I just discovered that sometimes its harder to write a recap after digesting the episode for a longer period of time. Incubating episode 9 of Mary Stayed Out All Night (Marry Me, Mary!) in my head all day rather disrupted my usual thought flow. After watching the episode, I was brimming with things to say. Once I sat down to put finger to keyboard, somewhere along the way I lost the urgency to discuss. But don’t worry, the more I write, the more my inspiration will come back to me. And no, I’m totally not drunk. I have the alcohol tolerance of a stevedore in the body of a tiny chipmunk. I think I must have been Irish or Korean in my past life.
Speaking of drinking – there’s been a noticeable dearth of drinking in M3 lately. After episodes of people getting drunk left and right, suddenly everyone is sober and somber. I get that the story is getting serious, but I wish for the return of at least one fun drunken interlude between Mae Ri and Mu Gyul. But of course, if all that happens instead is more kissing scenes like the one in the alleyway between our lovers, then I am more than satisfied with that as well.
At this point, M3 to me is like a drama version of a good romance novel. Allow me to explain. The story centers only around the lovers, everyone else is a caricature or plot device. The story doesn’t make much sense if you put an ounce of thought into it, but you kinda don’t care since the plot contrivances serve to put the lovers in close proximity to each other and manufacture the type of conflict that allows them to work out the understanding that they love each other. The quality of a romance novel may be nowhere near that of a stellar literary work, but when I crave a nice juicy romance novel, I have no qualms with picking one up and consuming it like candy. M3 is a good romance novel because it has a pairs of lovers I adore to pieces, who have amazing chemistry with each other. That is more than enough for me.
This was very critical episode for M3 – straddling both the sweetness of Mae RI and Mu Gyul’s burgeoning love for each other, while setting up the land mines that threaten to detonate their relationship in myriad of ways. I’m not just talking about the ending to episode 9 (which is a non-issue for me and should be for Mae Ri as well), I’m talking about all the discussions Mae Ri had with both Mu Gyul and Jung In that allude to the issues that define both guys that may affect her relationship with them going forward.
Jung In is still on the please-my-daddy train, working through his loneliness, desire to succeed in his career, and general WTF-ery that even I can’t figure out. Let me put it this way – Jung In is a cypher, truly a very poorly written character that I struggle to add more depth than he really has. Reminds me of Jung Il Woo‘s moronic second lead in My Fair Lady, except Jung In has a valid reason to be angtsy with an abusive devil daddy. On the other hand, Mu Gyul’s abandonment issues which lead to his commitment phobia is a very serious obstacle to his relationship with Mae Ri. Not that Mae Ri couldn’t be understanding enough to try to work it out with him, but I worry the process can really strain their tender and precarious relationship.
Seo Jun, whom I haven’t talked about for a few episodes now, is back in action doing the stupidest and most incomprehensible thing ever. It’s not that what she did was incomprehensible, it’s that she was the one who did it that makes no sense to me. Her character is even more poorly written than Jung In’s, and at this point, them two getting together would be like pairing up the three-legged dog with the one-eared cat and hoping you get a one whole animal out of it. I want to care about them finding happiness, but the writers refuse to write them with more sincerity and relatable motivation. Which leaves me no choice but to zone out whenever they show up in this episode.
Episode 9 Recap:
The camera slowly pans down to a pair of young lovers kissing in a darkened narrow alley. Mu Gyul ends the kiss, and slowly draws back. They look at each other, tentative and tremulous. A ringing phone interrupts any chance they have to discuss what just happened. It’s Jung In calling for Mae Ri, who is uncertain what to do. Mu Gyul tells her to just answer it, and when she hesitates, he says in the gentlest of tones that he can answer it for her if she wants.
She declines with a wan smile, and answers the phone to discover that Jung In is in front of Mu Gyul’s apartment. Jung In is confronted by Seo Jun about his deception with respect to Mae Ri being his fiancee. Again, Seo Jun’s issues with not being told stuff make ZERO sense, but Jung In at least makes an attempt to explain that it was too complicated to just discuss.
She’s about to bitch some more when she sees Mu Gyul and Mae Ri turn the corner and arrive back at the apartment. Her eyes narrow at the handcuffs binding them, and their intertwined hands. She stalks off, and its Jung In’s turn to look at them with starey eyes. Jung In asks the cuffed duo what is going on, and the band mates arrive right on time to release Mu Gyul and Mae Ri.
Jung In grabs the key and releases only Mae Ri, telling her that they are late and takes her hand proactively and tries to leave. Mae Ri tells him that she can’t go to the engagement party with him. When Jung In continues to try and leave, Mu Gyul forcefully tells him that Mae Ri emphatically told him that she’s not going!
The world’s most uncomfortable threesome end up back inside Mu Gyul’s apartment. Mae Ri tells Jung In that she wants to follow her heart (clearly towards Mu Gyul) and cannot get engaged under these circumstances. Jung In reminds her that they are about to get engaged this very night, so isn’t it a little late for some reflection? Mae Ri apologies, acknowledging that her timing isn’t ideal. Mu Gyul reaches over and grabs her hands in comfort, a reassurance that he is there for her. They look at each other, and Jung In looks at them looking at each other, clearly aware that he’s pretty much the third party here. Mae Ri honestly tells Jung In that she intends to treasure the relationship she has (with Mu Gyul).
Jung In tells Mae Ri that he can cancel the engagement party, but what are they planning to do going forward? Mu Gyul tells Jung In that it’s none of his business. Jung In disagrees – the problem concerns the three of them, and the only solution is for them to continue the 100 day contract. As much as Mae Ri wants to fulfill her dad’s wishes, Jung In wishes for his drama production to succeed. Jung In walks out, and finally lets his real feelings loose, looking rather taken aback by the events of the evening. He has the unenviable task of telling the two dads that the engagement won’t take place because Mae Ri cried too much at her mother’s grave and is incapacitated. He gets major kudos for staving off the daddys’ rage at the thwarted engagement.
Loser daddy goes home and confronts Mae Ri – is she refusing to get engaged because of “that guy”? Mae Ri tells her dad that Mu Gyul is not a bad guy, and her dad tells her that bad guys don’t exactly tattoo it on their forehead. He confesses that her mom passed early from stress and hard work, having married a guy like him. He doesn’t want the same fate for her! Mu Gyul calls right at that moment, and loser dad takes the phone away from Mae Ri and warns Mu Gyul not to call again or attempt to see Mae Ri. Douchebag of a loser daddy, I hate your guts!
Devil daddy’s fallen ill from the “shock” of the engagement not taking place, and I put in an extra prayer tonight that he bites it in episode 10. Back in Casa de Mu Gyul, his mom is modeling outfits for her move to Paris, while Mu Gyul makes paper airplanes that he flies around the room. Mom recognizes the paper airplanes as something Mu Gyul used to make as a kid when he missed her. Mu Gyul asks her if she’s for sure moving to Paris, and the self-absorbed beeyotch says that she’s excited to move there, and runs outside to take a call from her boyfriend.
Mu Gyul crumbles up the paper in his hand, and the next scene is some pitch-perfect exquisite acting by Jang Geun Seok, utterly nuanced and subtle in expressing his sadness, longing, and loneliness. As a kid, he used to throw paper planes at his mother’s window, but she would pretend he didn’t exist to whatever boyfriend she had, and then shoo him away.
After she leaves, Mu Gyul goes outside, and the pain in Mu Gyul’s face during this scene made me cry so badly – kid emotional abuse pushes all my wrong buttons. Mu Gyul tries to hold back the tears, but the look on his face is so raw that I really wished his mom had died when he was a kid rather than lived yet neglected him to this degree. He walks away ever so dejectedly.
Mae Ri is back in her room and is thinking back to her kiss with Jung In and her kiss with Mu Gyul. She hears a pat pat sound outside, and opens the window to find that Mu Gyul was throwing paper airplanes at her window. She smiles at him and waves, and he smiles at her with the biggest brightest smile ever accompanied by a large wave that speaks volumes. This scene – the antithesis of what his mother did to him as a kid – may have been deliberately staged, but nonetheless was poignant and meaningful because, O.M.G. how awesome was it that Mae Ri responded and welcomed Mu Gyul’s affection when his mom so dismissed it, then when Mu Gyul was a kid, and now when Mu Gyul is an adult. It kills me that Mu Gyul is so cognizant of his mother’s absolute lack of dependability and responsible love towards him, yet he still craves and hopes for it like a five year old child would.
The rest of the scene is utter perfection. I almost want to stop recapping here because I want to bask in the happiness they inject into their interactions with each other. Mae Ri gestures that her dad took away her cell phone, and Mu Gyul smiles and nods his understanding of her situation. Mae Ri asks whether Mu Gyul is cold, and he gestures that he’s okay. When she mouths that she misses him, he mouths right back that he misses her. This freaking scene made me tear up again for now meaningful it was, despite its simplicity and ordinariness.
Mae Ri sneaks out to meet Mu Gyul, but she puts a pillow beneath her dad’s head and covers him up with a blanket first. The lovers walks to the Han River and enjoy the view from a bridge. Mae Ri confesses that she’s been dreaming of coming to the bridge with her boyfriend. But first she yells out that she’s done for! When Mu Gyul asks what she means, Mae Ri explains that she means that she fell in love with Mu Gyul. This leads Mu Gyul to laugh and yell out the same phrase.
They notice that it will be a full moon soon, and Mae Ri naturally wonders whether their relationship will ebb and flow like the moon. Mu Gyul looks at her and promises that this time, he will be serious. Mae Ri asks Mu Gyul whether he’s serious about this decision? And what I love is that she doesn’t need this promise from him first before daring to love him – she loves wholeheartedly, and hopes that he will love her back the same way. What held Mae Ri back earlier was not her worry that being with a guy like Mu Gyul will end in heartache because he’ll end up bailing as he always does (which is a totally legitimate concern), but she was restrained by his request that she not fall in love with him. Once they opened up to their mutual violation of that self-imposed ban, they wholeheartedly want to give this relationship a go – fears, worries, and disapproving parents included, They lean into one another, and Mae Ri hopes that their relationship will work out because they’ve hurt so many people in the process.
Mae Ri wishes she can see the ocean, and My Gyul immediately asks her if she wants to go right now to see the sunrise. The two of them agree to Go Go Go, and take off in the van. I love how spontaneous they are, especially since they are free-spirited youngsters in the first throes of love. They get in a cute spat when they discover that they are lost and headed in the wrong direction. Things get worse when their van breaks down as well. Jung In goes to Mae Ri’s place early in the morning, wanting to take her to the arboretum, but discover that she’s not home.
They go to a repair shop to get the car fixed, and Mae Ri borrows Mu Gyul’s phone to call her friends and ask them to let her dad know she is alright. Jung In calls Mu Gyul’s phone, and Mae Ril tells Jung In that they have nothing further to discuss, and then Mu Gyul grabs the phone and tells Jung In not to call Mae Ri any more. Our OTP then get into a spat about how each always cave into their respective parent’s unreasonable demands.
Jung In gets a call from Seo Jun, who is feeling stifled and wants to go out. They end up at the bookstore, and Seo Jun picks up a book on Walden, the same book Mae Ri looked at when Jung In gave her the library as a present. Seo Jun confesses she likes the book solely because of Mu Gyul, which clarifies a new understanding in Jung In’s mind.
Mae Ri and Mu Gyul are napping in the office of the car repair shop, and are awoken when the van is fixed. Both apologize to each other for being so snappy earlier, attributing it to a lack of sleep. They both lament having to go back, since it means Mae Ri will be locked up again and they won’t be able to see each other. Mu Gyul maturely states that they will have to ask her father’s permission and make him accept the situation. They decide to take the rest of the day for a side trip to think about their future.
Loser daddy gets Mae Ri’s friends to call Mu Gyul’s band mates to track then down. Mu Gyul has taken Mae Ri to a camping spot he visited last year during a Rock Festival. The arrive at their cabin and are so tired both just lay down on the ground. Mu Gyul lays out his arm as a resting place for Mae Ri’s head. Mu Gyul just stares at Mae Ri, and when she asks why, he honestly replies that this is the first time they’ve laid like this. He leans in to kiss her, and she asks him to stop, saying that its bright outside and this is so embarrassing. She says they should go out and have fun, even though cat Mu Gyul nestles into her back and tells her its cold outside and they should just stay in and talk. Heh, talk my left butt cheek.
Jung In has taken Seo Jun to the same marketplace he went with Mae Ri. They enjoy a casual meal together, and the ahjumma of the food stalls remarks that Seo Jun is so beautiful that she should be an entertainer, and wonders if the handsome fella next to her is her boyfriend. Both Jung In and Seo Jun feel relaxed in this environment.
Mae Ri and Mu Gyul enjoy the campgrounds, going for a bike ride and strolling through the woods. The start a fire and sit down next to the van to enjoy the warmth. They see a family of four nearby, and Mae Ri notes that they are the perfect family, the kids having a mother and a father. Mae Ri whether Mu Gyul ever dreamed about starting a family like this, and he honestly responds that he hasn’t. Families like this seem like CF commercials, unrealistic in his world and upbringing.
Its funny how Mae Ri is the exact opposite – this type of perfect family is exactly what she dreamed of when was a kid. Mu Gyul realizes their completely diametrical views based on the same dysfunctional childhood. For Mu Gyul, without any parental figures, he’s always doubted that he could be a father or a husband, hence his dating without commitments approach in the past. He continues by saying all the girls are the same, loving him for being so cool in the beginning, then gradually starting to nag him. Mae Ri promises never to nag him, and then asks him to teach her how to play the guitar, since she’s the girlfriend of a rock star now.
Seo Jun is strumming the guitar in Jung In’s office, and she remarks that her family wanted her to marry a man like Jung In. But she considered that robbing her of her freedom in life, and Mu Gyul shared the same sentiment that marriage was akin to being bound like a slave. But now Seo Jun wonders whether that sentiment was in fact the too naive and idealistic?
Mu Gyul and Mae Ri see an elderly couple strolling past them, and both remark that its so remarkable to see such a sight. That is what both aspire to. Mu Gyul thinks that to live and grow old together, love is not enough, and Mae Ri concurs by adding that loyalty is what is needed. Mu Gyul tells Mae Ri that is the person is her, then he thinks that might be possible. She nestles into his shoulder, content in the moment. He asks if she wants ti go back to the cabin to rest, and she declines, just wanting to savor the moment a little longer. She worries about her dad’s reaction, but Mu Gyul reassures her that they simply need to be honest and forthright with him and make it work. He kisses her on the forehead as she sinks deeper against him.
Mu Gyul is reading a book in the cabin, and the camera pans away to show Mae Ri asleep deeply on the floor. Mu Gyul yawns and lays down to rest next to her, but not before tendering kissing her forehead first. Mu Gyul wakes up to find loser daddy next to him, to his shock and dismay. Loser daddy informs Mu Gyul that he’s already taken Mae Ri home, and that he’s to stay away from her in the future.
But Mu Gyul and Mae Ri manage to go before loser daddy back in their apartment in Seoul, asking for permission to date. Loser daddy refuses, and Mu Gyul leaves promising to return to keep asking for permission. Mae Ri wants to run after him but is restrained by loser daddy. When she breaks free and runs outside, Mu Gyul is gone but she runs into Jung In. He asks her to visit devil daddy with him, who is sick. Mae Ri is reluctant to continue the charade, by devil daddy lights up upon seeing Mae Ri and she doesn’t have the heart to burst his bubble.
Loser daddy thinks Mu Gyul is with Mae Ri and goes to track her down. He runs into flighty mom, and both start arguing, only to end up reminiscing about how hard it for was for each of them to raise their respective kid as a single parent. Mu Gyul is drinking with his band mates, as they lament the life of a musician and how inadequate it is to support and family and confidently get married. Mu Gyul sends his mom a text that he misses her.
Later that might, Mu Gyul asks his mom whether she’s ever going to consider getting married. She’s surprised he’s curious about this subject, and confesses that marriage and her just don’t suit. She’s got no confidence she can make it work. But Mom follows up with the thought that as she gets older, she does worry that she will end up a lonely older lady with no one by her side. That’s why she wants to go to Paris with her boyfriend. Mu Gyul reminds his mom that she always has him by her side. She laughs, but asks what will happen to Mu Gyul?
Mae Ri comes home to find her dad ready to interrogate her. She confesses that she went to visit devil daddy, but its not because her heart has moved away from Mu Gyul. Loser daddy tells her that he will never approve of Mu Gyul. Loser daddy doesn’t trust Mu Gyul – the boy is a playboy through and through. Mae Ri tells her dad that Mu Gyul is serious about her. Dad worries that Mu Gyul’s upbringing is too dark, and he’s unable to treat her right.
Mae Ri tells her dad that Mu Gyul is actually quite sweet and loveable, and refuses to give him up. She doesn’t want to lose out on her first love by using objective barometers of suitability as a judge. Dad warns her that focusing on a first love isn’t the recipe for a lifetime of happiness. Look at her mom – choosing her first love a guy like him, and living such a difficult like and dying young. Loser daddy doesn’t want Mae Ri to end up the same way. Mae Ri explains that being with Mu Gyul is the happiest she has ever felt in her entire lonely upbringing, and loser daddy has nothing to respond to that.
Ji Entertainment is building the set for Wonderful Day, and Seo Jun is touring along with Jung In. Lee An arrives, and like the diva he is, asks that the set be warm so that he can perform his craft. Jung In pulls Seo Jun aside and asks if she can work with Mu Gyul, and she maturely says that she will be fine working with him. Mu Gyul leaves the music academy, and calls Mae Ri to ask her to cook him her jige (stew). She agrees, and says that she will be by with the ingredients as soon as she is done with her work assisting the drama director. Mu Gyul is so gentle and sweet with Mae Ri on the phone, but when he hands up, his mind flashes back to loser daddy telling him that Mae Ri doesn’t need to date anyone, she needs to marry a man who will take good care of her.
Jung In finds Mu Gyul outside the music academy, and the two men sit down for a pretty boy pow-wow. Jung In cuts right to the chase – he wants to talk about work, but first they need to discuss Mae Ri. Jung In asks Mu Gyul whether he’s ready to get married. Mu Gyul asks why he needs to be, and Jung In replies that HE has made the preparation to get married already. Jung In cautions Mu Gyul of the facts – Jung In is Mae Ri’s legal husband, so their contract will end when he says its over.
Mu Gyul walks home after the not-so-meet-and-greet with Jung In, stewing over the truth but unable to figure out what to do. Seo Jun is waiting for him outside his apartment. She wants to return his guitar pick and sever all friendship ties with him. Mu Gyul could care less and tells her to jus throw the pick away. Seo Jun does, but she tells him that she wants to give him a final farewell and then she’s planning to never see him again. She leans right into him and grabs him for a kiss.
Mu Gyul is like a giant log – neither pushing Seo Jun away nor reacting to the kiss. Right at that moment, Mae Ri arrives at the apartment, ready to cook dinner for Mu Gyul. She sees the kiss, and appears stunned.
Thoughts of Mine:
I know everyone and their pet rabbit has an opinion on WHY Mu Gyul did not push Seo Jun away, and maybe bitch slap her a few times afterwards for good measure. Good question, and there is no factual answer until we get to episode 10. I choose to believe there is a valid reason, even if we don’t end up agreeing with it.
My take is thus. Mu Gyul is surprisingly free with the skinship all his adult life, and likely considers letting Seo Jun steal is kiss is no big deal, even if it means the world of pain to his girlfriend, innocent and sincere Mae Ri. What makes even more sense is that Mu Gyul as both preoccupied with all the emotions and complications that are before him with respect to being with Mae Ri, as well as he’s just not as hung up as most people are about casual skinship. Furthermore, Mu Gyul may be fine letting Seo Jun cop a kiss just so she will go way and never bother him away. I see his reaction in this scene from his perspective, and it makes sense regardless of how much it sickens us to see Seo Jun get any action from Mu Gyul. In some ways, Mu Gyul is probably right. What is the big deal with Seo Jun landing a kiss on him since he’s not engaged in the kiss and doesn’t care one whit.
I think Mu Gyul is still learning how to factor in Mae Ri’s feelings into this whole relationship equation, and it’s a long-term goal he has to keep working on. I personally think it’s a sleight of hand, i.e. the camera makes it seem like Mu Gyul doesn’t react and allows Seo Jun to kiss him for what seems like a good long while. I think when episode 10 starts, it’ll be clear that the kiss wasn’t very long at all, and that Mu Gyul will rather matter-of-factly push Seo Jun off him.
I also don’t think Mae Ri will throw a fit or be upset, because that would be undermining her character development for the last 10 episodes. Mae Ri, of all people, knows how upset Seo Jun is with not being able to get back with Mu Gyul. As much as it’ll instinctively hurt Mae Ri to see another woman kiss the man she loves, she’ll be okay because (1) she’s kind to other people’s hurt and can see Seo Jun using this last kiss to end things with Mu Gyul, and (2) she just got her brains kissed senseless by Mu Gyul, so she of all people knows when Mu Gyul wants to kiss a girl, and that ain’t a kiss where Mu Gyul is involved proactively.
I think the ending to episode 9 is absolutely anti-climactic and a non-issue if ever there was one. Mu Gyul definitely needs to work on his free and happy attitude with all the ladies overall, and that may become a sticky issue in the future. But this kiss by Seo Jun gives me no heartburn or worry – in fact, it’s simply another kiss cliche ending, but one that doesn’t leave me all emotionally adrift or squeeing with joy. I believe that sensible Mae Ri will talk about it with Mu Gyul and they will get over it. But I also believe that unless Mu Gyul undergoes a fundamental shift in his outlook on relationships, it will ultimately become something that will lead to Mae Ri feeling hurt in the future.
If Mae Ri’s dad’s motivation from episode 1 was never about the money, and always about Mae Ri marrying well and not a ne’er do-gooder like him, then I may have been more understanding of his scheme. His plea at this stage may ring genuine, but ultimately does not move me or sway me to his argument. He simply refuses to get to know Mu Gyul, or accept the right of his adult daughter to be with whomever she wants. He’s still a giant asswipe in my book. The less I write about devil daddy, the better for everyone involved. Vitriol is contagious.
Flightly mommy of Mu Gyul is one who wins worst parent of the decade award in this episode – for the double whammy of the flashback showing how she ignored baby Mu Gyul, and the present day when her move to Paris is more consuming that realizing how much her abandonment of her son is causing him pain. I cannot see her get any redemption, because a selfish person ultimately never learns to put another person first. Mae Ri’s dad, however misguided, does appear to want the best for her, and uses this to justify his actions rather than conceding that it coincides with his own self-interest.
This episode belonged entirely to Kang Mu Gyul. It was Jang Geun Seok‘s turn to shine, after Moon Geun Young as Mae Ri owned episode 8. He rose to the occasion, and the scene when he is outside his apartment reminiscing about his paper airplane cries of attention to his mom was absolutely exquisite, nuanced and controlled in expressing his disappointment and sadness even now, twenty years later. He cemented his ownership of the role of Kang Mu Gyul by the next scene before Mae Ri’s balcony, when his mega-watt smile of unadulterated joy at seeing the same paper plane method yield the results of a person who loves him welcoming his attention was a joy to see.
This was the episode that confirmed for me that Mu Gyul needs only Mae Ri in a way that Jung In can never ever expect me to believe he needs only this girl and no other. I welcome the upcoming angst, though, because I don’t believe that fundamentally Mu Gyul understands what he needs to do to become a man worthy of Mae Ri, capable of being with her for the rest of her life. For a man who eschews trouble and complications, it appears that those are the only things that spur him to introspect and grow as a man.
I loved loved loved the day trip Mu Gyul and Mae Ri took. From their bickering in the van all the way until they fell asleep in the cabin, every interaction may have been a tad too cutesy and posed, but I looked beyond all that and connected with the lovely forward momentum of two people falling deeper into love with each other. I accept fully that M3 has no correlation with reality as we know it, but remain perfectly content with seeing the illustrative and fantastical concept play out in front of me.
What works for me in M3 is all the lovely and honest interactions between Mae Ri and Mu Gyul. Their date was wonderfully romantic, a lovely reminder in my own pragmatic life that drama relationships can be adorably spontaneous like taking a trip to the beach ending up in a cabin. To be honest, I’m getting sick of the plethora of people criticizing M3 even without watching it. There are plenty of dramas I don’t watch because I’m not interested and I don’t think it’s any good. But since I’ve never seen it, I don’t feel the need to bandy about my opinion left and right, with assertions that this drama is so sucky and I’m just here to read the recap. C’mon, that’s just a douchebaggy move, and so unnecessary.
I think the very low ratings, the exceeding harsh criticism from various drama folks (however valid or unqualified), and the honestly-pretty-silly-concept, all of that shouldn’t bring us down. If you love M3, for whatever reason, be happy about it and state your love out loud. I would never try to convince even my dog that M3 is a good drama by any objective barometer, but I hope my dog can snuggle up to me whilst I watch M3 and we two can enjoy the lovely romantic and heart-tugging love story unfolding before our eyes. It’s all thanks to Jang Geun Seok and Moon Geun Young.
To the Geun-Geun couple – you two rock so hard I may need to nominate you for Woodstock, whenever the next one may be. I always like both of you well enough, but together you two make drama magic to my eyes. If everything Mae Ri and Mu Gyul continues to make me this happy whenever they are onscreen, this will unequivocally be MY couple of the year.
awwww, koala.. thank you very much!!!!..
M3 is not perfect but reminds me of my first love.. not as angsty but almost there..
Aaaah I totally love how you do so LIVELY your recaps, it made to watch the ep. again hahaha
THANKS
Thanks for the recap! I thought it’d come later,
Ok first of, I’d like to say that though I don’t always comment because I don’t always have anything insightful to add to your wonderful recaps, I LOVE your writing. In a previous post I think you said you were no writer; I immensely disagree with that statement! See, the capacity you have to bring back those emotions from the episode and sometime mix them with yours and deliver it with an even stronger vibe (I hope I’m clear here lol I didn’t have much sleep), for that alone *applause*;of course it doesn’t hurt that it’s also witty and dayum funny lol
Now onto the episode, I won’t repeat what you said because you said it so much better but the airplane/balcony scene: O-M-G! I was literally melting, JGS is such a fabulous and gifted young actor, I understand why they chose him!
(I love the way you address the trucked up parent loser d, devil d and the heartless beyoootch lol totally deserved! How I loathe MG’s mother???)
Now onto SJ/JI, I’m kinda lost on this, from the 1st episode I had the feeling they were going for a 2nd leads coupling, then not, then today, just like you I just dont know what SJ wants anymore! With the kiss if she knew MR was coming I’d say she was just going for revenge, but since she didn’t know… I don’t know… My take on why MG didn’t push her away? He feels a little responsible for making SJ suffer (rejection and lies) but your take really rings true to his character (plus he got much on his mind so he just don’t care I guess); I sincerely hope that his allow MR/MG to continue their discussion and MG to grow up…
You’re back.thanx.I do feel the same.that last scene kiss was nothing after I saw it,before I was like wtf after reading comments.I do believe that SJ will done kissing MG in instant after realize MG not responding,both see MR,the only one panic would be MG,SJ soon will be dissapoint because she can’t make our sweet,kind,understanding and smart MR explode with angry and leach at MG.i believe they will talk it over,with bit argue as always.after watching MSOAN this far,I sense it will be like that but I welcome with what eves surprice they would bring.I believe the angst will come from MG.however big MR’s heart is but I do believe she craved to built family with him and if MG still hang tight his carefree&afraid being commited,that would break our baby MR little by little..off course with 2evil dad and JI preassure on MR.oh so can’t wait for next week,3episode right?oh you will have to extra work.So I pray for your strenght.once again thanx so so much.I rely on your recap before I got the subs.Yes this maybe not the greatest drama but The plot is not the same,both leads actor give their best acting and they almost make me believed that they must have bit romantic feeling for each other and wish they do and by the end of film we will get good news from both our OTP.btw what country are you from?
I could see some of your points as i am reading the comments…I mean MG just didn’t care anymore..i mean he has his annoying mom on his mind and wat Jung-in said..he just wanted to come home and relax and think about it more. But when SJ kissed him it was by suprise and so thats why he didn’t care he just gave up on himself not knowing wat he rlly wanted..but he knows he likes Maer-i..but at that moment he just didn’t care that SJ kissed him…And Maer-i? she wasnt suprised..it more like she watching it as if she knew it was coming..idk how she feels..but I hope she and MG talk it out and their relationship continues..they are one cuteeee couple 😉
LOVE ALL YOUR OPINIONS!!!! TOTALLY AGREE!!!!! ^^
hahaha the recap seems even more exciting and fun than the drama itself 😀 love it. thanks!
I don’t understand why they get such a low ratings.I feel sad for these young casts who are working very hard.Even though the drama is not the best,it is still good drama with talented casts 🙁
Anyway,I will support M3 till the end and thank you Koala for recaps!
awww.. thanks Koala for this recap.. it feels like coming home.. I feel similarly sad when I read comments from other blog reviews slamming the show when some commentators have not even watched it.. they are just happy to slam it cos the reviewer says it ain’t good or they don’t like a particular actor etc
I totally agree that JKS rocked this episode.. It really touched me how he conveyed the hurt and pain over his mother’s previous and current rejection in that airplane scene where he was standing outside his home ( rivals the ‘end-contract’ scene in my books) .. and that lovely boyish smile when he saw MR open the window.. heartwarming..
I really hope that MR will react as you said.. cos if she gets all upset, then I will be really disappointed with the scriptwriter.. hopefully, it’s just a ruse to make us all viewers believe that they are going the way of the BIIIIIG misundertanding that will take another 5 episodes to resolve and keep our OTP apart till the last 20 min of the last episode.. please SHOW.. surprise me…
I know for a fact that some people things heavy metal songs vs a love song…that heavy metal song has more beef….and while others think that heavy metal (or any of this genre) is full of trash and noisy and just head over heels in love with love songs….
in comparison to dramas, I think is the same case…. for some viewers….Giant is a smash hit drama of the time….compared to low rated M3….which don’t really gimme a damn as I think….drama is just drama and commercially that’s what they are … they bring entertainment to us…… if we even look at SKKS and PK…it was a big hit too…..but then they are lowly rated…. but then… we still day dream of those scenes in these dramas and enjoys going through it over and over and over again….
everyone is entitle to their own piece of opinion….and I for one…really glad that I can rekindle these kind of feelings via drama such as these….and enjoy it without much frustration….LOL!
good recap koala….thoroughly enjoyed it very much…and…you are back early then expected…hehehehe the recap I mean…
The bicycle ride reminds me of Winter Sonata…..:) *all dreamy now*
Thank goodness you came back and wrote this cause I can’t express my feelings better than you can express my feelings. LOL!!
I was so depressed after yesterday’s ender that I just heard music for the rest of the day after blogging on Rebel Souls and watching Castle so that I could laugh again. I am going to stick with MSOAN no matter. I know now that I can read your blog and be happy.
psst koala, have you seen the BTS of the Nami Island scenes? CUTE.. 🙂
I knew it!! I felt that this episode will be ending that way. T.T
The start of the episode has been really sweet that I’m about to burst. Mae Ri and Mu Gyul are so cute and although their future is uncertain, I still feel happy for the two of them. I don’t hate loser dad cause he somehow has a point. I think any parent would react that way if his daughter is falling in love with a world renowned player… but still, I don’t agree with him pushing him towards a guy for money, and fine, friendship.
I don’t feel anything for Seo Jun. :/ I don’t feel sorry for her or whatever. Like you said, her character is underdeveloped that’s why I don’t see any reason for me to feel anything for her. She’s just appearing like a bitch who can’t move on from her former flame.
i totally love your recaps.
keep up the good work!
I saw 9 episode raw and though I didn’t understand what they said, and hadn’t your recap, I smiled all the time, from the very beginning to the end (which I didn’t like, but since it is a cliché drama, it’s ok), I even rewatch all mu gyul scenes, indeed it was his epi, and he was wonderful, I really really love him and when he is with mae ry, you couldn’t wish for something better!!!! :). Seriously if a drama makes you smile and feel happy, well then, for me that is what a good drama is. m3 for me you succeed!!
Cute cute episode, CUTEEEEEEE
Thank for the recap, wonderful as always, I didn’t expect it so soon!!!!
Not sure what’s your/everyone’s take on the bandmates & MG’s post-handcuff drinking session. It seems like a recap of the potential problems they/MG had faced – nagging gfs, ungodly hours of reversed nights and days, unstable income…. would our GGC go through the resolution? Would first love die out?
Hmm.
would like to add on to those viewers who gave negative comments: giving negative comments without watching the show is just like you hate someone you never seen or heard about. More sad is many asian ppl have this type of character.
to the blogger who often blames the show: just stop recapping hehe, and recaps Giant instead since it’s a big hit hehehe
i love you Koala…keep living to your heart…i love MSOAN as much as i love you 🙂
Ockoala, where would we be without your dedication to recapping:)
Thank you so much it was wonderful reading the recap!!:) I loved JGS’s acting in this episode too. He is totally one with Kang Mu Gyul.
Love love love the Geun-Geun couple!!
Just curious about something, especially since I’m relatively new to korean drams, is it almost always that the writers portray the 2nd female lead as the character that we all love to hate on screen? Seems to be that way for the dramas I’ve watched so far, while the 2nd male lead more often than not is portrayed in a much more sympathetic light?
Reading your erudite recaps are such a joy. Thank you so much for investing much of your time regaling us with your insights! I’m sure I speak on behalf of everybody, that reading your recaps makes our journey with M3 much more satisfying.
JGS and MGY are truly magic together, I agree wholeheartedly. These two are really the linchpin of the drama for me, and their chemistry is just mind-bogglingly delightful and believable. Both of them are already seasoned actors and in this drama, they truly immerse themselves 100% as Maeri and Mugyul. True, they’re saying their lines right from the script, but on-screen their reactions to each other seem to transcend beyond acting, and I especially noticed this in Episode 9 – the snugglings, the stares, the smiles…everything seemed so genuine, I believed every second that they’re in love. And that alone sealed my love for this drama.
I really commend JGS and MGY for their realistic acting – I don’t know if there really is something going on between them off-screen but what they’re representing us in forms of Maeri and Mugyul is more than enough to keep me warm in this cold winter ^^
I can say that JGS is an amazing method actor. I assume that MGY is the same. He goes as far as to immerse himself in just the music that the character listens to and I think it goes for dressing and picking up habits. I believe that he spends a lot of time thinking about what is going through the character’s mind, which comes out in his expressions, making them so much more real. It also seems that he is okay with opening himself to the emotions of the character.
MGY is fantastic as well. Before the epic kiss, the subtleties were incredible.
“You said you don’t see me as a woman”
(MG expression almost hurt)
“You said you don’t see me as a man”
(MR seems like, “oh yeah…” She softens, her shoulders drop ever so slightly. she’s no longer combative)
Amazing stuff.
Exactly what I was thinking. ^_^
Thank you so much for the awesome recaps.
I too wish the devil dad would bite it in ep 10 so I don’t have to see his creepiness again…
After watching it the second time (and no buffering due to lame internet), I’m no longer upset about the kiss. Mu Gyul couldn’t make it more clear that Seo Jun didn’t have any effect on him. No response at all, and it was like he didn’t see anyone standing in front of him, his eyes were that empty. I also think the same thing… that since it was the end of the episode, it was made to seem like a long kiss just to create a cliffhanger (even without this, I’m already impatient to see ep 10 ^^)
How great is the paperplane-balcony scene! And also the Nami Island date.
Thank God the GeunGeun couple decided to take this project. Cannot imagine anyone else in their roles. And Keun Suk, has to give it to you. You’re really sharpening your craft ^.^
Cannot say anything else about the parents without risking a high blood pressure *goes meditating*
Ockoala, just thought I would like to say that I’m so enjoying reading your recaps. Other than the insightful thoughts on the episod, the humour injected into them more often than not translated into LOL moments for me. I find myself reading and re-reading your recaps, and enjoying every part of it 🙂 Maybe I might just find the courage to watch the remaining episodes raw and rely on your recaps to help me understand the context of the conversations
I love this write-up so.
Note to Loser Daddy – Maeri’s Mom died of exhaustion because you are shiftless and brain-dead, not because you were poor. If you were hardworking and smart, you’d be much better off.
Thanks Ockoala for the recap…I totally agree with your views about M3…I really love this K-drama…Keep up the good work!!!
A thought just came to me:
Devil daddy was in love with MR’s mom, but she loved MR’s dad and chose her life with him. After seeing MR, who bears a striking resemblance to her mom, he insists JI to marry her at the expense of his entertainment company. However, even at this point, devil daddy seems to be conceding defeat, as he probably sees the same parallel that like with MR’s mother, JI will never win MR’s heart as she is in love with someone else … maybe that’s why he told JI not to carry on this battle which he is lkely to lose anyway
‘She says they should go out and have fun, even though cat Mu Gyul nestles into her back and tells her its cold outside and they should just stay in and talk. Heh, talk my left butt cheek.’
HAHA.. This really makes me laugh.. Ms.ockoala, u always know how to make the readers laugh.. :p
I love your recaps~ Thanks..
hmmnn… i really don’t care much of what haters say about this show.. i guess they just want to say something so that they feel that they are saying something.. ( makes sense? ) blah all you want but we just don’t care because we love the show! 🙂
this show is giving me the same warm fuzzies that i felt during PK.. it may not be the best plot-wise but the actors are gifted in their potrayal of their characters.. you really feel them breathing life into it.. 🙂
and how much of the cuteness can we absorb???!! ( gazellions!!! ) i really find the window scene between Mae rRi and Mu Gyul very tender and sweet.. especially after learning of the mom’s rejection of Mu Gyul when he was a kid ( seriously, the show needs to chop each parent’s head off.. kekeke ) and seeing how happy he was when he saw Mae Ri and their sweetness.. kyaaaaahhhh!!! i was teary eyed!! the wonder of first love!! 🙂
i also love the fact that it shows that they are trying to work out the relationship.. getting angry at each other then realizing and saying sorry to each other..Mu Gyul going for another kiss but failied!.. spending the day together.. ahhh.. the beauty of a budding relationship. 🙂
as for the ending.. i wanted to deck Seo Jun for pulling that stunt but i’m hoping that Mae Ri will be sensible about this.. her character has a good head on her shoulder so i’m hoping for the best here.
Mu Gyul!! you already showed us that you are a man when it comes to kissing our Mae Ri, but i’m hoping that you’ll also man-up when it comes to the relationship.. 🙂 Jung In’s advantage is that he is ready to commit anytime!!!! so don’t lose it!! 🙂
Agree with you kittykat about ignoring those nasty comments by ppl who hate the show….so annoying; if they don’t like the show JUST DON”T WATCH IT!!!!! I actually came to Ockoala’s blog cos I was so pissed off by certain blogs which dissed PK and said a lot of negative stuff about KHJ’s acting, plot etc. I was so happy to find a kindred spirit in Ockoala’s blog and PK lovers there. I love Ockoala’s blog cos everybody here is so HAPPY and NICE and positive about every drama that Ockoala blogs on.
@ Jung In Be a man, snap out of your misery, stop moping after a girl who doesn’t want you, if you are dying to commit to someone, hey, I’m HERE 24/7!!!! hehehehe
@ maysennger: now i agree with you on the if-you-don’t-like-then-don’t-watch-it! part. 🙂
and it’s also true that in AKP, we are positive people here. we don’t just bash people when we don’t like them! that’s mean!! and we are not like that.
and to Jung In!!! my friend maysengger is here for you!!! c’mmon man!!! bwahahahha!!! 🙂
Oh!!!!! Mayssenger, you make me LOL……
I agree to both of kat and u…
I love Ockoala blog ….. k drama fans here are quiet positive…
I am happy to visit this playground 24/7 hahahah
Reading your recap is like reading from a pocketbook…no negative comments about the plot, storyline, scriptwriter etc. (comments which ruin the reader’s imagination). I usually watch the subbed video before I read recaps to retain the surprise element and I must say yours is much better! Having only 4 dvds, I finished JGS’ You’re Beautiful in 2 days, same with LMH’s Personal Taste. Would you believe this is the first time that I have to wait every week on a Kdrama?!?
@Newbie me too!!! It’s my first time watching ‘live’,
YAB was my first drama and I devored it in a week (damn work getting in the way lol), I even got my director’s cut last week 😉
The fun in watching after the show aired is that everything is surprising, no spoilers but the bad side is that you don’t have anyone to talk about it since they moved to other dramas 😉
“If you love M3, for whatever reason, be happy about it and state your love out loud. ”
I love M3!!!!!
Hmm, someone needs to make a banner along those lines “Loving M3 and not afraid to admit it!”
I agree. I don’t really know how to contact the makers and actors of the show, but I wish we can tell them that they have a devoted following.
Yay!!! Thanks koala! You are the best! Dont know what to do without you LOL… Keep up the awesome job!
yay you’re back koala! I was so happy to see that you updated – it’s totally going to make my work day go by much better. Excited to go home and watch episdoe 9 and squee from cuteness. ^^
Thank you for your recap….the BEST amongst other sites! (One site’s writer doesn’t even enjoy this drama and she recaps it, so sad, which i quit reading after a few sentences.) Thank goodness here is shared a great love for this drama. Now there’s nothing to watch for 3 days.
Thanks for your recaps and thoughts ockoala!! I love M3 it leaves me entertained, makes me smile.
A million thanks for your recap. Ever since M3 started this has been my routine:
Tuesday, 12 AM – 4AM – download RAW
Tuesday, 4AM onwards – refreshing your website for a good recap and review
Rest of the day – watch M3 raw episode (watch then replay then replay..)
Wednesday, 12 AM – 4AM – download RAW
Wednesday, 4AM – 6AM – refreshing your website for a good recap and review
Rest of the day – watch M3 raw episode (watch then replay then replay..)
Thursday 12AM onwards – watch M3 episodes with subtitle, refreshing mehanata site every 30 minutes all throughout the day to wait for the subs.
**Oh, did I mention that I am doing this during our office hours?! ahahaha
Weekends: Watch previous M3 episodes with subtitle.
So, in conclusion, I think I am very much in love with this drama. I can’t get enough of the couple. Thanks Koala for feeding my addiction! Really appreciate it! 🙂
you know that is exactly what I did…after I got the raw download..I goes watch it over and over until I meet next week which is new episode..ahahaha this drama is Addict, and the one that said this drama sucks etc have rotten eye and have no sense of knowing great drama…
haha mine is almost the same, but i start on mondays instead of tuesdays, which means one extra day to replay!
Lol I guess we all have the same routine hahaha
ahahaha well time different..by the time someone upload raw link its midnite so I must sleep…So in the morning I start looking and watch new episode…but its worthed the wait,….I can’t wait next week because we have 3 episode right….boy….
same here…LOL! and ditto during the office hours…hahahha
Mr. Koala and the Koala Kits miss you!
oohhh koala! you’re married and have kiddos?! cute! 🙂
oh and btw. up above you said you must have been korean or irish in your past. Are you not Korean?! I totally assumed you were.
So I continue to be a great supporter and lover of M3, I’m actually really surprised that more people haven’t embraced it. So glad that I have this site to come to! Your love of the drama is just infectious and makes it THAT much better to read your recaps. You can just TELL that you love this drama and it shows.
Ok now a little bit of my concerns. I still am not convinced that MG genuinely loves MR yet….no better yet, realizes that he does. (I do believe he DOES realize she is special and cares for her, but he doesn’t realize the extent of it yet – if that makes any sense?) Because he was such a player before and easy with the skinship, part of me feels like he’ll bail once more BEFORE he really commits. Because he’s dated so often before MR, he hasn’t proven to me that he TRULY loves MR and that she isn’t another one of his 1 month girl. (Maybe I just feel this way because I don’t know how he’s acted with his past gfs. If he has never acted the way he does with MR with other girls, then I’d believe it, but bc I don’t really know his history its hard for me to tell) I guess I’m just wary of his easy ways with women before. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE MG and I’m ALL FOR the MG+MR pairing, I do think they belong together. I just don’t know if MG realizes it himself how important MR is yet.
GAH. haha I don’t know if I made any sense here! Can’t wait to see how episode 10 will play out! Glad we’re getting 3 episodes next week!
that’s make sense, I do sense it..it wont be seo jun or Jun In that will put them in angst but it’s Moo Gyul because Mae Ri is obvious love Moo Gyul more and brave enough..I want to see Moo Gyul really put Mae Ri on his top list and treasure her and brave enough to be commitment with her and drop his addict of skinship with randoms girl…
Oh I agree with both of you!
Thank you so much for the recap Koala!!! I’m for M3 to the end!!!
Good morning Ockoala, how are you?
well I can’t take my mind of the GG sweet time at Nami..how wonderful they are?
about the kiss at the end if it was me..looking at my dearest man kissing a girl first I will die second I will gain my full strength and fight back!!
I wish MR will not give up with MG but do her best to win the game.
Is it Monday today????
I love your recaps, as always!! Your insights on the characters’ dynamics as well as on the story are really great (so great at times that you make the drama more exciting kekeke)… I’m really sad about the low ratings, I mean with the very good acting by the leads, this should be up there!! hope things improve soon. And yes, I will absolutely be with MSOAN till the end!! Right now, I am beyond caring about the story and is all about watching how MG and MR play out the love (whatever kind of love it is at the moment) until the end, despite the obstacles… (loser parents, internal issues, etc…). Aside from the acting (and being a solid fan of Sukkie (ok, now Sukkie (as eels oftentimes call JKS), seems not be an apt nickname for Mugyul hehehe), I am watching this drama for how Mugyul and Maeri make me feel while watching them.. This is really important to me when watching dramas, I mean why do anything if it does not make you feel happy or better, right, even if the storyline is so brilliant or heck even if the acting is so exquisite..? Oh whatever, I just love M3!! hehehe
THanks for the lovely recaps! As always I love the commentaries that you have. It speaks volumes! i loved this episode. and I agree. Mu Gyul owned this episode!! LOve love love!!
This is also MY couple of the year already. ^^
Thanks for the recap!!!
Am normally just a silent reader of your recaps (stumbled upon it by chance when i was looking up recaps — and i’m so glad i found yours!!!) but i look forward to your recaps as much as the eps themselves, that i had to write a comment!! your recaps have completely added a whole new dimension to my watching experience! THANKS!!!!
cant wait for the nxt instalment! i’m so addicted to this drama & your recaps! hehehe 🙂
ps. i agree, MG and MR may very well turn out to be my fave couple for the year too!!!
Thank u soooo much for such great recaps, I have become one of your loyal fans, u have such witty/sarcastic writing that I love. 😀
Here is my opinion and overall critical observation of each character.
MR Dad: Yes, I hated him at first and his emotional blackmail to get MR to accept JI, I mean how can he just assume that MR will do as she is told, this is not the medieval times when parents married their kids off, but that what he just did. In the beginning he was looking for his own benefit and selfish attitude. However, on the last couple of episodes we have seen that he truly wants the best for MR, but know he feels indebted to Evil Daddy, cause he knows that Evil Daddy can be very vindictive, so he has no other way that to play along with Evil Daddy plans, even though he knows that MR doesn’t love JI. MR Dad also has a good point, MG doesn’t have a stable job, doesn’t have education and therefore he is afraid that MR would suffer at his side, like her mom did with him. This is the heart of the matter for MR Dad, he wants a better future for his only daughter and really what dad wouldn’t. I also think that if under other circumstances he would have met MG, he would have liked him.
Evil Daddy: OK this guy is so messed up in the head and carries with him a guilty conscious which what is driving him to act this way. He cares about his only son, but I don’t think he has ever love JI. However, he still carries a torch for MR mom, which is sick, after all this years. Now that he is about to die he wants to make up for lost time by pairing his son with MR. He is using all the means possible to do this cause he feels that since he couldn’t had the woman he loved, well his son will. Very very sick mind.
MG Mom: Now here we have a classical example of a woman trying to recapture her youth and someone who hasn’t really grow up and own up to her responsibility. Here we have a woman who had a son at age 17, who didn’t had no clue how to care for her baby, so what she to do, she let her family take care of MG. However, she doesn’t realized the emotional damage and instability that her behavior has created on her son. Even now with her leaving to Paris, she can’t see that her son is hurting because he feels once again like a 6 yr old kid whose mother is leaving him behind, and that why MG got commitment issues, I mean who wouldn’t. Yes, she does love her son no doubt, but she like MR dad, haven’t been able to give that sense of security that both kids have needed it.
JI: This is one dude that is the product of a cold, loveless, and motherless upbringing and even though MR and MG both had a tough childhood at least they had people that care about them and their parents on their own way show that they love them. JI is very interesting character, ( I wish writers can give us more insight to his internal self) He is what we call “daddy pleaser” caused that the only way he feels his dad would love him and accept him, by abiding to his dad wishes, and that why he said yes to his Evil Daddy marriage scheme. However, he doesn’t LOVE MR, he feels tenderness for MR but that is not Love. MR has been the person who has show him kindness and compassion, but JI has a long way to find out what loves really is, he needs somebody who can shake his world to the core, MR has only open a small window to his heart, but she is not the girl for him.
SJ: This chick is what we can call “rich spoil brat”, I mean she is fixated with the idea of getting back with MG, even if MG had clearly told her that he doesn’t want her, she still trying. Now that MG is taken she has act up like if someone took her favorite candy or teddy bear, why? caused MG is the one thing she hasn’t able to totally have. Yes, she has similar background to JI, both come from rich families where their dreams were crutch by their parents, however, both are empty souls who need love and understanding. If the writers would have develop both of JS and JI characters, I think it would have give the drama more dynamic and we would have end up with 2 great pairings.
Sorry!!! I have taken soooo much space here….but after watching ep. 8 and 9 I had to write my analyses on these characters. I’m loving the drama, but the writers I think should have done more with the secondary characters.
I think from now on the drama would test MG to the max and see if his willing to take the responsibility of being a husband and all its implications. JI was right when he ask MG on what kind of future can he offers MR…and I think that were MG mind was when SJ appear and nag him. MR is clear on what she wants, but life is giving her 2 options. Option #1 he can give her a great life, but she would be living in a golden cage, with a hubby who respect her and have feelings for her, however it would be loveless marriage.
Option 2# he is someone who can invoke on her all those feelings when someone is in love, yes they can have a rough life but if both works hard on their dreams and stay loyal, they could grow closer and appreciate each other more, and they would have the family that both dream on having full of love.
DONE!!! SORRY AGAIN!!!!!
Hello Venus,
I like option #2 it is life and it has been roughed since the beginning MR and MG have been in a cosy moment when they are together nothing in the world can bother them which I have to thank the writer she/he is doing great job with this part it is making me happy thanks.
But it is also life that making them up set so I guess ppl who experienced the dark and the bright parts of life can not just sit in a golden cage waiting to be fed! They will come out to their real world and fly as high as they can it is freedom they are dying for. I wish MR and MG will fly away hand in hand..come on.
It’s weird but I have this thought in mind that it would it be interesting to see MG’s Mom and MR’s Dad get together? I mean they are both a bit dysfunctional by really not taking care of their children and only bringing them troubles after troubles when they become adults.
I guess it’s sometimes hard to see this in the Western world. The kids in these situations often flee away before adulthood and live on their own (thinking about about their parents with much hatred and angst). Whereas in the Eastern World, you see this portrays very differently. Children are more or less listening to their parents even when they become adults.
Growing up in both worlds, to balance the filial side and the newly-found freedom side is not an easy task.
but MR & GY all the way!! But they really need to work harder together to make their relationship more meaningful. This is the first step …and it is not the end. 🙂
… two dysfunctional people coming together does not make a functional couple (don’t think double negatives will equal a positive here) …. i think it’ll be a recipe for disaster (though the same thought has also occurred to me) ; p
haha maybe they learn from each other and see how dysfunctional they are… ^_^
Oh, I would love for both parents to hook up. Then they could fly away to Paris to be as dysfunctional as possible to each other… as long as they do it far away from their kids and not bothering them anymore (I wouldn’t mind hitting them in the head to make sure they got amnesia and forgot they had kids ;P). And that way, we don’t have to see both of them on the screen again ^O^
In response to some posts here about whether MG truly loves MR or whether MG can take up the responsibility of marriage …
Now, whether MG really loves MR at this point is not the important issue.
We know he’s romantically interested in MR, and willing to start a serious relationship with her. But he’s willing to try if it’s MR – a step in the right direction.
To whoever’s giving MG the pressure to be prepared for marriage with MR (i.e. be it a character in the drama or any of us here), come on, give the guy a BREAK.
During JI/MG’s chat in Ep 9, MG already says, why does he have to marry?
I agree that as at this particular point when love is budding, why should anyone have to commit to marriage? Isn’t a relationship about being together for months and years, finding out more abt each other, before anyone decides to marry?
Why all the pressure on MG being prepared to get married now?? Please…!
Despite the fact that he has not really gotten over his commitment phobia, MG truly cares for MR. In some scenes, you can practically see the responsibility n pressure weighing down on MG as he’s worrying over whether he can be a good boyfriend/partner to MR. The scene at the park chalet where he looks at the sleeping MR with such a serious (or troubled?) expression, the scene where his drinking bandmates talk about the responsibilities of marriage to musicians, Ep 9 last scene where he walks home deep in thought ….
The more pressure given to MG, the higher the possibility he’d bail out – who wouldn’t?
I’m sure that given more time for their relationship to develop naturally, MG will definitely fall so deep in love with MR that marriage then will be a natural option.
yeah….that’s what I’m thinking..it’s on MG shoulder that the main problem is..the more pressure MG have the more he will grab the chance to bailed out, but if he really falls deep for MR then he will try and learn to be more responsible and fight for MR
i really really hope he doesnt bail on MR
I knew MG’s mom looked familiar. She’s the sister from my lovely kim sam soon
oh she is? wow! I think she looked different….
Ockoala, Thank You for the recap.
Actually, I totally FREAKED at this ending.MY mind was totally working over time, thinking about MR reaction to what she witnessed. Man, that was quite a depressing thought. Wondering if this is gonna turn into a standard kdrama reaction….
I have cool down a bit and now I’m hoping MG is going do something surprising…Pretty PLEASE,MG……
ahhhh MONDAY where are you?
Lovely recap Ockoala. So many people with so many wonderful responses and heartfelt insights into M3. MG/JGS’s heart-stopping kiss with Mary really have a profound effect not only on Mary but on all of us here too. Love is in the air at Ockoala’s playground! And it looks likely that love will envelope us all the way pass and beyond the end of M3. Isn’t it nice to have this warm, fussy feeling in our hearts through the cool winter months? Sigh (with a happy smile of contentment) – a group of romantics! M3 is truly a lovely romance with a very very lovable couple – JGS & MGY and their comfortable, natural interactions and not even a tiny, weeny hint of exaggerated/forced cuteness. T’is the season to be jolly – we derive so much joy just watching the two of them. For me, M3 will bring a gentle, warm and perfect close to the year 2010.
Back to M3. I tend to agree with Ivy’s perception of MG in the above. Just want to add that MG is NOT unwilling but rather uncertain if he could be a good father & husband since he never had a role model or experienced the warmth of a regular household. However, he does aspire very much to have a family – just look at how much he still wanted to live with his mom despite all her shortcomings and through the many years. He told her that she (mom) was no burden to him and was upset that she is leaving for Paris. MG has two options: 1) continue to live alone for lack of confidence in building a home 2) take the bold step to create the family which his mother was never able to provide. And who better than Mary to undertake this project with? Mary is the kind of girl who will grow roots. She is very positive about the family she will have in future and MG already said he could see himself growing old with her (at camp when they saw an old couple walking by). Flower, hippie guy who quits at the first sign of responsiblity then returns to salvage his mistake is so used and tried. I trust JGS would not choose a script that will simply trend the regular, mundane path. I don’t think MG is irresponsible (rationale I have already written on an earlier comment). He is smart enough to know that all the previous girls wanted “rock star” MG and not MG himself as a person. A case in point, SJ simply walks away with a “don’t fall sick” after seeing him literally shivering on his couch in ep 7. Under the same circumstances, Mary not only bought medicine but also cooked and fed him. Of course he could tell the difference! Having survived so long by himself, there has to be some steel in him (the same for Mary). In Ep 9, he is in the process of figuring out a road map. I like to take the contrarian bet that MG will meet the challenges head on, not bailing out even once and surprise all the characters in M3 with his resillence and determination to have a future with Mary.
Last, I just had to speak up because Mary’ dad have been using this rationale ever so often: “if Mary stays with MG, she will end up like her mother, unfortunate and suffering”. Where this statement has gone wrong is that MG is NOT anything like loser Dad. MG is: 1) far better looking (anyone with eyes can see that!) and good looks do open up more opportunities; 2) very talented, he could write music, sing and perform; 3) intelligent, he was pursuing an engineering degree before putting it on hold due to financing. He reads and does not watch tv. He could repair notebooks and appliances which shows technical skills; 4) he is not beyond the realities of life. He took up teaching at a music academy so that he could repay Mary within a week. Surely his class is always full with a long waiting list! Which student wouldn’t want to learn from him? So MG wouldn’t “starve” himself or his family. Finally, who says Mary needs to be fed? Mary would much rather have a career of her own and be independent. Mary’s mom probably died of hardwork having to pay for loser dad’s air-headed, unrealistic, make money quick schemes. So it is just an excuse for loser dad to push Mary towards JI. If Mary was to marry JI because he could provide for her, then should she divorce him immediately when he cannot? Businesses can fail too.
Love and two people willing to work at building a future together with resillence and mutual support is the wisest option for all times.
“Having survived so long by himself, there has to be some steel in him (the same for Mary). In Ep 9, he is in the process of figuring out a road map. I like to take the contrarian bet that MG will meet the challenges head on, not bailing out even once and surprise all the characters in M3 with his resillence and determination to have a future with Mary.”
– I dare not have such a positive hope, after all, MG is facing tons of pressure, which makes me very stressed too! haha! really hope that your guess turns out right.
“Love and two people willing to work at building a future together with resillence and mutual support is the wisest option for all times.”
– totally agree! i can see a future together for MG and MR, a future where both of them work hard to maintain their lives together, being dependent and loving to each other : )
yeah….I can’t see resemble of MR’s dad and MG.all I can see MR’s dad such a loser that makes MR’s mom died in pain due working hard…but as for MG although he’s a stray cat but if he put his will in it he can make tons money in a blink of eye.yes MR&MG wont be living in luxurious life but have a happy and stabilize life just like normal couple will do..but until we reach to see that bound to happen, angst needed to make their love stronger???I just hope it wont be on last episode where they will have their peaceful and love life…I want 3 last episode full of cute and lovely scene for both MR and MG.
I love what you said about MG! I was thinking along the same line myself.. esp when MR’s father was going on and on about how much better it is for her to marry into a wealthy family. Hello? Would your independent, free-spirited daughter appreciate being made into someone’s ideal daughter-in-law?? Just remembering that module JI’s father read and approved gives me the shivers. And JI is a workaholic.. I doubt he’d have much time for MR after a year of marriage. What if he suddenly decides to go back to Japan to handle his dad’s branch there? What’s gonna happen to MR then?
Marriage doesn’t have a fix formula. Just coz the setting seems familiar at the outset doesn’t mean the outcome will remain the same. And you’re so right about how different MG is from MR’s dad in terms of talent, looks and intelligence. Also, MR and MG have taken care of themselves AND their respective irresponsible parents from a young age. I doubt they’ll bail out at the first sign of trouble. MG was not a playboy because he likes that kind of lifestyle.. deep down I think he’s still the little boy who thinks it’s his fault his mom doesn’t want to stay with him.. and that affects how he views all his relationship with women.
Ummm…does anyone have a problem with MG (Jang Geun Seok) being “surprisingly free with the skinship all his adult life?” I certainly don’t. *heehee* Raise your hands those of you who object.
🙂
LOVE your recaps, thank you from America. Best show I’ve seen in ages. Wish we had shows like this in the US.
Am I missing something here? Since when did Jung In became Mary’s lawfully wedded husband? They were not even engaged yet, right?? >.<
MR’s dad secretly took her ID and used it to register her marriage with JI, this incident happened in Ep 2 of MSOAN, so that is how JI and MR are “husband and wife” legally.
Although that brings me to a very curious question: I thought in the event of the signing of something legally binding and official, ALL parties involved must be around to witness and sign the document? How in the world did JI and MR’s dad pull off a stunt as to get their kids legally and officially married without the main parties (ie bride and groom) to witness, agree and sign to it? What’s more it’s a marriage …
Thanks for another lovely re-cap. Your amazingly insightful character analysis is the highlight for me, as always. I loved this episode – I could honestly watch sweet scenes of Moo-Kyul and Mae-Ri sharing first love all episode. (Because while MK’s dated a lot, it definitely seems this is this first time he’s ever been in love before).
I knew that Mae-Ri was going to walk in on that kiss, and it irritated me so much, because I feel like they’re just doing it to add drama. I hope that Mae-Ri is able to deal with it just like she’s dealt with all the other things like which would have caused unneccessary drama in any other show, but confronting them about it then and there before it has a chance to grow into an issue.
As far as all those people bad-mouthing the show… To be honest, your site is only one of two recap sites I’ve found that didn’t have anything nasty to say about M3, which is why it’s the only one I read now. (the other doesn’t update anymore). As for all those other sites…Okay, bitching about a show you’ve never watched is stupid, but I think putting snarky, hateful comments into your re-cap of a show is even worse. It just sours it for the readers who are enjoying the show. Why harsh people’s squee like that? It just seems mean spirited to me.
This drama has a very low rating? Ever since PK got thrashed at the rating section, I never believe in domestic ratings anymore. This is probably the only drama that will have two guys I follow in the same lobby, restaurant and bedroom in my lifetime so I’m savouring the moment. It took me around 5 hours to finish this episode coz of the excessive rewind movements I made.. LOL. So many worthy MR-MG moments. I wish I had a cat.. I’d so name him Mu Gyul. Cute cat!!
I can’t be bothered about the kiss at the end of the ep. If MR thinks she’s gonna be dating MG without running into a hundred ex-gfs trying to get their hands and lips on him.. not to mention fans and students.. she has another think coming. And yeah.. MG has to start conditioning his non-confrontational brain to activate his non-confrontational body to push those pathetic girls away in the future. And what if there’re paparazzis following SJ to get another scandal scoop? If MG is still the music director of the drama.. won’t that be another problem for the production team?
Anyway.. the scene that actually made me go berserk is the meet-up between JI and MG.. kyaaaaaa! Jung-In, is talking about Mae Ri and business the only thing you can come up with as an excuse to stare at Mu Gyul for more than 10 minutes?? hahaha..I love this couple. Someone make a fanfic already!
That said, I wish they throw some more likable characters into the mix. Right now, aside from the MR and MG.. I can’t seem to like anyone else. The parents are out of the list from the beginning, Jung-In is like a display mannequin in almost all the scenes, I’m still wondering why Seo Joon is necessary, MR’s friends are mere (annoying) decorations, MG’s friends are just a bunch of cheerleaders.. how are the writers supposed to fill up 8 more episodes? I hope JI will still go with his decision to include MG and his motley crew in the drama. That’d be fun.
IMO.. this type of drama will work better as a rom com M3 is supposed to be. I guess the writers have run out of wit by ep 2.
ooopss, typo.. 7 more episodes..
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I watch Korean dramas occasionally when I feel the need to spend my time recklessly and I have not really gone crazy for any drama until this one. I watch it again and again and again, it’s so addictively pleasant. Thanks for all the recapping and sharing your thoughts. And kudos for not dissing this drama like almost all others. (I watched the drama a while ago and indeed like you said, the characters last with us much longer than the airing time, I read your recaps again and laugh like a loony. Aww how I miss the MM couple!)