I knew this ride wouldn’t last forever, the amazing magical chemistry and relationship between heroine Mi En and second male lead Han Xiang in Fondant Garden. Seven episodes in, there is always at least one scene between them per episode that has me squealing like a stuck pig, in between heart beating wildly and smiling like I just spotted a Koala Hello Kitty. I managed to screencap the heck out of a two second kiss scene in the preview for episode 8 already, I shake my head to consider the spazzy state I’ll be in come next Friday when I watch the episode. I know this is the beginning of the end for my wonderful alterna-OTP, and while my mind tells me it’ll be fine since poor puppy Hee Hwan is really stepping up to the plate to be deserving of Mi En, but I know my heart will break nevertheless. Here’s to getting myself ready to swoon and then sob in the next episode.
In episode 7, when Mi En finally tells Han Xiang the truth, that she is not Chen Ai Ling, we know that Han Xiang already knew the truth and had been struggling over how to reconcile the woman he loves not being the woman he needs professionally. But when he faces Mi En apologizing in that very Mi En way, with sincerity and awkwardness, you can see that it’s a no brainer choice for him. He tells her that he will never forgive her for this deception…….therefore he will punish her by making her never leave his side for the rest of their lives. When Mi En’s fear and worry over the first half of his response turned into the most happy of smiles, my heart soared for her, this girl who is so kind and giving in the most low key of ways.
Of course Hee Hwan has to be there to see it all, and realize that he really is the third wheel in the love triangle where the other two participants mutually like each other. It must really break his heart to witness this, and afterwards when Hee Hwan hit his own chest and reminded himself to be happy for Mi En, I was really proud of him.
It’s both profoundly sweet that Han Xiang doesn’t make a big deal about the deception, because it really isn’t a big deal, especially since it’s obvious the deception worked in Ai Ling’s favor and Mi En was just pulled along reluctantly, as well as utterly devastating to know that it might not be enough for Han Xiang to overcome his huge desire for professional success because of his humble upbringing. Therefore he’ll end up giving up Mi En, and it’s a choice that will be the only way for Hee Hwan to even have a chance with Mi En.
I love the way Han Xiang looks at Mi En in the preview right before the kiss, both passionate and tender, just the way a man ought to look at the woman he loves. And the kiss. Oh my lord, the kiss. When done right, TW-dramas deliver kissing that just curls my toes. He pulls her in and just goes for it. And my poor heart will be devastated when Han Xiang goes through with the engagement to the real Ai Ling, which will surely be witnessed by Mi En who’s been set up to deliver a cake to that party. It’s been forever since I’ve fallen this hard for an alterna-ship. It’s as painful and exhilarating as I recollect, and I highly do not recommend it. As for FG, still the most satisfying fluffy not-quite-fluff I’m currently watching.
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An episode to make you weep and rejoice, the heart leaps for both!
Wahaha.. Thanks for this posting and the pictures!!
I am keeping my fingers crossed that the subsequent episodes will have hanxiang regretting and reflecting the choice he made and that mien will be able to take the blow with grace, strength and poise.
I really don't want hanxiang to end up with ailin. Arg!! ><" I hope he will break his engagement in the end. :P (so evil of me!!)
Somehow as I was typing, hanxiang reminded me of the eighth prince in BBJX cos they chose to give up their love for thru career! :3
I'm going to be happy and then sad for the next episode. Though I can't find a fault for Hee Hwan, he has been stepping it up for the past few episodes and the fact that he wasn't selfish about his love makes me more willing to accept him for Mi En later. But I'll definitely be heartbroken when Han Xiang chooses his professional career over love.
I have a feeling though that the previews are misleading? I think the manager that likes Ai Lin deliberately asked Mi En to make a cake on that day in order to STOP the engagement. Because wasn't Ai Lin trying to make Mi En leave to Hawaii on the day of the engagement so she won't be present? I guess the manager wants Han Xiang to see Mi En so that he can change his mind but too bad he won't or Mi En might arrive late. Darn the story for having President Pu not see the "fake" Ai Lin so he'll have no problem with this switcheroo. I can't believe Ai Lin's dad pressured Han Xiang using his company but I suppose that's a father's love? Especially since Ai Lin seems like a very spoiled daughter who gets her way.
I'm interested to see where they take this story after the engagement. Will Hee Hwan finally return to Korea and make his claim to the company and prove to Han Xiang that you don't have to choose between Love or Power because you can have BOTH? Though that's not fair because Hee Hwan always had the upper hand with the company even when he was just fooling around. Poor Han Xiang, he should have just stayed with the woman who was willing to lose face and NOT choose the dad who we know will choose Hee Hwan anyways.
I'm looking forward to seeing the kissing scene between the 2. Great chemistry between Han Xiang and mi en. Even the brief duration when the kiss scene flashed across the screen was testamount to their awesome chemistry, I could literally feel the 'hotness' of the 2. I don't understand why Wang Chuan Yi is still male lead 2.
I follow this drama, but I fast-forword the parents scenes (boring, bad actors) and Ai Lin - most of the scenes. The rest is sweet like a cake <3.
Wait! I thot he was the 2nd lead...hw did he get the girl? Am sorry I ve not been following this series regularly, i decided to wait for few more eps so that i can watch them together but i guess i shd start again, it seems to be getting serious now.
awwww, i dont get why d leads always exhibit lack of common sense at the critical junctures like this. its obvious that he's actually getting a lose-lose solution coz losing mi-en & gaining ai-ling = heartbreak + unconfirmed professional success whereas giving her up to heehwan = giving his blessings to them + professional success for heehwan anyway...
what i liked about this show is starting to come to an end since its pretty hard to stomach the OTT overacting by heehwan + ai ling AND her parents!!!
Oddly enough maybe, if the kiss which you are referring to was seen in a preview, it is a complete no-no to me. Lots of disrespect and awkwardness in his attitude, pulling her to him to force the lips-touching.
Not quite sure why everyone's going ga-ga over this kiss. Kiss and dump! What the hell! If Han Xiang's going to leave Mi-En for the real Ai-Lin and chooses a corporate marriage then I think I might preserve a smidgen of respect for him if he tells her the truth and walk off quietly. After all Mi-En faced up to her lie, which is nothing compared to Han Xiang's betrayal that's to come when she finds out about his engagement to the other girl in a shocking way.
I'm all for Hee Hwan, even from the very beginning. (If I don't feel for the main leads as a couple from the start then I know I won't finish watching the drama but Fondant Garden has been good so far. I like both Mi-En and Hee Hwan; and his love feels more like the everlasting kind than the flare up and gone in sixty seconds kind that don't deserve reminiscing over). Hee Hwan might be spoilt, but not on the same scale as the spoilt Ai-Lin whose selfishness has left me gobsmacked. At least Hee Hwan has stayed true to his feelings, he really isn't selfish at all and despite outward appearances he can be thoughtful, caring and protective of the people he cares about. His spoilt, little child act is just an act because of all the pressure at home, not to mention perhaps too much molly-coddling from an over protective grandmother. I'm relishing future episodes where we, hopefully, will see our male lead grow in to a man that's even more deserving of our heroine.
I do feel for Han Xiang too, he's under a different kind of pressure as the illegitimate older son who can't even get the recognition of his own grandma (who looks like she knows the truth), but to tread on the heart of the woman he professes to love makes a shamble of that love. It just tells me that he didn't love her at all! With the heartbreaking experience of his own childhood and the suffering of his mother being pushed to one side by a father who thinks business comes before all else I would have thought he'd have more reasons to treasure Mi-En with all his might. So chemistry or not, his passion is very shallow and he won't get my pity when he starts to show regret. (On a side note, Kingone should really stop taking on roles of the illegitimate older brother who's got to stay in the shadows and losing the girl to the pampered, younger brother. At least the younger brother character in FG doesn't know the hyung he respects so far is a biological one and isn't suffering any emotional baggage from this knowledge. It'd be interesting to see how these two brothers (or rather the show) handle this part of the story when the younger one finds out about the truth.)
As for the real Ai-Lin, with friends like her who needs enemies. The friendship seems to be too one-sided all the time. I pity her, she's so loved it's heartbreaking that instead of making something of her life she wants to chase after a man who didn't even know of her until recently, obviously doesn't love her and will marry her for business. She's really undeserving of all the genuine love around her. Her parents, Mi-En and Tan Rui needs to stop pandering to her whims because their love will be the downfall of the person they love if she can't find happiness in the end.
But FG being a rom-com I hope it doesn't end bad for any of the leads. I only watched this because of what I read here on Koala's playground. Thanks for the recommendation. I think the other part of me was curious to see how another member of SS501 fares in acting.
Kingone needs to be the lead on a drama one of these days. I've always been a fan of his, since the Devil Beside You. He's a good actor, just need a chance.