Wish Upon a Star: Episode 12
by javabeans
(Awwww. And look at the little-boy slippers next to the grown-up ones!)
A very good episode for Pal-gang, I thought. Is it strange to feel proud of fictional characters for making mature decisions and being levelheaded? That sounds like it ought to be boring stuff, but on the contrary, it’s really satisfying to watch her grow and actually be the voice of sense.
SONG OF THE DAY
Serengeti – “Hello, Bye…” [ Download ]
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
EPISODE 12 RECAP
As Kang-ha leans in to kiss Pal-gang, she cringes in shock and bursts out nervously, “What are you doing?!”
Kang-ha stops and pulls away sharply. He grumbles/roars (groars?) in frustration, angry with himself for this lapse of judgment. He staggers in the house to his room, where he stews in self-loathing.
Unable to sleep, Pal-gang heads to the kitchen to get some housework done, where she runs into Jun-ha. She explains that working is the best way to settle an uneasy mind.
Jun-ha asks why her mind would be troubled, and she hedges, not feeling comfortable sharing. He prods her — aren’t they secret-sharing buddies? — so she lies that it’s work-related. Jun-ha knows there’s something more, so he requests, “Don’t keep secrets from me. It discourages the person trying to come closer.”
In the morning, Kang-ha acts normal — well, normal for himself, which is stiff and cool. Saying that he drank too much last night, he asks Pal-gang if they had met in front of the house. Seeing that he doesn’t recall their almost-kiss, she answers no — they didn’t meet.
It’s the answer that is most comfortable for both, but Kang-ha is uncharacteristically upset by it. It makes him so angry as he drives that he has to pull over with a sudden dangerous swerve.
Kang-ha’s mother finds him at the office again, berating him for being so rude as to hang up on her. She promises that this is really the last time she’ll ask for his help, which is probably what she said the last time.
Kang-ha ignores her and walks on by, but his mother calls after him in a veiled threat, “Lawyer Won, we’ll be seeing each other frequently.”
Jae-young asks Chairman Jung for help marrying Kang-ha. She’s embarrassed to resort to begging for Grandpa’s interference, but she has only ever loved Kang-ha and doesn’t want to lose him. The chairman holds sway over Kang-ha, and surely he could talk on her behalf.
The chairman feels that this is a matter best left for the two to figure out on their own, but gives it a try for his granddaughter’s sake. Calling Kang-ha in for a chat, he asks how he feels about Jae-young, suggesting that they’d be a good match and wondering if he could be persuaded to agree. Kang-ha is polite but firm: He’s sorry, but he’s never seen Jae-young as a woman.
After being assured by Kang-ha that the wage garnishment would leave her with minimum living expenses, she anxiously checks her bank account to see how much she has been allotted. She half-expects there to be nothing, so it’s shocking to see the full amount: 1,649,574 won, or about $1,400. Pal-gang protests that this isn’t right — it’s too much. Something’s wrong.
Jang-soo diverts their attention with something even more interesting. He had looked into Pal-gang’s parents’ car accident and found something curious. Although the accident wasn’t caught on CCTV, footage does show that the car was being tailed by a truck. Jang-soo doesn’t think it’s as simple as a hit and run — considering that this accident happened in a location where there were no CCTV cameras, there may be more behind it.
Meeting with her creditor, Pal-gang finds out that her wage garnishment has been canceled. Since the creditor promised Kang-ha not to say anything about his role in this, the man has no problems making himself sound heroic, explaining that he pulled some strings at his office. After seeing Pal-gang caring for a baby, he felt moved by sympathy — after all, is he not also human, with warm human emotions? Therefore, he told his office that this was not right, that she was trustworthy enough to pay back her card debt reliably if they but gave her the chance.
Moved, she jumps to her feet and bows in gratitude, thanking him with tears in her eyes: “I won’t forget this for the rest of my life!”
On her walk back, she’s filled with new energy and vows to herself, “You’ve got to do well, Jin Pal-gang. With everyone helping you like this, you’ve got to keep a clear head and do a good job.”
But of course, Murphy’s Law dictates that just as her future brightens, she must be hit with a big obstacle. An angry policyholder calls her, outraged at the company’s response following the death of his wife. The company says that the signature on the policy does not belong to the (deceased) policyholder, and therefore they refuse to pay out the life insurance. Pal-gang apologizes earnestly and promises to look into it, but the man is not appeased. He warns that he has been badly misused and will take this to court.
In a dither, Pal-gang bursts into Kang-ha’s office. (He gripes, “Has it become a habit for you to burst in like this?”) Pal-gang gets right to the point: The company paid for the patient’s hospitalization, but because the patient’s handwriting wasn’t on the contract, they won’t pay the life insurance. How can they pay one but not the other?
Kang-ha answers that the first scenario doesn’t require an investigation of the signature. He asks sharply who it was that signed the contract if not the claimant. With trepidation, Pal-gang answers that she did. But there was good reason for it — the deceased client had hurt her hand, so she had held the patient’s hand and helped sign the form.
Jun-ha starts to speak up, but Kang-ha (already feeling short-tempered in matters relating to Pal-gang) barks at him to butt out. He says that Pal-gang should have known better, and that such a signature wouldn’t hold up legally. Pal-gang swears that she’s telling the truth, that the client had signed — what was she supposed to do in that situation when the signer had hurt her hand? Kang-ha fires back that she shouldn’t have made the contract, or waited until the client could sign.
He says coldly, “You feel like you’re doing this all for the client’s benefit, don’t you? Coming to the company lawyer and demanding the impossible — it’s all for the client, right? Don’t mistake the matter — one small mistake on your part can yield a cruel result for the client. Now leave.”
Jun-ha consoles her, offering to look into possible alternatives. But dully, she replies that Kang-ha is right: “I’m always doing this. He’s right that I don’t think from the client’s perspective. I was just thinking of my record. I did briefly think that a problem might arise because it was a big insurance policy, but I ignored it. The client asked whether it would be better to wait until her hand healed to sign, but I insisted. I said it would be no problem, that I would take care of it.”
With self-recrimination, she remembers that she had been thinking of going to the hair salon afterward to give herself a nice hairdo, like the one worn by the woman Kang-ha was with.
Jun-ha eyes her sympathetically, saying, “The problem is my brother, then.” She says, “No. The problem was always me.”
Chairman Jung tells Jae-young that he had spoken with Kang-ha, but doesn’t have the news she was hoping for. He tells her philosophically that it isn’t meant to be, and that she should let go. Jae-young protests, “But I can’t let him go.” She doesn’t even know how to turn her affections to someone else, having only loved Kang-ha for so long.
Tae-kyu had told Pal-gang that he will gather his friends for another policy pitch session, and he calls her to the bar that evening. Kang-ha sits alone in silence when, suddenly, a glass of water is thrown into his face.
It’s Jae-young, angry that her grandfather was placed in the demeaning position of becoming her emissary. For some reason, in Jae-young’s mind this justifies taking it out on Kang-ha rather than herself. Even Kang-ha has to give an incredulous laugh — why’d she make that happen, then?
She insists, “Because I can’t be without you! Did you have to go that far and be that cruel? You had to say that you wouldn’t want me even if we were the last two on earth? You couldn’t just say you’d think about it?”
Kang-ha replies, “I didn’t want to say that to him. I can’t lie to an elder who cares for me.”
Kang-ha leaves the bar, but Jae-young doesn’t know when to quit and follows him up, ignoring Jun-ha’s attempts to hold her back. She’s so persistent that she pushes Kang-ha into shouting, “Stop it!”
Kang-ha: “No matter how much you act like this, I won’t change.”
Jae-young: “What do I have to do?”
Kang-ha: “There’s nothing you can do. No matter what you do, I can’t make myself love you! Do you know why? Because I don’t have a heart. So please don’t just waste time. I’m saying this for your benefit, since I think of you as a sister.”
Jae-young: “Should I die? Should I take pills and die? Then will you change?”
Kang-ha: “Don’t mess around with a valuable life. Not for a man like me.”
Kang-ha walks away, and Jae-young calls after his retreating back — fine, she won’t make demands of him, so can’t he just stay with her? Jae-young slumps to the ground: “It’s okay if I’m just your sister, if I’m not a woman to you.” She doesn’t want to live without him.
Jae-young seeks comfort from Jun-ha, who holds her as she cries. She asks him sadly to do something about Kang-ha, because “I feel like dying.”
Jun-ha answers, “I’m in the middle of trying. I’m trying to do everything I can for you.”
Pal-gang had turned the corner (on her way to meet Tae-kyu’s friends) in time to catch the end of the Jae-young’s exchange with Kang-ha, and now watches Jun-ha holding her.
Jun-ha’s admission explains Episode 11, and thankfully, Pal-gang has now seen him with Jae-young. (I’m hoping this means she won’t harbor any confusion about his feelings in the future, despite his nice words. Her reaction suggests that she feels hurt — not because Jun-ha likes another woman, but because she feels used.)
At home, Tae-kyu scolds Pal-gang for not coming to meet his friends. She’s feeling conflicted and confused, and tries to answer him calmly. However, he continues to complain, not noticing her mood, and she loses her patience, raising her voice: “Woo Tae-kyu! Stop it.” First off, stop calling her “jagi” — she’s not his girlfriend, and she’s told him that over and over again. “I’m not your toy!”
Tae-kyu is taken aback at her sudden outburst, and says he’s never seen her as a toy.
Pal-gang tells Tae-kyu that his treatment of her is insulting to her, just as Kang-ha walks up the pathway outside toward the front door. As he approaches, he can hear the raised voices just inside as Pal-gang asserts, “I’m not someone you can just treat carelessly. I’m a person too!”
Poor Tae-kyu, who has been caught in her anger without any warning. Bewildered, he asks, “When did I not see you as a person?” Pal-gang warns, “Don’t use me in your emotional sport.” Tae-kyu slips and calls her “jagi” again, so she returns, “I said don’t call me ‘jagi’! At the end of a month, I’m going to leave this house if it kills me. So please don’t grab onto me, and just leave me alone! No matter what, I’m going to take my siblings and leave!”
Kang-ha doesn’t realize Jun-ha is standing there, also overhearing this exchange, until he turns and comes face to face with him. In the wake of Pal-gang’s hurt outburst, he tells Jun-ha, “I’m warning you. Just leave that woman alone.” Jun-ha challenges, “And if I don’t want to?” Kang-ha replies, “You heard her. Even if she appears dumb, she knows everything worth knowing. And she’s moving out in a month. So until then, don’t do a thing to her.”
Jun-ha answers, “She may leave this house, but I won’t let her leave alone with her siblings.” This provokes Kang-ha’s anger, and he grabs Jun-ha’s shirt: “Do you think I don’t know why you’re doing this?” The implication is that it’s because of Kang-ha, and Jun-ha admits that at first it did have something to do with Kang-ha. However, now it’s turning into something of its own.
Even if Tae-kyu has never meant anything harmful, Pal-gang’s words have a ring of truth, and he asks Jun-ha if the way he treats her might make her feel bad. Could it look like he’s just playing around?
Jun-ha: “Do you know what the most loving way to treat the person who doesn’t love you? Not loving them either.”
In a friendly tone, Jun-ha asks Pal-gang to join him for coffee. However, she is feeling tired from the night’s events and answers in a cool, detached voice, thanking him for taking her side and helping her: “There are many things I’m grateful enough to cry about. I may be thankful to tears, but I can’t be your source of amusement.”
Jun-ha turns more serious as he says, “I’ve had a lot of girlfriends. Because I couldn’t be harsh, I couldn’t reject the women who approached me. But I’ve never approached a woman first.” Perhaps he thinks this will make him more believable, but Pal-gang is skeptical: “Why do you have to go that far for a nobody like me? Why would you? Don’t you think it’s strange? I don’t have enough time to spend stopping such odd behavior. I’m so busy with the work that I love that I don’t have the chance to worry about other things. So please seek out someone who does have the time.”
This is a clear rebuff, but Jun-ha isn’t going to give up. He just answers, “I’ll need a lot of time, then. I can’t be harsh, but I’m patient.”
Pal-gang takes out the trash, and sees Kang-ha sitting outside in the cold. She tells him to go inside and passes by, whereupon he grabs her wrist. She flinches, as though bracing herself for his words.
Kang-ha tells her, “I’m sorry. For last night’s mistake, and acting like I didn’t remember.” She replies, “What’s the big deal about that? I know that last night I was nothing more to you than a girl sitting next to you in a room salon. So don’t worry about it.”
He insists, “I may be mean but I’m not that bad!”
This is the first time I felt that Pal-gang may be starting to feel for Kang-ha as well, because she looks back at him and answers, “You’re making a mistake. You should have just pretended you didn’t remember.” (It’s as though she would have felt better — more able to leave in a month, as she reminds herself she’ll have to do — if she could ignore the moment and think that he doesn’t care for her at all.)
As she continues on her way, Kang-ha bursts out, “It bothers me. It just… keeps bothering me. Because of you, I keep feeling bothered.” While this isn’t the same thing as a confession of feelings, it’s the first step — the word used (“bothering”) refers to a preoccupation with thoughts you can’t get rid of, or a feeling of uncomfortable awareness.
However, Pal-gang chooses to deliberately misunderstand the usage of “bother” and addresses him politely: “I guess so. You have a strange housemaid like me, so it’s natural that you would feel bothered. Just for a month — no, there’s not even a month left — please put up with me, even if I get on your nerves.”
Aww… I’m simultaneously proud of Pal-gang and sorry for Kang-ha — it’s the first time he extends a hand, and it’s rejected. But we get another sign that she doesn’t actually mean her words fully, because once she’s out of sight, Pal-gang lets tears fall.
Tae-kyu approaches hesitantly, this time addressing her by the more appropriate “Pal-gang-sshi.” She tells him to call her noona instead, and apologizes for getting angry at him — she was upset with something else and had taken in out on him.
Tae-kyu tells her what Jun-ha had said about not loving one who doesn’t love you back: “But I don’t think I can do that. I wanted to tell you that.”
While Kang-ha broods alone, Pa-rang sleepwalks into the room. It’s adorable how he remains asleep and heads right for the bed, and this time Kang-ha pulls back the covers to allow Pa-rang to climb into bed.
Patting Pa-rang on the head, Kang-ha wonders, “What kind of people were your parents? If I was born to parents like yours, I wouldn’t be like this now, would I?”
Kang-ha covers him with the blanket, then lies down on his side, facing the boy. He adds, “If I showed my feelings, I was always hit. So after a certain point, I couldn’t show them anymore.”
True to her threat, Kang-ha’s mother is once again in the lobby waiting for Kang-ha the next morning. She notes that he’s stronger than his father, who would always cave immediately whenever she threatened to come by to the office. Seeing that her methods aren’t working, she manages to break through Kang-ha’s stoic demeanor by asking, “Doesn’t your brother work here too?”
He grabs her arm, asking if she really wants to see her only son dying. Airily, Mom answers that she understands business well enough to know that she’d better not mess with his Achilles heel. Still, a person can become awfully unpredictable when backed into a corner: “Don’t put your mother into that position.”
Next, Kang-ha’s mother breezes into the office of Min-kyung, and it’s clear they’re very familiar with each other. In fact, Kang-ha’s mother had once taken in Min-kyung, although the latter had to do the laundry and menial chores to earn her keep. (This makes me think they were both bar hostesses or some such.)
They both harbor a mutual disdain for the other woman, which manifests in the form of passive-aggressive barbs at each other. I swear, it’s like Smug and Smugger with these two. When Kang-ha’s mother threatens to go around to all of Min-kyung’s usual haunts to chat about her past (a veiled attempt to extort some cash, perhaps), Min-kyung replies that everyone already knows about her. It’s a nice aspect about living with your past in the open — there’s no reason to feel nervous.
Jae-young walks in and recognizes the woman, following her out to ask why she came looking for Kang-ha. Min-kyung leads her daughter away, but Jae-young keeps pestering her mother about the woman until the latter finally says, “She’s Kang-ha’s birth mother, okay? Do you know why I hate Kang-ha so much? It’s because he’s the son of a woman like her.”
Chairman Jung had heard from Pal-gang about her client’s problem, and now makes the executive order to settle the case. He tells Kang-ha to pay out the policy because the company’s employee made the mistake. Therefore, the company should take responsibility.
Pal-gang remains unaware of this and busily works at the funeral wake, doing the only thing she can think of to help. The widower is still furious and orders her to leave because he doesn’t even want to see her face. However, his mood changes when he answers a phone call informing him about the insurance company’s decision. He hangs up and asks Pal-gang what she had told her company, because they’ve agreed to pay the policy without additional investigation.
Ecstatic, Pal-gang bursts into Kang-ha’s office (he mutters, “This really is a habit now”) and thanks him.
He informs her that he had nothing to do with it — a higher-up made the decision and he was just following instructions. Pal-gang doesn’t buy it, saying he’s just being humble, and thanks him anyway.
Kang-ha repeats that he didn’t do anything, but Pal-gang is undaunted (no doubt used to his brusque ways). She leaves the office in a giddy mood, chuckling to herself.
Jun-ha catches her in the hallway and comments that she must have good news. Pal-gang’s smile fades and she avoids his eye as she tells him the case worked out.
Jun-ha notices her avoidance and asks why. Pal-gang responds, “It’s because I think of the lawyer, you, and Tae-kyu only as my employers.”
Suspicious, Jun-ha asks his brother if he took care of Pal-gang’s client — does he want to be some benevelent Daddy Long Legs figure? That’s not really his thing, and he should refrain from such acts in the future.
Kang-ha: “And if I can’t? If I don’t want to?”
Jun-ha: “What are you doing?”
Kang-ha: “What do you think?”
Jun-ha: “Has your competitive spirit come out again? Have you been provoked into playing the game of who will win over the lovely girl first? But Jin Pal-gang isn’t enough of a great catch to inspire you to feel competitive. I’m not interested in playing a game, so back off this time.”
Kang-ha: “You said yourself that this was the first time you’ve seen me speaking so much because of a woman, or getting angry.”
Jun-ha: “So?”
Kang-ha: “I wondered why I was like that. I want to find out the reason for it — so why don’t you back off?”
Jun-ha: “You have Jae-young, who loves you to death.”
Kang-ha: “Then she’ll need your comfort.”
Jun-ha: “Wake up.”
Kang-ha: “I think you’re the one who needs to wake up. Think carefully why you’ve turned your attention to Jin Pal-gang.”
Eun-mal and Jin-ju come by the house, and Eun-mal teaches Pal-gang how to make kimchi, which is a big hit with everyone. When Eun-mal goes to use the bathroom, she runs right into Grandpa Jung — and she, unlike Pal-gang, immediately recognizes him as the chairman of JK.
He speaks with her in private to ask her to cooperate (i.e., keep his identity a secret). He’s watching over Pal-gang to make sure she’s getting along okay. When she and Jin-ju leave the house, Eun-mal says that Pal-gang will be fine now (though she can’t explain why to Jin-ju).
That evening, Pal-gang prepares a lavish dinner spread, wanting to thank Kang-ha for helping with her insurance case. After sitting down and being served, the family digs in. Seeing that Pal-gang is still standing, he invites her to sit down. She declines politely, saying that it’s about time for Nam to wake. Kang-ha suggests that if she leaves the door to her room open, they’ll be able to hear when he wakes.
This is much more solicitious than he has been in the past, and Cho-rok asks her sister, “Doesn’t he seem a little strange today?” No-rang replies (loyal to the last!) that Jun-ha must have rubbed off on him.
That evening, Pal-gang brings Kang-ha his tea (and is proud of herself for knocking for once). Hesitantly, she asks if she can change the bedsheets now because she’d forgotten earlier. With uncharacteristic politeness, he tells her to go ahead. As she works, Kang-ha watches with a curious expression on his face, although he turns away quickly when she faces him.
Pal-gang bids him good night, but Kang-ha stops her by mentioning her contract, which gives her a month to stay in this house. Kang-ha proposes, “I’d like to extend the duration of the contract. Would that be possible?”
COMMENTS
As I said, I felt proud of Pal-gang for sticking to her professionalism. She’s being approached by Tae-kyu, then Jun-ha, and now even Kang-ha and her life is difficult enough without all of these complications. In order devote herself to motherhood, she has to stick to the lines she’s drawn, and they keep stepping over them and smudging them without a care for her feelings, as she points out to Tae-kyu. I like that she is firm with Jun-ha even though he seems to be the worst offender in disregarding her feelings. (Tae-kyu can be inconsiderate, but he’s harmless and Pal-gang recognizes that. Jun-ha is more of a danger, because he knows exactly what he’s doing and is smart and manipulative.)
I don’t know if Pal-gang has feelings for Kang-ha yet, because it could just be that she’s exhausted from all this emotional toying. It’s probably easier for her to lump all three men together and to consider their so-called affections as either false or fleeting, rather than trying to deal with each difficult man one by one. But her reaction after brushing Kang-ha off suggests that he affects her more than the other two.
I’m okay with Pal-gang not knowing for sure, because neither does Kang-ha, and I appreciate that he doesn’t jump to conclusions and decide he must be in love with Pal-gang. Instead, he’s feeling his way around his emotional reactions, and he tells Jun-ha that he’s trying to figure out the reason for his response to Pal-gang. He has a clue, but he’s testing things out carefully.
Kang-ha’s moment with sleepwalking Pa-rang confirms that he feels a connection to the boy, and I wonder if Kang-ha sees himself in Pa-rang. He wonders wistfully if he could have turned out like Pa-rang with loving parents, but conversely, I think he also wants to prevent Pa-rang from turning into himself.
As for Jun-ha….
I think some will disagree with this, but I actually think that in light of this episode, Shin Dong-wook has been doing a very good job keeping tabs on what his character should feel and convey, which are not always the same thing. Episode 11 had us all confused about his motivations, but I think we were supposed to wonder until this episode cleared things up.
Example: We all felt Jun-ha was being shifty and scheming in Episode 11, because his dialogue was delivered with that faux-sincerity that made us wonder what his real deal was. If he was supposed to be sincere, I think he would have acted it a much different way, rather than deliberately evasive and suspicious. Even when he told Kang-ha that he’s for real — and said so fervently — his little side smirks to himself told us that he wasn’t quite on the level.
THEN, in the scene with Jae-young in this episode, those ambiguities fell away and all of a sudden he seemed sincere; I immediately believed that THIS is the real Jun-ha. Perhaps your interpretation will be different, but his acting showed such a stark contrast in that scene that it left me no doubts.
I think Jun-ha is an inherently nice guy, but right now Jae-young is his Number 1. Therefore, if he hurts other people, that’s regrettable but not going to stop him from doing what he can to make her happy. So I interpret Jun-ha’s actions to mean that he is trying to woo Pal-gang to keep her out of Kang-ha’s way, and if he can prevent those two from bonding, Jae-young has a better shot at realizing her love. (If Tae-kyu won Pal-gang, that would have suited him fine, too, but once that fizzled, he had to make sure to keep Pal-gang wrapped up with someone else. Hence his advances.)
However, I do suspect Jun-ha will fall victim to his own machinations — a sort of Dangerous Liaisons twist.
RELATED POSTS
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 11
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 10
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 9
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 8
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 7
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 6
- Wish Upon a Star: Episode 5
- Wish Upon a Star: Episodes 3-4
- Wish Upon a Star: Episodes 1-2
- The new Monday-Tuesday lineup: First impressions
Tags: Choi Jung-won, Kim Ji-hoon, Lee Kyun, Shin Dong-wook, Wish Upon a Star
Interview with Kim Yoo-jung
Hello Dramabeans series
![[2022 Year in Review] The Bean Count](https://www.dramabeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/beancount_2022.png)
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 gia
February 10, 2010 at 10:28 PM
best episode ever,
thank for recap
Required fields are marked *
2 estel
February 10, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Yay!!!! I've been eagerly anticipating the next installment. :)
Omo, the scene with KH and Pa-rang seriously made me tear up, and I never cry in dramas. KH was so broken, and he was so cute with PR! It struck me today as I was showering (I know, weird place to be contemplating dramas), that KH is really the only one of the guys to be forming real relationships with the kids on an individual level...TG and JH are both nice to the kids as a whole, but don't really have one-on-one relationships with them like KH has with the two boys. I can't wait to see the girls (not to mention Pal-gang!) warm up to him. :)
Thanks, JB, for another lovely recap! I really appreciate your hard work and time.
Required fields are marked *
3 Ena
February 10, 2010 at 10:41 PM
Been waiting for this recap. This is my favorite episode.
Ifly JB.
<3
Required fields are marked *
4 smash
February 10, 2010 at 10:42 PM
i got confuse about Jun-ha's feelings I think the writers are too excited about the love squaretangle hehehe not 3 but 4 people...they wanted to have that twist at the end but they made a mistakes and confuse us viewrers he definitely is inlove with the jaeyoung but is he playing with palkang to get to his older bro???
And about KAngha whats up with Palgang having feeling with Junha and not having any for his first love I think the writers are twisted hello shes been inlove with the guy for 5 years and ignoring Junha forever and now it shifted dramatically...
I don't like how the writers plays withe the love thing its very confusing.........
Required fields are marked *
5 tina
February 10, 2010 at 10:45 PM
i haven't watched the episode yet, so i kind of just went straight to the comments to say this and this will sound really shallow but...
O MY GOD THAT FIRST PIC = MUSCLES. WUT. *jawdrop*
and now i shall eagerly wait for the episode.
Required fields are marked *
6 daisies
February 10, 2010 at 10:45 PM
woww. thanks!
back to back WUAS recaps :D
i was completely confused by junha and what his motivations exactly were but now that we know, it irks me to see that the reason is the god-awful jaeyoung.
ugh.
Required fields are marked *
7 kay
February 10, 2010 at 10:46 PM
heart your recaps!
i enjoyed the episode a lot bc it confirmed how much of a better pairing pal gang and kang ha are. in the scene where kang ha yells at her about the contract...and jun ha's attempt to console her. kang ha will provide that reality check while jun ha just offers empty words. but like you said, it's awesome to see her grow up and own up to her mistakes.
Required fields are marked *
8 inuyasha
February 10, 2010 at 10:49 PM
I was waiting for this.. thanks so much.. shock at the last part.. wonder if she will take on the propose or not..
Required fields are marked *
9 Dodo
February 10, 2010 at 10:50 PM
I love this drama! thanks so much for the recaps! i love it when someone feels the same way I do about a drama =]
Required fields are marked *
10 annie
February 10, 2010 at 10:52 PM
oh thank you! thanks!!!!!!! love yaaaaaaa~
Required fields are marked *
11 djeedjes
February 10, 2010 at 10:53 PM
Oh thank you for recap, Javabeans.
As a only child, I always wonder how to have siblings. I may never fully understand Pal Gang's change of character, how she feels responsible toward her siblings...but this story touches my heart so bad. I admire her courage, because like Ju Hwang ever said, she could be just leave the kids at the orphanage.
This year's dramas are awesome. I guess 2010 will pass 2008 as the best Kdramas year I've ever experienced, and we even haven't pass February yet.
Required fields are marked *
12 Kiohpi
February 10, 2010 at 10:54 PM
It really is TRULY satisfying to watch the episode and then to read your recaps straight after!! Thanks JB, I hope you'll continue loving the drama!
Required fields are marked *
13 alert
February 10, 2010 at 10:55 PM
Thanks JB for the recap! I knew you'd put that pic of Pa rang and Kang Ha on top! It's just too cute!
I remember in one of your recaps that you mentioned the similarities between Pa Rang and Kang Ha, and Pa Rang and Pal Gang. And how Pa Rang is like a kid version of Pal Gang - always speaks what's in the mind, careless, but in a harmless way, and always caught people off guard. I teared up too at Pa Rang sleepwalking scene, and Kang Ha's confession.. and somehow, I thought it's as if he's trying to reason himself to Pal Gang instead, but couldn't seem to find the right word when he met her at the porch before, so Pa Rang is the next best thing to Pal Gang. It's so sad *but wish I'm in the bed instead of Pa Rang ahhaha*
Required fields are marked *
14 ausming
February 10, 2010 at 10:58 PM
yup, agree that PK is more affected by KH than TG or JH.
As for JH, think he's got more up his sleeves than the JY reason. No, wish that there will be more otherwise I cannot buy into his 'doing this for JY' motivation. She's such a freaky, yukky, loathsome etc character.
In any case, thanks for the great recap.
Required fields are marked *
15 GeeNie
February 10, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Thank you for the recaps! I always look forward to these!
I have kind of a different theory. I think that Jun-ha knows how strongly Kang-ha feels for Pal-gang. And I think that he's toying with her as a way to get Kang-ha to act on his feelings. Otherwise, why would he have invited Jae-young to the bar/cafe place where Tae-kyu proposed? He wanted Jae-young to see Kang-ha's reaction and realize her efforts are futile. Maybe he thinks that by creating a pushy atmosphere that forces Kang-ha and Pal-gang to get together sooner will help his chances with Jae-young.
Maybe this theory makes Jun-ha seem too selfish but, s'what I got out of it.
Thank you again for the recaps!!
- Gee
Required fields are marked *
16 ar
February 10, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Thank you for the recap! it's like going through the episode again without waiting for the video to buffer!
I also love Pal-Gang for her professionalism and maturity. There are a lot of lovable heroines in kdramas, but I don't think many can match her in terms of being professional and focused, especially remaining like this even past halfway point. And the thing with the signature mistake at work. I was proud that she admitted that the whole thing was her mistake and that she accepted the blame for it, even though JunHa tried to give her an out to blame it on KangHa. And then she even stayed up at night with a law book to see if she can find a way to help the widower! It was a momentary fantasy of mine to have her discover a passion and talent for law, go to law school, and steal KangHa's job.
I'm also glad that she's firm with JunHa. JunHa is so nice sometimes and speaks in such a friendly, charming tone that I know I personally would have trouble telling him off or accusing him of playing games with me (even though I knew that was what he was going). And I liked your interpretation of JunHa. I can't dismiss him as an evildoer...but i can see that he is misguided into believing that helping Jaeyoung win KangHa is a greater good for which all sacrifices to bring this about is worth it. Though a part of me is definitely hoping that JunHa is being all pushy in order to force a KangHa and PalGang relationship (even though it's a bit counterintuitive), to make Jaeyoung see the inevitable, and to be there to comfort JY when it happens. unrealistic...but i can dream.
and this line that KangHa says when Pal-gang told him that he probably thought she was no different that one of those bar hostesses: “I may be mean but I’m not that bad!” ---> that is probably the first time KangHa has said something positive about his own personality.
And like a lot of people, I loved the scene with him and Parang. I believe that KangHa really does see himself in Parang. He was around the same age when he was abandoned and probably had a similar personality with showing his feelings. And when Parang's asleep, I can see him as a miniature KangHa. similar coloring and short-ish and all. Poor Kim Ji Hoon in those confrontation scenes with Shin Dong Wook- his neck must hurt whenever he has to crane up to stare lovingly...ahem, i mean...angrily....at him.
Required fields are marked *
17 langdon813
February 10, 2010 at 11:01 PM
One of the best aspects about WUAS for me is how they're taking their time with everything; with Pal-gang and Kang-ha falling in love, but also with Kang-ha slowly turning into a dad. He sees how great these kids are, and how Pal-gang dropped everything to turn her life around and take care of them. He's slowly connecting the dots...great parents = great kids = great adults. Bad parents = sad children = angry adults.
I loved seeing Pa-rangs slippers on the floor beside Kang-ha's! ADORABLE. I had to rewind so I could watch him kick them off in his sleep.
My only real complaint with WUAS has to do with the Grandfather and how they've stretched out his deception. Pal-gang has known him all her life, she's worked for his company for like 3 years, and she never once laid eyes on him at the office? Or saw a picture of him in the lobby, or in the newspaper, or on any company materials? And even assuming all that were possible, we're 12 episodes in and she STILL doesn't know? I'm not even talking about the fact that he may or may not be her real grandfather, I'm just flummoxed that she doesn't even know he's her BOSS! Sheesh.
Whew! I feel better now! Even with that quibble, I am thoroughly enjoying this drama; I think we've got a lot to look forward to.
Great recap, thanks JB!
Required fields are marked *
18 queenofdgame
February 10, 2010 at 11:03 PM
AT DAISIES AND SMASH...I THINK WHAT JAVA THINKS ABOUT WHAT JUN HA`S MOTIVATION IS RIGHT...(I THINK) ...THE REASON WHY HE`S WOOING PAL GANG IS TO GET HER OUT OF THE WAY OF JAE YOUNG AND KANGHA...AND THE SCENE IN THE CLUB WHERE HE HUGGED JY AND TOLD HER THAT HE`S DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO HELP HER...EXPLAINS WHY SO SUDDENLY HE`S SHOWING INTEREST TO PG....
AS FOR PAL GANG HAVING FEELINGS FOR JUNHA...I DON`T THINK SHE IS OR WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM...BUT WITH WHAT SHE SAW IN THE CLUB IT WAS OBVIOUS TO HER THAT JUNHA`S NOT BEING SINCERE TO HER WHICH MAYBE MADE HER FEEL BEEING USED...THAT`S WHY SHE TOLD JUNHA THAT`S SHE CAN`T BE HIS SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT.....
PAL GANG CHARACTER IS REALLY SHARP....I LOVE HER....THANKS AGAIN SARAH
Required fields are marked *
19 amg01
February 10, 2010 at 11:11 PM
I agree with you 100%, I think the second lead is digging his own grave, Kang-ha and Pa-rang's scene had me on tears, JB thank you for your hard work.... : O }
Required fields are marked *
20 Fel
February 10, 2010 at 11:19 PM
This is going on great! Can't wait till next Monday!
Required fields are marked *
21 Kukilas
February 10, 2010 at 11:23 PM
Thanks so much for the quick recap, JB!
I am enjoying WUAS so much, and think the combination of hot men and cute kids is a winner.
I love that the pace of the romantic development is not rushed and that they actually give the leads some sense in terms of taking their time to decipher how they feel. Pretty refreshing for a change, IMO.
I also like that the catalysts for character development for both leads are not just their interactions with each other, but also their relationships with the kids. Its great to see both leads mature because of their concern for the children.
Thanks again for the speedy and wonderful recap!
Required fields are marked *
22 SM
February 10, 2010 at 11:30 PM
Thanks for your wonderful recap...
A lot of ppl dislike Jun-ha motives... My thought is the same as you... I think he could try to be nice and keep Pal-gang away from his brother.. but his concern to Pal-gang and her siblings are true...
Required fields are marked *
23 firewife
February 10, 2010 at 11:30 PM
Thanks for the recap javabeans!
I was definitely confused by JH after ep. 11, but this ep cleared things up for me. I'm with you on the JH motivations, (OK quick sidenote - I'm listening to Itunes as I type this and "When a Man Loves a Woman" just came up! Made me LOL!) JH definitely thinks he's helping the woman he loves by trying to keep PK away from KH, but I see his evil scheme backfiring on him! I can't bring myself to hate him despite his sleazy behavior. At least he's not the standard too-good-to-be-true, doormat 2nd male lead. So I like him for changing things up at least.
PK is also fast becoming one of my favorite female leads. Yeah, she's flawed, but she knows it, and she's willing to admit her mistakes and do her best to change. Better yet, she's nobody's fool. I absolutely love the way she handled the rebuff of all 3 men, firm but polite. I really felt for her this episode. When she was in tears after her encounter with KH I didn't really take that as a signal that he affected her more than the others, but rather as an accumulation of everything that had taken place. In spite of all the growth she's made, she still lacking in self esteem, and what she did have just took a hit with feeling played by both JH and KH.
@2 estel
I think you're right about KH being the only guy developing any one on one relationships with the kids. He's the only one that's changed a diaper too!
Required fields are marked *
24 joeydragonlady
February 10, 2010 at 11:39 PM
thanks for the recap. The characters are written well. I like that they are mature
and very complicated and there is more to them that meets the eye.
Required fields are marked *
25 junsungmin
February 11, 2010 at 12:02 AM
OMG!! It's getting interesting!!
My take for this episode:
1) Some may disagree, but I find KangHa are a little bit too corny this episode.. especially the dinner and changing bedsheet parts.
2) OMG please writer-nim get kangha's mom character over soon... I can't stand her looks.. cheap make-up.. and sorry to say she looks a bit like... how should I say... ermm.. trans____.. sorry.. really.. but she looks like a man plays dress up..
3) Though the development of the romantic line is great, but I really hope more stories on Jin's family.. BUT LOVING PARANG ♥ KANGHA scene to death!!
THANKS JAVABEANS!!
Required fields are marked *
26 mymymai
February 11, 2010 at 12:02 AM
YAY! You're awesome, JB! I love to hate Jun-ha. SDW did such a great job portraying him. I believe everyone who didn't like Pal Gang's character before will definitely find her more appealing in this episode. It's getting a lot more melancholy and less comedic, but it's still good. I hope next week will bring more humor along with the great development in the new episodes.
Required fields are marked *
27 yelibean
February 11, 2010 at 12:16 AM
What does Jun-ha see in that woman??? I just don't get it! He has very bad taste..tsk tsk tsk.
My favorite scene in this episode has to be when Parang sleepwalks to Kang-ha's bed and he joins him. It's so sweet! I teared up a bit :-(
I'm so proud of Pal-gang for standing her ground and not letting them toy around with her. She has grown so much! Can't wait for next week XD
Required fields are marked *
28 Madkdr
February 11, 2010 at 12:20 AM
Great recaps as usual - and I do agree that PK is more affected by KH.
The scene where she strokes his blazer - she is recalling their encounter - and she seems to be affected by it. Not too long ago - she would have basked in her encounter with KH - but now - she has a mission and that is to raise the kids - so having KH as a distraction was not a good idea - but still - I think PK has lingering feelings for KH - just that she is afraid to give in to them lest she should turn frivolous again.
Required fields are marked *
29 morfhin05
February 11, 2010 at 12:31 AM
Yaikkksss.... I thought they would kiss...Sayang...hehehe... Im proud of Pal Gang for her maturity and being firm when needed... I love the scene where Kang Ha grabbed the wrist of Pal gang and confessed his feeling that he was bothered on Pal gang presence, Kang ha was new to this emotions and he didn't know how to react about his growing feelings towards Pal gang but Pal gang misunderstood what he, she think that she and her sibling gives burden to him and swear that they would move in one month or so... Ilke the scene where Kang ha confronted Jun ha about Pal gang he said leave her alone because Pal gang is not dumb... Love the last scene where because Kang ha ask if Pal gang wants to extend thier contract love it because it meas that he wants her to stay for a while....
Another good episode, another good recap Javabeans... Again thank you very much for making this recap because you give me reason to wait for another week and makes my whole week enjoyable. Again can't wait to read another episode...PEACE OUT... ^_^
Required fields are marked *
30 CMH
February 11, 2010 at 12:43 AM
This is really a great recap, Javabeans. Your interpretation of all characters' acts just made me understand the series more and therefore like it more.
Many thanks!
Required fields are marked *
31 KC
February 11, 2010 at 12:48 AM
WHY CAN'T JUNHA LIKE SOMEONE BETTER THAN JAEYOUNGGGGGGGG T_______________T But Shin Dong Wook is SOOOOOOOOO awesome :D Although I want Kang Ha with Pal Gang, I love JunHa's character :D Oh And TaeKyu. Way too cute :D
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR RECAPS JAVABEANS! I read as many of them as I can but I have to say, this is one of the first dramas that I've actually watched myself and I LOVE IT. I'm not a drama person. I've never finished a Kdrama and I've only ever finished one Jdrama. I don't like how dramas drag and once it does I lose interest. But this dramam has been so good. Like at first I just liked the kids but now I love EVERYONE. Even the evil mother cause she's friggin evilly awesome but I don't like the Dad cause he's too desperate and sad and JaeYoung cause she pisses me off with her neediness. I bet you she'll be using KangHa's mother as some sort of threatening device to get with her. Something really annoying like that.
But thank you SO much for recapping this drama because if you didn't I wouldn't have watched it and thus like it so much :D I'm only actually up to ep 8 so far cause I don't want to have to wait a whole week for the next episode so I've slowed myself down :D
Required fields are marked *
32 jamieguo
February 11, 2010 at 12:54 AM
Love the fact that Pal Gang got to reject not 1, not 2, but 3 guys in one episode!!! How many times does that happen?
Regarding Jun Ha, I rarely go for the 2nd leads anyway, but I think the writer did a good job setting up his less than perfect character. I think he's way more twisted then Kang Ha.
The way the characters were talking made me wonder if it was some sort of twisted game the brothers play all the time. Thoughts of Dangerous Liasons and such came to mind. Mind, never actually seen it, but its about bored rich folk messing with an innocent girl. But the way they talked suggested that Pal Gang was somewhat different then their usual target.
I must say after this episode, this drama has become something to different to me.
Required fields are marked *
33 Lady of Spice
February 11, 2010 at 12:55 AM
Great Recap Java Beans!
The joy for me in this episode definitely lie in Pal Gang and how she deals with all three men (the brothers and nephew). She is very direct and unambigious about her relationships with them. She doesnt have time to be part of their games because she is not a toy for them to play with as they please. I love that she refuses to be a victim or get drawn into anyones trap. Pal Gang remains true to her promise of being only a mother to these kids and repressing the side of her that's a woman.
But Pal Gang wasn't the only one who impressed me in this episode, Kang Ha also moved me. The scene with him and Pa Rang on the bed was one of the sweetest Man to child bonding moments I've seen in a drama and Pa Rang wasn't even awake! I was also proud of how honest Kang Ha has become about his feelings and relationship with Pal Gang. He isn't sure what he feels or wants but he wants to understand and test it out and he doesn't let his brother try to gulit him out of him, no matter what happened in the past.
I do think that Pal Gang's feelings for Kang Ha do show a little in the scene with her stroking his jacket. It was very reminiscent of City Hall and Shin Mi Rae's scene with Jo Gook's jacket. Granted the emotion was not as intense and Pal Gang is nowhere close to feeling that, but the way she talks to the jacket and touches it as if it precious and with a small amout of regret, makes me feel that her rejection of Kang Ha was the hardest of them all. She has to tell remind herself and the jacket(who is a stand in for Kang Ha) that she is leaving after the month is over and they need to endure until then.
Required fields are marked *
34 joicy
February 11, 2010 at 12:56 AM
PK still has feelings for KH. The scene before she stepped out and saw KH, she was in KH's room, patting his suit gently and saying to herself that she had to leave this house no matter what. She just found out she still kept lingering feelings for KH and she wanted to escaped before it got to herself. I guess that after KH hugged her, she felt something and she's scared of that.
Anyway, I am proud of her, just like you. This is what we expect for, in a reality way. Not in a normal K-drama.
Required fields are marked *
35 Marie
February 11, 2010 at 1:21 AM
PK and KH are the best I love it every time they are on the screen together. This series is getting better and better THANK YOU SO MUCH JB for your wonderful recaps.
Required fields are marked *
36 Emi
February 11, 2010 at 1:21 AM
If Kang-ha, Jun-ha, and Jae-young have all known each other forever, and Jae-young has always pined after Kang-ha, what about that girl in the flashback last episode? Jun-ha seemed to be in love with her too (or at least she was more significant than the other girls he dated), I guess he wasn't in love with Jae-young back then? Hmm.
I loved this episode, so nice to have a heroine with some backbone and not get all flustered when some handsome guys show interest.
Could have used a shower scene (lol) but the bed scene with parang makes up for it!
Required fields are marked *
37 lastic
February 11, 2010 at 1:23 AM
Thanks a zillion JB..I've actually been waiting for your recap..
Saranghae!
Required fields are marked *
38 joyyyy
February 11, 2010 at 1:33 AM
I actually thought of Jun-Ha's intentions in that light while watching the previous episode. This episode's scene with him and Jae-young just seemed to confirm our speculations. But I like it. I mean, it's something different from the usual "second male lead syndrome" and it gives Jun-Ha a stronger vibe to the character, as opposed to the weak man who will never get the girl.
I will not agree that Shin Dong Wook's acting helped to clarify the situation. All along he has been nice to Pal-Gang and the children. Even if he had done it more out of the way, it did not feel like it was anything special. Yes, he made his moves, but those can be easily mis-interpreted. And yes, he always stand up to his brother when he sees Jae-young hurt by Kang-Ha. Still, I see the scene of him hugging Jae-young, as a step forward from the previous time when he could not bear to bring his hand around her back. It's like a sign to say that "I've covered you. Just do what you want."
I have seen this scene played out in a Taiwanese drama "Prince who turns into a frog" where the second male lead did the exact same thing with the exact intentions. But i guess, in all dramas fairy tales, the pull between our main couple is always too strong to let anything stand in the way. It's predictable. But I like to see how it unravels. The process is always better than the end, right?
How I wish for more scenes with the children!
Required fields are marked *
39 Bee
February 11, 2010 at 2:10 AM
Whoa, now it's really getting interesting!
Thank you for the recap!
With all the new information out now, and the preview... It makes me wonder. If JY really goes as far as threatening KH with his mom, and JH finds out about this, will this be the straw that breaks the camel?
I mean, what if JH does know that he and KH are only half-brothers, and that is why he's constantly whining about that something was stolen from him? If he was supposed to be the heir, and suddenly there's KH...
I'm glad that JH admitted that he's already doing everything to help JY. Combine this with his words to TK - "If your love isn't wanted it's best to pretend you your love doesn't exist." That was so ouch and painful. I got the feeling that JH was talking about himself at that point.
Also, there's this interesting thing about the will that apperently KH's father never made, and which did cost KH the ownership of JK company. I wonder what the story is behind that, and if KH's mother had anything to do with that. But I can see that KH's life turned into hell because of the way she came begging and threatening for money again and again. While it's not really fair on KH, punishng a kid for the crimes of his mother, I can see how it could have happened.
I feel sorry for KH - he's in a world of pain, half of which he doesn't understand because he just forced himself to ignore any of his feelings - so how would he know he's in love with someone if he never followed up on it before? How can he be sure it's love when his mind has ridiculed any interest he might have had in PK before this entire maid-incident? I mean, he knew she was there, because she bothered him so often that even if he ignored here, he must have had some thoughts about here. Now she and her family are tearing down his defenses, now he's being embraced by this warm and caring family which he probably was longing for all his life, he's outsmarted by his own heart.
In the scene where he apologizes to PK in the garden and tells her he does remember, where she's pulling back from him (just like she pushed him away from the hug, and the attempted kiss), from his point of view I guess it was a wake-up call. Her self-degrading talk reflects all those bad things he told her before back on him, confirms his own bad self-image. That she compares herself to one of the hostess girls must've smarted - especially if that drunken outbreak was showing KH's vulnerable self to her.
Grandpa... that character is not a nice one. As much as he appears benevolent, but his favorisms and lies have caused a great deal of problems and pain. Indirectly, he's even responsible for the death of PK's parents. I agree with the others, I don't understand why PK didn't know who grandpa really is, working in the same company. Of course, when you consider that she didn't participate much in anything company-related (except when it meant meeting PK), I can see how she lived ignorantly, not reading newspapers and such things. Well, I guess that the writers will solve that mystery. ;)
Required fields are marked *
40 natureii
February 11, 2010 at 2:29 AM
loved your closing line
"However, I do suspect Jun-ha will fall victim to his own machinations — a sort of Dangerous Liaisons twist."
I do too, it´s like what happened with Kang Ha, its going to hit him hard
I do feel sorry for him, he´s doing his best to get (at whatever cost) what
Jae-young wants that he has forgotten to check his own feelings...I think
its been so many years since he´s inlove with her that perhaps he thought
this will never change.
As for KangHa-PaRang relationship I love this two characters moments
they are so sweet, since last episode when PR started sleepwalking into
his room again, cleaning the music room, playing Mario til this episode
where we can see a vulnerable KangHa revealing his feelings.
I think PalGang will end up leaving even if KangHa loves her... dont know
why I have this feeling, we have 8 episode left and we still have to see
grandfather helping palgang and the family a bit more and realizing she is
her granddaughter....and the crazy JY blackmailing KH and JH been inlove
with PalGang ahhhhhh soo many things
Thank you Javabeans for your recaps!!! I always enjoy reading them.
Required fields are marked *
41 Ellie
February 11, 2010 at 3:18 AM
Javabeans, thanks for another insightful recap. This episode clarified the confusion that we all felt over JH's actions in episode 11, while at the same time revealing more about KH's and PK's character.
About KH: KH previously took actions that reflected his growing interest in PK's affairs -- e.g., asking the investigator to look into whether PK's client was indeed blind; acting as PK's guarantor. But this episode also showed us that KH is a man of principles and that he won't take every opportunity to help PK out. When PK made a mistake of signing the contract on behalf of her client, KH doesn't extend a helping hand because PK's actions resulted in an unenforceable contract. In fact, he bluntly (and rather harshly) tells PK that as a result of her actions, her client has suffered. It is only because of Chairman Jung that KH acts otherwise -- it was amusing to see that PK credited KH, who unsuccessfully tried to explain that he had nothing to do with it. Again, this reflects that there are lines that KH won't cross, but it will be interesting to see if his principles are tested later in this drama.
About PK: I think that this episode tested PK's resolve to prioritize her siblings over herself, and like Javabeans, I was really proud of her in this episode. She may have been confused about JH's motivations, but we saw in episode 11 that she already had an inkling that JH was playing games with her. As Javabeans and others have noted, she rejects each brother firmly, but we see hints that she may be conflicted about her feelings for KH. It's been great to see how PK has changed from a flighty, thoughtless person (well, she's still a little flighty) to a person taking responsibility for her actions. Quoting the old slogan for Virginia Slims, "you've come a long way baby!"
I appreciate how the writers are taking their time revealing KH's feelings for PK. Given his cold behavior in the beginning and his abandonment issues, it would have seemed artificial if he suddenly fell in love with PK. Javabeans raised a great point in episode 11 that it was the culmination of his mother's return and JH's machinations (great word choice Javabeans!) that "forced" KH to confront why PK is on his mind. We see that KH felt confused,but now in episode 12, is finally open to exploring his feelings.
Langdon813@17: There was a question about why PK doesn't recognize Chairman Jung, but Eun-mal did. I wondered also, but after some thought, it makes sense that PK didn't recognize him. "Old" PK didn't care who ran the company because she was pre-occupied with chasing after KH and buying clothes. Eun-mal is a janitor and may have cleaned his office or seen him while working late. When I work late, I always talk with the cleaning staff, so I can understand why Eun-mal would recognize him.
Thx again for the recap. Looking forward to next week's episodes!
Required fields are marked *
42 heloo
February 11, 2010 at 3:20 AM
wow!! It's getting interesting!
Can't wait for next week =D
Required fields are marked *
43 lsk4020
February 11, 2010 at 3:25 AM
I really liked this episode just because of all the character development...what drives me nuts in a drama is when all the characters fit their "molds," so to speak, and then abruptly change in the space of one episode and it's supposed to be believable. I absolutely LOVE how Wish Upon a Star avoids that and actually takes the characters slowly through their development. I'm loving the layers =]
This episode also helped clear up the relationships a bit, explaining why people were acting the way they did. Kudos to Shin Dong-wook, I'm really hoping he ends up happy in the end, but we all know he's not going to end up with Pal-gang and if he ends up with Jae-young...let's just say, I'm not sure he'd be happy for long.
Thanks for the recap!! =]
Required fields are marked *
44 JAM
February 11, 2010 at 3:31 AM
Javabeans, i missed the little boys slippers next to grown up ones in the first photo... all because I was busy admiring THE BODY under the stretched shirt! ha! ha!
And I agree, Shin Dong-wook is doing a fine job portraying Jun-ha. At least he is not a one dimensional nice guy. I actually enjoyed watching the scene between Kang-ha's mother and Min-kyung. Like 2 sharks circling each other in the waters. Maybe Min-kyung will do Kang-ha a favour by getting rid of his mother.... maybe? ;)
Required fields are marked *
45 ghian
February 11, 2010 at 4:04 AM
thank you JB i've been waiting for it since yesterday..when is the next episode be recapped again?
jejejeje
;D
Required fields are marked *
46 celestialorigin
February 11, 2010 at 4:21 AM
JB! Thank you so much for the recap. I can't wait to watch the episodes!
Required fields are marked *
47 moimoiness
February 11, 2010 at 4:33 AM
sorry guys, i couldn't read all the comments, so i just want to say:
KANG-HA FTW!!!
and jb, thanks alot for the recaps, luv u so much!!!
Required fields are marked *
48 su-pah
February 11, 2010 at 4:42 AM
Pal-gang sure wasn’t kidding when she committed herself towards becoming a mother of five kids! Her response to Kang-ha’s advance was that of a responsible mother-of-five! You go girl, you keep up that consistency!
Adore that PG sussed out Jun-ha very early on, rather than letting it drag on for episodes.
Awww - the scene between Pa-rang and Kang-ha, they just keep on getting better!
I felt that maybe Kang-ha saw a miniature version of himself in Pa-rang, and that’s why he’s warmer around him than anyone else? (Narcissistic, much? Haha!) Whatever it is, any interactions between the two are so very special.
Oh, and I like the way PG addresses the Won family, for the two brothers she uses their job titles and calls no one ‘oppa’, it would be very inappropriate, especially for Kang-ha!
The more the episodes progress, the more I appreciate Kang-ha’s approach towards PG, unlike Jun-ha who lavished the kids with goodies and inadvertently made PG feel indebted/plain uncomfortable, Kang-ha has always made PG earn things for herself, and in doing so, empowering her. That also explains why she must feel so brazen around Kang-ha. He doesn’t just hand her stuff for free, he makes her work/fight for it to deserve it.
Gah! Love him!
Urgh! Two queen-bee-atch mothers in the same room – skip scene, quick!
As much as I adore Jung Ae-ri the actress, this is one of her lesser roles, playing Jae-young’s mother. She still adds a wee bit of depth to her role, an added dimension or whatever, but who am I kidding? It’s an awful character to play, I so can’t be bothered watching. But oh! Kang-ha’s mother is off the scales intolerable. To make it worse, she actually looks a lot like someone I know, someone who has a hairy upper lip thing going on. Eeek!
Shin Dong-wook the actor, is still awesome, but in the vain hope the WUAS stylist is reading; pleeease do something about his HAIR, make it smexier, please!? xD
@JB, are the header banners planned or something? I see a lot more of the Kim Ji-hoon banner now than ever before. I'm definitely not complaining! ;)
Required fields are marked *
49 gotanexamlater
February 11, 2010 at 5:17 AM
I noticed the little boy slippers also! (JB points for me!) Haha but rather i found it absolutely amazing and adorable on how he still managed to put his slippers on while sleepwalking.
I remember reading reviews for Witch Amusement and JB's comments on how even the supporting cast was really pretty but I can't say the same for WUAS. And i'm going all out and saying it's Jae-Young and Kang-Ha's mother. Casting people, you really wanted us to dislike these characters! So points for you on casting them! It's amazing how Jae-Young can look as old as her mother or perhaps, even older. And I really hope they write her off soon cause the scrunchie effect on short hair isn't really working for me.
Required fields are marked *
50 dalisay
February 11, 2010 at 5:36 AM
thank you for writing the recap so quickly....! i've been reading the spoilers in soompi but i love your recaps the most... i always seem to have the same thoughts or similar reactions to dramas as you do.. hence why, i love reading all of the recapse here at dramabeans... anyways...
i think i'm going to be cheering like a fangirl when i finally watch this episode... palgang's character has grown so much in such a short period of time... i hate it when the female lead characters take advantage of the kind second lead's kindness even though it's obvious that they don't care for them like that at all... they sort of just string them along throughout the whole drama and make them believe they have a chance... even though, junha's actions right now aren't genuine, we'll never know what'll happen later on, right? once she saw him hugging JY, something in her head clicked, it all made sense and i like how she remained objective about it all and focus on her work instead of moping around feeling sorry for herself that she's being used by junha... once she cut off her hair at the sauna, she's stuck to her promise...
junha... oh, i'm so disappointed in you.. don't get me wrong, i love shin dong wook... i actually had second thoughts about this drama in the beginning cause i'm not familiar at all with the male lead's work before this one... i kinda wanted SDW to be the male lead instead.. anyway, i love how there's more of a depth in his character as opposed to the typical mr. nice guy second lead that we always see... at least in this one, he was never mr. perfect, even in the beginning, yeah he seems alot nice than KH but the other layers or his personality are unfolding with each episode... the only thing i don't get about him is, how can he log JY? how? i mean literally... the girl has no redeeming qualities whatsoever... i don't get it... no offense to the actress that's playing her, but come on! the other female second leads always come off mean but she just comes off as psychotic!
and the kids... i adore them all.. my favorite has got to be parang.. i think i'm a fan of the parang-kangha couple now! hahaha.. thank you for the recaps and i'm looking forward to the next ones...!
Required fields are marked *