Nice Guy Episode 2 Recap
Leave it to Lee Kyung Hee to take tired sacrifice and betrayal tropes and infuse new life into it. She’s lucky because her brilliant PD in Nice Guy (The Innocent Man) truly elevates her material, but story wise NG is also quickly finding its own unique footing. Unlike the synopsis indicated, there is really more than meets the eye here with our leading man’s revenge motive. We learn that Maru willingly takes the fall for Jae Hee and does the time, only to come out and still wait around for her? He apparently didn’t know that she married herself an older sugar daddy in the meantime, so he’s turning tricks with women to pay the bills and not as a giant F-you to womenkind. Song Joong Ki infuses Kang Maru with so many layers, not because the man is particularly interesting or deep, but because he’s like a cooped up animal trying to survive in an environment beyond his control.
I’m already disliking Jae Hee even seeing that she’s not all conniving and evil. I don’t like her user attitude, period. But I am really curious about her backstory with the Chairman and how she ended up married to him. Eun Gi went from just okay to totally fascinating within one episode, as I really couldn’t help but be impressed by her hard-as-nails attitude towards everything. It’s clear she’s not a robot and has a lot of unresolved and pent up feelings, but inside her is so much anger and rage that she’s Maru’s female counterpart in many ways. I love how all the leads of this drama are no passive or reactive people, instead taking action to seek the happiness and solace they crave. Eun Gi wants validation and control, Jae Hee wants wealth and stability, and Maru seeks to move past a fictional happiness that no longer exists. These three are clearly going to collide in the messiest of ways, and I’m beyond giddy to watch it all unfurl.
Episode 2 recap:
Jae Hee screams at Maru to stop but he pauses before continuing to treat Eun Gi by stabbing a syringe into her chest and pulling fluid out of her lung. He tells the flight attendant that she’ll be fine until the plane lands in ten minutes. Eun Gi is stabilized and Maru goes back to his seat. Jae Hee stands up abruptly like she wants to go after him but she doesn’t.
Maru walks back to his seat but he’s sweating profusely and unstable on his feet, clearly affected by his unexpected encounter with Jae Hee and stabilizing Eun Gi’s situation. He has to grab a seat back as support.
Eun Gi is being rushed to the hospital and Jae Hee accompanies her in the ambulance. Maru and Jae Gil are in a car headed home. Jae Gil peeked and saw that it was Jae Hee on the plane, and points out that the rumors back then were true, Jae Hee did marry the Chairman of a large company. No wonder initially she visited Maru daily in prison, then it became weekly, then monthly, and then one day she disappeared. Jae Gil wonders why Maru ended up in prison in the first place. He has a stubborn temper but he would never hurt anyone since all he ever wanted was to be a doctor. Jae Gil’s incessant talking about Jae Hee causes Maru to get out of the car and walk the rest of the way.
As Maru walks, he flashes back to his youth when he first met Jae Hee. One time a beaten up young Jae Hee rushes to Maru to ask for help. Maru was washing clothes outside while little Choco eats a chocolate bar when Jae Hee suddenly rushes into his yard asking for a place to hide. He lets her hide in his house.
Afterwards Maru patches up Jae Hee’s wounds, explaining that he’s always wanted to be a doctor. Looks like he’s always been her protector from the very beginning. He introduces himself as Kang Maru and she says her name is Han Jae Hee. Maru knows who she is, she’s the pretty Jae Hee noona in their neighborhood.
Maru flashbacks to college and he’s studying on the lawn with Jae Hee. It’s not surprising that he’s a top student, while Jae Hee is worried about failing classes. She mentions that a female student who comes from a rich family is interested in Maru, so why doesn’t he return her interest? Maru clearly has eyes only for Jae Hee.
Maru keeps walking and when he walks past a street food stall, he flashes back to happier times when he ate there with Jae Hee. He thinks to himself that everything has changed, and he’s not the Kang Maru he was before. He watches as the young Maru holds Jae Hee’s hand and they happily walk off. He tells himself to stop now, there is nothing else he can do. He vows that from now on, it’s over (his waiting for Jae Hee to return).
Eun Gi is resting at the hospital but chowing down on fried chicken and getting some work done. Joon Ha comes to visit Eun Gi, who is interested in the man who saved her life on the plane. Rather than be grateful, she’s pissed because he wasn’t a doctor and still treated her. Though Eun Gi heard that it appeared that Jae Hee and the crazy person who treated her knew each other. Eun Gi gets a call and finds out from a likely spy she has on Jae Hee that Jae Hee has withdrawn a billion won. She wants to know what the money is being used for.
Jae Hae, carrying bags and bags of stuff, walks through her old neighborhood to pay a visit to Maru. We see a man following her, clearly following Eun Gi’s orders. When she gets to the top of the steps, she sees an image of her young self hiding in the corner, covered in bruises.
She hears an altercation and walks to Maru’s place. A man and woman arrive outside Maru’s place and the man proceeds to beat up on Jae Gil. He’s upset that his wife wants to leave him to be with the guy who lives here. Poor Jae Gil gets mistaken for lothario Maru. Jae Gil cracks a stick over his own head to show how strong he. The wife says she’ll leave her husband so she can love Maru in freedom.
Jae Hee walks up and asks if that woman is in love with Maru? She asks Jae Gil what’s happened to Maru?
Maru accompanies Choco to the hospital to get a check up. He’s a patient and solicitous brother, even helping Choco retie her hair. Poor Choco complains about her illness, sadly noting that all she wants to do is live the normal life of a teenager. Maru has been too overprotective now and won’t let her do ordinary things like drinking and going clubbing.
Choco is still bitter and blames Jae Hee for what happened to her brother. Choco screams that if she dies, it’s all Maru’s fault! But she can’t stay mad at him for long and asks him to piggyback her. Choco may come off as bratty but I’m totally with her on this one.
Jae Hee sits with Jae Gil, who tells Jae Hee all about Maru’s life since he was incarcertated. Maru has taken to swindling women out of money so that he can pay for Choco’s medical bills. Maru even thought about selling his organs to make money but its not enough. Jae Gil points out that in Korea, there is no way for a person with a criminal record to earn a proper living. For the sake of Choco, Maru has been living but not truly alive. Jae Gil reveals that Maru has been waiting for Jae Hee still, not willing to move in case she comes looking for him. Jae Gil reveals that no matter what people tell Maru, he stubbornly refused to believe Jae Hee had betrayed him and moved on.
On the way home, we see Maru dutifully piggybacking Choco.
Maru brings Choco home and notices all the gift baskets outside. He places her in bed while Jae Gil tells Maru that Jae Hee came by and left presents and this envelope for him. Maru opens the envelope to find it filled with money.
Maru rushes out to chase after Jae Hee clearly intending to return the money. Jae Hee walks through the neighborhood and her heel breaks. Maru rushes through the neighborhood but doesn’t catch up to Jae Hee.
Jae Hee drives home and flashes back to the night of the man getting killed. She tries to stop Maru but he insists. When Maru walks her out, he takes off his plaid shirt and puts it around Jae Hee’s shoulder. Jae Hee pulls him in for a hug. Back to the present, Jae Hee has pulled her car over to the side and she’s slumped over the steering wheel.
Jae Hee comes home and Eun Gi is waiting for her in the courtyard. The two women sit down for some tea, and Eun Gi’s totally got her bitch face on. Eun Gi wants to know what Jae Hee’s relationship is with the guy who saved Eun Gi’s life on the plane, and why Jae Hee gave him a billion won afterwards. Jae Hee tries to explain that it was to thank him for saving Eun Gi’s life, which doesn’t fly with Eun Gi. Eun Gi suggest that Jae Hee paid Maru to kill her.
Jae Hee switches tactics and says Maru was blackmailing her because he knew that Eun Gi was caught with drugs when she was younger. This shuts Eun Gi up since she has no retort to that. If the media knew, Eun Gi wouldn’t be able to convince the Board of Directors to allow her to inherit the company.
Eun Gi walks back to her room and on the staircase, she flashes back to a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend. He gets on his knees to beg her to cover for him and claim that she was the one with the drugs. He promises that if she did that, his rich dad will help her family’s company, which is in dire straits.
Eun Gi calls her ex-boyfriend, who is carrying a baby and is clearly married. She asks if he remembers her? Eun Gi tells him that she took the fall for him back then because she loved him, not for the money. She calls him an asshole and hangs up. After ending the call, Eun Gi tosses the cell phone in the fish tank.
Maru drives to the Seo house and parks outside. Maru calls Jae Gil.
The Seo family is dining together, including Joon Ha and another lawyer Ahn Min Young. After dinner the Chairman is wheeled away to discuss matter with lawyer Ahn. How’d he end up in a wheelchair?
Eun Gi continues eating with Joon Ha and Jae Hee and drops the bombshell that she’s reported to the police that Kang Maru is blackmailing Jae Hee, plus she’s reporting him for practicing medicine without a license when he saved her on the plane. This clearly shocks Jae Hee.
Maru walks up to the Seo front door and leaves the packet of money in the mail slot. He writes a note on it first.
Maru gets a call from Choco who is frantic. He rushes home and she’s standing in the rain. Two detectives come out from his room and take evidence away. He want to talk to him about him blackmailing Han Jae Hee. Choco screams that her oppa would never do this but the detectives take Maru away. She screams that she’ll wait outside until he comes back. Maru gives her the umbrella from the detectives but she refuses it. Maru asks who reported him and is told the person is Han Jae Hee.
Eun Gi stands in her office looking outside at the rain in a daze. Jae Hee is in a car with lawyer Ahn being driven to the police station. Jae Hee arrives at the police station and Maru is brought in. The detective records this interview. Initially Jae Hee doesn’t say anything, but when she’s pressed, Jae Hee goes with the story and confirms that Maru is blackmailing her family because he knows their dirty secret.
Maru stares at her in shock and anger, not saying anything. The detective questions him but he doesn’t answer any of his questions. In his mind, he tells Jae Hee that she needn’t do this anymore. He had been willing to understand her situation, he knew he no longer inhabited the same world as her and could not be with her anymore. He had already decided to let her go in his heart and she needn’t be so cruel towards him.
Jae Hee goes home and the servant hands her the envelope with the money that Maru returned.
The Chairman is screaming at Eun Gi about her management style at work. He’s so angry at her that he throws a glass ashtray against the wall and a shard cuts Eun Gi’s cheek. He tells her to leave like her mother did if she can’t run the company. He’s not going to leave his company to someone useless, so Eun Gi better shape up.
Jae Hee goes to see Eun Gi, who has put a bandaid on her cut. Eun Gi wants to talk about Maru and the interrogation. Eun Gi heard that the evidence isn’t enough and Maru might be released. He refused to talk during the interview. Jae Hee doesn’t buck under her attitude. Eun Gi says her nickname is rabid dog and even if the police release Maru, she won’t let him off so easily. Jae Hee tells Eun Gi that the 1 billion won has been returned and because the plan failed and Maru ended up saving Eun Gi. Jae Hee says she stills has the trump card that is Eun Gi’s drug prior that she can hold over her head. She tells Eun Gi to compete in a few more years after Eun Gi has grown up. Until then, Eun Gi should stop creating little problems.
Jae Hee goes to tuck Eun Suk into bed and reads him a story. Maru sits in jail that night brooding.
Eun Gi goes to work in the middle of the night. But later she grabs a bottle of soju and starts drinking. She wakes up in her office having slept on the table.
Maru comes home and can’t find Choco. He finds out she stayed in the rain all night and is now in the hospital. Maru rushes to the hospital and finds Choco laying there. Maru remembers Choco’s pain and fear of losing him again, and looks enraged that Jae Hee’s accusations brought forth more pain for Choco.
Eun Gi rides a BMX bike through the woods, which I’m assuming she does to relieve stress and burn off her excess pissy attitude. As she turns the corner, another rider zooms out and the two begin to race.
The other rider crashes into a fallen branch while Eun Gi keeps going. But she turns the corner and loses control of her bike. She grabs onto a branch to keep from falling off. As she is about to lose her grip, Maru arrives and we see he was the other ride. Maru reaches out his hand and grabs the falling Eun Gi.
Thoughts of Mine:
If I could describe Nice Guy with one word, I’d call it “compelling”. This is a drama that rather envelopes the viewer into its narrative, wrapping us up in subtle intrigues and emotional hooks that are not to heavy-handed. A lot of melodramas tend to over sell the “pain” factor, making us think characters are suffering from a surfeit of agony and mental torture, when really it’s not that extreme. I find NG so restrained about it, allowing us to understand Maru’s situation but not feel like the man is marinating in pain. Song Joong Ki does such an incredible job of keeping his feelings under a tight rein, letting his eyes do the talking and never raising his voice. This is one non-screechy drama which is such a relief since melodramas tend to equate eye-bulging-screaming with the expression of emotion.
I love everything the PD does in showcasing the world of NG, from the brilliant use of flashbacks, to the great color and darkness juxtapositions, and the effective use of the environment such as the rain scenes to subtly emphasize the scene. I appreciate that it’s still hard to grasp the entire story at this point, but all the clues are there. I know Maru must love Jae Hee so much he’s willing to let his sister endure more hardships so that he can take the fall for Jae Hee. But how did she become so important to him? And if she were so important, how come it feels like he never really knew her at all, and even six years ago she must be keeping important aspects of her life a secret from him. I appreciate that the writer doesn’t write Jae Hee has wholly manipulative, but she is still responsible for what happened to Maru and even six years later doesn’t step up and make amends to him. Not that she could make amends for what he endured for her, but how far she’s drifted from him is really the clincher in driving Maru to take revenge on her.
In many ways, NG feels like a twisted dark re-do of my all-time favorite Lee Kyung Hee penned drama Sang Doo, Let’s Go to School. We have the first love, the he-goes-to-jail-because-of-her situation, the womanizing to make money afterwards – but unlike Sang Doo, this is not a story where the childhood loves have a chance to prove that love can overcome a bevy of painful memories and hardships endured on behalf of each other. In NG, the sacrifice turns to rage, the pain becomes a weapon, and the first love twists into an ugly spectre hovering over Jae Hee and Maru. They are not going to get their happy ending with each other, and the question remains can they move on past decisions that were made in the moment that have lasting repercussions. I hope so, because I’m so fascinated by both Maru and Eun Gi’s internal torment based on previous painful experiences that I’m already cheering for these two broken people to find a way to heal each other and move on together.
thanks for your super fast recap!!
Is it still mean if Isay I still want Jae Hee and Maru too end up together?HAHAHAH
If Maru’s purpose for embarking on revenge is to make Jae Hee head for redemption and have things return to their original places … then that may be the case …
no no NO! she doesn’t deserve him. I know you are just provoking but NOOOO!
thhis show is getting better and better…this is so gonna be the cause of my addiction to it, not to mention that the actors are awesome lol
thanks a lot for the great recap~
*I’m supposed to be studying but here I’m in front of my lappy drooling over sjk* lol
I know Song Joong Ki is killing it, but we have to also give credit for Moon Chae Won who is nailing this role as the reserved, tormented chaebol. She’s just as expressive with her eyes as Song Joong Ki and I can’t wait until these two officially meet as I can see the sparks flying already from their first meeting, where they shared no dialogues, yet their body motions conveyed so much emotions. The versatility of both Moon Chae Won and Song Joong Ki is surprising me, as before I could never see the elegant, reserved Moon Chae Won with this much attitude, and the cute, adorable Song Joong Ki as a tormented bad boy. And the directing is just spot on in giving the audience the right dose of emotional impact. Looking forward to the development of the story, as more threads are revealed to reveal the full picture.
Well said my dear, well said
I don’t get Jae Hee, when she killed the guy she said ”if I’m not a reporter I don’t want to live anymore, because it was her dream and hard work. Okay I understand this, and is true even if it was in self defence she wouldn’t get her job back.
But then, Maru takes the blames to save her dreams and career, and what she did? Is she still a reporter that was her dream? No she isn’t a reporter anymore. She married a rich man instead. This piss me off. Her dream wasn’t being a reporter, but having money. Selfish much?
Plus If money was the problem and she didn’t want to go back to her poor life, she could marry Maru. I mean if she took the charge she wouldn’t even be in jail since it was self-defence, and then Maru would turn in a great doctor, and doctors earn enough to have a good life, and they could be happy together.
What I’m saying is, she doesn’t loved Maru at all.
From your explanation,iam agree with you,she do not love maru at all because of her selfishness.
I already LOVE this drama!
I think you’re a litle harsh with Jae Hee (or maybe not) but that’s my opinion and ONLY because I have this weird theory that she was pregnant with Maru’s child and her boss offered “protection” for her and for her child while Maru was in jail. Ok doesn’t explain her atitude entirely. This being a drama, the chairman probably doesn’t know he is not the father, but in MY weird fantasy he is gay and asked Jae Hee to be his cover while helping her.
That’s why Eun Gi is totally wrong about her father divorcing her mother because of Jae Hee. That’s because he is actually guay. And maybe an ashole. The latter having nothing to do with the first, only to do with the ashtray part. -_-
Well that’s what came to my dreaming mind when watching this drama without subs lol. What do you think? ^^
I thought the same but the kid has 3 years and Maru was in jail for 6 years so yeah, not maru’s child.
Thank you for the fast recap!
I’m loving this drama already because it’s not afraid to be dark and serious. I like all the twists and the diversity in the characters. I’m eager to see where this goes.
Yay! Thanks for recap off to read……
Help! I love this drama….It’s more than what was expected.
I Love it . And “compelling” is thé right expression. Thank you for recaping it
I’m so fascinated by both Maru and Eun Gi’s internal torment based on previous painful experiences that I’m already cheering for these two broken people to find a way to heal each other and move on together.
God yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I love their characters so, so very much–like you said, Eun-Gi’s very much Maru’s female counterpart–that I want them to be able to share something with each other that they never could with anybody else. It may sound corny, but I’m so emotionally attached to these characters already, just can’t contain myself.
What a tremendous episode. I’m amazed you managed to put out a recap so soon, I don’t think I could have put together two sentences after that.
I am in sad minority because I like Jae Hee and hope for her remorse and redemption. Her childhood was brutal and she was a survivor. Somehow the actress is able to show emotional depth of JH feelings and her thought process.
Maru and Jae Hee have a strong connection, shared memories, regrets, even his hatred connects them in a strange way. It’s like they share the same emotional wavelength, although I understand that it’s grounded in the past and they are different now.
JH is an outsider, an identified gold-digger in her own family and cannot trust anyone. The life she has, it is a sad pathetic life of a lonely, unhappy person. She is quite similar to Ms. Ripley’s character.
Nothing is making me count the water drops yet…but i am still compelled to watch it. I thank the dramas gods tat this drama consist none of the old bitchy screechy old lady. Everybody looks very pretty with their angsty eyes and citting wit. I am very enthralled by the relationship between eun gi and her secretary, i like them being on the same screen. Maru is the best of both worlds, he was the sweet sacraficial second lead type then transformed to leading man in the otp, he looks hot in a black shirt, looking forward to shower scenes. I mean he is going to meditate through his pain and anger in the shower…right? And i know this writer is going to deliever on the makeout but with emotion, a love to kill anyone? Im relax and not waiting till next wednesday to see the melo “unfurl”
Haven’t watched anything from ep2 yet but I have read live-recaps. I agree with some that Jae Hee’s character needs redemption. All of them (the leads) needs that. I think that is one of the strongest points of NG for me that the characters are manipulated very well – layered in a sense the layering are really complementing each and every pieces. We are very much invested in knowing why they become such. And because of that, we are compelled to root for their well-being and happiness at the end of all the turmoils. I am loving that.
From the start of all of these, I am really really rooting for a great performance from MCW. She’s my favorite among the three and I am loving the fact that she grabbed this challenge after doing TPM. Intelligent actress I would say and also someone who genuinely loves the craft of acting she’ll try her feet on every possible shoes she could fill. Same with Joong Ki, though I know less about his past performances but both their acting are spot on.
And the thing I love most about this is the directing style. Koala already mentioned how the PD’s treating the whole material and I agree to that 100%. There is sophistication in handling the story – muted, subtle, roaring like an undercurrent.
i love NG so bad..
i don’t know how could i endure my heart at the middle of this drama..
thanks for recap NG..i hope Koala will make it until the end..
I’m already deep down to my ankles in love with this drama!! SOOOO PLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS DON’T KILL HIM IN THE END!!!!!
I am going to bet that even thought she has killed characters before, bastard writer, that SJK will cause too many people to fall in love with him for the network to bear that backlash.
Yeah, just waiting for eun gi and maru heal each other and move on together. This is the first time a melodrama rocks for me in past many years.
i love the fact that we finally get a show where both the heroine AND the hero are damaged souls who seem cold. For once, the heroine is actually threatening the second female lead and seems to have the upperhand — although it seems jae hee is slowly starting to fight her battles.
i understand why Eun gi is the way she is, and appreciate the way she handles the company, although she takes it a bit far sometimes with lack of kindness.
I just can’t wait until both eun gi and maru find a way to heal their broken hearts, and just love that they are each other’s own versions.
Nice guy, thanks for reviving my desire to watch a good melo, one not too overdone. god knows those makjang filled shows never gets that far with me.
wow, this show is really off to a good start! MCW is killing it. i love that the characters are multidimensional and layered, not your typical hero and heroine or second lead. and i love the “psychological thriller” feel of the drama and the awesome music.
i’m tempted to bail this early in the game and just read the recaps because i’m sure its going to be angst central (and then some) from here on out. and why do i get this feeling that maru will die in the end? ah, i hope not. but i must confess, i’m really looking forward to Joongki and MCW making out the most. hahaha.
Wow. What a great recaps and comments by the visitors of this blog. Intelligent people I should say we have here. hehe.
I love this kind of drama but I will wait patiently at least until it half to avoid the waiting of the next episode. I love to watch this kind of drama in one go.
Thanks koala!
NG is freakin’ killin’ me softly! All I can say is AWESOME!I so love the face-off between Eun Gi and Jae Hee! Bitch-cat fights rocks! Can’t wait for the next episode!
Loved SJK in this! However, can someone explain to me about that last scene of the motorcycle ride ö? I didn’t really get it haha I’m a bit slow… Or will it be explained in the next ep? Cuz since it’s difficult for maru to earn money then why would he have a bike lol. And why is he racing with eun gi???
All in all I really like this drama. Even though revenge plots are really overused this drama deals with it very nicely (:
I don’t think there was much to conclude about the motorcycle scene other than to say that it seemed to be Eun-gi’s way to relieve stress and vent, and for both of them to cross pathways again. he ends up having to save her in the end.
It’s a melodrama, so there are things we just go with as to why Maru can afford a a bike. Maybe his gigolo job pays well.
Cuz since it’s difficult for maru to earn money then why would he have a bike
A gigolo can pay very well. It is sad but true that a handsome and charming man can get anything from a gullible lady*
Maru is very good at making money as a gigolo. His skills at preying on rich and lonely women have paid the bills for the past year when he got out of prison. It is hard for him, as in distasteful and fatiguing, but it’s also easy.
(*I learned this from another Lee Kyung Hee drama.)
I see. I hope the next episode will explain it and not just brush it off as pure fate/coincidence ^^ hopefully maru tailed her on purpose
Whether he’s poor or not, the motorcycle encounter still seems a bit odd for me as well. It just popped up before they roll in the credit. So random I would say. Maru’s glaring and all in the hospital and then voila! Motorcycle. Haha.
I believe what we see is the last moment before deciding on revenge, followed by the first step in his plan to achieve it.
@jomo: I don’t have any problem with the motorcycle scene per se. It’s just the transition. Like it came from nowhere.
Oh, I get it.
I actually like that style of directing.
Keeps me on my toes, and, it feels like the creative team trusts us to either fill in the blanks ourselves until we get an explanation, or keep us in the dark so we feel uneasy. Now we have a whole six days to wait, too!
Possibly… eunSuk is actually JaEHee’s son with Maru, he went to jail, and JaeHee is left wifh only choice to marry to support them.
At the last episode, EunGi will fall in love w Maru.
And Maru still in love with JaeHee, and being still a nice guy deep inside, he died for protecting her, and she’ll commit suicide as Maru is no longer in this world.
And EunGi being a “nice guy” too is taking care of EunGi
There there… Enough makjang-ness
I am with you on Maru being in love with Jae Hee and them reuniting with a miracle baby she carried for two years and Eun Gi being sorry and getting married to the lawyer. Seriously, I like Jae Hee and feel nothing for Eun Gi. Everyone is screwed up and made bad choices; Jae Hee is not worse than anyone else in that drama. Only she has to survive and protect her son.
So Eun Gi was betrayed by her ex boyfriend. It does not give her a license to bully a three-year old boy. Maru is in love with Jae Hee and gives up on his sister. Yeah, I know it will result in Maru falling in love with Eun Gi and do not care about that development. I also think that the guy who rode to the police station with Jae Hee is a a bio dad of her son. Based on how he reacted to her and watched her like a hawk, he is emotionally attached to her.
Rant over.
It isn’t as simple as what you said regarding Eun Gi’s attitude. There’s much more to her than that – being betrayed by her boyfriend.
Her father is verbally and physically abusive and controls every aspect of her life. She was raised to be the way she is.
Being mean to her little brother is probably her protect herself from getting hurt in the future. This is the way her father has taught her since the second she was born. To be cold and ruthless.
Thanks, Koala, for doing these recaps.
I think NG will be a worthy replacement for my RMPW obsession.
First of all, let us take a moment and thank the director for casting SJK. That means 20 thrilling episodes of his face on my screen.
(If you thought I submitted a lot of Shin headers, you ain’t seen nothing yet. LOL!)
Let’s forgot a sec that he is beautiful…OK, at least try.
He is mesmerizing, and able to portray deep emotions with the tiniest change in his features.
I like the trick of giving him a sick lil sis. That way, he gets to jump between playing the cold heartless revenge driven bastard, and the caring loving brother. I do fear that they will kill her off, leaving him free to become a complete asshole. That would be OK, too.
MCW is going to be fabulous as the foe turned lover. Her Eungi fascinates me like no other bitchy female lead ever. That is a tough character to play. The audience could lose any sympathy with her if she plays it too nasty.
My favorite character, because he is going to be providing much needed comic relief, is Jae Gil. Lee Kwang Soo makes it look so easy. The way he plays with his voice is fabulous, almost like a musical or stage actor. He is going to have a ball with this role.
And we all know lawyer-guy-who-looks-like-a-cross-between-Eric-and-Lee-Je-Hoon is not gay. I wonder why EG thinks that? I can’t wait to see that back story.
1. Lawyer guy? Do NOT compare him to Lee Je Hoon. Shivers. After FK, he’s on my black list until he proves me wrong that he can act. Anyhoo, that’s MY Sang Yeob-shhi. He has Kim Jae Won’s smile and Eric’s hotness. I also bet he’s totally not gay and completely in love with Eun Gi. C’est la way of zee dramas.
2. I LOVE Eun Gi. She has the mean sadistic streak in her, as opposed to being just bitchy and angry. It comes from growing up under her dad and the world she is surrounded by. I love that she is genuinely flawed as opposed to just misunderstood (like Moon Geun Young’s character in Cinderella Unni – a fake anti-heroine), because that makes the redemption in NG two fold in both the male and female leads.
3. Choco is cute but they can off her anytime.
4. Jae Gil is the perfect foil for everyone, and acts as the “Greek Chorus” of this drama. I love it! Witness that he tells Maru about Jae Hee, and tells Jae Hee about Maru.
5. Song Joong Ki is magnificent. 100% bona fide leading man that is hitting this one so far out of the park it’s in a different zip code.
He is hot
thisyour Lee Sang Yeob. I can’t promise a full blown SLS, since it’ll be tough to unseat SJK, but I can definitely see rooting for him.How cool is it that EG is a heroine who doesn’t want rescuing, but because of her poor health needs rescuing?
And Lawyer Park Joon Ha has been there watching over her for years. She resents him, but somewhere deep in her cold cold heart, does she appreciate him just a little?
Which reminds me – what a JERK her father is!! What? Your daughter has been working like a slave almost dying trying to make your company successful and you threaten to give it to your trophy wife (we think) or her little son? I know we have this Confucian filial dynamic going on, but I would like one of these kids to tell their powerful parent to go shove it, move to the States and never look back.
Just leaving a note re: Lee Je Hoon not being able to act. Two shows I loved (and loved him in) that you must watch to reverse your perception of him being a bad actor are Just Friends (a gay short, about 20-30 mins long?) and The Front Line – he’s really one of the better up-and-comers of his generation, and I’d hate for you to think otherwise!
And to stay somewhat in topic, how exciting is it to see SJK play against type? Everyone’s doing a wonderful job at this point, and am especially delighted to see Park Shi Yeon in this. She was a disaster in My Girl back when, but she’s improves by leaps and bounds from project to project. It’s great to see her actively challenge herself as an actress, picking up interesting roles and shows, and not simply succumb to the pretty & useless actress stereotype. I can’t help but admire that and root for her.
On the flip side, I do think Moon Chae Won’s walking the line of potentially overacting her role – there’s restraint, but some of her expressions I personally find a bit exaggerated. Haven’t seen much of her so i can’t understand the hype, but I can think of so many others who could’ve done much worse, so maybe she’ll just grow into the role with a couple more eps.
haha i didn’t see the idea of eun gi’s dad as someone who may be gay coming! now that you mention it who knows, maybe just maybe the lawyer and dad were caught in some kind of an act that brought about eun gi’s attitude towards him in ep 1!!!
anyway so far so good i’m loving the actors! but i do hope for a better storytelling as we move on because at some point i think to myself seriously? re the motives that draw the characters into doing whatever they seem to be doing.
But i don’t think that would fit into the drama
I am going to watch this after reading your recap Ms Koala…its sound interesting from your point of view…Thanks for the awesome recaps..