You're the Best, Lee Soon-shin: Episodes 31-32 [Open Thread]

265 June 23, 2013January 24, 2016

You’re the Best, Lee Soon-shin: Episodes 31-32 [Open Thread]

by javabeans

Most of this week’s episodes fall under lowlights, so here’s a fair warning. There are some cute bits, and Jo Jung-seok is at the center of most of them, but there is also a lot of shrillness and screaming.

On the very small upside, a lot of that screaming happens between characters I don’t like, so it’s not quite as blood-boiling as it could be. And it’s nice to see some characters show their spine (like Chan-woo)… though I tire of waiting for the day when our heroine finds hers. Could she be more of a doormat?

Highlights:

Chan-woo proposes to Yoo-shin, making a public declaration using bus adverts and flowers and awwing spectators. She’s embarrassed, but accepts.

Jun-ho gets so frustrated with his feelings for Soon-shin that he finally has an outburst to ask why she never comes by the office to visit him. Lol. He’s so not smooth with the excuses. She asks why he’s paying such attention to her, and he exclaims, “How can you be so oblivious to someone’s feelings? I… you… I… don’t know what to do about you, that’s what!” SIGH. Well, baby steps. Still, he makes her promise to consult with him before deciding, and she agrees and makes his day.

Later he’s absurdly pleased to be meeting Soon-shin for a sort of business date, and trips into the cafe counter. It’s back, ha. I think I’ve got it—he trips when he’s feeling full of himself. He tries to order her the same dish she ordered on her date with Young-hoon, then gets pissy when she wants something else.

Then he orders coffees and purposely gives her the one with the big heart in foam, and then gets pissy when Soon-shin ignores the design and stirs it all together.

To make a point, he takes her to the auditions for a tiny theater group, then shoves her onstage. She drags him up with her in nerves and practically rips off his jacket. She’s terrible at the audition, though she manages to sing a few lines decently well, and then gets recognized as Mi-ryung’s daughter.

That kills their mood, but he advises her to get her act together if she doesn’t want to be treated like Mi-ryung’s coattail-rider for the rest of her life. It’s good advice, and a little refreshing that somebody’s telling Soon-shin to suck it up and do something about her acting path, instead of just waffling around like Mi-ryung’s puppet.

Hye-shin is hurt by one of Granny’s many many many terrible comments, and asks Bread Man to play hooky on their English tutoring sessions. She wants to try her hand at boxing, and he takes her to the gym where he used to fight to teach her.

He tells her the truth of going to prison for fighting, and she’s startled but handles it gracefully, saying it’s all in the past. Then they agree to trade boxing and English lessons.

Lowlights:

Now that Soon-shin decides to go with the acting thing, Mi-ryung buys her fancy clothing and agrees to help her set the rumors straight about her adoptive family. That makes Soon-shin happy and she agrees to an interview, so she can use it to explain how great her family is.

But of course, Mi-ryung pulls strings to have the reporter delete all mention about how much Soon-shin loves her family, and is pissy about how Soon-shin doesn’t treat her with the same adoration as she does her mother. Because, in her eyes, she totally earned that love, right? She vows to make Soon-shin look at her with the same adoring eyes—no, even more adoring. Said the crazy lady.

Woo-joo, whom I usually find amusing for her childish crankiness, snaps at Bread Man to quit hanging around her mother. I get that, but she pisses me off a little by adding that he’s reaching “above your level,” which I think is terribly classist of her.

Grandma and Yoo-shin both tell Soon-shin she’s no longer part of the family for choosing to go to Mi-ryung, even though Mom says she told her to go. So when Soon-shin goes home, Grandma’s all, How dare you live here?

Chicken Ajumma reacts to the news that her son is in love by attacking Yoo-shin, literally. She tells her family huffily that she could’ve beaten her up and Yoo-shin would have deserved more abuse, which (shocker!) does not win her beloved son’s approval. Chan-woo remains firm about his intentions, while his sister opposes Yoo-shin because she’s smart and pretty and knows it. I know, such terrible crimes.

Yoo-shin even goes over to apologize to Ajumma and promise to do better, only to have Ajumma scream and rage and push her out of the house. Chan-woo jumps to Yoo-shin’s defense, and when his mother threatens to disown him if he marries her, he calls her bluff and agrees to move out.

So our two shouty mothers go at it when Ajumma accuses Mom of not raising her daughter right, and I’m pretty sure that’s a pot-kettle situation if ever there was one. Finally Mom loses her temper and screams at Chicken Ajumma that she will never send her precious daughter to be mistreated by such a mother-in-law, yelling, How dare you grab my daughter’s throat in front of me? (Ajumma has the audacity to see nothing wrong with that.)

Ajumma accuses Mom of having some kind of inferiority complex with her, to which I say HA, since to have an inferiority complex you’d have to think the other person was better than you at something. So the ajummas are no longer friends, and I’m thinking they’re better off.

Mi-ryung gets the ball rolling to cast Soon-shin in a new drama (without Jun-ho’s knowledge) and then to sign her to a different agency. Soon-shin balks, saying that she wants to work with Jun-ho; her argument is that Mi-ryung is using her starpower to push Soon-shin, but Jun-ho encourages her to do things on her own merit.

So Mi-ryung agrees, though she gets huffy when Soon-shin keeps talking about her mother, wanting to be called Mom instead of Teacher. Finally she snaps at her that Soon-shin has no blood relation to that family—she’s not Dad’s daughter—and therefore she has no reason to ever go to that house again. Because to Mi-ryung, a twenty-year-old relationship can be erased just like that.

SIGH.

265

Required fields are marked *

51 TS

June 24, 2013 at 9:59 AM

I don't understand Hye-shin and all her passivity. Can anyone explain?

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 10:21 AM

She has the typical guilt-ridden syndrome because her husband cheated on her and got a divorce and so she is a divorcee and in the eyes of her family and society, being a divorcee is as good as being a failure.

In Korean dramas especially, what I have seen repeated over and over and over again :

- being adopted is bad because it is a sign that you are a bad seed/blood which was why you were abandoned

- being an orphan is bad because it is a sign that you are a bad seed/blood or carrier of a bad seed/blood that caused your parents' early demise

- being a divorcee is bad because it is a sign that you are a carrier of bad/blood seed that can trickle down to your descendants

- being poor is bad because it is a sign that you come from (or descendant of) a bad seed/blood

- not being born into a chaebol family is bad because, well, we all know why...

What do all of that mean?

It means that we need to STAY FAR AWAY from such people because, God forbid, our lives will be tainted by such BAD SEEDS and we will turn out to be like them!!

After all, oh gosh, we wouldn't want our descendants or lineage or family be tainted by bad seed or bad blood, now do we?

*facepalm*

Oh God. I cannot accept or condone such thoughts and feelings, yet they are so prevalent in Korean dramas that it never ceases to amaze me that such thoughts and feelings still exist in this day and age in the minds of drama writers and PDs.

Siiiiiiiighhhh....

Required fields are marked *

alua

June 24, 2013 at 11:42 AM

Yup....

That reminds of the divorcees in *shudders* One Thousand Kisses which made that point about divorcees basically being social scum and doomed for the rest of their lives loud and clear.

Hye-shin will get her happiness, with another outcast (ex-prisoner), so at least this drama's final message about divorcees isn't going to be as depressing as One Thousand Kisses. Still depressing to watch her.

Both HS and SS need to take a page out of the middle sister's book – who is another extreme, but she's certainly not a doormat everyone tramples on!

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM

@alua

You are so spot-on! Thank you for saying exactly what needs to be said. How depressing life can be for divorcees being labelled in such a negative light.

*shudders*

Thank God I have never watched A Thousand Kisses because I would have thrown stuff at my poor computer screen if I had from what you told me about the drama's message about divorcees in it. *shudders*

And YES! One redeeming factor for YS is her uncompromising stand on not allowing people to walk all over her like she is a doormat. So, HS and SS should take a leaf out of her book and grow a spine already!

Required fields are marked *

KDaddict

June 24, 2013 at 7:40 PM

kay, That is spot on and funny. But once we understand that, wouldn't our KD watching days be near the end? I tried not to process that knowledge thru my conscious mind for that fear.

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 8:49 PM

@KDaddict

Thanks for appreciating my long-winded ranting. ;)

I really needed to unload all of that.

I can see how considering all the crazy, warped and illogical stuff that Korean drama writers and PDs throw at us at every single opportunity CAN make us give up watching any more of such drivel.

However, I keep watching the Kdramas because I am essentially an optimist and I remain hopeful that there will be writers and PDs who have their heads on straight and give us stories worthy of our time, effort and money.

Also, Korea has some of the most talented actors and watching them play out their characters with so much dedication and passion make watching even some of the worst stories at least bearable. JJS is one fine example of a really talented actor having to act in a terrible drama written by writers and PDs who have lsot their marbles along the way, which is why I am still watching this drama. ;)

Required fields are marked *

52 Rach ^^

June 24, 2013 at 11:52 AM

SMR is a bat sh*t crazy bi*ch. WT* is wrong with her? So pushy with everyone and everything.

ARGH I can't rant about her enough.

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 12:09 PM

You and me both, Rach! ;)

We really CANNOT rant enough about how horrible she really is!!

Her idea of being a good mother is so warped that all she can think of is turning SS into another HER - embittered, cynical, cold, callous, devoid of basic human emotions and warmth...in other words, a robot/zombie, just like her...

Thanks to the warped minds of the drama writers and PDs, that is what we get in this drama.

Perhaps this is what goes on in the minds of the writers and PDs while discussing and deciding on what to serve us in this drama :

"Let us paint MR and all the mothers and grandmothers in this drama in THE WORST POSSIBLE LIGHT and CREATE EVERY CONCEIVABLE HORRIBLE STUFF THEY CAN DO/SAY and just sit back and see how the viewers react, shall we???"

Well, throw everything (except the kitchen sink) at us they did, and well, you know what we have seen in this drama so far...

Siiiiiiggghhhh...

Required fields are marked *

53 Lizzy4e

June 24, 2013 at 12:03 PM

Thank you for the highs and the lows. Jeepers these families are Batsh!t Crazy. Soon Shin should go back into training and move into the dorms. So glad she put her foot down and would only sign with Jun Ho.
At least Jun Ho has figured out his feelings and is attempting, albeit ineptly, to express how he feels. Fighting Jun-ho!

Chicken Ajumma is a vile hateful woman.

Hye-shin is learning how to relieve stress! Bless Bread Man and his gentle nature, what a dichotomy for him to be a fighter as well, teaching her how to cope and making time as well. FTW Bread Man!

Just because Chan-woo is gentle does not mean he is spineless. Obedient and patient, are what best describes him. Obedient to his family and patient with Yoo-shin, but also fixed in his resolve to have Yoo-shin as his wife. I see him as calm, and competent, steady and strong. After being raised by Chicken ajumma it is easy to see why he would fall in love with a termagant like Yoo-shin.

Required fields are marked *

KDaddict

June 24, 2013 at 7:41 PM

I suspect he took up boxing as a teen to learn to build up his char and not be so gentle that his pals laughed at him and picked on him. Unfortunately a boxing accident killed a guy, which landed him in jail.

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 11:57 PM

Interesting! He sure has turned out well from that experience considering how caring, considerate and sensible a person he is now. It is a testament to his innate character. He is innately a good person who went through a difficult test in life and came out none the worse for it. ;)

Required fields are marked *

54 bangsstory

June 24, 2013 at 4:13 PM

Can I cameo for just an episode just to scream to that woman's face all her faults just so she can finally wake up?! Maybe have Hye-shin practice one of her punches at Song Mi-ryung too just make sure that she's really out of her trance. Nothing strong just so she doesn't completely loose her mind. I knew that Chicken Ajumma was going to be a problem but in her confrontation with Mom just... made me want to pull all her hair out. All the cuteness of Chan-woo's proposal blown away by her mom's 'what did I do wrong' bad attitude. GAH. And grandma... just always picks the 'right' time to barge into Mi-ryung's house. So many bad moms in this series seriously. All the cute that is Jo Jung-suk and cool that is Bread Man just isn't enough for all the bad in this series. So sad.

Required fields are marked *

55 exquisitemelody

June 24, 2013 at 5:17 PM

I can't believe you even made it through the low/highlights. I almost gave up reading. But thanks for helping me keep up, JB!

I've given up caring foor Soon Shin. There's only so much spinelessness that I can take in a heroine before I go "Well, it's your own fault your life is the way it is. I no longer feel sympathy for you."

Required fields are marked *

56 dani305

June 24, 2013 at 6:10 PM

Yay! We'll finally know who Soon Shin's father is. Please give us some romance next week, drama gods.

Required fields are marked *

Windsun33

June 24, 2013 at 8:02 PM

At this point I don't care if her real dad is Kermit the Frog or OJ Simpson.

Required fields are marked *

KDaddict

June 24, 2013 at 9:24 PM

We may not care, but what if it propels the plot in the sense that it changes things, e.g. in "I summon you gold", all of a sudden it is revealed that the 3rd son's GF is the daughter of the president of a corporation equivalent to Samsung. We may not care but the chars in the drama do. BTW, that's another drama that needs a ranting thread!

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 24, 2013 at 11:54 PM

From what you said, I thank God I have not watched the drama...and probably never will... ;)

Required fields are marked *

pearl3101

June 25, 2013 at 1:57 AM

I dont think "I summon you gold" is as bad as YBLSS... If there were to be a thread like that... I would probably rave more than I rant... I have never once skipped a single part in that drama....It is more logical and engaging that even with all the makjang its still a worthwhile watch... Sure... things are not fair...what with the evil MIL and SIL... but the characters stand up to them and there is this balance from both the sides that make it engaging. If I were to rant I would rant about the setting of the rich household..

Required fields are marked *

pearl3101

June 25, 2013 at 1:59 AM

Forgot to mention the "Ojakgyo Brothers" feel that it adds... :)

pearl3101

June 25, 2013 at 1:59 AM

Forgot to mention the "Ojakgyo Brothers" feel that it adds... :)

Windsun33

June 25, 2013 at 11:28 AM

"I Summon you Gold" is not near as bad as this one. (but I do wish it had been covered here in recaps or an open thread).

While similar in a lot of ways, you don't have near as much screaming by psychopathic moms and MIL's. ISYG has some issues along the same lines - ie, the heroine who also needs to get more backbone, but she is not near as much of a doormat as Soon Shin is.

But what sucks me in on ISYG is that I am sure that someplace along the line, the twin sisters will meet, so I am hooked til I see what happens there, and also what happens with that mess of an arranged marriage of her sister.

But one big difference for example in ISYG is that the mom just feels frustrated and between a rock and a hard spot, you don't have the over-the-top mad screaming like in Soon Shin.

Required fields are marked *

57 thorned sakura

June 25, 2013 at 1:24 AM

OK, here's my SJH/LSS <3 <3 <3 recap!lol

-SJH/LSS evening stroll!<3 I love this scene coz it feels like they're back to being comfortable with each other again to go on night walks in the park coz you know, that's just what ex-managers and ex-talents do!Lol And its funny how SJH always uses work as an excuse to see LSS, then freaks out when LSS asks him for his motives!Lol Oh Junho, how can you expect LSS to understand you when you won't even acknowledge your own feelings!lol

-the morning coffee *ehem* meeting. Okay, I'm definitely counting this one as a date. There was no agenda to the meeting as far as I'm concerned. And the way LSS was waiting for SJH outside the shop, then with SJH jumping in behind her as a greeting?! No business meeting will start of like this!lol So, looks like a date, feels like a date--Ergo, its a date!lol

-restaurant scene with LSS, YH, and YA. (Well, this actually isn't a scene with our main OTP, but for me this made LSS's feelings obvious so I can't help but count this one in) When YA was talking about her cooking class with SJH's mom, you can see the corner LSS's lips twitch. She may understand (or think) that they're together, but that can't stop her from getting jealous!LOL

-another restaurant scene--but now with YA, SJH and his mom. Here you see SJH defending LSS in front of YA and his mom. Its really nice seeing OTPs act out their pairing even when they're not together. Also, I don't understand why MR insists on making a 2nd MR in LSS, when she has a perfectly good MR-in-the-making in the form of YA--seemingly nice and humble on the outside, but conniving and selfish on the inside!lol

I really like how the SJH's part in the romance is being played in this show...its not the same as the other lead man's mantras. It was always either "I like you and I'd do everything to make you mine" or "I like you but I'll die before I admit because of my pride". With him though, its more of " I like you but you have too much on your table right now and I don't want to impose but I want to do everything I can to at least make you smile...still, I can't stand other guys hovering near you!"lol.

Also, I realized LSS has been asking SJH the same question since a couple of episodes back--about why he is so nice to her--and everytime he gives a different reason (or stammers to oblivion!Lol)--but she ends up asking him again the next time they're alone. To me this seems like she's started to realize her fondness for him but at the same time trying to stop herself from falling (because as far as she knows, SJH and YA are together) so she resorts to rationalizing everything SJH does for her.

So now we have our main OTP trying their hardest to control their feelings towards each other--let's see who gives out first. My bet is on SJH--the rate he's going with hiding his feelings, he's probably going to stammer a confession without meaning to!lol

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 25, 2013 at 3:25 AM

@thorned sakura

I absolutely love everything in your comment! ;)

Your reflection, opinion, deduction and guesses are so entertainingly-written!! Thank you so much for the time and effort in putting them down in writing for our reading pleasure! ;)

We cannot have too much raving over our OTP, now can we? ;)

And I cannot agree with you more esp abt how JH is struggling with his feelings and how to behave around SS considering he doesn't seem to be able to admit to HIMSELF EXACTLY what and how he feels abt SS...

I think his experience with YA really burned him badly such that he told YA that he would not believe in love as easily as when he was in love with YA...

And so I think the main reason he is unwilling to commit or admit to himself how he feels abt SS is because he is afraid to be so vulnerable again - loving someone means allowing oneself to be hurt if the love is not reciprocated - and from his experience with YA, that was the case.

But I think what and how he feels for SS is the REAL DEAL compared to what he felt for YA before.

He started off using SS to win a bet with YA but as a result, he learnt the true meaning of love - putting another person's interests before one's own even at the expense of one's own interests - and THAT is EXACTLY what he has been doing for SS until now even way before the revelation of the bet.

And I think because it is something new to him, he is unsure how to deal with it - feeling the way he does for SS but at the same time terrified of committing himself BEFORE he is sure SS feels the same way.

So, the way I see it is, SS needs to SHOW him something of how she feels about him in some way, even though she may still think that JH and YA are together, so that JH can FINALLY confess his feelings openly, freely, happily. ;)

So far, SS has shown through her mannerisms, questions that she asked JH on why he is so nice to her and from her reaction to JH when JH is around, how she feels about JH but NOT to JH himself, so I anticipate it happening in the next 2 episodes because she will have the opportunity to do so while being comforted by JH after MR dropping the "your father is NOT really your father" bomb on her at the end of ep 32.

Or at least, I hope so because from the track record of this drama's writers/PDs, we may very well be disappointed yet again...we'll see...

Required fields are marked *

58 Rovi

June 25, 2013 at 2:22 AM

This show can AND WILL NEVER ever reach the level of "national drama" ratings (30+) like "You Who Rolled in Unexpectedly" & "My Daughter Seo-yeong". Big disappointment and a VERY BIG waste of IU, Jo Jeong-seok, Lee Mi-sook, Yoo In-na, et.al.

Writer I think, is still on LSD's and marijuana and shitty crack. No logic and rational thinking on writer's side gets applied to the characters. She should just resign and not write any more.

We should ALL drop this pile of poop. I dropped after the whole birth secret was FINALLY revealed (around 25 and 26; I'm not even watching the delayed broadcast at KBS World)? People clearly are not using their brains, if they had any, and even a spine. I should just stick to downloading other shows and "Yeoin Cheonha" instead.

And we should all just stick on when will Lee Jong-seok and Kim Woo-bin would finally have their reunion BROMANCE drama all to themselves. *snicker* Haven't watched the Cass CF yet, but... *squee consisting f dying whale noises*

Required fields are marked *

59 Littlehearts

June 25, 2013 at 9:39 AM

Junho junho junho!!! The one n only reason am interested in this show... Why the hell can't they give us more of him??? Ah cutie pie... But am thinking of dropping this drama. Its getting more and more dumb. Can't stand it anymore. Then again am just thinking :-D but i sure Hope he comes back with a new drama that is filled with jjs:)

Required fields are marked *

60 Khuncho

June 25, 2013 at 10:23 AM

agree with koreandramalover/kdl/kay

Required fields are marked *

koreandramalover/kay

June 25, 2013 at 11:17 AM

Thank you, Khuncho. :)

Required fields are marked *

61 Lillian

June 25, 2013 at 10:31 AM

This whole drama could've ended 5-10 episodes ago. Do we really need 50 episodes? I liked that LSS is finally starting to stand up to delusional MR. Although she needs to stop tip toeing around Mom & family. It's driving me crazy. She should be able to tell Mom she's going to do an interview to stop all the crazy rumors. Everyone needs to just stay away from Chicken Family except Chan Woo. He's the only level headed one & Dad on occasion. Yay for Chan Woo & Yun Shin. Joon Ho is cute as bumbling love stuck idiot, but I always root for the level headed always true underdog Young Hoon. Can't the nice guy get the girl for once? Really what planet is Yi Jung from? Daddy make the boy fall in love with me? Even Aladdin's Genie couldn't make anyone fall in love! .

Required fields are marked *

62 zakin89

June 25, 2013 at 1:25 PM

Phew...finally watched the two episodes^^ although 32 was the first one were i did a lot of skipping (I'm kind of proud of myself since I barely skip stuff in dramas^^)...

The desire to do something terrible to MR or Chicken Ahjumma has never been bigger than now... Seriously...
They're both in need of a very good psychiatrist :P

MR annoys me to no end with her "I gave birth to you so you have to be nice to me" behaviour... MR did you raise Soon Shin and gaver her the love she needs or was that her foster family? And what is it with all the strings pulling? As a veteran actress she should know that it would only hurt Soon Shin to get parts through her connections (I mean who likes the person who gets something just because her mom is famous?) but then again logical and reasonable thinking do not go well with MR...
I just hope that there will be no redemption for MR because she DOES NOT DESERVE IT!

After Chan Woo's speech I am highly doubting that chicken ahjumma was a good mother... If he really did everthing in his life according to his mom's wishes she is a terrible person!
But I have to admit that I find it kind of hilarious that she thinks Yi Jung would be a better match for CW :P
I did a little fist bump when CW stood his ground in front of her and marched off. The suffering is well deserved.

Required fields are marked *

63 Enz

June 26, 2013 at 5:19 AM

This is weird. Have just finished epi 32 and I find it INCREDIBLY SATISFYING!! Things were said that needed to be said to people who were unreasonable and manipulative.

I particularly love chan woo's steadfast refusal to be emotionally blackmailed by his mom. And I love that soon shin's mom replied chan soo's mom word for word. What an awful person chan won's mom is.

Of course, all the awful personalities in the drama don't see themselves as awful. Mi ryeong sees herself as a mom trying to do her best for a child that continues to be unresponsive to her overtures. While we might think she is crazy and overboard, characters like her certainly exists. And so does chicken ahjumma.

I derived great satisfaction in their futile attempts to manipulate the situation to their favour this week.

As for halmoni.. She is a realistic character too. Someone who always sees things from her perspective only and how everything bad that happens to her is prood of the universe conspiring against her!

Anyway, the long and short of this is that I did enjoy these two episodes. I dont see it the way most do!! But for the dramas sake, I hope it starts giving the rest of its followers what they want.

Required fields are marked *

64 Whi Lyn

June 26, 2013 at 8:35 PM

I like watching this drama. It has a lot of flaws. Spineless heroine, repetitive scenes, a lot of dragggg.... but I watch it because I still enjoy it and IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER SHOWS airing today.

Required fields are marked *

65 Michael San

June 29, 2013 at 11:35 PM

Thank you very much for the episodic reviews. Saved me 1.5 hours of my life every week. I like the show but I am only interested in Soon Shin and Jun-Ho's relationship. (I love your tip for episode 30 last week, The only part I actually watched ;-p)

Required fields are marked *

66 Ha Ni

June 30, 2013 at 10:23 AM

Has anyone else noticed that people don't take their shoes off in Mi Ryung's house?

Required fields are marked *

67 Jillian tran

July 1, 2013 at 9:27 PM

What is the ending song of this ep and ep33?? It sounds like Lee Changmin from 2AM and IU.

Required fields are marked *