City Hunter: Episode 14
by javabeans
Bromance! Bromance! Bromance! Oh please, tell me that’s next on the menu. Just the suggestion of such a development has me all awash in anticipation, because the conflict of avenging-hero-versus-lawman is so rife with possibility. We’ve got the romance angle secure, so now it’s time to turn our attentions to the bromance…or perhaps the escalation of their face-off to the next level.
SONG OF THE DAY
Kim Bum-soo – “끝사랑” (Last Love), as in, be my first and last love. [ Download ]
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EPISODE 14 RECAP
Caught between certain downfall and death, Kim Jong-shik lets go of the railing and falls to the highway below, hitting a car windshield and landing on concrete. Considering how he chose money over his son, this man is just all about the bad decisions.
Young-ju looks up and sees the City Hunter at the railing. Yoon-sung is shocked — not just at these unexpected events, but at his own actions: “What the hell have I done?”
Jin-pyo calls to ask sternly why Yoon-sung would start his revenge only to turn back to save the guy — clearly he’s watching nearby. He adds, “Then striking down Shik-joong becomes meaningless.” Oh, because it was so meaningful before?
Dun dun dun! Yoon-sung realizes that Jin-pyo was the one who hit Shik-joong, to make him go after Kim Jong-shik, and storms in to confront Bad Daddy. Hot damn, I love that these kinds of secrets aren’t dragged out, but quickly realized so we can cut to the interesting part: the fallout.
Jin-pyo admits readily that he did it, saying, “It had an immediate effect, didn’t it? What I wanted to see from you was this. Eyes blazing in vengeance, ready to go through fire and water.” He wanted their enemies shot through the heart quickly, “By your hand. That is how you protect the ones you love.”
Yoon-sung snarls, “I’ve thought it over, asking myself who’s dear to you, and couldn’t think of any. Except…for one.”
Oh God, don’t mean yourself, oh God, don’t mean yoursel—
Whack! He grabs a letter opener from the side table and stabs his hand to the table with it.
OH MOTHERFUCKING @#$%@$, HE MEANT HIMSELF. Blood drips through wood to the ground beneath. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
Wheezing through his pain, Yoon-sung tells his shocked father, “Me. That’s your one dear person. Does this hurt your heart? It should. It has to. No matter how much you want it, I can’t kill people. I felt that certainty today.”
He wrenches the blade from his hand and walks away, hand bloody. Even Jin-pyo looks stunned.
At the hospital, Nana sees Kim Jong-shik being brought in via ambulance and Young-ju staggering out of the emergency room in shock. They both hear that eyewitnesses stated that it looked like Kim was committing suicide, after trying to grab documents that fell over the railing.
Young-ju checks his phone to find one last text message from Dad: “I’m sorry. Chun Jae-man is next.” Aw. Despite the father-son standoff, this is an acknowledgement that there IS something to investigate. It doesn’t begin to redeem Kim Jong-shik, but it does show us that he cared about his son. Well, enough to feel bad about the corruption he insisted he was entitled to.
Nana finds Yoon-sung sitting with Shik-joong, alarmed at his injured hand, which he says dully is “no big deal.” All full of tortured conflict, he barks at her to leave him before she turns out like Shik-joong, and that it was Dad who did this, not Kim Jong-shik: “To him, I’m neither a son nor Yoon-sung. I’m just his possession.”
Tearing up, he tells her that he’s the one who made Shik-joong like this. He starts to say, “Even with Kim Jong-shik about to die, I pretended not to see—” but Nana cuts him short, enveloping him in a hug.
She knows that feeling of wanting an eye for an eye and says, “It wasn’t you who did it — it was me. If you hadn’t done it, I would have. So don’t torment yourself.”
Young-ju finds the voice recorder he’d left in his father’s jacket pocket, which recorded Kim’s damning conversation with Yoon-sung in the car. Young-ju’s reaction is heartbreaking, because this conversation evokes such a mix of warring emotions with its revelations: Finally, he gets a lead in the 1983 case with mention of the incident off the shores of North Korea; Yoon-sung’s voice practically confirms his City Hunter identity; and lastly, his father begs Yoon-sung to spare his son.
It’s the last one that breaks Young-ju, who screams in fury.
Turns out that Kim Jong-shik isn’t dead, but in a coma. (Possibly Inappropriate Aside: What does it take to kill a character around here? I do appreciate that all these dramatic turns are feasible with comas rather than murders, but c’mon, drama, I want some death-inspired darkness up in here. Or I’m gonna have to downgrade you to Balls of Aluminum. *crumple*)
Young-ju finds Yoon-sung outside his father’s door and rushes him, shaking with rage. He growls, “Don’t you dare get caught by anybody else. I’ll be the one to do it.” He warns him that he’ll be dogging his every move. Yoon-sung keeps up his smartassy cover, though it lacks the usual punch: “You must really feel wronged, to take your anger out on a random person. You’ve wrinkled my clothes.”
Young-ju seethes, “You’re no hero. You’re just a killer.” Just the words to cut Yoon-sung to the quick.
Young-ju reports for work and volunteers to drop the City Hunter case, to his boss’s surprise. In exchange, he wants to be granted a secret investigation of Haewon Group chairman Chun Jae-man, as he has evidence of Chun harboring a slush fund and evading taxes. At Young-ju’s insistence on taking on another bigwig, the department head dryly notes, “You’re my anti-fan, aren’t you?” Heh. The previous department head had to resign when he’d tried to go after Chun, and Boss sighs, “I’m like hay in the face of a typhoon.”
Young-ju gets his boss’s tacit agreement when he declares that if he fails this task, he will quit being a prosecutor.
Nana surprises Jin-pyo by arriving at his home unannounced, having gotten the address off Yoon-sung’s GPS. Whoa. I’m thinking maybe she picked up those Balls of Steel.
She gets straight to the point: “Let Yoon-sung go. So that he can live like a person, happily — let him go now.” She calls him a puppetmaster wanting to control Yoon-sung with his strings.
Jin-pyo says that she won’t be able to leave as easily as she arrived. Nana isn’t intimidated: “If I stepped back because of your threats, I’d be a coward. But what can we do? After fighting this heartless world on my own, I found I can’t do things without risking my all. Do you not love Lee Yoon-sung? How could you make someone you love do those cruel things? How much more must he be destroyed for you to stop?”
Jin-pyo stands suddenly and whips out his gun, and Nana doesn’t even flinch. Cocking the hammer, he says he could kill her right now.
Nana: “That’s fine. I’m a human shield anyway.” Dayum. Way to invoke her bodyguard creed, that her value is in taking the bullet for the president.
Jin-pyo releases the hammer and says that it seems a waste to kill her right now, with that look in her eyes. Nana tells him to back off, saying that she won’t stand by, either: “I’ll rally everything I’ve got to block you. I came to say this.”
Chun Jae-man’s turn for the spotlight: He demonstrates why he was one of the Council of Five as he hears of Kim Jong-shik’s coma state and figures it would’ve been “cleaner” had he died. He orders his minion to keep a close watch on Kim’s condition, and if he shows signs of waking, “Get rid of him.”
Recognizing that all-out war is the name of the game, he decides he’ll have to act first. Ergo: Press conference, where he controls the story.
Chun reveals that the dog tags sent in by the City Hunter belonged to special agents, but describes them as traitors who were fleeing after stealing national secrets back in October ’83. They were killed, and upon receiving the report, Chun and his colleagues had decided to keep the matter quiet because public tensions had been running high after the Aungsan bombing.
Clever clever. Just enough truth to seem true (and be backed up by facts), but enough fabrication to turn himself into a good guy, and the City Hunter into the villain. He adds that the City Hunter’s motivation in this is retaliation and chaos. Chun tells the public not to forget that “The City Hunter is not a hero, but a traitor to his country.”
Ironically enough, his pre-emptive strike confirms to Jin-pyo that he’s Target No. 4. Jin-pyo muses, “He’s turned on the spotlight, so it’s time to climb up onstage.” Yoon-sung comes to the same conclusion, that Chun has declared war.
Shik-joong wakes, and Yoon-sung is overcome with relief. And then shock, when Shik-joong tells him that he’s found his mother.
Yoon-sung rushes to the temple and finds Kyung-hee lying down in her sickbed, having refused to leave, saying that her son might come looking for her now that he knows she’s here. That just brings a tear to my eye.
Kyung-hee sits up to see him kneeling at her side, and whispers, “My baby. My son. Not a day has gone by that I’d forgotten you, but how hurt you must have been that I didn’t recognize you at once. My son, I’m sorry.”
She cries into his chest, and he stutters, “M-mom.” Ahh, such satisfying words.
Thankfully she can now resume treatment for her leukemia while awaiting results of Yoon-sung’s donor match test. Yoon-sung requests that this visit be kept off the official records, saying that she has a stalker-like situation going on, and that he’ll pay in cash. The doctor offers to admit her as a foreign patient (hence, no national ID number).
Kyung-hee agrees to be admitted to the hospital now that she’s found a reason to live, but asks to go out, just for today. Yoon-sung balks, citing the danger, but she says that after 28 years apart, she wants to cook for her son. “More than living one more day, I want to feed my son.” Who can resist this universal mom gesture?
And so, Yoon-sung accompanies her home. Before she sets out to cooking, he stops her and admits with difficulty that he’d hated her, having thought she’d abandoned him. And that he’d been angry to see her sick, thinking that she should have been living it up if she’d tossed him aside to be free of him, and that he’d wanted her to keep living because he wouldn’t be able to hate her in death. He apologizes for all that now.
Mom tells him she’s the sorry one, for not protecting him or finding him first, and for being sick like this. She promises to live: “Yoon-sung, let’s live happily, for a long, long time.”
To cast a pall over this moment, watching just outside is Sang-gook, who gives his phone a conflicted look. Don’t do it! Save yourself, and save your soul! Also Yoon-sung!
He turns away without calling (thank heaven) — only, Jin-pyo’s not to be duped and shows up behind him. Gah! Why do you even need minions if your devil’s work is so efficient without them?
He accuses Sang-gook of letting compassion overrule his orders. He warns him that he’ll let it slide this time, but won’t the next.
Jin-pyo watches the touching mother-son reunion and wonders, “Will you two be able to understand me?” I’m hoping no, since I’d like the others to retain their souls, please.
While eating, Mom notes that Yoon-sung has the same food habits as his father. Yoon-sung calls her jjigae tastier than Shik-joong’s, describing him as a mother, brother, and (ha!) sister figure, and describes Jin-pyo as a demanding type who pushed him to excel in studies and athletics. Understatement of the year award, we have a winner.
Yoon-sung says he was the reason for Jin-pyo’s leg, because he’d saved Yoon-sung from an accident. For that, Mom’s thankful, but she asks, “Does he put you in danger?”
Yoon-sung laughs that off to ease her, then asks about his father, and hears that he was a warm man. Agh, the what-could-have-beens, they’re killer. I know we’d have had no drama without the baby-stealing and whatnot, but I sigh for Yoon-sung’s and Kyung-hee’s lost lives.
He asks, “Losing someone dear to you — it’s a sad thing, isn’t it? Stealing those loved ones from someone, hurting them — they’ll be punished for it, whatever the reason.” Mom senses his turmoil and urges him to confide in her, but he says he’s just talking about their situation.
Nana comes just in time to see the happy scene, smiling to see Yoon-sung eating his mother’s food. She takes a photo quietly before leaving.
Chun is financially strapped at the moment due to pending business matters, and tries to think of ways to come up with 500 billion won, approximately $4 million. Jin-pyo seizes this as his in, and presents himself as a potential investor, wealthy American businessman Steve Lee.
Yoon-sung knows that despite his precautions to keep Kyung-hee hidden, it’s only a matter of time before Jin-pyo tracks her down, and therefore prepares to transfer her to an American hospital when his business here is over. Words that briefly deflate Nana.
Yoon-sung asks Nana if being with him makes her happy — isn’t she scared? — repeating the familiar “Being with me will endanger you” refrain. Nana reminds him that her feelings are her own, so he needn’t worry.
Just then, they spot Jin-pyo entering the hospital, escorted by Chun Jae-man. Yoon-sung tells Nana to wait for him in the car, then follows his father to the VVIP reception area. Jin-pyo’s face immediately goes from politeness to hardened badass, while Yoon-sung’s undergoes a similar instant change, but from challenging stare to playboy smile. The smile is reserved for Chun’s flattered secretary, who preens. HA. The pretty boy persona wins again.
Yoon-sung finds Dad in the restroom to tell him that he may get hurt if he goes after Chun, who’s no easy target. I love how the targets are getting tougher — I don’t rank their misdeeds in any order (how do you rank embezzling against lobbying and drunk driving and draft dodging?), but the baddies do appear to be revealing themselves in order of shrewdness. Which makes sense, since it only follows that the careless brash one who’s drunk on power would be found out before the paranoid one who’s vigilant of possible threats.
Dad replies that Yoon-sung doesn’t have the luxury of worrying over him, when he’s got his own troubles to deal with. To which Yoon-sung replies that he’s not concerned: “I’m telling you not to get in my way.” Gauntlet! Thrown.
Dad tells him he’s being arrogant, and tells him to watch and learn: “Revenge has to be done in the spirit of revenge. Like I’m doing.”
Nana worries that the Chun/Jin-pyo connection means they’ll have to move Kyung-hee from this Haewon-owned hospital, but he says that it’s darkest underneath the lamp — meaning, it may be safer to leave Kyung-hee here.
Nana asks him to take her home, now that the danger from Kim Jong-shik is gone and she can resume her life and her job. Yoon-sung doesn’t like this idea for numerous reasons, which he expresses in his usual way, sniffing that he’s glad, hmph.
He makes himself at home on her couch, and asks if she’s sure she’ll be okay, what with the danger and all. She retorts that he’s much more of a danger to her, prompting him to pull her down on top of him (rawr!), asking innocently, “Why? What about me?” He says he’s done a mental check of his savings account, saying she’s expensive — a reference to their no-contact contract. Which, frankly, just seems like a skinship menu now. (Uh, where can I get me one of those, Mr. Lee Min-ho?)
Example: She hits his shoulder, and he demands 100,000 won, which she offers to repay with some really awesome coffee.
Nana smiles as she shares that the mere sight of coffee makes her think of him now. But that puts a damper on his mood, and he refuses the coffee, saying he’s quit. He leaves abruptly, leaving Nana bewildered at his sudden change of mood, while he sighs, “The sight of coffee makes her think of me? That can’t happen.”
Young-ju sits down for lunch at the cafeteria, which causes all the other employees to get up and leave, now that he’s been outed as a tainted prosecutor. Oh, so sad. As if it weren’t bad enough that Dad’s teetering on the brink, he gets tarred with the corruption brush when, really, he’s the most morally upright one in this cast.
Young-ju receives word about Chun’s meeting with Steve Lee, which is a clear red flag that something is up. He finds an old article about the Aungsan incident mentioned in Chun’s speech, and notices that both Jin-pyo and Mu-yeol are on the list of Secret Service survivors.
Nana reports to work, only to find to her surprise that so has Yoon-sung. Gee, I wonder why! The ensuing scene between Yoon-sung, his IT colleagues, and Da-hae and her bodyguards has me cracking up because there’s so much stuff going on all at once, and it’s hilarious.
For instance: IT boss is thrilled to have Yoon-sung back, as is Da-hae. Yoon-sung’s only got eyes for Nana, who hangs back and smiles at him — until Da-hae flings herself at him, which provokes a frown of jealousy. Eun-ah makes eyes at Ki-joon, but her comments are flirty toward Yoon-sung as well. For instance, the boss writes off his absence as vacation, to which Yoon-sung balks that that’ll interfere with his real vacation, and he needs to see bikini-clad bodies to remain healthy. Ha. Eun-ah suggests the pool rather than the beach (easier to safeguard Da-hae), and offers that she has a bikini — which makes Ki-joon yell out in protest, apropos of (seemingly) nothing. Heh. These Blue House scenes have really grown on me; they’re frivolous, but they make me giggle.
Nana tells Yoon-sung (calling him Mr. Bad Luck Bastard now, affectionately) that there are pictures of his father in the Secret Service records, so he takes a look at the books…of which the 1983 volume is missing. Who should show up to hand it over but Young-ju, who’s just had a look.
This means that Young-ju now has confirmation that Jin-pyo, who’s pictured in the book, is also Steve Lee. When he shows up to confront him, he cuts to the chase and calls him Jin-pyo.
Jin-pyo doesn’t play coy, and acknowledges that he’s one and the same. He says that he took on the Steve Lee persona because people would treat him differently if they knew he was a former Secret Service agent, and he’s proud of achieving his business success on his own.
Young-ju finds it mighty suspicious that he went as far as to invent a new identity (the term is identity laundering), and Jin-pyo says he had reason to do it: “I washed my soul in the ocean with that incident, back then.”
Young-ju: “That incident?” Jin-pyo tells Young-ju to figure it out. Young-ju leaves him with the warning that he knows Jin-pyo’s working to get to Chun Jae-man, who he knows is the next target.
Shopping time for Yoon-sung, which gets a chuckle out of me since they’re at a Trugen store, the menswear line for which Lee Min-ho has been brand model for the past couple years. Nana’s here to give him a two-fold gift — to repay the 100,000 won he demanded, as well as welcome him back to work — and tells him to pick out a tie. To put the kibosh on his complaining, she gives him five seconds to choose, ha.
Make that a three-fold gift: It’s also a pseudo-bribe so he’ll keep her in the loop as his partner. Reluctantly he agrees, and I wonder if he feels the least bit of satisfaction when the reward for her pestering is that Nana has to watch him check into a hotel with another woman on his arm. Heh.
It’s Chun Jae-man’s secretary, who pouts to him about how hard her day was and mentions his meeting tomorrow with the National Intelligence Service’s head of records. With that key info secured, Yoon-sung raises his glass for a toast, and the drink knocks her out cold.
Yoon-sung takes her employee keycard and heads out, only to be confronted by an annoyed Nana, who asks why he had to use these methods: “Use me instead! Why mistreat your body like that?” LOL.
Chun Jae-man visits comatose Kim Jong-shik in the hospital (whose hand twitches, unseen) and comes face to face with Young-ju. He’s aware that Young-ju’s digging around in his affairs — he’s got informants to keep him apprised — and asks what’s got him sniffing around. Young-ju refers to Chun’s press conference statement about the traitors who were killed, and drops the hint that he knows he’s covering for the North Korean incident of 1983.
Chun decides that it’s too bad that Young-ju’s his friend’s son, but orders his minion, “Get rid of him.” Dude, that’s his solution for everything, which makes him the deadliest target thus far, though I can’t help but laugh at the image of him dealing with every minor crisis in the same way: “The cleaning lady can’t make it? Get rid of her. The dog won’t beg? Kill it.”
Yoon-sung heads to Haewon Group in time for Chun’s meeting with the NIS guy, and takes on the two guards stationed at the front desk with cool efficiency, knocking them out with their own walkie-talkie. He positions them in their seats to look normal (asleep, perhaps), and calls Chun’s secretary to say he’s here to see her, but can’t get in without a pass. She hesitates to leave her station, but when he suggests he’ll just turn back and go home, she offers to come down to meet him.
Yoon-sung waits for her to vacate her desk, then slips inside — using her keycard — and approaches Chun’s office. He opens the door quietly, just cracking it enough to affix a tiny camera to the inside of the door, then monitors the scene on his phone.
Chun pays off the NIS head of records for the file containing reports of the 1983 incident. It is to remain classified until 2030, and is the file Young-ju had wanted.
With the file safely in his hands, Chun mutters that nobody needs to know something that was to remain secret till 2030, and takes his lighter to the book…just as he gets a phone call.
Chun orders his minion to make the death appear as suicide, saying, “That Kim Young-ju fellow has gotten too arrogant.” Young-ju’s current status as persona non grata will explain his suicide, and Chun says he’ll wait for the report on tonight’s news.
Which means, of course, that the plan is going down today. Possibly now.
Eee! This sends Yoon-sung running, even though it keeps him from stopping Chun when he holds the lighter to the book again. He calls Young-ju, only to get his assistant instead, who reports that Young-ju was called by his apartment building to address an issue about his gas line. He’d headed home, but left his phone behind.
In his apartment, Young-ju can’t find a problem and calls the apartment management office, only to hear that they hadn’t called him. He frowns; how odd.
When he enters his car, he’s attacked from behind by a man with a chloroform-soaked rag, and knocked out as the minion locks the doors and gets the carbon monoxide pumping.
Fumes quickly fill the car, while a barely conscious Young-ju fumbles for the door. But in his weakened condition, all he can do is gasp and cough.
Yoon-sung arrives in the parking lot and scans the aisles — just as Young-ju’s hand lands on the steering wheel and blares the horn. Rushing to the car, Yoon-sung pounds on the doors and yells at Young-ju inside, but the doors are locked.
Time’s ticking. Yoon-sung draws back his hand and smashes his bare fist through the window.
He drags Young-ju out of the car and checks for a breath. Judging him alive, he starts to walk off — only to have Young-ju grab his ankle, stopping him.
Yoon-sung freezes, while Young-ju squints up at him, trying to focus the blurry figure into a familiar silhouette…
COMMENTS
Although I’d LOVE if bromance were to arise out of this turn in the story, it’ll be a twisted sort of bromance, with both men holding very legitimate grudges against the other. How ironic that these men might actually respect each other, possibly even like each other, on the strength of their own merits — except that the weight of their father’s generation burdens theirs.
This is the kind of conflict K-dramas love so much, the sins-of-my-father-become-sins-of-the-son dilemma. City Hunter manages to depict this scenario in a way that is both more epic than the usual K-drama, and less epic, in the best way. More epic because of the magnitude of the country’s betrayal, but less epic in that there’s less forced melodrama. I think what saves it for me is that these two aren’t entangled in a Fateful Love Triangle on top of the fatherly angst, because that’s where I always feel like the melodrama goes into overdrive. (Example: East of Eden.) They both have feelings for Nana, but it’s not the typical love triangle, which I appreciate — and the same goes for Sae-hee.
I want for these two to be friends, because I feel like they’d understand each other in a way that few others could, but the facts of the case make that pretty improbable, maybe impossible. It’s great.
I haven’t commented much on him thus far, but I have to say that I quite like Young-ju as a character. I love his humorlessness, his strait-laced drive for truth and justice. I know Lee Jun-hyuk is plenty capable of comic timing and light-hearted boyishness, but he’s committed himself to this character and it’s so compelling. I actually LIKE that he’s a fuddy-duddy. It makes his passion seem real, not just show.
What makes both Yoon-sung and Young-ju work for me is that unlike other dramas, they don’t overplay the angst. It’s why I find Lee Min-ho so damn cool in the action scenes — because he’s not posturing for the camera in that “Yeah, I know I’m cool” way. We could call it The Song Seung-heon School of Acting, in the way those kind of leads can’t get rid of that self-awareness of how very hot they must look at any given moment.
It’s like that unspoken rule where wanting to be cool actually makes you less cool, while not giving a damn? So cool. On that score: Yoon-sung’s super calm and efficient, like he’s only here to get the job done. And Young-ju is all blazing passion, in an understated sort of way, if that contradictory statement makes any sense, and it’s so endearing.
I do wish they’d taken Yoon-sung — or at least his conflict — into darker territory, rather than sort of letting him off the hook. But in the end I’m not complaining because I love the conflict that this stirs in Young-ju — the idea that his enemy may not really be his enemy. I appreciate that they’re giving a second lead this kind of complexity, when a lot of dramas would be piling all the narrative glory onto the hero, and the hero alone, leaving Mr. Second Lead as merely the foil.
Also: I’m starting to get the feeling that Jin-pyo doesn’t just want revenge, and found it particularly telling today when he repeatedly says that Yoon-sung must be the one to shoot the bullet through their enemies’ hearts. He wants to bring Yoon-sung to his side, to share his views, like Darth Vader tempting Luke to the Dark Side. Jin-pyo needs Yoon-sung in a strictly technical sense because Yoon-sung has access he doesn’t with his fresh face and background (as well as youth and an able body), but with all the means at his disposal I’m thinking Yoon-sung wasn’t his only option. But now, I’m starting to think that he needs Yoon-sung to see his point, like it wouldn’t be a complete victory without it. Is it merely validation he seeks? Or is that his twisted way of upholding his brotherhood with Mu-yeol? To give Mu-yeol’s son the right to avenge him, as a beloved father deserves? Is this like Jin-pyo’s way of pressing bloody thumbs together with his best friend’s son to be blood brothers, in shared vengeance? It’s fascinating, for sure.
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Tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young
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101 CrazyNoz
July 8, 2011 at 7:24 PM
Thanks for the recaps!! I enjoy reading yours since the first episode. Its really a great work!! I do love this drama so much! Lee MIn Ho as YS is pretty awesome. I was in his action spell most of the time. Especially, the scene he stabbed himself!! Can't help having a tear in my eyes T_T In fact, all in this drama is
I too think about the birth secret when watching that scene. KH was reluctant to talk about YS's father. Ahhh Love this drama to piece!! Never disappointed!! Why tomorrow isn't Wednesday???
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102 Lidia
July 8, 2011 at 8:11 PM
thanks for the recap! :)
I like that Jin Pyo was visibly shocked by Yoon Sung stabbing his hand to the table. So he does have facial expressions other than soul-less stares and evil smirks!
"Balls of aluminum"...hahaha, oh JB, you crack me up :P
In a way I kind of wish Kim Jong Shik had died--it would have made for some nice dark consequences. But being in a coma still brings a bit of twisted justice to Kim Jong Shik. Guess he's paying for his own sins for once, instead of Nana's dad or whatever he said in that totally loony conversation with Young Ju about human vegetables. Although with that twitchy hand he probably won't stay in a coma for long.
I'm with you, JB. I totally love that Young-Ju is all fuddy-duddy in his passion for justice. I really like how his character is developing.
Anxious to see the dynamics between Young-Ju and Yoon- Sung now that YS saved YJ's life. If Young-Ju actually realizes that it's YS, that is. He was blurry in that last scene, and I can imagine YS trying to get away before he's recognized. Either way, anxious to see how that plays out.....
...is it next Wednesday yet????? :P
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103 Joanne
July 8, 2011 at 8:26 PM
Balls of Aluminum and Balls of Steel, lmao...love it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts again :)
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104 scarlet
July 8, 2011 at 9:17 PM
(Possible spoilers ahead)
Saw the chinese trans of what Kim Mi-sook said on the SBS Morning Entertainment show on 7 July. There will be more heartwarming scenes depicting the strong bond between monther-son and arising 'conflicts' between CH and his mother who's got a 'past'. Hmm so it seems our CH does have a birth secret afterall!
When asked to comment on the actor Lee Min-ho she said he's doing quite well already but his only fault is that he's too GOODLOOKING and that she has difficulty focusing on his lines when she looks at his eyes, nose and lips HAHA. Yea, oma, i think we can all understand that!
I think they interviewed Mother, Ajusshi and NN in the show (not sure cos I'm downloading LMH-cut showing his BTS). Some unseen BTS caps from the show:
http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/1649/07071048filetbcdtv0.jpg
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/9633/07071051filetbcdtv.jpg
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suppiechan369
July 9, 2011 at 6:55 AM
ooh! cool, where did you find this? i'd like to read it too :D thanks!
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scarlet
July 9, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Do you read chinese? Kim Mi-sook's baidu tieba has her interview clip cut from 7 July SBS Good Morning Ent show
http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=1134268801 and some posts down has her interview translated to chinese.
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suppiechan369
July 13, 2011 at 6:31 AM
yea i do. thanks so much for the link! :D
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105 malaysian noona
July 8, 2011 at 9:36 PM
love the drama and much love the actors none other than our LMH
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106 Amy
July 8, 2011 at 9:51 PM
Thank you sooo much for the recaps! I always read them before watching the episodes.. 'cause they're just THAT good!
I was never a fan of Lee Min Ho but after watching this.. all I can say is.. HOT! (Minus the fashion! lol)
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107 Nheony
July 8, 2011 at 11:29 PM
I just love you guys for writing these recaps. I always feel like something gets lost in translation when I watch K-Drama since I don't understand the language and I'm just getting by with the subs (but I'm working on that... just proof of how addicted I am to k-pop culture). So I still read the recaps after I've watched the drama. Heheh! A million thanks to Javabeans and Girlfriday.
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108 samgetang
July 8, 2011 at 11:29 PM
CAN THIS SHOW GET ANY MORE AWESOME THAN IT ALREADY IS? I keep seeing that it has....
"What makes both Yoon-sung and Young-ju work for me is that unlike other dramas, they don’t overplay the angst. It’s why I find Lee Min-ho so damn cool in the action scenes — because he’s not posturing for the camera in that “Yeah, I know I’m cool” way. We could call it The Song Seung-heon School of Acting, in the way those kind of leads can’t get rid of that self-awareness of how very hot they must look at any given moment."
Javabeans, you are so right, as always! The SSH Factor definitely has a new generation version in LMH. Even better 'cause he is also a gem in acting! :-) Only a few actor can ooze with that SSH confidence that is self-deprecating and without being arrogant. And LMH has that and more.
"...but I have to say that I quite like Young-ju as a character. I love his humorlessness, his strait-laced drive for truth and justice. I know Lee Jun-hyuk is plenty capable of comic timing and light-hearted boyishness, but he’s committed himself to this character and it’s so compelling. I actually LIKE that he’s a fuddy-duddy. It makes his passion seem real, not just show."
I cant agree more! LJH had always seem to have this unique quality about him. Im so glad he is the one playing this role against LMH's YS.
City Hunter, you are making me into an action afficionado...
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wanne
July 9, 2011 at 4:15 AM
hi Samgetang!
if i understand it right, i think what Javabeans meant is SSH school of acting has that 'Yeah, i know i'm cool' which LMH DOES NOT DO, thus why she likes LMH's action scenes. oh, i dont think i make it any clearer hahaha
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samgetang
July 9, 2011 at 4:24 AM
thanks, wanne. seems my eyes are playing tricks on me. yes, you are so right! i got it all mixed up, hehe. my apologies, javabeans.
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wanne
July 9, 2011 at 4:43 AM
it must be the guy in a pink pants that playing tricks on your eyes. kenchana~ it always happens to me too. we're too lost in City Hunter world ^^
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samgetang
July 9, 2011 at 7:10 AM
he's the one! flamingo pants, he is. i'm undone.... :-(
smashingalou
July 9, 2011 at 4:35 PM
*LOL*samgetang, you cannot be blamed...and not alone.. :)
But yeah, I agree with wanne (hey there dearie)...
"if i understand it right, i think what Javabeans meant is SSH school of acting has that ‘Yeah, i know i’m cool’ which LMH DOES NOT DO, thus why she likes LMH’s action scenes. "
JB rocks with this observation. LMH totally has outdone himself in any scenes and yet still has that calmness factor. He's too cool that he's thinking he's not!! (*LOL* Does that makes sense at all?)
109 Abbie
July 8, 2011 at 11:44 PM
I know I've said this before, but so what: I LOVE THIS SHOW!
It is getting so good! What an ending, too. The endings are getting better and better. What will happen if Young-ju recognizes Yoon-sung? Will they team up? Argh! So many questions! Next week, get here already!
Thanks for the recap, Javabeans! I love how you analyze the episode in the Comments section. It adds depth to the overall story.
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110 anne
July 8, 2011 at 11:48 PM
Hmmm...there's this one part where the YS was picking out the beans he was eating n mum stuttered when he asked if picking out the beans was the same as his dad...then cut to JP looking at a pic of her wearing a hanbok...red herring...or....MEGA birth secret???
Anyone know how many eps this drama has? 16 or 20??
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 12:33 AM
CH is slated to be a 20-episode drama, unless they wish to extend it ;)
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111 koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 2:52 AM
WOW!!! Javabeans, your recap is up less than 24 hours!!!
and i thought GF's recap of ep 13 was lightning-fast/break-the-sound-barrier-fast...
And its quality is just as AWESOME as always!!! ;)
WOW!!! Just WOW!!! ;)
Thank you so much JB, because for non-Korean like myself, i depend so much on your and GF's recaps of CH because both of your kind selves imbue your recaps with such heartfelt emotion and expressions, deep and insightful intellectual bent and a sense of humour that i can only label as so-out-of-this-world-good-that-it-hurts, that simply watching the drama makes it an incomplete experience...
thus i reiterate what i have been saying - your and GF's invaluable, incomparable recaps COMPLETE me in my K-drama-watching experience... ;)
so-out-of-this-world-good-that-it-hurts...
but its a hurt that i cannot live without... ;)
thank you so so much JB!!! ;)
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wanne
July 9, 2011 at 4:34 AM
kdl, bogoshipo! where have you been? ^^
i'm getting sadder day by day now that we're getting nearer to the ending TT TT but i dont want any extension since its already extremely difficult for the cast and crew with the live shoot now. what to do....? TT_TT
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 5:14 AM
@wanne dearest!! ;)
i miss you so much too!!! ;)
ive just been swamped with work in sch so i could only drop by now...waaahhhh...
and i agree with you totally abt being sadder by the day with the end of CH looming...waaahhhh...
and i agree with you that i wouldn't want an extension if it means that the cast and crew will be stretched physically, emotionally, psychologically and mentally such that their overall health will be affected...
such a dilemma that we have on our hands, don't you think? ;)
perhaps they might consider doing a film on CH but i will watch it ONLY if they keep the SAME cast and crew, esp Lee Min Ho... ;)
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tuqaz
July 9, 2011 at 10:12 AM
I vote for a 2nd season of CH, and a 3rd and a 4th... until LMH goes off to the army. After he comes out, we can have a movie "City Hunter Returns". Wishful thinking... :D
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 10:33 AM
@tuqaz!!! LOL!!! your wish is just too priceless!!! ;)
but how wonderful would it be if it COMES TRUE!!! ;)
but not at the expense of the health and sanity of the cast and crew, esp the too-gorgeous-for-words LEE MIN HO... ;)
tuqaz
July 9, 2011 at 8:22 PM
@kdl...
Either that, or another bed scene, like the one in PT! That was LMH's first bed scene. Why not make a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th!!! or LMH bathing PMY!! SQEEEE!!! :D
koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 9:01 PM
@tuqaz!!! LOL!!! you said it!!! ;)
another bed scene, PLEEEEEEASE!!!! HAHAHA!!! ;)
SQUEEEEEE!!!!
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 4:05 AM
@kdl
YS said that he needs to see girls in bikinis to be healthy. What would happen if he saw Nana in a bikini? Potential BED SCENE??!!
SQUEEEEE....!!!
All this squealing like a teenage schoolgirl is tiring me out... shows how old I am... squeeee... *gasp* :)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 5:27 AM
@tuqaz ;)
"YS said that he needs to see girls in bikinis to be healthy. What would happen if he saw Nana in a bikini? Potential BED SCENE??!!"
HAHAHA!!! LOL!!! tuqaz!!! you may JUST be RIGHT!! ;)
...
"All this squealing like a teenage schoolgirl is tiring me out… shows how old I am… squeeee… *gasp*"
HAHAHA!!! LOL!!! tuqaz!! are you alright? HAHAHA!!!
but i fully understand how you feel because i am gasping along with you...*gasp* *cough* *choking* ;)
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 8:40 AM
@ kdl
I need to build up my SQUEEing stamina so I can SQUEE along with my daughters when they become teenagers. Besides, I didn't have a LMH character when I was growing up. Did you? Just catching up on what I didn't have back then. :)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:21 AM
@tuqaz ;)
no, i didn't have a LMH when i was growing up either...
hehe...and thus we should be forgiven for going berserk over the too-gorgeous-for-words-human-being-who-should-really-be-called-an-angel-on-earth called LMH.. ;)
i mean, seriously, how COULD a mere HUMAN be SO well-endowed????? and for what reason??? to make the rest of us go berserk just by GAZING at his perfection??? arrrggghhh...
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 8:24 PM
@ kdl
my point exactly! It's really funny after getting the LMH bug (at this age!), I don't even remember who my idol crush was. Hahaha!! I guess I wasn't one to follow movies or what's top of the chart. Too bad LMH doesn't Tweet in English. ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:12 PM
@tuqaz ;)
you are so right!! i can't remember who my idol/crush was, if i ever had one to begin with!!! hahaha!!! ;)
well, at least we can take comfort from knowing that we are not alone in this predicament... heheh... ;)
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 10:03 PM
@ kdl
I just remembered mine... Keanu Reeves! But then again he looks asian = LMH. ;)
I was more into the movies or the songs, rather than the artists themselves. Love the movie Braveheart, mainly because I was studying in Scotland when it came out, and somehow was proud to be there amidst all the Scots in their kilts. hehehe... ;) LYS is a modern day, asian Braveheart!! FREEDOM!! Hahaha!! :D
Nope, can't tear myself away from CH... ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:11 PM
@tuqaz!!! Wow!!! I love Keanu Reeves toooo!!! ;)
precisely because he has the exotic, mix-race look...;)
maybe because I am of mixed parentage as well, as so I am more attracted to those who are as well ;)
but you are so right again!!
I JUST CAN'T TEAR MY EYES AWAY FROM LMH!!!
arrggghhh...
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 2:44 AM
@ kdl... mixed parentage... I am too! :)
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 2:59 AM
@tuqaz! oh, wow!!! do you mind if i ask - from which ethnic groups do your parentage consist of?
as for me - my mother is pure Chinese, while my father is of Javanese-Malay-Dutch-Chinese extraction... ;)
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 3:33 AM
@ kdl
OMG!! Chinese? Malay? Dun, dun dun.... I'm Malay and, according to my calculations :) , 1/8th Chinese from my mom's side. Both grandparents are mixed chinese. A bit of Arabic from Dad's side. So, depending on what eye make-up I use, I can either look like a Chinese or an Arab. :) As for my children, add Siamese to the bloodline. Though we're Malays, hubby and I are from different countries. :)
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 3:58 AM
@ kdl
something just popped into my mind.... LMH in a kilt! OH. MY. GOD!! *swoon* ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 4:24 AM
@tuqaz ;)
oh wow!!! such a richly-diverse parentage you have!!
so awesome!!! ;)
as for LMH in a kilt? *phew* *frantically fanning myself*
hehehe...
smashingalou
July 9, 2011 at 4:24 PM
@kaye, hey CH sister, felt like it's been so long...waaah, we've all been so busy...*sob,sob*
ok, shall i say again, you're beatifully articulated words are exactly what I have in mind... *LOL*
"so-out-of-this-world-good-that-it-hurts…
but its a hurt that i cannot live without… ;)"
totally, totally right....
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 8:58 PM
@smashingalou, my dearest CH sister ;)
i miss you too!!! *sob, sob*
i miss coming here to chat with you and the rest of the CH sisters ;)
and thank you so much appreciating my humble words of appreciation to JB ;)
JB and GF are truly God-sent angels to grace our lives with their beautiful hearts and minds, don't you think?
i think we are truly blessed to be brought together in this blog by their good selves and getting to know each other from across the oceans and seas... ;)
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112 widy
July 9, 2011 at 7:26 AM
only our lee min ho can wear such a lace-y shirt, leopard print, pink trousers and still managed to looked great (as always) hahaa im impressed ;)
as for the series, i love it when i cant easily guess what would happen next.. like who the hell is YS real father???!
ugh! feels like wednesday coming too slow.
and we only had 6episods left. showwww dont leave meeeeeeeeeeee
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113 Debie
July 9, 2011 at 8:04 AM
I'm so not a LMH fan. BUT!!! After this drama, I think I so am! And to think I am half way between being a noona and ahjumma to him. He's really marvelous in this. And the drama, it's not perfect but goodness! I started watching when its already in its 12th episode and within a few days I caught up! Can't stop watching, its crazy.
And Young ju! I was so impressed in that scene where he told YS that he was no hero and that he is just a killer. His grief and fury was so real, that i can see his tears literally dripping from his face. My! SO INTENSE!
In the presence of such strong acting, I wish the actress portraying Nana gets out there too. I like her lines, I like her character but the delivery lacks intensity. Doesn't make me feel like she deserves the love and admiration of the City Hunter.
And to JB and GF, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the hard work! You should get an award or something for all the job that you do.
(...sleep walks through life while waiting for the next episode...)
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tuqaz
July 9, 2011 at 10:24 AM
I'm an ahjumma to him, but I squeal like a school girl. Even my 6-year-old daughter knows him. Hahaha!! I've had my 2-hour LMH fix earlier, CH ep. 1 and BOF final episode was showing on TV. :)
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Debie
July 14, 2011 at 7:29 AM
my baby girl is just two... perhaps in a few years we'll both be giggling and squealing for LMH. these boys sometimes makes me wish I'm still young... haha
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114 angeline
July 9, 2011 at 9:15 AM
City hunter has a great rating. Ch has great actors, directors n writer. Cheers to them. Jz make sure no tragic ending! Min ho n nana act well n make the drama real. With epi 14 ending, I wonder will young ju aso work with ch like nana? Then we will hv a stronger team. Atechom, reading your comment, I kindda buy the idea that min ho is Jin pho son. Considering the way he look at the mother's photo. Wait! he even kept a personal photo of her!
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115 olsen
July 9, 2011 at 9:25 AM
The. IsA humble request to all my dear fellow CH worshippers
Could we all stop talkin' about how the show has only 6 more episodes? The fact that there ia an actual ending is hard enough to embrace, so can we all please just pretend that season 2 is gonna be there? Or at least some extensions? I seriously don't wanna be reminded that there is an ending, and with that ending, there will no longer be YS to be drooled upon.
Thanking you
Sincerely your sister in CH,
Olsen
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smashingalou
July 9, 2011 at 4:28 PM
oh olsen dear...I feel your pain....*hugs*
I am so totally with you with the "no mention of 6 episodes to go". (guilty once *grin*)
*FINGERS CROSSED*
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Venus
July 10, 2011 at 11:51 AM
yes i concur with Olse...i'm on denial mode...
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angeline
July 11, 2011 at 8:37 AM
OK.OK. Let hope they Will extend mode episodes for us.
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116 karecity
July 9, 2011 at 9:42 AM
i just realised......sae hee seems to have completely disappeared from the show :/ such a pity....i really liked her character.
and i think park minyoung may not be the best actress but her liveliness as nana really helps to lessen the intensity of the show.
as always, thanks to jb/gf for the amazing recaps, and thanks to the commentors too! always make sure to read every comment heh.
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117 Susu
July 9, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Well recap!!!
Can't wait for the next two episodes!!!
*haha, can you please upload more City HUnter's songs??? Thanks yea ;)
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tuqaz
July 9, 2011 at 10:26 AM
you can download the OST at
http://kpop7.com/drama-osts/ :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 10:44 AM
you can download City Hunter's OSTs from here :
http://starones.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/city-hunter-ost/
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Susu
July 10, 2011 at 7:24 AM
Thanks a lot!!!!
I'll try later ;D
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:21 AM
@Susu ;)
you are most welcome!!! ;)
hope there is no problem for you to download the OSTs and enjoy listening to them as much as I am doing it right this minute... ;)
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 8:08 PM
I love Girl's Day's Cupid the acoustic version! It's my ringtone now and learning to play it, too. That's how much I love it! I'm scouring the net for Nana's Theme music piece. CH has definitely taken over my life! :)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:08 PM
@tuqaz!!! ;)
"CH has definitely taken over my life!"
ME TOO!!! ME TOO!!! MEEEE TOOOOOO!!! LOL!!! ;)
i have been replaying for like the gazillionth time the song "Suddenly" from the CH OST!!! ;)
118 nyoo
July 9, 2011 at 10:47 AM
ok so everyone keeps saying that picture that Jinpyo looks at is kyung hee... but it isn't.. I'm pretty sure it's a picture of Nana's mom or at least it looks like her.. so does this mean that Nana will be related to jinpyo in some way... maybe the long lost uncle...
also can I just say that i LOVE this drama... but I keep getting nervous that they won't be able to pull off the whole drama this awesomely... I feel like I'm waiting for them to mess up the story somehow... >.<
I really hope the whole drama is as awesome as it has been so far... ^^
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fwinfwin
July 10, 2011 at 12:18 PM
You know what...I went back to check the scene with the photo and you're probably RIGHT! Like everyone else, I assumed it was Kyung Hee due to the dressing...but you're absolutely right that it is likely to be Nana's mother. The lady in the photo looks very much like the actress who plays Nana's mother in the car crash scenes.
And now I'm nervous too, because how will they wrap this story up? So many possibilities and secrets waiting to be revealed! I wouldn't be surprised if Nana's mother worked at the same hostess place as Kyung Hee, since they were pictured wearing the same "uniform" with the same hairstyle and make-up. (Compare the lady in Jin Pyo's photo with the group shot of Kyung Hee + MY + JP + president...the exact same clothing hints that the 2 women were wearing a uniform from the hostess place).
I am leaning towards YS being the president's son. My wild guess is that the president got KH pregnant but couldn't marry her due to his political ambitions and her status as a hostess...so MY married her, saving her from disgrace or a secret abortion. And MY and JP were probably as close as brothers with the president in those days...so they frequented the same hostess place, where JP met Nana's mother.
Alternatively, JP could really be Nana's long-lost uncle but the way he looked in the photo scene felt (to me) more like a lover than a brother. Plus, if JP was Nana's uncle, he would have found out about Nana's parents' accident when it happened, since he is so good at tracking Kyung Hee and even sending her money from afar. If he knew what happened to his niece, surely he would help her financially, in secret? So I think JP used to like Nana's mother instead, and after the 1983 incident, he left suddenly, and Nana's mother married Nana's dad. JP cut off all contact with Nana's mother because he didn't want her to be linked to him, which would put her in danger. Which nicely mirrors YS's actions towards Nana now. If JP had the experience of falling in love and having to make such a sacrifice, it would totally make sense why his constant warning to YS is "love no one".
I am also wondering whether the history of Nana's dad being a blue house bodyguard is important...I doubt that they'd make up the background just to give Nana a reason for choosing that job. Plus, they killed the mother but kept the dad in a coma. There has to be a reason why. Another wild guess of mine is that Nana's dad knew what happened in 1983. It would be totally *omg* if Nana's dad was the one who directed the mission to kill the special ops squad. After all, I'm sure that there was a team - more than 1 person - involved in exterminating JP and his men...we only saw one sniper but people had to be controlling that submarine.
Of course, my speculations all rest on the photo being that of Nana's mother...it does look like it but I can't be 101% sure.
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angeline
July 11, 2011 at 8:43 AM
You Sure gotta Whole Lot of assumptions. if your assumptions were accurate then....
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119 mskololia
July 9, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Thanks Jb/Gf for the wonderful recaps of our beloved CH! Another winner.....
It seems the chemistry between the male lead and secondary female lead was distracting or confusing some so they nixed SH's time onscreen. Pity. If the lead actress cannot consistently deliver her scenes, that's on her. Her lines are awesome; PMY's delivery of them is lacking. Other actors should not have to pay because ppl see things differently and the PD and writer know it otherwise they would not have reduced her scenes. Excuses, be damned.
Show, I get that you want the audience to feel for the NN character and love her so you had to work on the YS/NN storyline. Direct her to respond differently instead of falling on the cute as a security and audience pleaser.....Boring. PMY's responses are off and in some cases it was like the girl was just reading her lines during that JP-gun-to-the-head scene. She's not fully in character imo and the YS/NN couch scene was ho-hum. LMH was great and his expression nailed the scene, but her DBHs expression was so before-you-knew-him episodes.
Seriously, why is the other female bodyguard, who I do not like btw, having more screen time than the SH actress? I find nothing special about her ability to pout or whine as a special agent employed by the BH. Who acts like a child on the job protecting someone like her character? Nix this character's screen time and give me back SH's. I’m biased towards good acting, a well written script and great directing and I admit it….
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b
July 9, 2011 at 6:05 PM
I agree with you, though I've learned to accept Park Min-young as Kim Nana and as the lead. I mean there's no escaping it now. It still makes me wonder how many actresses auditioned for that part. I want Show to name me names so I can imagine who among the women would've been a better fit as Kim Nana.
I miss Sae-hee (Hwang Sun-hee) as well. When it looked like Nana was surely killed at the end of Episode 11, I thought maybe it was her chance to shine--to help Yoon-sung pick up the pieces and move on. She surely took advantage of the little screen time she had with Lee Min-ho, showing the chemistry that had been missing with Park Min-young. But now it appears she has already served her purpose. Perhaps they'll bring her back when Show begins to wrap things up so she and Prosecutor Prince can be together again. Or when City Hunter needs some more veterinary TLC.
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mskololia
July 9, 2011 at 6:28 PM
Agreed about accepting our fate with PMY's portrayal of KNN. I kind of feel sorry for her at times because her actions are so out of sorts....
The couch scene was so wrong.......Why couldn't she portray a softer side with pain and anguish or sth other than the wide-eyed look especially when she likes him and KNOWS he's interested in her. Why else would a man go through so much for you? She could have sat down and looked at him as seriously as he was looking at her. Argh! She ruined that scene for me with him. I feel sorry for LMH to be limited by her. She's not his equal.
PMY is doing a good job, she's just not blowing me away.
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scarlet
July 9, 2011 at 8:15 PM
LMH has been consistently impressive. He really nailed almost every single scene. We can see that he's completely immersed in the character. Seems like checking on his performance on his manager's digital camcorder really works for him! LJH has been AWESOME! He may not has the onscreen charisma as LMH but his acting really floored me! Now I so looking forward to his future project where hopefully he'll be the leading man.
PMY's inadequacy as an actress is beginning to bother me in the recent episodes. It is especially apparent when everyone around her has stepped up their respective game while she remains stagnant. It is so schizo watching LMH shaking and tearing and shouting in such desperation one moment and our emotions took a nosedive once the camera zooms into her flat, worried look, and then spike again the next moment LMH is back on screen. The threesome show-down on the supermarket attack scene was also ruined by her, imo. I can't seem to make out her wide-eyed expression - that of fear? horror? shock? She also handled it poorly when she finally realised daddy long leg was actually KJS's son.
I feel that Writer Hwang adores PMY, she's giving her an excellent heroine character that is so kickassly different from all the regular K-drama ones. However, I'm really not impressed with PMY's delivery here. This is my first time watching her, I don't know how well she did in SKKS to earn her an acting award and together with LMH, being touted as one of the best actors in their generation. To me, in CH, she's only good in doing cute scenes, and that's about it.
I'm not sure if SH's screentime is being nixed because of the overwhelming response of Minmin shippers seeing her onscreen chemistry with LMH as a threat. Maybe its because she's not got a strong management co to fight for her? Anyway I really miss her presence.
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Lilian
July 10, 2011 at 3:27 AM
ooh.yeah. I also felt she didn't look frightened enough. And when confronting his dad, it was cool but again, she doesn't look convincing as a toughie.
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mskololia
July 10, 2011 at 4:48 AM
This is my first PMY drama too and I will not be in a hurry to watch her next project.
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Birdie
July 9, 2011 at 11:40 PM
I do agree with you about PMY acting being too linear. Other than the cute scenes, she is not convincing in the other scenes.
As to SH disappearance , I think it is more the writers changed their minds, which is a shame. When SH helped Yoon Sung, there were some flirting. When SH asked him what kind of man is he and he replied a dangerous man, there were some sparks, which was never present with KNN. When the prosecutor and LYS fought over the borrowed clothes- I thought hmmm interesting but that did not go anywhere. At this late stage, bringing her back with no plot development would be senseless. It is strange that she was one of 5 cast at the press conference. One got the impression that she was going to play a bigger role. They must be writing the script as we speak.
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120 jinz
July 9, 2011 at 11:02 AM
i had feeling tat jin-pyo is yoon-sung' biological father~ when yoon-sung asked about his father. kyung-hee replied hesitantly tat he's a warm man. he saved me and saved you. the eyeball thing going when people are hidding sth or lying.tat's what mom exactly doing during the eating section.
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121 sb
July 9, 2011 at 2:28 PM
I wouldn't be surprised if Trugen sales skyrocket.
Men buying for themselves, and women buying for their men in the hopes of getting themselves a bit of LMH suaveness. :D
Heck, if they had a womenswear line I'd definitely check it out.
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Birdie
July 9, 2011 at 4:13 PM
The blatant advertising of Trugen shopping scene was a reality check on what the entertainment industry is about. It seems like that scene was created just for the sponsor.Since they change the rules, the amount of product placement is incredible.
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sm
July 9, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Wasn't it worst in Best Love with Vitamin Water?
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Birdie
July 9, 2011 at 5:15 PM
Yes that was pretty bad, too athough I think the Hong sisters were making a point there. As I said since the rules change, it got worse. Some were more subtle whereas others were blatant.
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sb
July 9, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Oh, I didn't know rules changed. So that's why instead of blurred or taped over logos, products are now screaming for attention in all these dramas. The Vitamin Water was too much in Best Love. I like Vitamin Water, but watching unlimited bottles of it strewn about made me not want to drink it for a while.
It was bad in Dream High, too, with Tous les Jours.
Come to think of it, I think blatant product placement of items I like, leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Mandelbrotr
July 9, 2011 at 7:27 PM
You mean like have to pay the cast, crew and other production costs? I'm watching this show on Viki and I'm sure the ads I see there barely cover the hosting / bandwidth. I'm fine with industry using product placement to pay their bills. Yes, some integrate into the story better than others.
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Fall
July 9, 2011 at 11:32 PM
lol the Popporo advertising in City Hunter and Best Love also!
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Venus
July 10, 2011 at 11:58 AM
To be honest to me the logos or advertising doesn't bother me, since I'm used to it on America TV ...so it really like whatever...but Trugen is the #1 sponsor for CH since its giving LMH all his drama wore-drove....
122 smashingalou
July 9, 2011 at 4:19 PM
First off, for some reason, I'm reallllllllllllly thaaaaaaaankful that this episode is something of a "a calm before the storm" stage, as it gives me time to fully recover from all the angst-driven-full-adrenalin-heart-pumping previous episodes. If it could have continued until this episode, I swear this would be the death-of-me which would be really a tragedy, for how will I know what will happen?!!
With the SHOW currently on it's full blast now, my growing love and pride with CH grows more and more EVERYDAY!! (Even if not's Wednesday and Thursday) :) . I mean never once did I try to press forward while watching the show (believe me for some kdramas, I have to make sure forward button is working).
But CH!?!, SHOW,I've said it numerous times already, YOU ARE A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
I've said it before. CH is my version of "BERTIE BOTTS EVERY FLAVOR BEANS". You'll always be surprised at what you're gonna get. And the surprise factor, MAN IT'S FOR THE KILL...
And Oh, do I need to mention LMH again?!!
YEESSS, HE"S THE ONE THAT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE!!
CH + LMH = L.O.V.E! *haiihst**breathing heavily*
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koreandramalover/kay
July 9, 2011 at 9:05 PM
@smashingalou sweetie!!!! ;)
i can't describe how AWESOME you are everytime you do your spazzzzing on the too-gorgeous-for-words LEE MIN HO because you are soooo gooood in expressing just HOW MADLY, INSANELY IN LOVE you are with LMH and City Hunter!!! ;)
i take my hat off to you, dear!! ;)
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123 thameryst
July 9, 2011 at 5:09 PM
I suddenly got so busy with life I didn't even get a chance to read the recap after rewatching ep 14 with subs thursday night!
Yaay, I get to read it now!
I missed everyone on this thread soooo much! Smashingalou, Olsen, Celexa, Corn tea etc: it was torture not being able to rave with my fellow CH sisters.
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124 thameryst
July 9, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Oh and who else went: OMG are those RASPBERRY PINK pants?!!! Wow I'm curious to see how many shades of pink LMH's wardrobe department is going to make him go through before the show is over.
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newbie
July 9, 2011 at 10:00 PM
totally!! i never knew such colors of pants existed!
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Corn tea
July 9, 2011 at 10:42 PM
Waiti g for Barbie pink to grace his long legs...haha
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Corn tea
July 9, 2011 at 10:43 PM
Waiting for Barbie pink to grace his long legs...^_^
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Venus
July 10, 2011 at 12:04 PM
what can I say our boy LMH can wear a trash bag and still makes it look hot...I don't know how he does it but he just mesmerizing to see and cameras just love every angle of him.....
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thameryst
July 10, 2011 at 6:58 PM
def true
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125 Maymay
July 9, 2011 at 5:32 PM
I think after this episode, YJ love is increasing. So here is a fanmade video for our awesome prosecutor YJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq2Gp-gIcpo&feature=feedu
Enjoy!!!!!
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Maymay
July 9, 2011 at 5:54 PM
Okay, for those who like me are waiting anxiously for episode 15 here are a few MVs I found on youtube. Enjoy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv7oGVUEE1g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLzQpG7a6ps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybCOJqsjqs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWOu3qIHqKY
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ruta
July 11, 2011 at 3:53 AM
awww haha :DDDD one vid from here i'm in [CHcollab] lol xDD LOVE CH!!! :DDDD
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126 Linda
July 9, 2011 at 7:27 PM
Thank you JB for the recaps, you are awesome.
I think at ep 2, YS asked JP why position him in The Blue House and JP replied that it will be revealed later. I believe, that is another significant clue to the pieces are that gradually coming together.
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127 lovee
July 9, 2011 at 8:22 PM
Okay, I didn't have the patience to go through all of the comments to see if anyone brought this up (so sorry if this is a repeat!), but I actually looked at the YJ-YS interaction as a cause for more angst than a bromance. I mean, obviously YS has respect and care enough for YJ to go save him when he knows what will happen, but i feel like YJ is going to be the one to misunderstand and think that YS was actually the one trying to kill him rather than save him because he was at the scene of the crime.
As for the birth secret, I don't think YS is JP's son because I'm pretty sure the picture in JP's wallet was not of KH, but it was blurry so I guess I can't be entirely sure.
I prefer the theory of being the president's son!
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128 Renjick
July 9, 2011 at 9:54 PM
Meh, I always root for the ruthless in these kinds of dramas. Go Dad!
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129 newbie
July 9, 2011 at 9:56 PM
"Understatement of the year award, we have a winner" LOL!!
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130 azir
July 9, 2011 at 11:18 PM
I am for YS's father is the president!
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131 Lilian
July 10, 2011 at 3:16 AM
I like the scene where he is in the hotel room with the secretary. Flashbacks to episode 1 where he did the same but of course then Nana didn't understand =P
also, I like that he chooses to save young ju instead of the books. And yeah, I am also wondering how the president fits into the picture.....so does that mean Da Hye likes her brother????!!!
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132 koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 3:31 AM
14 episodes in and we have had a blast with what CH's cast and crew has to offer...
But, as in everything in life, the inevitable brickbats, gripes, grouses, even vitriol have been thrown about on everything and anything that caught the viewers/commentors' attention...
from PMY's portrayal of KNN, to the gaps and lapses in the storyline/editing, to the questions about the purpose of having certain characters such as Sae Hee and the Blue House employees, just to name a few...
Having given much thought to the comments, or rather the gripes, grouses, dissatisfaction and even outright disdain written thus far, here is my humble take on them :
1. PMY's portrayal of KNN
It is a fact - PMY's acting range/ability does seem limited, especially when we see the SAME wide-eyed look for a whole range of emotions from shock, surprise, fear, indignation and anger, and her only other common facial expression being the half-moon smile and toothy grin...
In fact, i have brought this matter up before and i asked if her limited facial expressions is due to her having gone through plastic surgery...and if it is true, then i think that is water under the bridge, because that is something no one can do anything about...
BUT, i feel rather sad for PMY for the brickbats thrown at her because of the following reasons :
i. acting is probably her rice bowl and for us to throw sand into a person's rice bowl by our criticisms is to put simply rather mean-spirited -
i believe she is trying her best BECAUSE it is her rice bowl and she knows she is being paid to do her best, and being a young actress with limited experience and exposure to the finer points in acting, we should give her the opportunity to learn the ropes and recognise that NO ONE is perfect, in whatever we do or try to achieve, or in whatever capacity we are, even for those of us who have been in our respective vocations for many years...let alone someone who is relatively new to acting like PMY...
ii. as for her apparent lack of chemistry with LMH, I believe no one can predict the outcome of putting actors and actresses together…it is more of the luck of the draw and the natural reaction (or lack thereof) that occur between people…
iii. whats more, PMY is only an actress in the drama, and every actor/actress has to follow the directions, demands, expectations, guidance of a whole group of people who really pull the strings in a drama such as the writer/s and PDs…
have we considered that perhaps what we have seen as limitations to PMY’s portrayal is a direct result of the directions, demands, expectations, guidance of those people instead of her lack of depth in acting per se?
i believe we all need to find it in ourselves to be more COMPASSIONATE and ACCOMMODATING in our viewpoints because i believe we would like to be treated as such by others, as the saying goes - do unto others what we would like others to do unto us...
after all, PMY is someone’s loved one and just as much as we would not like our loved ones to be vilified (justified or otherwise), should we do it to others?
...
Minor lapses/gaps in the storyline/editing such as carbon monoxide is colourless but in the scene where KYJ was trapped in the car with the gas and struggling to breathe, the gas was shown as whitish in colour…
The way I see it is this – look from the viewers’ perspective…if KYJ is seen struggling to breathe in a car without the whitish colour around him, how would the viewers know what is going on? Just imagine KYJ struggling to breathe in the car but without the whitish colour of the gas around him to TELL us the viewers that there is carbon monoxide circulating around in there…wouldn’t it be HILARIOUS to see him struggling to breathe with no apparent reason if the air around him seem NORMAL??
This scenario has been repeated countless times in practically every drama/film I have watched from Hollywood because if the directors omit showing the whitish colour gas, no viewer will be able to understand why the actors/actresses are struggling to breathe in an otherwise normal-looking car…
And so I think this issue is really a non-issue because it is just one of the tricks of the acting trade and I think it would be really petty of us to gripe about it…
...
Other grouses about the gaps in the storyline are to me very minor ones considering the whole package is so well-done…have we missed the wood for the trees when we view the drama? The fact is a drama is man-made, and man being inherently imperfect, whatever we do or say would reflect that reality. And if we expect perfection, then we are indeed fooling ourselves.
I think we can all try to practise being more accepting of the fact that there are always going to be things that dissatisfy, disenchant, dismay or disappoint us and we can learn to be more appreciative of the good, wonderful, satisfying, enchanting, happy things that ARE all around us…for there are many, even in the worst of situations, or in this case, in a drama…
For I believe it would not be a stretch for me to say that City Hunter has proven the sceptics and doubters wrong – it has proven to be a drama worthy of mention/praise considering how truly DIFFICULT it is to produce a drama that has been able to produce the goods the way that City Hunter has been able to do so far…
For if we were to think back, how many dramas have we watched have caught so much of our attention and garnered such adoration, admiration and devotion the way that CH has managed to do? I rest my case...
Unless there is an extension, we have 6 episodes left to ENJOY and SAVOUR the goodies that CH has to offer, and as in everything in life, nothing is everlasting, and so my hope is that we can all just enjoy the wonderful ride while it lasts, because after all, it is ONLY A DRAMA… ;)
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azir
July 10, 2011 at 3:52 AM
I definitely agree with you KDL. Let's ignore some of the minor imperfections and truly enjoy the drama. Who cares about those if it makes you smile and feel younger.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 3:55 AM
@azir ;)
thank you very much for your kind words ;)
and THANK YOU for appreciating the many things that CH has to offer to make us smile and wish we are younger and half as good-looking as the gorgeous actors and actresses...hehe ;)
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 4:25 AM
Agree! Everyone just wants to criticize. But can they do better? Can they act better than PMY? Can they produce a drama better than this one? So, far I haven't had much to complain, whether it's the actors, the directing, the details... I'm just enjoying the ride. I've got another 9 weeks of watching CH on a screen bigger than my lappy, 3 times a day. Can't complain... SQUEEEEE!!
I watched Brilliant Legacy earlier, where YS's mom played the evil step-mother, I can't help but think, "Yeah, she did have an affair and got pregnant because of money. And now ahe's suffering because of it." Must stop watching that. Don't want to be confused. :D
ENJOY!! I'm off to watch CH Ep 2 now.... :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 4:34 AM
@tuqaz ;)
"Everyone just wants to criticize. But can they do better? Can they act better than PMY? Can they produce a drama better than this one?"
PRECISELY, tuqaz!!! your words are exactly the words for those who are so critical of CH and its cast and crew... ;)
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newbie
July 10, 2011 at 9:20 AM
hey the question of PMY's acting skills has been on for too long..
among the handful of dramas i have seen, its always the male lead who acts much better than the female lead..(thats what i feel) eg.junpyo-jandi, taekyung-minam..
makes me wonder...do they have separate acting schools..??!(male/female i mean)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:41 AM
@newbie ;)
yeah, you brought up a good point - DO they have separate training schools and trainers for male and female actors??? ;)
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 10:41 PM
@ newbie... if you were a female instructor in these acting school, you'll probably only have eyes for the likes of LMH or JGS. They won't notice anybody else in the room. If PMY or PSH were to be in the same class, these female instructors will make sure they act badly, out of jealousy because they (the instructors) will never be cast alongside LMH or JGS. Bwahaha!! So... they should have separate acting schools to eliminate any biaseness. ;)
I like the female lead in Sam Soon, what's her name? Kim Soon Ah? I like her, she's so funny. :)
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angeline
July 11, 2011 at 9:01 AM
Hey, jandi was good! They both acted Well n even dubbed AS minsun couple. Min HO really likes her.
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angeline
July 11, 2011 at 9:04 AM
Try watching playful kiss. The female lead was very good but the male lead was a flop!
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 10:22 AM
@ angeline
I've watched Playful Kiss, although I didn't want to at first, since I thought Kim Hyun Joong was terrible in BOF. Then i saw one of the mini-sodes on you tube, so I thought I'd give it a try. He has improved!Maybe he got himself an acting coach. And, yes, the female lead was good. :)
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 10:31 AM
@ angeline
forgot to mention that Jandi in real life is a singer, actor, songwriter, director, she's done it all and she was the oldest among the main characters. :)
newbie
July 10, 2011 at 6:44 AM
i've been reading ur really LONG comments for quite sometime..
the way u "CH sissies" analyse and criticize every minute point in the drama impresses me.
i am(was?) a person who was such a critique of movies(in my language). but in this Kdrama world, my mind has just ceased to operate and i just drift along watching the actors. i guess its the hotness of those guys that has literally frozen my brain!
and wen u ppl point out those little possible fixes in the story i wonder..how come they never crossed my mind??
maybe its the initial numbness of a newbie, rite?
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 7:08 AM
hello there, newbie ;)
hahaha...i just LOL at these words of yours :
"in this Kdrama world, my mind has just ceased to operate and i just drift along watching the actors. i guess its the hotness of those guys that has literally frozen my brain!"
I assure you, newbie, you are NOT the only one whose brain seems to go on strike whenever i gaze at the too-gorgeous-for-words-looks of the likes of actors like Lee Min Ho...i am one of those people...hahaha... ;)
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 9:23 AM
@ newbie and kdl
"I assure you, newbie, you are NOT the only one whose brain seems to go on strike whenever i gaze at the too-gorgeous-for-words-looks of the likes of actors like Lee Min Ho…i am one of those people…" There are at least three of us in the same boat here. Hahaha!! ;)
I was thinking the same thing. I'm watching CH on tv now and it's only the 2nd episode. I re-read the recaps and comments and told myself I'm going to look out for those details commented. But I never do, brain cease to function properly. Like you said, "...literally frozen my brain!" Yup, it happened all 3 times I watched each episode. So, I'm just going to carry on drooling and let my brain cells take a break from all the stress of the world. :)
...
@ newbie
"i am(was?) a person who was such a critique of movies(in my language)." I do, too! Especially the dramas ;)
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newbie
July 10, 2011 at 9:28 AM
in my place its soaps on tv all the time.. ugly whining soaps. in most cases the premise would be a wife-mother-in-law duel. i can't stand it!!phew!
oh, i wish i were korean...needn't wait for the subs then..
*sob sob*
and going by the dramas, it is exactly the place to be in!!
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:39 AM
@tuqaz!!! yipppeee!!!! soooo glad to have join us in this insane world of spazzzing over LMH and CH, where the only sane thing to do is go completely insane over LMH and CH... ;)
Messi
July 10, 2011 at 10:15 AM
@newbie, r u indian? well i'm from india and we have same situation as your place, daughter-mother in law fights in almost every drama. Thank god i found kdramas.
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 8:02 PM
@ newbie... hate mother-daughter-in-law duels... those are the things that have such an influence on the people who watch them and have such an impact on our lives. When I watch those things on tv, I can't help but think "Are there actually people as cruel as that?" Looking at my life found the answer, "Yes, there are." Thank goodness for KDramas.
Let's learn Korean together. I can already say "Bulgogi", "Dobokki", "Bibimbap" and "Kimbap". So, ordering from a menu will be no problem. ;)
@ kdl... if this what you call insanity, I'm glad I found a place where everyone understands how sane this form of insanity is. ;)
Have a good week ahead everyone!! :D
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:03 PM
@tuqaz ;)
yipppeee!!! how wonderful it is to have found another kindred spirit who understands me and the other CH sisters-insanely-in-love with CH and LMH... ;)
have a great week ahead to you too, tuqaz!! ;)
2 more days to ep 15 of CH!!!! ;)
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 10:18 PM
@ kdl... my week will be great! Family coming to visit tomorrow, haven't seen them since April. Thinking of have a korean spread for dinner... pancakes, kimbap, bulgogi bibimbap with homemade kimchi. As much as I love KDramas, I love food even more! This is prove of Korean culture taking over a South East Asian household. I have just discovered that there's a Koreatown! Need to go there soon!! :)
@ Messi... I used to watch the old Lingam movies with my grandma when I was small, but I cannot bring myself to watch any Bollywood movies. Aren't we just grateful for KDramas? So refreshing... :)
koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:31 PM
@tuqaz!! ;)
how wonderful to hear abt your family visiting and the exciting events lined up for you and your loved ones!! ;)
hope you will have a blast of a week!! ;)
see you in the next recaps!! :)
tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 11:20 PM
@ kdl... thanks! but how am I gonna fit in my daily LMH fix? ;) next recap in 3 days... AAARRRGGGHHH!!! no patience at all. I'm like Blackie the dog, "can't hold it in".
See you then!!
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 12:26 AM
@tuqaz!! i know what you mean abt the need to get your LMH fix till ep 15...so perhaps you could re-watch the previous eps till Wed, 13 July arrives with the latest on our beloved LMH... ;)
"I’m like Blackie the dog, “can’t hold it in”."
HAHAHAHA!!! i rolled on the floor laughing my head off with those words!! ;)
see you in the ep 15 recap by the awesome Girlfriday! ;)
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 3:10 AM
@ kdl
I'll have my first LMH of the week tonight at 9. 3 hrs of LMH a day should do it. Till we meet again in the next recap, I shall be the "dog that does not poop". Hahaha!! :D
Hope you all have a great week, well till the next episode of CH and next recap, when it gets even better!! ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 4:20 AM
@tuqaz ;)
oh wow!!! 3 hrs a day of LMH? wow!!! hehehe... ;)
enjoy yourself, ok, dear tuqaz ;)
till we meet again in the next recap, happy mooning, swooning and hyperventilating over the gorgeous-beyond-words LMH!! ;)
tuqaz
July 11, 2011 at 4:51 AM
@ kdl
yes, till the next recap in an episode where we'll see LMH in a kilt, looking at a bikini-clad PMY, leading to the highly anticipated BED-SCENE!! if only.... :)
See ya! ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 4:57 AM
@tuqaz ;)
yes!!! so looking forward to more of LMH's awesomeness... ;)
see you and take care till then! ;)
wanne
July 10, 2011 at 8:30 AM
kdl, you said in the best & nicest way possible. my huge respect for you.
but the beauty of life is, praise and appreciation can be an encouragement to one while the constructive criticisms are the one that boost oneself for the better.
i agree, nothing is perfect in the world so we should be more compassionate when judging something.
i hope PMY read the negative comments and try to improve from them. She's not a newbie. She debuted at the same time with LMH in the same drama where she was the female lead while LMH was only a supporting cast. while i do enjoy her chemistry with LMH, her acting more often leaves much to be desired especially during the emotional scenes. she's good during the cute scenes. by the way, LMH also has room for improvement but he definitely nailed LYS character and is really good in most of his scenes. i know all the casts including PMY and crews have worked so hard until now, but i'm sure they want to be better and achieve better too.
So, City Hunter, fighting!
All this is because we care and love you!
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:04 AM
@wanne ;)
i agree with you that constructive criticisms should spur us to improve in every way that matters, because as the saying goes :
the biggest room in the world is a room for improvement... ;)
however, most of the comments abt her acting so far have focused too much on how bad her acting is but very little encouragement for her to improve on her acting skills...esp considering the news that we posted right here in DB abt how diligent she and LMH are abt portraying their characters in CH to the best of their ability by their tireless effort to go through their scenes together and helping each other to do better...
that is something we need to recognise - the effort that she and LMH and the rest of the cast and crew are putting in to bring out the best in each other to bring the best to us, the viewers...
perhaps we need to fully recognise how much effort the cast and crew of CH have put in and are still putting in to making CH as successful as drama as humanly possible... ;)
and i agree with you too abt PMY not being exactly a newbie in the Korean entertainment (acting) industry because she is LMH's peer, but we need to recognise that each person's ability is unique and the actors' and actresses' ability to improve in his/her acting skills vary and differ from person to person...
perhaps LMH is a more gifted actor than PMY and thus have been able to do so much more than PMY even when they are acting side by side and seem to be helping, supporting and encouraging one another... ;)
i am by no means saying that we CANNOT criticise because i started my comment above by mentioning my observation abt PMY's limited acting range thus far, but i believe that the operative word should be 'constructive' criticism, not 'destructive' criticism...
criticism should only be given with the intention of helping the person being criticised to improve himself/herself, not simply to highlight his/her faults or shortcomings...and not giving due credit for the person's effort in trying to do his/her best...
anyhow, i believe strongly in the words of one of the most impressive First Ladies of the USA - Eleanor Roosevelt :
Small minds discuss people,
average minds discuss events,
great minds discuss ideas.
and thus, i thought we should all discuss ideas on how things should be viewed, discussed and evaluated rather than focusing on people - so that we can all develop great minds... ;)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:19 AM
ooops!!! a typo - should be :
how much effort the cast and crew of CH have put in and are still putting in to making CH as successful *a* not *as* drama as humanly possible…
as the English language is NOT my first language, i tend to make such typos, among others, in my haste to type and send my comments... ;)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 9:15 AM
@wanne ;)
sorry i forgot to thank you for your kind words of appreciation for my excruciatingly LONG comment above... ;)
thank you so much, my dear wanne!! :)
and thank you so much for your response to my comment because you always say the right things ;)
love you, wanne ;)
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Messi
July 10, 2011 at 10:24 AM
I was going to skip such a LONG comment but glad i didn't. nobody could've said better than you. Amen
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:32 AM
@Messi ;)
i am truly humbled by your kind words ;)
thank you from the bottom of my heart but i do not take credit for whatever i say or do that is good or beneficial because i am only what God has given me and i am nothing and utterly powerless without His Blessings, Love and Provisions and thus i believe that the good and beneficial acts and words that i did and said are all blessings from Him...all praises be to Him and Him alone... ;)
thank you once again sweet Messi ;)
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Messi
July 10, 2011 at 11:14 AM
You know i really feel bad whenever someone start bashing PMY here on her acting ski1ls. people never seems to appreciate the fact that these actors works 15-20 daily to give us entertainment. How bad she would feel to read comments like ''she is not good for the role'' after working so hard. I felt same way for YEH in Lie to me.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 5:13 PM
@Messi ;)
you said it, Messi! ;)
we feel for the actors/actresses who have been criticised because it is never easy to be criticised, even when it is well-intentioned because it is essentially highlighting what is bad or wrong about what we do and say... ;)
seriously, who in his/her right mind would be grinning with utter joy in the face of criticisms, even constructive criticisms...
thus when we DO feel the need to criticise, it is always best to do it with the utmost care, compassion and kindness - bearing in mind that should someone criticise us, how would we feel if they do it with crudeness and hard-hitting words and tone in their voice/words?
surely it is not that hard to choose the caring, compassionate and kind route to criticising instead of the hard-hitting way, now is it? ;)
but thankfully, most of the commentors in DB so far have not been too hard-hitting in their criticisms and i hope no one will be in the future ;)
annoYedbiatch...
July 10, 2011 at 10:32 AM
My hats off to you, my dear kdl! You put into words my thoughts about how some people like to quibble/criticize what seems to me a really well made kdrama. Your humble take on it seems to be spot on while being thoughtful to those so-called "critiques" or simply bashers. I really enjoy reading DB recaps and the comments but when I do come across mean remarks about PMY acting not coming up to par of their super high expectations, it really puts me off.
While I do believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you can express it fully without coming off as mean-spirited. Anyhow, like you, I'll anticipate the upcoming episodes and continue loving this drama, in it's very little flaws and all. :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 10:54 AM
@annoYedbiatch... ;)
please accept my humblest appreciation for your kind words of appreciation for my humble take on the issues on CH touched by commentors at present... ;)
thank you from the bottom of my heart but i do not take credit for whatever i say or do that is good or beneficial because i am only what God has given me and i am nothing and utterly powerless without His Blessings, Love and Provisions and thus i believe that the good and beneficial acts and words that i did and said are all blessings from Him…all praises be to Him and Him alone…
and you are so right, annoYedbiatch, about the word "quibble" because it is so spot-on -
IMHO, most of the comments on the flaws and shortcomings of CH and its cast and crew are simply that - quibbles,
because when we take a look at the whole picture that is City Hunter, comments on the flaws of CH as a drama and its cast and crew are just tiny specks of dust on a large canvas of a beautiful masterpiece that is City Hunter as a Korean drama...
Koreans should be proud of what their fellow countrymen and women have been able to produce - a drama which has won so many hearts and minds the world over...not an easy feat to achieve by any standard... ;)
and i am so glad to have you along on the ride till the very end because we LOVE CH, warts and imperfections(tiny though they are) and all... ;)
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annoYedbiatch...
July 10, 2011 at 11:51 PM
I'm usually a silent lurker in this thread but some negative comments really irked me to the point that I had to write down my reactions hence my username. ;)
You're very welcome! I'm glad there's someone like you in this thread that could defend without stooping to their level. It's actually the same people even from the very first episode that keeps on harping over the same things. Hmmm... BUT l'm going to take the high road and henceforth ignore whenever their names come up in the comments section. I don't want my enjoyment of CH and DB recaps get tainted by it.
I'll definitely be in this wild ride along with you and the rest of the CH lovers. :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 12:36 AM
@annoYedbiatch dear ;)
you do have an interesting username... ;)
i was wondering what it means...
can you help me out dear? ;)
...
"I’m glad there’s someone like you in this thread that could defend without stooping to their level."
Thank you, annoYedbiatch, for such kind words ;)
...
"It’s actually the same people even from the very first episode that keeps on harping over the same things. Hmmm…"
I agree with you, annoYedbiatch!
Its the same people who chose to comment on mostly the tiny imperfections found in CH and ignored the largely wonderful work done in CH so far...
...
"BUT l’m going to take the high road and henceforth ignore whenever their names come up in the comments section. I don’t want my enjoyment of CH and DB recaps get tainted by it."
YES, annoYedbiatch! You said it!! Let's just ignore such comments and concentrate on sharing, savouring and enjoying the many, many good things that CH has to offer... ;)
Looking forward to chatting with you in the subsequent recaps on CH by the exceptional JB and GF, who by the way, love CH as much, if not more, than we do... ;)
annoYedbiatch...
July 11, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Hi kdl! My username's not really nice-sounding. LOL... Take away the letter a in the b word and there you go! It describes me when I read those negative comments. ;)
koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 10:59 AM
@annoYedbiatch ;)
oh, i think i got it now...hehehe...forgive my slowness in getting such things 'cause ive always been slow in that respect...hehehe... ;)
i understand fully how you feel reading negative comments which was why i had to post my SUPER LONG comments on them...but how i wish i don't have to...
Birdie
July 10, 2011 at 11:46 AM
Thank you for your nice comments. It is always good to have a counter-balance to any views. As you may have noticed, the praises far outnumber the criticism. As some actors and actresses had mentioned, acting is a very public profession,and tends to draw criticism because it is ACTING. Therefore they use it as motivation to improve and work harder. Hopefully PMY will do the same.
As to the minor flaws, it is more glaring when the drama is well-done. One example was LYS hand was bleeding from the stabbing, one second later it was not.It does take away the awesomeness of the previous scene.Not all of us watch this drama with the brains switched off. We do support CH otherwise we will not be watching the show. Wanting the show to be better means we do care about the show.. Liking different flavours does not mean one does not enjoy ice-cream.
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F.O.
July 10, 2011 at 12:10 PM
but i never saw any 'nice' comment from you and you say that you care for this drama. your comments are always negative about this drama. If you care about drama, a small appreciation wouldn't do anything wrong to you. Be positive. it will make you happy, noble :-) :-) ;-)
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Birdie
July 10, 2011 at 1:49 PM
Dear F.O.
You seem to keep track only of my "negative" comments. Being selective. If you care to go back through all the episodes recap. comments, you would have read me commenting on the awesome job of the veteran actors, LMH,LJH,KMS, the good cinematography, the good directing and that I find the drama entertaining. I just do not overdo it.
People do have different opinions. Let's leave it at that. We are happy with our opinions and you are happy with yours.
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F.O.
July 10, 2011 at 8:01 PM
@birdie, there u said it. you don't overdo appreciation but you overdo criticism :-) that's why your comments stood out than others. i'll show you in next recap. my eyes are strictly on you. hahahahaha :-) :-) ;-) ;-) :-)
Birdie
July 10, 2011 at 10:17 PM
@ F.O. You may feel I overdo criticism. I certainly do not feel that way. In fact there are very few criticisms. Maybe that's why they stand out, after all there are over 300 comments. Please do pay some attention to others as well ,as they took the time to pen down their thoughts.
Cheerio! See you at the next recaps.
Venus
July 10, 2011 at 12:29 PM
KDL I LOVE ur commets is rite on...I totally agree...
I love CH for the whole package that it is. To me everything clinking and I really can't ask for more, the CH crew and cast have step up the plate and are delivering the best product possible and with live shooting going on now I'm sure the editing dept doesn't have much time to really works is true magic...but like I said the crew is doing a wonderful job to bring CH alive.
I mean LMH is only sleeping 2hrs between locations and I'm sure the rest of the cast also...and CH drama tone is very demanding to everyone in order to maintain the level of intensity.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 5:20 PM
@Venus ;)
kindly accept my humblest appreciation for your kind words of appreciation of my humble take on the issues brought up by the commentors on CH and its cast and crew... ;)
and i agree with your every word - how truly demanding producing a drama is and since we are not in their shoes, we can never say we understand what they are going through but as a fellow human being, we can empathise with the stresses and pressures that they face, because we face our own set of stresses and pressures in our own vocations and day-to-day lives... ;)
and when we feel the need to criticise others in whatever they do or say, we should always put ourselves in their shoes and imagine how they feel if we criticise them with crudeness and hard-hitting words and tone...and hopefully adjust our approach, so that we do not come across as heartless or mean... ;)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 10, 2011 at 5:35 PM
@Birdie ;)
please accept my humblest appreciation for your kind words of appreciation and opinions ;)
however, i do not take credit for the good and beneficial things that i do and say because i attribute it to God, for to me He is the Provider and Originator of all things good and beneficial...but the flaws and shortcomings in my logic, opinion or comments are from me and me alone... ;)
And i have seen your comments on CH, both praising and criticising and i agree that differences in opinion should not an argument make, but result in richer and more meaningful perspectives and discussions... ;)
however, i can also understand the comment made by F.O. below who said that he/she "never say any 'nice' comment from you" because frankly speaking, your criticisms stood out for me as well, more than your praises do...
i guess it is because you have more criticisms in the most recent episodes than praises and thus your praises of CH in earlier episodes have long left our collective memory...
anyhow, we are all entitled to our opinion about CH and i respect everyone's opinions, esp since i am just a visitor to DB because it does not belong to me and so i have no right to try to suppress anyone's opinion... ;)
but i believe that a gentler, kinder, more compassionate approach to criticism is always better than a hard-hitting one because we are essentially highlighting the flaws and shortcomings of others, who are fellow human beings, who, just like us, would appreciate a gentler, kinder, more compassionate approach to making them feel they are less than perfect... ;)
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Little Lulu
July 13, 2011 at 1:16 PM
AMEN.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 13, 2011 at 7:37 PM
@Little Lulu, dearie ;)
where have you been?? missed you so much!! ;)
is your AMEN meant for my comment? just to check before i post a comment, so that i don't come across as presumptuous...hehehe...
if it is, thank you, dear Little Lulu... ;)
sooo glad to have you back here with us!! ;)
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133 loveminho
July 10, 2011 at 5:43 AM
Kamsahamnida! :) I love your recaps, such a joy to read. #cityhunteristakingovermylife
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 9:26 AM
You're not the only one whose life haaas been taken over by CH. My whole week is full os CH. I'm overdosing on LMH at the moment. ;)
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Venus
July 10, 2011 at 12:39 PM
LOOOOOOOL no ur not I guess we all are overdosing on LMH crack...I stalk Soompi and DB all day... :P
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tuqaz
July 10, 2011 at 8:43 PM
@ Venus... there's a 5 week delay in the airing of CH here. That on Mondays and Tuesdays and repeats the next day and weekends. New episodes come out on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I'll be stalking to watch it RAW, reading recaps and for ones with subbies. Must have my daily dose of LMH!! Don't need coffee any more. ;)
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134 @.@
July 10, 2011 at 11:54 AM
about time i caught up with this drama. it was my number 1 anticipated drama, but a series of unfortunate circumstances didn't allow me to watch it, and i ended up finishing manny and catching up on ripley first. anyways, kyahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this drama is just too good for words, lee minho is wayyyyy too good of an actor :)
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135 Manne
July 10, 2011 at 12:47 PM
City Hunter is the best drama i've ever watched.
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136 koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 2:43 AM
@Birdie
"Not all of us watch this drama with the brains switched off."
To be fair, I believe that NO ONE really watches a drama with his/her brain switched off because that is not just physiologically impossible, but also be psychologically or emotionally impossible too because how else would the the viewer be able to have the attendant reactions to what is being watched?
The way I see it is, some of us choose NOT to FOCUS on the minor and tiny imperfections in certain scenes that (in your own words) "do not take away the awesomeness of the previous scene"...and just focus on the awesomeness of the previous scene...
That choice should not be seen as watching the drama with our brains switched off but it is a personal choice that we make NOT to FOCUS on the negative side of what is otherwise a very positive viewing experience, just as it has been YOUR choice, Birdie, to focus and comment on the imperfections that, in your own words, "do not take away the awesomeness of the previous scene".
It was your personal choice to comment on what you choose to comment. So do those of us who choose NOT to comment on the imperfections, NOT because we can't see or identify them, but because we choose not to dwell on them.
I hope that you can be more careful in your comments about other commentors by not using words that can be construed as demeaning or belittling because it is not just unfair and uncalled-for but also not in good spirit.
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Birdie
July 11, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Kdl,
Like you said it is your choice what you want to comment on and what others comment on. If you choose to comment on others opinions and make it into a crusade, I cannot stop you. But due to respects to Girlfriday and Javabeans,as it is their website which include this Rant and/or Rave section, I cannot continue this exchange as it may escalate which will not be right. We already agree to disagree , so please leave it at that.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 5:34 PM
@Birdie
It puzzles me that you choose to see the possibility of the exchange between us escalating into unpleasant territory when all i have been doing is responding to your own words in your response/comment to my comment. If you chose to use the words that you used in your comment to me, you should be open enough to responses from me on your words but it looks like you are not.
And its even more perplexing and highly amusing that you choose to see my comment to the comments made by the commentors in this blog as a 'crusade' (which has negative connotations) when the responses from other commentors to that comment so far have all been positive.
If you choose to see me in such a negative light, then its your prerogative because your opinion of me is of little consequence to me.
And just like you, out of my respect to Javabeans and Girlfriday, and also because i detest doing it, i have tried my very best not to use a more aggressive, antagonistic or combative stance in my words to your comments.
"We already agree to disagree"
I believe we never said we would agree to disagree, because i have never commented on your comments specifically, but if you say so, then so be it because i am not interested to argue when its obvious its just a meaningless venture.
And just like you, i thought my most recent comment should be the end of the exchange between us but it looks like this comment will have to be. I would appreciate it if you would not respond to this comment because you have said what you needed to say and so have I, and so, in your own words, "please leave it at that".
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137 Zayuha
July 11, 2011 at 5:02 AM
Thanks a lot... javabean girlsfriday... :-* hey i have question. Will LEE MIN HO join with Moon geun young? is it true? please answer me i will wait your answer okiss
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138 Maymay
July 11, 2011 at 8:34 AM
Here is episode 15 written text preview found on soompi.
"Yong-ju sees a blurry image of Yoon-sung's back but quickly loses consciousness after. Yoon-sung hacks into Yong-ju's apartment's CCTV and discovers that Chun Jae-man's minion attempted murder. Yong-ju wakes up in the hospital and checks the CCTV video sent to his phone and asks who called the ambulance for him."
Here is a video of Boys over Flowers and City Hunter crossover. Imagine YS as Goo Jun Pyo twin brother, it looks fun. Enjoy!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9U4wuXt4Qk&feature=player_embedded
Can't wait for Wednesday!!!!!!!!
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Venus
July 11, 2011 at 8:51 AM
Maymay!!!
U MADE MY DAY!!!!!! Thank U sooo much for that written preview!!! I feel like we are going to get another super intesese episode and YJ might start to realized that CH/YS is not the person who he should be focusing on but try to understand why CH is really after.
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angeline
July 11, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Cool Mv. You really rock! I always read all the new comments here before i sleep. Glad i didn't Miss yours. Now it' s my bedtime. 1:30 am. Gd nite everyone.
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139 smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 9:59 AM
Wooh..The exchanges you guys have here are mind-blowing! :) Haven't visited DB for quite awhile as life for me got quite busy but I am really surprised as to how fascinating the comments here in DB got...
I am seeing new names here: tuqaz, F.O, annoYedbiatch, messie, newbie and others. Hi there guys! As always lovely to know that your love for CH/LMH encouraged you to write down your thoughts, oh and so happy that our CH/LMH sisterhood is growing. :)
And for the resident CH commenters: thameryst, venus, wanne, olsen, maymay, samgetang and of course dear kaye, how I miss you, CH sisters (and the rest of lovely CH sisters, you know who you are :) ) ! I swear, commenting on DB CH recaps is starting to grow on me that I feel like not being able to do so, felt like I'm something missing.
And @kaye dear, you're an absolute marvel!! I love how your positivity turned negativity down. And as such, how you approach to discuss such issue is stunning. :) (Can I enroll in your positivity class?*LOL*)
Much has been said and in the name of our dear hosts JB and GF...
"City Hunter is as AWESOME as it can be. No buts, no ifs, nothing can stain it, no one can ruin the AMAZING RIDE where in right now. Let them be and let us be. It's how we loved and it's how we perceived that matters."
And as per se "LMH makes the ride all the more wonderful and HOT". :)
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thameryst
July 11, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Missed you!!!!! I've also been rather too busy to do much commenting here. But for now I am being entertained reading others' comments whenever I get a chance. I know what you mean about feeling as if something were missing when not being able to participate in the squeeing-bliss of this thread. I wonder what I'm going to do when the show is over and there is no longer a live thread like this still going on. I guess, we could just make a RECORD amount of comments on the last episode's recap! I'm talking GUINESS WORLD RECORD! B/c i know i'll be floating around online like the ghost of the person i used to be before the tragedy of City Hunter having to end killed me off. Hopefully, ep 20 recap will attract all the other similar ghosts not yet ready to leave the world of CH.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 10:54 AM
@smashingalou!!
my dearest CH sister, the one and only smashingalou!!!where HAVE you been?? ive missed you soooo...
so overjoyed to have you back in DB!!!
and believe me, i can understand when you say your life just got super busy, 'cause ive been there...
its only now that i got time to breathe... ;)
anyhow, *bows with respect* ;)
from the bottom of my heart, please accept my humblest gratitude for your kind, kind words of appreciation for my humble take on the issues brought up in this thread on CH and its cast and crew... ;)
your words of appreciation make me feel so flushed with embarrassment because i do not take credit for anything good or beneficial that i say or do because i always try to remind myself that i am only what God has given me and all the good and beneficial things that i say or do actually originate from God and i am just one of the countless souls that God has chosen to bless with His Infinite Blessings such that i was given the ability and chance to say or do good things that i hope would benefit those around me... ;)
but any and all imperfections, flaws and shortcomings in my words, actions, logic, thoughts, opinions, perspective and perception are MINE and mine alone,
and i know i have too many of them to count..hehe.. ;)
and as for "enrolling in my positivity class", smashingalou dear, i assure you that you are one individual who does NOT need to enrol in such a class because YOUR liveliness, positivity, strength of character, warmth, capacity to love and appreciation of all the wonderful things that life has to offer just SHINE through your every word in your comments... ;)
thus, you are one kind soul who does not need to do more except BE YOUR WONDERFUL, LOVELY SELF,
for you are PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE... ;)
and i echo every single word in your comment above, esp your last eloquently-expressed lines :
“City Hunter is as AWESOME as it can be. No buts, no ifs, nothing can stain it, no one can ruin the AMAZING RIDE where in right now. Let them be and let us be. It’s how we loved and it’s how we perceived that matters.”
And as per se “LMH makes the ride all the more wonderful and HOT”.
Smashingalou sweetheart, i couldn't have said it any better!!! BRAVO!!! ;)
let's continue with our optimistic and positive take on CH and life in general because frankly, there are already so much pessimism, negativity, hopelessness and despair in life...
so let's not allow those depressing realities to BLIND us to the other realities in life - the simple beauty, comfort and joy of our loved ones' smile, laughter, voice, touch, presence and existence, as well as, the other joys to be found all around us, if only we allow our eyes, ears, heart, mind, body and soul to see, recognise and embrace them... ;)
seek and we shall find... ;)
so let's seek always to SEE, FIND and RECOGNISE the good, joyful and beautiful in everyone and everything around us, and we will never be bereft of joy, laughter and contentment, even in the face of the most heartbreaking of tests... ;)
whatever that life has in store for us, if we always remember to keep our faith, belief and trust in Our Creator, we will never walk alone, nor ever be lonesome and full of despair but instead be full of peace, hope, joy and serenity... ;)
i feel so blessed to have you, smashingalou dearest, along on this crazy, wacky, zany ride of our lives as CH sisters going berserk over Lee Min HOT!!! LOL!!! ;)
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smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 1:53 PM
@kaye, you truly are the sweetest...
Humbly speaking, my words compared to yours are barely a dust in the wind. I was smiling all the way while reading your reply and I was thinking "She's so good with words that she managed to reply that long in just a few minutes?!" :) *LOL*
And thank you for being modest and for all the goodwords. Glad to have come across someone like you in this bustling world of blog commentary. And most of all coming across in the most wonderful site ever. :)
Let's just keep CH/LMH love going and going until they tire of us...hehehe!
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koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 5:41 PM
@smashingalou dear ;)
thank you so much again for your kind, kind words ;)
but thank you, smashingalou, because i can't tell you how much comfort and joy you have given to me in your every word in your comments thus far in this blog in our spazzzing over CH and LMH ;)
and so, let's continue spreading the joy in our subsequent exchanges on CH and LMH in subsequent recaps of the remaining episodes of CH, like you said, until they tire of us... ;)
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140 thameryst
July 11, 2011 at 11:01 AM
*Takes a deep breath* Another reason I didn't comment on this thread like nuts right after ep 14 was that I experienced some little pinpricks of disappointment. But I think it was mostly due to the fact that ep 13 was just so WILDLY amazing and crackling with potential for a completely bold new direction that i haven't really seen any other drama with guts enough to take us into.
And then ep 14:
First: I'm glad they didn't stretch out some kind of misunderstanding btwn Na Na and Yoon Sung about whether he killed Jong Shik or not. But I was taken aback by the way she coincidentally overheard that there was an eyewitness who saw Shik Jong jump after documents and all that.
What got me was that we didn't get to go as far down Yoon Sung's dark torment path. Shik Jong isn't even dead. I'm glad Ahjusshi isn't, but I think one of Show's balls fell off. JUST KILL OFF DAMNED JONG SHIK ALREADY AND LETS GET THE FULL EFFECT OF YOON-SUNG'S ANGST.
I know. I'm actually asking for ANGST. I who hate most angst in kdramaland. I especially love the fluffy scenes and happy moments.
I also didn't want Young-ju to hear that convenient eyewitness account. I wanted him to GO AFTER CITY HUNTER!
But other than that, I really loved this episode.
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smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 8:42 PM
thameryst, we're off the same thinking...
"I’m glad they didn’t stretch out some kind of misunderstanding btwn Na Na and Yoon Sung about whether he killed Jong Shik or not."
- That's the first thing that entered my mind when ep 13 ended. How will NN understand what happened? How will she react? Thinking that it was NN's words that shook YS the most at the last part, I kept thinking at that instant, man you're really gonna be in trouble. But sigh of relief, as they did not dwell much on that angle on this episode.
This episode is probably the "the calm before the storm". For me, we're into something HEAVY into the next episodes. I know SHOW will not disappoint us *fingers crossed*
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koreandramalover/kay
July 11, 2011 at 11:14 PM
@smashingalou dear ;)
i can't help but agree with you completely with your words because it was exactly what was on my mind at the end of this ep :
"This episode is probably the “the calm before the storm”. For me, we’re into something HEAVY into the next episodes. I know SHOW will not disappoint us"
and i agree too that CH will not disappoint us...
in fact, i am going to prepare myself to be BLOWN AWAY by CH's awesomeness right till the very end... ;)
what about you. smashingalou dearie? ;)
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 9:49 AM
oh yes kaye, I would like to think rather positively that at this stage where CH is on their climax point that they'll provide us "surprises along the way".
But as high hopes is equals to great disappointment, I wouldn't raised my flag yet.
I will just sincerely PRAY AND WISH THAT HOWEVER AND WHATEVER the CH TEAM CHOOSE TO BE IN THE END, IT WILL BE SOMETHING EVERYONE WILL BE PROUD OF. :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 12, 2011 at 1:21 PM
@smashingalou dear! ;)
yes, you are so right about high hopes = high lows (disappointments) and that is why i said i am PREPARED to be blown away, as in, i am open to anything that CH has to offer but not attaching any expectations because i did not have any to begin with...and because i had no expectations, what CH has offered so far have managed to surprise and blow me away and nothing it has offered so far has made me lose interest in it...and so that is how i will continue to view CH - giving it room to shine while not hoping for anything except the best for its cast and crew... ;)
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 7:11 PM
"giving it room to shine while not hoping for anything except the best for its cast and crew… ;)"
so totally with you, kaye.. :) As I've said before "I'LL JUST ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL RIDE CH/LMH IS GIVING US"
Oh, just wanna share that I just finished downloading CH's episode 1 to episode 14 on my phone. Which means I can really have a doze of CH/LMH everytime I needed (which I think is every minute :) )
CH OST is all over my phone as well...*LOL*
koreandramalover/kay
July 12, 2011 at 10:17 PM
@smashingalou ;)
wow!!! lucky you to have the eps downloaded to your phone!!! so, you can have your LMH fix ANYTIME!!! ;)
Aas for the OST...don't let me start...hehe...
it is the only songs im replaying for about the gazillionth time on my laptop each time i turn on my laptop...hehe ;)
we really have it bad, haven't we? hehe...;)
but its what makes us happy, so why not? ;)
smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 9:18 PM
Hmm, random thought..
I'm not really a fan of foreseeing a story especially in such a case where my love and adoration is involved such as CH. But something pop into my head while I was re-watching episode 1. (Yes, still re-watching, even with my buzzing busy life :). Am i to blame?)*LOL*
On the Nampo Sea scene, when the brave 19 where shot to death into the depths of the water, they were shot by unknown sniper shooter(s). In which, these shooter(s) have the big probability that they are also BLUE HOUSE guards in whom one maybe NN's father. They have made NN's dad as being a BLUE HOUSE GUARD before as something that can be part of the twist.
And the twist might be THIS....
That JP will go all the way in getting rid of NN after learning this fact,that NN's dad was the one who shot MY. Making this twist, in turn, will fully emerge YS's DARK SIDE and will become the CH who walks into the SHADOW of DARKNESS.Consequently not caring at all.
This might be possible, for after all, however confusing YS and NN's feeling to each other may be, it is evident that "YS's greatest fall might be NN's fall"....
However quirky my mind gets, these are all just spots and pieces of my eternally boggled mind...
So there you go :)
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thameryst
July 12, 2011 at 9:46 AM
Oh wow! I never even considered that. That would be sooo interesting.
BUT Jin-pyo hasn't really been trying to kill of the children of the people who killed his friends. He's just been going after the people themselves. But who knows? He's devolved from righteous anger and hurt at his friends' murder into psychotic rage and a befuddling psychology on how to carry out his revenge that really only makes sense to him.
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141 thameryst
July 11, 2011 at 11:07 AM
But okay: my heart practically stopped at the scene in Na Na's house when Lee Min Ho mentioned his bank account and the skinship menu. I was like: OMO! OMO! Is this scene going to be like the one a commenter on here made up that went kinda like: If I run out of money put it on my tab!!!!!
But alas, she had to ruin the moment by showing the poor conflicted soul that even the smell of coffee evokes his memory to her.
DARN. So close.
I highly doubt there will be a bed scene in this show. But I don't really want that. I just want a deliciously flirty, witty, sexy-fun-times at ALMOST-bed-scene exchange btwn them. I love when lee Min Ho is the badass completely smoothly wickedly sexy playboy.
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Celexa
July 11, 2011 at 2:39 PM
I love when lee Min Ho is the badass completely smoothly wickedly sexy playboy.
That's exactly what I want of City Hunter... I don't want him to be KNN's "hopelessly in love" puppy dog.
If Lee Min Ho is to grow as an actor... he will play roles where the character is always clearly defined as black & white/good & evil. I'd hate to see him hold back on "good, meaty" roles so he doesn't offend his fans.
Afterall... he is an Actor... performing a "role" for his fan's and the character he plays is not "who" he is.
To quote GF "but I want to see him go through this and have a life-altering mistake on his conscience, to suffer through the Light vs. Dark within himself, and to struggle with what it means to be a hero in a world where the consequences are life and death."
The more I think about it... City Hunter should have been made into a movie so that it could have delved deeper into the dark City Hunter.
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Celexa
July 11, 2011 at 2:45 PM
* not always clearly defined
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Corn tea
July 11, 2011 at 6:30 PM
I am all for a CH movie.
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smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 8:30 PM
ohh..me too,me too! two hands raised..
thameryst
July 12, 2011 at 9:48 AM
Yes. BUT a movie would mean ONLY 2 HOURS of CH/LMH amazingness. I'll take the 20 hours over 2 any day.
But yes, I would like to see his dark side more thoroughly explored.
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smashingalou
July 13, 2011 at 9:42 AM
thameryst, it's crazy madness that you are in for 20 hours, give or take and it's adorable... :)
more or less, i'd take anything that has the HOT LMH in it...
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142 thameryst
July 11, 2011 at 11:08 AM
oh and the scene where YS plunges a knife in his THROUGH THE TABLE. Priceless. Show daddy you can be as hardass as him!
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143 Venus
July 11, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Hi GUYS!!!!! ***waves** hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.....ok since I'm at work rite now I'm just copying and pasting my soompi commet. LOOOOL ok that very lazy of me but here it goes.
I have couple of commets that I want to make regarding the whole "Daddy Issue" I hope the writers don't go that road cause then the whole revenge mission doesn't really hold a purpose rite?. I mean YS is aveging his dad's murder. If he is JP son then its a very sick twist, cause JP them betray his blood brother way back then. If YS is the presidents son then YS mom is a two timer, and to me that idea doesn't seat well. It really just doesn't make sense.
However, there is a big secret that the president is harboring and it could be something entirely like killing someone, or corruption charges. I just wouldn't like that we go down the whole "Daddy" issue road. President is going to be interesting cause he seems like a such a nice person and very open and polite, but he could be a wolf in sheep clothing? rite? I'm really anticipating the dirt on the president and how is going to affect everyone who works in the Blue House.
As for the whole YS and NN relationship, I think we are in a good place. City Hunter is not a romcom so the love story does take a back seat and I for one I'm not bother by that approach, because the real story is to bring justice to 20 people who got massacre/betrayed by its own nation and that too me is more compelling than the whole love story. Yes, NN serves a great purpose in the story in that she is the emotional anchor for YS who grew up without love, so NN to me has done her job. If we get more YS and NN cute sweet moments I take it, but I think both are in a good place. NN understand that YS in on a very dagerous mission and therefore she is not pushing forward with the whole "I love u, take me" type approach, instead she is trying to be YS friend and helped him in any way and that is LOVE in my books. YS in the other hand, LOVES NN and he knows it, just that he can't truly open up and follow his heart, caused he has a mission to accomplished and don't want to see people he loves in danger. Why does YS keeps pushing NN away?. well is for her own safety and both know it. However, YS as we see tries to stay away but yet he can't and that is Adorable to see. I'm not expecting babies at the end of CH, but I would like to see that YS and NN are true partnes in crime as well as in love and to me is enough.
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elle070811
July 12, 2011 at 5:55 AM
"the real story is to bring justice to 20 people who got massacred/betrayed by its own nation"
i coudn't agree more
that is why i was glad that kim jong sik did not die
more than anything, i would like to see the "revenge" that the "city hunter" actually envisions: that is, not for the group of five to end up dead (though one of them was already killed and most probably CJM will kill KMS)but for people to actually know how evil their acts were and for the 1983 incident to be revealed, for the families of the 20 people to finally have closure and justice...isn't that why "city hunter" came to existence in the first place????
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Celexa
July 12, 2011 at 8:27 AM
This is exactly why I invested my time and emotions on City Hunter... to see justice done for the 20 young men willing to give up thier lives for their country.
I don't need to have a happy ending with a wedding and babies... I need to see these men's lives avenged!
I confess... I began this drama ONLY to feed my LMH addiction, but I got lost in the character he has so skillfully portrayed... that LMH the actor is now a shadow behind CITY HUNTER the character.
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koreandramalover/kay
July 12, 2011 at 1:30 PM
@elle070811
i agree that the reason for CH to exist should be to exact JUSTICE for the 20 souls massacred 27 years ago by the people who betrayed them...but the way the Jin Pyo has manevoured Yoon-sung's life so far has not been to exact JUSTICE so much as to exact REVENGE...but Yoon-sung's character has managed to show that he is not interested in revenge as Jin-pyo is, which is why he has not been able to kill anyone...
and so we have to wait and see how the battle between 'father' and son will play out - will Yoon-sung's will to exact justice win over Jin-pyo's thirst for revenge?
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koreandramalover/kay
July 12, 2011 at 1:34 PM
*manoeuvred* not *manevoured*
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144 smashingalou
July 11, 2011 at 9:22 PM
Hmm, random thought..
I’m not really a fan of foreseeing a story especially in such a case where my love and adoration is involved such as CH. But something pop into my head while I was re-watching episode 1. (Yes, still re-watching, even with my buzzing busy life :) . Am i to blame?)*LOL*
On the Nampo Sea scene, when the brave 19 where shot to death into the depths of the water, they were shot by unknown sniper shooter(s). In which, these shooter(s) have the big probability that they are also BLUE HOUSE guards in whom one maybe NN’s father. They have made NN’s dad as being a BLUE HOUSE GUARD before as something that can be part of the twist.
And the twist might be THIS….
That JP will go all the way in getting rid of NN after learning this fact,that NN’s dad was the one who shot MY. Making this twist, in turn, will fully emerge YS’s DARK SIDE and will become the CH who walks into the SHADOW of DARKNESS.Consequently not caring at all.
This might be possible, for after all, however confusing YS and NN’s feeling to each other may be, it is evident that “YS’s greatest fall might be NN’s fall”….
However quirky my mind gets, these are all just spots and pieces of my eternally boggled mind…
So there you go :)
(Post above was not meant to be a reply on thameryst post, pardon me for spamming, output of a tired mind hehehe!) *peace*
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thameryst
July 12, 2011 at 9:50 AM
Oh wow! I never even considered that. That would be sooo interesting.
BUT Jin-pyo hasn’t really been trying to kill of the children of the people who killed his friends. He’s just been going after the people themselves. But who knows? He’s devolved from righteous anger and hurt at his friends’ murder into psychotic rage and a befuddling psychology on how to carry out his revenge that really only makes sense to him.
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Lala_chan
July 12, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Would you have happened to get this idea about Nana's father from the City Hunter Baidu bar that this article was also written off of?
"[KDrama - City Hunter] Will City Hunter have a tragic ending? Spoilers and more…"
https://welcometohappysworld.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/kdrama-city-hunter-will-city-hunter-have-a-tragic-ending/
If what this article says is true, then I already feel heartbroken for Yoon Sung...
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 6:25 PM
Oh, there is something written like that already?! That idea just popped into my mind after re-watching episode 1 for the nth time.
Hmm, this is interesting but SHOW please....I'd rather have a happy ending for YS and NN...*fingers tightly crossed*
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 6:35 PM
***CLASPING FOR BREATH***
Oh my @lala_chan, after reading the link you've posted, I CANNN'TTT BELIEVE IT!!! No,No, No, it couldn't be...
Just thinking about it makes my heart ache...
Am I living my nightmare now?! Can't believe it...*dazed*
CH, please, please, please let it be happy for them.It's possible that "THAT TWIST" can happen but just let it be part of it then let them have a happy ending...
Oh my heart aches, CH/LMH I love you so that it hurts...
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145 koreandramalover/kay
July 12, 2011 at 12:17 AM
@smashingalou ;)
"That JP will go all the way in getting rid of NN after learning this fact,that NN’s dad was the one who shot MY. Making this twist, in turn, will fully emerge YS’s DARK SIDE and will become the CH who walks into the SHADOW of DARKNESS.Consequently not caring at all.
This might be possible, for after all, however confusing YS and NN’s feeling to each other may be, it is evident that “YS’s greatest fall might be NN’s fall”…."
WOW, smashingalou!! your thoughts are so AWESOME!! and IF CH does follow your train of thoughts and make it come true, then i definitely WILL BE BLOWN AWAY!!! ;)
now, more than ever, because of your mind-blowing ideas, i am so looking forward to the next episodes, to see what CH has to offer... ;)
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146 Maymay
July 12, 2011 at 8:29 AM
Hey guys! A little gift for you, it is a short clip of the upcoming episode so you could consider it a preview I guess. I heard they are still filming this week episodes so maybe that's why we have not seen any preview yet. Gosh, I guess CH finally hit the stage of filming to the last minute. I hope it won't affect the editing of the drama or the pace of the story.
Anyway, I hope you guys can access DC inside. Here it is. Enjoy! See you all tomorrow.
http://gall.dcinside.com/cityhunter/34679
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 10:02 AM
@maymay,wow this clip is a rare find...thank you :)
They're gearing towards Target #5 now. Oh so excited...Da Hye can be or can be not a complication to YS's revengey plan..Can't wait..*hush,hush*
On the other note, I just can't imagine the hardwork they're putting up with CH by filming real time.
But I am still truly proud of the team, every seconds of their losed sleep, every aching muscle of their fatigue body, every tired cell of their amazing minds are definitely WORTHY OF PRAISES as all these sacrifices are all for the SAKE OF AN AMAZING SHOW!!
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Maymay
July 12, 2011 at 10:45 AM
I love all the cast and crew of CH for all their hard works and I really appreciate all the lost sleeps they have to put up with just to bring us this amazing show.
I just hope LMH will okay and have enough energy to keep going all the way to the end. I know he still has many actions scenes left to film and with all his lack of sleep, I really hope he does not pass out.
LMH, CH cast and crew, I'll love you forever!!!!!!!!!!
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Venus
July 12, 2011 at 7:07 PM
NOOOO Nana can't die!! that worst that the whole "Daddy Issue"....I'm not believing this, it doesn't make sense. Wait it does I mean her father could have know YS dad and PJ or something....ok going bunkers here too many speculations.... but plz Show don't kill Nana....
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Maymay
July 12, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Alright, here is the same video as posted above, but this one is on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwjjMSbf1TU&feature=player_embedded
Gosh, I don't know why but this week Wednesday seems to take forever to get here.
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147 thameryst
July 12, 2011 at 9:59 AM
I don't think there are enough emphatic and positive adjectives/adverbs to describe this show. But somehow, after 14, I'm starting to steel myself for the possible fact that perhaps Show might not get much better. That its somehow reached its height of awe-inducement. I say this not out of faithlessness in CH, but out of bitter experience with other shows which I invested too much faith in and got my faith flung back at me insultingly (Personal Taste, Sungkyungkwan Scandal).
I know. I know. I already forgave in advance. But that doesn't mean I won't feel pain if Show doesn't live up to the monumental expectations I have for it.
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148 Venus
July 12, 2011 at 6:14 PM
Hi Guys ep,15 Preview is OUT!!! yes finally ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_3_7-YPLpc&feature=share
I can't wait.....is it or YJ is the one who is moving in to the dark side.....he is not same person any more.....
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Maymay
July 12, 2011 at 6:38 PM
Oh gosh, now that I've seen the preview...I'm even more excited. I don't care who turning evil, I just don't want YS to suffer. I have a feeling I'm gonna hate YJ in this episode. That's too bad because I was starting to feel sorry for him last episode. So excited for episode 15!!!!
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smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 6:39 PM
@Venus, you're a dear...
thank you so much :)
*breathe in, breathe out, fingers crossed*
off to watch...
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Venus
July 12, 2011 at 6:57 PM
@Maymay...I agree I was feeling very sorry for him in last episode cause all the public humiliation he had to endured due to his father....but watching the preview I feel like he is the one who is embracing the dark side with his obsession with CH....
@Smash..I agree we all need to breath cause I feel the most intense episodes are about to come.... :D
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149 corn tea
July 12, 2011 at 7:14 PM
with only 6 episodes left, i am predicting every single one of them will be jammed packed with twists, surprises, turns, angst, tears, fears...feels like going on a roller coaster ride with feelings of anxiety, fear, excitement, oh, cannot wait for future episodes.
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150 smashingalou
July 12, 2011 at 7:23 PM
Guys, preview is out with English Subs...
(all credit goes to soompi.com)
http://www.soompi.com/news/city-hunter-episode-15-preview
Darn, this is gonna give me a heart attack again. So sad that YJ is still badly on YS's ail. :( Hope the BATMAN-GORDON tandem will still happen...
Was YS hurt again?!!?!! *worries*
On a happy note, the RING & NN?!!! Oh i hope it's really good news then...*wishy, wish* :)
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koreandramalover/kay
July 13, 2011 at 1:45 AM
@smashingalou, you are the best!!!! ;)
thanks so much for the preview!!! ;)
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