Lee Jong Suk & Park Shin Hye for Millet Outerwear

Sometimes something comes across my social media feed and it just makes me all nostalgic.  Such is the case with Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye's new CF photos for Millet.  

Pinocchio 20: Happily Ever After

Hey all, Dongsaeng and Kmuse here to bring you the finale recap for the excellent kdrama "Pinocchio".  I personally am so thankful that the writers did not drop the ball at the end, but instead produced a strong, complete, and enjoyable ending.  No huge gaps were left and while I personally would have tweaked the focus here or there, the overall story was true to the end of its theme of family, justice, and ethical reporting.   We are going to switch things up a little since it is the finale (and more importantly a finale that we both enjoyed) so we will be co-writing this post.

Pinocchio ep 19: Revenge, Revelations, and Redemption

Here we are! Next-to-last episode of Pinocchio! So much good stuff to cover from all three episodes this week, so let's get started (if for no other reason than Kmuse is patiently waiting for me to get this done so that we can tackle that finale!)

Pinocchio ep 18 - A War Between Two Mothers

We have arrived to our final week with Pinocchio.  I, like many of you, can't believe that this drama is over since it seems like just yesterday that I was despairing over Dal Po's bad hair.  We have a busy week both in recapping and watching as the drama releases three episodes, so lets just jump into our top 7 so we can all hurry back to our tv's and watch 19. I know that I am impatient to see Crazy Chaebol mom get what she deserves.

Pinocchio ep 17: Grab a Raft! There's a Flood A'comin!

Can you believe that we are in the final homestretch of this drama? It totally caught me by surprise. I was just plugging along, not even paying attention as the episode numbers grew bigger and bigger and ever closer to that final #20. That's surely a sign of a good drama, right? When you don't even track how much longer until it's over. Almost like you just expect to go on and on indefinitely. But indefinite it is not, and that's okay. We will make sure to enjoy this final stretch and anticipate the big hurrah that the finale will certainly be.

Pinocchio Episode 16 - Back Where We Belong

I had a lot of conflicting emotions with this episode.  First there was giddiness, mostly because Dal Po in love is one of the cutest things ever, followed by crankiness, acceptance, and then enjoyment.  I wonder if there is an official stages list for Pinocchio episodes?  It feels like things are starting to wind down and then I realized........ WE ARE ALMOST DONE! 

I don't know why I was thinking we had a lot of story left to watch, but we don't.  Next week is the last week (3 episodes will be aired to make up for the one missed for the award show) and then it is all over.  Now i am kind of sad since I have grown to expect my weekly Dal Po/In Ha fix.  But we are not finished yet so lets jump into my seven favorite moments of episode 16

Pinocchio ep 14: It's Like Karma is Lost and Really Has it Out for this Kid and His Friends

It's like the writers had it in for me this week. Two of my favorite relationships I was all gushy about after last week's episodes were this week tarnished and/or threatened. Haha writernims, very funny. I see what you did there. Now fix it. Put it all back together and we'll pretend that none of this happened. I think our bromance is safe, but not so sure on the Mommy Dearest action between our Chairwoman and her Momma's Boy. That one may be harder to recover if things pan out the way they are looking like they may pan out. I should have known it was too good to be true - a Kdrama chaebol mom that was awesome even if a bit "eccentric". So yes, with episode 14, I was a bit pouty that some of my side characters were messed with, but all in all, I know it is for the best as far as our story goes, so I suppose I'll just have to suck it up and trust the writers with this one. So far they haven't let me down, so I'm going to put my faith in them and see where this crazy ride will take us.

Kmuse's End of Year Countdown - Favorite Kdrama Actresses of 2014

It's time to give the ladies their due as we countdown the best female characters of 2014.  I know that I tend to focus on the leading men most of the time (I have been married for 14 years and 3 kids, an Ahjumma needs to enjoy the pretty)  but there actually have been some amazing performances so they deserve their moment in the TCA sun.

Pinocchio Episode 11 - A Midsummer Night's Dream

In today's episode we find that being forced to confront truth and reality really really suck.  Rarely have I ever seen a drama where the telling of the truth makes so many people unhappy.  Whether it is being forced to be truthful because of a Pinocchio disease, or simply through one's set moral code, it is really a kick in the pants for all our characters as almost all secrets are shared and our cast continues to hurtle towards an unhappy finale. 

Pinocchio ep 10: Facts, Truth, and Impact

This post is so very late and I am so very sorry. The next episodes are out and all. Can you believe it? I won't bore you with the details and story behind the tardiness, though it actually is a pretty good one, as all stories that involve purple projectile puke tend to be. Late it may be, but I'll do my best to wrap it up nicely for you so that we can quickly get up to speed and ready for 11.

Pinocchio Episode 9 - Hurdling Towards Tragic Truths

Wow, so much was stuffed into this episode that I don't even know where to begin, or how to separate all my thoughts.  We see so many shifts in the various family dynamics that it is hard to keep straight on who you are supposed to like or dislike.  That inability to paint the characters either black or white is what I love most about this drama (that and Lee Jong Suk who will always be #1). 

Pinocchio ep 8: THE CURSE IS BROKEN!

That's right folks, as the title of this post indicates, I am declaring the Park Shin Hye Kissing Curse to be BROKEN!!!!  He did it!!!  Lee Jong Suk, out of all the amazing and talented leading men she has been paired up with in the past, was finally "the man" for her. Success!!!!  I knew she had it in her! This is such an epic day that brings me all sorts of happy. Let's observe a moment of silence in gratitude for and acknowledgement of the enormity that is the passing of the curse.

.....

Pinocchio Episode 7 - Idealism Falters Against Reality

Hey all!  Did you survive the holidays?  I am happy to say that I did indeed survive, although the # of episodes I am now behind is a bit staggering.  You might have noticed that we had a small jump in episode recaps.  Don't worry, Dongsaeng is still planning on releasing 6, just her Thanksgiving week was much busier than mine (or maybe she just ate to much turkey and had a super intense turkey coma) so blogging was not able to be part of her schedule.  That saying, she will get ep 6 out ASAP but we did not want to get behind so we are blogging on!

Pinocchio ep 4: And So It Begins...

First, sorry this is late. I had something come up with weekend. Nothing big - just flew to LA for the 2PM concert and had the absolute bestest concert going experience of my life! Seriously, I was lukewarm on the group before the concert and I was mainly going because my friend coaxed me into it, but I tell you, by the end, I couldn't gush enough and will DEFINITELY, without a doubt or moment of hesitation, go back if and when they ever return. I will leave it there for now, as this is a Pinocchio review, not a 2PM review, but yeah, if you ever get a chance to see them in concert - DO IT! You won't be disappointed! And, if you are interested in an actual 2PM review, just let me know. I don't have a problem typing one up ;)

Pinocchio Episode 3 - My Mother is A Witch

This episode was a great transition episode as we leap forward and our OTP (One True Pairing) must grow up and join the real world.  Will they sink?  Will they succeed in a world that is stacked against them?  Will they ever declare their love?  Only time will tell, but this episode gives us a really good push in the right direction.

Pinocchio ep 2: Don't Believe Everything You See

Well, hello there!  Annyeonghaseyo! And welcome to this week's second installment of Pinocchio recapping. If we are just meeting now for the first time, my name is Dongsaeng and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I will be handling the even episodes of this drama while Kmuse takes the odds. I, like my awesome bloggy partner, am extremely excited to tackle and recap this drama! If the rest of the episodes hold up like these first two did, we are in for one fun as heck ride, don't you think?!

Pinocchio Episode 1 - Quiz Shows, Bad Wigs, and Quirky Characters - I love it!

The Crazy Ahjummas are back to recapping!!!  Did you miss us?  Sorry for the hiatus but we put some serious thought into picking out the next drama for our co-cap.  Heaven knows we want to enjoy it more than "My Secret Hotel" and we both have to be interested in not only watching, but also blogging about the show.  Needless to say this eliminated a lot of dramas. So with much thought/discussion we decided upon the new Lee Jong Suk/Park Shin Hye drama "Pinocchio".  Luckily our patience proved fruitful since we both loved the first episode of the drama (but more about that later).

Kmuse's Musings: More Fashion Fails

I thought it would be a while til I had enough pictures to do another Fashion Fail post.  But never underestimate the ability of Korean stylists to really pick some ugly clothes for the hottest Korean stars.  If you have not read one of my Fashion posts before, I would like to say that the dislike of the fashion or elements of the photograph reflect nothing on the actors or idols themselves.  So please don't hunt me down and egg my house for not liking the look of any certain star.  This is all subjective and just my personal opinion.  

Kang Ji Hwan In GEEK’s June 2014

 He is a very very sexy man.  But the striped purple pimp suit is just not doing it for me.  

Park Shin Hye - Harper’s Bazaar 

Love the hair, love the skirt, love the bag (really love the bag) but then there is that mess of a shirt.  My kids played a game this Christmas where they had to wrap crepe paper around their sibling to turn them into  a Christmas tree.  The effect was very similar to this shirt, which looks like the designer went cutout crazy.  

Ji Chang Wook - CéCi’s June 2014

The first picture is so so, but that brown Hershey kiss hat has got to go.  That hat is all I stare at in the photo rather than Ji Chang Wook.  The 2nd photo's short unitard look is truly bleck worthy.  I like the Jacket and if he had been wearing dress pants or jeans instead I would have really liked the look.  But when you can't tell if the under-piece is all one piece or just ugly Urkel shorts combined with a dress shirt, than we have a problem.

Park Hae Jin - Instyle Korea

I'm pretty sure that poor Park Hae Jin is having an allergic reaction to all those flowers.  He especially looks uncomfortable and frantic in the 2nd photo.

Choi Jin Hyuk - Men's Health's June 2014

Love the color pallet of this photo shoot, love the clothes (looks so sexy in jeans), the one thing that makes me cringe is the bad use of accessories.  Each photo looks extremely awkward and I think it is funny that the picture where he is holding the gun, it gives the impression of a kid playing with a toy gun.  These pictures in theory should have worked, but just didn't. 

My Favorite Photos of the Week

Son Ye Jin - Traveller’s June 2014

These two photographs were by far my favorite of the week, if not my favorite of the month.  They are full of interesting aspects from the color, clothes, locations, and movement.  It just all clicks and joined to create something truly beautiful and amazing.


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Heirs THE FINALE (ep 20) MiXeD bAg

As I come to the end of this drama, I am filled with an assortment of thoughts and feelings, some positive, some unsure, and yes, even some kind of sad.  I think that this one will take me some time to process.  I think it's going to take me some time to even say that I liked it.  There were things I liked, but things that left me feeling...empty.  I hate feeling empty.  Or unresolved.  At the same time, I'm also glad they didn't just give everyone a perfectly wrapped "happily ever after" either.  I am also willing to admit that I was half wrong about my previous wager that they would pull a "x years later" with us.  Half wrong-ish.  I'll argue that a fantasy 10 years later still sort of counts, even if not completely.  But more on that part in a bit.  For now, let's back up, start at the beginning and dissect this, our final episode.

1.  A Good Portion of the Episode Was Spent on This...

...but I'm only going to give it a blip of a mention here.  The takeover attempt by Fake Mom while Papa Jeguk is in a coma.  Kim Tan and Kim Won both rally and go after votes for their side.  It pays off in the end, as Kim Won manages to maintain his position as CEO and Papa Jeguk as company head.  Fake Mom loses and not very gracefully I may add.  When Papa Jeguk finally awakens and hears about what she did while he was sleeping, he wants a divorce.  She's good with that, but mostly because she knows that she'll still get half of what he has in the end anyway, so while she didn't get the whole of what she was after, she's not walking away empty handed.  Well, in her defense, she has had her husband's mistress and love child under her roof for 18 years, so I guess she's owed something out of such an awful situation.

2.  Kim Won

Part of the process to secure the company resulted in Kim Won having to agree to an arranged marriage with a business partner.  Yeah, really.  I kept hoping that he would have refused when she proposed the deal, but no, he said yes, and intended to go through with it.  This ended in a heartbreaking break up with Teacher Hyun Joo.  And later, a soul crushing scene with him alone at his desk, sobbing.  His life is a lonely one.  At least he has made peace with his brother, as witnessed by him asking Kim Tan to stay so that he'll be less lonely.  This boy...his story just devastates me.  What he has lost and lived through all in the name of "privilege" and "power".  Is it worth it?  His mother died.  His step-mother isn't exactly the warm and fuzzy type.  His dad is an ass.  He has this half-brother that is obviously loved more.  This half-brother is not only loved more, but gets to live with his bio mom and have a relationship.  Who does Kim Won have?  No one.  Sure, he finds love, only to have it stripped away from him.  And unlike his brother, he is unable to hold onto that love once it's been stripped away.  Yes, Kim Won's story truly is painful and so very sad to witness.

3.  Young Do

Speaking of tragic characters, let's chat about Young Do for a moment.  Arguably this character stole the show.  I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that his story drew me in even more than our lovable leads.  Things don't improve much for him in the finale either.  He starts off with his dad going to jail.  Now, as far as his father goes, there is some redemption here.  As he is being carted off to jail, he leaves a message behind for his son, a message that contradicts with his earlier teachings.  He tells his son to not try to win by cheating.  I'm glad to see him at least start to see the error of his ways and try to turn things around for himself.  Sure, it took losing everything in order for him to see the light, but hey, better a death bed confession than none at all, right?  It was nice to see father and son begin to repair their very broken relationship.

So, he loses the girl and dad goes to jail.  But hey, it's not all bad news for Young Do.  He does finally get to reunite with his mother.  Now there's one that I would like to have a talk with.  I can understand her leaving.  I've seen the kind of man she married and can only imagine what being his wife was like.  I'm sure life was Hell for her.  I get that.  But to leave your kid behind with no way of contacting him???  To just abandon him to the very monster you yourself are running from?  What sense does that make.  So while I'm happy that he found his mother, there was part of me that was really upset by it.

Oh, and how awesome was he when he went to find and apologize to that kid that he bullied?  I know that the kid didn't forgive him, but I was so proud of him for having the courage and guts to do what he did in trying to right his wrongs.  What an impressive young man, don't you think?  I love him.  I truly do.  Which is a big reason why this episode bothered me because we don't get to see him of all people have his happily ever after.  Things do definitely improve and there is hope for happiness in his future, but I just wanted a little more positive resolution for him.  I wanted to see him find a girl I guess.  Not Eun Sang obviously (though yes there is a part of me that still would have loved to see that, but I'll silence her out of respect for our OTP), but someone good and kind and decent that would see him for the amazing man that he is underneath his troubled exterior.  I'm just a sap that way I guess.

4.  The Body

Remember the great mystery of the outline of the body that appears every morning at Jeguk High?  Who is behind it?  Well, we finally get the answer.  Everyone.  Everyone is behind it.  Eun Sang sees multiple people painting it as some form of release in their stifling world.  These are kids with big, real world issues on their shoulders, kids that have to live partly in an adult world before they are truly ready to bear the weight.  Kids that don't get to be kids.  Kids that the world sees as privileged and fortunate and enviable, but have difficulties to endure that most kids couldn't dream of.  I was somewhat confused on the exact meaning of the body, but my take on it was that is was a way for them to vent their frustration with the different aspects within their lives, kind of like saying in a very subtle yet dramatic way, "this is killing me" or "I may as well be dead".  Or even "I wish I was not alive".  "My world is killing me".

5.  Other Notables
There are a few other characters to wrap up with not yet mentioned.  First, Secretary Yoon.

If you'll remember from #3 up there, I am an admitted sap.  I wanted to see Secretary Yoon and Esther Lee reunite in the end.  I also wanted Secretary Yoon to be revealed as Rachel's father.  Sadly, neither of these wishes came true.  This was certainly one of the things that left me feeling empty in the end.  The end to their story was anti-climatic.  And it started out so promising with that make-out in the hallway way back when in one of the early episodes.  Sigh.  Oh well.  I guess we can't always get what we want.  Boo.

I loved the scene with father and son fishing together.  Their relationship is awesome.  Do you think that it's coincidence that our two healthiest child/parent relationships come from the two poorest (or most "normal") families?  I think that if anything, the message trying to be driven home by this drama is, "be careful what you wish for" or "the grass isn't always greener on the other side".

Another character I wanted to mention is poor troubled and dark Hyo Shin.  He has struggled with the expectations placed upon him by his family.  That and the lack of authenticity from them he receives.  We learned earlier that in the past he was driven to attempt suicide.  Now he just rebels by not taking the college entrance exam.  When even that neglects to get a rise out of his parents, he really loses it.  I will admit to not fully grasping what is going on in his world, but it would seem to me as if he is desperate to be seen as who he is and not just some soulless extension of his parents that they can manipulate and control whatever way they see fit.  It's like they have created this facade with certain expectations and cannot accept him not towing the family line.  He doesn't want to rebel and do "bad" things, he just wants to live his life his way.  He wants to make movies.  I guess he was accepted to an art school or something, but his parents don't support his dream, they just want him to quietly obey theirs.  Anyway, so he runs away from home and joins the army.  Guess who he tells first?  Uh huh, Rachel.  After running into her at the psychiatrist's office.  I LOVE this budding romance!  Like when she asks him if he has a girl waiting for him and he answers contemplatively, "I don't know" like, "well that all depends on you - are you waiting for me?  I think I might like you to".  They never come out and make anything official, but it's obvious both are thinking about each other.  Those must have been some pretty awesome kisses at that party!  And may I just add, he looks fanfreakingtastic in that beanie by the way?  Wowzers!  Yumm!  His bromance moment with Kim Tan was some wonderful fan service, and so as a fan, I feel it important to say thank you.  From the bottom of my very happy fangirl heart, thank you for this part.

6.   10 Years in the Future

So we don't actually go in to the future, but we do get a glimpse of it in the form of a fantasy.  Kim Tan and Eun Sang are talking about what they imagine life might be like 10 years down the road.  Kim Tan pictures a party and all the people there.  Most everyone is happy, or happy-ish.  Bo Na and My Chan are still together, silly and adorable as ever.  Rachel and Hyo Shin are still flirting with each other.  Myung Soo is still in the military because he left so late.  Kim Won is still heading the company and rocking his suit, though I'm less sure about the hair.  Young Do is doing important things for his father's company and seems to have a better relationship these days with him.  Papa Jeguk is still alive and kicking and seems a bit nicer than before.  Secretary Yoon is still there smiling and happy.  Fake Mom is also still there which is puzzling to me.  Maybe that means that they didn't get a divorce after all?  Or else it means Kim Tan doesn't yet know about the impending divorce?  Or maybe it's just because she's a big enough actress that it was required that she be in one of the final scenes even if her presence there made no sense story-wise.  Whatever.  She was there.  Real Mom and Eun Sang's mom were also there, having one of their trademark hilarious interactions as usual.  This time it was Tan's mom realizing for the first time after all these years that Eun Sang's mom, who she has always called "ahjumma", is actually younger than her.  These two ladies crack me up so I'm glad they got one last scene together before the end.

And then, Kim Tan.  Wearing a pretty atrocious "suit", I suppose showing us that his stylist doesn't change in these 10 years?  Seriously, he looked like someone skinned a really ugly couch and made his outfit.  It's Lee Min Ho, so he still looks perfect, but golly, it was hard to see him beyond that "stuff" he was wearing.  He walks in to his room and standing there of course (in a beautiful dress unlike his hideous monstrosity) is Eun Sang.  He goes over to her and kisses her.  And we finally get the truth revealed in an unequivocable and inarguable way - Park Shin Hye truly cannot kiss.  In the past kisses it could be argued that it was the character's resistance to his affections that caused the pained and sick looks on her face, but in this scene that argument is dead.  In this scene they have been in love for over 10 years.  She should be used to, and welcoming of his kisses by now.  But she just stands there.  Lee Min Ho's lips are on hers and she just.stands.there.  Her chance for redemption in this is gone and cannot be reclaimed.  Her fate and label is unalterably set.  She is officially the worst kisser in Kdom.  I hate to be so harsh on the girl, but OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  It's just SO BAD that it is impossible NOT to talk about.  She is the Kristen Stewart of Korea.  Harsh, man, harsh, I know, but can we deny it any longer?  It kills me to say it so bluntly, because I really do want to just love her, but agh!  There's no use pretending anymore - I don't know if I can watch her for awhile after this year.  I'm not saying that I'm done with her forever, but I need a break.  Let's let her do some movies or something for a bit.  Or like I've said before, put her in a drama where her strengths will shine and her weaknesses be invisible.  They exist.  There are PERFECT roles for her out there.  Playing opposite of guys like Yoon Shi Yoon and Lee Min Ho though?  No.  Just no.  Stop the madness already.  It's only going to hurt her career to keep trying.  She's proven that she can't do it, so stop making her.  Plenty of dramas have important roles that are kiss-free.  Put her in one of those, let her cry and be all angsty, and keep her lips away from hot guys.  Is that too much to ask?

7.  The End

After our 10 Years Later fantasy, we get one final closing scene with our leading couple walking hand-in-hand through the snow and being all philosophical and deep talking about that year when they were 18 when they fell in love and all the pain and triumphs that came with it.  And then -- it's over.  20 episodes, 10 weeks of Heirs comes to a close.  And I don't have much else to say on it than what I've already said.  Overall, it was good.  I liked it.  Favorite drama of the year?  No.  It really wasn't.  I wish I could say that it was, but I just can't.  Would I watch it again?  Hard to say at this point.  There are certainly many parts I would love to watch again, but the whole thing with all its angst and torment?  I don't know if I could endure it again.  I do think that the cast (Park Shin Hye's glaring kiss issue aside) did a phenomenal job.  Our leads were wonderful and our supporting cast ah-mazing.  It was a fun ride, one that I'm glad I took, and that's what is important.

So, in closing, I would just like to say thank you for going along on this journey with me.  I hope you had fun.  I even hope that your experience with this final episode left you feeling less empty than it left me.  Maybe I was just having an off day.  You never know.  I haven't heard or seen any negative chatter about it, which I'm taking as a good sign.  Granted, I haven't gone looking for it either, but normally it's not hard to find even when you're not looking for it.  To the cast and crew, because of course they're totally going to see this *eye roll*, I thank you.  To DramaFever, thanks for subbing it so fast and for whatever other roles you took on, but seriously, let's try to not do this whole "exclusive" thing again because it kind of hurts your image and I'm getting tired of always defending you.  Totally selfish of me, I know, but there you have it.  Just keeping it real and passing on my "inside information" from a viewer's perspective (i.e. I have a lot of REALLY ticked off friends).  And finally, to you, my dear readers old and new, thank you for your comments and encouragement and feedback.  Thank you for spending time with us here.  It's always wonderful to hear from you guys!  Makes this labor of love rewarding.

Now, on to the next drama!

(and yes, I say that like I know what the next one will be for me, but no, I really don't have any idea yet, but I'll let you know when I do)
  

Heirs ep 19 - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Well, well, well... here we are.  Closing out yet another drama together.  This was arguably the most anticipated drama of 2013.  Now that it's coming to an end, what are your thoughts?  Did it live up to the hype?  Did this all-star cast deliver?  What did you love?  What would you change?  What will be your takeaway from these 10 weeks?  I suppose we still have a bit more time to figure all that out, there is, after all, one more episode to go.  I would hate to get ahead of ourselves here.

This episode was filled with plenty of ups, but also plenty of downs.  Headways were made, yet threatened to be lost.

First, the happy.  Our lead couple.  Our dear OTP.  After bravely walking hand-in-hand into Kim Tan's birthday bash, Tan and Eun Sang finally get what they've been after all along - sort of.  While they don't get his blessings per se, they do get Papa Kim tossing in the towel and ending the battle.  They are now free to date, he won't stop them.  He figures they'll figure out sooner or later that he was right and they were wrong and they'll come to regret their decision.  Or so he says.  Saving face or finally starting to see the light?  Who knows.  He's a hard one to read.  I would hope that at least in part he's finally starting to come around and realize just what his tactics are costing him in the end.  Look how pathetic his life has become.  He's in an awful marriage, his mistress has left him, and both sons hate him.  What does he have left besides the company and his money?  The question begs to be asked if that's okay with him or not.  Is his company/money all that he truly desires and seeks?  Does he have any shred of humanity left in him that craves love and family?  I don't know.  I hope that the next episode answers that and in a way that I will like, but I'm not holding my breath.  He's given us so little to hang our hopes on up to this point.

Anyway, so yeah, Kim Tan and Eun Sang are finally an official couple and "out" to the world.  Once they overcome the hurdle of getting Eun Sang's mother's permission of course.  This whole scene with the moms reuniting and then Eun Sang's mother's refusal to allow her daughter to date Kim Tan was so cute and amusing.  Those two ahjummas just make me smile.  They are adorable together.  After a silly show put on by just about everyone involved, the green light is given on Eun Sang's side at last, thus overcoming the final hurdle in their young relationship.  Now the fun really begins.

Okay, so it's no big secret that I've been sort of lukewarm on these two for the entire drama.  I don't hate them together by any means, I've just been kind of bored by the endless angst.  Now that the angst is behind us, we get to see them shine like never before.  Sure, we had glimpses all along, but nothing like what their newfound freedom brings.  They really are cute together.  I love their fighting and arguing and playfulness.  The interplay between them is fun to watch.  It's like someone has finally shone a happy light on the dark, depressing halls of Jeguk High.  Tensions are relieved, smiles seen and laughter heard.  Kids are being kids.  It's been a long time coming and I know that I for one am happy to finally see it.

Of course, all the happy feels couldn't last indefinitely.  We still have a whole episode in front of us.  Things take a turn for the complicated when Papa Kim falls suddenly ill.  He's there, alone in his big empty house, having a moment of reflection on what a crap dad he was, when he grabs his head and passes out.  Interesting to see what happens next.  Who rushes to his side not moments after claiming that they are forever done with him?  Both brothers and the mistress.  Who is conspiculously missing?  The wife.  Now, in her defense, that woman actually has every right to be royally pissed off at her husband and her life in general.  How much would it suck to have your husband still in love with his dead first wife plus shacking up with his mistress and their love child?  You literally have no skin in this game other than that piece of paper that shows you are legally bound to this man.  She must have a sad and miserable existence, so I don't want to be too harsh on her.  Her life sucks.  She's got money and some power and that's it.  Other than that, she's empty.  Still though, her husband lies in a coma and she's trying to secure the business for herself while stripping both brothers of it.  She has a meeting and looks to be turning to all of Papa Kim's relatives that lost out in the previous battle for company control.  It was an ugly war, Papa Kim was the victor, but if they choose to act, he may not remain as such.  That crown could be lost, and by golly, she's going to do what she can to take it from him.

And finally, what review of Heirs would be complete without talking about my Young Do?  Our dark knight with such deep scars that has, at least in my little opinion, stolen this show.  Poor guy's having a rough time.  He's lost his girl.  His dad's company is in big trouble.  He misses his mom.  A few things take a positive turn for him though in this episode and are certainly worth mentioning.  First, he jumps from being #98 to #27 in his class rank.  Turns out that actually taking the exam and not just doodling on it makes a bit of a difference (Kim Tan was #50 which pleased him greatly when he found out he was average).  Second, after working diligently with this one goal in mind, he finally bests his dad on the sparring mat.  And he does so without cheating.  Dad admits defeat and offers up to his son a reward - any favor he wants.  What does Young Do ask for?  He wants to know where his mother is.  To his relief, Dad doesn't actually know.  Sad that he can't get answers, but still a relief to know that it wasn't something that was being kept from him out of spite.  Thank goodness for even small victories, huh?  Poor Young Do.  The third event from this episode in Young Do's world worth mentioning is that, after a chance meeting with the waitress at the little cafe, Young Do gets what would appear to be his mother's business card left for him by her.  Talk about a major clue literally being handed to him.  He has yet to act upon this new information, but I suspect that that will be something that comes up in the finale.

Those were my stand-out mentionable moments from episode 19.  Progress was made, yet the victory not totally secured yet.  There is still a battle to be waged and things to settle before we can bid these characters farewell and adieu.  One thing's for sure, it promises to be an interesting wrap up party still to come, don't you think?  Who wants to take wages on the guess that there will be a "x years later" involved in the end?  I'm betting on it.  Whenever you go into a final episode with these many things still left unresolved, it's pretty much a given that the whole "x years later" will come into play.  I understand why they do it - they have to keep tensions high so you come back for the dramatic conclusion, but really...do we have to leave so many ends untied here writers?  We'll see if I'm right or if I'm right.  That's just my guess of course.  I could always be proven wrong.

Stay tuned and I'll see you back here after our dramatic conclusion!