Dramatic Friday (or whatever day this ends up coming out on) Review

So it would seem that I'm going to stick with reviewing Full House 2.

Why?

Well, it's the only currently airing show that I'm watching at the moment, therefore it wins by default.  That and I absolutely am loving it and don't mind talking about it.

I still don't have screenshots though.  I forgot.  I'm sorry.  Next week?  Probably.  Maybe.  We'll see.

Also, since it is obviously and clearly not Friday, this is going to be a little off as far as episodes go.  I missed last week.  And I'll be celebrating Turkey Day this week and won't be able to talk about Thursday's episode.  That is going to drive my OCD senses batty, but there's not much I can do about it.  If I can find a moment and tear myself away from family fun time this week, I'll do it so that the week of drama can be properly finished off.  For today I'm going to start with last week's 4 episodes as well as the 3 that have already aired this week.

Last week started out with a fire alarm.  News had just leaked out that Tae Ik was Kang Hwi's partner in more ways than just singing.  Against LJ's (the boss from h - e - double hockey sticks) order, Tae Ik kept his previously scheduled schedule.  He showed up to do a radio show (? or something like that - does it really matter?  He was in a building to do his job - that's what is important here, not exactly what he was there to do) and there was chaos.  He was mobbed by angry people.  The situation was dangerous.  To clear the room so to say, the manager did what they always do on TV when needing to clear a building fast - he pulled the fire alarm.  This sent everyone running and screaming for their lives and suddenly not so interested in Tae Ik.  Tae Ik was also running from the building when he realized that Man Ok was nowhere to be found.  So while everyone else is running out, he dashes back in to find her.  Aww!  Heart melting moment.  She was standing there paralyzed with fear.  We got a little flashback to a similar and evidently scaring event from her childhood.  I'm guessing we'll get more on that one later on.  She was unresponsive and so Tae Ik swooped her up into his arms and carried her out.  Well, this caused all kinds of new scandals now about Tae Ik and his mystery woman.  At the same time, the photo of them folding a blanket in the trailer was leaked out.  LJ's solution?  A fake engagement.  Lovely.  Those usually turn out well.  Okay, yes, in dramas the contract relationship actually does usually net a good result, but that's besides the point.  It creates a lot of havoc first.

According to the story they release to the world, Tae Ik and Man Ok have been secretly dating for 3 years and are now engaged.  Does this give anyone else pause when considering other celeb relationships?  I mean, just how authentic are these things really?  Something tells me that this is a storyline for a reason.  But I digress.  They take a bunch of photos in a studio to release showing them "dating" over the years.  I loved her engagement ceremony dress by the way - the little white and black number?  Gorgeous.  Helped distract from the hair for a moment.

Well, of course we're not going to leave it at that, now are we?  Nothing can be that simple in a drama.  Enter the dreaded ex.  What a piece of work she is.  She's a top actress and a major psycho witch and she's moved in to Full House.  She wants Tae Ik back.  She creates all kinds of drama.  First, she's the one responsible for finding Kang Hwi hiding in the basement.  She also is the one who reveals to the public that the engagement is fake.  This leads to Man Ok getting attacked by crazed ssasaeng and Tae Ik running to her rescue.  In the process he shoves one of the crazies aside and the girl passes out - so now he has an anger management issue to deal with publicly.  Sheesh.  Being a top star sure is a major pain in the butt sometimes, isn't it?  LJ's solution?  Throw Man Ok under the proverbial bus.  He wants Tae Ik to go to a press conference and put all the blame on Man Ok - let her be the scapegoat for everything.  Well, Tae Ik has feelings for this girl and decides to protect her.  So what does he do instead?  At the press conference he announces that he is completely at fault and will be leaving U Entertainment voluntarily.  Ah!  LJ's reaction was awesome.  Very satisfying to watch him squirm.  He's intentionally screwing with these poor guys and is just growing more and more evil by the episode.

After leaving the press conference, Tae Ik goes off grid.  They finally track him down in Japan.  He's there visiting...drum roll please...his mother.  His mother who has had some sort of mental breakdown 5 years ago, assumedly after the passing of her husband, Tae Ik's dad.  Am I alone in my surprise at this twist?  I had assumed that both of his parents had died.  Didn't see mentally broken mother living with an aunt in Japan coming at all.  I'm so glad to know that he's not completely devoid of family and loved ones, though sad at knowing the burden he bears.  It was one thing for him to risk Full House for Man Ok's sake when I thought his parents were both dead.  Sure, he wants to honor them by keeping his promise and their legacy, but he also has to live his life and find love.  It seemed like a reasonable sacrifice all things considered.  But now, knowing that his mother is alive?  That changes the game and puts a bit more import on saving the house from evil LJ.  Know what I mean?  If and when his mother recovers, he's going to want to bring her home and certainly doesn't want to admit to her that he lost it in the end.  I totally get that now, more than I did before.

Man Ok and the manager (who quit after Tae Ik did because he's a good guy and wants to protect the boys), go in search of Tae Ik and show up in Japan.  One day when Tae Ik takes off in his car, Man Ok follows him.  Onto a ferry.  They do a little sightseeing.  OH MY GOODNESS!!!  How did I forget to mention what had happened before all this???  Their "date"!  Okay, back up for a moment.  We're not in Japan yet.  Tae Ik hasn't quit.  This was just before word about the fake engagement is leaked and Man Ok attacked.  They start to recreate some of the dates that they supposedly had according to their engagement photo shoot.  They hike.  They ride bikes.  They have a secret date at a coffee shop, sitting back to back.  She leans into him.  He leans on to her.  They talk about how it feels almost like a real secret date.  Then he puts his arm down and instructs her to do the same, and then he laces his fingers with hers and they sit there holding hands.  And I melted.  And rewatched that scene repeatedly.  And was amazed once again at how just the slightest thing like a hand hold can make me weak in the knees when it comes to dramas.  Just furthering my love affair with them all the more.  The rest of the non-drama-watching world has no idea what they are missing out on, do they?  They don't know what true romance can be.  I know I am a hopeless romantic myself, but come on, I don't care who you are, this is just good stuff.  But it's not like I can tell my friends, "they hold hands and it was so amazingly romantical I wanted to die - you just have to see it!".  They would look at me funny.  But you, you don't look at me funny, now do you?  No, because you get it too.  You totally and completely understand how a look or slight touch can send shivers of delight all through you. Anyway, so they're sitting there, back-to-back holding hands.  It's a beautiful moment filled with happy butterflies and rainbows.  Tae Ik then kind of freaks out and pulls away once he realizes what he's doing.  Does he panic because of his feelings or because he's embarrassed or because he's in public?  Not sure.  Maybe a combination of those and possibly other reasons.  Either way, for whatever reason, he pulls away and is embarrassed.  They're both feeling a little awkward.  Man Ok gets up and moves to his table so that they can face each other.  She's all flustered and he points it out.  She tries to blame it on the hot coffee.  Sure, Man Ok, sure.  The coffee.  Uh huh.  Not the love advances from gorgeous Tae Ik.  Mmm hmm.  Nobody's buying it babe.  Including him.  And he plays it up.  Teasing her maybe?  He stands and goes in as if he is to kiss her, stopping just before hitting those lips that have been tempting him.  They sit there staring at each other before he finally breaks the silence by asking her if she was expecting a "foam kiss" and then tells her that she watches too much TV.  Haha!  Hooray for the Secret Garden shout out!

Okay, sorry about that.  Let's head back to Japan now because it's about to get real good there too.  She's followed him onto the ferry and they spend the day sightseeing together.  They end up on this stretch of beach jutting out into the sea that looked just gorgeous.  There happens to be a tree there with seashells tied to it.  These seashells contain wishes that people have put on them.  Man Ok is standing there looking at one of the shells.  It's written in Japanese which she doesn't speak, but he does.  He walks over, and without any preamble, just says "I love you.  I want you to be my side forever."  It sounds like a confession.  And a proposal.  Man Ok, as well as I, was in shock.  I believe my jaw dropped.  There's an awkward pause while she looks at him, in shock, and then he says that that is what the shell she was looking at says.  Oh.  Except I think it was more than that.  I think he was feeling her out.  What do you think?  If he was merely translating, don't you think he would have made that more clear and not been staring right at her with full eye contact?  I think he was confessing to her, just in a "safe" way.  We all know he's fallen for her and loves her.  He was willing to sacrifice his house to save her.  So, whatever.  I'm still going to count it as at least a psuedo-confession and therefore still completely squee worthy.

Thankfully it doesn't end there.  Oh no.  There are more squee moments to come.  Like when they are in the car back on the ferry and she's asleep.  He sees those lips and he goes for it.  The stolen, "while you were sleeping" kiss.  Only she wakes up right at the last second.  His cover?  He's about to puke.  Huh?  What?  Was he going to puke on her?  That's what he's going for?  Smooth, real smooth there, Cassanova.  Thankfully he eventually gathers up the chutzpah to plant a proper one on her while on the deck of the ferry.  YAY!!!  Fireworks and squees abound, even though her eyes stay freaking open in surprise.  But whatever, I'm going to ignore that part and focus on the fact that he kisses her!!!  Oh happy, happy day!

We end the episode with yet another confession.  Only, this time, as predicted, it wasn't from Tae Ik but instead was from Kang Hwi who has also shown up in Japan.  And now begins the official love triangle.  Duhn duhn duhn.  Oh, and Kang Hwi, after finding out he is going blind, agreed to resign with LJ and U Entertainment.  Sheesh.  Bad idea there kid.

Okay, so that's as far as I've gotten.  There will be another episode sometime in the middle of the night, but it's Thanksgiving and I'll be with family so I'm not sure when I'll be able to review it.  I'll do my best to fit it in, but can't make any promises.  Trust me, I don't want to leave this one hanging any more than you do.  This drama has caught my full attention and devotion.  It's totally addicKting, bad hair and all.  I can't wait for the next dose.  Weekends stretch on forever waiting for new episodes.  What do you think?  Loving it?  Hating it?  (but if you are hating it would you even be reading this review?)  Lukewarm about the whole thing?  Let us know.

All you Statesiders - I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and weekend.  Pig out on turkey and pie and all the yummy things.  And try not to get trampled if you're one of the brave doing the whole Black Friday thing.  We'd love to see you back next week and if you're trampled that might not happen.  Unless you have a computer and internet access in your hospital bed.  Let's not take the chance, though, shall we?  Stay safe in whatever plans and activities these next several days hold and stop on by and say hi when we return from our little holiday.

Best to you and yours wherever you may be,