Today was a veritable banquet of amazing drama offerings from both Wed-Thurs dramas I am recapping. While 49 Days hit another high in knocking my socks off, that wasn’t the reason I recapped it first, because episode 3 of Best Love (The Greatest Love) was as good if not better than its counterpart. My 49 Days download was faster, so it got my attention first. But being last isn’t a bad thing, because Best Love gets my undivided attention now.

If you thought the first two episodes of BL were wonderful, you’ve aint seen nothing yet. Be prepared to meet Dokko Jin the clueless love idiot. Also the ratings for BL jumped from it’s premiere episodes of around 9% to over 12%, a sure sign if any that this drama is starting to gain traction really early on.

It’s really very hard to write a good drama. Whenever I analyze a drama and my critique doesn’t sit well with fans of said drama, sometimes I get a variation of “why don’t you go write your own drama!” Er, yes, that’s a very juvenile retort, but truth of the matter is, knowing that I lack the capacity for creative exposition doesn’t mean I also lack the capability for analytical discussion.

What it does mean is that I always am appreciative of the work it takes to produce a drama, which makes me twice as happy when the drama hits it out of the park, and doubly sad when the drama fizzles from a lack of potential untapped. Lie to Me had a very shaky first two episodes, so much so that it makes me even more gobstruck by how hard it must’ve been to write something as amazingly compelling and qualitatively excellent as Best Love has been thus far.

Episode 3 Recap:

Jin turns around to leave, after watching Ae Jung get smacked down for doing the right thing for her hoobae. Ae Jung’s phone starts to ring, which of course means Jin’s heart starts to beat faster, and he turns back and makes eye contact with Ae Jung. Suddenly Ae Hwan voice rings out, calling for his sister Ae Jung, who nervously looks around for a place to hide because she doesn’t want her brother to see her reddened face and now bloody nose. Ae Jung asks Jin if he has a tissue, and whether it’s obvious that she’s just been slapped. She asks him if he can give her a ride. She’s afraid that her brother will be too upset if he sees that she’s hurt. She asks Jin to drop her off right outside the garage.

Ae Jung runs into Jin’s car to hide from her oppa, and Jin has no choice but to once again be led around by Ae Jung. Jin and Ae Jung drive out of the MBS parking garage, and Ae Jung calls her brother to make an excuse that she ran into a friend who wanted to take her out for a meal. Jin looks over at her, with her super red palm print on her face and a tissue wedged up her nose. Ae Jung looks around the car, trying to make conversation and complimenting the snazzy interior.

Jin suddenly grabs a bottle of Vitamin Water (which he endorses, natch, and has got his smiling face on the label) and puts in on Ae Jung’s cheek. God, he’s so unhappily considerate of her. He tells her to stop chattering and just drink the beverage. Ae Jung rubs the bottle on her cheek, but she does it with Jin’s face on the label facing her cheek, which makes it appear like label Jin is kissing Ae Jung on the cheek (complete with a kissy noise, hee). Jin is not keen on that, so he tells her to turn the bottle around. He’s uncomfortable seeing even his label face pressed against her cheek.

Pil Joo is meeting with the producer of Couple Making Season 3, to tell him that he’s not interested. The producer knows that Pil Joo has been on matchmaking dates recently, and informs him that actress selection is quite classy. The producer takes out all the lady candidates to try and lure him to participate. He goes through the list, and when he names Gu Ae Jung, Pil Joo perks up and thinks back to his fateful first meeting with Ae Jung.

The other producer chats with Se Ri, complimenting her on getting Pil Joo to agree to participate (thinking that his presence at the studio means that he has agreed to do the show). Se Ri is quite full of herself, thinking perhaps Pil Joo was also pretending not to recognize her yesterday. Pil Joo finishes his meeting and is about to leave, when the other producer and Se Ri comes in. Pil Joo walks out without acknowledging Se Ri. Everyone is told that Pil Joo declined the show. Se Ri she follows him, not happy to be so ignored. Turns out Pil Joo didn’t even recognize her, since her hairstyle looks different.

Se Ri tries to convince him to do the show, because his refusal after she personally went to convince him makes her lose face as a producer. She also calls him to task for his continued inability to recognize her. Pil Joo apologizes, saying that in the future, when he sees a pretty lady on the street, he’ll look extra hard to see if it’s Se Ri. He leaves, and Se Ri tells the producer they HAVE to get him on the show. Usually everyone thinks she’s beautiful, but just then Pil Joo actually moved her with his attitude. She thinks he’ll be able to touch the audiences heart.

Back in the car of unspoken interest, Jin keeps sneaking glances at Ae Jung as she continues to massage her reddened cheek with the bottle of Vitamin Water. They pull over, which is when Jin realizes that he is running on empty. Ae Jung has no money because she just scrambled into Jin’s car. Jin usually has lackeys doing stuff like getting his gas. Ae Jung leaves the car to go use the restroom. He hopes she’ll just leave, but Ae Jung feigns all sad and helpless, she can’t leave looking like this, and without any money. Jin is literally putty in her hands and unable to deny her anything, regardless of what he says. Jin calls his manager to come and bring some gas.

Inside the restroom, Ae Jung exclaims over how red her cheek is. Another lady comes out to reapply her makeup, and Ae Jung asks if she can borrow her compact and apply some powder to cover her slap. The lady notices Ae Jung’s slapped cheek, telling her not to endure this treatment, and just end the relationship. After Ae Jung comes out, she notices a bunch of ladies gossiping about her, led by the lady who lent her the makeup compact.

Ae Jung gets back inside the car, and Jin wants to get out and use the restroom. Instead Ae Jung pulls Jin down so that the ladies don’t see him. Ae Jung tells Jin that the ladies assume she’s been slapped by her violent husband, and if they see Jin right now, they will reach the wrong conclusion about him. She tells him to please hold his bladder until the ahjummas leave.

Ae Hwan and Jenny are discussing Ae Jung and Jin, with Ae Hwan wondering if the person who took Ae Jung out to eat could be Dokko Jin? Jenny hates to speak the truth, but those two getting together would mean Jin dropping from his way high perch in popularity and ending up rock bottom where Ae Jung is at. Ae Hwan wonders perhaps together they will end up somewhere in the middle. Jenny makes a sandwich for little Ding Dong (Jin’s nickname for Ae Jung’s nephew), and Ae Hwan mouths to the kid to thank his “Jenny omma”, and kid confesses his dad hopes one day she can become Ding Dong’s real omma. Jenny turns to glare at Ae Hwan, telling him that there is a disparity in level.

Jin’s manager arrives with the gas, and he finds Ae Jung sleeping inside Jin’s car. Jin tells his manager to just let Ae Jung sleep (oooooh, teeny but awesome little City Hall reference here, squeee). The manager notices her slapped cheek, turning to look at Jin, who glares at him for even daring to contemplate the possibility that Jin was the one who hit her. Jin wakes Ae Jung up, and gives her money for a taxi. She thanks him and promises to pay him back.

Jin grabs her phone to see where she’s saved his contact information and make sure she deleted his number per his earlier request It turns out that she saved his number under the name Dong Go Jin (which means Poopy Jin). Jin erases the offending contact information, and gets back into his car after shooing Ae Jung away.

Once inside the car, he spies the Vitamin Water, picking it up and watching Ae Jung waiting for a taxi. The manager wants to drive off, and Jin tells him he’s about to drink some water (i.e. don’t you dare start driving, buster). He opens up the bottle and takes a drink, all the while continuing to look at Ae Jung, who looks a little cold standing outside. His hand slowly grips the door handle, and he finally opens the door just Ae Jung manages to hail a taxi. Oh dude, you are SOOOO in over your head. Jin tells his manager to drive now, and has to be reminded that his car door is still open.

Ae Jung comes home to find her oppa and nephew having a cucumber facial in the living room with her dad. Ae Jung goes to meet with Jenny to get some food (since she’s starving and the family thinks she was taken out for dinner). Jenny is upset upon hearing that Ae Jung got a slap today, and she looks at the reddened cheek worried about Ae Jung’s complexition. Jenny takes Ae Jung to Pil Joo’s Oriental medicine clinic to get a beautifying treatment before the taping of Couple Making Season 3.

Pil Joo’s mom arrives bringing rich wives as patients for her son’s business. She drags Pil Joo out to meet the honored patients. Jenny notices Pil Joo, telling Ae Jung that the doctor here sure is cute. They overhear Pil Joo’s mom bragging that her son is about to be a bachelor on Couple Making Season 3. Jenny suggest they peek at what he looks like, and Ae Jung doesn’t want to because she wants to be surprised during the taping. Mom is told by the nurse that Pil Joo declined to participate on the show. Mom tells Pil Joo that if he agrees to do the show, she’ll stop trying to control him and let him do whatever he wishes with his life.

Jenny tells the nurse that Ae Jung wants to personally be treated by the hospital director. Pil Joo walks in to see Ae Jung, who finally recognizes Pil Joo as the unfortunate dude she accused of trying to buy her body, and she tossed water on. Pil Joo sees the name on her patient chart and recognizes her as well, which is when Ae Jung runs out of the hospital in a nervous wreck. Pil Joo runs after her but Ae Jung grabs Jenny and they book it.

Ae Jung is worried that Pil Joo recognized her, and Jenny correctly notes that it doesn’t matter, since he’ll recognize her on the program regardless. Jenny thinks that Pil Joo will mostly likely eliminate her first if he is on the program. Jenny suggests that Ae Jung make up with Pil Joo before the show.

Jin is in his agent’s office, and overhears his manager and agent discuss Couple Making Season 3. They try to whisper, and Jin slowly pushes his chair back and leans in to eavesdrop. They discuss Ae Jung’s former manager, who has a new entertainer who is also a contestant on Couple Making Season 3. When Jin’s caught he tries to play it cool that he’s just reviewing a script and he tells them to go talk outside and stop distracting him.

The agent and manager walk out, all the while muttering “Gu Ae Jung, ottoke, what’s going to happen with her?” Heh. Jin talks to himself about Ae Jung’s woes – Se Ri looks down on her, her old manager hates her, new starlets will outshine her on the show. He says why don’t they just use Ae Jung as fertilizer, it’s sure to be a bountiful harvest.

Ae Jung goes back to see Pil Joo. She knocks on his office door and smiles gently at him. He smiles at her and takes her chart. Ae Jung confesses to running off earlier because she was truly startled, asking if he recognized her. Pil Joo makes a joke about her being a national treasure, and Ae Jung says that she’s just an entertainer with low name recognition. Pil Joo teasingly says that she’s a national treasure worth 100 billon won.

Ae Jung finally decides to just apologize profusely for her mistaken assumption last time. She sincerely says she’s sorry, and he tells her that he was worried after she left, thinking she believed that he was a bad guy. Ae Jung brings up Couple Making Season 3, confessing that she was worried he would have a bad impression of her on the program. Pil Joo tells her that he’s not sure if he will participate, and Ae Jung mile-wide grin can’t disguise her joy that Pil Joo won’t be the bachelor. She tries to convince him not to do it, saying that is hard to maintain a classy image once you are on TV and people recognize you. Pil Joo says that he’ll consider Ae Jung’s suggestion. Ae Jung offers to leave him an autograph and signed photo before she leaves.

Jin is shopping, and the store manager is fawning over him and following him whilst clapping. Jin commands him to cease the incessant clapping, since he heard something awful yesterday and the clapping just reminds him of it. The manager sits down, telling Dokko-shhi that his outfit will be for a couple poster shoot with Se Ri and needs to be coordinated. Jin says that he’ll pick the style, and Se Ri can just match him. The manager remarks that Jin’s heart surgery scar is so very obvious.

Jin hears that that former manager of the Treasure Girls (who slapped Ae Jung) is here with his new entertainer who is also going to be participating in Couple Making Season 3. The girl picks a dress but is told that it’s been reserved to sponsor Ae Jung, who now shares an agency with Dokko Jin. The dickhead manager insults Ae Jung as from a lower level and can’t bring out the glory of the dress, which his starlet Harumi can if she wears it.

The manager is almost convinced to let Harumi wear the dress. Jin tells the manager that he wants the dress Harumi is holding. One by one, Jin decides to buy all the dresses that the girl expresses interest in, taking it out of her hands and swooshing it over the manager’s face.

The manager finally confronts Jin, asking in what the hell he is doing? Jin tells the manager that his face is red like he just got slapped. But yesterday Jin saw someone else’s face with a much worse slap. Today Jin is leaving with all the dresses because of one reason and he points to Harumi, because they are at a different level. Well, I think Jin just made an enemy here, and we all know sneaky cruel enemies can be dangerous. But I love how Jin gave him the smackdown, because damn that man (and his snotty starlet) makes my blood boil.

Mwahahahha, Jin sits in his living room, surrounded by dozens of dresses. He decides to call Ae Jung over to make her take the dresses away because he bought them all to avenge her. Ae Jung and Ae Hwan head to a production meeting for Couple Making Season 3, not answering Jin’s call. Jin realizes that if Ae Jung purposely didn’t pick up his call, it’s because she hasn’t deleted his number, and he cleary is not upset and it.

Ae Jung is told that the new bachelor won’t do the show if Ae Jung is a contestant. Ae Jung is genuinely hurt, and she thinks it’s Pil Joo who is the contestant, and he was two-faced with her back at the hospital when he was nice but has now blackballed her from the show. Pil Joo calls the producer to tell him that he’s willing to participate. Pil Joo is holding Ae Jung’s signed autograph. The producer comes back and tells Ae Jung that she can participate because their original bachelor has agreed to do the show. Ae Jung is relieved and ecstatic.

Jin arrives at Jenny’s to look for Ae Jung. He peers into the window, and who slams himself against the glass in excitement to see Jin? None other than Ding Dong, Ae Jung’s nephew and Jin’s tormentor on the phone with the Taboo game. Ding Dong says hello to Jin, who he knows to be his Aunt’s friend. Ding Dong takes fun of Jin’s goatee, which he thinks is in the shape of the letter for cow. Jin looks into the window reflection and realizes in horror that Ding Dong is right.

Ae Jung comes back to find Jin waiting for her. Jin wants to ask Ae Jung about his goatee, but he ends up not asking, instead talking with her with his hands covering his goatee. He asks if she didn’t delete his number or delete their call history. Ae Jung matter of factly tells him that she needs to know the caller’s identity so that she knows NOT to answer said call. Jin asks if this place is a hotel, and his presence is sure an honor.

Ding Dong comes out and is about to say something when Jin reminds him to keep his comments about Jin to himself, i.e. do not talk about his unfortunate goatee. Ae Jung gives Jin some expensive ox-bone soup. Ding Dong wonders why she’s giving away something so expensive, and Ae Jung remarks that the soup came from a bad-hearted doctor so she can’t drink it now. Hur.

Pil Joo’s mom is looking at the contestant pictures, and mom immediately tells Pil Joo to eliminate Ae Jung because she’s got such a bad reputation. Jin opens the door to find Ae Hwan at his place, which lead Jin to ask where his manager went? Ae Hwan says that Jin’s manager is busy elsewhere so he asked Ae Hwan to come. Ae Jung follows Ae Hwan in, confessing that she tagged along. Ae Jung and Ae Hwan see the pile of lady garments lying on the sofa, assuming Jin has a woman in his life.

Jin quickly says there is no woman, the clothes belong to him. To which brother and sister snerk and assume Jin likes to cross-dress, and Jin has to explain that he doesn’t wear the clothes, he simply owns it. The Gu siblings imagine Jin being all effete and doing his nails, and they totally snicker at him. Jin tells them not to imagine anything! When they look at his current outfit weirdly, Jin has to explain it’s not a lady’s jacket he is wearing but something fashionable and unisex.

Jin goes to get documents from his room, telling the siblings not to touch anything. Ae Hwan is like a kid in a candy story, putting on one of Jin’s collector football helmets. The helmut gets stuck on Ae Hwan, and Ae Jung rushes up to Jin’s bedroom on the second level to try and stall him as her oppa wrestles the helmut off his own head. Ae Jung pretends to want to check out his bed, sitting down and then laying on it. Jin walks up to her, asking her if she intends to spend the night on the bed, with him? Ae Jung quickly gets up. Poor Ae Hwan is pulling the helmut off his head, and I am dying of laughter.

To stall further, Ae Jung grabs a helmut asking to borrow it so she can do a sexy dance for the program. Jin tells her that this is not a prop room, so put it back. He wonders what kind of dance she’ll do wearing a helmut? Ae Jung confesses it’s the only way her portion of the program won’t be edited out. She needs to make an impression even if it means embarrassing herself, as a way to keep getting invited to programs and continue to earn a living. For this Couple Making Season 3, she’s decided to go all out. Jin tells her to go for it, and he’s about to hand the helmut over to her when Ae Hwan gets the helmut off and the moment ends.

Ae Jung goes to the boutique to try on dresses. She thinks it’s just one dress, but is told the entire rack of dresses is intended for her. The manager wants to know why Jin took all the dresses home and then brought it all back. Jin pretends that it’s all for Ae Jung simply because they share a management company. Ae Jung happily models a dress in front of the mirror, and suddenly breaks into a song and dance of the Treasure Girls “Putong, Putong.” Jin walks by and sees her singing the song. He stops and stares, his eyes widening and his heart beating loudly. He looks away in distress, not sure what exactly is happening.

He walks up to Ae Jung and grabs her arm in mid-dance. Suddenly his heart watch goes off. Jin yells at her, asking her what is with this song? He asks her what is going on with her (and her effect on him?) He touches his beating heart, and asks her why this is happening here (over his heart)? He walks away, with his hand still over his thumping heart.

Jin goes to the hospital to have an MRI, and the doctor tells him that his heart is just fine. The doctor asks him what the symptoms are, and Jin confesses that his heart beats whenever he hears a particular song. Jin asks if he needs another surgery, and his pacemaker reacts to a particular musical beat. The doctor asks if Jin is living a sci-fi movie? Jin is told that what he’s experiencing is perfectly normal, and what everyone has experienced before, it’s called falling in love. Jin asks if the doctor is going senile in his dotage. Jin leaves, and we see the doctor has an old Treasure Girls CD on his desk.

Jin talks with his agent, who tells him that other than the rom-coms Jin hates, all the other scripts available in the country is sitting right here. Jin asks his agent if she likes melodrama movies, and whether what happens in those movies – like lovers hearts beating faster around one another – happens in real life? Oh god, he is such a love moron, I adore him so! The agent tells him that one can hear one’s heart beating faster, even though no one else can. Jin wonders if feeling moved by someone’s happiness or sadness means that one has feelings for that person? The agent says not necessarily, much to Jin’s relief. The agent says that one can be moved by finding something amusing or feeling bad for someone’s plight. But she adds that there is one way to tell if an emotion is triggered by liking someone – if the heart beats faster when you see the person in question with someone of the opposite sex.

At the press conference for Couple Making Season 3, Se Ri takes the lead and introduces all the lady candidates. The first question directed at Se Ri is of course about working together with her fellow Treasure Girl Gu Ae Jung. Se Ri pretends that it’s like they just saw each other yesterday. Afterwards, Se Ri is bitching to the other producers about why the media keeps lumping her with Gu Ae Jung. Se Ri can’t wait for Ae Jung to be eliminated so she doesn’t have to deal with her.

Jin looks at the poster for Couple Making Season 3, and his manager comes in and sees the poster and is all excited. The manager says all the ladies in this season are very pretty. Jin points to the ladies and ranks them, ending with Ae Jung at # 1. The manager wonders if the ranking is based on Jin’s like of the ladies, and is told Jin ranked them based on how ugly they are. Jin is told that Ae Jung is ranked #1 on the internet polls, and Jin smiles until he’s told that she’s ranked #1 in the first to be eliminated in the program’s First Impression round.

The manager decides to vote online right now, deciding between Harumi and Gu Ae Jung back and forth, teasing Jin, until he finally casts his vote for Harumi. Jin sends him on a task, telling him to leave the tablet PC right there. He picks it up to vote, but decides against it. Jenny and Ae Jung discuss the program being tomorrow. Ae Jung doesn’t mind if she’s eliminated on the first round, since the program will still have some activities prior to the elimination, which is worth 2-3 programs worth of airtime.

Se Ri meets with the producers and suggests an elimination within the first five minutes of the show, to be a shocker moment. Her quest to get rid of Ae Jung is so so transparent, but actually very clever. The producers lament that it’s likely to be Ae Jung who is eliminated, and they feel bad because she comes by often to ask if there is any performance she can practice for the show. Se Ri snarks that it’s not guaranteed Ae Jung will be eliminated, just a big likelihood.

Ae Jung and Ae Hwan are excited to check out Jin’s van, which they have gotten permission to use tomorrow to head to the taping. Jin says it is his personal van, and the company is him. He tells his manager he needs to van tomorrow and to come over at 7 am. His manager protests that they have nothing scheduled for tomorrow, to which Jin demands to be driven around Seoul in that particular van. All day long. Oh shit this drama is so priceless.

In the morning (I wouldn’t be surprised it was indeed 7 am), a car keeps honking its horn outside of Jin’s home until he is forced to wake up. He walks outside to see that it’s Ae Hwan beeping at him, driving JIN’S VAN, that Jin specifically said was off-limits. The back window of the van rolls down, and Ae Jung pokes out a roll up poster at him calling him “hey you”, followed up a coffee cup which she tosses at him to dispose for her. Hee, so cute. Jin swats the cup away and Ae Jung drives off quite pleased with herself, with Jin trying to chase after her and his precious personal van.

The final preparations for Couple Making Season 3 is underway, and Ae Jung arrives at the studio and enters the prep room to find the other ladies already there. Her former manager asks her if she’s seen the new script as the other girls snigger ar Ae Jung? Ae Jung and Ae Hwan discuss the early elimination, and Ae Jung tries to say that it’s not guaranteed that she will be eliminated first.

Jin tells his manager to get his van back right away. His manager asks Jin to go easy on her today, because she’s likely to be upset after the filming, since she’s probably going to be eliminated. Jin calls Ae Jung, telling her NOT to go to the taping and leave immediately. He tells her to just leave, and she tells him that she knows what she is getting herself into, and she will do her best. She hangs up the phone.

Jin looks at the helmut, asking who the person doing the eliminating is, and is told it’s an ordinary citizen. Jin announces that he better show up to get that guy and Ae Jung together. Oh Jin, you giant softy. The producer asks Pil Joo to decide now who he is eliminating, and not to feel bad because all the contestants are entertainers who know what to expect.

The show starts taping, and Jin hurries to MBS studios, stalking through the hallways without regard for the people who have noticed his presence. The taping begins, and the door opens to find Pil Joo walking out as the eligible bachelor. Ae Jung realizes the bachelor is Pil Joo and she looks down in discomfort. Se Ri the MC asks Pil Joo to take a good look at all the contestansts. Pil Joo looks at all the ladies (who include Park Shi Yeon in a cameo role), finally lingering on the Ae Jung.

Jin goes into the dressing room to find it empty. He stalks out. Pil Joo has only four first impression roses to give to five ladies. He hands it to the first three contestants, and when he’s faced with a choice between Ae Jung and Shi Yeon, he hands the rose to Ae Jung, to the stunned gasp of the entire audience.

Jin walks outside to the taping platform to see this very moment, and he finds his heart beating faster as he watches Pil Joo and Ae Jung smiling at each other. He remembers what his agent told him about the heart beating faster when he sees the person with someone of the opposite sex. Jin looks stunned.

Thoughts of Mine:

OMG, this show is SO FREAKING GOOD. I actually almost shed a tear from the realization and understanding of just how good it is. Let me put it this way, BL is exceeding every expectation I have, without conforming to any preconceived plot points I may have harbored. It’s fun, fresh, and exhilarating, from the OTP onward to each and every single scene with any character. Please don’t FF, you’re going to miss some witty gems if you do.

What can I say? Hong Sisters, I bow before your awesomeness. I think in creating Dokko Jin, and casting Cha Seung Won, they have managed to create yet another sure to be iconic K-drama rom-com hero, akin to when they blended fact and fiction by picking Jang Geun Seok to be Hwang Tae Kyung. It’s a testament to how compelling Gong Hyo Jin as Gu Ae Jung is, because a lesser heroine (and actress) would be unable to hold her own against such a forceful presence as Jin.

I don’t mind the repeated and much too obvious beating heart recurring theme in this drama, because it almost feels like an inside joke. I totally buy Jin’s fixation on Ae Jung, which has nothing to with his heart occasionally beating faster around her when he hears her sing the song. From their very first meeting, Ae Jung gets under Jin’s skin. She disrupts his orderly mega-movie star existence. She makes him feel unbalanced around her, saying things and doing things that are beyond his comfort zone. All of that can be a hallmark of attraction.

This drama is going to kill me with the innumerable tiny gestures between Jin and Ae Jung. When he gave her the Vitamin Water, when he reached out to open the door and offer her a ride home (but she didn’t need it), when he couldn’t control his rage at hearing Ae Jung’s former asshole manager disparage her so he bought all the dresses from under his nose, when he calls her to stop her from going on the program to be embarassed, all of those moments are priceless and unique. There is no piggyback ride or wrist grab here – we’re talking new and improved gestures of interest and affection.

What’s delicious to watch is that Jin cares about Ae Jung, genuinely cares about her well-being. He’s so clueless in love, and so uncertain of why he’s so affected by Ae Jung, it’s a stark contrast to Jin the well-oiled movie star machine. I love how Ae Jung feels nothing but gratitude at Jin, mixed in with some friendly banter and lots of honesty. If the drama keeps going this way, it’s likely to be the best rom-com of the year.