Sly and Single Again: Episode 16 (Final)
by purplecow
We’ve finally reached the end! As the first drama I’ve recapped for Dramabeans, Sly will always have a special place in my heart. I think of it like my child, in that I despaired whenever I saw it heading down the wrong path, yet I defended it rabidly against its detractors and always tried to explain its idiosyncrasies so as to place it in the best possible light. And while Sly may not win any awards or get a scholarship to a drama Ivy League (no, this analogy will never end), it’s shown a lot of heart, loads of cuteness, and the self-awareness both to laugh at itself and to learn from past mistakes.
FINAL EPISODE RECAP
Ae-ra has tracked down Jung-woo to a battered old office, where he divides his attention between several computers and a cup of instant ramen. History is repeating itself before Ae-ra’s eyes, and she is pissed! She calls out to Jung-woo and he adorably tries to run away, cowering when she blocks his escape.
Ae-ra reams him out, and returns the glass CEO nameplate that Jung-woo threw away after quitting. She tells him not to show up in front of her again and stalks away. But Jung-woo’s gooey expression as he watches her go suggests that he’s not all that discouraged by her coldness.
That night, Ae-ra considers a number of messages to send to Jung-woo, all of which express encouragement or concern. After sending one, however, she deletes it immediately.
Jung-woo receives her message in his Programming Man-Cave, hard at work with coffee and junk food. The message reads, “Don’t appear before me again… ever!” Jung-woo only laughs and murmurs, “See you tomorrow, Ae-ra.”
Sure enough, the next morning she’s knocking on the door of the JW Ventures office, though no one answers. She circles around to a window, and sees Jung-woo and Secretary Gil sitting together.
Since Ae-ra doesn’t know that Jung-woo is working on designing a new game, it looks like the two of them are just wasting time. She huffs that he can’t have felt that poorly, if he’s well enough to be playing games. The mood is playful and light despite Ae-ra’s angry eyes, and then Seung-hyun has to ruin it by showing up outside.
Jung-woo and Seung-hyun have a private chat, during which Jung-woo learns that he still has some supporters among the investors and employees at DonTalk. President Kook’s health isn’t very good, and Jung-woo’s name is still valuable for the company’s image. Seung-hyun tells Jung-woo that the choice to return or not is up to him.
Ae-ra and Seung-hyun head out for a quiet talk in the park. While Ae-ra waits for Seung-hyun to return with drinks, she sees a father and son go by and flashes back to the moment when she explained to Jung-woo her real reason for leaving him. Losing her baby made her last hope for a brighter future disappear.
Seung-hyun arrives, bringing Ae-ra back to the present. He admits that he talked with Jung-woo about returning to the company, and asks Ae-ra how she’s holding up. She’s ignoring love, and only focusing on helping Jung-woo make his comeback.
Seung-hyun says that he, too, is trying to control his feelings, although he feels starved “in body and heart.” He reminds Ae-ra about the meal that she still owes him, and she promises to make good.
Later, Jung-woo visits President Kook in the hospital. Jung-woo promises that no matter what happens, he won’t forget his debt to the man who changed his life. Even if they went down different paths, Jung-woo’s gratitude will remain.
The ailing businessman is glad not to have lost Jung-woo’s regard, but he can’t leave matters as they are: he asks if Jung-woo can’t stay beside Yeo-jin and Seung-hyun, to protect them even after their father passes away.
In a surprise twist, Manager Kam and Team Leader Wang meet on the rooftop for a clandestine chat. It’s not as clandestine as they might prefer, however, since Soo-cheol sees them through the Big Glass Elevator. Jung-woo was right in Episode 15… they have got to install opaque walls in that thing!
At the family restaurant, Min-young keeps her new mother and father-in-law well-supplied with refreshments while they work. The parents reflect that Soo-cheol couldn’t have found a better partner. Talking about their new daughter-in-law leads them to the topic of their ex-son-in-law, who chooses that exact moment to enter the restaurant.
Ae-ra says she thought she told him never to appear in front of her again, but Jung-woo only scoffs and asks for a bowl of rice soup with extra scallions. I love this version of Jung-woo, who cowers in front of Ae-ra when she gets mad, yet steadfastly ignores her attempts to be a Noble Idiot.
Ae-ra’s father decides to lend Jung-woo a helping hand by strolling through with a dirty grill, muttering that he needs to hire a part-timer to help with all the work. Jung-woo takes the cue, offering to help wash the dishes. Back in the kitchen, Dad offers Jung-woo some sage marital advice: say “I’m sorry, honey,” and “I understand, honey.” A call comes for Jung-woo, hinting that there may be a problem brewing with the software development for the computer game.
After they get off work at the restaurant, the young people drink a few beers and camp out under the stars. When Min-young and Ae-ra go to replenish their snack and beer supply, Soo-cheol seizes the opportunity to ask if Jung-woo is planning a comeback. He’s quite put out to hear that Jung-woo has no intention of reclaiming his position, but that he’s merely preparing something to help out the company if the game Jung-woo was responsible for runs into problems.
Later that night, while Jung-woo pretends to be asleep, Ae-ra checks his phone to see what he was staring at earlier. It’s the selca he took in his apartment, the night she got drunk and ruined her own plans to be a Noble Idiot. Jung-woo pulls her next to him, and they share a comfortable moment of silence.
The next morning, Ae-ra is already at work cleaning the tiny office when Jung-woo arrives. Ae-ra gives him a resume, declaring that she wants to work with him. The two of them are so incredibly cute, belatedly adding the polite “-yo” so as to keep up a professional tone in their new workplace.
The interview only consists of one question: why should Jung-woo hire her as his personal secretary? Ae-ra replies archly that no one else knows him as well as she does. “You pass,” Jung-woo declares with a smile.
At the company, Yeo-jin hears that the game is running into issues, and the only sure way to fix them is to bring back CEO Cha. Needless to say, she doesn’t seem to like that idea.
At Jung-woo’s new startup, Ae-ra keeps sneaking peeks at Jung-woo while he works. She then gets called out to dinner by Seung-hyun, who says that it’s his birthday.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it isn’t, in fact, his birthday. He wanted to see her, and knew that she wouldn’t have come if he hadn’t lied. Since she’s already out, Ae-ra lets it slide and continues to spend the evening with him. She’s a little more forgiving in this situation than I would be, but maybe by this point she’s realized that the easiest way to deal with Seung-hyun is just to let him get his petty out.
Jung-woo calls Ae-ra later, wanting to know where she is. She prevaricates for a while, but he eventually learns the truth. “Whose birthday?!” he bursts out. “Seung-hyun’s birthday is in the middle of winter when there’s tons of snow! Get back here!” Pfft.
The cavalry arrives at Jung-woo’s office in the form of Secretary Gil, Manager Kam, and Team Leader Wang. It turns out that their sneaking around on the roof was part of Jung-woo’s plan to look after the company even after leaving. They’re keeping tabs on things, and Jung-woo tells them the good news that Shilla Hotel has expressed interest in investing.
While the investment problems may soon be resolved, the issues with development seem a little more serious. Right on cue, Jung-woo receives a call. He rushes to the DonTalk headquarters, ready to save the day. I was hoping he’d change into his DonTalk Superman uniform, but instead he rocks the Sweatsuit of Programming Power.
With the development team and Yeo-jin looking on, Jung-woo tries to get to the bottom of the problem. He thinks he knows what’s wrong and intends to fix it, while he and Yeo-jin awkwardly ignore the tension between them.
Jung-woo’s new office becomes unexpectedly lively, as his fellow conspirators join him to help the company. Team Leader Wang and Manager Kam throw themselves into the project wholeheartedly, with Ae-ra, Soo-cheol, and Secretary Gil all offering their help.
After they get off work, Min-young and Ae-ra invite Team Leader Wang over. She says that everything is up to the CEO now, and pulls out her tarot cards. The card she draws is death, which she interprets as an end to Ae-ra’s relationship with Jung-woo.
Team Leader Wang tells Ae-ra that she should be good to Jung-woo while he’s by her side; she herself was widowed, and knows what it’s like to miss someone who’s no longer with you. Although the tarot card makes her uneasy, she points out how special it is to love someone not once, but twice.
Jung-woo is working overtime at the office when Ae-ra walks in. She’s carrying a tray with snacks, and is dressed to kill with a short skirt and lipstick worthy of Chun Song-yi. Jung-woo can’t believe his luck, and puckers up to smooch his sexy secretary…
…and it turns out to be Secretary Gil. HA! Jung-woo rubs the sleep from his eyes. Secretary Gil reflects that it’s just like the old days, which triggers a flashback to Jung-woo’s days as a poor aspiring programmer.
He owes some money to the internet café, but when he comes back to pay his bill, he finds out that a certain employee already paid for him. Jung-woo wants to pay him back, but he’s already left for the army.
Secretary Gil had no idea that the grungy hobo from the internet café would turn into an IT mogul and offer him a job, but we’re certainly glad he did. From such small acts of kindness are the greatest of bromances born.
At the Kook household, Director Oh sits outside with his employer and feeds him rice balls. A flashback shows us the root cause of Director Oh’s loyalty to the abrasive businessman: when Director Oh was just a child, saving his food to give to his younger siblings, President Kook offered him a rice ball and a job.
From that moment on, Director Oh viewed the president as older brother, father, and mentor all in one. He reiterates his desire to always be there for the man who gave him everything, and the president shakes his hand with a deep, unspoken gratitude. President Kook may have finally decided to divorce his wife, but bromance heals even the deepest of wounds!
A TV announcer’s voice informs us that Jung-woo’s new company, JW Ventures, is growing fast and likely to become even more successful. But business doesn’t seem all that important to Jung-woo, who leads a blindfolded Ae-ra up the stairs of their dream house. He leaves her on the stairs for a second, when he sees that the wind has scattered the rose petals which had been laid out in the shape of a heart on the lawn.
“Secretary Gil told me it wouldn’t be windy today!” Jung-woo gripes, as he hilariously tries to push the errant rose petals into the proper shape. Ae-ra joins him before he can finish, and the two throw flower petals together.
They are seated together at a small table on the lawn with cake, a bottle of wine, and the model of their dream house. Ae-ra scoffs that for an IT leader, this proposal is surprisingly low-tech. Jung replies, however, that after hours of searching the Internet for proposal ideas, he found that most people still favored the classic approach with candles and flowers.
Jung-woo gives a heartfelt speech about how he came to realize that he still loved Ae-ra, and how he overcame his resentment. In spite of his claim that classic proposals are still the best, he whips out an iPad to add a little technological flair (although he starts with the wrong image). He offers her the ring, and asks Ae-ra to marry him once again.
Ae-ra says she can’t accept the ring, and Jung-woo covers her mouth when he thinks she’s going to refuse him. She bites his hand and snaps at him to let her speak. Ae-ra is ashamed of trying to send him away a second time, and wants him to know that she’ll stay by his side forever this time. She asks him to marry her, and sticks her hand out peremptorily to receive the ring.
They kiss joyfully in the yard, and we see a montage of the highs and lows of their second courtship. Three cheers for a second chance at love!
We leave our favorite couple briefly to follow up on the unfortunate Kook siblings. Seung-hyun is painting in his studio, and comes across the painting he made of the selca he took with Ae-ra. It causes him to pause for a long moment, and remember his time with Ae-ra.
A woman arrives outside the studio, sees Seung-hyun, and turns to walk away. That’s when Yeo-jin arrives, and we learn that the woman is her mother. She opens her arms wide, and mother and daughter embrace.
Back to Ae-ra and Jung-woo sitting together on a swing outside their house. They have a cute little dog wearing a sweater, but that’s not the only change in store for these two. They bicker back and forth about baby names, letting us know that Ae-ra is expecting.
Our final scene depicts the first time they met, with Bowl Cut Jung-woo and Exam Village Goddess Ae-ra making a glorious comeback. They’re both on the phone with their relatives, so they don’t see each other walking towards the door to the rice soup restaurant.
They reach for the door at the same time, and their hands touch. They look at each other: Jung-woo is instantly smitten, while Ae-ra looks him up and down with a sly smirk. And so, at the end of our journey, we finally see how it all began.
COMMENTS
I can’t believe it’s over! Sniff… excuse me, I’m a little emotional. Granted, there were times when all I wanted was for the show to be over, mostly when Yeo-jin broke my heart by becoming petty and boring. Looking back, however, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed Sly, and I think it did more things right than it did wrong. Was it amazing or groundbreaking? Not especially. Were there moments that annoyed the heck out of me? Absolutely (I’m looking at you, Jung-woo’s family!). But it dealt with the issue of divorce in a way that seemed realistic, without losing any of the humor, sweetness, or playfulness that first drew me in.
My first gripe: Yeo-jin. I was rooting for her in the beginning, because I thought I saw glimpses of uncertainty and quiet pride, mixed together with a reluctance (at first) to sink to the same depths as many bitchy second leads who came before her. Unfortunately, it turned out the writing team was only biding its time before turning Yeo-jin into exactly that tired archetype of the conniving woman, without enough emotional depth to motivate her scheming or make it sympathetic.
It’s a shame, because her character had such potential. If you’ll allow a wannabe writer to indulge himself in a little rewriting, let me try to back up that claim and create Yeo-jin 2.0. Imagine if Yeo-jin hadn’t lost her leg in a stupid and entirely avoidable car accident with a random hottie who’s never mentioned again. Picture this scene instead: Years ago, when Yeo-jin was 9 or 10, President Kook’s wife left the house with Yeo-jin and Seung-hyun in tow. She meant to spend a few nights out of the house to protest her husband’s treatment of her. But her husband catches up to her, and the two start arguing next to the road. Yeo-jin tugs at Daddy’s suit, but he brushes her aside. She trips and falls, directly into the path of a fast-food delivery scooter that can’t swerve in time, and the ensuing accident causes her to lose her leg.
Yeo-jin 2.0 still has cause to resent her father, but she has to stay with him because of the cost of rehabilitation. As she grew up, she would have become bitter and cynical about love, not only because of her parents’ failed relationship, but also because of the way boys treated her when they discovered she had a prosthetic leg. In this alternate world, Yeo-jin’s budding feelings for Jung-woo would represent the first time she gathered her courage to take a chance at love. The audience would want to root for her, because we see her overcoming her old wounds and allowing herself to be vulnerable again. The heartbreak when Jung-woo doesn’t return her feelings would be real and hopefully touching, but ultimately it would be result in positive growth and self-affirmation. Yeo-jin would realize that even though she can’t be with Jung-woo, she deserves to find someone who loves her in spite of her disability, and even learns to hope that another Mr. Right is out there.
Ok, enough of that. As much as I might want to, I can’t change the fact that the real Yeo-jin bought a one-way ticket to Crazytown. And even though she doesn’t reconcile with Jung-woo or Ae-ra, Yeo-jin does meet her mother at the end. So I guess there’s hope that one person, at least, may care about our grief-stricken Chaebol Princess.
My second-largest disappointment for this show was Jung-woo’s father dying in the same episode in which he was introduced. He was the only member of either family whom I liked without reservation. While Ae-ra’s family got better as time went on (and Jung-woo’s female relatives disappeared entirely, thank goodness), they just didn’t touch my heart the way Jung-woo’s kindly old dad did.
Sometimes the plot felt a bit unsteady, with side characters taking on slightly larger roles and then fading into the background. For instance, what ever came of Song-hee’s run-in with Secretary Gil at that bar? They even had a follow-up moment in the Big Glass Elevator, but that was the end of any interaction between them. Not only that, but Song-hee disappeared almost entirely from the final episode, not even taking part in Jung-woo’s crusade to save the software development for the computer game.
In spite of the few head-scratching moments, though, the show stayed cute even when obstacles were looming large. I loved the way Ae-ra gave up her own plan to be a Noble Idiot, for example. She geared up for her big sacrifice, like so many other misguided heroes and heroines in dramaland, then blurted out the whole thing the moment she had a few too many shots. I thought it was a neat bit of writing, playing off of our expectations and avoiding the pitfall that we all saw coming.
So thank you, Sly, for keeping your light-hearted tone. I loved the heck out of our main couple, from their bickering to their fantasy sequences to their realization, at last, that they have to forgive each other and be honest about their feelings. It’s time to say goodbye to Bowl Cut Jung-woo, the Rooftop of Not-So-Private Conversations, the Big Glass Elevator, Ae-ra’s scornful facial expressions, and of course, DonTalk Superman and Marilyn Monroe. It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy road, but we (and Jung-woo and Ae-ra) ended up in a better place than we started.
RELATED POSTS
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 15
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 14
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 13
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 12
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 11
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 10
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 9
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 8
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 7
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 6
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 5
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 4
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 3
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 2
- Sly and Single Again: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Joo Sang-wook, Lee Min-jung, Sly and Single Again
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1 tapiocapearl
April 27, 2014 at 8:26 PM
I love everything about this finale.
1. The Guk Family-I appreciate how their story was wrapped up with the reappearance of the mother. That family, indeed, was a broken one, and without the one glue to hold them together, they were not gonna be happy. I’m glad each of them had their moment of closure with the audience. The dad’s moment with Director Oh was quite touching, and it made me understand the dad a bit more. When he asked Jung-woo to take care of his children after he died, I rolled my eyes at first thinking that Jung-woo didn’t owe them anything. But in retrospect, I think the dad asked him as the only other person who cared about Yeo-jin and Seung-hyun, not as a potential husband. I was happy to see Yeo-jin’s story close with her mother because sometimes you just need your mommy to set things right. And then Seung-hyun’s wrap-up was nice in that he stopped being dumb and realized Ae-ra would never be with him. So nice goodbye for this crazy family.
2. The True Geek Squad—Jung-woo’s little IT team was super sweet. I realized I came to love Manager Kang and Team Leader Wang when Jung-woo hired them for his new company. It was a small part of the episode, but I enjoyed Jung-woo having a team of supporters.
3. The Noble Idiot Thwarted!—I cannot recall any drama where the victim of noble idiocy was able to avoid it. It thrills and delights me that Ae-ra never had the chance to unleash the noble idiot within her so much that if this failed version of noble idiocy became a trope itself, I wouldn’t mind it so much. I love Jung-woo’s humoring of her, going along with it and never believing any of her lies. I am so happy that the drama didn’t try to manipulate my feelings or waste time having them be apart. I love that Jung-woo knew she was lying, that he didn’t back away. I love that Ae-ra couldn’t find it in her to stay away from him, that she realized being a noble idiot would be no good for anyone.
4. The Kiss—enough said.
5. The Return of the Bowl Cut—I wanted it, and I got it! How wonderful of the show to have the last image be Bowl-Cut Jung-woo! I missed that unfortunate haircut, but more importantly, the insecure but lovable dork underneath it.
6. The Couple That Works Together—They’re back where they were at the beginning of the drama, with him working to build a new game, her being the ever loving wife. The difference this time is that they’re working together as a team rather than apart and miserable, and I think it’s great how this drama came full circle with these two characters.
7. That Proposal—I knew the writer was pulling our leg with that preview of Ae-ra refusing the proposal. ‘Cause there just ain’t time for that crap. I love the reversal, and I especially love Ae-ra’s need to take responsibility for this second marriage. She broke it off first, however unfair or justified it may be, so I like that she finally admits her love. We know Jung-woo was always going to say yes, so to have Ae-ra...
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tapiocapearl
April 27, 2014 at 8:29 PM
...propose makes her character again come full circle.
8. The End—Yay! They get their happy ending in the house they dreamed of together. I love the image of just the two of them on their bench swing because they really are the drama itself. I love their baby naming banter (and would have LOL’D so much if Ae-ra had said “I like the name Byung-hun,” and Jung-woo had gone, “No, that’s a terrible name!”). This really is the kind of drama where I’d be totally happy just watching these two and nothing else.
9. The First Meeting—He was whipped the first time he saw her. My favorite part of this whole drama has to be Jung-woo the Nerd. I’m so greatly relieved he never lost that part of him because it made it easier to root for him. He never did anything assy or denied his feelings or tried to be nobly idiotic. He’s become one of my favorite male leads ever, top 5 for sure. And his pairing with Ae-ra is one of my favorite drama couples now.
That was a lot. And I don’t even know why I have such a strong attachment to this simple rom-com. It did nothing new, the plot was not I-need-to-know-what-happens-next! Ultimately, it just gave me two main characters to adore, and with a heartfelt romance and wonderful actors to bring that to life, it easily became my favorite drama in a while.
Thank you, purplecow and odilettante, for recapping! You two did such a great job for your first drama! Humor, insight, and to-the-soul fandom, as it should be!
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Sae
April 27, 2014 at 8:38 PM
I started the show off liking the Guk siblings but the writing blew it for me, leaving me with the impression that they are just spoilt rich kids who usually get what the want and throw a fit (literally) when they don't.
Especially Seung hyun! Started out as an amazing character and just ended up being immature (to me).
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Sae
April 27, 2014 at 8:42 PM
I started the show off liking the Guk siblings but the writing blew it for me, leaving me with the impression that they are just spoilt rich kids who usually get what the want and throw a fit (literally) when they don't.
Especially Seung hyun! Started out as an amazing character and just ended up being immature (to me).
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Leisha
April 28, 2014 at 1:52 PM
Aren't they always like that though? I tell you there was only one k-drama where I liked the second lead female and that was secret garden. I want a second lead who kicks butt, and not go bat stuff Yeo Jin cray cray.
But, was it only me, or did you guys think the guy who plays jun woo looks like song seung hyun? Especially when he smiled?
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Jen
April 29, 2014 at 1:09 PM
YESSSSS! ME TOO! Although I think Song Seung Hun is smexier. xD Personal opinion!
Andrea
March 11, 2016 at 10:39 PM
I really liked the female second lead in Coffee Prince. Her story-line with the first and second male leads even followed some well-worn drama tropes, but the writers always respected her character and gave her good reasons for why she did what she did. Plus, the character was never possessive or clingy.
The singular second-lead female is only one of the MANY reasons I loved Coffee Prince (Gong Yoo is most of the other reasons. :P).
lemondoodle
April 27, 2014 at 8:57 PM
The noble idiot thwarted was by far one of the best things I've watched in dramas recently. It was so simple, but so well done. A really great take on a tired cliche! It was just really amusing to watch JW not fall for her BS even slightly. Though it's not like she really had her heart in it. Even after telling him never to show up in front of her again, she goes to see him lol. And he totally knows she will too.
I also really loved Team Leader Wang.
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Petmink
April 28, 2014 at 12:04 AM
The noble idiot thwart reminded me of Master's sun where Gong Hyo Jin's character spills the beans while she is drunk.
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2 A
April 27, 2014 at 8:30 PM
Yay! Thank you for all the recaps, purplecow! C:
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3 Welyt21
April 27, 2014 at 8:33 PM
Thanks for the recap. Enjoyed this show!
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4 Arhazivory
April 27, 2014 at 8:38 PM
This was really an awesome series. From start to end, it remained a rom-com, barring Yeo Jin's crazy streak of course.Joo Sang Wook's expressions and adorkableness needs to be in another romcom soon. He was too precious and overall the lead couple was one of the greatest I've seen in Kdrama-land.
Thanks for the recaps and congrats on completing this series.
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5 lemondoodle
April 27, 2014 at 8:49 PM
This wasn't perfect by any means, but it was still one of the most satisfying kdrama ends in a long time. The rookie writer shows a LOT of promise and did a better job with the OTP than a lot of veteran writers have. There were obvious problems with the side characters (and this episode seemed like they ran out of time shooting tbh) and the business part was settled a little too easily, but the writer did a fabulous job at portraying divorce and giving the audience a reason to root for the couple to get back together. You also can see why AR and JW love each other, which is also seems to be pretty rare in romcoms lately.
It also managed to remain an actual comedy through most of the 16 episodes. AR and JW also didn't totally change into new people by the end. Their dynamic and relationship was the same as it ever was, just with more understanding.
I'm also grateful his family and Song Hee were dumped from the story. They were both annoying.lol The Gook siblings I don't care about even slightly. They were both spoiled brats honestly. I don't think it's any deeper than that. Even their father was more likable by the end than them.
I'm really going to miss this drama. The end scene with the egg was perfect. Also shows that AR didn't just take notice of JW because of her mother either. I now demand Joo Sang Wook do another romcom soon. Never would have thought he'd be perfect for one.
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KDaddict
April 27, 2014 at 11:22 PM
Her family and Song Hee left out of the final eps. was the best thing for me. It was bad enough that best friend had to be with Aera's no good brother. If Song Hee had gotten the cute Sec Gil, it'd really have pissed me off!
How in the world did her brother become Gwa Jang him in JW's company? Isn't that a guy who can't even mop up after himself?
I like JSW before. Now I super love JSW! He got that nerdy cutie boy in love down to a perfect T!
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Alyssa
April 28, 2014 at 5:18 AM
+1
Really glad the cutiepie Sec Gil didn't end up with Song-hee :)
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come2noona
April 28, 2014 at 6:08 AM
I don't even remember a Song-hee!
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Lord Byron
April 28, 2014 at 8:33 AM
This drama made me rethink what makes a good drama.
It began not only as "not perfect" but, to me, had all the hallmarks of a slapdash production hastily put together by people who cared nothing about drama techniques. And the script continued to throw scenes at us that were detached from the rest of the drama or went nowhere later.
Yet, it worked spectacularly for me and I can think of two reasons for it. The first is that it had a central premise that worked, no matter how many details went wrong on the way. The second is the main couple, both their characters and the actors who played them, who kept pleasantly surprising us. (Do you all remember Lie To Me and Mirae's Choice? Now I know why they both failed so miserably.)
Yes, like you said, I will fondly remember this drama.
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iamdeb
May 7, 2014 at 8:23 PM
Weird because I love Lie to Me (watched it many, many times) and the strength of the drama was pretty much the main couple! Their chemistry was off the charts and it was the same in their BTS interactions and even in the cast wrap up party. Alot of people on here did not like Lie to Me but trust me, it has ALOT of fans all over the world. It was even my mom's first kdrama and she loved it so much.
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Pasta4Me
September 3, 2014 at 9:46 AM
I loved Lie to Me as well. Mirae's Choice is another story - really a major disappointment.
Sly is definitely on my 'Fav' list. Great fun, laughter, and romance. A keeper!
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iamdeb
May 7, 2014 at 8:26 PM
I love Lie to Me and it's a large part due to the OTP. Heck, they were my first ship in history and I thought "shipping" two fictional characters was very silly before watching.
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Mrmz
April 29, 2014 at 8:46 PM
I think what worked for me was, despite all the show's flaws (there were too many) but the Main story about a divorced couple with lingering feelings working their way back felt genuine, authentic. You believe in them, understand WHY it didn't work the 1st time & BELIEVE in them working it out this time around. The original problem had nothing to do with what each wanted to do with their life (her a homemaker & him go independant) it was really miscommunication & self centeredness on both side. Thats what they worked on throughout the show & thats why it work for me. In a way, i liked it better than Emergency Couple cuz despite the latter had better side characters, the main couple's development felt flat at one point & just turned into the usual kdrama couple. They didn't grow as a couple so I wasnt totally convinced they should go back together.
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6 MishaGam
April 27, 2014 at 9:01 PM
In last seria it was shown, how Ae Ra gradually believed in him and decided to support JW in his new business venture. This is one thing that differed from first marriage - that Ae Ra believed and supported his programming venture. (And that new JW venture is successful this time, of course).
They showed how Yeo-jin gradually accepted JW being away with Ae Ra , agreed for joint ventures with JW, and probably can live more or less normally in the future. Returned mother also probably helps.
They showed how JW didn't try to fight for CEO post, but still thought and worried about D & T company. Business / programming ethics is more important for him than power (or money)! Also it looks like he never looked on Yeo-jin as enemy.
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anaht
May 5, 2014 at 6:02 PM
"The fact that JW didn’t try to fight for CEO post, but still thought and worried about D & T company. Business / programming ethics is more important for him than power (or money)! Also it looks like he never looked on Yeo-jin as enemy."
Ah! (lightbulb moment) I didn't understand why JW didn't seem bothered by Yeo-Jin's betrayal, especially since he repeatedly said that he placed great value on his trust of her. JW took the very public backstabbing in stride, because Yeo-jin was JUST BUSINESS to him. Ae Ra, on the other hand was all heart and soul to him... his hurt from the divorce was so deep and so raw that he couldn't control the petty: the revenge hiring, the power walk in front of the secretaries, the blowing of ear wax, etc. All to our delight! I just loved Joo Sang-Wook's Cha Jung-Woo. Hope there will be more rom-com in JSW's future!
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7 Waiting
April 27, 2014 at 9:03 PM
Many thanks for the great job on the recaps!
I really liked this rom com and as many have said, the leads were great. I especially was impressed with Joo Sang Wook because I didn't think he'd be this adorkable...my first show with him was Good Doctor so you can see why I would think this. His character there was cool and straight-laced thawing a little at the end. He definitely needs to do more rom coms. He has a new fan.
All in all, I would recommend.
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8 Niki
April 27, 2014 at 9:17 PM
I love love LOVE Sly and Single. This is going on my top kdrama list. I was absolutely sold on Jung Woo and Ae Ra's chemistry.
If Lee Min Jung wasn't already married to LBH, i would be rooting for her and Joo Sang Wook to get together in real life and have cute babies! I mean...they look so much better together in that wedding photo....no diss on LBH. I really adore that man too.
On a side note, this drama totally made me fall in love with JSW! I'm so in love with him right now. There i was lamenting about the lack of oppas on screen and next thing i know..."HELLOOO there JSW!" Admittedly, I watched this solely for LMJ. I loved her in Smile You but hated BIG coz of the stupid plot and was hoping this drama would turn out better. JSW however played alot of 'cool' characters that i didn't really fancy nor did it piqued my interest. But goofy nerdy JSW...gold baby. Just gold! I'm glad i picked up this drama.
And many thanks to purplecow for the recaps and inner thoughts. I look forward to other recaps from you! Keep up the good work!
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salt n' pepper
April 30, 2014 at 3:29 AM
I agree with every single thing you said and I, too, started watching this show for LMJ because I loved her in Smile You. I'm a new fan of JSW. He's always played the cool, president type of character that you won't feel attached to but his geeky character here made me see him in a whole new light. :) Oh, and coincidentally, I'm also a Nikki. haha
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9 Momopeach
April 27, 2014 at 9:36 PM
Thanks so much for the recap purplecow!! I feel special being able to watch your first series review too lol =D
I really loved this show. It was sweet and funny and touching and just lovely.
I'll start with the bad things of the show for me
Negatives
1. As you said, the whole Yeo Jin, Guk family story. I don't think I can add anything to what purplecow said, and I quite like that version of Yeo Jin. I had so much hope for her, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Maybe in another drama.
2. Kind of based off of that, Seung-hyun. I really wanted them to end up together in the beginning. They wrote him to be more unlikable as the show went on, which disappointed me. It was also odd how he suddenly took Yeo Jin's position out of nowhere, and his attitude changed completely.
3. Little things like JW's family, Song-hee, and Ae-ra's mommy slapping.
4. I wanted to see more development in some of the side stories, but that's just me. In the end, all the drama with Yeo Jin didn't mean much in the end so I would have preferred stories like on Min Young, Manager Kang's family, etc.
However, there were so many more things I enjoyed!
Positives
1. It was the first drama I found myself rooting for every one at some point. I really wanted a happy ending for everyone. Well maybe everyone but Song-hee
2. All the cute! Need I say more?
3. Ae-ra. There have been a string of good female protagonists in dramas lately and I really like Ae-Ra. I could totally be her one day whether I want to be or not, and I love that.
4. Team Leader Wang and Manager Kang. These 2 really developed nicely and I think they need some more love. They both started off hard on Ae-ra, but grew. It was nice knowing more about them, and it's great seeing them join JW in the end. Really thankful they seem to have gotten a good ending.
5. The flashbacks in this episode. All 3 were nice to see. I especially like Secretary Gil's interaction with JW. L's facial expression were the best they've been in this drama, and I guess these types of conversations suit him well. It is great seeing a genuine friendship where both parties love each other, and we saw that in multiple occasions in the show.
6. The miscarriage reveal. The emotions of all 3: Ae-ra, JW, and Min-young, made that scene so memorable for me.
I greatly enjoyed the ride. I'll probably remember the show for a while, and will keep an eye out for its actors in the future. It was a charming show about life, love, people, and maturity.
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10 kanz
April 27, 2014 at 9:36 PM
Thank you for the recap!
I don't watch the show each ep, I just watch whichever ep is interesting and funny. SASA could be better but at least it managed to keep being funny and not become Emergency Couple v2.0, though the comparison will always be there.
I laughed when they bicker about baby names. Min Jung and Sang Wook.. LOL at the meta
At the end they choose Ae Jung if it's a girl, right? And I don't remember the name if it's a boy.
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JoJo
April 28, 2014 at 6:31 AM
Actually, I think JW and AR bickering about the names Sung Woo and Min Jung was the best part of the last episode, but I'm picky.
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11 malou1010
April 27, 2014 at 10:07 PM
First off, I just want to give our awesome recappers, purplecow & odilettante, a HUGE shoutout for their amazing recappings of this drama. You guys made watching this drama more enjoyable than ever. Seriously, you guys are the best!!!
Second, I'd like to say I really enjoyed sharing & reading all your wonderful comments about this amazing drama, which we absolutely love so much. Geez, my Wed. & Thu. won't be the same anymore...... no more CSL to watch! I'm missing it already! I'll probably re-watch it over & over to wean me off..... or better still, buy me a DVD when it's out in the market!
Oh wow, it's been a long while since I last said this, but I dare say that Cunning Single Lady is the BEST romantic comedy kdrama of the year! It's now one of my ALL TIME favorite romantic comedy kdrama. I absolutely love it! I was totally into it from episode 1 up until eisode 16. It was soooo hilarious, heartwarming, & engaging. In particular, I was so drawn in the endearing love story of Jung Woo & Ae Ra & their beautiful & heartwarming journey towards finding love once more, holding on to that love, & never ever letting go. It sure taught us that if you find that ONE LOVE for you but sadly lose it along the way because letting go is your only option; & if somehow by some twist of fate, you get that SECOND CHANCE........grab that chance, fight like hell, & don't ever let that love get away again!!!
To Lee Min Jung & Joo Sang Wook, thanks a lot for giving us Ae Ra & Jung Woo, whom we loved, admired, & cheered on individually, but not as much as we loved & cheered on like crazy as our adorable couple. Undoubtedly, you two as a couple is one of the BEST couple kdrama has ever produced. Both of you did a tremendous job playing your roles......in fact, both of you ACED it!!!! Hope to see your next projects pretty soon, preferably together.....say Season 2 of CSL? I'm thinking, My Sassy Wife...... oh wow, it sure has a nice ring to it!
To the writers, Lee Ha Na & Choi Soo Young, thank you for giving us Cunning Single Lady!Both of you never failed to give us an honest to goodness romantic comedy drama. Wow, you even gave us the BEST ending eeeeeeeeeever!!! Kamsahamnida writernims! Keep up the good work!
To the PD for choosing LMJ & JSW for the lead roles, the rest of the cast, all the crew, & production staff especially the one responsible for all the hauntingly beautiful OSTs played throughout the drama.........WELL DONE everybody!!!
Cunning Single Lady ROCKS!!!!
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12 schizoell
April 27, 2014 at 10:26 PM
You know what i love the most about this series? The non-cliches and the parts where they do the flashbacks and almost all the scenes are linked to one another.
I love love love when they came full circle for their second marriage and the placing of their flashbacks back when bowl cut JW first met AR, which denoted their fated to love each other.
I love the name picking session, Min Jung for being pretty and smart (yes obviously) Sang Wook for being handsome n dashing (which is also apparent due to my unstoppable drool everytime JSW is on the screen). They also made a pun out of JSW previous roles : 'executive director' in Thorn Birds and 'doctor' in Good Doctor.
All in all, i know this is not typical heavy melodrama, but its in my top 5 series to watch!
Thanks for the brilliant recaps! Absolutely love this OTP.
Off to dream about JSW's adorkableness ♥
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13 RR66
April 27, 2014 at 10:48 PM
What can I say! This is definitely one of the best if not the best rom-com I've watched. Joo Sang Wook just nailed it, he is so good in this drama, he definitely should do more rom-coms, he can do comedy as well as serious roles, what a brilliant actor. CSL Rocks!!!!
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14 geese
April 27, 2014 at 10:54 PM
whew...all in all i like the light headedness of the drama...i had enough of too heavy drama...this one's make's life light and fun....
not realated issue:
hey guys...do you to want to give it a try for the angel eyes sat-sun sbs drama...
i know it's a heavy drama but the guys are really hard not to notice....
i think this one got a nice story and i'm already hook...
sigh....
i hope you consider it...
Thanks..
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15 diba
April 27, 2014 at 10:55 PM
That was such a good watch. Such a satisfying ending. Haven't felt this way for a drama in so long because nothing feels like too much bull. It just felt real most of the time...
What I admired most was how everyone was flawed. Although it would have been nice and endearing to have that one perfect character (I expected Puppy to be it) but then again, that's life yknow, no one is perfect. Our hero and heroine are definitely not perfect, our second lady was faaaaaaar from perfect and whilst Puppy might have been perfect on the surface, he definitely lacks hearing "no" skills. But then again if he was very perfect and the show didnt make him annoying then I and probs other people, as a viewer would clearly not understand why Ae Ra wouldn't want to give him a chance.
I dont know if the writer intended this but the name of the drama worked really well for me. The description was definitely misleading but I think the name worked just fine. We don't have that many characters, but out of the 5 ladies we see roaming around (excluding Aera's Ma), all of them are/were single and 3 of them were widowed. Your version of YJ is perf, but I think they wanted to focus on marriage/divorce/widows
And I think none of them were really a "Cunning Single Lady"....and that's the point.
Whilst they all clearly never hide their love for money, at no point were they cunning and plotting for money. Ae ra may have been swayed by JW's wealth at the beginning, but at the end what mattered most was their feelings & not money. I think the drama perfectly potrayed that when you actually married for love and just bc you didnt get any kids out of that marriage, it doesnt mean all ties are so easily cut; wherein being widowed isnt just as easy as being single again.
Ae ra and jung woo were completely blessed to get a second chance at their once failed and incomplete lovestory - a choice to love or not love again.
It's not the case for the other 2 ladies. For the Team Leader, she supports them and tells them to enjoy it while they have it.
Meanwhile Yeo Jin obviously felt it was unfair and cheated for people who screwed up once to have another chance whilst she didnt even get a day to be with her husband. I believe she wouldnt be as angry had AR not been his ex since YJ genuinely respected AR. So she slipped to crazyland not cos she was jealous of not having Jung woo, but bc she was jealous of people reconciling & she felt like her little excuse to live (Jung Woo) was slipping away. After losing the only person who I supposedly cared abt her excluding her puppy brother since she hated her dad and her mum sort of hated her, I get it. It couldve been handled way better and her characterization is one of the most disappointing thing of the drama. Couldve been a beautiful journey too, but it just became messy.
But at least it was completely forgive-able cos at least the poor child got her mother back. Mothers are the best medicine. So it was really...
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diba
April 27, 2014 at 10:58 PM
fun from the beginning till the end. So thank you for the recaps odilettante & purplecow. So deeply appreciated!
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16 lulu
April 27, 2014 at 11:06 PM
Enjoyed this drama! But a couple things that didn't make sense:
1. What was the purpose of the Team Leader's toothache that he made such a big deal about? I thought it would fit in somehow to the storyline but it totally had no purpose.
2. Why did the tarot death card come up? Again, I thought it would serve some purpose, but it seemed totally random.
I think the writers tried too hard at the end when JW proposed to Ae-ra to make it look like she wasn't going to accept. If all she was going to say was that she would stick by his side this time and wanted to marry him, why have her say, "No, I can't accept this proposal"? And why have her stand up to say all that like she was about to leave? - I think they tried to hard to trick the viewers and the outcome was a scene that didn't quite make much sense.
But I won't complain too much since it was a happy ending with a nice smooch at the end.
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lemondoodle
April 27, 2014 at 11:18 PM
1. I don't think there was a point. The actor probably had something wrong with his face so they made him have a tooth ache in the drama. You can see him covering a bandage with his hand.
2. It's just a game they played on their retreat. I don't think it had much of a point.
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lulu
April 28, 2014 at 2:06 PM
I meant the death card in this episode, not from the retreat
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Amell
April 28, 2014 at 12:29 AM
The Death card means the end of something, pretty soon after that scene we see SH proposing to him and wanting the responsibility of a second marriage. Their first disastrous one is put to rest and they move on.
Death but not really DEATH.
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17 danydanybobany
April 27, 2014 at 11:07 PM
I know that many of you have said it, but I have to say it too: I love, love this couple. Its one of my favorite couples of all the dramas I have watched.
You know when some times you love just one part of the OTP, either the heroine or the hero and you are ok with the other one because its the one your favorite loves.
This time, I love both of them. Its true that it took me 6 or 7 episodes to love Jung-woo, but when Dork Jung-woo returned with all his glory, I was dying of the overload of cuteness. Plus, after Good Doctor, to watch Joo Sang-wook being a dork was so satisfying. And Lee Min-jung as Ae-ra, just great, i love her too. The casting for the leads was spot on.
The dramas has it flaws and its true that after certain episodes I just skipped everything that wasnt the main couple. But just them made me wait anxiously every week to watch new episodes. Their growth was really good too, and maybe the other parts of the drama were uneven, but I thank the writer for the way she (or he? I dont know) managed the OTP.
I really like the alternative story that purplecow made for Yeo-jin. I just dont know why the writers love to make the female second leads really bitchy. Its the usual pattern: male second lead is perfect (and we get second lead syndrome) and the second lead females are clingy bitches. I know that its not always like this, but in rom-com is very common.
Anyway, I was so happy with this drama (well with the OTP. But the OTP is the most important part so, yeah, with the drama) I laughed A LOT. The cute killed me in a good way, it was amazing and I really need to watch Joo Sang-wook in more rom-coms.
Thanks to purplecow and odilettante for the recaps!
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18 risa
April 27, 2014 at 11:12 PM
There were several things I really enjoyed about this show, but my favorite by far was getting to see Joo Sang Wook be adorkable and really expressive for a change. I really hope he does more rom coms in the future. (Now I just have to beg the Dramagods to show me Lee Sang Woo in a similar role.) JSW made an awesome Jung Woo with all his many facets, and I didn’t even mind too much that he brooded in the elevator instead of the shower, because he was so dang cute when he was all hunched over with insecurity. Where is my sweet, smart, devoted dork who has plastic-flower lovesickness?
This show’s writers had a tendency to elicit a cycle of “aww… ugh… aww… ugh”s from me, and it’s a shame that they did something as awesome as the way they subverted the noble idiocy trope at the end, and yet still managed to turn most of the secondary roles into such tired caricatures. I also didn’t appreciate how Ae Ra ended up as a coffee-server in JW’s new enterprise, still without a clear dream of her own. But overall, the show gave me plenty of squees and general rom-com pleasure, which I’ve been longing for.
Purplecow and odilettante~ thank you so, so much for answering the call for new minions, enduring boot camp, and doing such a great job of recapping this drama. I really enjoyed reading your recaps and comments~ I hope it was a fulfilling experience for you and that you’ll stick around for a long time.
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19 KDaddict
April 27, 2014 at 11:42 PM
I wonder what was wrong with Lee MJ's stylist. She is super beautiful, as the wedding pics at the end attest; as did the flash back of her being Exam Town Madonna. Giving her that awful hair style thru out the whole series should be a crime.
I for one am very happy that Song Hee did not follow the team over to JW's new startup. She can remain at DonTalk and be the snake that she has always been, working for Crazy Lady.
Purplecow, See you again soon. Hope you get to recap one of the hot new dramas coming up!
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Andrea
March 11, 2016 at 10:46 PM
YES to your critique of Lee Min Jung's hair -- or at least, her hair in the second half. I actually really liked her curly/wavy hair of the first half, and was dismayed and puzzled when they decided to go for possibly the least flattering haircut of all time in the second half.
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20 Dissenter
April 27, 2014 at 11:52 PM
Purplecow, thanks so much for recapping this series with odilettante. You did a fantastic job and I always appreciated your insightful comments.
Episode 16 was a bit rushed. It felt like the writers sat down and made a list of all loose ends and just wrote one short scene after another. So, although it gave me everything I wanted, I didn't feel as satisfied as I would have had the writers tied those loose ends with a bit more finesse...and time.
I think the only loose end for me was Manager Kang's toothache, but then I realized that the story was probably created because the actor probably injured his face and the best thing to do is try to let that storyline die as soon as the actor's face recovered.
Am I the only one that's bugged that JW did it again? He quit his position as CEO without telling AR and just disappeared. The results may have been different but that's not the point. The point, is that I wanted to see him act with more consideration for AR this time around.
The three best things about this drama:
1. The writers remembered the "comedy", for the most part, from beginning to end and yet were still able to give us a heartfelt story. Most romantic comedies I watch are funny and cute only up to the halfway point. After that, the plot degenerates into angst-ridden drama.
2. Joo Sang-wook - My golly. The last time I was this giddy over a male lead was Cha Seung‑won in Greatest Love. This is the first time seeing him in a drama and I want MORE.
3. Lee Min-jung - I think, if a different actress had played across from JSW, he would have been stealing scenes left and right. LMJ was brilliant during the sassy and comedic moments and turned AR into someone we laughed and cried with and, most of all, rooted for. JW and AR are one of my favorite couples in kdramaland of all times and it's largely thanks to the actors.
Overall, I loved Sly and Single and will miss it dearly.
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kittycat
April 28, 2014 at 6:33 AM
Yes the last male lead that I loved as much as Cha Jung Woo was Dokko Jin from the best love. Joo Sang Wook gained himself a fan for life. Haha
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21 windsun33
April 27, 2014 at 11:53 PM
Overall I would give the show about 8/10 - much better than most. I knocked off 2 stars because of their families mostly. Despite the ending, I still found the Guk family to be mostly all crazies, and her family except for the mother to be totally worthless.
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22 Petmink
April 28, 2014 at 12:11 AM
Does DonTalk only hire terrible programmers that can't find and fix a bug without the CEO's help? Or is Jung Woo a terrible programmer who can't write code that can be read by others?
I found the editing and background music to be a little off in the last two episodes. I thought with the preemption and all, they would have done a better job.
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23 Aqee
April 28, 2014 at 12:42 AM
Woww.. They look good in the wedding attire.. Soo good..
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24 Kristine Manuel
April 28, 2014 at 12:56 AM
First, thanks to purplecow and odilettante for the recaps! I enjoyed reading your stuff and hope to see you both again recapping more dramas.
I enjoyed this drama a lot, even though I found myself skipping Ae Ra`s family. I also disliked how they made the Guk family so irritable because they had to be irritable. Seunghyun was great until he just could not take no for an answer. I think the storyline you provided made more sense because we can root for her vying for his love rather than watching her trying to make Jung-Woo fit into what her first husband was.
I agree that the last two episodes seemed rushed - they were trying to tie up all loose ends. What kind of annoyed me was that the writers used a lot of what looked like time skips in the last two episodes to fit everything in. I know they want to give us the happy ending but they could tied the smaller loose ends earlier.
But I still rewatched the episodes - Cunning Single Lady was great! I hope to see more fun romcoms like this soon! Lee Sang Wook and Lee Min Jung fighting!
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5566
April 28, 2014 at 1:34 AM
Joo Sang Wook not Lee Sang Wook
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KDaddict
April 28, 2014 at 2:13 AM
Joo Sang Wook--Sly Single Lady
Lee Sang Woo (no 'k')--Glorious Days
Lee Dong Wook (with 'k')--Hotel King
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Kristine Manuel
April 28, 2014 at 7:41 AM
well, that's embarassing :$
thanks! :)
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25 angskeet
April 28, 2014 at 12:59 AM
This drama kept me going with its comedy. I'm going to miss Cha Jeong Woo and Na Ae Ra hahah!
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26 coby
April 28, 2014 at 1:00 AM
What can I say? Joo Sang-wook gained another fan girl! I've only seen him in Good Doctor but I am not excited to see him in another drama. But I checked Sly because of Min-jung and I'm glad I did. All those child-like, puppy eyes and the pouting to a different level.. so adorkable.
I really like how they deliver the noble idiocy and wish that most romcoms will be like that. Also the fantasy stories that they put from start to the end. I can forget/forgive the other shortcomings and just scratch my head.
I would still recommend this drama to my friends!
Thanks for the recaps!
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27 kdramafan
April 28, 2014 at 1:01 AM
Hi there fellow Beanies.
Though I thought the last episode was lacking in fresh footage overall I really enjoyed watching this series.
If you haven't started check it out :)
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28 Heartoppaya
April 28, 2014 at 1:59 AM
Girl Power For The Win! You rock, Ae Ra! The first heroine with a good spine! Yay!
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malou1010
April 28, 2014 at 3:40 AM
Yaaay......I second that!!
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29 Chris
April 28, 2014 at 3:21 AM
I totally love the scene where it showed how Jung Woo and Ae Ra first met. It's absolutely fabulous how the song Mirror Mirror suddenly played when they accidentally touched each others hands as they grabbed the door's handle. It absolutely enhanced the moment! :)
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30 Nonsense
April 28, 2014 at 5:17 AM
Awww, such nice series. I won't repeat any more praises, everything is in comments, I agree with you that the show was great :)
P.S. I really liked their first meeting. At the beginning of the series Ae Ra was portrayed as if she was so cunning that she approached him just after her mum told her to look at him. But now we know, it was not so, they met first :)
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31 CaroleMcDonnell
April 28, 2014 at 5:51 AM
Thanks so much for recapping for us and congratulations on your baptism of rom-com.
I liked this allthough I did leave for a few episodes when second-lead nastiness reared its head.
I liked the tarot card thing. I don't much like medium/fortune-telling but there's a saying in the US: "Marriage either ends with divorce or death." The inclusion of the tarot card shows that we should be loving to all those who love us and to stop playing games because we don't know how long we will have them. We should stop playing around as if they will be here with us all the time. The knowledge that death is near --or far-- or possibly might occur at anytime...makes love and life more important than pride or money. And -- even though the tarot was given while heroine was still single--we now know this marriage/relationship will not end with divorce but with death as good marriages do (unless it's murder or suicide.)
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Emmy
April 28, 2014 at 11:49 AM
I love your take on the tarot cards! I didn't think about that, but that's a really lovely touch indeed.
I'm so glad Lee Min-Jung finally has a good rom-com. I really like her, but I feel that quite a few of her previous dramas have let her talent go to waste, so it's great she finally had a good vehicle with Sly and Single Again.
Going in, I was semi-expecting this rom-com to tank, but there have been so many pleasant surprises and perhaps more importantly, a great message and real depth to the relationship between the leads.
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Dissenter
April 28, 2014 at 1:29 PM
That's a nice interpretation of that scene. Nevertheless, I still think the scene was unnecessary and a head-scratcher, just like the reverse marriage proposal.
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lulu
April 28, 2014 at 2:10 PM
That's what I think too. The tarot card reading really was a head-scratcher. If we have to go at lengths to find meaning to it, it gets a little far-fetched and becomes a guessing game for the viewer, which I don't believe it should be.
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32 kittycat
April 28, 2014 at 6:30 AM
Warning overly long post ahead.
Now this is how you do a Rom-Com correctly!! I loved this episode and the entire. It stayed to what it was, a romantic comedy and not a melo-thriller-mystery or whatever other genres that RC-dramas turn into when they reach their halfway point. That's what I enjoyed the most about Cunning Single Lady. I had fun watching it and it kept me interested the whole of its run. Most the dramas that I have watched this year so far I end up dropping them before they finish, so that you CSL for brightening up my week for a couple of months.
This drama wasn't perfect by any means. It had more holes then Swiss cheese and some plot points and characters that I thought were going to be important kinda went nowhere. At the beginning of the drama I thought that we were going to have a villain because of Ae Ra's stolen ID and the security guy, but that was completely dropped. I also would have liked to see Jung Woo's family one more time(as annoying as they are) so that we could have had closure between them and Na Ae Ra. Also, I really wanted to see the obnoxious co-worker get her ass handed to her at the end of the drama, but I still enjoyed this drama immensely even with some things that I would have liked to be changed.
I could have done with less Guk and we especially didn't need flashbacks of papa Guk/Secretary and Baby Guk/AR. Those just seemed like filler and a waste of time when we could have had more of the OTP. As for the sister YJ, I've always had a feeling she was going to go down the road she did. Everything about her rubbed me the wrong way at the beginning and I thought she was probably obsessed with JW, which turned out to be the case. She wasn't a character I ever rooted for and she was honestly very forgettable. I see people saying that the writers sacrificed Baby Guk's character because he and AR's relationship working so well was detrimental to people wanting the OTP together, but I don't agree with that either. SH's character always came across to me as spoiled and manipulative. The fact that he turned out to be the same as the rest of his family was no surprise to me.
In spite of everything I have to say IMO this was the best Rom-Com of the year for me, yes even better the YWCFtS. The latter had a tighter plot and better story line, but in overall enjoyment I prefer the mindless SaSA. Jung Woo is the most adorable lead I have come across in a while and Ae Ra was a no nonsense chick who I can deeply respect. I hope that we get more nerd lead dramas in the future, and I can't wait until I'm able to see JSW and LMJ acting again(preferably together lol). I want Joo Sang Wook in another Comedy immediately. I still can't believe this was his first go at comedy. Haha
Sorry for the essay guys. LOL :p
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Mia
April 28, 2014 at 9:35 AM
You lost me for a moment at Baby Guk and was unsure if I was on the Sly or Emergency Couple recap! Agree with you on that point, the Secretary and Papa Guk flashback was a little pointless. At any rate, I'd take more EC Baby Gookie than Sly's stupid Guk SH stalkerish behaviour!
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33 Quiet Thought
April 28, 2014 at 9:52 AM
Lots of praise for our leading man, so I will put in here a salutation for the leading lady, Lee Min-Jung. She carried this drama from scene to scene and past all the annoying side-plots with charisma and flair, right up to the last shot in front of the rice shop. This was the first drama of hers that I've seen, and I won't be forgetting that expressive sideways smile of hers any time soon. A fine piece of rom-com work.
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malou1010
April 28, 2014 at 10:51 AM
You should watch Smile You (wow, this was my first kdrama with 45 episodes but it was so worth it!) & her previous one All About My Romance. If you love her feisty, no nonsense, sassy character here, you would love her in AAMR. Her leading man was Shin Ha Kyun & their chemistry was just unbelievable! It's a rom/com with a happy ending so you'll gonna love it, I promise. I did & it's in my re-watch list till now.
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lulu
April 28, 2014 at 4:56 PM
I don't usually do long dramas either but loved "Smile You" also (Lee Min Jung stars in this). It was the first time I wasn't focused on the main couple (and that's not the focus on the drama either), but on the family relationships.
It's heartfelt and made me cry more than once.
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salt n' pepper
April 30, 2014 at 4:16 AM
Yes, Smile You's definitely the longest kdrama I've watched so far but I don't regret it one bit. The OTP was super adorable but the family storyline was equally as good, too. All About My Romance is also a pretty underrated drama. Its ratings shouldn't be an indicator of it's quality.
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malou1010
April 30, 2014 at 6:02 AM
Aaaah..... I absolutely loved AAMR! How could I ever forget the "fire extinguisher" couple? You're absolutely right, it's the most underrated drama & the ratings are not reflective of its quality. LMJ & SHK were so adorable as a couple. I think it's the only drama where I couldn't care less about the time jump coz it was sooo worth the wait. Absolutely loved the OTP's love struggles there & how they got to that point where they finally found each other again!
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anaht
May 5, 2014 at 6:13 PM
I only watched SSL because the dramabean recaps made it sound enjoyable. I didn't expect to fall in love with the AeRa-Jung-Woo OTP the way I did. I will watch All About My Romance on your reco. Thanks!
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lemondoodle
April 28, 2014 at 5:39 PM
Yes, she really did. She's the perfect person to play AR as well. She really has come into her as an actor. I'm not sure many people could play the character with such a nice combination vulnerability and toughness. She had everything against her (even the very misleading title and synopsis), but she got the majority of the audience on her side in the early drama. I think JSW was surprising to a lot of people because he hadn't done a romcom before, but LMJ was no less impressive.
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Ennui Young
April 28, 2014 at 10:15 PM
I am so happy to see LMJ's effort being recognized. For me, she is the emotional anchor of this drama. Ae Ra can be downright practical given her familial background, but she is equally caring and loving. She has her chin held high, but she can also admit and rectify her mistakes. It's so gratifying to see LMJ's transformation towards maturity without losing that her signature spunkiness and bubbly presence.
I highly recommend "Smile, You" to everyone here. The love tandem of LMJ and Jung Kyung Ho is simply the cutest and most natural one in the history of Korean drama. Both Daheefanel and Thundie love this couple from "Smile, You." It was also chosen as the best couple by the editors of dramabeans in 2009. "Smile, You" seals my love for Lee Min Jung and Jung Kyung Ho. in fact, the entire cast were brilliant. You won't regret watching this drama~
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34 Lindy
April 28, 2014 at 9:57 AM
I liked this drama a lot. It was a refreshingly mature take on love, staring over and what it really takes to make a successful marriage.
Ae-ra and Jung-woo both now accept each other for who they are instead of who the other thinks they should be. Ae-ra knows now that Jung-woo will always be the geeky programmer who spends hours on end in front of a bank of computers, eating junk food and being brilliant. He's never going to be satisfied to be a civil servant no matter how secure and well paid. Jung-woo understands now Ae-ra's need for security and a man she can depend on to take care of her and their family. I love the way he says to her that he's still actually quite rich and it's not going to be the same as it was before this time around. They both acknowledge what is important to the other in a relationship and they both now honour that importance.
I even liked the Guk siblings as a counterpoint to Ae-ra and Jung-woo. I wonder if they are ever going to get it or if their money is always going to be a barrier to getting what they really want, namely love. Money may buy you a facsimile of it but ultimately a person has to do some real work to get a love that is lasting.
Thanks for the recaps and good job.
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35 Emmy
April 28, 2014 at 11:13 AM
Those wedding pictures at the end took my breath away!!!
This couple is so good looking!
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36 madman999
April 28, 2014 at 12:41 PM
I enjoyed this light hearted drama. Aera and Jung Woo definitely get the award for most photogenic couple of 2014 thus far.
Lee Min Jung definitely had a stand out performance and a big improvement over the last drama I watcher her in-Big. Joo Sang Wook was also pretty good and between the both of them, pretty good chemistry.
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Andrea
March 11, 2016 at 10:51 PM
I too had only previously seen LMG in Big, and I was super unimpressed with her character. The character as written was an embodiment of all my pet peeves about drama heroines: naive to the point of stupidity and plagued by noble idiocy.
In fact, because of my experience watching Big, I wasn't keen to check out this drama when I saw she starred in it, but I'm so glad that I did! She is an excellent actress, and I'm glad that she was able to really show off her skill in this drama.
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37 Dissenter
April 28, 2014 at 1:48 PM
Did anyone think that MY's hairstyle looks a lot like AR's mom's hairstyle? I wonder if when we see the ecstatically happy MY, we're seeing how it all started for AR's mom before years of supporting a loser husband turned her into an unhappy nag.
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38 popcornhoney
April 28, 2014 at 6:44 PM
Absolutely love love love this drama
This is what a drama needs, make the people feel happy till the endand leave a satisying impression after it.
I adore the OTP so muuuuuch......
They're like oneofthe best coiple for me after going through all the dramas with crappy endings .For example, Marry him if you dare, that was a nightmare.... Prime minister& i started out fun then it gets melo and unreasonablein the end.
Does somebody have any reccomendation of good drama and couple ? Master sun was ine of the best too... Didn't like the heirs, 3 days was quite a disappoinment too..there 's no drama that interest me now.
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madman999
April 30, 2014 at 12:14 PM
If you like romantic comedies, some dramas you might try where I thought the leads had good chemistry that may have even made up for a weak story line are
Emergency Couple
Bride of the Century
My Love From the Stars
I Hear Your Voice(not really a rom com but still good)
Reply 1997
King of Dramas
Hauendae lovers
Queen Inhyun's Man
The Greatest Love
Secret Garden
My Girl
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39 SanDRa
April 28, 2014 at 9:26 PM
For its imperfection, for its cliche story, for its simplicity, for its good writers, for its lovely JSW-LMJ (damn, I love them), anything about this drama ..it makes me happy when I watch it. I had no big expectation when the first knowing that this drama would be aired in February. But then, it turn out like this. Thanks SSA team. Thanks for all the recap maker for this drama :D :D
I will miss JSW-LMJ so so so much .. haha I think it's a lil bit impossible to watching them together in another drama again T__T
Damn, I love SSA !!
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40 a_diva
April 28, 2014 at 9:33 PM
satisfying ending--overall enjoyable drama--one of the cutest OTP ever.
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41 Anna
April 29, 2014 at 5:23 AM
My turn! I am late...so.
Everyone has already said what I wanted to say, so there's just one thing...
This writer is new, right? She(?) has got a lot of potential. For a first time project, she's done amazingly well. Now I can hope for a better dramaland with no noble idiocy, no separation, but satisfying endings!
And the actresses. This last episode, especially the last 20 minutes, were SO SATISFYING.
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Anna
April 29, 2014 at 5:24 AM
*actors. They have done a great job too.
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42 Missy
April 29, 2014 at 5:41 AM
A problem with a drama like Sly is that it's just so good. I mean, lighthearted, ends happily, no one gets harmed in the end, etc. And it wrapped up nicely without loosing its tie. Happily.
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43 Rose
April 29, 2014 at 1:41 PM
OH my god!!I loved the way it ended!!!actually I loved how the last episode endedI think it was good idea to show begining at the end!!it was cute!!!:)
and thank you for your recap,it was really a good one!!!^_^
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44 parny
April 30, 2014 at 4:25 AM
The cutest kdrama I have seen in ages. ♡♡♡Love the leads. Have liked Lee minjung since BOF & she was awsome here & has erase my memories of her crappy character in that drama that shall not be name. Im a big fan of Joo sang wook now. Haven't seen him in any drama before. And going to watch "feast of the gods" now because of him.
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kei
April 30, 2014 at 3:46 PM
the character JSW played in Feast of the Gods is insignificant there... what a waste of talent. you'd better check Good Doctor or Giant, he's great there.
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45 cecile
April 30, 2014 at 5:14 AM
Its been a great 2 months journey with SLY. The main couple lead is definitely one of the best treasure i got from this show. Next would be the OSTs.
I've always love LMJ and now im a fan of JSW too. They look good together and i cant imagine anyone else playing AR n JW.
Thanks purplecow and odilettante for the reviews.
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46 damianna
May 1, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Oh Joo Sang Wook please stick to rom coms for a while. Though you might be sick playing a ceo but I bet you enjoy being a dorky ceo for once. Glad I now have sly to watch other than re watching rm over and over for your dose of infectious laughter and fun side (hmm talking about them makes me wanna go watch them again right now, ha).
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47 Gra
June 26, 2014 at 9:49 AM
I miss this drama ... can we have SSA Season 2 ? :((
JSW-LMJ, why you so damn good and adoreable here ?
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48 Emma R. De Jesus
July 10, 2014 at 3:46 AM
I really love this romantic comedy drama, feels heartwarming and enjoyed the chemistry of the main characters.
Hope to get more romcom of this calibre. More power to the writers and cast.
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49 MIMI
March 18, 2015 at 1:53 PM
Just finished the drama today... loved the pace, a drama I actually finished in 3 sittings (as most kdramas seem way too dragged out for me). Although I loved the beginning and the middle, I started to hate the writing towards the end.
What actually really interested and kept me hooked to this show was its secondary characters, especially YeoJin. I'd never seen disabled representation in kdrama that much before, so her character was quite refreshing to see. I get why not a lot of people may have been a big fan of her character, especially towards the ending but I feel like her emotions on the show were ones that I could connect to real life.
Her emotional confrontation with her father and her breakdown at the hospital was an amazing feat of performance, kudos to the actress. The only times where I teared up during this drama were during her scenes. Also, I really liked the bond with her younger brother, would have loved to see their relationship explored more.
To me, it seems like they're so much more than just your usual spoiled brat rich kids... I found their characters to be very interesting and could have been so much more complex. I really commended YeoJin's ability to keep her cool when she was so obviously breaking apart inside, and when she finally did break down in the end it was believable.
As for the main couple....I don't know, I'm not a big fan of OTP's that are set up as canon from the head-go... I was actually kinda hoping that they would find happy endings apart from each other. All their interactions, and their sudden burst of romance after hating each other so much just seemed so pre-planned out for me.
I was so hoping that Ae Ra and Seung Hyun's relationship could've developed better.. With the ending like that, it just seems like the writers threw his character in there for good dramatic effect. His character deserved so much more than just being the annoying love triangle 3rd party. Despite his age and upbringing, he displayed an understanding and wisdom to him that was so commendable, especially after Ae Ra's painful rejection of him.
For the last few episodes I just got bored...Ae Ra and Chung Woo's relationship was OBVIOUSLY being built up to become endgame but they kinda dragged it on a bit and threw in some DONTALK company plots to make it more interesting I guess.
Overall, good pacing, one of the better dramas I've seen in a while but still falls into the cliche style of writing towards the end and loses steam.
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50 dramabird
October 16, 2015 at 3:00 PM
I'm going voting crazy!
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