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Falling for Innocence: Episode 6

Our hero finally learns that his new heart may be the source of all his palpitating woes, but that does little in the way of sweetening up his sour side, which comes into full force this hour. Turns out that when Min-ho gets mad, he gets mad, and Soon-jung may be the only person who truly understands the little boy trapped inside him. But as long as we’re just talking metaphorically, that little boy could use a spanking more than a lollipop sometimes.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Young-hoon – “꿈은 아니길 (Hope It’s Not A Dream)” from the OST [ Download ]

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EPISODE 6 RECAP

We begin in a flashback of Joon-hee’s childhood, which he’d spent always having less than Soon-jung—his father, a mere security guard, would always call Joon-hee out to greet Soon-jung Lite, always addressing her as “Agassi,” a word Joon-hee came to hate.

In voiceover, he narrates how he was always afraid to talk to her even when he wanted to, because he never had the nicest things or even things that weren’t old and tattered. But when they were teens, he’d tried to make his move by getting her tickets to see Toy, the man behind the “Whenever” song that became Soon-jung and Dong-wook’s anthem.

Speaking of, he remembers how he was always one step behind Dong-wook in wooing Soon-jung. And how Dong-wook had taken the word he hated most, “Agassi,” and turned into a term of endearment for Soon-jung. Now, Joon-hee sighs that he came to love that word the most.

But as he adds, “I swore to myself I wouldn’t hesitate again to be with you,” he comes across the scene we left off at last episode, with Min-ho pulling Soon-jung into an embrace and saying, “Don’t leave me now.”

Joon-hee’s voiceover continues: “Soon-jung, what is this ominous feeling that I may be one step behind again?” Aww.

Just then, Min-ho passes out. The momentary spell is broken.

While Papa Ma can’t seem to get Min-ho’s loss of consciousness at the meeting out of his head, Doctor Jo is informed of Min-ho’s newly stabilized condition. Strangely enough, everything suddenly got better as soon as Soon-jung arrived.

Soon-jung finds herself caring for Min-ho while he’s unconscious, but leaves the task to Secretary Oh when he comes for his shift. Still, she’s reluctant—she doesn’t want to leave Min-ho by himself after he asked her not to go.

Joon-hee drives her home, and is curiously introspective on the drive. She’s her usual dense self when it comes to his feelings so she doesn’t understand why he’d come to the hospital and not see Min-ho, even if it’s obvious he just came to see her.

He does admit he’s afraid, but won’t tell her why. It’s obvious to us and anyone with eyes that he’s afraid of losing her to Min-ho, and Sad Puppy Joon-hee is just about the most pitiful thing ever.

Papa Ma is waiting for Soon-jung when she gets home, and the two share a warm but sad meal together as they reference the shared tragedy they have in Dong-wook’s death.

To Papa Ma’s credit, he acts just like a father to Soon-jung, and admits that he feels the same way too. In fact, he wants to find someone for her to marry so that he can be at peace… what about Joon-hee?

Soon-jung thinks it’s a ridiculous proposition, but Papa Ma defends that he saw them together earlier (when Joon-hee dropped her off), and they looked like a perfect couple. He’d actually like for her to end up with someone nice like Joon-hee, and is sure Dong-wook would’ve felt the same. Aw.

Turns out that the product tampering Hyungnim NOH YOUNG-BAE (might as well give him a name if he’s sticking around) lived through his traumatic accident, though he’s currently comatose.

That means Ok-hyun won’t be able to get any answers out of him, even though they’ve figured out that Dong-wook found out about his tampering, which would’ve given Noh Hyungnim a motive to kill him.

After Joon-hee finds out that he’s technically being fired/moved from his position as the head of legal affairs at Hermia in lieu of someone more qualified, Min-ho barely gets a chance to recover before he’s pelted with ideas for a media blitzkrieg by Ji-hyun. It’s their way of fighting back against Hermia.

Luckily, Doctor Jo informs him that he’s in fine health, even though Min-ho complains about the heart palpitations that seem to come on randomly. Doctor Jo has spoken to Secretary Oh about Min-ho’s changes in behavior since the transplant, and has come to believe that Min-ho may be in the one percent of transplant cases with cellular memory syndrome.

It’s not scientifically proven, of course, but it’s a theory wherein the organ recipient gains the characteristics of the organ donor. That’s the only reason Doctor Jo can think of to explain Min-ho’s weird behavior as of late.

Min-ho’s only concern is whether he can be cured of it using willpower alone, to which Doctor Jo says that matters of the heart aren’t so easily controlled. Especially if Min-ho is experiencing unfamiliar emotions… like love.

Min-ho drops his lollipop in shock. “Love?” he says, as though he’s never heard the word before.

Chairman Kang’s wife, Madam Min, asks Soon-jung to do a task in secret for her and the chairman—it’s the only way to save her husband and her children. Soon-jung has something to gain from it too, in that Madam Min will save the central factory, and thus Papa Ma’s job (along with countless others).

Min-ho has to endure hearing others in the office talk about him when they fail to realize he’s in the same elevator, only to have Joon-hee beat him to the punch when they both come upon Soon-jung and a spilled stack of papers.

He is not happy about it, and thinks back to Doctor Jo insinuating that these feelings of “love” he has are directly tied to Soon-jung. He adamantly denied it at least until Doctor Jo added, “Whoever it is, or whatever situation it is, if you keep making excuses to be around that person… That’s love.”

While Min-ho had laughed like a maniac at what he perceived to be crazy talk, in the present he suddenly bursts out, “That’s nonsense!” It’s almost funny how normally Soon-jung reacts to his outburst, as though he’d just said an ordinary hello.

Min-ho tears into Soon-jung about spilling his precious papers and orders her to make new copies, which she heads off to do without question. Joon-hee knows he’s being ridiculous, but Min-ho’s mean teasing of his doggedness with Soon-jung doesn’t get the expected result when Joon-hee owns up to his actions: “It’s because I like Secretary Kim.”

When asked for clarification, Joon-hee repeats what he said unflinchingly, though he drops the formalities and just calls Soon-jung by her name. He’s not afraid to warn Min-ho against taking a personal interest in her, but Min-ho is equally unafraid to threaten his job position. Weiner measuring contest, commence!

Min-ho returns to his office in a rage, though he completely misdirects it at Soon-jung and acts like this is all over her spilling some papers. He’s more incensed that he could be in love with someone like her, but of course can’t word any of that past stuttered I’s and You’s.

It’s surprising that Secretary Oh acts as the voice of reason here, acknowledging that Min-ho is acting like a jealous little kid over Soon-jung. What’s funny is how he muses whether he’d get more of Min-ho’s attention if he tried being friends with Soon-jung, since it’d mean arousing his jealousy.

Soon-jung remains purposefully oblivious to Min-ho’s more ridiculous antics, and instead asks about his health. Her sincerity puts a stop to Min-ho’s tirade, but mostly because it sets his heart aflutter and he’s forced to flee into his office.

“What’s wrong with me?” he mutters as his heart thumps loudly within his chest. “I must be crazy.”

Meanwhile, Ok-hyun and her detective buddy find themselves in a bit of a dead end after the white hatchback they confiscated from Noh Hyungnim confirmed no DNA samples or signs of an accident. Noh did tell them that he was just a grunt, so with their only witness/accomplice still in a coma, they set out to find the kingpin behind the product tampering.

Now that Gold Partners is running a successful media campaign against them, Chairman Kang has to go to Plan B, which none of the bondholders are enthused about. He wants to file an injunction against Gold Partners for illegally obtaining their bonds, even though that’d open them up to public scrutiny as to why they’re having to sell their bonds at all.

But it’s a risk Chairman Kang is willing to take, even if it means exposing his own weakness just to reach his enemy’s.

Min-ho knows this is a desperate move coming from Chairman Kang, and one that could potentially land the old man in jail if not played right. For the time being, he’ll countersue, and work to get the media in his favor.

Before the cameras begin to roll, Min-ho is told that his stylistic team was involved in an unfortunate accident. I’m honestly not sure if this is just a ploy by Secretary Oh to get Soon-jung and Min-ho in the same room, but it works—he tasks her with making Min-ho camera-ready—suit, makeup, and all.

The shoot is taking place in Min-ho’s new home/Dong-wook’s dream home, and since Soon-jung is having to get so close to him to apply foundation, Min-ho can’t help but ask if it bothers her to be inside the house.

She’s professional as always, and completely unaware that the simple act of reaching around Min-ho’s shoulders to secure his tie has him going mad. He practically runs away from the close contact and into the interview, where he’s asked to comment on Chairman Kang’s recent injunction.

But the tone turns serious when the interviewer asks if it was Min-ho’s father who founded Hermia, and if so, is Min-ho really planning on selling his father’s company? Min-ho’s answers are succinct and to the point, because to him, emotions have no place in the world of mergers and acquisitions.

The interviewer then mentions the suspicious circumstances regarding the takeover of the company by his father’s brother, Chairman Kang, and how it’s believed that his father might’ve been wronged. If so, doesn’t Min-ho want to reveal the truth?

In a surprise move, Min-ho emotionlessly states that the corporate takeover was bound to happen whether or not his father was in the wrong or not. “It all happened for one reason. It happened because my father was a dreamer,” he adds coldly.

After the interview, Soon-jung wonders why Min-ho is tailing her and innocently asks whether he’s walking home. His vehement response that he totally isn’t, how could she think such a thing? tells us everything. He’s just… taking a walk. Yeah, that’s it.

He does find a moment to ask her if being in his house bothered her, since he knows it held a special meaning for her. Aw. She’s her usual cool self about it, and replies that a house is just a house—it’s who you live with inside it that’s important.

And in usual Min-ho fashion, he manages to break the sincerity of the moment by asking Soon-jung what she thinks her charms are… as in, what’s so special about her that her fiancé fell for? Haha, that’s such an oddly personal question to just put out there.

She finds it awkward but still does her best to answer, and says that Dong-wook explained her attraction in terms of the earth’s rotation—basically to mean that Dong-wook was the earth orbiting around the sun that was Soon-jung.

And that last bit is the conclusion that Min-ho comes to very reluctantly, because even saying the words makes him think of Doctor Jo telling him that he’s in love. I guess he really, really doesn’t want that to be true.

Still, Soon-jung manages to surprise him when she tells him not to be ashamed of his father. Visiting the central factory had her thinking of the wonderful person his father must have been to build it, even though it also made her think about how her father ruined it.

She knows that he won’t care to see how his father’s legacy has been kept alive in the factory he wants to demolish, so she says instead that she had a thought: “Maybe you’re not a bad person. Maybe you’re someone who’s hurting on the inside. You’re smart, you control an unthinkable amount of money. Thousands of people are afraid of you. But inside, you’re still that stunted nine-year-old boy. A boy who’s hurting.”

Joon-hee’s already in a foul mood due to the myriad problems on his plate, so he’s not in the mood to entertain his father’s money-grubbing relatives when they come knocking.

They’re clearly only interested in Joon-hee because of his position, and not-so-subtly hint that he should give their son a job while they take the money Joon-hee all but throws at them to get rid of them. He turns to his father with barely contained rage, berating him for allowing these people around when they were the first to turn him and his father away back when they needed money for his mother’s surgery.

Remember that favor Madam Min asked of Soon-jung? We still don’t know what she asked, but Ji-hyun outs her as a betrayer to Min-ho: Chairman Kang led everyone to believe he was going on a business trip to China when he isn’t. The reason why she’s pointing fingers at Soon-jung is because she knows Soon-jung has been in and out of his house, so she must’ve known Kang’s secret plan.

On Ji-hyun’s advice, Min-ho and Secretary Oh follow Soon-jung in secret. She enters the hospital with a masked person at her side, and Min-ho follows her all the way up to the top level… where Chairman Kang is staying as a patient.

Min-ho forces his way past Soon-jung and inside, passing soiled adult diapers to get to the private bathroom where Madam Min and Chairman Kang’s son wait. He grates out an introduction to his aunt like this is their first time formally meeting each other. (Is it?)

Now that Chairman Kang has been caught, he’s surprisingly docile during his ensuing sit-down with Min-ho. Though his nephew doesn’t display a shred of mercy or compassion, Chairman Kang tells him a fact he may have missed on his hurry to follow Soon-jung: they’re in the cancer ward.

Min-ho couldn’t care less, and is instead all the more angry at Chairman Kang for doing everything he did just to end up this way. Kang expresses no remorse and says he’d to it all again—the lofty ideas Min-ho’s father had about running a business just aren’t practical or possible.

He’s not sorry for his greed, but he does point a finger at Min-ho for his greed, since he knows this isn’t about revenge anymore. Min-ho doesn’t deny it, and says that even now he can’t help but calculate how Chairman Kang’s death will affect his plans.

In the meantime, he’ll expose everything he needs to make Chairman Kang a laughingstock, even down to his dirty diapers. What he doesn’t realize until it’s too late is that Kang’s young son has been listening, and he runs to his father tearfully asking if he’s really going to die.

Soon-jung follows him out of the hospital because he’s in such a volatile mood, and she would rather him calm down before he makes any decisions.

Min-ho displays his worrisome penchant for getting physical when he’s angry and roughly grabs a fistful of her jacket to hold her in place. “Stop pretending to be a good person,” he sneers. “You’ve been helping him behind my back, and now you’re worried about me? It’d be better if you tried to seduce me with that pretty face of yours. I might be able to calm down if I toyed with you for a couple of hours.” Um.

I sincerely hope that Soon-jung’s “Do what you want” reaction is only said in the hopes that Min-ho will realize how awful he’s being, and not because she thinks that having meaningless sex with him will actually help calm him down. Because if that’s the case, then this just turned into a completely different show.

While Joon-hee deduces that Chairman Kang must be holing himself up in a hospital, Min-ho has calmed down enough to ask Soon-jung how serious his uncle’s illness is. It’s late-stage colon cancer, she answers, and there’s not much time left.

As for why she helped, it was because Madam Min asked her, and she couldn’t say no since she’s known the chairman for so long. And, she admits, because it’d ensure the future of the central factory—because if the public found out about Chairman Kang’s illness, it’d be sold off immediately.

When asked why the central factory means so much to her, Soon-jung replies honestly that that place and the people who worked there became her family when she lost her parents. “That place… is me,” she adds finally.

“Is that so? Well, that’s too bad,” Min-ho says coldly after her heartfelt story. He can’t afford to think of anything in such sentimental terms—even now he’s only thinking of how he can profit off Chairman Kang’s death.

Joon-hee sees the truth of Chairman Kang’s condition firsthand, while Min-ho spends the night dreaming of Dong-wook’s last moments and wondering who the person is hovering right outside his field of vision.

The next day, Joon-hee conspires with Ji-hyun to act while Chairman Kang is ill, which is exactly what Min-ho would be doing if he wasn’t having flashes of what we like to refer to as “conscience.”

So Joon-hee gathers up all the bondholders and tells them to come to the dark side (aka Gold Partners), because Chairman Kang’s late-stage colon cancer and impending death will make his injunction against Min-ho’s company worthless. And when that happens, wouldn’t they rather be on Min-ho’s good side?

News of Chairman Kang’s illness breaks thanks to Joon-hee, and he heads the ensuing board meeting to call for Kang’s dismissal. The board votes yes, and the chairman is dismissed just like that.

Min-ho is at first enraged that he wasn’t invited to the meeting, at least until Joon-hee tells him that they just eased his way into the company. Plus it helped Joon-hee too, so it’s a win-win situation in his book.

Even so, Min-ho can’t help but think back to Chairman Kang’s words about corporate greed and how there will always be others to replace him. Is he having a change of heart (har) about his uncouth business practices?

Soon-jung has come to the informed conclusion that Min-ho leaked the news and caused all this company upheaval, so he runs to catch up with her. He wants to stop her from going to the chairman’s house where there will likely be a mob of reporters, until she throws back that it’s all his doing anyway.

If that stings, it shouldn’t, but Min-ho takes offense at her accusation anyway and goes along with her presumption that he’s the one who caused all this. Didn’t she know he’d do that anyway?

“Yes, I knew,” she admits. “But it’s strange… I didn’t expect anything of you, so why am I so disappointed in you?”

She leaves on that note, walking headlong into traffic. A car flickers its lights as it heads straight for her…

…But Min-ho pulls her to safety just in time. He yells at her for almost getting herself killed before he becomes distracted by his own thumping heart, louder now that he’s holding her.

He can’t understand what he’s even doing in this situation, and it’s no help that Doctor Jo’s words about being in love come to the forefront of his mind. “Fine,” he says, more to himself than to her. “Let’s find out… how my heart truly feels.”

Then, standing in the middle of the street, he pulls her in for a kiss.

 
COMMENTS

What could possibly go wrong with that scenario? At this point though, I think it’s safe to say that this drama needs to very seriously re-evaluate its relationship with motorized vehicles, because we’re nearing parody territory with all the damage cars have done in just six episodes. Dong-wook was killed by a car, Noh Hyungnim was put into a coma by a car, and if Soon-jung has been pulled out of the way of an oncoming car twice now, that’s two times too many.

We all know and understand the skinship purpose of having the hero save the damsel-who-can’t-read-traffic-signs, but maybe we could try to vary up the distressing situations a little so it’s not cars all day, every day. If being the person constantly needing to be saved is the direction we’re going with in regards to Soon-jung anyway, though I sincerely hope that won’t be the case.

In many ways, Soon-jung was brave this episode, and proved again that she’ll do the right thing even if it puts her in a bad spot. But that mentality seems to work to her detriment as well, because I honestly can’t tell whether it’s in her kind nature to just turn into a limp noodle when she’s being manhandled or not—and if so, whether she realizes that’s a bad idea sometimes.

For instance, Min-ho’s penchant for rage-induced physicality is no secret to her, since he’s shoved her onto the ground before in a fit of misdirected anger. This time was yet another fit of misdirected anger, though I get that he thought she was double-crossing him to help his enemy, it wouldn’t be the first time he thought she’s betrayed him, he’s very confused about his conflicting emotions when it comes to her, etc. That’s all fine and well, but grabbing her the way he did and demeaning her well-meaning efforts to calm him down by insinuating that she’d better serve that purpose by putting herself at his sexual mercy? And then having her agree if it would actually work? Oy vey.

I’m sure there are multiple ways to read that scene to make it sound less awful, and some of them might be accurate. It could easily be argued that Min-ho was just trying to be hurtful and Soon-jung was resilient enough to call his bluff so that he couldn’t scare her away. If that was the case, she’s got a better read on him than he does on her, and her misdirected blame at the end doesn’t count when what she thought he did is exactly what he said he’d do. To add to that, she had no reason to think that he’d be better than that—though she admitted that she felt disappointed nonetheless.

So we’re definitely seeing Min-ho’s conflict when it comes to rising above the terrible person he can clearly be, though he’s not at a point where it’s easy to feel sorry for him when he’s blamed for something he would’ve done anyway. It does make Joon-hee out to be worse than he is, though it’s a tactic I’m not entirely for—Joon-hee’s motivation to rise above his circumstances is clear, and he’s driven by ambition. As Chairman Kang said, Min-ho is driven by the same thing, but Joon-hee beating him to the punch doesn’t necessarily mean one is worse than the other. Because let’s face it: Telling a man dying of colon cancer that not only will you find a way to profit off his death but will also make his inability to control his bowels public knowledge is a pretty crappy thing to do. At least Joon-hee’s not in the business of crushing people’s souls (unless he’s in the business of crushing people under his car, which would be very bad).

 
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Thank you for the recap

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This drama is on my to watch list... Also FIRST!! :)

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Thank you for the recap. I really like this drama and also Minho character. Despite there are some flaws here and there but i found this drama has its own charm. cant wait !! ^^

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I really enjoy the min ho character. I was surprised at Minho reaction to the take over but in a good way. I like that they've had him slowly start to change. at this point it doesn't make sense for him to change even if his uncle is dying. Most dramas would have him forgive his uncle only to be tricked later.

I did cringe a little at Minho offer to soon jong but after reading your recap I think it was meant as a "do your worst" you can't insult me and not to be taken seriously.

Is it taboo for kdrama to mention or allude to sex? because I don't remember a kdrama being forward except for kim so yeon last drama but that wasn't a network

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"Power Dynamic" or "Power Struggle"

Is there a time or a place when manhandaling another person, can be seen as an acceptable way of expressing ones frustation?
Min-ho's way of behaving clearly is way out of line, but thats only when I see the situation in a Western mindset, if we see it from an Asian point of view than the way he behaves, tends to be more ok, if not acceptable from the Asian perspective.
I always need to remind myself that context, is foremost when assesing what the writer is trying to convey, and since we are dealing with a work of fantasy, I guess many things can be taken for granted, or be given credence.

I have a hard time, when I see I man using physical violence towards woman, when trying to convey frustration or anger, there is never a place nor a time for that in my book, specially when he kissed her with out consent, since that is sexual assault. I do not find the last scene, romantic at all, he is clearly abusing his power, and going beyond what is acceptable, I know we are dealing with a work of fiction, but even in the context of the Korean culture, I cannot condone his behavior as someting to accept or emulate.........But hey its just another day in Dramaland!!!!

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Can we take a moment to admire how fantabulous Yoon Hyun Min looks in a suit? Just the caps itself makes me squeal. Strut it, ma boy~♥

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Ah, I just wrote in ep 5 comments how I have issues with the continual yelling and manhandling in this drama. I thought it ended a few ep ago, but this just takes the cake. I'm disappointed!

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I agree. The manhandling takes the joy out of watching this show. The constant slapping, pushing, collar grabbing of Soon-jung is killing me. And as much as I like min-ho and soon-jung together, I was yelling "NOOOOO..." the moment the first hint of the forced kiss reared its head. NOT romantic and NOT cool!

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i dunno why some people need to confirm something called love by kissing other, why?? there are a lotta reason why a heart pounding.. and in real life, what he just did is sexual harassment, lols.. once again, in real life!

but, as a viewer, i somewhat like it.. lols.. bcuz i already know what his heart wants, and they are my fave OTP!

i like Minho's character. he has his own grudge towards those who betrayed his late dad and ruined his family, yet his hearts suddenly wants something that he knows will betrays his own mind..

Jung Kyung Ho is such a great actor. at first, i always thought that Jisung was the only one who could play 7 characters in one drama (KMHM), but watching JKH, i bet, he would make it too!

thanks for recapping!

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I Had zero interest in this show cos the premise felt too familiar n I didn't know the two guys. But then it was Sunday evening, and I had nothing to watch over dinner, so I clicked on it. Wow, I love it! And marathoner 6 eps.

Turns out the two guys are great. Love the main lead. He may not be the best looking among all the K actors, but his acting is wonderful. The 2nd lead is too; he gives off Um Ki Joon vibes.

I like the writing and directing. While the premise is not new, the show is doing a good job presenting it.

It is like watching a 9 year old have fits. Both his old and new sec have called him out on it. I look fwd to seeing him find out he has no way out of this love of his life, his personality change, and his crusade to save the factory. Poor 2nd lead guy tho will turn out to be the killer, won't he?

Sigh, the depth of his hatred of his childhood poverty and his father's meekness is even more detrimental than the main guy's need for revenge?

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"He may not be the best looking among all the K actors, but his acting is wonderful."
I thought the same but he's one of those actors that become better looking as I watch to me, or maybe it's his voice (and the soundtrack? I love it! I have it on repeat right now)? Anyway, by the end of ep. 6 I think I'm slowly starting to fall for him (OR is it the soundtrack??? I can't decide why my opinion changed but it did.).

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Currently watching "Heartless City" and I have to say that from watching some clips of "Falling for Innocence" his acting has gotten better. His acting in HC is a little awkward and he tended to overreact his expressions, I think comedy suits him better. Also yeah it must be the voice or probably choosing the right characters because right now he is attractive to me to, lol.

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Oh choosing the right characters is always very impt for how an actor comes across.
I remember when Kim So Yeon was so much hated when she played the evil 2nd lead in All about Eve. Of course it meant that she did her job well, but nobody wanted to see her on screen for Years.

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I don't think so AAE was one of master piece for KSY along with IRIS. It proved who talent actress she is and she also had many project after that. Maybe just somebody who bias just because she played villain role too well

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Wrong typed - It proved how talent actress she is

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*Nods head* I'm pretty sure it was his voice (and his acting, you are so right on casting actors that fit the character- that's one of my biggest pet peeves, well, probably almost everybodies:)). I've heard so much about HC and was wondering if I should give it a try. I may have to check it out again...

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I am currently in episode 15, I started watching it on Friday and started on episode 4 were I stopped last time. It has been kind of disappointing to tell you the truth. Based on everything I had heard about it I was expecting something else. Just be warned, don't expect to much romance. But overall I watched 11 episodes in three days during my free time so it must be doing something right, right? It is an addicting show. Go watch it and judge for yourself, I can't really tell you everything that I thought was disappointing because then there would be a lot of spoiler, besides everybody has different likes and dislikes, you may like it more than me. :)

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@Blueribbon
Now my curiosity is piqued and I'm going right now to check it out. I didn't make it past the first few minutes last time because I wasn't in the mood for it but now that I like the actors I'm willing to try again, so thanks!

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@yimmi

"I’ve heard so much about HC and was wondering if I should give it a try."

In 2013 Heartless City was recognized for Best Bromance (Jung Kyung-Ho & Yoon Hyun-Min) and received Honorable Mention in their 2013 Editors’ Picks for Best Drama.

Gummimochi's End of the Year Review:
"Heartless City—how can you be so smexy and so badass?...slick, sleek directing style that kept my heart pumping during the series...this is a world that will not relent; where a moment of weakness will guarantee your death...while Heartless City wasn’t always perfect, it still remains as one of the most memorable dramas for me this year."

http://www.dramabeans.com/2013/12/i-watched-for-you-year-in-review-part-2/

HeadsNo2's End of the Year Review:
"nicely filmed with a dark, atmospheric vibe reminiscent of old school noir crime thrillers...Heartless City was a rollicking good time worthy of the emotional hangover it left behind. Perfectly imperfect, [censored] and all."

http://www.dramabeans.com/2013/12/a-year-in-compliment-sandwiches-year-in-review-part-3/

Heartless City is not perfect, but it's different from the standard kdrama and the characters are almost impossible to forget — definitely memorable.

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Thanks, August!
That's great to know! I'm definitely giving it another chance now. I have to wait til tomorrow to make time but I will! :)

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you didn't like him in heartless city? I thought he killed it. I liked him a lot in comedy, but was so impressed with his range after seeing him in HC.

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I've fallen in love w Both actors. Haven't seen their previous works before. Both are giving splendid performances here--very much convincing as those characters.

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Watch Jung Kyung Ho in Smile, You.

One of the best family dramas I've watched (sans a few episodes toward the end - nut they got back on track). I tend to avoid family weekend dramas because of its length, but I watched it for JKH. His beta male hero - awesome!!!!!

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Dramabeans has done a full recap of it - here's a taste

http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/10/smile-episodes-1-2/

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"unless he’s in the business of crushing people under his car, which would be very bad"

Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaa. This made my day.

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Despite all the flaws in this drama i'm fully enjoying it <3 <3 (lol at the cars). I don't even know whyyyyyy T_T. And now I have a new found love for Jung Kyung-ho.

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+1 :)

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+1

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+1 :D I started crushng on him since the end of episode 2. I mean, that smile! /melts into a puddle of goo

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@ gammiron

Maybe you know I've been complaining a lot about Min-ho (his characterization) but like @Laica I love him in spite of his flaws. ;)

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Minho may be flawed, but Jung Kyungho is certainly not xD well at least his acting and charisma on screen...nope, they're not flawed at all. Not at all.

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+1 !!! <3 <3 <3 <3

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YUP!

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Frankly, the manhandling really has to stop, that poor girl is going to be kill by one of these men during a fit of rage, even if she feels like its her karma (as she said in a previous episode) is not okay for her to let these people treat her this way.

Min Ho is starting to show signs that he is in fact human, I actually appreciate the struggle he is facing now that he is starting to see the light. While he was still the same jerk to his uncle, I was happy to see that at least it bothered him that his little cousin overheard them. Which is why I think Min Ho is actually a better person than Joon Hee.
Joon Hee did not even hesitate to leak the news of the chairman's illness and he obviously had no remorse about kicking him out of the chairman position. We can argue that Min Ho has done far worse things but we can't forget that Joon Hee put a harmful chemical on skin products that harmed thousands of buyers. He didn't even take into account that those chemicals could even kill someone who had a severe allergic or a weak immune system. Plus he has put all the central factory workers at risk of losing their jobs. He made someone that he has known for years into a criminal and his friend died because of him (I'm still regarding him as innocent of actually killing him tho but he was still partially responsible I'm guessing).

The way he treats his father also really puts me off. My heart hurts for the old man who only wants his son to not feel ashamed of him. I get why he was angry during this episode but he still could have talked to his father in a better way. He has a really strong inferiority complex and I doubt that is ever going to go away. His complex is the reason he was too late to confess to Soon Jung when they were younger and is that inferiority complex which will keep stopping him from ever getting together with her.

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Totally agree with you about Joon-hee. I'm really losing sympathy for him with each episode. Whereas Min-ho is growing on me, even though I want to smack him at times.

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Because of his own inferiority complex he lost his chance to confess because he was too embaressed of his background and he still is in some ways while DW never cared and acted on his feelings and won teh girl being always one step ahead of him and now the same thing,the only one at fault for loosing this chances is him no one else...and even mroe after all this time when Sung Joon doesn't think of his as a love intrest and oly thinks of him as a friend and even family
Another one i was thinking while the doctor was telling MinHo about what LOVE is i was thinking that that can include obsession as well jjaja
Sadly JH going on that path can't have both sucess and SJ,when she will start seeing all the things and face her friend really has will distance far from him even more because while she knows MinHo real face she doesn't think of JH as a guy doing bad things...Curious in what proportin JH decision to overtake the Chairman was influenced by his iminent departure to China...

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thank you for the fast recap HeadsNo2, after reading some of comments here, I will definitely watch Heartless City very...very soon ^__^

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I like the drama but if I really try to think it through, I get a headache tbh.

Somethings just don't make sense like HeadsNo2 said the scene where he says that he could get rid of his feelings to her in 2 hours and then she agrees?? like is this character the same character that we have seen so far...

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@Hagar

I agree that that "2 hours" line isn't really necessary and it makes Min-ho worse than he actually is. I understand that the writer seems to be fond of making sexual innuendos ("first consummation night with a thug"--Ep 3, "this gift will take other women to bed"--Ep 5), but this time considering the context of the scene, it's really not necessary.

A lot of people were enraged by the Chairman's slap two episodes ago, but I think it wasn't really far from reality because slapping bosses do exist in Asian countries (and I'm speaking as an Asian living in an Asian country here).

But Min-ho's line is more than uncalled for. I was so shocked that the writer had him manhandle Soon-jung again.

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But I don't think Soon-jung will misunderstand the surprise kiss as a sexual assault, because now I remember Min-ho shouts at her for endangering her life. Surely he wouldn't have been that anxious if he wanted to molest her, or that's what I believe Soon-jung would think.

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It's a "drama", and for anything right or wrong it stands for it is still a "drama". So I take it with a grain of salt.... I will make my own judgement when the whole episodes aired.

Anyways I still enjoy this drama and for this episode my heart hurrrrrttttt so bad for Joon Hee. Trully, you can never understand someone unless you walk miles in his/her shoes. Many second lead/love rival portrayed as batshit crazy, obsessed, unreasonable, pitiful or just anything shallow. This one is just love.... Joon Hee's unrequited love is still beautiful... I want him to get well written ending so bad :')

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The voice over Joon Hee gave at the beginning of episode 6 touched me. I, too, thought (even with his flaws- I try to be understanding of drama characters because I can't help thinking if I was written on a page what would be seen of my motivations and actions might be more like a drama than what I thought- I mean I don't always do things for Good reasons, so I try to give the characters lee way to make mistakes. I've actually met people in real life that have been hurt and lash out the way Min Ho does or a complex like Joon Hee~ and maybe had a complex or two myself haha!)here's a second lead I get and can sympathize with, or at least understand even if I don't agree. So far, they've got my heart I just hope the show keeps it. I know how fickle I can be.; p

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True to that "understand even if not agree". Yeah we do have our own flaw and that's very human. So probably that's why we try to understand because we want others to understand us (this is how I view the current SoonJung, I hope she is not turning to stupid submissive heroine).
Up till now the show's character development is still well written! Let's hope that JoonHee at least be happy. His story made my chest stuffy, the last one I was like this was when watching City Hall....

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Ah! City Hall! Great drama! And I agree that so far I like the writing (or there again it may be the acting i've fallen for- or actor ahem! Jung Kyung Ho I'm looking at you!). I'm hoping it stays that way because lately it seems I'm really enthusiastic about a drama in the beginning and then I have to force myself to finish. I don't know if I'm getting jaded or if it's just the quality of dramas (or maybe it's Healer's fault~ i fell deep for that drama). Ah well! fingers crossed...:)

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What is wrong with the men in this drama? Can't they just fight amongst themselves? Soon-jung has been slapped, manhandled and pushed by two men already! Not to mention the forced kiss at the end of this episode. I love Min-ho but sometimes I want to kill him for his behaviour.

Thank you for the recap HeadsNo2. :)

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@Giegie

It bugs me too how I like these characters despite their flaws (and in Min-ho's case there are many).

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So true. I feel like in the hands of a less skilled, less charismatic actor, Min-ho would be an outright villain and we'd all hate him. Props to Jung Kyung-ho.

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@Laica

Yep, can't agree more with you re. the actor. Sometimes when a violent scene from Min-ho is too much for me to handle, I have to pause and think, is the character really written to be a lovable a$$, or is it Jung Kyung-ho's portrayal that renders him lovable?

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@Selenette

For me it's JKY's & his voice's fault. ;)

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@Giegie

Haha, nice! I will take a leaf out of Min-ho's book and rationalize the feeling: maybe I like Min-ho because of Jung Kyung-ho's nuanced acting and speech intonation.

Yeah, and maybe his earlier haircut. (Finally losing excuses here.)

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Totally i really loved his voice here even more when he talks and goes at the last words low,he is seductive,u think he is trying to seduce her with that tone for real(when he told her about the revolution when talking about DW falling for ehr)

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@Miky

Lots of people love his voice. I'm just in denial. ;)

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Hahaha so true about the cars Heads, I was thinking the same thing. It's getting ridiculous now.

The way I read her, Soon-jung is a highly intuitive person - she's better than most at not only hearing what someone is saying, but reading their facial expressions and body language. (Except for with Joon-hee, but I think that's because she's so comfortable with him she doesn't pay that close attention, plus he's been actively hiding his feelings for over ten years.) She sees him as the 9-year-old still very angry, very hurt kid that never grew up, and so I saw her response to him in the scene outside the hospital in that light. Like when a kid says outrageously awful things just to provoke a reaction, and the adult calls their bluff.

NOT, however, that this excuses his disgusting insinuations or the manhandling, because Min-ho is not, in fact, a child, and he needs to grow the hell up and stop acting out. Especially if he wants Soon-jung to see him as a romantic prospect, which he is on the cusp of realizing at the end of the episode. I also feel like Soon-jung needs to start calling him on his unacceptable behaviour a bit more aggressively. Which I think she might do after his kiss, i.e. if you want to be a man to me, start acting like one. Or so I hope. I guess we'll find out on Friday.

I'm starting to like Joon-hee less and less. I've suspected him of the murder from the beginning, but putting that aside, I agree with unnieutu above, I really don't like how he treats his father, and the way everything he does is driven by his inferiority complex. Plus he's a coward, the kind of person who never takes any risks unless he's 100% sure of a safe outcome for himself. That's why he's been doing Chairman Kang's dirty work, why he never confessed to Soon-jung, and why he's now turned on not just the Chairman, but is willing to sacrifice the careers and futures of the factory workers he's known all his life. It makes it hard to feel sorry for him or root for him. At least Min-ho is honest about his faults, many and glaring as they are.

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Thanks for the recap!

I like what @Laica said above about SJ being intuitive enough to recognize MH's toothless words of the "have sex for two hours line." @Selenette listed his other sexual comments as well. The fact that he has said and done these things with other women is important to what kind of dude MH is/was before the surgery. Didn't we see that clearly after he slept with that secretary and kicked her out?

Cold, unsentimental, ruthless, user of people for his own pleasure/gain. I picture him as a balloon full of other people's efforts, and he lords his inflated power over them simply because he gets what wants all the time.

But this new heart, or this new woman, keep taking the air out of him. In his sincere efforts to make her happier, he offers an expensive bag - which she refuses. His pouting that that would have gotten him in bed with any other woman is true, but comical that he KNOWS it won't work with her. So why doesn't he just leave her be? She makes him angry, she questions him, she judges - but he keeps coming back. His "I might be able to calm down if I toyed with you for a couple of hours." is the last of the air leaving the balloon. She knows he wouldn't try that with her - it's like the last grumbling part of a dog's growl when he realizes nobody's going to give him what he wants. SJ's "Do what you want" is more like, "Whatevs." Since it is an empty threat from an empty balloon.

I take the manhandling as drama way of condensing time from what he was to what he will be. It is an easy way to show everyone he's an ass. It's big, loud and tough.
When he slowly stops and eventually loves her loves her, he'll be all gentle and sweet with her.

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@jomo Thanks for helping me affirming my love for the drama and the characters (which was shaken by the violent scene).

After reading your comment, instead of placing the blame on Min-ho, I've begun to think it was the flawed writing that was too blame (for such grimace-inducing scenes and dialogue).

There could've been many ways to make Min-ho a cruel sexist childish guy (there I said it, and yet I still love that bastard so much). Also, Soon-jung could still be written as a tough woman, without a mock agreement to the nonsense sprouting from his mouth in that scene.

Hopefully the character development for these two (and other characters) will run smoothly, maybe as smooth as how you wrote it.

Once again, well said, and thank you.

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Hmm actually from what I see manhandling might be actually quite common among Korean guys. I have some Korean guy friends and they sometimes do that to me, but in a more playful way, as a sign of friendliness. (Minus the forced kiss ofc hahaha) I was shocked at first, but after a while, I just got over it.
Regarding Minho, well I supposed I'm just not that bothered with that behavior since that seems to be part of his original personality. I thought people would be glad that he still retained his cold and ruthless personality, but I see some can feel those harsh traits of him as too much. It's okay because we have different cultures, so our opinion about this is bound to be different.

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@gammiron

Hi! Our prediction re. Min-ho's arrested development turns out to be true!

Speaking of Min-ho's violent act in this episode, I must say I was still shocked when I watched it for the first time, and the more so after I read the subs. I'm Asian and I'm kind of used to hearing sexual innuendos from my male co-workers' mouths, but these still irritate me.

Back from before I was married, 7 years ago, I nearly socked a male co-worker who called me an ice spinster (yeah...I know I should've been proud. I'm Queen Elsa). I don't know, maybe I'm just too intolerant.

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Hahaha yeah when Soonjung pointed that out (that inside Minho there's still that 9-year-old boy in pain) I was screaming eureka! Lol but more than our prediction proven to be true, it was more because finally, finally Soonjung started seeing things beneath the cold surface of his.
Well I still haven't watched this episode with subs but the sexual comments actually kind of upsets me as well. I mean, if any guy friend of mine throw such comment at me, whether he was Korean or not, I'd be pretty pissed off already. But Soonjung handled it pretty well, actually she handled it much much better than any of us would. Just like @jomo said, she treats it as an empty threat, and we know that is true, because unlike his pre-transplant self, he is now conflicted with his feelings so he wouldn't just treat her like a doll, but instead he would start to see her worth as a person. But I gotta admit he did go out of the line so many times. Seems like it'll be harder to force him to see his own reflection and, well, reflect on it. I do hope the moment when he starts to act more gently towards Soonjung will come soon though.

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@gammiron

It will be so difficult for him to rediscover himself, but hopefully he will. It will take many sacrifices, laborious effort, and maybe even atonement on his part, IMHO. Yet it will be a rewarding and healing journey both for him and for us, the viewers.

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Why do I like this cheesy drama? Why? Why? Why?

Sigh... I even decide to write a comment (my second comment on a show here in dramabeans after Marriage Not Dating), something I would not do if a show was not entertaining to me. Why? Do I experience a conflicting situation just like Min Ho does? lol

Despite all the flaws, I fell in love with this show from the very first minutes of the episode 1.

I hadn't watched any drama before with either Kim So-yeon (KSY) or Jung Kyung-ho (KSH) in it and I instantly fall in love with them here. Am I here the only one who even likes KHS's character from the first start? :)

I also wonder if there are ones who love this drama because:

1. KSY looks normal to me as a person we might find easily in our daily life. I mean, I don't think she has a doll-like face, but for me the fact just gives her a plus.

2. Just like what I have read from some comments in this section, KSH might not be the best looking one among K-drama actors, but for me, his might-not-best-looking face and his imperfections make his facial expressions perfect. I have no idea why I love actors with different size of eyelids (if they have ones) or with a combination of monolid and double-eyelid eyes. I also like seeing dent forehead or sunken cheeks for they usually spice up the expression required for certain character. I do not really enjoy expressions coming from symmetrical faces...except from a very well-trained actors. Really, I do still ask myself why.

Maybe..maybe....the conclusion of my liking to imperfections (not a doll-like face and asymmetric kinds of thing) is that I can relate them to my own life, myself; human beings' need for acceptance and the fact that they might get the feeling of being normal and accepted to see others just like them in a show... hahaha. Sounds there's not only Joon-hee here who suffers from psychological battle lol.

By the way, in my opinion, all the leads here do their best jobs. I don't care about rating. As long as I can enjoy the show, I will definitely continue to watch it.

And, for me, all the recaps for all the movies or whatever it is in this site are just something; amusing (to the heart) and satisfying (to the mind). I even sometimes read the comments only to find me smiling at how well and thoughtful they have been written (meaning all the writers of the comment section have a cool approach on the show as well as an analytical mind, not only emotional ones).

Congrats, Dramabeans!

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Kim So Yeon's role of this drama reminded me her role in Doctor Champ. She is one actress who portray an ordinary character very well. That's realistic and have any felling she try to act like some actresses.

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Doctor Champ? Is it worth watching? Maybe I should give it a try.. :)

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The way men and women are so okay with the men shoving the women around is creeping me out in this show.

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It seriously creeps me out too. A person's difficult life is no excuse for bad behavior towards others, especially women in this drama.

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There's concept of being gentlemanly or courteous unless it's to an older man or a mother-in-law.

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I mean there's *no concept.

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I for one see it as each episode passes is the internal fight of the two personalities if i can even call them that when seeing MinHo constant mood swings and all the stuffs,his old personality is kinda fighting internally with DW one,his personality isin't vanished,we see it and after DW nice persona comes in albeit his heart and i think slowly both personalities will merge and we'll see the new MinHo and the constant swings between being a douche and a nice guy will tone down to a middle grown,the half of each one...

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@Miky

Well said there. I love how you put it like that: the boy who refuses to grow up (Dong-wook) and the boy whose growth is incomplete (Min-ho) will finally see eye to eye and grow together. It will be like "soulmates" but in a deeper level of existence because they literally share a heart.

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He is not nice. It's true we wonder like Soon Jung as to why he is so heartless when he has another ance in life.

But instead of growling at his evilness, I was laughing & feel warm towards his intention to Soon Jung. How funny is it to have gotten the wrong organ during the conversation in the lift...

I hope he doesn't have to carry Soon Jung on his back coz he looks like can't withstand her weight. hehe

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"But instead of growling at his evilness, I was laughing & feel warm towards his intention to Soon Jung. How funny is it to have gotten the wrong organ during the conversation in the lift…"

I couldn't agree more... I mostly laugh watching the show. Maybe it's because of my perception towards what kind of this drama is. The evils are not serious at all... It's a romcom to me... I enjoy it because it makes me feel relaxed...

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Thank you for the recap!!

Ok, I am not fluent in Korean so maybe I just didn't pick up on it, but the "toy with you for 2 hours" did not come across as sexual to me. I was actually really surprised when I saw people talking about it like that. But maybe there is an innuendo in Korean that is explicitly sexual. I just interpreted it as him saying he'd entertain his feelings for her rather than resist them, or that they would try to have a relationship/go on a date, or that he would "toy with her" much they way she's been toying with him, going behind his back and then worrying about him. Basically, she's just messing with his feelings and going back and forth while he just wants her to like him, hence the. "Seduce me with that pretty face, toy with you for a couple hours" would just be the flip side of that, his revenge (keeping in mind that Min Ho is above all, a vengeful character). Anyways, it could mean any number of things in my opinion.

And then the comment with the purses just seemed to me to be an acknowledgement of 2 things: how shallow Min Ho is, and how strong Soon Jung's character is. He was pointing out the price of the purse while simultaneously putting a price on sex (which is sacred and beyond monetary value), but before he made that comment, he knew she would still turn it down. He was comparing her to some other women he had encountered, and, in his own way, complimenting her.

Just my perception. Again, I'm in no way proficient in this language and do not condone verbal or physical abuse if that's what it was in the end.

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I just can't figure out this show. I don't dislike it, but I just can't get my head into it. I can't follow it's logic and I can't seem to find any purchase for my emotions. This show makes me feel like my emotions are drunk - wobbling all over the place, unable to walk, or even to stand up straight and be still.

I guess all of that sounds like I really wouldn't like it, and I don't like that part of it... but overall I don't dislike it. So far. I do really think that the character of Soon Jung is far too milquetoast and boring, but I think Kim So Yeon is doing an admirable job with what she's been given. And as always, whenever she is showing her emotions, especially when she's crying, I totally feel everything she feels. So applause for that, but it's a shame the character wasn't written with more complexity.

Yoon Hyun Min... I dunno, he's fine. I just feel like he is not as interesting in dramatic roles as he is in comedic ones.

Lee Si Eon also - and he is really a favorite of mine - I really wish he had more to do because he can be soo funny.

Jung Kyung Ho has all the best bits. Even if his character's transformational logic makes my heart and brain feel like they're tumbling through a front-loading washing machine.

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I should clarify - it's not the fact that he is going through changes, or swinging wildly between personality traits that makes me feel so off-balance. It's the seeming lack of internal logic to the whole thing and a lack of insight into Min Ho's emotional experiences. I feel oddly cut off from him.

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I see contrast. Soon Jung very brave woman. In her life, she try her best to stand with her legs after Dong Wook died. She keep her sadness inside because life is must go on. In work, She also stopped Min Ho's foreigner friend to go to Hermia shop for sake of her company. She doesn't force to prove her innocence after she was fired just because she doesn't want to make it bigger. Like she said before she just want to quit quietly. From my point she is not coward at all.

Most viewers give credit to Min Ho role and Jung Kyung Ho acting. Sure, while his role is main character who continue the story and has so many range to portray varieties emotion. But I prefer both Soon jung and Joo hee. That's more reasonable in whatever they do. Kim So Yeon and Yoon Hyun Min well done in their character too.

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I think I do agree with your "sure, while his role is main character..." although I still love Min-ho. The Joon-hee parts I like the most are when he looked at Soon-jung (those eyes...sad, kind of longing expression...) and when they stuck their tongues out while collecting shattered files on the floor...

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Hahaha I'm one of those who gives credit to Jung Kyungho for his portrayal as Minho. I must say he deserves it since if it weren't for him, no one would probably love Minho's character after all. He managed to make Minho an interesting characters to a good number of audience and even make some of them fall in love with him. /shyly rises hand

But of course, he couldn't take the credits all alone. IMHO Kim Soyeon also did a great job as Soonjung. The more I see her, the more youthful and beautiful she looks. Also her ability to show various expressions is very great! Like when she shows fake smiles to cover up her sadness/exhaustion, I am silently aching for her. When she cried while remembering her memories with Dongwook too, I was crying along with her. My favorite expression from her though is when she suspects Minho whenever he seems to start acting nice to her ie. when he tried to buy her a gift. Her expression is so funny but it is so appropriate! I am in love with that expression! XD

As for Joonhee...well I am now hating his character very much, which must mean that Yoon Hyunmin is doing a good job with his portrayal as well. All in all, the actors are doing equally well!

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I actually agree with you about Soon Jung. She's not a coward, and all those things you said about her are true. I just don't think any of that stuff is particularly interesting. But I absolutely give credit to Kim So Yeon's acting, she is great in all her roles. I just think it's a shame that this role is so boring, in my opinion. But if you like her character as she is, more power to you! You can enjoy the show more then I can :) But personally, I wish she were a bit more flawed, less placid and maybe less forgiving. I wish her character had more internal conflict.

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I want Sung Joon to fall for Joon Hee! Just to defy the logic of cellular memory and make for a great twist. But I can see that FFI isn't exactly the drama that would break with the cliches with its blatant display of misogyny.

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I haven'

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Well, at least you said thanks, BR...

This episode did a slightly better job at describing Min-ho's inner conflict, but he still remains really difficult to pin down. How much of his heart-clutching, vacillating, and incipient signs of love are caused by his new heart and how much is actually "him," if any, is anyone's guess. He still has anger management issues, he is still the most calculating of businessmen, and he fights ever finer feeling and stamps it into the ground, sometimes literally. So far, it seems like his new heart has caused the following symptoms:
- a penchant for lollipops and more casual clothes
- obsession with Soon-jung
- accelerated heartbeat in her and Papa Ma's presence
- dreams of Det. Ma's death
It is less than I expected, which makes it more realistic, but it also makes him a much harder character to like.

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drama beans re u no longer recaping and putting pictures?cos I can't see any much more tap to view and is affecting my reading ain't fun no more reading without seeing d picture of d characters

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On a lighter note, I could not help laughing through the makeup scene, in which they are in a ridiculously poorly-lighted room prepping for an outdoor photoshoot which is in broad daylight 10 feet away. It's all about him getting all hot and bothered, but still ...

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Thanks for the recap HeadsNo2. Falling for Innocence (aka Fall in Love with Soon-Jung) — Did I experience a eureka moment? I don't know but in episode 6 it dawned on me that this drama's name is not only a play on Soon-Jung's name but a reference to Soon-Jung falling in love with Min-Ho too. Min-Ho's innocence — "that stunted nine-year-old boy. A boy who’s hurting."

And whether we recognize it or not MH, SJ, & JH are all carrying weight, baggage, and pain from their childhoods.

Yoon Hyun-Mi: I've seen him in Discovery of Love, Age of Feeling, Cruel City, and now FFI. YHM is such a joy to watch because of what he brings to the table with each role & character. He deserves credit for always delivering something different and his onscreen presence.

Preparing myself for the angst that will surely come from Lee Joon-Hee's narrative. Slowly peeling away the layers to his character — his shame for having a working poor/lower middle-class/working class father which led to a mindset all these years of not being good enough/lack of worthiness "right now" & inferiority complex (financially) around Soon-Jung.

Not that I necessarily agree with his particular attitude or his choice of battle plans for combating inequality, but I can understand how growing up poor and witnessing the inequality that exists between the owners of capital and those who work daily — sometimes extremely hard or incessantly for low wages...barely making enough to make ends meet — as an impressionable youth in a capitalistic and class society, can really take its toil and skew the mind toward destructive and irrational behavior.

However, of note is Joon-Hee's tunnel vision: His father worked all these years as a Security Guard vs. the capitalist mantra that “Anyone can be rich if they work hard enough.” Well, for all Joon-Hee's ambition/determination to do things differently from his father in terms of job/career choice, pride, & success; Joon-Hee still ended up feeling like and being referred to as Kang Hyun-Cheol's dog. Self-deception, a person can get caught up in it. Intending to sustain a sense of meaning and self-worth only to end up creating illusions about themselves and their circumstances. Therefore, actually attaining/achieving self-realization and living a meaningful and fulfilling life...for some people the reality falls far short.

I think the writer did a good job and YHM as an actor too — of showing Joon-Hee's resentment (of the Two-class system: the capitalist/ruling class & the working class) and the accumulation of missed chances with Soon-Jung due to his tendency to focus exclusively on/be consumed by (from youth onward) the social divisions around him. Instead of forging ahead with his first instinct(s) in regards to Soon-Jung , he ends up hesitating (as a consequence - always sabotaging himself) because of "his perceived" appearance. I feel sorry for the choices he made (& continues to make) that led to his predicament and the...

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I feel sorry for the choices he made (& continues to make) that led to his predicament and this type of tunnel vision forming.

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