City Hunter - liveblogging ep 17
Jul. 21st, 2011 12:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieYes, still addicting.
Awww, YS and President are bonding - you can see the exact moment YS thinks 'this is a good person.' And the thing is, President is the only one of the five who feels remorse but still, even without the added 'and he is your father' angle, YS is going to feel horrible when he learns he has to bring the man down, because he likes and respects him. I wonder if this was part of Undaddy's plan all along - to make them like each other, before bringing the hammer down. For extra fun. His snarl that he is going to get the 'cruelest revenge in the world' back in ep 1 now makes so much more sense. And the little connection hits me - YS got brains from his Dad. (Also, the irony of Pres wanting to show of pics of his son to YS!) Also, LOL at Pres needing help to upload pics to a blog. I am sure we all had that convo with our parents.
Pres refers to Da Hye being egged and you can just see YS thinking of Nana.
It strikes me (and I am sure it struck me before, but it does so again) how fundamentally kind a person YS is. And that is after basically having spent his whole life with Undaddy trying to turn him into an unfeeling killer. The fact that he has any humanity left in him after his life being one long streak of brutality, is pretty impressive, but the fact that he's still kind...It just kills me, how happy and adjusted he could have been if Undaddy was man enough to do his own revenge and left him with his mother.
Awww, Kyung Hee made Nana an embroidered handkerchief. And is gently nagging about her not coming to the hospital (which Nana is doing per YS' wishes). See, YS, you cannot cut your personal and your mission entirely separate. Especially not from Nana, she's entwined in your life - you let her in and that means she's never really coming out.
It's fun to see Undaddy and Target 4 try to outmaneuvre each other. If we were lucky, the two monsters would off each other, but sadly, I am sure that is not to be.
Da Hye and YS interactions really crack me up now that we know they are most likely sibs. They totally do read like a spoiled younger sis and exasperated but cool older bro. Awww.
Man. Pres' security is kinda worthless if they let Undaddy take his swordstick through.
Aaaaahhhhh! Someone shoots paint at the Pres (freaking everyone out as they don't realize it's paint right away - I bet it's Undaddy) and Nana jumps to shield him without even thinking and gets it all over her chest and I am struck by the same thought YS apparently is - if it was a bullet, she'd be dead. Her job is more dangerous than YS' is, in some ways.
The handkerchief! Nana gives him one KH made for her, to wipe himself, and he totally recognizes the stitching!!!
Oh God, YS thinks Undaddy did this to get Nana (and tells him they have nothing to do with each other any more). I just want to hug the boy because he has no idea...
Oh please, don't let Nana think YS did that little 'prank.'
Omo! Pres has exactly the same handkerchief Nana has. If there was any doubt, not that there was, that YS is his son, it's gone now. Also, if he kept a handkerchief she made all these years, he must have been really stuck on her, hmmm.
Nana tells KH that Pres asked her about who made it and whether she can tell him (I love our Nana, she always thinks!) and KH says no and comes up with a bs excuse but you can see Nana's gears start turning. Just as she was the one who discovered YS was KH's son, I really hope she will figure out Ys is Pres and KH's son and lets him know before it's too late. I'd love for her to defeat Undaddy's machinations.
Eeeek! So KH was a bar girl (which we knew) and she and Pres had an affair (I guess he was married at the time) and Target 4 showed up with cash and was all "he wants to throw away his family and his future for you, disappear and abort the baby!" and threatened her life (why do I feel as if we suddenly got transferred onto the set of Giant?) and it turned out Pres never knew about the baby, eeee. Interesting. Whether KH was married to MY when she slept with Pres and got pregnant or (much more likely), MY married her afterwards to protect her and her unborn baby, Pres knowingly gave the order to have the husband of the woman he loved killed, even if for reasons utterly unconnected with the marriage. Twisted!
Undaddy is officially nuts. He's all "BFF, you saved KH who was preggers and saved YS and said you'll raise him well even if he isn't your own. Can you understand me?" How about no???? You fucking psycho who wrecked both KH and YS' lives. And then Undaddy is all "if you can't understand, I am still continuing." Well, hooray for self-awareness that you are a giant psycho freak, too bad you are not doing anything about it.
Oooh, and now KH made the same handkerchief for YS (clearly she knows only one pattern :P) i smell a future plot point!
YS keeps flashing back to Nana getting shot. Maybe this will get through to him that he doesn't have to worry about her mourning him because she might die too? Not the cheeriest reason to get back together, but at this point I'll take what I can get.
Awww, he bolts with some excuse just so he can see her walk by (she doesn't see him) just to reassure himself she's OK even though he objectively knows she is OK.
Drug dealer, you have some nerve to talk about rot!
Pres knows he could end this if he just exposed the 1983 incident but while he's a nice person, he's weak and he hasn't and he won't (now because he has Undaddy's stated 'don't you dare' but honestly because he's a coward - he could nip the impending tragedy in the bud if only he spoke up).
Blablabla Prosecutor, you are boring me. Also, we are 29 minutes in and there has been zero Nana/YS interaction. I demand a refund!
I seriously dig YS and Da Hye's interactions so much - they crack me up (and he asks about Nana, aww).
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I think Da Hye's crush now got transferred to the Prosecutor. LOLOLOLOLOL. As YS' reaction indicates,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
meganbmoore is totally right that YS would be an overprotective oppa :P
Awww, I really loved the scene btw YJ and Nana. When he's not on his City Hunter monomania kick, he's quite a lovely person. But am I bad for wanting YS to see them together and angst?
YS now has his own memento box, with the bullet necklace and the ring. Oh, you are so far gone, boy!
THANK YOU, SAE HEE!!!! She calls YS over because Nana drank too much and, to nobody's shock, Mr. "We should stay away from each other forevah!!!" pretty much shows as fast as he can get there. And then he carries her all the way home (I bet so that he could have an excuse to be with her longer and to have an excuse to have her in his arms) and puts her to bed and tucks her in (be awake and sober, Nana! So I can have an epic make-out I am yearning for!)
"What made you drink alcohol? Because of me? I am pretty dumb, aren't I? I told you to let me go but I can't stand it." YESSSSS! Be selfish, YS, pleaaaaase! But then we knew just as much as he did that he is the one who really can't stay away, that is why he asked Nana to be in charge of the stay-away business.
"I can't send you to another man but I can't keep you by my side either." ARGH!!! Your freaking nobility fit will be the death of me, YS. I DEMAND A MAKE-OUT!!!!
"Kim Nana, don't be in pain." And he touches her hair and leaves. And she opens her eyes! Was she awake the whole time???
Hmmm, Pres has a reason for delaying the reveal of the sweep? It's going to come back to bite you, dude.
Every time Pres and YS bond, it's so lovely but it's killing me! Also, YS' comment that Pres is a good father is so bitterly ironic and is going to come back to haunt them later. And Pres' reply that YS' father must be even better - oooof. Yeah, well, he kidnapped him, trained him as a weapon, mistreated him (seriously, what he did to him is child abuse by any definition), took away his future and happiness and now plans to have him kill his birth father. Pass the "Dad of the Year" award please.
Noooo, don't save Undaddy and expose your cover, YS! Though when he flipped YS over, that was the most satisfaction I felt in the last couple of eps. In your face, jerk!
Great, now the head of security suspects him.
It's pretty fun to watch Undaddy fight thugs sent to kill him. If he was younger and not limping or train himself instead of making YS do his dirty work he'd do better though. I have no idea if we are supposed to feel sorry to see him get beaten but all I can work up is "ehhhh" with a side of joy.
And then YS shows up to save him, standing back to back (and proving once again Lee Min Ho is freakishly tall :P) and all I can think of is "argh, Four's flunkie now knows who you are!!!!"
Tbh, while I liked this ep, this was not my favorite of all the eps - it didn't have enough angsty Yoong Sung, fighting, ahjusshi, and YS/Nana, which are my favorite things about the drama.
Awww, YS and President are bonding - you can see the exact moment YS thinks 'this is a good person.' And the thing is, President is the only one of the five who feels remorse but still, even without the added 'and he is your father' angle, YS is going to feel horrible when he learns he has to bring the man down, because he likes and respects him. I wonder if this was part of Undaddy's plan all along - to make them like each other, before bringing the hammer down. For extra fun. His snarl that he is going to get the 'cruelest revenge in the world' back in ep 1 now makes so much more sense. And the little connection hits me - YS got brains from his Dad. (Also, the irony of Pres wanting to show of pics of his son to YS!) Also, LOL at Pres needing help to upload pics to a blog. I am sure we all had that convo with our parents.
Pres refers to Da Hye being egged and you can just see YS thinking of Nana.
It strikes me (and I am sure it struck me before, but it does so again) how fundamentally kind a person YS is. And that is after basically having spent his whole life with Undaddy trying to turn him into an unfeeling killer. The fact that he has any humanity left in him after his life being one long streak of brutality, is pretty impressive, but the fact that he's still kind...It just kills me, how happy and adjusted he could have been if Undaddy was man enough to do his own revenge and left him with his mother.
Awww, Kyung Hee made Nana an embroidered handkerchief. And is gently nagging about her not coming to the hospital (which Nana is doing per YS' wishes). See, YS, you cannot cut your personal and your mission entirely separate. Especially not from Nana, she's entwined in your life - you let her in and that means she's never really coming out.
It's fun to see Undaddy and Target 4 try to outmaneuvre each other. If we were lucky, the two monsters would off each other, but sadly, I am sure that is not to be.
Da Hye and YS interactions really crack me up now that we know they are most likely sibs. They totally do read like a spoiled younger sis and exasperated but cool older bro. Awww.
Man. Pres' security is kinda worthless if they let Undaddy take his swordstick through.
Aaaaahhhhh! Someone shoots paint at the Pres (freaking everyone out as they don't realize it's paint right away - I bet it's Undaddy) and Nana jumps to shield him without even thinking and gets it all over her chest and I am struck by the same thought YS apparently is - if it was a bullet, she'd be dead. Her job is more dangerous than YS' is, in some ways.
The handkerchief! Nana gives him one KH made for her, to wipe himself, and he totally recognizes the stitching!!!
Oh God, YS thinks Undaddy did this to get Nana (and tells him they have nothing to do with each other any more). I just want to hug the boy because he has no idea...
Oh please, don't let Nana think YS did that little 'prank.'
Omo! Pres has exactly the same handkerchief Nana has. If there was any doubt, not that there was, that YS is his son, it's gone now. Also, if he kept a handkerchief she made all these years, he must have been really stuck on her, hmmm.
Nana tells KH that Pres asked her about who made it and whether she can tell him (I love our Nana, she always thinks!) and KH says no and comes up with a bs excuse but you can see Nana's gears start turning. Just as she was the one who discovered YS was KH's son, I really hope she will figure out Ys is Pres and KH's son and lets him know before it's too late. I'd love for her to defeat Undaddy's machinations.
Eeeek! So KH was a bar girl (which we knew) and she and Pres had an affair (I guess he was married at the time) and Target 4 showed up with cash and was all "he wants to throw away his family and his future for you, disappear and abort the baby!" and threatened her life (why do I feel as if we suddenly got transferred onto the set of Giant?) and it turned out Pres never knew about the baby, eeee. Interesting. Whether KH was married to MY when she slept with Pres and got pregnant or (much more likely), MY married her afterwards to protect her and her unborn baby, Pres knowingly gave the order to have the husband of the woman he loved killed, even if for reasons utterly unconnected with the marriage. Twisted!
Undaddy is officially nuts. He's all "BFF, you saved KH who was preggers and saved YS and said you'll raise him well even if he isn't your own. Can you understand me?" How about no???? You fucking psycho who wrecked both KH and YS' lives. And then Undaddy is all "if you can't understand, I am still continuing." Well, hooray for self-awareness that you are a giant psycho freak, too bad you are not doing anything about it.
Oooh, and now KH made the same handkerchief for YS (clearly she knows only one pattern :P) i smell a future plot point!
YS keeps flashing back to Nana getting shot. Maybe this will get through to him that he doesn't have to worry about her mourning him because she might die too? Not the cheeriest reason to get back together, but at this point I'll take what I can get.
Awww, he bolts with some excuse just so he can see her walk by (she doesn't see him) just to reassure himself she's OK even though he objectively knows she is OK.
Drug dealer, you have some nerve to talk about rot!
Pres knows he could end this if he just exposed the 1983 incident but while he's a nice person, he's weak and he hasn't and he won't (now because he has Undaddy's stated 'don't you dare' but honestly because he's a coward - he could nip the impending tragedy in the bud if only he spoke up).
Blablabla Prosecutor, you are boring me. Also, we are 29 minutes in and there has been zero Nana/YS interaction. I demand a refund!
I seriously dig YS and Da Hye's interactions so much - they crack me up (and he asks about Nana, aww).
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I think Da Hye's crush now got transferred to the Prosecutor. LOLOLOLOLOL. As YS' reaction indicates,
meganbmoore is totally right that YS would be an overprotective oppa :PAwww, I really loved the scene btw YJ and Nana. When he's not on his City Hunter monomania kick, he's quite a lovely person. But am I bad for wanting YS to see them together and angst?
YS now has his own memento box, with the bullet necklace and the ring. Oh, you are so far gone, boy!
THANK YOU, SAE HEE!!!! She calls YS over because Nana drank too much and, to nobody's shock, Mr. "We should stay away from each other forevah!!!" pretty much shows as fast as he can get there. And then he carries her all the way home (I bet so that he could have an excuse to be with her longer and to have an excuse to have her in his arms) and puts her to bed and tucks her in (be awake and sober, Nana! So I can have an epic make-out I am yearning for!)
"What made you drink alcohol? Because of me? I am pretty dumb, aren't I? I told you to let me go but I can't stand it." YESSSSS! Be selfish, YS, pleaaaaase! But then we knew just as much as he did that he is the one who really can't stay away, that is why he asked Nana to be in charge of the stay-away business.
"I can't send you to another man but I can't keep you by my side either." ARGH!!! Your freaking nobility fit will be the death of me, YS. I DEMAND A MAKE-OUT!!!!
"Kim Nana, don't be in pain." And he touches her hair and leaves. And she opens her eyes! Was she awake the whole time???
Hmmm, Pres has a reason for delaying the reveal of the sweep? It's going to come back to bite you, dude.
Every time Pres and YS bond, it's so lovely but it's killing me! Also, YS' comment that Pres is a good father is so bitterly ironic and is going to come back to haunt them later. And Pres' reply that YS' father must be even better - oooof. Yeah, well, he kidnapped him, trained him as a weapon, mistreated him (seriously, what he did to him is child abuse by any definition), took away his future and happiness and now plans to have him kill his birth father. Pass the "Dad of the Year" award please.
Noooo, don't save Undaddy and expose your cover, YS! Though when he flipped YS over, that was the most satisfaction I felt in the last couple of eps. In your face, jerk!
Great, now the head of security suspects him.
It's pretty fun to watch Undaddy fight thugs sent to kill him. If he was younger and not limping or train himself instead of making YS do his dirty work he'd do better though. I have no idea if we are supposed to feel sorry to see him get beaten but all I can work up is "ehhhh" with a side of joy.
And then YS shows up to save him, standing back to back (and proving once again Lee Min Ho is freakishly tall :P) and all I can think of is "argh, Four's flunkie now knows who you are!!!!"
Tbh, while I liked this ep, this was not my favorite of all the eps - it didn't have enough angsty Yoong Sung, fighting, ahjusshi, and YS/Nana, which are my favorite things about the drama.
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 05:23 am (UTC)i loved da hae's change of 'crush' and how betrayed ys felt! not in the romantic way but in the 'hey, i'm the coolest guy around, not him, look up to my awesome self, not his!' if this wasn’t a revenge drama they would make such an amazing brother and sister duo.
about the handkerchief, i think that president will think that nana is ajumma's child, aka his child.
prosecutor is annoying me with his obsession, catch the bad guys first, then chase after city hunter, dumbass!
i got a little mad at sae hee for telling nana, the truth, not because of the truth itself, but couldn't she wait a little bit longer? nana clearly needed a friend, someone to talk to and sae hee when revealing the truth only isolated nana even more. i feel so bad for our girl, she is so lonely, everyone she knows lied to her somehow or is pushing her away.
ys taking nana home was so touching, i kept screaming in my head "STOP HURTING HER DUMBASS!" i really hope she listened to everything he said, for her sake!
is it weird that i didn't like to see undaddy being beaten? i hate him, and i wouldn't mind him dying, but i want him dying for a good cause, like saving ys.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 11:15 pm (UTC)How YS is going to avoid snapping and going mad I don't know. if he doesn't, it will be solely due to Nana.
I don't think Pres will think Nana is KH's kid. KH told him she had a son (back in ep 5?) also since Nana is a guard, I am sure there are records of her real parents in blue house directory.
I want prosec to get a life. Or jump off a building. I don't care which.
Re: sae hee. I dunno, I can see both ways. To keep lying then would have been even more as a betrayal.
I think you are in the majority on Undaddy view. I am pretty bloodthristy about him though.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 05:34 am (UTC)I'm with you! I DEMAND A REFUND! My favorite things in the drama coincides with yours and it's scarce in this ep. T_T Somebody in Soompi said that YS/NN shippers would only have ep12 to rewatch since it's the only chance we have of sweet YS/NN moments. With 3 eps to go, I doubt there'd be any. WAAAAAHHHHH!
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 11:18 pm (UTC)I am afraid the soompi person is correct - there is so little shippy stuff lately. I know that they need to develop the plot, so I don't have a narrative problem with it, but the shipper in me is distraught.
Normally revenge dramas are one of the few that have bed scenes so this is doubly unfair :)
Ep 17
Date: 2011-07-21 05:49 am (UTC)I am also beginning to worry. They haven't murdered any body I love yet on this show. That just means of course that the odds of them killing someone I love is higher than if a whole bunch of people were killed.
Re: Ep 17
Date: 2011-07-21 11:19 pm (UTC)I am sure Nana heard every word.
Maybe they won't murder everyone? Not all revenge dramas are bloodbaths.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 06:06 am (UTC)The scene with DH, it's totally very much like li'l sis and big bro interaction, love it...Dh crushing on YJ, will YS break his leg for that maybe?
I hope Nana works out all the clues that president is YS's father and inform YS about it, I'm scared of how YS would deal about it if he find out too late I can't imagine it...
Speaking of Nana, I don't know how I became like this, is it just me but when YS brought her home and was talking to her I was like... come on!! stop talking just kiss her and be done with it already! You know you really can't let her go!!!...Aarrgghh!!! YS you're such an idiot!!!
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 11:29 pm (UTC)Poor YS, his world is going to cave in once he finds out about his father - everything in his life has been a lie.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 10:57 am (UTC)Eh. It's funny because I'm usually the first to fww to go to some OTP moments but here I didn't even notice they had 0 interaction for half an episode! I was too hooked by the story as a whole. It's a new experience for me. When I rewatch the drama I'm sure I'll fww but for now i want to absorb every little bit of it.
About the episode proper....Gah, YS...How can be become any hotter with each passing episodes? I love everything about him: the angsty boy in love, the cocky Blue House employee, the matter of fact way in which he goes on his missions (it's clearly a job for him, he doesn't like beating people up), the kick-ass way he can beat the crap out of someone with a spoon or a water bottle, his dorky side, his loving and loyal son side and so much more.
At this point in the drama he's got plenty of reasons to hate Undaddy's guts but there he goes, blowing his cover in front of people who don't hold him in their heart and rushing to Undaddy's rescue. He's so decent, and nice and kind. I'm a bit more partial to Prosecutor than you are but I enjoyedt hat flipping over scene as much as you did. LMH, why so cool?
And while we're on the subject of YS + YJ...I too wanted YS to see the conversation between NN and YJ and angst about it (plus there was arm touching). Maybe he did and it ended up on the cutting room floor? His sentence about him not being able to let Nana go to another man after all would have made even more sense if he'd seen them together.
I thought for sure that Target 4 would be taken down this episode but it looks like it will be in the next one or possibly even in episode 19. And from the preview, YS is in for some more torture because of him. Wasn't that NN kidnapped and left to drown in a giant aquarium? If it is, please, some hurt/comfort + kissing afterwards? Pretty please.
I think you're on to something about NN and her uncovering YS's birth secret. It would fit with her role as an angel in his life. She gave him back his mother and it would be fitting that she also give him his father. She saves him in every way. He really cannot live without her.
I can't believe there are only 3 episodes left. I think the ride will be hectic. Our poor little hearts will suffer.
Oops!
Date: 2011-07-21 11:09 am (UTC)And I also wanted to clarify this:
His sentence about him not being able to let Nana go to another man after all would have made even more sense if he'd seen them together.
It does make sense even without him seeing them together because we already heard him tell her to go to another man in a previous conversation and he would just be following up on that thought. But the scene between him and Nana happened the very evening after she'd been in contact with YJ and it would have been a golden opportunity to have him be a witness to the event. We'd previously seen him angsting and worrying about the fact that she wasn't safe even when away from him. So, it's strange that he used that "other man" line instead of the "safety" one that had been on his mind. Except of course if he'd seen them together and jealousy came knocking at his door with a vengeance (especially since I suspect he sort of has an inferiority complex when it comes to YJ. IE: he thinks he's too messed up/broken/unworthy/on the wrong side of the law to be good enough for Nana when YJ just might be worthy of her.)
Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-21 11:24 pm (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 12:33 am (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 12:45 am (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 12:50 am (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 12:50 am (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 01:15 am (UTC)Re: Oops!
Date: 2011-07-22 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 11:28 pm (UTC)About the episode proper....Gah, YS...How can be become any hotter with each passing episodes? I love everything about him: the angsty boy in love, the cocky Blue House employee, the matter of fact way in which he goes on his missions (it's clearly a job for him, he doesn't like beating people up), the kick-ass way he can beat the crap out of someone with a spoon or a water bottle, his dorky side, his loving and loyal son side and so much more.
I love that YS someone who doesn't take any joy in violence - when he plays a role to nab someone through brains, he's a lot hotter. It really shows what a good and decent person he was that he's like that after all the training and brainwashing by Undaddy. It just kills me how gentle he is despite all of Undaddy's plots.
Also, this drama is such a showcase for what LMH can do when given a good script, director and compatible costars.
I want kissing so badly, you have no idea!
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 12:45 am (UTC)I'm SO glad that LMH is finally in a drama that anybody could call objectively good. BOF was addictive but a complete crackfest and PT was just bland on the whole. I hope we'll get to see him in many more quality dramas. He's a really good actor. His range in CH is impressive. If we're lucky we won't have to wait another year to see him in another drama. He's done only 3 in three years though. Is he keeping up with his studies on the side?
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 12:50 am (UTC)They had two kisses though, right - one in the club back in the beginning.
Did you watch parts of 18 raw? I am about halfway through the ep. Wanted to see what you thought of acquarium scene.
I think few actors do more than a drama a year - the schedules for filming are insane so I see why they wouldn't want to.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 01:13 am (UTC)Yeah, I watched the end of the aquarium scene raw and also the very end of the episode. I didn't want to watch the whole thing raw so that I could still get some nice surprises tomorrow when I watch it with subs. I can't fully comment on the aquarium scene yet though. I purposefully only watched after YS rescues NN (I'm naughty and was hoping for some hurt/comfort stuff). I need to see the whole thing (from the moment YS learns NN is in danger) to talk about it properly.
Is All In any good? I don't remember having heard of it.
It's true that schedules for filming is crazy in Korea. I wonder how the actors that are in longer dramas (60-80 episodes) do it. OTOH, for an actor like LMH who will have to go to the army in a few years, I would think he'd want to get "out there" as much as possible to set his fame in stone so to speak.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 01:34 am (UTC)All In was a huge huge hit and the drama which started a rl romance between Lee Byung Hun and Song Hye Kyo (they were engaged at one time). They have insane chemistry - he plays a former convict and she's a former nun (!!!) it's more action than revenge but it's v.v.v.v. good. You probably haven't heard of it because it's older.
It has some slow parts but overall, it's very awesome and one of my faves. I pretty much marathonned it on a nightmare flight to Rome and have been insanely in love with it ever since.
Here's my All In tag:
http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/tag/all%20in
Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 12:13 pm (UTC)Ok, I've just watched episode 18 with subs so I can comment on the aquarium scene. Tbh, it's the first time that the drama kind of disappoints me. Maybe I need to rewatch it to catch all the nuances but the scene as a whole felt flat to me. From the moment YS asks the other guy (forgot his name) to look after his father to the moment he knocks down 4's thug, I didn't feel invested. I felt like LMH wasn't there so to speak, there was no spark. He was back in the game when he raced up the stairs to save Nana but before that I felt less urgency in him than usual.
And I'm also a bit disappointed in the aftermath. I would have liked to have a few seconds of YS alone reflecting on what just happened. I mean, him committing to come back alive to Nana after it all ends is huge. It's probably the single most important decision he made of his own free will and for his own happiness. The one "selfish" decision that he makes (and that will probably come back to haunt him and torture him when he finds out who target n°5 is and hwo hopeless it all is).
So, even if I can accept we didn't have any H/C, I would really have liked the drama to emphasize that particular thing. We were talking about how good the drama was at "show don't tell" but it faltered here for me. But it's because of a script problem, I think. They're running out of time (they spent too much time/episodes on target n° 4 I think) and need to wrap everything up so they glossed over it and moved on, trusting that the viewers are sufficiently invested in the YS/NN pairing that they can fill in the gaps on their own.
When YS came back home after the aquarium scene and ajusshi saw him, I thought there would be a short scene about how shell-shocked YS looked but no, we got some comic relief about the state of his clothes and then we were back to the revenge plan.
Speaking of the revenge, I did like YS using his brains and being all badass here. It almost made up for the lack of OTP interaction (which I did notice this time while it didn't bother me in episode 17). In case you haven't seen the rest of the episode when you read this, I'll just say that what he does with that dime coin is so freakingly cool. YS, I love you. And you can see that Prosecutor is impressed and also tacitely approves of YS as a person, if not his methods.
It must be galling for YJ to see that the Law can fail him and that it ties his hands sometimes, leaving YS free to swoop in and save the day with his unorthodox methods. We were talking about YS's inferority complex yesterday and I think that YJ has one as well: he's fiercely determined to go by the book but I bet that deep down he wishes he could bring down the baddies as effectively as YS does. He would not do it of course but I'm sure he tought "What if ...." at least once.
With episode 18, I could definitely see a sort of uneasy partnership between YJ and YS in the future (beyond the scope of the drama, in a hypothetical season 2). They wouldn't work together but be frenemies walking on parallel roads. YJ would come to accept that sometimes the Law can't touch some people and YS would pretty much continue as he's been doing ( I think he already really respects YJ and what he believes in). It would be a continuation of the cat and mouse game they've been playing, only a more friendly one.
So yeah, first little disappointment for me but it doesn't dimish my love for the drama. It will always have a special place in my heart. The last 2 episodes won't make it or break it for me but they will determine whether this will go down as one of my favorite drama of all time (as in in my Top 5) or if it will just be a drama I loved and will rewatch from time to time.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 12:27 pm (UTC)OMG, I thought I was the only one who felt something was a little off in some of the rescue - YS didn't looked freaked out enough. This is basically his worst nightmare come true. In retrospect, I was fine with no huge realization of "I will stay alive for her" thing because at that point LMH really was very expressive - you could see the exact moment she broke him - but also because to me it was a culmination of a long slow process - he was waivering step-by-step, so slowly but inexorably, because he really can't be without her, and that was the straw that broke the camel"s back. Would I have liked a big dramatic scene? Heck yeah - emotional catharthis felt rather missing there, even if narratively it made sense. I know they are rushed or time but the romance needs a big payoff as does anything else and sure, we had it in ep 12 but we need more after everything they have been through since then and I am worried that due to plot cramming we won't get it.
The ahjusshi not commenting about obviously shellshocked YS also goes into "pressed for time" category but in order to cram the plot in, they are cutting emotional beats which are the heart of the show for me.
Ok, I should stop griping. This week was the first that disappointed me, but it's still an excellent drama.
I do wonder why, even with its hit ratings, there never was even a rumor about extention.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 12:52 pm (UTC)Which makes me hope like crazy that some OTP scenes were shot but just edited out and that we'll get a D-cut when the dvds come out.
It *is* weird that there haven't been rumors of an extension, yes. Maybe some of the actors are already committed to other projects and it is widely known in Korea? I wish I could say that this is the sign that, rather than an extension, they are going for a season 2 but really, who am I kidding? Second seasons are practically unheard of in Korean dramas. And I'm not sure how I would feel about that anyway. I can see the enormous potential but I can also see how it could all easily be a huge disappointment.
I too am glad I'm not the only one that felt the rescue scene was a bit off! I'd been wondering if I was maybe expecting too much. I agree with your assessment that because of YS's step-by-step wavering we didn't really need a big scene. I mean, I'm sure even YS himself knew he wouldn't be able to continue on like this even before Nana got abducted. It's the frustrated shipper in us that wants to get some more emotions from the characters. YS driving back home and vowing to himself he'd come back alive was all we got and it didn't cut it for me.
As you say, the emotional stuff is what made the drama so great. It was a revenge drama with a soul and not a bloodbath to show us how badass everyone is.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 12:59 pm (UTC)I haven't heard of either LMH or PMY having anything else but who knows. It's interesting, because Mawang was 20 eps and was paced perfectly (but I am biased and I think it is a perfect drama) but a lot of revenge dramas are 24 eps for a reason!
Speaking of revenge, honesty, I know I sound like a pusher, but Dog/Wolf! Skip the boring childhood eps and it gets so good! If you want, I can post select caps and clips to help you decide whether it's you thing. Plus, honestly, I think the male lead is the most messed-up kdrama hero I've seen ever. And there are lots of make-outs!
I don't think kdramas ever do second seasons - even when it's labeled as such, it never really is - Queen of Reversals and Athena come to mind.
I wish dramas would be entirely preshot, but that is a huge production risk, I understand. And sometimes fan outcry does result in a better outcome - QoR, seon Deok etc.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 01:26 pm (UTC)I haven't forgotten about Dog/Wolf, I promise! I got side-tracked a bit --ok, I admit I let myself be side-tracked. I have an aversion to Lee Jun Ki for some reason so I was biding my time and clearing out my backlog first. But I've just convinced someone who hates Lee Min Ho to watch City Hunter to see if she'd change her mind about him so I can do no less than to watch a drama with LJK to see if I can get over my aversion.
I think I'll watch Que Sera Sera (which you mention in your MY response) first though. Eric....yum. 'nough said.
I'm with you about the preshot thing. It's a dangerous weapon. On the whole I think it would do more good than harm but Korea isn't ready for it anyway so that's a moot point. And boy, did I love what happened in QSD. Ah, Bidam.....
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 01:44 pm (UTC)Another problem with preshooting is what if you don't secure a slot? That's a lot of money down the drain.
I swear, LJK in Dog/Wolf both looks and acts utterly different than I've seen him anywhere else (he looks so diff actually, I probably wouldn't have recognized him if I didn't know it was him).
Eric is so ridiculously hot, it's insane. His dramas are hit-and-miss for me, but when he is on, he is on. Hooray for QSS!!!
I am on soompi a lot and lurk in CH thread (I tend not to post on soompi outside of sageuk threads, a little too crazy) so I'll totally let you know if something pops up.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-22 02:12 pm (UTC)The preshooting stuff, yeah...it happened to Birdie Buddy. Although it wasn't planned to be a pre-shot drama they went ahead and filmed everything and then they still couldn't get a slot. IIRC, a cable chanel finally picked it up but I'm sure they lost some huge amounts of money.
A different LJK is potentially a better LJK so that works for me. I'll finish Someday and QSS and will come back to Dog/Wolf.
Thank for letting me know if anything happens on the dvd front over at Soompi!
Okay, I'm off to re-enter real life now. My horses are having too much of a holiday (not that they're complaining I bet) these days and I do need to see some people as well.
i'll be back to the drama world tonight.
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-23 01:03 am (UTC)Bidam had the best death scene ever.
Hope you had an awesome day!
Re: Aquarium scene + more ep 18 stuff
Date: 2011-07-23 05:19 pm (UTC)I did have a great day, thank you!
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 04:13 pm (UTC)But I did scream "MAKE OUT ALREADY!!". Seriously, our OTP hasn't kissed in forever EVEN THOUGH we've had a billion scenes of them lying down staring at each other!
The whole interaction between YS and the President made me sad. All I kept thinking was "Damn, this is gonna hurt later!"... the higher the climb, the bigger the fall.
And during the last scene, when YS bursted through the room I couldn't think of anything else except "Your cover! Where's the mask?! This is it, you're busted!"
no subject
Date: 2011-07-21 11:12 pm (UTC)Seriously, think of all the tension they could work off!
Exactly, tie a scarf over your face or something!
The Pres-YS stuff just made me sad because it's such a could-have-been if Target 4 did not interfere or Undaddy was not a psycho kidnapper.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-22 07:00 am (UTC)Also, while I loved him flipping that asshole to death, now that head bodyguard saw the moment, he'll think that YS was the one who did the inside job so I'm really not thrilled by what this means.
I didn't want to see JP die at the hands of the thugs, as I really think he's going to die saving YS's life. But, I couldn't believe YS just flew in there without a mask. Although, it's not like his mask is much of a disguise when he doesn't cover his hair - like, how don't people connect that the tall, lanky, well dressed dude with bangs and kickass martial arts skills is YS?
I gotta say, the viki team is taking some time with ep 18. Only 85%? What's up with that? Hee.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-23 01:04 am (UTC)Yeah, how many guys that tall are even around? Way to hide self, YS!
Prosec needs a good smack.