Saturday, September 25, 2010

[Picture recap] Playful Kiss Episode 8

MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Disclaimers: 
  • I shall not be held accountable for your losing interest in this episode because you look up my recap before you watch it. So watch episode 8 first, kay. 
  • I watched this episode RAW and I have no knowledge of Korean so please don't ask me what they're saying in the snapshots, if you do.. you will be ignored. 
  • For better quality recap and discussion you can go to Dramabeans. I'll just talk about the scenes that interest me.
We begin episode 8 with the drama recap of previous episodes. Then Hani is seen moping about her room and being comforted by her dad (of course with Joon Gu following her about the place like an adoring pup), followed by Mrs. Baek moping on the bed... in Hani's ex-room? her own room?... and being comforted by her son (who then got scolded by her mom for not being grateful to Hani who has changed his life. Errrrm, mom.. I think he has his reasons for not being grateful to somebody who has disturbed the life he has planned for himself. Well, I consider bumming around the universe doing absolutely nothing is as good a life plan as any).

Picture recap... STAAAATO!
There is no foooooooork...
Honestly, Baek Seung Jo reminiscing about a fork is a sure sign of his icy cold heart melting and dripping all over the place.
Good bye Baek Seung Jo... NOT~
Ha! To quote Seung Jo.. "As if". The chances of Hani forgetting him is as slim as me remembering the first 5 numbers of pi. Huh.
Bong Joon Gu...grrrr. You dare print my pet's name in big letters on a banner and paste it in the cafeteria for everyone to see? You want to die???
Aaaaaaannd we cut straight to Top Spin where.. lo and behold.. Mr. National High School Number One Champ, Special Member with Special Exemption from Club Practice *drum roll* Baek Seung Jo-nim suddenly makes a rare appearance. Me thinks we know why.. hehe
I've never seen a such a happy face on a mom who had just heard from his son's wannabe girlfriend's chums that he had kissed her. I ish verrra amused.
*scold scold scold* ...how did you manage to hide so well your excitement at being near her, I have no idea.. Seung Jo. But I feel for you. It musta been tough, huh?
Yeay.. I get to bully train Hani again! Which is why I agreed to such a ridiculous dare in the first place. I may not be God, but I'm the miracle worker who had succeeded in coaching a bottom-placed student, her of course, in a matter of days to reach the school's 50th position. A week to get her to play like a tennis champ? Pffft.. no problem at all.
Hani, the poor pet who has an inkling of what kinda hell Seung Jo is preparing for her in the days to come.. having suffered under his tutelage before.. is silently showing signs of violent disagreement of this arrangement.
*scold scold scold* ...don't be late!  I want to see you from early morning to late at night every day from now on so I can torture you for my private amusement for practice. ARASSO??!
                                               early morning                                late night
And the torture begins! I love it when she says "hana dul set" ...omo omo omo.. gyupta! To his credit, he does praise her when she does well. He doesn't verbally abuse her as much now (I didn't hear him calling her stupid even once, or did I miss it?). I think he'd make a good teacher, if he finds a student he can be bothered enough to teach, that is. And I think Hani is the only student he can be bothered enough to teach.. LOL

But but but... jakamman. I-ge beuya??
 *touch*
*touch touch*
 *touch touch touch*
 *TOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCHTOUCH*

My touch sensor went berserk in this scene... 

Poor Hani, completely unaware of Seung Jo's debilishciously debious ways. She thinks he's really teaching her tennis. I think somebody should enlighten her of the correct ways to learn tennis or she'll think this is the standard teaching practice for all tennis coaches. But maybe express-coaching (something Seung Jo is beginning to be an expert in) requires a different teaching method? Hmmm... must consult somebody in our tennis club. Wait.. do we even have a tennis club at our school?
Hera must be smiling coz she thinks she has a chance. That Seung Jo... been badmouthing Hani again, have you... hmmmm? Bad bad boy Seung Jo *kicks him* ...well, as for him... we know Seung Jo never smiles about anyone other than Hani, right? hehe
Hani is working hard at it. I love her determination in the k-drama version. Thank you for finally making me see clearly as to why all the guys in the story fall for this character. I want her for myself too... cute pet.
And what reward did she get for her hard work? A smack on the butt with a tennis ball. Seung Jo... grrrr.
*scold scold scold* ...what is he telling her to hurry up for? Cook dinner for the whole team? ...eeeep. I know how to cook, but even I shudder at the thought of preparing a full course meal for 12(?) very tired and hungry tennis players. Seung Jo doesn't need more than two baby tomatoes and a full glare course of Hani-ness, so he doesn't count as a feast participant.
Baek Seung Jooooo.. awwwww, who can resist that distressed face? I swear, anyone who could say no to Hani must have a heart made of stone.
This is definitely not Kim Hyun Joong-hyung cutting the vegetables. It's just not his style. He prefers his veggies in big chunks and his carrots thick enough to look like ham. The absence of a bottled water of North Pole origin being used in any of the cooking scene is also one of the clues that led me to that conclusion.
*SARANGHAEYO* Hani.. are you sure you're trying very hard to forget this guy? hehe
I dunno what gets his goat every time she seems to enjoy being with other people (esp when they're guys). I think Seung Jo's possessiveness of Hani is rather cute and well executed. (Hyung, you're getting good at this *clap clap*). But for the love of all small animals, can't Seung Jo let her eat first before turning into her personal drill sergeant again? The poor girl looks like a soldier in a military camp... ever ready to follow your orders SIR! You know what? I think Seung Jo is addicted to seeing Hani's startled-deer face.
His "irona, irona" actually reminded me of hyung and his buin in We Got Married. Remember when he was coaxing Hwangbo to do all sorts of weird stuff (like those aegyo during her concert)? Seung Jo in his drill sergeant incarnation is a mixture of Kim Hyun Joong and Ryuk (in Death Note), scary and cute at the same time... but for Hani, to disobey him is completely out of the question, of course.
Egad.. look at those balls! How many hours has Seung Jo kept her at it on an empty stomach?? Slave driver.. grrrr.
Then again.. look at that proud smile. Like an owner after his pet has mastered a new trick.. LOL. I give up. I just can't hate Baek Seung Jo. There. I hope I don't have to eat my words in later episodes.
The difference in skills is so obvious, even the most clueless person would be suspicious.
Scene of drunkenness... a common enough sight with Korean university students that PK was not called out for being 'inappropriate for minors' for this episode, unlike the one with Hani getting drunk over a glass of weak rice wine? I like learning about new cultures from their locally-produced dramas, yes I do.
The President of the Stalkers UNITE society is not expecting to find his Vice President on the same stalking ground. Stalkers can be very territorial, so despite their mutual interest to cleave The Impenetrable Wall of Evil Twins in two... they argue loudly and expose themselves. Typical stalker behaviour. 
I'm pinching her cheeks coz they're made of an extremely pinch-able material. Despite all appearances to the contrary, I'm not trying to molest her extremely kissable lips.. honest! That is something only you can do in this drama, Seung Jo~
How dare you go frolicking around on the grass in the middle of the night with Tennis Sunbae while Hera is confessing to me! You know you've earned this painful-wrist-grab punishment. Master is NOT pleased.
If looks could incinerate...
There he goes again... showing his love for her to an empty kitchen and a sink full of dirty dishes. Joon Gu, Hani's too busy being drilled and frolicked about with to even remember your existence right now. You're not going to win her over with this method. Trust me. I've watched the anime.
He's so completely focused on Hani, he doesn't even glance when Hera sits beside him, even when she starts yapping away about his favourite topic... "Le Hani", of course.
 You can do it, my petto! Seung Jo = Hani's personal one-man cheerleader team.
The proud "owner's smile" is creeping up his face again. But I bet he's still oblivious at how obvious his feelings about Hani is to everyone (I mean: to us viewers).
I had an epiphany upon seeing this smile. Yes I did. I'm a selfish person who doesn't think it's worthwhile working so hard to gain the love of someone I'm pursuing (coz I'm too selfish to pursue anyone in the first place). But watching this scene, I realized that if all Hani's hard work to gain Seung Jo's love is finally rewarded with this genuinely adoring smile... then her effort has not been in vain after all. There's something to be said about persistence in the face of hardship here, and I think this scene says it well. Best scene for me in this episode.
Bye everyone! I'm taking my sweet bundle home~~~~~ *la la la la la*
Her squirming and shifting about on his back, him glancing imperceptibly at her with his "Please squirm some more coz I like it like that" face, that mile-long expanse of seemingly edible white neck and shoulder (my most favourite part of the human body.. ehem). Hottest scene of the decade.
Cute Joon Gu, finally.. dum dee dum. Unfortunately, his love rival is Mr. Perfect Guy who's started the beyond-cute trend since Episode 1. 
He earns 10 cheer points from me for this scene. However, Seung Jo is showing potentials of being a likable human being who just happens to be an unfeeling genius in this k-drama version. Ottoke?? I'm torn.
President sunbae sir! What are you doing here??
I can ask the same to you!! This is MY stalking ground!
Noooooo.. I got here first. This is MY stalking round!
No, I got here first! I was lurking from a more advantageous hiding spot before I ran into you! Oh, never mind. Can we stop arguing and work together since we have a mutual goal anyway?
Yes.. let's!! President sunbae sir.. you are brilliant~
Of course! Other wise I won't be the President of the Stalkers UNITE society, will I? Now move your butt... the movie's about to start!
Aye aye President sunbae SIR!
You look like an ahjumma.. Miss Vice President.
Shut up, President sunbae sir.
*silently to himself* ...she totally looks like an ahjumma.
*silently to herself* ...what does he know about disguises? I've got Stalking 101 lessons from the best.

Don't worry, President! I got it all under control~~~~
If I were Hani, I'd feel like giving up for the 7634985th time too upon seeing this Perfect Couple / Impenetrable Wall of Evil Twins. They look like they've just walked out of a photoshoot for a fashion magazine... ugly backpack notwithstanding.
She's cute even when she's depressed. Awww Hani.
I'm not letting go of her arm coz: (a) I'm a compulsive obsessive individual, (b) she's a useful prop, (c) the director told me to... and I will keep staring at her until someone calls my name to avoid from noticing all the big burly menacing guys who suddenly pop about around us seemingly out of nowhere.
 
This is not the promotional photos of the Fugitive/Runaway/Plan B drama starring the World Megastar Rain.I repeat... this is NOT the promotional photos of the Fugitive/Runaway/Plan B drama starring the World Megastar Rain. Do you need me to repeat that again? No? Okay... I'll just go and cultivate mushrooms in my own dark little corner now while waiting impatiently for Playful Kiss Episode 9 to be aired next Wednesday.

5 comments:

  1. ROFLMAO! You are so adorably hilarious! I thoroughly enjoy your recap!

    BTW, it appears we share a few common crushes... Colin Firth (*swoon*), Playful Kiss (*I can't believe how addicted I am to it!*) and my most recent discovery Kim Hyun Joon (** OMG OMG OMG **).

    Keep up
    Agree with you re his fantastic interpretation of Jihoo. I started noticing him due to his great portrayal of the character. To me, he out-shined Lee Min Ho (great that Lee Min Ho was).

    Keep it up :)

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  2. Hi~

    I was worried when I did this post coz I clearly didn't know what they're talking about in the drama and I was afraid I'd get antis trolling in my blog, but heck.. I wanted to spazz about it and no one was recapping it fast enough for me and I only want to watch the video with Haru2 eng sub (it's still at ep 4 now) :P

    Colin Firth OMG.. I have a crush on him since he appeared as Mr. Darcy. That would make him ..what.. like my longest crush eva?? So happy he was finally nominated for Oscar! (altho he didn't get it *sulks*). I've been collecting his movies all over the place.. mostly from youtube, coz I can't get access to his old CDs.. meh.

    On Ji Hoo...
    Yeah, I don't understand whenever people say he's like a rock as Ji Hoo. Maybe those viewers don't have the patience to notice his subtle changes of expressions. Of course his body language needs work, he's a newbie at acting, give him a break. But he's the best Hanazawa Rui for me. I noticed that if people think Oguri Shun is the best Rui, they'll say Kim Hyun Joong doesn't play Rui well.. and I think it's vice versa (coz I don't like Oguri Shun as Rui hehe). What do you think? If that's so.. isn't it also a matter of character interpretation? I like how KHJ interpreted Rui from the manga. And yeah.. it's coz LMH is a good actor that he could still shine in BOF, or else.. he'd be completely eclipsed by KHJ's presence *ish a biased fangirl* :P

    Thank you for enjoying the post! haha

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  3. I watched the Japanese version over the weekend, and sorry, I have to.... agree with you. I just didn't "notice" Oguri Shun's Rui. At all! If I hadn't watch the KHJ's version first then Oguri Shun's Rui would have just been another character to me. A softly spoken, mr nice guy. That would have been it. Jihoo is a complex character. And it's not an easy character to portray. So for a rookie actor like KHJ was then to steal the limelight(for me) from a good actor like LMH...enuff said.

    I am fairly new to KDramas & KPops, and I hadn't heard of KHJ until BOF, which I only just very recently watched. So no, my assessment of KHJ's interpretation wasn't biased. He made me sit up and take notice. It's because of his Ji Hoo's portrayal that I was interested enough in KHJ as an actor to google him up.

    And in my search I stumbled upon PK (dear Lawd, but am I hooked or am I hooked!). So more searching I went and found this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlsH9KJTYvM
    and then this
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvPoToQcvZo

    .... and I am still mesmerized by these 2 clips!

    BTW, I came to know KDrama only recently and that's via Rain's FullHouse (ok ok, so I am a late bloomer!). He's my first K-Crush. And I guess you could say KHJ is my 2nd K-Crush. I never thought it would happen... that any other K-artist can share with Rain my lurve. But there it is. **** Sorry, Rain, dahling, but when you are in the army... **** j/k

    With regards to Colin's Mr Darcy! OMG. I own the BBC series. Expensive, but I was on cloud nine when I saw it! Love him still!

    Oh.. can I add that Jung So Min my 3rd K-Crush? LOL.

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  4. Yeah, I first knew KHJ from BOF too. I usually don't like dramas that have been hyped up and BOF was too hyped up for me. But one fine day early this year I just decided to watch it at a streaming site and the first episode with KHJ as Rui made me actually exclaimed aloud.. who is this guy playing my Rui?? (it's my favourite character from the manga). Then I googled him up.. found the 'We Got Married' KHJ-cut.. found the SS501 clips.. and here I am.. turning my blog into a KHJ shrine.. LOL.

    I actually didn't like k-drama, most of them are too dramatic and mushy for me.. they're always about lovers and revenge and family feuds and stuff. I never watch them without my remote forward button on overdrive. I like j-drama more. But now I'm watching Playful Kiss RAW, and several times too. Then re-watch them again when the subs are out.. hehe

    I have the BBC series too!! haha.. how cool is that? I still feel a lot for Mr. Darcy despite all the years that have passed after I crushed on him the first time.

    Jung So Min is love. She makes me understand why all the guys in the story makes a fuss about her character. I never did understand that from the anime/TW-version/japanese version.

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  5. Agree with you totally with regard to Jung So Min! I mean, come on, even I find myself fall for her/the way she portrays her character! Which hot blooded teen wouldn't ha ha ha.

    I have been trying to find 'We Got Married' KHJ-cut but have yet to be successful :(. I love watching the SS501 interact with each other in shows such as "Thanks 4 waking us up".

    OMG, like you, I didn't want to watch k-drama due to the same perception. I just couldn't handle all the crying etc. Every time I saw Mum watching it, I just couldn't handle it and would have to walk away! Look at me now.. counting the days for PK to air the next episode!

    Talking of which.. today is episode 9 day. Then tomorrow the wonderful folks from Viikii would have it subbed. Oh yeah!

    ReplyDelete