Nice Guy: Episode 12
by HeadsNo2
Here’s a line I never thought I’d say: Amnesia is doing wonders for this story.
Phew. With that out of the way, I was surprised and pleased by this episode, which delivered plenty of bang for its dramatic buck. Maru learns how to run a corporation overnight and takes Jae-hee to school, Eun-ki gets some girlish bonding moments with Choco, and Min-young gets a step closer to graduating from the drama school of douchebaggery and villainy. I’ll be taking bets on how many episodes it’ll take before he calls a hit on someone we like.
Ratings stopped declining and started rising again (yay) with Episode 12 bringing in 15.1%.
EPISODE 12 RECAP
We jump back a bit to the moments leading up to Eun-ki’s grand return, while she and Maru were getting dressed for the event. He’d given her the lines of her speech through telephone, which she’d parroted and memorized in front of a wall covered in pictures and accompanying information of important Taesan Group members.
He was coaching her, essentially, and added the finishing touch by giving her heels to go with her outfit. (Don’t give her shoes, Maru!) There’s a cute moment where he seems to take in and appreciate how pretty she looks all dressed up before they head out together.
This time we see the inauguration ceremony more from Maru’s perspective, as he’s unable to hide a proud smile when Eun-ki makes her dramatic entrance. More telling is the fact that he sends a self-satisfied smirk Jae-hee’s way the second she’s visibly rattled by Eun-ki’s appearance. Yeah, he’s enjoying this.
Eun-ki introduces Maru as her fiancé, and Jae-hee’s world crumbles. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying this too.
Jae-hee retires to her office with Min-young, still shell-shocked over what happened. She has a harder time believing Eun-ki’s back because she knew Jae-sik had clearly-… She doesn’t get to finish that thought, but it makes one thing clear: She did order the kidnapping.
Min-young gives Jae-hee the sobering news that Maru will be handling company affairs while Eun-ki recovers. At Jae-hee’s horrified face he asks, “What part of all this upsets you most? Was it the fact that Seo Eun-ki, whom we thought was dead, came back? Or the fact that the Kang Maru you’ve been searching for has come back as her fiancé?”
Eun-ki gets a tour of her office courtesy of Maru, though she’s suffering some exhaustion from the whole ordeal. He pulls her into a supportive hug and offers her words of encouragement, while she asks if she’ll have to fight against her stepmother. Maru answers yes.
When she asks why, he replies that Jae-hee started the fight first, “Because she is trying to get what isn’t hers.”
I love that he keeps a hand on her shoulder the whole time, as if to reinforce the fact that he’s there just for her. When Eun-ki expresses concern that she might not win, Maru counters, “I’ll do the fighting. You just stay behind me.”
It’s a sweet sentiment that takes us back to the tail end of his coffee shop convo with Joon-ha, who’d laid the rules out as such: Once Eun-ki regains her memory, Maru has to disappear. And if she doesn’t regain her memory, he can still be given compensation for his effort.
Very much like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, Joon-ha can’t see past Maru’s lies and misdeeds to know if there’s actually some sincerity underneath. He calls Maru out for approaching Eun-ki for revenge and not love, but Maru points out that love is the driving force behind his helping Eun-ki now. So if it is love, what will Joon-ha do?
“I will have to block it,” Joon-ha asserts. “No matter what. I think you forget that I know who you really are.” He threatens to show Eun-ki documents proving how Maru used her, mocked her, and deceived her – in which case, it’ll be game over for him.
So the matter comes back to compensation, and Maru says he wants half. Wait, half of Taesan? Talk about high aspirations, but Joon-ha seems like he’s just crazy enough to do it.
Back in the present, Secretary Hyun finds Joon-ha brooding over the matter and sighs about how they couldn’t be where they are without Maru’s help. (Apparently, two months have passed in all this.)
While Joon-ha doesn’t trust Maru as far as he can throw him, Secretary Hyun remains a romantic and firmly believes that Maru’s love for Eun-ki accomplished the impossible. “‘Love gives us strength.'”
And then it’s back to the past, where Joon-ha agrees to give Maru half of Taesan in exchange for being able to tell Eun-ki that Maru traded his help for that kind of compensation. Maru agrees, and a deal is made.
An awkward elevator ride ensues when Jae-hee gets caught in the same car as Maru and Eun-ki, though she tries to cover it up by telling Eun-ki to move back home. Maru takes Eun-ki’s hand in his and responds for her, that she’s going with him.
He doesn’t make eye contact with Jae-hee, and she tries her best to look past him as she invites Eun-ki over for dinner, at least. She agrees on the condition that she be able to bring Maru, and Jae-hee has to swallow hard before she gives the okay.
After she’s gone, Maru only grips Eun-ki’s hand tighter.
While dolling up for dinner, Jae-hee tries on some red lipstick that doesn’t suit her, and makes a weird mess when she nervously smears it off with her hand. O-kay.
Maru brings Eun-ki to her house in the meantime, and looks concerned when she has to confirm with him whether her father passed away.
She’s curious to know what kind of person her father was, and asks to see his room once they’re “welcomed” inside by Jae-hee. I love that Maru sees straight through her, enough to scoff when she lies about being unable to prepare for such a sudden visit.
It’s becoming clear that the prosopagnosia is a cover for Eun-ki’s amnesia and brain damage, so Maru has to step in before Jae-hee can catch on that Eun-ki doesn’t remember where her father’s room was. At least he sends Jae-hee another knowing smirk when she claims innocence in making Eun-ki’s old room into Eun-suk’s playroom. Oh, this is going to be fun.
Jae-hee doesn’t miss a chance to get a barb in, and tells Eun-ki to have a party in regards to seeing her father’s study. “Because you were crazy about a guy, you weren’t able to stay by your father when he passed away. So go see your father, and come back after you have begged for forgiveness.” Ouch.
She keeps Maru with her while Eun-ki goes to explore, and probes him on his reason for coming back when his big breakup conversation had been all about not giving a damn about her anymore.
But Maru practically smiles as he tells Jae-hee that he doesn’t even remember their past together, or what he once did for her. “The only person I am interested in right now, the one who fills my head, the one who has me wrapped around her, the one who drives me crazy, the reason why I couldn’t eat or sleep… is not Han Jae-hee, but Seo Eun-ki.” Aww yeah.
So he explains it like he’s protecting his woman from “the monster” that wants to kill her. It’s funny in a morbid way when he even takes a bite out of all the dishes to make sure Jae-hee hasn’t poisoned them. He’s literally putting nothing past her.
He admits that he made Eun-ki the way she is, so now there’s nothing he can’t do to restore her to her original position. Besides, nothing Jae-hee thinks she owns is hers.
This is a hot button issue for Jae-hee, and one which causes her to spit venom as she asserts that everything in this house, even down to a single speck of dust, is all hers. Basically she’s the kid on the playground who’d steal another kid’s toy and claim that it’s hers just because she’s the one holding it.
Maru finds Eun-ki with her head on her father’s desk. She’s in tears as she asks him whether he’s the one she was with when her father passed. She’s both sad to hear the answer is yes and comforted at the same time, since she realized that she must have truly liked Maru to do that.
Once again, Maru comforts her by holding her shoulder as he tells her that they should call it a day and just go home.
In his dark and creepy office, Min-young looks over one of Eun-ki’s diaries/post-amnesiac handwriting books. He stole it while inviting himself into Secretary Hyun’s house, and seems about one step away from figuring out that she has amnesia.
In the back of the book is a cute little pep note signed by “J.H.”, and he’s quick to think of Joon-ha. This can’t be good, but nothing’s ever good with Min-young anyway.
He calls up Secretary Jo to do a handwriting check on Joon-ha just to be sure, while our lawyer in question drives by Eun-ki’s new house.
Eun-ki and Choco have an adorable bonding moment when they both end up staring at the sky to talk to their respective fathers in heaven. Choco even asks her father to forget about her wish (for Maru to stay healthy – foreshadowing, anyone?) for the time being and help Eun-ki instead.
Meanwhile, Min-young is able to confirm Joon-ha’s handwriting in Eun-ki’s notebook as well as the fact that she has amnesia.
Later that night, Eun-ki writes a sort of apology letter to her father for not being there to take care of him. And ha, her artistic rendition of herself includes angry eyes and devil horns.
Maru stays up to do some studying on how to run a business, only to be crippled with headaches. I was about to let this just fall under the category of “Thinking Too Hard”, but then I remembered he has that deadly hematoma he’s not getting treatment for. Sigh.
Joon-ha finds him the next day already with his own office and fancy nameplate, and gives him some ammo to use in his upcoming fight against Jae-hee. It concerns the takeover of a medical group Jae-hee was pulling for.
Jae-hee catches him before he heads into the meeting, acting amused that he’s running the business in Eun-ki’s stead. They trade some barbs about company management, and Maru matches her for every one. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m excited for this corporate meeting.
Min-young uses the opportunity to catch Eun-ki without her bodyguard after having rooted out where Maru’s new house is. He takes her out to the only coffee shop in Seoul, and Secretary Hyun proves too much of a pushover when she lets Min-young have a private chat with her. Girl, grow a metaphorical pair, please.
He confronts her about the schoolbook, which she passes off as having used in the initial recovery stages from her accident. He makes his suspicions clear under the guise of secretly caring for her, and entreats her to trust him with her condition so he can protect her.
Eun-ki wavers between whether to trust his words or go with her gut. Min-young gives her a test by asking her, “Who am I?”
His face flashes briefly in her memory, both from her Wall of Memorable Taesan Employees and a scene from her past. She takes the pen he gave her to write (and subsequently test her spelling skills, which were poor in her notebook): You are a bad person.
Oh. Snap. She leaves after that put-down, and regains some of her memories outside. Most of them are of Min-young being squicky to her and her hating him, so she had it right.
She collapses outside while clutching her head in pain as Min-young watches with satisfaction. Or something like it. It’s honestly hard to tell.
In the executive meeting, Jae-hee faces some heat from the same board member who’d questioned her authority during Eun-ki’s dismissal vote. Joon-ha sends a text to Maru that he’s doing their work for them today so they can lay low, and I’m kind of digging their reluctant partnership right now.
Strangely, Maru ends up defending Jae-hee against the errant executive by bringing up the bigger picture, and how Jae-hee’s spending is worthwhile in the scheme of the acquisition plan.
It gives Jae-hee just enough time to get comfortable and claim his words as coming from her own thoughts before he adds, “I think you’ve misunderstood what I’ve said. Compared to the problems I will point out, what you said right now is worth nothing.”
He’s done his homework about this Yesung Medical Group, and the fact that Jae-hee’s illegal succession will inevitably cause Taesan to be investigated, which equals bad business. Maru: “Being the owner of a company, you didn’t start this without preparation and thought, right?” Dayum. Way to go, Maru.
She tries to salvage the situation now that it’s turned in Maru’s favor, but doesn’t have the means to defend herself against his (warranted) attacks. The meeting ends on a bad note as far as she’s concerned.
Joon-ha finds Maru in the bathroom afterward and asks how he knew about Yesung Group’s secret fund, which he had used as ammunition against Jae-hee. Maru basically admits that he was flying by the seat of his pants on that one and just used the rumors he’d seen circulating in the stock market. Lucky for him, it worked out.
There’s definitely admiration coming from Joon-ha when he asks Maru why Jae-hee ever dumped him. “If she was with someone like you, she would have earned more. She would have been much happier.”
So… huh. It kind of seems like Joon-ha has a mancrush on Maru.
As fate would have it, Eun-ki’s doctor is Suk Min-hyuk, a face we haven’t seen since the first episode. (I wasn’t expecting to see you again, Jo Sung-ha!)
His report is mostly positive as he acknowledges that her test results are much better and she’s making positive forward steps. He knows her fiancé studied medicine and commends him for a job well done in helping to rehabilitate her: “He must have worked very hard to help you, a person he loves.”
Eun-ki admits that she’s been regaining fragments of her memory, first with Maru’s driving song and now Min-young. She’s a little surprised when Doctor Suk’s words of advice entail her facing her past as the only means of fully regaining her memory.
He’s of the mind that she’s suffering trauma from a horrible memory she wants to run away from. Because she doesn’t want to be hurt anymore she’s hidden herself behind the veil of memory loss, so only when she comes to grips with what she’s repressing can she heal.
Choco and Eun-ki share boy talk that night, which Maru gets to overhear by virtue of them not hearing him come in. Choco describes her secret ways of stealing skinship moments from Jae-gil, and suggests Eun-ki take a vacation with Maru.
Maru remains very focused on Eun-ki as she gives her answers, and you can literally see the wheels turning in his head as he processes each reply. Mostly because they did technically take a vacation before, or something kind of like it, which ended badly with the whole one’s-an-amnesiac-one’s-got-a-hematoma thing.
Of course, Eun-ki doesn’t remember any of that, so Choco tries to play cupid by telling Eun-ki that she needs to go on dates with Maru, too. Eun-ki keeps shaking her head “No”, which has Maru hanging on her every word until she finally admits why, in the shyest voice possible: “Because I am embarrassed. It is embarrassing.”
There’s something about this moment that’s just real, like this one line is the rawest peek into Eun-ki’s feelings we’ve seen. It’s also cute that Maru relaxes into a smile with this admission, at least knowing she’s not avoiding him because she dislikes him.
Min-young finds Jae-hee sitting in the dark of her office, though he’s not as blindsided by Maru’s meeting showdown since he expected at least this much from him. Regardless, Maru did put a stop to Jae-hee’s acquisition project.
She makes sure to remind Min-young of his official title as Department Head and his exact place in the room about one too many times, even though she’s trying to reinforce a point: Min-young will be in danger if he stays too close to her.
It’s hard to tell whether this is genuine concern or subtle manipulation, since it almost sounds like a challenge and Min-young takes it as one, standing physically closer to her before he says, “I will take care of my own business. So, Chairman, you too, stay only this far from me. Don’t go further away.”
Once outside, Min-young calls Secretary Jo to hurry up their plans to take Maru down.
Maru smiles in bed thinking of Eun-ki’s reaction to Choco suggesting a vacation, and drags Jae-gil out of his couch-bed to ask for friendly advice: “I want to go on a trip with a girl. Please recommend a place for me.”
Jae-gil’s in shock, and rightly so. The gigolo in this friendship is currently asking him for the simplest of dating advice, like he’s never entertained a girl before. Awkward Maru needs to stick around a little while, because he’s kind of rocking my world right now.
Jae-gil finally understands that Maru’s trepidation comes from this being his first “true” relationship. He tells him to just do what he did with Jae-hee, but Maru admits that he doesn’t remember what he did with Jae-hee when they dated.
The next morning, Eun-ki wakes up in the passenger seat of Maru’s car, still wrapped up in her comforter. He snuck her to a vacation while she was sleeping? I just… can’t. That’s just too cute.
She waddles out while Maru sits perched above the ocean vista he’s brought her to. Best “Good morning” ever, or greatest “Good morning” ever?
As they walk hand in hand on a beach, in a field, and generally share romantic moments together, Maru’s voiceover is heard:
“Father,
One day, a woman walked into my life. I hurt her deeply with the harshest words possible. I pushed her away as much as I could. But, she still came back to me. She is so much like me; I look at myself often when I look at her. She has the physical wounds that I have. The tears that fill my brain are flowing through her heart as well. I gave her those wounds. I made her cry. I should not have met her. I should not have allowed her to come into the life of a guy like me.”
He even plays the harmonica for her, and the simple tune continues as they make the drive home. Only the tunnel they drive through looks a little too familiar – it’s the same tunnel they had their car crash in.
She’s literally in heaven holding his hand, until the oncoming flash of headlights fills her vision. Flashes of the moments leading up to the accident assault her, and Maru seems to know it.
“Father, I’m regretting it. This is the first time… that I have ever regretted anything in my life.”
COMMENTS
That look on his face (or is it the absence of a look?) just kills me. Maru is still incredibly hard to read even if he wears his heart on his sleeve, which really resonates with “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, in that I do want to trust him… it’s just that his past actions make that pretty difficult.
If we’re to judge from what Doctor Suk tells us about the time Maru has spent working with Eun-ki to help her cognitive skills, then this final scene seems like a calculated maneuver on Maru’s part to help her regain her memories. Which is a noble sacrifice on his part considering what he might lose if she remembers everything.
And if dramas have taught us anything, it’s that one day of blissful togetherness always serves as padding for something terrible to come. At least Maru’s exercising some control over what might be the coming storm. There’s no way of telling (yet) if his love for Eun-ki goes deeper than his love for Jae-hee, since, frankly, he’s no stranger to self-sacrifice when it comes to the women in his life.
That list includes Choco, whose mysterious illness we haven’t seen pop up in a while, though I’m sure it’ll come at the most dramatic moment possible. Maru asking for half of Taesan in return for helping Eun-ki seemed like a move geared toward Choco’s welfare, even though her donating the money he earned by cheating people doesn’t seem to have put much of a hole in his pocket. But hey, now he’s got a shiny new job that must be paying him something. And he doesn’t have to sell his soul this time.
The inclusion of Jae-gil and Choco in recent episodes has been a complete turnaround from the place they used to fill in the story – a semi-sweet side romance totally removed from the main action. It makes sense with Maru and Eun-ki’s new trajectories that they’d each be more open to helpful influences than they were before, so it’s nice to see Jae-gil and Maru’s neglected bond spring back to life as well as the newer bond forming between Choco and Eun-ki.
And though I didn’t think I’d be admitting it, I’m actually surprised by how integrated the use of Eun-ki’s amnesia is to both her and Maru’s narrative arcs, respectively. There have always been more similarities between the two than there are differences, especially in regard to their level of devotion and passion for whatever they set their minds to. It’s not like being a gigolo gave Maru instant telepathic powers when it comes to women, but instead it seems like he’s able to stay one step ahead of Eun-ki because he’s been there before, and knows how she works.
It’s why he manipulated her so easily before, and why it’s throwing me for such a loop that he’s using that same knowledge to actually foster a real relationship with her this time around. He’s choosing to take Eun-ki by the hand and protect her while he helps her to stand up again in her rightful place, memories fully intact. The nicest thing about that sentiment is that unknowingly, Eun-ki is providing Maru the strength to live again. And I mean actually live, none of this walking dead stuff he’s been doing.
Just don’t remind me about the hematoma, because I’m finally starting to care about whether Maru lives happily ever after or not. And that’s something I’d sworn not to do after experiencing the super thought out, well-rounded, totally in-character and narratively fulfilling ending to Writer Lee’s previous work that cannot be swept under the amnesia rug, A Love To Kill.
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Tags: featured, Moon Chae-won, Nice Guy, Park Shi-yeon, Song Joong-ki
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51 glitzmadrb
October 20, 2012 at 6:18 AM
I think that so far, this is one of the best episodes in the series. This episode is simply sweet and romantic, however like other episodes of the drama, it still contains a lot of depth and meaning.
I know it's not good to think negatively, but I can't shake off from my head that in the end, someone will eventually die. In this episode, this viewpoint was more reinforced in me after hearing the tune that Maru played for Eun Gi using his harmonica. If I'm not mistaken, it is the same song that was constantly played in another drama called 'Tree of Heaven' with Park Shin Hye and Lee Wan playing the leading characters. In that drama, the leading man dies! Knowing this makes me think that it might end badly for one of our lead characters for 'Nice Guy', but I do hope that this will not be the case. Happy ending, fighting!
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jomo143
October 20, 2012 at 6:54 AM
I did an IMDB search.
My Grandfather's Clock was in 17 movies. It does NOT have to be a harbinger of doom. Please!!!!
Granted, most of them were before 1950, but..but...but...
:D
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52 CaroleMcDonnell
October 20, 2012 at 6:23 AM
So many mysterious illnesses, so few episodes left. Am wondering if the hematoma will mess up Maru in the end and Eun-ki has to return the favor of rehabilitating him. Or will Choco's illness pop up when Eun-ki has given up on Maru and help to make a healing bond again between Eun-ki and Maru?
Re: Joon-ha's man-crush on Maru? So, we're settled now that Joon-ha is really straight?
Still wondering how Jae-Gil's story is gonna help rescue Maru...which i kinda feel it will. Some convergence looms, methinks.
Thanks so much for the recap. I haven't seen the last two episodes because I'm wary of being too pulled into it.
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53 jomo143
October 20, 2012 at 6:52 AM
Thanks for the recap, heads!
Everyone seems to have commented very nicely on what I thought.
So happy with watching SJK. He had moments of brilliance in SKKS and Tree, and we all prayed he would get a leading role that made him work and learn more about acting. At first I wanted him in a romcom since, of course, he would shine. Think how smart he was to wait for a melo written by LKH. He was able to start off with the heavy stuff, hitting us over the head with his mad skills, and ease in to the sweetness we all crave from him. We melt even more at his smiles because of how rare they are. Smart man.
Jae Hee - whatever. Just don't make Ahn so powerful that later MR has to step in a protect JH from him, or I will spit.
I miss Jae-shik and his Machinations.
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54 rheina07
October 20, 2012 at 7:53 AM
Song Joong Ki as Kang Ma Roo is A.MA.ZING !
I have developed another undying love to Kang Ma Roo !
And yeah, I want to believe that he LOVES Eun Ki for REAL this time.
But, something does not look right there.
Oh please writer, make Ma Roo lives happily ever after with Eun Ki.
Dont make him back to that monster, Jaehee
or even Kill him with that hematoma
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55 Jushi
October 20, 2012 at 8:35 AM
I love that this time (during the tunnel scene) it is Maru who's holding Eun Gi's hand. Mmm. Feels good.
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56 pandaren
October 20, 2012 at 8:53 AM
I guarantee u guys that someones gonna be dead for sure... after all its writer Lee's drama!!!! --I would like to cry wolf at the final episode--
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Butterflies
October 20, 2012 at 8:38 PM
If I could cry wolf like that :) I would span that:) 3 days more!!!!!!
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57 Village Mrembo
October 20, 2012 at 9:01 AM
All these weirdos coming up with so much hate for SJK esp when comparing his acting to LJK, all i can say is he's finally arrived, cuz if u aint got haters then u aint doing it right!
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58 ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 9:34 AM
Hahaha. Is this the first time Min Young is verbally attacking Jae-Hee?
Seems like he's FINALLY realizing she's just using him as nothing more than a tool to help her in the company. Are we seeing signs of him cracking? I can definitely see this as tension between the two. Jae-hee you are goin DOWN.
I'm glad you pointed out that Maru notices eun-gi having some flashback because right after he looks in her direction, and swallows, he utters that favorite line of mine from him.
"“Father, I’m regretting it. This is the first time… that I have ever regretted anything in my life.”
There is hope yet in maru's humanity!
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rearwindow
October 20, 2012 at 10:51 AM
I loved that Min Young/Jae Hee scene. I interpreted Jae Hee's comment completely different from Heads. I thought that she was threatening Min Young, telling him to know his place and not get too uppity or else she'd take action against him.
Which then makes his threat even better. I hope he doesn't actually love her. I would find it so much more interesting/satisfying if he was just using her to get ahead.
I want to see everyone that Jae Hee's used, manipulated, wheedled, stepped on, seduced, berated, lied to, etc. come together and form an army against her. Which would amount to...everyone in the show, right? I wouldn't even care who gets control of Tae San, if I had the satisfaction of seeing this happen.
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jasmin
October 20, 2012 at 11:55 AM
@rearwindow
But Ahn Min Young threatened her back, right!? He got up from his place and stepped closer to her (against what she said), saying: "I will take care of my own business. [...] Don't go further away."
I think with Ahn JH backed the wrong horse... maybe he kind of loves her, whatever that means for him. But overall I think he has his own agenda.
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rearwindow
October 20, 2012 at 12:18 PM
Oh, absolutely Lawyer Ahn threatened her back. But the way his threat was phrased left it open to interpretation whether it was a stalker-y threat (of the Maru variety, as in: don't think you can rebuke me, I'll watch you in your sleep, I'll follow you over a cliff, etc.) or a corporate/tactical threat (as in: I'm coming for your position, don't think you can back away from our alliance because I'm too invested in this to back down now). Or maybe it was a little of both, who knows?
I just loathe Jae Hee so much that I can't really stomach seeing another guy fall completely into an obsessive, overwhelming love with her. Even if the guy in question is kind of a sociopath. Just...seriously! What is it about this woman that causes men to lose their faculties?
I did think for a second that it might be interesting to have Lawyer Ahn try to back Eun Gi now that he sees Jae Hee is basically a bridge to nowhere. But then Eun Gi would have to contend with him and whatever his machinations are, which would cause far more trouble than he's worth, so I'm definitely rooting against that happening.
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ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 12:18 PM
Heartie, right with you.
I actually interpreted the scene different as well.
I didn't see it as any concern but rather a star manipulator at play. She seduces him to keep him close, and yet, she obviously has no feelings for him considering he's a toy she can just toss around. Also, considering how min young knows her deepest secret, I'd say she'd still have to keep him close (enough).
I think min-young is just feeling lust. There's no way it could be love.
I do think min young is being underestimated (as he's made clear). He can bring this woman down in a snap if he wanted to..
At this point Jae-hee really has no one on her side aside from him, so lady needs to watch out.
Oh, i can't wait for the army of Jae-hee haters to bring her down.
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Betsy Hp
October 21, 2012 at 4:00 PM
I really, really want more scenes between Min-young and Jae-hee. I don't feel like I have a clear picture of their relationship and I'd really like to get one. What does Min-young feel for Jae-hee? Because right now he's in the exact same position he was under Chairman Seo, right? The righthand-man role. But he's apparently satisfied with where he is for now, so he's gained something. Is that Jae-hee? And yet, she seems so distant from him -- they certainly don't seem like lovers.
And what does she want from him? A quick death in a shallow grave so she can move on? Or was she hoping he'd step up to back her (stay close and protective) during that dark-boardroom conversation? I just don't know. And I want to!
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59 rearwindow
October 20, 2012 at 10:45 AM
This show just gets better and better.
It's interesting that Maru simply is not a character driven by revenge--he has been and will continue to be driven by love. Interestingly, he's actually more successful in getting revenge against Jae Hee now than he was in the first half of the show when that was purportedly his goal, and he's pretty much indifferent to her now. What's driving him to take her down is Eun Gi, and that's a beautiful thing to watch. Seeing him and Eun Gi happy is heart-swelling.
I loved so much in this episode, but I think my favorite moment was a very simple beat that took place after the "dinner" at Jae Hee's house. Maru walked in on Eun Gi staring at her father's picture, and she shared how guilty she felt for not being there for his death. After he apologized, he went over to her, wiped away her tears gently (!), and said, "Let's go home and eat dinner. It was a very long and tiring day anyways. Let's just stop acting and stop using our heads for the day." Something about that phrasing just got to me. Maru & Eun Gi are such a source of comfort for each other. They are each other's home, a place where they can just let their masks fall down and be themselves. You can see the relief in both of their faces at returning to their little family. Compare that to Maru's relationship with Jae Hee, where Jae Hee used Maru for comfort but never gave him anything in return.
At first, I thought this show was about obsessive love, but I don't really think that anymore. I think it's about the power of reciprocal love, and the danger of loving the wrong person. It's not that there's something inherently wrong with how Maru loves, it's that he loved someone incapable of loving anybody but herself. Yes, I wish he'd had the self-respect to say "screw Jae Hee" and get over her more quickly. But now that he has, and we can see him with Eun Gi, it's clear to me that even with all the secrets between them, these two are an incredibly functional, caring couple.
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rearwindow
October 20, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Whoops, I meant to add to the end of the third paragraph: Jae Hee explicitly viewed Maru as a second home that she could visit whenever she needed some extra comfort. But he was never "first" in her eyes. And she never felt any obligation to be the same for him. Whenever Maru came to her for help or comfort, she felt threatened and did her best to shove him back into his place. And now, Maru has finally found someone who he can look forward to coming home to.
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ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 12:35 PM
OH yesyes.
Something about that scene just made me feel so calm and at ease. For once in their relationship, they can go home and not have to use their heads. Just being in each others company, so safe, so warm.
And love that you brought up the fact that it wasn't maru's fault for loving a woman that was incapable of loving anyone but herself.
I think Eun-gi's love is just what Maru needs to get out of his inner-conflict, and start anew.
Love how he does home-run's so well but when it comes down to the beginnings of a relationship, he's so clueless! This makes me happy because this means he's discovering actual love for the first time with Eun-Gi.
I don't think he's gone on vacations or done more than kiss Jae-hee..?
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ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 12:36 PM
That last sentence was meant for Jae-hee only.
Of course he did alot with other girls.
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 6:57 AM
Yes! I love that Maru (like the old Eun Gi, actually) puts on a jaded, worldly affectation while underneath he is actually kind of naive and innocent when it comes to genuine love. It's adorable, actually. I'm not sure how far things went with Jae Hee, but I'm certain that he hasn't been emotionally vulnerable with any woman other than Jae Hee and Eun Gi. And he, like Jae Hee, has only really used his sexuality as a weapon ever since breaking up with Jae Hee. So it's as though he's learning how to love.
Gosh, I really don't want this to end tragically for Maru and Eun Gi.
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jasmin
October 20, 2012 at 12:35 PM
I agree with you on this beautiful scene between Maru and Eun Gi in the office... I thought that actually we don't know anything about what happened between them in the 2 months. It was so intimate - like so many moments before the accident were - but this time we only know that they love eachother.
But what really happened in these months... - did they talk!? Yes, they did a lot I'm sure about it. Did they kiss!? Not so sure about that but I don't care because to see them this close is everything that matters. :)
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ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 12:38 PM
I don't know about you but i am READY for physical attraction to take over.
Although Eun-Gi right now has the state of mind of a kid..
She'd probably be "No! I'm embarassed! Let's stop.." before anything progresses further. HAHA.
I just hope before the end of the show, eun-gi regains her memories, integrates her old personality with the new, and the two get to make lotsa EunMa babies. Enough said..
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jasmin
October 20, 2012 at 12:44 PM
I'm all ready for them to run away and make a LOT of EunMa babies. :) And I'm all in if NG gives us a nice bed scene. haha
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 6:58 AM
YES.
To all of the above!!
rearwindow
October 20, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Yeah, I hope we continue to get flashbacks to the past two months. As well as lots of current lovin' action (as ilikemangos mentioned).
I'm certain that they've talked a lot, since Maru has been integral to a lot of Eun Gi's recovery, and they live together! I'm almost just as certain that they haven't kissed yet, though, given how bashful Eun Gi is and how slowly Maru's taking things with her this time around.
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 1:12 PM
I think the scene you describe encapsulates my relationship with Nice Guy. I loved that moment, too, but I also hated how Eun Ki was crying over her father. She was crying about the idea of a father, not over her actual father. She doesn't have the context of her reality, and so she's feeling all these things that she might react differently to if she had all the relevant information.
I love that he apologized. It recalled the moment in episode 3 after the other "dinner" they'd had when they both apologize to each other and they both say the other doesn't have to. That was the conversation where Eun Ki says that though they've been together for less than 12 hours she feels like she's known him for 12 months, and here they are, over a year later, and they're together again.
On Ma Ru and Jae Hee: he's getting a lot of pleasure from sticking it to her (I wish Eun Ki could, too). And I noticed that he calls Jae Hee a girl and Eun Ki "his woman." That ties to Jae Hee being infantilized, but also keeps Jae Hee in the past for him. It makes clear that what he felt for her was for that abused girl and not for the manipulative woman she grew to be, and it solidifies those feelings as past, as gone. Jae Hee reminds me of the Noh mask from Spirited Away: she just wants to eat everything up. I still think she has no use for romantic love, but I think Ma Ru, like, subsists on it. Love gives him a reason to live.
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Gosh, I love your comments! You know, I think this response actually helped me pinpoint exactly what about the amnesia IS working for me.
I agree that it was devastating to see Eun Gi grieve because she felt guilty for her father's death, which wasn't at all her fault (and about which she didn't have complete information). But I'm not so convinced that she is living in an emotional vacuum. What I loved about that moment was that I think the old Eun Gi felt those exact same feelings of guilt, they were just so tied up in loss and anger and guilt and self-loathing that she didn't get a chance to process them or articulate them before her suicide attempt.
I feel the same way about the tear that Eun Gi shed when Jae Hee was embracing her at the Tae San ceremony. Do I think the old Eun Gi would've allowed herself to get swept away in a mother-figure's warm embrace? Of course not. No sane person would, given that Jae Hee's about as sincere as a drug addict trying to score a hit.
But do I think that somewhere, underneath her armor, there has always been a girl who would've loved nothing more than for Jae Hee to be a sincere mother to her, to have not been involved in her own mother's death, to be someone who was more interested in Eun Gi's well-being than the company shares that she represented. And I'm sure that having a mother figure prey on her so shamelessly must have been incredibly tiring and heartbreaking for Eun Gi. But she didn't allow herself the freedom to process any sadness or yearning that she may have had for the relationship that she was never able to form with Jae Hee due to Jae Hee's greed and machinations, lest that sadness be manipulated and abused by Jae Hee.
So I guess I don't see Eun Gi's memory loss as taking away her agency or turning her into a victim, so much as I see it as giving her a second chance to process all that which drove her to suicide. And the fact that she is learning all of these dark, complex, emotional revelations in small, digestible bits while she's taken care of (and caring for!) a real family that loves her and supports her is quite beautiful, in my eyes. It's like she's learning what family should be for the first time, and in doing so, she's also teaching those around her how to love and how to be loved.
But I don't see her as helpless or as a martyr. In many ways, I think she has her head screwed on tighter than she did before the accident. At least when it comes to Maru, since she's in love with him but she has a broader perspective on that love. It isn't the mad, obsessive infatuation that she felt for him earlier. It comes more from the help and support that he has been giving freely, in addition to what she feels for him in her heart.
Also: Jae Hee is TOTALLY the Noh mask from Spirited Away! It would be tragic if she weren't so destructive.
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 3:09 PM
"And the fact that she is learning all of these dark, complex, emotional revelations in small, digestible bits while she’s taken care of (and caring for!) a real family that loves her and supports her is quite beautiful, in my eyes. It’s like she’s learning what family should be for the first time, and in doing so, she’s also teaching those around her how to love and how to be loved."
Omg, I'm tearing up from this. I kind of want you to write a drama now, lol. Those were my favorite moments of episode 12, when we got to see her with Choco, and when Ma Ru was being all sweet and cute, and then they were just together, openly feeling what they felt. I spent the entire past part of the episode going "awww" and hugging my pillow. I know when a drama gives us so much goodness we're being prepared to have our hearts kicked in, but I really feel like what we got is a plausible ending for Eun Ki and Ma Ru. I don't want anyone to die, I just want to see what we got in ep. 12 fulfilled.
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pogo
October 22, 2012 at 2:01 AM
yeah, watching Eun-ki mourn for her father was extra sad because she never got to find out (before the crash) that he'd actually reinstated her and was behaving as a father should towards a daughter - looking out for her interests, recognising her contribution to the company.
As far as she knew, she'd been disowned by him and thrown out of the company that was what her life revolved around - but I hope she does find out sometime now.
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Betsy Hp
October 21, 2012 at 4:18 PM
@rearwindow: You said, "At first, I thought this show was about obsessive love, but I don’t really think that anymore. I think it’s about the power of reciprocal love, and the danger of loving the wrong person."
First of all I have to join you in "awwwing" over that scene. It was so simple and heartfelt and caring and I loved that both our leads were right there experiencing it. (Maru wasn't just playing at being this way -- he was actually feeling it.)
I think though, that it was really important for Maru to recognize and release himself from the obsessive love he had for Jae-hee -- opening himself up for the reciprocal love he has with Eun-gi. So in that sense, obsessive love has a part -- just it's not the only part of the story.
Also, I think Maru has to see himself as worthy of receiving reciprocal love. Right now he's in the position of giver (a position he's comfortable with), but I think he needs to learn how to receive as well. He needs to break that "deal" with Joon-ha and accept the love Eun-gi gives him. Otherwise there'll be a noble death in his future, plus the trauma of Eun-gi feeling that their love wasn't real. (Which, I'm hoping that's not the direction the story is going to take. I feel like it won't be.)
So, not really a disagreement with your observation. More a continuing thought. :)
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60 Claire
October 20, 2012 at 10:56 AM
What i love about this drama is that it's unpredictable..(oh wait, i have said that a million times lol)..i love the plot, the cast and of course, their acting..this drama deserves a lot of ratings!
anyways I actually don't mind if the drama doesn't end up in a happy way..as long as the ending will be great, happy or sad, I'm fine with that..
I think EG will have her memory soon..I'm actually glad it's not like other drama where the character has amnesia almost all through out the story and will just have the memory back before the drama ends..I like that this drama have a lot of twists..
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61 DarknessEyes
October 20, 2012 at 12:11 PM
Wait im confused.. I thought Eun-ki already figured out about all his lies and stuff before she lost her memory? Then how is this a threat at all? idk...
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ilikemangos
October 20, 2012 at 12:25 PM
I think that Maru's lies/betrayal was meant to be a threat if she doesn't regain her memories. Then she wouldn't see it as loving each other but rather a one sided love with betrayal on the other. (This is all as her innocent self.)
that's all i can think of.
I think the real threat for Maru is when and if she regains her memories. That's what he needs to confront and resolve. Because we never got to see that before the accident.
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62 Almontel
October 20, 2012 at 12:29 PM
thanks for the recap...i always look forward to your recaps to provide me with additional insights to our couple...
i love this episode a lot, only because we actually saw Maru and EunKi together in the sense that Maru isn't just faking it...
i do hope there is a happy ending for them both...i know that EunKi still loves him and that Maru had truly fallen for her...
it's just so sad that because of his hematoma, i really doubt if we'll have a happy ending...
khamsamhida!
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63 Yushi
October 20, 2012 at 2:01 PM
I hope I'm not being negative, but I feel like maru or eungi is going to die, probably maru.
It's just that the drama is so dark. I feel like maru knows how the whole thing is going to end and he's like the huge puppet master in this whole thing > <
scares even me..
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64 ultramarineblue
October 20, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Am I the only one that isnt really concerned about Eun ki regaining her memories about Maru? I mean she loved him so much and hung on to her love even after he rejected her and used her so I feel like she would love Maru even more after she regains her memory because he protected her when she needed it most.
Of course there is the whole deal that he would get half of Taesan but that can be resolved with marriage :)
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 7:04 AM
I'm sort of with you in that hope/think that Eun Gi won't push Maru away out of anger for what he did to her when they were dating. However, I am a little concerned that she will push him away out of GUILT for crashing into him and hurting him. Eun Gi is a lot like Maru in that she's got a very strong protector streak in her, so I could see her doing the noble idiocy thing once she finds out how far she was willing to go to get back at him.
And, I guess, the fact that she may get her memories back piece-by-piece (rather than a flood of all of them at once) is a little problematic in that she will have incomplete information to process. We haven't seen her in two months, but it did seem like she had her head screwed on a little tighter after the accident than before, when it comes to Maru. So she might not be so willing to overlook the bad if she relearns how Maru betrayed her.
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am
October 22, 2012 at 9:32 PM
I'm kinda half and half about this...but most of the time positive :)
Sure she loves him and when her old self found out about all those things about Maru, she still loved him. I loved that part. But she's different now. She's almost child like. Her mind isn't as open as it was to all the dark ways of the world. Who knows how she'll handle all that stuff when she finds out about them in her current state.
However, I have trust in her, that whatever happens, that love she has for him will let her fight through.
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65 MsTree
October 20, 2012 at 2:57 PM
All people die. Everything comes to an end.
It is a matter how they die, how they lived, whether they died at peace, without regrets, satisfied. Happiness, remorse, regret, love. What will be remain of them? Good despite bad, if they have a chance to repent for the old ways, will there be time?
The fact Maru has said he doesn't believe in God makes me believe actually he believe in God and is very angry with him and hasn't quite forgive him. Despite inate goodness and warmth he showed to others, all he ever received were pain and wasted good will.
Eun-gi's world and Maru collided it to bring out the very best of these damaged characters.., it opens possibilities for their redemption, to come to terms with how they want 'live' onwards despite of damaged souls. Their journey is beautiful to watch, and hopefully it will end just as beautifully.
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DHM
October 20, 2012 at 6:20 PM
Ms Tree, something I thought very interesting in that scene, is that *immediately* after Maru says he doesn't believe in God because if God existed, he'd be struck by lightening because he is so bad (or something to that effect)- he doubles over in pain,a nd next we see him at the doctor getting the news about the hematoma in the brain.
Lightening.
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MsTree
October 21, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Interesting observation, maybe Maru secretly have accepted or even hoped something like this will happen, that he is expected to pay for his sins/wrong decisions, or maybe he has little to live for, or care to due to low self esteem and regrets.
I have often wonder when we first meet Muru and Eun-gi in the first 2 eps, given what they have going on in their lives, where they appears to live for other people except themselves. They were practically walking corpses to cope with the baggage of what is expected of them. A miserable existence they felt obligated to fulfill for their love ones and responsibilities. Would at any point of failing those will result them contemplate suicide? The chances are, highly likely. Despite their bravado outward appearances, I think both had relatively low self esteem or self worth, until the little moment when their loved ones shows them appreciation in return. When their loved ones tarnish this, they dies a little inside.
Perhaps it also explains why Maru smiled to himself as he come to terms with the possibility of car crash ending his life, maybe he deserve it, maybe his end come to a little earlier and that he is fine with it, because how little he has to live for. The Crash fade out were left for later episodes, but I personally think Eungi probably didn't realise it was Maru's car until she saw it was him in the last few seconds before the crash. I expect her to have probably swiveled out of the way at last minute while Maru head straight for her at his natural pace, no acceleration or break. I just don't believe Eungi is someone who's capable of hurt her love ones. If she is hurt, her character has a tendency to absorb all pain, take all the responsibility and get out of the way for the convenience of others. Her character since the beginning has always been the consistent one who tries to protect her most loved ones even at her own expenses or hurt. So no wonder Maru has same he found another him in Eun-gi.
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66 DHM
October 20, 2012 at 6:12 PM
As somebody else mentioned, the song he plays on the harmonica is an old English folksong called ‘My Grandfather’s Clock.’ the clock in the song was purchased on the day the grandfather was born and ticked faithfully for 90 years, but stopped completely and forever the day the grandfather died.
This gives me some major foreboding vibes.
I almost feel sorry for Jae-Hee, as I think Atty Ahn is the most evil of all the characters in the show and the greediest- she's kind of out of the frying pan into the nuclear warhead, IMO.
I think MaRu only agreed to take half the company to disarm Atty Park, but he has no intentions of taking it, not even for Choco. He's going to refuse or return it. I also think he fully intends to die once his work of protecting Eun Gi is done.
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 7:05 AM
Thank you for the information about the clock! Yet another reference to time in this drama.
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 8:45 AM
Omg, someone over on tumblr (wonful) just pointed out to me that on the watch in the show's credits, there's an inscription that reads "Innocent." *o* Even though I'm developing some deep issues with the show, it never fails to surprise me with the thought that goes into the set and production and everything else.
Here's wonful's screencap: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc8zkgDnmh1qhy9kp.jpg
So we've got a watch that winds backwards on a watch that says "Innocent," being held by a man who went to jail for a crime he didn't commit, but who is wracked with guilt over the awful things he does after he's come from jail. Love love love.
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rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 8:56 AM
I noticed that two episodes ago! So cool! I discussed the use of time and how that plays into memory loss below, but at some point I'd love to do a more in-depth exploration of how time functions for the three leads. Because each of them has a different relationship to time and memory, and I find that super interesting.
I'm curious--what are your issues with the show? Is it mainly the use of amnesia, or is there something more?
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Yup, it's the amnesia. Just a bunch of stuff having to do with infantilization and a romanticization of Eun Ki's disability paired with the obliteration of her volition, and how that ties into her romance, and my own fears about Ma Ru fighting Jae Hee for her and stuff. I have to watch 12 with subs first before I can tackle that, though. Ever since the amnesia it's taken me longer and longer to finish episodes, lol. I mean I have issues with the amnesia, but I also appreciate some of the things that have developed as a result of it, like Eun Ki and transformation, and I'm fascinated with how she displays autonomy even within her new identity.
But back to Time: I'm actually watching 12 right now, and I'm only a few minutes in, but I'm noticing some stuff about Jae Hee and time. She's just as driven by her past as Ma Ru and Eun Ki have been. But when she sees Eun Ki and Ma Ru together she's in complete disbelief. It's like time stops for her and she has to review what's happened to understand how it's gotten this to be this way. It's like these ghosts from her past have come back to haunt her. (Also, I loved that moment during her speech when she was talking about the people who couldn't be with them that day, like the chairman, and she trails off and of course the other person who can't be there is Eun Ki, and Eun Seok jumps up and says her name as she walks into the room. Pffft.) She reverts to calling Ma Ru oppa, even though she's older than him. She's his noona, not the other way around. And this Ma Ru is totally incomprehensible to her because he's no longer there at his home for her, waiting for her. Because she is no longer the center of his world he's become unrecognizable to her, even more so than when he came back from jail all jaded and angry.
I actually want some scenes where we see Jae Hee recalling what her relationship with Ma Ru was like. I want to be able to compare the two, because her voice is really high in Ma Ru's memories of her (which are disappearing). I want to see if t's the same Jae Hee in both memories.
And this is going way back to episode 9, but we were shown Eun Ki sitting alone on the beach, and after Ma Ru rejected her (oof!) he stays on that beach till it's night time. It's one of those instances of them facing vistas, wide open spaces which you've pointed out (so interesting that the car crash occurs in a tight space, a very strong contrast; and speaking of, Eun Ki's mom died in a car crash and in ep. 2 Ma Ru asks if she's been in a car crash; was Eun Ki with her mom when she died?). While on the beach Ma Ru picks up some sand and lets it fall from his fingers, like the sands of time, like with an hourglass. And the fact that this pivotal moment in their relationship happened beside the ocean ties into what we've talked about in terms of Eun Ki and water and her power for transformation over time, but it also reminded me of the relationship between the ocean and the moon and how the moon controls the tides. And with how Ma Ru responds to Eun Ki it's kind of like she has the same power over him that the moon has over the tides. In their relationship they keep breaking up and getting back together, and that's kind of like the flood and ebb of the tide. It might be a stretch, but it makes me think about how time, change, and power/control work in the show.
ilikemangos
October 21, 2012 at 11:09 AM
OMG! I see the opening credits tons of times but i never noticed it was inscribed with "innocent"! I think that's a reference to the title.(Innocent Man) But WOW.
BTW ladida, where were you during K2H fancraze?! We would have LOVED your insights/thoughts/interpretations on that thread. :)
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 12:41 PM
Oh boy, I started K2H but walked away because I didn't like the hero. After Secret Garden I just couldn't put up with Ha Jo Won dealing with an annoying partner. And I think I'd need to know a lot more about S. Korean history to really understand the show.
ilikemangos
October 22, 2012 at 5:11 PM
Aw.
The hero got much less annoying, ha. I think he was supposed to start off really immature but the transformation of prince to king is what got me in the heart.
And me having no absolute history with north/south korea, i loved it. There wasn't much i needed to know to understand.
I remember blanking out on alot of Answer me 1997's jokes/puns/references but still loved the show.
rearwindow
October 22, 2012 at 6:30 PM
@ladida: What episode did you get to? After episode 4, I think, he gets a LOT better. I'm normally not a fan of the "reformed asshole" trope, and absolutely CANNOT STAND quasi (or all-out) abusive relationships in kdramas, but the OTP's relationship in TK2H grew into one of the most supportive, reciprocal, honest, empowering relationships I've ever seen portrayed in any tv show.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend giving it another shot if you can make it past Jae Ha's initial punkishness. His transformation, as ilikemangos pointed out, was incredibly well handled and hands down the most believable extreme character growth I've seen in a kdrama. It also helps that the supporting characters were so awesome, because after the first 4 episodes or so, everytime Jae Ha does something annoying, he has the most incredible family to smack him back down into place.
Seriously, the relationships on this show were just masterful. It was definitely not without its flaws (and some seriously cringe-worthy English speaking actors...yikes!), but the depth of relationships for both primary characters and secondary was just unparalleled. I really think you would love it.
jubilantia
November 1, 2012 at 2:39 AM
Yeeeah Grandfather's Clock! I'm so glad somebody else recognized it; we love to play that in my bluegrass jam group.
I hadn't made the concrete associations with time as a theme, though, which is interesting because I noticed the watch with "Innocent" on it in the intro from the beginning.
I am a little afraid to speculate how that deal will end up, mostly because I am picturing Eun-ki's face after she finds out about it and rocking in the corner.
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67 Abbie
October 20, 2012 at 8:52 PM
This was a good episode. I don't want Maru to die, because I'm beginning to like him now, and want him and Eun-ki to find some way to be together, ALIVE!
Min-young is a douchebag, and I hope he suffers terribly! Jae-hee is just pathetic, twisted, and evil. She needs to suffer too.
Thanks for the recap, Heads!
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68 infiniti512
October 20, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Usually I don't care if I see spoilers or not. I even sometimes skim recaps first, but given that I had finally gotten into this one after Gaksital almost ruined me for good when it comes to dramas, I was a little let down seeing such a huge revelation on the front page teaser. I wasn't even trying, just scrolling down for news and boom AMNESIA is right there.
At least I still don't know who has lost their memory but damn its now bugging me since I'm only on ep 5. It's still not as good as Joo Won and Park Ki Woong's master acting but Song Joong Ki is gonna be my third fav performance of this year. I have to remember to not look at anything past a headline until I'm caught up haha.
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Momi
October 20, 2012 at 11:15 PM
Don't worry we were all spoiled for the amnesia since it was in the promos. it doesn't really change much.
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ilikemangos
October 21, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Some of us were praying it wouldn't happen and that the writer totally forgot about it.
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69 ladida
October 21, 2012 at 12:30 AM
Random, but I really miss Ma Ru's old home. It had such a charm to it.
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Aliiiiiiiice
October 21, 2012 at 1:18 AM
I'm hoping that they'll return. It'll be a nice emotional bookend to the series.
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jasmin
October 21, 2012 at 3:52 AM
It was important to leave it but yes I miss it too. :)
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70 Lilian
October 21, 2012 at 2:25 AM
This was a lovely episode and it deserves the rating increase. Loved the opening scene in the office, and I loved the dating scenes too. Cannot wait for the next episode!
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71 Bobo Gogo
October 21, 2012 at 2:51 AM
Lets be honest how many of us
didn't see this coming. A friend of
mine and I tend to bet on things
of what will happen next in the show.
Remind me never to bet against a
cop because 9/10 times you are
going to loose. For instance Shows
like Rooftop Prince he had solved the
entire case by just the second eps.
When it comes to mystery/crime he
wins other times I sometimes get out on
the top.
Over here I had seen some of the things that
happened in the last two episodes. sure I was
wrong but at the same time I was close as well.
For instance at the episode 10 ended this was
my following prediction.
Jah hee is going to find out Eungi is still alive.
since she found out so early Team Eungi are
going to speed up their plans to get her back.
so the lawyer will protect her in the company
while outside it will be Kang Maru (didnt hapen
that way complety but as I said that I was
close). So that Jah Hee doesn't know that
Eun Ge has amnesia they are going to coach
her and make her seem like the old her so
that no one will catch on. that happened.
I was expecting this to continue for atleast
3 more eps before the cat is out the bag.
maybe eungi will remember but still continue
to fake it. since she wont be sure of what is
real and what is not. then sudenly bam when
you least expect it she will reveal that she is
cured. Most probably it will happen that Jah Hee
will discover that she has amnesia and will
try something under handed and at that moment
we will find out that Eungi is back in action.
I still am not so sure if this show is going to get
the happy ending the guys need so I can only
keep my fingers crossed but after watching
A love 2 Kill I am not holding my breath. If they
get a good ending I am all for that if not well
who cares this isn't real life unfortunately.
Something I don't get. the lawyer asked Eungi
if she recognized who he was to test if she
had amnesia. Well what was the point didn't
she say that she had propogasia or something
so how was she to recognize the guy. Isn't it
the part where you can't recognize a persons
face but to do so u need to check out other
land marks such as he always wears a certain
type of belt or maybe a favourite shirt etc.
I got that from watching a show called Syndrome
where one of the characters ends up with
this problem. add ore points later on.
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72 rearwindow
October 21, 2012 at 7:31 AM
Something else I just realized, thanks to DHM's explanation of the song Maru played on the harmonica:
In addition to manipulating time on a production level (like in the last episode, which ended with an event that temporally was two months after the previous scene), Nice Guy continues to play around with time in a more metaphorical sense.
The whole memory loss trope, at its very core, has engaged the drama in a deeper exploration of time. We've discussed before how Maru has been trapped in the past, unable to let go of his old conception of Jae Hee (which ties into the opening credits, in which Maru holds a watch that is moving backwards). Well, it's interesting now that multiple times in this episode he referenced having "forgotten" his past with Jae Hee (in conversation both with Jae Gil and with Jae Hee), as though using Eun Gi as a model for letting past events go, as though forgetting them is the best and only way to move forward.
Indeed, Eun Gi has basically been mentally transported back in time to her childhood, to a place where she lost all the tough stuff that occurred with her family and with Maru. But rather than stunting her, forgetting has pushed the narrative forward on all fronts--it has freed her from the guilt she felt towards her mother, it has freed her and Maru to love each other properly, it has even freed her to (with Maru's help) challenge Jae Hee in a way that she wouldn't have been able to do before the accident.
I am so curious both on a character level and on a thematic level how Eun Gi will assimilate her memories into her current understanding of the world. In contrast to Maru, who either obsesses over the past (as he did before with Jae Hee and does now with Eun Gi) or tries to forget the past entirely (as he does now with memories related to his love for Jae Hee), I think/hope Eun Gi will provide a more holistic alternative. She was never a slave to the past in the same way that Maru was, and yet she never tried to rewrite or manipulate the past to her advantage (like Jae Hee has always done). She was accepting of the past but also hopeful for the future. She had the imagination to envision a world different from the one she'd known.
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 9:40 AM
Hmm...not sure how to approach this yet, but someone (kristi, I think?) made an excellent post about which memories Ma Ru recalls on his journey back towards Eun Ki, and how they compare to the memories he had of Jae Hee: http://clairiere.tumblr.com/post/33831233760/out-of-a-hundred-memories
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ladida
October 21, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Ok, I'm finally done with episode 12, and I think I have a bit of a grasp on the memory loss trope thing. Choco tells Eun Ki that she can "remake memories"." Ma Ru overhears this and it's something that sticks with him. He wants to try this, wants to attempt to "remake memories." We've been talking about the past and how Eun Ki has worked to negotiate with it while Ma Ru has tried to bludgeon it. What I see him doing at the end of episode 12 is what I saw Eun Ki doing with her mom. Eun Ki was navigating her past by returning to that awful moment when she rejected her mother: she negated that and instead took her mother's advice by trying to run away with Ma Ru. Here Ma Ru is navigating his past with Eun Ki by returning to the moment when he rejected her. Instead of not taking her hand and turning her away, he opens up to her. (Notice he didn't shake the hand Jae Hee held out to him but he did take Eun Ki's hand.) The problem I have with this is that Eun Ki's renegotiation with her mother is built on the wreckage of their relationship, and similarly Ma Ru's re-negotiation with Eun Ki is built on the wreckage of the old, pre-crash Eun Ki.
But what really struck me was that he said he really couldn't remember any of the good times he'd spent with Jae Hee. It made me return to that scene with Eun Ki on the beach. It was the same beach he and Jae Hee were supposed to go to but never did. And now it's starting to be a little clearer (structurally, at least) why that was such a fail. If his good memories of Jae Hee are eroding like some fake world built in Inception, then it would be impossible for him to begin a new relationship on the very grounds, in the very place, that represent the epic failure of his old one. That's why he takes her to a beach again. A different one, this time. And it's so symbolic because Eun Ki holds the power of transformation in her relationship to water, and they are near the ocean--which is where Jae Hee went to drown. Love it.
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73 F.Ids
October 21, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Ok, this is a stupid comment, but i really LOVE the white/gold collar Eun Gi was wearing in this episode.
I am.the only one checking out their outfit?
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pogo
October 22, 2012 at 2:29 AM
lol no you're not! I loved her entire comeback outfit, all the way down to the shoes.
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74 Betsy Hp
October 21, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Thanks for the recap, HeadsNo2! :)
Something I really, really appreciate about this drama is its pacing. An issue comes up and it gets dealt with almost immediately -- and thoroughly, I should add. But without dragging it out to pad the story. I'd been a bit worried in the last ep that Maru would continue to lie to himself about his feelings for Eun-gi, but he didn't! So yay for that.
So I'm also pleased (and worried, but mostly pleased) that Eun-gi's flashing back to the accident already. The more time they have to deal with the issue the more likely the issue will be worked through. And I'd really like the two of them to work through this particular issue.
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75 MsTree
October 21, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Re: #65.1 DHM
I just had another thought regard Maru's attitude to God and his fate. A theme features quite a bit in most of the writer's drama. 2nd chances, life's little miracles.
The fact Maru didn't react to his hematoma news at the Doctor's offices, indicate he is already expecting something like this (constant headaches, he probably self diagnose this a long time ago) and had almost 1 year of contemplate the question of death, God, the end, resolve, ramification of his past actions, his penance, guilt, what would be the best conclusion of his life's quest/fate.
He clearly feels guilty with Eun-gi being the collateral damage in his fool's errand trying to 'rescue' JH (I don't consider his action revengeful. Being a healer, he was trying to save that idealistic vision of what he has sacrificed his life for, and to 'heal' his noona from going down the corrupted route. Hopelessly foolish he realized, tragically).
During all these months of thinking, will a deep sense of guilt and regret be part of it? And similarly, would that reinforce in his crazy single mindless to pursue making as money as possible before he leaves the world for Choco, so at least there's still something useful he can do?
The fact is, whether by God/luck/chance, Maru/the couple has been given a second chance with this amensia. After the crahs, he seems single minded in pursuit to make as money as possible (For Choco), but not make use of his good looks this, or get any close to another women. Two, which he decided after Eungi crashed back to his life: conclude his undoing.
He and Eungi has been given a chance of rebirth. Without amnesia, it is safe to conclude they are doomed. Maru has a chance of putting Eungi in her rightful place where she belong, to 'heal' and give himself a chance to redeem himself before his doomed fate (which he seem to welcome like he was in the car before the crash.) He admit he secretly hope Eun-gi will find him again, even though he must have been shocked by her even more vulnerable state (probably made him feel even more guilty). He think she is better off without him, yet Eungi has again became a beacon of light that gives him a chance to 'heal' and undo his past regrets before his passing. For starters, he is becoming to have emotions again, feelings, he even smiles, and he admit guilt, even to his father. To someone who claims he doesn't believe God, yet he talks to his dead father, does he believe in heaven?
From the 2nd part of the drama, I am expecting a little bit of 'Sorry I love you', where the hero who faced a lonely darkness, are again given a beacon of light / warmth / angel in Eungi. I hope the ending will be something like Thank you. That bring the main characters together, search for bliss, to able to live on without regret. That when facing their endings, tears will be rolling with smiles and peace.
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76 Bengbeng
October 21, 2012 at 10:56 PM
he wrote a love to kill????!!!! oh gosh, i hope we will get a happy ending. After watching that on top of Sang-do, i never watch another Rain drama or movie ever. That's how traumatic that kdrama was to me =(
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77 darling
October 22, 2012 at 12:21 AM
Thanks so much for the recap !
& everyone who discusses this . aha
I enjoy reading these eye opening comments :)
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78 JaeMin
October 22, 2012 at 12:38 AM
haisssst! this drama is really something else! i keep thinking of too many possibilities like..
-what if when EunGi gets what is rightfully hers, and realizes what people have done to get her there and in the end losing Maru..she will go ape shit and be like, "who the hell are you all people to decide for me?". like what if she chooses to be with maru than be owner of taesan?
-also i'm wondering how Secretary Jo will go about bringing down Maru as ordered by MinYoung as i keep thinking this is where all the bad things Maru has done will come back at him
-also much as i love the show, i don't get why the pretend Eungi now is very civil to Jaehee when her previous self/pre-accident was very much icy towards her and always with metaphorical claws out (and maybe i'm just missing the badass that EunGi was)
-and yeah, i really really want a happy ending! Come on Mr. Lee, its about time you give us a happy ending and stop crushing our hearts and souls for once
..there! whew! i'm just getting soo worked up with this series! Wednesday come on! ^__^
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79 Bobo Gogo
October 22, 2012 at 1:45 AM
I get the feeling that somewhere near the
end what is going to happen is that Marru
is going to end up in hospital due to his
you all know what. He is about to give up
on life as he will feel that there is nothing
worth living for. Then Eungi will come up
and try to convince him to live like by saying
Am I not worth living for. (Just like what he
asked Jah Hee in the Start)
Just like that History is to repeat itself. Hopefully
this time for a different and better outcome.
Am I just imagining things or will it really
become a reality. What are your thoughts
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80 RealKDramaaddict
October 22, 2012 at 7:33 AM
I think it would paint MR in a very negative light for me if he completely disregards and hates his past with JH. I understand when emotionally charged memories go away in order to make room for new memories and feelings. Still, hating the person from your past is like hating yourself.
I don't know. Something about the decency toward exes; the relationships are always about two people involved and one cannot be painted evil while another is a cute innocent misinformed angel.
I hope creepy lawyer Ahn will use and betray JH at the end. This girl needs to find something real rather than an elusive dream of power and money. I hope JH will be stripped of her main weapons (sex appeal, Damsel in Distress) just like EG was stripped off her canning, merciless mind so that she could really start anew, from the place of heart rather than paranoia.
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81 ju
October 22, 2012 at 1:20 PM
I think that, if Maru dies, it would be so cliché. Death is too easy seriously, it ends everything when life brings so much more. It is so much interesting to see how can people can go on living after all this mess. I am not saying that everything have to be alright, but life or love have to ends with hope. I think that even after the darkest night, the sun still rises.
Concerning Maru, as far as it is possible to read his mind and his actions, I think that he started to change after he throwed Jaehee away. He was shook by Eungi before, during the rain scene. I remember that he was looking for her at his house and, then, he just went to see her at the very moment he received her picture. But then, he pushed her away because he was the bad guy (by manipulating, using her for revenge). I was already convinced that he was touched by her when they met again. About the deal with Joonha, I am not sure if he tried to make an unreasonable request that could not be granted or if he is still trying to play the role of the bad guy since, like the boy who cried for the wolf, he can not be trusted anymore even when he tells the truth. In the end, it is so confusing... This drama makes me wonder what is a nice guy in the end. Is it someone who said nice things? Someone who takes care of others? Someone who is honnest?
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82 EvaLee
October 22, 2012 at 4:39 PM
Eun Gi's health? Pretty sure there was a comment about a previous car accident being the problem on the plane, but I thought she also had some sort of heart issue. Add to that the brain injury.
MaRu's health? Hematoma (bruise/blood clot) near the brain...bad stuff, but fairly easily taken care of if gotten to soon enough. Stupid boy, it's been over a year. What's interesting to note is that the writer included a little personality change for both the characters in the car accident, and I'm not certain that MaRu's memory loss over certain things isn't real (for the character, that is).
Choco's health? IDK...forgotten about?
On a side note, my own child is working on 11 years after a car accident stole everything from her and even took away her sucking reflex. It took five days after waking up from her coma to get that back. There are some things that have never come back, but most did. It was, however, like bringing home a new child with a new personality. I like seeing some true aspects of brain injury in this show.
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EvaLee
October 22, 2012 at 4:42 PM
Also, I thought JH made a comment regarding not necessarily the half the company itself, but half the profits for the given quarter to year that MaRu would be involved in this endeavor.
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am
October 22, 2012 at 10:03 PM
I hate when they set aside some important points that they've raised in the beginning of the show and then conveniently bring them back into the story. I feel so wronged when it happens. In this case, not only have they set the illnesses on the back burner/have totally forgotten to tackle them for a while but they haven't really given us a clear description of what the characters suffered from or are suffering from.
Your side note has really kept me thinking. Thank you for sharing.
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83 Sajen
October 22, 2012 at 7:33 PM
there's only two possible "happy" endings I can see.
One the show goes fantasy/magical and Maru and Eun Gi are the same person just magically separated and in the end they rejoin as one either curing their ills or dying together as a whole person.
Two all of this is just a made up story in her head by Eun Gi who has been in a mental home since losing her family and barely surviving herself, but at the resolution of the story she is better and leaves.
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84 Minoday
October 23, 2012 at 12:09 AM
Thanks for recap....
Doesn't maru's hematoma seems almost similar to his diagnosis of the little boy in ep 1. Maybe a full circle....with his doctor/teacher back on scene too.
Love their date heaps too...too sweet. Can't wait for next episode & hoping for good ending too.
Til d next recap....
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85 Jushi
October 23, 2012 at 9:54 PM
Hah!
I love that the old Eun Gi has problems with her chest (heart) and now it is her head that has a problem. It is so parallel to what is actually problematic about the Eun Gi in both states: Old Eun Gi - emotionally stunted ; Amnesiac Eun Gi - lacking enough mental agency. I also love that the character development of Eun Gi is circular and not linear. Maru and Jae Hee character progressions are both descending lines, Jae Hee being steeper than that of Maru's. Of course, it'll be a lot easier to save someone who's pretty much still on the surface of the ocean than the one who's been all the way down. So, I wonder whether Jae Hee could be saved in the end. But I am very positive that Maru will be.
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86 Dark Justice
October 24, 2012 at 1:21 AM
I just finished watching this episode a few hours ago and felt that I just had to comment. Interesting turn of events. This show certainly doesn't pull any punches and even the character actions have a hidden meaning behind them. Interesting to say the least.
My first point that I would like to bring up is that at the end of the tunnel scene I believe that while Eungi will recover her memories it wont be complete and the ones that she will recover will be taken into the wrong context especially the condition that she is currently in. What I suspect is that she will remember the last conversation she had with Marru (part of it that is). From it she will remember the part when he tells her that he is not interested in normal Eungi that lest and came to him but the Eungki that is head of the company. Akward to say the least but hey this is dramaland where people tend to have a lot of misunderstandings sometimes not solved at all. So clearly this is going to put some sort of dampener between the budding romance between the 2 characters unfortunately :( Though this will also improve things where I am concerned for Eungi as she will be made more aware of things and bring her closer to what she was before the accident.
2. Secondly I would like to point out that Jahee seems to be pretty dense when she can't get simple through to her. I loves it when she tells the Lawyer to know his place and he comes up and tells her that he will take care of his own business and for her not to leave his side. Clearly what he meant over here is that we are in the same boat and that If I go down so do you. So don't you dare try to discard me like I was just a pawn. Meaning that he knows about all the skeletons in her closest and that he can dig them out if he is ignored and hounded away. Someone said that what would happen if the lawyer back stabs Jahee. Well to be quite honest I wouldn't be surprised and she shouldn't as well after all she did tell him that it was okay to use her as he liked just not to like her. She should be careful of what she says :)
Secondly when Marru tells her that her actions may lead her to be investigated (due to the purchasing of the company wrong ways etc..) He was clearly trying to say that you may have pulled the wool over everyones eyes but for how long do you think that will work. Sure I took the fall thus preventing the investigation on you then but if this will continue the police will eventually realize that it was you who committed that murder and who knows what other crimes so please come to your senses.
Knowing Jahee that is certainly not going to happen anytime soon.
The third point that I want to bring up is Eungis' doctor. I have a feeling that he knows or atlest suspects that Marru is innocent and will come to prove it somehow. I mean over here we have a student who has a bright career ahead of him why would he commit such a crime plus being a doctor certainly makes his the wrong candidate. It may turn out that for the murder victim he may have been the medical examiner or pulled some strings to find out about it and it will prove out in the end that Marru couldn't have done it (maybe the TOD [Time of Death] wont match up, or maybe the murder weapon didn't use sufficient force or something for a male. Maybe the weapon was used in a wrong hand ie he is a left handed person but the swing may have come from the right hand side etc...) I may be wrong but I feel that this is the only way that he can clear his name somehow. Though I doubt who he may be fooling because clearly his friends must know or suspect that he is innocent. After all who would want to stay friends with a murderer. You don't get a lot of favors if you do that. Plus that medical doctor friend why would he still be friends with Marru if he knows that Marru is a murderer he wouldn't care if Marru dies or not yet he clearly cared for his friends health that he threatened to inform his sister if he didn't come for treatment. Maybe Eungis' doctor and Marrus friend may be the key to clearing his name somehow.
Lets see how correct I turn out to be in the end.
But before I end this post let me just get this of my chest and shout out loud
JAHEE IS GONNA GO DOWN BIG TIME! UP IN FLAMES >>>
JUSTICE IS GONNA BE SERVED....
BR PREPARED FOR WHAT YOU SOW IF WHAT YOU REAP
HIP HIP HORRAY!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry bout that just felt that was needed I feel so much better now.
Adious Mon a Mi
till next time please respond to my post and tell me if you agree or disaggree with me.
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87 Song Joong Rinaldi
October 24, 2012 at 8:08 AM
Eh lae & sis,eps 13 nya mana niy.....
Arrgggghhhh
Keluarin ga.??
Kalo ga ane ngamuk niy,acak2 bantal....
:@
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88 george
October 25, 2012 at 7:42 AM
aahhhh!!!this drama is too good to be true its killing me!!!oh yeah,it isn't real...still.....it's KILLING me!!!i won't be able to watch another drama after this one-for a very long long while.unless something as great as this one comes up.
to all the casts and crew,good job w/ this drama!
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89 ju
October 25, 2012 at 1:31 PM
I was wondering if you know the tittle or where I can find the song during the scene of episode 9 when Maru is looking at the picture of Eungi and remembering her when she was asking him to grow old together and yelling at him on the beach... Can you tell me if you know anything?
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90 jubilantia
November 1, 2012 at 2:31 AM
Soooo this drama is breaking my melo cherry. Please be gentle, Nice Guy!
Also, Heads, question for ya- is that last statement about Writer Lee's previous drama sarcastic or not? Because I desperately want them to have a happy ending, but know it's not likely to happen, and knowing about that previous drama would help me out. I mean, can't Maru just end up blind, or something?
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91 Sarah Khan
May 6, 2013 at 3:46 AM
Actually I'm lost here. Well, I'm wondering if Maru meant Eun-Ki as the woman in his VoiceOver. If it is I'll spazz xD I'll cry if it's not cause then it will be the step-mother :'/
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