So far The Girl Who Sees Smells isn’t just my favorite currently airing K-drama, it’s also the most spot on with casting the major characters. Setting aside leads Yoochun and Shin Se Kyung, who I just want to gush over each and every week for their perfect chemistry and character portrayal, the spotlight also needs to be shone on second lead Namgong Min (and the complementary guest performance by Song Jong Ho). The reveal last week wasn’t particularly surprising but the manner by which the drama pulled back the curtains was the bit that was brilliantly done.
A deft execution can sell even an obvious plot twist, such as in Smelly Girl, because the audience is absorbed with the flow rather than harping on the “I totally saw that coming” know-it-all commentary. Plenty of viewers may have suspected smiley chef from the get go, but seeing him unfurl his full sinister glory was still most satisfying. I hope the drama keeps him full psycho rather than try and give him some weepy backstory. Sometimes bad people are just bad and this is one extremely gone off the deep end bad dude. I don’t think I can look at library book serial numbers and cooking the same way for the time being. Bravo to Namgong Min for being absolutely riveting in all his restrained evil.
I too feel that NGM is rocking his role, and that he was well cast in this drama. I agree that SJH did a great job as well. I was disappointed to have not been shown what Dr Chun reached for(in ep.3, I think?), when he put his hand in his inside pocket and was walking towards OCR. Maybe that was just to throw us off, and make us suspect him, as the Barcode killer?
Restrained evil indeed! Hehe
I’m never looking at NGM the same way again.
I never really liked him up until now, because he always gave off a creepy vibe to me, but this development finally puts him in a space I can enjoy. Actually, I was planning on dropping this show because it is a little too sweet and the leads a little too dense and the jokes a little too broad – a dose of the dark was just what the recipe called for, in my book. 🙂
Well, Hannibal Lecter was enough to put me off the cooking bit but book serial numbers…yeah, that totally goes to our smiley chef.
I’m still on episode 5 so I had to scroll down quickly but I have to say the chef and the doctor are hands down, the creepiest characters I’ve seen in a kdrama and I say this in a good way. The fact that they are confidantes takes it to another level.
They make the murder mystery aspect of the drama very palpable and it is a great balance to the cutesy feel of the OTP, comedy and special effects. The fact that they are confidantes and put on a facade that society has fallen for takes it to another level.
I don’t want to spoil anything for you. I really really want to!…but I won’t. You’re going to have to take back what you just wrote. That’s all I want to say.
episode 7 preview everybody!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyxfvIAq6ws
Thank you for the preview!! <3 <3
+1! Thank you for the preview as well.
Tyvm for the preview!!!
if only there were translations T^T
Written Preview goes:
” Visiting the Frog Troupe, Mugak discovers that Cho-rim will no longer go up onstage when she tells him that she won’t do gags[/jokes] with him for the Prince Room, and that she is a part of the assisting staff. Mugak is bothered over Cho-rim crying when she gets scolded by her sunbaes[/seniors], and tells Cho-rim that they should work together on both investigating and doing their gags; but….”
Credit: jyj3.net
*goosebumps* he does creepy well O____O
I’m not watching this drama, but I’ve always believed NMG would make an excellent villain. There’s just something about him that screams villain. And not the shouty kind but the sinister, smooth, lurking kind. Much like Kim Kang Woo in Story of a Man. Glad to see I was right.
Kim Kang-woo in Story of a Man was such a delicious villain.
I regret ever saying he has Jung Yonghwa’s face and stiff acting.
I couldn’t really like him when he plays shady characters who turned out nice in the end. In his all his recent shows I’ve always expected him to turn all evil but but he never did! I’m really really glad that they finally utilize his talent in being creepy in this show because he does it SO well! I can totally see him as the dude who would charm his way into a girl’s heart before killing her the next day LOL.
I agree. We all pretty much suspected him or Creepy Doctor (who turned out to be not-so-creepy) so his reveal wasn’t at all surprising, but the execution was excellent. Seeing him go from smiley and kind to evil serial killer was nicely done. Now everything he’s going to say will be creepy even if he’s being nice. Namgoong Min was a great casting choice.
I have reservations about this drama but I think I’ll have to check it out.. I really liked Nam Gong Min in Can You Hear My Heart, he played a very interesting character, but recently he has been doing the same type of roles.
He’s the more interesting character in CYHMH, in fact I could care less about the leads but his story is the most intriguing one although I want to punch him sometimes .
Even though TGWSS rating isn’t really spectacular, (it did double the previous drama lowest ep though) the real reward is the positive feedback for the casts especially Se Kyung and Gong Min.
Some nitpicking. His first name is only Min, he is one of the rare cases of a Korean family name consisting of two syllables and that’s why Miss Koala wrote it as one word. Althoug his name is Namgoong not Namgong. 😉 🙂
I always liked him and was waiting for his real breakthrough. This part seems to be it. He’s excellent in it.
” I hope the drama keeps him full psycho rather than try and give him some weepy backstory. Sometimes bad people are just bad and this is one extremely gone off the deep end bad dude”
THIS! He’s doing a great job of selling the sick, I don’t want the show to go down the usual “it’s not hius fault” road, and try to make us “forgive” him by the end.
Indeed. I’ve been pleasantly surprised episode by episode; so much so that I wanted to turn a blind eye to smiley chef. I just thought, “oh, a supporting role” and then ep 6 happened. Mmhmm. Bring on the evil.
Mad props for Namgong Min. I spoiled myself because, subs. He gives this creepy vibe. And those eyes. I find him cute with Cho Rim though when he’s being ‘nice’. I sometimes laugh and say “If only he wasn’t a murderer”. Heh. But he’s totally killing that role(pun intended) 😉
That evil soul behind the “beautiful” face of Nam Gongmin was skillfully revealed in his pathetic stare. But how can I not dislike him at all even he sent out those chilling signals by his superb acting as a crafty serial killer? I think good looks are indeed deceiving. I just like how he looks…LOL…His appearance in other dramas enlightened my mood so much, regardless of roles he played. hahaha. But now, I’m sure it would be nerve-racking whenever he’s on screen because I’d be riddled with questions: When is he gonna kill again? Who will be the next victim? What is he plotting now? I really like him as an actor – looks is plus!
that was one wicked twist, i must admit… thinking that the doctor has been so damn creep the whole time and has been sending this killer aura stuff — i was like “when will they know?”
and then the wine box thingy shattered it in a snap slowly building up that the real baddie is the smiley chef. whew!
I love Namgung Min! He – along with Park Yoo-Chun (who is awesome in it!) and Yoon Jin-Seo are some of the reasons I am watching the drama. I still do not like Shin Se-Kyung, and I believe the drama would have been much stronger with a better leading lady. The mystery keeps me in. While I think it is an entertaining drama, it is far from the best airing now. It does not even come close to the exquisite production qualities of both Unkind Women and I heard it through the Grapevine, as well The House of Bluebird.