Comments

Rich Man, Poor Woman Episode 5 Recap — 57 Comments

  1. I want a ren’ai dorama like what they used to make a long time ago. I was hoping RMPW could be it, but this recap kinda deflates my expectation. @__@

  2. I am really enjoying the pace of RMPW. Even though it is summer fluff, it’s interesting and lets viewers become invested in the characters “other lives” aside from being the OTP. I like that Hyuga & Makato are figuring things out for themselves AND working together for a common goal (personal registry). That little reminder for Makato to give him some space and let Hyuga think through things by himself for a while was golden! He seems like the type of person who needs to do quiet introspection before moving to the next idea or phase of business or a relationship……IF he’s ever had a real relationship (other than meeting “what’s her face” at the train station).

    Anyways…this ep feels like calm before the storm. From the previews, it looks like ep 6 is gonna be a doosey!

  3. I am now an avid reader and stalker of your blog because of RMPW. hehhehe! Thanks for the great recap!

    Oguri Shun and Satomi really shine in this drama. ASide from the countryside trip, I really love the presentation part! Hyuga really owns the stage! The scene for me is beyond PERFECTION! Particularly when the lights were turned off and then when he opened his laptop, the musical score has really raised the scene to another level of emotion! So charismatic and confident! Even the usually antagonist Yamaguchi is impressed! How can Asahina beat the guy like him?!!! NO WAY!

    • Me too! If only corporate presentations in the real world were this impressive then there won’t be people falling asleep.

  4. thank you!!! 🙂 So glad you poured my exact feelings about Yoko into words:

    “Yoko still feels like a third wheel since she’s not involved in the personal file project, and her own cooking woes are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I like her, but she is just narratively uninteresting for me. I would gladly the drama just stop in its track anytime Hyuga and Makoto interact. In fact, I could watch Hyuga sleep on Makoto’s shoulder for 45 minutes and call it a day.”

    I don’t hate her yet (depending on her motives I cannot vouch for the future :F :F :D), although somehow at the beginning her whole being just rubbed me the wrong way. Now whenever she appears I start to sigh and get the urge to fast forward, the restaurant drama is boring for me… and now I even hate her brother so seems like I have a problem with the whole family 🙂 Hope she’ll be a catalyst to bring the OTP together and nothing more, like Hyuga realizing that he has more interest in Makoto because of her… please make it so and enough with the misplaced kisses. Rant over, thanks again! 🙂

    • Japanese drama only broadcast 1 ep per week and last for 1 quarter.Therefore the maximum for one drama is 12 ep. With the except of NHK historic drama, it is broadcast once per week for a year.

  5. I feel like Asahina has been resentful for a long time. Even in the first episode, when he told Yoko he didn’t mind being the quiet second to Hyuga, I felt that it was a lie. So I guess it doesn’t feel all that surprising to me that he’s turning on his partner so soon. I think he’s been doing underhanded things for a while now, but he’s stepping up his game to really try to destroy Hyuga.

    I also love the whole shoulder-sleeping scene. So adorable!

    • I was jut about to write the same thing. You could feel from the very beginning that Asahina was unhappy with being number 2, he just reached his tipping point somewhere around the beginning of the series. For this reason, I really didn’t have any problems with this episode and the pacing.

  6. I totally predicted this turn of events but even so, I too was surprised that there didn’t seem to be one major catalyst for Asahina’s power play. I definitely felt that Asahina had been jealous of Hyuga for quite some time, but this episode left me wondering “why now?” It’s a shame, since there was so much that could’ve catalyzed his journey to the dark side had the production team just given his transformation a liiiiitle more oomph–Hyuga’s character shift brought about by his “softening” because of his relationship with Makoto, a major difference in opinion surrounding this government project, his jealousy over Makoto’s affections (had they decided to have him fall in love with Makoto), etc. The ducks were all in a row for this one, but I don’t think the team committed fully to Asahina’s transformation. It’s ok, since I never found him a terribly exciting character…but I did love his relationship with Hyuga and would’ve liked to see some ambivalence on his part about throwing away their epic friendship.

    I continue to find Yoko SO MIND-NUMBINGLY BORING that I want to throw something at my screen every time she appears. And her restaurant woes? Ugh. Why should we care?! It’s not that she’s unlikable, she’s just irrelevant. Which is, perhaps, worse. I am more than a little annoyed that she and Hyuga share two kisses (next week’s appears to be initiated by Hyuga! Double ugh!!!!!) and the most we got in this episode was a few sidelong glances b/t HyMak.

    Speaking of which, as a viewer, I’m getting a little frustrated at the lack of development in the relationship between Hyuga and Makoto. I love them together and they have insane chemistry, but at this point it seems like Hyuga is more into Yoko than Makoto. Which is frustrating and problematic, obviously.

    The personal file project (and Hyuga’s search for his mother) is only interesting inasmuch as it throws Hyuga and Makoto together. Now that it’s taking substantial screentime away from the two, I’m kind of over the corporate espionage sideplot.

    My comment makes it sound like I disliked this episode more than I did. It wasn’t awful or anything, but it was a bit of a letdown given that we’re halfway through the series. Even worse, given the preview for next week I’m not confident that we’ll get more development int he relationship between Hyuga and Makoto anytime soon.

    • Regarding YOKO.

      Yes, I don’t feel like Yoko is likeable and yes, her story plot is not interesting. But for me, if the case when Hyuga is making the effort to eat the tomato, and his remark on the tomato that “now he doesn’t need to lie to a friend about having eaten the tomatoes”—which he asked Yoko to make it somehow edible for him. Then, I like the way they use Yoko here, so that Hyuga can get closer to Makoto. For me, Hyuga-Yoko relationship is just like a friend who needs the other partner’s ability. That’s all.

      But between Hyuga-Makoto, the relationship is although not yet reaching the romantic sense, but it’s a relationship that is building each other.

      hm, maybe it;s more like hyuga-yoko relationship is more on the take. While Hyuga-Makoto is more on the give.

    • I too was surprised that there didn’t seem to be one major catalyst for Asahina’s power play.

      Here is my guess:
      Asahina was the reason Tono left. Tono says something like “I provided half the capital. You drove me out because you 2 wanted the majority , right?” It is most likely that Asahina was motivated for financial reasons to “drive Tono out” – whatever that means. Current day H renews his employees contracts based on performance, not money.

      Asahina has prolly jealously guarded his close relationship with H since the beginning.

      Why would he want to destroy him now? Could it be Asahina hopes the only person that can lead H back to success is Asahina, and he wants to be needed that much again? Because destroying your cash cow makes NO SENSE whatsoever.

  7. Thanks for the great recap!
    I loved how Makoto said something along the lines of ‘It’s a tough time at work, I should not be so concerned about romance’. Seriously, some drama heroines should memorize that phrase.
    Re: Hyuga – I don’t really think his character traits are contradictory (yes, I know, you said ‘almost’ :)). I would say that he is still a bit of an awkward geek with relatively poor social skills, but at the same time, though he’s short-tempered, he’s also a good guy. When he’s with Yoko, for example, he doesn’t grab her wrists or yell at her. I also laughed out loud when he told Makoto to throw a tomato at the farmer. 😀

  8. thank you for the recaps. I now seem to haunt your site waiting for a preview, recap or even a word ragarding Rich man poor woman, so pathetic ,so hooked. Thank you for all you do to help us fans get through the week.

  9. Da fuck?!?

    $^%&%*&(E#$%^% Damn you writers for wasting my time with Hyuga-Yoko NOTHINGNESS. I don’t care if they met on a train, on a plane, or on a freaking unicycle. This needs to stop before I throw in the towel from sheer annoyance.

    I feel terrible for Aibu Saki. Why does she keep playing characters that tick me off to this Nth degree. Off to go munch on squid jerky and down a beer whilst relooping Hyuga-Makoto cuteness in my brain.

    P.S. If I believed in conspiracy theories, I would bet money that Aibu Saki paid off the screenwriter so that she got a chance to make out with Oguri Shun onscreen for once in her life. I don’t blame her, but OMG zee hatred I have of this plot line.

    • When is this nonsense supposed to take place?!?!?! The writers better explain this right away and NEVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN. She’s taking up valuable Hyuga-Makato screentime. LOL

      • His eyes are only half open,similar with the first kiss, anyway it doesn’t matter since Makoto haven’t got a single kiss from Hyuga instead she will have a hug from Asahina. As Mrs. Koala said Da Fuck?!

      • I saw the longer preview version. After Yoko confessed her feelings, he leaned in and kissed her…eyes closed…i think….wahhhhhhhhh. That’s when Makoto tried to call him back but he didn’t answer. :(((((

        Thanks for recap Koala!! Good thing you noted that Hyuga was bowing to the old man after he threw him the pen. The whole time I thought he was bending over scratching an itch or something XD

    • UUUUGH DIE SIDE PLOTLINE, DIE!

      Even worse: Hyuga INITIATES the kiss, if the previews are to be believed. I’m SO OVER YOKO.

    • I think he just wants to test his feeling for Yoko – like when he tried to remember her in a close watch. In the first episode, when he talked to the priest-friend about the girl with the same name as his mom, he said he feels nervous around her, but not because of the name. And he slept so well on her shoulder hihi:))
      I like the pace of the romance in RMPW, it’s calmer, more natural. And the business part is good. If anyone wants more speed, better watch a movie.

      • OK. I take that back. I’m in rage. WTF?! Watched the long preview. WTF?! Arghhh!

        On other note, it does seem that the staff are suspecting Makoto to be behind the leak. I hope Hyuga doesn’t believe that, though.

        I don’t see how Asahina is drawn to Makoto, but I guess he’s mad because someone care more for Hyuga (it’s so obvious, only Hyuga dont see it, yet, pft) and none for him, that is why I guess Asahina tried to get Makoto on his side? Hunger for attention. Hmmm…

      • Same here, I also watched the long preview of episode , and I’m so upset cause Hyuga initiate and seems to enjoy the kiss.

    • So funny!
      Listen, even this newbie dorama watcher here knows this is how the J love triagles go.

      We are led to believe that the obtuse part of the love triangle is solid, that the attraction between 1stLM and 2ndLF is strong. Our plucky heroine has no chance, right?

      Would YOU turn down this aggressive and sexy female feeding you your favorite foods on you favorite tables? Yuka, btw, is always a coupla steps ahead of M, whose charm is her sincerity. How does that trump scheming in the short-term?

      But doesn’t he look confused more than happy to be doing this? Even if the kiss happens, it won’t stick. Our Hyuga is always thinking about our Makoto, whether he wants to or not!

  10. But I would watch this sucker even if it had absolutely no plot as long as they insert more cute Hyuga-Makoto scenes. Please please please!

  11. “I must say that Shun appears to have grown a few inches in the last few years, because he really is ridiculously tall in this dorama. In the last episode, he was taller than the jail doorway when he went to pick up Makoto.” LOL I thought the same …. Thank you very much for the recap, I really enjoyed this episode, moments of Makoto and Hyuga, were very sweet

    • wow, didn’t notice his height until it was mentioned.. I wish I was still growing.. Oguri is so tall and charming.. too bad he’s taken.. BOO! 🙁

      • Awww, he is so charming, his eyes and smile can kill me. Once again thank you Ms. Koala for this recap. Monday come fast….

  12. Omg! I can’t believe his friend would do that to him. I mean, he knows he’s not the brain in the company so why is he stabbing his own friend in the back? Wonder if he feel he isn’t being acknowlege? errr?
    As for the sister, that preview…I hope I’m wrong but it looks like the brother and sister are in cohoot together? Is money that important? or power? Sooooo sad.

    Awww….

    maybe this plotline will get Hyuga and Makoto closer ?
    Since Hyuga doesn’t remember face and name, is anything yoko told him even true? maybe they did meet on a train..but that’s about it. Maybe yoko getting close to him for her brother?

    Can’t wait for ep 6. ARrgh… read the preview recap and dang… not liking it.

    • agree with you…. i hope next episode will show the improvement of relationship between Hyuga and Makoto. i really hope the kiss doesn’t mean anything

  13. Thanks for the recap!!!
    I LOVE THIS DRAMA!!! So far it’s amazing! I watch each episode twice hehe

    I hated the preview too, but i think it is not exactly what we think it’s gonna be! I hope so!!! Let’s wait and see)))

  14. Thanks for the recap. I’m soooo late to this party because of a day long outing yesterday.

    I like this about H: “Sometimes he reacts viscerally, other times he just shuts down and is precise and controlled.” We are starting to see that WHO he is with predicts how he acts. There’s a “feelings” valve that Makoto’s presence now seems to be opening. I get very excited about that idea because even before he admits that his heart is going towards her, he is allowing his heart to go to her.

    Shun, in the beautiful field moment, made my heart speed up a little.
    You can pinpoint THE moment when he finally sees Makoto. The sincerity in her trust that he WILL succeed – all the more valuable because of her willingness to criticize him openly – moved him more than he expected. I like that she looks gorgeous sitting there in the sun, and maybe H notices for the first time that she literally sparkles near him. I also love that when she smiles back, he gets all shy, like “Ooops! What did my face just say to her? Holy schmit! She is reading my mind!”

    No matter how seductive and driven Yuka is, she will NEVER be important to H as this Makoto.

    • I love the stop and stare moment in the field. SO PRETTY. It’s totally different from that glance in ep 2 during the conference with the minister lady. I guess at the time he was impressed with her memorization skills and/or he’s proud of himself for hiring the exact kind of persona the minister likes. But in the field scene, he looked at her in a new light like “omg she’s so beautiful..she genuinely cares about me”. They are the cutest otp ever! At the end when he ran away, i watched it raw so I thought he said “I’m going crazy” like a kdrama moment hahahah.

      • And there is this other thing she is doing that nobody else is, motivating him. She is almost daring him to live up to the person he thinks and says he is. It’s not hero worship because she also yells a him when he is wrong. Everyone else just tells him how great he is, and waits for him to deliver something wonderful.
        Makoto is actually guiding his progress towards his goal.

        His awkwardness at that moment with her because of his nascent feelings towards her is perfect. Like you said, it’s a little, “What am I nuts?” mixed in with “What the heck is this feeling? When does
        the oak tree fall in love with the squirrel?!” I also feel he may go towards the noble idiocy of “Don’t fall in love with me, babe, I’m baaaaaad news.”

  15. Thanks for the recap.

    Since the start, it seems like Asahina’s already on the edge coming to dark side. Anyway, cut Hyuga off the company. let’s see if Asahina could succeed without the genius that is Hyuga.

  16. I forgot this: “he hasn’t faced any real stumbling blocks in his professional life. Aoyama pointed out that Hyuga is too “soft” or “untried”, in the sense that he hasn’t experienced failure before and he needs to in order to truly succeed.”

    The business that Next I has built up over the years grew because of brilliant and fast programming skills. They quickly supply cyber goods that are enjoyed and discarded just as quickly.
    The Perrrrrr -sohn -al File project breaks them out of their slick and fast SOP. His amazing demonstration showed us the possibilities of their PF, but folks just want to access the info easily. To make this a success, it needs to be almost mundane, like the every day ink pen we now take for granted. I like the lesson that creating something long lasting and far reaching is a LOT harder than programming a cell phone game, and that Makoto is the only person who understands Hyuga’s motivation behind doing all of this hard work is not financial, but personal.

    • I think so, it’s a different business line they are creating. It’s like migrating from fun business to serious business. This soon-seem-to-be fall-out with Asashina could be a breaking experience for H, H might even leave the company and out to build a new one, like what the mentor-farmer Aoyama said. Only this time he has a different partner that is Makato ….

  17. I really love this couple. She will temper his desire to “destroy” Asahina and that man should be greatful for her existence in Hyuga’s life if the preview is any indication of the upcoming smackdown.

    The country outing was cool with an interesting cast of characters.

    As for Yoko, I really liked her actions in this episode because she’s direct and seems to want to help Makato. I think Y is more concerned about her culinary reputation than gaining a love life at the moment not that the two are mutually exclusive but she is not chasing after H. If M wants Hyuga, she’s going to have to let go of her inhibitions and “Go for it!” Toss your hairpins into the arena. I love your character anyway girlfriend.

    Thanks for the recap.

  18. Thanks for the recaps! It’s my first time watching a Jdorama that’s still airing in Japan so i’m getting impatient waiting for just 1 (at least Kdramas have 2!) episode per week. But with the memories of my recent Hana Kimi marathon and my newfound love for Oguri Shun, I can face anything. Yosh! Bring on the wait. I’ll be a visitor in your blog in the next several weeks.

  19. I’m so late for this, just finished watching now but I just want to add that I so love how Makoto is openly showing her love and affection for Hyuga but not in a hero-worship sort of way, more like a companion/partner. Girl is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve and I love her for it. Heck even the little boy saw it!

    Ahhh..this OTP will kill me. Why is it only one episode per week?!! Why?

  20. something isn t right with yoko i don t trust her.here s why:

    Firstly: She makes no qualms about liking Hyuga
    Second: When Natsui and Hyuga met in the past, we still have a flashback to prove it, even if Hyuga doesn’t remember it. However, we have nothing for Yoko’s word on it.
    Third: at the time when Hyuga agreed to remembering the incident, he had just returned from hurting Natsui with his admission to not remembering anything,just before Yoko started talking about the past, he asked her if he was hurting her (Yoko) too by not being able to remember.

    Then Yoko immediately segued into her talk of taking a trip down memory lane. Now Hyuga is nothing but a fast learner, and having just seen his effect on Natsui, and not wanting to hurt two people in the span of a few hours, he readily admitted to remembering something.

    Two things pound out this point for me:
    One is the way he said it, sort of like “Oohh Yeaahhh, I remember that…”. It’s something most people have done at some point.

    Second is the way he played it safe. By saying he doesn’t remember the exact contents of their conversation, he leaves himself some breathing space, making himself able to not offend anyone.

    i don t know that s what i got

  21. The performance of the actors and actresses in this drama has been really good. Everyone is talking about Oguri Shun and Ishihara Satomi but Iura Arata has also been quite outstanding as scheming Asahina. Haven’t been this excited about Japanese drama since I last watched Boss and Boss 2 and it’s time for a Japanese drama to shine in a sea of Korean dramas!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

error: Content is protected !!