Here are the abbreviations that I will be using for the recap
Lee Yoon Sung (Played by Lee Min Ho): Yoon Sung
Kim Na Na (Played by Park Min Young): Nana
Lee Jin Pyo (Played by Kim Sang Joong): JP
Bae Shik Joong (Played by Kim Sang Ho): Bald dude
Choi Eung Chan (Played by Cheon Ho Jin): President CEC
Choi Da Hae (Played by Goo Hara): Dahae
Lee Kyung Wan (Played by Lee Hyo Jung: Target 1
Kim Young Joo (Played by Lee Jun Huk): YJ
The episode started off with training scenes in the mud.
Yoon Sung made the bullet that killed his father, into a necklace. (This is the one that killed his biological father and was lodged in JP’s shoulder a pretty good symbol for his determination)
The scenes continued on, with him training in the mud and also studying. The bald guy also appeared and he now seemed to be a part of the family drug business.
Next we got to see drug lord JP’s mansion with Yoon Sung looking on at the balcony. JP appeared with a cane and a fake leg to boot, but he seemed happy. (Wow this guy can actually smile)
He said, “You’ve achieved it!” and brought Yoon Sung’s MIT acceptance letter. Yoon Sung would now live as a person from Texas with his name being John Lee. JP looked very proud.
JP told Yoon Sung to remember three things: You need to live anew, don’t trust anybody, and don’t love anybody. If your identity is found out everyone around you will be drenched in blood (A repeat of the last lines for the first episode)
We jump forward, back to the last scene of the first episode, with Yoon Sung taking everything in at Kwang Ha Gate and Nana behind him. Yoon Sung walks away back into his car and we get to focus on Nana. She gets a call from the hospital.
It seems like her father is currently in a coma. The doctor tells her that his condition is becoming worse, he even caught pneumonia. The doctor talks about the costs that she hasn’t been able to pay up and Nana said that she will produce the money. The doctor exclaims that her father has been a vegetable for 10 years and she should give up.
She cries to the doctor begging “I can’t let go off my father who is in this state because of me, please save him, please save my father.”
Next scene, Nana is promoting hangover remedy at a barbecue restaurant. She is trying to convince two people, where an annoying girl is refusing the product. (which is for free -_- pssh, I always take those) She succeeds in convincing the two! But, she gets another call with the caller ID reading “Bullet Daeri.” (Bullet is to describe fast and “Daeri” is a service in Korea where somebody will drive your car for you, usually when you are too intoxicated to drive, IMHO a perfect service for a country where almost everyone drinks ;)
Yoon Sung is at a club and he is on the phone. He is talking to somebody (I think the bald guy) because the conversation goes on about how he found out that “somebody” has a lot of different jobs and at night she works as a “Bullet Daeri.” (Probably talking about Nana, no?)He asks the person to look it up on the internet.
Suddenly a girl comes near and grabs his chest saying what are you doing, don’t you want to drink more? (haha to be honest I thought she was grabbing at his crotch at first, the inner wolf inside of me cried with joy as this seemed very faithful to the original manga, but alas while I was capturing screens it was merely his chest, oh well…) He says no more drinking, let’s leave. Yoon Sung is a playboy!
The next scene showed Nana on the phone again talking to the hospital and it seemed like her father had a fever. Yoon Sung tells the club girl to get into the car and he sees Nana in real life for the first time. I'm pretty sure he recognized her. Regardless he throws the key to her and asks to be taken to the “Ecstasy Hotel.”
As they are trying to leave a man walks out of the club and it is YJ the prosecutor. (Played by Lee Jun Hyuk) He asks to talk to Kim Min Hee who is the club girl. When they were wondering who he was, he was about to bring out his identification but he didn’t have it.
He was trying to drag her out but Nana stands up for the girl. Nana comes out and busts out a judo move, flooring him. She acted all cool and natural and they left for the hotel! YJ’s helper came out and YJ complained about his clothes that he blames for the mess.
While Nana is driving she looks at the rearview mirror because Yoon Sung and Kim Min Hee are making out. Wowza she even reached into his shirt, the moment Nana saw this she stopped the car.
Nana got out of the car pissed off. Outside she made Lee Min Ho pay half the price “10,000 won” by stealing his wallet! (Feisty girl) Next we see Nana at the bus stop and she realizes that she left her cell phone inside of Yoon Sung's car!
Yoon Sung is at the hotel with Min Hee and now we know why he was with this girl in the first place, he was trying to learn about her sponsor! (Some girls in Korea mostly celebrities have sponsors who are rich men that are basically sugar daddies) The sponsor is obviously the first target.
But wait, Nana interrupts by calling the room through the front desk, she needs her cellphone back! The front desk guy is pissed off and worried that he will get a complaint. Here Nana calls Yoon Sung “Jaesu Ddeng Ddeng Yi” which will probably be his nickname. (It means a**hole in a cute way) The cell phone gets a call from the Daerie company first then from the hospital. What to do?
The moment Yoon Sung learns that the target keeps everything inside of his diary, Nana sets off the alarm in the car by kicking it! She gives up and leaves while Yoon Sung sees the phone and the fact that it’s the hospital calling.
Nana is back at the hospital in a fix because she doesn’t have money to save her father. (He needs surgery)
But no need to fear, Yoon Sung is there and he takes care of the bill. (This is where I couldn’t help but notice that his character is a bit too similar to his character in Boys Over Flowers, I guess this can’t be helped as they are similar in the sense that they are both immensely rich) Nana says that she will try and pay him back!
The next day, Nana was sleeping on the couch of the hospital and she gets an acceptance hall, she is jumping for joy! Now a scene of the blue house (Korean White House), and Nana is all dressed up.
The next scene was of her first day as a presidential body guard, and surprise surprise Yoon Sung is there as well. He recognizes Nana and they are both shocked. But wait? He doesn’t belong there, he is a part of the communications team.
Yoon Sung is being introduced to the communications team, he got his PHD from MIT at the ripe age of 28. The girls adore him already and one guy doesn’t seem to like him much. His name is Ki Joon and he tries to pull rank on him and haze Yoon Sung because he had worked two years earlier. But of course, bad boy Yoon Sung won’t take any of that! Also, he’s backed up by the higher-up who loves his MIT status. (I hate saying this but, so Korean)
Nana on the other hand is stuck with Choi Da Yang a daughter of the president but she has a partner.
Yoon Sung is starting to work but he is disrupted by knocking. Nana wants his bank account number. Yoon Sung answers in hBoys Over Flowers fashion, “That money means nothing to me.” (He says it’s like chewing gum to him) Another funny line, “I think you’re trying to get with me through this, but you’re not my type, want me to buy you a mirror as well?”
The next scene was the communication team and the bodyguard team practicing judo against each other. Nana kept asking Yoon Sung to give up his bank account number. She succeeds!
Ah finally the infamous shower scene for the ladies. (*Cough* would rather see Goo Hara or Park Min Young) He is thinking about Nana already.
Lee Min Ho meets Park Min Young outside with a contract. Nana has to do tasks for Yoon Sung like driving for him and also smaller errands to pay him back.
Each time she does something she’ll get about $25, so she has to do 200 of these errands. They both get a call to meet the president!
At the president's home we finally get to see Goo Hara, Choi Da Hae! (Honestly I had my reservations about watching her act, but she was pretty good, I was thoroughly convinced that she was a spoiled brat ;)
Dahae was infatuated with Yoon Sung but when she was introduce to Nana she said, “I don’t need bodyguards!” Once President CEC leaves, Dahae hits on Yoon Sung asking to be tutored in English, but Yoon Sung ignores her and jets! Dahae also rejects Nana’s good-will handshake.
What is JP doing? Yes our cold-blooded drug lord is drinking whiskey at his crazy mansion while Yoon Sung gives him his first report.
Clips are shown about Target Number One. Yoon Sung asks why JP is only telling him about one target out of the "Group of Five". JP only knows that Target Number One is a bad dude for sure, because he had seen him. After Target Number One is down the other ones will surface. Then Yoon Sung asked why he was set up at the Blue House (Korean White House), and JP says he will tell him later. (Meh we know already that President CEC is a target, probably the last one at that)
Yoon Sung says, “I want to destroy them in a way that nobody can forgive.” JP is intrigued and gives him the green light.
We now move to the prosecutor’s office with YJ trying to get dirt on Target Number One. He tried to get a warrant but he’s turned down by his supervisor. (Standard depiction of prosecutors in South Korea, they have a hard time taking down big names, and often times the supervisor is against it worrying about repercussions) Yoon Sung sees YJ on TV and the news is related to Target Number One. Yoon Sung pieces everything together and comments, “He has perseverance.”
Yoon Sung drives to Target Number One’s house sneaks in and plants a bug inside Target Number One’s cellphone. Inside YJ and Target Number One are arguing, basically Target Number One is justifying his actions because he had a great goal while YJ doesn’t agree with the processes involved (Your usual vices: embezzlement, bribes, etc.)
Yoon Sung finds Target Number One’s diary but he gets caught. He causes a blackout in the house and sneaks out.
Some personal time with Nana again, she is looking at a photo of her family and talking to her mother and father. (Looks like she and Yoon Sung have something in common, both lonely and both like talking to pictures) She is thinking about Yoon Sung and whether he’ll call or not.
Yoon Sung at his home, picks up some clues that will help him out by reading Target Number One's diary.
Dahae is at school and she is listening to her music @_@. A person went to Dahae wanting his notes back, but Nana overreacts, busting out judo. We see a sensitive side of Dahae, having to deal with the stress of being the president’s daughter. Right when we’re about to feel sorry for her, she has outfits for the bodyguards because she’s gonna head over to da club!
Ahh, Dahae dancing on her own, priceless. (Small tidbit, according to "Strong Heart" Goo Hara did this scene without music, pretty cool)
While Nana needs to go the bathroom, the other bodyguard goes off and Dahae sneaks away!
Yoon Sung is at the club of course with Min Hee again. (Uggh I know he has to run into Nana but during this episode I think they pushed coincidence it a little too much) Anyways, first she says “We’re going to a hotel again tonight right?” (You go girl!)
He asks about her sponsor but she hasn’t seen him! Ruh Oh! Yoon Sung coldly rejects her “Now that I think you aren’t popular amongst the guys, I’ve lost interest. Let’s break up as well.” Kim Min Hee is yelling at Yoon Sung, but he spots Nana.
He rushes over to her saying “Why were you so late, I waited.” And cue kiss scene.
Nana is still getting over the kiss. He gives her a 1,000,000 won check but she busts out a judo move on him and floors him. (This is somewhat similar to the City Hunter manga/anime, there the female character usually blew up Ryo Saeba with a bazooka or whacked him with an oversized hammer) Dahae however has runo
She is outside looking for her and YJ is chasing Kim Min Hee, of course the two run into each other. (Love triangle forming… >_<) He shows proper ID this time, she tries to leave, and he helps out by indicating where Dahae is.
And… they catch her!
Nana is thankful to YJ and gives him a clue on finding Kim Min Hee, Nana says “The girl you’re looking for, Jae Su Ddeng Ddeng Yi probably knows” (Yoon Sung’s new nickname, a cute way of saying a**hole)
the next scene is the president’s daughter’s bodyguards getting scolded. But in the midst she gets a text from Yoon Sung. He is outside finding out about Target Number One and Nana arrives with a cup of coffee. Yoon Sung, “AIEE it’s not hot anymore.” Nana gives him a diary with slots for stamps. (Cute, every time she’ll do something she gets a stamp, why? I bet you there's going to be a scene in the future where she looks back at this diary) Then as they argue/flirt/banter she demands that he apologize for the kiss. Yoon Sung says, “What’s your problem, you’re acting like it was your first kiss” she turns away because it was her first >_<. Yoon Sung giggles like a little girl and he seems to be thoroughly enjoying this.
They are at judo practice again but all Yoon Sung does is smile. She is going hard on him and Yoon Sung says, “Hey it’s just practice go easy on me.” Nana exclaims, “We’re training and what are you staring at, and with those *strange eyes.” (Strange as in sexual/odd/funny)
He laughs saying it should be an honor that he’s staring at her at all. They argue about age and as she tries to do another move Nana trips over Yoon Sung’s foot. Amongst the mess YJ has arrived.
Outside YJ begins to grill Yoon Sung about Kim Min Hee. He asks for Kim Min Hee’s number and Yoon Sung replies, “If I had all the numbers for my one night stands, the memory on my cellphone would run out.” Nana is watching the conversation (with the two guys that will be trapped in her love triangle) and exclaims, “Oof! You playboy, you are such a bastard.”
YJ sees Nana limping and offers to take her home but Yoon Sung is already there. (Love Triangle >_>) The two guys fight over her but Yoon Sung is the victor, and Nana gets into the car.
The two arrive at the hospital, but there are two kids running. A nurse yells that the girl shouldn’t eat flour and to only eat rice at the Sunlight Relief Center.” Yoon Sung has a flashback because that place has something to do with Target Number One. Nana knows the two children and she learns that the girl has an allergic reaction to flour. The nurse comments that the girl keeps eating flour and it’s getting more dangerous for her. The reason is that they receive social benefits because the father isn’t working. Nana keeps repeating that they shouldn’t be able to receive such benefits.
She spots the two eating bread and they try to run off. She demands that Yoon Sung follow the kids, while he goes to chase them, the children are almost run over by Target Number One’s car. The car runs over the children’s bread. (Uggh way too much coincidence in this drama AGAIN, also I don't think it was a good way to set up Targer Number One as an evil man, Ok he's heartless and ran over the kid's bread but cmon! I shouldn't say this but the kid should've been slightly hit for dramatic effect >.>)
Inside the car Target Number One first complains about children and education these days. He is making a deal with somebody. (The guy is related or a part of Sunlight Relief Center) I think and am pretty sure that Target Number One is asking the guy to fudge the numbers.
Nana and Yoon Sung arrive at Nana's broken down apartment. She stumbles on the stairs and Yoon Sung comes out to save the day. He lifts her up all the way into her apartment. (The background music now is basically a cue that Yoon Sung will do something manly/exciting/ with bravado)
He demands juice then food. Yoon Sung ends up going through her kitchen. He finds some ramen, and cooks for the both of them.
While eating we learn about Nana’s love for her parents, while Yoon Sung is dubious to the fact of her situation. He points at the red stickers all over because he has no clue. Nana explains that these stickers show that the bank will take everything if she can’t pay back her debt. Nana’s parents were in an accident with her mom passing away and her dad stuck in a coma.
She is still positive however, and Yoon Sung seems to be moved by this fact. (Uggh I’m getting dejavu because this setup is wayyyy too similar with Boys Over Flowers, Lee Min Ho falling for a poor girl)
Anyways, there is a knock on the door and the little boy who lost his bread is worried because her sister got sick again! They rush to the hospital, and the doctors begin their treatment.
Yoon Sung wants to leave but he is scolded by Nana, “We wouldn’t be here if my leg wasn’t hurt like this!” Back at the children’s apartment Nana is scolding the little girl.
But, the little girl has a lot to say. Her dad ran out, they don’t have water, they don’t have any gas. They didn’t go to the relief center because they didn’t want to hear that they were “beggars/poor.” The little girl preferred getting allergic reactions. Yoon Sung is listening to this and is deeply moved.
Nana and Yoon Sung arrive at a government building for welfare. He keeps complaining and they began to banter/flirt. Nana, “I wouldn’t be dragging you aroudn if my ankle was fine.” Yoon Sung, “There are no beautiful girls here, I hate these kind of places. You’re getting everything out of the fact that you hurt your leg huh? Don’t I get a stamp or something?”
Nana begins to talk to one of the employees, and the children were written down as having received money through Sunlight Relief Center. The employee suddenly gets up saying, “OH! Shim Jae Dong, these kids got money to eat but they have been starving.” He was the guy written in Target Number One’s diary and also the one in the car with Target Number One. Shim Jae Dong gives a bs explanation that the kids are probably using the money to go to pc cafes and play games.
Yoon Sung began to argue with Shim Jae Dong, “Would you rather eat or play video games?” A memorable line he says is, “Who do you think is lying? Something is definitely up.” Nana stops the argument and asks that the employees take care of the situation with the children. Yoon Sung begins to stare at cameras as they leave. Nana decides to go to the bathroom and Yoon Sung stares at Shim Jae Dong who is starting to shred some paperwork. Looks like Yoon Sung is about to do something… End Episode.
Final Comments
First of all I can start to see the connections between Lee Min Ho’s portrayal of Yoon Sung and Ryo Saeba (From the original). Although Ryo Saeba is cynical, perverted, and girl crazy usually his weak side is shown and also his heart of gold. But, also when it comes down to critical moments he is ruthless. Lee Min Ho showed some of these sides that were toned down a lot. I guess towards the last episode we will see Yoon Sung become more and more like the Ryo Saeba portrayed in the manga/comics.
Also, an intriguing plot device for this drama is the fact that two children of the "Group of Five" appear as characters. One will be in a love triangle with Yoon Sung, and if his father is murdered how will he react? Also, what about Dahae (Goo Hara's character) how would she react after her father dies? Well that's assuming of course that all of them get offed.
During the first episode I think Lee Min Ho was pronouncing his Korean improperly on purpose. This episode his Korean was back to normal. Although I disliked the fact that his character is too similar to Goo Joon Pyo of “Boys Over Flowers,” it definitely gave me a few laughs the way he talks to women and pretty much everyone else.
The chemistry between Park Min Young and Lee Min Ho goes pretty well, but this concept of rich guy and poor girl was already shown in “Boys Over Flowers,” I wish they would have taken a different direction. Regardless Park Min Young acts well and it seems pretty natural. A bit unrelated but I was dying to share, I actually have met Park Min Young in person once for a friend’s birthday party at a karaoke. She looked exactly the same on TV as I remembered her. (On TV of course she has a bit more glamour) She was very bright, charming, and down to earth. I don’t know why I just divulged that information, hmm I guess I was reminded of that meeting because of her portrayal. Anyways, she’s come a long way since I met her in person and am honestly rooting for her all the way!
I was surprised with Goo Hara and her acting, she played the stuck up character pretty well, either she’s good at acting or I just have low standards, or I’m just infatuated with her. (I think it’s a mixture of all three) Anyways for me, the acting wasn’t all that bad, it was just the plot that got to me. Uggh, maybe because I don’t’ see enough Korean dramas but wayyyyyy too many coincidental encounters. I think I’ll start rating these encounters from a scale of 1 to 5 for believability.
Anyways, I’m going to end rant/comments with a prophecy. It looks like Yoon Sung will begin to waver off his path of revenge, JP will come back to put him in his place. Yoon Sung falls in love with Nana forms the love triangle with YJ. Eventually though I wonder if he’ll have to face JP or just continue with vengeance. Here’s me hoping that we see more of Yoon Sung’s pent up anger explode.
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