Nice Guy - episode 2
Sep. 15th, 2012 10:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousie
If episode 1 reeled me in, episode 2 confirmed my enslavement. I haven't felt something so intense, so capable of striking me straight into the solar plexus for a long time (I feel drained after each episode). I feel deeply for both Maru and Eun Gi (but especially Maru - I am unhealthily overinvested in him already. I worry what shape I will be in by the end). The rest of them? Nuke them from orbit!
It really reminds me of A Love to Kill, with its self-destructive revenge, damaged and almost destroyed protagonists. Which is worrisome because we know how ALTK ended.
I just like the opening shot.
The way he almost collapses there, in the plane, brought down by his encounter with Jae Hee, realizing that any hope, however farfetched, is over. Brought face to face with the fact that he threw away his life for nothing.
Am I the only one who finds his friend so annoying I want to push mute every time he opens his mouth? Also, ffs, stop robbing it in for him!
Maru remembering Jae Hee and himself in happier days. The thing that struck me the most was that even back then he was the ultimate caretaker by nature (probably had to - he seems to be the one who took care of his sister, their parents are not around). It makes his reflexive sacrifice for Jae Hee fall into context. And the fact that he will seek revenge, that he's transformed into user and/or avenger from this selfless caretaker. It's a tragedy.
We all know the premise of NG is that he will seek revenge on Jae Hee. So what really shocked me here is that after it all, he still just planned to forget her and have her be happy. Oh, Maru!
Choco is immature, self-absorbed and kinda a bitch (the way she throws into Maru's face that he left her when she was sick to go help Jae Hee and so it's his fault she is that sick now - wtf, lady, he is supporting you! And the way Maru just shatters because of these words!). But she is also the only thing Maru has that ties him to the world of the living (I didn't need the friend to tell us that). Which, once again, worryingly reminds me of ALTK, when the one thing that kept Bong Gu going was his emotional debt to that burned girl and when she released him, that was it. Hello double suicide.
He is in his own personal hell and I desperately want him and Eun Gi to fix each other, to make it better, to enable them to live, even if temporarily, not just to exist.
Jae Hee stopped by with money and Maru's face. Because that signifies that what he did for her is a debt that can be paid off with money (despite her words to him when he took the fall), that his love and loyalty and his very life can be purchased with money, that he is a thing to her.
Symbolic, isn't it?
Yup, you gave your soul to a weak, selfish bitch.
Maru and Eun Gi are very much alike despite the class difference, and that just gets confirmed by us finding out she once took a fall for an ex too (on a much smaller crime and when she had the cushion of money to help but still). Oh.
He comes to return the money and it kills me that his hand shakes when he thinks of pressing the button and then he does not - just slides the money and leaves. He really does not expect anything, he is so beaten down.
Surprise! Because Eun Gi asked her where the money went, Jae Hee lied and to cover it, se lodged a complaint with the police that she gave money to Maru due to blackmail. Oh God, I want you to die, woman! I want you to go to jail forever and emerge poor and alone and unloved by everyone, because that is what monsters deserve. (Can I tell I am a little invested?) And here is Maru, trying to calm his sister, quiet and polite with the officers, not even angry, just asking their permission to borrow an umbrella. It's the beaten-down meekness that gets me worst of all.
I love how Eun Gi is distorted here, just like her soul is twisted by everything around her.
This scene! My favorite in the episode. Jae Hee takes a breath (or dozen) and says that he blackmailed her (because she will always, always put herself first). And you see some small final spark of hope, of humanity, die in Maru's eyes. And scarily, I am cheering, I want her destroyed!
Jae Hee gets the money back. Oh God, I viscerally viscerally want to claw my computer when she's on screen.
What a horrifying, brutal, emotionally and physically abusive scene. Eun Gi is as broken and as brutalized as Maru is, even if they express it differently - Maru internalizing and Eun Gi lashing out.
Every scene between Jae Hee and Eun Gi bristles. Jae Hee is terrifying.
How our three leads spend the night, quite a contrast.
He comes home only to discover his sister got sick from the rain and is in the hospital.
And this is the moment he decides to get vengeance - SJK is insanely good and you can see the precise moment in his eyes. And it kills me that even with everything, even with the frame-up, he was willing to let it go. It was the harm to his sister, the sister he abandoned to protect Jae Hee, that finally snaps something in him.
Ooooh, time skip, I imagine! What a great first(ish) meeting, and one he clearly planned (well, not her having an accident and almost falling off a cliff, but the bike race, certainly).
I am not sure how my sanity is going to hold through the end, but I am willing to find out!
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Date: 2012-09-16 02:52 am (UTC)gosh, that scene in the police station when he just looks at her, and his eyes say everything w/o ever uttering a word.
I'm kinda not on Eunki's side yet because of how antagonistic she is toward Jaehui and not placing any of the blame on her father. I just hate it when a woman always get labeled the seducer. It takes two to tango and her father's the squicky one for marrying someone his daughter's age.
I really hope there is redemption for everyone though. No, I demand redemption. Otherwise it'd be a big F U from the writer to her characters and us.
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Date: 2012-09-16 02:58 am (UTC)I don't blame EG because it's very hard for a child to disassociate herself from her father (especially since it's clear Daddy forstered an unhealthy relationship). I think they are both equal level of scum - JH and Daddy - but EG loves Daddy after all, while she didn't know JH from a wall until she married into the family. It is very human to only lash out at the latter (especially since EG is powerless vis-a-vis Daddy clearly).
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Date: 2012-09-16 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 10:35 pm (UTC)ETA: I get the feeling Daddy wouldn't like it if EG was nice to anyone.
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Date: 2012-09-16 06:39 am (UTC)I'm hoping for redemption for Maru and Eun Gi (don't really care about the others TBH, though I am curious to get more of Jae Hee's backstory/motivation) as well, though I am not holding my breath. This is my first melodrama and I am preparing myself for the worst, even though I desperately want to see these two heal each other.
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Date: 2012-09-16 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 02:59 am (UTC)see what I mean about his eyes, and how you can pinpoint the exact moment he goes over to the dark side! SJK is absolutely amazing. and of course I can't wait for him to crush jaehee, even though I know it'll probably be at Eungi's expense-- I have to admit that while I like Eungi as well, I'm pretty much in it 99.9% for Maru.
I do really like that there are no perfect/one dimensional characters, though. I even like Choco and his friend despite how annoying they can get. I think that in Choco's case she doesn't really mean the harsh things she says-- she probably feels that guilt tripping is the only leverage she has (to ensure that he won't leave her again), seeing as she completely freaked out at the possibility of the police officers taking him away again. Which is incredibly unhealthy of course but honestly, what real relationship in that situation would be? I also totally love how his friend isn't above guilt tripping/subtly dissing Jaehee for abandoning Maru LOLOLOLOL (even if it backfired because she is a total bitch). Even Jaehee isn't flat/completely evil- I hate her guts but at the same time I'm glad they're really taking measures to try to flesh her out as a character.
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Date: 2012-09-16 03:09 am (UTC)I want Maru to crush JH so thoroughly, no pieces remain. Even if he is destroyed in the process. I think I am just vindictive.
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Date: 2012-09-16 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 03:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 05:54 am (UTC)and yeah, it's definitely the darkest i've seen from her. I loved that about ALTK but at the same time it's kind of sad because I don't think NG or ALTK were ever the type of drama to hit it big ratings wise-- it's just way too depressing/understated for the average korean audience. as opposed to Thank You, which had the humor/heart to charm the masses and ended up sweeping up the number one spot/all the awards. I definitely have the feeling NG is going to be a mania drama, with lower ratings but a devoted fanbase.
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Date: 2012-09-16 03:45 am (UTC)Yeah, I'm totally into Nice Guy.
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Date: 2012-09-16 03:54 am (UTC)Everyone's acting is amazing in NG but I think the drama rests on SJK's shoulders. Luckily, he's more than up to the task.
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Date: 2012-09-16 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 03:59 am (UTC)I'm not much for melodramas, tragic endings make me cry too much, so this will be pretty new to me. I think what struck me most about the drama so far is Maru and Joong Ki's restraint. There's this sense of holding back, not showing or allowing himself to care, to emote. I was expecting more emotional outbursts, so I like what I see so far.
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Date: 2012-09-16 04:03 am (UTC)I actually like that we actually get to see him change into vengeance seeker not skip that part entirely and have nice doc Maru and then blam - dark avenge Maru, with no in between.
Every illness is fatal in a kdrama :)
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Date: 2012-09-17 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 04:04 am (UTC)Can't wait for the real interaction between Maru and Chae Won because the chemistry is just insane. Yes so I'm still getting shades of ALTK (which is very good) along with the amazing soundtrack.
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Date: 2012-09-16 04:08 am (UTC)Eun Gi has had an awful life - not quite as bad as Maru but still...I want them to find salvation with each other.
Jae Hee is so very awful but in a very human way.
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Date: 2012-09-16 05:04 am (UTC)Yep I see JH as not being intentionally malicious but when push comes to shove she will do anything to protect herself no matter what.
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Date: 2012-09-16 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 04:18 am (UTC)It's *such* a comfort to know that if we implode, we'll implode together. :)
The way he almost collapses there, in the plane, brought down by his encounter with Jae Hee, realizing that any hope, however farfetched, is over.
I said it before, but this was really the searing image for me, in a remarkable episode for all three. And I don't think I loved him more than I did right there and then. It upsets me when some people describe him as "weak" because I honestly don't know how you could be weak and go through what he did the way he did. Because it wasn't just his reunion with Jae-Hee that undid him. It was being called to perform something he tried to forget for the past six years--save a life. It was so painful to him that his first reaction was to walk away from Eun-Gi and ignore the repeated urgent calls for medical help. And then he had to save her life in the midst of the worst emotional hell that was gutting him inside and out, and as if that wasn't bad enough, Jae-Hee drove the knife even deeper (unintentional as it may have been, I do realize she was truly scared herself), shouting at him "You're not even a doctor!!". He put it all aside, all of his hurt and emotional hell aside, to save Eun-Gi and he only collapsed when he got out. I defy anyone to react half as well as he did.
I also don't understand why some people think he has to go vengeful on Jae-Hee so soon. It's not in him to go nuclear on somebody, certainly not the woman he loved all his life, however undeserving she may have been of that love. Give him time to process all of that. And it's like you said in episode 1. It's not just the depth of her betrayals that's tough to deal with. It's the self-loathing that knowledge brings on--how could I have thrown away my whole life, my sister's life, my whole dreams for her? Whether it's his sister or his own strength (or both) that's keeping him from losing his grip on his sanity, he's going through a minefield of emotions and whatever revenge he decides to taken on Jae-Hee is not going to happen on the spur of the moment.
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Date: 2012-09-16 04:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 10:41 pm (UTC)I don't think Maru is weak. He was naive, before (even if Jae Hee wasn't selfish to the bone, giving up your life like that would have never led to anything good) but he is remarkably strong.
It's a great observation about how it wasn't just seeing JH that undid him, it's coming face to face with everything he lost for her (he wanted to be a doctor since childhood).
I also like that it's gradual - his descent into wanting vengeance. It makes sense - it's not one big event, it's death by a thousand cuts that finally gets him. It's the gradual realization of his helplessness and his loss and the worthlessness of his sacrifice and his guilt towards his sister.
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Date: 2012-09-16 05:04 am (UTC)I will be in the minority and say that Eun Gi is the character I'm most invested in. In fact, I'm already kind of angry at Maru in advance for hurting her. I love that she is so tough and even capable of being mean, rather than the usual sweet, unequivocally good-natured heroine. I just hope she doesn't change too much after she gets amnesia.
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Date: 2012-09-16 09:41 pm (UTC)I like Eun Gi (though am more into Maru) and hope they both walk away from this happier than they started. But we'll see.
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Date: 2012-09-16 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 07:19 am (UTC)I really want them to team up as well. I could see MR trying to get close in order to get EG to trust him so they can take down JH together. I wonder what will happen when she loses her memory? Will she disappear and JH gain power? I think the actor playing EG's dad is only supposed to appear in a few episodes. I wonder if he dies and JH takes over the company. Then maybe MR has to to help EG regain her rightful place and take down JH at the same time?
Honestly I'm glad that I can't tell where the script is heading. It's been a while since I've seen a drama this unpredictable.
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Date: 2012-09-16 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 09:38 pm (UTC)Re: Jae Hee. I think she is awful. Sure, one should have a healthy self-regard but a normal person balances a 'I want stuff' attitude with making sure that doesn't ruin the lives around her. Maru wasn't exactly the mentally healthiest person around the block even before the jail term because a normal person doesn't do what he did, but if Jae Hee had any conscience, she would never accept. Just because you know your boyfriend, one you supposedly love, is a soft touch with a martyr complex, you don't take advantage of it! Even if he is not a boyfriend you love but a random person, you don't do that. (Btw, it's clear whatever went on in that hotel room, it wasn't a 'somehow they ended up in hotel room, dude tried to rape her, she brained him.' It shows she was there to get some papers from that guy on chairman's orders and probably killed him trying to get those papers.
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Date: 2012-09-16 11:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-16 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-17 08:06 am (UTC)Addicted to this page...a thread? Can't help myself to check it after the NG episode aired.
You did great, dangermousie! Keep it up!
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Date: 2012-09-17 06:13 pm (UTC)*blushing*