ari nie aq ad cite yang lama tpi bawu nak cite kat korang iaitu cite Witch Yoo Hee (Witch Amusement)..dlm cite nie dia sbnarnya bukan la ahli sihir cuma owg luar yg mmberi dye gelaran nie..dia (yu he) seorg baik..dia mnjadi jhat dsebbkan ayahnya yg tegas trhdapnya..malah owg pejabat pndg takut padanya seperti ketua yg garang dan penampilan yg serba itam menjadi semua pndg nye dlm ketakutan..kalo nak taw lebih pnjg cite nie..korg tgok sinopsisnya dan jalan citenya sendiri ye..hehe..
Title: 마녀유희 / Witch Yoo Hee
Chinese title : 魔女幼熙 / 魔女游戏
Also Known as : Witch Amusement
Genre: Comedy, romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2007-Mar-21 to 2007-May-10
Air time: Wednesdays & Thursdays 21:55
Theme Song: Oon myung eh jang nan by MC Jinri (feat. HaHa)
Insert Song: If by Jun Hye BinWitch Yoo Hee Synopsis
Ma Yoo Hee has an independent personality and is the only daughter of the owner of an advertisement company. She works as an advertisement planner. After she is introduced to Jae Mo Ryong, who is a student learning cooking, she falls in love with him. Dennis Oh will play a famous French Chef from America. He is perfect guy named Johnny Kruger from New York. He plays a big part in hooking up Ma Yoo-Hee and Jae Mo Ryong. Jang Sung Mi is the ex-girlfriend of Mo Ryong.
Cast
Han Ga In as Ma Yoo Hee
Jae Hee as Chae Moo Ryong
Jun Hye Bin as Nam Seung Mi
Kim Jeong Hoon as Yoo Joon Ha
Dennis Oh as Johnny Kruger
Extended Cast
Ahn Suk Hwan as Chae Byung Seo (Moo Ryong’s father)
Song Ok Sook as Moo Ryong’s mother
Sung Dong Il as Lee Tim Chang
Hwang Ji Hyun as Han Sae Ra (Yoo Hee’s friend)Byun Hee Bong as Ma Yoon Hoon (Yoo Hee’s father)
Jo Kye Hyung as Chae Song Hwa (Moo Ryong’s brother)
Choi Eun Joo as Song Hwa’s girlfriend
Jennifer Bae as Alison
Han Young Kwang
Moon Ga Young
Baek Hyun Suh
Kang San
Production Credits
Director: Jun Ki Sang
Scriptwriter: Kim Won Jin, Kim Min Jun
RECAP Witch Yoo Hee (Witch Amusement)..:)
EPISODE 1
As I’ve said before, there are a few directors whom I’ll follow from project to project based on the strength of their prior work. Jeon Ki Sang is definitely one of them. I fell in love with his work — his direction, artistic styling, comedic timing, editing — in 2005′s Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, and only loved him more with last year’s My Girl.
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Witch Yoo Hee (aka Witch Amusement) ever since I heard it announced, first because of the director behind it, and then as each successive cast member was added. This series has got quite the all-star cast. I thoroughly expected to enjoy this drama, and as far as first episodes go, I thoroughly did.
SONG OF THE DAY
The Classic – “Magic Castle” (마법의 성): Classic late-’90s ballad from side project of balladeer Lee Seung Hwan (former Mr. Chae Rim), and ultimate karaoke song choice. If you saw Bad Family, Heechul (of boy band Super Junior) sings this song while playing the piano for Choi Hana’s character. [ Download ]
BACKGROUND
I get a kick out of wordplay in titles. This one (in Korean, “ma nyeo yoo hee“) plays with words three different ways: First, Han Ga In’s character is named Ma Yoo Hee. Second, the word “ma nyeo” means witch, and by all indications Yoo Hee’s pretty bitchy, so it’s Yoo Hee The Witch. Third, “yoo hee” also means amusement or game, so it’s “Witch’s Amusement.”
I love titles that work on multiple levels, like Hana Yori Dango and Hello! Miss.
Plus, did anyone notice that the upbeat song that incorporates an electronica version of Beethoven’s Fifth sounds an awful like the theme song “Never Say Goodbye” by Mario & Nesty from My Girl? I’m willing to bet it’s the same group.
Anyway. You can probably attribute most of the buzz about this show on the cast. There are a lot of young, hot actors, that’s for sure.
First, Han Ga In‘s acted a bit and made a name for herself doing series like Super Rookie with Eric, as well as a lot of CF advertisements, but this may be her definitive role. I’m not too familiar with her work, but she’s a gorgeous woman and I’ve heard good things about her.
Then, you have Jae Hee of the Many Facial Expressions, whom I have an inordinate amount of affection for as Mong-ryong in Delightful Girl Choon Hyang. This marks his second series with this director, or third if you count his very brief cameo in My Girl. Jae Hee stole the show (or was it already his to steal?) in DGCH and proved himself funny and endearing with a knack for comedic timing and physical comedy, but he really proved his versatility (in my humble opinion) in Kim Ki-duk’s quiet (almost wordless) film 3 Iron (aka Bin Jip). You might almost not recognize him, having played such silent intensity there. My love for him is so vast that I can overlook his weirdly elfin haircut here and just pray that the next eight weeks allow him to grow out his bangs. And when I feel my faith in the miracles of hair growth faltering, I reach for handy pictures like this one to tide me over.
Kim Jung Hoon is someone who made watching the original Goong a lot more interesting for me, since I couldn’t for the life of me sympathize with Shin. This is his first big gig after Goong, so a lot of his fans are eager to see him back onscreen. Fans lamented that he’d be playing second lead again (therefore doomed to not get the girl, and possibly turn into an evil or manipulative bastard, per the mandates of kdrama convention), but if Goong taught me anything, it’s that if ever there were an actor who could make the second lead male sympathetic, it’s Kim Jung Hoon.
Dennis O (or O’Neil) is another example whereby I’d invoke the Kim Samsoon Curse (pretty + male + half-Western = painful acting), but it could be that having seen Professor Alex’s awkwardly wooden performance in Goong S may have numbed me to bad acting forever. Dennis surprised me by speaking Korean pretty well and, for the moment, not noticeably sucking.
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EPISODE 1 SUMMARY
We open with a beautiful but ultimately irrelevant animated segment about how a handsome prince goes to save the beautiful princess from the witch’s castle, only to be captured himself when the princess turns into the witch. She cackles in glee.
And we meet MA YOO HEE. She works in (what seems to be) advertising, only wears black, no makeup, severe glasses with a severe hairstyle, seems to enjoy nothing and finds only the fault in things. She’s the boss at her company, so the others are simultaneously afraid of her and whisper behind her back. She’s quite aptly called ‘witch’ by everyone when she’s not around.
Not surprisingly, she’s not doing so well in the romance department. She goes on tons of blind dates, but never manages to get to a second date. To us, it’s more than patently obvious why — she criticizes everything, laughs at nothing — but she has no idea what’s wrong.
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She finally manages to meet a guy who requests a second date, and she’s surprised and happy — not because she likes the guy, of course, but because she succeeded in getting to a previously unattainable level. Unfortunately, just at that moment, she sees another customer harassing a female server, and her ass-kicking feminist emerges in time for her date to freak out and book it the hell out of there.
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Meanwhile, CHOI MU-RYONG is an aspiring chef of French cuisine whose good taste literally gets him into trouble. He’s more interested in perfecting a dish than half-assing it and getting it done quickly, and has a keen ability to know what’s wrong, or off, with various foods. This innate ability insults the head chef, who can’t believe a subordinate dares to criticize his cooking, and fires him on the spot. This probably isn’t the first time that’s happened, either.
His parents (which include the actor who played his awesome father in Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, yay!) aren’t happy, and demand he return to medical school. He’s taken some time off to pursue his dream, but now they want him to go back. Mu-ryong goes to re-enroll… but can’t go through with it, and instead withdraws entirely.
He tells his best friend about it, who wonders what he’s going to do now. His friend cajoles him into going on a blind date in place of someone who backed out at the last minute. Mu-ryong already has a girlfriend (played by Jeon Hye Bin), but his friend’s in a bind and offers to pay him for his trouble. All he has to do is fake being the date for one night, and be warned that the woman’s a little… particular.
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So Mu-ryong meets Yoo Hee. Normally, she’d bite his head off the instant he arrives, but after her last failed attempt, she’s been trying harder to succeed at dating, reading how-to and self-help books. Plus, the guy’s pretty cute and he’s (supposedly) a 28-year-old doctor.
With that in mind, she forces herself to try to be pleasant (which is an arduous task for her impatient and unyielding personality). But she’s not as good at pretending as she thinks she is; Mu-ryong can tell she’s practically a ticking bomb.
Yoo Hee refers to some tips she’d recorded in her cell phone to help her through her date, but in her myopic and misguided fashion, she makes a muck of it (unknowingly).
(Try to act cute. Have a good appetite. Act interested in the other person. Try to find things in common.)
Finally, she loses patience when Mu-ryong dozes off for a moment, being very tired, and throws water in his face, calling him rude. He gives as good as he gets, and tells Yoo Hee that she should take some care into her appearance if she’s going on a blind date. They leave each other on mutually annoyed terms.
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Mu-ryong is now working part-time as a deliverer for his father’s Chinese restaurant, as his parents believe he’s enrolled back in school. While out on a delivery run, he gets into an accident, and happens to crash into Yoo Hee’s car. (It’s pretty much his fault.)
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Seeing his insurance information, Yoo Hee is none too happy to realize Mu-ryong lied to her on her date, and he’s not who he said he was. First off, he’s younger than her — he’s 26, she’s 27. He’s not a doctor, and he only met her because his friend begged him to. He’s very apologetic, even kneeling in supplication, but she’s hard as nails. Yoo Hee tells him she won’t report him to the police as long as he pays her back for her car repairs — a whopping 4,000 manwon (or 40 million won, approx $40,000, which is ridiculous, because why don’t you just buy a new car already?). She wants it in one week.
Mu-ryong doesn’t have that kind of money, but Yoo Hee’s uncompromising. If he can’t pay, then he can work it out with the law. So Mu-ryong does the only thing he can do, which is use his school tuition, now that he’s withdrawn. But as luck would have it, he gets mugged on his way out of the bank. With nothing else left, he prepares to beg his parents… but can’t bring himself to ask for 4,000 when his younger brother asks for 1,000 and gets a sound scolding.
Mu-ryong also can’t tell his family that he dropped out of school, but they find out when his friend accidentally lets it slip. The only way out of the situation is to lie that the reason he withdrew from school is because he’s going abroad to study in New York. That news, at least, is acceptable, and stops his mother short of having a major tantrum.
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Mu-ryong hears from his friend that he got fired from his job… and he stalks over to Yoo Hee’s office, full of resolve, accusing her of not playing fair. Even if she was pissed that the guy misrepresented her blind date, she shouldn’t go this far. Yoo Hee just cares about her money. Mu-ryong doesn’t have it, and tells her he’s sorry, but he can’t come up with it so quickly. But he’ll be willing to work it off, whatever she wants him to do. She scoffs, but then remembers that she’s been having a hard time finding a housekeeper — she keeps firing them, so no new ones are willing to work for her.
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She installs Mu-ryong as her housekeeper, cleaning up her messy apartment and stocking her fridge. At the end of his first day, she curtly dismisses him (appearing as a witch to his tired mind).
Still, she’s pleased to see that he’s cleaned up nicely, and even cooked a delicious meal for her:
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Meanwhile, Mu-ryong’s girlfriend SEUNG MI works for her father, who runs a fancy restaurant, and greets their new hire, famous hotshot American chef JOHNNY CROOGER (I almost can’t bring myself to type his last name. I’m sure they meant “Kruger,” but those Koreans, man… do your fact-checking, please!) Although personally I don’t get the appeal with Dennis O, everyone else is ready to swoon at his feet, particularly when he speaks in Korean. Seriously, you can almost see the guys wishing they were women so they could have his babies.
Interestingly, though, Johnny seems to be on familiar terms with Yoo Hee, as he tells her (in Korean), to everyone’s envy, “I’ve missed you.”
While Yoo Hee is out meeting Johnny, Mu-ryong is killing time in her apartment, and accidentally falls asleep. His younger brother (whom you may recognize as Yoo Rin’s friend’s brother in My Girl — although it’s amazing what difference a haircut makes!) has announced that he’s intending to marry his bimbo-tastic girlfriend because he got her pregnant. As the family believes Mu-ryong’s going to New York in two weeks, Mu-ryong gets kicked out of his room, so instead of going back home, he hides out in a spare room in Yoo Hee’s apartment, without her knowing.
Yoo Hee hears a noise and goes to investigate, obligatory kitchen-utensil weapon in hand, when she suddenly feels a pain in her side, and collapses to the ground.
Mu-ryong debates for a moment whether to reveal himself, but ends up rushing to see if Yoo Hee’s okay… and he comes face to face with her answer…
EPISODE 2
Episode 2 was so much fun!! Fans of My Girl shouldn’t miss this show — it has the same fast-paced, cheeky charm, but the stories are so different that it won’t feel like a rehash. I think watching Que Sera Sera and Witch Amusement will provide me a nice balance — QSS has the potential to be the more insightful, artsy choice, while Witch Amusement is bound to be one of the year’s more energetic, trendy picks.
Let me note, also, that it took me extra-long this time to narrow down the screencap list… (I usually take 100-150 caps per episode and post 30-50, but this time I took nearly 400 caps.) There was just such an abundance of great shots. The director really has a stylish flair for the visual, and a knack at cutting shots together to create energy.
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Epik High – “평화의날” (Day of Peace)… just because I feel like it. [ zShare download ]
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IN GENERAL
Witch Amusement isn’t the most groundbreaking or original kdrama out, in terms of story lines and plot devices, but I do think its style and fun-loving appeal are more than enough compensation. We see the return of the contract (although it’s not a love contract for once), and some other familiar kdrama tropes. But they are tropes because on some level they work, and we are mostly content to be familiar with those devices.
Jae Hee is pure fun to watch, and I always marvel at his ability to turn on a dime between levity and seriousness. Han Ga In isn’t perhaps quite as good, but I do like her and I think she works as Yoo Hee. She may not have played Yoo Hee as bitchy as she could have (Han Ye Seul in Fantasy Couple was a lot more brittle and mean, but in a lovable way), but she does convey Yoo Hee’s cluelessness well. Yoo Hee isn’t simply bitchy because she’s a bitch; she’s mean because she has no tact, and no self-awareness. And no patience. In any case, I think Han Ga In did a good job of showing Yoo Hee as someone who simply doesn’t get it. Everyone else is out playing the game, and Yoo Hee’s obliviously wondering, “Huh? There’s a game?”
As for Kim Jung Hoon and Jeon Hye Bin, they’ve had little to do so far, so I’ll have to hold off judgment for later! And now….
.EPISODE 2 SUMMARY
We pick up from the previous episode with Yoo Hee clobbering Mu-ryong in the face with a frying pan. He quite literally sees stars, but gets over his pain quickly when he sees Yoo Hee stumble and fall unconscious.
Yoo Hee wakes up in the hospital to see Mu-ryong there, who tells her she’s suffering from acute stomach convulsions. Rather than being grateful for his troubles, she fires him.
At home, though, she sees more food laid out for her, with a note from Mu-ryong:
Note: “Even if you want to kick me out, I cooked you some porridge (joohk). You know how to heat it up, don’t you? If you don’t, give me a call!!”
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At work, Yoo Hee is visited by an annoying, superficial former college-mate, Sara Han, who cheerily reminds Yoo Hee that their university reunion is on Friday night. Yoo Hee’s embarrassed to realize Sara’s new boyfriend is the guy who ditched her at the blind date when she beat up the sleazy customer. Since Yoo Hee was going on blind dates, everyone presumes Yoo Hee’s still single — “Like always!” — and will be flying solo at the party. After hearing Sara rub it in yet some more, Yoo Hee says she has a boyfriend. Sara doesn’t believe her, though, and tells her to bring her new guy on Friday so she can see for herself.
So Yoo Hee is left with few options. She goes on blind dates in succession, asking each guy to accompany her on Friday, but much as in Episode 1, each of her dates knows right away it’s not going to work out. Yoo Hee flips through her phone contact list, down to her two final resorts, both of whom she’s loath to use: Johnny or Mu-ryong. (Oh, and I made a mistake in the previous recap with Mu-ryong’s last name. It’s not Choi, it’s Chae. Both are pronounced similarly in Korean.)
It’s interesting — Yoo Hee has no problem asking virtual strangers (her blind dates) to go along with her odd date request even though she knows they’re not a good match, but she has an awful lot of pride when it comes to people she actually knows.
She calls Mu-ryong first, but he assumes she’s calling about the money he still owes her, and fakes illness. Later, he goes to his girlfriend Seung Mi’s restaurant because he wants to meet Johnny (as a fan/admirer), as Seung Mi’s arranged a time for him to come in. Little does he know that Yoo Hee has decided to ask Johnny to help her, and is on her way to the restaurant, and nearly runs into her. He narrowly escapes.
Yoo Hee can’t quite bring herself to ask Johnny for help straight-out, and inquires in a circuitous way if he’s busy Friday night. Unfortunately, because of work, he’s unavailable… so Yoo Hee covers and says she’d wanted to hire his services that night. But he can’t comply on such short notice. Johnny gently tells her that if she needs anything from him, she can ask anytime, without beating around the bush.
(I take back what I said about Dennis O’s Korean improving. In Episode 2, it’s pretty awful. It’s so mangled at points that I feel sorry for whoever’s translating because it’ll be a chore. That said, I do like his character — gentle and kind, who cares about Yoo Hee, though we don’t know their backstory yet — even if his acting doesn’t do a lot to elevate it to a real, emotional level. For now, I’ll refrain from mockery, as long as his acting at least stays unobtrusive to the scene.)
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So Yoo Hee’s outta luck. And to put that final nail in the coffin, she gets a phone call from Sara informing her that YOO JOON HA, Yoo Hee’s first love, is going to be there… with his fiancee. That clearly means a lot to Yoo Hee, who freezes in alarm. You can just imagine Sara twirling her hair and cackling in glee, being able to spitefully drop that bomb. Although, I suppose Sara’s too dumb to be truly hateful.
Yoo Hee looks nostaligically at the picture she keeps of him in her bedside nightstand. Ironically, the frame says “family.” I wonder if that’s for a reason or if it’s just a thoughtless oversight. I’m gonna go with oversight.
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In any case, Yoo Hee calls Mu-ryong and curtly demands he give her the 4,000 manwon ($40,000) this week. Mu-ryong, who’s found menial work in a Korean restaurant’s kitchen, meets her and hands her an envelope with cash… but it’s filled with meager bills. Not even close to 4,000. Yoo Hee sneers and throws the money back at him. (There’s something really cruel about throwing money at a person in disgust, isn’t there? It just seems so degrading.)
Mu-ryong earnestly tells her he doesn’t want to pay her back bit by bit, he’d prefer to be able to clear his debt in one go, but he can’t. But seeing Yoo Hee’s unyielding expression, he gets up resignedly and tells her, “Fine, let’s go to the police station. There’s nothing else we can do, so let’s go.”
As he’s walking away, Yoo Hee asks: “Are you… doing anything tomorrow night?”
Mu-ryong can’t believe Yoo Hee’s so hard-pressed for a man that she’d resort to asking him to fake it for a night. He isn’t immediately persuaded, but his ears prick up the instant she says she’ll reduce his debt if he goes along. He asks, “How much?” and she replies, “How much will it take?”
Mu-ryong busily calculates in his head how much a reduction he should ask for… $3,000? $10,000? $15,000? or…. an even half at $20,000? But he imagines she’ll rescind the offer if he’s too greedy, and Yoo Hee meanwhile wonders to herself if he would possibly dare ask for the entire amount. So they both speak at the same time:
MR: “$5,000″ YH: “$20,000″
But Mu-ryong only hears the first part and thinks Yoo Hee was going to offer $2,000… so he says that’s too low. He’ll go as low as $3,000, but that’s it. Yoo Hee smiles, relieved, and accepts.
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Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee meet the next day to go to the reunion, but Mu-ryong takes a look at Yoo Hee’s typical drab attire and announces it won’t do. She finds nothing wrong with her appearance, but Mu-ryong tells her the deal’s off — if he has to pretend to be her boyfriend, he can’t pretend with her looking like that.
So they end up shopping for a new look. Yoo Hee ventures into the wide world of dark browns, but Mu-ryong pushes her for something more attractive. He also “accidentally-on-purpose” breaks her glasses, and takes her hair out from her ponytail. She’s uncomfortable, but Mu-ryong’s satisfied that she looks presentable now. Judging from the reactions of everyone else — stunned shock — he was successful.
Yoo Hee introduces Mu-ryong as her boyfriend, and cuts him off from admitting he’s an aspiring chef, leading him to introduce himself as “The French cuisine…loving plastic surgeon, Chae Mu-ryong.”
She also runs into her first love, Prince Yul! Oh,wait. It’s Yoo Joon Ha. Kim Jung Hoon looks as baby-faced as ever, but honestly, that fiancee of his is looking a little weathered. She could pass for someone 10 years older than him. Joon Ha and Mu-ryong get off on the wrong foot, and let’s just say, Joon Ha ain’t no gentle prince Yul. Perhaps the word “ass” is a bit strong… but he’s definitely no pushover.
Unfortunately, just at the moment where Yoo Hee faces her old love….
As everyone else just gawks, stares, and laughs at Yoo Hee’s pink boxers, Mu-ryong looks over in a mix of horror and anger, and runs to Yoo Hee’s side. She’s still frozen in shock, so he takes his jacket and wraps it around her. He asks if she can walk, but she can barely answer him, so he takes care of the matter himself:
Seriously? It’s hot. .
What’s a girl to do?, except get drunk, of course. And now, we get to the crux of the matter…
Mu-ryong: “Don’t be depressed, just try changing. Then, you can go find a man…”
Yoo Hee: “How? Change how?”
Mu-ryong: “That’s obvious. Change… appealingly.”
Yoo Hee: “So, how? Tell me how to do that.”
Mu-ryong: “Are you really asking because you don’t know? You change into someone womanly, beautiful. If you just do as much as I did for you today….”
Yoo Hee: “Are you so great? Fine, then you do it. Why, don’t you have confidence? Is it too hard? Is it impossible?”
Mu-ryong: “It’s not easy… But it’s not impossible either.”
Yoo Hee: “Then do it. If you do well, I’ll reduce your debt.”
Mu-ryong: “Really? How much this time?”Yoo Hee: “All of it.”
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Yoo Hee passes out, and Mu-ryong takes her home. She’s out cold until he puts her to bed, at which point she wakes up abruptly, stares at Mu-ryong, and seems to be ready to unleash her fury on him…
…but instead simply says, “Don’t leave,” before falling asleep.
So he doesn’t.
In the morning, Mu-ryong’s got yet another meal ready and waiting for Yoo Hee. (Sigh. These writers really know how to get to a girl’s heart and mushify it into a helpless pool of Jae Hee adoration. Like they even had to do much in the first place.)
This also segues us into the second animated Witch Castle segment, with Mu-ryong opposite Witch Yoo Hee, as the two debate the terms of their contract. He has one month to change her into a success, if he wants his debt canceled.
And so, Mu-ryong pretends to his family that he’s leaving for New York to study abroad, and instead takes up residence in Yoo Hee’s apartment.
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They get started with the transformation right away. Mu-ryong gets rid of her entire dour black wardrobe, gives her a haircut, contact lenses, and a new, stylish closet full of colorful clothes. He goes all out in his best Henry Higgins to her Eliza Doolittle, to produce someone that not even her co-workers recognize on first sight.
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Yoo Hee makes full use of having Mu-ryong on conract to run her errands, which he does with only minor grumbling, until she has him pick up someone named Paran at school. He doesn’t think too much about the strange request until Paran asks about his mother. Mu-ryong asks Yoo Hee if Paran’s her son, and she scoffs, but doesn’t answer the question of who he is, then.
Mu-ryong’s left wondering about Paran as Yoo Hee has him fetching her things as she takes a bath. (It seems Yoo Hee’s catchphrase is going to be “ee-bwa,” which means “Look here,” which she utters every time she orders Mu-ryong to do some chore or another.) In any case, Mu-ryong seems much more embarrassed at the intrusion into her privacy than she does, and tries to hide his eyes as he gets her a mat for her bath (to keep the water warm?). Clearly, this situation is not going to work, and he slips and falls…
EPISODE 3
Witch Amusement is getting better and better! What makes this show so enjoyable is its ability to take situations and characters that you’ve seen before but somehow make them entertaining, without seeming recycled. Also, today’s episode was the first one that, in addition to making me laugh as usual, also really had moving moments. But we’ll get to that later.
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
MC Mong – “Ice Cream”[ zShare download ]
It does not hurt at all that this is really one of the best-looking young casts I’ve seen in a while. While the show seems to be continually stolen by Jae Hee’s presence, Han Ga In does her best to measure up, and is helped along tremendously on that score by being so damn beautiful. She’s quite stunning here, and her short hair really brings out her face. And while I’m not a particular fan of Jeon Hye Bin, she looks quite pretty in this series, and her character is likable (so far) as the kind, good-hearted girlfriend. (By the way, I love this show’s energetic soundtrack. Cannot wait for the OST to be released next week!)
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EPISODE 3 SUMMARY
After Mu-ryong comes face-to-chest with Yoo Hee in the bath, she kicks him out. Or attempts to, at least. He defends himself, saying that Yoo Hee’s the one who was ordering him around; he is innocent, and has done nothing to violate their contract. Therefore, he will stay. With that, Mu-ryong marches back inside with his bags, and Yoo Hee doesn’t argue.
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At the restaurant, I glean from Johnny’s garbled Korean that he is disappointed to see yet more careless cooking by the female assistant. (I applaud Dennis O for trying to speak Korean, and for someone whose skills were acquired late in life, he’s not doing a bad job. But it’s just that, on a practical level as an actor, it’s distracting to require the audience to concentrate so much on deciphering his words. He goes in and out of a bad accent — some lines are totally clear, and then *mumblemumblemumble.*)
Anyway, Johnny takes a break to clear his frustration, and runs into Mu-ryong, who’s rehearsing his spiel to request a job from the head chef. He sees Johnny’s expression and sympathizes in a friendly, guy-to-guy sort of way, “Is work getting to you?” Mu-ryong assumes Johnny’s a regular employee, and commiserates with him — he’s worked in that position and made lots of mistakes in the past. “But at least you didn’t get fired. I’m always getting fired left and right, so I don’t have anywhere to go now. And here, you get to learn from the best.”
Mu-ryong invites Johnny out for some refreshing soju after work to cheer him up, when Seung Mi arrives, and he realizes that the guy he’s been chatting so familiarly with is actually THE head chef, Johnny.
After the initial embarrassment — he didn’t realize Johnny was so young — Mu-ryong asks Johnny for a favor: his autograph. Johnny gladly complies. But then, Mu-ryong plucks up his courage for his real favor: He wants to learn cooking from Johnny — he knows it’s a lot to ask, but he wants to be his apprentice. But Johnny rejects him; he knows nothing about Mu-ryong, and besides, isn’t he always getting fired wherever he goes? He’s willing to go have a drink of soju together sometime, though.
Rather than take the rejection lying down, Mu-ryong goes home and whips up some cr�me brulee (French custard). He brings it to Johnny at the restaurant and asks him to taste-test it. Johnny seems offended at Mu-ryong’s nerve and has him dragged out, but tastes the cr�me brulee, and is surprised to find it’s good.
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Yoo Hee, trying to act nicer, invites her employees out to dinner. When they suggest going clubbing instead, in an effort to seem accommodating, Yoo Hee agrees and goes along. At the club, she leaves her secretary to await an important business call and goes out to dance…
Or, should I say, Yoo Hee ATTEMPTS to dance…
Secretary: “You have a call from Dong Sung’s President Kim.”So the secretary decides to have a little fun:
Yoo Hee: “Why are you out here? I told you to await that phone call.”
Secretary: “He says it’s important, so please call him back right away.”
Yoo Hee: “Dong Sung is going to call, so stand by. Hurry.”
Secretary: “You can’t hear anything I’m saying, can you?”
Yoo Hee: “So let me know when he calls.”
Secretary: “Do you know you’re a real pain in the neck?”Yoo Hee keeps dancing. So the secretary takes a deep breath, and yells out, just as the music dies—
Secretary: “You biiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!”
The entire club freezes in shock. (Note, the name she calls Yoo Hee doesn’t exactly mean “bitch” — literally it’s just “bad woman” (“nappeun nyun”), but “nyun” is a strong suffix, and the connotation is therefore pretty negative, especially the way she shouts it. The word doesn’t mean ‘bitch,’ but it does suggest it.)
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Mu-ryong makes another appeal to Johnny, who’s still exasperated at Mu-ryong’s tenacity. Mu-ryong’s being pretty bold here, but he wants this opportunity so much that he’s not going to let his pride keep him from trying. Johnny once again tells him to go, and to apply his time to improving his skills.
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Yoo Hee’s business colleague, stunned to see her recent transformation, is suddenly attracted to her and asks her out on a date (how like a guy!). In preparation, Mu-ryong gives Yoo Hee some more pointers. For instance, she should try smiling.
“No, that’s sneering. Try smiling.”
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On her date, Yoo Hee heeds Mu-ryong’s advice to smile and speak more nicely. However, she’s still having issues with walking in her stiletto heels, and twists her ankle. Her date catches her from falling, and Yoo Hee mistakes his helpful gesture as lechery manhandling. And we know how Yoo Hee feels about sleazy guys who like to cop a feel:
At home, Mu-ryong tells her she overreacted, but she’s not too disappointed with letting that fish back into the sea. She’s more concerned about being hungry; she tells Mu-ryong to make her dinner. Since he has to go to the supermarket, he suggests that she come along with him. It’s about time she learned how to do simple things like grocery shopping.
At the store, Yoo Hee packs the cart haphazardly with random goods, prompting Mu-ryong to object to her bad choices, like ramen and packaged snacks. It’s cute how she just tosses things in her cart, and he runs around putting them back on the shelves. It’s like a mother with her toddler.
Unfortunately for Yoo Hee, she spies her senior, Joon Ha, and his fiancee in the store, and runs away. Recognizing her, Joon Ha follows, causing Yoo Hee to panic and keep running away.
However, while she waits for Mu-ryong to bring the car around, Joon Ha finds her sitting alone, and they make small talk. He asks her if she’s all right; he felt bad about what happened at the party (with her public de-skirting), but it would’ve been awkward to call. Apparently he works nearby at a hospital as a cardiologist; his fiancee’s father is the director there.
Mu-ryong rushes to get Yoo Hee and collides with Joon Ha, who, by the way, is kind of an ass. Joon Ha is the kind of guy who’s sweet and gentle when it suits him to be (like he is with Yoo Hee), but to others, he’s cold and condescending. I guess Kim Jung Hoon’s doing a good job, because I totally buy him as the opportunistic, cavalier guy that Joon Ha is, without getting stuck on remembrances of Prince Yul’s kindness.
Back at home, Mu-ryong takes a look at Yoo Hee’s foot, injured from twisting her ankle in her high heels. Yoo Hee calls him a “fake doctor” and Mu-ryong wonders why Yoo Hee talks so roughly.
Mu-ryong: “You’ll have to fix your mal-tu [the way you talk].” (literally, her speaking behavior).
Yoo Hee responds by trying to kick him with her good foot, but Mu-ryong blocks it and says: “You’ll have to fix your bal-tu [foot behavior], too.”
(Note: mal-tu means one’s speaking habits. Therefore, bal-tu (bal = foot) means one’s foot habits. Bal-tu isn’t a real word, so its use here is a clever word turn on Mu-ryong’s part.)
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As a lesson in romance, Mu-ryong shows Yoo Hee a series of movies. (The DVD stack includes: Amelie, Before Sunrise, Someone Like You, Great Expectations)
Watching all that kissing, Yoo Hee looks over at Mu-ryong…
…who looks back with an intense look on his face…
…who just wants the remote control. He also leaves Yoo Hee with some advice to heed for everday interactions: She should try being kinder, gentler.
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Mu-ryong is planning to take out Seung Mi for her birthday, but at the last minute, he gets a call from Yoo Hee. Paran is feeling sick and needs her to pick him up from school, but she’s wrapped up in work and needs Mu-ryong to go instead. As he’s en route to his date, Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee that it’s a bad time, but as soon as he hears Paran is sick, he rushes over (very sweet).
Of course, he’s surprised to see Paran completely fit and healthy. Paran lied because he was bored — where’s his sister? He also takes interest in the birthday cake Mu-ryong has with him, which was meant for Seung Mi.
Mu-ryong tells Paran to go on home since he’s fine, but the boy grabs onto Mu-ryong, pestering him to stay and hang out with him. No matter what, Mu-ryong can’t shake Paran off his back (literally!).
(Seung Mi, meanwhile, tells Mu-ryong nicely that it’s okay that he can’t make it, although she’s clearly disappointed. She’d bought tickets to ride the cable cars, and throws them away. Johnny sees her reaction, and ends up taking her instead.)
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Mu-ryong and Paran wind up going to an amusement park, and actually have a lot of fun. (They happen to run into Mu-ryong’s younger brother, who’s there ditching work with his girlfriend. Mu-ryong makes his brother promise to not tell his parents that he’s not in New York studying abroad.)
Paran doesn’t exhibit much outward emotion, but it’s clear he’s enjoying himself. For instance, he refuses to wear the horn headband Mu-ryong buys, saying it’s childish — but when they get home, Mu-ryong gives Paran the headband. Paran says he doesn’t want it, but when Yoo Hee tries to take it off, he dodges her and keeps it on.
When they arrive at Paran’s house, their father tries to take off the headband too, and Paran again won’t let him touch it, and runs away. Her father asks Yoo Hee if she bought it as a birthday present… and I actually gasped out loud, because it’s just SO SAD! It also makes complete sense why such a reserved and stoic kid would cling so tightly to Mu-ryong — it’s his birthday, but nobody remembered, so he has to pretend to be sick to get his sister to come see him. But she sends someone else, and then the guy brings a birthday cake (for someone else), and is about to leave him alone, so he forces him to hang out together.
I don’t know what’s sadder — that his sister forgot it was his birthday, or that his father remembered but still didn’t do anything for him. Paran obviously doesn’t have many (or any?) school friends, and he’s just a lonely child. Thank god for Mu-ryong.
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Yoo Hee goes to the hospital to visit Joon Ha, but she sees him there with his fiancee… So she walks away, unnoticed, and instead gets drunk at a bar, downing a series of Scotch on the rocks.
Meanwhile, Seung Mi is invited over by Mu-ryong’s parents to celebrate her birthday, because they believe Mu-ryong’s in New York and want to make sure to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday. They’re obviously very close, and the parents are very fond of her. Apparently Seung Mi and Mu-ryong have known each other since elementary school and grown up together.
Seung Mi finds out inadvertently that his parents believe Mu Ryong’s studying abroad, but thankfully she’s pretty perceptive and realizes something’s weird, so she goes along and doesn’t say anything. But she takes his brother aside and demands to know what’s going on. She gets the address of the home where Mu-ryong is acting as housekeeper, and heads over…
…just as Mu-ryong finds a drunk Yoo Hee passed out in front of her own doorway….
EPISODE 4
(Theme) SONG (Comparison) OF THE DAY
MY GIRL theme: “Never Say Goodbye” by Mario & Nesty
[ Download ]
WITCH AMUSEMENT theme: “운명의 장난” (Fate’s game) by MC Jinri (Feat. HaHa)
[ Download ]
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EPISODE 4 SUMMARY
As before, Seung Mi (whose last name is shown this ep to be Nam) arrives at Yoo Hee’s door, having learned that Mu-ryong is working for her. As Seung Mi debates whether or not to knock on the door, inside, Mu-ryong puts a drunk and chilled Yoo Hee to bed.
Discovering Yoo Hee has a fever, Mu-ryong rushes out into the rain to buy medicine. He accidentally bumps into Seung Mi, who decided not to knock on the door and is going back home. However, Mu-ryong doesn’t recognize her because her umbrella hides her face and he’s in a hurry.
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Yoo Hee wakes up to find Mu-ryong has spent the night by her bed, tending to her fever. Unfortunately, he stirs in his sleep and his hand lands on her chest, causing her fist to land on his face.
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Yoo Hee’s father calls her telling her to come into work, and Yoo Hee’s horrified to find that he’s calling from right outside her door. Mu-ryong asks who it is, and Yoo Hoo panics and tries to shut him up, while telling her father that she’s not home and therefore is unable to meet with him. The father-daughter relationship is an interesting dynamic, as Yoo Hee maintains a formal distance from him, although it seems her father would like to be on better terms. Yoo Hee stubbornly calls him “President” instead of Father, and replies to him more often than not with her stock answer of “I’ll take care of my matters myself.”
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Mu-ryong goes to see Seung Mi at work, and she asks him why he didn’t tell her about his situation, and about lying to his parents about going to study abroad. Mu-ryong sheepishly tells her that he’s sorry, he should have, but his pride wouldn’t let him (which makes sense; in their very first scene together in Episode 1, Seung Mi alludes to Mu-ryong’s strong pride as a reason she was hesitant to help him find work). Seung Mi seems like a very sweet and understanding girlfriend, and Mu-ryong does seem to recognize her worth… but it’s weird, there’s a near-platonic quality to their relationship. I know kdramas generally skimp on the skinship unless it’s the main couple, but they aren’t very passionate or romantic with each other. Perhaps it’s because they’ve known each other since childhood and have become used to each other, in the way that old married couples get.
Anyway, Seung Mi is called away by an urgent situation, as one of the employees has injured himself and they’re one man short. In the kitchens, Johnny’s annoyed to see Mu-ryong appear to offer his services in face of their work shortage. Although he’d rather send Mu-ryong away again, he does need the help, and his own kitchen staff is still making lots of mistakes.
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Yoo Hee goes on another mat-seon (matchmaking date), and fears she’s going to get rejected again when the guy surprises her by saying he really likes her. Yoo Hee is incredibly pleased to hear this, until he tells her the reason for that is because of her impeccable qualifications. Yoo Hee’s understandably let down to hear that he likes her because she’s the daughter of the MK Group’s president, and dating her would make a good business connection.
Back home, Mu-ryong says at this rate, she’ll never get a guy and he won’t be able to hold up his end of the contract. Why’d she dump the guy? Yoo Hee tells him he only cared about her good qualifications, and Mu-ryong responds: “Good job! Guys like that should be kicked to the curb. So, is that all you did?” Yoo Hee: “Nope. He’s probably in the emergency room right now.”
After that incident, Yoo Hee’s unable to line up any more matchmaking dates — the service she’s using is unable to find anyone willing to meet Yoo Hee. Her employee, the Team Manager, almost gets caught talking to Yoo Hee’s father (whom by now I believe most people have already recognized as the grandfather in My Girl). Her father instructs the Team Manager to cancel their company’s business with the other company (of the failed blind date) — how dare they reject his daughter?
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There’s a small bit about Mu-ryong’s brother that isn’t very important, but I’ll just mention briefly to point out that the guy playing the thug is the same thug from My Girl. Basically, Mu-ryong’s brother runs into trouble while delivering food, and we hear of his unexplained history/fear/trauma involving Taekwondo. Yes, the sport itself. But when he gets faced with the unruly thugs, he whoops their asses.
Left: Witch Amusement — Right: My Girl
Anyway, he asks his mother for 4,000 manwon, which leads his mother to assume he’s gotten himself into yet more trouble. He won’t explain what he needs the money for, so his mother berates him and demands to know what he’s screwed up this time. His airheady girlfriend stands up for him (well-meaning but misguidedly) and blurts out to his mother that the real reason they need the money is because of Mu-ryong, and tells his mother the truth about what Mu-ryong is doing.
Irate at the discovery, Mu-ryong’s mother goes to Yoo Hee’s apartment to track down her son…
(Fox versus tiger)
Mu-ryong’s mother accuses Yoo hee of taking advantage of her son and forcing him to work for her. Yoo Hee shows her the contract, but his mother won’t accept that. She insists that she will repay Mu-ryong’s debt — whatever it takes, even if they have to sell their house — so she’ll be taking her son home. She drags Mu-ryong out, and Yoo Hee is unexpectedly more affected than she thought, as she has a flashback of when she, as a young teen, wailed and begged her mother mother not to leave her family. From the brief flashbacks we’ve seen so far, we know Yoo Hee remembers her mother with love and fondness, so given her current coldness toward her father, it’s likely that she blames her mother leaving on her father. It also goes a long way to explaining Yoo Hee’s abandonment issues.
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Over the next few days, both Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong find themselves thinking of the other person without meaning to. Yoo Hee’s gotten so used to having Mu-ryong around that she keeps expecting him to appear and do things for her like usual. Likewise, Mu-ryong hears her voice and answers automatically, and wonders if she’s doing all right. Yoo Hee tries calling, but Mu-ryong’s mother intercepts his phone calls, and likewise won’t let Mu-ryong leave to go see her.
On top of that, Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong are supposed to have dinner with Sara Han, whom I find utterly hysterical (and looks so much better without bangs). She’s so immature and ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh, and she’s a lot funnier than I originally thought she would be. She’s also really fixated on Yoo Hee and her underwear incident — whenever something happens, Sara’s first question is, “Is it because of the underwear? See, that’s why you should’ve been wearing better underwear in the first place!”
Left with no other option, Yoo Hee goes to Mu-ryong’s family’s restaurant (using the excuse that she came to return Mu-ryong’s stone rice bowl, which he left behind). Mu-ryong’s father is pretty great in this scene — actually, he’s great the entire episode, but particularly in this scene. While his wife is upset with Yoo Hee, his concern for his son is apparent, and he treats Yoo Hee with kind respect. He also ushers the family out of the restaurant to leave them with some privacy.
Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong wonder what will become of them and their contract, but Mu-ryong just answers, ” Isn’t it obvious? I’ll have to go back [to your house]. That’s why I left the bowl behind — why’d you bring it back?” Yoo Hee seems relieved to hear him say that, although she tries to act cool. Mu-ryong says it might take some time to convince his mother, but Yoo Hee tells him to figure it out by tomorrow. If he does, she’ll reduce his debt further.
However, the curious family members jump to the opposite conclusion, and think Yoo Hee must be planning on sending Mu-ryong off to prison (technically they say, “She’s going to make him eat bean-rice?!” because that’s what prisoners are fed). They burst in, and Mu-ryong’s mother shouts out: “Fine. Take him, make him your housekeeper, do whatever you want. But you’ll have to promise that you’ll never mention bean-rice.”
Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee look on in bewilderment. That was easier than they thought.
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Yoo Hee goes to see Johnny to uncomfortably ask him, as a favor, to test Mu-ryong. Johnny seems to oppose the idea and tells Yoo Hee that it’s kind of a troublesome thing to ask… but he’d already been thinking of doing so.
Mu-ryong is thrilled, and thanks Yoo Hee for helping him.
For the test, Mu-ryong is given the assignment to make an omelette, which he does as everyone watches on in curiosity. (I have to point out that as much as I have to hold back from bashing Dennis O too much — which is difficult, since I so enjoy the bashing — he does a pretty good job acting the chef. Some of the shots may be substitutes, but many of them are actually Dennis (and Jae Hee) cooking, and he manages to handle the food like he knows what he’s doing. So I CAN give credit where it’s due.)
Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee that he passed the test:
Yoo Hee: “Then what’s with the long face?”(Yoo Hee seems disappointed at Mu-ryong’s answer — she may have been expecting something more from him.)
Mu-ryong: “That’s just because even if I’m only working the lunch shift, I don’t think I’ll be able to pay you the proper attention. I feel sorry.”
Yoo Hee: “That’s fine, since it’s work. But in exchange, you’d better be completely devoted to me the rest of the time.”
Mu-ryong: “Wait. I think I have to tell you… I won’t forget what you’ve done for me, and I promise I’ll pay you back.”
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As for the meeting with Sara, Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee arrive, and while Mu-ryong’s on a phone call, Yoo Hee runs into Joon Ha at the elevators. Sara hadn’t told her that Joon Ha was also invited. As the two of them get into the elevator together, Yoo Hee sees Mu-ryong rushing to catch the closing doors… but instead, she pushes the “close door” button. Alone in the elevator, without any warning, Joon Ha approaches….
EPISODE 5
My love for this drama keeps growing. Episode 5 was the funniest and most enjoyable so far — and the series is only getting better, folks!
SONG OF THE DAY
(Jeon Hye) Bin – “달을 삼킨 밤” (Moonless Night)… Another Bin song, this time from her solo album. It matches the feel-good ambiance of Witch Amusement well, I thought. [ zShare download ]
EPISODE 5 SUMMARY
As many have guessed, the elevator kiss proves to be a mere figment of Yoo Hee’s wishful imagination.
The dinner proceeds between Yoo Hee, Mu-ryong, Joon Ha, and Sara. Sara introduces Mu-ryong as Yoo Hee’s boyfriend, and Joon Ha as her first love. Mu-ryong remembers him as the cold, unfriendly guy from the party and from when he swung the door into Mu-ryong’s face.
The proverbial dick-measuring contest begins with a handshake, neither side giving way until Mu-ryong asserts his dominance with an extra hand. Although I wonder if that’s cheating. Or just smart.
Sara laughs that she didn’t tell Yoo Hee that Joon Ha would be coming to dinner because she was afraid Yoo Hee wouldn’t come. After all, she embarrassed herself a bit at their prior meeting. Mu-ryong laughs, “A bit? It was totally humiliating.” As Yoo Hee poises her boot to dig into his foot, he continues: “But isn’t that our Yoo Hee’s charm? A tiny crack hidden amidst her perfection.” The boot retreats.
Mu-ryong plays the part of attentive boyfriend, cutting up Yoo Hee’s food for her, causing Joon Ha to look on in distaste. Sara notes that both men are doctors, and asks Mu-ryong which hospital he belongs to. That causes minor agitation, but Mu-ryong steps up and says he’s sorry, he lied before. He’s not currently employed, having recently quit the hospital. He didn’t tell Yoo Hee for fear she would dump him.
In Yoo Hee’s consternation at the announcement, she farts. Yep, you read that right. (If you haven’t noticed by now, Koreans tend to enjoy toilet humor. I don’t really get it myself, but I’ve seen it all my life, so just accept it as part of a culturally weird sense of humor.) Everyone hears (and smells) it, and it’s fairly clear from whom it originated. Yoo Hee shrinks in her seat, when Mu-ryong laughs and apologizes — in the stress from being let go from the hospital, he’s been having digestive issues (specifically constipation — again, too much information for many, but it’s not as squeamish an issue as it is in, say, American culture). Sara asks, “So it was you? I thought it was Yoo Hee!” Yoo Hee recovers from her wish to disappear into her seat, and Mu-ryong excuses himself.
Joon Ha sees Mu-ryong standing at the urinal, and notes, “You said it was constipation. You sure take care of that in an interesting way.” He goes on to ask what he likes about Yoo Hee, and Mu-ryong responds he just likes her because she’s her. She’s like a lobster — all hard and spiny on the outside, but tender on the inside.
Joon Ha: “Do you love her?”On the way home, Mu-ryong notes that she must’ve really liked Joon Ha, but she should upgrade her standards for men. He’s not right for her — he thinks with his head instead of his heart.
Mu-ryong: “Well that… ” [thinks a moment] “I guess I do. Why do you ask?”
Joon Ha: “Just because. But something about the two of you feels wrong.”
Mu-ryong: “That’s a bit rude to say to a couple who’s been happily dating for a while.”
Joon Ha: “I only want Yoo Hee to be happy. She’s a good lady.”
Mu-ryong: “Of course she is. If I let her go, I’m sure I’d regret it terribly.”
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In an entirely irrelevant scene, Johnny/Dennis swims. And I mean, it’s utterly pointless. I almost want to refuse to screencap it because, come on SBS, what do you take us for? Have you no respect for our appreciation of story and character? Are we that manipulable, to be so cheaply bought with a display of manly skin and tight swim trunks??
Okay, yes, we’re shallow. You win.
I suppose it would be a shame to cast someone sheerly to bring the pretty (it surely isn’t the acting), force us to sit through the wooden performance and garbled speech (even if he is trying), and then not take advantage of prime opportunities to showcase that pretty. Okay, enough Dennis-bashing. Don’t send me hate mail. Just consider me one less fan with whom you’ll have to theoretically compete for Dennis O’s affections.
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Mu-ryong is introduced as a new employee at the restaurant. Mu-ryong takes a good look at Johnny, and contemplates him as a possible match for Yoo Hee. But it backfires when the female assistant (I think her name is Mari?) asks him if he’s gay, from the way he keeps checking Johnny out.
Meanwhile, Yoo Hee’s set up on another blind date, and does her best to recall Mu-ryong’s advice. For instance, men like seeing women eating well.
But! One must make sure not to confuse eating well with eating indiscriminately!
The date is going well, and Mu-ryong calls her to check in on her date. Yoo Hee glances over to see him watching from across the restaurant and IT IS RIDICULOUSLY CUTE.
“What? What are you up to?”
(I freaking love how Yoo Hee’s angry little face with its angry little shaking fists actually looks like her!)
“I was worried you might screw up again…”
“What are you doing?”
“SMILE~!”
“Are you playing around right now?”
Her date says some very pretty words, and takes Yoo Hee out for drinks afterward. Mu-ryong is initially glad for her, but then remembers seeing the guy before — he’s a notorious skeeze. He tells Yoo Hee not to see him anymore, but Yoo Hee dismisses his alarms. She asks if Mu-ryong’s jealous, to which he answers no, so Yoo Hee gladly sets another date for the following night, rubbing Mu-ryong’s nose in it.
The next day, Mu-ryong sees Yoo Hee on her date at his restaurant. I’ve gotta learn the name of the restaurant one of these days; I’m sure they’ll be saying it a lot. In any case, Mu-ryong overhears the guy on the phone bragging how he’s going to take Yoo Hee for drinks at a hotel, then up to the room he’s already booked in advance. He’s only dating Yoo Hee because her father requested it, but looks like he’ll be able to declare the game over soon anyway.
Mu-ryong applies to Johnny for help, saying that Yoo Hee’s on a date with an unsuitable guy. Johnny’s not sure he believes him, but finds himself worried and distracted. Mu-ryong tries to interfere, but gets stuck in the bathroom without toilet paper! (What did I say about toilet humor?) When he gets out (janitor to the very convenient rescue!), the couple has just left. He hurriedly tells Johnny, “We have to catch them quickly. It’s dangerous” before rushing out to fight the guy. Unfortunately, due to Jae Hee’s recent malnourishment, he isn’t holding his own against the guy until Johnny appears and takes over the ass-kicking.
Sorry, it was difficult to get decent caps of the fight itself, but suffice to say that this is how it ended:
And Johnny snarls, “Get out. Get out of my sight.” Mr. Skeeze may have been able to take on Mu-
ryong, but he knows better than to mess with the guy probably twice his weight, so he bails.
Yoo Hee is understandably upset, but Mu-ryong tells her the guy was only dating her because the President (her father) told him to. She rushes off, pissed as hell. Driving home, she gets into a traffic tussle resulting in some road rage, but takes out her anger on the guy who dares to challenge her driving ineptitude.
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At home, Yoo Hee angrily rips up the contract and tells Mu-ryong to leave, just as Johnny arrives to see how she’s doing, comforting her. From the doorway, Mu-ryong observes the scene, happy to see them getting along well.
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In the morning, Yoo Hee’s still in a foul mood, and tells Mu-ryong again to leave. He calls her bluff with another bluff and pretends to walk out, only to find that she wasn’t bluffing. She really does want to end their contract.
She storms through her office, leaving a trail of icy frost in her wake.
Yoo Hee goes to face off against her father, who knows she’s upset about the date. But Yoo Hee finally digs up something deeper that’s festering in their relationship, which is the issue of her mother. “When you separated from Mom, you said it was for her sake. But do you know what she wanted from you? Just one warm word. But you cast her out like that, and even took her child away from her!” She tells him not to interfere in her life anymore either.
That triggers something in the President, who is greatly offended at this and angrily slaps Yoo Hee. Those who have read up on the character backgrounds won’t be surprised, because (SPOILER? to follow) it’s stated that Yoo Hee’s mother, whom Yoo Hee idolized, cheated on her father, resulting in Paran’s birth. Meanwhile, Yoo Hee doesn’t know of her mother’s infidelity and has blamed everything on her father. In any case, Yoo Hee tells her father that they’ve cleanly ended their relationship here, and stalks out.
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On a delivery run, Mu-ryong’s brother runs into Paran, and brings him back to the restaurant for jjajangmyun. Mu-ryong’s father dotes on Paran like a proud father, and even his mother thinks he’s adorable until she hears he’s the brother of that woman Mu-ryong’s housekeeping for.
Mu-ryong takes Paran to Yoo Hee’s place, and she in turn drops him off at home. Although she tries to leave quickly to avoid their father, Paran clings to her and asks her to come in with him. She resists, and Paran keeps trying to convince her to stay. Just then, their father arrives, and Yoo Hee makes a quick getaway.
It’s sad to see Paran so starved for affection, and his sister’s in particular. His father isn’t the warm type, and he’s lacked a mother figure all his life. It’s heart-warming to see him get a measure of attention and care from Mu-ryong’s family, but he needs it most from Yoo Hee. And in her blind devotion to the memory of her long-absent mother, Yoo Hee fails to see that she’s doing to Paran the same thing her mother did to her.
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Yoo Hee arrives home to see Mu-ryong still there, despite having insisted repeatedly he leave. He’s asleep on the couch with empty bottles of soju, so she decides to leave him alone for the moment (I think we’re to believe he’s faking the drunkenness so Yoo Hee won’t wake him).
In her room, she finds an assortment of marshmallows with a note: “Let’s not break our contract!” Next to it is their contract, taped back together.
Yoo Hee comes back out to have a drink with Mu-ryong. You’ll notice that after Mu-ryong pours a glass of wine for Yoo Hee, he holds out his own glass expectantly. That’s because he’s expecting her to pour his drink — in Korea, it’s part courtesy and part friendliness to pour for one another. Sometimes a person will pour their own drink, but it’s a social exchange to pour for one another and not for oneself.
Mu-ryong also asks what her ideal type is, so he can better find someone to match her with. She doesn’t answer, so he guesses it’s her first love guy. Seeing her reaction, he says, “Right? I’m right.”
(This is another pun, because he says, “I’m right, aren’t I?” or “Majeo!” And Yoo Hee answers, “You’re the one who needs to be hit (majeo)!” where one majeo means “to be correct” and the other “to be hit.”)
Mu-ryong continues to ask about the guy she likes, and she says he’s a specialist. He asks her to narrow it down, and she says he’s a knife specialist.
A thug?
While Yoo Hee thinks of Joon Ha, Mu-ryong envisions Johnny instead.
A surgeon’s knife versus a chef’s knife.
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So when Johnny asks Mu-ryong if he knows a good kalbi-jjim (beef shortribs) restaurant, he takes the chance to invite Johnny over — he’ll cook. He asks Yoo Hee if she has any requests, and she says, “Hmm… kalbi-jjim?” Mu-ryong takes this as a sign that they are a match made in heaven.
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At the office, Sara drops by to inform Yoo Hee that Joon Ha has broken off his engagement. From his cold dismissal of his fiancee, I’m assuming he did the breaking.
As for Sara, I must say I LOVE this girl! She’s so wonderfully dingbatty, it’s hysterical to watch. I know everyone’s looking for a reason to hate her, since she’s Hyun Bin’s girlfriend, but I think she’s beautiful AND funny. Her name’s Hwang Ji Hyun, and she vaguely reminds me of Hyun Young, both in looks and in their offbeat comedic timing.
Armed with this news, Yoo Hee visits Joon Ha at the hospital… Unfortunately, he’s got an appointment, but if she doesn’t mind waiting a bit, he’ll be out soon. So Yoo Hee backs out of dinner, leaving Mu-ryong to entertain Johnny, who’s brought Seung Mi along.
In any case, Joon Ha goes into surgery at the last minute, and Yoo Hee’s out one dinner date. So she comes back home to see Mu-ryong and Seung Mi together, and scolds Mu-ryong for bringing a girl home. Is this his house? Is he at liberty to do whatever he wants?!
Yoo Hee’s chastened when Johnny explains he brought Seung Mi as his guest. In any case, the four of them have drinks, and Yoo Hee kills the otherwise friendly mood with her antisocial attitude.
We learn that Yoo Hee and Johnny met in 2002, when Yoo Hee acted as his guide for the World Cup. As for Seung Mi and Mu-ryong, they’ve known each other since elementary school and began dating a year ago. Mu-ryong says they’re an example of best friends turning into romance.
Mu-ryong and Seung Mi try to slip out to leave the other two together, making the excuse that they’re going out to their “second round” afterward, but they’re foiled in their plan when Yoo Hee and Johnny accompany them.
So they end up going to the steamrooms.
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As much as I criticize Dennis, he is adorable here, checking out his strange towel-ears. Mu-ryong breaks an egg on Yoo Hee’s head, and when she’s annoyed, he offers his head in exchange. But oops, what to do? They’re all out of eggs.
So Yoo Hee comes back with her retaliation.
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In the end, the two couples end up separating anyway, because Mu-ryong’s friend Min Sung is opening his brand-new bar. Min Sung offers Mu-ryong the position as his head chef at the bar, and although Mu-ryong declines, he tells him to think about it.
Mu-ryong worries about how Yoo Hee’s doing. Seung Mi is kind of a really awesome girlfriend, because she’s told Mu-ryong that it seems he might be paying too much attention to Yoo Hee and not enough to her, and yet, at the end of the day, she’s still a trusting, good-hearted woman. Mu-ryong tells her that he’s just worried because she needs his coaching; it feels like he’s leaving a baby by the waterside.
(In this episode, Mu-ryong and Seung Mi are really cute together, and I think I’d even be fine with the two of them ending up together, much as I know that’s not going to happen. They work really well and I like their trusting dynamic.)
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Anyway, Yoo Hee and Johnny have come back to her place, but Yoo Hee’s dozing off with her wineglass in her hand. Johnny attempts to take it from her before she drops it, but she comes awake with a start and spills it all over him.
He tells her it’s okay as they accidentally hold hands… and it looks like something’s happening between them as we FREEZE FRAME and anxiously await tomorrow!
Some additional thoughts:
Like I mentioned, I’m actually happily surprised to like the current pairings as they are. Johnny seems like a caring, attentive guy who would treat Yoo Hee as she deserves, and Mu-ryong and Seung Mi have a very cute relationship. It’s a testament to everyone making this drama that they’ve done so well in making the alternate possibilities very plausible, and even likable. I’m going to enjoy seeing the relationships change, although I really hope nobody goes evil.
At the end of this episode, it’s just my personal opinion that I think Johnny’s the one who’s come to this newfound revelation that he has feelings for Yoo Hee. She’s still engrossed in her old feelings for Joon Ha, but in this episode, Johnny starts to feel the need to protect her when she is at the hands of Mr. Skeeze. He is surprisingly violent with the guy, and then comforts her afterward. In the ending scene, I think it’s no coincidence that we end frame on his face, rather than Yoo Hee’s, because it’s his realization — as opposed to hers — that will take us into Episode 6.
EPISODE 6
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Ivy – “Antonio’s Song” [ zShare download ]
EPISODE 6 SUMMARY
Yoo Hee and Johnny clasp hands for a moment after she spills wine all over him, and after an awkward moment of not knowing what to do with themselves, Johnny goes to change out of his stained shirt.
Yoo Hee calls Mu-ryong while he’s on his date with Seung Mi, and tells him to hurry home. Automatically assuming the worst, he books it out of there, leaving Seung Mi behind, disappointed. Mu-ryong rushes in wondering what the trouble was, only to see all’s well. The only odd thing is that Johnny’s wearing one of his shirts.
When Yoo Hee wonders what Mu-ryong could’ve possibly been imagining, Mu-ryong doesn’t tell her he’d imagined them kissing and instead says he thought perhaps Johnny had gotten hurt. As nothing’s terribly amiss, Johnny heads home, but not before witnessing Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong’s friendly bickering with a strange look — my interpretation is that Johnny senses being left out of their intimacy.
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After work, Mu-ryong asks Johnny about Yoo Hee, and suggests that Yoo Hee might like him. He asks, “What do you really think of Yoo Hee?” Johnny answers, “I like her.” Mu-ryong: “I don’t mean as a friend, but as a woman.”
And this is where I am supremely annoyed at Dennis’ inability to e-nun-ci-ate his Korean, because this is a rather significant conversation and I can’t make sense of the most important line. Arrgg. I said before I’d lay off the Dennis-mocking as long as his Korean didn’t get in the story’s way, and yes I realize I’ve already broken that intention. But really — I almost think they need subtitles for Johnny’s lines in Korean.
In this scene, for instance, Johnny displays some insight into Yoo Hee’s character, explaining that she puts on a strong front because she’s masking her fear. And that he’s never thought of Yoo Hee *mumblemumble* as not being a woman. Or maybe he’s never thought of her AS a woman. Who knows?? No amount of repeated listening at varied volume levels will reveal the true answer. I’m inclined to believe he said that he does see her as a woman (and the rest of the episode tends to support that), but I can’t bet on it.
In any case, Mu-ryong tells Johnny, “You may already know, but Yoo Hee’s not that good at this relationship thing. What do you think of taking her hand first?”
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But sorry Johnny, timing is everything, and today, ti~i~ime is not on your side. (Extra points if you get the reference.) Joon Ha visits Yoo Hee at work and asks her out to dinner. On their way out, they run into Johnny, who’s taken Mu-ryong’s advice and come to see Yoo Hee. But she’s too excited at the prospect of her dinner date, which Johnny picks up on, and he makes the excuse that he’s in her office building for a different appointment. So Yoo Hee goes off happily, and Johnny watches her leave, returning alone to his car to face his rejection in the form of a flower bouquet intended for Yoo Hee. Aw.
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At dinner, Yoo Hee asks about Joon Ha’s upcoming wedding, having heard that his engagement was called off. He confirms it, and Yoo Hee wistfully wonders to herself if she could take the place of his ex as his bride. They have a nice dinner, and Joon Ha drops her off at home saying, “Let’s do this again. I’ll call you,” which makes Yoo Hee happy.
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At home, Mu-ryong accidentally burns a hole into Yoo Hee’s favorite robe, and imagines his punishment at the hands of an irate Yoo Hee. He shows her the burned robe expecting to get beaten up…
…but Yoo Hee’s too excited over her dinner date to get upset. She just tells him to clear it away, and retreats to her room, where she does the happy dance:
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Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee go grocery shopping, and on the way home, Mu-ryong notices Yoo Hee constantly checking her phone. He assumes her date was with Johnny and that he’s the source of her anticipation, and tells her to go ahead and call him first.
Yoo Hee wonders what she would say if she called first, and Mu-ryong gives her tips: “Did you get home safely? I had fun tonight. Thanks for dinner. Next time I’ll buy.” Yoo Hee scoffs that it’s childish, and Mu-ryong tells her love is childish.
So Yoo Hee goes home and works up the courage to call Joon Ha. Using Mu-ryong’s advice, she tells him: “I was just wondering if you got in all right. I had fun today, and thanks for dinner. Next time… I can buy.” Joon Ha just says, “No, that’s fine.” Yoo Hee’s disappointed for a moment, before he continues, “I should be the one to buy.” Excited, Yoo Hee asks when he has time to meet again. He suggests tomorrow, and they make a date…
…which is at Johnny’s restaurant. Johnny takes special care into providing a sumptuous meal, but Joon Ha isn’t only cold-hearted, he’s also stingy on the compliments. He says he doesn’t really know this kind of food — he prefers Korean — so he can’t tell if it’s good or not.
Mu-ryong takes Yoo Hee aside, and wonders why she’s on a date with Joon Ha. He thought he was engaged, and wasn’t she interested in Johnny? Joon Ha interrupts their talk, and the two men again face off.
Joon Ha, with a smirk: “That restaurant uniform suits you. It looks like you’re in the middle of work, so see you next time.”Yoo Hee tells Mu-ryong the engagement was called off, and chases after Joon Ha to clear the air. Mu-ryong isn’t really her boyfriend; he was a fake. She felt she had to keep up the act because of what Sara said. She apologizes, but Joon Ha coolly says: “Why apologize to me? So what? The relationship between you two has nothing to do with me.” He stalks off. Ah, such a sweet guy, isn’t he?
Mu-ryong: “No, I’d rather we didn’t see each other again. I have a favor to ask. Don’t meet Yoo Hee in the future either. She’s got a boyfriend, and you’re getting married.”
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At home, Yoo Hee angrily turns on Mu-ryong, ordering him to leave. He says fine, he’ll go, but before he does, she should remember this: “Get your act together. That guy’s feelings are just your fantasy. He’s not someone who thinks of you that way. I’m a man, and men know men the best.”
Yoo Hee asks him what happened to her burned robe, and he tells her he threw it out, since she told him to clear it away. In a flashback to her youth, we see the robe’s significance to her, as it was one of the only things her mother left behind when she left the family, and Yoo Hee orders Mu-ryong to find it.
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Johnny takes Mu-ryong shopping for seafood at the markets, and it’s nice to see the two of them bonding. (Although — dare I say this? — if things continue in this vein, Johnny and Mu-ryong just may overtake the main couple in becoming my new shippy pairing. And I say this as an avid hater of slashfic. Seriously, don’t they make a nice-looking couple?)
Mu-ryong asks what Johnny intends to do about Yoo Hee, and he answers that he doesn’t know. Johnny seems to be considering backing off, because they started off as good friends, but Mu-ryong assures him not to give up, because he’s going to push them along.
Meanwhile, Joon Ha appears to be looking to switch hospitals, and runs into Yoo Hee’s father in the lobby of an office building. They only exchange a few greetings before the President collapses due to heart pains. Joon Ha rushes to him and performs what appears to be the most ill-performed act of CPR I’ve ever seen
At the hospital, Joon Ha and President Ma have an interesting conversation seemingly loaded with meaning: the President asks Joon Ha if he’s seen Yoo Hee recently. Joon Ha has, but he assures him not to worry, he hasn’t told Yoo Hee “anything.” Just what that means, we are left to wonder, as Yoo Hee arrives and interrupts their cryptic talk.
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Mu-ryong’s brother (Song Hwa) passes by Paran’s school on a delivery and checks in on him.. As Song Hwa is about to leave, Paran stops him and asks him (calling him “Steel Case Hyung!” — the steel case referring to the jjajangmyun delivery box) where he’s going — would he be going back to the jjajangmyun place?
Song Hwa guesses the reason: “Why, do you want to eat jjajangmyun?” Paran answers, “Well, if you want me to, I can eat some.” Hehe. He’s so cute.
Mu-ryong uses Paran as an excuse to drag Yoo Hee out — he tells her to meet Paran at a certain cafe, only to have called out Johnny instead. While Mu-ryong and his brother entertain Paran at the park, teaching him how to skateboard and ride a bike, Yoo Hee and Johnny are left alone.
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Even if the whole thing was merely a ruse set up by Mu-ryong to force Yoo Hee and Johnny together, they figure since they’re already out, they might as well go eat. And so they do all manner of dately things, like eating ddukbokki at a vendor’s stand, walking the streets, going shopping. When a store clerk tells them they should buy a matching couple set of phone accessories, Yoo Hee tells her they’re just friends. Johnny puts his arm around her shoulders, though, and asks, “Don’t we make a good couple?”
At the end of their “date,” Johnny drops Yoo Hee off at home. She apologizes that Mu-ryong misunderstood the situation. Johnny smiles and tells her, “Nah, it’s okay. Because of him, I had fun today. I enjoyed it… but was it not fun for you?” Johnny then surprises Yoo Hee by kissing her goodbye on the forehead. Mu-ryong happens to be walking home and sees from the distance, and observes the kiss with satisfaction.
However, on her way in, she gets a call from Joon Ha, and tells him sure, she has time — she’ll be right over to see him. She rushes over to the hospital, too happy at the news to even see Mu-ryong, who follows her in a mix of concern and curiosity.
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Unfortunately, also at the hospital is Joon Ha’s ex-fiancee, who’s there to tell him to change hospitals, because it’ll be awkward with her father’s as the director. (In the previous episode, her father did tell Joon Ha that even if the engagement’s off, there’s no need for Joon Ha to quit.) Joon Ha’s insulted to hear her say it, though, and tells her that whether he stays or goes is his business. He’ll decide that matter, rather than being told by her.
However, from Yoo Hee’s perspective, she arrives to see the two talking together and imagines that the exchange is more tender than it actually is. Upset at the sight, she turns and walks away, hurt and disappointed. Mu-ryong continues to follow her along the streets at a bit of a distance, ignoring Seung Mi’s ill-timed phone calls.
He looks on in alarm as Yoo Hee blindly walks into traffic against a “Don’t Walk” sign, and runs after her to jerk her back out of harm’s way…
General thoughts:
You know, I didn’t think this episode was as good as Epiosde 5 — although, to be fair, Episode 5 was pretty excellent. Aside from being more serious — we’re heading into the middle of the series now, with all the relationship tangles become more complex and messy — this episode felt strangely disjointed, scattered over the place.
I’m not sure if some scenes were shown to establish future plot issues, but there seemed to be a few things that stuck out as irrelevant. And not swimming-scene irrelevant, because at least the reason for including half-naked Dennis is obvious. But rather, I’m not sure what the point of some bits were. Whatever happened to the robe that Mu-ryong threw away? Did he get it back? Why was the purpose of having Team Manager Lee and the secretary eating jjajangmyun at Mu-ryong’s family restaurant? Why did they have a scene where Sara visited the restaurant to eat Johnny’s famous cuisine if there was no follow-up?
I don’t know. It’s a little puzzling… Plus, I find it ironic that my affection for Johnny is growing… but in inverse proportion to that for Dennis. People might say it’s unfair to criticize his Korean, given that he’s new to it and he’s trying, et ceteraaaaaa… But, he is an actor. He is being paid money to convey a character in a convincing fashion, and he has managed to bypass many, many hurdles to attain his level of fame purely because he is a beautiful man and he has a Western exoticness, and yes I am aware of the irony of East Asia’s fetishization of Western culture just as much as the Western world fetishizes East Asia. I am not saying he is wholly undeserving; I am merely saying that he is, in my book, entirely fair game for criticism. I just don’t think he was ready to take on a role speaking entirely in Korean.
Bah, rant aside, these are just my opinions. Feel free to disagree. I thought Episode 6 was still good fun… but I think I’ll be rewatching Episode 5 instead in preparation for next week.
EPISODE 7
“I have telepathy~!”
SONG OF THE DAY
Casker – “모든 토요일” (Every Saturday) [ zShare download ]
Before I proceed with the recap, I feel I must point out something everyone’s probably already taken notice of, if only because I keep getting distracted by it: Despite the fact that kdramas are generally over-populated with good-looking people, I feel like Witch Amusement has gone out of its way to cast uncommonly beautiful ladies. It’s really distracting. I mean, there’s a good number of good-looking man candy too, which I fully appreciate, but the women are particularly striking, down to the lowest supporting tier of characters.
Top row: Yoo Hee, Seung Mi
Row 2: Sara Han, Secretary Hee Jung
Bottom row: Assistant chef Mari, Song Hwa’s girlfriend
Okay, now that I’ve gone and pointed out the obvious, onward!
EPISODE 7 SUMMARY
At the end of the previous episode, Mu-ryong had just grabbed Yoo Hee out of harm’s way as she stepped blindly into traffic…
After a moment of awkwardness, Yoo Hee asks why he’s here, and Mu-ryong admits he followed her from the hospital. He escapes having to explain further by pointing out that the traffic light has changed, and jogs away along the crosswalk.
As they walk along, Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee “I told you so” regarding Joon Ha’s general unsuitability. Yoo Hee glares, and Mu-ryong jokes that her eyes are going to pop out of their sockets. Instead, she should open her eyes wider when judging men.
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Seung Mi, on the other hand, has been left alone at their friend’s bar and tries to call Mu-ryong, with no success. So she calls Johnny, who presumably gives her Yoo Hee’s number, because she then calls Yoo Hee.
Mu-ryong realizes belatedly that in his worry over Yoo Hee, he’d forgotten Seung Mi, and apologizes. Realizing the situation is tricky, he fibs that he had to take Yoo Hee to the hospital because she’d fainted. Yoo Hee doesn’t approve of his answer and gives him a swift kick in the side. And then another.
So Mu-ryong goes to Seung Mi, who’s disappointed to see that he’s brought Yoo Hee along. The atmosphere is strained between the three, although Mu-ryong pretends not to notice. While he’s away, the women size each other up, as Seung Mi asks how he’s doing working for Yoo Hee, and how much he still owes her. Yoo Hee asks if she intends to repay the debt instead, prompting Seung Mi’s response: “Why not? It’s not like he’s a stranger. There’s no reason I can’t.”
To rectify the weird group dynamic, Mu-ryong calls Johnny to join them. At first, I was confused that the normally perceptive Mu-ryong was being rather obtuse and inconsiderate — clearly both women weren’t happy to be there — but I think he made a conscious, smart decision to invite Johnny to balance out their group.
In any case, the group goes out to karaoke, which livens the mood. Even Yoo Hee seems to have fun — despite initially sitting by sullenly and drinking, when Mu-ryong goads her into singing (by saying she’s probably a horrible singer), she gets up and dances to a song with Johnny. (Mu-ryong and Seung Mi together are cute in a sweet way, while Yoo Hee and Johnny together are cute in a super-dorky way, which makes it awesome. I love dorky.)
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The next morning, Mu-ryong brings Seung Mi some homemade food, anticipating she’d be hungover. Seung Mi wonders if he also prepared a similar meal for Yoo Hee, and he assures her that he didn’t. Yoo Hee can take care of herself.
Instead, Yoo Hee is treated to breakfast by Johnny, who brings her an assortment of soups and sandwiches. She wonders how he knew she hadn’t had breakfast, and after joking that he sensed it through telepathy, he admits that Mu-ryong let him know. For an instant, Yoo Hee mistakes Johnny’s soup for Mu-ryong’s special clam broth, then realizes she’s imagining things. At the same time, Mu-ryong distractedly wonders if Johnny thought to cook some soup for Yoo Hee, since soup is the most comforting. Uneasily noting his preoccupation with Yoo Hee, Seung Mi asks if he can move out of the apartment — she can’t help feeling uneasy. Mu-ryong assures her that it won’t take long before he moves out: “We just have to trust in Johnny!”
(Personally, I wasn’t sure I understood Mu-ryong’s actions thus far, my Jae Hee adoration notwithstanding, because I would’ve thought he’d be more considerate of Seung Mi’s feelings. But at this point, I start to see his position a bit more clearly. He knows continuing to live with Yoo Hee isn’t ideal, but feels obligation to fulfill his contract by finding her someone who’ll love her. He’s developed enough affection for her that he wants her to be happy — but I don’t think he’s dragging his feet just because he wants an excuse to keep living with her. Rather, he’s doing his best to bring Yoo Hee and Johnny together, so he can back out of the situation cleanly and feel cleared of his obligation.)
Yoo Hee and Johnny make plans to have dinner together, and Johnny muses, “Why are people so afraid of you, when you’re so cute?” If there was ever a doubt as to whether Johnny really likes Yoo Hee, rest assured that this episode confirms that not only is he in luuuurve with her, he seems to have been so for a long time.
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Yoo Hee’s still preoccupied with thoughts of Joon Ha, though, who seems to be going through some difficulty himself, as he’ll have to leave his position at the hospital. Although the director had told Joon Ha could stay, he sees that his daughter is uncomfortable with Joon Ha remaining, now that their engagement has been broken off.
The situation reminds him of a previous incident when he was a student, when he met with Yoo Hee’s father under similar circumstances. The president had told him not to see Yoo Hee anymore, and even though Joon Ha had assured him that they were merely in a platonic senior-junior relationship, the president wanted to make sure they stay apart by sending him to study abroad.
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In yet another sidebar, Mu-ryong’s brother Song Hwa is picked as a candidate to be a model for one of Yoo Hee’s company’s ads. His parents ask the Team Manager if his pay would amount to $37,000, which would enable them to pay off Mu-ryong’s debt. I won’t elaborate more, except to say that despite being entertaining and enjoying the supporting cast, I find these subplots pretty distracting.
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Johnny’s feeling pretty sick, and Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee she should drop by to check on him. She intends to, but on her way over to see Johnny, she runs into Joon Ha. After brief hesitation, her concern for Johnny is outweighed by her eagerness to go out with Joon Ha.
Johnny’s expecting Yoo Hee, though, and hurriedly works to clean up his place despite being ill. It’s so cute and sad. When Mu-ryong arrives at his door instead, having been sent by Yoo Hee (who was waylaid by “an urgent matter”) Johnny can’t hide his disappointment. Seeing his reaction, Mu-ryong repeatedly calls Yoo Hee to tell her to come over, but she blows him off, wanting to continue her date with Joon Ha.
Therefore, to get Yoo Hee to come visit Johnny, Mu-ryong pretends that Johnny’s a lot sicker than he is. When Yoo Hee arrives to see him merely asleep, she grows annoyed and asks Mu-ryong what he’s trying to pull.
Mu-ryong: “You’re upset, right? But so am I. When someone’s sick, how can you just lie and go out to meet another man instead? What was your urgent matter?”On their way home, Mu-ryong asks her what’s so great about Joon Ha, and why she likes him. Yoo Hee responds that people don’t need reasons to like someone, and Mu-ryong contradicts her: “There’s always a reason. Maybe you communicate well, or maybe he’s handsome, or maybe he makes your heart race. But there’s always a reason.” She might just be confusing her feelings with the past, because he was her first love.
Yoo Hee: “Well…”
Mu-ryong: “Who does Johnny have? Other than you, is there anyone he can call? You shouldn’t act like this.”
Yoo Hee: “That’s why I told you to come.”
Mu-ryong: “Am I you? Who is Johnny to you? When your man is in this condition, how can you go out with another guy?”
Yoo Hee: “Who says he’s my man? I told you Johnny and I aren’t in that kind of relationship, didn’t I?”
Yoo Hee asks what Mu-ryong likes about Seung Mi, then, and when he hesitates, unable to come up with a quick answer, she throws his words back at him — maybe he’s confusing his feelings with those from the past.
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The next day, Mu-ryong runs into Sara Han at the restaurant, who’s surprised to see “Dr. Chae” working as an assistant chef, and calls him “Yoo Hee’s boyfriend” — which Seung Mi overhears.
Mu-ryong chases after Seung Mi to explain that the boyfriend thing was fake, but she just tells him, “Fine, I understand. But please, move out of that house.” If necessary, she can even pay the debt. But Mu-ryong is firmly opposed to that idea.
With her newfound discovery, Sara tells Yoo Hee that she found out Mu-ryong’s a fake. Caught, Yoo Hee admits that he was her fake boyfriend, and Sara says in surprise, “What? I thought the lie was that he wasn’t a doctor, but he’s not your boyfriend either?”
Sara can’t accept seeing Yoo Hee living such a pitiful existence, and offers to find a man for her. What about Joon Ha? She should just grab onto him, instead of just standing by like before: “Just confess your feelings!”
So Yoo Hee tries, but doesn’t know how to broach the subject to Joon Ha.
She asks Mu-ryong for advice on how someone would go about confessing her feelings for someone. Mu-ryong gives her an example of how to say “I love you,” but Yoo Hee still doesn’t know how to actually say the words. So Mu-ryong advises, “Then practice until you can bring yourself to say them.”
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Joon Ha meets with the President, who senses that Joon Ha and Yoo Hee are becoming reacquainted, and warns him not to meet Yoo Hee anymore. He’s become a capable doctor and can meet many other outstanding women — but Yoo Hee won’t do. Joon Ha isn’t pleased, but we see he doesn’t feel he’s in a position to stand up to the president, who did send him abroad and financed his studies, after all.
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Seung Mi arrives at Yoo Hee’s place, to Mu-ryong’s surprise, and has something to discuss with Yoo Hee. She hands Yoo Hee a check for the $37,000, which upsets Mu-ryong enough that Seung Mi sees that she’s overstepped her bounds. She tries to explain, nearing tears:
Seung Mi: “I didn’t do that intending on hurting your pride. It’s just that you, living there…”
Seung Mi: “I acted too rashly. I’m sorry.”
She cries, Mu-ryong hugs her, and I’m not sure I follow the logic of any of this. It’s all backward. Meh.
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Yoo Hee takes a combination of Mu-ryong’s and Sara’s advice in attempting to confess her feelings the next time she and Joon Ha go out. “Don’t rush, but try to set the right mood first.” “Don’t beat around the bush, and just grab the chance when it comes.”
As she’s about to tell him how she feels, Joon Ha tells her it looks like he’ll be leaving his hospital. She asks if that means he’ll have to look for a different hospital, and Joon Ha tells her he’s thinking of going back to the States.
Yoo Hee flashes back to when they were students, and remembers how she felt when Joon Ha told her he was leaving to study abroad.
So this time, she doesn’t let the chance slip by, and tells him:
“No, don’t go. Let’s date.”
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Additional comments:
I dunno. They’re starting to lose me a little on the story end of things… Somehow it feels like they are just trying to do too much, with too many characters, and too many subplots. It takes away from the main story, to the extent that people who haven’t been watching along aren’t sure who the ultimate romantic pairing is supposed to be. In fact, I’m watching along carefully and even I’m a little unclear.
On one hand, that’s not strictly a bad thing — it keeps things different, and interesting. But on the other hand, it muddles everyone’s emotions. I wonder if the writers are so enamored of all their characters and actors (and who wouldn’t be?) to really get their hands dirty and muck things up (in a good way, I mean). They want to service everyone, and give everyone a romantic hero edit… but that doesn’t necessarily work when you’ve got one couple at the core and they’re still far from gettin’ groovy with their feelings for each other.
Also, regarding Mu-ryong continuing to stay with Yoo Hee, and not taking Seung Mi’s money…. I understand the money issue, and the pride issue… but I also feel like Mu-ryong’s insistence on completing his contract is a writing contrivance. I understand it — but I don’t buy it. And that seems to be one of my growing concerns about this drama. I want to like everyone (and I do) so I don’t blame the characters for their confusing actions; I blame the writers more.
Well, at least it’s still fun enough that I’m not TOO bothered by it. It just leaves me scratching my head at certain points….
EPISODE 8
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Park Jiyoon – “돌아온 사랑” (Returning love, or Love that’s returned), just because I felt nostalgic.
[ zShare download ]
EPISODE 8 SUMMARY
After being rejected by Joon Ha, Yoo Hee dazedly wanders, completely crushed. He offers her no reason, merely saying sorry before walking away.
Looking for comfort, Yoo Hee calls Mu-ryong, who’s out on a date with Seung Mi at the movies, but hearing Seung Mi’s voice in the background, Yoo Hee hangs up. While Joon Ha retreats to the riverside to deal with his frustration (and call the President to tell him he’s handled the Yoo Hee situation), Yoo Hee ends up at Johnny’s restaurant.
Johnny sees how upset Yoo Hee is, and somehow takes that as a cue to make his move. Which, erm, huh??
Understandably rejecting his advance — I mean, she’s crying for pete’s sake, and he kisses her?? — Yoo Hee abruptly rushes out, and Johnny can only look after her in concern and regret.
In the movie theater, Mu-ryong worries about Yoo Hee at the expense of Seung Mi (so what else is new?) and leaves the movie early to check on her. He asks Yoo Hee if she was rejected, and she confirms it. Mu-ryong tells her he’s glad to hear it; she’s too good for Joon Ha. Alone in her room, though, Yoo Hee breaks down in tears, looking at her music box as she cries for her mother.
Han Ga In isn’t the world’s best crier, but she does a decent job of conveying Yoo Hee’s heartbreak, and it’s nice to see her finally show some emotion beyond disdain or annoyance.
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The next day, Yoo Hee’s back to her former glasses-wearing, black-clad self. She interrupts Hee Jung and Team Manager Lee in the middle of a discussion about the latest trend for four-syllable names, as they think of cool ways to turn their names into four syllables, joking that their boss would obviously be Ma-nyeo Yoo Hee, or Witch Yoo Hee. Yoo Hee takes it upon herself to designate theirs for them — 꼴통희정 (Airhead Hee Jung) and 무능준호 (Incompetent Jun Ho).
At work, Mu-ryong takes note of a special competition for French cuisine, the reward for which is instruction at Paris’ famed Cordon Bleu institute. Johnny informs the staff that only one representative can be sent from their staff, and will be chosen through a cooking battle.
Johnny approaches Mu-ryong about Yoo Hee’s behavior the night before, wondering if she was really upset, but Mu-ryong assumes Johnny’s referring to the fact that she was rejected by her senior. He then tells Johnny that he should take the chance to occupy the now-empty space in Yoo Hee’s heart, and encourages him on.
Mari witnesses this instance of male bonding and senses her chances being threatened (I assume), because she attempts to knock Mu-ryong out with a frying pan. Unfortunately, she gets the wrong target.
I’m not exactly clear what she’s thinking, though, because even if she HAD gotten her intended victim, did she think she could assault someone in the middle of work and get away with it? If she’s going to resort to sabotage, she could’ve been more clever about it. I dunno.
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Anyway, Yoo Hee loses an ad campaign, criticized by the client that her lack of dating experience has to do with it. She’s told that she should try her hand at dating some more. Fighting her instincts to attack the guy with his own body parts, Yoo Hee tells him she’ll give it a try.
The President makes an unnanounced visit, and brings up the topic of another blind date. To cut him short, Yoo Hee tells him she’s already seeing someone. At that moment, Mu-ryong arrives home, and Yoo Hee introduces him as the man she’s living with. Mu-ryong clarifies that he’s living there as her housekeeper, but Yoo Hee persists: “Yes. I’m dating my housekeeper.”
After the President leaves, Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee things with Seung Mi are awkward enough as it is — why’d she go telling her father they’re dating? Yoo Hee counters that their contract ends next week, and thus far she’s only been rejected. She makes a proposal — if Mu-ryong acts as her boyfriend, she’ll accept that in exchange for his debt. She has an additional condition: For the next week, he has to act as her real boyfriend, explaining that she’s in need of one for work purposes.
Mu-ryong suggests Johnny instead of himself, but Yoo Hee says Johnny won’t do. She doesn’t want to use him like that; she wants to keep their relationship on good terms. Mu-ryong resists, saying he’s already got a girlfriend, and Yoo Hee asks, “What, are you afraid you’ll fall for me?”
Mu-ryong tells her, “Just try. If my heart trembles even a tiny bit, then I’ll act as your boyfriend.”
So she attempts to entice Mu-ryong… and asks, “Did it work? Did your heart tremble?” Amused, he tells her it surely did — in fear.
(…and again, I’m confused about this fake/real boyfriend thing. What’s the difference between his prior role as a fake boyfriend, and his new role as fake “real” boyfriend? Because she’s not suggesting they date for real. Ah, I dunno.)
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The next day, Mu-ryong and Seung Mi make a date for the evening to catch a movie, since their last date was cut short. Mu-ryong starts to mention his fake-real-dating agreement with Yoo Hee, but Seung Mi’s called inside, so he says he’ll tell her later.
Johnny arrives at Yoo Hee’s work, and asks Yoo Hee to act as his guide one more time in showing him around Seoul. (As you may remember, they explained that they met around the time of the 2002 World Cup when Yoo Hee acted as his guide.)
They tour some historical sites, complete with a brief but random parody of Johnny and President Ma in full Chosun-era traditional garb.
When Johnny goes to buy some drinks, Yoo Hee looks through his phone, only to see all the photos he’s saved of her, surprised to realize the extent of his feelings. I dunno, you’d think she got a clue when he kissed her.
In any case, as they drive home, Yoo Hee looks at Johnny and thinks to herself that he’s really handsome. She imagines Mu-ryong coaching her along that not only is Johnny good-looking, he’s a good person — she should just go ahead and date him. Unsure how to act, Yoo Hee pretends to be asleep, so Johnny goes on to tell her, in English, that he’s sorry for falling in love with her.
When Johnny drops her off, he works up to confessing his feelings, starting with a tentative “Yoo Hee. In the future, we… Our relationship…” Sensing what’s coming, Yoo Hee tells herself that once he confesses, she’ll accept. But Johnny backs off at the last moment, saying, “We… can keep being good friends, right?” He rushes off, and Yoo Hee wonders why he didn’t say what he meant. Driving home, Johnny’s upset with himself and his suggestion to stay friends.
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Since Johnny didn’t work out, Mu-ryong takes on the position of her boyfriend. He asks if there’s anything in particular she wants to do, for instance —
Or maybe this is more appropriate for Yoo Hee:
I’ll admit Yoo Hee makes a pretty badass Trinity. And the sequence is shot very well. But I dunno, aren’t Matrix parodies so 2002?
Director Jeon Ki Sang has made use of plenty of parodies in the past, all to great effect — for instance, the MISA and Full House parodies in Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, or the French love story parody in My Girl (whose source I’m unsure of; I just figured it’s some prominent Catherine Deneuve film or something). However, I don’t know what he’s doing with them here. Aside from being very visually appealing — the director’s slick camera work and style are undeniable — they don’t really seem relevant to anything. Kind of like a lot of things in Witch Amusement lately.
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All that aside, Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee go on a cute fake date, mostly for the benefit of the cameras following them and taking pictures of them to report to the President.
Unfortunately, Mu-ryong’s forgotten about his date to go to the movies with Seung Mi. She hears his apology with disappointment, and Johnny notices the movie tickets she’d bought in advance. It’s very sweet that Johnny takes her to the movie instead, but I dunno, it seems like we’ve seen this somewhere before. Somewhere maybe around, say, Episode 3? Given that it was only two weeks ago, isn’t it a little soon to be pilfering from your own work?
.
Mu-ryong does little cute date-like things for Yoo Hee, like hiding a toy ring inside her ice cream and dropping notes into her popcorn that say things like, “Will you go out with me?” and “I love you.” He tells her not to be too touched since it’s all fake anyway, but Yoo Hee seems to be a little moved nonetheless.
In the movie (The Illusionist, btw), Mu-ryong turns to tell Yoo Hee something just as she faces him, and their lips just barely brush.
Outside, Seung Mi sees Yoo Hee there with Mu-ryong, and receives enough of a shock from their fake display of coupley affection to make her go weak in the knees. And not in a good way.
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Making matters worse, the next day, the President shows up to the restaurant to inform Mu-ryong that he should break things off with Yoo Hee. He is absolutely unacceptable, and the President refuses to accept him as his daughter’s boyfriend.
Overhearing this exchange is Seung Mi, who’s so shocked she drops her tray, sending her water glasses crashing to the ground….
(…which, again, confuses me because didn’t she already get her big shock from seeing them at the movies together? What’s with these women and their delayed reactions? I dunno. I don’t get it.)
Additional thoughts:
I’m now beginning to think the Witch Amusement writer(s) are schizophrenic. I’m confused, and worse yet, I’m starting to get bored. The director is really very talented, and his stylish imprint is visible on every frame of the series. The cast is gorgeous and charismatic, and even if one criticizes the acting, it’s never truly awful. So why are they recycling their own plot already? Why do I feel like they’re repeating all their story points?
Come on, I know you can be great! The first five episodes were wonderful, and in my personal opinion, Episode 5 was the best we’ve seen so far. It was fun, energetic, stylish, entertaining. But we are now done with half of the drama, and really, things haven’t changed. I dunno. I don’t get it.
EPISODE 9
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Kara – “Don’t Be Shy” aka “the new FinKL.” I’m not being glib; they were really called FinKL 2 before someone wisely came to their senses and assigned them a new moniker. [ zShare download ]
EPISODE 9 SUMMARY
Having overheard President Ma telling Mu-ryong to stop dating Yoo Hee, Seung Mi rushes out of the restaurant. Mu-ryong follows her outside and explains that he’s not really dating Yoo Hee. It’s a misunderstanding — or to be more specific, he and Yoo Hee need to lie to the President for a while.
Seung Mi’s tired of all this — she doesn’t want to keep feeling suspicious of him — and begs Mu-ryong to please move out. He feels bad seeing Seung Mi’s tears and bleeding hand (cut from the broken glasses she dropped), although he doesn’t say anything.
Johnny happens to witness the scene… and if they’re going to make Johnny interested in Seung Mi, they really shot themselves in the foot with the whole being-in-love-with-Yoo-Hee-for-years detour they took. I think Johnny and Seung Mi make a good pairing, but it would’ve been better had they stuck with that from the start, instead of trying to insert him into Yoo Hee’s love life. But as the situation is yet unclear, I leave that here for now.
Upset at this latest turn of events, Mu-ryong and Seung Mi both walk along deep in thought, pondering their dilemmas. Mu-ryong comes to a decision (finally!) and asks Yoo Hee to meet him at the bar. Yoo Hee, on the other hand, finds herself smiling when thinking of Mu-ryong, though she doesn’t seem ready to admit it’s because she likes him.
At the bar, Yoo Hee turns down a drink because she drove. Mu-ryong wonders why she’d bring the car when he asked her out for a drink, and she says it’s so she could drive him home. At that evidence of her thoughtfulness, Mu-ryong hesitates to tell Yoo Hee that he wants to quit, while she assures him not to feel too touched by her gesture, as she invokes the phrase both of them seem to be hiding behind, “It’s all fake anyway.”
But Mu-ryong forges on, telling Yoo Hee they’re going to have to end their agreemnent — he’ll find another way to pay her back. She guesses that he’s having troubles with with Seung Mi…
…who happens to arrive at the bar and runs into Yoo Hee, who invites her to sit down. Mu-ryong should be back from the restroom—
And hearing Mu-ryong’s name, Seung Mi flings a glass of water into Yoo Hee’s face. I’m guessing it was one of those spontaneous, uncontrollable impulses, because almost immediately, Seung Mi looks shocked and sorry that she did it. Mu-ryong arrives then, and, assessing the situation, moves to help Yoo Hee wipe the water from her face.
Yoo Hee turns down his aid and leaves. Mu-ryong starts to follow Yoo Hee, but Seung Mi grabs his arm and pleads, “Don’t go.” So Mu-ryong doesn’t leave Seung Mi to chase Yoo Hee, but he’s frustrated with the situation nonetheless, prompting Seung Mi to envelop him in the infamous kdrama back-hug.
Mu-ryong tells Seung Mi that he’d come out tonight to end his agreement with Yoo Hee, but Seung Mi’s action just made everything worse. Seung Mi seems to realize that she’s inadvertently ruined things, and looks on in sadness as Mu-ryong leaves.
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Mu-ryong and Johnny talk over drinks — and I like seeing them bonding more and more — and Johnny hears with some disbelief and amusement about the “fake boyfriend” agreement with Yoo Hee. Mu-ryong asks if Johnny would give it another shot with her, but Johnny says no, he doesn’t think so. When pressed to explain why, he says he’d rather stay good friends as they are.
Mu-ryong wonders, “Friends? Yeah… things were nice when we were friends.” Without explaining who he’s referring to, Johnny asks, perhaps a little more interestedly than necessary, “Do you regret it? Dating Seung Mi, I mean?” Mu-ryong says that’s not what he means.
(1) This is why I wonder if they’re going to pair Johnny and Seung Mi, which I have no problem with except for the fact that switching Johnny’s feelings from one woman to another so quickly (IF that is what in fact they intend to do) makes him seem very fickle, and (2) Dennis seems to have improved his enunciation, so yay! Maybe someone told him he was half-mumbling all his lines and was driving everyone (meaning me) crazy. His accent isn’t improved, but at least the syllables are clearer.
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In a different bar, Joon Ha drinks himself into near-unconsciousness, thinking of how messed up things have become with his ex-fiancee, and also remembers how the President sent him abroad years ago to get him away from Yoo Hee. I’m a little curious at the extent of Joon Ha’s personal torment, because honestly I don’t feel that bad for him — those are all decisions he made on his own. But perhaps he’s feeling the self-loathing backlash at having sold out his true feelings for material gains — schooling, career — and still ending up empty-handed in the end.
He ends up drunk-dialing Yoo Hee, who finds him slumped over at the bar, and drags him to a hotel. And I get an unexpected laugh out loud here, because the contrast of the melancholy background music and the quick series of jump cuts below combine in such a ridiculous way, you can’t help but laugh.
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The next morning, having heard of her father’s visit to Mu-ryong, Yoo Hee tells him they aren’t dating — it was all a lie — so there’s no reason to bother Mu-ryong. The President reminds her of her upcoming blind date, and Yoo Hee surprisingly doesn’t put up much of a fight. She agrees to go.
Arriving at her office, she finds that Mu-ryong has arrived to supply everyone with breakfast, and is keeping up their pretense of dating, calling her “honey” and feeding her (and providing me immense relief at the lovely improvement in his hair! Sorry for being so shallow, but a guy as talented as Jae Hee should never be overshadowed by horrible elfin hair!). Her employees marvel at Yoo Hee dating her housekeeper — that’s just like in the movies! Manager Lee scolds (secretary) Hee Jung for being rude — how dare she speak so informally, calling him housekeeper? That should be Mister Housekeeper! Heh.
When they’re alone, though, Yoo Hee wonders why he’s there — he’d wanted to quit. Mu-ryong has come to apologize for Seung Mi’s behavior the night before, though Yoo Hee says that Seung Mi didn’t do anything wrong. Still, he figures they’ve only got one more week left, so he’ll work hard these last few days before they call it quits. (Note: I still don’t quite get anyone’s reasoning anymore, but I’ve decided to let it go and just sit back and watch. Logic? Continuity? Who needs that? Just enjoy the pretty people being pretty. It does make the viewing experience more relaxing not to wonder about everyone’s motivation anymore.)
So of course Manager Lee reports back to President Ma that Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee are in fact dating, which at first confuses the President, then makes him believe that Yoo Hee lied to him (about lying to him).
Seung Mi asks Mu-ryong if he’s going to keep living with Yoo Hee, and asks him again to move out. She can give him the money — what’s there for him to feel bad about? He doesn’t have to enforce his pride with her. But Mu-ryong just asks, “Can’t you trust me? It’s not because of the money that I’m doing this. You acting like this makes me feel worse.” Which… okaaaay. But remember, self: I am not questioning motives. I am not questioning motives. I am not questioning motives….
But that chastens Seung Mi, who tells him, “I didn’t mean it like that.” And somehow, Mu-ryong has emerged blameless in this exchange. I bet a lot of guys would like to know how to do that. But I can’t really offer much advice aside from “Be Jae Hee.”
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While Yoo Hee’s in a meeting, she gets the following video message from Mu-ryong (which is all the cuter because he speaks in a funny accent):
“Yoo Hee, do you know who I am? I’m Ma Yoo Hee’s Superman! Whenever you need me, I’ll go flying over! Superman~!… Anyway, I think I’ll be late tonight, because we started our cooking contest. Yoo Hee, I love you!”Her co-workers smile, overhearing the message, and Yoo Hee laughs and loses track of their agenda. She then goes off and sends him a message of her own:
“Mu-ryong, if you’re Superman, what does that make me? Wonder Woman? I’ll be your Wonder Woman. Mu-ryong, I love you.”Johnny overhears the message, and Mu-ryong explains that it’s all part of Yoo Hee’s dating practice.
In any case, it’s time for them to continue with the cooking competition… Each cook is assigned a specific meat, and Mari has secretly sabotaged Mu-ryong’s fish with salt. But unluckily for her, at the last minute, Johnny tells each cook to switch ingredients: In cooking, you can find yourself in unexpected situations, and you’ll have to be able to adapt accordingly. (It’s kind of messed up that Mari isn’t the one foiled by her own plan, though. Oh well.)
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Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee go on another fake date, where Mu-ryong has prepared a surprise. Initially, Yoo Hee expects a grand gesture, kind of like this:
…but instead ends up with a simpler one:
The food — kimbap, soondae (blood sausage), ddukbokki (spicy rice cakes) — is all simple, cheap fare, and the restaurant’s not what you’d call extravagant. But it’s just for practice, and Mu-ryong tells her she can have the fancy version with her real boyfriend. He also gives her a present, which is a new night robe to replace her old one.
Seeing her reluctance to accept, he guesses that it was given to her by Joon Ha, but she admits that it’s her mother’s. It’s the only thing she’d left behind after divorcing her father, and Yoo Hee couldn’t even see her before she died, when Yoo Hee was in high school, because her mother had moved abroad.
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Mu-ryong hears that Yoo Hee’s planning on going on another blind date, which she’s only doing to appease her father. Mu-ryong asks about the guy, worried that he’ll be another rotten apple like the last one.
Yoo Hee: “Then you can come save me, like last time.”So Yoo Hee meets her date, who has her completely bored… She gets up to leave, but her date restrains her and says he has more to tell her. Yoo Hee thinks to herself, “Superman, help me!” and imagines Mu-ryong arriving, dressed in full Superman regalia. Disappointed to see it’s just the waiter, she sits back down, while the real Mu-ryong imagines that Yoo Hee’s decided to marry her blind date, and rushes off to find her.
Mu-ryong: “We’ll see… But if you need, call me right away. Like I said, I’m your Superman.”
Yoo Hee tries extricating herself from the date by saying she’s already seeing someone else, but her date informs her that he knows it was a lie — the President already told him about it.
And just then, Mu-ryong appears: “It’s not a lie. I’m her boyfriend.” He keeps up the fa�ade by telling her, “I thought I said not to meet other men. Are you that afraid of the President? Come with me.” And he drags her out. (Somebody’s been watching Samsoon!)
Seemingly annoyed, Yoo Hee asks what he’s doing, and Mu-ryong tells her he thought she wanted his help. But if not, she can go back to her date and fix the misunderstanding. Yoo Hee stops him from going back to “apologize” for his mistake, and instead just changes the subject: “Forget it!… I’m hungry! Let’s go eat.”
Hearing his employee report the results of the date, the President reacts with ire.
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Mu-ryong takes Yoo Hee to his family’s restaurant for jjajangmyun, and accidentally leaves behind his phone, which Seung Mi finds when she drops by. She takes the phone to return to him, and smiles as she looks through to see pictures of herself. Flipping through the gallery, though, Seung Mi starts to see pictures of Yoo Hee, and watches the video Mu-ryong sent Yoo Hee.
She arrives in front of Yoo Hee’s place to see the fake-couple leaving to go to the grocery store together. Seung Mi: “Are you going to say it’s another misunderstanding? That there’s nothing between you two?” She hands him his phone: “I saw everything. So don’t say anything about misunderstanding anymore. I’m sick of this now. Trust you? You want me to trust you?”
She runs off, and Mu-ryong breaks his phone in half and throws it to the pavement in anger. I bet that made everything better.
The next day, Mu-ryong tries to smooth things over with Seung Mi, saying she has every right to be angry, but she cuts him off saying she has to go into work. Mu-ryong: “Then should we talk after work?” Seung Mi: “I don’t know. I don’t think there’s any need to.”
Ooh, snap.
Distracted, Mu-ryong doesn’t do such a great job in the dessert competition, and gets eliminated.
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Also upset is Joon Ha, who’s been forced to quit the hospital by his ex-fiancee’s father. He’s summoned by Yoo Hee’s father, who asks him cryptically, “So. How do you feel about dating Yoo Hee again?”
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that although Yoo Hee’s father isn’t a big fan of Joon Ha dating Yoo Hee, it’s the lesser of two evils — the doctor’s better than the housekeeper, and at least Joon Ha is someone the President can control.
So, on the last day of their dating agreement, Yoo Hee goes to buy Mu-ryong a new cell phone and is met by Joon Ha, who takes her out to an art-slash-car-show. However, rather than being excited about her date, Yoo Hee’s distracted, recalling how Mu-ryong had suggested, in a previous episode, that they commemorate their last day by meeting at the fountain park at 5pm — where, sure enough, Mu-ryong is waiting.
At the time, Yoo Hee had scoffed at the notion — but now she remembers and rushes out to go to the park. By the time she arrives, though, it’s raining, and she doesn’t see Mu-ryong anywhere…
…until he appears out of nowhere, holding an umbrella over her head.
EPISODE 10
This series really is better the less you scrutinize closely. I suppose not all shows require deep analysis, which is fine once you’re able to let go of the tendency to look further than necessary. Which, as you can guess, is not my first impulse.
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Beige – “세상이 둥글지 않다면” (If the World Wasn’t Round). From the new kpop singer’s just-released first album. [ Download ]
EPISODE 10 SUMMARY
Yoo Hee arrives at the park amid the rain and meets the waiting Mu-ryong. Joon Ha, whom Yoo Hee’s left behind to make her rendezvous with Mu-ryong, sees the cell phone she’s left in his car. His flashback to his conversation with President Ma fills us in on the details of their discussion — the President still doesn’t much care for Joon Ha, but since Yoo Hee likes him, would he be interested in dating her properly?
On their way home, Yoo Hee gets a call from Johnny, who tells Mu-ryong that the other finalist in the cooking battle injured his hand, so he’s giving Mu-ryong another chance. Mu-ryong also takes the chance to suggest Yoo Hee try making dinner that night, in order to practice cooking for a boyfriend. So Mu-ryong guides Yoo Hee along, although she’s not exactly a promising student…
…cutting things haphazardly, burning dishes…
When they sit down to eat, Mu-ryong tastes the food first and gives it his approval, saying it’s good. But when Yoo Hee tastes it, she can barely eat it, making a face disgusted at her own handiwork. She asks why he lied and said it was good, and Mu-ryong replies: “You worked hard, and that’s enough. It’s wonderful.”
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Sara once again visits Johnny unexpectedly, for reasons unclear. And my love for Sara grows—
—especially when I see her so easily and dismissively pushing aside Mari. Hee.
Unfortunately, Mari interferes in order to jealously keep Johnny from meeting Sara — she tells Sara to meet him in a remote locale, while telling Johnny that Sara had to suddenly leave.
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As Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong sip wine, Yoo Hee thanks Mu-ryong (presumably for being gracious about dinner, and his coaching so far), and he thanks her for beng thankful. She wonders at his dating knowledge, and Mu-ryong admits that it’s not all from personal experience — he looked things up on the Internet and had to think of ideas when coaching her. In fact, he doesn’t have that much dating experience with Seung Mi: “Maybe it’s because we were friends for so long… She’s more like a friend than a girlfriend.” Yoo Hee asks if he managed to settle things well with her, and Mu-ryong admits that he hasn’t — things have gotten so complicated, it’s been difficult. Yoo Hee apologizes for causing him trouble, and he says that he’s the one who should be sorry.
Yoo Hee suggests dating for a bit longer, and Mu-ryong, thinking she’s being serious, awkwardly tries to refuse, saying he has Seung Mi. Yoo Hee clarifies that she meant they keep practice-dating, and Mu-ryong breathes in relief — although Yoo Hee seems a bit disappointed at his reaction.
They share a moment, and when Mu-ryong gets up to go, Yoo Hee stops him and gives him a light kiss before pulling away, surprised at her gesture. Mu-ryong thinks hard about how to respond, and he takes her arm and leans over to give her another kiss…
…and they awake in shock to find each other in the same bed, neither of them quite sure how they got there. They both tell themselves that they’re sure nothing happened — they just drank some wine, Mu-ryong helped drunk Yoo Hee into bed, then he fell asleep next to her. That must have been it.
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Before they can think about it further, though, a visitor arrives at Yoo Hee’s door — Joon Ha.
Yoo Hee meets him out in the hallway, preventing him from going in (and seeing Mu-ryong) by saying her apartment’s a mess. He returns the cell phone she bought, and asks her out to drink some tea.
Before she leaves, she gives Mu-ryong his new cell phone, and they bring up the awkwardness of the night before. Both decide that (seeing as neither are completely certain of the details) they’d both rather pretend nothing happened, and that’s that.
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Johnny puts Mari and Mu-ryong to the next phase of their cooking battle, where each contender makes a dish following a technique Johnny himself employs first (making what looks like — really — a bacon ball and a rolled-up potato chip. But then, I’m not a foodie).
Mu-ryong wins the round, and although I’m not going to criticize the plot too strongly anymore (in accordance with my new Witch Amusement terms of operation), I wonder at the whole point of this cooking battle, because isn’t the outcome kind of obvious? They’ve made it a point from the start to depict Mari as relatively clumsy and incompetent, while Mu-ryong’s the misunderstood one with the true talent. It takes the air out of these battles, because there’s no suspense…
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On Yoo Hee and Joon Ha’s date, Joon Ha tells her that he’s decided not to go abroad after all, and that he’s going to stay at the hospital. He also brings up the time Yoo Hee confessed her feelings for him, and he turned her down. He says he’s sorry, and gives her the classic “It’s not you, it’s me” line, saying he had some things going on in his life then. But he asks if her offer’s still valid, and if she’d like to go out with him now.
Mu-ryong doesn’t really approve of Joon Ha, but can’t object too much seeing as Yoo Hee likes him. He packs his stuff to leave Yoo Hee’s place, now that their agreement is over. Yoo Hee seems reluctant to let him go, but Mu-ryong knows it’s time to leave, and goes back to his parents’ restaurant. Unfortunately, there’s no space for him to stay, and he ends up having to sleep uncomfortably on restaurant chairs.
(I’ve been somewhat ignoring Manager Lee’s forays to Mu-ryong’s parents’ restaurant in these recaps because they seem irrelevant, but they keep bringing him back, so — very briefly –
Manager Lee loves the jjajangmyun. He gets most of it free. At first, Mu-ryong’s mother dotes on him because she thinks he’ll get Song Hwa a modeling job… But when the modeling auditions fall through, she gets annoyed and gives Manager Lee a hard time every time he comes back. Then, in Episode 9, she mentions it to Yoo Hee, who apologizes for not following through and assures them that they’ll have Song Hwa come in for a proper audition. The family has also utilized Manager Lee on occasion to make some deliveries when short-handed.
In this episode, he brings his staff over to treat them to lunch, when the restaurant finds itself short-staffed once again… and looks to Manager Lee to fulfill the deliveries. I don’t understand the point, but it’s mildly amusing.)
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Paran is picked up from school by his father’s driver, and complains about not wanting to go to after-school academy classes. The driver’s just following the President’s instructions, though, and forces Paran into the car. Passing by on a delivery, Song Hwa sees Paran resisting, and assumes he’s being kidnapped. He punches the driver and runs off with Paran.
When the guardians for both parties arrive — Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong — to straighten out the mess at the police station, the four of them walk out together as Paran suggests they all go do something fun as a group. Yoo Hee declines because of work, and Mu-ryong and Song Hwa offer to take Paran out instead, but the plot device — er, I mean Paran — insists that Yoo Hee must come along too.
So the four go to an amusement park, which looks like it may be Everland, one of the largest amusement parks in the world, judging from the looks of the zoo within the park. One of the bears approaches the tour bus, causing Yoo Hee to reflexively turn to Mu-ryong in fright — and although it’s a plot contrivance, in this instance I totally buy it because I’ve thought before that it’s really freaky to have the animals wander right up to the side of the bus, which is encased almost entirely in windows. It’s cool, but just a little alarming to have lions (and tigers and bears, oh my!) sidling right up to you with a mere, puny piece of plexiglass separating you.
Yoo Hee suggests to Mu-ryong that he come back to live with her, and Mu-ryong happily accepts, thinking of the discomfort of living at his parents’ place.
In the midst of all the fun, Yoo Hee even forgets that she’d made a date to go to the movies with Joon Ha. When he calls her, she makes up the story that she’s caught up at a work-related photo shoot, and can’t make it out. Mu-ryong tells her to go ahead, though — he’ll take Paran home.
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So Yoo Hee goes on her date, but instead of enjoying the movie, is more distracted with her food. Thinking back to Mu-ryong dropping cutesy notes into her snacks, Yoo Hee digs around in her popcorn and is disappointed to see nothing but actual popcorn there.
Back at the apartment, Yoo Hee and Joon Ha unexpectedly run into Mu-ryong, who’s come back and is busy fulfilling his housekeeper-ly duties. Joon Ha is surprisingly okay with hearing about the situation, and tells Yoo Hee not to worry — he’s fine with it.
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Mu-ryong leaves the apartment so the couple can be alone, but with nowhere to go, he can only wander the streets and sit out in the cold. Meanwhile, Yoo Hee and Joon Ha watch Wimbledon, and Joon Ha kisses Yoo Hee…
(And I can just say to Jae Hee’s coordi — really? Hi-tops? And unlaced hi-tops at that — really? I know I may have owned an unfortunate pair of LA Gears and/or BK Knights back in the day, but in my defense I was 10 and didn’t truly understand what ugly was. Hi-tops are best known as a thing of the past and should never, ever make a comeback, except on “I Love the 80s” reruns on VH1, and even then only as a source of mockery.)
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Having spent nearly the entire night out in the cold, Mu-ryong’s not in fighting shape for the next portion of the cooking competition, which is a taste contest whereby each person must name the ingredients in a dish while tasting them blindfolded.
This time, Mari wins, and Mu-ryong would probably feel worse about losing if he weren’t feeling so bad physically. Yoo Hee arrives home, presumably ready to take care of Mu-ryong in his illness, but sees Seung Mi tending to him. Her conflicting emotions cause her to leave silently and throw away whatever get-well offering she’d bought intending to give Mu-ryong.
Meanwhile, Seung Mi is still upset at Mu-ryong, although they’re still tenuously hanging on to their relationship. She tells him she’s losing patience and doesn’t know how far she can just put up with it.
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Joon Ha meets with the President, who wonders how things are going with Yoo Hee. The President tells Joon Ha he’ll talk things over with the hospital director and straighten things out. As long as he does well with Yoo Hee, he’ll make sure of it. At first I thought Joon Ha had lingering feelings for Yoo Hee, and was dating her because he liked her and was taking advantage of the President’s approval. But now, it seems he’s more concerned with looking out for Number 1, i.e. himself. Joon Ha may have some affection for Yoo Hee, but he’s very probably doing this to get back his job at the hospital… which is in keeping with his cold, opportunistic personality, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.
But his meeting with the President does bother him, because it causes Joon Ha to once again drown his sorrows in alcohol. And we all know how well that worked last time.
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Yoo Hee seems to feel down at having seen Mu-ryong and Seung Mi together, and goes forward with plans to go on an overnight trip to Yang Pyeong with Joon Ha. Learning of her trip, Mu-ryong’s bothered, but can’t really say anything on the matter.
However, the next day, a problem with the restaurant causes them to shut down for the day. Johnny tells him to go home since they can’t work, and Mu-ryong takes the opportunity to ask Johnny if he wants to go to Yang Pyeong. Yoo Hee’s there on an overnight trip with a guy…
(On one hand, it’s cute because friendly/bonding scenes between Johnny and Mu-ryong are always fun, and this seems more like something overprotective brothers would do, interfering to protect their baby sister. On the other hand, both guys were/are potential love interests for Yoo Hee, so perhaps it’s better not to extend that metaphor any further.)
In any case, unaware of all this is Yoo Hee, who’s oblivious as she drives off with Joon Ha…..
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EPISODE 11
SONG OF THE DAY
As One – “Is It Love” [ zShare download ]
Note: The only files I could find for Episode 11 had a ticker running along the bottom the entire episode, announcing vote counts for an election — so all the screencaps are thusly affected. If anyone knows of a clean copy of 11, please point me in the right direction! But I don’t think there’ll be one like that available.
EPISODE 11 SUMMARY
With Yoo Hee on her way to an overnight trip with Joon Ha, Mu-ryong tries to convince Johnny to come along with him to check in on Yoo Hee. Johnny has some sense, though, and turns down the suggestion… until they run into Seung Mi and Mari. Mari suggests they all go out together, and Mu-ryong takes that as his cue to suggest going to Yang Pyeong. Seung Mi is up for the idea until Sara arrives, invites herself, and notes that Yang Pyeong is where Yoo Hee went.
Yoo Hee and Joon Ha arrive at the vacation home, where Yoo Hee gets ready to cook spaghetti for Joon Ha. He asks if she’s a good cook, and she says not particularly; but she thought it would be nice to cook. Joon Ha tells her not to trouble herself, since they can go out to eat, and Yoo Hee wistfully remembers how Mu-ryong happily ate her bad cooking and told her it was her effort that mattered.
They’re surprised and annoyed to see the five party crashers arrive, and while Joon Ha would dearly love to kick everyone out, he’s forced to be gracious (which is practically killing him, you can tell) and lets them stay. But still, they take advantage of the location and have some fun. Yoo Hee rides in a boat between Mu-ryong and Johnny, and the three enjoy themselves. Riding in another boat is the trio of rejected females: Mari, Seung Mi, and Sara, who’d all rather be in the other boat.
And being the scowly party pooper is Joon Ha, watching alone in dissatisfaction.
Yoo Hee takes a moment to pull Mu-ryong aside and express her feelings about his presence…
…and Mu-ryong happily finds ways to interrupt moments between Yoo Hee and Joon Ha with an innocent face.
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Joon Ha is obviously up to something with the President, though, as he reports to him that he’s out on a trip with Yoo Hee. Johnny overhears the conversation and is surprised to hear Yoo Hee say that her father is unaware of her relationship with Joon Ha. Although Johnny was willing to give Joon Ha the benefit of the doubt (contrary to Mu-ryong’s suspiciousness), now he starts to become suspicious of Joon Ha’s motives as well.
That night, the group plays a Spin-the-Bottle Truth Game, which Joon Ha attempts to avoid when the bottle indicates his turn. Nobody knows him that well, so he can’t have anything interesting they’d like to know.
But Sara goes on, and asks him bluntly, “What’s your true intention toward Yoo Hee?” Everyone perks up, eager to hear the answer but trying to pretend they’re not interested, but Sara realizes the question’s a little inappropriate, and revises it to, “What do you like about Yoo Hee?” Joon Ha answers that it’s because she likes such an ordinary person like him. And Mu-ryong follows that question by asking if Joon Ha loves Yoo Hee. Joon ha ignores the question, but Mu-ryong repeats it, making everyone uncomfortable. Mu-ryong assumes that his unwillingness to answer means he must not love her, but Joon Ha just snaps that he has no business asking that, and stalks away, pissed off.
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Back at home, Manager Lee has once again arrived at the restaurant for more jjajangmyun, and joins in a family dinner, where he bemoans his single status, looking on enviously at the happy couples. He also accompanies the family out to karaoke.
You know, now that they’re obviously shoe-horning Manager Lee with the Chae family as much as possible, I’ve accepted it and it’s almost becoming funny. It’s like the unfunny joke that goes on so long that somehow it circles around to being funny. Like the Simpsons gag with Sideshow Bob stepping on the garden rakes, one after another. And another. And another. It’s dumb, and dumber, and dumber, and ridiculous, and finally manages to be hysterical.
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Later, Joon Ha takes out a ring and contemplates it… and whether or not he’s intending on proposing right this minute, he goes to visit Yoo Hee while she’s asleep. Because nothing puts a girl in a romantic mood more than being awakened late at night after a frustrating evening of tension-filled love-games.
Joon Ha leans over to kiss her in her sleep, which wakes her up, and she screams in reflex, colliding heads in the process. Mu-ryong hears her scream from downstairs, and assumes the worst. He bursts in on Joon Ha (ah, how hot is angry Jae Hee?), and the two engage in a fistfight.
Johnny breaks it up, dragging Mu-ryong off Joon Ha. Yoo Hee angrily slaps Mu-ryong for interfering without even knowing the situation, and Seung Mi looks on in shock.
Having calmed down, Mu-ryong apologizes to Seung Mi, but it seems a little half-hearted, even to me, since he defends his actions by saying that he can’t help but be suspicious of Joon Ha. Seung Mi wonders why he’s so interested in Yoo Hee’s business, and asks him to only worry about her instead.
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Back at home, Yoo Hee demands to know what’s wrong with Mu-ryong. He tells her: “It’s because I keep worrying about you. My thoughts keep going to you.” He tells her that she can find a better guy — he’ll even help her. But he can’t give her over to Joon Ha — there’s something about the guy, and he just doesn’t like him.
But Yoo Hee kicks him out, leaving him with a few hundred bucks as compensation for his recent services. She then takes Joon Ha to meet with her father formally as her boyfriend, and both men maintain their fa�ade of pretending they don’t have an understanding already worked out. The President says he still doesn’t like Joon Ha. (Paran also speaks up that he doesn’t like him either. Which is great! Because children tend to see through fakeness in a way that adults don’t.) But, the President says, this time he won’t oppose it. Joon Ha’s better than the other guy anyway.
Dropping Yoo Hee off at home, Joon Ha sees the cell phone Yoo Hee left behind in his car, and of course opens it straight to the video Mu-ryong had sent her before.
Yoo Hee comes home to see that Mu-ryong’s left her a bunch of Post-it notes, saying things like “Remember, I’m your Superman!” and “I left some food in the fridge for you to heat up and eat.” He’s also left a letter enclosing the money she’d given him, saying he’s sorry for what happened at the vacation house. Yoo Hee should know Mu-ryong tends to overreact, and he’s returning the money because he’s received favors from her as well — they’ll call it even.
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Without a place to go, Mu-ryong crashes in the employee locker room at the restaurant…
….where Seung Mi finds him, and tries to convince him to come home with her. Mu-ryong resists, saying he’s more comfortable at the restaurant, which should be clue enough for Seung Mi — if your boyfriend wants to crash in a cold room on a makeshift bench/bed rather than go home with you, He’s Just Not That Into You.
She suggests they marry, to which Mu-ryong hesitates. I’m not sure if he’s stalling, or if he truly believes what he tells her — that he’s not in a position to marry. Because that happens to be true, given his work and home status at the moment. Guessing that the answer isn’t one that’ll make her happy, Seung Mi interrupts him and says they should talk about it later.
Mu-ryong stops her: “It’ll just be harder to say it later.”And as anyone who’s ever had a cavity can tell you, ignoring the problem now and waiting to deal with it later is ALWAYS the best solution! I know I shouldn’t speak, being the master procrastinator that I am, but still. Seung Mi’s a little backwards here. But as she’s not the only one, I can’t hold it against her too much…
Seung Mi: “Then don’t say it. If it’s hard for you to say, do you think it’ll be easy for me to hear?”
Mu-ryong: “But listen to me anyway.”
Seung Mi: “No, I don’t want to. We’ll talk about it later.”
…because Joon Ha drops by Yoo Hee’s apartment to return her phone, and asks if she has time to talk. And Yoo Hee pulls a Seung Mi and says she’s tired; let’s talk later. Trust me, you’re going to have to drill that tooth sooner or later.
Yoo Hee resists the urge to call Mu-ryong, and instead smiles as she rewatches his video clip on her phone.
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At the restaurant, Johnny presents the last challenge: serving. Whoever wins this will win the cooking competition with Cordon Bleu as its prize. And it seems Johnny may have deliberately chosen to increase the difficulty level of the task, assigning Mu-ryong to serve Yoo Hee and Joon ha, and Mari to serve Sara.
Both suffer minor bumps in the challenge, such as Mu-ryong trying too hard to convince Joon Ha to try the chef’s special, and Mari becoming too distracted with Sara goading her to give up on Johnny and spilling water, then wine. Finally, though, Mari breaks at Sara’s taunts and throws a glass of water at Sara, which anyone can tell you is not guaranteed to win you any serving awards. So I don’t even know why they bother acting nervous as they await Johnny’s decision — clearly Mu-ryong’s the winner.
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Yoo Hee finds herself in a sticky situation at the film set of a commercial, realizing she’s left a report at home that she’d promised to deliver to the client. Though reluctant to ask, she calls Mu-ryong and asks him to go home and fetch the file, which he does despite being put in an awkward situation at work.
He arrives to the rescue, and while Yoo Hee has him wait for her as she gives the report to the client, she loses her cell phone AGAIN (twice in one episode? Really?), dropping it into a box of props. She joins Mu-ryong and they play with some of the wigs, while the crew cleans up and heads out…
…and apparently not knowing that Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong are still present, they find themselves locked in together in pitch darkness.
EPISODE 12
Ah, my Witch Amusement is back on track! (Ish.) Granted, by now I know the show isn’t what I’d hoped it would be, but this was a much more enjoyable episode than some recent ones have been. If only they could have compressed the last six episodes into two.
EPISODE 12 SUMMARY
Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee find themselves locked in the warehouse where her CF was filmed earlier. Having lost her phone (again), Yoo Hee uses Mu-ryong’s to try to call for help.
I’ll admit it gave my cynical heart a little thrill to see that Mu-ryong has Yoo Hee programmed as number 1 on his phone. Aw. I myself have my own voicemail programmed as 1, so I wonder what that says about me. In my defense, Cingular doesn’t allow you to designate your own number 1, creating chaos nationwide for couples in need of romantic affirmation from their inanimate objects. Anyway, it’s probably a subtle hint that the person Yoo Hee calls first (with no answer) was NOT Joon Ha, as she calls him second. Furthermore, she seems hesitant to impose on him — you know you’re not that close to your boyfriend when your sentences start out, “Um, I wonder if I could ask you a favor? Could you maybe come down here? You see, I’m locked in a strange place.” I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve led with “Help! I’m locked up somewhere!” before worrying about how my imprisonment was inconveniencing my boyfriend’s leisure time. Just sayin’.
Unfortunately, the battery cuts out and she’s unable to direct him to her whereabouts, and it’s also telling that Joon Ha only seems mildly concerned about her plight until he learns that Mu-ryong is there with her, at which point he rushes out with his jealous game-face on. (I’d wondered why they needed to lose Yoo Hee’s phone again, but now it makes sense since they can’t both have their phone batteries die simultaneously. Now that would just be too coincidental.)
Yoo Hee takes out her anger on Mu-ryong, accusing him of loitering and causing them to get locked in. Mu-ryong defends himself, as he was the one doing her a favor in the first place. She says he could’ve told her no; he didn’t have to come. Mu-ryong: “Yeah, I know. I really regret coming enough as it is.”
Annoyed, Yoo Hee heads off alone, and sees something she might be able to use as a tool, on top of a tall shelf. She climbs up on a small chair in her heels and attempts to pry it loose — and do I even have to continue? She falls, Mu-ryong catches her, and he takes the brunt of the force when a box dislodges and falls on top of both of them.
(Seriously, though, it might’ve been a bit more impressive if the box contained something slightly more dangerous than teddy bears.)
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Seung Mi looks for Mu-ryong and hears from shirtless Johnny that he’d gone to do something for Yoo Hee, so she goes to Yoo Hee’s apartment. On her way out, she runs into a very pissy Joon Ha, who decides to wait frustratedly in his car.
To pass the time, Mu-ryong shows Yoo Hee some magic tricks (making things disappear, card tricks, illusions), which thoroughly entertain her. It’s very cute.
They lapse into conversation, starting with listing memorable foods they’ve eaten. Mu-ryong mentions his father’s cooking, Yoo Hee says Mu-ryong’s soup, and Mu-ryong says Yoo Hee’s spaghetti.
Yoo Hee: “Liar.”
Mu-ryong: “For real. It was your first dish ever, so how could I forget?”
And just as Yoo Hee’s about to be touched by the statement:
Mu-ryong: “Such awful spaghetti is truly hard to forget.”
Yoo Hee asks how he got into cooking, and Mu-ryong says he’d always loved it, because of his father. He only briefly tried to be a doctor because his mother wanted it so badly, and he happened to be pretty smart. But he always felt it was wrong for him. Mu-ryong asks why she refers to her father as President, and she says it’s how she was taught — “Before he was my father, he was the President. And before I was his daughter, I was his successor.”
Seeing Yoo Hee awkwardly dozing, Mu-ryong rests her head on her shoulder. She mumbles “Sorry” in her sleep, and Mu-ryong says, “I’m the sorry one. I lied earlier, when I said I regretted coming here. I missed you. I don’t regret coming.” Not realizing Yoo Hee’s awoken to hear it, they just rest there…
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After they’re let out in the morning, they rush to make it to the gathering put on by Yoo Hee’s father to celebrate the MK Group’s anniversary. Seeing them arrive together, hand in hand, Joon Ha’s jealousy and alpha-male ego flares, and he blames Mu-ryong for whatever perceived wrongdoing he’s committed. Yoo Hee breaks it up and assures Joon Ha that she’d just sent Mu-ryong on an errand and they got accidentally locked in together.
Mu-ryong rushes to get to work, where Johnny’s been worriedly wondering why he hasn’t shown up. I really like how Johnny’s concern overshadows any annoyance he may have had that Mu-ryong arrived so late.
Paran is fantastic as he takes the opportunity to grind some pepper into Joon Ha’s wineglass. It’s great! Joon Ha knows that Paran’s the guilty offender (tipped off when Paran sticks out his tongue at him, then pretends he was merely licking his lips), but can’t do anything about it.
I love Paran. I wish they’d explore more of the brotherly relationship he’s developing with Mu-ryong and Song Hwa, because that’s somehow more touching to me than any of the other romantic stuff. I can see Paran walking that line between diverging in two very distinct directions — one good, and the other very astray. In the beginning, he was cold and lonely, with a decided lack of fear and even respect for authority, in the way that very intelligent (and smart-assy) kids are. He was reaching out for warmth, but didn’t find it — not in any adequate form, at least. Had that continued, who knows what kind of detached, unpleasant person he could have become. But after meeting the Chae brothers, he’s found an outlet to be a kid, playing with bikes, arcade games, roller coasters and bumper cars… and some of his possibly-alarming tendencies have been curtailed into playful mischievousness. Like peppering his sister’s douchebag boyfriend’s wine! Witch Amusement is obviously about Yoo Hee’s transformation from a “witch” into a real, caring person because of Mu-ryong’s attention, but in some ways I feel his effect on Paran has been so much more significant.
::: End digression :::
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Unfortunately, due to the mad rush and bad timing, Mu-ryong is unaware of Johnny’s special instructions that there’s one guest who’s allergic to almonds — which you know is going to be a problem since the main dish is a lobster with almondine sauce. The guest collapses at his seat, prompting Johnny to flash back to possibly the funniest segment I’ve seen so far — although it’s entirely unintentional in its cheesiness.
I’m guessing from the flashback that Johnny suffers some emotional baggage due to the case of a patron dying at his restaurant from something he made. It’s so ridiculously melodramatic it could almost be a parody, but alas, it’s completely straight. Still hysterical though.
Irate at the turn of events, President Ma slaps Mu-ryong and insists that Johnny fire him. Johnny tries to take responsibility for the mistake, but Mu-ryong steps up and takes the blame.
Seung Mi chases after Yoo Hee to ask her: “Shouldn’t you take responsibily for what’s happened to Mu-ryong? He’s become like that because of you. He’s not the kind of person to make such a careless mistake. If you hadn’t called him yesterday — No, if only he wasn’t late today, none of this would have happened.” Mu-ryong interrupts to say it wasn’t Yoo Hee’s fault, but Seung Mi continues: “This woman has ruined your life!”
This is by far my favorite version of Seung Mi — because honestly, Yoo Hee is a little responsible. Not entirely, but it’s not fair if she escapes any criticism — she was being selfish calling Mu-ryong the day before. It was his decision to come running to her rescue, so it’s not like one person’s the villain. But I like that Seung Mi, despite being upset at Mu-ryong herself, tries to make Yoo Hee own up to her part in the mess.
Joon Ha tells Yoo Hee, while sneering at Seung Mi and Mu-ryong’s retreating backs, “Don’t worry. Those kinds of people are all alike. There’s no reason to give them any thought. Ignore them.” I wonder if she’s starting to think that having gotten what she wanted all along, he’s not so great after all.
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So Mu-ryong resigns. Johnny accepts the resignation despite liking Mu-ryong, because he recognizes that his mistake was big. I like this response, and the way that you can tell Johnny still likes Mu-ryong as a person, but his friendship doesn’t get in the way of professionalism. Mu-ryong understands that as well. Johnny thanks him for his work, and Mu-ryong leaves.
And doesn’t this feel like it would’ve made a fantastic midpoint to the series? If only this were in episode 8 and not 12, you’d have wondered with anticipation, How are they going to take the series from here? All these relationships are changing! What’ll they do now?
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Yoo Hee attempts to convince Johnny to take Mu-ryong back, feeling a large responsibility for what happened, but Johnny flatly refuses. Mu-ryong’s mistake was too big, and it’s only natural he pay the consequences.
While they’re talking, Joon Ha calls repeatedly, prompted by the President’s words earlier to marry Yoo Hee soon. That’s the only way Joon Ha will get the hospital he wants. (Although it’s not explicitly stated, I’m guessing from the conversations that the President has offered to set up a new hospital and appoint Joon Ha as the director, as long as Joon Ha fulfills the President’s wishes.) But in any case, Yoo Hee ignores his calls.
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Mu-ryong goes back to his parents and faces up to his failure. Despite how obviously saddened Mu-ryong is to disappoint them yet again, his family is supportive — and the Chae family gives me the warm fuzzies. They’re so weirdly functional. For instance, his mother tells Mu-ryong not to worry, he can always go back to medical school. Mu-ryong starts to protest, but she tells him she’s just using that as a saying — it means that he has options, not that he actually has to go back into medicine. And that shows she does get him in a way that she doesn’t always seem to have in the past.
Seung Mi brings up the topic of marriage, which Mu-ryong’s parents seem surprised at but happy to discuss, but Mu-ryong contradicts her and tells everyone, “No. We’re not getting married.” Clearly not the reaction Seung Mi was looking for, she leaves, angry.
Although this is yet another repeated conversation we’ve had a dozen times before, at least a new element is introduced this time: Seung Mi doesn’t care about his lack of stability or job and wants to get married, and asks him flat-out why they can’t. Is it because of Yoo Hee? Ever since he met her, he’s been acting strangely. Because of her, Seung Mi can’t rest easy — and Mu-ryong bursts out, “Stop it already!” Calmer, he says, “Stop it. I’m not going to get married.”
Seung Mi shows some (scary) mettle by telling him, “No. We’ll see about that. I’ll make it happen.”
…Creepy! Hide your bunnies, people. (But is it weird that I like her more now?)
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Home alone, Yoo Hee sees the notes Mu-ryong had left her and gets busy concocting an excuse to call him. She tells him to drop by and retrieve some plates he’d left behind.
Mu-ryong reminds her that those dishes were there even before he moved in, seeing through her excuse, and asks if she used it as a reason to call him over. She denies it, but suggests he stay for a bit. He could at least have some tea. Since he came all this way and everything.
Arriving at the door at that moment, however, is Joon Ha. Mu-ryong hides himself while Yoo Hee lets Joon Ha in, and as he tries to escape unnoticed, he overhears their conversation. Joon Ha tries to bring the conversation around to marriage (I presume), since he says, almost out of nowhere, that being together feels like they’re already married. He continues, saying he’s never felt so comfortable with someone before, not even with his ex-fiancee.
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A slight plot detour takes us to Song Hwa, who’s up for his model audition with MK Group. He looks the part, and everyone is pleased with his appearance. However, once he’s tested on his facial expressions, Song Hwa can only come up with one look for all three fake scenarios — whether he’s acting as an army soldier who’s dropped his precious, sole Chocopie into the toilet; or someone who’s won the lottery; or someone who’s had his heart broken.
One look may have worked for Zoolander, but Song Hwa fails. To compensate for his weak expressions, he’s asked if he has any hobbies or skills — and when he’s asked to demonstrate his Taekwondo, he can’t even lift his leg.
His mother explains to his girlfriend that he’s been unable to practice Taekwondo since high school. He was picked to be a member of the national team, but accidentally injured his best friend and fellow athlete with a stray kick, crippling one of his legs.
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Mu-ryong takes Seung Mi out, saying it’s to make up for all those times they’d postponed or cancelled. At dinner, though, he takes on a serious tone and tells her: “Let’s rethink our relationship.”
Leaving us hanging, we go to Yoo Hee’s surprise date with Joon Ha, where he presents her with something very closely resembling her fantasy date from a prior episode. Of course, Yoo Hee can’t help but think back to her simpler, cheaper date with Mu-ryong instead.
Anyone else feel like it’s a weird “ideal romantic date” location to pick a stage in an empty auditorium? To be sure, it creates a nice visual image, but I’m not sure if we’re to take meaning from the fact that there’s nobody present, and yet the two are up onstage in front of the empty chairs as though they must maintain their act.
And Yoo Hee looks on in surprise when Joon Ha presents her with a ring.
EPISODE 13
This episode was both fun and all sorts of ridiculous. It was also genuinely and unintentionally funny. And ridiculous.
On the distinctive plus-side, Jae Hee and Dennis Oh both looked particularly hot, to be shamefully superficial for a moment. You’ve gotta hand it to these producers — they know their audience. On the down-side, the acting was… wow, really some awful stuff here, all across the board. At least it was funny-bad, and not just painful-bad. And have I mentioned it was ridiculous?
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Lyn – “Kissing U” [ zShare download ]
As much as I enjoy this silly, frothy series — and I’m actually kind of reluctant to critique it too harshly (and I mean serious critique; the mocking’s always in good-natured(ish) fun) — I must point out some serious fatal flaws.
It relies on a few common devices that we kdrama lovers have probably come to expect, or at least tolerate, in all of our series. They may be cliches, but they come with the territory, so I tend to let them slide. But Witch Amusement overuses a couple to such an egregious extent that they become glaring, obstructive crutches.
EPISODE 13 SUMMARY
Yoo Hee stops Joon Ha from placing the ring on her finger, saying she’s not sure she should accept. Joon Ha tells her to accept it for now, and return it later if she changes her mind.
In another restaurant, Mu-ryong finally mans up and tells Seung Mi that he doesn’t think he can marry her. And it’s not because he’s not in the right place in his life to take care of her — he admits that’s an excuse. “Seung Mi, honestly, I really like you a lot. But I don’t know if it’s enough to marry you.” Seung Mi deliberately misses the point, telling him she didn’t know he’d felt so burdened, and they can pretend the topic of marriage never came up in the first place.
Yoo Hee goes home and looks at her pretty new diamond ring, but thinks instead of the plastic toy ring Mu-ryong gave her, which she’s kept all this while in her nightstand drawer — where, you’ll remember, she previously kept her picture of Joon Ha. She puts on the plastic ring instead and smiles, remembering Mu-ryong’s confession that he’d missed her.
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I hadn’t realized Witch Amusement hadn’t given us the obligatory Han River scene until now (an example of a kdrama convention I can live with).
While Mu-ryong’s briefly away, he gets a call from Yoo Hee, which Seung Mi answers. She tells Yoo Hee firmly to stop calling Mu-ryong, adding: “We’re marrying soon. Mu-ryong feels uncomfortable too—” just as Mu-ryong arrives to snatch the phone away and ask what’s wrong with her.
Seung Mi asks if this is all because of Yoo Hee — she yells at him to say why he’s acting like this. “You’re a real jerk!” Mu-ryong agrees: “Yeah, I am. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
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Soaking in the news of Mu-ryong’s supposed marriage, Yoo Hee throws off the toy ring. And Mu-ryong deletes Yoo Hee’s number from his phone. ‘Bout freaking time someone made a definitive decision, even if it’s one that isn’t likely to last long.
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Mari actually speaks up for Mu-ryong, admitting to Johnny that it may have been because of her that Mu-ryong didn’t see the notice of the guest’s allergy. Johnny tells her it’s still Mu-ryong’s mistake, not hers.
Sara arrives unannounced, and the two ladies fight it out to stake their claim on Johnny. Johnny finally can’t take it anymore, and lies that he has a girlfriend. In New York. So they should stop. Heh.
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Yoo Hee accepts Joon Ha’s proposal, and they hug it out in the most unromantic engagement gesture ever. Seriously, these two are like a Textbook Couple — all frilly “romantic” gestures but nary a true romantic emotion in sight. I understand Yoo Hee’s motivation, but this coupling is such a waste of space.
The couple arrives at Johnny’s restaurant for lunch, where he spies the ring on Yoo Hee’s finger. He also overhears Joon Ha on an unpleasant phone call (the guy is such a pill — they’re not even trying to make Joon Ha the least bit likable), and suspects him of being up to something shady.
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Johnny’s also visited by someone from his New York restaurant named Allison, whom Mari and Sara automatically assume is his girlfriend. Johnny, however, reacts to Allison’s arrival with decided non-enthusiasm.
That reaction could be because even an inexperienced actor like Dennis knows that acting opposite a deadweight like Jennifer Bae (I believe that’s her name?) is sure to sink his own precarious skills. Oh man, is this next scene painful.
If you’re reading this, you don’t need me to translate the sequence and can probably understand for yourself just how shamefully horrid the acting in this scene is. I’ve made fun of bad acting before, but these two sink to new lows. I was actually starting to think Dennis Oh was getting better, but seeing him opposite someone even worse than him just highlights how bad both are. You’d think they’d both be fairly comfortable acting in their native English, but weirdly, they’re both affecting some strange hybrid accent. It’s like when I tutored Korean students in English, I’d find my own English becoming poorer. I don’t know whose daughter-sister-friend-relative Jennifer Bae is, but either she’s rocking some family connection or she’s holding some serious dirt over someone’s head at SBS.
Anyway. Allison is there to persuade Johnny to return to New York because he’s needed back there. End of scene. Jennifer Bae’s relevance to this series is something that could have been conveyed through one line of dialogue or a phone call. I officially resent SBS for making me sit through that scene for such a measly plot point.
But as with all things awkward and embarrassing, there is a silver lining, and that is seeing Sara and Mari go to town on Allison, assuming she’s the girlfriend. I love Sara. And you all can stop hating the actress now since she’s apparently not dating Hyun Bin anymore.
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Johnny arrives at Mu-ryong’s family restaurant. The reaction to his presence is rather telling of the fascination in Korean society at large to all peoples Western and beautiful. The family fawns over Johnny, complimenting him and seeking his good graces as though he were someone much more important than he is.
Escaping from that ridiculousness, the two lovely men escape to their own romantic dinner. Er, man-date. Er, manly discussion over wine in a dimly lit setting. (I’m totally joking with the suggestion of homoeroticism, but really, these two buddies have tons more chemistry — pseudo-romantic or not — than the bland Textbook Couple, who barely seem to even like each other as people, much less enough to get married. Is Yoo Hee trying to replicate her parents’ loveless marriage?)
Adding to that ridiculousness is another scene that probably requires no translation from me — when Johnny mournfully recalls the instance where he nearly killed a patron with a dish, having neglected to remember his food allergy. Johnny was So! Traumatized! that he nearly gave up cooking. Forever! Oh, the heartbreak.
It’s ridiculous. I couldn’t stop laughing. I don’t think it’s supposed to be funny.
Johnny explains that it’s because of Yoo Hee that he started cooking again. Perhaps it’s a too-little-too-late attempt to make sense of the nonsense of earlier episodes (what some refer to as “retcon” or “retroactive continuity,” trying to fix continuity errors after they’ve happened with shoddy after-explanations), but Johnny explains that because of that, his feelings “wavered” toward Yoo Hee — implying that he confused his gratefulness for deeper feelings. Or something. I’m assuming. Honestly, it’s not easy making sense out of ridiculousness.
Johnny gives Mu-ryong another shot at the French cooking competition. He also says that he thinks Mu-ryong was right about Joon Ha — there’s something fishy about the guy. So naturally, they spy.
Clearly Mu-ryong thinks the best way to go unnoticed is to disguise himself as a gay gigolo wearing a trim women’s suit with ajumma sunglasses, traveling alongside his dorky tourist buddy in vacation-going casualwear.
They overhear the President telling Joon Ha and Yoo Hee to settle their wedding plans quickly. Yoo Hee attempts to stall, saying they haven’t even paid respects to Joon Ha’s mother yet, but Joon Ha assures her that’s not going to be a problem. They’ll meet her soon; there’s no reason to put off the marriage.
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Mu-ryong and Johnny react to the news by getting drunk. Or rather, Mu-ryong gets wasted while Johnny looks at the emotional wreckage in front of him and guesses that Mu-ryong’s in love with Yoo Hee.
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Yoo Hee suffers increasing stomach pains, first calling Joon Ha, then Mu-ryong, for help. Hearing how much pain she’s in, Mu-ryong miraculously recovers from his drunken fog and rushes to her side. Joon Ha returns her call, hears her in pain, and also rushes over. Mu-ryong arrives first, but runs into Joon Ha on his way in, who exhibits his characteristic care and consideration for Yoo Hee’s welfare by getting angry at Mu-ryong for his interference.
I’m pretty sure we’re meant to see the difference in the two men’s reaction, as if we didn’t already know who cares more.
Joon Ha takes her to the hospital, where her mystery ailment is not disclosed. I’m guessing it was stress over her relationship woes, because it doesn’t seem very serious.
As Yoo Hee first awakes, she imagines seeing Mu-ryong there by her side rather than Joon Ha. As if we didn’t already know whom she really loves. But I forgive them for this cliche because of how hot Jae Hee is here. (I’m sorry that the main lesson to be taken from my response to Witch Amusement is that hotness buys many favors. But come on, like that’s news. And it’s not just any hotness. It’s Jae Hee!)
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On their way to formally greet Joon Ha’s mother, Yoo Hee finally speaks up and tells Joon Ha she can’t marry him. She doesn’t think it’s the right decision, and tries to return his ring. But Joon Ha tells her they’re on their way to greet the elders — they’ll deal with that later, but for the moment, they’ll proceed as planned. It’s clear appearances are more important than the truth. But we knew that.
I think Kim Jung Hoon’s a decent actor, but he’s pretty off in this scene. Or maybe this series. I don’t think he’s been given a lot to work with, to be fair, but for whatever reason, Joon Ha’s so horribly flat. It’s like they just didn’t bother with his character.
Meeting his mother, it’s interesting that she seems a nice, lovely lady. Joon Ha told Yoo Hee she doesn’t have to worry about meeting his mother; she’s from the countryside and it’s not like they’ll be seeing much of her anyway once they’re married. Then, in this scene, the mother seems meek and humble, like one who knows her place is of lower status than the others. So I think Joon Ha’s incredible hardness and ambition stems from some kind of severe inferiority complex, coming from the countryside and possibly suffering what he sees as indignities of a low social upbringing. He left the country, succeeded on his skills, and doesn’t intend to keep in touch with his roots. Meeting his mother for this brief moment does a lot to show us into Joon Ha — but it’s too bad they didn’t bother showing that to us in any compelling way.
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Yoo Hee’s visited by a man claiming to be Paran’s uncle — specifically, the older brother to Paran’s father. Yoo Hee confronts her father and asks if it’s true — is Paran really not his son? Is Paran her mother’s son? She’d always thought Paran was her father’s son born of an affair, but now she’s crushed to learn it’s the reverse.
In yet another ridiculous flashback, President Ma recalls how he heard of Paran’s existence, when his ex-wife died — in a car crash, not from an illness as Yoo Hee has always believed.
Baby Paran is awesomely cute. Look at those babycheeks!
President Ma orders Yoo Hee not to speak of this to anyone. Unfortunately, Paran has already overheard, and runs away from home.
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Joon Ha’s visited by his bitter ex, asking if it’s true that he’s going to replace her father, and if that’s why he’s marrying a woman he doesn’t even love. Joon Ha sneers, “Love? What’s that? I don’t know what that is.” He tells her not to get too upset — it’s not revenge, he’s just returning what was given him.
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Yoo Hee calls Mu-ryong for help looking for Paran, and the two scour all the places they think he could be, like the arcade and the park. Although, for people who are so alarmed at having lost a family member, they move pretty slowly. It looks more like they’re on a bad date than a search-and-rescue mission.
But all that worry is short-lived, as they find Paran in the park. Or rather, Paran literally walks right up to Yoo Hee and presents himself. Man, those two are the worst investigators ever.
Paran asks if it’s true that Yoo Hee’s not his real sister — he overheard her talking to the President. Yoo Hee tells him of course she’s his sister. She was just mistaken.
They take Paran home to Yoo Hee’s for the night, where Yoo Hee thanks Mu-ryong for his help. He congratulates her on her marriage news, and she doesn’t contradict him, thinking he’s getting married too. She congratulates him on his own marriage plans, and Mu-ryong likewise doesn’t contradict her…
…at first. But then he speaks up, and tells her: “I’m not getting married.” Seung Mi wasn’t telling the truth. As he leaves, Yoo Hee can only stare after him…
EPISODE 14
It’s official. Witch Amusement has lost its mind.
The good news: at least the crazy is the entertaining kind. I think I’ve figured out what must’ve happened: some nutjob anti-fan of Han Ga In / Dennis Oh / Bin / Kim Jung Hoon sneaked on set, dropped a bunch of crazy pills into the punch bowl, and everyone drank the Kool-Aid. It started gradually, unnoticeably, finally culminating in the schizophrenia of this episode. Yup. That’s got to be it.
There was a time I tried to divvy out these caps to include everyone and not just Jae Hee, but they’ve all become much less interesting. Jae Hee is by far the most compelling thing in this series. So why fight it?
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Byul – “세상의 반” (Half the world) [ Download ]
This episode had me rolling on the ground with laughter. Figuratively speaking. It was so wacky and all over the place, I didn’t know what to do with it. I don’t think they did either — the writers, the production, the actors. It’s like they either forgot what show they were filming (hence the crazy pills theory), or they gave up and were like, “Aw, fuck it. Let’s throw everything in.”
Everything CRAZY, that is! It was so farcical, it was almost a parody of itself. I kinda wish they took that extra step and went into self-satire, because that would really be something.
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EPISODE 14 SUMMARY
Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee he’s not getting married, then leaves. Yoo Hee hesitates for a moment, then decides to go with her feelings and chase after him —
It’s an… interesting variation of the ubiquitous back-hug. Maybe they were going for something slightly different than the standard. But it comes off more like, “Help, I’m so tired from running twenty feet to catch you that I have no more energy! Be my arm-rest!”
Yoo Hee tells him not to go, because she missed him. She doesn’t know why, but she keeps thinking about him. Mu-ryong takes her hand, then shows Yoo Hee how normal people hug properly.
After admitting that he missed her too, the happy couple cook together, and Paran watches with satisfaction. Paran also picks up Yoo Hee’s cell phone when Joon Ha calls, mentioning she’s with ‘Mu-ryong hyung’ at the moment.
I’m infinitely relieved that there were many more face and upper-body shots of Mu-ryong than full-body shots, because Jae Hee’s hair is vastly improved (thank you, coif gods!) but his wardrobe, sadly, is NOT. They must have gone over-budget on Yoo Hee’s smashing wardrobe and figured, Hey, Jae Hee’s pretty skinny. Tell him to drop a few pounds and we’ll fit him in Yoo Hee’s castoffs.
As Mu-ryong leaves, he and Yoo Hee share a good-night hug just as Joon Ha arrives, pissed off. Never mind the fact that Yoo Hee already tried to break up with him a couple of times and return his ring. But a man’s testosterone knows no reason.
Joon Ha punches Mu-ryong, saying he’ll kill him, but Mu-ryong doesn’t fight back (perhaps feeling bad for his part in breaking up their loveless relationship?). Yoo Hee forces them apart, and defends Mu-ryong as blameless: “It’s me, I like him.” She repeats it several times because the smarty-smart doctor doesn’t seem to understand, and Joon Ha — omo! — slaps Yoo Hee.
Mu-ryong may have been willing to take the hit himself, but seeing Yoo Hee slapped, he busts out his “Oh no you di’int!” face as he forces his way into the elevator and demands that Joon Ha apologize to her immediately. Joon Ha says Yoo Hee is his woman — get lost. He says Mu-ryong will never last with Yoo Hee — he can’t do anything for her, and the President will never accept their relationship. Which, funny enough, is what the President used to say about Joon Ha.
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Now that things are (finally!) out in the open, Mu-ryong breaks up with Seung Mi. The scene’s much longer (than it needs to be), because most of it is a repetitive mishmash of stuff we’ve already heard, until we get to that long-awaited line: “Let’s split up.”
Likewise, Yoo Hee breaks it off with Joon Ha and returns the ring to him. He tries to change her mind, saying they shouldn’t act rashly, but take their time. He understands if she looked at someone else for a moment, but he knows she’ll return to him. He’ll wait for her. But Yoo Hee just walks off. Good luck with that, Joon Ha! Maybe you should hold your breath while you wait.
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After posting Episode 13′s summary, I felt kind of bad for ripping into Jennifer Bae so harshly… until I saw Episode 14 and remembered that she totally earned it. I’m not saying actors don’t deserve any understanding, but once you’ve gotten the job and become a paid actor — whether or not you’re equipped with the skills — you have to take criticism as a part of being a professional. And if you can’t deliver, then you’ll get a lot of criticism. Watching this scene was like watching a bad Youtube amateur video. I swear.
As Allison merely repeats the same thing as before (Come back to New York!), it’s an utter waste of time. Except for the part where Sara sees Allison holding Johnny’s hand (I wonder if Allison is Johnny’s ex, even if she’s not his current girlfriend) and flips out. Allison recognizes Sara’s unique brand of fearsome crazy, and makes a hasty retreat.
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Joon Ha meets with the President bedecked in a dark suit at the waters of the Han River, because now Witch Amusement thinks it’s a mobster movie. This tends to be a popular setting used in many other dramas/films, but the most recent that comes to mind is last year’s gangster drama Lovers (연인).
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This next scene is lovely and cute, and beautifully shot — Yoo Hee surprises Mu-ryong with a grand gesture. Timed to his arrival, the bridge lights up, and Yoo Hee presents him with a cake. Mu-ryong starts to approach, but she tells him, “No, stay there. I’ll go to you.” As far as symbolic statements go, it’s a rather nice one.
Aww. Cheesy, but heart-warming… if ONLY, oh, I don’t know, I hadn’t already SEEN IT BEFORE?
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At least this scene is salvaged by the last bit, where we pan down past the lovers to see Manager Lee and Hee Jung, huddled in the cold with the power cord, manning the lights. Acknowledging the mechanics behind the romantic gesture (we never see how the lights turn on, even though I always wonder) redeems it slightly.
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Happiness is short-lived, though, as thugs drop by Mu-ryong’s family restaurant and make a mess, overturning everything and breaking furniture, as a message to Mu-ryong from the President. In the process, Song Hwa’s girlfriend, who I think is named Mi Kyung, gets a direct blow to the stomach. Worried over her baby’s condition, the family rushes to the hospital… where we find out she’s fine. But not the baby. Because there is no baby. She’s never been pregnant. She apologizes, saying she just wanted to be with Song Hwa so much. He leaves, angry and upset at her lies.
(I was beginning to wonder at her non-pregnant physical appearance, and thought they were going to pull another Full House on us. But it’s nice to see they actually had a point in not highlighting her pregnancy.)
Joon Ha calls Mu-ryong to ask if he got his “message.” Mu-ryong did, loud and clear. Joon Ha tells him things will be fine if he lets go of Yoo Hee, and Mu-ryong answers: “I guess I have no choice. I can’t give her up. I’ll protect her.”
The thugs also go after Yoo Hee, who puts up a big struggle before she’s overpowered and kidnapped. It’s great that they remembered she’s supposed to be good at fighting, but the whole martial-arts excess is a little ridiculous. It’s like she turned into Buffy overnight.
Mu-ryong just sees Yoo Hee being driven off and tries to give chase, but can’t continue as he’s on foot. Mu-ryong’s shocked to realize Joon Ha’s behind this when Joon Ha asks him, “So how are you going to protect her now?” Ooh, evil genius keeping the lovers apart through manipulation! Looks like Joon Ha’s been watching Choon Hyang too.
Because now we are in a thriller-action film, Yoo Hee is taken to a dark, sinister warehouse where she’s bound and gagged. Joon Ha plays his part as the action star, bursting into the warehouse in a blaze of heroic glory. He singlehandedly takes down the gangsters, rushing to Yoo Hee’s rescue. (He later pays the gangsters off for carrying out his plan.)
Is it ridiculous? No. It is beyond ridiculous. Even if it’s staged so Joon Ha can be Mr. Man and save Yoo Hee, it’s total overkill.
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Seung Mi and Song Hwa drink, and Song Hwa mentions their thug encounter earlier, while also worrying about what to do about Mi Kyung. He doesn’t necessarily want to break up with her… but what she did still pisses him off. Seung Mi tells him she can understand — Mi Kyung did that because she likes him so much. (Seung Mi had better not be getting any strange ideas from Mi Kyung.)
Mu-ryong’s parents (more his mother) blame Yoo Hee for the recent trouble, and combined with Joon Ha’s threats, Mu-ryong avoids Yoo Hee’s phone calls. She seeks him out, asking what’s wrong, and why he’s distant. She jokes, “Has your love cooled already? Do you not want to see me anymore?” and Mu-ryong answers, serious: “Yes. Let’s stop seeing each other.”
She doesn’t understand, so Mu-ryong speaks coolly and harshly to make his point clear — she’s not his type, he thinks the relationship is too much for him, he doesn’t want to handle a woman like her… “Goodbye, and don’t call me again” are his final parting words. Even though it’s written all over his face that he doesn’t really mean it, that he hates saying those words. Actors take note! See how much you can do with one facial expression!
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Despondent Yoo Hee goes to see Johnny for support, but changes her mind and leaves without meeting him. She does run into Seung Mi, however, who tells her to let go of Mu-ryong. Yoo Hee’s ruining him, what with her father sending thugs to bust up Mu-ryong’s family restaurant. Yoo Hee’s shocked to learn of her father’s doings.
Our favorite man-couple drink together — Johnny can sense something’s wrong (is it the man-love intuition?), even though Mu-ryong says nothing’s the matter. Mu-ryong asks if life would’ve been better if he’d just become a doctor instead. But seeing that Mu-ryong doesn’t want to elaborate, Johnny doesn’t press, and they just drink. In the solace of each other’s loving company.
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Yoo Hee confronts her father, who says he doesn’t want to give his daughter to a man like Mu-ryong. He doesn’t like Dr. Yoo either, but “Since you two like each other… I just want you to be happy.”
Uh, er?
In shock, Yoo Hee stumbles home, stripped of her energy, and finally collapses in her lobby, where Joon Ha’s waiting. It must be that pesky Conveniently Timed Mystery Illness that arises whenever the plot needs it to.
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Joon Ha comforts Yoo Hee, who accepts him uncertainly. He says pretty words about how he doesn’t like seeing her hurt, and their wedding plans are back on, even though Yoo Hee doesn’t look whole-hearted about it.
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Yoo Hee gets an unpleasant surprise visit from Joon Ha’s ex-fiancee, who’s come to warn her against Joon Ha. Yoo Hee doesn’t believe her accusations, but the fiancee has come prepared with evidence — papers for a hospital signed in President Ma’s name, and a recording of her conversation with Joon Ha in Episode 13, when Joon Ha all but admits to marrying because he wants the hospital. How very secret-agent of her.
In a determined fury, Yoo Hee storms in to face Joon Ha —
And she is PI – ISSED. She’s SO pissed off, the word needs an extra syllable.
Come on, Joon Ha. You don’t fuck with the girl your hired kidnappers complained was such a good fighter that they demanded more compensation.
…and we are two episodes away from the end! I wonder how they’re going to wrap this up. At this rate, anything could happen. And I mean anything. Monkeys? Nuclear weapons? Amnesiac serial killers? Flying potatoes? You never know.
EPISODE 15
On the distinctive plus-side, Jae Hee and Dennis Oh both looked particularly hot, to be shamefully superficial for a moment. You’ve gotta hand it to these producers — they know their audience. On the down-side, the acting was… wow, really some awful stuff here, all across the board. At least it was funny-bad, and not just painful-bad. And have I mentioned it was ridiculous?
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Lyn – “Kissing U” [ zShare download ]
As much as I enjoy this silly, frothy series — and I’m actually kind of reluctant to critique it too harshly (and I mean serious critique; the mocking’s always in good-natured(ish) fun) — I must point out some serious fatal flaws.
It relies on a few common devices that we kdrama lovers have probably come to expect, or at least tolerate, in all of our series. They may be cliches, but they come with the territory, so I tend to let them slide. But Witch Amusement overuses a couple to such an egregious extent that they become glaring, obstructive crutches.
- Music cues. I do not need to tell you how much I love music, and the OST is pretty fun and listenable. I’ve gotten used to the kdrama practice of using a particular song multiple times throughout the series — I actually like it, because it allows the music to become a part of the series backdrop, like an emotional score. But you’ve got to be careful using the music as emotional manipulator — because that’s what it is, telling you how to feel and when — and Witch Amusement overdoes it. I’ve noticed for a while that one song ends just as the next begins, and it’s wall-to-wall music. Half the time it’s not even thoughtfully used, as they do in Que Sera Sera, where each song adds something to the scene.
- Drunkenness. Drunkenness is an easy device in kdramas because it allows the characters to achieve a level of honesty that they’re usually covering up when sober. But dude. How many scenes of soju-propelled truth-seeking do we need in this series? Koreans may like their likker, but Witch Amusement has relied on the drunken card way too much instead of thinking of clever ways to tell story.
- Phone calls. Again, phone calls are necessary and a pretty common aspect of any kind of modern storytelling… But have you noticed how many times the phone has been used as a plot driver? Bad, bad, bad.
EPISODE 13 SUMMARY
Yoo Hee stops Joon Ha from placing the ring on her finger, saying she’s not sure she should accept. Joon Ha tells her to accept it for now, and return it later if she changes her mind.
In another restaurant, Mu-ryong finally mans up and tells Seung Mi that he doesn’t think he can marry her. And it’s not because he’s not in the right place in his life to take care of her — he admits that’s an excuse. “Seung Mi, honestly, I really like you a lot. But I don’t know if it’s enough to marry you.” Seung Mi deliberately misses the point, telling him she didn’t know he’d felt so burdened, and they can pretend the topic of marriage never came up in the first place.
Yoo Hee goes home and looks at her pretty new diamond ring, but thinks instead of the plastic toy ring Mu-ryong gave her, which she’s kept all this while in her nightstand drawer — where, you’ll remember, she previously kept her picture of Joon Ha. She puts on the plastic ring instead and smiles, remembering Mu-ryong’s confession that he’d missed her.
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I hadn’t realized Witch Amusement hadn’t given us the obligatory Han River scene until now (an example of a kdrama convention I can live with).
While Mu-ryong’s briefly away, he gets a call from Yoo Hee, which Seung Mi answers. She tells Yoo Hee firmly to stop calling Mu-ryong, adding: “We’re marrying soon. Mu-ryong feels uncomfortable too—” just as Mu-ryong arrives to snatch the phone away and ask what’s wrong with her.
Seung Mi asks if this is all because of Yoo Hee — she yells at him to say why he’s acting like this. “You’re a real jerk!” Mu-ryong agrees: “Yeah, I am. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
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Soaking in the news of Mu-ryong’s supposed marriage, Yoo Hee throws off the toy ring. And Mu-ryong deletes Yoo Hee’s number from his phone. ‘Bout freaking time someone made a definitive decision, even if it’s one that isn’t likely to last long.
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Mari actually speaks up for Mu-ryong, admitting to Johnny that it may have been because of her that Mu-ryong didn’t see the notice of the guest’s allergy. Johnny tells her it’s still Mu-ryong’s mistake, not hers.
Sara arrives unannounced, and the two ladies fight it out to stake their claim on Johnny. Johnny finally can’t take it anymore, and lies that he has a girlfriend. In New York. So they should stop. Heh.
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Yoo Hee accepts Joon Ha’s proposal, and they hug it out in the most unromantic engagement gesture ever. Seriously, these two are like a Textbook Couple — all frilly “romantic” gestures but nary a true romantic emotion in sight. I understand Yoo Hee’s motivation, but this coupling is such a waste of space.
The couple arrives at Johnny’s restaurant for lunch, where he spies the ring on Yoo Hee’s finger. He also overhears Joon Ha on an unpleasant phone call (the guy is such a pill — they’re not even trying to make Joon Ha the least bit likable), and suspects him of being up to something shady.
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Johnny’s also visited by someone from his New York restaurant named Allison, whom Mari and Sara automatically assume is his girlfriend. Johnny, however, reacts to Allison’s arrival with decided non-enthusiasm.
That reaction could be because even an inexperienced actor like Dennis knows that acting opposite a deadweight like Jennifer Bae (I believe that’s her name?) is sure to sink his own precarious skills. Oh man, is this next scene painful.
If you’re reading this, you don’t need me to translate the sequence and can probably understand for yourself just how shamefully horrid the acting in this scene is. I’ve made fun of bad acting before, but these two sink to new lows. I was actually starting to think Dennis Oh was getting better, but seeing him opposite someone even worse than him just highlights how bad both are. You’d think they’d both be fairly comfortable acting in their native English, but weirdly, they’re both affecting some strange hybrid accent. It’s like when I tutored Korean students in English, I’d find my own English becoming poorer. I don’t know whose daughter-sister-friend-relative Jennifer Bae is, but either she’s rocking some family connection or she’s holding some serious dirt over someone’s head at SBS.
Anyway. Allison is there to persuade Johnny to return to New York because he’s needed back there. End of scene. Jennifer Bae’s relevance to this series is something that could have been conveyed through one line of dialogue or a phone call. I officially resent SBS for making me sit through that scene for such a measly plot point.
But as with all things awkward and embarrassing, there is a silver lining, and that is seeing Sara and Mari go to town on Allison, assuming she’s the girlfriend. I love Sara. And you all can stop hating the actress now since she’s apparently not dating Hyun Bin anymore.
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Johnny arrives at Mu-ryong’s family restaurant. The reaction to his presence is rather telling of the fascination in Korean society at large to all peoples Western and beautiful. The family fawns over Johnny, complimenting him and seeking his good graces as though he were someone much more important than he is.
Escaping from that ridiculousness, the two lovely men escape to their own romantic dinner. Er, man-date. Er, manly discussion over wine in a dimly lit setting. (I’m totally joking with the suggestion of homoeroticism, but really, these two buddies have tons more chemistry — pseudo-romantic or not — than the bland Textbook Couple, who barely seem to even like each other as people, much less enough to get married. Is Yoo Hee trying to replicate her parents’ loveless marriage?)
Adding to that ridiculousness is another scene that probably requires no translation from me — when Johnny mournfully recalls the instance where he nearly killed a patron with a dish, having neglected to remember his food allergy. Johnny was So! Traumatized! that he nearly gave up cooking. Forever! Oh, the heartbreak.
It’s ridiculous. I couldn’t stop laughing. I don’t think it’s supposed to be funny.
Johnny explains that it’s because of Yoo Hee that he started cooking again. Perhaps it’s a too-little-too-late attempt to make sense of the nonsense of earlier episodes (what some refer to as “retcon” or “retroactive continuity,” trying to fix continuity errors after they’ve happened with shoddy after-explanations), but Johnny explains that because of that, his feelings “wavered” toward Yoo Hee — implying that he confused his gratefulness for deeper feelings. Or something. I’m assuming. Honestly, it’s not easy making sense out of ridiculousness.
Johnny gives Mu-ryong another shot at the French cooking competition. He also says that he thinks Mu-ryong was right about Joon Ha — there’s something fishy about the guy. So naturally, they spy.
Clearly Mu-ryong thinks the best way to go unnoticed is to disguise himself as a gay gigolo wearing a trim women’s suit with ajumma sunglasses, traveling alongside his dorky tourist buddy in vacation-going casualwear.
They overhear the President telling Joon Ha and Yoo Hee to settle their wedding plans quickly. Yoo Hee attempts to stall, saying they haven’t even paid respects to Joon Ha’s mother yet, but Joon Ha assures her that’s not going to be a problem. They’ll meet her soon; there’s no reason to put off the marriage.
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Mu-ryong and Johnny react to the news by getting drunk. Or rather, Mu-ryong gets wasted while Johnny looks at the emotional wreckage in front of him and guesses that Mu-ryong’s in love with Yoo Hee.
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Yoo Hee suffers increasing stomach pains, first calling Joon Ha, then Mu-ryong, for help. Hearing how much pain she’s in, Mu-ryong miraculously recovers from his drunken fog and rushes to her side. Joon Ha returns her call, hears her in pain, and also rushes over. Mu-ryong arrives first, but runs into Joon Ha on his way in, who exhibits his characteristic care and consideration for Yoo Hee’s welfare by getting angry at Mu-ryong for his interference.
I’m pretty sure we’re meant to see the difference in the two men’s reaction, as if we didn’t already know who cares more.
Joon Ha takes her to the hospital, where her mystery ailment is not disclosed. I’m guessing it was stress over her relationship woes, because it doesn’t seem very serious.
As Yoo Hee first awakes, she imagines seeing Mu-ryong there by her side rather than Joon Ha. As if we didn’t already know whom she really loves. But I forgive them for this cliche because of how hot Jae Hee is here. (I’m sorry that the main lesson to be taken from my response to Witch Amusement is that hotness buys many favors. But come on, like that’s news. And it’s not just any hotness. It’s Jae Hee!)
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On their way to formally greet Joon Ha’s mother, Yoo Hee finally speaks up and tells Joon Ha she can’t marry him. She doesn’t think it’s the right decision, and tries to return his ring. But Joon Ha tells her they’re on their way to greet the elders — they’ll deal with that later, but for the moment, they’ll proceed as planned. It’s clear appearances are more important than the truth. But we knew that.
I think Kim Jung Hoon’s a decent actor, but he’s pretty off in this scene. Or maybe this series. I don’t think he’s been given a lot to work with, to be fair, but for whatever reason, Joon Ha’s so horribly flat. It’s like they just didn’t bother with his character.
Meeting his mother, it’s interesting that she seems a nice, lovely lady. Joon Ha told Yoo Hee she doesn’t have to worry about meeting his mother; she’s from the countryside and it’s not like they’ll be seeing much of her anyway once they’re married. Then, in this scene, the mother seems meek and humble, like one who knows her place is of lower status than the others. So I think Joon Ha’s incredible hardness and ambition stems from some kind of severe inferiority complex, coming from the countryside and possibly suffering what he sees as indignities of a low social upbringing. He left the country, succeeded on his skills, and doesn’t intend to keep in touch with his roots. Meeting his mother for this brief moment does a lot to show us into Joon Ha — but it’s too bad they didn’t bother showing that to us in any compelling way.
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Yoo Hee’s visited by a man claiming to be Paran’s uncle — specifically, the older brother to Paran’s father. Yoo Hee confronts her father and asks if it’s true — is Paran really not his son? Is Paran her mother’s son? She’d always thought Paran was her father’s son born of an affair, but now she’s crushed to learn it’s the reverse.
In yet another ridiculous flashback, President Ma recalls how he heard of Paran’s existence, when his ex-wife died — in a car crash, not from an illness as Yoo Hee has always believed.
Baby Paran is awesomely cute. Look at those babycheeks!
President Ma orders Yoo Hee not to speak of this to anyone. Unfortunately, Paran has already overheard, and runs away from home.
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Joon Ha’s visited by his bitter ex, asking if it’s true that he’s going to replace her father, and if that’s why he’s marrying a woman he doesn’t even love. Joon Ha sneers, “Love? What’s that? I don’t know what that is.” He tells her not to get too upset — it’s not revenge, he’s just returning what was given him.
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Yoo Hee calls Mu-ryong for help looking for Paran, and the two scour all the places they think he could be, like the arcade and the park. Although, for people who are so alarmed at having lost a family member, they move pretty slowly. It looks more like they’re on a bad date than a search-and-rescue mission.
But all that worry is short-lived, as they find Paran in the park. Or rather, Paran literally walks right up to Yoo Hee and presents himself. Man, those two are the worst investigators ever.
Paran asks if it’s true that Yoo Hee’s not his real sister — he overheard her talking to the President. Yoo Hee tells him of course she’s his sister. She was just mistaken.
They take Paran home to Yoo Hee’s for the night, where Yoo Hee thanks Mu-ryong for his help. He congratulates her on her marriage news, and she doesn’t contradict him, thinking he’s getting married too. She congratulates him on his own marriage plans, and Mu-ryong likewise doesn’t contradict her…
…at first. But then he speaks up, and tells her: “I’m not getting married.” Seung Mi wasn’t telling the truth. As he leaves, Yoo Hee can only stare after him…
EPISODE 14
It’s official. Witch Amusement has lost its mind.
The good news: at least the crazy is the entertaining kind. I think I’ve figured out what must’ve happened: some nutjob anti-fan of Han Ga In / Dennis Oh / Bin / Kim Jung Hoon sneaked on set, dropped a bunch of crazy pills into the punch bowl, and everyone drank the Kool-Aid. It started gradually, unnoticeably, finally culminating in the schizophrenia of this episode. Yup. That’s got to be it.
There was a time I tried to divvy out these caps to include everyone and not just Jae Hee, but they’ve all become much less interesting. Jae Hee is by far the most compelling thing in this series. So why fight it?
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Byul – “세상의 반” (Half the world) [ Download ]
This episode had me rolling on the ground with laughter. Figuratively speaking. It was so wacky and all over the place, I didn’t know what to do with it. I don’t think they did either — the writers, the production, the actors. It’s like they either forgot what show they were filming (hence the crazy pills theory), or they gave up and were like, “Aw, fuck it. Let’s throw everything in.”
Everything CRAZY, that is! It was so farcical, it was almost a parody of itself. I kinda wish they took that extra step and went into self-satire, because that would really be something.
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EPISODE 14 SUMMARY
Mu-ryong tells Yoo Hee he’s not getting married, then leaves. Yoo Hee hesitates for a moment, then decides to go with her feelings and chase after him —
It’s an… interesting variation of the ubiquitous back-hug. Maybe they were going for something slightly different than the standard. But it comes off more like, “Help, I’m so tired from running twenty feet to catch you that I have no more energy! Be my arm-rest!”
Yoo Hee tells him not to go, because she missed him. She doesn’t know why, but she keeps thinking about him. Mu-ryong takes her hand, then shows Yoo Hee how normal people hug properly.
After admitting that he missed her too, the happy couple cook together, and Paran watches with satisfaction. Paran also picks up Yoo Hee’s cell phone when Joon Ha calls, mentioning she’s with ‘Mu-ryong hyung’ at the moment.
I’m infinitely relieved that there were many more face and upper-body shots of Mu-ryong than full-body shots, because Jae Hee’s hair is vastly improved (thank you, coif gods!) but his wardrobe, sadly, is NOT. They must have gone over-budget on Yoo Hee’s smashing wardrobe and figured, Hey, Jae Hee’s pretty skinny. Tell him to drop a few pounds and we’ll fit him in Yoo Hee’s castoffs.
As Mu-ryong leaves, he and Yoo Hee share a good-night hug just as Joon Ha arrives, pissed off. Never mind the fact that Yoo Hee already tried to break up with him a couple of times and return his ring. But a man’s testosterone knows no reason.
Joon Ha punches Mu-ryong, saying he’ll kill him, but Mu-ryong doesn’t fight back (perhaps feeling bad for his part in breaking up their loveless relationship?). Yoo Hee forces them apart, and defends Mu-ryong as blameless: “It’s me, I like him.” She repeats it several times because the smarty-smart doctor doesn’t seem to understand, and Joon Ha — omo! — slaps Yoo Hee.
Mu-ryong may have been willing to take the hit himself, but seeing Yoo Hee slapped, he busts out his “Oh no you di’int!” face as he forces his way into the elevator and demands that Joon Ha apologize to her immediately. Joon Ha says Yoo Hee is his woman — get lost. He says Mu-ryong will never last with Yoo Hee — he can’t do anything for her, and the President will never accept their relationship. Which, funny enough, is what the President used to say about Joon Ha.
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Now that things are (finally!) out in the open, Mu-ryong breaks up with Seung Mi. The scene’s much longer (than it needs to be), because most of it is a repetitive mishmash of stuff we’ve already heard, until we get to that long-awaited line: “Let’s split up.”
Likewise, Yoo Hee breaks it off with Joon Ha and returns the ring to him. He tries to change her mind, saying they shouldn’t act rashly, but take their time. He understands if she looked at someone else for a moment, but he knows she’ll return to him. He’ll wait for her. But Yoo Hee just walks off. Good luck with that, Joon Ha! Maybe you should hold your breath while you wait.
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After posting Episode 13′s summary, I felt kind of bad for ripping into Jennifer Bae so harshly… until I saw Episode 14 and remembered that she totally earned it. I’m not saying actors don’t deserve any understanding, but once you’ve gotten the job and become a paid actor — whether or not you’re equipped with the skills — you have to take criticism as a part of being a professional. And if you can’t deliver, then you’ll get a lot of criticism. Watching this scene was like watching a bad Youtube amateur video. I swear.
As Allison merely repeats the same thing as before (Come back to New York!), it’s an utter waste of time. Except for the part where Sara sees Allison holding Johnny’s hand (I wonder if Allison is Johnny’s ex, even if she’s not his current girlfriend) and flips out. Allison recognizes Sara’s unique brand of fearsome crazy, and makes a hasty retreat.
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Joon Ha meets with the President bedecked in a dark suit at the waters of the Han River, because now Witch Amusement thinks it’s a mobster movie. This tends to be a popular setting used in many other dramas/films, but the most recent that comes to mind is last year’s gangster drama Lovers (연인).
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You be the judge: LOVERSThe contrast of the locale and the acting and the mismatched music makes this scene weirdly laughable. Joon Ha tells the President he will not give up Yoo Hee. The President asks if it’s because he wants the hospital, and Joon Ha answers that it’s also because of Yoo Hee. He won’t lose her, and asks for his help.
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This next scene is lovely and cute, and beautifully shot — Yoo Hee surprises Mu-ryong with a grand gesture. Timed to his arrival, the bridge lights up, and Yoo Hee presents him with a cake. Mu-ryong starts to approach, but she tells him, “No, stay there. I’ll go to you.” As far as symbolic statements go, it’s a rather nice one.
Aww. Cheesy, but heart-warming… if ONLY, oh, I don’t know, I hadn’t already SEEN IT BEFORE?
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2005′s Delightful Girl Choon HyangAs we all know, kdramas recycle stories and moments all the time… But as this one involves the same director — and even the same ACTOR! — it’s hard to overlook. I loved this scene in Choon Hyang, but my appreciation for the Witch Amusement counterpart was dulled by the striking similarities.
At least this scene is salvaged by the last bit, where we pan down past the lovers to see Manager Lee and Hee Jung, huddled in the cold with the power cord, manning the lights. Acknowledging the mechanics behind the romantic gesture (we never see how the lights turn on, even though I always wonder) redeems it slightly.
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Happiness is short-lived, though, as thugs drop by Mu-ryong’s family restaurant and make a mess, overturning everything and breaking furniture, as a message to Mu-ryong from the President. In the process, Song Hwa’s girlfriend, who I think is named Mi Kyung, gets a direct blow to the stomach. Worried over her baby’s condition, the family rushes to the hospital… where we find out she’s fine. But not the baby. Because there is no baby. She’s never been pregnant. She apologizes, saying she just wanted to be with Song Hwa so much. He leaves, angry and upset at her lies.
(I was beginning to wonder at her non-pregnant physical appearance, and thought they were going to pull another Full House on us. But it’s nice to see they actually had a point in not highlighting her pregnancy.)
Joon Ha calls Mu-ryong to ask if he got his “message.” Mu-ryong did, loud and clear. Joon Ha tells him things will be fine if he lets go of Yoo Hee, and Mu-ryong answers: “I guess I have no choice. I can’t give her up. I’ll protect her.”
The thugs also go after Yoo Hee, who puts up a big struggle before she’s overpowered and kidnapped. It’s great that they remembered she’s supposed to be good at fighting, but the whole martial-arts excess is a little ridiculous. It’s like she turned into Buffy overnight.
Mu-ryong just sees Yoo Hee being driven off and tries to give chase, but can’t continue as he’s on foot. Mu-ryong’s shocked to realize Joon Ha’s behind this when Joon Ha asks him, “So how are you going to protect her now?” Ooh, evil genius keeping the lovers apart through manipulation! Looks like Joon Ha’s been watching Choon Hyang too.
Because now we are in a thriller-action film, Yoo Hee is taken to a dark, sinister warehouse where she’s bound and gagged. Joon Ha plays his part as the action star, bursting into the warehouse in a blaze of heroic glory. He singlehandedly takes down the gangsters, rushing to Yoo Hee’s rescue. (He later pays the gangsters off for carrying out his plan.)
Is it ridiculous? No. It is beyond ridiculous. Even if it’s staged so Joon Ha can be Mr. Man and save Yoo Hee, it’s total overkill.
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Seung Mi and Song Hwa drink, and Song Hwa mentions their thug encounter earlier, while also worrying about what to do about Mi Kyung. He doesn’t necessarily want to break up with her… but what she did still pisses him off. Seung Mi tells him she can understand — Mi Kyung did that because she likes him so much. (Seung Mi had better not be getting any strange ideas from Mi Kyung.)
Mu-ryong’s parents (more his mother) blame Yoo Hee for the recent trouble, and combined with Joon Ha’s threats, Mu-ryong avoids Yoo Hee’s phone calls. She seeks him out, asking what’s wrong, and why he’s distant. She jokes, “Has your love cooled already? Do you not want to see me anymore?” and Mu-ryong answers, serious: “Yes. Let’s stop seeing each other.”
She doesn’t understand, so Mu-ryong speaks coolly and harshly to make his point clear — she’s not his type, he thinks the relationship is too much for him, he doesn’t want to handle a woman like her… “Goodbye, and don’t call me again” are his final parting words. Even though it’s written all over his face that he doesn’t really mean it, that he hates saying those words. Actors take note! See how much you can do with one facial expression!
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Despondent Yoo Hee goes to see Johnny for support, but changes her mind and leaves without meeting him. She does run into Seung Mi, however, who tells her to let go of Mu-ryong. Yoo Hee’s ruining him, what with her father sending thugs to bust up Mu-ryong’s family restaurant. Yoo Hee’s shocked to learn of her father’s doings.
Our favorite man-couple drink together — Johnny can sense something’s wrong (is it the man-love intuition?), even though Mu-ryong says nothing’s the matter. Mu-ryong asks if life would’ve been better if he’d just become a doctor instead. But seeing that Mu-ryong doesn’t want to elaborate, Johnny doesn’t press, and they just drink. In the solace of each other’s loving company.
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Yoo Hee confronts her father, who says he doesn’t want to give his daughter to a man like Mu-ryong. He doesn’t like Dr. Yoo either, but “Since you two like each other… I just want you to be happy.”
Uh, er?
In shock, Yoo Hee stumbles home, stripped of her energy, and finally collapses in her lobby, where Joon Ha’s waiting. It must be that pesky Conveniently Timed Mystery Illness that arises whenever the plot needs it to.
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Joon Ha comforts Yoo Hee, who accepts him uncertainly. He says pretty words about how he doesn’t like seeing her hurt, and their wedding plans are back on, even though Yoo Hee doesn’t look whole-hearted about it.
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Yoo Hee gets an unpleasant surprise visit from Joon Ha’s ex-fiancee, who’s come to warn her against Joon Ha. Yoo Hee doesn’t believe her accusations, but the fiancee has come prepared with evidence — papers for a hospital signed in President Ma’s name, and a recording of her conversation with Joon Ha in Episode 13, when Joon Ha all but admits to marrying because he wants the hospital. How very secret-agent of her.
In a determined fury, Yoo Hee storms in to face Joon Ha —
And she is PI – ISSED. She’s SO pissed off, the word needs an extra syllable.
Come on, Joon Ha. You don’t fuck with the girl your hired kidnappers complained was such a good fighter that they demanded more compensation.
…and we are two episodes away from the end! I wonder how they’re going to wrap this up. At this rate, anything could happen. And I mean anything. Monkeys? Nuclear weapons? Amnesiac serial killers? Flying potatoes? You never know.
EPISODE 15
I was mildly concerned that in its last week, Witch Amusement would for no reason regain its sanity and fall into a sudden abyss of logical, comprehensible blandness. Having seen Episode 15, I laugh at my naivete. I worried for nothing. All is well in the land of entertaining crazy. I loved this insane, silly episode because it made me laugh. Who cares if most of it was the inappropriate kind?
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
Blue Sorbet – “그남자가 자꾸…” (That man keeps on…) [ zShare download ]
[I apologize in advance for the grainy quality of the caps. I miss SUN rips. They were reliably high-quality. I hope they get back online soon, because some of the other rips from other sources aren't as good.]
EPISODE 15 SUMMARY
Yoo Hee, having heard from Joon Ha’s ex-fiancee that Joon Ha is using her to get the hospital, storms into Joon Ha’s office ready to give him a piece of her mind. She’s got her angry game-face on… or she would, if Han Ga In had any range of facial expression. (One of the most gorgeous actresses around these days, and not a horrible actress… but damn if I can see her emote something, already!) Instead, she just looks mildly unhappy.
To my disappointment, Yoo Hee doesn’t slap Joon Ha, or call him out on his behavior, or otherwise verbally castrate him. Instead, she asks leadingly, “Before we marry, is there anything you want to tell me? Why did you pick me? Of all people, why did you decide to marry me?”
Joon Ha guesses she probably wants to hear something childish like, “Because I love you.” (You THINK, Joon Ha? The girl’s marrying you in a day, and you think she’s not going to want to hear that sometime soon?) She asks if he does love her, and Joon Ha takes a moment to answer, “Well. Do I have to answer that in words?” No, Joon Ha. You can answer that with your long, awkward silences and frowny faces.
Still, Yoo Hee wants to hear Joon Ha say it (or catch him lying), because she persists: “Still. Why are you marrying me?” He answers, “Because you’re you. Because I think you’re my match.” She says she heard about the hospital, and Joon Ha tries to backtrack to cover his ass. He says if she heard the nurses gossipping, she should ignore it. Joon Ha does that thing where he turns the situation around on Yoo Hee, somehow making her the bad guy, saying he’s really disappointed in her. There are some weird rumors floating around, but they aren’t true. She should trust what he says, not the rumors. Yoo Hee realizes Joon Ha’s not going to come clean, so she lets him off the hook.
As Joon Ha turns to leave, Yoo Hee grabs him by the lapels, in a threatening (?) gesture (and I say, WTF?), before she lets go, brushes him off calmly, and sends him off. I have no idea what they were going for. I am getting used to this feeling.
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Disappointed, Yoo Hee thinks of Mu-ryong as she visits their old meeting places — the fountain park, the bridge. Likewise, Mu-ryong thinks of Yoo Hee getting married, and despondently wanders the same places.
I know it’s supposed to be a sad scene, but all I could wonder is if that little bridge feels sad and inferior next to the big bridge like that.
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Predictably, they end up meeting — at the restaurant where Mu-ryong once “surprised” Yoo Hee with a meal and balloons. Yoo Hee sadly wonders if she’s someone who won’t ever be loved. Maybe a witch like her just can’t be loved. Mu-ryong tells her she’s plenty lovable. Yoo Hee: “Then why did you dump me?” Mu-ryong deflects, saying it doesn’t matter, since she’s getting married — she’s already in a loving relationship.
Yoo Hee tears up as she tells him no. “Joon Ha doesn’t love me. He’s pretending he does because he wants the hospital.” Mu-ryong’s angry to hear this, and starts to storm out intending to talk to Joon Ha, but Yoo Hee stops him. He tells her to cancel her wedding.
This is perhaps not the best time to point out Han Ga In’s acting flaws, because it’s so near the end… but I can’t watch her attempt to cry another time without at least mentioning it. I actually think Han Ga In is a fairly decent actress. Not great, but perfectly adequate. She’s not going to win any awards, but she has enough presence and beauty to get far. This role also suits her very well, because for the most part, Yoo Hee’s a contained person who doesn’t have to show a great range of emotion. But the crying! People don’t usually cry wanting to cry. They’re usually trying NOT to cry. But Yoo Hee always looks like she’s trying so hard to muster tears that she’s so proud of herself when she actually summons them.
To succeed in kdramas, you really need, above other things, to look pretty and cry well. There are some sob queens who really make you believe their pain is real — that’s a talent. Lee Da Hae does this wonderfully — it really seems like she’s someone who’s trying to suppress her tears but is unable to hold back.
Kim Jung Eun is another, even if she sometimes looks like a constipated monkey. Ooh, did you think that was mean? Really? You still think I’m mean?
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Digression over. Mu-ryong faces Joon Ha and demands he call off the wedding. How dare he use Yoo Hee like this? Doesn’t he care about her happiness?
I could take a moment to point out the slash-worthiness of this scene (oh look, I just did) but Jae Hee and Kim Jung Hoon have nowhere the level of man-chemistry that Jae Hee and Dennis have. But fear not! There is plenty of that to come.
Yoo Hee tells her father she wants to cancel the wedding. She’s heard all about the hospital, and knows her father’s involvement. The President admits that his methods weren’t fair, but he did it to bring them together. “Don’t you two love each other? Isn’t that enough?” He tells her not to shame him at the wedding. After Yoo Hee leaves, he informs Joon Ha that Yoo Hee’s found out. He’d better find her and make things right.
Joon Ha rushes to Yoo Hee’s apartment, but she doesn’t answer the door or answer his calls. So he’s forced to profess his deep love for her via text message. Aw. How romantic.
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At the Cordon Bleu cooking battle, Mari and Mu-ryong both advance to the finals. Mari’s so excited she gives Mu-ryong a hug… and note how uncomfortable Mu-ryong is at her touch. On the other hand…
…Mu-ryong is rescued by Johnny. And he just can’t resist copping a feel in gratitude. Heh.
Johnny tells Mu-ryong he’s going to Yoo Hee’s wedding, and Mu-ryong’s shocked to hear the wedding’s still on. He tells Johnny they were right — Yoo Hee’s being deceived by Joon Ha. He wants to rush to the wedding together, but Johnny tells him no. Mu-ryong has to stay and finish the competition; Johnny will go.
At the wedding, Yoo Hee looks so obviously unhappy that everyone tells her to smile. She doesn’t comply the first time she’s instructed to smile, so everyone assumes that repeating the dictate over, and over, and over, will do the trick. It doesn’t.
Mu-ryong is distracted throughout the competition, which is an Iron Chef-style cook-off whereby each contestant must make a dish using preselected ingredients. Only without Kitchen Stadium or any of the flash and glitz. So maybe more like Aluminum Chef. Finally, just as the competition is nearly over, Mu-ryong can’t take it anymore, stops in the middle of plating his dish, and rushes out. Seung Mi, observing this, runs after. Because, huh?
Anyway, Mu-ryong leaves his dish among some of the most unappetizing looking concoctions ever. If this is the future of French cuisine in Korea, man are they screwed. (That third one looks like vomit. And the fourth one looks like burnt vomit.)
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Mu-ryong’s taxi gets stuck in traffic, and it’s hysterical to see them pan over from his frustrated face… out to the traffic scene… to Seung Mi, stuck in a taxi TWO CARS BEHIND HIM.
Impatient, Mu-ryong dashes out of his taxi and runs to the wedding. (You mean just like in Choon Hyang?? I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.)
Unfortunately for Mu-ryong, he’s running late, because the wedding is already under way. Fortunately for Mu-ryong, Yoo Hee cannot say her vows, and announces she can’t go through with the wedding. Joon Ha, lovely groom that he is, grabs her arm forcefully and tries to get her to stay. But Yoo Hee pushes him aside and runs away, down the aisle…
…causing her father’s heart to act up. Insert inappropriate laugh here! It’s absurd. But so funny.
She runs into Mu-ryong, who’s just arrived. He grabs her hand and they take off together…
And Manager Lee attempts to run after them, only to (WTF?) fall down. What happened? It appears the GROUND TRIPPED HIM. Or maybe it was the air.
The couple run out together, and for some inexplicable reason, they are chased. By men in dark suits. Lucky for them, Johnny pulls up to the curb in his car and tells them to get in.
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The men in dark suits get in their own car and continue the chase. Does no one stop to wonder what’s going to happen when they actually catch the couple? What can they do? Force them to marry other people? SERIOUSLY.
It might seem that PD Jeon Ki Sang wants to be an action director, seeing how he keeps forcing it into a simple romantic comedy. Just look at all the thriller-action weirdness of Episode 14. I think he might have the talent for it, but WTF? It’s like he got so bored of the nonsense plot (okay, you can understand that) and he was damned if he wasn’t going to give us a car chase, no matter the logic.
So Johnny’s driving, being chased by these dark-suit guys, weaving in and out of traffic, when he tells Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee they should get out of the car and leave somewhere else. He hands them his wallet because now they have skipped over from Runaway Bride to The Fugitive.
Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee escape on a train to the countryside. I DON’T KNOW WHY.
But finally the happy couple have a chance to be together at Mu-ryong’s grandma’s place in the country. (Kind of like in Choon Hyang? Just sayin’.) Safe for the moment, they share in an almost-kiss, only to be interrupted by… Dal Ja’s granny!
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Back in the city, Seung Mi cries. GOOD LORD. I like Seung Mi and all, but don’t you think she would’ve figured out it was over when Mu-ryong admitted he liked Yoo Hee? Or when he told her he couldn’t marry her? Or when he BROKE UP WITH HER?
Johnny tries to comfort her, saying it’s not a bad idea to stay being friends with one you love. He understands how it feels when you can’t have someone you love. It hurts. “But if you stop seeing them… In the end, it hurts more to lose someone so valuable.” (I assume he’s talking about Yoo Hee to relate it to Seung Mi’s situation with Mu-ryong, but who else thinks *winkwink* they’re really both talking about Mu-ryong?)
Joon Ha’s ex-fiancee tells him she informed Yoo Hee about everything, which angers and shocks him. Joon Ha looks like he’s attempting to cry, but as he cannot follow the convoluted plot, he is unable to find the adequate emotions.
.
Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee lay next to each other, both awake. Yoo Hee asks what he’s thinking, and Mu-ryong takes her hand as he tells her, “I was thinking I should never let go of this hand.” Yoo Hee tells him he’d better keep his promise.
Mu-ryong: “Yoo Hee, I’m sorry.”
Yoo Hee: “For what?”
Mu-ryong: Just everything. For hurting you. And in the future, you might have a hard time if we’re together.”
Yoo Hee: “Mu-ryong. I’m thankful.”
Mu-ryong: “For what?”
Yoo Hee: “Just everything. For liking someone like me. For coming to get me.”
But they are interrupted from kissing at the appearance of Manager Lee and a pissed-off Joon Ha. He tells Yoo Hee her father’s in the hospital, and drags her off. Mu-ryong tries to stop them, but Manager Lee gets in the way…
(WTF?)
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At the hospital, President Ma tells her she can’t be with Mu-ryong. He just won’t do; get rid of him. She tells him she cannot obey: “I care deeply for him.”
Joon Ha apologizes to Yoo Hee, defending his actions saying he thought she was better off not knowing about the hospital. He thought she’d misunderstand. Yoo Hee’s unmoved, saying she can’t go back to him. He blurts out to keep her from leaving, “I love you.” (Faker! He may care for her more than he was willing to admit, but I don’t buy his act at all.) She leaves.
Mu-ryong likewise meets with familial opposition. His father is sympathetic, but doesn’t Mu-ryong remember how her family opposed the match so much they wrecked their restaurant? His father advises him to think about it seriously.
Mu-ryong pays a visit to President Ma in the hospital. The President asks about his cooking education, and attempts to buy off Mu-ryong, saying he’ll send him to France to study. If he breaks up with Yoo Hee, he’ll send him to Paris, or anywhere he wants. Mu-ryong: “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I understand how you feel about Yoo Hee. But this isn’t the way to make her happy.” The President objects, but Mu-ryong continues: “I love your daughter.” The President tells him to leave nicely when he asks, and cautions him: “Let go of her, before people get hurt.”
Don’t you just love the grave, life-or-death implications of what should be a simple, low-key romance? Ah, the melodrama!
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Mu-ryong meets with Yoo Hee and assures her that he won’t ever let her go. Angered to find out they’re still seeing each other, President Ma exerts his influence and causes important clients to pull out of their contracts with Yoo Hee’s firm. (Which, WTF? Isn’t that his own firm too? Way to cut off your nose to spite your face.) He tells Yoo Hee that he’ll stop it if she breaks up with Mu-ryong.
Yoo Hee: “Don’t badmouth him. He’s an outstanding person. He’s someone who sees strengths before flaws. He’s someone who says thank you even if you give him nothing. He’s someone who understands what’s truly important, and how to really love. I won’t break up with him. I can’t be without him.”Mu-ryong gets some news of his own when Johnny informs him he’s being sent to Paris. Although he lost the competition to Mari, the chef was impressed with Mu-ryong’s cooking and has invited him to be his student. Johnny says he’s a great chef — he learned from him.
At home, they both sense something’s up with the other. Mu-ryong tells her he’s been invited to train with a famous chef — in Paris. But he’ll have to go away. For two years.
He asks if she’s okay with that. He suggests forgetting about it and staying behind, but Yoo Hee tells him he has to go. She’ll wait for him. So they go watch-shopping, because Yoo Hee wants to buy him something to remind him of her. Whenever the clock hits 11:11, he’d better think of her. (It’s a call-back to an earlier episode, when Mu-ryong tells her 11:11 means someone’s thinking of you, and 4:44 means someone’s insulting you.)
Unfortunately, Yoo Hee’s credit card is rejected…
And she goes home to see all her belongings are being repossessed. Oh, her spiteful father! The red tags are everywhere. It’s freaking ridiculous. Are they seriously going to repossess her flowers? Her bottle of soap? Her FAUCET??
EPISODE 16 (FINALE)
Ahh, Witch Amusement. How you’ve amused me so. Despite your repeated shenanigans (or maybe because of them), I’ve enjoyed watching you, all 16 episodes. You gave me so much to laugh about (and more to laugh AT, but who’s differentiating? Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.).
And now, we say adieu.
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY
K.Will – “You” [ zShare download ]
EPISODE 16 (FINAL) SUMMARY
Joon Ha calls Mu-ryong for a man-to-man chat, because what pleasant chat isn’t replete with ominous threats? He informs Mu-ryong that Yoo Hee’s company has met with utter ruin, and pins the blame on Mu-ryong: “Because of you, Yoo Hee’s lost everything.” He tells Mu-ryong he’d better end things with Yoo Hee — let her go before people get hurt any further.
Mu-ryong goes to see Yoo Hee, who is reluctant to let him in because she doesn’t want him to see all the little red tags stuck to her household items. But Mu-ryong knows what’s up, and he pushes past her to confirm the sight for himself.
He’s upset first and foremost that Yoo Hee didn’t bother to tell him: “Do I mean so little to you? Why didn’t you tell me? Why do I have to hear about this from someone else?” Yoo Hee asks what the point would be in telling him; what could he do? Mu-ryong: “We could hurt together, worry together, be together!” Yoo Hee hardens, and blames him for her troubles: “Together? This happened because we were together. So just leave. Go study abroad.”
Mu-ryong asks if she means it. She tells him to leave.
So Mu-ryong leaves, stunned at his loss, and Yoo Hee cries at having hurt both of them with her lie:
Mu-ryong leaves for Paris, and his family are by now so used to his habits that they don’t actually trust him to get on the plane. They follow him all the way to the boarding gate to confirm that the plane does, in fact, take off. Mu-ryong goes away to France thusly…
…but comes immediately back!
For about three brief, shiny minutes, I was in awe — UTTER AWE — at the marvelousness of this twist. I laughed out loud, thinking, “Man, Witch Amusement had an ace in the pocket, and boy did they work it!” Because I thought Yoo Hee and Mu-ryong had planned this all out. It was brilliant. Like in Confidence (or any hustling movie, really), where you are led to believe one thing, and it turns out to be the complete opposite — i.e., the happy couple invented this elaborate scenario to fool everyone so they could be together in peace! It’s fantastic!
Except, not so much. Because, you see, it wasn’t planned. Oh well. I should’ve known better. Expectations, what were you thinking? Crawl back into that box and shut the lid.
Instead, Mu-ryong returns to his parents’ restaurant, to everyone’s astonishment, because they totally saw him get on the plane. But they must endure yet another shock, seeing Yoo Hee come in with her luggage. Mu-ryong informs his family that she’ll be staying with them for a while. His mother haaaaaaaates that idea, although Mu-ryong explains that it’s because of him that she has nowhere to go. Witnessing the negative reaction to her presence, Yoo Hee offers to leave, but Mu-ryong holds her back.
Joon Ha’s next course of action is to visit Seung Mi, proposing that it’s their place to now tear the two apart. Sensing her reluctance to play the annoying clinging ex-girlfriend (anymore), Joon Ha tries to goad her, asking how she can give up on her love so easily. (If he thinks Seung Mi gave up easily, I shudder to think what he thinks it means to cling.)
But Seung Mi, to her everlasting credit, shows the spine she couldn’t show Mu-ryong, and refuses to cooperate. “I’ll take care of my matters myself. I have no reason to listen to you.” Applause all around for Seung Mi.
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Mu-ryong’s father, being the awesome parent that he is, understands that although he has reservations about Mu-ryong and Yoo Hee, he can’t live his son’s life for him. His suggestion is that they first work on persuading Mu-ryong’s mother, who appears on cue to shrilly express her displeasure. Knowing what makes her tick, Mu-ryong’s father employs some hilarious reverse psychology, putting on a show of cruelly throwing the couple out. Mu-ryong catches on to the plan and sighs, “I guess we’d better go then, and find someplace to sleep on the streets.”
Hearing that, Mu-ryong’s mother’s guilty conscience flares, and she stops them from leaving — she didn’t realize they were that hard up. She thought they were exaggerating. If they honestly have nowhere to go but the streets, they might as well stay at the restaurant.
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The Chaes get a visit from President Ma, who, having failed to buy off Mu-ryong, is now here to buy off his family. He offers them an envelope, presumably containing an obscene amount of money, offering even more to come. In return, he wants their help convincing the happy kids to split up.
Mu-ryong’s mother is offended at President Ma acting so important and superior. She’s not impressed or intimidated by his wealth, but Mu-ryong’s father interrupts her tirade, seemingly taking President Ma’s side. At first.
He takes a calm, reasonable approach, yet at the same time manages to lay down a terrific smack-down. He commiserates with President Ma about his fatherly concern — all parents speak the universal language of caring about their children. But: “You cannot disregard people so easily. You should first carefully consider why your daughter told us she had no place to go, forgoing your fancy mansion to come to such a lowly, pathetic place like this instead.”
And he hands the money envelope back without bothering to look at its contents. Booyah!
Joon Ha attempts again to convince Yoo Hee that she should come back to him. If she continues, she’ll ruin herself. Someone should tell Joon Ha that wooing a woman’s heart would work better if he actually SEEMED like he cares about her, instead of constantly threatening her and glowering possessively. Just a thought.
As Yoo Hee attempts to leave, Joon Ha grabs her arm (seriously, he might want to reconsider his tactics; the repeated use of force is really not doing anything for his game), and tells her he loves her. He tries to look earnest, as though this time he really means it, despite the fact that merely two episodes ago he was sneering that love was an emotion he knew nothing of. Well, I suppose a lot can happen in a week. I did my laundry and wrote a couple blog entries; Joon Ha discovered the effects of a profound, life-altering emotion he’d previously never believed existed, and fell head over heels for its powers. It could happen.
I don’t buy his newly earnest avowal of love, and neither does Yoo Hee, although the ominous, tense music tells us we should be feeling something for Joon Ha. Pity? Empathy? Confusion? Whatever it is, Yoo Hee pointedly tells him, “Love doesn’t ask for money,” and leaves.
She meets Mu-ryong at a jewelry store, where he wants to buy her some “handcuffs” so she can’t run away — i.e., couple rings. I swear it doesn’t sound that kinky in Korean. Although the pair she first picks out turns out too be way too expensive for his means, she’s happily satisfied with the simple, less expensive pair they end up with.
While Yoo Hee smiles at her ring and says, “Not too bad, as far as handcuffs go,” Joon Ha dwells on her rejection of him, and forgets to concentrate on the road. He swerves to avoid rear-ending a car, and instead spins out and gets hit by another oncoming vehicle….
I’m sorry (no, I’m not), but I totally laughed. Come on! Look at that expression!
Joon Ha ends up in the hospital, alive but injured. Yoo Hee doesn’t want to visit him, but because Mu-ryong is The Most Understanding Boyfriend Ever, he persuades her to go and check on Joon Ha. It’s okay; she can do that much for him.
She’s alarmed to hear that Joon Ha’s suffered most in his right arm — and may never be able to pick up a knife again. To a surgeon, it’s an awful blow. Joon Ha doesn’t take the news so well either, yelling at Yoo Hee to leave — he doesn’t want her pity, and he doesn’t want to hold onto her using this accident.
Yoo Hee, however, feels an illogical amount of burden and/or guilt (although it makes no sense — what does she owe him?) and meets with Mu-ryong with a heavy heart. Mu-ryong can sense the moody atmosphere, so when Yoo Hee offers to buy him a drink or some ice cream, he stands up to follow her. She insists she can go alone, but he tells her, “It’s because I’m afraid you won’t come back.”
But Yoo Hee wants to go alone anyway. Ominously, she responds with silence when Mu-ryong stops her to say: “You do love me, don’t you?”
Mu-ryong’s intuition synapses are firing on all the right levels, because Yoo Hee doesn’t come back. Instead, she sends a little kid to bring him his ice cream cone, and her half of their couple ring set. Dude. She could’ve at least sent him a non-melty cone. It’s like rubbing salt in the wound, hammering the point in cruelly: YOU ARE TOO LATE. The ice cream of my love is melting and running down the sides of the cone of our happiness, becoming ever more soggy and inedible with time, unable to contain our epic relationship as we are doomed to suffer the winds of fate.
Or maybe it was just a sad little visual.
Yoo Hee cries over her choice, but for reasons that are known to her and nobody else, she feels she’s got to leave Mu-ryong. I don’t know why we’re supposed to understand her return to Joon Ha — she didn’t cause the accident, she isn’t his wife, they weren’t together at the time, and it’s not like Joon Ha’s completely helpless. But she goes back anyway. President Ma is happy at the reuinion, and advises Joon Ha to give up the hospital, since he can’t operate.
The separation leaves Mu-ryong empty and dull, which Johnny sees for himself when he comes to say goodbye. He’s leaving the next day to return to New York, and asks Mu-ryong if he’d consider leaving with him. I presume he means to study and not to go on lots more romantic man-dates together.
.
Over a meal together, Yoo Hee sees Joon Ha struggling to pick up his knife to cut his own steak (hello, heavy-handed metaphor) and cuts up his meat for him. She does so with little affection (because she’s in this relationship for the duty and obligation, silly, not the love!), but in any case, the President observes her actions with a measure of satisfaction and glee, because he is a creepy old man with way too much interest in controlling his daughter’s love life.
But! Yoo Hee steps aside to take a phone call, and is on her way back to the table when she overhears her father talking to Joon Ha about making sure “not to get caught by Yoo Hee.” Because…
…his wrist really isn’t injured! Dun dun dun!
In the privacy of his own office, Joon Ha unwraps his wrist to reveal that it was all fake! I have to hand it to them, they did manage to pull out a surprising twist just when I wasn’t expecting one. It’s unexpected and very Usual Suspects. Stupidly convoluted, but kind of cool just the same. In the absence of cool plot twists so far, I have to appreciate that they pulled ONE out.
But as with all stupid schemes (and it’s truly stupid — did he think he’d live his entire life pretending to have a bum wrist when it’s really fine?), he must be caught. Yoo Hee sees him as he’s about to enter surgery, all smiles and injury-free. (How was he going to explain to Yoo Hee that he had quit the hospital, as she believed, while continuing to work as a surgeon and operating??)
Yoo Hee, President Ma, and Joon Ha all converge as they try to explain what’s going on. Joon Ha asks her to listen to him, and President Ma tries to placate her by saying he’ll explain. But Yoo Hee isn’t having it: “How could a father do this to his daughter? How?”
She wrenches her arm free from Joon Ha’s grasp, just as the President suffers another heart episode, and must be rushed into surgery.
And I’m like, DUDE. YOU JUST USED THAT ONE. Remember last episode? At the wedding? When Yoo Hee wrenched her hand from Joon Ha’s grasp? And the President collapsed clutching his heart? And had to go into surgery? And… oh, forget it.
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Mu-ryong prepares to leave for New York, and shares one last father-son moment. He promises that this time, he’ll work hard and do his best to learn a lot.
He makes one last phone call to Yoo Hee, and the two say their goodbyes.
Mu-ryong: “I leave tomorrow.”.
Yoo Hee: “I know. Johnny told me. You’re leaving in the morning?”
Mu-ryong: “Yes. Yoo Hee… You have to be happy. Okay? And when you’re in trouble, call Superman… even if I can’t come to you… Take care.”
President Ma makes it out of surgery safely. Down-spirited, he can’t bring himself to look at Yoo Hee as he tells her that he seems to have no luck in life. (Oh, poor little rich man. Maybe it’s not bad luck. Maybe it’s karma biting you in the ass.) Yoo Hee reaches to hold his hand, but after a moment, the President pushes it aside and tells her, “Go on.”
It looks like he’s rejecting her, but (1) the happy music kicks in to tell us we are meant to take this scene as hopeful, and (2) I have seen My Girl, and this scene is a direct ripoff of the scene in which the Grandfather (same actor!) tells Yoorin he won’t oppose her relationship anymore — and sends her to catch Gong Chan at the airport before he leaves to go abroad. But I’m sure that was just a coincidence too, right?
Furthermore, I don’t know how we’re supposed to buy his sudden change of heart (oh, pun!). Maybe they put something into his medicine.
On her way out the hospital, Yoo Hee runs into Joon Ha, who once again takes her arm in an attempt to hold her back. But she’s in too much of a rush, worried she’ll miss Mu-ryong — she has to get to him before he leaves. Hearing this, Joon Ha slackens his grip, finally letting her go. It’s a nice gesture, but again, I don’t get the sudden change of heart. Maybe he’s sneaking some of the President’s meds.
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At the airport, waiting for departure, Mu-ryong looks around distractedly for Yoo Hee, disappointed that she’s not arriving. She is instead attempting to hail a cab, but unsuccessfully… and Joon Ha surprises her by pulling up in his car and telling her he’ll drive her there.
But although Mu-ryong stalls and lags behind, holding out hope that Yoo Hee will arrive as boarding time nears, she’s still late. She mentally pleads for him to wait for her, for him not to leave, running through the terminal in vain. The airport’s too big and she can’t find him.
Dejected, she turns to leave, just as Mu-ryong appears……
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Relieved, she asks why he didn’t go. He envelops her in a hug…
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….and tells her he missed her.
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I don’t normally swear that much on this site, but you’ll notice Witch Amusement has been bringing it out in me, especially toward the end. So I give you fair warning before I say:
What the fuck kind of pansy-ass ending is that???
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ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:
What happened to Paran? And Sara? And Manager Lee and Hee Jung? And Song Hwa’s modeling career?
What happened to Mu-ryong’s career? Is it really that unimportant? I understand that love is supposed to conquer all, but they guy failed to go abroad HOW many times in this series? And two of those times was in one episode?
What was the point in Mu-ryong promising, in that sweet father-son scene, that this time he’ll really do a good job, if he was just going to give it up ten minutes later?
Sigh.
Witch Amusement, you coulda been good. You coulda even made sense.
Still, I enjoyed watching you. You were very pretty to look at, although somewhat empty-headed, but there are many people in the world like that who seem to suffer no slight for their cognitive deficiencies, so in the long run you’re not so badly off. You had a very talented but creatively wasted director, who may or may not have been frustrated with the plot absurdities. I only wish him many more fulfilling ventures that make more use of his abilities.
Your cast — even the less gifted performers — will all go on to greater careers, I’m sure. I thank you for having the foresight to cast unbelievable eye candy, because at the end of the day, the winning-ness of the actors made you watchable even at your lowest moments. (And you had several.) Jae Hee in particular really saved your tragic ass, so you totally owe him some karmic brownie points. He is so meant to be a star. Han Ga In looked amazing and was dressed to the nines, so I expect many CF engagements for her. I even grew to like Dennis, whom I was initially set to mock with vitriol, but ended up mocking with affection. I hated Joon Ha as a character, but suffer no ill will against Kim Jung Hoon despite it — another mark of talent, isn’t it? And Jeon Hye Bin proved she’s a very lovely woman whose second career as newfound actor may be even better suited to her than her first as B-level dance-singer.
And now you are over. Aw, Witch Amusement, you coulda been a contender. At least you were entertaining. May you retire from the airwaves in peace, to rest and frolic giddily in drama heaven.
akhirnye dapat jugak aq cyapkan edit cite nie..punya buat2 terpadam plak jadi gila aq sketika..tuk korang aq letakkn liank cite anti korang bleh tgok cite nie dpt bli cd pown aq kasi website mnjual cd korea nie..hehe..(tiba2 blank nak letak pe yerk..)..ha link cite yo hee nie nape nie tiba2 lupa pe website nie..hish2..2 dah lme xbukak jdi gini plak..jap aq pkir..
Link cite Witch Yoo Hee (Witch Amusement)..
3. http://www.againdrama.com/drama/Witch-Yoo-Hee/
Buy cd
http://rojakstory.blogspot.com/ kat sini jual korean cd..hehe
Trailer witch yo hee
ok korang aq dah letak n then penat menaip jgn korang xtgok cite nie sudah cian aq..:(..penat taw menaip kaso korang tgok..tkot2 korang ketinggalan nak tgok cite yg best nie..kalo korang nak tgok g la link aq kasi 2 ye..sayang korang semua..babai..da...
Buy cd
http://rojakstory.blogspot.com/ kat sini jual korean cd..hehe
Trailer witch yo hee
ok korang aq dah letak n then penat menaip jgn korang xtgok cite nie sudah cian aq..:(..penat taw menaip kaso korang tgok..tkot2 korang ketinggalan nak tgok cite yg best nie..kalo korang nak tgok g la link aq kasi 2 ye..sayang korang semua..babai..da...
