Psalms on Sunday: Psalm 14

Psalm 14 addresses the topic of unbelief. It says that a person who is convinced within themselves that there is no God is a fool. Verse 1 goes on to say that humankind as a whole has become corrupt and constantly does wrong things.

Verses 2-3 show God looking down on earth and observing what everyone does, hoping to see faithful people who do what's right. Unfortunately, earth is full of people who have degraded their own selves. The speaker repeats that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one".

 Verses 4-6 talk about the evil people as if they were rabid consumers, devouring the poor without a second thought about God, who is watching them. But eventually the wicked people experience fear because their behavior makes them the enemies of God, who is refuge for the righteous and the poor. The speaker concludes by hoping for the deliverance of Israel, which may refer to the Babylonian captivity or to numerous other times that Israel was oppressed.

_____________________________

¹The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

² The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

⁵ There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

⁶ Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.

⁷ Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

_____________________________________

K-Drama Review: Faith, Episodes 13-14

 

Read Episode reviews for:

Faith--Episodes 1-2
Faith--Episodes 3-4
Faith--Episodes 5-6
Faith--Episodes 7-8
Faith--Episodes 9-10
Faith--Episodes 11-12
Faith--Episodes 13-14
Faith--Episodes 15-16
Faith--Episodes 17-18


Contains Spoilers for Episodes 13-14

Deok-heung, a new guy who I think is a villain, offers Eunsoo her magical purple diary from the future(past?), but says she has to come with him to visit Gicheol. Deok-heung is the King's illegitimate uncle, so he's in a position of power but we don't yet know what he'll do with it. She doesn't jump at the bait though, and just walks away from him.

Doesn't Need Your Magical Trinkets.

Eunsoo hangs out with the Wodalchi warriors under a pavilion, then their captain Choi Young comes back from killing a baker's dozen of bad guys. He's miffed that his warriors are hanging around, being charmed by Eunsoo and just shooting the breeze. The boys clear out and Eunsoo demands to check Choi Young's wounds, so she can tend to him. He reluctantly complies.

 

Heroic Courtship Ritual: Sewing Up Wounds Without Anesthetic.

 

 

Choi Young lets Eunsoo know that he has stationed a warrior at the heaven's gate time portal, and this guy is under orders to tell Choi Young when the portal opens again. He's letting her know that he hasn't forgotten his promise to take her home to her own time. Eunsoo is fine, though. She goes outside, breathes the fresh air, and starts to really enjoy her life in Goryeo for the first time.

 

In the palace, the King is so relieved that Choi Young returned unscathed, since he's really the King's best bud in addition to being his best warrior. But even after slaughtering more enemies, we still have to worry about the villain Gicheol scheming to get Eunsoo back as a fulltime doctor/fortuneteller.

 

 

Stay Strong, Your Majesty!

 

Gicheol is plotting to get Deok-heung to win Eunsoo's "heart" for him. Not yet sure how he plans to do that when Gicheol himself failed at it.

 

As Choi Young is in town on business, one of his warriors informs him that Eunsoo is in town, too--buying herbs in the market with her warrior-maiden guards in tow. He stomps off to see what crazy shenanigans the doctor is getting herself into this time. Choi Young is stunned to find that she's gathering ingredients to make lotions and make-up for herself and also--get this--so she can sell cosmetics to others.

 

Girl Has a New Money-Making Scheme Every Week.

 

In the market, they run into Deok-heung, the King's uncle, who kind of roundaboutly insults Choi Young by saying, "Oh. So you're the man who protects Eunsoo?" Reinforcing that Choi Young is not Eunsoo's social equal and that his relationship to her is only that of a paid caretaker. All in one sentence! Ouch. Choi Young bristles and asks who this man is, and Eunsoo lets him know Deok-heung's an uncle to the King, which means we've got to be polite to him. Deok-heung offers to escort Eunsoo around while she shops; she wisely declines.

 

At the palace, Choi Young is quite upset that Eunsoo didn't mention meeting this guy before, as it means that a relative of the King's is in league with Gicheol. But I don't know if he's evil, exactly. More like he's in that gray area between good and bad.

 

Even So, This Alliance Is Scary.

 

 King Gongmin works through some governmental shake-ups, replacing useless puppets who serve Gicheol with honest men who will enact their government jobs properly.

 

We now see Eunsoo having nightmares of all the violence she has witnessed. Choi Young is walking by her room and hears her crying in her sleep, emphasizing that no matter how chipper she might seem, she has been traumatized by the world he brought her to.

 

Sorry, Sugar, But It Really IS All Your Fault.

 

Choi Young doesn't stay down in the dumps, though. He sets up an ingenious kidnapping of Deok-heung, then talks strategy with the man. Choi Young wants Deok-heung to bring Eunsoo's notebook to her, so we have this entire complicated kidnapping, just to have one conversation. Choi Young concludes the convo by warning Deok-heung to watch himself around Eunsoo because Eunsoo is a dangerous swordswoman with a quick temper. Ha!

Choi Young then goes on to teach Eunsoo how to use a knife. She's horrible at it, but the knife-fighting lessons make them both laugh. He asks her if she wants to go back home and is just enduring her life in Goryeo? She doesn't answer.

And drama increases again when Choi Young is accused of accepting weapons from an arms dealer and taking a bribe to betray the King, who of course doesn't believe the trumped-up charge.

It's Like King Darius, Forced to Throw Daniel in the Lion's Den.

Young is just tired to the point of exhaustion from all this drama, so he tells the King, "I didn't receive a bribe. If you think I did, throw me in jail or dismiss me from my position." Then he marches out, and I don't blame our boy for his ire.

Meanwhile, Deok-heung brings the diary to Eunsoo, and she is in the process of deciphering it--it's not latitude and longitude, it's dates and times when the heaven's gate opens. Deok-heung goes back to Gicheol and says that to really win Eunsoo's heart like Gicheol wants, he'll have to make her queen. *gulp* So Deok-heung is angling for the throne, which is Gongmin's, and for Eunsoo. who is essentially Choi Young's. Gicheol is going to try to give him both.

Don't Ask For Much, Do You?

Choi Young finds Eunsoo and tells her to pack a small bag because they're about to travel. The new court officials think Eunsoo can tell them valuable things about the future, so he thinks they might just decide to torture her for info.

At court, Choi Young confesses to the bribery crime he didn't commit and is sentenced to longterm house arrest. But anyhow, Choi Young busts out of prison that night so he can meet Eunsoo and take her to the heaven's gate. When she sees him, Eunsoo runs toward Choi Young and embraces him, like she finally sees how easy it would be to lose him and how much he means to her.

Perfect Moment.

They continue travelling, but soon find that the roads are all blocked by Gicheol's men. He decides to hide her with some of his trusted friends for a few days. And gyah, Eunsoo is so cute while she's madly trying to figure out the codes and math formulas that future-her wrote in the diary. Choi Young tries to sound genuine as her encourages her to decode the formulas so she can go home sooner.

They stay at the secret house. Night falls and Choi Young sits outside the door while Eunsoo studies. She asks him if he wants to play Truth or Dare--they'll ask each other questions, like at a team-building exercise or a slumber party, and the other person must answer truthfully. Through the door, she asks, "If I go through the heaven's gate, will you miss me? There will be no one around to sew you up if you get wounded while I'm gone." He answers that he will miss her.

Her Suspicions Are Confirmed.

She goes on to say that she won't be okay with leaving, either. She will miss everyone if she returns home. Eunsoo will miss the King, the Queen, Dr. Janbin, the Wodalchi warriors...and Choi Young. She then wonders if he wants to ask her anything? He declines, whispering to himself that he knows too much about her already.

At the palace, Deok-heung tells Choi Young's aunt that he, Deok-heung, managed to give Eunsoo a weird sort of poison that will soon start working on her. Only he has the antidote, so shouldn't Auntie tell him where Choi Young and Eunsoo are hiding before the good doctor dies? At the secret house, we see Choi Young walk into the room to find Eunsoo sick and unresponsive. Nooo...

Things I Loved:

1. Deok-heung as Ambiguous Villain. Yeah, he's working for Gicheol, but you can tell he's got layers. As the son of a king and a concubine, the King's uncle has never had an easy life and has survived by staying hidden from public view. Now he's scheming a bit, but I totally understand that because in his position, I would scheme, too. At this point, he has to become king or somebody will kill him just because he's inconvenient.

Pawn of Fate.

2. King/Queen Progress! They're falling in loooove again! And I couldn't be happier about it. The King even admits that he gave his heart to the Queen a long time ago.

It's About Time Our Smart Queen Had Something to Smile About.

3. Knife-Fighting Lessons. The fact that our two leads can laugh and cut up even at this moment says so much.

Always a Cause for Mirth.

 

Complaints:

1. None. I'm happy.

Watch Faith on DramaFever.

Episode Evaluations: After two boring episodes, we're back in strong territory. Thank goodness for all the great development with the King and Queen, plus little comedic moments and the heavy emphasis on Choi Young/Eunsoo!

K-Drama Review: To The Beautiful You, Episodes 11-12

Read Episode reviews for:


To The Beautiful You--Episodes 1-2
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 3-4
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 5-6
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 7-8
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 9-10
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 11-12
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 13-14
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 15-16

Contains Spoilers for Episodes 11-12

Gyah. So Blogger ate my review and my pictures for episode 11 while I was working on it in draft... But, I don't even think a full recap of episode 11 is necessary; all you need to know is that Hanna gets injured, Taejoon cares for her, Jaehee mopes around, and--surprise, surprise, Eungyul confesses his love to Jaehee. But he still thinks Jaehee is a boy.

 

You Might Want To Enlighten Him on That Score, Jaehee.

 

Before Jaehee can speak, Taejoon shows up and tells Jaehee that they should just go on into their room. Jaehee gently shuts the door in Eungyul's face, and I'm rather angry at her. She should have told Eungyul about her identity sooner, but no matter about that, now--he's her friend, and she does not need to leave him hanging like that. She should pull him off to the side and explain about her gender, and also explain whether she does or does not return his feelings. Simple. Direct. But nooo...

 

Stop Angsting, Girl. This is Self-Created Drama.

 

Taejoon tells Jaehee that his relationship with Hanna "isn't what she thinks it is," which is frustratingly vague. Don't know why I'm upset at Jaehee when Taejoon is just as maddening when it comes to not stating his intentions. Hanna and Eungyul are the only up-front and honest people in the cast! 

 

That night, Jaehee and Taejoon have a super cute and romantic phone conversation where she's upstairs and he's downstairs, and she's calling him to apologize for being a burden, while he insists that she is no burden at all.

 

And Just Like That, My Cynical Heart is Warmed Again.

 

He tells her thank you for enabling him to jump again. So she knows now that she has accomplished what she came to Genie High to do.  The next day, Taejoon's high jumping practice goes so well, his coach is sure he will qualify for the Olympics again. Unfortunately, his jumping rival Hyunjae is suffering from nerves and is sure to fall to pieces in the next competition.

 

At school, Jaehee starts avoiding Eungyul. Oy.

 

Jaehee goes to visit Hanna in the hospital, and Hanna huffily promises not reveal Jaehee's secret.Then Jaehee encourages Hanna to work toward a full recovery and never give up her sport, because gymnastics is good for Hanna.

 

Jaehee is a Multi-Purpose Encourager.

 

And at the dorms, Taejoon gives Jaehee a new present to make up for the birthday present lotion that Hanna spilled a few episodes back. Jaehee flips out with joy over the present.

 

He is Seriously Delighted That She's So Seriously Delighted.

 

Jaehee goes to the School Doctor to ask what she should do about Eungyul's confession, and he tells her what we all knew--that people are going to start finding out about her anyway, and that her time at Genie High is limited.

 

Eungyul is now losing no time in wooing Jaehee, doing things like bringing her strawberry milk, which he knows she loves. Taejoon is ticked off at having another guy move in on Jaehee, but he can't declare his position because everybody's been lying about everything for so long. Tensions build as all the main cast decide to go do a weekend volunteer project.

 

Things Are Still Stiflingly Awkward Between Eungyul and Jaehee.

 

The volunteer scenes are pretty cool, actually, because they showcase the cast helping restore some old, traditional Korean houses, and it shows the two guys trying to keep Jaehee from doing any work at all. Adorbs!

 

During a break, Jaehee sorta lets it slip that she's planning to leave school. Taejoon already knew this because he saw plans for a plane trip to Los Angeles on her computer.

 

Later, Eungyul finally gets down to serious business and asks Taejoon about his feelings for Jaehee.

 

A Rather Painful Question, I'm Afraid.

 

Typically, Taejoon tells him nothing. That night, Taejoon and Jaehee have a little talk about how she thinks she might be moving away.

 

Soon, Taejoon finally has an alone moment with Jaehee, and he says there's something her needs to tell her. Eungyul comes around to return a lost phone, and Jaehee is about to go out to see Eungyul when Taejoon stops her from leaving and says, "Don't think about Eungyul when you're with me." Aw. It's a little Neanderthal-ish, but it's a firm statement of interest, at last. He follows it up with, "I don't want you to go to America. Stay with me."

 

 

Things I Loved:

 

1. Jaehee/Taejoon. When they talk to each other (or rather, when they talk without communicating properly) they are terribly bothersome, but when they have sweet, quiet moments, I can't help but support them.

Why Y'all Gotta Be Such Cutie-Pies?

Complaints:

1. How Long it Takes For Everything to Happen. Just feels like we're stuck in nothing-happens-ville, spinning our wheels while nobody really grows or changes.

Well, Okay, Maybe Taejoon Grows and Changes a Bit.

 

Episode Evaluations:  Other than Eungyul declaring his intentions, Hanna showing some strength, and the Taejoon/Jaehee cuteness I could have done without these episodes altogether. How long does it take for the world's most obvious secret to actually be obvious? How long does it take for the hero to say a simple "I like you?"

If the story suddenly switched to following only Seungri/Hanna, plus Hyunjae, Jongmin, and the rest of the high school dorm cut-ups, I wouldn't be disappointed.

Psalms on Sunday: Psalm 13

Psalm 13 is a "hurt" psalm, spoken from a wounded heart. The speaker feels like they have been forgotten by God, and not just forgotten; it's more like God has willfully chosen to ignore the speaker. I think everyone's been in that place before, feeling like they are being willfully overlooked by God.

Verse 2 shows the speaker having discussions with himself, rethinking the same sorrows over and over, and worrying about a triumphant enemy. Verses 3-4 move to a direct plea with God to ease the speaker's burden before he dies from the pressure surrounding him. He does not want his enemy to win and to talk joyfully about defeating him.

Verse 5 concludes that this worst-case scenario won't happen because the speaker has trusted in God, who will definitely save him. Verse 6 shows a total turnaround in attitude, because the speaker is now ready to sing for joy!

________________________________

¹How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

⁴ Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵ But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

⁶ I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
__________________________________________

K-Drama Review: Faith, Episodes 11-12

 

Read Episode reviews for:

Faith--Episodes 1-2
Faith--Episodes 3-4
Faith--Episodes 5-6
Faith--Episodes 7-8
Faith--Episodes 9-10
Faith--Episodes 11-12
Faith--Episodes 13-14
Faith--Episodes 15-16
Faith--Episodes 17-18


Contains Spoilers for Episodes 11-12

Gicheol has his underlings out assassinating people we don't care about, but still, our royal guard Choi Young must stop Gicheol, especially since the baddies are holding Eunsoo captive and making her pick their next murder victim (who incidentally must be the person she cares about the most). Choi Young and his soldiers jump in and save the day, but not before Eunsoo has heard a few too many death notes from one bad guy's killer flute.

Sometimes All You Can Do is Attempt to Staunch the Bleeding.

The baddies leave, but not before they've decided who they should kill next--Choi Young, Because he always comes for Eunsoo and protects her. At the palace, Gicheol gets so angry that he nearly attacks the King, but fortunately Choi Young steps in again.

Ice Powers vs. Electricity Powers--Who Will Win?

Nobody wins. It's a stalemate and Gicheol goes home. When Eunsoo comes to check on some hurt warriors, Choi Young says he needs to talk to her. It's too soon for a love confession, so I'm expecting nothing big from this communication. But he does ask her why she's not smiling anymore. Is it because she's unhappy when he's around, or has she lost her happiness in general? She walks away without giving him an answer.

The King and Choi Young have an argument over whether they should continue to use Eunsoo as a type of royal publicity to win the loyalty of the people. It's an old argument, and I'm trying hard to care.

Make the Politics Interesting Again, King!

Eunsoo decides that to avoid endangering Choi Young, she'll venture off to the heaven's gate by herself! She wants to return to her own time, not just for her own sake,but so she won't have the chance of accidentally changing the course of history. So when Choi Young returns from recruiting smart people to join the king's court, he finds Eunsoo wandering out into the middle of nowhere, dressed as a man and attempting to locate the heaven-gate. She sees him lurking behind a shrubbery.

Insert Boys Over Flowers Joke Here.

Ah, but Choi Young finally gets Eunsoo talking about why she's escaping without him. He gets her to admit that she's running off without protection because she thinks he'll be killed if he keeps trying to look after her.

Yes, This Means She Likes You.

Eunsoo tries to shake his hand and say goodbye forever, but instead he latches on to her hand and starts marching her back to the palace. But then he lets her go, which undercuts the awesomeness of the moment, AND we see that assassins are following her. This just seems like such a lame moment. Do we have to have our heroine fall into peril in such dumb ways? She's not a dumb character, so why all of this?

After a lot of other things happen (none of which are very diverting), Choi Young travels to Gicheol's house to attack him, knowing that he'll probably die in the fight.

The Scenes Aren't That Suspenseful, But I Am Enjoying the Angst.

The ensuing nighttime swordfight with Gicheol is a little martial-arts cheesy. For some reason, Choi Young starts losing badly, with Gicheol cutting him up six ways to Sunday...and it's revealed that it was all just a dream. Choi Young was envisioning how the fight would go. Why on earth did we need that fakeout?

In real life, Gicheol begins slicing Choi Young to bits, just like he did in the dream. The deja vu effect is lame rather than awesome. But before Choi Young can get himself killed, Eunsoo steps in and and separates the two men.

Good Timing, 언니!

Eunsoo threatens to slit her own throat unless Gicheol stops, which he does. Eunsoo and Choi Young have a nice shouty argument about why the other person should not try to get themselves killed, but it's okay for each of them to put their own self in danger.

She says "You know how people around you would feel if you died!" Meaning that she would be heartbroken to lose him. Eunsoo holds his hand, which is frostbitten from fighting with Gicheol, and he pushes her hair away from her face to reveal that she's been crying. Choi Young explains that he's always just lived his life however, never really caring if it ended early.

But Now, His Actions Affect Another Human Being.

Though he was never childlike before, it's almost like Choi Young grows up when he realizes that he is responsible for keeping himself alive because he is valuable to Eunsoo, not as a protector, but as a person. He promises not to risk his life so rashly again.

Gicheol is back at his house, receiving a medical whirlpool treatment. It seems that overusing his power leaves his in a bad state, which is why we haven't often seen the ice power exhibited before now.

Eunsoo now proposes that she and Choi Young become "partners" who will both support the king and try to bring down Gicheol. She happily tells him that this new bargain means he will have to tell her everything and never leave her in the dark about his plans again.

Heh. Good Luck Getting Him to Open Up!

Choi Young finally seizes on the partnership idea as a way to makes sure she doesn't run off without telling him. They shake on it, and Choi Young gets thoroughly embarrassed when his soldiers, some court ladies, and his own aunt see Eunsoo holding his hand. Rumors fly everywhere, and Choi Young and Eunsoo even start bickering like an old married couple during an audience with the King and Queen!

And Soon It's Time For A Talk With Auntie.

I love how Choi Young's aunt is such a  boss. Lady Choi talks with him about how they're going to ferret out the spy in the royal court, and I have no doubt that these two members of the Choi family can do anything they put their minds to. First off, they have Eunsoo spout misinformation about the future, so that the wrong info will get back to Gicheol and force him to act.

Eunsoo Milks the Role for All It's Worth.

Eunsoo tells Choi Young that they need to make a new tradition, as partners. They need to meet each other every afternoon, have a drink, and update each other on what's going on in their lives. Choi Young agrees to meet her every day, but not for drinks--for knife-fighting lessons! He straps a dagger sheath to her pants and promises to teach her how to use it to defend herself. Squee...

Soon, Choi Young is out killing even more assassins, thinking of Eunsoo and her appreciation of life all the while.

He Dead.

And Eunsoo gets her sacred diary returned to her by a new guy. I'm not sure, but I think he's going to be a villain.

That is Totally a Villain Beard.

End episode.

Things I Loved:

1. Lovey-Dovey Stuff. Choi Young's expression when Eunsoo is trying to warm up his damaged, frostbitten hand is priceless.

If He Wasn't Smitten Before, He Is Now.

2. King and Queen. These two will make a great ruling couple when they finally put their heads together for real.

I'm Rooting For You Guys!

Complaints:

1. Choi Young's Daydream. If the hero and villain are going to fight, I want the genuine article, not three minutes of imagined fighting. Because when we get the real fight, it's anticlimactic since we've seen it before

Watch Faith on DramaFever.

Episode Evaluations: Episode 11 doesn't capture my attention too well. We don't really get any new info, and I'm starting to wonder if this show isn't suffering from its longer run (24 projected episodes). It's not getting nonsensical like Rooftop Prince, but the pace is decidedly slow.

I wish I could muster up that tremendous sens of care and worry that I had in the early episodes. I don't know what I want for our heroes, anymore. Do I want Choi Young to win his retirement from the guard? But...warrior-ing is what he's good at. Do I want Eunsoo to make it home to the present? No, because her life is more interesting here. Do I want Gicheol to be defeated? Yeah, but what are we going to do after he's gone?

Anyhow, for all the little irksome moments, I'm still keeping the Faith. (Obnoxious pun 100% intended.)

K-Drama Review: To The Beautiful You, Episodes 9-10

Read Episode reviews for:

To The Beautiful You--Episodes 1-2
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 3-4
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 5-6
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 7-8
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 9-10
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 11-12
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 13-14
To The Beautiful You--Episodes 15-16


Contains Spoilers for Episodes 9-10

Eungyul ended the last episode by saying he had something significant to say to Jaehee, but he doesn't say anything after all. Fakeout.

 

Not The Bravest of Fellows.

 

Taejoon and Hanna are off elsewhere, discussing the fact that Taejoon's about to be sent off to Canada to study with Coach Horton.

Hanna is Crushed, Taejoon is Cool With the Move.

 

Though we all know he's going nowhere. Ah, but here's a nice development--Taejoon gently asks Hanna why she likes him. Her reply is very telling; he's been around since she was a baby, and he was the only boy she had regular contact with after puberty. So, she's kind of like a baby duck, imprinting on the first likely object.

 

At school, Eungyul gets a new haircut, but he is sad that Jaehee doesn't remember it as a style she once told him would look good on him.

 

At Last, the Dreaded Bowlcut is GONE!!!

 

I wonder, did they give Eungyul that awful bowlcut just so we could have this dramatic reveal of a much cuter hairstyle, later? I wouldn't put it past the show's stylists.

 

Taejoon comes across Jaehee playing basketball with some other classmates, and he happily snaps a jillion photos of her, like she once did for him, all with a dreamy smile on his face. Gosh, he has fallen so hard for this girl. After basketball practice, some guy shows up out of the blue and pulls Jaehee into his car. Thinking it's a predator, Taejoon gives chase.

 

But It's Hard to Be Afraid of a Kidnapper in Leopard/Tortoiseshell Glasses.

 

It's Jaehee's old buddy Junghoon, a major prankster she knew in America. He's played by Kim Woobin, a guy whose character I loved in A Gentleman's Dignity (though I didn't love the show itself and barely made it through 12 episodes.) Anyway, this guy seems like a fun type, but Taejoon sure isn't going to like him if Junghoon's idea of a fun time is kidnapping Jaehee.

 

At lunch, Taejoon's hands ball up into fists when he sees how close Junghoon is to Jaehee. And when Junghoon teasingly says he was Jaehee's first love, Taejoon is ready to Hulk-smash his face. By the time Junghoon is saying, "I bet I was your first kiss, too," Taejoon is bursting with fury as he chokes down his lunch.

 

Taejoon, in His "Boderline Perturbed" Phase.

 

Junghoon thoughtfully asks Jaehee if Taejoon knows she's a girl. She says no, but Junghoon says he'd have to be an idiot not to notice that his own roommate is a girl.

 

Taejoon, Contemplative Phase.

 

Junghoon comes around for lunch the next day too, insisting to Jaehee that he's hanging around because he misses her.

 

Taejoon and Eungyul, Concerned Phase.

 

Junghoon is going to hang around campus for awhile because he's a semi-famous photographer and he'll be capturing the spirit of the school. Taejoon stalks over to Junghoon to ask him to stop taking his picture, but Junghoon is every bit as stubborn as Taejoon and only Jaehee's interference makes him stop picking at Taejoon.

 

Taejoon, Frustrated Pushup-Doing Phase.

 

Junghoon decides to take Jaehee out sightseeing around Seoul, which he privately refers to as a "date" so we know that this old buddy has clear romantic designs on our heroine. When Taejoon hears about this plan, he volunteers to go sightseeing with them--because Jaehee doesn't know her way around Seoul, yanno. All that we need now to complete the romance-blocking is for Eungyul to tag along.

 

I knew it! Eungyul demands to come with, so Junghoon's date with Jaehee becomes a 4-person class trip.

 

Jaehee, Having Juice With Her Three Suitors.

 

Care to share the wealth, Jaehee? K-Drama Lesson to Be Learned: Apparently all a girl has to do to draw the men toward her in droves is to dress like a dude herself, but to give a rather unconvincing performance of dudeliness. Make a note of it, ladies!

 

The younger guys change their drink orders, moving from juice to espresso in an attempt to out-man each other. If two of them weren't in high school, they'd probably move down to a 포장마차 and resolve the issue with shots of soju. But if I thought Taejoon's jealousy was awesome, this triple dose of jealous posturing is cute times infinity. And Jaehee remains oblivious. Junghoon takes them all to his photo studio, and Taejoon walks upstairs to find a lovely ginormous black and white photo of Jaehee.

 

Bro, You Have Got it Soooo Bad for Her.

 

Junghoon walks upstairs and admits to Taejoon that Jaehee only smiles this brightly when she's around Taejoon. Junghoon also reminds Taejoon that Jaehee still thinks that he thinks she's a boy. Junghoon reasonably asks why on earth Taejoon is not letting on that he knows.

 

At night after they all return, Jaehee is falling sick, coughing and running a temperature. Taejoon's quite concerned, and the next night, he's finally overcome by his feelings for Jaehee. Conveniently, his feelings overcome him just as she is changing the lightbulb in their room.

 

Taejoon, Acceptance/Hugging Phase.

 

But he just tells her he "slipped" and he leaves for awhile. He goes to see Junghoon to tell him that yes, Taejoon knows that Jaehee's a girl and yes, he wants to keep her near him. Junghoon then challenges Taejoon to a basketball game. So he can prove his devotion?

 

Junghoon and Taejoon both warn each other that they tend to play basketball a little rough--then they proceed to have the wimpiest game of b-ball ever. I have fouled people I liked much, much harder in random pick-up games, and I'm a girl. Ultimately, Junghoon says he won't step down from pursuing Jaehee--if Taejoon intends to keep her here, he'll have to fight hard, because Junghoon is intent on bringing her back home.

 

Ailing Girl Doesn't Know She's Being Bargained Over on the Court.

 

When he returns to the dorm after the basketball showdown, Taejoon finds Jaehee so sick she can barely stand up. He makes her sleep in his bed, which is on the lower floor of the room, so that he can better take care of her. He tends to her fever all night, which leads to...

 

....This.

 

Next morning, a stunned Eungyul walks in on Jaehee and Taejoon cuddled up like two puppies in a basket. Eungyul is scandalized, and Jaehee and Taejoon are also scandalized--their eyes are just a little too crazy-worried for the level of innocence, here, and that can probably be blamed on bad direction.

 

Taejoon and Jaehee are awkward with each other thereafter, and in Jaehee's nervousness, she drops a pile of tampons on the floor. Taejoon pretends not to see them. Oy. Then Jaehee goes to the bathroom and tells herself that she can't keep developing feelings for Taejoon.Wait a second. Jaehee is only just now realizing that she's got romantic feelings for Taejoon? WHAT.  How can a girl be so oblivious about her own feelings--who does she think she is, Katniss Everdeen?  :-)

 

There May Be No Hope For Our Heroine.

 

Taejoon announces to the newspapers that he's not going to go to Canada because there's someone here in Korea that he wants to show his jumping to--but he won't say who. Jaehee feels blue over Taejoon because she wants what's best for him, which is to study overseas with the Canadian coach. Junghoon takes her out for a drive to cheer her up.

 

Junghoon tells Jaehee that actually, he has a business dinner today and he needs her to change into girly attire to be his date.

 

Shopping Trips Apparently Require a Wig Purchase.

 

Jaehee and Junghoon unsurprisingly wind up at the same ritzy event that Taejoon and Hanna were headed to. Junghoon shows her a little photo exhibit that is nothing but his photos of her. It actually comes off as artistic and not stalkery, partly because they've been best buddies for a long time. He tells her that he's been at her side for many years, and he'd like to continue being with her. It's a for-real love confession, and I'm more than a little touched by it, even though it's coming from a 2-episode guest star, and not the hero.

 

It's Probably Just the Effect of Kim Woobin in a Tux.

 

She can't give him an answer. Of course. Because she's way too decisive about things like moving across the world to masquerade as a boy, but way too waffly about things like deciding who she likes.

 

Later that night, Junghoon gently challenges Taejoon to back away from Jaehee if he's not going to commit to making her happy. Junghoon's smart enough to know that his beloved girl has somebody else in her thoughts, even if said girl can't vocalize that fact herself. So the next day, Taejoon takes Jaehee out for a fun outing of sightseeing and taking pictures of themselves.

 

It's Heart-Burstingly Cute.

 

Taejoon doesn't confess his love on this trip, but he does tell Jaehee that he's not going to Canada, and in exchange, she can't go anywhere either.

 

Thank goodness Hanna finally discovers Jaehee's a girl! It's by looking through her old high school yearbook, the one that shows a clearly female Jaehee. I'm so tired of this secret, so it's thrilling that we're finally getting it outed.

 

At Last, She Has a Purpose in This Show!

 

But the School Doctor gets Hanna to stay quiet when she learns that revealing Jaehee might have negative consequences for Taejoon, who might be accused of concealing her identity.

 

In a sort-of revenge move for being forced to keep Jaehee's secret, Hanna announces on national television that she and Taejoon are dating. Good. I hope Jaehee is spurred into action by this.

 

 

Things I Loved:

 

1. Taejoon's Panic. When Jaehee is hijacked by her buddy Junghoon, Taejoon chases down their car and punches Junghoon. Then he has to cool down and think about what his behavior means--that he is terrified at the thought of losing Jaehee again. .

"I'm Talking With the Man in the Mirror..."

2. Junghoon. It's just a bit part, and he's only in the show to make Taejoon even more painfully aware of his own feelings for Jaehee, but I'm glad we have one more character from Jaehee's past in the mix. And I just flat-out like this actor, anyways.

But Sorry, I'm Still on Team Taejoon.

Complaints:

1. Jaehee's Childishness. I think it's starting to bother me that Jaehee doesn't really act like a teenager. Most times, she seems way too girly to pass for a guy, but she's never fully like a young woman, either. She's most like an eager-to-please 8-year-old kid. I don't see any evidence of teenage rebellion, teenage hormones, or teenage anything about the character.

 

Episode Evaluations:  Minho's suddenly become this acting ace! How I don't know, but I'm not going to question it--just be grateful, because his storyline has been carrying most of this show. I'm thrilled that Taejoon lost all of his mildly jerkish qualities from the early episodes. He's now genuinely one of the sweetest, most caring guys ever, in a stark contrast to most K-drama heroes.

Jaehee's childlike attitude is getting to be too much for me, though I'm still fond of her. The boys around her get all the interesting character development and emotional arcs, while Jaehee just sits there as the precious little sunshiny tomboy that never grows up or changes. I think more could be done, here.