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!

   

The Best Secondary Characters Of 2013

Have you ever gone into a drama and instead of liking the main couple or lead actors, you instead fall in love with one of the supporting characters.  Come on, admit it, it is impossible to not have those warm fuzzy feelings for some of the side characters.  They might have only been on screen a small portion of the drama but your heart and soul are caught and you begin to wish that they were the leads.  I personally am a total sucker for a good actor, especially when they are paired with a good character so here are my top characters that I wish would have their own dramas. Also I don't have plans for doing a breakout performance list for 2013, but if I did then most of these actors would be on it.

Jin Young as Gong Min Kyu - She is wow

Gon Min Kyu was a shining light in an otherwise dismal show.  The only son to two big time celebrities with a sham marriage, he is hidden away in foreign schools because of his lack of grades (He has repeated his senior year multiple times since he keeps getting kicked out of schools) as well as being a reminder of their actual ages.  He comes back to Korea unannounced and begins blackmailing his parents.  You have to really appreciate a character who sees what he wants and lets nothing (not even a really messed up family get in your way).  I really wish the whole show had been about his character since the rest was so messed up and a confusing jumble of plots and ideas.  This drama had plot holes that you could drive a tank through but I stuck it out (only for 10 episodes thank goodness) for Jin Young's amazing performance.   And since this is 100% for sure on my do not watch list I added this scene in.  Getting into trouble at his school he gets sent to the counselor who happens to be his dream girl.  Not letting a fact of age or decorum stop him he slides across the desk and starts making out with her.  LOL  Again I wish we could watch a whole drama just about him because that is one confident kid.

Yoon Hyun Min as Kim Hyun Soo- Heartless City

I LOVED this character with an emphasis on the word LOVE.  This was Yoon Hyun Min's first acting role and he hit it out of the park.  Playing Kim Hyun Soo, super thug extraordinaire and Jung Shi Hyun's BFF/second hand man.  He went through life in Korea's underworld in style and was always identifiable by his bright and stylish clothing.   Hyun Soo goes through hell and back for his BFF and he is one half of one of my favorite Bromances of 2013.  There had been rumors of him taking the 2nd lead in Age of Feeling, however they never panned out so I am still impatiently waiting for his next project.  Crossing my fingers that it is a great one, and maybe if we are lucky he will jump over into the Leading Man slot.

Shi Hyun and Hyun Soo - Epic Bromance MV (warning their are some spoilers but is a seriously awesome FMV)

Choi Woong as Choi Gwang-Soo  in Secret Love

I challenge anyone to say that they did not fall a tiny bit in love with Secretary Gwang Soo in Secret.  Always close by his boss Jo Min Hyuk, Gwang Soo was the super secretary who somehow managed to find out anything his boss required be it women, info, or photos from years in the past.  No request was beyond his ability to fulfill.  I kept thinking how awesome it would be if we could see the same events happen from his perspective.  I imagine it would be more of a comedy since he had one amazingly crazy boss.  Since this is his first character with many scenes actor Choi Woong is still an unknown to me, however I would be interested to see him in a different roll since he sure won my heart in this one.

Kim Yoo Jung as teen Baek Won in Gold Rainbow

This next one is not so much a love of the character per say but the love of this specific actress playing the character.  Kim Yoo Jung is a seasoned performer and has been acting since she was five. She is well known for playing the younger versions of characters in many dramas.  Last year she nailed the part as the younger lead in The Moon Embracing the Sun and everyone was very sad when her character grew up.   And in my opinion she is doing it again in her drama Gold Rainbow where she is playing the teenage version of Baek Won to Uee's adult version.  I am very sad that she is not going to be the main girl all the way through since her heartfelt acting and natural beauty often eclipses her older costars (and since Uee is just an all right actor to begin with I dont see her doing justice to Yoo Jung's younger version.)  I cant wait for the day when she is considered old enough to pull off a lead roll.  I suspect that we are only a year or so shy and I for one am very excited to see her future work.

Kim Yoo Mi as Lee Jin Sook in Heartless City

A hooker with a heart of Gold is a good description for the character of Lee Jin Sook.  One of the leading figures in Seoul's underworld, she made her way up from a street hooker to President of her very own illegal organization.  Secretly in love with her young protege from the streets she kicks butt supporting him in her own way and is as scary as any man while doing it.  It is rare to find a drama which manages to keep a truly strong female character from start to finish but she is one of the very few who accomplished it in 2013.  I kept expecting them to fall back on the standard women scorned cliches but instead I got to enjoy a really well thought out and developed character who had true emotions.  She chose those she loved even when it caused her pain and I can really respect that.  So Kudos on the writers of this drama for writing a truly awesome roll for an actress.

Kim Woo Bin as Choi Young Do in Heirs

Kim Woo Bin has been having an amazing year.  Coming out of one of the best Bromances in the history of Bromances in School 2013, he was signed early as second lead in Heirs.  I was initially sad since I had hope he was going to make that jump into leading man territory rather then do another supporting role but I am so happy he chose to do this character.  Woo Bin plays Choi Young Do the heir to a hotel fortune and all around bad boy. Woo Bin stole the show from his costars (and keep in mind that his costar is Lee "the most perfect man" Min Ho.) and made me wish that he was the lead and going to get the girl.  He is everything that you usually want in a leading kdrama character.  Horrible parents, inner angst, and a slightly sadistic mean streak, he brings a huge edge to a show that would have been very vanilla without his charismatic and slightly scary character.  I just want to know if it is to much to hope that we could see Young Do get his own romance in the future.  I really want to see what kind of girl actually does claim him as her own and of course see him get his happily ever after.  I guess I will just have to wait for him to make that ever important jump to leading man and, if I had to guess, I would say it is very soon given his newly increased popularity among viewers.
There are not really any spoilers since we know who gets the girl in the end of this drama.  It is a Lee Min Ho drama after all but you can get a feel for his chemistry in both of these MV's. 

And just as a special Bonus - Here is Woo Bin doing a cute wake up call in various personas..................  Why they had him do these I have no clue but I am glad they did because he is adorable and can wake me up anytime.

That concludes my list of favorite Secondary Characters.   I hope that all of these actors can use this year as a means to jump into better roles in 2014 and I cant wait to see if my future predictions for their fame come true.  Have a wonderful kdrama filled week and I hope you tune in later this week as I discuss the best and worst Comedies of 2013.

Sincerely,
Kmuse

Heirs ep 18 Reunited and It Feels So Good

After more angst, drama and sad feels, Kim Tan and Eun Sang once again reunite when Eun Sang returns to school with the help of Kim Won.

The end.

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Okay, fine, so there was more, but that's the crux of it for you in one simple sentence.  There are of course other moments worth mentioning though in addition to that.  Like Kim Tan's mother leaving his father after a nasty argument where he shows oh so clearly what a nasty piece of work he truly is.  Wow.  If there was any room to hate the man more, this episode should have cinched it.  He really was a Class A1 jerk of a jerk.  The jerkiest of jerks I have ever seen.  Tan's mom is all set to leave when he pulls a switcheroo on her, in essence trying to have his goons kidnap her and ship her off to who-knows-where.  She manages to escape, hopping in a cab and driving to the school.  In a scene that was obviously reminiscent of when Young Do's mom leaves, Momma Tan begs Young Do to help her find her son.  Sensing that something is really wrong here, Young Do does just that - he immediately bolts and goes running to find Tan.  Thankfully (?) these boys have been down this road before, only in reverse, so Tan instantly listens to his former friend/foe/it's complicated (unlike Young Do did in the past when the shoe was on the other foot) and is able to see his mother as she is running away from Dad's goons, and hops in the car with her.

Another interesting moment is when we see Kim Won and Teacher Hyun Joo in bed together.  Huh.  So, safe to assume that they aren't all that broken up.  Well, that's good.  I'm glad.  There's an exchange where Kim Won is comparing himself to his brother.  Tan at this point is still in self-destruct mode.  Won's goal is to achieve what he wants a different way.  Whereas little brother is throwing his life away in rebellion, big brother sees that he needs to win by reaching the top.  Hyun Joo supports him in this and looks like she's just waiting for him to get there.  Good news for Won, not so good news for young Hyo Shin, but that's okay, he's young, he'll love again.

Ready to have your heart ripped to shreds a bit more?  How about the scene where Young Do goes to Eun Sang's seaside home and has a meal with her mother?  When asked his relationship with her daughter, he replies, through thinly veiled tears and a choked up voice, that he likes her.  I wish we had seen what happened after that because I'm very curious to know just how she reacted to that little revelation.  Daughter Dearest has two very rich and very handsome young suitors.  It's like a mother's dream come true.  Too bad these darling boys come with so much baggage attached that you can find yourself buried underneath it all if you're not careful.

Another heartbreaking Young Do moment for me was when he sees the note written on the wall by his mother for him, asking him how he is.  His reply?  "Not good.  I'm not doing well at all."  Rip, tear, shred, and stomp on my heart, why dontcha?  That and the "break up" scene he has with Eun Sang.  Ouch!  This poor kid better get a happy ending.  There actually is still a part of me that wishes he had gotten the girl, but I know that that just isn't going to happen, so I hope at least that his resolution in this story makes up for it.

Those are the main points that I wanted to mention about episode 18.  I love how Kim Tan's father is douche-bagging his way out of every single relationship he's in.  He has no one on his side that he isn't paying.  They've all turned on him.  And he's earned it.  What an awful man, husband, and father he is.  So next week is it folks.  The end of Heirs.  What will happen?  What kind of ending will we get?  How will love conquer all?  How will these train wrecks of chaebol families fair?  Will Park Shin Hye prove to all us naysayers once and for all that actually, yes, in truth she can pull off a decent snog?  Two more days and we'll be on our way to learning all this and more!  Finale week!  Fighting!!!

Heirs ep 17 The Fall of the Mighty

Last week I had a bad case of the sniffles, so when I heard through the grapevine that this was a very sad episode, I made the decision that I would wait until I was feeling better before even attempting it.  Well, today was the day.  I figured that I probably shouldn't put it off anymore, that I should put on my big girl panties and finally watch it.  I'm glad I waited.

This episode was all about Kim Tan falling apart.  Eun Sang disappears in the night (we find out later that it was Secretary Yoon that came to her rescue moments before leaving the country and he managed to hide her away at the seashore instead of wherever Papa Jeguk was going to send her).  Young Do and Kim Tan immediately jump into action in order to find her and track down her whereabouts.  They are both men obsessed and use various means, many of a questionable nature, to track her down.  Both succeed eventually and make their way to where she is now living.  Life at the seashore looks rather tough on our mother and daughter duo, despite Eun Sang's brave face she puts on for mom.  She's landed a job working at a bookstore while mom is finding that securing employment without the ability to speak is proving to be rather difficult.  Yet they soldier on, both staying strong for the other.

Tan finds her first.  He sees her hanging her laundry.  Instead of running over to her though, he stands by and watches.  Later, when she is sitting on the beach, he goes to take a step towards her but hesitates and then in the end goes back home without facing her.  Young Do finds her next, but he's less shy in letting her know he's there.  They have a tense reunion between the two of them as both hearts break, even if for different reasons.

All of this saga builds into Tan realizing that his presence in her life has hurt her.  She's lost her home, her school, her friends, even her future.  She's literally hiding in some small village in order to get away from the drama that is his family.  It hits him hard how his love has destroyed her and so he vows, for her sake, to give her up.  He tells Kim Won that he'll do whatever big brother wants - leave the country, give up his shares, everything, if he will in turn just protect her.  He goes back to where Eun Sang is living in order to see her one final time.  She flips out when she sees him, he stands there an apologizes for ruining her life, and then he leaves.  She collapses in a fit of tears, and he begins in earnest his path of self-destruction.

The rest is painful to watch and relive through a recap.  He goes home, locks himself in his room, and destroys it.  He physically keeps injuring himself.  He is an empty shell roaming the halls of school and home.  He gets arrested.  He gets in drunken fights on the street.  In short, he is a big mess.  Meanwhile, Dad is being just as obstinate and mean as ever, going forward and pretending like all is well in his family and empire, when it clearly is not.  That scene at the company anniversary where he's standing there proclaiming how wonderful the company is doing all while his very messed up family sits on stage clearly painting a different picture was poignant for me.

The episode ends with Young Do coming across Kim Tan in self-destruct mode getting involved in a fight on the street.  YD comes to his rescue, the two boys then of course have to tussle in the streets, and it ends with a beaten body and soul Kim Tan admitting defeat and giving Young Do the green light to go for Eun Sang since he's determined not to be in her life anymore.

There were of course other things of note from this episode not having to do with Kim Tan's depressing downfall.  It would seem as if Young Do's dad's company is in trouble and facing an investigation.  Esther Lee breaks off their engagement.  Hyo Shin discovers that his crush, Teacher Hyun Joo was involved with Kim Won (she denies it, but he's no fool).  After that, there's an interesting moment between he and Retchel.  I wonder I wonder if those two "little" kisses they shared at the party may have just started a little somethin-somethin between the two of them unintentionally.  That would be fun to see.

And that's pretty much episode 17 in a nutshell.  Depressing and a big downer.  Love hurts I guess.  As does being rich and powerful.  I've heard ep 18 gets a little cheerier, so I think I'm going to go spend some time there now in order to cheer me up a bit.  Too much emo for a Monday and all, you know?

 

The Kisses of 2013

So as you progress in your kdrama addiction you will find that you will start dissecting everything about a drama.  What clothes they wear, what phones they use, the style/cut/color of their hair.  And most importantly - how good was the skinship in the drama.  Was it something that I am going to rewind 50 times.  Am I going to put the clip in my youtube playlist for kdrama kisses and romantic moments (not that I am in any way admitting i have such a folder because that would just be crazy)?  So in this post we are going to not only going to delve into my favorite and least favorite kisses, but are going to add a few kissing categories along the way.  Because if you are reading this blog you are probably overjoyed to be watching clips of kdrama kiss scenes..........admit it .........  if only by adding them to your own super secret youtube kissing clip playlist.

Most Memorable Kisses

BEST KISS/SKINSHIP/BEDROOM SCENES OF THE YEAR AWARD.
#1 My all time favorite kiss of the year was actually on a drama that was more of a gritty noir action drama known more for its dark plot and characters then its romance.  But this kiss/bedroom scene that followed was EPIC and wins hands down:
Heartless City/Cruel City (Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri)

#2 This next kiss was in a drama that was mostly overlooked this last year.  Although it had its faults here and there, no one can deny that the skinship in this drama was truly well done.  It had that tiny hint of this is so wrong I am married and dont know you yet it feels so right like you are my dead first love crazy obsession feel that makes for a good kiss.
Shark (Kim Nam Gil & Son Ye Jin) - the kiss scene starts at 30 sec.  could not find a better clip.

#3 Our third kiss of the year goes out to a younger actor who obviously knows his way around a kiss.  In Potato Star the Earth (with South Korea at the epicenter) is about to be hit by a huge meteor from Space.  And what do you do in that moment you are about to die... Well if you are Yeo Jin Goo you start making out with your hot next door neighbor.
Potato Star 2013QR3- Ha Yeaon Soo & Yeo Jin Goo

 

#4 This kiss was at the very end of one of my favorite dramas of the Year.  Secret (Secret Love) was nothing if not intense and every moment the OTP were together on screen we were enthralled to see what they would do next.  But it was the last scene of the drama that has our best kiss #4.
Secret Love (Hwang Jung Eum & Ji Sung)

#5 This Noona romance stole us away into a world where a younger man can totally romance and get the girl.  Thinking he was going to be leaving her forever he decides to let her know about his love in the most direct way possible. From the waist grab, to the kiss, and the tear at the end this kiss was the best goodbye kiss of the year.
I Hear Your Voice ( Lee Jong Suk and Lee Bo Young)

The Kisses that left us going EH?????????EWWWWWWWWWWW???????? Or in some cases WHAT THE HECK YOU STUPID ACTRESS....... WRITERS............ DIRECTORS


So I will admit that usually if a show has a bad kiss I just gloss over it.  As long as the writing is good I am not going to can a drama or actor on a kiss.  However there has arisen one actress that has proven herself to the "THE WORST KISSER IN KOREAN HISTORY"!!!!!!!!!!  Park Shin Hye has been paired up with some of the hottest actors (not to mention they are all proven kissers) and yet she always looks as if she is about to throw up and or rotting fish flavor is wafting from the guys lips.  It is getting to the point where I dread her being the leading actress because I know that somehow she will ruin the make out scenes.  And this year has been nothing different.  Paired up in two different dramas she has succeeded in kissing her way out of the viewers hearts.

Flower Boy Next Door (Yoon Shi Yoon & Park Shin Hye) - notice the absolute lack of movement on her part.

And the scenes that have sealed her fate is her lack of kissing skills with Lee Min Ho.  I am pretty sure a dead person would come back to life for the chance to kiss him and yet PSH does not look like she is enjoying much of it. 

Heirs (Lee Min Ho-who is one of the hottest men in the world & Park Shin Hye - I cant kiss a man because I am pretty sure he is going to give me cuties and then I will die) - I included the almost kiss into the clips as well just to illustrate my point.

Would Kiss you but you are About to Pass Out Kiss

 First Kiss

 Lee Min Ho still trying to coax her with kisses. - PSH "why, is that rotted squid I smell upon your breath my love?"

 The director finally giving up on shooting PSH's reaction at all and is letting Lee Min Ho attempt to salvage the skinship of this drama.  But she still manages to look super scared and uncomfortable.

 To be honest for the most part the kissing this year has been okay.  With the exception of Heirs and Flower Boy Next Door there were never any other dramas that I really wanted eviscerate someone for messing it up.  So instead of trying to drum up bad kisses I decided to talk about the ones that although really good at getting the emotional reaction the show wanted were not necessarily romantic in nature.  I will be splitting them up into two categories.  The first being kisses that because of the nature of the OTP's relationship (at the time of the kisses) we were uncomfortable.  And Second those funny kisses that just make you want to laugh.

Kisses that make you feel all uncomfy inside (and not in a positive way).

Secret Love (Hwang Jung Eum & Ji Sung)

#1Not only are they on the best kiss scene list but they have made it onto this list as well.  Their first kiss was all that dreams (of the nightmare variety) are made of.  Ji Sung's character has been obsessed (and I am not talking the happy you are pretty let me stalk you way) with Hwang Jun Eum's character for years and has finally come to the realization that instead of hating her for killing his girlfriend and unborn child, he really loves her desperately.  This is the kiss that is the result of that messed up connection.  Kudos for the actors and directors for making us feel completely uncomfortable and unsure whether to say YAY or not.

 This next drama had us feeling a horrible mix of guilt and enjoyment for the skinship between the OTP.  In Winter the Wind Blow the lead man pretends to be the long lost brother of a rich Heiress who happens to be blind and very very very very sheltered.  Slowly they begin to be more and more physical with each other until you are ready to slap the main girl.  Seriously how close do you have to get with "your brother" before your incest alarms start ringing.  But since the viewers are in the know about the lack of familial relationship we are left with a lot of enjoyment marred by that little voice inside that says "dude you are making out with your sister" vibe for 80% of the drama.  The following is a compolation of the OTP

Winter the Wind Blows (Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo) - again keep in mind that almost all of these incidences happened while she believed they were siblings -INCLUDING THE KISS

The Funny Kiss: Kissing is oh so romantic, Unless it is meant to be Funny and or garlic is involved.

#1 King of Dramas(Siwon & Oh Ji Eun) 

Our funniest kiss comes from The King of Dramas and involves two secondary characters.  This show is totally meta and all about the trials and pitfalls of making a drama complete with a leading couple who DETEST each other.  In order to make the leading lady suffer Siwon spends a few minutes before they are filming to stuff his face full of garlic cloves.  He then goes out and forces the leading actress to do the uber super duper romantic make out scene garlic and all.

-----I do believe that we may now have a reason why every actor has such bad chemistry with Park Shin Hye.  They all hate her and are chewing garlic before their romantic scenes.....  I declare that to be the only explanation for her kissing abilities.  LOL -----

 

#2 Our other funny kissing moment comes from one of my favorite dramas of 2013 Incarnation of Money.  This kiss happened when a up and coming prosecutor decides to use his wooing skills  in order to get a girl to testify at his first hearing.  Unfortunately for him, he has to put out much more then he bargained for.  I had a hard time finding the clip for this drama so you can see it in this link to Viki :Incarnation episode 4 at time stamp 50:06 or in this fan made MV.  This kiss is towards the end at 3:10.  Enjoy.

Incarnation of Money ( Kang Ji Hwan & Hwang Jung Eum)

Incarnation of Money Episode 4 - Watch Full Episodes Free - Korea - TV Shows - Viki

 THE BACK HUG

So we have thoroughly covered the kisses of 2013.  However there is one form of skinship that the Korean's have perfected that has to also be appreciated and commented upon (and those of you that are true kdrama fans totally know what I am talking about).  The super amazingly romantic "Back Hug".  Now the back hug is not just any hug.  It is an angsty expression of affection given from one member of the OTP to another when things are going really really wrong and they dont want to let each other go.  So these are our 2013 top 3 backhugs!!!!!!!

#1 So even Park Shin Hye can not mess up the power of Lee Min Ho's back hug.  He is one of the top back huggers in the business.

Heirs (Lee Min Ho & Park Shin Hye)

  #2 Cheers for Secret for appearing in every catagory of our kissing/skinship list.  They have an amazing backhug where she is supposedly giving him up (for his own good of course) and instead of letting her get on that bus and out of his life he grabs her and pulls her down the steps into an awesome backhug.  I had problems finding a clip so here is a fan made MV that includes most of it at time stamp 1:42

Secret Love (Hwang Jung Eum & Ji Sung)

#3 Our third greatest back hug was also by one of our best kissing couples.  Nothing is better then when you know what your love is thinking and you can emote accordingly.  In episode 13 we see our young hero come up behind his noona and give her some serious hugging.  I love when you get that wow moment whether it is a kiss, confession, or a hug.  This show had all of those in spades. 

I Hear Your Voice ( Lee Jong Suk and Lee Bo Young)

 So thanks for joining me through this countdown of kissing clips.  Whether you loved them or hated them I am sure that they got you to feel a lot of emotion either way and I hope that 2014 has just as many great kisses awaiting us. 

Sincerly,

Kmuse