Read episode reviews for:
Nice Guy--Episodes 1-2
Nice Guy--Episodes 3-4
Nice Guy--Episodes 5-6
Nice Guy--Episodes 7-8
Nice Guy--Episodes 9-10
Nice Guy--Episodes 11-12
Nice Guy--Episodes 13-14
Nice Guy--Episodes 15-16
Nice Guy--Episodes 17-18
Nice Guy--Episodes 19-20
Contains Spoilers for Episodes 7-8
New Feature: Click "play" below to listen to me read the review! :-)
Eunki sees a graduation photo of Maru and Jaehee, so now she knows they had some sort of relationship in the past. She has a long series of flashbacks to every time one of them alluded to this fact, and it kind of turns her stomach. Eunki doesn't let on to Maru that she knows.
Now He's the Oblivious One.
Eunki meets with Attorney Park and he breaks everything down for her: Maru saved her life on the plane, Jaehee gave Maru about a million dollars to keep him quiet about their past, but he returned the money, and the way he approached Eunki was very intentional and purposeful. Eunki reacts to this news by slowly plinking twenty-four sugar cubes into her coffee and tamping her emotions down. Eunki ends the conversation with Attorney Park by saying that none of this matters to her. Whuh-buh?
At the mansion, Dad tells Jaehee to bring Eunki back into the family, and to take care of that pesky Maru she's dating--by hiring thugs to beat him up, if necessary.
Eunki's Dad is Such a Nice Man.
But as it turns out, they won't need the strong-arm tactics because Eunki's already planning her own epic breakup.
It's About To Go Down!
Eunki breaks it off and basically tells Maru that she was always out of his income bracket, right from the start. It's the only way Eunki can salvage her pride, and I can't imagine that any of these words hurt Maru, since he only has semi-friendly feelings for Eunki.
He asks why she's suddenly acting this way, and she says she fell for him, just for the fun of it, always planning to end things soon. Lies, lies, lies. She monologues for forever about how insignificant he is, but when she walks away, she looks like the living dead. Her faith in humanity is further shaken.
Come Here, And Let Me Give You a Hug!
After Eunki leaves, Jaehee sends the hired thugs after all! They beat Maru's head with a piece of wood, then after he's bloody and barely conscious, they put Jaehee on the phone to tell Maru to stay away from Eunki and he'll be well compensated. If not...
The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.
At the mansion, Dad finds the footage of Jaehee kissing Attorney Ahn, and Attorney Park explains that he didn't want Dad to find out, because it might affect his fragile health. Attorney Park is such an upstanding dude, I know he's genuine about this. He also adds that Eunki didn't want her Dad to have this pain.
The Revelations Just Keep Coming.
Eunki and Jaehee have another tiny little showdown in a separate corner of the house. Eunki quietly asks her, "What did you do...to Kang Maru?" Eunki overheard that they sent thugs to beat him up. Jaehee replied that if Eunki hadn't fallen for such trash, Jaehee wouldn't have had to take care of this problem.
Then Jaehee's violent older brother calls her again.
Even More Than Maru, This Guy Could Bring Her Down.
Jaehee feels guilty for having Maru beaten up.
Eunki has been under a sort of house arrest, but now she climbs out of her second-story window using a rope ladder made of curtains. At night. In the rain. Barefoot. She drives her car to Maru's house, to check on his injuries. She bangs on the door and waits and waits in the driving rain. And when he finally comes out, she sees his absolutely wrecked face.
Eunki's own face crumples. No matter how badly he hurt her, she still loves Maru, and can't bear to see him in pain.
Eunki begins to cry and explain to him some things he needs to know. She's 29 years old, and he was her first kiss, the first person she said "I love you" to, and the first person she heard "I love you" from. He became the reason for her enjoying life and waking up happily each day. She's crying, and I'm not so far from it, myself.
Maru reaches up his hurt hand and wipes away her tears, which is a futile act, since it's raining and her entire face is wet. Eunki continues that all she wants is see him every day, and to share their dreams. She wants to have kids and grow old together. Will that be possible? He carefully wraps her in a hug.
But the scene is messed up a little because Jaehee just arrived behind Eunki's back and Maru is watching her. Although...Maru looks less revenge-y and more protective, like he's letting Jaehee know to leave Eunki alone. Jaehee leaves.
Episode 8 shows Maru inside his house, cleaning and bandaging Eunki's hurt feet.
These Two. They're Like The Walking Wounded.
While Maru is out getting food, Eunki sees a picture of a beach, then writes him a note about it. He comes back to find her sleeping, and the note says that she wants to take him to see the beach--it'll be their first little trip taken together on purpose. After reading the message, he leans down to kiss her cheek.
This One, At Least, Has a Glimmer of Realness.
Maru really has found a woman who can love him, warts and all; he's got a treasure on his hands, and he might have a prayer of understanding that.
Outside the mansion, Attorney Ahn tells Jaehee that Dad knows about their slip-up, and that she and her son have been written out of Dad's will--everything will go to Eunki, now. So what does a master manipulator do when she's about to lose all the social capital she has? Calls Maru, and leaves a screamy message saying her brother is trying to kill her.
She Even Breaks a Mirror For Dramatic Emphasis.
Maru goes off to rescue Jaehee, as always. Jaehee has beaten her own self up, bloody lip included for maximum sympathy. Maru goes scrambling for first aid, then he gets a call from Jaehee's brother, who is in a police station in Busan. HA! Busan is on the total opposite end of Korea from Seoul, so there's no way Bad Bro hit Jaehee twenty minutes ago.
Now Maru knows Jaehee's trick, but he goes right ahead tending her wounds. Eunki drives home and sees Maru's car there. She comes inside and overhears Maru tell Jaehee that he probably never really wanted revenge--he just desperately wanted to see Jaehee. Jaehee says she'll do anything to be with Maru, and Eunki begins a catatonic walk out of the house. At last Maru says he's done with Jaehee forever. I doubt it.
He's Never Been Able to Resist a Damsel in Distress.
Maru goes home to find Eunki gone. She has left behind a present he bought her and has taken away her note about going on a vacation. As he looks at the conspicuously empty room, he seems to realize that Eunki made his life warm, too. And now she's gone.
Chose The Wrong Girl Again.
Jaehee goes and gets some evidence from a bank vault--some documents she received six years ago from that guy she killed in the hotel room. He was trying to bring down the corrupt Taesan Corporation, and since she was a reporter who had been bought by that company, she tried to convince the guy to settle. He got angry and tried to assault her, which is when she hit his head with a bottle. His death was accidental, and Jaehee was no more than a wounded, frightened girl when it happened. It was her choices afterward that made her so monstrous.
Eunki goes alone to the beach where she said she'd take Maru. She sends Maru a cellphone picture of the beach, and he leaps into action when he realizes it's an invitation to join her. They sit on the beach together and Maru admits he once wanted to come here with someone he loved. After being prodded, he says the person he loved was Han Jaehee.
*Sigh*
Things I Loved:
1. Eunki learning most of the truth. I can only hope that it will eventually help her to be aware of all of Maru's tricks.
"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger!"
2. Maru's revelation about Jaehee. He couldn't move forward as a person until he acknowledged that Jaehee used him, and wants to continue using him. She is not good and she never will be. There is nothing left of her to love, and barely anything to hate.
Complaints:
The characters' choices drive me nuts, but the show's writing itself is still stellar.
Watch Nice Guy on Dramafever.
Episode Evaluations:
Whoa. Nearly the worst-possible scenario has happened for every character, and we just keep trucking. Jaehee is kicked out of the mansion and written out of the will, but she's got blackmail ready to help her regain the upper hand. Eunki got emotionally betrayed by Maru in a roundabout way, yet she's still standing. Maru's reason for living (love/revenge) evaporated, yet he's found somebody that might still make things worthwhile.
But we're not out of the woods yet. I'm fairly sure that worse and worser things await our cast in the future. Will at least two people get a happy ending? Can we scrape together that much?
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