Wish Upon a Star: Episodes 3-4
by javabeans
I know, I know. When I recapped Episodes 1 & 2, I said that I was done recapping Wish Upon a Star. My reason was that while the drama was fun, it’s a light watch that might be better enjoyed with the freedom to fast-forward and skip at points. However, a little unexpectedly, Episodes 3 & 4 were so winning that I felt compelled to share. I still don’t think I’ll continue recaps, but consider this a few more reasons why you might want to check out the drama.
Also: Shin Dong-wook is so likable. It’s mostly because he lucked out with a great (too-perfect) character (and it’ll suck that he’s the second lead who probably won’t get his girl), but he’s totally got the nice-guy charm going in his favor.
SONG OF THE DAY
Wheesung – “눈물 쏟고 또 쏟고” (Shedding tears and more tears). A song about constant crying that sounds upbeat and happy? Yep, seemed appropriate. [ Download ]
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EPISODES 3-4
With the entire Jin brood secretly living in the basement room at the Won brothers’ house, the first problem they encounter is keeping baby Nam quiet. Naturally he’s going to cry, so Pal-gang has to think fast to cover their butts. Going outside, she complains that it’s difficult to sleep with that noise — does their neighborhood have a lot of stray cats? The guys furrow their brows — there aren’t a lot of stray cats around — but then the sound stops, so they let it slide.
Breakfast is a different matter. Despite her best efforts, Pal-gang wakes too late to make a proper breakfast. Thinking fast, she dumps out the entire container of uncooked rice and hides it; she then tells Kang-ha apologetically that she was fully intending to cook breakfast, but they had no rice. Will cereal suffice?
Lucky for her, an easy scapegoat is at hand: Jun-ha immediately assumes that irresponsible nephew Tae-kyu used the rice money he’d been given to buy alcohol instead. Tae-kyu protests — he swears he bought rice last week! — but it doesn’t help that he’s currently hungover.
Pal-gang leaves the kids at home with instructions to cook themselves breakfast when Tae-kyu leaves (whom everyone including the Won brothers calls “ddorai,” which means “crazy” or “wacko”). Unfortunately, Tae-kyu doesn’t leave — he spends all morning playing video games, which means the kids can’t leave the room to eat or to go to the bathroom.
Eldest Ju-hwang has to use the bathroom, and takes advantage of Tae-kyu’s distraction when the doorbell rings, slipping out to run to the toilet. Too bad Tae-kyu returns before he’s done and tries to use the bathroom himself — but the door is locked. Thankfully, Tae-kyu’s not too bright and he assumes the lock is being temperamental. (The house has two bathrooms, but the one upstairs is strictly for Kang-ha, no exceptions.)
Middle child Cho-rok thinks fast. She grabs her shoes and goes to the front door, where she calls out for Tae-kyu’s attention, pretending to be a neighborhood girl whose toy is stuck on the roof. She drags him away from the bathroom door and outside, allowing her brother the chance to escape from the bathroom.
However, this means that Cho-rok is now locked out of the house, and it’s freezing cold. She huddles outside, shivering, hoping her siblings will be able to let her in soon. Finally, she can’t take it and calls Pal-gang from a pay phone, but she doesn’t want to worry her sister. So she just says she came outside because the house was stifling. Cho-rok says it’s nothing to worry about, all while choking back her sobs. But afterward, she cries to herself, begging her sister to hurry up and make money so they can move into their own house where they won’t have to hide.
Keeping baby Nam at home is too risky with Tae-kyu hanging around, so Pal-gang has taken him to work with her. Her two friends, Jin-ju and the cleaning lady Eun-mal help her by taking turns watching the baby in the bathroom.
On one hand, at least Pal-gang can take Nam along when she is sent out on assignments to sign up prospective members for insurance plans. But on the other hand, Nam can be a distraction and she’s already struggling to do her job properly.
When Pal-gang gets home that night, her siblings are starving — Tae-kyu never left, so they couldn’t leave the room to eat. This fills her with guilt, particularly when Ju-hwang tells the kids to sleep early in order to forget about their hunger pangs. She goes out to make a batch of food for them.
A slight hiccup arises that night when second-youngest brother Pa-rang starts sleepwalking, and ambles right past Tae-kyu. Pal-gang neutralizes the situation by knocking him out with a swift blow to the head, and tells the Won brothers that wacko’s passed out and acting funny. Again, it’s a lucky thing for the Jin family that Tae-kyu immediately jumps to the conclusion that he’s seeing ghosts. Naturally, Kang-ha and Jun-ha think he’s just drunk. Again.
The siblings take a moment to reinforce Tae-kyu’s fear that night: they dress No-rang up in a sheet and smear ketchup on her face. She wanders into Tae-kyu’s room and wakes him up from his drunken sleep. This convinces Tae-kyu that he must be going crazy.
The next morning, Pal-gang is determined to make breakfast properly and therefore goes to the kitchen at 3am… but falls asleep. When Jun-ha wakes her up, it’s already past 7am and again too late to begin cooking breakfast. She freaks out, fretting that she’d been so determined not to mess up today, that Jun-ha starts to take pity on her.
When she makes the excuse to Kang-ha that she tried to make breakfast but found that the gas wasn’t working, Jun-ha covers for her; he chimes in and berates Tae-kyu for not paying the bill. I’m not sure that Kang-ha believes this, but at least he lets it go.
Poor Tae-kyu — not only is he being unfairly blamed for mistakes he didn’t make, he thinks he’s going crazy and hallucinating. Miserable, he decides to get a mental evaluation at the hospital. Since this is largely her doing, Pal-gang tells him he’ll be fine — he probably just needs to get out of the house more. If he gets fresh air, he’ll probably be able to contain his hallucinations.
Tae-kyu is so relieved to hear a kind word that he looks at her in a new light. Grabbing her hand, he goes from calling her “noona” to calling her “jagi” — a term of endearment one might call a girlfriend. He had a feeling she might be his fateful match!
Today, Ju-hwang convinces Pal-gang to leave the baby at home; it’s too risky taking him to work all the time. With Tae-kyu out of the house, at least they’ll be better off than they were yesterday.
Unfortunately, they have a new, more pressing problem: they’re out of baby formula. Nam cries and cries, and the girls try to substitute real milk, but are unsuccessful. Pal-gang is aware of the formula shortage but is out of money, and asks her friends if they have any cash. They don’t (Jin-ju’s mother confiscated her credit cards), so she’s left to wrestle with the problem. At the last moment, Jin-ju comes through with a solution: she was able to steal some formula from her sister-in-law. Pal-gang thanks her profusely and heads home.
However, Ju-hwang has felt the burden of being the eldest hyung and has resorted to desperate measures. He heads out to steal some formula at a local convenience store — and gets caught.
Worse yet, he’s caught by the store owner and another customer, who turns out to be Jun-ha. The store owner is not inclined to let him off easy and demands to know who he is.
This is when Pal-gang comes by and recognizes her brother, rushing to defend him. She belatedly realizes that the other person is Jun-ha, and finds herself conflicted about how to answer his question — who is the boy and what is their relationship?
Head bowed, Pal-gang admits, “He’s… my brother.” Ju-hwang looks at her in dismay, understanding that this means the gig is up, and they’re likely doomed.
Brother and sister expect Jun-ha to rail angrily and kick them out immediately, so they’re surprised at how nice he is. Hearing that she was forced to sneak her sibling in after her parents died, he sees that she really was telling the truth when she said she wasn’t taking the maid position to get close to Kang-ha. (He had assumed she’d been lying.)
He buys them hamburgers, guessing that the reason Ju-hwang was stealing was because he was so hungry. Pal-gang begs Jun-ha to keep this from Kang-ha — it’ll only be for a short while, until she can get them to their own place.
This good luck does not hold, however, because No-rang is caught by Kang-ha himself. She had whipped up a batch of porridge to take to the baby, and had come face to face with Kang-ha. She drops the hot pot on her foot just as the others arrive home.
Now two siblings have been discovered. Jun-ha accepts this with grace, while Kang-ha glares. Tae-kyu, on the other hand, is happy — the hospital deemed him to be sane, and now the kids’ presence explains the nighttime “ghosts.” Plus, he’s nursing a crush on Pal-gang, so he eagerly jumps to her defense.
As with Cho-rok earlier, what’s heartbreaking about No-rang’s reaction is that she’s worried more for her siblings than herself. They treat the mild burn on her foot and ask her if she’s hurting — it’s obvious she must be in pain — but No-rang insists it doesn’t hurt and begs for them not to kick her out.
Moved by sympathy, Jun-ha wants to let this go, but Kang-ha is furious. The three men talk amongst themselves, with Jun-ha and Tae-kyu trying to persuade a cold Kang-ha to let them stay. Jun-ha argues, “How desperate must she have been to hide them in our house?”
Despite Kang-ha’s opposition, Jun-ha is able to convince him to agree to let them stay — but they must take care to keep the kids out of Kang-ha’s sight, so that he doesn’t even know that they’re living there.
Despite being caught, the family is relieved that the younger three children were able to remain hidden. Pa-rang had wanted to show himself while the luck was running in their favor, but older Cho-rok had insisted that they remain hidden: two smuggled kids is nowhere near as bad as five.
The next morning, Pal-gang makes breakfast as promised, with rice and side dishes. The cooking itself, however, leaves a lot to be desired. In a really cute moment, Tae-kyu voluntarily takes the blame to divert Kang-ha’s dissatisfaction away from Pal-gang, earning him a thankful smile. Even when Jun-ha shows his dissatisfaction with the subpar meal, he still defends Pal-gang to Kang-ha, making excuses for her.
The kids realize that the idea of their sister being an effective housekeeper is ludicrous — she can’t cook or clean or do any of the necessary chores — and decide to pitch in. They clean, cook, and do the ironing… which soon gets out of their control. Cho-rok accidentally cuts herself while chopping vegetables, and No-rang forgets the iron and burns Kang-ha’s shirt. Young Pa-rang is left with the baby, who hits his head and gets a cut.
Kang-ha pitches a fit when he discovers that someone’s been using his computer. It was Pal-gang, who used it to look up a few recipes while cleaning in his room. He rebukes her harshly for daring to touch his belongings.
Making matters worse, that night Pa-rang sleepwalks again, and this time, Kang-ha sees him. Oops. He rounds up the family, fuming at discovering yet one more hidden sibling.
He’s so sharp that he catches on to the pattern of their names — from oldest to youngest, they are Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue. Pointing to the youngest (Pa-rang), he asks, “Going in order, shouldn’t his name be Cho-rok (Green)?” Pal-gang thinks up an explanation that might make sense: “Uh, about that. He’s a boy, so they must have felt it was a little odd to name him Cho-rok.”
Kang-ha counters, “No. Ju-hwang (Orange) is just as unsuited for being a boy’s name, isn’t it?” He heads toward the basement room to check if they’re hiding another kid, and Pal-gang rushes to block him. Realizing the game is up, she hangs her head and admits, “I’m sorry. There is a Cho-rok.”
Kang-ha orders them to leave within a week.
Again, Jun-ha and Tae-kyu plead with Kang-ha to show some mercy, to give her some extra time to find a place. Jun-ha: “Telling them to leave in a week is like telling them to freeze and die.”
But Kang-ha remains unmoved, and sticks to his dictate.
As Pal-gang continues with her cleaning chores, she worries aloud, addressing her mother:
Pal-gang: “You hit me every day for not knowing how to do anything. You should have hit me harder, so I would come to my senses, so I would know how to do something. You made a mistake too, so please help me somehow. Help me make him think, ‘Ah, at least it’s better to have her around than not.'”
From outside the room, Jun-ha hears her crying to herself, and I think Shin Dong-wook has earned his hero shot, hasn’t he?
Jin-ju and Eun-mal brainstorm ways to help Pal-gang, while she sits in a defeated, listless state, wondering how much money she could get for a kidney. The two women protest violently — harming herself is the quickest way to condemn those kids to a miserable life, because she needs to be healthy to care for them.
Pal-gang asks, “Then what else could I sell?” Her smile freaks her friends out, who would rather she cried. She replies, “I’m so scared I can’t even cry.”
Both brothers are pretty smart, so it’s not long before they put the clues together and realize that there’s one more kid being hidden — the baby Nam (which means Navy). When Jun-ha confronts her, she says that there’s relief in being found out — at least now when he cries, they don’t have to block his mouth.
That means they can stop hiding around the house, too. When the brothers arrive home at night, the kids are all helping Pal-gang with her chores. Kang-ha glares, and Jun-ha chides her — she should be careful and keep the kids out of sight where they won’t pique Kang-ha’s temper. Who knows, if he’s kept in a good mood, he might change his mind.
But Pal-gang is resigned, since she knows he’s not the type to change his mind. She chased after him for five years, but even though she’d introduced herself every time they met, he still didn’t know her name.
Pal-gang: “No, from the start there wasn’t even a 1% chance for me. When I brought the children and came to live in this house, I got rid of all the feelings I had carried for him. And after spending a few days like this, I regretted it, thinking, ‘Why did I waste five years acting so stupid?'”
This gets Jun-ha even angrier with his brother — Pal-gang liked him for five years, so shouldn’t the courtesy be to give her at least five months? “Even if just out of gratitude for liking a frozen man like you!”
Kang-ha answers, “That’s all the more reason not to. Don’t let her dream false dreams, because that’s the worst thing for her.”
Tae-kyu is, adorably, crushed to learn that Pal-gang had liked Kang-ha. It’s sweet (in a twisted way?) that he likes her enough to tell her to go after Kang-ha — if she throws herself at him and seduces him, she can demand that he “take responsibility” for her.
She won’t do that, though. When he asks if she has anywhere to go, she answers calmly, “The street.”
Kang-ha isn’t a complete lost cause, however. The next day, he and Jae-young (the chaebol granddaughter who likes him) are heading out to lunch when they see a commotion in the lobby. Pal-gang had brought Nam to work because she wanted to take him to the hospital later (for his head bruise), and the cleaning lady Eun-mal had gotten caught babysitting him in the bathroom. The manager fires her, at which point Pal-gang jumps in to take the blame — it’s her brother.
Jae-young is greatly offended at one of her employees daring to be so disrespectful, and orders Pal-gang fired. Kang-ha doesn’t interfere, but he doesn’t seem happy about this situation, and even snaps at Jae-young.
With only six days until they’re kicked onto the streets, Pal-gang looks for another job, and heads out that night to a part-time gig cleaning saunas. She assures her siblings that she’ll be fine working late; they have to make as much money as possible to pay for motel fees.
But when she gets to the job, it’s not at a sauna — it’s at a bar. Pal-gang introduces herself as the new bar girl, Mimi.
OTHER PLOTLINES
The main reason I’m resisting jumping fully onboard with Wish Upon a Star is that everybody in the rich chaebol family bores me to tears. Pal-gang and her siblings are lovable and heartwarming (as well as heartbreaking at times), but I can’t keep my interest engaged whenever the story shifts to the Jung family. So here’s the stuff in a nutshell:
Jae-young loves Kang-ha, who is not interested. He is so uninterested that he speaks to her coldly to push her away, going so far as to call a romance between them “incestuous” because that’s how he sees her. On the other hand, Jun-ha suffers from being the other guy, the one who loves Jae-young but isn’t loved back.
Jae-young’s mother, Lady Macbethian Min-kyung, is opposed to her daughter’s insistence on marrying Kang-ha. She foresees an unhappy future if she marries with such a cold man who may not even love her back.
The brothers have a generally good relationship, inasmuch as Kang-ha puts up with Jun-ha more than he does with anyone else. The only time Jun-ha’s bitterness comes out is when Jae-young is concerned. When Kang-ha suggests that Jun-ha date Jae-young instead, Jun-ha scoffs that he’s never taken anything from his brother. (Kang-ha agrees, saying to himself, “Yeah, I was always the one stealing things from you.”)
There’s the suggestion that Kang-ha has some unresolved relationship issues, because he sees a woman in the street, and from the back, he thinks he recognizes her. He rushes to catch up with her, and is dismayed when it’s not the person he was expecting.
Lastly, a flashback scene shows Grandpa/Chairman Jung asking Kang-ha to help him with his dream, which Kang-ha had flatly declined. The scenes between these two are the only indication that Kang-ha has more going on below the surface, and even his refusal here isn’t because he’s selfish, but because he believes that a person like him wouldn’t do the old man’s dreams any good. Kang-ha seems to believe he’s a bad person, and doesn’t want to sully the life of someone he respects.
And then, Grandpa wakes up, but his memory is weird — he asks for his son (Pal-gang’s father), who is dead. Amnesia?
COMMENTS
I don’t really love stories where two brothers fall for the same girl — it’s too much mixing family and romance — but so far, Shin Dong-wook is definitely the guy to root for. He’s probably going to turn out to be that guy who is always nice to the girl but who gets trampled on, and if I were holding this drama to higher standards, I’d probably complain that he’s too perfect.
I feel like it’s My Love Patzzi all over again when I’m rooting for the wrong guy, but I’m fully prepared to accept Kang-ha’s turnaround when it comes later. It’s just that for now, Jun-ha’s where it’s at, yo! And come on — how sexy is he as the hurting, bitter drunk?
I love Pal-gang’s turnaround from the flighty, selfish thing she was in Episode 1, because we get to see her grow, stumbling her way into being an adult. She fumbles through her new responsibilities, and it’s amusing to see what clever ways she’ll come up with to get out of sticky situations.
Her relationship with Tae-kyu takes an unexpected turn when he turns from antagonist to admirer, but it’s hilarious. He’s mostly used for comic relief and his crush on Pal-gang happens rather suddenly, but I don’t mind that because Lee Kyun is adorable. The swiftness of his crush also adds to the comic effect, and I enjoy the fact that she has both younger men in the house on her side — so it’s really eight against one. Kang-ha is so outnumbered.
However, by and large, the heart of this drama is in the sibling relationships. Cho-rok’s crying out in the cold is particularly heart-tugging, as is No-rang’s breakdown when she’s caught, because these kids are shouldering burdens way too big for their little shoulders. They should be carefree kids, not worrying about where to get their next meal or what to do when they’re kicked out onto the streets.
And you have to give Pal-gang credit for trying. She’s not skilled and she doesn’t have a lot of options, but she’s trying her damnedest. Take, for instance, the above screencap: the kids say that Nam cries because he’s used to suckling when he goes to sleep, so she lets him suckle. There’s also the scene when she has to sit through a company dinner, and the co-workers urge her to help herself to the meat (which she usually loves). Today, she has difficulty eating, knowing that her siblings are hungry at home. This situation is not her fault, but she definitely feels guilty at not being able to provide for her family. Although we know that the Won brothers (probably) won’t kick Pal-gang and her siblings out into the cold, we still feel their desperation, and their acts of sacrifice carry a lot of poignance.
This family bonding extends to her friends, who have fully embraced this as “our” problem, not just Pal-gang’s. They try to think up ways to scrape together cash, and I gave Jin-ju serious points for stealing formula from her sister-in-law. This kind of banding together in crisis gives the drama its heartwarming charm.
On a story level, I like that secrets are rarely secrets for long, because it keeps the plot moving quickly. Now that the kids have all been discovered, where will the story go?
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Tags: Choi Jung-won, Kim Ji-hoon, Lee Kyun, Shin Dong-wook, Wish Upon a Star
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1 jm126
January 15, 2010 at 7:55 PM
YAY! I love recaps.
Wish Upon a Star is beginning to bore me.. The drama took a complete 180 degree & it's seriousness empowers the humor. But I'm still sticking with this because there's so many secrets surrounding this drama & I wanna see Kang-ha warm up so I can adore Kim Ji-hoon again :)
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2 kdxmel
January 15, 2010 at 8:03 PM
Thank you so much javabeans, for recapping 3 and 4!!! This show just keeps getting better and better, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!
It's difficult at this point to see Kangha turning around, for he acts like the a-hole very well, but we know he'll turn around, and the love triangle will surely sizzle. (hopefully it's a love rectangle with Taekyu still in the mix!)
I really can't wait to see what you thought of Pasta Ep 4. So far, WUAS is growing on me, whereas Pasta and the VOICE shouting is starting to wear thin, even if it is the VOICE. Gong Hyo-jin's absolutely charming to watch though!
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3 kaedejun
January 15, 2010 at 8:16 PM
i have to agree with you on your last sentence - i'm so happy to see the jig is up. it's more exciting that way. don't want to make a "you're beautiful" reference but i can't help it - it's much like how TK found out about MN's gender so soon. it's definitely more fun that way!
never say never! who knows - this series may become part of your recap collection!! =D
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4 Rayean
January 15, 2010 at 8:20 PM
JB, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I was ecstatic when I woke up this morning and saw that you had recapped ep 3&4!!!! Hopefully, ep 5&6 will be even better that you'll feel compelled to continue with your recaps!! Loved your insights as usual and agree with everything you've said!! Am definitely watching for Jun-ha, Pal-Gang and the kids who give such heart-warming scenes to the whole drama! So far, my favourite drama to kick off the year!
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5 Asarako
January 15, 2010 at 8:30 PM
Thank you for the recaff :bow:
i love the drama and make me love it even more. It make me laugh and sad and it make me forget how stress i am with work.
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6 bessi
January 15, 2010 at 8:31 PM
I was to pass this drama thank God I was so bored yesterday I decided to give it a try and its nice...I wanted her hair a bit shorter though like on the poster...I'm not really getting any chemistry with the leading guy and the younger brother looks really young for her and the rival woman looks 40 years to me so the casting is kinda weird for my taste.but the story is good .
I realize also that it looks like an older version of Your Beutiful living with three guys in one roof......and the characters are very similar in YB don't you think?
The big ups for me is the kids they are so cute and smart .
Actually the lead actress is kinda old for a 25 years old eventhough she's 28 she looks like 34 to me sorry maybe to white face makes you look older........
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7 marie
January 15, 2010 at 8:32 PM
Thank You so much for the recaps JB at the moment I am watching this show with minimal subs, therefore reading your recaps fills in the blanks for me. Thank you again for all your efforts to bring some joy into our lives.
I am loving this show it makes me laugh and cry, it has given me something to get hooked on to after YB.
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8 Icarusfalls
January 15, 2010 at 8:34 PM
Thanks for the recap.... I loved ep 3 and 4 of this drama. Can't wait for ep 5 and 6!!!
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9 amg01
January 15, 2010 at 8:42 PM
JB.. Thanks for your hard work, the kids in this drama are adorable, they broke my heart, as you said, kids at this age should not be worrying about where their next meal is coming from.... well lets hope you can keep the recaps.. Thanks again.. : O
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10 Sora
January 15, 2010 at 8:56 PM
you are the greatest. God bless you ^_^ Thanks.
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11 sukispop
January 15, 2010 at 8:58 PM
Thanks for the recap, JB! I appreciate it, especially since you weren't planning on it.
I've been watching this drama, since it seems ViiKii won't release Pasta until mid-February. I have to say, this drama has turned out to be better than I had expected.
I'm having difficulty finding any likeability in Kim Ji-hoon's Kang-ha. I know he's supposed to be a jerk(in the viewers' eyes), right now...but there's something about him and his facial expressions that make him(to me) a lot more dislikeable than any of the other jerk lead male roles that I've watched in dramas so far. I do like brother Jun-ha and nephew Tae-kyu, though, and look forward to seeing how their roles in the story develop. I also find Jae-young, as the second female(and antagonist), boring, uninteresting, and her personality flat.
On the other hand, I'm really liking Pal-gang, her brother Ju-hwang, and her sisters, Cho-rok and No-rang...wonderful acting by Choi Jung-won and these child actors. I've really enjoyed watching Pal-gang change(through baptism by fire) into this caring and selfless older sister. She was already pretty when she was flighty, selfish, and irresponsible...now, as a loving and caring protector of her young siblings, and even with her awful and ragged short hairdo, she is downright beautiful.
JB, I hope that you'll reconsider, follow this drama for a while longer, and provide us with more of your great recaps. And, if time constraints make doing so too difficult, would you consider getting one of your recap "helpers"(like Team Samsooki, for instance) to cover? Please? =)
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12
January 15, 2010 at 9:08 PM
Thank you for the recap! I think I'm already getting hooked on this series.
I'm curious to see where the show will go in terms of pairings. Jun-ha is definitely the typical "nice guys never finish first" second lead... except that he's already in love with a cold-blooded conniving witch. (I wasn't fond of her even before she got Pal-gang fired.) Makes you wonder about the guy's taste. I actually want him to fall in love with Pal-gang, even if it's unrequited, just so he'll learn to raise his standards a bit.
I would almost begin to suspect that it's the writers are planning on pulling a My Love Patzzi, except that Kang-ha is so cold he's going to have to warm up a bit. What makes it more interesting is that Pal-gang really does seem to have let him go completely. She doesn't expect warm or kindness from Kang-ha... which means that he's going to have to thaw on his own... and probably fall for her first.
Not to mention that the burdens seems to weight too heavy on Pal-gang's shoulders for her to ever be able to let her thoughts to turn to romance again. . . . Or maybe a better way to put it is that no man's love could possibly compete with her devotion to her family. Kang-ha (or perhaps Jun-ha, who knows!) will have to work hard to get her attention.
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13 Quaggy
January 15, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Ugh. I hate it when I forget to sign my name. (I was #12)
I forgot to add that one of my favorite moments was when after Tae-kyu (who almost becomes another kid that Pal-gang has to look after) gets knocked out and wakes up talking about ghosts, I love the look on Kang-ha's face when he's spraying Tae-kyu with what (to sober him up?) You can almost hear him thinking "I can't believe I'm doing this. Again."
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14 Eve
January 15, 2010 at 9:35 PM
I am liking this show but it's definitely one that I fast forward through. I am not too interested in anything that doesn't directly involve Pal-gang and her brood.
I also really want her hair cut like the style in the poster.... I'm randomly obsessed with it.
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15 sub
January 15, 2010 at 9:39 PM
i plan to be a silent lurker as usual, but i'm so surprised to see this that i just have to reply. yay for ep3-4!!
Thank you so much for continuing the recap. i knew you said you won't continue, but somehow, i still had a little hope for it to happen, because i'm watching the drama, and i find it so good, that i'm sure you'd be able to recap xD
and you know what? out of all the drama recaps you've written, this is the first that had made me want to watch the drama, (ok, maybe second after Story of a Man...but i only watch Story of a Man out of my curiosity on Chae Do Woo n i didn't even watch it entirely)
back to the topic, sure, the setting, characters n maybe plot for Wish Upon a Star is the conventional k-drama type. but then again, i find it to be refreshing in the midst of those trendy type kdramas or those that are too serious. what makes this drama appealing to me, is the little dash of twists here and there, and a warm, big heart that this drama holds, especially the relationship between Pal Gang's siblings n friends. i have a feeling all the guys will slowly fall for Pal Gang, but it's a nice twist that Tae Kyu is the first. lol. and i hope Jun Ha won't be heartbroken again n again, i'm so going to root for him for being such a sweetheart, haha...
i've only watch up to ep3 so far, because subs for ep4 is yet to be available...but there are some scenes that really make me wanna root for Pal Gang, like the office dinner where everyone made fun of her. i don't think the drama's mood entirely change, the funny moments are still there, just incorporated more appropriately with their sad life situation, i mean, they can't possibly be bubbly all the time living in that sort of life.
anyway, thank you so much again for this recap, i hope the next two episodes would be so awesome that you just can't resist to recap again xD
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16 anna
January 15, 2010 at 9:43 PM
So Jun-ha is another Jun-se oppa? T__T How unfortunate are these second leads??? If I have one like that in real life, I would never let them go.
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17 Celest
January 15, 2010 at 9:44 PM
I'm really glad that you decided to recap episodes 3 and 4 of this series. Wish Upon a Star, or as I like to call it "Stars Falling From The Sky" has become my new favorite drama of 2010. Hold on, don't crucify me Chuno lovers, I haven't watched Chuno yet. But I've seen most of the debuts already, JeJoongwon, Pasta and God of Study but surprisingly, I prefer to watch this instead. I believe it's because this drama has already pulled my heartstrings the way the other new dramas haven't.
That scene where PK decides to suckle NamHee, I busted out crying (phenomenal acting by actress Choi Jung Won). I also had tears in my eyes when ChoRok was out in the cold due to her selflessness and when NoRang who burns her foot but would rather keep her pain in than let her siblings get kicked out. The acting by the main actress and the kids are AMAZING. At first, I really really hated PK's character but now she's so admirable.
I too am on SDW's side just because the elder brother is such an ass. Even the clueless nephew is a million times better. But I suppose that's not really Kim Ji Hoon's fault as his character was written to be so cold. But it's TOO cold. Also would have to agree with your insights on the Jung Family. I would rather watch the kids acting but I can't fast forward in fear of missing out on the 'inheritance' part of the story.
BTW, this drama is lightning fast (so far!). So if you like fast paced, switch onto Team Rainbow!
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18 all4movies
January 15, 2010 at 9:44 PM
I hope they improve Kang-ha's hair.
It's really ugly because it looks like his hairline is receding so they've given him a hairpiece. Yuck.
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19 Bobo
January 15, 2010 at 9:45 PM
Thanks for the recap Javabeans. I'm enjoying this show so far too. The director totally exploits the little kids' cute crying faces every chance he can get, but gosh darnit, I fall for it every time. They are just too cute.
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20 Jo
January 15, 2010 at 10:00 PM
I watch it for the kids man. Everytime they cry, I always find myself bawling along with them. Its like Im watching this show just for them...and palgang of course.
Everyone else is so lackluster eueakgch
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21 sukispop
January 15, 2010 at 10:05 PM
@18 all4movies,
your quote: "It’s really ugly because it looks like his hairline is receding so they’ve given him a hairpiece. Yuck."
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who thought this! LOL
When I first saw him in this drama, I thought, "Man, that hairline is sooo artificial...that's gotta be a hairpiece!"...but I've seen at least one other photo of him, here on DB, and in that photo his hairline looks perfectly healthy, normal, and not receding. So, either that photo was taken a few years ago, before his hairline started to recede(and he started wearing a hairpiece)...or...his hairline hasn't receded, and it's just a bad, bad hairstyle that just makes his hairline look that way.
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22 maricor102
January 15, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Hi Javabeans!! this is my first time to comment on your page but i visited your sites a lot of times. i really like your recaps on the episodes especially on this one.. epsiodes 3&4 is like an emotional roller coaster for me..it made me laugh,cry,laugh again, cry again and starts to fall in love with the main characters & the kids..hopefully, the next coming episodes will have the same charm..thanks!!
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23 Auntiemame
January 15, 2010 at 10:47 PM
I'm also not interested in the parts related to that so-called Chae-bol family. It bores me to tears.
If it wasn't for the performance of the kids, I doubt that I would be watching this drama either.
Given that this is the writer that wrote "How To Meet a Perfect Neighbor", I think this drama is going to have the same twist and turns in the story.
And, my recollection is that this writer didn't have enough story to fill the 20 episodes in "HTMPN", so it dragged. I hope s/he has enough story to fill the 20 episodes for this drama.
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24 ar
January 15, 2010 at 10:56 PM
I'm so glad you decided to recap this! It helps with the addiction. Thank you! You have just reminded me of all the great poignant moments that made me love this drama. I thought it was going to be all trendy and humorous, but it has a nice mix of humor and drama- and the kind of drama that I do like. I'm a bit tired of love drama, so it's nice to see the sad parts happen not because the main characters can't get together, but because of the siblings' plight. It's is something so much bigger and more powerful than a love story.
The kids having to stay cooped up in the basement where they can't even see sunlight. Having to cover up the baby's mouth when he's crying. =*( and then that line Pal-gang says abt how she's relieved the baby has been found out so they don't have to cover his mouth anymore. =*( Chorok getting stuck in the freezing cold after helping out her brother. Norang begging Kangha not to kick them out. Juwang also trying to take responsibility for his younger siblings as the man of the house now that their father's dead. and little touches like Parang and Chorok having ambitions - Parang wants to be a doctor and Chorok a businesswoman- are also sad cuz they probably won't be able to afford the education (even though the audience knows it will work on in the end cuz it's only a drama). The part where Pal-gang was speaking to her mom while cleaning the toilet. and all the little instances of sacrifice and hardship you had mentioned. The suffering eyes of Choi Jung-won are one (two?) of the most beautifully sad things I've ever seen. seriously, Shin Dong wook and Kim Ji Hoon are like tertiary leads compared to Palgang and the kids. and is there a reason why they almost have matching oldschool hairstyles?
I'm both glad and upset that Kangha is such a bastard. I'm glad that the writers had the balls to make him so cold. I remember a taiwanese drama where they made the guy into a real bastard, but ruined it by repeatedly saying, starting from episode one, what a horrible childhood he had with flashbacks. But I'm also so upset that Kangha only gave Pal-gang a week. It's pretty obvious what she would have to do to get money to raise her family- being a hostess and subject herself to the unwanted attention of perverts.
I think Joonha is saved from being too perfect by being almost as equally dismissive of his rapscallion of a nephew (poor Tae-Kyu!). And that chairman's granddaughter- how can she speak of love and all that crap to her mother, but try to rip Pal-gang a new one for bringing in her baby orphaned brother?!
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25 anjell
January 15, 2010 at 11:40 PM
the reason i started watching this drama was because i had nothing else to watch...since there's some issue regarding licensing in viikii so i cannot watch chuno and god of study T.T.....anyweiz, to ease the "pain" and "frustration", i looked for another drama to watch and I found WUAS... ;) to my surprise, it really caught my interest and now i cannot wait to see the next episode! ^_____________^
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26 Emeldy
January 16, 2010 at 12:31 AM
thank you javabeans, this is my latest addict.
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27 hahafatgirl
January 16, 2010 at 1:43 AM
I actually think Kang Ha has a soft spot for Pal Gang. I thought he would be more resistant when he first found out she was to be the maid but he gave her a chance. He said he would throw her out if she was not to his liking but tolerated the bad food she made. He didn't kick her out when he first discovered the two kids. He even let her off the hook after finding out she was in his room and used his computer. I think he's just someone who doesn't like to show his emotions.
This drama is pretty addictive with the exciting cliff hangers at the end of each episode. I just hope it doesn't become predictable. I'm already anticipating the evil mom discovering Pal Gang's true identity first and trying to hide the truth from everyone while plotting to dismiss Pal Gang. I hope she can be as deliciously evil as the stepmom from Shining Inheritance.
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28 SaSSy
January 16, 2010 at 1:55 AM
Ditto, this is my latest addict too.
I find myself catching up drama in one sitting til dawn yesterday! It's been a roller coaster of laughter & tears, very heart-warming.
I wish it were Monday already!
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29 .....
January 16, 2010 at 2:33 AM
Who wants to bet that that her parents are still alive, somehow.
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30 rainerust
January 16, 2010 at 3:39 AM
I'm actually really addicted to this drama, mostly I think because of the siblings and their relationships with each other (sometimes, you can't help thinking, "If it were me, would I be able to be so unselfish?") and I love seeing Pal-gang grow. Kang-ha on the other hand...just does not really engage me, so I'm not too hung up over the romance, even if it's supposed to be a rom-com. This drama's got a few things going for it so I'll probably keep watching, if only to see what else unfolds.
Thought you weren't going to do the recap, but am so glad you did! Thanks JB! :) Awesome job, as always.
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31 Noor
January 16, 2010 at 5:00 AM
i like this drama more & more
Pal-gang character totally changed from ep 1 to 4
after taking the responsibility of her 5 siblings
the performance of the kids is great and so natural
they break my heart
hope their life become better
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32 dee
January 16, 2010 at 5:15 AM
thanks JB for the recaps, I know you said you might not continue recapping but I'm wishing you will.
i cried while watching ep 3 & 4, the kids have an high EQ so you can't help but be touch by them. I can really feel their fear and desperation. i can't wait for the next episodes.
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33 ci
January 16, 2010 at 7:35 AM
I'm sooooo going to be crushed when Jun ha doesn't get the girl. Poor Jun ha:(
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34 amg01
January 16, 2010 at 7:51 AM
Kang Shin-woo (you are B)
Fans...CNBLUE..( I am a Loner) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYxkeJQFDro
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35 myron
January 16, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Hey JB ...can i CLAIM Shin Dong Wook first before watching the drama?!
pretty pls.pls. luv..:(
Thank you!
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36 Rachael
January 16, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Huh. And here I was going to forget about this drama. Looks like I'll be on the look out for decent subs.
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37 Osamu
January 16, 2010 at 11:11 AM
I'll be honest I skipped the first episode ^_^ I saw excerpts of it and said ewwwww but I did watch episode 2 to 4 and its really good ^_^ I hope you continue to recap this series perhaps we are in for a ride of our lives ^_^
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38 daehae shi
January 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM
I thoroughly enjoyed this series so far. It has heartwarming storyline and I like
all characters cast in this series. Definetly continue to watch it to the end.
Fighting!
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39 Brandi
January 16, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Like many of the above, I was going to abandon this one, but then I read your recaps on eps 1 and 2, and gave it a chance. What really kept me going were the kids. Most the other characters in this drama bore me, especially the chaebol family. I skip through their scenes. I'm almost disappointed that this is a rom-com and I wonder if they will work in the fact that Pal-gang has decided not to be a "woman" anymore. (There was a scene in ep2, I think, where she cuts of her hair and says that she's not a woman anymore, but a mother.) Anyway, I'm especially interested to see what happens to the kids later, so I think I can stand the other characters for a while.
The only scene that made me cry was the one where she was in the bathroom, talking to her mom. That was just heart-wrenching. Whenever my mom's always trying to teach me to cook a dish or something, and I'm always going 'but you know how to do it, why don't you do it?' And I was thinking about what would happen if I didn't have my mom to do to things.
Love Jung-ha! Sometimes I wish a kdrama would surprise us and go "second lead is way too good, let's just make her end up with him." Or maybe make the first lead be the good guy and the second lead be the bad guy in a way that makes it seem like he's the first lead. Seriously, why do good guys always finish last in kdramas?
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40 oi
January 16, 2010 at 11:51 AM
Thanks for recapping this drama. I started to watch this drama, thinking it would be light and funny, because of the poster with the kids. At first disappointed with the all the sad stuff going on, but now I like this drama very much. Gets better when rewatching it. The kids are so adorable. Can't wait to see how bad boy will change his mind about Palgang and how she will inherit everything.
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41 su-pah
January 16, 2010 at 12:02 PM
JB - Yaaay!!!
I agree with the majority here, hope you find the rest of the drama worth recapping too. As I was watching these two episodes and the story was gaining momentum, and sighed and thought 'she won't bother racapping, however awesome the story's getting...'' but you did! W00t!
Love your comments and totally agree!
By My Love Patzzi, you mean you were rooting for Kim Rae Won? Me tooo! xD
And here, I'm totally team Shin Dong Wook!
I understand what you mean about fast fordwarding parts but I couldn't do that in episodes 3 and 4.
Her friends are far to funny, like when they're encouraging her to seduce Kang-ha and sound absolutely ludicrous but hilarious and then that coupon-fiend guy who treats them to dinner! I don't usually take to such characters but he was class!
The chaebol family: Jae Young and her dad make me cringe! But Lady Macbeth is played by actress Jung Ae Ri, who just happens to be one of my fave actresses from all the ahjummas. She's a powerhouse of an actress, though I'm not enjoying her role here, I am hoping she can engage me somehow further into the drama. For her I will keep some interest vested in the characters outside of the Jin brood (and obviously the Wons).
@ 27 hahafatgirl
I agree, as cold and aloof as he is, we did see slight glimpses into his personality in ep4. First the flashback of the other girl, then the expression on his face as he's watching Pal Kang attending to No-rang's foot, and as No-rang is pleading with tears that they don't get kicked out. I definitely saw a flicker of humanity on that otherwise cold face. But no sooner does that look wash across his face, he walks off in a huff. As if defying his own feelings.
Aww, Kang-ha, you DO care, you just don't want to show it!
I like that Pal Kang is so totally over KH and has faaar more important things to tend to. Hah!
At least for now, while her situation's still desperate, obviously romance will develop at some point in the rest of the 16 episodes. I'm just glad it's not yet.
The part where she's crying in the bathroom, slef-deprecating over her lack of skill as a housekeeper, was heartbreaking and it's very real. None of us are naturally skilled in what we think is menial housework, it's something that comes about with time and effort.
Besides, I know what our Eastern mothers are like about our lack of skill when it comes to housework! Especially when we've lived under their wings too long hehe!
Also, phenomenal acting all around, especially the kids! Just so talented! :*(
Edit: OMG! This comment is far too long!
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42 majata
January 16, 2010 at 2:05 PM
will this drama be subtitled by any group?
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43 nycgrl
January 16, 2010 at 3:03 PM
Man I completely forgot about Shin dong Wook since soulmate. He totally deserves to be leading guy.
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44 KdramaWave
January 16, 2010 at 3:12 PM
This is the best series I've seen this far. I will ignore any ranting going on here, if there is any! This is great, thanks for the review and can't wait til next episode!!!
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45 sam
January 16, 2010 at 4:28 PM
Palgang looks like Ms Lee Young Ae especially in the picture when she's "Mimi".
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46 Z
January 16, 2010 at 4:29 PM
I have fun with this drama... even though it's a little on the morbid side right now I'm guessing it'll lighten up now that all five cats are out of the bag, so to speak. I'm hoping they give us a good reason to like the main lead because right now he's just a jerk with unflattering hair. I hate when they make the main lead sooooo very mean and the second lead sooooo very nice because it's totally unbelievable when the girl picks him. I mean, who really sticks around to be verbally abused all the time? I know that a main theme in all these dramas is that you can't control love, it just hits you and you can never, ever get over it ever but still... it's often quite a stretch.
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47 Penn
January 16, 2010 at 6:49 PM
I'm running out of tears because of this drama. Pal-gang and kids are just breaking my heart. How in the world can their mother withdraw the life insurance money! I know she's kind-hearted but it was pure stupidity to not think of the kids future. I can't wait until next week. I hope Kang-ha's character improve soon. His stoic attitude is annoying to me. The man is lacking emotions even when he's suppose to be mad.
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48 Balletgoddess
January 16, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Aww I think this drama is heart-warming and just too cute!!! I really hope it remains a good show to the end!!! I totally saw foreshadowing in the scene when "Jun-ha scoffs that he’s never taken anything from his brother. (Kang-ha agrees, saying to himself, “Yeah, I was always the one stealing things from you.”)"Ohhhh I can't wait for Monday and Tuesday = ) yeaaa for K-dramas to take my mind off of DUMB American reality series!!!!
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49 mymymai
January 16, 2010 at 7:42 PM
Thanks for the Recap, DB! I'm finding this drama to be very addicting and it really pulls at your heartstrings with the family unity theme. I'm beginning to suffer withdrawal syndromes when there's no new episode each day. lol
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50 epyc
January 16, 2010 at 9:19 PM
This is a surprisingly Ok drama, at least for the first 4 episodes which I watched through in one go last night! Addictive in fact. The kids are really the drawcard. Both Choi Jung Won and Shin Don Wook are doing a fine job here but I'm not too sure if Kim Ji Hoon could pull of the cold man turning warm charm.
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