Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 9
by javabeans
They will cut you with that stare. Back away slowly.
I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of this episode, and it’s not because of what happens at the end. Oh, there was some stellar acting in it, as ever, and I don’t really have a problem with the angst levels. (There’s pointless angst, and then there’s angst that has earned its right to thwart your wishes for happiness because it has built up its tension sufficiently.) It’s not even about the lack of “magic” that characterized early episodes. But I’ll explain more below.
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EPISODE 9 RECAP
Eun-jo faces her very guilty-looking mother, who has just emerged from the cafe after buying Jang ajusshi off. Ignoring Kang-sook’s offer to explain, Eun-jo storms into the cafe, glaring at every man in the place. Jang ajusshi had the sense to duck away when seeing Eun-jo’s approach, so Kang-sook can breathe a sigh of relief and Eun-jo finds no trace of him.
Out in the stairwell, Jang counts his payoff and tells himself, “Yeah, this is how low you are,” as though to comfort himself for taking the money. He heads down to leave… which is when Kang-sook and Eun-jo step out of the cafe and run right into him.
Kang-sook had been able to regain her cool after Eun-jo saw that nobody was inside the cafe, but now her eyes widen in shock. What do you suppose the chances are that Eun-jo will believe this is a coincidence?
Voiceover gives us a look into Ki-hoon’s thoughts as he enters Eun-jo’s room tentatively and looks around. He notes that there are no pink curtains, no fancy lipsticks, no frills for this 26-year-old young woman. No sign either of a ridiculous doll he might be able to laugh at.
He thinks back to how she smiled while watching Jung-woo dancing goofily for her, and narrates in that dull, bleak voice: “I thought she didn’t know how to smile… awful girl.”
He goes back to the room he shares with Jung-woo and sees that it’s empty. He wonders, “Where has this guy gone? Is he off making that awful girl laugh?” Jung-woo’s knapsack falls when Ki-hoon sits down, and Ki-hoon sees the childish message scrawled on the baseball bat: “Song Eun-jo is Han Jung-woo’s woman forever.”
Hyo-sun comes in to see Ki-hoon’s gaze fixated on the bat on the ground, and she reads the message. Aside from the fact that this reveals Jung-woo’s feelings, there is also the realization that Jung-woo and Eun-jo must go back a long while if he knew her as a Song rather than a Gu.
Ki-hoon puts the bag back and walks out, silent.
At this memory of the past, Hyo-sun goes into her old trunk of her mother’s things. Inside is the letter she’d never delivered to Eun-jo, which reads differently than the words we’d seen before about Ushuaia. Ki-hoon narrates the contents for us while he thinks back to the day he boarded the train and left:
Ki-hoon’s letter: “Will you hold onto me? If you hold me, I can stop here. Before I get on the train, hold me back, Eun-jo.”
Believing she received the letter and ignored it, Ki-hoon thinks that even though he knew Eun-jo was tough, “I didn’t know she would so simply ignore my earnest request to hold me back.”
Eun-jo et al relocate to an outdoor pavilion to have this conversation. Isn’t it funny how, while in the throes of anger and/or passion, characters still always make the time to relocate to scenic environs?
Kang-sook tells Eun-jo it’s all over, which Jang ajusshi confirms. Eun-jo asks if they’ve been seeing each other this whole time, and it’s hardly any consolation at all when Jang clarifies that there were three years in the middle when they didn’t see each other. After all, that proves that even if Kang-sook were to end it with him today, she may just end up back with him later.
Kang-sook recognizes that Eun-jo won’t believe her no matter what she says, not that Eun-jo has any reason to trust her words. Eun-jo asks her mother if she would believe herself when every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie, questioning whether her mother even knows how to be sincere in anything.
Eun-jo accuses her mother of making a fool of Dae-sung and thinking she’d gotten away with it. Kang-sook retorts that she paid Jang ajusshi off to get him to leave — giving someone money to leave means that you’ve made a decision. At least in her world, where money is always the final word.
At that, Jang levels a stare at her and puts the envelope back in her hand, saying he’ll get lost without taking the money. Like he’s not going to accept this version of himself after all, like he’s better than that. He tells her, “However low I may be, I know what shame is.”
Kang-sook prepares Dae-sung’s hanyak (Oriental medicine) for him, as she has been diligently doing daily. She expresses her concerns like a dutiful wife, but Dae-sung’s reaction is contained, as though her confession about using him for money has made him unable to pretend it away.
Dae-sung is planning to work late, but Eun-jo takes her mother aside to tell her — request, even — to take him home, because there has been a problem with the factory and she doesn’t want to upset him. In fact, it would be best to take him away on a vacation and keep him away from phones, because he’s not supposed to receive any emotional shock in his condition.
The issue is with their rice supplier, which has suddenly decided it cannot sell to them anymore, as they have sold their rice elsewhere. The factory cannot just switch to a different brand, because their product is advertised as solely using organic rice from this particular region.
Eun-jo handles this situation in her usual manner, which is to say badly — her first reaction is to go on the offense and attack the rice company director for breaching the contract with their company. The director points out that they’d never made a contract so he has broken no agreement. He doesn’t answer their question of who bought the rice instead.
He dismisses this meeting, but Hyo-sun steps in to try using her only (known) marketable skill, which is to pour on the cute act. She reminds the ajusshi that she used to come by as a little girl, and he used to buy her candies. Won’t he take a little time to just have one drink with them?
I don’t mean to disparage Hyo-sun’s tactic, because it’s certainly more diplomatic and if anything she’s much better than Eun-jo at managing (some might call it manipulating) people. You catch more flies with honey, and such as.
Hyo-sun drinks makgulli with the director, who has enough wine to turn his nose bright red and ease his stiff demeanor. Once his mood has been softened, Hyo-sun asks whom he sold the rice to. We don’t hear the answer but our characters do, and Eun-jo wants to spring into action immediately.
Ki-hoon argues against it — even if they go to the buyer right now, she’ll probably be confrontational like she was with this director. Hyo-sun wakes up from the backseat — is the timing by chance, or by design? — to ask groggily, “Oppa, I did good today, didn’t I?” He tells her she did.
Ki-hoon says he’ll take Hyo-sun tomorrow to meet with the rice buyer, which means this hurts on two levels for Eun-jo — he’s overruling her decision and also indicating that Hyo-sun is the better facilitator. Eun-jo protests, but Ki-hoon tells her, “She’s much more capable than you. You can’t open people’s hearts.”
His words take on a personal meaning — he’s definitely not just talking about the rice company ajusshi now — as he adds that she can’t figure anything out. His voice has a bitter edge.
Angered, Eun-jo orders Ki-hoon to pull over, then gets out of the car to walk. And Ki-hoon just drives on.
A little part of me dies (the part of me that stubbornly clings to the Eun-jo/Ki-hoon romantic pairing) when he leaves her there, even as a part of me appreciates that a character who makes a big gesture like this is not coddled for it. As with Hyo-sun earlier, by driving on, he forces her to own up to her move. If Eun-jo feels the teeniest twinge of surprise or disappointment — and I’m pretty certain she does — she’s not being honest about the motivation driving her action. Perhaps she wants him to come after her, and to push past her barriers like he used to do. But back then, he hadn’t felt wounded by her, as he does now.
When she finally gets home, Ki-hoon is waiting in front of the gate, with one question to ask: “Back then, before I left this house, why didn’t you come to the train station? Did you not get my letter?” Eun-jo doesn’t betray her shock, and answers evenly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He furrows his brow: “I wrote a letter asking you to come to the train station and gave it to Hyo-sun to give you. Did she… not give it to you?” Eun-jo stares with gaze averted, almost like she’s lost in her thoughts. But she answers, “I got it.”
What in the WHAT now?
Ki-hoon asks her if she really did, wanting confirmation. Eun-jo replies coldly that she can’t remember if she ripped it up or burned it, acting like it was unimportant enough to forget. Now his voice betrays his hurt as he asks, “You read it and still didn’t come?”
Now she looks at him wearing a smirk. A big, hateful smirk.
Eun-jo tells him in that taunting voice not to act pathetic, which is a bit like kicking a wounded puppy when it’s down. Ki-hoon has just opened up to you after all this solo brooding — good lord it’s taken long enough — and right away you lie? But even though she strives to sound cool, she gets more and more heated as she yells that she has nothing to give of the past, so don’t beg.
We know she’s acting in self-preservation but Ki-hoon doesn’t, and when they retreat to their own rooms, both are feeling pain over the exchange. Eun-jo seems stunned with her own words, falling to the floor and sobbing to herself.
And see… this is where Eun-jo loses me. Oh, I get why she did this, on a logical level. I just really hate that she did, and that the drama writer is taking her character in this direction. More on this later.
In the morning, Eun-jo glares at Hyo-sun with new anger, now knowing that she interfered with Ki-hoon’s letter.
Kang-sook takes Dae-sung away for a vacation and keeps him from calling the factory, assuring him that the kids will handle it.
Eun-jo waits impatiently for word from Ki-hoon and Hyo-sun, who are meeting with the people who bought the rice. When the call finally comes, the news is not good: they can’t buy the rice back, because the buyer paid triple the price. There’s no way they can match that.
Hyo-sun wants to tell her father, as this has grown too big to handle behind his back. Eun-jo disagrees violently but loses this fight, so Dae-sung gets the bad news and decides to head back to the factory. There’s a nice moment when Kang-sook grabs his arm as they walk, and Dae-sung tells her she doesn’t have to because he doesn’t want to feel like a patient. She answers that she’s not doing it because he’s a patient; she’s doing it because she wants to. For the first time since his big disillusionment, Dae-sung lets out a small smile, pleased to hear this.
Jung-woo plays with Jun-su while casting worried looks Eun-jo’s way, as she seems ready to burst with the tension. He brings her honey tea, lapsing into his country accent and talking in his lightly teasing way to get her to drink it.
He accompanies her to the bank to inquire into taking out a loan. She is told that the answer will come by the following morning.
Jung-woo tells her to use his money, reminding her of his savings that he had given to her — he’ll take responsibility for her life. She smiles; he’s so cute, and also so simple. When I was in elementary school, I remember my mother worrying over finances, and I offered up my piggybank savings — ever-so-magnanimously! — as though that would solve the grown-ups’ problems. I think my mom laughed at me too.
Although they haven’t gotten the loan yet, Hyo-sun disagrees strongly with taking that route. Eun-jo points out that the scandal over the spoiled makgulli was a huge blow, and if they don’t recover now, it’ll be even more difficult for them to bounce back.
It’s an odd sensation to have Hyo-sun be the voice of reason, as she takes issue with Eun-jo acting unilaterally without telling anyone, and demands what’ll happen if they can’t pay back the loan.
Eun-jo is convinced that they can get back on their feet if they overcome this hurdle, but Hyo-sun asks how she can know that.
Eun-jo loses me a little more as she asks her sister snidely, “If I know the answer, how come you don’t? How can you not know?” What, is she psychic?
Eun-jo reminds Hyo-sun that her father’s name is on the line, and Hyo-sun bursts out, “Don’t act like you’re thinking of my father!” She tells Eun-jo not to invoke her father’s name like she knows better than Hyo-sun what it means. Don’t be a hypocrite. She should just be honest and admit that she’s trying to increase her own role in the company. And if not, then declare that it’s not.
Okay, so that accusation of Eun-jo leveraging her position is a little unfair. These ladies are making it mighty hard to choose sides, which I suppose is the point. But it’s a kdrama! I must have sides! How else will I know which one to wish fiery death by volcano upon?
In response to Hyo-sun’s charges, Eun-jo asks, “How can you know my feelings that well when I don’t even know them myself? What are you so afraid of that you keep telling me to reveal my inner thoughts?” Is she afraid Eun-jo will supplant her? Or is she afraid Eun-jo will take everything and leave nothing for her?
I don’t think she’s too far off from the truth — even if it’s not something Hyo-sun is willing to admit aloud, or even to herself — and Hyo-sun’s face takes on a defensive expression. Eun-jo declares that even if she were harboring secret intentions, she’d never reveal them to Hyo-sun, who is “childish and horrible.” Caustically, she adds, “The fact that I’m letting you off this easy is because you’re your father’s daughter.”
This whole argument has been heated, but Hyo-sun takes particular offense at this and ups the temperature even more. She grasps Eun-jo’s arm tightly and orders her to repeat herself. She’s childish and horrible?
Eun-jo bites out that she is — even thinking about the horrible consequences of that very childishness is enough to drive her crazy. Cryptic words belie untold truths here, and Hyo-sun demands to know what she’s referring to. Eun-jo asks Hyo-sun if she really wants to know, if it’s something she won’t regret, already smirking in anticipation of her reaction.
Eun-jo says, “His letter. Why did you hide it and not give it to me?” Hyo-sun swallows, the only hint that she understood the question. With barely contained contempt, Eun-jo continues, “It’s disgusting for me to even stand next to you, who have made me finally say these words, but the reason I’m letting it slide isn’t because of you, but because you are your father’s daughter.”
Eun-jo considers this the end to their little chat, but Hyo-sun’s not done yet and holds her back. Shrewdly, she asks, if Eun-jo is referring to hiding Ki-hoon’s letter as evidence of Hyo-sun’s “childishness,” then what exactly were those “horrible consequences”?
Hyo-sun and Eun-jo both know what the answer is — that her separation from Ki-hoon hurt her more than she wants to admit. Eun-jo would rather cut off an appendage than bare her soul to Hyo-sun, but can’t back down from this challenge. She starts to reply, “The first time that I ever, in my life…”
But that’s too earnest and Eun-jo lets fall a tear. She cuts herself off and says that it won’t change things now; she refuses to be “the main character in the story of step-sisters fighting over one man.” She adds, “I’ve stepped out of that story a long, long time ago. I won’t step back in.”
But now it’s her turn to grab Hyo-sun close, and Eun-jo taunts: “You’ll have to be careful. He seems like he hasn’t been able to forget me. Isn’t that interesting?”
Eek, shivers. This scene made me think that it must be challenging for these two actresses to fake hatred so well, or wonder if a tiny bit of their characters’ antipathy must inevitably seep into real life.
Ki-hoon reports to his father on the health of Dae-sung’s company, deeming it likely to spring back soon. He explains that there is an employee, Eun-jo, who is working on developing a new type of yeast, and as she is determined and smart, it will only be a matter of time before she succeeds. That yeast will be a crucial part of the company, and they must claim that as well.
The one sign that Ki-hoon isn’t as heartless about his takeover as he might otherwise appear is in how he loses himself in thought when talking about Eun-jo, letting out a bitter comment about how she’s so persistent.
He asks his father to find out who bought up the rice, and asks him to fund loans to the company, “Since it’s ours anyway.”
(He’s a double agent, for sure — but for which side? If only he would TALK MORE.)
With his father’s loan (offered through a bank, so the Gu family doesn’t know it’s coming from Hong Ju), Dae-sung is able to purchase the rice and production resumes. The family sighs in relief for the moment.
(Re: the above screencap: I give Hyo-sun full credit for loving her father genuinely, but I don’t think that precludes her from knowing that it can also be a tool to use against Eun-jo. She wields Dae-sung’s love like a weapon.)
Eun-jo wants to hurry back to her lab, but Dae-sung asks her to eat with them. She declines, so Hyo-sun asks her in a sweet voice, keeping up the ruse that they get along for Dae-sun’s benefit.
Under their breaths, however, they mutter to each other. Hyo-sun glares, saying that she won’t stand to see her father being hurt if Eun-jo goes off like this: “I won’t let you go. Eat and go, you bitch.”
(Language note: Ki-hoon often calls Eun-jo “나쁜 계집애” which I have been translating as “you awful girl.” Given his intonation and context, he means it half-bitterly, half-affectionately, so it doesn’t have much sting. Hyo-sun uses the same term here but with spite, which elevates the slur from a mere “awful girl” to “bitch.” In Korean, some words can be turned into swears by their context, and this is one case.)
Dae-sung is in a good mood at lunch, drinking freely. Eun-jo tells him to stop drinking and takes the cup from him, then invites Hyo-sun to drink. She makes the offer with the air of a challenge, and Hyo-sun drinks, then pours a cup for Eun-jo in return. They go back and forth, and the exchange fills the air with tension, particularly when Hyo-sun instructs Ki-hoon to take her father home; she’s got some drinking to do with sister dearest.
Ki-hoon reminds Hyo-sun that Eun-jo can’t drink much, and if anything is likely to goad Eun-jo on, it’s sympathy (over a perceived weakness, to boot).
Some time later, both sisters are drunk. Hyo-sun asks, “Won’t you leave our house?” Her tone is plaintive rather than angry, and Hyo-sun says things like “I hate you to death” in the voice of a child who is upset not to have gotten her way. Eun-jo reminds her that she used to say she liked her to death, and followed her around, which Hyo-sun denies.
Hyo-sun asks again, seriously, for Eun-jo to leave, offering up her old apartment in Seoul. Eun-jo could get a job anywhere with her skills, and if not, Hyo-sun can even send her money. She finds the sight of Eun-jo’s face horrible, which is a sentiment Eun-jo returns.
But Eun-jo says no. Did she just think she’d agree? It was Hyo-sun who wanted to get this sister showdown going and see who won — does she suddenly feel like she’s going to lose? Eun-jo warns, “If you keep this up, I’m really going to steal everything from you.” She’ll take the company, her father, and “him.”
Hyo-sun says, “That was the truth from the beginning.” (Like Eun-jo wanted to prove that Teenage Hyo-sun was no sweetheart, Hyo-sun wants to prove that Adult Eun-jo isn’t a hardworking darling.)
Hyo-sun calls her Song Eun-jo, but Eun-jo corrects her — she’s a Gu now. She adds that even if her last name isn’t a big deal, the fact that Hyo-sun keeps picking at those things makes her want to retort, “Oh, yeah? Then shall I see how much I really CAN take from you?”
They both stagger out of the restaurant in little drunken zigzags, which is mildly hilarious. Even though she’s drunk (or perhaps because of it), Hyo-sun follows her big sis. Old habits die hard. The pair look like two whirly tops making their dizzy way across the floor, all the way to the laboratory.
Hyo-sun passes first, slumping on the floor. Eun-jo tries to pull her off the ground, but falls over and ends up passing out on her sister’s shoulder.
By nighttime, Dae-sung is worried to death about the missing girls and orders the boys to find them. A phone call from Japan spins his worries in another direction, however, with puzzling and unfortunate news: The boat carrying their makgulli shipment to Japan arrived, but somehow their product has not.
Ki-hoon is about to check with the Japanese office, but Dae-sung tells him that there is no such office. He reels from the shock.
It turns out all their business documents were faked. Ki-hoon suspects his father, but President Hong tells him that it was Ki-jung. Hong hadn’t known about it, and has just found out the truth himself.
So Ki-hoon calls Big Bro, asking if that’s how badly he wanted to have the company. He didn’t think Hong Ju would stoop this low — this is cheap back-alley stuff.
And just as he levels these charges against him, he becomes aware of a presence in the room. Dae-sung stands behind him, having heard the whole thing.
Dae-sung asks, angry in his quietly dignified way, “This is your family’s doing?”
Ki-hoon had hung up the call when realizing Dae-sung’s presence, and now the phone rings. Dae-sung picks up to hear Ki-jung launching into a diatribe against his brother, acknowledging that Ki-hoon one-upped him with the rice deal, using Dad’s money to buy it back. He concedes one round to his father and brother, but warns that Ki-hoon had better not relax — how long does he think he can hold out?
Ki-hoon has been standing stock-still during this call, as though awaiting Dae-sung’s judgment. And when it comes, it’s harsher than he was hoping for. Dae-sung says, with difficulty, “How could you do this to me?”
Ki-hoon is stricken to have Dae-sung believe the worst of him — however true the imputation, he never meant it in this way, and perhaps he had convinced himself that his motives were pure and therefore his takeover scheme justified.
But he doesn’t get a chance to defend himself, as Dae-sung collapses.
Jung-woo races to the lab, where he rouses the two sleeping sisters. They run to the hospital, arriving just behind Kang-sook. Ki-hoon has been there from the start, but he feels so wretched that he just stands in the back, numb with shock.
The doctor confirms Dae-sung’s death, but Kang-sook does not accept this and calls out to her husband, preventing the doctor from drawing up the bedsheet to cover his face.
Not getting a response, Kang-sook directs Hyo-sun to shake him, to “make him not sleep.”
Trembling, Hyo-sun calls out to her father. At first tentative, her cries grow heartbroken as she realizes that he’s not going to wake.
Eun-jo stands in shock, recalling all the moments Dae-sung reached out to her, and how he had asked her to call him Dad.
When Hyo-sun breaks down over her father’s body, Kang-sook tries to pull her away from the body. Still in denial, she tells her to be quiet, like Hyo-sun’s grief makes this real. But as she screams for quiet, the truth starts to sink in with her, too.
Jung-woo puts a consoling arm on Eun-jo’s shoulder, but she hardly even notices.
All the while, Ki-hoon watches, frozen in guilt, with his face half-obscured by the wall like he wants to go hide but can’t pull himself away, either. He narrates in a desolate voice:
Ki-hoon’s narration: “I did this. In one morning, I stole away the father of those beautiful girls. I swear to god, I didn’t mean to do this.”
Numbly, Eun-jo turns and walks away. She walks down the darkened stairwell, where she sinks onto a step and starts to cry. Thinking of how Dae-sung had asked her to call him “abeoji” (father), she starts to sob, trying to utter those words that come so easily to Hyo-sun, “A… a…”
COMMENTS
Ever since Hyo-sun started with the voiceovers, I’d been expecting them from the other characters. The fact that they waited till now to give us Ki-hoon’s side of the narrative coin shows a confidence in their pacing — it’s a slow burn, not a race to the finish, which suits this drama. I just hope they’ve got enough left in the tank to make it to the end.
I fear I may be in the minority, but I’ll voice this unpopular opinion:
I am starting to not like any of these characters, except for perhaps Jung-woo, but that’s not really a sterling recommendation since he is so shallowly written as to be necessarily benign. There are aspects I like about everyone, but I need more to go on in order to counter the nastiness that is emerging. The strife does spice things up, but it becomes problematic when the characters’ flaws create frustrating narrative obstacles that are, in my opinion, frustrating for the sake of being frustrating.
Example? Eun-jo lying about never getting Ki-hoon’s letter.
Yes, I can see why she lied. I can even offer a half-convincing argument defending her choice, because she was so pained by the loss of Ki-hoon eight years ago that she cannot bear to re-open that wound. That’s not too far off from her typical M.O., which is to cut her losses and run. Better to cauterize that sucker and walk around with a huge scar than to risk greater injury, even if that way lies potential happiness. In her world, the odds aren’t in her favor anyway and she doesn’t know she’s the heroine of the story so she’s better off, right? Her reaction after she retreats to the safety of her room is one of shock — like the news is just sinking in. This suggests that she’d tossed out her cruel words in a numbed daze, throwing up all of her defenses hurriedly without letting the hurt have a chance to seep in or reveal itself.
So yes, I get it. Still, I’m tired of it. Eun-jo’s traumas have been excellently portrayed by Moon Geun-young, who has done as much as she can to sympathize the character. But her constant pride and anger are starting to make her — dare I say? — predictable. And with predictable comes boring. At some point you sorta want to tell a person that a miserable past is too bad and all, but when are you going to suck it up and move on? You know how it’s tiresome to listen that guy who’s been burned by a girl announcing that all girls are therefore evil/bitches/slut-ho’s? One bad person — or two, or three — doesn’t poison all of mankind. I know, I know, Kang-sook is a toxic presence and Hyo-sun’s a brat, and it’s haaaard, wah wah.
This doesn’t mean I dislike the drama. I just find it perplexing to watch at this point because I have nobody to root for, nobody to hope gets his/her act together.
I can see how some viewers may consider this ambiguity a positive thing, but on some basic level I need to find my characters relatable and/or enjoyable. One or the other will suffice, though both is preferable. This is a good drama, but it’s still a drama with a conventional storytelling format, and that necessitates protagonist-antagonist conflict. When it’s just antagonist-antagonist, it gets a bit painful to watch and I start to check out.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping off this train. But if things continue in this vein, I’ll be watching Cinderella’s Sister for the entertainment value and virtuoso acting, but not so much for the heart-tugging emotion. Dae-sung’s death left me cold, and if I couldn’t cry at HIS death, then what hope have I for the rest of the much-less-likable cast? (Of course, this could be because his death was spoiled multiple times in the comments of the previous recap, which does tend to suck all the fun out of a big event.)
(I can’t wait to see if girlfriday disagrees with me! THAT ought to make for an interesting recapping one-two punch, eh?)
RELATED POSTS
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 8
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 7
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 6
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 5
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 4
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 3
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 2
- Cinderella’s Sister: Episode 1
- Cinderella, Prosecutor, Taste: First episode impressions
Tags: Chun Jung-myung, Cinderella's Sister, Kim Gab-soo, Lee Mi-sook, Moon Geun-young, Seo Woo, Taecyeon
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151 tina
May 4, 2010 at 7:14 AM
Honestly, I like the fact that this is a wed/thurs drama because I end up just waiting until Thursday morning (pacific coast time) and watching both. I think watching the two episodes back to back makes a lot of things clearer. I seriously.. omg. ... epi.10 left me sobbing like a two year old. >.< And a lot of the motives and emotions felt clearer to me after 10.
DS passing away was so.. GAH. It's like when you're on a roller coaster and there's a tiny drop when you expected a big one so you think "hey this isn't so bad" and then BLAAAAM! A freaking long ass drop that leaves you gasping for air. Jeez.. I could have done without that. I think though that his death is going to push EJ into ... more character growth? At the very very least.
She killed me in this one by the way. I was literally gasping in shock when she lied about the letter. Dude.. if KH had asked her earlier on and not mentioned HS, she would have totally said yes.. stupid kh. I feel for her.. it seems like she's just at the breaking point. *sigh* Why can't you just run away with JW and live happily ever after? And that scene.. where she was talking to HS about the letter.. I think that scene was my favorite in this one. She's so hurt but she's so mean! GAAAH Her layers~~ they make me cry.
But seriously.. if she was like.. "A letter? No, I never got a letter. YOU DO LOVE ME *commence serious kissing*" that would be suuuch a weird character shift. I mean.. that would be like.. I can't even imagine a scenario as weird as that.. In order to preserve her EJness as well as just the overall feel of the drama, that had to happen, in my opinion.
As far as HS goes.. I don't feel anything when she cries. When EJ cries, my heartstrings.. they're tugged.. they're damn near pulled out of my body and flung halfway across the planet. But when HS cries... I just feel.. bored. I think she cried so much that it seems like that's just her natural state. To be leaking tears all the time. But I really hope she comes into her own. I can see glimmers of it from time to time..
@43 Stee
I am in complete 100% agreement with your comment. :D
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152 Iviih
May 4, 2010 at 7:29 AM
@34 Cs- yes! i agree with you, a person don't change so easy, even that 8 years past that doesn't mean she had to change, because-
she was finally becoming close to someone again, and was becoming more open, but he died. making her hopes all die.. and well since i think she was just focused to get a better live to not live like her mother and to help DS of course she didn't change her attitudes. well we see that she become more social but doesn't show her fellings at all. I think she just doesn't dare to show, not yet because she doesn't want to get hurt. And because Ds understand her sometimes, i think she didn't see that she had to change at all. a person that love you and really care will understand you, that is what i think. well i like eun jo because she is like someone i know, i have a friend that is bitter and cold like Eun jo and that i have been her friend for like 10 years and she didn't change at all. she is more open but i never see her change her way to talk to others or show her fellings. i understand her.. and because of this i really get angry at people that don't understand her actions and talk bad. i really want her to be more open (lol i'm talking about my friend and about eun jo too) and to change, but this change isn't like almost everyone want or think, the change i say is to show more her fellings and to be more open to the persons close to her. i'm not talking about she change to another person and be a very smiling girl that say 'HI' to everyone else smiling. that would be really strange and she would become a total strange person. LOL And i can see all the suffering that people like eun jo and my friend fell.. my friend said one thing that was very sad for me,'' i prefer have my pride than do something like this, or getting hurt' ''getting hurt is just ridiculous.'' when i heard that i was felling very very sad, because i realized that i being her friend like for 10 years, she still doesn't opened for me.. i realized that she doesn't suffer just because what everyone thinks.. she suffers too for being like this.. like she has a war against her. it's just very complex. well but i know that she really cares for me because of little details.. and because one time, just one, she come to me and told everything.. she cried and apolodized while hugging me and crying. i was so happy.. because i knew that she cared for me, but to show that she cared for me must have been so hard and i was happy that after all she could trust me..i think what HS need is to confirm too what she thinks.. like eun jo is so closed that she may think that eun jo doesnT trust her at all, and sometimes think that she really doesn't cares at all.. well because of this i understand HS fellings (but i don't agree with her attitudes.), and i understand Eun jo too. i just hope eun jo can find someone to open up, to really trust.. because must be hard having a war against the world and herself everyday...
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153 Minch
May 4, 2010 at 8:16 AM
Such mix comments. I am pleased because It just shows that people are truly watching it and absorbing each episode. More importantly, the actors & actresses are doing such a good job at we, as viewers, feel for them.
Since it's some form of a Cinderella story, I've expected pain, bitterness, greed, selfishness from the beginning.
What intrigues me is on how the writers would accomplish this without too much disruption on the story line.
I am confident that the drama wil have a happy ending - KH & EJ will kiss and make up and live happily ever after .
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154 Judy
May 4, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Thanks for the recap. It is interesting to note that the average length of comments are so long.
I have a different feeling towards CS. On one hand, I felt so painful in watching the story development (which makes you want to drop it) but on the other hand, I felt so emotionally charged and invested when watching it (which makes you want to continue to watch it). It is like I hate someone or something that I love so much.
Although the pace of this drama is a bit too slow for my taste, I still enjoy every scene so far - the acting of every actors/actress is just fabulous and the script is well written. Directing is also very good. I also love its OST. CS is definitely a high standard drama. I predict the story development in the next few episodes may not be so heavy like ep 5 to ep 10 because the scriptwriter will give the viewers some breathing space (or even some candies) before making us sad and bitter again in the last few episodes. I only hope that CS will not end like "What happened in Bali" - it is total sadness.
I think the rating of CS will trend higher in the later episodes.
I think CS is much better than "Will it snow for Christmas" in which the story development is just twisted. (But Go Soo is very handsome!) It may not be fair to compare CS with PT since they are different types of drama. But I have to say that if it is not LMH acting in PT, the drama should have got very low rating because the story is so childish and predictable. I just love watching LMH wearing fashionable suits and walking like a model in the drama. And to be honest, I cannot feel the chemistry between LMH and SYJ. PT reminds me of YEH's My Fair Lady. I watch these two dramas only because of my favourite actress and actor.
MGY may not be a beauty but she is really an outstanding actress. She has a pair of expressive eyes which you can drown in them. I liked her dramas/movies very much. I liked CJM in Fashion 70 but not to the extent of falling for him. But CS has changed my view on CJM. I have finished watching CJM's "What's up fox!" and "Goodbye Solo" when I am waiting for CS's new episodes. These two dramas are also very good dramas. Some people may not like Goodbye Solo because the pace of the story is even slower than CS. It has some similarities with CS because every character in Goodbye Solo has his/her dark side. "What's up fox" is just fun to watch! GHJ is so cute even though she is no longer young. And MGY looks like young GHJ.
I watch both CS and PT, but CS is the one that I am really waiting for. To me, CS is the "main course" while PT is the "dessert".
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155 Fafa
May 4, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Thanks.
Poor KH. What is he going to do now? If the girls find out about this, neither will let him off easily. I remember the part he asked Ajushi to believe in him no matter what, but it seems that ajushi was not a believer after all.
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156 morillix
May 4, 2010 at 10:04 AM
wow! and i mean wooooow! i was really upset when EJ told KH she got the letter but later i understood she did it because she is to proud to change her bitchy attitude and also because fighting with HS for a man would not only ruin their relationship but also will hurt DS. and then, what? DS died? i never thought he would and under those circumstances, even worst!. Yes, the pain, the crying, the yelling and all you can expect in a KD is here. Personally, i like the story so far and i do agree the characters were stuck until this death twist appear. But I won't deny i was expecting one since episode 8 considering we are in the middle of the story.
I guess the plot will improve after this because DS was the character who gathered the family together, now without him i guess we'll see many revelations and how they will manage to keep it up, to let go, to achieve, to change, etc, etc., etc. I know many expect a happy ending but i guess KH's fault over the deathof DS is an obstacule for the main characters' happiness.
Hope the writers won't mess the story
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157 vere
May 4, 2010 at 11:09 AM
I love the actors and what they have showcased thus far, but yes, this is becoming extremely boring/frustrating. Everything is misery. Throw us a bone or two, please.
Side note - Personal Taste has also become boring to me. I really don't feel anything for Lee Min Ho's character, and I don't think his acting is showcased well in that role. The story isn't that interesting, and even if they treated the one true gay character with some respect in one scene, the fact is none of the main characters are truly gay, and "I'm confused about their sexuality" is being used as a playful joke, as is so often the case. Coffee Prince actually showed a character going through some serious questioning of his own sexuality, while this is just a guy who goes along with a misunderstanding.
Oh My Lady isn't anything special on the surface, but I really enjoy the actors and the relationships between the male lead, the female lead and the daughter. It's endearing to see him change into a responsible paternal figure.
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158 jamaica
May 4, 2010 at 11:17 AM
i cant see my comments!
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159 S
May 4, 2010 at 11:53 AM
@71 lals - great comments!! agree with you totally!!
i do not have the words to describe CS, but i do know it's different from any other k-drama that i've watched. being non-korean, all the k-dramas that i've watched so far over the 7-8 years have either been rom-com with the love-square, or plotting to takeover or usurp throne/good vs evil/betrayals/terminal illness type melos. the only love-square that made me felt differently was que sera sera, and i haven't had that type of feeling since CS came along. it stretches my heart's limits in different directions, makes me feel feelings that i may not want to, sometimes reminds me uncomfortably of my past, and i have such a mixture of dread/hope before i i start watching, and sometimes in the middle of the show i pause and cannot go on due to the intensity.
i can only understand about 20-30% of the korean language, yet for the past few years i have been watching k-dramas raw and then rewatching it when the subs appear, and i usually guess correctly ~ 70-80% of the time. however it's not the case with CS, and the dialogue and script is completely out of my prediction and comfort zone. i guess that's why it contributes to the trepidation before i start watching CS. However i readily welcome this drama, and accept what i feel as a challenge. After watching last week's episodes, i only had one thought - that i do not care who wins/loses, who ends up with who, i just want all 4 of them to be happy, and be finally at peace with themselves.
i used to be a self-destructive pre-teen to young adult with terrible low self-esteem, and hurt myself and was also determined to hurt everyone around me despite whether they cared or hated. i got into every form of trouble, never allowed anyone to get close, and would shut off and sneer any form of kindness - as the pain of someone betraying or leaving would be too great. everyone to me seemed to have a hidden agenda, and even when my parents reconciled and eventually reached out to me i would still be suspicious and be on the offensive all the time. And yes, it took more than 10 years for me to mature, to learn to love myself, be at peace, be thankful/grateful/happy and strive to be a blessing to others. Now in my thirties, me and my mother finally opened up the buried hurt/wounds and put the past behind us, only few months ago. and to think we carried all these resentment and pain within us all throughout my 20s without any mention, except when we were fighting. So i am more than willing to give EJ and HS time. And believe me, there are some people who never change to the grave. I am thankful to CS for reminding me to count my blessings and to appreciate my family, for the way it makes me feel even though it's out of my usual k-drama comfortable escape zone, and the way it makes me hope for all the characters makes me happy, cos almost 20 years down the line, i am now an optimist, something that i never dreamt i would become.
also thank you to javabeans, guest writers and all the readers and commenters of k-dramas that make my 'escape time' so enjoyable!
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160 jamaica
May 4, 2010 at 11:56 AM
ok i got it working!
@javabeans thank you for your recaps they've been very helpful. i have to agree with you on must of what you said. EJ is really making me anger you have no idea. this hate she has against the world was understandable at 1st but now its to much. EJ lying about the letter had nothing to do with HS whats so ever. she told KH that she couldnt remember it she burned it or read it. she wanted to hurt him and push him futher away. EJ cold act has long gotten old. its hard to sympathize with her.
i'm also a fan of HS. i feel for the girl. am i the only one? i think she would be better off if she was as hate-filled as EJ but she's not. KH tough love speech was something she needed to hear but out of everyone this girl has the must heart. with the dad gone we really need that. i fear we may get endless sisters battles over this and that. i do believe that the sisters care for each other very much. but i read many places that EJ cares more about HS than HS cares for EJ. i know i shouldnt say this but i dont feel that way. what good is your love if your not willing to let that person know it or better yet you weather make them hate you and see you as a monster. at least HS reaches out. no matter how badly she was hurt she still reaches out.
EJ is very dislikable to me but i really want to be on her side ( i'm not ). i hear alot of people saying HS cries to much but so does EJ. she tends to over react or under react and her words are venomous. thank god for taec! now i'm sick of his lack of s/l but he seems to be the only person she has let her guard down around and i use that term loosly. i havent worked my feelings out for KH yet but i have hope for him to.
at this point i've watched many kdramas and not a one has made me cry. when father died i didnt cry. when EJ was on the stairs crying i didnt cry, HS crying over her fathers dead body didnt make me cry. i was un moved and really scared that i may just give up on this drama. but than came ep 10. my heart went out to KH,EJ but especially HS. i dont want to spoil any thing but i cried harder than i knew i could. i felt HS pain. i felted it. again EJ made me mad but at least her heart was more revealing.
a lot of people worried that if the father died we would lose EJ. our last chance to see her change and enbraced others but i fear more for HS. after episode 10 we're left with no doubt on who the CINDEREELA is in this story.
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161 LJK
May 4, 2010 at 12:04 PM
Just wanted to thank you for this website. Korea is in the process of spending millions to export their media/culture to the rest of the world. It has been a conscious effort to upgrade Korea as a brand name. If I had to pick where they should really send their money to, it would be to websites like this one. As a Korean-American, coming across websites like this one makes me proud of my heritage. Your ability to break down the episodes is startling to say the least, and it makes me wonder if you too are a Korean-American who speaks both languages fluently.
Anyways, this show has been a nice change of pace for me. Studying for most of my waking hours leads me to forget all the raw emotions a person should feel from time to time. I love the soundtrack. I love Moon Geun Young and her ability to extract every ounce of tears from my body. Although, I wonder how I'd feel about this drama had she not been cast. As far as the main characters, I know exactly what you mean. It is hard to root for anyone at this point. I'm crossing my fingers though in hopes that the writers don't mess it up at the end. This drama begs for a happy ending. If it doesn't the way I want it to, I may never watch a kdrama again...well, at least awhile.
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162 Leila
May 4, 2010 at 1:53 PM
I really love your recaps and all the comments
I agree with the fact that eun jo has her reasons for lying about the letter;
I however do have someone who I root for, that's the main character
I really love the way eun jo is, she is soo complex and hard to understand, but I think that's the whole point of this drama, to get to understand her character, but I do agree that they need to develop the characters, cause it's getting draggy
I loove this drama, but it's making me depressed and down, everytime I watch the episodes I start to think about my life and seeing everything in black and white
But I always watch personale taste after the cinderella sister
this compensates my feelings
anyways, I hope the next episodes will be different,
I am also really hoping for a good ending ( a good ending for me is to see KH and eun jo happy together, but I THINK the chances are small that this will happen)
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163 espresso
May 4, 2010 at 3:14 PM
You idiot Ki Hoon!!! You dare ask her about your letter? Why couldn't you have gone and talked to her eight years ago if you wanted to be stopped?! Why entrust your letter to a bug-eyed HS who believed she owned you? Ah, if you had only seen how the bottom of her world opened up and swallowed her whole to give her a taste of hell, you wouldn't dare show your face again. If you could only feel the anguish she felt at finally opening herself, hoping to find happiness but dragged down by searing pain at having her suspicions come true--that love lets you down and leaves you all alone in the end...hah! even if you'd ask me, a bystander in your kdrama lives, with your puppy dog eyes and furrowed brow to confirm if she received you'd letter I'd tell you, "yes, she received your letter and watched it go up in flames in the hell that she was in". Idiot! She wouldn't open herself up to that again. If she wants to retain her sanity, she has to keep people away at arms length. Argh...idiot Ki Hoon.
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164 namedx
May 4, 2010 at 5:33 PM
@CS Fan
Loved what you wrote, and I couldn't agree more with what you said. I was slightly apprehensive with the way things turned out in ep 9, but only slightly. But ep 10 really did highlight and shape the outcome of events a lot better. Like what was said in the recap, the drama is best at a slow, yet revealing pace - and that works.
Great recap as always! Peace out
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165 giddygirl108
May 4, 2010 at 7:15 PM
I totally agree with you on these past two episodes. I felt as if I was personally losing interest...perhaps because of impending finals and papers? However, as I was reading through girlfriday and your post, it just become clearer and clearer that the drama has become more predictable. I think the really enjoyable scene for me that really tugged at my heartstrings was when Eun-jo and Jung-woo had that innocent, giddy sequence of the running and the silly dancing. But since then, I've felt really nothing.
It's not just bad guy-on-bad guy for me. I think it's really the sense that you know these characters want to break out of their shells; so why the hell are the writers holding back? I can so easily see Eun-jo reaching out to Ki-hoon as she did earlier as a teenager. I mean...she's just as jaded now as she was jaded then. What gives in her pursuit of her mean streak? She's obviously trying to reach out to him...and then the writers just pull her back. Same goes with Ki-hoon. Like you said: it's kinda getting old.
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166 dramabrowser
May 4, 2010 at 8:41 PM
Yes, Eun jo's character is becoming more repetitive. But I have to say her selfishness kinda annoys me. I mean, because of what happened in her past, has it closed her up to this extent? And her threats especially to Hyo Son, definently irritates me. After years together, doesn't she know that she's been hurting her emotionally? If she knows what's it like to get hurt, shouldn't she be considerate towards other people's feelings? Kinda shallow I would say.
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167 ar
May 4, 2010 at 8:48 PM
Thank you for the recap!!! I read it at work yesterday night and had to bite myself to not cry at the desk. I think that Eunjo lied about the letter thing out of a misguided attempt at self-preservation, but i think even if she wanted to tell Kihoon the truth, she would have lied anyways to protect Hyo-sun.
"Isn’t it funny how, while in the throes of anger and/or passion, characters still always make the time to relocate to scenic environs?"---> i totally agree with you on this. this drama cliche really irks me!
I'm really sad that Kihoon indirectly caused Daesung's death. I think this pushes it a bit too far into melodrama.
As for Eunjo and Hyosun's relationship- i'm really hoping for these two girls to be best friends. they could really learn from each other. I'm happy with the way they depicted the 2 female leads' relationship, especially the part of Hyosun. I feel like secondary female leads get screwed over more than secondary male leads in dramas.
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168 peanut
May 4, 2010 at 9:32 PM
To be honest I like Eun-jo's character a lot. She's the softy that is so afraid to open up that she hurts herself by denying any closeness, fearing that very closeness will leave her vulnerable to even more pain. =(
But I have to agree with you Javabeans, things have seemed to stall movement-wise. The relationship between the characters seem to have stayed exactly the same (save the few interactions we've seen with Jung-woo and Eun-jo)
I'd like to see some sort of development with their relationships...with the amount of time they spend with each other there should be little influences noticed between them...right now it seems like they're all in little bubbles sharing the same makgulli jar but not really getting all mixed up like they should.
let's hope for more development this week!!
Thanks, Javabeans!
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169 liz
May 4, 2010 at 11:46 PM
@34 & @43 - great takes on the characters.
I really am disheartened by the comments that Eunjo should have gotten over her hurt during the 8 years under Daesung's wings. Eunjo is more than just "hurt." There isn't an Eunjo that is somehow separable from her scars. The negativity of her childhood and teen years have produced the Eunjo who exists (going Foucauldian here for anyone who might care). I myself have been fortunate not to have had a thoroughly negative formative experience like the one Eunjo had, but had my formative years been like hers, I would be surprised if I weren't like Kangsook, let alone Eunjo. Even Hyosun turns within less than a year, with just Eunjo as the sole negative influence in her otherwise positively self-affirming life.
As for the motivation behind Eunjo's response re: the letter - why does it need to be either or? Why either an instinctively, if regrettably, self-defensive lashing out or a not-so-obvious concern for Hyosun (be it out of a sense of indebtedness or direct love for Hyosun)? Why can't both be at play? There have been subtle but definite indications that Eunjo does care about Hyosun, even if she does a counterproductive job of showing her love (for anyone for that matter).
One of the reasons why I enjoy K-drama in general and CU in particular is the opportunity to better understand human pathos. We are each so limited in our understanding of others and so limited in our opportunities to get to truly know others. I find myself constantly surprised by the logic of certain characters and to realize that there must be/are people who think or feel in such ways (as must be since some human being thought up these characters).
Cinderella's Unni to me is a drama about the humanness of all of us, our all too real shortcomings, a lot of people's tendencies to cut off their noses to spite their faces, to get stuck in their ways of thinking, to get trapped in prisons of their own making... And how we miss out on connecting with others out of understandable fears. How we ourselves make life a little less wonderful, and as an empowering corollary how we ourselves can make life a little more wonderful if we were willing to risk pain. But that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? Who's brave enough to bare their vulnerabilities? It is a drama that challenges viewers to develop a greater understanding, compassion, and patience and to reflect upon their own relationships with others.
If the writing thus far is any indication, the characters will evolve. Hopefully, their evolution will ring true, so long as the Show doesn't cave to criticisms that this or that character develop faster than would be realistic, which isn't to say that certain characters (KiHoon, especially) haven't become static (though I'd say he's become flat and thus static). The character Jungwoo and even Kangsook both can be plumbed far more than they are currently, and hopefully the Show will do so in the coming episodes.
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170 oscyani
May 5, 2010 at 1:56 AM
i dunno why.. but i totally cannot stand hyo sun character..
and at the same time, eun jo character is just so sad.. she made me cried alot of time this episode.. and..
i swear i shouted "whyyyyy' when she said she did received the letter..
coz it's like blocking all ways to resolve the misunderstanding! lol
and at the same time, for someone like me who realli likes chun jung myung, slowly... im not liking his character.. this episode just breaks everything apart.. haiz..
but then again... i'm really curious to see how the writers are going to straighten the strings and solve all misunderstanding..
i hope there's a change in their character to make them a better person.. oh well.. i dunno.. it's just... frustrating... at this moment..
hope the coming episode would enlighten me..
THANKS FOR THE RECAPS! (:
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171 Lex
May 5, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Hello :) I've enjoyed the series & recaps so far, much in part due to the lack of lovely coincidences, sappy romance montages... the usual Korean drama cliches.
Considering the dire situation of Eun Jo & Kang Sook (mooching off men), Ki Hoon (estranged son) and Dae Sung & Hyo Sun (no spousal/maternal support) at the start and their trials, it's plausible that they are scarred beyond repair. Perhaps each character has erected a fortress so high to protect themselves from pain, that they are solitary persons onscreen as opposed to an ensemble.
The characters may be flawed to the point of not winning the viewers' favour but I do appreciate the writers making them very human. My passing notion was that Cinderella's Sister was a potential tragedy, though the mainstream popularity, it'll be tough for the writer's to execute a tragic ending without letting down the viewers.
The story seems to even border on naturalism now(did not expect Ki Hoon to be a Trojan horse!). When EJ lied to KH about the letter, she displayed the insincerity she hated in KS. If her character develops a heart of stone fearing a greater loss in order to attain success (or money in KS's case), the poor girl is headed her momma's way.
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172 pabo ceo reom
May 7, 2010 at 12:17 AM
Haha I totally get where you're coming from JB. It's tough to pick a side but in a way that's refreshing to me. Weird?
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173 sheilapiglet
May 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM
I actually think that EJ saying she got the letter had more to do with the fact that she didn't want HS to be in trouble with KH.....as much as the two sisters seem to hate each other, you can tell that they care for one another as well in their own sadistic way....lol.
you forgot to point out that EJ remembered HS saying: "with KH watching me, I can do anything" after she knew about the letter incident...yes, she is angry that HS didn't give her the letter, but at the same time, she's still watching out for her well being and not wanting to destroy KH/HS relationship cuz she knows how much HS depends on KH......as to whether she's doing this for the benefit of HS herself, or because HS is (like EJ often says) her father's daughter is a different matter.
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174 hello
May 13, 2010 at 9:42 PM
as much as i love your recaps, i hate how much youre ej bias.
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175 imho
May 16, 2010 at 3:22 PM
I really liked this episode too. I am amazed at how caught up I get in the subtle nuances of the characters and performances. Many people seemed to invest all their hopes in Eun Jo being the girl who was going to be the heroine of the show and fall into her prince's arms but it has not been as predictable as that. I have no idea where the characters are going to end up. If the scriptwriters get it right in the second half then I can see this being a fully satisfying series and its not often that happens over 20 episodes.
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176 CS forever!
May 27, 2010 at 12:39 AM
CS Fan:
I don’t think the reason why EJ lies about the letter is because she loves and cares for HJ herself. Maybe deep inside her heart, hidden under all the anger and resentment, she does care about HS. But now at least, I think her primary reason for protecting HS is, as EJ puts it herself, because HS is her father’s daughter. I think it’s safe to say that the man that EJ loves most now is her step father. She may pine for KH but I get the impression that she does want to move on, to drop all her burden and leave. The one tying her back is DS, not KH. Sadly, this is also the reason why DS must die. With him around, EJ will not be able to grow out of her cocoon. Old habits die hard and only hardens with time. Most of the time, it takes a traumatic event to really change a person
I totaly agree!!! when I watched this epsiode, I thought, "wow, this just confirms EJ's love for HS/ or kindness to HS due to indebtedness to DS. I see so clearly that she has cut off all possibilities of her r/s with KH for HS--because she knows how important KH is for her, and how KH the "oppa" is what keeps her sane! This is also the reason why she does not want her to know what Dong Soo found out...
I guess as someone growing up with 2 sisters, I really get this sister-r/s thing... sometimes there is just meanness for the sake of it, or because you have too much pride and do not want to let the other one have it too easy. To me, EJ OBVIOUSLY cares so much for HS (see ep 16), everything she does is to protect her, from knowing about her mother, from knowing abt KH, etc. Even though she acts all tough and mean, EJ could have really just taken KH and ran, but she didn't. She constantly cuts off herself from KH even when KH reveals his love for her in many ways throughout the episodes...it takes d**n a lot of self control!
The scene in the bedroom when she actually said allowed HS to know that she knows...I thought it was a breakthrough--they are actually communicating. Some what dysfunctionally yes, but she actually let just a bit slip, characteristically cutting herself short of course (would we expect her to bare her soul?), yet the fact is that EJ didn't do what she would have done 8 years ago--walk off in a disinterested way, as if you are not worth my attention. That was what drove HS nuts.
I thought that little bit of weakness revealed by EJ was a big step towards sisterlyness!
This is EJ--proud, stubborn, desperate to be loved and loves intensely but would rather die than to ask or look it.
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177 jaylee
May 29, 2010 at 4:09 PM
I don't think Eunjo or Hyosun should forgive Kihoon.
He did a terrible thing. Betraying someone who 1. stood up for you 2. took you in and 3. did nothing but trust you and this is how you betray him?
I can see why Eunjo has a hard time calling Daesung dad.
I like this drama still because I can somewhat relate to her but not wholly.
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178 bleh
June 6, 2010 at 5:14 PM
I could not have agreed more!!
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179 billy
December 14, 2010 at 9:49 PM
Some people said that they won't wait for this drama, yeah, i mean for the next ep, but, this is how drama do. they want the watcher to be sad, and feel, and this is what Eun-Jo supposed to do. If Eun-Jo now, admit that she didn't receive the letter. So the relationship between her and Ki-Hoon will be better, and Ki-Hoon will hate Hyo Sun. Then.... What? The drama's finished?? Just like that?
I like this ep a lot! I like all eps a lot! Love this drama :D
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