Mary Stayed Out All Night Episode 8 Recap
Did you all survive the last 6 days? You know we have four more weeks of this torture, right? The ending to episode 7 of Mary Stayed Out All Night (Marry Me, Mary!) really was exceptionally well-done. It left me emotionally dangling for days, which is the best effect a good drama episode can do. Episode 8 of M3 was a soft landing for everyone involved. The heightened dramatic angst of the last episode was replaced by quiet introspection, and it’s like everyone stopped for a long minute and asked the question “WTF am I doing?”.
It would be too simplistic to say that Mae Ri, Mu Gyul, and Jung In (and to a lesser extent, Seo Jun as well) spent this episode pining over the other person they like. If love, especially the unexpected and confusing kind, is like a fog that descended over M3-land, then the participants spent this episode wandering through the misty air looking for an opening to see what lies ahead. It’s not that Mu Gyul and Mae Ri were actively trying to figure out their feelings – it was more like they tried to go on with their lives, but discovering that it isn’t so easy to pretend the last few weeks didn’t just happen.
At this point, Jung In needs to star in his own drama – Sympathy for Mr. Lonely. God I feel bad for the guy. Normally I feel bad for a second lead because he’s all schmoopy and pining away for the heroine. In this case, I feel bad because the man’s life just plain sucks. Having Mae Ri isn’t going to make his life objectively better, it’s just going to mitigate his emotional withdrawal and give him the warmth and love he’s been missing his whole life. That doesn’t solve his problem, he still needs to man up to his dad and stop the emotional and physical abuse heaped upon him.
Which is where I suddenly realized that M3 is like the bizarro version of Beautiful Days (one of my fave dramas). In BD, the heroine fell for the stoic, cold, and repressed older rich guy and not the free-spirited, kind, and cheerful musician second lead. Trust me, I was totally shipping heroine with repressed cold rich guy in BD, especially since she was supposed to end up with musician dude. Yup, BD is one of the most famous K-dramas to have the story completely rewritten in the second half to change the OTP – putting the heroine and the second lead together.
In M3, the chance of that happening is nil. I worried for awhile that since last 3 episodes of M3 have been going full steam ahead in terms of plot revelations and emotional development. Then I realized that it really hasn’t. Mae Ri and Mu Gyul realizing they like each other, Jung In realizing he’s falling for Mae Ri, all of those developments are the tip of the iceberg. Should they be together? Does he deserve her? Will she be happy with him? There are numerous unknowns looming in the horizon, and M3 has 8 more episodes to cement itself as my favorite romantic comedy drama of 2010.
Episode 8 Recap:
Mae Ri makes her confession to everyone in the room that she and Mu Gyul are not really married. She’s restraining her tears, which threaten to spill out of her wide eyes, as Mu Gyul looks on in shock. Loser daddy asks her whether they were also pretending to be in love as well. Mae Ri’s silence and pained look answers that question clearly enough.
Seo Jun walks out of the apartment, and Jung In follows, both of them digesting this news for vastly different reasons. Seo Jun says her head hurts, and declines Jung In’s offer to take her home. She wants to be alone for awhile, muttering that what Mu Gyul and Mae Ri pulled is simply incomprehensible to her. The daddys walk out with Mae Ri in tow.
The daddys ask Jung In if he already knew. Before Jung In can explain, Devil daddy manages to make me loathe him even more by bitch-slapping Jung In. Omo, dude, you are a piece of crap lower than mule dung. I hope your hand rots off for daring to mar the perfection that is Kim Jae Wook’s face. (Though his just-slapped side profile is to die for – imma going to stare at it for a few minutes here). Mae Ri looks on in shock, at the casual violence Jung In’s father bestows on his son.
The daddys take Mae Ri away like a guilty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar, while Jung In remains standing in the position where his father reminded him just how much power he wields in this family. A calendar flips through the pages quickly, counting down from 100 to land on 51 days. The daddys plot to have the kids engaged in a week, but not rush the wedding since they have the decency to notice that Mae Ri appears overwhelmed by everything.
The robot make-over lady comes back and delivers two works books to the daddys, illustrating a regimen for training the daughter-in-law. Seriously, I hate Jung In’s dad with a passion, but Mae Ri’s dad is no better for continuing to go along with this monstrosity of a wedding arrangement even as he realizes how much his daughter will be consumed by this family if she were to marry Jung In. Loser daddy is actually happy his daughter is getting deportment lessons because she grew up without a mother. I have no words for how much they make me throw up in my mouth a lot every time these two appear on screen.
Mu Gyul is sitting in his apartment working on his music. He gets up to grab a water from the fridge, and sees the kimchee they made together for his mom. He shuts the door and goes to sweep the floor. He throws away both the love story page that Mae Ri wrote about their alleged grand romance, as well as the mittens she knitted for him. My guess is that this bag of trash doesn’t actually make it out of the apartment and into the garbage truck.
Mu Gyul flips through his contract with JI Entertainment, and crumples it up. Jung In is listening to the tracks laid by Mu Gyul, and the bitchy manager comes and rags on Mu Gyul for quitting the OST production just like that. Jung In explains that there were extenuating circumstances, otherwise Mu Gyul is a responsible guy. The bitchy manager shows Jung In more scandal about Seo Jun in the rags, stating that she lied about her past such as education and family history.
Jung In goes to see Seo Jun, who has just finished her work out under the gossiping eyes of other gym-goers. Jung In tells Seo Jun that he will help with ameliorating the media attack on her. Seo Jun asks about Mu Gyul’s situation, and Jung In doesn’t answer her query. Mae Ri is composing a text to Mu Gyul – she’s sorry about what she did, which caused him to lose a job. She deletes that text and writes a new one – she asks how he is doing recently, and thanking him for everything he has done for her. She wants to tells him that tomorrow……but she can’t bring herself to type it.
Mae Ri is at the bridal salon with her two friends, clearly trying on dresses for her impending engagement to Jung In. Her friends tell her that this has turned out for the best, Mae Ri shouldn’t dislike Jung In on principle, since he does seem like a good guy. Mae Ri confesses that she hasn’t actually had a conversation with Jung In about the whole pretend to be married to Mu Gyul scheme she concocted. The friends tell her not to explain herself, just brush it under the rug. They remind her not to ever have any contact with Mu Gyul again.
Mae Ri says that she can’t even bring herself to send him a text, because she’s worried that he’ll get upset. She clearly doesn’t really comprehend WHY Mu Gyul is upset at her in the first place. Sigh. Her friends ask her if she’s alright. Mae Ri describes her current state of being akin to standing in the eye of a typhoon. As the storm rages around her, she feels unusually calm because she sees the maelstrom but doesn’t feel it.
Before they can discuss this further, Jung In arrives, poker-faced as usual. He tries on his tux, and his awesome good looks in formal wear does nothing to make me feel like he’s a walking cadaver with his non-expression. To those who say that Jung In loves Mae Ri, I am seriously wondering if we are watching the same drama. Jung In may care about and need Mae Ri, but this man does not (yet) have strong feelings for her. End of story. The friends take pictures of the (un)happy couple on their cell phones.
Jung In walks off to take a call, and the friends think that he’s angry at Mae Ri for lying about being married to Mu Gyul for the past 50 days. They tell Mae Ri that she’s guilty and needs to make it up to Jung In. Make it up to him, my ass! Mae Ri told a lie to a stranger to protect her future. She owes Jung In nothing.
The dysfunctional family is having a dead-as-doornails type dinner. The daddys are excited about the engagement party tomorrow, which also happens to be Mae Ri’s birthday. Mae Ri wants to go visit her mother’s grave, and Jung In offers to go with her. That night, Jung In is awakened by a nightmare, and he gets up to reveal that he’s still wearing his suit. Boy needs an Ambien prescription, stat. He also needs to go see a psychiatrist, maybe the same one who treats Joo Won in Secret Garden? He sees the sleeping socks Mae Ri bought for him and holds it up to his face to feel the softness and warmth. He puts it on and lays back down to sleep. Poor baby, you will sleep much better if I am there to hold you. Oops, did I just say that out loud?
Mae Ri is laying in her bed and flipping through pictures on her phone. She sees the pictures taken of her and Jung In trying out their engagement outfits, and her solemn expression speaks volumes. When she flips to the fake wedding pictures she took with Mu Gyul, her face breaks into a smile at last. She sees the picture she snapped of Mu Gyul performing on stage from episode 1, and she lingers on that picture.
Mae Ri and Jung In are driving somewhere, and he remarks that it appears she didn’t sleep well last night. She asks Jung In if he also had a sleepless night, and Jung In says that he didn’t actually, he had a good dream last night. Mae Ri asks where they are going, and Jung In doesn’t answer but simply smiles. He takes her to a beautiful mountain park area, and tells her that when he woke up this morning, he wanted to bring her here.
He takes her hand in his (squeeee, I love this quiet moments, even between Mae Ri and Jung In), and they walk down a path and talk. Mae Ri apologizes, explaining that she really didn’t want to get married for such absurd reasons as their fathers’ wishes. Jung In concurs, he felt the same way. He tells her that he’s been thinking a lot lately, and has even gotten mad. She tells him that she understands if he’s mad at her, and he tells her that he’s mad at himself.
He shows her the picture of them when they were kids, and tells her that he’s been thinking about what she said – don’t let his past torment him anymore. We flash back to the funeral for Mae Ri’s mom, when she was four and Jung In was eight years old. He was on the phone telling his mom that he wanted to stay in Korea and live with her. He doesn’t want to go back to Japan with his dad, since the kids there all torment him.
Little Mae Ri comes up to boy Jung In, and he becomes short-tempered with her. He tells her that her mom is dead, and never coming back. She starts to cry, and he piggybacks her down the stairs. He slips and the two kids tumble down the steps, leaving Mae Ri with a gash on her forehead and crying up a storm. Jung In bandages her cut, and tells her, in Japanese, that he will be there for her, he will protect her, always. The dads see the kids together, remarking that they should be married when they grow up.
Back to current day Mae Ri and Jung In strolling hand-in-hand in the park – she asks if he remembers his childhood now. Just bits and pieces, and still blurry, but Jung In is starting to remember. He tells her that rather than having nightmares, he foresees that he will be having more and more good dreams. He apologizes to her for causing her forehead injury, and Mae Ri tells him not to let bygones bother him. It doesn’t hurt, and she doesn’t let her past torment her. They smile at each other, and continue their walk.
Jung In and Mae Ri come back to his house, and he tells her that he has something to show her. It’s telling that Jung In no longer addresses her as Wi Mae Ri-shhi, but calls her Mae Ri-shhi now. It’s still not as intimate as Mu Gyul’s Mae Ri-ah, but it’s a step forward. Jung In pulls a Beauty & the Beast on us, and shows Mae Ri a room with a ceiling to floor bookshelf stacked with books. It’s his engagement present to her. Boy, you just rose in my esteem with these last two gestures – very apropos, genuine, and thoughtful.
Mae Ri sees a book which leads her to flashback to a conversation she had with Mu Gyul when she was reading that book at his apartment. She asks him what kind of life he wants to lead, and he responds that he wants an uncomplicated life. When she asks about the kind of music he wants to make, he says that he wants to make music which doesn’t lie. Mae Ri cocks her head and asks Mu Gyul what his real identity is? He lives a leisurely life just making music – is he the secret bastard child of a chaebol? Mu Gyul LOLs at her wild drama imagination.
Jung In breaks Mae Ri’s thoughts by asking her what she’s thinking about. Mae Ri demurs and says it was nothing, rather than tell her on-paper husband/future fiancée that she is thinking of another man right in front of him. Jung In gets a call that Seo Jun has quit the drama, and is unable to accompany Mae Ri to visit her mother’s grave. Mae Ri offers to go by herself, but Jung In tells her to wait for him, they can go together in the afternoon. He tells her to rest, and she tells him to just concentrate on the work at hand.
Jung In moves to leave, and then remembers something and walks back to Mae Ri. He gently parts her hair and kisses her scar again, wishing her a happy birthday. Mae Ri sees lots of texts wishing her a happy birthday, and sees a text from Mu Gyul asking to meet with her. She goes to meet Mu Gyul, and sees him performing “My Precious” at the park. Mae Ri has an expression of wistfulness mixed with joy at seeing him before her.
Mu Gyul finishes the song and get mobbed by a few girls, all grabbing him and calling him “teacher.” Mae Ri laughs at seeing the same old Mu Gyul, ever popular with the girls. The girls leave, and Mae Ri walks up to Mu Gyul. They awkwardly great each other, the first time we see them unable to be their usual carefree selves around each other. Mu Gyul looks down and his hand subconsciously lightly tilts his guitar back and forth. Mae Ri breaks the awkward silence first.
She says that he looks good, living a peaceful life now. He concurs, everything has gone back to the way it was before, and life is indeed peaceful. Mae Ri’s face falls a little, but she aint getting Mu Gyul to confess that he misses her that easily. He asks how she’s doing these days? It’s her turn to dissemble, and she says that her life is also peaceful these days. Mu Gyul’s face falls a fraction before he’s his usual self before her.
Mu Gyul’s band mates arrive driving the little van. They get out of the car and tease Mu Gyul for not being his usual self. They say he needs a change of style, and put a handcuff on him. His band mates are all dressed in black, like little boys pretending to play at S&M. The notice Mae Ri and greet her warmly. Mae Ri finally gets around to asking Mu Gyul why he wanted to see her. Mu Gyul hands her an envelope with money in it, likely returning the deposit she paid for him on the apartment.
She asks where he got the money, and his friends reveal that Mu Gyul is lecturing at a friend’s music academy. He’s making money and getting lots of presents from his students, who adore him. Both Mae Ri and Mu Gyul are extraordinarily uncomfortable and silent during this exchange, and the band mates note the somber atmosphere. Mu Gyul asks to be released from the handcuff, and one band mate releases only his own hand, and then cuffs Mae Ri to Mu Gyul. Yes, finally, those band mates come in handy!
The band mates tell the two cuffed ones to resolve their issues and make up. Oh boy, that’s like pulling teeth for Mu Gyul, and asking Mae Ri to explain procreation – not easy. They run after the van, but don’t make it farther than three steps when Mu Gyul stops and tells Mae Ri that the band mates will release them later, since Mu Gyul has an audition to go to. Mae Ri tells Mu Gyul she has a time crunch, she needs to be somewhere today. She opens her giant rug coat to reveal her engagement dress, shocking Mu Gyul, who asks if she is getting married today? Just about, Mu Gyul, so you better do something about it if you want a chance with her, got it?
Seo Jun has hid herself away in her drapes-drawn apartment. He’s there to convince her to stay on the drama production, but she’s seething and refuses to talk with him. Back to Mu Gyul and Mae Ri, he asks her when the engagement ceremony is. Both start discussing all the things they need to do today, and Mu Gyul tells Mae Ri that he desperately needs to wash his hair. Oh god, I just know that hair’s going to make a stand for Mae Ri in the future. Don’t be surprised if Mu Gyul really cuts it further down the line. He makes Mae Ri wash his hair for him – both of them griping that they really shouldn’t meet anymore since every time they meet, their peaceful lives get upended.
Jung In finally goes into the bathroom, to find Seo Jun sitting fully clothed under the shower, crying her eyes out. He wraps her in a blanket, and sits down to tell her that her continued silence in the face of these spurious allegations will only exacerbate the problem. He tells her that she has done nothing wrong, the naysayers simply believe what they want to believe.
Mu Gyul is having lunch with Mae Ri by his side. She gets a call from Jung In, apologizing that he won’t be able to accompany her this afternoon. Mu Gyul hears from the conversation that Jung In is with Seo Jun dealing with her situation. Mae Ri tells Mu Gyul that he should have some concern for his ex-girlfriend, who is dealing with harsh rumors. He should at least text her.
Mu Gyul pulls out his phone to text Seo Jun, all the while asking Mae Ri if she’s fine with Jung In being with Seo Jun today. Mae Ri says that Jung In and Seo Jun have a working relationship is all. Mu Gyul finishes his text to Seo Jun and tells Mae Ri he’s off to take a nap and meet his mom in the afternoon. Mae Ri tells him to take a short trip with him, and he grumbles but ends up going to visit Mae Ri’s mom’s grave with her.
Mu Gyul looks at her mom’s picture and notes that Mae Ri looks identical to her mom, who was a classy beauty. Mae Ri asks Mu Gyul to put on her head phones as she needs some privacy to talk with her mom. She tells her mom that she wanted to tell her about her engagement, and even wore her dress to show her. She points to Mu Gyul and says that he’s not the guy.
Mae Ri starts to tear up, telling her mom that she wishes she could be just like her parents – falling in love at first sight and running away to get married despite their parents protests. Except, instead of that romantic scenario, she finds herself inexplicably getting engaged today, to a man she does not love. But he’s a good man, and her dad likes him a lot. Jeez, why doesn’t her dad marry Jung In then! She tells her mom that she will live well. Then Mae Ri starts to cry in earnest, wishing that on a day like this, she could be with her mom and the person she loves.
It’s obvious that Mu Gyul overheard her conversation, and his look of concern shows clearly on his face. He puts Mae Ri’s coat back around her shoulders, explaining that he thought she looked cold is all. He hastily tells her that he can’t hear a word she’s saying so she might as well continue the conversation. Mae Ri looks at Mu Gyul, and continues to softly cry.
They take the bus home, sitting in comfortable silence with their handcuffed hands resting next to each other. They discuss their sad upbringings – one waiting at home for her dad to come home, the other living like a ghost moving from one relative’s house to another. They tease each other upon finding out that they both were taken to the opposite sex bathing house by their parents. Mu Gyul says that if he wrapped a towel around himself, people thought he was a girl child. Mu Gyul gets a call from his mom, and they go back to the apartment to meet up with her.
This time its Mae Ri’s turn to wear the headphones, and Mu Gyul and his mom discuss her plan to move to Paris with her boyfriend. They aren’t planning on getting married, but she hopes that living in a foreign land will make them dependent on each other, and they will stop the breaking up and getting back together cycle. She’s such a delusional romantic. She tells Mu Gyul that her leaving is good for him, too. She keeps relying on him, and making his life difficult with her situations. Amen to that, sister!
Mu Gyul explodes at her, yelling that she’s not done anything to make his life difficult. This woman is so freaking self-absorbed that she doesn’t realize that her constant abandonment of Mu Gyul is what’s killing this poor boy and making him fear commitment. Mom tells Mae Ri that she’s planning to leave in about a month, and asks Mae Ri to take care of Mu Gyul. This pisses Mu Gyul off in so many ways, he yells at his mom for telling an outsider about their plans.
Mu Gyul stalks through the park dragging Mae Ri along. He’s hella pissed, and calls his band mates to demand that they release them from the cuffs. They make plans to meet at the club for an audition, and as he turns to leave with Mae Ri, she’s plucked a kale bouquet similar to the one from episode 1, and it’s her turn to present it to him. He flashes back to his own gesture to her when they first met, and cracks a smile. Mae Ri tells him not to be so upset, and she does indeed change his mood quickly with her adorable ways.
The daddys get dolled up for the engagement part of their children. Loser daddy asks devil daddy why he is so harsh with Jung In, but we don’t hear devil daddy’s answer. Speaking of which, Jung In is playing the guitar for Seo Jun. She opens up to Jung In, explaining that she severed ties with her rich and prominent family when she dared to become a lowly actress. Jung In stops playing as his left hand cramps up again, and Seo Jun looks to see that he has a scar. She casually asks if he tried to kill himself, and *gasp*, Jung In confirms that he did.
Jung In explains that when he was in Japan, the guitar was his only companion. But his father wouldn’t let him play, claiming that music made a person in touch with his emotions, and therefore weak. Jung In couldn’t bear it, so he did something that he regrets. He tells Seo Jun that he’s proud that she made a stand with her family and following her acting dreams.
At the audition, Mu Gyul and Mae Ri are still locked together because the band mates lost the key. They tell the club manager that she’s there to be a back-up dancer. ROFL, this I gotta see to believe. Mu Gyul tells Mae Ri to do her best, and she protests that she doesn’t know how to dance. You see Mae Ri cuffed to Mu Gyul with one hand, holding the kale bouquet on the other hand. What follows is SO FREAKING FUNNY someone needs to make a gif of it and send it to me.
Mae Ri does this ridiculous dance that makes everyone laugh at her complete inability to dance. She is utterly adorable. Even Mu Gyul sneaks a glance at her and gives a tiny little grin as he’s singing. After the performance, the band mates still can’t find the keys, and Mae Ri calls Jung In to tell him that she’s in Hongdae, and will explain to him later what happened. Jung In heads to Hongdae to pick up Mae Ri, and Seo Jun is with him in the car.
Jung In confesses to Seo Jun that he’s supposed to get engaged later tonight, and Seo Jun apologizes for being a burden on him today. He tells her not to think too much about it. She confesses to being a tad envious of his fiancée and curious as to her identity. He tells her that he will introduce them after the engagement ceremony.
Mu Gyul is using a screwdriver to try and pop the lock on the handcuffs, but has no luck. Mae Ri tells him that Jung In is coming in an hour to pick her up, and he asks whether she’s that anxious to get engaged. She tells him that she doesn’t want to be engaged, but it’s something that will nonetheless happen. Mu Gyul asks Mae Ri whether she’s going to call him a bad luck fellow now, and she asks him why she should say that.
Mae Ri tells Mu Gyul that he’s actually a good luck guy. He’s good looking and has musical talent, he should count his blessings that these gifts have been bestowed upon him. She always unconsciously hits all his right buttons, doesn’t she? Mu Gyul sits up, and tentatively asks Mae Ri whether she’s ever like him before? She wonders why he’s asking this question now, and he says that since they’ve ended things, he’s just curious. He confesses that he did feel something for her.
She’s incredulous at this declaration, especially since he claimed that he doesn’t view her as a woman. Mu Gyul says that more than a woman, Mae Ri….and he doesn’t finish his sentence and plops back down on the sofa, saying that he doesn’t know anymore. Mae Ri asks when he first felt this way, and Mu Gyul openly tells her that it was when she went to the country estate with Jung In. He was eating ice-cream after his mom left him. He kind of deflates the confession when he tells her that after he saw her the next day, those feelings went away. Kang Mu Gyul, liar liar, whatever shredded pants you have left is on fire.
The band mates call right at this moment, interrupting the impending confession, telling Mu Gyul that they found the keys. As Mu Gyul and Mae Ri hurry to meet them, Mu Gyul chides Mae Ri for claiming to want to marry a man for love, hence the fake marriage with him. But look at her now, marrying for business reasons in the end. She stops walking and asks him to not talk about this anymore. Mu Gyul looks annoyed and asks her whether she loves Jung In?
Mae Ri confesses that she’s never been in love before, so she doesn’t know whether she loves Jung In or not. Mu Gyul makes fun of her for never being in love before, and Mae Ri is so pissed off that she calls Mu Gyul out as someone who doesn’t know what love is either. His pledge to not date a woman for a month is a form of disease, a disease that fears intimacy and commitment.
Mu Gyul gets upset and asks whether she knows him well enough to say that. Mae Ri yells back that she does know him well enough, she spent over 50 days by his side as his fake wife. She tells him to get his disease treated, otherwise he will never know what love is. Mu Gyul yells back at her – how dare she tell him what to do, she who is marrying a man she does not love! Oh my, the sparks of anger are flaming so hot right now between them.
The same school girls from earlier at the park run into Mae Ri and Mu Gyul, and are about to get in Mae Ri’s face for being handcuffed to their favorite teacher. Mu Gyul grabs Mae Ri and they take off running. The daddys are at the engagement site waiting for the kids to arrive. Jung In is parked in Hongdae but can’t get a hold of Mae Ri on the phone. Seo Jun asks to borrow his phone since hers is out of juice, and she sees the bridal salon picure of Jung In and Mae Ri, realizing now that Mae Ri is the titular fiancée.
Mu Gyul pulls Mae Ri into a narrow alleyway, both of them catching their breaths and laughing about being chased by a gaggle of school girls.
The girls run by the alley, and Mu Gyul instinctively hugs Mae Ri, using his back to shield them from view in case the girls glance their way. After he releases Mae Ri, she’s clearly affected by their closeness, as is he.
He leans in to kiss her, and she turns her head away. This is not the kiss she wants to accept, one that seems to be casually in the moment. She calls him a playboy, and confesses that even though he doesn’t seem affected by it, her heart was pounding so loudly she thought it would burst (during their first kiss).
Mu Gyul is incredulous by this confession. Mae Ri then softly yells at him for ruining a kiss meant to be shared with the person one loves.
Mu Gyul grabs her little fist from pounding his chest, and calls out her name in a questioning tone. Mae Ri asks Mu Gyul – wasn’t he the one who told her that he doesn’t see her as a woman in his eyes? He throws it right back at her – wasn’t she the one who told him that she doesn’t see him as a man in her eyes? Oh you two, letting these throwaway remarks tie you to a principle that is flimsier that a block of nonexistent ice in the Pacific.
Mae Ri looks at Mu Gyul with her great big eyes, her lips quivering, as she asks him again – wasn’t he the person who specifically told her NOT to fall in love with him? He asks her right back again – wasn’t she the one who told him that she would never fall in love with him? They look at each other, all wounded and tentative, processing this moment and all the unsaid things they keep using questions to evade – and then Mu Gyul makes the first move and grabs Mae Ri’s face for a deep, lingering kiss.
Now that’s what imma talking about! This kiss was not caused by their breathless proximity or hormones or to put Jung In in his place. This was the kiss of a young man who cannot help but be attracted to this young woman, who has discovered that her heart has fallen IN LOVE with a guy before she even knew what that felt like. The camera pans down from the couple still kissing, focusing on their hands and the handcuffs that bind them.
Thoughts of Mine:
At the rate Mu Gyul and Jung In are moving forward with Mae Ri, skinship-wise, I’m chuckling to myself thinking that we’ll get some X-rated boating by episode 13. Seriously, the kiss in the alley was like Mu Gyul reminding all of us – you think my first kiss to Mae Ri was weaksauce and Jung In brung it during their kiss in the rain, well, how’s THIS for a kiss, kiddos? Kang Mu Gyul-shhi, THAT was indeed how you kiss a girl. Thank you, sir. I have been duly chastened.
A special shout-out to Jang Geun Seok for finally showing me that you can kiss your co-star on screen. I’m sure all your previous lip-presses were at the behest of the PDs who refused to let you do some steamy kissing, but I’ve sat though pretty much every one of your dramas waiting for the goods, and you finally delivered. In addition, THAT was what I wanted the rain kiss in PK to be like. No knock on Kim Hyun Joong or Jung So Min, but that PD in PK needs to be pistol whipped for not upping the urgency of the entire scene. Sigh.
Back to M3 – I don’t think that kiss clarified anything other than Mu Gyul and Mae Ri finally realizing that both have been feeling something for the other person this whole time, but have been restraining themselves under the assumption that those throwaway things they said to each other actually carried significant weight. “You told me you don’t see me as a man?” “You told me you don’t see me as a woman?” These two adorable kids have been carrying around these self-imposed roadblocks, unable to take step forward to change their relationship until now.
Mu Gyul is too experienced with women not to understand that he’s started to see Mae Ri as a woman, but he’s hampered by his own fear of commitment, her impending engagement to Jung In, and a complete inability to ascertain how Mae Ri feels about him. How does one fight for the girl if one is unsure the girl likes you back, especially if said Romeo has never waged a battle for love in his entire life This was also the episode that made me understand that Mae Ri has been aware of how she’s started to feel something towards Mu Gyul, but is also unable to move forward because of the same restraints. Mae Ri and Mu Gyul are really like mirror images of each other. Who died of the cute when it was Mae Ri’s turn to use the kale bouquet to cheer up Mu Gyul?
Nothing moved me more than the conversations everyone was having in this episode. First off – Mu Gyul and Mae Ri’s open discussion of how they felt about each other, which result in a confirmation they pretty much they are confused as heck. Jung In’s discussion with Mae Ri about his memories of her was nice, and brought them closer. But it was actually his revelation to Seo Jun about his childhood suicide attempt that was the breakthrough for him. This was also this first time I connected with Seo Jun, her familial struggles shedding light on her diva attitude and emotional vulnerability.
I remember back to all those dramas where I got so fed up by the OTP taking way too long to figure out their feelings for each other, or taking way too long to get together. M3 appears to be tailored make to my fan-service fantasies, because this kiss was neither for show, accidental, in anger, or having no plot driven purpose.
This kiss, for all intents and hot as hell purposes, puts Mae Ri and Mu Gyul completely on the same wavelength. They are falling in love with each other. Now, we’re not talking about mature adults who know how to handle a sure-to-be-difficult relationship fraught with parental land mines. Both are exceedingly young in age and immature in love for different reasons. As such, knowing that they may love each other doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing for Mae Ri and Mu Gyul at all. I mean, my money is on Mu Gyul bailing at least once (maybe) when he can’t handle the pressure. Or devil daddy abducting him for his split-the-lovers-up scheme. Either way, this couple is in for a rough ride.
Jung In and Seo Jun, on the other hand, fully convince me that they’d work as a couple, because they are actually friends on the same wavelength. They are actually the very same kind of kindred spirits in the same way that Mae Ri and Mu Gyul are with each other. They both come from rich and disapproving families, putting up walls to protect themselves from the world that demands they be something they are not. I like this pairing, not just as a way for Jung In to not end up broken and lonely at the end of the drama. They seem like they actually understand each other, and have the same hopes and desires to make something of themselves. I don’t see the chemistry yet, but I see the potential.
To be honest, normally I have a roadmap of how I think a drama will unfold. It’s not rocket science, and allows for me to be surprised by the little things while gearing myself up for the big reveals. In M3, I’ve been constantly surprised by how some classic clichés are delivered and unveiled. I do worry a teensy bit now that we’ve hit the halfway mark AND we’ve gotten to the big OTP mutual declaration (which was pretty fast in for a sixteen episode rom-com). Does the drama find a way to create conflict and angst while keeping the cute and the sweet all balanced on a delicate platter? I sure hope so. For now, Christmas has officially come early for me. Thank you, Kang Mu Gyul-shhi, for having the cojones to kiss your girl senseless.
u’re always so fast and dependable for us non-korean speakers ~ love you lots <333 can't wait til tomorrow hehe
Thnks ockoala~ Been refreshing your page.. 🙂 i like your post better than other bloggers. Keep up.
thanks a lot! I cant WAIT for episode 9
thank you soooo much. i too want jung in and seo jun to end up together, not only because it’s convenient to the plot, but because they look like they would help each other heal.
Thanks Koala for posting this and I appreciate it though you haven’t posted other screencaps yet. 🙂
It’s true that this is not the best drama out there but the actors are so effective that I get carried away with their presence. I’m so happy about the declaration of feelings! ^^ I’m sooo looking forward for the next episode! <3
Again, thanks Koala for the recaps. ^^ I'll be checking back again to see the updates.
That was another simply perfect recap of yours!!!
The last paragraph completely mirrors my thoughts of korean dramas.
I’ve of seen probably last five dramas of JGS and as you said he finally delivered. Squeel!!!!
And those gems again:
“Did you all survive the last 6 days? You know we have four more weeks of this torture, right?”
“At this point, Jung In needs to star in his own drama – Sympathy for Mr. Lonely.”
thanks for then recaps..OH I can’t wait to see the episode…I do sense that MG and MR will go through rough relationshil before they can have a happy ever after love life because the evil and loser daddy will not sit well watching MG trying to get MR. yeah I do hope that JI and SJ will be together, they seems can heal each other broken heart wound. I love the secenary where JI take MR, it’s so beautifull,GOOD WORK for the film team for searching/making the scene so beautifull. Oh I can’t wait to see episode 9 because I’m dying to see what face/act will both MG and MR show after their hot kiss…hmmm I do sense that there will be steamy seasion near the end of this drama because their kiss happen early..but I don’t know if they will make it like coffee prince…
I love how you wrap the recap, my heart burst watching this episode…I don’t how I will survive until the end of month, until this drama finished but for sure I will have rerun at the whole episode hundreds times.
just love your recap! i could watch a raw vid and read your blog and its perfect. thanks a lot! =)
Many thanks for the fast (very fast!) recap!!! haven’t seen the raw yet… and all i can say, i have to see that kiss!!!
love it love it love it…and here i tot I beat to the chase…but there was already 9 comments….LOL! you guys are super fast! Love this ep…
Thanks for the recap…You are really 100% efficient!…Two thumbs up!!!!….
Omo, I saw a clip of Mary dancing, it is really epic!!! I nearly died laughing… okay, it’s not the kiss that defines this episode for me, its the dance!! It’s both funny and cute and embarrassing and that tiny little grin, it’s hot!
LOL, one second into seeing Mae Ri’s dance, I screamed, covered my ears and stopped the video clip, for fear that I’ll either die of laughter or acute embarrassment.
I’ll save it for tonight when i watch the Ep in full. OMG, i can’t stand her “dance”!
I’m really love to read your recap
you’re so hard working and fast with these recaps !
it’s all very much appreciated !! thank you so much <3
looooooove your recaps ^^ not complete, you said? i don’t think so. the beat beat beating boom boom KISS makes it peeerfect. gomawoooooo
“Seriously, the kiss in the alley was like Mu Gyul reminding all of us – you think my first kiss to Mae Ri was weaksauce and Jung In brung it during their kiss in the rain, well, how’s THIS for a kiss, kiddos? Kang Mu Gyul-shhi, THAT was indeed how you kiss a girl. Thank you, sir. I have been duly chastened.” —–> i’m raising my hand in agreeance!!! i too have been left speechless!!! the guy sure knows how to kiss a girl!!! no awkwardness about it!!! just plain awesome!!! hahahaha!!! Mu Gyul, you have suceeded in Man-ning up this time!!! kudos!!!
and the audition scene with Mae Ri dancing was just plain hilarious!!
anyways, i do love how things are moving forward in this drama.. and i also admire Mae Ri, what a lovely character. there is really something sweet and innocent about her that just sucks you right in. and it’s her small caring gestures that are really memorable for me.. giving Jung in the soft socks, taking care of Mu gyul when he was sick, the kale bouquet ( hahahaha!! that was a good one! ) , and even shampooing our Mu Gyul’s very lovely mane.. ( i’m actually having “mane-envy here” ).. she is just sweet and ever enduring. 🙂 (despite the fact that she has loser daddy for a father and evil daddy trying his evil best to have her as his daughter in law. )
As for Jung In, hmmmnn… i still think this guy is going to give Mu Gyul a run for his money, and with this episode, we also see a side of him that makes him more human.. ( learning that he tried to kill himself..) that he can be capable of emotion after all.. he just needs to be able to stand up to his evil daddy so that he can grow and be the man the he really is.
oh my.. this is really turning out to be one helluva ride!!! and from the looks of it.. we are at the bumpy part of the road now!!!! but i’m looking forward to the ride!!!
oh and P.S.:
about the camera panning out on the kiss, i think it’s not so bad because you can still see Mu Gyul’s jaw moving.. hehehehe.. so that was quite a long kiss on the lips.. bwahahahha. ( goes back to replay it again.. )
hey kitty I want you to know that beocs of that awesome kiss, I’m now suspended in mid-air (or should I say mid-water LOL) between JI’s ship and MG’s ship; my hands are clinging onto JI’s very very slippery deck while my feet are already hoisted on top of MG’s slip-proof and ultra-shiny deck . Very tiring position-my head keeps spinning cos I don’t know which way to turn….
maysengger!! bwahahahaha!! be careful sweetie!! hang in there!!! hahahaha!!
the guy can sure kiss is all i can say!! hahaha!! but don’t lose hope yet, i’m pretty sure that Jung In will try to one-up Mu Gyul next time. hehehehe. sheesh… Mae Ri sure is lucky! 🙂
whoa!!! that sure is one hell of a kiss!!! lucky you… oh mae ri!!!
to JI: GAMBATTE!!! (in a sad mode 🙁 )
Allenif!! Maybe we should start singing ” nobody, nobody” already… What ya think? Hehehehe.
kittykat…. i think i have to go on hibernation *sigh* i’ll do some soul searching first then i’ll get back to you. lol
hey allenif, don’t be sad chingu! Miracles can happen, after all Xmas is coming! See, I’ve analysed the story so far and it’s always been Jung In copying every romantic gesture that MG makes towards Mae Ri….which means in the next few eps, Jung In is going to handcuff Mae Ri, they’re going to go running into an even narrower alley, he’s going to kiss her just like MG, except slower and breathier….so cheer up, it’s all going to come true, trust me. So you stop hibernating and come out of that cave right now, you hear?
and I forgot to mention the mouth thingy…. Jung In’s going to copy MG’s open-mouthed kissy too…except Jung In’s mouth is going to be way open like stretched BIGGGG, giganomous, like until his eyeballs.
@ maysengger: bwahahaha!! you are pretty perceptive and you just might have brilliant ideas there!! hahahaha!!! Jung In will try to do it on a bigger scale!! hehehehe.
@ allenif: don’t be sad my friend!! and don’t hibernate on a cave!! we are here to comfort you!!! 🙂 maybe maysengger’s predictions might come true!! you’ll never know!!!
funny stuff mayssenger
@mayssenger nyahahhahahahah!!! how can i hibernate when i’m hearing your voice loud and clear!!! and that widely open mouthed kiss …. kampaii LOLOLOLOLOL that’s so freakin’ funny … that’s the spirit… that’s my chingu!!! 😀
@kittykat am no longer hibernating… me is on strike. hahahah! me has no plan yet of watching ep 8 and so forth unless predictions of the mayssenger of drama gods come true. nyahahahahahah!!! meanwhile, i’ll be happy and contented just lurking here and reading all your comments. 😀 hasta la vista!!!
wow, so fast! thanks very much for being my Lifeline for this drama. since i cant wait for the sub, i read your recap and watch the raw uploads. thanks again. you’re the best!!
Koala, you never cease to amaze me! I knew I could count on you to give me a recap of what I am waiting madly for and I wasn’t disappointed! Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I woke up extra early today so I could watch the raw version of ep 8…while I sorta got the gist of it…I always relied on you recaps to clear any confusion…love it cause I don’t have to wait until the whole ep is subbed to know the important bits….
Sigh, you start talking about the end and I start feeling really sad…I know this drama has to end at some point..but I’m just not ready for it yet! Aigoo…I feel the heartache starting…
Thanks for the recap, I’m looking forward for the up coming ones. 🙂
hey there Koala ; ))…very nice recap for something that was not proof read…thought I was reading a novel…or maybe I am. two thumbs up!!!
i do agree with you. Christmas indeed came early with that kiss. 😉
Having the cojones??? XD
Why spanish?
“Mae Ri cocks her head and asks Mu Gyul what his real identity is? He lives a leisurely life just making music – is he the secret bastard child of a chaebol?”
Hmmmm…. could this be foreshadowing of MG being JI’s father’s son? LOL
oh god, i hope not!
you’re probably right though lol
I have that feeling too!!! I hope it isn’t so…
Ooh… maybe SJ’s family can fund the drama, JI gives MR and MG raises, who in turn pay off daddy’s debt, they all are successful and devil dad has no say in who marries whom. Yeah.
Your recapping is one of the best. And your insights into the characters personalities are precise. Sometimes when I’m reading what you wrote, I’m processing and thinking how I feel matters are developing, then the next lines you write…say what I was thinking. It’s too funny. I’m not for the JI/SJ pairing, although I understand the reasoning behind some of the comments regarding it. The girl can’t end up with two guys. Someone gets the girl in the end and my guess is MG. But I like the JI character and which he’d end up happy somehow.
Thanks Ockoala for your fannnnnnnntastic blog! i love it as much as i love M3! it makes enjoying this drama much much better when i know i have this blog to seek solace and always find myself nodding and smiling at what u’ve written. Keep it up! *MUACK*
Thank you so much for doing these recaps!! Like you, this adorable drama has sucked me in, but since I don’t speak Korean, I would be at the mercy of waiting for the subs if not for you. You are so awesome, please keep it up! 🙂
Thank you! As always, greatness and coolness Koala! I look forward to your recap of future episodes.
Omg! I can’t wait for the next episode (wink wink tomorrow!!)~! xD
My life-saver, thank you very much for the recap! I totally would not survive those days without your recap telling me what happened in M3!
hello… I read the BTS of Bloggers at TP and saw the amount of work that you put into your posts. I love you, you know? So go enjoy your major snozzling session! You deserve it!
anyways, i went to wiki Beautiful Days in the middle of reading your recap…. I’m not sure how much I want to watch it though. It sounds intimidating, and sorta boring. Plus, it has Choi Ji Woo, of whom I have this irrational fear of, for all the weepy dramas she’s done. BUT, I’m hugely curious – did they really rewrite the ending to change the OTP? So did CJW end up with RSW or LBH?
but there were so many pretty caps in this post.. I just wanna say that your capping skills are pretty amazing for someone who’s new to this! I specially love the ones where Maeri’s with Jungin at the mountains, cuz the mountains are so pretty, and that hand in hand shot, and the one where KJW looks sooooooo tall next to Maeri.
But I think the prettiest thing of all was that engagement gift… if ever a guy knows to propose to me with a library, I’d say yes in a second, because that is a man who truly knows the way to my heart!
ps.. stop spazzing about KJW’s awesome good looks. your JWS-lub might get jealous!!
pps. doesn’t it feel great now that Geunies are living up to their potential and promise that M3 is gonna be a great drama, because they’re just that GOOD! I really felt that at the cemetary scene…
anyways, I’m halfway thru the recap, but I’ve gotta go out for an appointment so i’ll be back later!
she ended up with LBH… But was she supposed to be OTP with RSW ??? It was one of the most mis-matched couples. It was a great drama nonetheless. Got a happy ending (if memory serves me correctly)
thanx for the heads-up lynx, but I have no idea who she was s’posed to be OTP with, and I’m not sure if I wanna find out, cuz it would entail me actually WATCHING the drama…. not even a happy ending would make me watch it (maybe a semi-nekkid Go Soo would do the trick though)
anyways, back to the recap, ockoala pointed out something at the end that I’d never thought possible – wuz the writers planning a second OTP with Jungin and Seojun?? Hmmm… I’m totally not ready for this, even though I’ve yet to find a secondary OTP I adore this year (the last was the SoEul combo from BOF. say what you will about the drama, the secondary OTP was just jjang!)
Back to the drama and more importantly, the main OTP and their kiss.
I write (or try to, most days) and sometimes, I write towards a specific scene in mind, a particular breakout moment, and sometimes magic happens in getting there. I wonder which the kiss will be… the magic of the moment the writer was trying to create, or does it just get better from here….. I’m just gonna go see if I can youtube that kiss scene in the alley, cuz I haven’t started watching M3 yet.. its just that delicious turning point for the Geunies, isn’t it? We don’t know whats gonna happen from here on, but anything is better than nothing right?
oops! I take that back about the secondary OTP this year that I adore… there is Minwoo and Miju from Giant. However… I haven’t actually watched them, just enjoyed their delicious angstiness voyeuristically and vicariously from a certain dangermousie’s blog, so that mitigates the untruthfulness of my earlier statement.
Well, I can’t reply to a reply, so I guess, this makes sense if it falls behind your posting.
To your comment on OTP:
– wuz the writers planning a second OTP with Jungin and Seojun?? Hmmm… I’m totally not ready for this, even though I’ve yet to find a secondary OTP I adore this year (the last was the SoEul combo from BOF. say what you will about the drama, the secondary OTP was just jjang!)
— I’ve no idea but little signs seem to point to it. Like what’s up with the – rescue her from drowning under the shower faucet scene or the serenading of the girl when its his engagement day??? I have to say that Seojun fails to grab my attention. I think I have but fleeting sympathy for her ways…. semi-stalking someone she broke up with a year ago… reads psycho therapy needed. JI on the other hand – delish! Why cant MR see past her locks that he needs some proper lurving is beyond me. :p (Stellar kisses from both MG & JI. Way well done)
Hmm. SoEul – were so cute! I dunno but I thought YAB – 2nd lead did a great job. 🙂 I almost jumped ship on that one.
Well… to be frank.. what I sometimes want to see is believability in the 2nd leads in fighting the OTP model. Rather than the chipped-shoulder for a 2nd lead syndrome.
Anyways… I digress. sighs. my poor JI..
This episode felt quieter than episode seven. At first I was a little disappointed, but on further reflection, I really love that it is. We’ve had an exciting and emotional buildup to the climax at the end of last episode with Mae-ri’s revelation; like Mae-ri, Mu-gyul, Jung-in, and Seo Jun, we need a moment to sit back, think about all this, and reassess the situation, and this episode gives it to us.
May I just say, that while I am unequivocally on the Mae-ri/Mu-gyul ship, I was an eensy, weensy bit swayed at the top of the episode when we got to see Jung-in and Mae-ri spend some time together? The scene with the socks was heartrending (and KJW does an amazing job acting out the spectrum of emotions Jung-in is feeling, all without saying a word), and when JI gave MR the library as an engagement gift, I almost jumped ship right then and there (I have a decided weakness for libraries — my sole ambition as a little girl was to own the library the Beast gives Belle in Beauty and the Beast). Thank goodness for that well-timed flashback to MR’s conversation with MG! Still, I think that a lot of credit should go KJW’s way for breathing life into what has been, to this point, a mostly two-dimensional cardboard cutout of a character. Add in the fact that he has managed to set this incarnation of the rich chaebol’s son apart from his last (awesomely fantastic!) role as Hong Tae-sung, and the man deserves some kudos. Plus, he’s just gorgeous. Mmmmmm. ^^
I liked how Mae-ri and Mu-gyul got to this point. Their development, both as a couple and individually, over the last seven episodes makes me believe their confessions. I can see why they love each other, and why they need each other so much. But yet, at the same time, just knowing that they care for each other does not a smooth road to happily ever after make. (Hence the never-more-true statement by Shakespeare: “Ay me! for aught that I could ever read, / Could ever hear by tale or history, / The course of true love never did run smooth” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1 Scene 1.) Even if somehow Jung-in decides to throw in the towel (not likely, with devil/demon daddy prodding him with the emotional equivalent of a cattle prod), even if somehow the pathetic excuses for parental units that all three are forced to suffer don’t involve themselves (ha! not if I know anything about kdramas), Mu-gyul and Mae-ri have their own natures to figure out or overcome, as the case may be. To quote the All-Wise Koala, “Both are exceedingly young in age and immature in love for different reasons. As such, knowing that they may love each other doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing for Mae Ri and Mu Gyul at all. I mean, my money is one Mu Gyul bailing at least once (maybe) when he can’t handle the pressure. Or devil daddy abducting him for his split-the-lovers-up scheme. Either way, this couple is in for a rough ride.”
On a completely unrelated note, does anyone get a little shivery every time Mu-gyul and Jung-in have a stare-down? Holy cow. Sometimes it feels like a little more than jealousy is crackling in their stares. ^^
i just love love love the stare-downs.. hahaha!! i like how both of them are really going for it. 🙂
ooohhh i love u so bad
Nice, nice, nice!!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recap, and for always giving recaps on the dot for that matter! I’m so very grateful Ockoala!
Because of Mu Gyul’s awesome kiss, I’ve jumped ship back to Mu Gyul team. I was slowly moving towards Jung In team lately but because of the confession and, oh boy, wonderful, amazing kiss, I’m back to Mu Gyul’s side it’s crazy! Mu Gyul really scored huge this time!
You never failed me !!!!, I cracked into laughter each time reading your recap.
Well, we all know that as per the manga our MM will be together so no worry about it. Hope our Jung In can be the lead male in his next project.
First of all, JI & SJ, you just get married and leave MG & MR alone!!! please!!!
second: this dancing scene of maeri is just crazy, i love it 😀
last: the kiss omg, i guess i would dream about it tonight, first time i saw jgs kissing for real, and i love it (i was really worried he was a bad kisser, i wonder why, not that i have the chance to get kissed by him, but a girl can dream 😉
koala is wonderful how everything you said is just what i felt, seriously, you’re awesome
this is the last: i found out why i don’t like ji spite his good looks, too robot like for my taste!!!!
You recap with such gusto, it’s so fun reading it. Thank you.
thank you so much for the wonderful recap..I love your screencaps by the way..
I’m falling in love with this show more and more as the show continues to progress (and not stagnant). (also the reason why I love the show so much
Now for the show:
There is no doubt that MG and MR are made by heaven. Need I say more about how effortlessly they interact with one another. They came from similar background. They understood what each other went through. But as much as all the emotional roller coaster that their parents put them through, what I love about them was their perseverance. No matter what happened, both always stood up to the challenges and faced them with the brave face.
MR was relentless in helping her Dad. I don’t know how a girl did it (probably only in K-drama but still the effort is noted). MG on the other hand grew up in an unstable environment. He didn’t let other dictate what they wanted from him. He lead his life with a purpose and continued to do so. ^_^
For JI: I feel bad for the guy but…at the same time I think he might need a psychiatrist or psychologist to help ease his past. It is also about time for him to lead his own life. He’s an adult (probably well-educated as well). I wish he could venture out and start living his life as he wished instead of relying on his Dad for funding. (There are so many ways: if he’s capable, the drama could have shown him being more proactive about his passion, working to get funding from other companies?). His character has a lot of potential to be different from other rich dad’s son story.
As for SJ: she is yet to leave an impression on me….
Overall: the antagonist in this drama so far is JI’s Dad. I think MR’s Dad is harmless but he could have done better as a Daddy.
WTF am I doing is what I keep asking myself because I have never blogged until you and Rebel Souls.
Thank you for making me laugh every time I read your recaps.
I hate the two dads and the two “friends” but rather than get sick, I walk away from my computer.
Thanks for being.
One thing I love about your writing is that you can use words like “schmoopy” and “ameliorating” in the same article. You’re goofy and smart and fun to read.
this was soooo funny and a good read! You’re like putting words on my thoughts.. haha!!
Dear Ockoala,
Firstly, thanks so much for your excellent recap for epi 8. As usual I love it so much.
I am wondering for JI now how will he be handling for engagement party….
I feel sorry for him but after I read your thoughts (solution) of JI&SJ to get alone at the end or up coming epis, that will be great.
Because I don’t want him to see lonely and alos to SJ.
P.S
Beautiful Day is one of my favourite Kdramas too. The story was quiet good. One of the reasons I like because that drama was happy ending although the story was a bit heavy emotion (I cried a lot when I was watching it). Zero was not lonely at least at the end, because someone who love him will be always by his side.
Thanks for posting a very detailed recap. Been watching this episode and I’m dying to decipher the conversations. I’m soooo glad I found your site/blog. Now I know the gist of it. This filled my void today…..Can’t wait for the next one. Kudos!!!
i soooo love your recaps especially this episode.
i was smiling the whole time.
i usually read your recaps then watch the episode in korean.
thanks alot!
you made my day especially today *crappy mood*
=D
I loved this episode !! so many great scenes….
1. The kiss gave me goosebumps. To me, it conveyed a mixture of passion and tenderness.. JKS, you are fantastic !!! but anyone alse wishes that MGY would also kiss back? I guess that being MR’s ‘first proper kiss’, she would be less ‘passionate’
2. The dance scene is bloody hilarious!! i have not laughed this hard in a long time… MGY is so absolutely adorable.. i’m beginning to love this actress.. she is really brilliant…
3. I also love the MG confession scene; JKS really nailed the ‘awkward, shy, trying to keep his pride’ look and the bus scene.. these 2 are so natural and effortless… they ARE their characters MR and MG..
I guess that is what I love abt Mary….even though the story so far, is not terribly exciting and interesting in terms of plot twists etc.. The more I watch this.. the more I’m drawn in…the little sweet scenes and the amazing acting and chemistry of the leads really makes me want to re-watch every episode at least twice.. I am sooo addicted, it’s crazy 😛 Hence, I am so grateful that you, koala are also equally addicted and keep coming up with all these wonderful frequent updates of Mary..
thanks Koala again.. you’re Daebak 😀
I think they use the same cameraman in PK for the kiss in M3.. but instead of a meaningless umbrella, they showed the handcuff.. what is it? Like an artsy fartsy excuse not to show the kiss to us for more than 5 seconds by giving it a deep meaning? …meh, I can’t believe JGS’s fans fell for it… *grumble grumble*
My rant aside, this is my fave OTP after Seung Jo-Hani.. maybe because they exist completely in their carefree world where evil stepbrothers, siblings separated at birth or terminal diseases don’t exist. The moment any one of those make an appearance, I’ma throw my pillow at my TV monitor and leave the indie band scene..
..unless the OTP gets cuter and cuter though. I think out of all JGS’s incarnations, I love this one the best. Like Mae Ri said.. he’s so ‘gay’ LOL. Every time he leans on a table, crosses his legs and tosses that mane about, I have this urge to do …ermmm, unspeakable things to him.. *cough*
Thanks so much for the recap!! I guess I’ll suffer along with you every week for this drama.. 😛
Oh, and despite liking the MR-MG couple.. I think in terms of intensity and suitability, JI and MG totally pwns it. When those two are in the same room esp with their hands at each other’s collars, even Mae Ri can’t break them apart. She tried and got bruised in the process, remember?
I want JI and MG to end up together! *hyper* …Can’t the writers do a 180deg turn and change the story midway ala Beautiful Days for the JI-MG pairing?? Maybe they should have their own movie spin-off.. or at least a 30-minute fantasy sequence where they have a full blown courtship, get married in Vegas, adopt a baby girl and live happily ever after in Rome.. or sumthg. That’ll totally ensure my complete devotion and loyalty to M3.. *nod nod*
Hi Ami,
In my opinion, I believe this kissing cut after only a few seconds are not exclusive only to M3. Not every drama has a kissing scene like “personal taste” – as I would say a real kissing scene. The great majority of Kdrama I saw has this type of thing, the characters give each other a rub lip, which make them look like pigeons kissing, and then the camara cut. I dont know if korean society is like India, that people should restrain kissing, or in this case kissing with passion. No ofense, I LOVE kdrama, kpop and k etc. : )
hi lucy~ ..I’m quite a novice to k-dramas and k-ent in general but I say anything with Gong Yoo in it will satisfy my ‘onscreen kiss’ craving. That guy never dissapoints.. even his chaste kiss in One Fine Day is hot enough to burn a hole in my monitor. And after watching quite a few dramas targeted at young viewers, I realized that Playful Kiss has a record number of kisses in it.. if we include the YouTube version. Usually there’re two chaste pecks tops in any drama.. and Beethoven Virus is certainly an exception, being a very popular drama with two hot actors in it (one being Jang Geun Suk himself) and absolutely no kissing scene at all.
Re-reading what I wrote.. am thinking to myself now.. have I been categorizing drama kisses all along?? I’m not a perv.. swear I’m not! *cough*
thank u soooo much!!! U have made my day with this recap!! Way to go Jang Geun Seok!! now that’s how you really kiss a girl! Can’t wait for episode 9 <3 !!
=^.^= Koalaaaaa dearest,
Can’t help saying it again, but I love your blog, the discussion over the drama and the comments, everything is as addicting as the drama itself. I noticed how thoughtful and kind you are in placing answers to some of our questions in your recap’s comments, I make a special mention to “MG’s hair” (one of my questions – I honestly believe he will cut his hair as a love token for Mary) and “JGS kissing skills” (one of my comments). Thank you for answering!!!! 🙂
“A special shout-out to Jang Geun Seok for finally showing me that you can kiss your co-star on screen. I’m sure all your previous lip-presses were at the behest of the PDs who refused to let you do some steamy kissing, but I’ve sat though pretty much every one of your dramas waiting for the goods, and you finally delivered.”
Totally agree!!!! For the first JGS isnt giving a “pigeon kiss” and I’m glad that he made that breakthrough in a lovely drama such as M3. Hope that he continuous that in future works, specially “kimi wa petto” since is not shoujo but josei, it should require mature kissing. Now, talking about the drama plot, I also agree with you that the screenwriter did not push it at that scene, it was something natural.
Mary’s dancing with kale bouquet….LOL…loved that scene!!! I also liked JI gesture in giving Mary a bookshelf, he definetly got his name in my book now.
Hope everything goes well at your conference and I’ll be waiting patiently for your recap number 9. Have a nice week!!!! : )
i gotta admit, this is the first time i have read anything in your blog and i am VERY impressed!! I have never laughed so much at what you had to say but very appreciative by your writing!!! you tell things as they are and give your own thoughts without be too biased…….great blogging!!!
i love your recaps!! and just for doing such an awesome job…i’ll make you the gif for MG’s dance just let me know where to send it!
or
http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/darling23_photo/M3-new.gif?t=1291769063
here’s the gif as promise! =)
LUCKY GIRL!!! awwwww. I really want to kiss Jang Geun Suk. That was one real hot kiss that I’ve been dying to see from my Geun Suk. You’re really lucky Mary-ah hihi. I really love this drama. Hands down to my love. mwahh Thanks Koala! =)
Moon geun and Jang <3
but…. I really hope he will cut his long hair… I prefer his short hair better…
this drama is ok I guess, but I love acting in "Cinderella sister" : D I her there better than her character here
but I love watching those two together : Dlucky her : D