Six episodes is enough to render a verdict on a drama’s potential, no? If a twenty-episode or less drama can’t get its act together by the sixth episode, not much can buoy a shaky ship for the remainder of its run. Similarly if an excellently launched drama remains firmly in control by the sixth episode, I’d say chances are good this drama has the legs to finish the grueling marathon that is telling a story from start-to-finish. Six-episodes into Nice Guy, it’s become obvious where this dramas strengths and weaknesses lie. Its most stellar element is its directing and acting, and its weakest link is actually the story, with the slightly bombastic OST falling somewhere in the middle between effective and too heavy handed. While I normally can predict where a drama is headed, even if the hows are hard to guess, having read the synopsis of NG leaves me wondering just what the heck the second half is aiming to go. The major plot element of Eun Gi supposedly getting amnesia is nowhere near appearing, and now I don’t even know what point it serves. That annoys me, because being content to let a story unfold in due course still requires the basic outline to have thematic purpose.
While Eun Gi remains my favorite character bar none (second being adorable Joon Ha played by my Lee Sang Yeob), her character is all over the place. At least we know now that she’s not playing Maru to get back at Jae Hee, but conversely Maru is definitely playing Eun Gi to get back at Jae Hee. Its like that horrible bitch just cannot stop wrecking everyone’s lives even when she does nothing other than exist. Maru is slipping towards becoming a hard to root for fallen hero, because unlike Eun Gi who was born into her own Hell, his was of his own making. Learning just how much he loved Jae Hee makes me actually annoyed with him and wishing he could just GET OVER IT. If I can slap some sense into Maru I would. He sacrificed for Jae Hee willingly, I actually don’t think Jae Hee owed him anything. Yes, she screwed him over again with the alleged blackmail bit, but he’s actually much better off just walking away and picking up the pieces of his own life. I don’t know what rocky paths Maru will be embarking on, but I remain riveted to the screen waiting for more reveals. Looks like the domestic audience also can’t get enough of Nice Guy, its ratings for this episode jumped more than 2% widening its lead even more over Arang and the Magistrate.
Episode 6 recap:
We start with a flashback to young Maru and Jae Hee’s first meeting, when he helped hide her from the people beating her up. He then flashes back to them laying on the lawn in college where Jae Hee asks why Maru doesn’t accept the affections of the rich girl who likes him. He says he only wants to hold onto Jae Hee. She laughs and lays down on his back, telling him that he needs to keep that promise then.
The scene switches to Maru kissing Eun Gi in front of Hirosaki Castle in Aomori. He deepens the kiss and Eun Gi goes from shock to responding in kind. The camera pulls behind Eun Gi’s head where we see Maru’s face, and while he’s kissing Eun Gi, his eyes open and it’s cold and calculating. Dude, don’t make me reach into the screen and kick your ass because you hurt Eun Gi due to your ridiculous obsession with Jae Hee
Maru and Eun Gi hold hands and walk through Aomori to watch the Summer festival. We see young Maru writing in his diary back home after his lawn study date with Jae Hee. Maru writes that he now has something he desires, something that he covets. It is his Jae Hee noona. He thanks her for coming into his life. Even if he can’t give her wealth, he has the confidence that he will take good care of her, cherishing her for life. He will never allow her to be lonely or sad.
While watching the parade, Eun Gi suddenly turns around and notices Maru isn’t there. She frantically looks for him and stumbles around the crowd until he suddenly reappears. We see that Maru had purposely hidden from her and was watching her looking for him. Okay, you are officially scaring me, Maru. Maru holds up two beers as if he had walked away to buy her a drink.
Eun Gi runs across the street and embraces Maru, holding him tightly as if she is afraid of losing him. Maru thinks to himself that since that day he made the promise to hold onto Jae Hee and not let go, then he will always be near her. Maru vows that his beginning is Jae Hee, and his ending will also be Jae Hee. He finishes writing in his diary that he hopes Jae Hee noona feels the same way about him. Maru hugs Eun Gi back and his eyes glint with purpose. He reads from the diary page written on June 30th, 2003.
Eun Gi is being driven home by her secretary. Eun Gi smiles while looking out the window, asking if she seems crazy these days. She reveals that she’s in love and the secretary notes that Eun Gi is glowing and looks very pretty. Eun Gi asks if it’s hard to learn how to put on make up and if the secretary can teach her how? That shocks the secretary and Eun Gi laughs at how she’s totally gone off the deep end it seems.
The secretary tells Eun Gi that the Chairman is very mad at her. The secretary hands her some pills to calm her down but Eun Gi is not afraid and reminds her that she’s still the same tough Seo Eun Gi.
Eun Gi walks into the house and sees all her stuff packed in the living room. She’s nonplussed and asks for a bite to eat from the housekeeper before getting kicked out. Jae Hee wheels the Chairman out and he demands to know how she even has the gall to eat at a time like this. The Chairman calls Eun Gi shameless for coming back after ruining the deal. Jae Hee excuses herself to give her son a bath. Eun Gi says she will leave but the Chairman wants her out right now before she even eat a bite of food from this house.
The Chairman tells Joon Ha to cut off Eun Gi’s credit cards and notify their hotels not to let her stay there. He also wants all Tae San employees notified that they are not to communicate with Eun Gi. The Chairman tells her not to come to work either, he doesn’t need her around to ruin the company. She asks the Chairman why he doesn’t have anything else to say to her, such as thanking her for saving the resort from being sold to a swindler. For saving the resort his ex-wife left behind.
The Chairman points out that the resort loses money every year. The scene cuts away to Jae Hee smiling as she bathes her son. The Chairman asks Eun Gi why she doesn’t apologize for what she did when she walked into the house? Joon Ha asks the Chairman to forgive Eun Gi but he won’t because she refuses to acknowledge she did anything wrong. Eun Gi says that the Aomori resort is her most precious place and she wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing again. Eun Gi turns to leave, telling her dad that her clothes were bought by Tae San Group money as well but she’s not planning to walk out naked so she won’t take it off.
Eun Gi bows her to dad and tells him to be well. After Eun Gi leaves, we see the Chairman’s eyes are red-rimming and then he clutches his chest in pain.
Joon Ha follows Eun Gi outside and she tells him not to talk with her per the Chairman’s orders. He wants to give her his credit card but she won’t take it since his money is earned from the Tae San Group. He reminds her that he’s her oppa but Eun Gi doesn’t want to get him in trouble. She hands him her wallet but takes out a few bills first, then telling him that her car keys are in her room. She asks him to take care of the Chairman. Then Eun Gi remembers something and asks Joon Ha where to go if she wants to take a bus. Jae Hee finishes the bath and tells her son that he did well and he is totally deserving of being the son of the Chairman.
Back at Casa de Maru, Jae Gil is dancing in the courtyard and Choco comes out to ask him to stop. Choco asks Jae Gil if he’s missing his ex-girlfriend Yura but Jae Gil acts like he doesn’t even know such a person. Eun Gi walks up and Choco remembers her as the unni with her brother that day. Eun Gi finds out that Maru is at work and asks where that is?
Jae Hee sits across from Maru in the completely empty bar, revealing that she booked the entire place so its just the two of them. Maru pours her a glass of Absinthe. Jae Hee compliments Maru on still being so handsome no matter what he does. Jae Hee says that Eun Gi is no match for her. How can a person born with everything compete against someone who has nothing.
Jae Hee asks Maru to stop toying with Eun Gi and go back to his old life. Jae Hee asks Maru what’s going to happen if he keeps using Eun Gi? Maru wonders if it appears that he’s using Eun Gi? She’s the daughter of a chaebol, not to mention pretty, smart and kind. Does it look like he’s being 100% false with her? Maru tells her to finish the drink and go home. Jae Hee insists she is serious about wanting to go back to him. She also cannot forget him. God, I want to punch her in the face so bad.
Eun Gi and Jae Gil are in a taxi headed to the bar. Eun Gi tells him she can go by herself but Jae Gil explains that he works at the same bar as a singer. Jae Gil texts Maru that Eun Gi is on her way to see him, telling him to get rid of any other woman around him.
Maru calls Eun Gi and puts its on speaker so Jae Hee can hear. Damn he’s such a cruel bastard. Eun Gi happily answers the phone while in the car with Jae Gil headed to the bar. Maru asks where she is and Eun Gi tells him she’s coming to see him. Maru is happy she’s coming and tells her that he misses her to death. Eun Gi smiles and reveals that she’s been kicked out of the house. During this entire conversation, Maru just stares at Jae Hee without blinking an eyelash.
Maru welcomes Eun Gi to stay with him, in fact he’s already cleaned out a room for her and asks her to live with him. Eun Gi says she’s hungry and Maru asks what she wants to eat, he’ll make any dish he knows how. Eun Gi says she wants ramyum with egg, mandoo and some dokbokkgi. He tells her that she has the same tastes as him so she needs to hurry up and get here.
Eun Gi tells Maru that she loves him. Jae Hee’s eyes widen and Maru stares back at her. Eun Gi says “I love you” again and Jae Gil turns around in the taxi to stare at her. Maru smiles at Jae Hee and says “Me, too, I love you, Seo Eun Gi-shhi.” The call ends with Eun Gi happily smiling.
Maru tells Jae Hee she needs to leave since his girlfriend is coming. He asks her to leave otherwise it’ll be awkward once Eun Gi arrives. Jae Hee grabs him and suggests that they go down together then. She kisses him but he doesn’t respond to her kiss other than his eyes widen. She tells him that they can kiss when Eun Gi arrives and be caught together.
Maru wipes his lips and then pushes her against the column and forcefully kisses her. He pulls out his cellphone and snaps a picture. Jae Hee asks if he’s gone insane? Maru says if they want to be captured, this photo is the best way.
Eun Gi pulls up outside the bar and when she steps out of the car, she gets a text from Joon Ha that includes the picture of Jae Hee kissing lawyer Ahn outside the house. Eun Gi calls him back and screams at him, asking what he’s doing?
Maru tells Jae Hee that she doesn’t know the real meaning of people destroying themselves. In Maru’s world, he has nothing left to lose anymore, whereas Jae Hee does and she’ll never be able to go all the way like he can. Jae Hee tells Maru that if he comes into her world, he’ll discover how filthy it is, and does he still want to? Fine, if he wants to, then she’ll play this game with him. She has no intention of leaving that world and he has no intention of giving up his plan to bring her down, so they will walk to the end and see what happens.
Jae Hee turns to leave and it appears her hips are in pain. Maru looks at her walking away and his eyes reveal his worry for her. Ugh, stop worrying for her. At all. He stops himself from going to help her.
Jae Gil walks to the front of the bar and finds the note that its closed tonight for a private event. He sees Jae Hee walk out and he calls her noona but she ignores him. Lawyer Ahn, with a new slicked back but equally nasty hair do, pulls up and opens the door for Jae Hee to get in. Jae Gil stands by the door and sees all of this.
Jae Hee sits in the backseat in pain and lawyer Ahn offers to take her to the hospital. Jae Hee says it’s not necessary since it’s an old injury that flares up on occasion. She says its nothing to worry about. She tells lawyer Ahn that she knows he has an ulterior motive in assisting her, and she’ll let him use her. She tells him not to genuinely fall in love with her, treating her this way is what Han Jae Hee deserves.
Maru sits in the empty bar and Jae Gil walks in and asks what’s going on? That bar is empty and he just saw Jae Hee noona leave. Maru looks out of it and Jae Gil has to get his attention. Jae Gil asks if Maru is crazy to see Jae Hee. Maru asks about Eun Gi and is told something came up and she had to leave. Jae Gil reveals that he broke up with Yura.
Eun Gi meets up with Joon Ha and demands to know if he photo shopped that picture. Joon Ha shows her the original and reveals it was from a CCTV capture in front of the house. He tells Eun Gi that the Chairman will be looking to bring her back if she can complete one project. Eun Gi is in no mood to talk about that. Joon Ha tells Eun Gi that she needs to return as soon as possible, since the Chairman is sick and Jae Hee is starting to get more involved in company matters. He’s worried something will happen soon.
Eun Gi learns that Joon Ha hasn’t told the Chairman yet about Jae Hee’s duplicity. He was worried that with his weakened constitution the shock might be too much. Eun Gi tells him that he did the right thing and she starts to think about how to proceed next.
The Chairman calls lawyer Ahn to ask him to track down where Jae Hee is right now. Errrr, in his back seat, dude. He wants her cell phone tracked and reported back to him. He reminds lawyer Ahn that he doesn’t even trust women 30%. During the call it appears the Chairman experiences some chest pain.
Jae Gil and Maru are drinking and when Jae Gil gets drunk, Maru flashes back to Jae Hee’s injury. Turns out that Jae Hee’s brother beat her up to take her purse and she refused to hand it to him because it was a gift from Maru to her. Maru walks home to see this beat down and he takes off his backpack likely to go protect Jae Hee.
Eun Gi tries calling Maru but he doesn’t pick up his phone. Eun Gi sits at a street stall and waits for Joon Ha to bring the three employee union leaders to come negotiate with her. She welcomes them and extends her hand for a shake but they ignore her. Eun Gi knows they think of her as a betrayer and she offers to enter into a drinking competition with the best drinker. If she wins, they will have to do as she said. If he wins, she will do as they want.
Jae Gil is passed out drunk on the floor muttering about Yura while Maru sleeps sitting in the chair. Choco arrives and immediately goes to Jae Gil. She can see that he’s been crying. Choco says its all her fault and offers to do anything for Jae Gil. Jae Gil mutters something and Choco thinks he wants Maru’s watch. She takes Maru’s watch from her sleeping brother’s hand and gives it to Jae Gil. Choco then piggybacks Jae Gil home, leaving Maru sleeping there.
Eun Gi and the head union leader engage in a drinking game where they literally gulp down pots and pots of soju. OMG, this is like a public announcement for alcoholism and future liver transplants. Eun Gi finally can’t handle it anymore and ducks out for a moment. Joon Ha follows and asks what she thinks she’s doing? Eun Gi tells him she’s fine.
Maru wakes up alone in the empty bar. Joon Ha goes to get the car to drive Eun Gi but when he returns she’s gone. Maru walks home and gets a call near his house. It’s drunk Eun Gi and she apologizes for not showing up because something happened. We see drunk Eun Gi sitting near Maru’s house. He can tell she drank and Eun Gi confirms she’s drunk on soju.
Eun Gi asks what he’s done to her? What did he do to her that all she has in her brain is images of him? Because of hims he can’t even concentrate, all she wants is to see him, always to see him. Eun Gi laughs that she really isn’t this kind of person. Seo Eun Gi really isn’t this kind of person. Maru listen to Eun Gi on the phone and then walks past her sitting on a stoop calling him. He turns back and kneels down before her, the two of them still on the phone.
Eun Gi sees Maru before her and she marvels on how this person looks just like Maru. She reaches out to touch his face and his eyes flicker when she touches him. He looks at her with this gentle direct gaze. Maru says he feels really bad when he thinks about what he’s doing to her life. Eun Gi is amazed that her vision of Maru can talk. Maru candidly tells Eun Gi that her memories with him are a nightmare but soon she will wake up from said nightmare.
Maru lays a passed out Eun Gi in his room to sleep. He takes care of her as she sleeps, gently wiping her face and staring at her. Her phone rings and he answers the call from Joon Ha. He assures Joon Ha that Eun Gi is safe and asleep. Joon Ha asks if he’s Eun Gi’s boyfriend and Maru says yes, introducing himself as Kang Maru.
Joon Ha is relieved that Eun Gi is being taken care of. After hanging up the phone he looks really sad. Maru ends the call and sits there still staring at Eun Gi.
Its morning time and Eun Gi wakes up first but she doesn’t do anything except lay on her side staring at a sleeping Maru with a smile on her face. Back in the Seo house, Jae Hee is also awake in bed with the still sleeping Chairman. She sighs and turns to her side away from him.
Joon Ha jogs along the Han River and he passes by lawyer Ahn, who notices him. Joon Ha goes to work and pulls up the video of Jae Hee kissing lawyer Ahn and watches it again. He then sees the rest of the video which is Maru driving Eun Gi home. He finally makes the connection of Kang Maru, Eun Gi’s new boyfriend, with the man who allegedly blackmailed Jae Hee. He calls up the CCTV company to ask for video enhancement.
Maru finally wakes up and opens his eyes to see Eun Gi staring at him. They say good morning to each other and Eun Gi wonders how she got here? Maru explains she arrived in the neighborhood by herself, but he brought her to the house. She asks if she said anything crazy last night, like how much she liked him?
Maru confirms she did, so Eun Gi wants to know what his response was to her confession. Maru claims to have responded to her last night but she doesn’t remember and asks him to say it again. Maru claims no fair and suggests they eat breakfast first. Joon Ha walks out of the CCTV room and looks distressed. He places a call to confirm whether Eun Gi’s boyfriend is named Kang Maru.
Eun Gi won’t let it go and keeps asking what he said to her last night? Maru looks her straight in the eye and says that he asked if she wanted to run away because she was being seduced by Kang Maru? That’s akin to stepping in dog shit and having horrible luck, so does she want to put on her shoes now and run away? He’s giving her only one chance.
Eun Gi smiles and asks if she can answer him now? Maru nods silently. Her answer comes in the form of leaning in to kiss him. Maru’s eyes widen and twitches uncomfortably.
Jae Hee is trying on wedding gowns for media pictures and she excuses herself to answer a call that she thinks is from Maru. Her face falls as the call is from her brother, telling him that he’s back and asking where she is? Lawyer Ahn notices her distress when she answers the call.
Maru walks out in the courtyard and finds Choco tending to a beaten up Jae Gil, who reveals that Jae Hee’s gangster brother just visited and beat him up to find out where Jae Hee is. The guy stole Maru’s phone to reach Jae Hee. Jae Gil warns Maru not to get involved. Jae Hee’s brother looked spitting mad and Jae Hee is likely dead if he gets his hand on her.
Eun Gi and Joon Ha meet with the striking employees and negotiate their new contract. Eun Gi accepts all their terms which worries Joon Ha. Eun Gi says at most the Board of Directors will throw a hissy fit. She tells Joon Ha that she’s in a really good mood right now.
Eun Gi finishes the meeting and happily takes a bus back to Maru’s. On her way up to the house, an ahjumma stops her and asks if she’s living with Maru? The ahjumma hands something to Eun Gi and asks her to give it to Maru.
Eun Gi stops and turns the item over and sees that it’s the graduation picture of Jae Hee and Maru. The investigator who is working on lawyer Ahn and Jae Hee’s side is hiding to the side watching this, clearly having orchestrated this to reveal Maru’s connection with Jae Hee. Eun Gi stares at the picture and her eyes widen.
Maru walks out of the house and sees Eun Gi. His normally impassive expression breaks out into a slow smile as he welcomes her back, but Eun Gi just stares in shock at him.
Thoughts of Mine:
Episode 6 was definitely a tense confrontation driven episode and worked much better to keep the story afloat than the laughable “save the resort” child’s play tactics of episode 5. NG is ultimately a character-driven story and it moves forward when people talk, even if they don’t always say what they mean. I enjoy all the not-so-subtle shades of grey which has been interspersed throughout the drama from the very beginning. Abrasive and confrontational Eun Gi is like a lost child emotionally even if she’s a pitbull when it comes to everything else. Jae Hee has a terribly trying childhood but now she’s turned into a scheming golddigger. Maru was all devotion and kindness until a sacrifice proved to be a cruel awakening. The Chairman appears to push his daughter using only harsh methods but inside he is trying to make sure she is taken care of when he is gone. All of this works well to make the characters appear flawed yet understandable.
What I hate is learning the extent of Maru’s love for Jae Hee, and seeing clearly that he still loves her. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t care what the hell she did with her life. He’s hung up on thwarting her schemes because his anger stems from the still present love he has for her. That pisses me off, especially when we see clearly that Maru is using Eun Gi. Yes, he tells her that he’s no good and gives her the chance to run away. But that’s not enough to warn off Eun Gi, and he can tell that she is opening her heart up to him and likely has never done so before with any other man. And yes, its clear that she actually pierces through his ulterior motives and touches a part of his broken soul, but that is not enough for him to place her well being above his own purpose. I wish I could root for Maru to succeed in bringing Jae Hee down and fall in love with Eun Gi along the way, but the more I see that his plan will be bringing her immense pain first, the more I’m losing sympathy for him.
I think Lee Kyung Hee’s script is really interesting but she doesn’t fill in the blanks well enough. It’s like she wrote a fabulous outline but when it came time to do a deep dive, she ends up with spots of genius bookended with random scenes and nonsensical plot devices. Choco and Jae Gil need to go, lawyer Ahn’s motivation in helping Jae Hee makes zero sense to me even if he lusts after her, and Eun Gi’s complete and utter fascination with Maru borders on the incredulous. Part of me wants her to get with sweet and decent Joon Ha and dump Maru, but then I realize she’s never liked Joon Ha before for a reason. Joon Ha is like the old Maru, kind and devoted, and that is not what gets through to Eun Gi. She is attracted to this not-nice-guy version of Maru, and likely would have never given old Maru a second glance if she met him. That feels so ironic, since old Maru would have never hurt even a hair on her head. But then again, old Maru loved Jae Hee and only Jae Hee, so he and Eun Gi would have never had any chance to begin with. Which really begs the age old adage, it’s all about timing. Right now the timing is right for Maru and Eun Gi to spark, but whether all the lies and truths will doom them, only time will tell.
Thanks…too intense
Could you possible translate the preview for Ep 7 as well? I am just curious as to what hints we could derive to perhaps guess where the story is going to take us.
Thanks 🙂
Maru: Heard you were looking for Jae Hee.
Jae Hee’s brother: I’ll take revenge for you.
Jae Hee: That bastard, he’s bringing my brother into this?
Guy: The Chairman doesn’t appear to understand the hows and whys of it all. Apparently there is a recording of lawyer Ahn and Madam (Jae Hee).
Woman: The Chairman wants to see you.
Maru: Having feelings for the Madam, approaching the Chairman with an ulterior motive, what do you want to do about a guy like that?
Eun Gi: Don’t you dare touch him. You try touching even a hair on his head……..
Thanks! 🙂
Maru and Jae Hee deserve each other, imo. They’re both perpetual victims floundering around in their own personal hells. Poor Eun Gi. It’s usually time to drop a drama when I can’t muster even an ounce of sympathy for the main lead.
I never liked Jae Hee. This episode sealed my dislike for Maru. Seriously, dude??? Seriously!? So you’re gonna get back at Jae Hee (who you’ve obviously still got some twisted obsession for) by screwing over a girl that is supposedly in love with you…..the same way Jae Hee screwed you over. UGH what a hypocritical dskleraslkdfjdsfjdf
I’m conflicted over how I feel about Eun Gi. Part of me loves her, because she’s fierce and badass, but I’m starting to think that’s just an act. And that’s the part that annoys me. I HATE how quickly she’s “fallen” for Maru, and how weak/vulnerable she is around him. It’s not even realistic! I’m hoping the knowledge that Maru has known Jae Hee and has been lying will cause her to be more suspicious and figure out everything. But then what? She gets revenge on him? This whole cycle of revenge is really dumb and immature. Maru needs to get over it and move on, Eun Gi needs to run far away (to Joon Ha lol), and Jae Hee just…needs to go.
I think the story is dramatic enough without the amnesia, but I’m interested to see how things will play out between Maru and Eun Gi. Maybe it’ll make him a likable character.
I, too, want Eun Gi to toughen up when it comes to Maru, but I don’t think her obsessive love for Maru is completely unrealistic. She’s like a teenager and they fall in love hard and fast. Put her lack of displays of affection at home into the mix and it makes her more desperate for love. Throughout the show so far she has shown that she is impulsive and shows her emotions. Her relationship with Maru is aligned with the character. However, for someone who has been scarred as much as she has, I expected to have a small period of suspiciousness before she fell head over heals.
Yeah i think he reason EG is falling so hard for maru is beacause she wants to be loved. she loved her mom but she walked away and EG could have followed her but choose to be by herself. then EG’s father has starge way of showing love and Joon Ha is too nice to say anything. He is always in the I am her lawyer category as opposed i want to be her friend. basically status issues and stuff cause he is serving her family.
Oh I agree! I suppose I’m just angry her strong feelings are what’s allowing her to be so easily used (dang you, Maru). I wish she too would have had a period where she’d been a tiny bit more suspicious and guarded with him, because it might have saved her some pain I’m sensing might come soon…well if she doesn’t lose her memory soon, I’m almost hoping she will.
Thanks, Koala!
I totally agree that K.M is really startng to freak me out with his ways…especially every time he keeps his eyes open with that calculating yet stoic/hardened soul looks. Gives me goosebumps. I really wanted to root for him to have a happily ever after with E.G. But seriously with this psycho behavior and suing E.G…KangmMaru, and Jae hee really deserve each other.
*correction…meant to say using e.g.
So when will she lose her memory and whats the point of the memory loss when she already in love with him?
I think it will affect him more than her. It changes the way he looks at her. Almost like she is a new person.
New and helpless…..MR is the caregiver in his relationships.
Thanks for the recap.
Maru made me shiver bunches of times. When he’s cold, dude, he is Mr. Freeze…shiver shiver shiver.
What an ass of a person he is being, too. So his life sucks, so? That means you can watch the fragile chick (who by the way has done nothing to you) searching form you in the street and just stare. Jerk.
This, my friends, can only mean one thing. Drama karma will be a bitch to him. We are watching him treat her badly because later, much later, he will be begging her to love him back. It has to happen.
Love is not logical, and can eff up even the sanest person. I can absolutely see why she is falling for him. Because SJK looks like he does, because he knows how to seduce a woman, and because he is being genuinely nice to her somewhere in there.
I see EG in a place in her life where a little natural hormonal juicing was greatly needed. She was as down as down can be, but one little whiff of MR’s kindness, and she was hooked. Her heart speeds up a little once, he kisses her, releasing even more happy hormones, and she’s thinking, “I can get used to this.” People fall in love willinging, meaning, they have to decide to take the plunge. Of course, after that, very little remains in their control.
I love the amnesia angle. That means even though EG should totally HATE him for the cruel sunvabich he is, she will end up falling in love with again. This time, HE will be scathed – very scathed. He will see her as double double helpless, he will pity her, and FALL IN LOVE WITH HER for real!!!
I really love your spin on the series and I would be down for this hook, line and sinker. But if she is going to get amnesia she needs to get it like NOW. I don’t want to watch only one episode of her losing her memory and that bringing about the change in Maru. I need to see him slowly(over several episodes) but surely come back to his old self. Especially after these last two episodes when my faith in him is fading….I need him to step up!
I can’t help but wonder, given the way this episode ends, if first EG is going to fully realize what Maru is and what he’s actually doing, proceeded by all the fall out from this. Shortly that will be followed by her amnesia. She’ll somehow be led to believe that Maru is still the loving boyfriend/she’ll fall in love with him again. During this time of amnesia, Maru will truly fall in love with EG. Somewhere towards the end, her memory will come back. Believing all of him is a lie, it’s going to be ugly. Ug-guh-ly. Maru is going to get severely bitten.
I’m loving the ride as crazy as it is and will be. Thanks Koala for the awesome recap.
oh koala your really fast… loving this series already… and your recaps too… thanks…:)
Argh, I just want to shake Maru senseless to wake him up from this living hell that he’s created for himself. I really want to root for him but he’s making it so darn hard with the way he is obviously just using Eun Gi to one up Jae Hee.
He knows Jae Hee is already in hell and he wants to join her there, too? That coyote/jackal analogy was very telling. How much more can a person self-destruct, really? At this point I don’t even care about his twisted plans but he’s toying with a vulnerable woman’s feelings along the way and that’s just wrong. Argh
I am just hoping his plan, whatever the hell that is, also self-destructs, that when it comes time to take that FINAL step of destruction, whatever the hell that is, it’ll be EG, or love of EG that prevents him.
MR is still my fav <3<3 and I'm not letting go even if he falls off the cliff with JH.
“At least we know now that she’s not playing Maru to get back at Jae Hee…”
Photo of 안변 and 재희 gets Eun-Gi visibly upset. Why? Because if they’re having an affair, then she can’t use Maru to get back at her — since apparently “she wouldn’t care.” Ergo…
Masks. They all wear ’em. I’m not saying there’s nothing pulsating behind the masks — there is actually something, which is fighting with the alleged purpose for those masks itself. But can’t ignore the fact they’re all wearing one that affects their decisions in varying degrees.
Amnesia, when it comes, will finally take at least one of those off, and she’ll cry a river for it. This time for real. ㅎㅎ
Nice Guy is working extra hard to put Maru in my black list. I mean, dude… if you want to take revenge, fine! But don’t hurt this girl (the only character I’m rooting and care for in this love triangle) that you can see is already very broken inside! Jae Hee and Maru can jump off a cliff for all I care. Yes, I am pissed right now.
I’m Team Lawyer Joon Ha right now.
I’d say this episode kind of saved the show for me. The most horrible episode so far for me is episode 5. Sorry. And 3 and 4 are just slllooooww. Now! I say they are pumping up the energy and speeding up the narrative and I hope the next episodes will deliver.
I don’t know, as for me, I understand Eun Gi’s emotional/hormonal imbalance (hahaha) because she is an emotionally stunted person. She never grew up in an environment that foster love. As a matter of fact I believe she doesn’t know anything about it. There are people that consider their emotions as their Achilles Heel because it is one aspect of them that they couldn’t read or understand or control. And most of the time, these kinds of people are the logic base, governed-by-brain, type of people.
And because I have reasons to justify Eun Gi’s personality, I am still in favor of her. As for Maru and Jae Hee, I don’t know. They are manipulative at best. Up till now, I really don’t know what is Maru’s motivation in getting near Jae Hee. His conversation with her suggests a lot of things. It’s either he’s still in love/obsess with her, or he’s pissed off because he wasted his life for someone who basically wants to kill herself as well by trying to stay in a place she doesn’t belong to, or he’s lost hope for himself, or errrr I don’t know what else.
So yes. Will wait for Epi 7 and 8.
My heart ache for Eun Gi!!! People around her are mean and heartless! Except to her cuteness lawyer friend and protector. This girl just want to love and be love… And here comes Maru crucshing her heart to pieces.
I really want to think that Maru has a greater motivation for his revenge than just Jae Hee “betraying” him. I also agree with you that he willingly sacrificed himself so it’s not like she really is indebt to him. It’s very minuscule, but we can see that Maru is slowly melting towards Eun Gi too. Unfortunately, by the time he thaws completely, she would’ve already lost faith and trust in him.
The part where she ran and hugged him at the beginning almost made me cry for her. I’m not surprised that she fell for him so quickly. I think the first time she really fell for Maru would’ve been when they met Choco’s mother. I think she fell for him so quickly because he was just as emotionally and psychologically scarred because of his parentage as she was. I get that Joon Ha has probably always been there for her but she never felt that attachment to him on a personal level so it’s no surprise that she’s even withdrawn with him.
I would love to explore Eun Gi’s relationship to Joon Ha. They obviously are a lot closer than just employer-employee since she called him “oppa.” I would also enjoy him becoming part of a love triangle with them, but I’m sure he won’t be.
I feel like there is still enough time for her memory loss if it’s still going to be employed. We’re kind of at a standstill right now since she just found out that Maru and Jae Hee did know each other. However, I feel like it’s inching towards not using her anymore too, so in that circumstance, the amnesia would be moot.
I’m for sure enjoying this drama so I hope that it doesn’t go downhill from here.
After he saved her and then their scene in the the bar and his worried look when she left the bar, I began to think that perhaps the drama’s real OTP is Maru and Jae Hee. If so, I’m going to be pretty mad at the end of this drama. Thanks for the recaps, I’ve decided to stop watching — tired of all of Maru’s continued caring for JH — she’s a bitch, he’s a you know what and poor EG is getting dumped on all sides.
always waiting for ur recap..
i feel like lost faith in maru became good person..
he is so terible using a girl who already broken inside to get his own agenda for jae hee,,
but stil make me waiting for the next episode..
I’m new here but i just want to put my 2cents into the threads…everybody is talking about Eun Gi going to Joon Ha but wasn’t it implied on the 1st ep that he was gay or that he was into guys (remember when Eun Gi came out of the shower wearing just a towel & he averted his eyes & was chided by Eun Gi has his interests changed from guys to girls)? I could be wrong (will review the ep)but I feel that in the end Maru will cut-off his ridiculous obssession with Jae Hee but along the way might end up hurting Eun Gi but would probably redeem himself with her (well hoping for that anyway…one can dream right?)
Fascinated with the passion the recap & comments were written BUT I’m still not yet convinced to start watching it… Oh! Jae hee really put me off & Maru’s love for her too urghhh!!! Disgusting 🙁
Maru and Jae Hee get lost! arrrggghhhh! this episode sealed my hate on Maru! poor Eun Gi! 🙁 she’s the only character i love the most in this drama..thank God for Joon Ha in this drama, i’m starting to like him for Eun Gi, he’s so sincere and cares a lot about her..not like that Maru!
I hope that Eun Gi seeing that picture of MR and JH, will make him hate MR and show her fierceness and strong personality again..i miss that Eun Gi!
I’m still looking forward to the story of this drama..but right now i dont like the EG and MR OTP because of MR’s evil motives to EG! i want to have more Eun Gi and Joon Ha moments! 🙂
i once posted that i’d like to give this drama a change eventhough the genre is not my preference.. Also based on your recap for earlier episodes, i did watch ep. 1 to 6… But the lastest episode gets me more and more frustated with character o the leading man (not SJK, i still adore him!!) and JH is just too annoyinly disgust me.. The only thing i come to like is EG character.
But i gotta give credit to the actors in this drama, their actings are superb.
So, i decide to take a break from this drama. I’ll decide later what to do with this drama, so from now i will rely on your recap whethet to continue or just drop Nice Guy…
I’m on Team Lawyer Park! Maru is a broken, broken soul, out of his own volition, and as long as Jae Hee is still living and breathing, he will continue his downward spiral no matter what. Unfortunately, guys like Lawyer Park don’t ever get the girl in a K-drama. Heck, he doesn’t even have a chance like your typical second lead. 🙁
As for Jae Hee, I don’t want to waste any anger towards her, she’s not worth it. She’s scheming and conniving but its also not her fault that she can manipulate all the men around her. Just like how Maru manipulates women with his gigolo ways. In that sense, I guess they are a match. They can destroy themselves for all I care but they need to leave Eun Gi alone.
One more thing, I find it interesting that Choco can see right through Jae Hee and her manipulative ways, even when she was still young, I don’t think she liked her for her brother. And its not that Choco was jealous because she warmed up to Eun Gi right away.
Thank you for the recap! 🙂
But I don’t understand your anger… well okay I understand your anger. I know Maru is not really the most sympathetic character but he was never meant to be, right!? He is not pure evil (far from it!) but he is also not nice either. That’s not what his character is/was meant to be.
I’m absolutely with you when it comes to him hurting EG (I want to slap him for that) but at the same I don’t think he really knows what to do with her. He has those moments where he softens towards EG and where he opens up a tiny bit – I almost went through the roof when lawyer Park called because I wanted to know what Maru would have done when this moment wouldn’t have been interrupted.
I have partly to disagree about Maru and JH. Yes, deep inside there is still love for her… it’s something he can’t control. But their relationship is self-destructing and unhealthy – it’s nothing they can’t end to easily. We have to remember they just met again after so many years. It would be unrealistic if Maru could free himself from JH’s grasp so easily. It’s frustrating and I hate this too but I think we have to go through this until we get some more EunMa. And unfortunately until then it will hurt Eun Gi, so yeah… it sucks.
Sorry I wanted to write “it’s nothing they can end to easily” 🙂
Between Choco’s noble idiocy in taking the watch so she would appear to be a theif so Jae Gil will maybe forgive Yoo Ra, and the terrible scary threat of that old bugaboo amnesia, I am really wondering how long I can sit through this drama. Add to the fact that MaRu might just be idiotic enough to try to defend Jae Hee from her brother. I really really really like looking at Song Joong Ki and I like the very off-kilter obsessive stupid love MaRu has for Jae Hee and I can see them as an OTP that is fated for each other but thwarted but DANG! if I find drama cliche ridiculousness added to drama cliche ridiculousness I’m going to scream.
I like the point-counterpoint machination-countermachination of it all. I like all the scheming. But if Jae Hee has bone cancer in her hip, if the Chairman is gonna die with an iffy unknown/problematic will, if Choco is gonna do the Noble Idiocy thing with Jae Gil and –DANGNABBIT!– if that pesky amnesiac heroine thing pops up to meddle with solid organic plotting, I am so gonna give up this drama.
I am just hoping rich in-disguise Jae Gil is somehow related to one of the other Parks in this story.
Thanks a bunch for the recap. I love reading your posts albeit I hardly ever comment. But I’ve gotta say this: are you a zombie or something? Or do you have access to the fourth dimension? lol. It’s crazy that you maintain this site by yourself and manage to put out so many posts everyday. Thanks man.
I stop watching at episode 4..hate JH and never liked Park Siyeon,her acting only good as a villain real B****..I never taken by Moon Chaewon but here as EG makes me take notice.I would like her to be strong..and KM..hate a guy who can’t get over his 1st love after sacrificing himself and betrayed..yet still care for her..(shake my head)I wish he do not hurt a vulnerable person like EG if he does I hope the writer will make him realize he loved her before she fall apart..If you still recapping NG I think I will watched when it get interesting..Your recapped of Lie to me made me continued watching because the 1st 4 episode was boring then..Thanks for your recap Ockoala…
I totally agree with you Athena 🙂 just how I felt towards Jae Hee. To me, it’s double dose against watching it (still not up to watching it yet as at Friday 28 Sept)…
Not just I totally dislike the character of Jae Hee – for such person to even exist, I also cant appreciate Park Si Yeon acting. Never appreciate any of the movie she’s in and that’s already anti climax for me to consider watching.
MCW – might change my heart. Maru@ SJK, oh well another pretty face eh! 😉
true too that I am “following” this drama based from our beloved Ms Koala recap, otherwise …
cheerio everyone!
After watching ep 6, the thing that makes me anxious about the ending is the vow that Maru takes in voice over about Jaehee being his beginning and his end. I hope it doesn’t end that way, even if the writer has a penchant for killing off the leads.
It’s my first time to write a comment …. first of all thank you for your recaps it shortens the way until the drama is subbed and I can watch it in my country. Germany.
I hate that b..h J.H. and I hate Kang Maru more for not taken his lesson from the past. It’s the most unbelievable part of the plot – sorry. If one spent 5 years in prison and lost his chance to fullfill his dream of becoming a doctor and also lost his chance to have a prospective future it could only be hate at the end and no other feelings. My opinion. I also hate him for using a person who is so breakable. I would have no objection if he didn’t know her story but he did and that makes him badass and conscienceless.
I guess the next 2-3 episodes the “losing memory” will start. She will learn everything about the badass-story and perhaps cause an accident. Kang Maru will wake up if this happens. He will take the responsibility of it and will try everything to comfort and support her. It will even be the time he fall for her. Then he must make a decision between the two of them. But I guess he will help E.g. to get back her rights and turn his back to the b…ch. Then she will regain her memory and everything will change again. ……
Knowing K-drama, Maru will eventually fall in love with Eun Gi with Eun Gi finding out all this time she was using her for his scheme. And the angst ensued. Or this drama could semi-surprise us with Eun Gi finding out Maru’s true motive and still in love with him anyway. Maru eventually fall in love with Eun Gi, but by then she already so tired of waiting for Maru, she’ll go ‘abroad’ for some me time.
At this point i’m pretty disappoint with Maru like everyone else. I want him to be the better person, but this drama has already implied, he is NOT going to be the hero who does the right thing. The fact that he is using EunGi is not surprising, it’s painful to watch because Eun Gi fall for him so fast and hard.
At this point, NG has really nice directing and cinematography so i’m still rooting for it. I hope they put Joon Ha to good use, and please, go out of the tired trope and have Eun Gi and Joon Ha together for a chance. Instead of a story where the end is the end game of the leads’ lives, i hope this is just another great story/lesson learned for Eun Gi and Maru where they eventually go off and marry the one who is not toxic and drama-free.
Team Attorney Park right here! I rarely cheer for “the other guy” but I hope the story goes in that direction…or at least gives him lots of screen time 🙂 Jae Gil seems a bit pointless so far, but I’m guessing his rich and scandalous background will serve the story down the line. I’m playing out a lot of different scenarios for the fate of our three leads…
Sidenote…assuming the subs are correct, I find it HILARIOUS that the chairman refers to skank Jae Hee not by her name but only as “Eun Suk’s mother.” 🙂
It’s been 7months that I had stopped watching kdramas but this one really got me. Bringing me back to this blogsite. ^-^
But what still bother me is the envelope that Jae Hee handed to the President on the 1st or 2nd episode. Anyone here kind to enlighten me?
I can’t wait for the day that Maru finally realized that he loves Eun Gi, genuinely & sincerely. But I must say Atty. Park is good looking, but didn’t Eun Gi said that he’s gay? hmmm? another secret?