DFR: Arang and the Magistrate ep 9

Welcome back ATM fans, that are so excited about this show, you come here & read my sub par recaps/reviews.  Yeah I know the truth.  And I am totally okay with that.  You use me to get more ATM & I use you to make me feel like I am a writer.  It's a give/take relationship at it's best.  

Last week I lamented that our main leads didn't have enough time together & that the chemistry was starting to ebb.  Well, it isn't exactly hot this week but it's definitely an improvement.  AND they had a lot more together time & a decent fight scene to boot.  Squueeeee!!!  I love watching the fight scenes.  And am particularly fascinated by the usage of a regular fan as a weapon.  Pretty awesome sauce that.  Just my opinion...I don't know maybe I am easily impressed.  And I loved that last week's jealousy turned into an impassioned plea for her to not worry him.  Very romantic!  Sorry getting ahead of myself.  

At the end of episode 8 Lord Choi had just arrived & both he & Eun Oh believed they were going to put the other in his proper place. That's where this episode immediately dives into... a showdown...of sorts.  Which man would win this round....let's find out shall we? 

Episode 9, starts out w/ Lord Choi questioning why Eun Oh would want to remind the entire town of the horrible tragedy that occurred during the last war?  At Eun Oh's questioning glance. He goes on to explain that the tomb that Eun Oh discovered & had dug up, was the group tomb made for the many people who lost their lives during the last great war when the town was massacred.  What massacre?  The one that happened during the last war, duh.  

{{My question is IF this tomb is so painful to the townspeople then why didn't the Three Stooges speak up when he led them to this supposed group tomb from a massacre?  Instead they were as shocked & horrified as Eun Oh when he had them dragged off to the abandoned mountain.  Okay back to the review & Lord Choi's pathetically see through lie/excuse}} 

Made me feel better that Eun Oh wasn't falling for this cock & bull story.  

He then goes on tell Lord Choi the Tiger Parable... 

"When a tiger is away from his cave, a fox is acting like a tiger in that cave."  He tells Lord Choi that he can see that fox's wish & then asks him if he intends to use his palms to cover the sky?  Meaning Lord Choi is using this lame story to cover the truth of murder.  But Lord Choi isn't about to be outdone & he accuses Eun Oh of being the fox in the tiger cave & then he brings up the info concerning Eun Oh's illegitimacy.  Not just his illegitimacy though, in front of everyone he reveals that Eun Oh is illegitimate & the son of a slave & not just the son of a slave but the grandson of a traitor.  So he is a nothing in Lord Choi's opinion.  And now everyone...including Arang knows the truth.

Lord Choi explains to him that no one in this town will take him seriously once they know the truth about him.  He certainly won't be respecting him as Magistrate.  {{Umm...Lord Choi even if he had impeccable parentage you wouldn't respect him, you're the bad guy!}}  And all this "Eol Ja/ Seo Chool" talk is quite frankly ticking Eun Oh off....

I heart the fist clench

At this point Ju Wal looks at Arang & suggests they leave.  After they leave Arang isn't paying much attention to Ju Wal who is trying to explain that the Myrtle Grape trees are blooming & he wants to show them to her, since she's not familiar with Miryang.  {{cough cough nope not familiar at all}} but she can't stop thinking about Eun Oh & Lord Choi.  Finally she just stops & decides, out loud of course, that being the son of a slave or the grandson of a traitor doesn't mean anything.  Once we all die, we're all equal.  In a temper of indignation she heads back to Lord Choi & explains this to his face, loudly & by NOT using honorifics.  As she is heading back Lord Choi is asking Eun Oh if he is going to leave.  Of course he can't make Eun Oh leave but he suggest it strongly.  For every one's best interest.  At this point Arang marches up to him & tells him off.  Which ticks off Lord Choi who uses not so nice language of his own.  Has anyone else noticed he sure cusses a lot.  Be really likes the "B" words.  Finally Arang tells him, "what you want to hit me?  Go ahead,' & bends her head down taunting him, 'Go ahead & hit me old man".  

He rears back his hand calling her a "B" again & his hand is stopped by Eun Oh.  That's right no one hits his resurrected girlfriend, who he refuses to admit is his resurrected girlfriend.  

BUT....

Just as Eun Oh was grabbing Lord Choi's hand, Ju Wal was grabbing Arang's wrist & jerking her out of the pathway of the flying hand of Lord Choi.  

And then we got this really hot heated manly display of testosterone between the two men.  

Still have no idea if Ju Wal will be a good guy or not.  Oh ambiguity I hate you!  And yet I love you too.  What can I say... *shrugs shoulders*  I'm a complicated woman.  

Lord Choi is shocked to see Ju Wal there, helping to protect Arang.  Ju Wal looks to Eun Oh & asks him, rather politely I thought, if he would let go of Lord Choi & that they would leave.  He turns to Arang & tells her that he's sorry but they won't be able to go do that thing he wanted so badly but don't worry...I'll be back. {{anybody else thinking about 2pm right about now?!? Hmmmm....just me?  I seriously have that song stuck in my head now!}}

So Eun Oh lets go of Lord Choi's hand & they leave.  Then after they leave he turns to her & asks her what she was thinking...but he doesn't want her to know he was worried so he accuses her of causing trouble wherever she goes.  But she is undaunted by his attack & attacks back with, unlike some people I won't just sit there & let people be abused, whether the abuser is an important person or not.  Then he changes the subject & asks her where she & Ju Wal were going to go & ....

Nice comeback!  Then he asks her don't you know the "Confucian code of conduct between a man & a woman?!?!"  But our Arang, as we all know does not intimidate easily & reminds him he isn't a nobleman so he should just live easily as per his own class.   You tell him sister.  He marches off to his quarters & she follows him, he quickly removes his boots & heads into his room closing her out.  And she yells at him...

Darn skippy he does!  Really, really great!!  

Lord Choi, like the tattle tale he is, goes straight to Creepy Mommy Dearest to tattle that Ju Wal was hanging out with Arang & that he even dared to bring her to their home!!  The nerve.  But Creepy Mommy Dearest doesn't want to talk to Lord Choi.  He just seems to tick her off.  So she kicks him out & then looks really mad.  {{So here is my question...is she mad cause he's such a tattle tale whiney baby OR because she is upset that Ju Wal is hanging w/ Arang?  Correct me if I am wrong but didn't she tell Ju Wal to hang with Arang, seduce her even?!?!  I think she just doesn't like Lord Choi.}}  While he is getting kicked out & cussing some more...Ju Wal is in his room, lost in thought remembering what Arang said to Lord Choi about everybody being equal when they die.  It's scenes like this one that have me believing he is wavering toward the good side.  Ugh!!  Back to Lord Choi, he wants to make sure that Eun Oh knows he is unwelcome.  So he gets his main henchman Geo Deol to round up some bad guys & scare Eun Oh.  Fight scene coming up.  Fight!! Fight!!  Wait...I'll save that for later.  

And where is Dol Seo through all this?  Remember he was heading to the Shaman to get her to verify whether or not Arang was a Gumiho.  And the Shaman is desperate to make money so she takes his offer.  In exchange he has to make her a feast she can offer to her gods.  He's fine with this, it's for the young master's own good after all.  The Young Master has been sitting in his room all day long & all night too, while Arang hangs around his door worried about him.  She even poked a hole in the screen to his room to see him sitting there lost in thought.  Only when the camera goes in to see him up close, we can see he is actually sound asleep & snoring softly.  {{How does anyone sleep like that?!?!?!  You'd think it's impossible but I have seen CA do it many, many times.... during church.  ^.^}}

Dol Seo actually brings the Shaman to the Magistrate's house to get rid of Arang....the gumiho.  And while he goes off looking for her the Shaman actually crosses paths with Arang alone.  She thinks Arang has been bothering Dol Seo & so she explains to her that he's trying to get rid of her.  But Arang obviously has no idea what the Shaman is talking about.  And the Shaman, having not heard Arang's voice, has no idea that she is in fact her former ghostly friend.  Just as the Shaman is telling Arang off Larry & Curly (the other 2 stooges) show up, recognize her as the one who told them where to find their new pain in the butt magistrate & chase after her in anger.  Dol Seo comes running after them as they run after the Shaman & he manages to stop them & she gets away.  Very funny.  

In heaven we see Mr Beautiful & Yeom Ra are playing their favorite board game... seriously if I get to heaven I wonder if I'll get to sit around playing board games & going fishing....or you know the girlie equivalent to those things.  Can anyone say SHOPPING!!!!  I digress....they are talking about mess downstairs & how it's all Mr Beautiful's fault for being all nice & squishy.  And then...Yeom Ra asks Mr Beautiful when he's going to tell Moo Yeong {General Dead Dude} about her?  I am assuming they're talking about Hyeon Ra {{Creepy Mommy Dearest}}.  Oh I really want to know that back story & relationship.  But it's not the only thing Moo Yeong doesn't know about.  He doesn't know who he is or was either.  

Speaking of CMD...she goes back down to her lair & takes out the swords again.  The Magic swords that enable her minions to destroy a ghost's soul with one slice of the blade.  Wonder who is going to die now?!?!  Well you'll have to wait because it's time for a date.  Or the Joseon equivalent to a date.  Arang has been waiting for Eun Oh to leave his room all day and he finally appears.  She wants him to go with her to see the Myrtle trees.  

See?  Date Night.  

Guessing he likes the idea.  giggle.

They get to the pretty tree & after she explains how much she likes flowers & how when she dies she wants to come back as a butterfly, he asks her how if she's been a ghost there for 3 years she never saw the flowers.  She explains to him that she saw them all the time & grew to hate them but the point she's making is that she never got to see them...with him.  And that even the same scenery looks different when she sees it with him. Awww....she likes him.  ^^

I love the look of "Uhhhh..." on his face after she tells him this btw. 

He's so incredibly cluelessly cute!  

Then she gets really close to him & he looks startled & nervous by this....until she tells him that she is hungry...accentuated by her stomach's sudden growling...right on cue.  Good tummy.  He looks disappointed.  It's his fault!  He spent all day & night in that room & she didn't get a single meal either.  And asked him if he some peaches he could give her.  Sorry Arang no peaches.  Poor hungry tummy.  

But he does offer her something.  He finally opens up enough to tell her about his mother when she asks why he is searching so hard for his mother?  He explains that he pitied his mother.  For years & years he pitied her because of her slave status & the fact that she couldn't let go of the slight she was given when branded daughter of a slave & how she was focused solely on that man who branded her.  That he knew she didn't care about him at all.  That he & his father did not exist in her world because of her twisted senses.  When Arang questions how he could pity someone who treated him like that.  He gives a little insight as to why he never bothered with the world around him.  He pitied his mom, but hated the world that did this to her.  Then came the moment he finally allowed himself to hate his mother.  Probably that last time he saw her is when he had his epiphany that in reality he had hated her...for a quite a while.  

As they continue their walk they happen across a group of men who are obviously not the good guys.  They walk up to the magistrate & tell him that if he has any money on him he should just hand it over.  He laughs at them but then he agrees & pulls out a single coin & flips in the air & it lands at the head bad guys feet in the dirt.  Uh-oh....my Unnie senses are tingling...I sense a fight.  {{Okay now I can do it....Fight!! Fight!!  FIGHT!!!}}  Sure enough they gather in front of Eun Oh, who is not scared in the least, as he pushes Arang behind him & tells her to stay over there out of the way & not to be afraid for him.  She happily climbs on a rock behind him...remember she knows he kicks serious butt.  I think she was looking at this as a show.  I know I was.  

While Arang gets comfortable Eun Oh gets all sweaty & manly & butt kickery like.  

But she isn't the only one watching the fight.... 

Hello General Dead Dude.

Then one of the bad guys pulls out a knife & throws it right at Eun Oh who, using his awesome fighting fan, flicks it aside & right into the heart of one of the other bad guys, who drops dead & turns into a ghost & just as Arang is wondering why the Reapers haven't arrived, in pop 2 of them.  Or are they?!?!  Turns out they are NOT reapers.  At least not the official reapers.  Nope these guys are CMD's minions with her magic swords.  But Arang doesn't yet know this.  So what does she do?  She follows them, duh.  

She goes off following & calling out for them to stop & tells the ghost that these aren't the right guys & he doesn't have to go with them & he flees & they try to attack Arang...but General Dead Dude stops them & protects Arang from their swords.  After Eun Oh has finished wiping the floor with the living bad guys, he realizes Arang is not where he left her & freaks out! 

Finally he hears the sounds of swords clanking & sliding & heads off to help General Dead Dude in his sword fight....armed with his fan!  Seriously a very cool fan.   While General Dude takes one down with his Reaper Sword....Eun Oh takes out the other with his really awesome Fan!  Slice & the minion goes "poof"!

Then General Dead Dude gets mad at Arang for ruining his plan.  I got the feeling he was going to follow the bad reapers & try to find out where their hidden base was & who was leading them...I think he suspects who the gods were talking about.  And he really does want to know who he is...uh...was...uh...oh you get it!

So he leaves all ticked off at Arang.  And Eun Oh turns to her & yells at her for leaving him.  He asks her why she didn't stay where she was like he told her too.  She looks shocked at his aggressive rant & then he yells at her to not make him look for her... 

Dreamy sigh.  Okay I won't make you worry about me.  I'm sorry.
You know you'd feel better if you just held me, right?  

Meanwhile the loss of her two minions is not unknown to CMD.  No just as they disappear their little clay soul pots that held them break & CMD is very aware of their demise.  She then looks towards an old mirror that is covered in dust & dirt & whispers, "Moo Yeong, you dare to disrupt my plans".

{{I really want to know the extent of their relationship!}}

After a quick walk home, in silence, Arang goes to her room & Eun Oh to his.  And in her room, Arang is all fluttery & confused & wondering why her heart is all crazed & how is it he suddenly looks like a man?!?!  Then she buries her head in blankets....literally she buried her head...

If that were me there'd be a whole lot of "Squeee-ing" going on.  

The next morning he walks up to her rooms just as she is exiting.  He starts to explain last night's strange outburst but she interrupts him with, "I know what it was all about.  I was up all night thinking about it too.  It has to do with your mother, right?!?!"  He looks surprised but quickly grasps this idea & goes with it.  "Yeah, yeah.  That's it!  That's why I was all intense & serious & close & romantic & grabby handed with you.  Because of...my...mom."   {{I swear I saw his nose grow just then...hello Pinocchio!}}  

A: Yeah you were upset because if I get hurt or you know dead then you won't be able to figure out what happened to your mother.  

EO:  Yes that's it exactly!  Whew, glad we cleared that up.  You're a pal for understanding Arang.  

{{Of course, you realize I am paraphrasing.  People from the Joseon era hardly ever spoke like that.  True story.}}

After this he decides that the reason he was so worried is because she is a girl & therefore can't protect herself properly so he takes her to the side, all secluded, to teach her martial arts.  You know just in case a guy tries to hug her.  {{eye brow raising smirk on my face right now}}

She tries to explain that she lived roughly as a ghost & learned how to defend herself no problem & that her body very easily remembers what to do in a dangerous situation.  But he is determined she learn & is ignoring her warnings.  So he goes in for a frontal hug assault.  And she kicks his butt!  Dang!  In the dirt!  Laid out & panting holding his lower stomach {{ie groin}}.  You go gurl!!  He gets up, still panting & in pain & turns her so that her back is facing him, even though she is still protesting that she can take care of herself.  

{{At this point I wanted to yell at her, WOMAN!  When a sexy, handsome man wants to teach you how to fend off a hug (front OR back) you pretend not to know how!!!  Not because you want him to think you weak but because you'll get a hug out of it!!!  You know the truth, so you have nothing to worry about.  Go for the easy hug!  I'm all for female power chincha.  I can defend myself & quite nicely too.  Thank you to my brothers & father but if I were her I'd be going for the hug!  However, I would never act dumb, that I draw the line at, AddiKts.  Sorry, got a little excited there, I'll get back to the scene.}}  

So he's turned her around to show her how to fend off a back hug.  {{hmmm.... a back hug...^.^  giggle. Sorry...again.}}

And just as he goes forward, towards her back, she turns around to protest the lesson, & then he & she are...

I got all giddy & giggly here.

Sigh, yeah.  You know, never mind what I said...this works too.  Good timing there Arang. I highly approve your maneuver. Giggle.  

At this point hehehehe he decides she knows enough & he'll continue the lesson when he can .... walk?  {{More eyebrow wiggling}}

At Lord Choi's house evil happenings abound.  Remember when Geo Deol was told he needed to find out why people had been wandering around outside the Magistrate's house?  Lord Choi told him to find out, by any means necessary, basically, why they were doing that.  Being the henchman that he is, he is doing just that.  By means of beating an innocent man to a pulp trying to get answers.  Standing outside the gate to the grounds, is the man's young son.  Begging, crying, screaming & pounding on the gate to let his father go.  One of the servants opens the door & tries to get the boy to leave warning him that if he doesn't quiet down soon, that Lord Choi would punish him as well.  Just then Lord Choi himself wanders by & wants to know what is going on.  The boy bursts through the gate & wraps himself around Lord Choi's leg begging for him to save his father.  Lord Choi looks at the little boy as if he were garbage & the servant removes the boy from his leg & kicks him outside & locks the gate properly.  Lord Choi tells him to advise Geo Deol to hurry up his business.  

Then he sees Ju Wal walk past heading towards CMD's room.  He follows him wondering aloud why Ju Wal is still there unpunished, he tattled to CMD after all.  Shouldn't she be doing something with the punk.  Then he wonders whether they have something cooking just between the two of them.  Fast forward to Ju Wal & CMD.  He wants to know what exactly Arang is, that she is immortal.  But CMD is in a bad mood & doesn't want to answer his questions & yells that at him.  Asking why he is so full of questions.  Just do as you were told when it comes to that child!  He leaves looking as though he is confused & still not sure what he should be doing.  We can see he likes Arang, admires her & it really doesn't hurt that she is beautiful.  CMD, talking to herself explains that Arang can't "BE" unless those guys {{the gods}} make her like that...to stop CMD???  She's pretty smart & more than a little crazy as she bursts into mad cackles...

Back at the magistrate office, Arang has made the decision she needs to find out about Ju Wal & Lee Seo Rim's engagement/relationship.  Just as comes to this decision, Ju Wal & Eun Oh run into each other outside her room.  

Then Arang shows up & Ju Wal walks over to her smiling & explains that since they couldn't do what he had wanted to do with her before, that he has come back to find her so that they can accomplish his task.  And she agrees, she was actually just looking for him too.  This does not please Eun Oh, who grabs her wrist & drags her off.  {{Sigh...a wrist grab.  Why does a simple thing like a wrist grab make me giddy as a school girl.  The feminist in me thinks I am ridiculous.  But the woman in me squees every time.  Mystifying to me.}}  

He takes her aside & tells her that she should stay.  Don't go.  I don't want you wandering around with him.  I don't like how he keeps sniffing around you.  

She, patiently & quietly explains, she has to know.  She has to know what exactly was his relationship with Lee Seo Rim, that even though they were engaged he has no memory of her & doesn't recognize that she was Lee Seo Rim.  So she goes up to Ju Wal & they leave together.  This frustrates Eun Oh who starts to go after them but just as he leaves the gate, the same little boy who had been begging for Lord Choi to spare his father's life shows up & grabs onto Eun Oh's leg begging the same thing of him & explaining that Lord Choi has captured his father & that if Eun Oh, the Magistrate doesn't save his father, Lord Choi will kill him.   

But Eun Oh refuses & tells the little boy to ask this of someone else.  He even tries to order Dol Seo to do it but Dol Seo points out that neither Lord Choi, nor his men, would listen to him, he isn't a nobleman.  Still Eun Oh refuses & starts to leave to follow after Arang.   Suddenly, a few steps away he stops & turns to the little boy, struggling to decide what to do.   

And that is where this episode ends.  

And that is where I end my recap/review.  And say thank you to all of you for reading my reviews & putting up with all my rampant fan girling.  You're very kind.  And I appreciate you all.  See you guys tomorrow for episode 10.  Until then have a good night/day, depending on what part of this beautiful globe you live.  

Saranghamnida,