Gu Family Book: Episode 18
by girlfriday
The beans are a-spillin’. It’s an episode full of reveals, as each character learns a monumental secret, from the source of family tragedies, to long-lost gumiho babies, to first love obsessions that literally will not die. They say your past always catches up to you, but damn, can’t we get an handle on that mess before it infects a whole new generation?
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4Men – “Only You” for the OST [ Download ]
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EPISODE 18 RECAP
After running off with the Super Secret Spy Maps, Kang-chi chooses his mother’s room of all places to hide. But they know nothing of each other, so Seo-hwa inches closer armed with a knife, thinking he’s a killer or a thief.
Meanwhile at the party, the decoy Seo-hwa unveils herself and gets ready to leave. Soo-ryun isn’t satisfied and signals her gisaengs to pull a Plan B maneuver, so they spill a drink on her and fawn over her in apology, yanking the corner of her gown off her shoulder.
Soo-ryun takes a look, but there’s no tattoo. She tells Jo Gwan-woong that that woman was a fake, and wonders how he’s done business with her for twenty years but never seen her face. It clearly bothers him now, because it’s gone from mere curiosity to injured pride.
Kang-chi swears that he’s not a bad person, and Seo-hwa chooses to believe him, even sending her sentry away with the lie that everything inside is fine. He thanks her sincerely for believing him, and leans in close to whisper the three best dishes at the Hundred Year Inn that she has to try while she’s staying here.
She notes that he talks about the place like he knows it well, and he smiles sadly. He says he did once, while Lord Park was still alive. She asks his name, and he gives it, even with the explanation that he was named for being abandoned in a river.
But judging from her non-reaction, she knows nothing of how So-jung gave her child away. She just smiles as he leaves, thinking him sweet and amusing. But once he’s gone she notices one map fragment left behind, and calls for her assistant in a panic.
Yeo-wool worries while waiting, but Kang-chi sneaks up behind her and takes her by the hand for the getaway. They turn around and run right into Tae-seo and Gon, and everyone stands there awkwardly noticing the handhold but not talking about it.
They don’t let go, even as they argue about the best getaway, and Gon has this great moment where he just looks at Tae-seo, and then back at the couple, and lets out this are you kidding me laugh.
Tae-seo barks at them to follow before they’re all discovered.
Jo Gwan-woong finds out belatedly that there was a theft tonight, and he stops Soo-ryun at the gate, now finding her timing extremely suspicious. He orders a search of all her girls, and I don’t like how nervous Tae-seo looks right now.
She complies, and thankfully the search turns up nothing and they’re free to go. Soo-ryun leads them out, and around the corner, the three stooges are waiting to join the entourage, dressed in skirts and covering their faces. Ha.
They slip into the crowd unnoticed, and follow Soo-ryun to the gisaeng house. They get ushered into Chung-jo’s room, where the maid asks her to house them for the night so that Jo Gwan-woong’s spies don’t see them.
They just stand there awkwardly until Chung-jo laughs, and then they realize how ridiculous they look.
Soo-ryun takes the boys to meet Lee Soon-shin and Master Dam who have just arrived, and when Master Dam asks what Kang-chi is doing here, Gon totally steps up to say it was his idea. Aw, can you be besties now?
Kang-chi shows them the map, and they note immediately that it must have taken months of planning to make these. They coincide with the string of murders across the province that they’ve so far been attributing to Jo Gwan-woong—oh right, that old plot point.
But the map itself isn’t proof, and Lee Soon-shin worries that it’s another sign that war is imminent, despite the state refusing to believe it and prepare.
As they’re saying all this, Kang-chi just keeps digging around in his shirt like it’s a Mary Poppins bag, and finally confesses that there were eight pieces, but he doesn’t know where one of them went. I love that all the adults look back at him like, You did what, now?
He thinks about it and realizes he must’ve dropped it in that woman’s room. At the same time, Seo-hwa addresses her men with scorn, reminding them that it took months of painstaking planning to get this far. She orders them to find Choi Kang-chi and get those maps back, even if they have to kill him to do it.
Kang-chi tries to explain what happened to Gon and Yeo-wool, and the conversation is pretty hilarious. “You didn’t show your face, right?” “Well…”
“As long as she doesn’t know your name.” “Um, about that…” They roll their eyes in unison, and Gon guesses that the woman was pretty. Yeo-wool gets adorably huffy: “Was she pretty?” Cute. Kang-chi tries his damnedest to backpedal, but he just keeps shoving his foot in his mouth. Hee.
Soo-ryun shares her suspicions with Master Dam about Seo-hwa being alive. She hasn’t been able to confirm it, but the timing fits with Wol-ryung’s return.
They wonder what it all means, and Soo-ryun is even more curious what on earth she’d be doing taking Jo Gwan-woong’s side. Right? That’d be my first question too.
Chung-jo happens to overhear their conversation as she’s bringing them tea, and runs back to Soo-ryun’s maid to ask who Seo-hwa is and what she has to do with Kang-chi.
At the inn, Seo-hwa admits to Jo Gwan-woong that the maps were stolen, and asks for his help in recovering them. He’s had enough of these games, and demands that she show him her face first.
She finally relents and tells them to lift the curtain, and Jo Gwan-woong only needs one look to recognize the woman he loved (in a creepy obsessive way, naturally). “Yoon… Seo-hwa…?” She denies it, insisting that her name is Ja Hong-myung, but he leaves completely shaken. “How can this be?”
Soo-ryun sits Kang-chi down and he asks cautiously if Master Dam was really angry. She says he’s just worried, and then notes that his eyes are like his mother’s. He’s surprised to hear that she knew his mother, but she doesn’t say any more.
She writes down a character (for a tree) and hands it to him as homework, and reveals herself as one of the four Men of Honor. His jaw drops and she asks if his surprise is because she’s a woman or because she’s a gisaeng.
She tells him that there is no such thing as status in the group, whether nobleman or slave, man or woman. She tells him his homework is to cut that tree and bring her a house made from it. Kang-chi stares at the paper blankly. Guess we have another riddle on our hands.
Yeo-wool paces anxiously in Chung-jo’s room, and Chung-jo finally asks if she knew that Kang-chi’s mother’s name was Seo-hwa. And then she asks if she knows who killed Kang-chi’s father. Yeo-wool freezes.
Chung-jo guesses that Yeo-wool has known all this time that her father killed his, and accuses her of hiding the truth from Kang-chi and smiling in front of him, betraying him with lies.
Yeo-wool swears that’s not what it is, and says this isn’t something she wants to discuss with Chung-jo. She opens the door to leave… and Kang-chi is standing right there. Oh no. He looks at her with pleading eyes, “What did she mean, Yeo-wool-ah?”
She can’t answer, and just runs past him. Gon finds her crying outside and asks what’s wrong, and she just bawls, “It’s all over! Kang-chi will never want to see me again!”
Kang-chi stands there numbly, and Chung-jo says she’s sorry he found out this way—it wasn’t her intention. He asks her to tell him what she knows, so she tells him that Master Dam killed his father, his mother had him alone, and then died soon after.
He sheds a tear.
Wol-ryung writhes in pain and So-jung rushes downstairs with some medicine. But he growls, “Where is this? Who are you?” and attacks, as if the demon has taken over and erased his memories.
So-jung ekes out, “It’s me, So-jung. Your one human friend.” Wol-ryung finally gets it together long enough to remember him, but warns him to stay away. Urg, he’s losing control, and fast.
Worried, So-jung decides to head down the mountain and goes to see Master Dam.
Yeo-wool and Gon return to find Kang-chi gone, and Chung-jo guesses he went to go see the man who killed his father. They run out, and Chung-jo completes the blue bird (for her name) that she’s been sewing into what looks like Kang-chi’s shirt.
Master Dam is waiting with a sword on his desk when Kang-chi storms in, and then he tosses it to him. “This is the sword. Twenty years ago I stabbed your father with that sword.”
Kang-chi asks why, and Master Dam says he lost fifteen of his men to Wol-ryung, and in the end he attacked Seo-hwa. He had no choice. Kang-chi asks if his father was really such a monster that he even attacked the wife he loved.
But Master Dam surprises him: “It was your father who was betrayed.” He explains that Wol-ryung was looking for the Gu Family Book and trying to become human, but Seo-hwa saw his gumiho face and fled in fear.
Kang-chi asks with tears in his eyes if that’s his excuse—that he killed his father to save his mother. He draws the sword and screams, “So the tragedy of my family began with the edge of this sword!”
Yeo-wool and Gon race back, but by the time they get there, Kang-chi is already walking out. Eep, his hands are covered in blood. Gon races inside, and she stands there looking up at Kang-chi and then back down at his hands.
He calls her name, and she walks closer… and then goes right past him without a word. Oof. I know it looks bad with the blood on his hands, but man that hurt.
Kang-chi stands there is utter shock, as Wol-ryung’s words ring in his ears: “If you trust humans, the only thing you’ll get in return is betrayal.”
Yeo-wool and Gon race in, but Dad is perfectly fine. He’s standing behind his desk, staring down at his sword, broken in two.
A flashback to the rest of that scene shows Kang-chi breaking the sword in half with his bare hands. He cries, “Whatever happened twenty years ago, it happened between adults before we were even born. So please don’t connect that past to us! Whatever happened between you adults, you figure it out yourselves!” Bravo. Slow clap.
The instant Yeo-wool sees the sword she realizes her mistake and runs out of there calling Kang-chi’s name. She finds him outside healing his hands with his blue lights, and carefully walks closer, not knowing what to say.
She finally squeaks out his name and he turns to face her, and then walks right past her like she did to him. Ouuuch.
She’s about to burst into tears, when suddenly he wraps his arms around her in a back-hug. Aw, you came back. Kang-chi: “Don’t do that again. Don’t make secrets. Don’t walk past me like you don’t know who I am.”
She says it was because she was so sorry and didn’t know how to tell him. He turns her around and tells her to look at his face, and just says, “I like you. I like you a lot.”
It seems like a weirdly timed confession, given where the conversation was going, but I’ll just take it as a …And nothing else matters. See, it’s like a participatory script, where we fill in the blanks together as we watch. Interactive! Fun for the whole family!
As he holds her, Wol-ryung’s warning comes back in his head, but this time so does his answer: “I want to trust people. I want to be with them till the end.”
A dark cloud descends on So-jung’s library, and a thick black fog comes closer and closer to Wol-ryung, until his veins grow black and stretch across his face. He opens his eyes…
It’s as if there’s no trace of humanity left. Is it all gone? Did the demon take over?
And in her room, Seo-hwa senses something that frightens her to her core. It would be interesting if they have a psychic connection, but he should sense her too if that’s the case.
Jo Gwan-woong isn’t convinced that she isn’t Seo-hwa, but for now he just accepts the cover story, and hands over Tae-seo’s slave papers. He confirms that it was Kang-chi who stole the maps, and that he spent the night in Chung-jo’s room at the gisaeng house.
Chung-jo’s maidservant comes to get Kang-chi, saying that Chung-jo asked him to stop by. But then as he arrives to meet her, Gon is told that Chung-jo came to the martial arts school to see Yeo-wool. What.
Both Kang-chi and Yeo-wool are in two separate places, looking back at Chung-jo. But the one with Kang-chi has a familiar incense burning…
The real Chung-jo tells Yeo-wool that she came here to say something about Kang-chi, but Gon interrupts to ask why she isn’t at the gisaeng house to meet Kang-chi. She has no idea what he’s talking about, which raises red flags.
Fake Chung-jo pours Kang-chi a drink, which he finds weird, but she feigns offense that he won’t accept a drink from a gisaeng and it works—he downs the glass. She pours another, and another, and I’m just hoping that gumiho constitution is roofie-proof.
Thankfully Soo-ryun comes by to see Chung-jo, and notices her maid acting squirrelly. She opens the door to find Kang-chi drunk, and asks what he’s doing here… with Wol-sun. He turns around, and there’s Wol-sun, smiling back at him.
Before Soo-ryun can intervene though, Jo Gwan-woong storms in with his men to capture him, and warns Soo-ryun to stay out of it unless she wants to be taken as an accessory.
Wol-sun says she had to feed him five glasses of the drugged liquor before he got drunk, and Soo-ryun gasps. That just convinces Jo Gwan-woong all the more that Kang-chi isn’t human.
He gets hauled away to the inn, where Jo Gwan-woong brings Seo-hwa in to confirm the thief’s identity. She wants her maps, but he says Kang-chi is too out of sorts to be interrogated at the moment, and she’s shocked to see him drugged out of his mind and chained up.
She wonders if all this was necessary, and Jo Gwan-woong explains that it is, because Kang-chi isn’t a person. OH. He’s gonna tell her? He says pointedly that Kang-chi is half-beast, and half-human… on his mother’s side.
Seo-hwa stands there in shock, trying not to betray a reaction. Jo Gwan-woong orders his minion to take Kang-chi’s bracelet off. He begs them not to, but he’s too out of sorts to stop them, and they pull it off. Eep. He writhes in pain and struggles to stay in control…
He screams, and Seo-hwa’s eyes start to fill with tears. When he looks up at her, his eyes glow green.
Jo Gwan-woong waits for her reaction, relishing every second of it. He asks, “Is that monster the person you’re looking for?” Crap, if she defends Kang-chi, she confirms Jo Gwan-woong’s suspicions, but if she plays dumb, what happens to her son?
Before she can answer, Kang-chi screams out in pain and collapses in a heap, unconscious.
COMMENTS
Strangely, it was an episode in which a lot happened, and in which nothing happened. In the realm of secret-revealing and information-exchanging, there was actually quite a lot going on, but in the grand scheme of things, we already knew every single secret that got spilled today, so plotwise it was rather uneventful until the last scene. It was basically an entire episode where everyone finds out what everyone else knows, though obviously some were big reactions that we’ve been waiting to see—Kang-chi finding out about how his father died, Jo Gwan-woong discovering that Seo-hwa might still be alive, and Seo-hwa finding her son.
But I only really care about Kang-chi’s reactions among them (the other stuff has to happen, but it’s not gripping, emotional stuff), so it only mattered to me that he did what I expected, and chose Yeo-wool over revenge. It wasn’t a surprise, because nothing about Kang-chi suggests he’d murder her father over a father he hardly knows, but the moment of distrust between them was played nicely. It feeds into his worst fears about feeling different and being distrusted by default because he’s a monster, and we already know how important it is to him that Yeo-wool of all people chooses to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I really do appreciate how the typical your-father-killed-my-father (-prepare-to-die) angst of every other drama was nipped in the bud. It drives me bonkers when the sins of the father start to outweigh actual conflicts between the people in the relationship, so I’m glad that this story has been consistent on that one front. It’s an important one, since Kang-chi’s major throughline is really to do the opposite of what his father did in every way, and why the repeated setups work. Because he always chooses the better thing—to trust one more time, to forgive the past.
Hopefully now that secrets are out, we can move forward with more eventful episodes. Kang-chi has yet to find out that his mother is even alive, let alone staring right at him, not to mention that Wol-ryung may have lost his humanity for good, which is freaking me out. Also, at some point, I would like for Kang-chi to—I dunno—BEGIN his quest to find the goddamn book? Or was that the one thing in this drama that wasn’t literal? Tick tock, baby. Not everyone lives a thousand years you know.
RELATED POSTS
- Gu Family Book: Episode 17
- Gu Family Book: Episode 16
- Gu Family Book: Episode 15
- Gu Family Book: Episode 14
- Gu Family Book: Episode 13
- Gu Family Book: Episode 12
- Gu Family Book: Episode 11
- Gu Family Book: Episode 10
- Gu Family Book: Episode 9
- Gu Family Book: Episode 8
- Gu Family Book: Episode 7
- Gu Family Book: Episode 6
- Gu Family Book: Episode 5
- Gu Family Book: Episode 4
- Gu Family Book: Episode 3
- Gu Family Book: Episode 2
- Gu Family Book: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Gu Family Book, Lee Seung-gi, Suzy
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51 Wendilynn
June 5, 2013 at 1:08 AM
I get the feeling that the book "appears" to said gumiho when they are worthy of it. I don't think its something physical sitting in a library forgotten somewhere.
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52 Inukikfan4ever
June 5, 2013 at 1:52 AM
I'm actually so glad Kang Chi overheard the whole conversation with CJ and YW, because he had to find out the truth sometime didn't he? Couldn't keep it hidden forever, and it's better that he finds out now. Cause I was hoping to see that YW and KC could overcome that and they did! :D A step in their relationship they had to go through. And I'm glad they went through it well.
Now, I'm really interested in SH and WR. I wanna see more of them. But like you said, looks like he's lost the little bit of humanity he had left. But who knows what will happen?
I hope that CJ and YW could be friends. Can this be that one drama when the two females will actually become friends instead of them exchanging petty and jealous words/actions over the guy? I mean, it's just not worth it, we can have a much better story without it.
Random, but I'm still wondering who will actually be the one to kill JGW. There's so many out to get him at this point.
Some people are saying YW might be the Gu Family Book for KC. Eh, honestly, I hope that's not the case. I mean, being able to stay human when he's only around her? I don't think he wants to stay human ONLY around YW. I believe he still wants to be in control in front of everyone.
The ending has me yet again anticipating the next episode! What will SH do? She's looking a bit torn at this point. And KC's not looking so good either. BUT there is one good thing that happened about this......they played my favorite song from the drama for the very ending scene :D....no, not a good thing?...ok never mind. Until next week then!
Thanks for the recap! :)
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53 kyl
June 5, 2013 at 1:59 AM
Love the last scene. Proves that SH still cares about his son despite him turning into a gumiho in front of her. I agree with GF, KC's 'I like you, I really like you' after the backhug seems to be out of place somehow. Then again, 5 second later I was like, whatever, as long as they are happy. Haha. Gonna throw all the illogical actions and reactions aside and just enjoy the episode :) The one thing that's most interesting to me now (and all along) is KC's relationship with his parents.
On another note, sometimes I find the director so cheesy, using multiple shots to do one scene (e.g. when YW walks past KC). I geddit, she walked past him, you don't need an entire 5 seconds to show that. Hah.
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54 Carmensitta
June 5, 2013 at 3:29 AM
Ew, the OST song from 4Men here too, I detest this song... it's a painful reminder of how slow this drama is. And it doesn't help this song doesn't have anything special and it's annoying by itself. 4men have some nice songs but this ain't it.
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Hyung
June 5, 2013 at 8:20 AM
BLASPHEMY! lol
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55 Gaby
June 5, 2013 at 4:49 AM
Of course it had to end like that...I really hate that Jo Gwan-Woong. When are all the bad things going to start happening to him...until now nothing. I really loved the scene between Kang-Chi and Yeo-Wool's dad...i thought..that's it...he and YW are over..but they where a lot more confident then WR and SH.
I hope WR comes to save his son...I don't want him to die...I cried my eyes out when he was killed in the 2 ep....and i hope they didn't bring him back just to kill him again...Make him .like he was before he met SH...I don't like her...not yet..she's the reason WR is bad, KC is trapped...she even tried to kill her son when he was borned....bad mommy. Maybe she sacrifice herself for WR ....I'm a bit selfish..i want WR to live....:)..and of course KC and YW to be happy...
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56 pong
June 5, 2013 at 4:51 AM
love this! “Whatever happened twenty years ago, it happened between adults before we were even born. So please don’t connect that past to us! Whatever happened between you adults, you figure it out yourselves!”.
i hope Seo-hwa will just say ... "He's not the Kang-Chi that i met last night".
aarrgghh, Monday is too far away!
this is torture!!
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57 Gufanatic
June 5, 2013 at 5:18 AM
I love all the OSTs in this drama. Awesome!
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58 wormsoup
June 5, 2013 at 5:44 AM
Maybe Seo Hwa can sense Wol Ryung cos of her scars frm his claws?
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59 DesertStorm
June 5, 2013 at 7:01 AM
Although I didn't expect Kang Chi to find out about how his father "got killed" by that ploy, I've already knew that Kang Chi was going to pull that stunt when meeting Master Dam. I knew full well that Kang Chi confronted Master Dam and asked questions about it, as well as not killing him. After all, the few scenes where Kang Chi discovered an issue, he confronted the issues in a rational way and never let his feelings take the best of him. Those who thought that Kang Chi would have his revenge on Master Dam really don't know him that well. So I'm quite glad that Kang Chi was still being himself, even after confronting about his father's past.
However, it's too bad that Kang Chi knew HALF of the story. I don't blame him for not knowing the full story, but I'm sure the writers will put the whole story later on. Kang Chi believes that his family's tragedy began with Master Dam's sword. But once he knew the full story, he will soon realize that the whole blame to his family's tragedy is JGW and not Master Dam.
As for Seo Hwa, I was disappointing in her to reveal her face to JGW. I have to admit that JGW pulled a clever move on Seo Hwa: using Kang Chi as his leverage in order to get what he wanted. However, I fully blame the incident on the writers more than Seo Hwa. If the writers had made Seo Hwa and her men AWARE about the rumors of Kang Chi, things would have gone differently. And just when I was expecting to change my views about her. *shakes head* Oh well, I guess I have to wait to see how Seo Hwa will pull that move.
As for Wol Ryung, I can't believe that he is becoming vulnerable to let his demon side taking over him. I hope that Wol Ryung has enough strength or common sense to fight back his demon side in order to stay as himself, with or without memories.
You know... After recapping the whole series, I think I know what is going to happen once Seo Hwa and Wol Ryung confront, face to face. However, I'm just going to keep myself quiet until the time comes.
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60 george
June 5, 2013 at 7:36 AM
I can't help not to think that the tasks/homework given to Kang-chi by the Men of Honor could be the some sort of the Gu book he is searching for,perhaps?Like the dragon scroll?You only see your own reflection,that you will be what you want to be if you believe?That there's no such thing as secret recipe?That you are special if you only believe so?Oh well...kekeke
Thanks for the recap.Can't wait for monday.
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kumi
June 6, 2013 at 7:38 AM
I also thought about Men of Honor as the potential guides in disguise for finding the Gu Family Book. Maybe we'll find that out from the conversation of the monk with Master Dam.
Yes, I do think that faith is the main ingredient. Even a "secret recipe" wouldn't work without it, would it? Not sure, if faith alone (without acting upon it) suffices , but definitely it is the determinant.
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Hyung
June 6, 2013 at 7:39 AM
LOL kung fu panda. awesome.
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61 Jay
June 5, 2013 at 7:51 AM
I hope they do some little backstory to yeo wool to at least know about her mother. I hope Kang Chi gets saved by either WR, YW, or Gon. Also the plot needs to get going there's an imminent war according to the admiral, KC still needs to start on finding gu family book, and when are SH and WR going to meet?
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62 IBELIS
June 5, 2013 at 7:53 AM
GF your recaps are amazing, and with each one I read I've come to understand the talent it takes to do this so well. Thank You.
I say damn that book, what's so great about being a human. All KC has to do is look around at the sorry examples of humanity that surrounds him. Plus he has some great extra's that he would have to give up.
I personally don't think its a fair trade.
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63 Karen
June 5, 2013 at 8:51 AM
So loved the YW and KC moment! So sweet! ANd really glad that prtty much everything is out in the open. Also curious as to what Cj was going to tell YW.
And the perfect ending for this show would be KC becoming human but only after WR becomes good again after stabbing SH's heart becuase KC can heal her and then everything will be perfect!! Even though the heart stabbing is pretty gruesome.
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64 Sajen
June 5, 2013 at 10:19 AM
I'm starting to think the only way for Kang Chi and Yeo-wool to be happy together or individually is for both of them to die in the final fight against daddy gumiho.
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65 Stephy
June 5, 2013 at 10:22 AM
I really feel there is no book. I think Yeo Wool is the key to Kang Chi's humanity , since he doesn't change whenever she is around. Maybe true love is what will make him human for good. The genuine love thst Yeo Wool has for him and the fact that she never rejctected him for being different. This wasn't the same for Kang Chi's dad since Seo hwa betrayed him the moment she saw he wasn't human.. That was not true love.
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66 Pam
June 5, 2013 at 1:09 PM
Girlfriday, I became your fan after reading your Vampire Prosecutor 2 recaps! You're hilarious!
Anyway, thanks for doing this recap!
I think WR turning into a demon really breaks my heart more than anything. I can't wait to see Seo Hwa's reaction when she finds out WR is still alive. I want to know if she regrets all that she did, betray WR and abandon KC? It seemed like she felt terrible watching KC writhe in pain, like a true mom should feel. We'll see next week!
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67 Dream
June 5, 2013 at 2:44 PM
I wonder about the minion of JGW and why does he need to survive Papa GMH's attack. There must be something the writer-nims want to do with him. Anyone have any insights?
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68 anonymousmouse
June 5, 2013 at 3:32 PM
I'm kinda digging how everything is coming together now that we're coming into the final stretch.
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69 Abbie
June 5, 2013 at 3:32 PM
Great episode. Loved it. I'm freaking out about that ending. What will Seo-hwa say? And what about Wol-ryung? Is his humanity gone for good, or is it just buried very, very deeply?
I'm glad Kang-chi found out about his father's death, but I think Chung-jo took a little too much glee in spilling the beans. Which makes me really not like her. Besides, all she did was drive Kang-chi and Yeo-wool closer together.
I feel bad for Tae-seo, in seeing Kang-chi and Yeo-wool holding hands, but not enough to make me want him and Yeo-woo together. Actually, both the Park siblings are getting on my nerves, but I like Tae-seo better.
Thanks for the recap, GF!
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70 sylvia
June 6, 2013 at 12:33 AM
Wow! this is really getting very good. Thanks for the recap and comments: I read that this is a fusion of martial arts action, historical, fantasy, comedy and romance drama. As such, the ending should be a good one. Kang Chi got to marry Yeo Wool and live happily ever after. It can't be the same ending as his parents.
So who do you think come to the rescue?? Batman?or Superman? -- Did I hear the Director said: Cut, CUT, CUT.... this is my story and I chose the way I want to tell it... This seem to be the high point of this drama.
My guess is Wol Ryung is watching over Kang Chi and saw him drug and chained. Then he discovered that Seo Hwa is alive. His 1st thought was revenge. Then He saw the evil JGW plot and understand a little what was happening. He do some killing but we must not let JGW die so fast. There are still 6ep. to go. He then carry Seo Hwa in a wind and disappear. Yeo wool and Co. came to rescue Kang Chi. The in the cave, Wol Ryung and Seo Hwa make their love confession. We will also learnt why Seo Hwa can't die.
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71 gd
June 6, 2013 at 8:24 AM
With 6 more episodes to go, I feel that the rest of the plot will be compressed into one big huge finale. Dunno, it just seems that way to me. Anyway, off topic... but I didn't realize Suzy's shoulders aren't leveled. The right is lower than the left. Has it always been like that? Just curious.
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Aurora s
June 6, 2013 at 12:19 PM
I think it's just the angle of the picture that makes one shoulder look lower. I've seen many Suzy pics and never noticed anything uneven about her shoulders.
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72 gd
June 6, 2013 at 1:09 PM
No. It's pretty obvious on a lot of different angles when she's standing straight. Her long hair is not there to mask it off. I have to watch clips of her shows to verify this. It wasn't that obvious in her bare shoulder scene when her hair was down.
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73 mailahana
June 6, 2013 at 2:08 PM
IMHO, I think YW should've/must trusted KC that he wouldn't kill her father, she didn't need to pass him like that, it would be better that she stopped by and asked him " You didn't do that, did You?". Bcos she just have passed him before, n didn't explain about KC heard in front of CJ..n after all that kisses, It would be better that it was YW did the back hug for KC for her fault not to telling KC the secret that she know. (don't slap me PDnim) I just need more Suzy emotions in this way. :)
For the gu family book I am agree that it would be a philosophy since KC entered the school n gived puzzle more puzzle to be solved by the four noble man.
Yeah, I am really exciting wait for the next episodes! Yeayyy, give us more curious.
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74 CaroleMcDonnell
June 6, 2013 at 3:24 PM
I thought the "She is my woman" scene in episode 17 was good but wow, the last scene of episode 18!!! The emotions playin gon that actress' face!!! She is soooooo good.
I still can't figure out why Gisaeng Cheon told Big Bad that Japanese Merchant Wife was a fake. It wasn't really necessary tht she do that. What could she gain from that? As a spy, shouldn't she know when to keep certain secrets to herself?
As for Seo Hwa...I wonder why she's turned against her own country. Is she a spy also? Or is she angry at her own country because of all the stuff she suffered at the hand of gisaeng and Big bad?
Thanks so much for the recap.
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75 mailahana
June 6, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Just adding my opinion, for script writter maybe there are complicated tasks to do. As for WR n SH, the betrayal between them is not easy to get solved by both of them, how can demon come back into a holy divine again? May be they both will be die?.
As for CJ bcos she had promised to kill JGW by herself, in order to do that she must have been returned so bad, but please she don't bothered KC n YW. For me Tae Seo, since he is one of the four nobleman, I think he will be good by not make a bad decision for himself n others.
And of course there was lee soo shin, the great jeoseon general, there must be a big move in the next episodes. Does this story will be lined to korean history?
And KC n YW, of course they both deserved to be happily in the end?!
*Just in my imagination
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lemondoodle
June 6, 2013 at 7:01 PM
I don't see why he'd even want to become what he was. He lived forever already and only wants to be with SH. I don't think he's going to turn human either... and it's not like Kangchi will have happy parents at the end. I think both SH and WR will die together and be at peace with each other. Probably after showing Kangchi he was loved by them.
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76 veronica
June 6, 2013 at 7:16 PM
I like very much gu family book! and I love the relationship suzy-gon I want to more about them! they have chemestry too! she is doing a great job!! good for her! I can´t wait for the next episodes!!!!!
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77 cheliwel
June 6, 2013 at 7:45 PM
Who knew suzy and LSG could be so intense together. The back hug was so intense! Nice shot by the director.
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78 wonderskyes
June 6, 2013 at 10:33 PM
suzy kinda looks like a guy w/ her hairstyle...
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Aurora s
June 7, 2013 at 10:56 PM
That's the point of the hairstyle.
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79 Dream
June 7, 2013 at 10:19 AM
- I'd have to vote the worst actor in this drama is DPJ. He is sooo... emotionless, throughout the drama and esp. in the scene when KC confronted him. Is he trying to play cool or what? It is such a big contrast with such strong emotion from LSG vs. him. While so many ppl complain about Suzy's acting, it is evident that she improves a great deal just in one drama, maybe with the best lead actor (KC) it certainly helps.... but for the veteran actor like PJ, it really is no excuse.
- LSG has definitely excelled into the class of excellent actor. Throughout this drama, I cannot even count how many different (and great) expressions/emotions he displayed, from the cutest of the cute, the saddest of the sad, the anger, the stupidity and the foolishness (oh, even all the "a-nor" phrases he expressed are ALL different!!), being scared, showing his love, his helplessness.......and the list goes on and on. His crying scenes are so natural and believable. I can laugh out loud and cry with him easily. He is definitely Dae-baek!! If you have watched his previous dramas, you would definitely see his growth (esp with Shining Inheritance where he showed no more than 5 facial expressions). He is no longer just an idol actor, but one with real substance.
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hhisc
June 8, 2013 at 6:16 AM
he never was an idol actor.
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80 Chrissy
June 7, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Sorry I still don't understand...but why is Seo Hwa a different actress now?
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81 mailahana
June 7, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Yeaah, just wanna say "Ano?...(With KC style), Can't be quite waiting for monday!
Thnks GF for this recap, I'll always glad to wait for it.
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82 mailahana
June 7, 2013 at 4:59 PM
Yess, absolutely agree with you! Before this GFB, I just see LSG not really good actor, he just followed the other actress role to play, bcoz maybe he have been always played with some seniors actresses, BUT today I think I was totally wrong!. In the GFB I love him so much, bcos his act has improved very very much! Great! Awesome Lee Seunggi!
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hhisc
June 8, 2013 at 6:15 AM
have you even watched all his previous dramas, to make that comment. He has never just followed anyone... He has grown as an actor yes, and he is awesome, but the rest of your comment is laughable.
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83 eleanor
June 7, 2013 at 6:30 PM
"Also, at some point, I would like for Kang-chi to—I dunno—BEGIN his quest to find the goddamn book? Or was that the one thing in this drama that wasn’t literal? Tick tock, baby. Not everyone lives a thousand years you know."
girlfriday - you always make me laugh. Thank you as always for the fabulous recapping.
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84 k-soup
June 8, 2013 at 6:32 AM
this was an awesome episode! took me a while to comment. I just saw the episode a couple of minutes ago.. Man, my heart was pumping hard in the last scene of the episode.. but wasn't it a little exaggerated? Kang Chi's transformation wasn't like that ... anyway, I enjoyed the whole episode a lot :)
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85 arugula
June 8, 2013 at 11:15 AM
I really loved Kangchi saying "She's my person." I don't know if it has the same feeling in Korean, but in English it feels less ownership-y than "She's my woman" and more like "She's my family."
Was I the only one who was a little annoyed by Kangchi walking away from YW at the end, pre-backhug? If he was doing that to show her how bad it felt when she did it to him, that feels petty to me. YW messed up, but was on the verge of an honest apology, and him walking away felt very tit-for-tat, if he was planning to forgive her afterwards anyway. But if he did it out of anger, then rethought his actions and came back, that feels okay--because it's not manipulative. Does that make sense? Did anyone else read it this way? I'd like a way to think about this scene that puts KC in a positive light, since I really like his relationship with YW.
I also found it a little sad when KC thought "without you, I have no meaning." As great as love is, and transformative as YW is for him, everyone needs meaning outside of romantic love, you know?
As for the quest to become human, I kind of don't care about that so much. Maybe because I'd rather him discover more about his magical gumiho powers and cool blue lights. I get not wanting to be immortal, but humanness as the end game doesn't feel THAT interesting for me. Having an intense power and being able to control it, understanding that connection with nature, those things resonate with me more.
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86 Cami
June 8, 2013 at 11:32 AM
I THINK cause the first character had to much of a baby face to play the older, vengeful SH
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87 shelly
June 8, 2013 at 3:13 PM
i went in through the wol-ryung gate, so to speak... i watched the first ep this week, then the second, and i was hooked - now i gotta know what happens to WR.
they had better not kill him off in the end. i'll take a skywalker-vader redemption as long as WR doesn't have to die to get to be good again... and he really didn't look so good by the end of this episode. (btw, the only worse thing than watching a drama where you're 85% sure your favorite won't get a HEA is to start watching it when it's about to get to the last quarter and you've just became used to the episode-after-episode marathons. i have to wait til monday?! noooooooo!!!)
it's nice how WR and SH are influencing each other, but i wonder if it works both ways, as in, the closer or longer they're in the same area, so to speak, the faster the curse to transforming into a demon works. he woke up when she arrived, now he's losing it really fast and i know he's a baddie but he's the one i care about.
lol @the dress colors (pink for the girl and blue for the boys) - so adequate :D
question: where the heck is the sea? they're talking about ship-building, there's an admiral there, but not one shot of sea? not even some beach? i get it that korea is basically all mountains and that the forests are not so out of place, but i want to watch some sea scenes...
i wonder at the cliffhanger... she HAS to deny KC because her mission is to do something that will probably end up with JGW dead, and she probably was doing it for the last 20 years, she won't stop now. and what is she doing, being all teared-up over the kid she didn't look up in those 20 years?
is it me or was everyone way too much with the PDAs and the tears lol? the one who didn't tear up a bit was WR - cause he's awesome like that (gonna go back and re-watch the WR/KC smash down lol just because i can.) if HE would have teared up a bit - again - i'd be really upset with the demon species. he did get some cool black lights to counter KC's blue ones, so he's still coolest of them all. i wonder how long KC will take before he heals him too :D
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88 Dede
June 8, 2013 at 8:26 PM
Have not read all the posts, so wondered if WR can be saved if SH did in fact love him. I thought, without going back and watching the episodes again, WR was told that if SH still loved him after she found out he was a mystical being that we save him. So.....if she, in fact, does still love him, would that not be the option for the writers to save him.
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89 Gufanatic
June 8, 2013 at 10:46 PM
All I care in this drama are KC and YW. Hope they have a happy ending !
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90 Dede
June 9, 2013 at 8:05 AM
Sorry #89, Don't think they can have a happy ending if KC's father dies. Remember he was an innocent and in a fair world (and we all know it is an unfair world) one such as he should not be punished.
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91 reglest
June 9, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Finally watch this episode in sub, and I'm damn Love it!
IMO, This episode maybe one of the 'untouched' one, since it has strong foundation and great line of dialogue. There are many dialogues & set up that grip my heart in this episode, such as:
-"My name is Choi Kang Chi, I was abandoned in river, Kang from the river and Chi from abandon. So it's Choi Kang Chi"
Anyone from you cries when heard this line? I am... Yes, I know we all know where that name comes, but as Kang Chi know what his name means, calling out his name everytime is just reminding him of his sad fate over and all over again. Like Soo in TWTB (sorry for making this reference), Kang Chi facing his name & fate with brave face, and I come to cries when I heard he explain where his own name comes.
-" The worst is deception. Deception and betrayal, what is the difference?"
A fine and strong line delivered by Chung Jo. Above, I've mentioned that this line was applied toward Seo Hwa to Wol Ryung. As @lemondoodle always remind us, We tend to hate Seo Hwa and defend Wol Ryung, because..yunno..Wol Ryung is betrayed (and not just because he is a hot daddy-ho, ssssh), but we tend to forget that he deceived Seo Hwa first. This isn't justify, but finally, someone inside the show pointed this out. And I come to like that Chung Jo is Seo Hwa's counterpart in next generation since the line just fit her so well.
I'll also mention this, to you who think Chung Jo's character developed poorly after Yeo Wool-Kang Chi's relationship formed. No, it isn't, and yes, this is a justifying comment. Maybe the scenario isn't exploring it too well (or maybe because the pleas to reduce Chung Jo's part? Molla), but I come to a conclusion, what makes Chung Jo a jealous girl is consist of two things: 1. Yeo Wool is able to accept Kang Chi, whatever he is while she is not and 2. Yeo Wool can live happily with Kang Chi. I think her reason mostly is no.1, with tangential to no.2. It's like saying Yeo Wool is a better person than her, as class & their heart is just different. She,herself is also feeling guilty toward Kang Chi, that's why she pull herself from him, but still can't accept why Kang Chi can feel happiness while she should live like hell as gisaeng? Why do people is permitted to smile while I should live like this? Thus, when she know about Yeo Wool's aboji, she want to say to Yeo Wool that they are just the same. Yes, she betrayed Kang Chi, and Yeo Wool deceived her. They are just the same kind of bad people, I think that's what she want to imply here
-“Whatever happened twenty years ago, it happened between adults before we were even born. So please don’t connect that past to us! Whatever happened between you adults, you figure it out yourselves!”
Dayum! I say, "YES TO NO MAKJANG REVENGE!" But may I kill Dam Pyeong Joon here? What has happened to you Jo Sung Ha? Now You are the weak link of the show! Watching the previous episode, we know DPJ is damnly feels the guilty to 'kill' Wol Ryung. But. WHAT.THE.HELL with his delivery, it's like a robot! And by that, who'll understand why you give the sword to Kang Chi?? I can imagine that the writer imagine the dialogues was exchanged with powerful emotion. With one side feels deceived & betrayed, and one side burdened by the guilty. Can you imagine how great that is? And if it played greatly, the lines above wasn't just received a slow clap from GF, but a standing applause from all beanie. Too bad, too bad, all comes flat in JSH's rendition. Thanks for Seung Gi who played it greatly, but without two sides contributing, the effect is LESSER.
And I should say, huraay to Yoon Se Ah, she play Seo Hwa pitch perfectly. She is able to deliver the hurt, keep the poker face, and concerning greatly. You can see that she raise one of her eyebrow seeing Kang Chi was chained. You can see the shift of her emotion seeing Kang Chi first time, from fear, surprised to the point that she find Kang Chi is amusing and pity him (after he told her about his name). I LOVE HER! And I hope she keep her work up! Oh yeah, love her translator too, his expression seeing Kang Chi's transformation is a genuine surprise! ^^
Of course, this episode isn't perfect. Listed from episode 17 and previously, I'm a bit annoyed with the kimono Seo Hwa's wearing, anooooo~ that kimono is for the young! You people, can you.. Asdfghjkl! Also the ninja(s).. Ninja should work secretly and swiftly, but Errr? When did you have time to explain "there should be 20, but there is 21 here" so openly?? Hmmmph??? And the Samurai, ayayayaya, when others are lying down, how can he walk and stand so grandly without rush to catch, just watching Kang Chi escape with the map? Ayayaya
Now, with 6 episodes lasted in the line. I hope this drama getting better and keep stronger. Gu Family Book, FIGHTING!!
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92 Lilian
June 11, 2013 at 7:10 AM
loved the fact that they didn't prolong the Your father killed my father plot. seriously it gets tiresome after a while! I just hope Wol Ryung can still be saved and there is no need for a father-son showdown.
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93 sparkle
June 13, 2013 at 4:34 PM
You know, I dislike almost all of these characters because they can't handle the evil Jo Gwan-woong! He frames people, kills innocents, rapes girls, and yet he walks around freely with wealth and blood on his hands. No One can win over him not even Kang-Chi's 1000 year old Gumiho dad! Jo Gwan-woong is a smart and evil villian!!! That's for sure! Who is very manipulative too! I pray that Chung-jo will be able to stab him through the heart while he is in bed! LOL Something, that the naive Seo-hwa failed to do.
I love this show, but I also hate it too because it's so FRUSTRATING to watch!!! I think that Yeo Wol and (maybe even Chung-jo) could be the only thing that keeps me watching this drama or else I would have quit already!!!
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94 Kaizeken
June 27, 2013 at 6:32 PM
CJ pisses me off in this episode especially. Yes you've had it hard (she's a gisaeng whereas she should have lived a noble life, she was raped, her parents were murdered) but she needs to stop playing the KC-will-always-love-me-more-than-you card along with the whole bitch thing. It just doesn't suit her. And I understand her having changed completely after being raped...but that gives her no right to take it out on YW. She's just another Wol-sun when it comes down to KC. I liked YW's words "You're only jealous when you don't have something" and that's what CJ is feeling. She had her chance. And she called KC a monster because she just couldn't handle it. That's why I love YW as a character.
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