instance, i thought his "prank" with SY was just for having fun and bullying her like he always did before...but just as you said, he's not the type to call and say "what's up?"...that was his way of re-connecting with her without looking less cool...
i loved this episode though i was a bit heartbroken... this time, jin soo will have to fight and be honest with his feelings for EY... he has been in love with her for more than a decade... his feelings should be 10 seconds away from exploding now! ;)
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53 sugarpunch
July 17, 2010 at 5:04 AM
i watched this episode before reading this synopsis, for the first time. AND BOY, DID I REGRET IT. it was SO SHOCKING when i saw the wedding ring in his pocket and my world crashed into pieces around me.... temporarily. i was so, so tortured by the fact that he was too late!!!!!!! i knew he sorta deserved it, since he told her not to wait for him when he left. so i threw myself down to the floor and wailed, "NOOOOOOOO." startling my dog and causing my mother to shoot me a dirty look.
the moral of this story is that i will ALWAYS wait for your synopsis, javabeans, before i watch the episode, lest i get traumatised again. T.T
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54 KC
July 17, 2010 at 5:15 AM
I actually had the suspicion that EY and JW would be getting married when JS comes back because EY said that she'll consider JW if she isn't interested in the next 100 guys that she dates and JW was like, that's at least 2 years!! And when the time skip was 2 years I was like...OMG DON'T TELL ME EY AND JW!!! T_____T HOW WILL THIS CHANGE NOW!?!?!?!?!? OMGGGGGG EY AND JS!!!!!!!!!
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55 Kayt
July 17, 2010 at 5:28 AM
@ people that like SY for JS because she is fun to watch while EY scenes tend to get more serious Or People who think it's not fair for SY after all if it was EunSoo ending...
. Although I believe the reason is kind of bias toward the idol/ the other ship ( since its hard to not fall for the couple story if one was objective and just follow the emotional from the plot), but I'll have a long explaination for you tomorrow. So please hang on there!!!
@ who dont like PSY for her previous roles: It's been almost 10 years and you still have that impression of her. Doesnt it mean she was as impressive actress even in the debut days?
@ crash: she has always have big double lids eyes since her childhood days
And I think they are pretty and impressive to emote as well
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56 hokei
July 17, 2010 at 6:27 AM
JS/EY shippers,hwaiting!!!
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57 sherrvonn
July 17, 2010 at 6:41 AM
is there still hope for jinsoo-seungyeon shippers?
14th episode's ending blow me away!
(spoiler theories ahead for those who has not seen page 14!)
cuz eunyoung choice is to continue to be lied by jinsoo all the way, i really dont know what will happen next. one possibility is that he start to go out and continue to fake and couple with seung yeon. but sy cant take this fake thing anymore cuz she falls for him so sy tell js off to get back eunyoung, kind of like how previous episodes where sy wakes js up. and if she chooses to know the truth, i think the truth will be that jinsoo wants to propose to her. and ey gets into a dilema again. i think i said too much for a page 13 where this thing should be in page 14 comments. sorry.
thanks dramabeans for the wonderful and thought provoking recap!
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58 They actually plan this for 20 episodes?
July 17, 2010 at 6:47 AM
How's that possible with such miserable ratings?
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59 hannah
July 17, 2010 at 6:58 AM
@49 yeah, i agree. something like loving the sinner when hating the sin? once a cheater, always a cheater is a bit simplistic. and it's not just guys, which seems to be the assumption thrown in the air. girls cheat too.
which has nothing to do with CH haha. narratively, i guess, the guy does look like a bad egg.
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60 hannah
July 17, 2010 at 7:00 AM
@49 yeah, i agree. something like loving the sinner when hating the sin? once a cheater, always a cheater is a bit simplistic. and it's not just guys, which seems to be the assumption thrown in the air. girls cheat too.
which has nothing to do with CH haha. narratively, i guess, the guy does look like a bad egg.
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61 hannah
July 17, 2010 at 7:09 AM
oh and i forgot to thank javabeans and girlfriday for the recaps and everything! i discovered this site fairly recently and i love it! most other drama sites that i found are really, uh, incoherent.
and sorry for the double post i just noticed above >__<
okay, back to studying like a good girl... (btw, your site is actually good for my schoolwork - reading is much faster than watching the dramas! imagine the results of my finals if i sat to watch all these drama O_o with your site, it's still like procrastinating, but sped up LOL)
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62 labchick
July 17, 2010 at 7:15 AM
Thanks JB for the recap! I was waiting for this as I wanted to hear a little more about what my fellow watchers thought about episode 13.
Although it was entertaining, (Sy was amusing, EY/JS were dramatic, the scenes were beautifully shot), there was absolutely no consistency. Did the PD forget about the last 12 episodes? Other than that silly makeover that JS was sporting, he hasn't changed one bit - he still has the same attitude-- everything is on his terms. He couldn't accept EY on her terms but it had to be his. I don't see why the time-skip was even necessary other than to show SY being grown up. As for DW, I don't see him as a very important character- he's cute..but that's about it.
And sadly the inconsistencies prevented me from truly liking this...I thought episode 12 would have made a fabulous finale but in 13, 14, it's sort of re-hashing the whole thing all over again. I just wish the writer would make up his mind instead of having people run around in circles. Furthermore, if the original story was planned for 20 episodes, I'm more concerned on their skimping and rushing things to fit 18. Personally I don't see any story past episode 16 but in the off-chance that they were planning yet another twist, I doubt we'll see it.
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63 Jane
July 17, 2010 at 7:46 AM
Cheating is often forgiven even though most don't admit to it. Especially in a case like this where Ji Won didn't touch another woman for two year to show his sincerity. However, Ji Won is an oaf and they shouldn't have done this to Eun Young's character.
As for Jin Soo not changing, I don't want to say much here but a large part of episode 14 was showing that Jin Soo was now trying to do things on Eun Young's terms. Granted, he was going too far but that wasn't him being the same old Jin Soo.
It's a shame it took him two whole years to decide to come back and propose. What a stupid man.
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64 Jane
July 17, 2010 at 7:59 AM
And about SY fitting JS better. She only spent 6 months with him and is already turning into him. Plus JS is usually laughing at her expense. Do you think he can actually share his problems with her and they can come up with solutions together? Does that even seem plausible at this point?
And Jin Soo and Eun Young shouldn't get together because other people would be hurt? The only person to be hurt will be Ji Won, and he'll get over it. Do you want them to sacrifice their own happiness for someone else's? Is that what life is about?
janna, I agree with you. It shouldn't be this hard. However, it's a drama. If the characters didn't make stupid decisions to prolong the stuff, we'd only have one episode :) But it sure can be frustrating as a viewer. For example, when Eun Young reached out to him in episode 10 and said they should come to a solution together, if Jin Soo had a little bit of sense, he would have taken her up on the offer and it would be a different drama. Probably even more enjoyable for EunSoo shippers since we'd get to see our couple working through hard stuff together. But that's a different script.
I also loved EunSoo's first conversation. It was sweet and the actors did a great job conveying those emotions. I hope we get many scenes like that before the end.
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65 Atsirk
July 17, 2010 at 8:06 AM
Just marry me so that we'll save all the heartaches ;)
I just love his expression at the last scene...tsk tsk tsk...
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66 miss_procrastination
July 17, 2010 at 8:13 AM
My heart almost stood still when I saw the ring in his hand. I knew what the drama was going to end up getting to, but it still didn't make it any more bearable. Time is always an issue in drama. Why are characters always at crossroads? Eun Young and Jin Soo just need to be together. Period!
Seriously, Ji Won is so sleazy and greasy that it stuns even me that Eun Young is going to settle for him when she deserves someone better. Someone like Jin Soo.
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67 Dara
July 17, 2010 at 8:23 AM
I love ep13 in general, specially JS/EY first phone call, very touching. The scene with the wedding invitation is very stunning, awesome acting from both leads.
In real life, a person likes JS for that 'till death do us part' thing, is a big NO.
But for this drama, I would love to see such a sad soul ,JS, to finally found his true happiness.
4 more eps to go? *sigh* .....@#$%@#^$^%.....
Q: Are we going to see KJH with this hair color till the end? with the earring too?
He looks even more mess up, to me.
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68 Dara
July 17, 2010 at 8:27 AM
Thanks for your recap, JB. ^_^
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69 cathy
July 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM
i love this drama ,JS/EY love , great chemistry , please fight ,JS ,for your true love , don't give up , don't end up with someone you don't love . I like o see how JS react
to this situation .
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70 Selli
July 17, 2010 at 9:35 AM
What the heck?! Okay...no, really, what the heck?!?!?! Damn. Seriously, this is just really... O___O I don't like it XD You lost me, Coffee House D: I wonder why the script writer is doing this to her charactters XD Gosh, really, this is a bit too much, but oh well. Let's see how it turns out : ) After all, the beginning of Coffee House was great, and dramas usually eventually force things like this to happen so everyone can be sad and cry.
Argh.
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71 Apple
July 17, 2010 at 9:58 AM
Thanks JB for the recap, I was waiting for this and so happy to finally get a dose of CH recap.
@ Quinze #20
When I read your comment, I felt like that's really the case, EY did not move on after JS, and just settle with JW since he was JS suggestion, she still wants something to do with JS. I totally agree, after 100 dates she didn't find anybody better than JW, that's not convincing for me.
I am having so much anxiety watching this drama, the PD better end this in a good note to pay for the torturous days a bunch of us are experiencing in waiting for this to end with a happy ending (aka JS/EY together) *winks*
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72 Nhu
July 17, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Actually... after reading the comments here, I think I kind of get why EY might have gone with JW.
Like Kayt I think pointed out, if she really stuck to the agreement she set up with JW, she would've gone on 100 dates at such a fast pace she couldn't get involved in anyone. I think a part of her really didn't want to, because she was still in love with JS. In that case, now that the time has come, and she can't be sure that JS will come back, it makes sense she'd go with JW - who has a shared past with her and JS (so perhaps, it's her clinging to JS in a way, love by association perhaps? I mean, JS did introduce the two) and who is on top of it predictable, and will allow her to do whatever it is she wishes. He is probably the most comfortable.... And if he did really stick around for 2 years without dating anyone... that's kind of admirable. If so, she may rationalize it as returning JW's "sincere feelings" for her - or shameless persistence.
I still don't think it's a good choice for her.... but I can kind of see why.
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73 lessaofpern
July 17, 2010 at 12:18 PM
@ JB and Girlfiday
Thanks for another wonderful recap! :D
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74 Lee
July 17, 2010 at 1:02 PM
I tried reading all the other comments to see if someone else had written it but I gave up after a while so I'll just say that while JW is an asshat he doesn't have as much as a emotional entanglement/baggage as JS and I think she likes JW's transparency and that he can bend to others wills which is something JS can't do as you have pointed out that he loves himself some control. I also feel sorry for him as the one thing that he was going to relinquish some control on (her answer to his proposal) got a bombshell of her impending marriage TO SOMEONE ELSE dropped on it .
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75 mel
July 17, 2010 at 1:23 PM
My big question for JB-SARAH----ARE YOU GOING TO SMTOWN LOS ANGELES? Will we see you there? Do you if Si Won will be a part of this or somewhere else filming Athena---hope you find out....
Thanks for another great recap of a crazy-confusing, heart tugging episode in the life of JS, EY, SY and the rest!!!!
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76 houstontwin
July 17, 2010 at 1:24 PM
I haven't followed closely enough! Are they cutting back from 20 to 18 episodes because of poor ratings or some other reason?
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77 m a r a
July 17, 2010 at 1:46 PM
@ houstontwin
the number of episodes may have always been tentative. from the beginning, it was never specified how many episodes will be running for this drama.
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78 Ani
July 17, 2010 at 2:46 PM
I've never been a fan of that Morticia Addams typed dresses, you know, curve hugging at top, and flaring at the bottom. I prefer the full skirt kind. But still, she looks awesome in that dress. Can't wait to see what happens next! Thanks.
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79 m a r a
July 17, 2010 at 3:05 PM
@ Ani,
Mermaid gowns are hard to pull off, and I don't understand how anybody can walk in them. This is OT, but earlier this year Maggie Gyllenhaal wore a beautiful pink one. It was purely structural.
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80 SparrowBell
July 17, 2010 at 5:43 PM
In regards to Jiwon's cheating ... I once read, a husband (or boyfriend in this case) cheats b'cos the woman he cheats with gives him more compliments than the wife (or girlfriend). It may sound silly here ... but EY is a strong-minded woman, I still remember the scene Jiwon said XX would cry if he just waved a taxi for her. I just think if the man *cheats*, sometimes, the lady in question should also think why .... that's EY's 10%.
As for JS, as much as I'm following this drama, JS is too much of a high maintenance. There is no question of EY's still loving him ... if JS is not played by KJW but some regular guys ..... how many people would really advocate for EY's staying with him? I wonder ...
When you 18 yrs old, you want a pretty boy; 20s a smart man; 30s, someone who you can lead your life with ... no drama ... life is full of drama without love drama ... and kdrama serves as occassion antidote...LOL
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81 ambs
July 17, 2010 at 5:44 PM
about EY's 100 dates, i doubt she was putting her heart into it. a part of her was always waiting for JS (shown by how she expected him to show up at her office but it turned out to be their mutual friend)
how she explained it to JS also proves she wasn't 100% into finding the right guy on those 100 dates (but i think that's in ep 14)
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82 Ani
July 17, 2010 at 6:07 PM
@ m a r a
Mermaid Dresses, that's what those things are called, and makes a lot of sense too. Thanks. But yeah, those ARE hard to pull off. No offense to Beyonce and J-Lo, but I hope they don't wear them. Too much hips and Booty isn't always a good thing. Then again... maybe.
Anyways, I forgot to mention earlier: Dong Wook and SY all the WAY!
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83 pipit
July 17, 2010 at 6:40 PM
I love how this particular episode ended with Eun Young in a wedding gown and Jin Soo's holding her wedding invitation in one hand while his other hand is holding a ring in his pocket. Not that I love Eun Young is getting married....with how much they really love each other I want her with nobody else but Jin Soo.
But despite my love for him I've got to say he desrved it. Who's the idiot who told Eun Young he loved her but wanted her to forget him? Who's the idiot who told her they can't be together when there's no tangible obstacles stand in their way? Who's the idiot who knows that he belongs to her but still tries to forget her?
The fact that Eun Young decides to marry JW shows that she failed to find the right man amongst all the men she was seeing - her chances to do that was actually zero to begin with as she's already found Mr.Right and fallen for him. Unfortunately for her, her Mr.Right wasn't all that right.
What sane guy confessed his love to a girl then told her they couldn't be together because he couldn't forget another woman? After that confession it's not Eun Young's fault for thinking that Jin Soo doesn't really love her, that apparently his love for her isn't substantial enough to overcome the love he felt for his ex and whatever problems he thinks they have or might have face in the future. And if added with Jin Soo's comment about giving his book to her as a parting gift.....she told him directly how it made her feel: it sounded like things that would be said to a girl who got rejected!
Eun Young's decision to marry JW who once cheated on her and doesn't even have her high regards speaks volumes about her true feelings. On the surface it might look like she's being logical and practical. She does what has to be done. She did what she told Jin Soo she would do after he left her. But deep down inside she's too hurt and devastated to be giving this important decision the necessary contemplation one does when one decides on choosing one's spouse.
What else can she do when she loves Jin Soo so but he doesn't really love her at all. While on the other hand the outrageously unbelievable JW has proven to her that he wants her badly enough to even wait and watch his behaviour for two years. Not that his efforts have changed her feelings for him....she just doesn't care anymore. Her seemingly logical and sensible decision was actually made by a very bruised and shattered heart. She's not that tough nor sensible at all when it comes to the matter of the heart.
The irony is that she's making the same mistake Jin Soo did. Now she's forced to live the life he's been living. Putting a smile on her face and lies to the world and the man she loves pretending she's happy and in love with another guy. These two brilliant people who are so in love with each other don't even have the slightest clue on how to conduct a normal relationship. Their love lives are total mess.
I wonder how long it'll take Jin Soo to figure it all out. He needs to understand that Eun Young's decision to marry JW has nothing to do with loving his arch enemy but everything to do with her thinking he doesn't love her.
It's JW for heaven's sake!
Jin Soo needs to cease telling lies, pull down his masks, stop pretending and reveals how he really feels with complete honesty. He also needs to tell Eun Young the whole truth. They are miserable now. But as miserable as they are they still want the other person to be happy.
If you want to make that precious someone happy what's the best gift to give? What's the thing that our beloved wants the most from us? It's our unconditional love. Us telling them: I'm yours. Forever.
That's what Jin soo has to tell Eun Young!
Jin Soo part four:
An hour before landing! His two years of mindless roaming has come to an end. He's back. Home. To her. Just thinking he'll see her soon makes his heart fills with happiness. Everything seems to be brighter. Even the air smeels sweeter.
This unkempt look is a goner. She's going to see a new Jin Soo. A better Jin Soo. Jin Soo who's ready to fully enjoys life. Jin Soo who's ready to move on. Jin Soo who'll never lie to her again. She's going to love it! He can hardly wait to see her expressions when they meet. He's so excited!
There wasn't a day passed without him thinking of her. No matter where he was and what he did he thought about her longed for her. There were days when all he wanted to do was running to the nearest airport and boarded the earliest flight that would take him to her side.
What a fool he was. How could he be so stupid? Why did he even bother to try to leave her when he already knew he would never be able to forget her. He has wasted two precious years! But as he looks at his image in the mirror his anger at his own stupidity disappears. The excitements of seeing her again return with full force.
Being a famous author of best seller books has made him a fortune. The wealth he has accumulated over the years is pretty much untouched because he has never felt the need for it. Even now he still doesn't need it because all he ever needs in this world is Eun Young. But it's time to start spending those useless fortines into a good use. Not that his money will impress her but still he wants to impress her with his appearances. He needs her to see that he's changed.
He knows that by coming back here he would also be meeting other people, but he never really gives much thougt about that until he saw his silly secretary that night. He has forgotten how entertaining and amusing she is. And obviously she's learnt quite a lot during the times she worked for him. That kid has grown into a pro admonisher!
Seeing her is a pleasant surprise. He couldn't resist the urge to tease her. He wants to know whether she's still as gullible as before. And sure she is. Who on earth would believe the things he told her but her? She might dress like a pro but she'still as foolish as before.
But before he goes to see Eun Young he wants to know what SY thinks about his new apperance he needs to know he looks good. And he also wants to catch up on her news. As silly and gullible as she is he has to admit he likes her a lot. He doesn't have many people that he really likes but his foolish secretay is one of those few.
Despite how much he wants to see Eun Young calling her for the first time is harder than he thought. He has to muster all his courage to make that one phone call and then suffer the waiting for his call to get through. He's so tense that he's afraid that his heart won't be able to handle the tension.
But his fear for his heart's sake is groundless for as soon as it hears the sound of its owner it jumps with so much vigor that he's afraid that he would be left sitting here all by himself while his treacherous heart's doing a somersault to Eun Young's lap.
Hearing her voice, her laugh and talking to her reminds him how easy it is to be happy. He must be really crazy then. And he feels like kicking himself when she said she never thought he would call her - maybe after a few decades but not so soon. He wanted to properly explain that even then when he wanted to leave and forget her he knew he couldn't. It was just a wishful thinking of a crazy man.
He has a lot to tell her but not over the phone. He wants to see her expressions when he tells her everything. Of how much he really loves her. Of how long he's been in love with her. Of the mistakes he's made. He'll let her knows that he couldn't leave without her. Not even for a day. And he would never make that stupid mistake of trying to foerget her ever again.
She sounds happy and excited to see him. She told him she also has something important to tell him. Perharps more important and surprising than anything he might tell her. Of course her news is more important than his. Doesn't she know that everything about her is important to him? That he considers her as the most important thing in his life. She's probably no idea that he's afraid of making even the smallest mistake when it comes to her happiness.
He couldn't exactly describe his feelings when he drives to her office to see her. Excited. Anxious. Self-conscious. He wants to see her so much. But he's also afraid of seeing her. His nerves are in shambles. To make matter worse he has to meet the cheating bastard he wanted so much to kill. That jerk seems to be even more happier and full of himself than he remembered.
He should has known that seeing JW is a bad omen. He should've guessed that something is completely wrong when JW told him he knew he's back from Eun Young. But how could he know? How could he possibly guess? He couldn't. Not with the way he feels. He belongs to her. It never occurs to him that she doesn't belong to him!
His nerves might be in shambles before but when he walked into her office his happiness for being there so close to her had completely obliterated the bad after taste of his meeting with JW. And when he heard her voice in the other room he thought he'd come into a paradise. He's finally at home where he belongs.
When he opened that wedding invitation and saw the names on it he still couldn't believe his own eyes. Not even after reading it for a few more times. No....this is not happening....this can not be true....
But as he stands there and stares sightlessly at the paper in his hand trying to deny what he sees with a sudden dread he realises that although he ceases to be aware of his surrounding he's painfully aware of the fact that his heart is no longer doing its somersaults. It might still beat as usual but it has lost its life. And it hurts so much.
If he thought leaving her was extremely painful it's actually nothing compares to the pains he experiences right now. He never knew that the pain of being left is a thousand fold more painful than the pain caused by leaving the one we loved. It wasn't this bad when he saw them dating and got engaged years ago....perhaps even then it was him who did the leaving. Now he knows how she felt when he left her two years ago.....Dear God.....
He doesn't think he would be able to master his emotions and control his reaction so quickly but when he turned around and saw her there in her wedding gown looking so flustered when she saw him to the point that she started to ramble......
That's when he knows he has to collect himself. His heart might not have the strength to take this. But he has to find the strengt to pull this out. Eun Young needs his assurances now. She who never feels insecure about he appearance is asking him about her looks now.
She doesn't want his opinion on her looks. What she needs is his approval. His voice might crack a little, his lips and jaws were hurt from being forced to make a smile in their frozen state. But he managed to tell her how beautiful she looked.....
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84 xylophonic
July 17, 2010 at 7:46 PM
Wheee plot twist.
Err so I think I can kind of understand why she ended up engaged to Ji-won. I mean, if you look at it from her perspective, would you really have expected a completely self-obsessed guy who already cheated on her once like Ji-won to endure waiting for her to go on 100 blind dates?
She said it really to just try and get him off her back, because she firmly believed he wouldn't do it (hey, so did I). But lo and behold, he stuck it out through two years (without, allegedly, touching a single woman). I mean, you've got to give him kudos for that, you know?
So when the two years were up and Ji-won asked her again, imagine what you would do. This guy has stuck to his word and was faithful to her (even when they weren't together) for years, and though his track record was never the best, maybe it shows that he's changed. Plus he's worked hard, you would feel reallyyy bad rejecting him again, and we know Eun-young is not a cruel person.
And meanwhile, the guy you actually do love is across the globe, and (sorry, small spoiler from ep. 14) Eunyoung did admit to not expecting to see Jin-soo again for years and years more. Ethics aside, rejecting Ji-won to wait for a guy who might never even come back? Didn't we already establish that Eun-young is practical and level-headed? This sounds too flighty for her. Eun-young doesn't mope around, she doesn't act like a classic heartbroken heroine. What she does is move on, and I think that's keeping with how she's been characterized.
So while I don't believe that she actually really wants to be with Ji-won, I think it was a mix of ethics and logic that made her do it, and let's face it, they've known each other for ages. It wouldn't be awkward, at least.
I also think the story has focused too much on JS/EY to delve into the alternative pairing now, but now it's become a bit tired, at least for me, you know? I imagine Jin-soo and Eunyoung might feel similarly, because maybe after some point it's just not worth it anymore.
Well anyway. I have to say, when the episode ended I remember thinking, pipit will have a field day with this! xD Well we'll see I guess.
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85 xylophonic
July 17, 2010 at 7:47 PM
Hey good timing I posted right after her! Hah going to read it now xD
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86 pabo ceo reom
July 17, 2010 at 7:49 PM
I knew it couldn't be smooth sailing (we wouldn't have anything to watch!) but I was still sad to see her getting married..
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87 Kay
July 17, 2010 at 8:07 PM
This is still not my "PRO" part, but I thought it's more important to mention it ^^;;
Just my own opinion,
I had to admit that I found SY acting annoying in the recent time. It wasn’t because I don’t like the cutesy act or her innocent and sweet girl image but rather I found her acting unconvincing, reflecting to my own self and behavior since we are in the same age. I know it’s a drama after all but for other characters, I could connect and imagine how that character act and behavior in reality, but just SY. And I don’t know if it could the plot requesting or EJ acting, but I 'vet never seen a 25-year-old acting that way, not me, not people I have seen or known. Again, it's just my personal preference.
It’s interesting that we all thought CH is a rom-com series, yet in the PD head, this drama is a mixture of comedy and melody (yeah that why peep complain that EunSoo is boring), so most of the characters have their realistic moments as well as their comedy manga scenes, but SY seems to be a main comedy device with all her exaggerated reaction (of a 16 yrs old girl) here. Therefore, when the main story( romance between EunSoo in this case) is getting more and more serious and intense, I kind of lost the connection to SY characters, but hopefully as she 's getting more mature and "pro" , I'd be interested in her back.
I have also realized many thought it’d be unfair for SY if she doesn’t get to be with SJ at the end since she hasn’t have much developed in the whole story. While on the other hand, EY has been in the main romance focus of the drama, but also the girl seems to have a fortunate and easy life for being rich, pretty, smart and other good traits. EY life seems to be too perfect to deserve some more love for many of you? SY should get it since she was born that lucky? It’s normal for us to react that way. This is a human instinct which we tend to lean toward and support the weaker, a poorer or less fortunate against the stronger, richer and more fortunate. I’d react and think the same in real life and many other situations too. And it explains why the Cinderella love story clichés has been popular, well-loved and supported from not only Korean but also international fans and audiences. However, in this specific case between SY and EY, it’s hard to tell whether one is luckier/ happier than the other. From the outsiders briefly point of view, EY may appear to be the cool, lucky, happy one while SY seems less… Let’s just think EY really is for now!
1. / So the girl shouldn’t have a happy ending in her love life just because she’s rich, beautiful, smart, successful, kind, mature and well behaved? I mean being at where EY at, is pretty much a goal / wish for most of us, girls, after long years sitting schools and struggle working hard while dealing with many obstacles to be promoted…. And here, you tell me that girl, she can’t have happiness just because she has everything else already. We’ll give the poorer girl the happiness of love since she’s less fortunate. What‘s kind of logic is that? And EY didn’t even do anything wrong or harm other people. So being successful and pretty and smart is equal with not deserving to be loved and to love?!?! Then why’d we work so hard for to get there when we know that we won’t be in a happy place no matter how hard we tried? Why don’t we all, just wait at home for the prince to come and have Cinderella happy life ever? No matter how much we love the clichés, we just don’t do that in life, do we? Since we all know that it’s not practical and realistic but more of a fantasy dream that every girl wish for. At least, this is one aspect that CH choice is closer to reality.
2. /Getting back to my initial concern, who is really the luckier/ happier between SY and EY? It’d definitely be EY from an outsider view right? Yet, didn’t we have learned about their life more than looking at the outer cover/ surface? In my opinion, SY may not be as rich, smart and successful as EY is, but I found her in a much happier place in life than EY, if you didn’t overlook it. EY has been suffering with JS and his past for more than 12 yrs with her selfless and unconditional love. She also seems not being able to get rid or forget her painful and tragic romance in any time soon since the foolish guy keeps coming back as a habit. Moreover, JW ‘d cheated on her as an fiance 4 years ago and returned back to continue bothering and interrupting her life again, while the love of her life left her in heartbreak and tears after admitting his love for her yet declaring they can’t be together and asked her to forget him. Though, now JS suddenly came back to her life once again after 2 years without any contact to confuse and break her heart with his lies and shocking confession. Is this what you call a happy and lucky life? I mean honestly, metal torture is known much worse than physical one and here, EY has endured these 2 ridiculous jerks and the sorrowful wounds that they had caused her in almost 13 years now. I couldn’t agree that she‘s lucky or happy no matter how pretty, rich and smart she really is when she couldn’t have a peace of mind with heart. It was even tougher for dealing with all that when she appears as if there’s nothing wrong in her life, still remains a cool, strong, mature and rational Chief at the café, that everybody respect and rely on? Moreover, to be at her current position at work isn’t just a simple and easy journey; EY has been working hard and sacrificing her precious life for it. She often stays at the café until 3, and has to run around and deal with all kind of matter by herself. Don’t you think a strong woman like her can be tired too? She is but she can’t stop it while working keeps her head straight and not thinking of someone, that she shouldn’t miss. Not only that she's lost her chances to spend more time with her family, her grandpa and parents but also her friends since she's delicate to her career and her career seems to take over her life. Yes she‘s lucky, but it was also her own effort, hard-work and much more to get there. So what is not fair about it if she could be happy at last? More than anyone else EY needs JS the most. It’s not because he’s great character or has wonderful personality, but simply just because they love each other and EY‘ll be happy to be with him, same as JS.
From another standpoint, SY might not be a main character but what is not great in her life? She has her happy family who cheer her up every day and night. Her grandma cooks for her and cuddles her when she wants to talk. Her dad always support and give her the best attention that he could. And her brother is there to make her laugh and being her silly and childish self. Work is not bad either. She could finish her tasks at the certain time and enjoy being a girl and have an ordinary yet peaceful life. And she is the lucky one. Despite all the torture JS has caused SY, her life has changed after she met JS, as you can see how big of the difference between a SY in the very beginning to the “half-cooked” one in the latest episode. She also got prettier and more confident as well as more opportunities of promotion at works. Thanks to JS. I can’t see how JS caused her heartbreak since her feeling was never that strong, clear or deep yet to compare to Eunsoo deep and complicated emotion. We can’t deny the fact that JS has brought SY fortune and luckiness every time they met (while he could only hurt EY even though it was never his attention). Another positive point from SY is she doesn’t take love/relationship as serious as the way EY takes it so the matter won’t have much effect on her at the end (She was the one who initiated the breakup with her ex through a phone message and didn’t even bother much about it. She knew her senior had a thing for her but (if I am not wrong, I think) she still took his $ as continued working for JS and didn’t really seem to mind about it either. Even though she wasn’t into DW as much but they were in sort of dating relationship, she still ditched him on his birthday and didn’t even care much to find out where he has been and his reason for disappearing after that. I mean I‘d even do that for my normal friend, but they were a little more than that, so I found it’s significant aspect of her…). Can’t you see SY’s life is a lot peaceful, happy and relax compared to EY? Why does she need to get the guy when he‘s the only one who could bring another girl happiness and the only happiness that the girl needs? Isn’t unfair for EY then?
3./ From the PD latest interview, I found that he ‘s very ambitious and also has guts to take chances creating the next new and different IT thing that stand out from the rest no matter how risky it is. This drama is not like any other drama that we have see , therefore we have various reactions, analysis-es and emotions from fans can viewers from 2 ( or 3) extreme sides. Many love the idea and think it refreshing. Others hate it for the unpredictability and not being what they expected it to be. A few think it’s too dramatic and dynamic to ready for it while there are people thought it was boring and predictable (???). And some don’t get it and wonder what the point is. They are both pretty extreme in both sides, which I perceive as a positive reaction for a “new born” genre of drama. So what if a lot love it while many others hate it? The result is the attention and emotions ( whether it’s positive or negative) that the drama get from the viewers, that’s all the Pd and writer want, and the more extreme it gets, the better result they have. For once, I am talking my risk to assume his general composition of CH based on what I‘ve learned. It seems like he divided the plot into 3 parts not 2, however the change in the last period is a lot more dramatic and emotional than the rest. Each part is about (more or less) 6 episodes and they all have different themes and pattern. {Don’t be scared and please bear with me!!! I am just as nervous yet expecting what are coming up as I hope that I could be wrong here}
a. Part 1( Ep1- Ep6): Style/ Pattern: mainly comedy with a lot of laughter
Theme: SY character introduction. It’s pretty much everything about KSY, her past, love interest, family and effort to be a pro. Others have their introductions too but the SY had a lot more screen times than the rest (And we all have to admit that we barely had EY scenes there to assume that she‘s not even the lead actress; it was mostly SY and SY-SJ or SY and family….)
b. Part 2 (Ep7- Ep12): Style/ Pattern: As the romance started to get unfold, the mellow vibe has stepped in. So we have a mixture of comedy and melody balancing each other as we can see clearer the purpose of each role served in the whole dynamic : SY and JW are the mainly comedy devices to lighter the intense and seriousness air for the romance ; EY and JS are the main performers of the emotional and profound exchanges in the second part yet they still share some hammy scenes here and there (Sample: in ep9, we had a lot of laugh in the beginning after the kiss, then it got serious and emotional with the “talk” in the top roof , EY disappearance and JS depression. But SY family dinner with DW brought some light air back before we‘ve got to learned about JS past trauma. The rest was balancing but it got much intense and emotional when JS knew EY is aback and ran to see her)
Theme: EY love, her efforts to change JS and pursue his love. The plot has displayed all her past and present actions showing how much EY loves JS and she has always been there for him unconditionally and of course, helped him. We could even say she‘d do anything in her power to make the foolish guy happy whether staying to be his friend or accepting his word and trying to move on, I mean she did all she could…. Yet we know the result is the confession kiss and tearful goodbye for EY when he’s left
c. Part 3 (Ep 13-Ep18)): Style/ Pattern: We still (luckily) have some hilarious moments, which mainly involved by SY and JW. I believe that even JS and EY still share some laugh moments with others but their main goal is this part is focusing on the intensive, conflict, complex, frustrated painful and heartbroken exchange and heartfelt dialogue with each other as the story closing. Their inner feeling could be captured so dramatically heavy and extremely powerful in this part that could cause directly emotional affect to the viewers and audiences. And if we had complained that we didn’t get to know what was in JS head earlier, I think we‘s finally getting to see his side of story at last. As when the first focus was on SY life and self-improvement, second was EY unconditional love, I assume we need to prepare some tissue box ahead, waiting for JS well- hidden emotion and feeling is in the focus this time.
Theme: In this new (and dangerous) road, where we just stared, my guess is:
This part is about JS finally change (more or less, now or later) and his effort to show his love to EY and try to win her back. But this is the miniseries part as they mentioned as you can see more intensive and overwhelming vibes through the episode, unlike the beginning with a lot of laugh. This will display the real emotional roller coaster in CH for us the viewers, so we’d better put seat-belt on, prepare some tissue and popcorn… ^^;;
What I tried to say here, regarding SY and EY fairness, is:
SY got her parts in every episodes ( a lot more than JW)but her focus was in the 1st 6 episodes, where even JS and EY was barely on the spot light. However for the remained episodes, her role (and JW role) remained as a mainly as comedy distraction from the intensive and dramatic relationship of the main couple to balance out the drama. However, we have seen her changes and developments through the series as well. So it’s not that EunSoo was boring and frustrated or SY is just so fun around , but that’ their roles in the drama- to serve 1 purpose that lead to the PD big goal- creating new genre of drama
(See, I told you not to expect CH like any other drama and I was right: P)
If what I have in mind is similar to the PD’s, I am afraid what we had this week is just a warm-up. The coming week episode will be even more intense and tremendously heartfelt interactions and exchanges as KJH and PSY'd show us how well they could affect our emotion and mind. But I think KJH‘ll be the main focus here – like his POV’d be more focused (Why didn’t we get the feel of JS being sad and lonely in the last 12 eps, but suddenly in this episode and plenty in the 14th as well)
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88 Kay
July 17, 2010 at 8:14 PM
That was my promise last night
Also I want to verify that I didn't mean to say for male only, but also female. Of course, there is nothing 100%, but the chance is "very more likely" to happen in reality.
From what I have seen and learned, I d rather go with a "no" than taking a chance to get hurt again. It's simply just my choice :)
Hope I didn't offend anyone here
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89 m a r a
July 17, 2010 at 8:56 PM
xylophonic,
yes. i agree that it would be tiring for JS and EY at this time, but it also wouldn't make sense for them to not end up together now. too much has been invested in exploring their relationship, and now, it's just getting them to overcome their biggest block, which is themselves. if EY and JS were really meant to lead separate lives, then, they could have ended CH at episode 12. it wouldn't make sense to repeat a similar plot at the 2nd half of the game, especially considering that JS finally came forward with his intention to propose to EY and that EY has awakened her feelings for JS.
it's just the people watching that are feeling tired and impatient. it really should just be 16 episodes or they could have pushed the events of episode 12 to the final episode.
PD-min has mentioned that this is the part of the drama that is supposed to have a feel of a miniseries, so, we're in for more bumps before we get back to the full-on comedic feel of the show. the miniseries-encompassing episodes is most likely establishing the roles of our characters now. an interview with the director was conducted just recently and while it was vague and only proved that the drama was playing out in a way that would fuel the shipping wars, he did mention that SY will be the bridge between JS and EY, while JW will be pushing for JS and SY.
as for JW, i think he will be redeeming himself. i believe all these characters are redeemable. either he'll finally realize the connection between JS and EY, or EY breaks up with him and he gallantly accepts that, and then, he can go on and act on his fantasy of getting it on with a secretary. that should make him happy.
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90 amg01
July 17, 2010 at 9:00 PM
*Jin-soo*
Well I am very disappointed at how the show is developing the story, that has been my fear all along, the writer seems to have not been able to achieve the right balance or “DO THEY?
I fell that maybe this drama is not about anybody finding “Redemption” or “Love for that matter. Maybe the “Jin-Soo story is about a man that some how at least in love was always one step behind, and if that is the case than the new twist and angst in the story makes all the sense in the world.
In the real world is “Logical”, but in K-Drama land I am as frustrated as most fans. Jin-Soo made a serious mistake by not keeping in touch with Eun-Young, at least in this way he could know her feelings, but as of right now he is standing with a ring is his pocket and a soon to be bride where do they go from here is going to be hard his only choice at this moment is to not said anything and just go with the flow and let Eun-Young marry other wise the 'Crazy “roller-coaster is about to begin,
I think from Jin-Soo's, Eun-Young and Seung-yeon, Seung-Yeon still the most healthy mentally wise, I think at this point Jin-Soo is better of being alone!!!!
I think that the reality of the drama scenario does not give us enough room to spare, so the thing that I find mist fascinating about it all is how we tend to minimize the fact that Jin-Soo and Eun-Young are people who are mentally broken, that is the reason why some of the comments tend to be so out there at times, but once we are willing to see the characters trough the fact that they are mentally broken than all the angst and Melodrama makes absolute sense, Jin-Soo and Eung-Young even when at far they look normal emotional speaking they are abnormal that is the reason why they keep making the choices they do.
But I must say that at least in Eun-Young's case she is doing something to move on with her life. We may not like her choice but at least is a choice never the less.
Eun-Young choosing Ji-Woo is really not of the ordinary the reason being she is the one that came with the idea of the 100 dates not Ji-Won, he went along with what she propose so is not like she or he did this out of character as some people have suggested, by the way Jin-Soo joke on Seung-Yeon shows clearly the Jin-Soo out of the three Characters is the only one that never really change, Seung-Yeon is on her way of becoming a proper writer and Eung -Young is getting married and Jin-Soo all along was drifting from place to place aimlessly no wonder we have this kind of story unfolding before our eyes!!!!!
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91 m a r a
July 17, 2010 at 9:01 PM
btw, i was speaking in terms of story logic (a plot needing to make sense from start to finish), not logic based on reality. this is a drama after all.
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92 jun
July 17, 2010 at 9:09 PM
I think the biggest problem with CH is that the viewer was lead to believe this drama is about SY and the people around her because she is established as the narrator at the very first episode. Then as the drama progress, and the story becomes more about "The Main Couple" and their issues. Which is fine if that's the way the story unfolds, but while JS and EY are revealed as complex and layered characters, we don't get that same depth from SY and the other supporting characters. So now, it becomes "Huh??" (ala Bobby Lee) What are we suppose to make of SY? Is she just a mild side dish to balance out the hot sizzling UST (unresolved sexual tension) between the main couple? She's not exactly on the same level as JW or DW as a character, but she's still very one-dimensional like them despite the screen time.
CH is trying to be a hybrid of angsty romance and light-hearted comedy, but it's too obviously abrupt. We know that every time JS and EY get together it's going to be either forced jokes and/or intense confrontations. When SY comes on the scene the poppy song comes on and she blunders around under JS's ruling thumb. Even with that timeslip, she's still essentially the same with a new hairstyle, albeit slightly more mature now (at least she knows what she wants for her career).
Of course this isn't a problem at all to those who doesn't care about SY or finds her too silly and cliche of a character. Afterall, it'd be too overwhelming or boring to focus only on JS and EY's angst all the time. But she was still established as the narrator of said 'pages'. Which leads me to the other theory of a story within a story and SY IS the author, and she's written herself in as the omnipresent narrator and the catalyst character who brought main couple together. Of course, the narrator isn't always necessary the main character, but I have to say, they're often almost always. Because of this, the undermining of SY and the other characters, I have a hard time accepting the circular angst that has overtaken the story. But I have high hopes that it'll all be explained and justified by the ending. There's still potential with four episodes to go!
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93 m a r a
July 17, 2010 at 9:09 PM
Amg1,
i agree. SY is the healthiest. she was the "untainted one" since the beginning of the show till the present time. and this is a girl who had lost her mother at a young age and has a cookie family, but it's a family that obviously nurtured an emotional and mentally healthy state in her. that is why i'm not inclined to have her end up with JS because of his baggage, and also because not once did he ever reciprocate a crush on her. at this time in the game, she deserves someone better. she has a chance to become self-actualized, when the older people around her can't seem to reach that state despite their wealth.
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94 jun
July 17, 2010 at 9:22 PM
Forget to mention thanks for the recap! I love JB's analysis of post-timeslip JS-- How he's compensating with his outer appearance to appeal to EY, to show her how much he's 'changed'. But that during those two years, he's been missing her, thinking of a way to get back to her, but essentially hasn't changed at all internally because he hasn't dealt with his own guilt and issues towards his wife.
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95 Opal
July 17, 2010 at 9:22 PM
@87-88, Kay......, you just spelled my thought clearly... I am 100% on boarding with your analysis and POV. I have the same thought of SY and for the rest. I don't see why people should be offended....it's freedom of opinion hehe^^.
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96 amg01
July 17, 2010 at 9:43 PM
@ jun, @m a r a I totally agree with you two lady's.
That is the same way felt about the Seung-Yeon character from the beginning, she was made the "Center Lead" at first but than after episode 4 was all about the dynamic between the now main couple and she became just a side note, but I also have think about the possibility that she is the one narrating the whole story hence she keeps at arms length as the story unfolds, again even after 2 years Seung-Yeon still she looks as the one that has improve the mos from just being a part time secretary to being the head writer of a morning radio show that is no small feat, it means that she is quite GOOD at what she does other wise she will never be able to maintain that high stress job, and again she still the one that is more emotionally stable after the past 2 years.
lets hope that the writer makes sense of it all at the end other wise there will be a lot of unhappy people around this place!!!!
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97 xylophonic
July 17, 2010 at 9:50 PM
@ 89 mara
Right. From a viewer's point of view it would pretty much be a waste of the whole drama if it didn't happen now, or if they reverted back to their relationship at the beginning of the story. This again, though, is a very good example of how unrealistic 'dramatic reality' is, and I guess I should have remembered that. It just occurred to me that any sane people would by now have moved on xD (But actually, hasn't Eunyoung done that?) But of course we can't apply our 'real world' notions to kdrama land.
Personally, I'm just afraid now (as a viewer) that Jin-soo will give up and the story will fishtail over to JS/SY. Especially after ep 14, I really hope to see him fighting for her. I think that will be the biggest indication yet that he's gotten stronger emotionally, and changed for the better. And as for Ji-won, I think he already has (partly) redeemed himself, sticking out as he did the last couple years (again, ALLEGEDLY). Still, we'll see.
@ jun
I always thought that however annoying I found Seungyeon, she has nevertheless an important role in CH; namely, if it hadn't been for her, Jin-soo and Eunyoung would probably still be in their awkward publisher/writer relationship, their feelings buried deep. As previously mentioned, she is more or less the bridge between the two of them, since they've been interacting in this pattern for so long (namely, the last decade) that she was really needed to spur on some development as a pair of fresh eyes.
I didn't understand how she's the narrator though, much less someone who's 'written herself in'. I'm not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying that she's forced herself into their lives and is interfering? Also, how does she narrate? A narrator, to my understanding, usually supplies commentary while the story is progressing. Unless there's a deeper meaning I'm missing here.
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98 amg01
July 17, 2010 at 10:25 PM
@ Kay. I am the one since PP, that made the observation of how the New Trend of ROM/com/melo was being introduce as a new format PT being the second one and CH the third, the only problem is that unlike the British, French, Japanese, which have been making "Dark Comedy" the British being masters of the genre, in the 2 prior instances and third now with CH I have the gut feeling that they fail at making a smooth transition that being the main reason why all the fans are in an uproar, I really like "Dark Comedy" but if you do not balance it right and insipid mixture as the dramas above where "Logic" is no where to be found that its all we are going to get from the show.
I just hope that CH is able to pull it off!!!!!
What needs to take place in order for the ending to work is the fallowing;
1- Jin-Soo needs to repent for his past behavior and ask for forgiveness, seek proper change as in proper mental care, and subsequent restoration of his relationship with Eun-Young.
2- Jin-Soo can keep being an "Idiot" and destructive self absorbed "A" Hole and destroy himself and the people close to him in the process.
Only this two scenarios will make sense any other avenue, will be Lazy Writing, or the inability of the writer to bring a cohesive closing to this story that could potentially be a great one otherwise
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99 jun
July 17, 2010 at 10:30 PM
@ Kay
About your thoughts on SY. Yea, definitely SY is too naive to be realistic, but I follow the sentiments of others that personalities and expressions are exaggerated in drama-land. That aside, SY is finding her way in the world as a young person fresh out of university, which a lot of us who are in our twenties can relate to. I believe that is what's appealing to those who wish to see more of SY's story than the so-called Cinderella story concept.
Your other point comparing SY to EY, who's the more or less fortunate. That depends on your point of view. In my opinion, I can't make that comparison because they have their own separate story of where they are and where they want to be in life. Yes, SY is fortunate to have a supporting family, but she and the whole family is also living in the shadow of her mother's early death. She's also trying to find herself, who she wants to be, what to work hard for, and to provide a better life for her family.
Yes, while EY is financially and self secure, she's also emotionally damaged by JS and JW. But it was her choice, not by cupid's arrow or whatever, to continue her friendship/interaction with them. She chose to intervene when JS was suicidal, she chose to accept JW's courtship knowing that she's still in love with JS. It didn't just 'happen', she made choices. Her life is what she makes of it, as the saying goes, you make the bed you lie in. You can say that it's unfortunate that the man she fell in love in is this messed up-- love is blind and all that, but I think she's strong enough to overcome that with him. She's smart enough to realize that he's 'damaged' goods, but she loves him too much to let go. It's still her choice, the ball has always been in her court.
To me, SY's story isn't just about finding romance, it's about the start of her life as an adult, and her finding where she fits in. Hence why most of us who want to see more of SY are more indifferent about who'll end up with who because she's not deadlock in a love-angst situation like EY. EY's a woman who's at the start of her prime as a successful business woman so she's not struggling to find confidence and a sense of self. But her world isn't complete without JS, she's strong enough to live without him, but her heartstrings are always going to be tugged by him.
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100 amg01
July 17, 2010 at 10:33 PM
@xylophonic. If you go back to episode 1 Seung-Yeon at the very beginning she is the one that starts narrating the story, implying to an extent that she may be the main character!!!!
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