K-Drama Review: Big, Episodes 3-4

Read Episode reviews for:

Big--Episodes 1-2
Big--Episodes 3-4
Big--Episodes 5-6
Big--Episodes 7-8
Big--Episodes 9-10
Big--Episodes 11-12
Big--Episodes 13-14
Big--Episodes 15-16

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 3-4



The bodyswapping craziness continues as teenage Kyungjoon, whose soul is inhabiting the body of Yoonjae, his teacher's fiance, discovers that Yoonjae was probably cheating on teacher Da-Ran. The other woman in question is Yoonjae's medical colleague, Seyoung.

Seyoung drops all kinds of hints bout how well she knows Yoonjae, then she asks Da-Ran to leave them alone and go fetch cookies. Da-Ran insists on buying the cookies and leaving Kyungjoon alone with Seyoung, so Kyungjoon does the only thing he can to keep Da-Ran with him: he sweeps her up in his arms.

Squee!

The holding is even more awesome because Kyungjoon doesn't know how to do it--he's not carrying her like a princess, but like a baby, with his hand supporting her neck. Soooo cute. Okay, I'm sold on this couple now.

Meanwhile, at the Gil Household...

Da-Ran's family is concerned about her impending nuptials, but she can't bring herself to tell them not to mail the invitations. Um, I hope Da-Ran's not planning to marry Yoonjae's body while someone else's soul is in there. That's supernaturally unethical. Mom wisely observes that Yoonjae(Kyungjoon) and Da-Ran seem like a great couple now, because they bicker but clearly care for each other. Whereas before, they were a dull pair. Listen to your mom, Da-Ran!

Kyungjoon has plenty of Seyoung/Da-Ran problems, but then things get crazier for him when he sees he's got a hundred backed up text messages from Mari, a girl in the United States. (She's played by Suzy of Miss A, who I loved to death in Dream High.) Since he's not answering her calls, Mari says she's going to follow him to Korea. Kyungjoon is ticked rather than excited about her arrival. This cute little psycho Mari lands in Korea, and I have to wonder, how did smartmouthed Kyungjoon earn this steel magnolia's frighteningly undivided attention?

And Why Does She Have a Pillow With His Face On It?

The Kyungjoon/Mari relationship is downright bizarre, and not at all like a dating couple--I flat out don't get it. But it's revealed that Mari was once going to be in an arranged marriage with Kyungjoon! Now I totally get it. (Side note: You know you've been reading manga/manhwa/watching anime/kdrama too long when a modern day arranged marriage between teenagers answers all your unresolved questions.) But also, Mari did something that made her in some way responsible for Kyungjoon's mom's death?

Holy Moly, I Didn't See That One Coming.

Kyungjoon gets time off from working at the hospital, because goodness knows we don't need this youngun' masquerading as a physician, when he and Da-Ran are forced to go out and be social with medical colleagues.

Now we see flashbacks of Yoonjae on the day he met Da-Ran! Yay, for getting to see some of this impenetrably mysterious person's life. He followed Da-Ran around everywhere at the wedding, admiring her every flaky move. I lurve it, because this gives depth to his picking her. It seems like Yoonjae might not be the rat we thought, which only makes Kyungjoon more suspicious. Kyungjoon ups the ante in his sweet treatment of Da-Ran, and almost kisses her.

But He Chickens Out, Of Course.

Then we learn something unusual. Yoonjae has never kissed Da-Ran before, except once when she was sleeping upright in the car. What? He got engaged to her, then kissed her once while she was unconscious, but never while she was awake? Huh?

It Gets Creepier The More You Think About It.

Then Kyungjoon actually does kiss Da-Ran quickly after hearing that bizarre and sad story. And I think everyone's getting confused about who's kissing who, right about now. Da-Ran kicks Kyungjoon to make sure he doesn't get any further ideas.


Mari stays right by Kyungjoon's body in the hospital. Gosh, it's like Kagura and Kyo from Fruits Basket all over again. Kyungjoon (in Yoonjae's body) tells Mari that she can't take Kyungjoon-body back home to America likes she wants to, because the person Kyungjoon likes is right here in Korea. Then he points to Da-Ran. "Kyungjoon likes Teacher Gil Da-Ran".

Our Love Square. Or, Rather, Love Arrow.

And...Kyungjoon is now rewriting the story of how he met Da-Ran to match the story of how Yoonjae met Da-Ran! He tells Mari it was love at first sight for Kyungjoon at the bus stop, then at the furniture store. Ha.
Kyungjoon acts like a dutiful son and calls Yoonjae's mom, and finds out that Yoonjae's Mom is coming to Korea for the anniversary of some significant day.

Hmmm? Will this anniversary explain Yoonjae's weirdness? Is he secretly an alien? A government agent? Maybe just recovering from trauma, a la Secret Garden? Mom's arriving on June 24th, Kyungjoon's birthday. Oh please, oh please, let Yoonjae and Kyungjoon not secretly be brothers like the male leads were in another K-drama I could name. Noooo. Show, I will break up with you if you throw birth secrets at me.

In Addition to Being Orphaned, Body-Swapped, & In a Coma, He Better Not Be Adopted, Too.

Da-Ran and Kyungjoon are doing tons of couple things now, like buying linens and dishware for "their" newlywed house. Kyungjoon balks at the (pink!) couples' pajamas Da-Ran buys, but she counters that he won't have to wear them. Later, Kyungjoon sees his mean aunt and uncle throw out all his stuff, his clothes, and his special childhood bed purchased by his mom. Heartbreaking. He panics and runs to get a tarp to save his kiddie bed from the rain. Then he fights the struggle of the ages, dragging the unwieldy bed back to the house by himself, in a downpour.

*Sniffle*

Da-Ran comforts him when he explains that his uncle threw all his things away. She also proves Kyungjoon's important to her by wrapping him in the comforter she bought for the newlywed house, then she tells him to change out of his miserable wet clothes and into the pajamas she bought for Yoonjae. She goes back out to the car to get her dishes for the newlywed house so she can make him a pot of warm tea and some porridge. The look on his face...

 Crushed With the Tenderness.

Kyungjoon uses Yoonjae's money to buy his OWN house back from his uncle. Bwa-ha! But the house is the last thing he has from his mother, besides the kiddie bed, so Da-Ran forgives him for it. Da-Ran goes along with the new plan and moves her newlywed furniture into Kyungjoon's house. Then Kyungjoon, who has been so eager to make Yoonjae appear as a cheating bad boy, suddenly tries to hide Yoonjae's shady activities and spare Da-Ran's feelings when she finds that Yoonjae has a key to Seyoung's apartment. Too late--somebody's heart's going to get broken soon, and it's probably Da-Ran's.


Things I Loved:


1. Physical Comedy. Gong Yoo's physical humor is pitch perfect. When he's Kyungjoon pretending to be Yoonjae, he even puffs out his chest like he's pretending to be a grownup.

Even Though He IS a Grownup.

I also love how Kyungjoon can't even smile properly in his new body. Even while wearing Yoonjae's face, he cannot make himself look like Yoonjae.

50 Shades of Awkward.

2. Kyungjoon, Hero. A knight in cotton armor, this boy is. He repeatedly saves Da-Ran's honor and keeps her from being slighted by her rival, Seyoung. Gold stars for you, Kyungjoon! Seyoung wants special tea and cookies, he asks? Then she can go home and eat them by herself!

I Want to Hug Him, Dorky Attire and All.

3. Choongshik/Mari. I'm shipping Mari/Choongshik until further notice. Choongshik and Mari are adorbs! They have an excellent meet-cute, even. He climbs a wall to run over to her, which seems like a weak puppy move, but then he goes and writes his phone number on her fancy purse, telling her to call him. He says he'll recoup the cost of the purse by treating her to an equal amount of pizza. Oh, the glorious audacity of it. The purse was high-end, so Mari informs him that he will be paying her back in pizza until the end of time. He's totally cool with that. 

My Preferred Pairing.

3. Suzy! I love this actress/singer. Love, love, love. And her character is such an overbearing nut of a princess. Too much fun.

Does Anyone Do the Look of Cold Disinterest Better Than Suzy?

Complaints:

1. Dumbness. In the early part of episode 3, Da-Ran is acting like an idiot. Even a naturally innocent and unsuspisicous person should catch the anvil-sized hints Seyoung is dropping. Kyungjoon sees her brain-block and tries to break it down: "Gil Teacher, I can see that you can't think like a normal person because you like this guy so much. But he is not the person you think he is." She will not be convinced by any evidence, so I lose a measure of respect for her, though I still love her.

A Lying Fiance? Inconceivable!

2. Formality. It upsets me that Da-Ran calls her own fiance by the honorific "Yoonjae-ssi" while Seyoung calls him the more familiar "Yoonjae-yah". In most other K-dramas where someone called their fiance "ssi," it was an arranged marriage or something really formal and distant. A warning flag, mayhaps?

Themes:

Childhood/Adulthood. Sweetly annoying Kyungjoon is always dancing back and forth between demanding to be treated like an adult and acting horrified that Da-Ran is treating him like an adult. But really, it's equally awesome to see him in grownup, surprisingly mature mode and in smartypants little kid mode. Cute Kid Mode example: Kyungjoon and Da-Ran get into a big fight. The argument haunts him, and soon we see him adorably squatting and drawing in the dirt, rehearsing his apology.

How Could Anyone Stay Mad At This Preciousness?

Motherly-Family Love: Well know that Kyungjoon misses his mom, so Da-Ran is still partially fulfilling a mom role for him. Da-Ran brings Kyungjoon his school notes, and he's touched that she's thinking about HIS future, not just Yoonjae's. He brags that he's an excellent student and that he promised his mom he'd go to Seoul University. Da-Ran says his mom would be proud of him, which is possibly the best thing anyone could ever say to him, and it's not even calculated on her part. She says she'll help him get into the university he wants. I should be squicked out by the thought of them dating, but I'm not. They may never be a real couple, but they're sweet together, nonetheless.


Theories/Predictions:

Bad Dude Yoonjae Is Actually a Good Dude (Or Is He?): My new theory is...Yoonjae's still a puzzle. All the evidence was stacked against him as being a jerk, but now it's stacking the other way, that he's a nice man, then the other way again! I think we've been faked out several times now. I'm still not aboard the Yoonjae ship, and this is why--

My 3 Objections to Yoonjae:

1. He's dull.
2. He's a cheater.
3. He doesn't love Da-Ran.

But these objections may be overridden with time, depending on where the plot goes.

Watch Big here on DramaFever

Episode Evaluations: Big is the best show ever! I'm totally invested, and essentially surprised at every turn. Mari's character was nothing like what I expected, and I was stunned to get flashbacks with Yoonjae...ah, it was all handled so well. The funniness is punctuated with super-touching poignancy, and I just adore the acting all around. Even Da-Ran's extreme naivete seems like an integral part of her personality.

The major turning point of the conflict now is, What's going on with Yoonjae? Inquiring minds want to know! We get a flashback to Yoonjae proposing to Da-Ran like this: "Since I made you miss your teacher's exam, I should take responsibility for your life". Which is not remotely romantic, or even all that thoughtful really. But we get other hints that he was totally smitten with her. Well, which is it? Is Yoonjae a cheater or not? Does he love Da-Ran or not? I guess we won't know until next week. :-)

Psalms on Sunday: Psalm 3

Psalm 3 is one of those cry-for-help psalms. Verses 1 and 2 talk about King David's enemies, and these aren't just emotional enemies, either--he has literal physical enemies who want to kill him. This song was written when King David was an older man running from his son Absalom, who was trying to take the kingdom from him. In verses 1-2 it's clear that David's enemies think that he is cut off from any help from God.

But verse 3 shows that these enemies are wrong; God is still protecting David like a shield (love that metaphor!), and God keeps David from being totally wiped out or ashamed. Verse 4 shows that God's response to David is part of a 2-way communication where David calls out to God first, and God responds to him. Verse 5 shows that David has enough peace and confidence to sleep through the night without worrying. God is sustaining him, so there's no need to toss and turn.

Verse 6 shows complete confidence, because David has decided that no matter how many enemies he has, God is still stronger. Verse 7 is pretty violent, asking God to physically intervene on David's behalf and noting that God has totally smashed wicked people in the past. Verse 8 glorifies God and says that salvation only comes from the Lord and that his blessings are given to his people--a complete turnaround from the sadness at the beginning of the psalm.

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¹ Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

² Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

³ But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

⁴ I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

⁵ I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.

⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

⁷ Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

⁸ Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

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K-Drama Review: Big, Episodes 1-2

Read Episode reviews for:

Big--Episodes 1-2
Big--Episodes 3-4
Big--Episodes 5-6
Big--Episodes 7-8
Big--Episodes 9-10
Big--Episodes 11-12
Big--Episodes 13-14
Big--Episodes 15-16

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 1-2

Our heroine, Da-Ran, is a bit of a bumbler, if the truth be told. At the opening of the story, she has a job delivering bridal bouquets, and she accidentally delivers some expensive flowers to the wrong wedding. Next we learn that she keeps on failing her civil service exam and so she can't become a teacher. Then she's knocked down some stairs at a wedding, breaks her wrist and tailbone, and has to spend two months in the hospital. Oy. Girl's got problems.

Some Days You Just Can't Win.

But the guy who accidentally knocked her down the stairs is a doctor, Yoonjae (played by well-known K-drama actor Gong Yoo), and Yoonjae takes care of Da-Ran until she recovers and even asks her to marry him when she gets her cast off. Da-Ran gleefully prepares for her wedding while substitute teaching at a local high school. Her stress is increased greatly by a new transfer student from America, the smart-mouthed rich orphan Kyungjoon.

Baby Faced Orphan=Master of Snark.

Da-Ran keeps running into Kyungjoon and taking care of him (which he begrudgingly appreciates, since he's alone in the world), but she never gets to spend time with her own fiance Yoonjae, who always seems to be avoiding her. Da-Ran finally asks Yoonjae if he really loves her, and it seems like the answer is going to be "no," but before she can know for sure, Yoonjae gets into a car wreck with Kyungjoon and, like you'd expect, their souls swap bodies.

Yeah.

That happens.

Anyhow. Da-Ran is the only one who knows about the swap, so she's got to deal with the troublesome teenager inhabiting the body of her fiance, while also worrying about her fiance himself, who is apparently inhabiting Kyungjoon's permanently comatose body. And then there are hints that her fiance Yoonjae was not as faithful and committed to her as he pretended to be.

Could Her Week Get Any Worse?

Things I Loved:

1. Kyungjoon. He's awesome! Just when you think he's perfectly cool, he slips into a whine or does something typically teenaged and sullen. I really like Gong Yoo's grown-up interpretation of Kyungjoon, which is stunningly immature, and I also like the wiseguy pretensions of the original Kyungjoon whose actor, Shin Wonho, looks rather like L from Infinite.

If You Squint, You Can't Even Tell The Difference.

2. The Funny. There are plenty of hilarious incidents, like you'd expect considering the premise of the show, but I'm most struck by the little unexpected moments. Like when Da-Ran's younger brother Choongshik steps in front of Kyungjoon at school, and you think they're going to fight--until Choongshik asks if Kyungjoon happens to have met this one kid he knows in America.

Vastly Underestimates the Square Footage of America.

Complaints:

1. Da-Ran. She's unfortunately falling squarely into Ditz Heroine territory far too often. She never seems to understand people's intentions or their inner natures, and she's the type to let people walk all over her. I do like that she stands up to Kyungjoon, though, which she could never really do with Yoonjae, and I think her character will have a lot of opportunities to grow up and mature over the course of the show.

Please Get Stronger! You Have So Much Potential!

2. Kyungjoon's English. It's exceptionally bad. I kind of wish they'd had him be an exchange student in Japan or some other country besides America, because if he was speaking Japanese incorrectly, I wouldn't know the difference. It's not so much a problem that he's getting his words wrong, it's that in-universe he's supposed to be really good at English.

It's Okay, Kid. We Know You're Trying.

Themes:

Family Love: Kyungjoon seriously misses the love of a family. He doesn't fully realize it yet, but Da-Ran's family life essentially has everything he wants. Da-Ran's mom is encouraging, her dad is supportive and practical, and Da-Ran and her baby brother Choongshik fuss and fight, but still adore each other at the end of the day.

It's Precious.

The Perfect Guy Isn't Perfect: This handsome, wealthy doctor has serious issues, at least one of which is that he casually proposed marriage to a woman who honestly thought that he loved her. Did he propose out of a sense of guilt over her accident? If you're responsible for a someone's bone-breaking accident, I can see paying their medical bills and bringing them food, etc, but asking them to marry you when you don't really mean it? Who does that?

I Expected More From You, Gong Yoo.

Theories:

1. Extended Hands/Hand Connections are Important: This image of connected hands is seen throughout the first two episodes. People who hold hands in this show are connected, usually in a very serious and life-changing way. There are some simple romantic connections, but Yoonjae and Kyungjoon's hands also connect when they are drowning, and their connection is arguably the most important in the show, since this is the point at which they swap souls. Other observations:

Yoonjae and Da-Ran's Hands Don't Connect.

But Kyungjoon and Da-Ran's Hands Do.

Watch Big HERE on DramaFever

Episode Evaluations: Lovin' it! Big is cute and funny, but it also feels very meaningful and addresses questions of loneliness, maturity, deception, and personal growth. And man, the camera work is just gorgeous and looks like it has been crafted shot-by-shot rather than dashed together. And Gong Yoo acting like an exasperated teenager is priceless.

But I wonder where the romance is going to go? We have a few different romantic rivals set up, both for Yoonjae and for Kyungjoon, but I'm guessing that our main couple is going to be Da-Ran/Kyungjoon. Which is quite weird, but weird is the name of the game in a body-swapping romcom written by the famous Hong Sisters writing team.

K-Drama Review: A Gentleman's Dignity, Episodes 1-2

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 1-2

I wanted to check out A Gentleman's Diginity when I heard that it was coming to us from the writer of Secret Garden, a great drama. Well, Secret Garden did get a little loopy at times, but then again its premise involved supernatural body-swapping, and at least there are no magical elements in A Gentleman's Diginity.

I was also excited about the prospect of watching a show where the entire main cast was 40 years old. I'm in my mid-twenties, but I like reading about and watching people of different ages, and it's nice to see a show focused on a slightly older crowd for once. Let's dive into the premiere episodes!

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Our show opens with four distinguished-looking middle aged men attending a funeral. They seem appropriately somber. In voiceover, they even seem to be pondering their own mortality...until you learn that they're at the funeral to scope out chicks, like that guy in Wedding Crashers. Our hero, Dojin, is a successful creative type; a jerk with a good heart buried under the scruffy self-absorption. His three BFFs are Yoon, a sweet widower who works as a divorce lawyer, Taesan, a practical everyman, and Jungrok, a sneaky womanizer. It's not even two minutes into the show until a fistfight breaks out at the funeral, and we see that we're in for an all-out wholehearted comedy.

L to R: Dojin, Yoon, Taesan, Jungrok.

The four guys (referred to in promotional materials as the "F44") are carefree and happy, mostly. And they're not too worried about their dignity, though they're all professionals on the job. I like Dojin's get-the-job-done-my-way attitude, which feels like a cross between Cary Grant in the old timey black and white comedies, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man, but with less sass. He's sitting in a coffee shop, waiting on a date, when he notices a lovely woman standing outside in the rain. It's Yisoo, a schoolteacher who is our female lead for A Gentleman's Dignity.

One Look, and Our Hero is Hooked.

But it's a missed connection like on Craiglist, and Dojin doesn't get the chance to talk to her. He doesn't see her again until a few months later when they run into each other and he has to help her out when she has a wardrobe malfunction.

This Dress Is Now Missing Half a Skirt.

Dojin arranges a new outfit for Yisoo, but again he fails to get her phone number--he even fails to see that the cutie in the red dress is the beauty from that day in the coffee shop. But anyhoo, months pass and Dojin continues to be an awesome architect while Yisoo keeps being a fantastic and inspirational teacher at an all-boys high school. They're destined to connect again, but it happens in the weirdest way possible: Dojin gets into a fight with a few of Yisoo's hooligan students, and then Yisoo is forced to beg Dojin not to sue the kids. Banter and confrontation ensue. Oh yeah!

The BFF's Get Banter and Confrontation, Too.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Yisoo doesn't even like Dojin. Instead, she likes one of his BFF's, Taesan. But Taesan is dating her best friend/roommate Sera. Taesan wants Yisoo to date Yoon, another one of Dojin's best buds, but Taesan's sister has her eye on Yoon. Oh, what a tangled web we've woven, and it's only episode 2! Let the madcap hijinks commence.

 

 

Things I Loved:

1. Dojin. Like so many K-drama heroes, he's a bit of a jerk, but he's got a very mild case of jerkishness. He's merely difficult to deal with, and whenever another person is really in trouble, he's willing to help. I quite like his creativity--sometimes the scene will change around him, because he's imagining the world differently, especially when it comes to Yisoo, so that lets us know that this brusque guy is a romantic at heart.

Not a Total Softie, but Has His Moments.

2. Yisoo. Ah, she's strong and smart, but she still has the occasional bit of ditziness to her. I don't lose respect for her over these little slip-ups, though; they just make her human. Yisoo's really caught up in her one-sided love for Taesan, and you can tell that she hurts a little bit every time she sees him, but we all know that her pain is only temporary. Dojin's going to bring her right out of that depression.

Smart, Serious, Sweet, Silly.

3. The Secret Garden Connection. SG's script writer also penned this show, and I've been looking for connections between the two. There are really only a few tiny similarities, like how Joowon was no good as sports, and Dojin is also pathetic at baseball. Overall, it's a good thing that Dojin is less neurotic than Joowon--that kind of dysfunctional hero can really only work once from the same writer. We also get a scene that outright mentions Secret Garden's coolness.

A Little K-Drama "Meta" For You.

Complaints:

1. Jungrok's Cheating. It's played for laughs, but Jungrok is always taking off his wedding ring, and finding ways to outwit his rich wife and see other ladies. His friends even cover for his dating on the side, and I find that pretty gross.

Probably Keeps His Fingers Oiled for Easy Ring-Removal.

Seeing his childishness actually makes me respect his dragon lady of a wife. I'm wondering which way the story will turn--will Jungrok and his wife become a real couple, or will their happy ending come from getting a divorce? I hope the former is the answer, but in any case, I wish Jungrok and Wife would both stop being so block-headed about their marriage.

Enter the Dragon.

Watch A Gentleman's Dignity HERE on DramaFever.

Episode Evaluations: I didn't go into this drama expecting much, but it's super cute. The music is quite good, the cinematography is super pretty, and I'm drawn in by the old "MGM comedy" style of the dialogue and action. The world of the story already feels so rich--there are enough characters, relationships, jobs, hobbies, and conflicts to keep the whole series going without even introducing anything new. I don't anticipate there being any dull episodes, here!

I ought to have more detailed recaps prepared for the next eps. :-)

Psalms on Sunday: Psalm 2

Psalm 2 is a little on the darker side, showing a group of people in opposition to God and his anointed one. "Anointed" can refer to a couple of different categories of holy people. Israel's kings were anointed with oil to show that God had chosen them to rule his kingdom. Priests also seemed to go through a certain anointing process. But this Psalm is usually interpreted to be messianic, meaning that it's talking about the Messiah who will come to deliver Israel from its enemies.

Some commentators divide the 12 verses into four equal section of three verses each. Verses 1-3 are about the evil people ("heathen") who are plotting against God and his anointed one. Verses 4-6 show just how unworried God is about their schemes. He outright laughs at their futile plans and establishes the anointed one as a king in Zion (not the colony from The Matrix--Zion is another name for Jerusalem).

Verses 7-9 talk more about the anointed one, or Messiah. God calls the anointed one his Son, and says that he is going to rule the world and conquer evil. Verses 10-12 are a caution to the nations of the world to get close to the anointed one. People who trust the anointed one are blessed, but those who do not will be destroyed.

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¹Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,
³ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
⁴ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
⁵ Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
⁶ Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
⁷ I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
⁸ Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
⁹ Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
¹⁰ Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

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K-Drama Review: Princess Hours/Goong, Episodes 11-12

Read Episode reviews for:

Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 1-2
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 3-4
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 5-6
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 7-8
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 9-10
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 11-12
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 13-14
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 15-16
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 17-18
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 19-20
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 21-22
Princess Hours/Goong--Episodes 23-24

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 11-12

A new girl shows up at the palace, and she's Shin's older sister Princess Hyemyung, returned from her travels abroad. (She's played by actress Lee Yoonji, who I loved as Teacher Shi in Dream High and as Jaeshin in King 2 Hearts. I like this actress so much, and I didn't even know she was in Goong!). It does seem weird that no one mentioned Hyemyung before, except Queen Mother referencing her once. She has been off doing diplomatic and volunteer work, and the household servants love her, so that is our cue that she is a nice person.

A Nice Person With Not Nearly Enough Lines.

In the enthronement plot, Yul's Mom's spies have given her photos of Shin getting close to Hyorin and being kissed by her at the Thailand airport. Good. I hope his name gets dragged through the mud because of this. I don't want to see Chaekyung hurt if these photos are revealed, but it would be a better alternative than Shin going along like he's doing nothing wrong. I hope I don't gloat too hard when he gets his comeuppance. Ah, who am I kidding?

I Will Gloat Like the Madness When He Gets Paid Back.

Chaekyung gently asks Shin whether she was supposed to marry Yul. Shin looks troubled and admits that her original fiance was Yul, then he gets huffy and asks if she's disappointed in the way things turned out. But Chaekyung's a bit sick and she has fallen asleep already. Shin leans close to her as she sleeps. So...he does have feelings for her, but does that change anything? It's a nice cuddling moment until Shin's mom walks in. I can understand a mom frowning at cuddling teenagers, but what if those teenagers are also married? Do you still get to level the disapproving frown at them?

Apparently So.

The Queen yells at Shin for the first time! Wow. She's not so composed when the servants aren't watching, eh? Mom waits until Chaekyung's gone, then throws down a Thai tabloid in front of Shin, displaying pictures of him traveling with Hyorin. Oh yeeeeeaaaah, he's in so much trouble! I now feel like Shin's kid sister, ready to tattle on him for every offense. But seriously, he deserves a big 'ol falling out and this is the first time I've appreciated the Queen's ability to make someone feel lower than a worm's belly.

Chaekyung sees the newspaper and questions Shin about it, but Shin says he doesn't have to report everything he does to her, and that she didn't need to know about him meeting with Hyorin. Chaekyung takes the smart route and says that if his life is none of her business, then hers is none of his.

Maintenance of His Teddy Bear Is Still Her Business, Though.

Now everyone at school knows about the pictures. Shin looks like a cad and Hyorin looks like the Other Woman, but Hyorin still sees Chaekyung in the halls and smiles with a little "Annyeong!" wave. Hyorin's now hurting Chaekyung on purpose by saying things like. "I don't care about being the Crown Princess, I just want Shin." From a combo of sickness and sadness, Chaekyung faints at school. Shin comes to the rescue and carries her away, then tends to her when she's sick. He does it while stylishly dressed, of course.

This Guy and His Bow Ties, I Swear.

Chaekyung's parents visit their sick daughter and ask Shin if they can take her home to recover, Shin says he understands, but he's going through some tough times and really needs Chaekyung by his side. He plays up his jerk quotient and tells Chaekyung that she cannot go home because she must follow his wishes. But the jerkish statement was not entirely true: when he is alone, Shin sadly says, "If I let you go home now, you'll never return."


Shin says to Chaekyung that when he comes of age, he'll resign as Crown Prince. But part of me wants Shin to step up and do a great job as king. He always seems to be running away from things and ducking responsibility if he can get away with it. Wouldn't it be great to see him become a true grownup? Shin meets with Hyorin and finally breaks things off with her permanently, but then he has to be an idiot and turn down a special cake Chaekyung has baked for him.

All Those Hours in Home Ec, Totally Wasted.

Yul has been questioning his role in bringing down Shin, and he tells the Queen Mother that when his father is enthroned posthumously, he still wants to be just another prince in line for the succession behind Shin, not in front of him. Hmm, what does he have to gain by this move? Seems like Yul is trying to figure out a way to get Chaekyung without becoming king. Yul's Mom is angry when she hears what he has done. Yul finds her lying dramatically on the floor, and when he panics she says, "What? Did you think I'd try to kill myself again?"

Oh, the Mental Instability Now Rears Its Head.

The King faints at the posthumous enthronement ceremony, and Yul discovers that his mother is slightly crazypants.Yul's Mom warns Shin to be careful of attacks outside the palace. Shin astutely says he's more concerned about attacks from within. Chaekyung goes into Shin's photo room and finds an entire book full of nothing but Hyorin pictures and keepsakes. (Chaekyung, honey, it's time to get away from these royals. Yul's mother is insane and possibly violent, while Shin is a cold, aloof waffler. Shin is officially such a louse that his prim, emotionally distant mother tells him to be kinder to Chaekyung.) Anyhow, the last episode kind of trails off with Shin making another stab at being nice to Chaekyung.

But You'll Never Be As Nice as Yul.

Things I Loved:

1. Chaekyung. I don't think I mention it enough, but I adore Chaekyung. She may be in my Top 5 Favorite Heroines, right up there with Hyemi in Dream High and Gil Raim in Secret Garden. Her effervescence is amazing, and I like her youthful energy. She's a normal teenager, but she'll be a great woman someday.

Even Cooler Than You Know.

2. Shin's Feelings for Chaekyung. There aren't nearly enough of them, but they are nice.Shin seems to admire Chaekyung when he tells his sister that Chaekyung could never be a princess doll on display, like so many other royals. The formal life that suffocates Shin fascinates her: "She's not getting used to the palace--the palace is getting used to her". Shin's Noona says that he and Chaekyung might fall in love someday.

Today Is Not That Day, Though.

3. Yul's Feelings for Chaekyung. Yul comes to see Chaekyung when she's ill and brings an herb plant to help with her cold. He sweetly says "Don't get sick anymore. When you're sick, I'm sick too." But these episodes don't really advance his plotline or character development much.

A Poetic, Sensitive Soul. Probably Won't End Up Well.

Complaints:

1. Hyemyung's Absence. Why cast someone awesome like  Lee Yoonji in this sisterly role, and then not make any use of her? Hyemyung doesn't have a whole lot to do in these 2 episodes, except give Shin and the Queen Mother someone to discuss important matters with.

Just Here to Keep Baby Bro Dialoguing Instead of Monologuing.

2. Hyorin's Smugness. Chaekyung assumes the best of Hyorin and says, "You probably just happened to meet Shin in Thailand..." But Hyorin says no, it was intentional, because when Shin got married, she could no longer talk to him whenever she wanted, because Chaekyung was always hanging around. "He might have married you, but he asked me to marry him first and he liked me first." (Oh, so we've all got to stick with our first loves forever? I had better go hunt down Mikey from my days at Sunnydale Preschool and see if he wants to reignite our toddler romance...)

One of These Girls Has A Lot of Chutzpah.

3. Chaekyung-as-Puppy. I don't like that Chaekyung's always hanging around, surprising Shin with thoughtful gestures and happily approaching him first. She's a doll and any normal guy should be charmed by her sweetness, but if he wants to see her, he should come to her more often than he does. I just don't knwo what to think of Shin and his relationship with Chaekyung anymore.

Don't Let the Innocent Look Fool You--He's Still a Jerk.

Themes:

Switched Roles: Yuls' Mom and the Queen have, like, a double turnover of reversed roles. The Queen says to Yul's Mom, "Let's play fair (about plotting for the throne)." Yul's Mom says, "To play fair, don't we need to be on the same level, first?" The Queen has everything and Yul's Mom comparatively has nothing, and the Queen has risen in prominence while Yul's Mom has fallen...but all that is about to change again.

The Queenly Smackdown is Stunning.

Survivor's Guilt: The King can't sleep at night, for worrying about his dead brother. The King isn't just guilty that he lived and his brother died; he was actually responsible for the car accident that caused his brother's death. Oh, he'll be putty in Yul's Mom's hands after this.

Episode Evaluations: These episodes are kind of "meh". Shin stands up and acts like a man on a few different occasions, then he's back to being pouty little boy. Yul shows some sweetness, but doesn't really do very much. Chaekyung and Hyorin remain the same as ever, one excellent, one frustrating. The only really new thing that happens is the posthumous enthronement and the revelation that Yul's Mom is possibly crazy and dangerous. I hope the next episodes pick up.