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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

REWATCH: Personal Taste - Episode 1

Jeon JinHo

Park GaeIn

 Han ChangYul

 Kim InHee

 Lee YoungSun


Noh SangJoon

 Kim TaeHoon

 Na HyeMi

Director Choi

 President Han

 Secretary Kim

 JinHo’s Mother

Brief intro
Ok, I’d never intended to do a sketch, reduction or a scene by scene rehash of a kdrama on my blog, and to be honest, I don’t really know if this will be a unique or habit forming event. You see, I was recently reading a blog revisiting Cowboy Bebop by Madeline Ashby on the Tor website and I thought to myself, wow, wow, there is something very enjoyable about reading a written interpretation of a visual program. Maybe it’s because I love the written word, maybe it’s just fun to relive the same thing through a different set of eyes, whatever it was, I couldn’t stop. I had previously read wonderful recaps on other blog sites for various things, including kdramas, and had always been impressed but have never attempted the task myself. I was curious, if I jotted down notes on a show I was watching, will it allow me more understanding? Would I notice things that I would miss as a casual viewer? At the very least, would it improve my Korean? So, I was intrigued enough to try…on Personal Taste, since it is a kdrama I am currently following and enjoying. So that is the reason why I am attempting this, purely for myself really. All I know is, I had a lot of fun writing this, more than I thought I would. Anyway, here I go, a written take on the first episode of Personal Taste. Start!

When it rains, it pours...
We begin with a close up of a doll house with miniature dogs as residents (instead of people), then off we go, the camera slowly takes in a kitchen stacked with dirty dishes, pans over wooden furniture legs hanging in a work shed, and then takes a quick glance at a wall filled with clamps, claws and other furniture-crafting tools. An alarm clock on wheels is trilling for attention and rolling around the work table.  Park GaeIn smacks her forehead on the edge of the desk as she jolts awake. She’d fallen asleep on the floor of her workspace. The mere fact that her alarm clock is not in her bedroom but leasing space among wood shavings, nails, hammers ,and various other carving tools indicates that this is a regular habit of hers. She’s overslept (seemingly another common event) and she’s in a panic as she sends wood chips flying in her hurry to get going.

A male voice has left her a message on her machine and is chiding her while she dashes around trying to get dressed: “Hey, Park GaeIn! What are you still doing at home? It’s not like you don’t know how important today is!” This voice knows her well because it makes sure to add, “And dress nicely, don’t just drag yourself out in sneakers and a track suit.” Taking heed, she digs into a closet full of dresses that has long been taped shut. She picks an ill-fitting black dress but is satisfied enough with her reflection. It is at least a step up from her usual drab clothing. She gives herself a mental cheer promising herself that a new chapter in her life is starting today, a brand new future full of personal promise and brightness, like her name. She dashes out of her house, but the overall effect of her little black dress is ruined by the bulky jacket she throws over it and the unsightly band-aid on her forehead. As she leaves the front doors, it’s difficult not to notice the beautiful architectural merging of Hanok and contemporary design that is her home.

Elsewhere, in an environment completely different from the disheveled residence we have just left, we are shown perfectly organized Prismacolor pens, blueprints and sketches of buildings, color-coordinated slacks and jackets hung in the wardrobe, dress shirts meticulously ironed and folded in their place. Instead of a doll house, an impressive house made of Lego is on display and right beside it, an equally impressive model of a building. On the bed stand, a more demure alarm clock announces the time: 8:00.

A handsome young man wakes up and realizes he’s not alone in his bed. Instead of being upset, he’s mostly exasperated. He sighs and taps the huddled form under the blanket, a girl who has crawled in beside him with only a negligee to keep her decent. “Hey, Na HyeMi,” he taps, “get up.” The woman stirs but instead of waking, she cuddles deeper into his side. He scoffs, “It’s obvious you’re not sleeping.” She gets up but she’s put out because he’s not overtaken with lust by her bared flesh. He’s put out because she reeks of late night drinking. She can’t believe he’s not pouncing on her in a fit of desire, to which he counters, “Does taking clothes off make a person sexy?” She counters in a whining voice, “Is it possible you prefer men?” He agrees that he likes men, with a bit of smirk. This, of course, is so ridiculous that it’s her turn to scoff at him as he finishes getting dressed. A moment later, we learn his name is Jeon JinHo because his mother is outside his door calling his name. She wants to give him some morning vitamins. HyeMi is about to announce herself but JinHo obviously can’t have his mother finding a half-naked HyeMi in his bedroom. He rushes out to greet his mother, who asks after HyeMi’s current location. HyeMi apparently also lives in the house with them and most likely has her own bed somewhere else in the abode. JinHo smoothly distracts and guides mom away from his own room.

JinHo is carrying to his car the model building that had been in his room but finds himself in garage hell. Another car has trapped his vehicle in its spot. He’s in too much of a hurry to wait it out or get the other car moved, so he leaves to find a taxi. He gets to the curb and finds himself thrown into a “I got here first” argument with a wild-haired woman. He doesn’t know her yet but we do, she’s Park GaeIn, the woman we’d already met in the opening scene. Her argument for the cab is typical of her personality, a little flaky, a bit nonsensical: “It’s me who saw this cab first…your arm just happens to be slightly longer, is all.” He mutters, “What is that even supposed to mean?” When they both miss the taxi because a third party swoops in and takes the cab while they argue, they both end up on mass transit.

JinHo precariously balances his important building model and GaeIn tries to stay awake on her feet. A seat opens up and greedily, GaeIn challenges, “You going to sit?” He deliberately misunderstands and mumbles in faux-politeness a “thank you” and sits down. She silently simmers at his lack of manners. Sitting down, JinHo gets a face full of unattractive underwear lines on GaeIn’s backside. When she notices his blatant attention, she mistakenly assumes he’s ogling her rear. When the bus shudders and she lurches toward his work, JinHo instinctively raises his palms to protect the fragile cargo, unfortunately, his hands end up cupping her ass.

She completely flips out, accusing him of being a pervert. She becomes even more incensed when he points out that the plastic in his lap is way more precious than her butt and he had no choice but to protect it when her butt started hurtling down. Of course, JinHo is equally shocked as to where his hands have landed but he argues that he was completely justified and since it wasn’t intentional, she’s overreacting. She wants the bus driver to detour to a police station but JinHo calls her selfish and inconsiderate for wanting to inconvenience the entire bus just because of such a minor incident. As expected, the patrons of the bus agree with the handsome well-spoken man over the sputtering, wild-haired shrew. Basically, JinHo’s disdain says it all and the people around him have a similar expression: why in the world would that good-looking young man touch your ass anyway? But GaeIn is a woman with a spontaneous temper and she does what any person with a short fuse who feels they’d been wronged would do, she grabs his ass. An eye for an eye. Well, this surprises him enough to send his model crashing into the floor. GaeIn immediately realizes she’s crossed a line and quickly makes an exit off the bus, tossing out, “We’re even now!”

GaeIn rushes into the mall where she has been given space to sell her furniture. Her assistant, WonHo, has been waiting on her with food ready. He reminds her how great he is for taking such good care of her and dares, “Who else would do these kinds of things for you, if not me?” A bit sheepishly but happily, she replies, “I have my ChangYul.” He snorts at that, “Then shouldn’t he be here in person to help and support you instead of just sending flowers?” GaeIn shrugs it off, he’s a busy guy. WonHo thinks that’s a load of bull, after all, who isn’t busy? The point is, ChangYul never makes any time for her which is akin to not giving her any of his heart either. Making time for someone especially when one is busy is a true sign of love. “He has an important presentation today, that’s why,” she defends her man. She’s confident of his feelings for her. WonHo can’t resist digging it in that her boyfriend’s so-called important presentation is only upstairs and if he had wanted to, he could have easily swung by to support her. She doesn’t care, she believes in ChangYul.

Well, upstairs, that very man is bugging JinHo, our butt-grabbing architect, who is desperately trying to rebuild the model that was crushed. The dislike between the two men is palpable. “Don’t bother trying so hard to fix that, it won’t matter anyhow,” ChangYul is busy mocking JinHo, who is equally busy ignoring the well-dressed, well-coifed jerk. ChangYul hands him an invitation to his wedding (which is the next day) and snarks, “Just bring your whole company…all five of you.” JinHo taunts right back, “Yours has about 50 people right...who clean up after you?” When ChangYul leaves, JinHo’s associate, Noh SangJoon, titters in amusement, “Aren’t you at all curious what kind of woman managed to trap a player like him?” Uninterested in anything to do with ChangYul, JinHo replies, “We’ve got ten minutes left.”

During the presentation for the Dream Art Center bid, ChangYul’s uninspired pitch is essentially building a structure that is the biggest and the best, a landmark like the Sidney Opera House, but during the presentation he flubs up his slides, reinforcing JinHo’s earlier assertion that he’s a flake and subpar architect who rests on other people’s laurels. When it’s JinHo’s turn, he shines despite the snafu with his model. He uses a rather slick hologram to get his point across and his concept centers around a building that will not compete with nature but exist in harmony with it. He gets a resounding round of applause and looks pretty magnificent on stage. After it’s over, a perfectionist to the end, he’s still upset that his model had been marred by the morning’s escapades.

Back downstairs, GaeIn is trying to sell some of her furniture, a multi-purpose dining table that flips up as a mirror where one’s reflection can serve as a friend during a meal (say what!?) and the thing also has another compartment where a laptop can fit. JinHo and SangJoon are passing by the display on their way out and while SangJoon thinks the multi-functional eating table is perfect for a small apartment like his own. JinHo thinks it’s the design of a narcissist who doesn’t understand the basic principle of a dining table, an egomaniac who’s never cooked or shared a warm meal with another person. If the designer is a woman, JinHo concludes, “She’s probably vain and hysterical.”

Speaking of vain and hysterical, Park GaIn jumps out from behind the potted plant she’d been hiding behind while eavesdropping. She confronts him after hearing the insults directed at her and her work. Continuing on from where they’d left off at the bus, the bickering starts once again. GaIn stutters, full of incontinent temper and JinHo, oh-so-rationally, points out why she’s wrong and he’s right. The two are a textbook example of what happens when a Type A personality mixes with a Type O, which is Type Overdramatic.

JinHo tells her she needs to understand the underlying social significance of a table, where communication and connection between family and friends occur, only then will she be able to design a decent one. He thinks this farce of a ‘multi-player table’ is mocking the entire principle behind a dining table. She argues back that not everyone has someone to eat with in this world. Unfortunately, as correct as her argument is in terms of social reality, it only serves to illuminate her own loneliness. Although his face doesn’t outwardly show any expression other than blank disinterest, it’s clear he’s deduced that she is one of those very people who have no one to share a meal with at the end of the day. “I wouldn’t sell my furniture to a perv like you anyway!” she ends petulantly. But JinHo is still too annoyed by his run-in with her on the bus earlier to feel any pity for her and hits her where it hurts, her skill: “I wouldn’t buy any furniture from a clueless designer like you either.” From her highly charged reaction and his complete lack of one, this round goes to JinHo.

JinHo continues to have a bad day. The contract for the coveted Dream Arts Center project is awarded to Mirae Construction, ChangYul’s firm. It’s clear JinHo’s idea was actually better. There is definitely behind-the-scenes politics involved and a small firm like JinHo’s M Construction is not only unable to compete with the same dirty tactics due to their lack of funds but also incapable of doing so due to JinHo’s moral prudence. ChangYul is feeling pretty damn good after the win over his rival and he’s chatting on the phone, “Don’t worry, today I’ll show you through my actions, not just with words.” We get a peek into what those actions might be. ChangYul swings by GaeIn’s storefront and pulls her away to have a chat with her. She’s like a little songbird in love, chirping and all fluttering in the presence of her rich and handsome boyfriend. It’s easy to see why she’d fallen for him, but it’s easier to see it’s a one-sided love.

They sit side by side, her legs dangling happily off the bench. He ventures tentatively, “I don’t know how to say this…I really don’t.” Happily, she asks, “What is it?” He continues, “You know I’ve never dated a woman beyond a month, right?" GaeIn nods in shy agreement, “Before me, you were a real player. But not anymore.” ChangYul’s having a tough time getting his words out. He tries again, “You know that you’re not really my type, right?” She agrees readily, and sheepishly adds, “Truthfully, you’re not normally my type either.” Since the conversation is still not going his way…he gets on his knees to beg for…and then to both their surprise, GaeIn freaks out in shocked happiness, anticipating a marriage proposal. ChangYul’s mouth drops open.

Before any more can be said, a furious JinHo strolls right into their private moment, shouting at ChangYul, “Was it you again? Was it you pulling your dirty tricks? Or was it your father this time?” ChangYul chuckles, “Do you still think you’re the son of Mirae Construction’s president? We went easy on you up until now because of your dead father but…” Well, it appears the bad blood between the young architects is an inherited product from a nastier feud that had occurred between their fathers. JinHo is a tightly controlled individual but the words about his father push his fury to an uncontrollable boil and he grabs ChangYul by the collar and warns him that mouthing off about whatever he wants will not do him any good. It’s a pretty serious threat but ChangYul eggs him on, uncaring and unafraid of JinHo, the latter struggling with conflicting emotions. A punch would feel good, yes, but he knows it would accomplish nothing.

ChangYul  ends up leaving first, tossing a careless good-bye to GaeIn as he saunters off. JinHo’s anger keeps him frozen in place, staring blankly at nothing, his mind probably blank as well. GaeIn is still standing there with him, a bit awkwardly, unsure what just happened. How does butt-grabbing bus guy know her boyfriend ChangYul? She breaks the silence first, “I guess you lost at the presentation today…” This jars JinHo out of his murderous thoughts and he shoots a slitted glare at her. Even the sound of her voice is irritating to him. He’s definitely had enough of this woman. He tells her to stay out of it because it’s none of her business. She declares it is, after all, he just interrupted ChangYul’s marriage proposal to her. This catches JinHo’s curiosity enough to sidestep his anger. He turns, both confused and intrigued, his mind trying to figure out the puzzle. “When are you getting married?” he wants to know. The answer isn’t “tomorrow” so being a pretty astute guy, JinHo immediately figures out ChangYul is just as scum-like in his personal life as he is in his professional endeavors. He may feel sorry for her, but he’s too furious about everything else to do more than give her a passing clue, “What man would run away by himself leaving the woman he’s going to marry behind in a situation like this?” She doesn’t get it and he just doesn’t care anymore about ChangYul or the girl being fooled by him. He turns his back on her.

“President Jeon, we have to sleep to live!” the head of the construction site is pleading. JinHo points out that if they don’t meet the deadline for their current project, no one will get paid. They all need to work around the clock so that everyone can survive, not just JinHo’s firm. The construction site manager understands but the situation is dire, the workers can’t sustain the backbreaking pace they are currently working. The real problem is that M Construction, JinHo’s company, is on the brink of bankruptcy. His associate SangJoon doesn’t understand why they have to be responsible for paying all the overtime pay, too. but JinHo is resolute. “Should we let them starve instead?” he asks. “These people live paycheck to paycheck.” His upstanding moral compass won’t allow him to do any less than what is right, which includes generosity that sometimes goes above and beyond legal obligation, even if that means he could lose his company.

This goes to the core of Jeon JinHo’s character. He’s reserved and controlled, sometimes even blunt to a fault, but in his heart, he is warm and concerned about those around him. SangJoon is desperate, “Then what about us, huh? What are we going to do?” JinHo decides they go after the architectural Holy Grail, a project that is gold: Daum Art Gallery, an expansion of the art museum and art center.  This is a job that exceeds the scope of their practice. An ambitious project that could catapult them to new heights or destroy them in one fatal swoop. An all-in gamble when there is nothing left to lose. The two decide to attend ChangYul’s wedding after all because his fiancé is the curator of the Daum Art Gallery, according to SangJoon, which means the director of the gallery will also attend. For a brief second, JinHo contemplates the implications of what that means for the wild-haired furniture designer if ChangYul is marrying this other woman, but he brushes it aside and agrees that they should go to the wedding.

More foreshadowing as GaeIn’s dearest friend Lee YoungSun, a photographer, is in the middle of shooting pictures of two bare-chested men affectionately fondling one another. The two women discuss the almost-proposal from ChangYul as the male models heat it up for the camera. All the while, GaeIn grimaces at the photo shoot concept. A moment later, their friend Kim InHee strolls up (she is also GaeIn’s roommate). She looks pretty and glamorous and very much the opposite of her two friends. She is definitely the pretty friend who is hit on by all the guys at the club while her two friends cheer her on (as the story goes). GaeIn inquires after the marital bed she hand-crafted for her friend’s upcoming marriage (uh-oh) and InHee confirms that it had been delivered to their new home. GaeIn giggles, “Use it well and a lot!”

Meanwhile, JinHo and SangJoon are having drinks with one of their younger employees, Kim TaeHoon, who demands to know why JinHo is sneaking looks at HyeMi’s boobs. JinHo almost chokes on his beer at the accusation and proclaims, “She’s just a little sister to me, nothing more.” TaeHoon is in love with HyeMi, the young lady who crawled into JinHo’s bed. As the night goes on, TaeHoon gets sloppy and challenges his boss to a drinking contest, the last man standing being the winner. If TaeHoon wins, JinHo must date HyeMi because if HyeMi isn’t happy, then TaeHoon can’t be happy. JinHo is bemused. If JinHo wins the drinking contest, however, TaeHoon is fired. Deal! They drink.

Just as the boys are drinking, GaeIn is having drinks at home with two of her closest and oldest friends, InHee and YoungSun. When word of ChangYul’s almost-proposal comes up, InHee gets fidgety and runs to the bathroom to secretly call…ChangYul! She reams him out for chickening out yet again. He was supposed to tell GaeIn that he was marrying InHee days ago. Outside, GaeIn and YoungSun do think it’s fishy that they have not even met InHee’s fiancé despite the fact that the wedding day is already upon them. They have no idea just how fishy.

When ChanYul calls GaeIn out for a drink that same night, she goes running. He tells her the truth, well, a part of it: “When I think about it,” he tells her self-pityingly, “I’ve been a really bad person to you, and I’ve given you a lot of pain and suffering.” She quickly contradicts him and praises him for even loving her at all. ChangYul hands her a load of heartbreaking garbage. He can’t quite bring himself to give her the complete truth, not to her face…and settles for just dumping her. He tells her he’s never loved her, it was only pity he felt. Pity for the bedraggled neighborhood dog that got rained on all the time. “What I’m trying to say is, I think I just felt sorry for a woman who screwed up everything she did, a woman who hasn’t even experienced love at such an old age. It was never love, not for me.” As if that isn’t bad enough, he tells her she just didn’t get the hint whenever he tried to shake off their relationship in the past. She stands up abruptly and starts to leave, but stops before exiting and charges back. He discreetly moves a water glass out of her reach, having seen enough dramas to know he’s about to get doused. But instead of wrath, she apologizes for mistaking his kindness for love. (Sheesh)

It’s heartbreaking because she’s realizing that the one person she had thought loved her, the one person she’d thought had noticed her...really hadn’t seen her at all. It’s the most pitiful bus ride home, a fall from the pinnacle of happiness all the way down to the depths of despair, back where it is dark and she is alone. As always. She knows her worth shouldn’t be measured by a man, but she has nothing else to cling onto either. The problem is, she’s all bluster and show, underneath the outside fireworks, she’s insecure and not convinced of her own self-worth. Worse, she’s a good person who doesn’t know how to express herself in a way that will let her true self shine through and be recognized.

GaeIn is at a bar drinking with her assistant WonHo, who confesses his love for her more openly than that morning’s offering of food. He becomes brazen through the haze of alcohol. She’s so drunk and heartbroken that she doesn’t even hear what he’s saying. When she vomits, they end up at a motel and he tries to have his carnal way with her. He deservedly gets kicked in the chest and chased around the room.

In the suite next door (for fate is feeling really aggressive today), JinHo has won the drinking bet and is in the process of dumping an unconscious TaeHoon into a bed to sleep off the stupor. He smugly writes on the mirror, “Congratulations on being fired. You date her yourself.” On his way out, he bumps into the fleeing GaeIn. They immediately start trading barbs again when TaeHoon stumbles out of the motel room clad only in his boxers. He falls to JinHo’s feet begging and crying, claiming he did it all in the name of love! GaeIn takes in the overblown scene and concludes the naked man is a scorned lover begging JinHo to take him back. JinHo vaguely tells GaeIn to mind her own business (again) and tells her it’s not what she thinks, but he doesn’t put much effort into explaining the truth either. He shrugs off TaeHoon's desperate clinging and strolls away, as always, cool and collect and magnificently in control.

GaeIn and TaeHoon fall into each other’s arms in the anonymous motel and mourn the tragedy of love. A stranger in the same misery as oneself is sometimes more comforting than a fclose riend who doesn’t completely understand. Especially if that friend tries to steal sex when one is vulnerable. “Let’s get through this together,” GaeIn consoles the broken and sobbing TaeHoon.

When she catches up with JinHo outside the motel, she gets all philosophical, “What a difficult love life you have.” He doesn’t bother correcting her, but counters knowingly, “No matter how difficult my love life, it’s nothing compared to yours.” A bit amused, but also in a small effort to show her the light, he gives her another clue. He shares with her the story of his ‘friend’ who goes to the wedding of her best friend only to find that friend has betrayed her and is in fact marrying her boyfriend. GaeIn doesn’t connect the story to her own life and calls the duped woman slow-witted. JinHo’s responding expression is classic, a mixture of disbelief, diversion, and resignation all flitting across his perfect features in a matter of seconds.

He hails for a taxi and when GaeIn asks what ever happened to the poor woman who got betrayed, the same expression crosses his face and he sighs, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” He brushes her out of the way as he climbs into his cab. She stares after him, confused, still a little drunk, and probably feels like she’s missed some kind of a joke, but since she’s pegged him to be the cryptically condescending type anyway, she shrugs it off. What’s the insulting words of a snotty architect stranger compared to getting one’s heart ripped out by the man you love? Nothing. Absolutely nothing on the Richter scale. This time JinHo’s brusqueness doesn’t even phase her.

At her house, cowardly ChangYul is dropping off the wedding invitation with a note imploring her not to come tomorrow, for both their sakes. Jerkface. When GaeIn comes home, she’s too sad and drunken to notice the invitation lying on the ground just inside her doorway.

On the wedding day, InHee doesn’t believe ChangYul told GaeIn the truth, but he assures her it’s all settled and they’re good to go. Actually, ChangYul has ordered his assistant to keep GaeIn out of the ceremony hall if she comes to cause a fuss. Unfortunately, a bit of dirt has put itself on the picture of GaeIn he’s given to Secretary Kim and the assistant mistakes it for a mole. He’s on the lookout for a woman with a large, ugly mole.

JinHo and SangJoon are in an elevator on their way the wedding. When SangJoon complains about a zipper malfunction, JinHo offers to help adjust it. Unfortunately, the door opens and YoungSun and her son witness JinHo kneeling in front of SangJoon in a very compromising position. Since she’s a photographer of racy pictures, she’s not so much scandalized as titillated. In fact, she even generously offers to take the next ride so that they can “continue” what they were doing. It’s a stranger so JinHo and SangJoon realize it’s pointless to explain. They simply say they’re done and YoungSun gets on.

When the two men start to discuss the night before, including dropping TaeHoon off at a motel, YoungSun covers her son’s ears. Their discussion is pretty incriminating, especially when SangJoon jokes, “It must have been good times with two men alone in a motel room.” YoungSun can’t resist taking a peek at the two men, who simultaneously realize how that must have sounded out of context, and they stare at one another across the ocean of Big Gay Misunderstanding. JinHo clears his throat. YoungSun has a big grin on her face. Oh yeah, two handsome men talking about their love affairs? She’s not embarrassed at all. This is the best elevator ride ever! When they get off, YoungSun and her son scurry away. JinHo is blasé about the whole thing. At this point, after several run-ins with GaeIn, he’s already used to being mistaken for being gay by complete strangers who don’t mind their own business. SangJoon, on the other hand, thinks it’s actually quite the hoot and snickers in delight at the idea of them being gay.

Pictures of ChangYul and InHee are everywhere, as it is their wedding, and YoungSun sees the portrait the minute she enters the lobby. She disrupts a lovey-dovey moment between the engaged couple and rips InHee a new one. She pretty much calls her a hussy who wears men like shoes. InHee is also a coward, just like her fiancé. Instead of breaking the news to her friend herself, she had sent her useless boyfriend to do the dirty work. In fact, traiterous InHee does not seem to fully comprehend that what she is doing is not only wrong but in the territory of Sins That Are Never Forgivable. It’s a list everyone should know as it’s not really that complicated. It often starts with the words “Don’t betray…” and ends with name of a loved one. Whether it is true villainy or stupidity, InHee seems to truly believe this is just a minor blip in her friendship with GaeIn. It’s difficult to tell if this is about a deep seeded need to steal anything that belongs to GaeIn because of some subconscious jealousy or if she truly loves ChangYul. Either way, she is not very remorseful about stealing her best friend’s first love.

YoungSun realizes it’s a waste of time to shower hateful words on someone who is deaf to the feelings of humanity and runs to the lobby in a desperate attempt to block GaeIn from seeing the two get married. YoungSun is momentarily distracted when she finds GaeIn, for her friend has spotted JinHo and SangJoon, and she points them out to her friend, and editorializes in disgust, “What a bad guy. So that’s why he dumped him, he’s got a new boyfriend. That tall one over there, he coldly dumped his lover last night–a man!” YoungSun gets tickled by that last bit of gossip, “Oh! A man? He is quite handsome…” she notes, eyeing JinHo approvingly. Then she refocuses on the real problem but it’s too late, GaeIn has slipped by into the main lobby.

GaeIn turns to stone in front of the wedding portrait. She’s shocked but her feet start to move on their own, step by step…to the sound of the wedding march…the couple is at the alter…GaeIn walks slowly down the aisle toward them. JinHo has an entertained expression upon his face when he sees GaeIn has finally arrived to start her walk of shame. It’s not polite to revel in other people’s misery but likely JinHo is enjoying the moment as both a small bit of revenge on the building-model-destroyer woman, but probably mostly because ChangYul is about to be revealed to be a two-timing dirt bag. Besides, isn’t this a good thing for the woman? Learning a painful lesson is far better than living in pitiful ignorance.

As GaeIn gets closer to the alter, murmurs erupt around the room and interrupt the proceedings. ChangYul and InHee turn to find themselves face to face with GaeIn, looking very much like the wet and lost neighborhood pup ChangYul accused her of being when he dumped her...last night. She hesitantly reaches out and lifts the veil of the bride…and recognizes her friend’s face. Kim InHee. The betrayal is confirmed and now her life will change forever.

1 comment:

  1. phew! finished your recap! yeah, you're right! it's always fun to relive something through another pair of eyes. That is the reason why I go to your blog in the first place. And I also read recaps for many dramas too. Anyways, I'm impressed that you took so much time to do this recap. Reading this makes me want to go back and watch Personal Taste all over again before the new episodes go out tomorrow. So here I go!

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Recommendation
JTBC, Monday -Tuesday
Aired May- July 2013

Diary
Marry Me Yoo AhIn!
Dramas and drama-ish show I talk about after the jump: WINMaster’s Sun and Good Doctor.

Diary
The Girl Who Cried Wolf
Dramas I talk about after the jump: Master’s Sun (eps 11-12). If you haven’t watched Master’s Sun yet, don’t read on. Major ass spoilers ahead...because major ass things went down!

Diary
Funny Mathematics
Master’s Sun (eps 9 & 10) is the only drama I chat about after the jump. But I am pretty sure I am going to start Good Doctor this week.

Review
Heartless City (2013)
무정도시 / Cruel City
(May – July 2013)


Diary
Crossing Imaginary Lines
Dramas I will spoil after the jump: Master’s Sun (Eps 7-8). I am still watching Who Are You, but I have little to say on it, other than Kim JaeWook continues to be a handsome spectral figure. Oh, and I had to officially drop Goddess of Fire.

Diary
JiSub OPPA!
More fangirling over JiSub and HyoJin after the jump, and Master’s Sun (Episode 5 and 6) will be the only drama I yap about and spoil. It was the only one I managed to watch this week.

Review
I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)
너의 목소리가 들려
(Jun – Jul 2013)


Diary
Bright Bright Taeyang
Dramas I will talk about and spoil after the  jump: Master’s Sun (until Ep 4). And some more thoughts on The Blade and the Petal (up to Ep6), and Who Are You (up to Ep6). And also, the craziest thing I saw this weekend: Kim WooBin fighting killer female robots.