Personal Taste: Episode 2

142 April 5, 2010January 24, 2016

by girlfriday

girlfriday here, making a comeback! Ever notice in Korea how nobody goes anywhere, but everyone makes a comeback?

Yes, that’s the size and relative roundness of Jin-ho’s butt, in case you were wondering. And yes, that’s pretty much the expression that accompanies the grabbing of said butt. This episode brings our leads together under one roof, and the hijinks? They do ensue. So far the tropes feel familiar, other than the main twist, but the characters are interesting and well-acted, so I’m aboard the train. Here’s hoping we go to new and exciting places!

EPISODE 2 RECAP

Kae-in stands agape in front of her ex-boyfriend Chang-ryul and ex-roommate/ex-friend In-hee, stunned at their Affront to Human Decency, also known as their wedding.

Kae-in looks more hurt and betrayed by In-hee, who as her friend and you know, a human being, should seem more remorseful than if she had stolen your parking space or taken the last cookie. But before they can really have it out, Chang-ryul has security drag Kae-in and Young-sun out of the wedding.

The security team traps them in the sound booth, where of course Young-sun’s son happens to turn on the loudspeaker so that all the wedding chapels can hear Kae-in lament that the groom cheated on her with the bride, who she thought was her friend. Young-sun chimes in that In-hee’s no angel either; she’s been juggling a number of guys recently herself.

Both In-hee’s ceremony and another wedding stop in their tracks and the parties come storming over to the sound booth. Young-sun and Kae-in try to make a run for it, realizing the mess they’ve made, and In-hee comes huffing up, indignant that THEY’ve ruined HER wedding. Where do I even begin with the crazy?

Young-sun, being the only sane one here, slaps In-hee unceremoniously across the face. Nice. Back the other way? No? I’m fairly certain she deserves a second slap. Or a sixtieth.

Outside, Young-sun tries to cheer Kae-in up, but she just wants to be alone. Yeah, right after the fact is too soon to hear the buck-up-kiddos and it’s-all-for-the-betters. Kae-in trudges off to do a little moping on her own.

Meanwhile, Jin-ho has been trying to casually run into Choi Do-bin, his whole reason for coming to this fiasco of a wedding in the first place. He and Sang-jun notice someone else getting dismissed by him for trying to approach him at a non-work event, so Jin-ho decides to try a riskier tactic.

He rushes downstairs, finds the guy’s car, and crashes into it. At first I think he’s nuts (not a way to win a guy’s favor) but as it turns out, Do-bin is quite unflapped, and even recognizes Jin-ho as the architect who made a good pitch for the Dream Art Center. Jin-ho scores a meeting, and all it took was a dent in his car. Sneaky!

Back at the wedding of soulless bloodsuckers, Chang-ryul chases after In-hee, insisting that he did his part in telling Kae-in about the wedding. In-hee doesn’t believe him because she ain’t no fool, and decides to break it off and go on their honeymoon…alone. I hope you go someplace where they still have smallpox or malaria.

I have to say, Chang-ryul, while still being a dog, is definitely the more sympathetic of the two, as he is treated like a second-class citizen by both In-hee and his father, and is a hilarious wimp to boot.

Kae-in walks home, still in a daze from the events of the day. She zombie-walks through an intersection, unaware that she’s holding up traffic. The tears come flowing while cars honk at her, and Jin-ho sees her pass by.

Jin-ho and Sang-jun get back to the office, where they are greeted by a frantic Tae-hoon, who begs for his job back, offering up a carrot: he’s got a secret tip on the new museum project that Jin-ho is crashing cars trying to get. Is crazed and desperate going to be the only mode for this side character?

As Kae-in walks back home, her employee and “friend” Won-ho is hiding out from a couple of thugs who have come looking for him at her house. (Using the term “friend” loosely, as this girl seems to have surrounded herself with backstabbing vapidity and take-advantage-of-drunken-girl thievery as her friends. Between In-hee and Won-ho, who needs enemies?)

Kae-in doesn’t pick up Won-ho’s calls, but does see the collection letter once she gets home. He’s apparently borrowed the equivalent of $10,000 against the house, (don’t ask me how he managed to do so) leaving Kae-in neck-deep in debt and in danger of losing her home. Talk about a bad day.

Over at Jin-ho’s office, he and Sung-jun are getting the lowdown on the museum project from Tae-hoon. He tells them that according to his father, the head of the company who owns the museum fell in love with a han-ok (traditional Korean-style) house built by a renowned architect. He tried to hire said architect for the museum project, but the offer was declined. That architect is no longer in the picture, but the CEO still has lingering hopes for that style of architecture. Solution: if Jin-ho can get a peek at the original house that the exec fell in love with, he can design something inspired by the style, and win the contract. Ten guesses as to who the original architect is.

Kae-in broods in the dark, trying to convince herself that everything will work out. She may be on the dimmer side of Tuesday, but at least that keeps her positive and plucky rather than downtrodden.

To make matters worse, she gets a call from her father, informing her that he will be returning to Korea three months sooner than expected. Not only does this shorten her timeframe to save the house, but it seems to make her visibly uncomfortable on a personal level. One gets the impression from the very short conversation that Kae-in lives for Daddy’s approval but has yet to ever reach his impossible standards. She speaks very timidly and very formally to him, implying an emotional distance beyond the normal gruff disapproving father/underachieving daughter relationship.

In a sad little moment, Kae-in rushes over to In-hee’s empty room, forgetting for a moment the events of the day. Luckily, she does have one actual friend in the world, and Young-sun comes right over to be there for Kae-in. While unable to offer up any of her own money, Young-sun encourages her to eat up for her strength.

Sometimes I’m concerned that Kae-in is well, slow, but she’s not stupid so much as child-like, so maybe we can accept her as overly trusting, to the point of being the gullible patsy if people choose to take advantage of her. That seems to be the way that Young-sun sees her, so I’ll groove with that for a while until it starts defying all rational thought. When that happens, we will have words, Show.

We also find out from Young-sun that Kae-in lost her mother at a very young age, and her father loved his wife so much that he couldn’t face her death or the daughter she left behind. Okay, I’ve never really been good with this trope, because if you really had SO much capacity for love for another human being, how could you not have room in your heart for your own child who was born out of that love? Whatever, countless Kdramas over the past half century!

Back at the office, Jin-ho studies the few published pictures of the house, and Sang-jun arrives with his own backstory on the architect. The architect built the house for his wife whom he adored, and since her death he lives and teaches abroad, and his only daughter lives in the original house. Sang-jun thinks this’ll be a breeze, what with Jin-ho’s good looks and charm: just seduce your way into the house! He adds that since the mother was a legendary beauty, the daughter will naturally be a looker too. Jin-ho decides he’ll go the route of research, while Sang-jun should feel free to follow up on the daughter.

At home, Kae-in takes a moment to remember her mother as well, telling her that she wants her father to be proud, and is so afraid of disappointing him. She plays with a miniature replica of her mother’s rocking chair, where she used to rock little Kae-in to sleep in her arms. Scenes like this are why Sohn Ye-jin is perfect for this role. She can handle the drama and believable character pathos, beyond the cute and funny stuff.

We come back around to Kae-in in the morning, where she is speaking in a mysterious hushed tone to someone on the phone. So faced with insurmountable obstacles and debilitating self-doubt, who do you call? A phone-psychic! Ha. Bleary-eyed and dark saucers from talking all night, she asks the psychic for answers. The pc-bang-based quack blathers some obscurities about a savior who will come from the east. She asks, “Is it a man?” Psychic: “Not exactly a man.” Kae-in: “Then a woman?” Psychic: “Not exactly a woman.” Heh, wonder who that’ll be. Nice touch, to add her superstitious disposition into the mix.

She asks (just now!) how much the call costs, and at $1.50 per 30 seconds, she’s been completely had. She hangs up, just when Sang-jun comes knocking on her door, flowers in hand, ready to woo his way into the famed house.

Kae-in comes out looking like an alien-ghost, and crazily enough, the two recognize each other immediately. Sang-jun has two shocks: one at the sheer sight of her, then another when he realizes that she’s the wedding crasher from yesterday, the same furniture designer who clashed with Jin-ho over the form and function of dining tables.

Kae-in hides in mortification, but pops back out to ask if he came from the east. No, he did not, which rules him out as the foretold man/woman who will help her. Sang-jun runs off, thinking that she’s gone batty, with good reason, and that the house is a lost cause.

As if the last forty-eight hours haven’t been bad enough, Kae-in gets a call from the department store where she sells her furniture. She goes in to meet with the sales manager, and he tells her that they can no longer lease her the space due to low sales. She pleads, but the answer is no. The whole time, I can’t focus because I’m thinking, why is the manager a caricature-version of BOF‘s Gu Jun-pyo, with rolls of curly hair and an over-the-top ascot-laced suit? And then he gets up, and we see that his nametag reads: GU JUN-PYO. Ha.

Jin-ho decides to cash in on his promised meeting with Choi Do-bin at the art center, but runs into him on his way out to lunch with Chang-ryul’s dad. The two exchange passive-aggressive pleasantries, and Jin-ho says he’ll come back another time. What we have gathered about Chang-ryul’s father: he was once the right-hand man at the architecture firm that Jin-ho’s dad started, he took over the firm after Jin-ho’s father died, even kicking Jin-ho and his mother out of their family home. Also, we know that he is eeevil, by the scar on his eye and other such unsubtle clues.

Sung-jun sees them pass each other, and asks Jin-ho if maybe Chang-ryul’s dad is making another backdoor deal with the museum contract, just like he did with the Dream Art Center. He asks Jin-ho not to fight to the death on this one, just for personal revenge, considering this will be a make-or-break contract for their small firm. But Jin-ho is fired up, whether for his career or for his vendetta, and plans to see it through.

Looks like Chang-ryul’s father feels equally on edge with the competition, giving Chang-ryul an evil-version of a pep talk, involving a kick in the shins, belittling, berating, and a threat to exile him to China if he loses the contract to Jin-ho. Should be a good fight, since Chang-ryul is now equally motivated to do well, even if for bad reasons.

Kae-in and Young-sun are on their way back from the department store in a truck loaded with all of Kae-in’s unsold furniture, when they see Won-ho lurking around in front of her house. It just so happens that Jin-ho is also doing some lurking of his own, trying to take some pictures of the house, to little avail since not much is striking or visible from the outside.

Won-ho sees her coming and bolts. Kae-in gives chase. Jin-ho follows. That may seem weird, but then, have you ever just started running because someone is chasing you, even if you have no reason to? Maybe it’s a reflex.

Halfway through the chase Kae-in twists her ankle on her high-heels (does she have to be both dim AND clumsy, Show?), and asks Jin-ho to catch the guy for her. He obliges and manages to corner Won-ho, as Kae-in catches up.

Won-ho admits to spending all of the money, and has no explanation or platitudes to give her. Kae-in starts off yelling, then pleading, but by the end, she feels more sorry for Won-ho, asking if he’s been eating.

They relocate to a neighborhood restaurant, where Kae-in BUYS the weasel lunch, and Jin-ho listens in on the conversation. Kae-in tells Won-ho that her dad is returning sooner than expected, and that she needs the money fast. Kae-in: “It must be pretty dire, if I listed the spare bedroom up for rent at the realtor’s office today.” At this, Jin-ho’s wheels start turning.

Won-ho finishes his meal, then says he’s going to the bathroom, and sneaks off. Kae-in, the girl who would believe the sun will rise in the south if you told her convincingly enough, lets him go, and is then surprised to find that he’s run off. Jin-ho: “Are you an idiot?” Heh, well, points for directness.

He notices that her ankle is pretty bad, so despite her protests about hospital fees, he takes her to the hospital and even pays for the visit. Kae-in is definitely wary of his motivations for being so kind, while Jin-ho tries to teach her to just say thank you and be gracious. He tells her that instead of paying him back, she could let him see the house.

Jin-ho says he’s looking for a new place and happened to overhear her conversation with Won-ho. Kae-in goes from suspicious to incredulous. A man! And a woman! Living under one roof! We can’t have that. She refuses to let him even see the place.

They’ve reached her door and Jin-ho keeps trying to convince her, to no avail. But Young-sun answers the door and as soon as she sees him, without even knowing the situation, she tells him to wait outside and whatever it is, she’ll persuade Kae-in to change her mind. Can’t say I’d do any differently if he were standing on my doorstep.

Inside, Kae-in fills her in on Jin-ho’s offer to be her roommate, and Young-sun can’t imagine why she’d turn down this perfect opportunity. She needs money and a roommate; he has money and needs a room.

Besides, Young-sun reminds her: HE’S GAY, remember? To him, you might as well be an inanimate object. Kae-in wonders if that’s really how it works, and starts to warm up to idea, as the two girls imagine Jin-ho as the picture-perfect gay roommate, cooking elaborate meals, being the best shopping companion, and even doing facials together.

This persuades Kae-in to give it a chance, so Young-sun lets him in to take a look at the house. Kae-in is still very apprehensive about him, and he’s not exactly a fan of hers either, so the two are edgy and cold to each other. But Jin-ho is struck by the house. Frankly, so am I because I dig the indoor/outdoor and modern/traditional fusion going on in that house.

Back at the office, Jin-ho tells Sang-jun that he’ll be living with Kae-in from now on. Sang-jun can’t believe he managed it, and wonders if Kae-in has lusty feelings for Jin-ho, since she wouldn’t as a single woman let just any man into her home. Sang-jun tells Jin-ho that if the situation should arise, he should just take one for the team and go for it. Jin-ho assures him that won’t be happening. Oh, you don’t even know the half of it.

Meanwhile, the girls discuss the deliciousness of Jin-ho’s butt, as Young-sun can’t get enough of this hottie that she can never have. Kae-in does agree that he has a derriere to write home about, having grabbed a handful in the previous episode.

The four of them meet at the house to sign the lease, and basically Sang-jun and Young-sun facilitate the whole deal, while Jin-ho and Kae-in remain cold and hostile towards each other. Once the seals are stamped, Jin-ho’s true colors come out, as he insists Kae-in adhere to some cleanliness rules. Kae-in, not to be outdone, says fine, then he has to abide by her spatial rules—not being in restricted areas—or else any body parts in unsanctioned areas will be lopped off.

Young-sun and Sang-jun hold them back from what would have devolved into fisticuffs, and they manage to seal the deal. Sang-jun dotes on Jin-ho as a younger brother, but his gestures, like putting his hand on Jin-ho’s knee, help to solidify the girls’ belief that they are a couple. The boys don’t notice, and go about setting up Jin-ho’s room.

And then to really solidify the misconception that they are gay, Jin-ho cuts his leg on a piece of furniture, and here are the things the girls hear from outside the room, complete with R-rated sound effects:

Sang-jun: “Take your pants off…Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle…Okay, I’m going in…”

I know this is beside the point, but there’s no way that Sang-jun would be the top in that relationship. Just sayin’.

Young-sun just thinks their relationship is adorable, but Kae-in fills her in on Jin-ho’s motel tryst with his OTHER boyfriend, Tae-hoon, a beast of a guy who he mistreats terribly, and that’s only the guys they know about, so god knows how many men he’s actually dating. Kae-in thinks she’s just going to have to set some ground rules, while Young-sun wonders when she’ll get to see the beastly one.

Over at Casa de Backstab, In-hee returns from the honeymoon to her new place, only Chang-ryul’s been living there since their not-a-wedding because his father kicked him out. They bicker and yell, and at one point they’re stripping off their pajamas while yelling, and I thought for sure it would lead to a bow-chicka-bow-wow place, but apparently their hatred runs too deep. Honestly, you guys kind of deserve each other, so I wouldn’t mind. Now whether you deserve to be happy is a whole other question.

Jin-ho takes a tour of the house, and ends up in Daddy’s office, where he sneaks a peek at some blueprints. Then, while Jin-ho fields a call from his mom, Kae-in creeps up to the room in shadow, and scares the bejesus out of him and me.

She revs up the chainsaw (HA) that she has in her hands, serving as a reminder that all body parts in violation of the rules will be chopped off. Jin-ho screams like a little girl and runs for his life, while I die of laughter and watch the scene again.

And then, the craziest thing happens. In-hee shows up at Kae-in’s house, suitcase in tow, expecting to get her old room back. Hh? Wh? She actually says that since Kae-in ruined her wedding, she didn’t really end up with her boyfriend, so the past is in the past. The past? As in YESTERDAY? Is it possible you were raised by howler monkeys?

Kae-in can’t believe she’s dared to come here, and thank god that she isn’t folding in this situation because I would have to disown her. The argument goes from icy to shouting to full-on girly hair-pulling, which gets Jin-ho out of his room to complain about the noise, since he can hear everything.

In-hee can’t believe Kae-in rented the room so quickly, and to a man, and proceeds to tell Kae-in how she should live her life! And I am totally going to reach into my tv and pull the lips right off this girl!

Kae-in counters that In-hee must be interested in her new roommate because she wants to steal another guy from her, and In-hee just says matter-of-factly that she could get any guy to say yes to her. Well, is that a thing to be proud of?

But Kae-in, confident this time that she can shut In-hee up, announces that she can try a thousand years to seduce Jin-ho. It won’t work…because HE’S GAY.

So far, having not read the novel, and staying away from any and all spoilers, the ride is mostly predictable, with the only twist being the presumption of homosexuality. But we’re only two in, so I’m hoping there are more comic surprises and new twists in story conventions to be had, as I do enjoy the characters (mostly the main four).

I’m relying on the developing relationship between the leads to be fresh and full of new problems, which I think it can deliver on. Even if this drama were lazy and rehashed Coffee Prince-esque angst, it has to diverge at some point because its premise approaches the gay question from a different angle, so hopefully they’ll be mining new territory, instead of side-stepping the issue.

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51 Princess61

April 5, 2010 at 11:01 PM

I'm thoroughly entertained and I loved the first two episodes! Can't wait to see how the story develops. I have to admit though that I'm not feeling the chemistry between the two leads but I'm hoping in time that SYJ's character will go through a transformation, both in maturity and in her overall appearance. I do not like her hair and I'm hoping she'll become more feminine. LMH is perfect although I would love to see him smile more! Thanks for the recap Girlfriday!

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52 Fatty

April 5, 2010 at 11:13 PM

Hahahaha, girlfriday, so true about the "comeback!" :D

Episode two was a little more enjoyable than the first one for me, but the drama is still missing something. I hope the upcoming episodes make up for it!

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53 beanies

April 5, 2010 at 11:19 PM

What a comeback girlfriday!

Loved the recap, I have a feeling that your recap is even more enjoyable than the drama. Thanks!

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54 Rickshot

April 5, 2010 at 11:35 PM

Javabeans, I would really appreciate it if you recapped the last episode. No offence to girlfriday, but the depth with which you recap the last episode and the overall series in your final episode writeup is always wonderful to read.

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55 cheekbones

April 5, 2010 at 11:35 PM

OMG, this recap totally kills me ! :D

Thanks, girlfriday ! What a comeback ! :D

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56 deeta

April 5, 2010 at 11:46 PM

Yay for the best comeback ever!

I don't love Personal Taste per se, but I did enjoy the first 2 episodes. And now with you on board for the recaps, I'm so there!

Hilarious recap, but you already know that!

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57 Kender

April 5, 2010 at 11:58 PM

Welcome back, girlfriday! I loved you and JB doing TWWSWTM together, so this should be awesome as well. :D

Can I just say that I squealed with joy the moment Chang-ryul's father showed up? I love that man--he's a barrel of awesome and hilarity, and I fully expect him to do justice to his character. (Also, the eeeevil eye-scar was a classic touch. Love it!)

Not much else to say that hasn't already been said, I guess. I'm still not deeply attached to any of the characters (unlike Cinderella's Sister, where I felt for MGY's character right away), but I'm hoping this week's episodes bring some of that feeling. :) In the meantime, I'm totally going to enjoy this ride. Oh the homoerotic hilarity!

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58 chisaicherry

April 6, 2010 at 12:01 AM

I like the story, but I don't think Gae-in's character's particularly interesting. She's gullible and stubborn, and currently has no redeeming characteristics.

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59 sugarpunch_deb

April 6, 2010 at 12:02 AM

thanks, girlfriday! thanks, Show!! and i feel the same way about Inhee. she was probably not brought up by monkeys... monkeys are too compassionate and cute. you know how in Wish Upon A Star, everyone called JaeYoung 'fish lips'? i found a 'fish lips no. 2'----- and she's in hee. argh. the actress really did a good job being annoying.

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60 simplesim

April 6, 2010 at 12:05 AM

@38 nycgal @40 eiko

I couldn't put into words but @nycgal you wrote exactly how I feel. I am dissapointed in the 2 episodes as I was so looking forward to LMH and SYJ.

"I should have felt sad when she was pitifully walking home after the busted wedding but I felt no empathy."

I was thinking why I don't feel anything when she was crying in the middle of the road. :-(

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61 alert

April 6, 2010 at 12:20 AM

@57 Kender, I dig Changyun's father too.. I LOLed at his cool scar - it somehow reminds me of Daegil haha..

the drama made fun of BOF with Gu Jun Pyo as the furniture manager, so they probably add on the scar to poke at Chuno as well haha..

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62 alert

April 6, 2010 at 12:22 AM

wrong spelling there. it should be chang ryul not changyun haha.

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63 Icarusfalls

April 6, 2010 at 12:29 AM

OMG!! Girlfriday is here!!!
Banzai! Banzai!! Banzai!! XP

In case you didn't already know.. I'm a total 'pen'!
Thanks for the extra laughs with this episode recap.. I'm still giggling over the whose on top comment.. XP

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64 mell

April 6, 2010 at 12:53 AM

"She revs up the chainsaw (HA) that she has in her hands, serving as a reminder that all body parts in violation of the rules will be chopped off. Jin-ho screams like a little girl and runs for his life, while I die of laughter and watch the scene again.“

EXACTLY what I did! Haha.

Thank you for this recap! You brought all the best moments from this ep to life :)

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65 yap

April 6, 2010 at 1:14 AM

I totally agreed with u.. i feel like ripping the second lead head off hahah..
how could she dare to come back to the house!!!
i lov how u mention the gyo-jun pyo!! haha.. i din even realized it!

well it's wednesday tomolo.. i'm so excited.. i never been so excited before...
3 superb drama airing in one day!!!

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66 Lemon

April 6, 2010 at 1:36 AM

thanks girlfriday for the recap!!! It was totally enjoyable and I laughed out loud just looking at the screenshots of Kae-in alone. HAHA. love it. can't wait to watch it once the english subs are out (:

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67 müge

April 6, 2010 at 2:38 AM

I hate in hee and whenever I see her ı would like to kick her ass! and worse, obviously she will try to seduce Jin-ho! pufff =P

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68 poo

April 6, 2010 at 3:26 AM

i dunno why but min ho seemed a bit stiff...maybe itz coz am expecting too much too soon...i hope he ll do better in the coming eps. So far the drama is goin ok...but i am having a really bad feeling dat itz gonna be a bit too typical unless dey throw in sme cute moments which of-course ppl like me ll njoi a lot ^_^

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69 miniejungle

April 6, 2010 at 3:45 AM

i choked on my water reading "there's no way sang jun would be the top" - i read it as "would be on top" :)))))) rotfl!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for the recap, its such a refreshing read!!!

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70 lei

April 6, 2010 at 5:32 AM

Thanks for the wonderful recap, girlfriday! Hope to see your recap every thursday. Or friday. Or whatever day you get it done :)

i was also wondering where everyone went before they made a comeback. Did they also get exiled in China or were they in the US to get treatment for some serious life threathening disease per kdrama conventions? :)

thank you for explaining that the store manager's name is gu jun pyo. This is why i love recaps. Us non koreans won't ever get that

my favorite characters so far are sang jun and young sun. The type you want to be bffs with. Sang jun is just hilarious. And when i wanted to scream to kae in to just slap in hee already, young sun goes ahead and does that. Is young sun a single mom? If she is, i wouldn't mind seeing her and sang jun together even if that's too much of a cliche. Sang jun can be a lovable dad to her son

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71 diane

April 6, 2010 at 5:40 AM

This cracked me up! Welcome back! I haven't watched this drama yet, but I think I may give it a try.

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72 Marie

April 6, 2010 at 6:29 AM

I'm also a bit disappointed with the first two episodes.
I was expecting so much of this and although I find no fault with Lee Min Ho's acting (so far it's good, doesn't overdo his acting like the actress) , the whole thing lacks peps and sparks between the two leads!
I'm a bit annoyed by the heroine (the actress sometimes overplays a little IMO)
I have no sympathy for her which can prove to be problematic since we're supposed to like the heroine, right?
I laughed a few times but not enough and there's a lack of energy in the script. The whole thing feels predictable. I hope the other episodes will be better.
I guess that after seeing the wonderful You're Beautiful, it's difficult to find something that great so soon. I'll continue watching however, because I'm a fan of Lee Min Ho.

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73 serendipity

April 6, 2010 at 6:53 AM

@ nycgrl

Word, sister. Too predictable for me -- no breath of fresh air penetrating that lovely house, unfortunately. And the gay set-ups are cringingly clumsy, I feel embarrassed for the show. I wonder for how much longer the adorableness of Lee Min Ho and the all-round committed acting can sustain my desire to watch this? Not to mention, the super-fun recaps...

Cinderella's Unni is winning in this timeslot for me. So much more twistiness!

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74 fiey

April 6, 2010 at 8:01 AM

i keep refreshing this blog for this, so MANY THANKS girlfriday for recapping!!
i hope both you and JB will continue recapping this drama. of course no pressure, only if you both will still enjoy it.

i LOVE PT so far. i agree it sometimes predictable. but something about it makes me anticipate each episode so much even though it takes me days to download one episode before i get to watch it. how i wish those LQ MQ uploads in the past still present.

btw, love your recap! and lol i did wonder too looking at the manager's GJP hair. but i didnt know about the nametag. LOL thats why i love recaps! thanks again!

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75 mariolawpanda

April 6, 2010 at 8:08 AM

hm. not wanting to sound like a broken record, but its all too predictable. second episode in, i would've thought i would be surprised by something already or be immensely interested in, but sadly none still. hm.

i do like the acting. its very good, especially Sohn Yejin, cause the character she's playing is just seriously ridiculous. i mean, really now? is anyone really that ditsy? LOL. i think even i can put her house as collateral for some money.

something i really hate are the uber despicable antagonists. the ex-boyfriend and the ex-roommate are just too much. i really don't understand how they are THAT EVIL. i can't even call them human anymore. the evil dad of the ex-bf is also bordering comic book evil guy. does he really need that scar for him to look antagonist-y? hahaha.

the house is just a gem. i seriously envy that house. and the Korean weather for having those kinds of houses possible. i don't think its possible here in the Philippines to design something like that. haha.

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76 rainbowcolorss

April 6, 2010 at 8:25 AM

Javabeans,girlfriday.
Both your recaps make my life. I'm sitting here reading them laughing hysterically to myself and my roommate now thinks I'm crazy. Oh well :] thank you guys so much for all the effort you put into writing these for us.
You Guys are the Best!

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77 ockoala

April 6, 2010 at 8:30 AM

girlfriday, I read all your SMM recaps even though I didn't watch a lick of the show, your writing is phenomenal and a treat in and of itself. Thanks for your quick return to the recaposphere! Great recap, btw. Episode itself......eh.

@ nycgrl, simplesim, serendipity

PT was my choice to amongst the three Wed-Thurs dramas, but I found myself ff-ing already through the first two episodes. nycgrl summed it up perfectly, on paper the cast, story, vibe, all feels like a giant win! But something is off about the execution - acting is all great - and what is wrong is indeed that the characters are not grabbing me and making me care about them (unlike in WUAS which I didn't want to like or care about but ended up liking and caring about people in that sillycakes drama too much for my own good!). And the story is again interesting, but not unfurling in an interesting way or pace. I'm disappointed but will continue on the PT journey, if not to watch the drama, than to read girlfriday's recaps until the very bust-my-gut laughing end. This drama feels like a goldmine for girlfriday's witty humor. I can't wait!

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78 simplesim

April 6, 2010 at 8:58 AM

@ nycgrl

Sorry, wrong spelling of your name.

@ ockoala

Glad to see you back. Have been missing your comments for many days. :-D

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79 AB

April 6, 2010 at 9:18 AM

I think this drama is indeed made to be predictable. The whole premises are seem pretty familiar, it's kinda had a mix touch from Full House and Coffee Prince. I haven't watched these 2 first episodes yet (I'm still waiting for the subs to come out), but I do follow both two recaps as well. So I can't say my opinion much about this drama. But the recaps sound very promising and enjoyable. So I might have to check it out myself with my own eyes. Checking out whether they have any chemistry or not, boring or not....
But in my country they've already liked it, I mean my friends and most of the viewers feedback are really great and that they're really enjoying this drama. Even some say that PT is better than any previously aired romcoms Kdramas (although YAB is still on their ever top list). I think it's gonna be the second popular after YAB.

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80 grace, the one from Jersey, USA

April 6, 2010 at 9:23 AM

Ten words...........I finally saw the first two episodes with English subs.
Two words..........LOVE IT.

I don't think that the script is predictable, as a few people here have
mentioned. I originally wondered how this storyline would be set up,
and they've done a pretty good job of making this "mistaken identity"
seem logical, reasonable, and at the same time, very funny.

I noticed the Gu Jun-pyo hair, and the silk Ascot tie, but I'll have to watch
that scene again for the GJP name tag. And let's not forget how much
Lee Min-ho.....LOVES......to grab people by their shirt collar and tie. Ha, ha.

The only part that I didn't like was the standard ~
OH-MY-BOYFRIEND-DUMPED-ME-SO-I'LL-WALK-ZOMBIE-SLOW-
ACROSS-THE-BUSIEST-TRAFFIC-HIGHWAY-IN-KOREA-AND-
MAYBE-I'LL-GET-HIT-BY-A-CAR-AND-END-UP-IN-THE-HOSPITAL-
AND-THEN-HE'LL-SHOW-UP-AND-BE-SORRY scene.

If you're THAT devastated by a kdrama failed romance, just do what everybody
else does. Go sit on THE ONE BENCH in Seoul, and look at the river. Sadly. :)

And how can you not love any rom-com that has a surprise appearance
by an ax murderer? It made Jin-ho scream.........as if he's afraid of bugs. :)

PS......Thank you for doing the alternate re-caps for "PT," girlfriday.
I figured that javabeans wouldn't be able to juggle a dozen oranges at once, despite her previous long career in the circus......... :)

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81 Prosopopoeiae

April 6, 2010 at 10:18 AM

Girlfriday-ssi!

You're back! Best. Comeback. Ever. I have a feeling that Personal Taste and your brand of humor are going to get along beautifully. I look forward to almost throwing up with laughter every week. :-)

As for the actual drama, I'm finding that there is good and bad. For the good, even though the plot is familiar (what plot isn't?) and the gay scenes were a bit contrived, I like the way the leads' situation has been set up. I'm not gonna lie, I get a kick out of having leads at odds living together. It's a lazy way to ensure that there is plenty of interaction, but it guarantees that the hi-jinks, hilarity and sexual tension, they will ensue. Even though I'm not currently feeling Kae-in AT ALL, I can't wait for the inevitable scene where she walks in on Jin-ho right after he's done showering and he's all dripping and wet and shirtless and she goes all crossed-eyed and starts babbling like a fool because he's a Hot Piece of Gay. Or something. Whatever, I don't know, I don't care, I can't wait!

The sidekicks, Young-sun, Sang-jun and Chang-ryul's father, Scarred Master of Evilry, are pure gold. I want them all in every scene. Young-sun and Sang-jun especially are both bad-@$$ in their hilariousness, but have a lot of love and care for Kae-in and Jin-ho respectively. Worthy and beautiful characters already. I kind of want them together so I can watch a spin-off of them with Young-sun's young son (that will never not make me laugh).

Now for the bad. I must agree with a few other posters like nycgrl that while the story is good on paper, the execution leaves something to be desired. In my case, I am having a really hard time with Kae-in. Sohn Ye-jin can bring it in the quieter moments, but those moments are too few and far between. I find it difficult to muster up any sympathy--let alone empathy--for Kae-in, a heroine who is quite frankly dimmer than a broken light bulb and is indirectly responsible for many of her own problems. If she's going to dumb, at least have some backbone, some gravitas to anchor her. But no, there's none of that either! Steady as a clump of hair, that woman is. She did stop being completely useless for a moment when she showed fire with the In-heevil, but then it immediately devolved into hair-pulling.

I don't need to have had the same life experiences as a character to be able to relate. There just needs to be some commonality in human-ness. Show me some spark, some soul, some spirit, verve, intelligence, ambition, properly-directed passion, SOMETHING besides "stubbornness" and the ability to trust with blind stupidity. Kae-in needs to un-botox her brain. Until that inevitably happens, I'll be watching this drama for Jin-ho (love Min Ho!), Sang-jun, Young-sun, Chang-ryul, and Daddy-Changryul. Oh, and for Girlfriday, who is absolutely the best thing this side of Javabeans!

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82 Yuki

April 6, 2010 at 10:51 AM

YAY for your comeback! Awesome recap as always, girlfriday =D

Still trying to stay away from this drama until finals are over but I guess recaps are an exception, no? XD

And for some reason, In Hee reminds me of Ban Seok's sister (from TWWSWTM). Hopefully there's some major payback time for her later.

Thanks for the recap!

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83 saintpolar

April 6, 2010 at 11:31 AM

I agree with you: the plot does seem very predictable for the most part.
But then again, aren't all K-dramas? lol
I mean, yeah yeah, we all know that they'll end up together once the gay thing clears up.
But I'm so interested as to how it'll get there lol.

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84 doozy

April 6, 2010 at 11:54 AM

@ grace, the one from Jersey, USA

When I watched that crosswalk scene, I didn't feel that Kae-in's purpose for the zombie walk was to ultimately injure herself and gain sympathy from Chang-ryul. I think that the friendship betrayal hit her harder than being dump by the wimpy boyfriend.

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85 grace, the one from Jersey, USA

April 6, 2010 at 12:24 PM

@84 doozy ~
I totally agree with you. I don't think that she would ever want to get
Chang-ryul back, or be able to trust her old girlfriend In-hee, again.

I was writing how ~ EVERYTIME ~ somebody gets a broken heart
in a Korean TV series, they usually end up doing that zombie walk
in the streets of Seoul, and sometimes the scene ends at the hospital.

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86 ockoala

April 6, 2010 at 12:41 PM

@ simplesim-moni

*giant waves* you can find me on chatting away on twitter anytime, with baobei updates to boot.

@ grace

LOL at the zombie walk. Ever since The Host came out, I've noticed since 2007 that there are next to no scenes at the riverbanks. Perhaps the Han River is no longer safe for the forelorn heartbroken one if there is a chance you may get eaten by a giant mutant monster made by the USA. Ergo, zombie walk is the safer alternative.

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87 grace, the one from Jersey, USA

April 6, 2010 at 12:45 PM

ockoala ~

I think that somebody just stole THE BENCH. :)

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88 ockoala

April 6, 2010 at 12:53 PM

@ grace

Who'd steal THE BENCH and be so utterly debilitatingly depressed as to not get up and move on, leaving Kae-in no choice but to elect the zombie walk?

My money would be on Ji-wan from WISFC, that is one depressed girl. But really the person who ought to sit on THE BENCH for life is Dae-gil from Chuno, except for someone so depressed, he sure runs around a lot. Perhaps he didn't get the memo that when one's life sucks beyond belief, you need to mope and pout in place.

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89 Ellie

April 6, 2010 at 12:56 PM

Welcome back girlfriday! Now that you mentioned "comeback," I can't get LL Cool J's song "Mama said knock you out") out of my mind.........."Don't call it a comeback / I've been here for years...."

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90 ohemgee

April 6, 2010 at 12:56 PM

"I know this is beside the point, but there’s no way that Sang-jun would be the top in that relationship. Just sayin’. "

ROFLMAO!!!!

i just wanted to say that i am REALLY enjoying "personal taste" too!

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91 grace, the one from Jersey, USA

April 6, 2010 at 1:09 PM

I'm putting my money on evil Shin Hong, from "Dae Jo Young."
Probably assisted by his equally evil partners-in-crime: Li Wen,
Li Kaigu, and Xue Rengui. I can easily picture those four evil guys
(in their 6th century silk robes) carrying THE BENCH to their hideout.

Can you tell that ~ I LOVE ~ Korean historical dramas? :)

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92 Jerseygirl

April 6, 2010 at 3:57 PM

I'm very disappointed with the first 2 episodes of PT. I don't think So Yeh Jin fits the role as she looks too plain and at times overact . I think LMH is prettier than her in this drama . She does not look good without make up.Instead of feeling and pitying her when she got dumped by her boyfriend, I felt nothing at all. Lee Min Ho is I guess ok but seems to be holding back a little. The story line is too predictable and borrowed from Full House and Coffee Prince but Song Hye Ko and Yoo Eun Hye are both adorable in those comedic roles. PT might be different if YEH or SHK were the leading ladies here as the chemistry would be better and might be believable.PT is no match for Cinderella's Sister. I even prefer The Birth of The Rich and Dong Yi to PT.

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93 elpee

April 6, 2010 at 4:02 PM

Thanks for the hilarious recap, girlfriday! LOVED it.

The scene where Kae In scares Jin Ho with the chainsaw was pure comedy gold. I was fleeing the scene with him! Ahahah.

And ditto to other commentors' response about how Kae In treated the scumbag friend who ransomed her house: WTH??? She should so be taking him to court instead of treating him to a meal. So wrong in so many ways.

Anywho, hope you keep recapping 'cause that was really great!

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94 mimi

April 6, 2010 at 4:23 PM

Thank you, Javabeans : )

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95 Adriana

April 6, 2010 at 6:49 PM

oh God she looks old... she looks like minho´s mom

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96 HT

April 6, 2010 at 7:53 PM

Thanks for your recap,girlfriday! I actually didn't catch on the GJP's part. Good thing you pointed it out. That was funny.
I love this drama. It makes me laugh so damn hard. The gay jokes are freshly original. Can't wait to see Jiho fall in love with Gaine.

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97 butterfly

April 6, 2010 at 8:01 PM

I love this drama because of lee min ho. He is so handsome and neat in this drama. the leading actress looks like the mom of cinderella's sister. I have no empathy of gae-in as well as she zombie walk on the street. I have watched many kdramas with the same plot but when the lead actors/actresses are in pain I can as well feel their pain, when they cry I cried also. but when she did that zombie walk I felt nothing, why?