[Picture recap] Playful Kiss Episode 9

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 9 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 and A Koala's Playground. I'll just talk about the scenes that interest me.

First of all, let me rant about the long preview. Who on earth decides what should and should not go into the long previews? Is he a staff in Group 8? Tell me his name. I want to write a letter to recommend for his transfer. This is simply NOT the way to do long previews. Long previews are supposed to whet the viewers' appetite in order for them to wait impatiently for the next episode. But I found myself thinking.. oh, I've watched this one so no need to watch it again. Whaa..? Don't disclose the whole scene! Play - pause - cut... play - pause - cut. Is that so hard?? O wellz.. despite knowing I'll be treated to a whole lotta spoiler, I still can't stop myself from watching the long previews. Long live long previews, and the staff who edits them!

Since a whole, what.. 10 minutes?.. of episode 9 has been ripped up in the long preview and I've babbled about it here and here, let's get a move on, shall we? A lovely episode deserves a long spazz session, so here it is~

Picture recap... STAAAATO!

I was half-expecting him to shrug her off.. never thought he'd smile instead. And then I knew why. Right at this moment he's thinking... hmmm, this is my chance to bully her again into studying. I mean seriously, I've heard of some devious stuff guys have asked girls to do to prove their love, but scoring in their mid-term exams.. now, that's a new one. This must be what pure love feels like.

Am I the only one who thinks that Seung Jo's pose is so seductive? "Come here honey, lie beside me while I whisper sweet nothings in your ear" (waaaaa). But Hani's a pure-hearted lover, so she doesn't catch the drift. That position is totally wasted on her.. and more's the pity. (I wish I were her body double for this scene)

 Lord of the Suns.. *stares* ..excuse me while I get distracted for a few hours.

Couple t-shirts... kyaaaaa! The significance of which is totally lost on Seung Jo, I bet.

Hera's clearly not appreciating the fact that she's out having dinner with a man not of her choice. And the fact that he's nervously stuttering in front of her must have made her feel that the outing is a complete waste of her time. I thoroughly empathized.With her. Tennis-sunbae, next time.. bring your racket along on your date.

Why are you not this eloquent in front of her, Tennis-sunbae? You're hopeless.. *sigh*

I love their father-daughter interactions. Her father is always supportive of her, allowing her to make mistakes while protecting her as much as he can. Very few fathers achieve the right balance without a mother figure around. Being busy with his own work has not prevented him from being sensitive to her needs, especially at a time when she's growing into an adult. But I think Hani has always been a nice, well-adjusted kid who has never given her father much headache.. at least until Baek Seung Jo comes along. It gives me a warm feeling inside just looking at them being together.

Joon Gu is being reprimanded on the way he pursues Hani (I'm squeeing over how cute this guy is now.. like.. every time he appears on screen. It's amazing what a new hairdo can do to one's appearance). Will we see a cooler and more suave Joon Gu in future episodes?

That little smile he reserves just for Hera-ya. "Here comes my paragon of perfection, my brilliant other half, the only girl in this whole wide world whom I can have a decent one-to-one conversation with..". Grrrrrr, makes me want to smack that smile off his face with a mop.

The Impenetrable Wall of Evil Twins (henceforth will be shortened to IWETs) have just become more impenetrable than ever.. *smack smack*

As hard as they try, even self-hypnosis can't make them believe that Hani can morph into Hera or Tennis-sunbae into Seung Jo.

The upper echelons of Stalkers UNITE have their own stalkers now! This society is getting quite popular and influential, it seems.

Hani is teaching Tennis-sunbae her awesomely weird dance skill. Step here, step there, grab a racket handle, push push push, pull sharply backwards, aaaaand trip~

This is how it's done, sunbae.
Are you sure Hani?
Yes, yes. The woman must be on top, and then your leg has to cross above mine like so.. uhuh.

That Hani. How dare she frolics around on the court in broad daylight with Tennis-sunbae right in front of me and 10,000 other people...

Painful wrist-grab is not gonna be enough this time. I will punish her with my severely intense icy glare and distant attitude. That'll hurt her more.

Oh Hani, the resident Ball Magnet of Parang University.

   Seung Jo-ya, why do you look so dashing even though you're just wearing a regular-looking unbuttoned blue shirt on top of a regular-looking white t-shirt with a black noose hanging around your neck? I totally didn't say anything about the ugly backpack you insist on wearing since day 1 of college though.
   Hera-ya, you don't look half so bad yourself. That short-sleeved brown jacket with a layered-collar and the red bag strap to top it off, like a single cherry on a delicious mocha cake. Your single gold bracelet too looks simply fetching, if I may say so myself... and of course I may, coz I'm a friggin' genius.

Go away, Hani. You're disturbing our very stimulating conversation that always manages to center around our interesting selves.

 Your loss, my gain.. dum dee dum.

I'm a big guy now. I can shoulder the responsibility of staying at home alone to play games, drink bottles of cola and eat a large helping of pizza all by myself.

Oh Hani.. are you stalking my house again??

Seung Jo, help! Despite having your parents' and my father's phone numbers, and (probably) the numbers of a coupla people who are staying in your neighbourhood's vicinity, I don't know who else to call but you.

 

Hani's shoulder... Hani's hair... Hani's ear... must restrain myself...

Hawtly sensual, subtle brushing of body parts OMG before they hold each other in an embrace that bespeaks a loving concern for one another instead of mere youthful lust between two hormonal young lovers. Very appropriate for the scene and the (hospital) setting. Seriously, I love this couple.

Mrs. Baek is no longer in a funk upon seeing her favourite future daughter-in-law (ooops, that's not really a spoiler.. is it?)

Is this the expression of a guy who's irritated at the presence of a girl he dislikes? He's smiling from ear-to-ear. Or rather, the "Seung Jo's ear-to-ear smile" version.

I want you to be a doctor!!!   \( ^o^ )/
Don't you dare decide my life for me... W( *c* )W    [this is Seung Jo turning into Super Saiyya]

 

Here I come wearing that black noose around my neck again, and with a smile to hypnotize you into believing how wonderful the noose looks against the backdrop of my gorgeously built body.

They KISSED??

THEY kissed??

Yep, that they did. And our beloved Seung Jo initiated it.. *wink wink*

Eun Jo is reading a manhwa!! Did the production team borrow this particular prop from hyung's extensive manhwa collection? hehe

Can't help screencaping this one coz he looks cute enough to make my heart palpitate a bit (okay.. actually a lot) in this scene. Joon Gu-ya, if Hani doesn't want you, I can take you in as my pet. Think of me as a home that will always be here for you.

One reason why I've not written Baek Seung Jo off as someone completely beyond help is how fond he is of his little brother. No matter how abrupt and cold he is to other people, even to his own parents, to his dongsaeng he is an angel incarnate.. always smiling at him, helping him with school work, listening to whatever the kid has to say. I want a big brother like this too.

Look at this scene of domestic harmony. It's really amazing how people can be this happy in a hospital, surrounded by the stench of sickness and death. Then, of course Hani has to practically end up on Seung Jo's lap, well.. almost practically anyway.

Oh Hani, I am not a sofa. Gerrr off...

A completely random scene, but I love seeing the Baek brothers fooling around with wheelchairs along the hospital corridor just like any normal excitable kids.

If you've watched the anime, you'd be overwhelmed at how close the "hospitalized Eun Jo" arc is to the original, well at least I was. I spent some long minutes with my jaw hanging halfway down my chair marveling at how amazing it is that they found real life people who fit the characters so closely they seem like 3D flesh-and-blood version of their anime counterparts.

Why are you moving into my house right after I've made the decision to get a part time job and move out? What am I to do?? Shall I invite you to my new apartment for a sleepover? (ooops, that's not really a spoiler.. is it?)

Eun Jo's "hit and run" version of saying thank you to Oh Hani for saving his life.

You, looking at me, looking at you

I wanna talk to you

 You, looking at me...

...looking at you

 Carry on from day...

...to day

 Even when we touch it seems miles away

 I know you know I know too

 Is it me or is it you?

The two faces of Bong Joon Gu. Awwww, sweetie.. I'm always available for you.

Is this yours? I found it lying around on the corridor...

 

I'm definitely not affected by your childish panties, or your A-cup chest, or the fact that you're running around my house clad only in a towel. Shut up dad, can't you see I'm too busy pretending I don't have a sexual preference for girls here?

I want you to be a businessman!!!   \( ^o^ )/

Don't you dare decide my life for me... WW( *c* )WW    [Seung Jo's turning into Super Super Saiyya]

You want me to be a doctor. My dad wants me to be a businessman. I'm still bumming around the galaxy without a clue about what to do in life.. and I'm supposed to be a friggin' genius. So yeah, am totally taking my frustration out on you, Oh Hani. But no matter how much I hurt your feelings, you'll still come bouncing back to me like a rubber ball coz you love me, right?

Well, well, well.. this is a side-love story I want to see develop in the korean version of INK. Could we please have a love triangle between Tennis-sunbae, his deputy and the paragon.. please?

She's stalking him in his closet now... eeeep

Oh Hani, what are you doing in my room on my bed with my younger brother's clothes on your lap?

You don't influence me. Nobody does. I decide everything on my own using my super-brilliant brain. So stop looking like the universe has imploded right in front of your face.

He looks like he's about to sprout wings and fly. I'm bringing sexy back...take em' to the chorus! *cough* ...errrmm, where was I? O yeah.. Seung Jo moving out of his home of 20 years without so much as a tear.. huh.

It's because I have good parents that I have been protected from the big bad world. Nice speech. Kids who want to leave home and be independent from your parents, please memorize hyung's script.

Things are so much different now

But nothing lasts forever...
(Ozzy Osbourne: You Looking at Me Looking at You lyrics)