Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 12
by javabeans
Aww, another strong episode, with more dots being connected and more emotions on the line as our characters struggle to figure out what it is they feel, and what they can possibly do about it.
More significantly (okay, maybe equally significantly), we get some long-awaited freakin’ honesty all up in this hizzy. At a certain point you figure, you can pick Door No. 1 or Door No. 2. Be heartbroken amidst a mountain of denial and frustration, or be heartbroken all out in the open. I vote open, ’cause that’s the door with all the smooches, right?
SONG OF THE DAY
Lee Jun-ki – “하루만” (Just One Day) from the OST. [ Download ]
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EPISODE 12 RECAP
Just as Eun-oh is about to come face to face with his mother (er, the demon inhabiting the body of his mother), Joo-wal bursts onto Mom’s property and stops him.
Mom peers out through a crack, seeing only Eun-oh’s back. Eun-oh notes Joo-wal’s jittery attitude and the way he glances nervously at the house, but he plays along and says he’s here to see Lord Choi.
Joo-wal tells him he’s trespassing on their sacred shrine, and that he waltzed right in despite the locked gate. (Which hadn’t been locked but left ajar—curious or not?)
He asks after Arang, and that gets Eun-oh’s hackles up; he retorts that Joo-wal ought to mind his own business. Joo-wal replies that it’s strange how Arang seemed so familiar to him even upon first glance—naturally that would keep her in his thoughts.
Eun-oh gives Joo-wal a message to pass on to his father, which is basically: Mess with me if you must, but touch a hair on Arang’s head and you’re toast.
Mom is not pleased to hear that man who dropped by is the magistrate, and she rips into Lord Choi for being the cause. She orders him not to lay a hand on Arang, warning that she’ll remove him from his place with another misstep.
Lord Choi and Joo-wal trade hard stares as one leaves Mom’s house and the other enters. Mom seems to have keyed in to Joo-wal’s conflicted feelings about Arang, and why he’s dragging his feet. But she tells him that he can never have Arang—and if Mom possesses her, she’ll no longer be the girl he knows. He gasps in horror, and she confirms: “What I want is not her soul, it’s her body.”
She orders him to cut off his attachment at once—literally, cut the heart strings—and takes out a knife. Suddenly I’m afraid that what we take figuratively, she means literally.
Left at the magistrate’s office, Arang paces in worry, then decides she’s heading out to find Eun-oh. She doesn’t need to, because he arrives just then, looking adorably pleased at her worry. He prods her to admit it, and she shakes her head no. He says her concern is written all over her face, and she grumbles that she’s got lots of things to worry about that aren’t him, and that she’s better off worrying about peaches. Ha.
Lord Choi receives his minion’s report that the interloper yesterday appeared to be Joo-wal. He fumes, and wonders what “they” are up to; the word refers to a he and a she, so he’s suspecting Mom and Joo-wal of conspiring against him.
His man confirms that Arang had definitely died. Lord Choi wonders at Mom’s order not to touch Arang. Ooh. Is he going to figure out her plan, and bugger it up? I sure hope so.
Eun-oh and Arang puzzle over that talisman and what it means. Asking directly is out of the question, and so is swiping the other talisman. (Arang adorably sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose in a mimicry of the pose for “I am contemplative,” and Eun-oh laughs. Aw. He’s so in the everything-you-do-is-cute phase of the romance, which itself is cute.)
Arang offers up a few suggestion that he dismisses, like sneaking into the house to go hunting for clues. Eun-oh says he has an idea of his own, but he’d need trustworthy patrolmen for the job: “To catch a raccoon, you have to smoke it out.”
To that end, he’ll meet Lord Choi; the man won’t talk, but if he puts pressure on him, they should be able to track Lord Choi’s next movements. But this magistrate’s office is sadly understaffed and has no patrolmen.
Arang perks up: She can provide them. He asks who, and she gives him this saucy look, saying, “You know.” Is she referring to ghosts? That would be hilarious, and also perfect.
HA. That night, Eun-oh stares open-mouthed at the assembly. Four ghosts sit at his table and bow respectfully at Arang’s instruction.
Arang points out the benefits: Ghosts are invisible, silent to the human ear, and able to get to high rooftops or under floorboards. She gives the ghosts her instructions to search the house for anything odd, and to monitor Lord Choi’s movements.
I love Eun-oh’s eye-roll of capitulation, because she’s not wrong. But she has another stipulation, and his mouth drops open in incredulity to realize she means for him to solve all their murders.
Speaking in private, Eun-oh grumbles and complains that she made the promise up front to the ghosts. She’s unusually penitent, bowing her head and saying she was worried that his burdens seemed so heavy.
At her glumness, Eun-oh tells her it’s okay, but she continues berating herself in this sad voice—she didn’t realize his dislike of ghosts was so fierce, and she was wrong, and she’ll just dismiss the ghosts then, and stay up alllllll night for days to handle it herself, siiiiiiigh. Ha, she’s totally working him.
Eun-oh tries to tell her to stop with the self-recriminations, and finally slaps a hand over her mouth to get her to shut up. That brings them nose to nose, in the dark, pressed against the wall. Rawr.
They both spring apart all flustered, and you can practically hear their pounding hearts from here.
Up in heaven, the two gods watch Mu-young brooding off alone, and the Jade Emperor wonders if it was such a mistake to kick Mu-yeon out of heaven. His fairy (the smart-mouthed one) tells him he only did what he had to, and Jade counters that it was after he’d evicted Mu-yeon that the fairy started looking so sour-faced. Without missing a beat, the fairy replies, “This was always my face.” Hahaha. Normally I’d think she was being her usual dry self, but now I wonder if the Jade Emperor just sees things through the filter of his own guilty conscience. Hm.
Hades says that both are true: That was always how the fairy looked, and it was unfortunate Mu-yeon was kicked out in such a way. But he says they should have sent her straight to hell.
Eun-oh drops in on Lord Choi unannounced, surprising both Choi men. Lord Choi puffs up in outrage when Eun-oh shows him the talisman taken from the gravesite—how dare he bring such a terrible artifact into his home?
Eun-oh counters that the talisman is quite at home here, and asks straight-out how he could have a talisman identical to one that came out of a murder site. He also charges him with covering up the crime scene and disposing of the evidence.
Joo-wal interrupts. He’s trembling a bit with nerves, but tries to sound forceful as he tells Eun-oh that the talismans at the house merely protect them, and that such a thing is common. Eun-oh says that may be so, but it’s not common for one to match the kind dug up at a murderer’s grave.
He asks Eun-oh which shaman drew the talisman. It’s a question with no good answer for Joo-wal, who says he has no inclination or obligation to give that information. He sounds terrified saying it, but Joo-wal draws upon his wits to bluff that it’s an old talisman from before he was born, and there’s no way of knowing whether the shaman is even alive.
As Eun-oh leaves, Joo-wal turns on Lord Choi angrily, telling him that now he ought to see the severity of his actions, with the magistrate sniffing all around. He’d better figure out a plan to deal with this complication.
Eun-oh leaves feeling pleased with the bait he’s thrown. He gives the ghosts a nod to begin work, musing, “I’ve started the smoke, so Lord Raccoon ought to be react now.”
Except… the ghosts can’t breach the premises. Any attempt to enter the estate has them bouncing off a kind of force field, and that is more alarming than anything. Eun-oh’s aghast: “What IS this house?”
Arang is surprised to hear it, but she recalls being unable to find any ghosts at the house. That comment niggles at Eun-oh’s memory, too—he hadn’t sensed any ghosts up at the mass grave either. Arang wonders if the talisman could be for blocking ghosts, then, and proposes going to check it out herself. Eek! Don’t do it!
Eun-oh tells her no, that they’re better off finding a way to get ghosts into the house. But I don’t like the distracted look on Arang’s face…
Bang-wool pores over all her reference books, but can’t find any trace of that talisman. Eun-oh shares their suspicion that it blocks ghosts and asks if she can whip up a counter-talisman to allow ghosts. Bang-wool says she’ll try, although such a thing would necessitate understanding the original. And still, Arang is distracted, lost in her thoughts.
Eun-oh asks about her mood, and she says she wonders why her father would have given her off in marriage to such a shady household. It’s sad and sweet, Arang’s sympathy for this total stranger named Lee Seo-rim, who was her yet is completely foreign to her. Would Seo-rim have just lived doing as she was told? What did she think?
Arang confesses how upsetting it was to hear Joo-wal say that Seo-rim wouldn’t have recognized him. At first, all she wanted to know was who she was. After that, she wanted to know what kind of person she’d been. But she finds herself wanting more and more: “I hope I was loved. Okay, if I wasn’t loved, I hope I was someone who knew how to love.”
In any case, she wanted to know what Seo-rim was like, to see her. But to hear that Seo-rim was neither one nor the other… She sighs.
Eun-oh gives Seo-rim’s diary to Arang, and tells her she’ll find the answer to her question in it. Seo-rim was “a much better person than you think,” he adds.
Arang begins reading. As Seo-rim narrates, we see slices of her life. Seo-rim writes lyrically of her surroundings and her feelings; it’s poetic and sentimental.
And then, there’s… a memory? It comes from Arang herself, not the diary, and shows us her first look at Joo-walk, taken on a walk outside as she passes by him on the bridge. Enamored at first sight, she asks her father to initiate the betrothal.
Joo-wal doesn’t request any meetings during their engagement, to her servant’s disgruntlement, but Seo-rim is happy nonetheless. And as it turns out, there’s a bit of Arang’s impishness in Seo-rim as well, in the way she talks cheekily to her maid.
Eun-oh paces outside while she reads, worried at her reaction. Arang tells him that her maid must have loved her like a daughter, and shares her flashback of falling in love at first sight. Arang thinks Seo-rim cared for Joo-wal quite a lot, enough to think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime love. She can feel her heart racing, the way Seo-rim’s did when she met Joo-wal, and the admission brings a pained look to Eun-oh’s face. Aw.
As she bids him good night, Eun-oh calls her back: “Arang. Last time, you said you were you, and Lee Seo-rim was Lee Seo-rim.” Double aw. He reminds her that he’d thought such a comment senseless at the time, “But now, I’d like it to make sense.” AW. Aw aw aw aw aw.
Eun-oh takes a sudden step toward her, but her knee-jerk response is to retreat and distract, commenting on the sky. Eun-oh entreats, “Arang.” She hurriedly excuses herself, leaving him staring frustratedly after her.
Arang asks herself what he was about to say. Hey, I know a good way to find that out. ASK HIM. She tells herself, “I am me, and Lee Seo-rim is Lee Seo-rim, that’s true. But don’t say a word.”
Eun-oh broods in his room, remembering Arang’s warning not to fall for her, since she’s operating on a deadline.
The next day, Eun-oh informs his Bang staff of his intent to hire patrolmen. They protest, naturally, complaining of the lack of funds and necessity. Eun-oh “concedes”—if they’re so strapped, he’ll cut down his plan for a hundred men to a mere twenty. He instructs them to post Patrolmen Wanted notices in town, and when they continue to balk, he shuts them up with a remark about knowing they were getting a cut of Lord Choi’s ill-gotten stores of tax money.
Bang-wool turns her room upside down to find her grandma’s talisman book, locating it just as Dol-swe drops by (with another meat delivery, ha). He asks what she’s up to, and she explains about the ghost-warding talismans and Eun-oh’s intent to call some ghosts to do some work for him. How nice for him, she sighs, that he can call ghosts forth at will.
But this is all news to Dol-swe, whose eyes bug out as he demands to know what she’s talking about. That ends with her puzzled comment: “Did you not know? Your master can see ghosts, and that’s how he met Arang back when she was a ghost!” Let’s see now, just exactly how many beans were just spilled?
Dol-swe goes running back to town, thundering, “I knew it! I said she was either ghost or gumiho!”
He confronts Eun-oh, whose reaction confirms it. Dol-swe storms out intent on confronting Arang, too, only to find that she’s right outside. Sapped of spirit.
Dol-swe gets in her face and asks if she’s a ghost. In a small voice, she says, “I’m a person.” He clarifies, “But you were originally a ghost.” Arang says in an even smaller voice, “I was originally a person.”
Dol-swe accuses her of bewitching the magistrate, and asks Eun-oh too. What a muddle; Eun-oh knows his heart too well now to deny it, and yet by admitting to it he’s casting Arang as the seductress.
Dol-swe tells her to leave his innocent master alone and go, threatening to call a shaman to cast her out if she doesn’t. He grabs her arm to drag her off, and Eun-oh steps in to stop him. Dol-swe runs off with hurt feelings, calling him a dumb young master.
Eun-oh calls Arang’s name gently, but she won’t meet his eyes. She runs to her room and tells him to stay away. So he goes away, thinking of her, unable to do a thing.
Joo-wal thinks of Mom’s plans to take Arang’s body, and takes out the knife she’d given him. He mulls it over for a good long while, then visits Mom to inform her that he’ll do as she said and cut out his feelings, then return. She’s pleased, telling him to cut those ties and start afresh. I honestly can’t decide whether she’s freakier when she’s furious or when she’s happy.
Despite the reference to his heart, now it becomes clear they’re both referring to Arang. I guess… she symbolizes his heart? Or something. Joo-wal warns that this’ll make it a second time, which will infuriate the magistrate (you’re tellin’ me), but Mom isn’t concerned. All he must do is find out what the girl wants.
Tonight also happens to be the full moon, and Mom finds the pattern amusing: “That girl must be fated to die every full moon.” I’m going with less fate, more being targeted by a crazy person with murderous intent.
Joo-wal ninjas out and sneaks along rooftops to the magistrate’s office. He steals into Arang’s room, just like last time, as Mom’s words ring in his ears: “Cut [those ties] cleanly and come back.” Hovering over her bedside, Joo-wal thinks of Arang’s smiling face, and chants to himself, “You can do it. Wife’s words are right—I must cut them to live.”
With trembling inner voice, he reminds himself that she can’t be his anyway, that she’ll come back to life anyway, that he mustn’t hesitate. Joo-wal reaches for his knife, poises it over Arang, and tells himself to do it.
He strikes.
And in another room, Eun-oh senses something: “Arang!”
Joo-wal thrusts down with his dagger—but his hands pull back just before making contact. The knife hovers in the air, just barely grazing Arang’s chest as Joo-wal struggles with himself.
He can’t do it. He drops the knife and reaches to touch Arang’s face with his hand, his black ring glowing red. He can’t touch her this way, either, fingertips hovering without making contact.
Arang wakes up to find herself alone in the room, though the door is ajar. Eun-oh bursts in moments later, making sure nothing is wrong.
Joo-wal returns to Mom’s house in misery, collapsing to his knees in front of her doors and genuinely not confused at his own behavior. He asks, “Why am I doing this?”
Mom lays it out for him: Stupid humans call it love, while she calls it useless. She closes her doors in his face, and he cries outside.
Eun-oh finds Arang out in the yard, poking at the dirt. Neither can sleep, and she assures him that Dol-swe’s behavior is understandable, and not something to get worked up about. She feels guilty for causing trouble for so many people, and says it would be best for all this to end quickly and for her to leave. Not a prospect that cheers him.
He tells her that he doesn’t know why he’s feeling this way, and it has him confused. But he’s decided to think of the whys later, and to start with this: “You told me not to care for you, but I—”
She cuts him off and tells him not to finish the thought. Eun-oh finishes anyway, “…will like you, Arang.”
He moves to face her, and reminds her that she called herself an honest person, doing as she thinks and feels, no matter what others say.
“What does that matter to us now? Do you want to know my honest feelings? I will say it then, without spinning words. I don’t feel the same way you do. So don’t be that way, either.”
Eun-oh grabs her wrist and pulls her close. “This is the last chance.”
COMMENTS
I expect that a fairly sizable contingent of viewers will lump Joo-wal into the villain column and call it a day; he did kill innocent girls, and he is siding with the devil. (Okay, maybe Mom’s not an outright devil and we’re still unclear on the exact nature of her abilities, but given her stance on the gods who keep the world in balance (firmly opposed), I figure she’s a close equivalent.)
I don’t disagree. Be that as it may, I see Joo-wal and my heart always gives a little pinch, because he seems like a lost little boy just dying for some love. He was so starved for affection that he clung to a demonic fairy with a bloodlust for revenge, which to me indicates the depth of his desperation. Which isn’t to say he’s redeemable or “just misunderstood,” since he’s gotta be held accountable for his own perfidies. It’s just a good year for villains whose conflicts are wrought with pathos, who feel like tortured humans more than Mom-like beings whose main dramatic purpose is to thwart our heroes. Joo-wal’s a person, not just a tool.
It’s aided in great part by the way Yeon Woo-jin plays him, all scared and rabbity. There’s such a fascinating duality to both our villainous men, in fact, in that I almost pity Lord Choi when he’s cowering in front of Mom despite knowing full well that he’d lash out in cruelty to those under him. Joo-wal too, who is so heartbreakingly vulnerable in front of her, and yet also capable of sliding that ice-cold front into place.
The two-faced-ness is especially apparent when these two men face each other—they really ought to be compatriots in their misery-complicity trap, and yet they turn on each other instead. They won’t stand together, despite literally being the only people alive who understand what the other must be going through. It’s terrible, but it’s why Mom chooses people like them, to manipulate and bend and pit against each other. What we get is an Oedipus complex in psychology, despite the lack of shared blood.
K-dramas have this tendency to put antagonists on the path of all doom, then have those characters insist, “Things have gone too far now. I can’t turn back.” It’s a logic that makes sense, sorta, within the confines of dramaland but utterly none in real life, where you’re like, You did one bad thing, so you’re doomed to always do bad things? You’re not even going to TRY to be better? It’s this exceedingly obsessive perfectionism that leads to warped thinking and eating disorders.
Which is why it’s nice to this trajectory for Joo-wal, who has committed enough terrible things that most people would give up on him entirely. But Joo-wal doesn’t know that; he’s still struggling with himself, and in the end he can’t kill Arang, even knowing that she won’t stay dead. I love that Joo-wal’s reaction is the same kind of thing Eun-oh did yesterday—it doesn’t matter that she’d come back to life, because what’s important is the pain he’d be inflicting, the wrong he’d be doing. Just because she doesn’t stay dead doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be wronging her, and that’s what he can’t do.
I’m so glad we got a glimpse at the real Seo-rim at last, and through Arang’s own eyes this time. Seo-rim has been a cipher the whole drama through, and sometimes I wondered if she wasn’t just a MacGuffin, not meant to be dramatically interesting except for the fact that Arang used to be her. There was no connection. So it was nice to see her as Arang saw her, and showing that same spark of mischievousness that characterizes the afterlife version. It reminds us that what she was is important, even if it’s not who she became.
As for Eun-oh, gah, he’s stepping it up big time and it’s killing me. In a good way, except also in a bad way because my heart, it bleeds for you. He’s had enough of the denial game, and despite knowing mentally why Arang’s approach is the smarter thing (tie up loose ends and go poof), he just can’t. And he challenges her to be honest too (even if she’s totally lying at the end, the lying liar who lies). Side note: Would it have killed ya to cliffhang a few seconds later, drama? I know you need to keep us on the hook, but lemme tell ya—we’re plenty on the hook already. A bone, please? Can you throw us one? (This show is generally okay with cliffhangers, but I find that it always cuts out just one beat too short. It’s almost there, but… then it leaves us dangling.)
In any case, I love how intense and glowery Eun-oh becomes when he’s in pursuit of the truth, and right now he’s pursuing it with Arang. We saw signs of how fierce he would be once his heart became as engaged as his brain, and I’m excited to see how much more he’ll up the intensity now that he’s being all honest and confrontational. I just hope Arang isn’t equally good at evasiveness, though one figures she wasn’t a runaway ghost for nuthin’.
RELATED POSTS
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 11
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 10
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 9
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 8
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 7
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 6
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 5
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 4
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 3
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 2
- Arang and the Magistrate: Episode 1
Tags: Arang and the Magistrate, featured, Lee Jun-ki, Shin Mina, Yeon Woo-jin
Interview with Kim Yoo-jung
Hello Dramabeans series
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1 lordj
September 20, 2012 at 7:38 PM
Thanks for the recap!!!
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Kiara
September 21, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Thank you, thank you JB <3.
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Kiara
September 21, 2012 at 2:28 PM
I so love this show I want to marry it.
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Dandhilion
September 22, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Seriously, do I have to wait SIX painful days for the next subbed episode?
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Kiara
September 22, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Count down, 4 more painful days till the next recap.
2 Cez Prieto
September 20, 2012 at 7:39 PM
Yay! FIrst?...Ive been waiting for this recap!Thanks!
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3 Chicsassymom
September 20, 2012 at 7:40 PM
Yay! TGIF! Was watching the page...done with the raw. Need this badly. Thanks! You make me so happy! :-D
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4 Rovi
September 20, 2012 at 7:41 PM
To go back~!!! Wheee at being firsts, kek~!!! XD
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5 annarosin
September 20, 2012 at 7:41 PM
Is it sad I constantly refresh dramabeans on Wednesday and Thursday nights just to read these recaps? No? I didn't think so either. Thank you javabeans!
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Cez Prieto
September 20, 2012 at 7:52 PM
Hahaha...I do the same thing AnnaRosin...Kinda crazy of me waiting for this recap, but I guess thats what you call normal..
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whimsicalnet
September 20, 2012 at 8:04 PM
I do exactly the same thing... :)
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Autumn
September 20, 2012 at 8:32 PM
I used to do the same for gaksitaaaaaaal
Now I've recently become obsessed with Arang and the Magistrate and Nice Guy (although the recaps for that show aren't as fast, I still anticipate them).
It's basically the drama addict thing to do.
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yongki2310
September 20, 2012 at 9:23 PM
i also do the same.. constantly refreshing this page just to read these recap things... i'll read first then watch the episode.. the sub quite slow and i just imagining rite now.
i dont want to watch the raw one.. becoz is killing me "dont understand"...
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6 D
September 20, 2012 at 7:45 PM
love you JB! thanks so much..
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7 Ti
September 20, 2012 at 7:52 PM
haha yay confession time!...it took him long enough! i hope she doesn't reject him cuz we all know she loves him too...thank you>.<
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8 JLeez
September 20, 2012 at 7:54 PM
If i'm already bawling at episode 12, I'm gonna be a whole big lot of mess by the end. ):
Please don't be a sad ending, Arang!
I love you too muchhhh!~ D;
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Cez Prieto
September 20, 2012 at 7:57 PM
8 more episodes to go! Can't wait for next week! Such a cliffhanger episode.Rawr.
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Shin Haido
September 21, 2012 at 7:01 AM
only 8 episodes left.. why am i so sad this will finish soon? no more Arang and Saddo?? huaaa.... :( sad sad sad...
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Anastasia
September 21, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Me too. I didnt want it to end. Arang made my day. The princess man only made me like this.
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9 hawoojinruinedme
September 20, 2012 at 7:55 PM
I could kiss you JB right now for the recaps alone. But SUPER SPEEDY RECAPS? FOR THIS SUPER AWESOME SHOW? Dude, I'm your bitch forever. Please let me be your bitch, I wanna be your bitch. Haha.
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10 Stardust
September 20, 2012 at 8:03 PM
Thank you javabeans for bringing the hot recap! This ep had so so much to love, and made my heart burst with all kinds of feelings and sounds - most of them squeals..
I LOVE that Eun Oh actually mentions to eat a meal. HAHA yeah its my basic thing, food gets my attention, and knowing you two aren't starving was important to me. haha.
Eun Oh finally steps up and confesses with 1 more month left. Darn it. But at least he said it! SQUEEEEE.. Arang gal, don't be a fool and treasure this time!
Joo Wal, you poor baby... the emotion and struggle potrayed by Yun Woo Jin is awesome, how torn he is with himself now that he finds himself slowly falling for Arang... It looks like he really did not know Lee Seo Rim so killing her in the past was easy.. but he's slowly starting to even learn what it means to care for another person other than his own survival..
Mum/theEvilFairy is scary. Her wide, rolling big eyes gets me every.time. I hope the old man Choi messes up her plans, becos as Jade said : human heart is the hardest to guess of all... Also since his mum is possesed, maybe she can fight it too...
Now for another week's wait...aaah
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shukmeister
September 22, 2012 at 5:40 AM
I'm wondering ultimately who killed her. Of course, if we knew that, it would be over. lol
** Possible spoiler **
I'm guessing it's Mom.
- Since she is grooming Joo-wal to take Lord Choi's place, he can't already be married. Or she planned to take Seo-rim's body, kill off Choi, and start the next generation of killing with Joo-wal as the nominal head of household.
- Seo-rim got stabbed at the pavilion, but awoke and fought at the Shrine of Evil, where the hairpin might have been yanked out at the moment of the body/demon transfer.
With the flash of Seo-rim memory, if Arang goes to the pavilion that made her heart race (epi 2), she might get a VP-esque flashback of the moment of death.
Well, the next full moon will reveal all...
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11 whimsicalnet
September 20, 2012 at 8:06 PM
Thank you so much for the recap!!
BTW, the download link to the song on this page doesn't work.
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12 Redge
September 20, 2012 at 8:14 PM
I just want to praise Lee Jun Ki and his acting in this episode because man, that guy can act with his eyes. You can just see the emotion in them, so many times my heart broke for him today. I just want to ramble on a few favorite scenes:
1. When he contemplated on whether he should've given LSR's diary to Arang or not. He knew her reading about LSR's true feelings could ruin his chances with Arang, but he does it anyway because he likes her so much and wants to make her feel better. Awww.
2. When Arang told him how she felt LSR's heart beat because of JW and how it's fresh every time... HIS FACE. You can just see how heartbroken he was! And I think if you listen closely you can hear a piece of his heart break too. And then when he told her how LSR was LSR and she was Arang, like he desperately wanted to tell her that she shouldn't feel what LSR felt because they're two different persons (& also perhaps trying to say "give me a chance too, not JW")... man.
3. Lastly, the ending. I think all of us pretty much knew that the moment he dreamt her kissing him in episode 2, he would fall in love with her first. So I think it was appropriate he'd confess first. We've seen this trope many times before where the guy confesses and the girl tells him not to (even though she feels the same), but it's still just as sweet and in this case, heartbreaking. I loved what someone wrote when she noted, "his words hung in the air and just went straight to her heart". Now I wonder what EO was trying to say before the episode ended: "this is the last chance..." for what? "This is the last chance for you to say how you feel. If not I'll leave you alone forever?" Oof. The angst has started already. Noooo.
Oh, and he's calling her Arang now! And every time he said it he did it quietly in whispers. I swooned, ngl.
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Stardust
September 20, 2012 at 8:34 PM
I knoooow right!! He would still show her the diary which will maybe cause Arang to run over to Joo wol, instead of the usual hiding, burning etc... No deceit here!
The way he intones her name Arang, has so many qualities, that my heart just melts every time.. hehe I think he started calling her by name after she got stabbed in ep 11? He has now come to admit his feelings , first to himself, then to Arang...
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Redge
September 20, 2012 at 8:53 PM
EO is so heads over heels in love already, I love it. I think him giving her the diary speaks volumes of his capacity to love, you know? Even if it'll hurt him, if it makes you feel better he'll still do it. Poor magistrate, I hope Arang admits her feelings to you soon and not later.
Oh yeah, episode 11! I guess it was just more in this episode because I kept hearing him say "Arang" everywhere, haha. And you're right: since he's calling her Arang now, he pretty much threw his denial and detachment towards her out the window. It's personal now. Siiiigh.
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zsa
September 20, 2012 at 9:26 PM
True that...real love starts with honesty...he wants to know that Arang's heart would still lean towards his despite reading the diary...it would be better than always guessing what if she had read the diary...it takes a brave and confident man...and EO is all that!
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kakashi
September 21, 2012 at 1:35 AM
the way he smiles at her all the time ... the way he calls her "Arang" now ... omg, I'm heartbroken!
The writers did a superb job in giving us enough time to make his (and her) transition from prickly and rough to head-over-heels painful to watch; the change in how they look at each other and talk to each other is so big, it changes the entire mood and feel of this drama.
Please, Arang, don’t turn Sato down … can’t you see he’s suffering??
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Anastasia
September 21, 2012 at 8:22 AM
Indeed. I think the pace is just right even tough it is slower compare to other show. It doesnt seem forced like most of the drama, for the sake of narrative, it seem so real, out there and subtle. The intensity nad momentum build just exploded evertime they are together or be apart.
Redge
September 21, 2012 at 11:51 PM
I know! And the montage of the moments they had together only shows us truly how far they've come, from strangers to reluctant partners to partners to more than partners. It's satisfying to watch, and when it comes full circle I'm going to be on cloud nine. Haha.
Kiara
September 22, 2012 at 10:23 AM
"No deceit here...."Thats what I call love.
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Redge
September 20, 2012 at 9:30 PM
Also, I'd like to point out the significance of the clothes EO and Arang were wearing during his confession (at least to me, lol). Note how EO is in his undergarments, I guess pretty much considered nude in that time, and it parallels his confessios: he's baring it all--his feelings--for her. He's not gonna hide behind his layers of denial and detachment anymore. In front of her, he's "naked", figuratively speaking. And then we have Arang, who's in her clothes as opposed to her undergarments we saw moments earlier... covering up her feelings for EO.
Or maybe I'm just having too much fun over-analyzing, haha. :-p
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booboo
September 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM
Awesome. If truly that is the intention, man, I hv no words to describe just how amazingly perfect this drama is
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Minea
September 20, 2012 at 11:25 PM
An interesting observation. I like.
So proud of our Eun Oh in finally confessing his feelings to Arang. *tears* The intensity of that moment . . . man, I don't have words.
And, Arang-shi, channel your inner plucky ghost-self and confess your true feelings for our magistrate, as well. You'd go to hell if you lie.
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JK
September 21, 2012 at 1:09 AM
Oh, I totally like this observation and analysis. If this was the production team's intention, great! :)
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earthna
September 21, 2012 at 10:27 AM
Oh your thoughts on this. I love you guys for this. One of the reasons i camp out here is to read comments. I know sometimes it could just be overthinking but I still love it. Ahhhh good life lol.
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Redge
September 21, 2012 at 11:52 PM
We're the same! I love reading people's inputs, and I'm glad you at least like my delusion of the clothes haha. :)
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sweetcloud
September 22, 2012 at 11:50 AM
If it's a delusion I'm sailing the same delusional boat but I love your reading of the scene :p
Vladivostok
September 27, 2012 at 3:30 AM
LOVE your brilliant explanation about EO's clothes.
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booboo
September 20, 2012 at 10:00 PM
LJK's acting is out of this world. He truly paid attention to every single detail of his character and played out his feelings well. Him and Joo Won totally won me over with their eye expressions. I sometimes find myself forgetting that this is after all, a drama, and not an actual portrayal of feelings between two lovers. And just to imagine how cold Eun Oh was towards Arang when they first met.
I'm hoping in the next episode arang would open up herself a lil bit more. She's been holding herself too much, except from ep 11 when Eun Oh was badly beaten and she screamed for him to save himself.
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hanny
September 20, 2012 at 10:10 PM
Yup! I found a mix feeling there everytime Eun Oh call "arang" so soft and there something there.. everytime he call "arang" my heart melt..
and those your favorite scenes are mine too which always breaks my heart whether I'm re-watching it or just read it. LJK's acting there moves me...
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pogo
September 26, 2012 at 7:42 PM
Seriously it almost hurts to watch LJK's face because poor Eun Oh looks so heartbroken SO MANY TIMES in this episode. Poor guy.
(and I will add that SMA deserves praise for her own part, for making Lee Seo Rim so different from Arang in everything down to body language)
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13 Sue
September 20, 2012 at 8:15 PM
I love that this show keeps me guessing. I honestly can't figure out where is going and how it will end. The acting is great (except for evil mama, her Botox forehead forces to act with her eyes, and it's creepy), and the romance is heating up. Love it!
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14 jasmine
September 20, 2012 at 8:17 PM
I found a translation of what was written in the diary :>
(actually shown in episode 11)
Original text:
능수버들 사이로 보이는 님의 얼굴
바라보아도 바라보아도 덧없어라
삼경 밝은 달 아래 서 있노라면
임의 푸른 그림자 마당으로 들어오니
님도 없는 아름다움이
내 가슴에 남네
하늘에 달빛이 그윽하니
님 향한 그리움 계곡처럼 깊어
환한 달은 나를 따르는데
그리는 바라는 정은 오갈 데 없어
옥피리 소리만 달 아래로 흩어지네
꽃잎 지는 창가에 앉아
붉은 비단 수틀을 잡으니
부귀영화 모란꽃 내음
가까운 곳에서 피고 지는데
임 향한 마음 달랠 길 없어
백옥 같은 눈물이
실과 바늘을 적시네
Translation:
The sight of my beloved i see through the weeping willow
I gaze at you, I gaze at you
all but an empty dream
Standing under the moon at the dead of night,
His blue shadow appears in my yard
I enshrine the beauty without him
The fragrant moonlight that fills the sky
makes this longing as deep as a vally
The moonlight follows me
but my affection has no place to go
Only the music of the jade flute scatters under the moon
I sit by the window where flower petals fall
and hold the embroidery frame with red silk
The riches and honors and the scent of peony
bloom and fall nearby
How to ease my heart, I do not know
Only pearl-white tears fall on the needle and thread
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Stardust
September 20, 2012 at 8:36 PM
wow Jasmine thank you so much for that! The poetic way Seo Rim talks about Joo Wal must have totally gutted Eun Oh with every line... ack... Hence he wanted Arang to stay Arang...
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Redge
September 20, 2012 at 8:46 PM
Thanks too Jasmine! And oh man, Stardust, I know right? That's why he looked so heartbroken when Arang was talking about JW. Poor baby!
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kakashi
September 21, 2012 at 1:37 AM
Please, somebody tell LJK to stop acting so incredibly awesome, it simply killed me to see how devastated he was after Arang told him how LSR fell for JW at first sight ... and then the pleading ... I WANT TO CUDDLE HIM!!
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Kiara
September 21, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Lol Yes why are you so awesome Lee Jun-ki, why are you making me care so much?. I like him before but I really love him to pieces here.
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Kwhat?!
September 20, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Thanks so much! Lee Seo Rim was so beautifully poetic!
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Minea
September 20, 2012 at 9:25 PM
Thanks for sharing, Jasmine! Ah, my heart bled for Eun Oh when Arang was telling him about her "other" memory of Joo Wal. That pained look. Ooof. It hurts my heart.
Mad props to LJK for perfectly conveying that emotion. Your eyes say it all, sato!
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ck1Oz
September 21, 2012 at 3:51 AM
Okay I really like what she wrote. How come it's more evocative than some of the poetry I am used to?
The viki version-
That face I see through the riverside willows.
Even though I stare and stare, I can't get enough.
While standing under the bright moon at midnight,
his blue shadow enters my backyard,
so the beauty remains in my heart.
Sitting near the window which had falling petals,
I grabbed a frame of embroidery in red silk.
Peonies of wealth and honor
were blooming and falling by my hands.
But there was no way to console my spirit,
which was heading to my lover,
so my white tears wet the thread and needle.
In the early dawn, by the sound of cold frost,
I wake up from my sleep to find myself surrounded by darkness.
Watching the setting moon alone in the women's quarters.
I'm worried about the flowers, which I plucked for my lover, will be wilted soon,
Long, long night under the Milky Way.
Only the unfinished night flows.
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Kiara
September 21, 2012 at 1:55 PM
WoW thank you so much.
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Anastasia
September 22, 2012 at 4:27 AM
One of the most beautiful poetry i have ever read
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Kiara
September 22, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Indeed :).
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15 jillian
September 20, 2012 at 8:20 PM
I am so addicted to this show. Thank you for the recap. I find that my Wednesday and Thursday is not complete without a dose of this show. :) I have even taken to watching the show raw and read your recap when you update it so i will understand the dialogue. Thank you again!
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16 danny
September 20, 2012 at 8:21 PM
I am more concerned about:
1. hairpin mystery - If the hairpin has some mystical power, and EO gave that to his mother, then there must be a connection why the Evil Mu-yeon is inhabiting Eo's mom's body.
2. Death Angel's emotions versus Human emotions. I guess based on Jade's experience, not much difference.
3. Love triangle and expiration. Clearly the three Arang , Eo and JOwal, may I add even Lord Choi has an expiration from Jade and Evil Mom. But one thing for sure in the end, if it's not a human outcome, then there will be no cute babies from the winning couple.
and why is jade King so pretty, and when I think that Mu-young has been with him for 1000 years, then I can't imagine how old looking must he be. shake shake!
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mokimchiplz
September 21, 2012 at 6:53 AM
I agree. I think the hairpin must have been a trap laid for Mu Yeon by the Jade Emperor. First he arms Eun Oh with ghost- and demon-fighting powers, then he makes sure Mu Yeon is lured into Bad Mom's body, so that Eun Oh will be drawn into pursuing her. Jade doesn't seem super-schemey, but unless there's another power at work, I'm keeping my eye on him.
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17 ar
September 20, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Thanks for the recap! What a great week with the characters actively working together to solve the Big Mystery. Dol-swe's a bit of an ass in this episode, but now that he's in on it, hopefully, he'll be joining the Scooby gang by the end of next week.
Loved this episode. The scene where Eun-oh was saying how he'd wish it'd make sense that Arang was Arang and Lee Seo-rim was Lee Seo-rim killed me. As if sensing that Eun-oh was going to jump off the deep end and confess to her, she interrupted by mentioning the fullness of the moon- a reminder that she's only here for a limited amount of time and that their relationship was a dead-end. *heart breaks*
I agree with you about Joo-wal. I know he did horrible, unforgivable things, but there is just something so lost and hungry...and confused (especially when it comes to Arang) about him that makes me feel for him. His inability to kill Arang really got to me. He's been in such a I-need-to-do-this-to-survive mode. Now his feelings have overruled that instinctive part of him.
I can't decide if they're doing the cliffhangers one beat too short or one beat too late. They've been pretty awkward for most of the episodes.
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Stardust
September 20, 2012 at 8:40 PM
Dol Swe looked like an ass at first glance, because he is opposed to our OTP... BUT from his POV, he was absolutely doing the right thing! And very brave and loyal to do so too, its all too easy to follow your master's whims and not point out the wrong things that he is doing.. Even when berated for it... How was he to know Arang is a good ghost/human ? Maybe his budding romance with Bong Wol will help him come around.. hehehe
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18 stars4u
September 20, 2012 at 8:26 PM
Finally, feelings poured out in the open though it's just one side but still...
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19 Mia
September 20, 2012 at 8:30 PM
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Finally they are starting to talk about their feelings for each other! I feel really bad for Joo wal :( he's not pure evil like Mom and Choi, he's just unfortunately misguided.
Jade emperor is Eun oh's teacher right?
Is Eun ho's real Mom dead, or is she co-inhibiting in the same body with Mu yeon?
Maybe it was Eun ho's mom who killed Seo rim?
So many questions! Until next week!!!
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20 youraveragegirl
September 20, 2012 at 8:33 PM
Is it just me or does the download link point back to this blog post and not a download site?
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21 Noelle
September 20, 2012 at 8:48 PM
I am really starting to hate Dol Swe. I didn't like him before but now his affection for Eun Oh is getting really tiring.
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22 Kwhat?!
September 20, 2012 at 8:51 PM
At first, I really hated Joo Wal, and I was happy to hate him. I totally saw him as a complete villain and didn't really care if he had a redemption arc. But, since about episode 6 I have totally started to feel bad for him. Yun Woo Jin has made him into such a nuanced and complicated character, and I really want him to find himself. I also hope he can find some kind of happiness, even if he does have to sacrifice himself for Arang to get it.
I love Eun Oh's determination to confess. And he's so incredibly sweet in his love for Arang, and I just want her to embrace their feelings (and him) and be happy for her last month. Such a great episode!
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23 yongki2310
September 20, 2012 at 9:04 PM
Arigato JV... for the recap... i'm really addicted to this Eunoh things..^^
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24 Ingrid
September 20, 2012 at 9:31 PM
Thank you for writing such a beautiful recap. It's always a pleasure to read recaps here. It gives insights into what I am watching and a way to understand it better. Some other recaps might be faster in the posting, but they are just rubbish to read. Thank you once again and keep up with the good work. Fighting!!! :))
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25 Opheliadrowning
September 20, 2012 at 9:33 PM
I will confess to this show: I will like you! Love you!
I am impressed in so many fronts. The acting, the writing, the music, the choreography. Lee Jun-ki's eyes deserve their own acting award. Shin Mina is fantastic--in ep 11 when she was begging Eunoh to fight--her concern and fear were palpable, and Yeon Woo-Jin as Joowal's is winning me over. I think I was resistant to him early on bc I was DON'T MESS WITH MY OTP! But now that he has shed some layers of frost he's able to show more nuance. I still think his scenes with Evil mom are best bc it is just that messed up! And there's a lot of slamming of Evil Mom but that's bc she does evil so well--we like to hate her.
And the writing: these writers seem to know where their stor is going, and wow, such a relief after watching "Big." But beyond that they are so great at subverting expectations. For instance: Arang's racing heart. She thinks its love at first, and maybe some believed that, but then they shifted our thinking to--no, it's fear--but switch again, and it was love! But that revelation is all the more complicated when presented now, because both men feel for her as Arang.
She can't love Eunoh because her time here is limited--but also, as a new being she is still learning love, and romantic love at that. But does she fully understand that what she feels for him is that kind of love, and will she be able to accept it? And as Joowal softens to her, will she let Lee Seo Rim back in and let that influence draw her to Joowal instead?
And good god, what to tink of the question Evil M asked Joowal to find out: what is her heart's greatest desire? There at so many possibilities, but only one answer, and we (along with the Jade Emperor and Hades) cannot know that "human heart"; which, oh crap...does that mean they can or cannot understand Arang's or Eunho's heart since they both are the same type of living undead humans (zombies??!?!) Or can they? Mind officially blown.
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kakashi
September 21, 2012 at 1:48 AM
I'm getting more and more afraid, to be honest, about this heart-thing. The Gods are cruel in the eyes of human beings because they cannot understand human hearts - maybe, they don't understand emotions at all.
With EO being the weapon and Arang being the bait (in the form of the perfect vessel for Big Bad) I fear the plan (or the contingency plan?) could be this: EO's purpose is to kill (the possessed) Arang in case something goes wrong with Plan A (to lure Big Bad into Arang's body, which then expires and takes Big Bad up to heaven or straight into hell).
I think/hope that Joowal is the one that changes the stakes - he is such a tragic character, I could imagine that he gets rattled enough by Arang to do something self-less at the end, like sacrifice his own life for hers.
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ar
September 21, 2012 at 4:56 AM
I think these supernatural beings are one-track-minded. The human heart can change from day to day and the strength of the human heart can break down barriers and find alternative solutions to problems. You always hear about how resilient humans are. The gods only seem to know how to think in black and white.
Maybe in the end, it won't be the gods who will destroy EO and Arang, but that EO, Arang, and even JW will teach them something about the human heart. They will find another way. JW will turn around (and probably sacrifice himself for the couple).
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shukmeister
September 22, 2012 at 6:37 AM
I'm going to be the Voice of Evil here.
Since EO is not really alive (in the sense of a normal human), what if he's expected to kill his mother, dies in the end, Arang uses her wish to become fully human, and she and JW get the happy ending?
The Jade Emperor never said what his reward would be if Arang wins.
[duck and cover]
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CaroleMcDonnell
September 21, 2012 at 7:26 AM
And doesn't it seem that Lee Seo Rim was Joo Wal's OTP before she died? Her destined one?
But now she is Arang and no longer Seo Rim. So Eun Ho is her destined one....now anyway.... i mean, it would seem so.
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lizzzieQ
September 21, 2012 at 7:47 AM
The idea that the OTP could very well have been Seorim-Joowal struck me as very sad... If he hadn't already been drawn to evil deeds.. he could have had the love he wanted, the pure kind from a truly pure spirit (before she was killed the first time round). But now, I believe it's truly too late.
And of course I am fully on board the Eun-oh Arang ship now. She loves him, but she won't let herself love him, siiighh.
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Nessa
September 21, 2012 at 6:39 PM
That is a good point, but after seeing how Eun Oh Got his powers, maybe Seo Rim was really always meant to be Eun Oh's OTP? Eun Oh was supposed to die when he was young right? The JE spared his life and used him to reveal what's really going on right now. Seo Rim was falling for the wrong person and even though it's sad to say it, she died because that wasn't her fate. It's even revealed that the JE was the one that let Arang's red rope be untied. Yes, you may say that was because he intends to use her for bait - which is true. But wasn't it her fate, along with Seo Rim's, that she met Eun Oh? They are working together to accomplish their goal, but maybe it's always been fate that they were meant to be together?
It could also be that since the JE knew that Eun Oh and Seo Rim/Arang are fated to be together, they would meet in their lives if given the chance, and be of help to the JE.
Okay, that's just my way of thinking - In no way am I right, hehe.
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lizzzieQ
September 21, 2012 at 8:27 PM
@Nessa ^^you know, there's this line of the new sad ballad that played at every crucial Eun-oh Arang moment.. It could be translated as "A love that's like fate more than fate itself". In other words, I interpret it as something like, our love is greater than fate.
And I would LOVE if this points to our OTP's ending: Even more than the fate of the living (they would never have met in Seorim's lifetime), even more than the calculated plans of the gods (which may or may not have included an OTP), heck even more than the normal laws of the universe, like say, both being really human... They fell in love and this means their love is greater than all that.
26 Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 9:37 PM
Just what I expected, emotions are inclined in this episode. Somehow, Arang should normally say that she doesn't feel the way Eun oh does. She is still in the process of evaluating herself and his true feelings with Joo wal, her true connection with Joo wal. But I'm looking forward to the episode where Arang will then reciprocate Eun oh's feelings for her. This drama is more and more anticipating.
Hope that I could watch the eps 11 and 12 with eng subs very soon. Cant wait to comprehend and find out all the miseries this drama is revealing.
Thanks for the recap though. :)
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27 Jeca
September 20, 2012 at 9:40 PM
It useless fighting the urge to write this....i now know what fan clubs are for! it's for ventilating those feeling that come from watching great performances by great actors!
JK is simply amazing. It guts me everytime he is rejected.
That one step forward by EO and one step back by AR is simply heart-wrenching.
The recap is absolutely hilarious but spot-on about the cliffhanger and "plenty on the hook"!
Yes! What is this silly timing for an ending?
I have never seen an episode that opens with two people locked so close together? And with such intense exchange going on!!! What is 13 going to be like???
Argh! Another week to go?
The director is plain cruel. This is not a good tease. Humph!
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28 NN
September 20, 2012 at 9:44 PM
OT: Lee Jun Ki's face is very beautiful and probably the most amongst Korean actors. Just look at his side profile. Absolute Perfection.O_O
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Caltan
September 20, 2012 at 9:52 PM
truly, the "P" word on JK is appropriate. that face is wow.
Love his look with short hair. So much more manly. To think he had so many fans when he had his hair long, surely with this new look, he would be doubling his fan club.
I am sold!
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Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 10:22 PM
Actually, the moment I saw Lee Jun Ki, I remember a certain anime character that looks like him. Cant remember who. But he is certainly pretty handsome. That pointed nose, paired with those perfect eyes with the touch of sweet shape of face, no woman can resist his charm. ♥ ~faint~
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leanne
September 21, 2012 at 8:52 PM
me too! whenever i see Lee Junki, he reminds me of Detective Conan. The teen version (Shinichi Kudo) i mean, the one that hasn't shrink into little cute school boy body (Conan)... but that is just me ^^
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/15200000/Kudo-Shinichi-kudo-shinichi-fan-club-15215031-640-478.jpg
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Minea
September 20, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Yes! That side profile. And his lips, too. *swoon* Never really noticed that before but that first scene in this episode where he was telling JW to tell Lord Choi to stop messing with Arang, i was mesmerized by the lips. So perfect. Heehee. Totally fangirling here.
But seriously, he's such an effective and skilled actor. His many facial expressions are just spot on and me, as a viewer, feels exactly what he wants me to feel for his character at that exact moment.
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daniela
September 21, 2012 at 1:19 AM
Oh, so true! and the way he uses his hands to cover the eyes when he feels in pain. *swoon*
This episode was all about him and his feelings of love, joy, pain, anger ...
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jomo143
September 21, 2012 at 9:15 AM
I agree on his beauty, which went from being alarmingly pretty in his youth, to alarmingly handsome now.
I am more comfortable with this phase. I at least feel like I am the same species as him!
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Sobia
September 23, 2012 at 8:37 AM
Don't forget the little dimple in his chin! It's adorable. LJK as the martial arts master Magistrate is boyish, pretty, and manly at the same time. How is that EVEN POSSIBLE?
Anyway, I am so glad to watch this show and realize how great of an actor Junki is. As the cliche goes, I would watch him read the phone book, because I bet he would bring so much emotion and prettiness to the reading. When he says Arang's name after Dol Se's outburst, it just broke my heart.
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29 Caltan
September 20, 2012 at 9:49 PM
It's unbelievable the way JK can communicate with his eyes. Even the varying degree of redness that usually comes with welling of tears; the restraint because he is a man and the softness because of the gnawing tenderness.
Plainly, how does he do it? You can almost hear, read the gamut of emotions that go through the brain and the heart!!
I am surprised, truly, thoroughly surprised....
Even Shin's large eyes speak volumes of tentative affection....wonder if she can 'do' "brimming love" with her eyes?
No eye candy only. world-class acting here.
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lizzzieQ
September 21, 2012 at 7:57 AM
Exaaactly, well said. This is my first time watching LJK and i'm thoroughly impressed. Or rather, touched. Those are soulful eyes indeed. The best part is none of it is over-acted.
(and can I just say it's unbelievable how good his skin is too)
SMA does fear very well imo. I'M wondering if she can also do desperate-impulsive i-cannot-hold-back-my-feelings-any-longer-full-moons-be-damned kisses too...............................
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leni1965
September 22, 2012 at 12:56 AM
I agree. JK eyes are amazing. They speak a thousand words and evoke a myriad of emotions. That man's eyes can sure speak aloud! I adore him!!!! :-)
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30 Minea
September 20, 2012 at 9:57 PM
Thanks for the recap, javabeans!
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31 Weenah
September 20, 2012 at 9:57 PM
I think the teacher that EO mentioned was Emperor Jade himself disguised as man before...what do you think?
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Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 10:11 PM
When I partly saw that on ep 11, I also thought that the Jade emperor is his master. He can see ghosts because of the Jade emperor, right? Man, this drama is getting more and more enticing. :)
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hanny
September 20, 2012 at 10:14 PM
it can be :) but then I can imagine our Jade Emperor (that cute Jade Emperor) teach EO martial art, except if there will be a flash back please make young EO another actor, or else it looks weird :D I mean that young Jade Emperor teach EO *who looks way mature than him* hehehehhehe
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Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 10:18 PM
So you are imagining the Jade emperor disguised as an old man the moment he taught EO martial arts? That would be very interesting to see. Hahha. Well, I am very sure that they will somehow reveal the appearance of the master very soon. Let us keep on waiting and watching then. :)
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Jannie
September 20, 2012 at 11:40 PM
I'm imagining the cutie young Jade Emperor disguised as his younger but dignified and grandfatherly-looking twin, Hades, when he teaches EO martial arts.
As we know, Hades is eyeing Jade's youthful body and would love a body swap! Wouldn't it be fun if Hades found out that Jade had already been "image" swapping on the sly?
And thanks javabeans for the great recap!
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kakashi
September 21, 2012 at 1:49 AM
oh, but Jade can fight very well! We saw that in Warrior Baek Dong Soo :)
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leni1965
September 22, 2012 at 1:00 AM
yeah that thought also crossed my mind. otherwise how would he have the fan that has the emperor Jade's sign? maybe we will see later on in the episodes that the emperor came down disguised as a man and taught EO his martial arts skill.
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32 ms.auggie
September 20, 2012 at 10:07 PM
I loove EO, he's so honest with his feeling. He knows that he cares for A, even though they might have bitter ending, he doesn't care. He just expressed his feeling to A.
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Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Believe me, they will end up together. Hehe. Soon, Arang will reciprocate Eun oh's feelings for her. :) ♥
Let's keep our fingers crossed. :)
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33 dany
September 20, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Feelings! Arang, girl, don't make our Magistrate suffer, ok?
I also wonder about the ratings: who was first last night?
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dany
September 20, 2012 at 10:22 PM
Arang & M: TNmS (%) : 14.5
AGB Nielsen (%): 13.1
Nice guy: TNmS (%): 13.8
AGB Nielsen (%): 13.3
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Jhoy ♥
September 20, 2012 at 10:24 PM
What's the over all standing of Arang & M in the whole month? If I may ask, and if you happened to know. Thanks. :)
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dany
September 20, 2012 at 10:54 PM
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Arang_and_the_Magistrate/Episode_Ratings
I took the info from here, hope is helps.
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34 lovedramas
September 20, 2012 at 11:05 PM
I am so in love with this drama! I can't even watch ep 11 and 12 yet so I'm living vicariously through JB and GF's recaps. They definitely do the episodes justice.
For me, JK is totally blowing his character out of the water with his performance. I am totally loving it. Truthfully, I was not a fan of his MG performance, it was IJ that I liked. But wow here... he's really matured all these years, and he's just incredible so far. I see him as Eun-ho and my heart is breaking for him every time in this episode.
I love SMA :) She is just so cute, but I can understand AR's concern. It's so hard and she doesn't know yet EH's circumstances either. They both have expiration dates. I wonder if she knew that she would be more willing to be truthful about her feelings towards him.
Just love love every scene with the OTP. I could watch them forever. I knew they would be good together and they do not disappoint.
The evil mommy is just way too scary - just her look. JW - I do see where he made wrong choices and done a lot of evil. I don't forgive him for the bad he has done but I hope he continues to stop doing evil things.
I'm still quite curious about how this is all going down. I'm certain that EH is going to have "kill" or be up against someone who he thinks is his mom or AR does get caught by the evil one and EH is going to have to face that. But if they are going to do something like this, at least let us have some good OTP romance moments before that.
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35 mary
September 20, 2012 at 11:09 PM
“Things have gone too far now. I can’t turn back.”
-- You mean this?
http://kdramalaws.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/to-the-bitter-end-law/
:)
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MMahtani
September 21, 2012 at 8:47 AM
Seriously, if you are the Mary who writes that blog "KDrama Laws," you are awesome...
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36 risugirl
September 20, 2012 at 11:18 PM
aw aw aw!!!Thanks so much for the fast recap!
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37 leni1965
September 20, 2012 at 11:21 PM
Oh i love this series! I was gonna skip it because of the ghost thing but lucky i didn't! Although the stories of Faith and Arang are totally on different levels but i find that Arang has been directed with much more professionalism than Faith. Just my two cents! EO and Arang have better chemistry also than the leads of Faith.
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Addicted
September 21, 2012 at 5:10 PM
I totally agree about the poor match of leads in faith. A&M chemistry is electrifying. Can't wait for the next ep.
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38 Hooliah
September 20, 2012 at 11:22 PM
Thanks for the recaps! I love reading these even after I've already seen the episode, because I like your writing style and our reactions are so similar. :)
I'm wondering if when Arang says she thinks Lee Seo Rim thought the love she had for Ju Wal was a once-in-a-lifetime type of love if she is hinting that, as Arang, she recognizes that it really wasn't? Does she know what a once-in-a-lifetime love feels like now (because she's feeling it for Eun Oh xD)? Or does she just know it couldn't have been that kind of love since Ju Wal didn't seem to have any feelings for Lee Seo Rim?
I wish I spoke/understood more Korean so I could read between the lines more.
My heart is breaking for Eun Oh. I hope Arang comes around quickly and admits she likes him already!
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JK
September 21, 2012 at 1:12 AM
That's a great observation. I would wonder about that too...
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39 caltan
September 20, 2012 at 11:37 PM
Did evil Mom ask JW to find out what AR wants? No sub yet.....but if this is true......
Think to make AR body suitable for inhabitation, she will have to make AR as evil, as unforgiving as EO mum was, pre-possession.
It is possible that EO may be in danger (read killed) because he is foremost in AR's heart. Afterall this wld tie in with Jade's words abt how his life is not his anymore. The irony wld be that he exists for AR to love and then only to die.
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jomo143
September 21, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Evil Mom seems to have asked that several times.
I am guessing so they can promise her that in exchange for her body. EO's mom prolly traded for revenge on Choi, which she has gotten big time.
Maybe the vessels actually get to turn down the offer of possession. The only way they get Arang to say yes is if they threaten EO, but WE know EO already died, and WE know EO's oma whereever she is may fight off his "death."
Which makes me think - what is the purpose of JW stabbing her? Just to temporarily incapacitate her?
Ahhh so many questions and things to think about!
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40 Reena
September 21, 2012 at 12:06 AM
If a Face-Off happens in the end it will be like this: Mu Yong will fight with his sis Mu Yeon, and Eun Oh will fight with his mom. Supernatural vs supernatural, human vs human...
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Reena
September 21, 2012 at 12:12 AM
Mu yeon thinks she's untouchable because she's in human form, but she's unaware of the connection between the mom and Eun Oh, so I think Jade gave those powers to Eun Oh so that he can take care of the vessel (mom)... as they have said previously, it's difficult to understand the human heart, so if Eun Oh can break through Mom's heart, there's a possibility that Mu Yeon will no longer possess her body.
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leni1965
September 22, 2012 at 1:02 AM
i agree with you ...... a very good possibility! whatever the outcome is, i can tell that this drama rocks!!!
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41 Emaan
September 21, 2012 at 12:13 AM
Thank you! Thank God the story line of the drama is strong so is the acting. Eun Oh really is stepping up the game. Putting my bias for Junki *& Minah aside...
who am I kidding. I cannot put it aside. ;)
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42 shadow
September 21, 2012 at 12:38 AM
i am sorry but i kind hate the jade king right now, he playing with everyone feeling, life and fate just to make for the mistake he did with Mu Yeon 400 year ago (whatever his mistake was, its clear that he did something wrong that make all this mess on the living world ) , and that selfish and i am worry that everyone going to pay the price for his great plan to stop Mu Yeon and i just hope that he hide a happy fate for our OTP simpley as prize for all the help they give and the pain they get from his fate game ......but i dont think his plan it to make Mu Yong fight his sister he maybe did all that as another way to destroy her without making Mu Yong have to do that himself ,after all the jade king care for him so much and he say ''that Mu Yeon think the only was to destroy her was Mu Yeon" and that give me feeling that its not true what she really think(their another way) , after all the fact that EO learn to fight very well , having the fan that make him able to kill ghosts and evil soul also- that all don't seem like random thing after knowing that the jade king has EO in his plan from the start .
and for Mu Yeon to possession someone from what i know they should have the same feeling and stage of mind or they should really want something like "Desire" so you give them it and its like make a deal with evil he get something from you , for EO mom she was liveing with hate all she want was revenge so or that Mu Yeon proimse her to take revenge or it was enouth the hate that was on her heart and it will the same for arang to know what she really want to use it so that she can make possession .
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minny
September 22, 2012 at 10:41 PM
I'm wondering the same thing about Mu Yeon's possession. The way they build up Arang's conflict to this point, what if her ultimate desire is to remain on earth with Eunoh ? Will it thwart Jade's plan if Mu Yeon knows that Arang's body has its expiration date ? And if this really is her desire, how or will Joo Wal tell this to Mu Yeon ?
Another twist is what if Arang tells Joo Wal something that's completely opposite to her desire. Like she wants to stay away from Eunoh, blah blah. It could screw Mu Yeon when she tries to possess the body and finds resistance from the soul.
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43 White tiger
September 21, 2012 at 1:04 AM
What an episode. I really loved it. And the song sung by Jun ki................ It matches with the story line so well. Great Job.
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44 JK
September 21, 2012 at 1:05 AM
JB, thanks for your recaps!
Just to share my musings. Please add if you like :)
1. I cldn't agree more with JB's on her insights on Lord Choi and JW. Having to serve a body-changing demon-ex-fairy for the past few decades is scary enough but not being able to voice their innermost fears and having to face constant reminders of possibly becoming obsolete is more than sufficient to drive a normal person crazy.
2. Is it a crime not to hate JW? My heart's all with LJK but YWJ's character is quite impossible to hate. Excellent acting (esp when he succumbed to his feelings for Arang), good looks as well. The only thing that would make me hate him is if he had been the first to reach Arang in ep 11 when she was slashed in the forest. JW, going forward, just don't come between EO and Arang, I warn u! :P
3. I love, I love, I absolutely adore LJK! There! It's all out now. If Dog/ Wolf and Iljimae had required a flood of emotions from LJK, I would say Arang and the Magistrate has brought it to a whole new level. The nuances of feelings, restraints required to capture the essence that is EO are more difficult to portray than LJK's past drama characters. But he did such an excellent, excellent job through just his body language, facial expressions (gazes, smirks, stares) and vocals in a way that is controlled and not simply in outbursts like so many actors have succumbed to. In this respect, we can truly see LJK's acting skills coming to the fore.
4. SMA's character is cute and sweet, funny and sassy. But when it comes to capturing the intense and surely confused feelings that Arang ought to have just after finding out her feelings for JW (as LSR) and then the outright confession from EO, her reactions are just not telling enough. Perhaps we can take it that Arang's still confused about emotions in general as the storyline goes that she is amnesiac but more so I feel as though SMA's acting has been overwhelmed by the more powerful acting from LJK. That said, I'm still rooting for this OTP. I always thought it quite sad that LJK has never really gotten a compatible co-lead in his previous works (esp. Hero). But the chemistry between LJK and SMA is just so refreshing and natural that nothing can stand between them. Sadly, LJK's characters in his works never had a happy ending with his co-lead (i.e. My Girl, Wolf/ Dog and Iljimae). I hope this will be different for a change.
5. On spilling the beans about Arang to Dol Swe, I'm glad that it's all out in the open now so that the plot can get going. I'm still not sure what Dol Swe's outburst was about. It didn't seem like "hey, I didn't know you could see ghosts, young master". It seems more like "I knew something's wrong with Arang and how dare you kept it from me!"
6. So why am I so hell bent on knowing whether Dol Swe is aware of EO's supernatural ability? I guess anything that is a possible connection to EO's background is of interest to me. Although we know more about EO, those truths are still in bits and pieces. Someone in this forum mused if Jade knew in advance that MY was gg to possess EO's mom so acted in advance by giving EO a new life and his ability. But I thought what Jade said in ep 11 before the flashback to EO's past could be a possible hint - that everything's tied to fate i.e. if Jade had not passed by EO's house and met a dying EO, he wouldn't have taken pity and saved him. But as to how that ties in what Jade said about EO's time not belonging to him anymore, that I'm not certain.
7. Will Arang accept EO's declaration of love in the next episode? I hope not, not yet anyway. Wouldn't it be all the more dramatic and tear-jerking if EO were to be in some sort of mortal danger and Arang screaming that she loves him too? :P
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Shin Haido
September 21, 2012 at 7:23 AM
@nomber 7 : i think it will be too cruel to our heart too lol...
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45 Abibuyog
September 21, 2012 at 1:12 AM
the past two episodes was great!
the heartless Eun Oh we met in the first episode became know a warm man.
this shows give us so much excitement that one week of waiting becomes a decade. I think he already felt in love with Arang the first time he saw her running in the forest, until this episode that made all the denial feeling become the reality. :).
I hope this show will not give us sad ending.. I know you know what I mean. Ajah to all the staffs who are working hard to give us an unforgettable Korean drama experience. :) Kudos!
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46 kakashi
September 21, 2012 at 2:09 AM
Thanks for your thoughts on Joo-wal, JB. While I love each and every character in this show, and I think the writers are doing an incredible job in making all of them interesting (well, except for the Bangs, maybe := ), Joo-wal’s is one of the most interesting; also because Yeon Woo-jin is doing such a good job.
I have been struck by the similarities between him and Eun- Oh before. In a way, they are half-brothers. It might not be real mom that JW has been living with, but evil-mom is only slightly different from the mom that EO experienced. So, what drives them is similar: they both crave LOVE from the same twisted person. And now they both crave love from the same woman. JW is what EO could have been, if not for people like his father (who seems to have protected him) and his wonderful servant Dol-Swe.
Also, JW is a weapon (Big Bad’s weapon for collecting souls and vessels) and EO is a weapon (Jade’s weapon for neutralizing Big Bad). Both have been saved from death (EO literally, JW from the death of starvation), but both men are now playthings in the hand of supernatural creatures.
That said, JW is by far the more tragic figure. He seems doomed to me – his sins are too great, he cannot ever be happy. I fear that with his feelings awakening, the real suffering will start (and we’ve seen glimpses of it in this episode). The guilt will crush him. I could imagine that the only way he can somehow atone for some of his sins is to sacrifice himself in the end- hopefully for the good of either EO or Arang, or both.
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sally_b
September 21, 2012 at 3:33 AM
your entire post. LIKE ✔
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JK
September 21, 2012 at 3:35 AM
Great analysis!
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lizzzieQ
September 21, 2012 at 8:05 AM
Mmm,yes<3
I wonder if Eun-oh and Joowal will ever acknowledge all this. Joowal's future is the most murky for me now, especially since we can't help but pity him
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47 LyArisa
September 21, 2012 at 2:18 AM
Thank you JB for the wonderful recap.. I watched this ep at early dawn this morning and watch it again for the 2nd time during lunch..
My heart bleeds for Eun Oh and I can see his heart is breaking when Arang remember that LSR falls in love with Ju Wal..
You can see his desperation to keep Arang at his side. If we go back to the the episodes earlier, Arang also slowly falling in love with EO. But she still in denial as she keep focusing to know herself as LSR.
Although JW is considered as villain in this drama and he assisted the Evil Fairy, my heart hurts for him too when I saw him cry. (I literally cried as well =p)
It makes me feel conflicted. I thing the other fans and viewers also might feels the same. I think Arang will feel torn and conflicted to choose between EO & JW..
Eventhough I feel pity towards JW.. I ship Arang and EO. Hope Shin Min Ah and Lee Jun Ki date to real too.. kikiki..
Love you JB ~(^_^)~
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48 Anastasia
September 21, 2012 at 2:53 AM
This show just kill me already.!
Swelling of emotion, melting, bursting with pains, tears running, heart wrenching. Omo..omo..what have you done my show.
First i have to say. What a beautiful, gorgoues hanbook Lee seo rim wering that day. Pink and turqouise and her face glowing with love. She is justtttttt soooo extremley pretty that day.
And Eun Oh scens just tear my heart apart into piecies..
Oh.......*cried a bucket*
will continue later
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49 sweetmery
September 21, 2012 at 3:30 AM
Thanks javabeans and girlfriday for the recaps!♥♥I love reading these even after I’ve already seen the episode, has become a ritual for me to read your recap and comments! :D another beautiful intense episode ♥:$:$ we finally saw the feelings of Eun-oh come out ''so happy'' :D I don't care for the rating for this drama because one of the most beautiful ever!!!!!!! i'm serious ;D I love lee jun ki is a real talent addition to his beauty, ,I'm so glad that after the service melitare a return to great with class and grace! I agree with those who said that one of the most beautiful " :D:D:D I'm glad you noticed! :D thanks javebeans $_$
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50 CaroleMcDonnell
September 21, 2012 at 7:19 AM
Oh my gosh, I love this show! This was one angsty episode. Last episode, the way these guys -- Dol Swe, Eun Ho, and Joo Wal-- all began to react to falling in love. Not recognizing it, fearing it...and now it's like..."Oh Damn! I'm in love! What the heck now?"
Also, Arang getting memories of her "mother-figure" and thus closer to her. And Joo Wal kinda beginning to separate from his mother figure. Lord Choi looks so crestfallen -- like a lover who knows he's on the way out. And Joo Wal has this "But, Big Bad, I don't want Arang's body here, I want her soul as well. Your spirit just isn't what I want in that body." And my wondrous Eun-Ho! What can I say about him that I haven't said?
Okay, so Mu Young told Eun Ho that the Grims can't come to a person until after the person has died. Which means, Eun Ho had died because the Grim came to him. Which also shows why Big Bad captured some of Hades' Reapers in addition to some humans souls. Mom's body was not one of the skeletons in the pit because Big Bad inhabits it but Mom's soul is somewhere --along with other trapped souls-- waiting to be freed and sent to heaven. So question: Arang died, but why did Arang's body not decompose? We still haven't seen if Jade met her or did something to her (or her body) after she died.
So Bad Fairy was kicked out of heaven? I thought she had kinda just left. I guess she took her earthly bitterness up to heaven with her when she died...and was tainting heaven with her vengeful thoughts. Yeah, she had to learn to let go.
Oh my! Joo Wal! I totally believe he will find redemption. These writers are not gonna make him be doomed. Not sure about Buddhism but I am hoping he will also end up in heaven because there is still a chance he can repent and be good. Yep, I'm hoping for full-blown redemption -- which would mean turning against Big Bad and dying in order to save/protect Arang. I am so convinced the writers are gonna save his soul that I will be sorely freaked out if they don't do what I imagine they will.
Was so glad when Arang said her old maid probably thought of her (Seo Rim) as a daughter. Now Arang fully or somewhat understands what Eun-Ho must feel for his mother. I also love Seo Rim. What a sweetie she was!
And again.... did I say this before? Poor Joo Wal. I repeat: poor Joo Wal. Dang, i love that guy!
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jomo143
September 21, 2012 at 10:09 AM
I was thinking JW could be hired as a reaper.
He has experience at the moment before they show up, and knows all the tricks to hide from them.
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CaroleMcDonnell
September 21, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Uhm..I wonder. I don't know how much Joo Wal knows about death and the supernatural and ghosts. He seems to just do what Mom wants him to do. One would think he could be able to sense ghosts or something but he is fairly normal with it all.
The poor dear! When he was destroyed and freaking out after Eun Ho kissed Arang (epi 11) and after he himself couldn't kill her (ep 12) I just wanted to get out of his way until he cooled off. I so hope he doesn't try to off Eun Ho. Cause, ya know, that's what jealous guys do and it doesn't look as if Joo Wal understands how to deal with the big overflow of emotion.
-C
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