Favorite K-pop of the Year - Solos and Sub Units 2014

I always like to put something in front of the actual post, but I am seriously drawing a blank here. I could say something corny about soloists being brave and unique to be their own person instead of hanging out in a group, but I am not really feeling that right now. I guess the only thing that I can think of is that the artists in this list are all over the place. There's folk pop, K-pop, a fake group, and some in between things. So after that awkward intro, on to the post!

Favorite K-pop of the Year - Comebacks 2014

I liked a lot of comebacks this year. I think there were more than last year and that caused me problems in the beginning drafts. The post was too long, I ran out of label space, and the boys were crushing the girls because I generally like guy groups more than girl groups. In the end, the way that I chose which comeback to talk about is which groups do I really care about. There are comebacks I like from groups that I don't really listen to, so they were the first so go. So that means that TVXQ, Boyfriend, and god were out. Sorry guys. I didn't really want to, but I nixed U-KISS and CN Blue too. I loved those songs and I'm more into these groups then the before three, but I still am not as big of a fan of them as I am of other groups.

It was at this point that I felt comfortable with my picks

Debuts               Solos and Sub Units 

Favorite K-Pop of the Year - Debuts 2014

There have been some good debuts this year. I think there were also less debuts than there were last year which is good because man there were a lot of debuts last year and a lot of them weren't that great. Just because you can pump out a group doesn't mean that you should! I was surprised with the amount of groups that I was curious about from their debut song this year. The songs on this list are all over the board as these lists I put together usually are. There is some boy band magic, a little jazz, and a little hip hop sprinkled in for good measure. There is something for everything.

Most of these groups have also had their comeback which I am thankful for. It always makes me sad when my interest is piqued by a group only for them to never see the light of day again. And as usual, whenever I say things about people disappearing forever, I am always brought back to my perpetual sadness brought on by Nevermind. It will be two years this month since their debut song and because nothing official was ever released, I have that crazy person in the back of my mind that says it could happen.

Comebacks                        Solos and Sub Units

Fall K-pop Favorites

The fall. The time of year where there are a lot less comebacks and many of the songs that do come out are ballads. As we have gotten closer and closer to winter and Christmas it has been rather quite in the K-pop world (song wise anyways) but I still have a nice little list here. At least I think it is nice, someone could think it was stupid but we are all entitled to our own opinion even if it wrong. There's going to be quite a few posts in the next few days - if I can get my act together - so without further ado, let's get to the post!

Zhou Mi Rewind Mini Album Review

You know what I have been rewinding? This album. Zhou Mi has always been my favorite member of Super Junior M and I have been patiently waiting for the moment that he would be able to do this. It wasn't really until the Break Down album that I felt that Zhou Mi and Henry really got to show what they could do and now the two of them have done solo work. I personally like Zhou Mi's style better though so the feels are stronger right now then they were for Henry's solo debut. Sorry Henry, you're cool too.

VIXX Error Album Review

Because I sometimes have the attention span of a goldfish, I totally forgot that I wanted to review albums more often. It's a good thing that I was reminded about it or else I would have just let this go and never have though about it. Hooray for internet friends!

Summer K-pop Favorites

There are so many songs! I don't know what it was about July, but I just loved everything! That is one reason that I wrote the K-pop Rookies post because the list was getting really long and the month was only half over! It probably also has something to do with the fact that it is summer and summer songs are some of my favorite songs. We all know that I don't really like ballads, so, to me, the happiness of summer is better than the sadness of winter.

Even with a small post about rookies, this list got really long as we got closer to the posting date and it made me wonder what I could do to make it a more manageable sized post. This is a problem though because I picked all these songs because I like them and I think that other people should like them too! Not that people don't already like them, but I want them to be here because it's my post and I can do what I want. So I have created three categories: K-pop, soloists, and other, that way I can pretend that this long list is kind of organized in some way.

Ranking of my favorite Super Junior Albums

Here we go, the last day of my Super Junior posting spree......at least for now *dramatic music* I also think I figured out what I want to do for their 10 year anniversary. Excessive? Maybe. Do I care? No. Could it crash and burn as I decide I've made a terrible decision? Yes.

This list, as stated in the title, is going to be about the Super Junior albums rated from least favorite to most favorite. There aren't any albums that I hate, but some albums are definitely better than others. I am also not going to be talking about any sub unit groups, that might be for another list. I also won't be putting in any EP's or singles in this list, it just going to be the seven albums that they have released since their debut. Here we go! 

Super Junior Mamacita Album Review

Just so you are all aware, this week is going to be the week of Super Junior, so if you don't like them, I would stay away from here for the next few days. I haven't had any new Super Junior for two years so I am latching on to this like the fangirling leech that I try to never be.

I think that I can pretty non biasedly say that this album is really good because I can also say that I didn't love the Sexy, Free, and Single album. I didn't buy that album right away and for a while considered only buying a few songs namely "Gulliver" and "Butterfly" because those songs are awesome. I did eventually buy it though and I like it, but it isn't my favorite album they have ever done.

Spring K-pop Favorites

Happy end of spring/beginning of summer! How is the weather in your areas of the world? We have had some pretty grossly hot days here, but there have also been some really nice days. We have also had a few really good lightening storms which were pretty cool. It will only continue to get hotter though and monsoon season is not yet upon us. I'm sure that it will all be quite the experience when it starts.

For this season's songs that I liked there are less videos with a small view count and even the ones with a smaller count aren't nearly as small as the ones that I chose last time. There is a repeat from last time as well because the person in question is awesome!

Winter K-pop Favorites

It's spring! Hooray! Even though I don't feel like I can really say that because it has been raining all winter here in Utah so there hasn't really been any snow for me to curse at like there was last year.

Over these past three winter months, there have been quiet a few songs that have come out that I loved but unfortunately couldn't write about because that would be ridiculous. Sometimes I feel like I can hardly get one post out.

Something that I have also come to - not really realize, but maybe come to a deeper understanding - is that some of he best music is the stuff that you have to go digging for. Most of these videos, with the exception of SPICA who is at a little over a million views, don't have very many views. Their view counts are sitting at five digits or the low six digits and that is an absolute travesty! A travesty I say! 

Before we really begin I realize that this isn't all K-pop, it is a mish-mash of K-pop and various other things. My main issue with Korean music is that I don't know what it truly popular in Korea because it is easier, as an international fan, to find things that are heavily publicized and just because you have a lot of money, does not mean that you are the most popular person out there.

In this post I am talking about songs that don't have a high view count on Youtube that people should definitely be watching and listening to because these songs are awesome.   

Wax - Coin Laundry (Never Loved)

This song is absolutely gorgeous and the video is heart wrenching, sounds like a winning combination, yeah? This video could probably be made into some horribly romantic tear jerking melo, heck it probably already is and I think that I would like to stay as clear as I can from that story. This four and a half minute video is enough for me.
 
Royal Pirates - Drawing the Line  

Upon first listen, this song grabbed me faster than "Shout Out" did. Where "Shout Out" was kind of electronic, this song has more of a traditional sound but it is still a Royal Pirates song. I think that says a lot about a group if they can completely change their sound from one album to the next but still stay true to who they are as a group. 

SPICA - You Don't Love Me 

That intro though. These girls can SING and it's too bad that they aren't that popular in the K-pop world. They have definitely become more popular since "Tonight" though which was also a fantastic song. I also like that they can be sexy but also funny, i.e those butt pads. This video is full of contrasting scenes of one moment they are looking might fine and then the next there is someone squatting in front of a toilet and pouring Lucky Charms on their head. What?
 
Yoo Seung Woo - Hesitating Lips
 

I am not ready for Yoo Seung Woo to shed his adorableness and become an adult! He's just so cute with his bowl cut and his guitar! I was hesitant at first because it is a ballad and the teaser was two people looking longingly at each other. Oh yeah, that's super original. This song is actually really good though and I don't mind looking at that male actor who I only know as Man Won from Golden Rainbow, he is a fine looking human being.
   
SPEED - Don't Tease Me

SPEED has never really done it for me, but for some reason I really like what they have been doing lately. This is the first song that caught my attention as had their most recent song "Zombie Party". And while we're on the topic of "Zombie Party", are they filming in the same decrepit old building that Block B fimled "Nalina"? It's too bad that "Don't Tease Me" didn't get a real music video because it could have been awesome if they went with this circus theme. If anything, this dance was a-ma-zing. 

Boys Republic - Video Game 

This group debuted middle of last year and their song was okay but it didn't blow my socks off and cause me to fall in love with them, but I was slightly interested in their future ventures and I must say, I quite like this song. The song itself isn't life altering and I'm not going to devote my life to Boys Republic, but I will continue to listen to this song and continue to watch them. After reading what I wrote I realize that this is like a gigantic backhanded compliment. I feel bad now, go listen to this song, it's pretty good.

UglyPumpkin - From Yesterday 

These guys just debuted and I am kind of in love with them and when I say "kind of" I mean super in love with them. This was also my song last week because last week kind of sucked and may I say, I played this an obscene amount of times and I still kind of am. It also makes my heart happy that there is a little round guy in a group that has so much potential to be amazing. The video is also really chill with the three of them goofing off and looking to be enjoying the creation of their debut video.

Space Cowboy - Falling  

This song is one of those beautiful examples of autotune used well. When I first listened to it I thought of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" mixed with a little Daft Punk and something beautiful was created. Listening to this song I can see this story being created of two people meeting in a smokey bar and then hooking up  later. Nothing I have said makes any sense for me to say because I don't really believe in doing any of that, but that's what I think of.
  
40 - Counting Stars 

What is this song that has just graced my ear drums with its presence? I got goosebumps the first time I listened to this song and still do after listening to it multiple times later. This man has the voice of an angel and he made this entire song by himself and he plays the piano. So, basically, this man is perfect. Perfect! Darn him! So, what I'm trying to say is that you need to drop everything right now and go listen to this song.

And there you have it! Some wonderful people whose talent needs to shared with the masses! You know what to do! Go! Go! Go!

~ Alora

Beautiful Man

Do you hear that? That is the sound of my heart being cut into bite sized pieces and then placed gently on a pillow. My heart, of course, is crushed because I fell hard for David even though I knew that he was ultimately going to loose since he was the second male lead. The pillow is there because he did find a pretty girl who also likes glamping at the end.

Even though the tone of the drama changed quite a bit in the second half, I generally liked it. It didn't make me want to throw things and I never had the thought to stop watching it. I think that right now I am just very easy to please since my last few drama choices have been huge letdowns.

The Plot

DokGo Ma Te (Jang Geun Suk) is a pretty boy who uses his looks to charm successful women. Side note: I really wish that Jang Geun Suk would surprise me with his choice in characters. He is always playing this same character and while he is good at it, he isn't really going anywhere.

While Ma Te is going around and seducing the rich and powerful women of Korea, he meets a woman named Hong Yoo Ra (Han Chae Young) who is the ex-daughter-in-law of a very powerful company. She tells Ma Te that he is the illegitimate child of the Chairman of this company and that she wants his help in bringing the company down. She gives him the task or seducing ten of Korea's top women to gain the knowledge that they have.

This was the plot line that was followed through the first half of the drama, but by the second half, it changed a little. The ten women that Ma Te had to meet became less of a driving factor after the fifth one. They just popped up for a short while and then they left without leaving the same kind of mark that the previous five did.

Women Six and Seven were also a little odd. Number six did help with the court case but woman seven left me a little confused. What did Ma Te learn from her? She also just generally confused me as she floated around and seemed to know everything that was going on. Especially at the end when she called David to save Bo Tong.

Speaking of which, that was the weirdest kidnapping/threatening message ever. What was the point of putting Bo Tong in that room/box thing? Hong Ran couldn't have done anything aside from that? It just seemed so messy, kind of like the writing out of Myo Mi. She just all of a sudden wasn't there any more.  

Plot holes aside, there was a lot of posing done by Jang Geun Suk, but then again, would we expect anything less from him? Look at those skinny legs.

The Characters

Jang Geun Suk as DokGo Ma Te  

Is it wrong to say that I am not on the Jang Geun Suk Express? He's a talented guy and he is very pretty, especially when he smiles, but I feel like he might be a jerk in real life. I can't really make that assumption because I don't know him, but that's how I feel. Maybe it's because he always plays the same character so that's how I see him.

The character of Ma Te was a good one though, it was interesting to see him change throughout the drama from a gigantic useless jerk to a person who understood the need of hard work and how the world actually works.

IU as Kim Bo Tong

I fully enjoyed Kim Bo Tong. Yes, she was desperate in the beginning and at the end as well, but she also grew as a person. At the end of the drama she was only stumbling every once in a while instead of falling all over herself when it came to Ma Te.

She was also able to give some good advice to Ma Te as well and I liked that she knew that he was lying and that Hong Ran had something to do with his noble idiocy at the end. I am always for the female leads knowing that they are not useless and that some outside force is the driving factor of the guys angst and not just themselves. 

Lee Jang Woo as David Choi

Why did you have to be the second male lead, why? He was like a male Bo Tong and was everything that Ma Te wasn't. You don't need Kim Bo Tong, come to me, I will love you. But only if you change your hair back to the way it was in the beginning instead of that frizzy look you were rocking at the end.

Han Chae Young as Hong Yoo Ra 

I was a little confused about her character. I liked her, she was a large driving factor of everything that happened, but she also wasn't very consistent at the end. I guess that just plays into what I was saying about the last half of the drama being different from the first.

The reason she wanted to destroy MG was because of what they did to her in separating her from her daughter. I forgot about the daughter though, and when I did remember it confused me because no one seemed to remember her either. Then at the end, she picked up and left. She did come back, but it just seemed weird.

Final Thoughts

Weird plot issues aside, I really liked this drama. It was very quirky and that was probably because it was based off a manwha and things are always weirder in comics than they are in "real life". It was something that didn't require any brain power really which is something that you just need sometimes.

This drama also brought the reign of Jang Geun Suk's hair to an end, and may I say, I am okay with that.

~ Alora 

Beautiful Man Episodes 7 and 8

Scandal! Lies! Socks! Park Ji Yoon! Sink noodles! This drama doesn't have an incredible amount of depth to it, but it is doing it's job and that is okay with me. I wonder if I would like it as much had I read the manwha before I watched this.

Episode 7

In this episode there are quite a few awkward meetings two of which are uncomfortable and one that makes you take pause and say, "What?" A new woman also came into Ma Te's life, but it's not woman number four, but he will probably be able to learn something from her since that is the dramas theme.

I will become your lover

Ma Te has finally met his match and he isn't aware of it yet. He thinks that In Joong is just another woman who he can drag about on a string, but what he doesn't realize is that he is actually tangled in her strings. She kind of reminds me of an Aes Sedai from the Wheel of Time series. I think that if In Joong were an Aes Sedai, she would be in the Blue Ajah, maybe even a secret Black sister, she sucks enough for that.

Nerd alert! I'm sorry you had to see that. Anyways, he tells her that he will become her lover if she helps him sell 300,000 KRW worth of socks so that Hong Ran doesn't crush them later on. Too bad In Joong got that promise on tape and is going to crush you instead.

How does David know Yoo Ra?

 

It is no secret that I love the character of David, but as I am getting farther into this drama I realize that he has quite a few secrets. The one that is revealed in this episode is that he and Hong Yoo Ra seem to have had a thing. I don't know what that thing is yet, but he was very surprised to see her, and even more surprised to see that Ma Te has some connection to her.

Knitting clothes for you grandchildren, eh?

Someone had a secret baby in New York! And guess who speaks English because he spent a lot of time in New York? David. Is he this secret child, or are the writers making it so obvious so they can slap us with something later? I don't know anything about the story so I can't say, but I'm thinking that David and Ma Te are going to be step siblings somehow. Unless David is illegitimate child and that adds a whole other layer of scandal frosting to this cake.

Renew, Reuse, Recycle

 

So gross!! Why would you think that this is a good idea? I know that you guys are all about re-purposing, but there is a fine line between being creative and just being incredibly strange. I did like the phone idea though, that is kind of brilliant. 

Episode 8 

It's confession time in the land of Beautiful Man. By the time the episode is over we are left with two and a half confessions and a collective "omo"! 

Shocking, I never saw that coming. 

Oh, Bo Tong, you sweet, sweet simpleton, everyone knows that you are desperately in love with Ma Te. The only consolation that I have is that the first confession is a big deal in Asian culture and she technically, I assume, has never outright told Ma Te that she loves him. I kind of wonder what Ma Te will do when she finally tells him, because it is one thing to know some one likes you and another thing entirely to have them tell you. 

Another secret baby?

 

Surprise! Myo Mi isn't actually a lesbian! She just uses that as a front to hide the fact that she had a secret child ten years ago. What? I'm not sure how that makes sense, but whatever. I'm just glad that she was brave enough to say it herself before In Joong used it against her. Side note, In Joong is a sucky human being. 

Get it, David!

I'm going to continue to live in my own personal delusion that Bo Tong will accept David's confession if he actually gets the words out before something happens. Side note, his jacket is fantastic. I love everything that he has worn in the drama. Ever since I watched Dream High last year, I have noticed that I drool over men's outerwear more than women's.

Is that the sound of frenemies I hear? Maybe even a bromance?

I don't know if I would go so far as to say bromance, David is too grumpy that all Bo Tong sees in Ma Te to truly like him. I feel you David, I feel you. If David and Ma Te really are somehow half siblings though, it will be interesting to see what that new conflict does to their potentially budding relationship. 

Final thoughts

Well, the drama is halfway over at this point and thus far I am really enjoyed it. The story is light and it isn't trying to be anything that it isn't. It's about socks and pretty boys for Pete's sake! Ever with this though, there is a nice amount of drama with Yoo Ra's revenge plot and the conflict that is brewing within MG. 

Then we also have the woman of the moment, In Joong messing with Myo Mi and Ma Te's life. she is the longest standing woman thus far and she is doing really well. I kind of wonder though if there are really going to be ten women though since we have only met three out of the ten and we're now half way through the drama. 

Keep doing what you do drama! I am thoroughly enjoying myself.  

~ Alora

Beautiful Man Episode 1

Jang Geun Suk and his hair are finally back on Korea's small screen for the drama "Beautiful Man" based off a 17 volume Korean manwha. It is about a beautiful man, surprise surprise, named Dokgo Ma Te (Jang Geun Suk). He knows that he is good looking and wants nothing more than to gain money using his appearance. He eventually meets a woman named Hong Yoo Ra (Han Chae Young) who sees his potential and decides to cultivate it and gives him the mission to seduce ten different very successful women. This all seems well and good, only a completely ordinary girl named Kim Bo Tong (IU) has had a crush on him for 10 years and is bound and determined to win his love.



Our opening scene takes place in a high rise apartment and we see a woman who is looking pretty fancy unbuttoning the shirt of a very bored looking Dokgo Ma Te (Jang Geuk Suk). As more buttons become undone she offers to buy Ma Te a car which brings him up short and he puts an end to whatever was going to happen on that couch.

He says that he's hurt that she thinks of him as everyone else does, someone who will do anything for money. Well, if the shoe fits. As he continues his walk out the door, in a final attempt to save her face, she offers to buy him an apartment like the one they are in.

With this offer he pulls a quick about face and turns her knees to jelly with a kiss and leaves with a smile on his face. You are a grade A human being, sir.

On the other side of the spectrum we have Kim Bo Tong (IU) who is making a wall paper of Ma Te's face only to be interrupted by her little bother (Hoon) in a taekwondo uniform and is obviously not impressed with his noona's choice in men. He thinks that men should have muscles like Kim Jong Gook while she is a fan of the skinnier Kim Dong Won. 

Next, they are interrupted by mom who is not pleased that her daughter is working at a samgyupsal place when she could be working at the family BBQ restaurant. Mom is also not pleased that her college graduate daughter isn't doing anything with her life and has no dreams. Bo Tong says this isn't true. She grabs herself a pad of paper and proceeds to write that her life goal is it to be "Ma Te's wife". I didn't know that Oh Ha Ni was cast in another drama. 

Bo Tong leaves the house to go grocery shopping and gets hot and bothered by everything from the butcher's manly fish cutting to the "naked" chickens wating to be bought. She also imagines herself swimming in Ma Te's perfect collar bones. I can't with this girl. 

At the bus stop she reminisces about the first time that she met Ma Te on a bus ten years ago. And may I say, she is not going to be winning any subtlety awards any time soon. 

 At home, in the middle of her fantasizing about the boy on the bus, her mom calls her out to meet some friends, and wouldn't you know it, it's the mystery boy and his mom. Bo Tang immediately begins bowing and scrapping only to find that Ma Te is a vegetarian. He says that to be polite he will eat the meat and he is either a lying liar head or the worst vegetarian on the planet because he puts those ribs away. 

At Ma Te and his mother's home, he asks when he will be able to go see his father. She says it is not time yet, but when it is she will give Ma Te a password to prove he is his father's son. Because that makes a lot of sense. 

Mom goes inside and Ma Te then notices a submarine scope peeking over a wall. He goes to investigate and finds that it is Bo Tong. She has brought him a container of meat to persuade him to the dark side. He very coolly sends her away, but tells her to leave the tub of meat. Classy.

At school, Bo Tong skips class to stare at Ma Te through the window, and she is not alone. Every girl in the classroom, including the teacher (Kim Seul Gi) stare longingly at him as he takes a drink of water. Bo Tong says her new goal in life is to become that bottle or water. She is the embodiment of every fan girl on the planet. 

Snapping back to the present, Ma Te's girlfriend asks what kind of furniture he would like to decorate his new apartment with and suggests that the furniture should be as beautiful as the owner. Oh, barf. Then, with his own mouth, he asks her if he really is pretty. Double barf. She then starts comparing that question to whether or not the earth is round or if kimbap is triangular. My eyes have rolled so far up into my head, I may never find them again. 

She is sad that all she has is money and is afraid that a young beautiful woman will snatch Ma Te away from her. He says not to worry because money is what is beautiful to him. At least you're honest. 

She is very happy to hear this as he pulls her in for a kiss and she gives him the keys to his new car. He walks down to the garage and tells the car that it should be honored to have a owner as fine as him. He then does a few fist pumps and hits the button to unlock his car.

While he is driving he receives a call from another female admirer, but this time it is his mother. She has taken some selca's of herself and wants him to choose the one that looks the prettiest. This should be a happy mother/son conversation, but she seems to have something really important to tell him, but doesn't. She also has a pretty hefty box of pills. I'm going to say cancer, we are in a drama anyways. 

While talking to mom, a woman in a red car pulls up next to him and they meet eyes and there is a spark or recognition. When the light changes, Ma Te tries to chase her down, but she is able to get away and I'm going to assume that this is not the first time that she has escaped him. 

The woman is Hong Yoo Ra (Han Chae Young) "the woman who appears and then disappears the moment I might forget her." Their first meeting was at a coffee shop when he first moved to Seoul. He saw her across the room and "acted natural" and it was anything but. 

She sends a glass of water to his table with a note that says "Drink this and get a hold of yourself." You might want to use that water to sooth the burn you just received.

 

Back in present times, Ma Te meets up with a friend and asks him why he would want to spend his life working at a host bar pouring drink for the ladies. The friend wonders if Ma Te is really that different from him. Truth. 

Ma Te's mother and Bo Tong go out together and Bo Tong asks if this person she is meeting is a friend. Mom says that it is someone that she wishes were a friend because then she could stay at their side for a long time. 

She meets with a man that is only called President. The two are friendly with each other and the man asks how Ma Te is doing. Could this be daddy dearest? 

 Mom and Bo Tong spend some time together in the garden outside the house and Bo Tong gifts mom with a bouquet or fallen leaves and mom marvels at Bo Tong's beautiful creation. Bo Tong blushes at the compliment and says that Ma Te is the beautiful one. Bo Tong is honest to Ma Te's mom about her feeling for him which I'm sure is no surprise to her. 

Mom asks Bo Tong that if she is ever not around, would she take care of Ma Te for her. Bo Tong agrees happily, but then worries. Is Ma Te's mom going somewhere? Mom replies that she is just speaking hypothetically and that Bo Tong shouldn't worry about anything. Famous last words.

Ma Te has been dragged to a reunion dinner by his girlfriend so that she can show him off. All the friends shoot barbs about him being a gold digger and he is able to deflect all of them without really saying that they are wrong about him. 

At Bo Tong's house, she becomes worried that she will have her mothers body when she gets older so she gets her bother to help her wrap herself in saran wrap. The funny antics are stopped though when mom comes running in saying that Ma Te's mom has been taken to the hospital. 

 

 Ma Te leaves the party and tells his girlfriend to never invite him to anything like that again. After she leaves he sees Yoo Ra step out of her car. He demands to know who she is and why she keeps appearing before him.

She says she doesn't know what he is talking about, she's just here for the reunion party. They are interrupted when his phone rings, it's his mother's phone but Bo Tong is on the other end. She says his mom is in the hospital with cancer and didn't tell anyone. 

Ma Te runs to his car but is stopped by Yoo Ra, she says that she can smell alcohol on his breath and that she will drive him. She makes me really uncomfortable. I suppose that is the point, but I don't like that she is going to the hospital with him. 

 

Back at the reunion, the ladies exit the building to find that Ma Te's car is still in the lot. The ask the valet about it and he says that Ma Te left with a woman the ladies realize to be Yoo Ra. They wonder if she is back in the habit of stealing boyfriends, but say that it shouldn't matter because she doesn't have any money after her divorce. 

Ma Te finds his mom and tells her to get treated so that they can go home. He also demands that he be allowed to contact his father and is angry and confused when his mother still refuses to tell him anything. 

The nurse comes in and warns mom about straining herself. Yoo Ra also walks into the room and Ma Te receives a call from his girlfriend. Yoo Ra tells him that he can leave and she will watch over his mom. No! Don't leave! She looks at your mom with a total creeper face! Something's about to go down.

As soon as Ma Te leaves the room, Yoo Ra turns on the scary and says that it took her a very long time to find them since they hid so well. That's not creepy at all. 

Mom begins to panic as Yoo Ra continues to say that Ma Te doesn't seem to know whose son he is. Yoo Ra thinks that it is about time that Ma Te figures everything out. Mom begins to struggle to breath and I'm pretty sure she is going to have a heart attack. What is happening? 

Outside, Ma Te tells his girlfriend not to call him for a while when he hears Bo Tong's voice coming from his mother's room crying for her to wake up. He's too late, she has died. What did you do to her you crazy woman?!

At the funeral room, Bo Tong's mom approaches Ma Te and tells him to change into his funeral clothes. Ma Te doesn't feel worthy to attend his mother's funeral because he wasn't there for her when she was alive. Bo Tong walks over with the funeral picture which turns out to be the photos that Mom sent him the other day to choose which one he liked best. Right in the feels. 

He goes to place the photo in the flowers but can't let it go and falls to the ground and cries.

After the funeral, Ma Te goes to his mother's house and stares at her shoes on the doorstep when Yoo Ra walks in. Go away!!!! He is beyond caring at this point that she seems to know everything about him. He tells her this much as well, but she stops him in his tracks when she mentions "the password".

She knows that he needs it and now he knows that she is the only one that knows what that word is. He asks who she is and all she says is that she is the one that knows the words that he wants to know. 

"Dokgo Ma Te, you're mine."

Thoughts

Wow, I was not expecting this whole mystery angle of the drama. I thought it would just be about this random woman who shapes Ma Te into the man that he could become but didn't know how to do on his own. I like it thought because Han Chae Young is awesome and it would have been too bad if she just stood their prettily and that's it. She is good and standing prettily though. 

Another reason this sudden turn of events caught me unawares is because the beginning was so light and fluffy. IU is adorable and Jang Geun Suk is (I'm sorry) a little ridiculous. I mean, he's a good actor but I just feel the waves of self love flowing from him and it is almost unbearable. I know that it is his character, but I also feel that Jang Geun Suk himself might be a little like this. I can't say things like that though since I don't actually know the guy so I'll just stop there.

I really like IU's character though. It's not like she has a lot of depth at the moment, but she is cute and the design team didn't make her out to be ugly or anything which always kind of irks me. I feel like she is the person that is always told that she is ordinary and nothing special and then actually begins to believe it. I found out that her name even means ordinary. That's like setting someone up to not go anywhere in life. I must say that I do like her clothes though. They are quirky and cute rather than extremely questionable like so many other heroines. 

I think that I am going to like this drama if it continues at the pace that it has set at the moment. We also have two drama staples in the works, one person has died of cancer and our male lead has some birth secret that is even bigger than we first believed. Let the games begin.

~ Alora