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It’s Okay, It’s Love: Episode 1

If you were as apprehensive about what a psychiatric-medical-romance would turn out to be like myself, then let me tell you that SBS’s newest Wednesday-Thursday show It’s Okay, It’s Love is quite the surprise with compelling characters in a rich world filled with all kinds of relationships, including housemates, friends, lovers, bromances, and more. Even if I can’t pinpoint the overall tone of the show just yet, the acting and writing still captivated my attention in the first episode, exercising my brain with cerebral challenges, and my stomach with unexpected moments of humor.

The good news is that I’m looking forward to what this show brings us next, and I can’t complain if that means watching a man like Jo In-sung for fifteen more hours ’cause that man is like fine wine: only getting better with age.

SONG OF THE DAY

Chen (EXO) – “최고의 행운 (Best Luck)” from the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 1 RECAP

We open at a prison where a white-haired man is being released back into society. As the other prisoners whoop and chant his name, it quickly becomes apparent that they deeply admire—or even revere this man: he’s JANG JAE-BUM (Yang Ik-joon), who drinks it all in.

Elsewhere at a pool party, the DJ entertains the crowd, then steps down to assume his main role as the birthday boy. He blows out the candles on his cake and is kissed by his sweetheart, completely unaware that an uninvited guest is about to crash the party.

The music cuts out and his smile drops when he turns to see a fired up Jae-bum, who throws a punch and stabs him repeatedly with the fork in his hand. Holy crap, this guy’s not right in the head. Our birthday boy falls to the ground while his friends charge at his attacker. His girlfriend starts crying, and a student runs to his side, crying out: “Writer-nim! Writer-nim!”

Jae-bum goes on a stabbing spree until he’s finally pinned to the ground. His vision and hearing blurry, Jae-bum’s death threats sound muffled to the birthday boy’s ears. Curiously, the birthday boy cracks into a smile, muttering: “Hyung… what a fool.” Wait a minute, you two are related? By blood?!

Better introduce our hero before he slips into unconsciousness: he’s JANG JAE-YEOL (Jo In-sung), and it turns out yes—he’s Jae-bum’s dongsaeng. (Also, acckkk we’re watching Jo In-sung get stabbed. Again.)

We cut away to meet our heroine, JI HAE-SOO (Gong Hyo-jin) who moves into her new, but messy abode. Not like she’s much of a neat-freak either, since she fishes a bowl out of the sink and makes herself at home eating cereal in front of the TV.

Evidently Jae-bum is sent right back to prison to serve a 30-month sentence for those multiple stabbings, despite his brother’s pleas for leniency from the court. Hae-soo remarks how that best-selling author Jang Jae-yeol’s got a face that sells books; she must be a reader, though, since she gripes at hearing that this means the release of his upcoming book will be postponed. “I’ve been waiting for months!” she yells, annoyed.

Her early bird TV watching wakes up an irritated housemate, JO DONG-MIN (Sung Dong-il), whose complaints Hae-soo lets roll off her shoulder. Dong-min spits up when she calls for their other roomie, shouting at her to let the poor guy sleep ’cause he’s just been dumped and been crying for days.

But Hae-soo ignores him, and bursts into PARK SOO-KWANG (Lee Kwang-soo)’s room. There’s enough evidence here about the break-up including pictures with the ex-girlfriend, the depressing music, and the pile of tissues for us without Dong-min having to warn her or us.

So when Hae-soo tsks disapprovingly, Dong-min claims the guy was just blowing his nose. Aw. Hae-soo isn’t unsympathetic to Soo-kwang’s pitiful state, but doesn’t say anything either and simply leaves.

Dong-min, on the other hand, wakes Soo-kwang up to ask if this book he’s been reading (written by Jae-yeol entitled Silence of Love) required that many tissues before curling up next to him. What a good friend for trying to cheer the poor guy up.

26 Months Later. Morning breaks on a luxurious high-rise apartment, where Jae-yeol washes up, his stab scar still visible on his shoulder. His clipped answers to his girlfriend (Yoon Jin-yi) irritate her, as she updates him on the apartment search. (Speaking of, that bathroom door has a digital lock. Is that a rich person thing? Or is Jae-yeol slightly paranoid? Or has dramaland transcended to door lock PPL?)

It rather seems like that lovey-dovey phase we saw earlier is long past them, even though they’ve spent the night together. Seeing Jae-yeol pull her into a lingering backhug makes me wonder if there’s still a little romance left, but he gives her a quick goodbye. Once he’s gone, she picks up a call and asks after “my book.” Hm, curious.

Over at the hospital, Hae-soo and her team oversee their newest patient—an abuse victim. An angry family member barges in, yelling at the already beaten and bruised patient to get up before screaming at the docs about how his brother is a disgrace by cutting off his penis, claiming to be a woman, and liking other men.

Hae-soo doesn’t take her eyes off the transgender patient, taking note of the oncoming tears. When the angry brother demands that a psychiatrist be brought in, Hae-soo finally speaks, “She’s here.”

Another doctor explains how the patient received gender reassignment surgery three years ago and has been beaten by the family ever since. Hae-soo recommends moving the patient to the psychiatry department before she’s literally beaten to death.

Then Hae-soo tests her interns on the next course of action, only for them to test her patience with their bumbling or biased answers formulated from a textbook. That gets them rightly scolded, as Hae-soo tells them that it’s a given that an abuse victim would want to run away; right now, their patient is lying like a corpse without will or volition—so does she require therapy or not?

They mumble a yes. Hae-soo then calls up Dong-min (whom we’ll call Sunbae Jo, since that’s what Hae-soo calls him), and declines his request to appear in a talk show today in his place. Sunbae Jo asks her to cut him some slack because his wife—whom he hasn’t seen for two years—is leaving for the States soon.

After hanging up, Sunbae Jo gets back to sexy times with his wife. Soo-kwang just so happens to walk in on that moment, and something about the situation triggers his Tourette’s. Sunbae Jo isn’t at all surprised by his housemate’s verbal and motor tics, and assures his wife that his episode will pass in a minute.

At the same time, Hae-soo chases a patient being dragged out of the hospital by her mother. She loses them, and then gets another urgent call about that talk show, this time from her PD boyfriend.

He’s all smiles when she reluctantly agrees; he’s also a cheat, but gets caught getting frisky with another girl by none other by the show’s guest, Jae-yeol, who’s all, Oh whoops, got lost!

It turns out that other girl is on friendly terms with Hae-soo, raving about how good-looking Jae-yeol is in person. But Hae-soo says she’s a former fan because virtually all of the author’s works in the past three years have mostly been thriller novels filled with gore.

The girl, Min-young, says Hae-soo must have some male phobia along with her alleged aversion to sex, but Hae-soo self-diagnoses herself with insecurity issues and fear of commitment. When Hae-soo is introduced inside, Jae-yeol suppresses a smile, recognizing Min-young from earlier.

He’s charming and polite with Hae-soo, though he admits that he’s a little disappointed to see a female psychiatrist when he’d been expecting a talk show debate with a man. “I’m afraid I’ll be distracted because you’re too pretty,” he finishes.

His flattery intrigues her, and as Hae-soo steps outside to leave, her eyes follow Jae-yeol’s line of vision in the mirror… to the stylist’s chest. Ha.

Backstage, Jae-yeol offers some tips to help Hae-soo with stage fright, but she says she’ll be fine… and then trips on live broadcast. Oops. But then Jae-yeol sends her a flirty wink. Then it’s time for their debate as they discuss about the psychopathology and legal punishment of sexual predators.

He wins his first point with the audience by cutting off Hae-soo’s argument that justice in court isn’t always the answer with his counter-argument that the culprits in his novels were met with karmic justice instead. Whether that’s a crime or not is for a judge to decide, and he adds that Hae-soo should consider the victims’ perspectives before showing compassion on the offenders.

His next book will explore the nature of evil, and he believes there’s a fine line between good and evil in man. Hae-soo holds her tongue until she’s asked if it’s possible for someone to trick a mental health professional into thinking that the patient suffers from depression. She says yes, just so long as they don’t get caught by a licensed professional like herself.

Them be fightin’ words, and now this debate gets personal: “Not if that someone is smart like me. I think I could deceive you if I were your patient.” Jae-yeol remarks. He believes he could fool a lie detector test, which makes her scoff at him: “Do you think all psychiatrists are fools or just me?”

Jae-yeol concedes that point to Hae-soo, but scores audience support back by calling himself an ignorant novelist. He keeps a curious eye on Hae-soo, and then speaks first on whether they can test whether humans are innately good or evil.

He uses audience participation to ask if anyone has hit, cursed at, or killed someone before. Those who actually hit someone rise from their seats, but then they all sit down again when Hae-soo asks those who went ahead and committed murder as described in Jae-yeol’s novels to remain standing.

She uses the topic of sexual deviance with the men, and Jae-yeol smirks that he thinks he won when most of the men rise to admit that they’ve been attracted to women before, whether they knew them or not. When asked to remain standing if they raped those women, all the men sit down.

With that, Hae-soo argues that human nature is essentially good because everyone can have violent or sexual thoughts, but it’s another thing to act on them. But Jae-yeol doesn’t skip a beat and counters that that means his novels aren’t problematic, since they’d be considered rambling thoughts, which she claims isn’t a crime.

So Jae-yeol has basically won another point, thanks to his silver-tongued arguments, as noted by commentators Sunbae Jo and Soo-kwang in the car. He leans in to whisper a thanks for boosting his book sales for him, and Hae-soo mutters through clenched teeth that he’s a salesman, not a writer.

Hae-soo illustrates her next point with a hypothetical where a captor will present two slips of paper to his captive. Even though both slips say that the victim will die, the captor will lie and claim that one slip says the victim will live. The question: What will the victim choose? So she tells Jae-yeol to choose, and he asks, “Can I call you when I figure out the answer?” Cheeky.

Although slightly flustered, Hae-soo gets back to her point explaining that in the end, the victim lives because there’s always hope, even in the bleakest moments in life. She encourages the audience to be open-minded about getting psychological help to cope with those dark times.

On that note, the show wraps up, and both Jae-yeol and Hae-soo are surrounded by fans. Hae-soo slips away and passes on a date with her boyfriend PD Choi. But even if she isn’t big on the PDA, her boyfriend reminds her of their romantic 300th day anniversary coming up.

She climbs into the taxi before Jae-yeol can catch up for a chat. Jae-yeol’s thwarted in his attempt to ask after her number, and tells PD Choi that Hae-soo’s a woman who lacks oxytocin, aka that chemical when people are in love. “It’s why she’s so uptight,” he adds.

Inserting some humor into the mix, we cut away to Jae-yeol and the student who was at the opening pool party (and also lit up anytime Jae-yeol so much as looked at him during the debate) standing in front of the urinals. Are they checking out each other’s wangs? HA.

We’ll come to know this moony-eyed student as HAN KANG-WOO (D.O.), an aspiring writer and idolizes Jae-yeol enough that he’d probably follow him to the depths of hell. Anyhow, Jae-yeol glosses over Kang-woo’s request for reading his manuscript for the millionth time, and is surprised when Kang-woo claims to knows the answer to that paper slip dilemma. (He doesn’t, heh).

Jae-yeol asks if Kang-woo’s father is still beating him these days, to which Kang-soo replies that he’s been working out per Jae-yeol’s advice. Jae-yeol agrees to give the manuscript a read, but emphasizes that it’s the last time, then ruffles Kang-woo’s hair like a puppy. These two are adorable together.

Jae-yeol ponders over the Two Slips of Paper Dilemma outside, itching to know the answer. Meanwhile, Hae-soo and her fellow doctors are out for drinks, where Sunbae Jo gets teased for choosing psychiatry because he was afraid of surgery.

Then things get awkward when that same doc blurts out that doctor LEE YOUNG-JIN (Jin Kyung) is Sunbae Jo’s ex-wife. The teasing doc can’t take a hint to just, yunno, stop talking while he brings up how those two fought like cats and dogs until he finally gets a drink thrown in his face.

Hae-soo excuses herself while the argument continues inside, as Sunbae Jo declares that yeah, he got counseling for his broken heart. Do none of them ever get sick just because they’re doctors? Sunbae Jo just tears into the other doctor about aggravating other people’s pains, only to be told that the guy he’s yelling at has got cancer.

Sunbae Jo immediately feels bad and offers the doctor an apologetic drink outside. The good news, however, is that the cancer was caught early, so his prognosis is pretty good. Annoyed at frightening him half to death, Sunbae Jo swipes the water back. Heh.

“My wife wants a divorce,” says the doc. Sunbae Jo hands back the water. Hah.

While Soo-kwang and Hae-soo enjoy themselves at the club, we see Jae-yeol at the bar looking for his publisher. It’s pretty funny how he can’t go five seconds without being recognized, but then he smiles when he spots Hae-soo on the dance floor.

He pops a piece of cheese (out of two) in his mouth, and then eureka. He figured it out, didn’t he? At the same time, his publisher looks like she’s about to tear her hair out for good reason: Jae-yeol’s girlfriend, LEE PUL-IP, has written a book of her own, and it’s a plagiarized piece of Jae-yeol’s newest book.

After failing to get Hae-soo’s attention when she declines his drink on the dance floor, Jae-yeol catches up to her and uses a pair of mints to illustrate the answer to her question. He pops one in his mouth and says that if the one in his hand means that he’ll die, then the one in his mouth must mean that he’ll live. “A trick answer to your trick question.”

She tells him that’s right, but he won’t let her go that easily, grabbing her arm. He lets go and apologizes, which earns him some points, and then suddenly a dude who recognizes Hae-soo charges at her, and she tumbles down the stairs. What the—a former patient, maybe?

Jae-yeol kicks the guy down and punches him before he can hurt her further, but then Hae-soo breaks a vase over Jae-yeol’s head to make him let go of the angry patient.

Despite bleeding from the head, Jae-yeol takes off after her, and now this three-person long chase through the streets is sort of cheery… because the upbeat music tells us so? Apparently Rage Issues was given a short leave from the hospital, and Hae-soo tells the friends to call his family before running after him again.

Things get worse quick when Rage Issues makes off with a taxi, and Jae-yeol shows up moments later with someone else’s car. He gets reluctantly wrangled into going after the screaming man, and zips around the other cars easily to catch up to him.

He asks if she’s normal compared to Rage Issues behind the wheel over there, and she says it’s be better to think of it that way. Then Hae-soo calmly calls it in to the hospital, although even she can’t help but gasp at Jae-yeol’s driving.

Jae-yeol looks a little amused that a schizophrenic patient can drive so well, and he’s impressed when she says to keep following the taxi. He asks why Rage Issues hit her at the club, and doth my ears deceive me? Did Hae-soo just utter the words “patient confidentiality” like it means something?

She even makes Jae-yeol take a breathalyzer ’cause she saw him drinking earlier. Got to cover her bases, don’t cha know. Noticing his bleeding state, she tests his consciousness and snaps at him for speaking in banmal.

When Hae-soo gets ahold of Rage Issues’ girlfriend, she learns that he stopped his meds because it interfered with their sex life, and stops Jae-yeol’s curiosity in his tracks again.

It’s nearly daybreak by the time they follow the taxi approaching a cliff. Hae-soo braces herself as Jae-yeol guns the accelerator and swerves in front of the taxi. It collides into the car and both vehicles spin. The taxi spins out and stops on a mound, and their car screeches to a halt.

After the police arrive, Hae-soo orders to keep the patient down in order to administer the medication. The effect is virtually instantaneous, and Hye-soo calms the patient down so he can be transferred to the hospital.

Jae-yeol’s clearly impressed, and tells her they’re not going anywhere because they’re out of gasoline. So she calls an ambulance for Jae-yeol’s bleeding wound, and he asks, “Is that your way of hitchhiking?”

She tells him to close his eyes, and while they’re closed, Jae-yeol confesses that he’s a bit interested in her. Taking off her shirt, Hae-soo says he probably won’t for very long. To his disappointment, Hae-soo’s still very much dressed when he opens his eyes.

She tells him to kneel in front of him, and pulls his head towards her to examine his wound. It’s only now Jae-yeol realizes that he’s bleeding, and she says assaulting someone to save their life can’t be prosecuted by law. He asks for how long she’s known, and she smiles, “Maybe from the moment it happened?”

She keeps treating him with the one working arm she’s got while Jae-yeol winces in pain. When asked what he’s thinking right now, he grits out: “How I’m going to get my revenge.”

But tending to him proves too difficult for Hae-soo, and that’s when Jae-yeol realizes that her arm’s gone limp. She explains the patient kicked her in the shoulder earlier, and insists that she’s fine, only to faint into his arms moments later.

His attempts to wake her don’t work, so Jae-yeol covers her up before scooping her up. As he carries her down the road, he acknowledges that she’s kind of cute. Exhausted, he wonders where that damn ambulance is, and then hears sirens in the distance.

Looking down at her face, he admits this situation wasn’t half-bad, but he’s breathing pretty heavily now…

… And then his eyes roll backwards, and Jae-yeol crumples to the ground.

 
COMMENTS

I honestly didn’t know what to expect coming from It’s Okay, It’s Love since I avoided as much promo material as possible beforehand in order to come into the premiere with fresh eyes. So even if I didn’t watch a teaser, I still saw the posters and scratched my head in confusion. And possible dread for more medical and ethical boundaries being demolished in dramaland. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time on my recapping record. Surely, surely our heroine couldn’t be his shrink, right? Okay, the jury’s still out on that one, but I really, really hope it doesn’t come true.

Although I haven’t been a devoted follower of writer Noh Hee-kyung’s works over the years, I’m familiar enough with her style to know that she creates these enriched worlds filled with complex characters. Even from the first few minutes, I liked that we could tell that these were established relationships between our characters to all types of degrees, whether that was lovers, friends, or a reader recognizing a best-selling author on TV. So there’s a lot to explore as we move forward as well as discover in our characters’ pasts. Even if we only saw snippets of some characters over others, those moments still gave us lingering questions, like whether Soo-kwang’s tics are triggered by certain social situations or not. Right now it seems like his Tourette’s doesn’t impede his daily lifestyle, so we’ll have to wait and see.

What I am confused about at present is the overall tone of the show, thanks to some strange music choices on occasion. It isn’t that the music was bad by any means, but more that I couldn’t wrap my head around why there was a street chase with a writer, psychiatrist, and a schizophrenic patient and a following car chase to the tunes of happyish, upbeat music. I don’t know if this is something the show will continue to do, so for now, it’s something for me to keep in mind.

At present, I appreciate our heroine in Hae-soo, both as a character and a competent psychiatrist. I know, I’m surprised to say those words, too (if only because Triangle showcases one of the worst examples of professional competency). Hae-soo is calm under pressure, astute, smart, and compassionate towards her patients. Additionally, she cares for her housemates, even if she isn’t the type to readily show affection. In that sense, her self-diagnosis grows ever curiouser because she’s aware of her insecurity issues and relationship commitment issues, and it sucks to see her with a cheating boyfriend.

And would you believe it when I say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the level of professional competency exemplified in Hae-soo’s work. While I know medical and ethical guidelines in Korea differ from the States, it feels like eons since a drama character mentioned the phrase “patient confidentiality,” and given the circumstances, verbally kept to that as much as possible. Here’s to hoping that she maintains that level of competency and keeps getting patients that keep viewers’ noggins running on sensitive topics like views on gender identity in this hour.

I do enjoy Hae-soo’s interactions with our hero Jae-yeol thus far, and intrigued by their mutual tinge of interest in one another. With two veteran actors (Jo In-sung and Gong Hyo-jin) at the helm, I didn’t have to worry about their performances and left a little excited by the end of the hour by their chemistry together. Jae-yeol’s also an interesting hero—sharp-witted and charming while also daring at times. He cares for the people around him as well, even if he’s got a crazy hyung who flies off the handle and stabs him at his own birthday party. And now with the final few months of hyung’s jail sentence winding down, I can’t help but fear for his safety. Maybe we should attend to that bleeding wound first.

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Loved the first episode I enjoy watching the two leads JIS and GHJ they are perfect together.

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OMG Gummimochi!!! I think you are recapping most number of shows!! How do you manage that?? ;)

I'm looking forward to watching the show....right now my plate is full...will marathon it later :)

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Caffeine IV drip aka my coffeemaker.

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That is some reeeeally nice chemistry. I think Gong Hyo Jin pairs up with anyone nicely.

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I totally agree! She just has that sizzling chemistry with whoever actor she pairs up with!

At the moment, I like this drama for giving us a competent heroine that I can root for.

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sizzling it is! there's all kinds of sexy in this particular drama... hot.

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I am shocked how hot this drama is!!!! OTP has great chemistry, drama is funny and interesting in medical content, they are even using "sex" word :P
And seriously good OST at the end. As well as the background music during the episodes 1 & 2.
I love all GHJ dramas!!!!
I AM SOO IN!!!!!!! :)
Can't wait for wednesday!

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And a leading female with a steady professional job! When does that ever happen in dramaland

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Yeah, in k-drama land I am not quite sure how she got a real job if her dad or mom is not the CEO or something.

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thanks gummi! will you be recapping this with Heads? if so, you two are busy with so many dramas. but i'm happy that triangle is ending to wrap up your miserable and allow you two to just focus on this and fated to love you. both are great so far and i don't want to jinx it for either of you.

hae soo is so awesome. i love her. like you, i love that there's a level of professionalism in our characters. its funny how that's not a standard for all kdramas.

and the promos were so misleading and unnecessary, especially the plagiarism stuff because there was enough material to offer something better considering how great the first two eps were. i'm happy with wed/thurs dramas and it feels as if its been so long since i've had crack as good as these.

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Thanks so much for recapping this drama gummi!

Haha, I'm a little doubtful about Soo Kwang's tissues at the beginning of the episode though. I'm PRETTY sure those are tissues covered in something other than his post-breakup tears.... *if you know what I mean*

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I got that impression from that scene as well, since Dong Min seemed to be cheekily asking to borrow the book from him afterward (ha!).

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that's what i thought too... lol

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omg I thought I got it wrong the first time after reading the recap, but since so many people are doubting what I doubted I guess I guessed right. Okay that was a confusing sentence

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That's what I thought too. Soo Kwang also had a very pleased looked on his face when waking up. :-)

Besides his doc was very careful when picking up the tissue on the bed.

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Yes. I totally think he was doing something ahem* other than crying...

The camera definitely stayed at his errrrm not covered legs for quite a while. I am pretty sure it is intentional. *wink.

So the book inspired him in *ahem other ways and Dong Min definitely wants a look.

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Haha, I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that. I thought I had a uniquely dirty mind! Turns out I only have a moderately dirty mind, LOL.

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and that is exactly what I thought, as well.

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Me whatever number I am on the thread. Cheeky show.

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That's exactly what it was. My Korean husband was watching it with me and he smirked and laughed. That was not the tissues of breakup tears. Heh.

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wow! thanks for recapping GM! i love this show already. and i love how the cinematography makes it looks like the whole thing is a music video. :D love GHJ and JIS. and Kwang Soo's name is SooKwang?! LOL. thanks again!

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The leads are soooo pretty. LOVE them both. Their acting is so natural. The setting in the psychiatric dept/psychiatrist sharing an apt is different. Looking fwd to the story. Enjoying this tremendously.

It's okay, that's love!
Fated to love you!
Temptation!
Yeah!!!

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Gummimochi, thank you so much for recapping!

Wow. This show has different mix of craziness. A lot of things going in the first episode. It feels like this drama is going toward "we all have our problems and issues and we are going to help each other". Aside from the unnecessary american music and fancy flying camera scenery shots, I will continue to watch this drama for our lovely leads.

This drama is in the category of melodrama, romance and medical. Medical, check. Romance, not yet but we know it is coming. melodrama? oh my, it will hit us like a fork in the back (which was a very scary scene by the way). Jo in sung, why can't you do a drama where there is no scary person who wants you dead by the end of the drama?

Btw, did anyone noticed kwang soo character name is soo kwang? HA!

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So far so good. Very wacky but interesting characters.

Did anyone notice the transgendered patient was bruised and in a cast on her left ankle but when she leaves the hospital she's fine??? I think in the interest of continuity, the PD needs to do a better job :-)

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I think the one who left the hospital with the mother is a different patient.

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The car scene definitely felt like "Let's get some attention".

But for now I love the fact that we are dealing with adults doing and talking adult stuff. Hope they keep it up.

So, off to see ep. 2. Hope it delivers ^^

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In Viki most a lot of people commented that the car chase seemed like a CF... And at one point or another I thought the same thing.

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It's interesting so far! I'm a tad curious about the student who suddenly pops out of nowhere?! Wonder if it's the Jang Jae Yol's young version in his mind? :)

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yes, i am definitely feeling he is JJY's young self...

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Ditto! I thought the exact same thing! I'd love for HAN KANG-WOO to be a delusion of some sort. Especially since we've yet to see HAN KANG-WOO interact with anyone else.

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Glad I am not the only one who thinks so too.

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Yay I have the same theory too! :3

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Thanks Gummi, for your insightful and up-to-date recap!

Watched episodes 1 and 2 already and I feel that this will be another amazing drama. GHJ is awesome as always and I have high hopes for JIS. A very contemporary and unique story... this will be good, i know it!!!

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My surprise is with both the supporting cast and cinematography/editting. All of them seem to giving their characters much needed depth that is unusual for typical kdrama rom-coms. Not sure if this is due to unusual camera work or director's prerogative, but actors seem to be making full use of their close-ups. Both Jo-Insung and Gong Hyo-jin seem to be providing very nuanced interpretations of their leads. Can't wait for the review of episode 2. I won't spoil it, but there seemed to be a very good set piece scenes near the end of the episode.

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Ooh finally! Thank you so much!

Although why it is that I find Hyo Jin prettier when she looks messy? (Of course, she's still beautiful in whatever!)

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Will you be recapping this? I would love it of you would, but I understand if you wont, too many dramas not enough time.

I have to say the show confused me as well in tone and in many places, but it intrigued me enough to watch the 2nd episode, which I found to be a bit better in many ways. Right now, I'm still wondering if I WANT to watch the drama, don't get me wrong the leads are wonderful actors and the cast seems to be great, but the main problem for me is the OST being confusing and a lot of word play that makes me have to go back and see some scenes 2-3 times to understand them. Normally I'm pretty good with metaphorical and complex stuff, but this drama had me scratching my head at the end of the episode, and not in a good way, it made me want to see more of the leads, and the roommates (Jo Sunbae and Soo Kwang), but it really did not have me caring about the other lines. (Even having watched the second episode, I'm still feeling like this). So I will cautiously wait for episodes 3-4 and then make the decision weather to watch, read recaps or wait till the whole show is online so I can skip the parts that annoy me....

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Thank you for writing how I feel. You saved me a lot of time. I thought I was the only one that was lukewarm about this show.

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It's finally here, a drama to be excited about! Long live writer Noh Hee Kyung for making something that some other writers failed at miserably!

It turns out, it is possible to have multiple genre elements blended in, the characters human and not cardboard, the story intriguing instead of WTF. What I also enjoy is that the writer asks many valid questions without using pathos and cheap sentimentalism.

The characters are surely complicated, but they don't seem strange or too twisted, just for the sake of making them "interesting". Our cheeky writer reminds me of my beloved character Kim Do Jin - arrogant smooth talker on the outside, we'll be discovering what's more to him in the following episodes. Also our Miss Shrink is a character we're bound to like, but please, not because she's pretty. She feels real, because we can see her as a professional, as a laid back housemate and also a person who admits to have her own anxieties and issues. Not all professionals have to be perfect in all aspects, which is a rare occurence in dramas.
Also surrounding characters are given some edge, so that we care enough to get to know them better.

I hope the drama keeps up the standard set by the first episode.

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I've watched both episodes and am hooked. The leads and the supporting characters are really good and I love the wackiness of this show. Can't wait for the next few episodes and see how it will progress.

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i am still keeping my fingers cross about this...as tons of medical a.k.a psycho show i have seen i reserved my full observation. as the recapper said i like the show interestingly but hmmmm...let's just wait further for all the scenes to come...i am keeping an open mind and eye for this one...jo insung is enough for now to watch...hopefully the script/story will be really a good one.

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I think I'll definitely be watching this, if only because it's so different from the norm. I can feel that there's a very interesting story to be told here and that each character already has their own one to tell. The leads are already doing a wonderful job in making me eager and yet a little scared to find out what makes them tick. I'm very interested to see how their relationship plays out.

All in all, I enjoyed the first episode very much :)

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Oh so those were mints and not drugs? That makes a bit more sense. Even with all the dramaland taboos they crossed this episode (frank discussions on sex, gender identity, erm dick measuring.) I was thinking that a Doctor wouldn't be popping pills from strangers willy nilly.
As for the tissues... I agree with fellow beanies, definitely used for an act other than crying haha

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"Jae-yeol’s girlfriend, LEE PUL-IP, has written a book of her own, and it’s a plagiarized piece of Jae-yeol’s newest book."

Maybe I'm wrong as I can't speak Korean and have to rely on subtitles, but both DramaFever and K-Drama.com have that translated the other way around, that he plagiarized her.

. "And possible dread for more medical and ethical boundaries being demolished in dramaland. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time on my recapping record. "

True but both Doctor Stranger and Good Doctor were both not written by Noh Hee Kyung she usually sticks to realism. Really if you want reality in your K-drama you usually have to turn to Noh Hee Kyung also she's normally the only drama scriptwriter who has her characters follow the rules of the road while driving and you know, watch the road, so I don't know what was going on with that chase.

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hah. thats funny because the only drama of hers I have seen is Padam Padam, which was the most surreal drama I've ever experienced. I loved it, but it's interesting that it sounds like it differs from her norm. That said Padam Padam took it self seriously in a way that speaks to what you are saying. Man I need to watch that again

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NHK is realistic when she portrays the real, factual world. So she sticks to commonly known scientific/medical/legal rules when tackling a subject like that (so no doctors operating with their eyes closed or with their left hand). On the other hand, she can add some supernatural elements and blend them into that realistic universe, so that the viewers can scratch their heads thinking whether GukSoo was an angel, or not ;), what was real and what was a dream, imagination. But even then, I don't remember seeing any jarring ignorance or negligence from the writer.

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Alas, these be the times when subtitles fail us, but it is that she plagiarized his work.

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I perceived that Jae-yeol's new book was plagiarized by his girlfriend. Maybe the girlfriend released her version ahead of Jae-yeol so that it looked like he plagiarized her. That's how I see it.

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I watched it on kdrama.com which usually has better translations that some sites, and that is what I got also. That she released her book first, so the pundits and talking heads assumed that he was the one at fault.

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Well, that was interesting... It was not at all what i was expecting and i'm not sure if that's a good thing yet, a couple of more episodes should make it clear.
Overall, i'm liking a lot of the characters, they seem to be a bit different that what we're usually served with in K-Dramas. The side characters are adorable and well, a little bit strange though. i'm excited to see Jae Yeol and Kang Woo's relationship evolve, they looked cute together (D.O. pulls off the lovey-dovey face well, bromance is happening!)
How ironing is it that an EXO member is acting as a crazy-loving fan when Do Kyungsoo is sick of them personally? LOL

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I was wondering if this was going to be recapped. I've seen both episodes and they're fantastic. Keep it up and thank you!

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Uhhh... Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Sung Dong Il's character kidding when he said that the tissues were just from crying? I thought he was trying to cover for soo kwang getting himself off cuz at the end of that scene aren't they talking about a naughty book? Lol

Or has this drama been pushing the "We're realistic and sexy and risqué and scandalous for a drama so watch me" aspect too much that I'm watching everything with a tainted eye lol

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Thanks for the recap Gummi!

I think it's way too early to make a decision whether this drama is good or not. It looks like there is a lot of setting up to do by the writer. One thing I know for sure though is that I have never seen Gong Hyo Jin look prettier. She looks gorgeous in this drama!

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Lee Jin Wook is taking good care of her, I presume :P

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I love Jo In Sung, and I would watch him in everything. I was going to read the recap and watch it later. However, as soon as I read that the old man got 30 months for the stabbing, I just can't even go on reading this recap. I don't under stand Korean laws or more specifically, Kdrama laws. I want to laugh....if he was not right in the head, should he not go to a mental institution? And, if he was not, should he not deserved more prison time for such a violent crime? I have a thing about kdrama writers violating dr./patient's confidentiality and Korean criminal justice. I just can't buy it.

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Episode 2 helped to mostly clear this issue up for me. If I understand most of the pieces they doled out, I think I know what might be going on. It really is a good show so far, with plenty of normally abnormal characters instead of glossy pretty people and candy heroines.

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I gotta say I'm pretty impressed with DO's acting - he's not bad for a rookie idol in his first role?

POSSIBLY SPOILERY!!
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And also I do agree with speculation elsewhere that he's a manifestation of JJY's self seeing as he only pops up in the randomest of places and no one else interacts with him but JJY
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END SPOILER

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My exact sentiment. DO's character seems to be a figment of imagination of JIS's character. And it might have something to do with his past.

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I'm hooked with the visuals. The color theory is truly appetizing. They've done a pretty good job with the interiors and I like how they gave subtle yet striking emphasis on it. The way the filmed the dwellings of the main characters was like watching a TV ad for apartment therapy. I also like how the clothes/costumes fit well together with the background. Aah, my eyes are happy.

Does anyone know who the interior/set designer is? I get the feeling that it's the same one who did the set for "Man from the stars." ; P

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Agreed, the set design/cinematography team for this drama is a talented bunch and have a keen eye for design and establishing shots. That tracking shot in Jae Yeol's apartment with all of the yellow accents filled me with glee (and room envy). Well done, IOIL visual dept. Loving this show so far.

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*A round of applause* for the art/set team. I read that Jo In Sung mentioned about them having a hard time. Well, their hard work surely didn't go unnoticed.

Still can't find the designers though I somehow managed to decipher, "Creative Image Company" from the credits (rolled too fast, too many.) Not sure if they're the ones responsible for the art direction.

I hope they do a featurette or BTS showcasing the set designs.

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I checked this out only for GHJ but I was pleasantly surprised with my positive reaction to it. The characters seem extremely non-k-drama-ish and complex in their own way which is refreshing.

I wouldn't trade my cute clichéd romcoms for anything, but I am totally on board with something (I am yet to categorise this under a specific genre) like this.

Keep it borderline and don't go completely batshit crazy, show!

PS: Didn't know this was by the same writer of Padam Padam. That drama was a little slow but a total gem. Very different from your normal dramas. Hmmm..I see a pattern.

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aaah i need to get to know the full soundtrack in each episodes >.< plizz recap about the soundtrack too

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Watched this and everytime I see Jo In-sung, it was truly a CF cinematography. I scratch my head in my split second confusion "is this a drama or a cf?"

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"I can’t complain if that means watching a man like Jo In-sung for fifteen more hours ’cause that man is like fine wine: only getting better with age."

FACT.

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I was wondering, does anybody know what is the name of the song when JJY and Hae Soo are done with their talk show? Because I don't thing that's Chen's song isn't i?

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I really liked the tone for the first episode. It's exciting and mysterious but you get what is there to get. Also the supporting characters seems like they all have stories waiting to be revealed not just some fillers like in other dramas.

Also, Kang-woo's interesting as it is. Speculations of him as the younger Jae-yeol arises and it captivates my will to continue this drama. I cannot deduce yet at this time but it keeps me wanting to learn more about the relationship between Jae-yeol and Kang-woo.

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Thanks for recapping this drama. I was a bit worried that this won't get recapped because your Wed-Thur is alreadz full with JG and FTLY. I'm not sure what to expect from this show since the drama description and teasers don't tell us much. I scratched my head after watching the first episode. I got confused with the storytelling and had to rewatch it again. I guess I was expecting that the episode will establish what this drama was all about but all I got was a car chase. Anyway, the characters especially the two leads stood out. JIS and GHJ have a palpable chemistry and I am enjoying the group dynamic between the roommates. And I'm glad that the writer is not afraid to touch sensitive and real issues (i.e. sex and transgender) which is rarely seen in K dramaland. I already watched the second episode and this was better than the first. I'll stick around and see how the story will be handdled because clearly this is something new and different.

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Thanks for the recap Gumi & thanks writer-nim for the treat. At least an adult drama I can identify myself with. It's nice to feel your neurons at work.

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I watched both episodes and loved them so far. Can't wait for next week. I haven't been so excited over dramas for a long time. It feels nice.

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Am I the only one laugh crying about Kwang Soo's character's name being Soo Kwang? Verry smooth.

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Nope. You're not alone. Hahahaha.

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"...I can’t complain if that means watching a man like Jo In-sung for fifteen more hours ’cause that man is like fine wine: only getting better with age."
Can't agree more! I used to see him as this skeptic "too pretty to be a man" type of actor, which only rely on his looks. The last time I watched him was in "Love in Bali", which started my fangirling to So Ji Sub. Then I watched the teaser of this drama and the first episode and I'm like "I need this gorgeous man in my life" LOL. Maybe that's what the army in Korea do with all these actors, making them man-er (if that makes sense lol)

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After watch the first & second epiosde, i like very much the drama, it's something diferent, i like that, it's not the tipical drama.

all the cast are great, the leads great chemistry, and Sung Dong-il & Lee Kwang Soo, are great together they are the best in comedy roles in Dramaland.

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it's one of those dramas I like to watch, not read!!!!
thanks for recap! was waiting for it!!!^_^

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Teo episodes in and i LOVE this drama. Realistically dysfunctional adults and finally! Finally doctors portrayed as human beings!! LOVE LOVE!! Cant wait for what's coming.

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And it had me at the scene of violence against the contrasting happy relaxed music. Reminded me a little of i'm a cyborg but thats ok there!

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Yay! I thought the show won't be recapped on DB. I missed JIS! ^^
Thank you gummimochi, off to read. :)

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Why all girls in Clubs are like models in this drama xdddd

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As expected from Writer Noh. JJANG ! Love every moment of this drama.

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@dramabeans: I think it is possible that our heroine will become our hero's shrink like what you saied. I feel that there is a possibility that DO's character is one that our hero imagined due to a mental disorder.

From what I see, DO's appearance is too abrupt and out of nowhere. When he first appeared in the bikini pool party after our hero collapsed, he is the only one wearing school uniform which is inappropraite for the occasion. This recap missed out that the student is DO. Then during the talk show, there was a scene where a guy wearing the same shirt as DO (the one with bright numbers 88) is another guy not DO, but when our hero was talking, DO was there. Of course it is possible that DO was too busy filming for part of that scene during shooting, but I feel that the team will not have such evident mistakes in dramaland.

His appearance is always when our hero is desperate for help or felt lost. When he collapsed, he felt lost in front of his violent brother. During the talk show, he felt insecure because of our heroine's strong and fierce verbal attack. Then in the toilet, he is deliberating over the quiz that our heroine left for him to solve and when he was confused, DO appeared. Maybe it is because he did not have any true friends whom he can trust and talk problems to, hence to balance himself so that he will not lose himself, he imagined a character who can always be there when he need him.

Some sharp netizens pointed out that DO may be the younger version of our hero - in the toilet he begged our hero to read his newly written book. Maybe our hero had a tough time when he was still a young writer too. Or maybe, DO can be a fan who supports our hero not because of his popularity but truly supports his writing.

Of course, we may be thinking too much, but i feel that this show may seem shallow on the surface due to its relatively lighter and funner tone, but it tackles alot of adult problems which tend to be deep, dark and consists of layers which makes it much more complicated than what it seems. I will not be surprised if writer-nim surprises us like that.

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hee, I knew the answer to that paper slip dilemma.. saw it in Queen Seon Deok.. I think I like this show though I feel like its a bit too adult for me, even though i'm already 20

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Yes, Queen Seon Deok, the child actor.

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Definitely an intriguing start. I'm not sure Jae-yeol will be good for the doctor though. It feels like the start of a beautiful relationship but one that will not end well. Jae-yeol seems to fit the profile of a narcissist...someone who thinks highly of himself, is charming and attractive outside but perhaps not so inside. I see that side of him sometimes.
I hope this will not be a straight-forward love story. There is so much they can do with that and I really like the strong woman character type, not the wilting flower is our heroine.

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I was confused, then I was delighted and confused a little more until I fell in love, little by little.. ,, :)

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Hahaha! Ditto. After the second episode, I want to watch these 4 housemates bicker some more. The way the writer does not give every facet of our characters in one go makes them mysterious and intriguing. And of course JIS is such an eye candy, who would not want to watch him flirting with GHJ? Awesome chemistry.

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thank you! thank you! thank you! for doing the recap on this drama. I've been checking this site constantly. I thought it won't be picked up.
watching a Kdrama is not the same w/o reading your recaps. Especially since the subs of episode 1 It's Okay That's Love kinda failed to relay properly to the audience what was really happening.

now off to reading the recap ^_^

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What is the song that was playing when hae soo burst in park soo kwang's room? ?

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