Note: None of the gifs used in this post are mine. Credit goes to the show and the people who took the time to make the gifs.
Before I get started, let me just say one very, VERY important thing…
Young Do has a rottie!!!
Who’s a creepy fox loving up on his adorable rottie?! You are!
Okay…. My moment of fluffy fangirl squealing is over. For now.
So, after very nearly losing my sanity with Heechul’s cameo in episode 4, I have been glued to the screen with each new episode since. We’ve seen pretty much everyone return home for the school year, and more importantly, the start of all the nitty gritty drama feels that we’ve all been waiting for.
Not that I haven’t enjoyed the California sun and the adorable lollipop date with Chan Young and Eun Sang… I did. I was just very ready for everything to move back to Korea. Back to reality, if you go by Eun Sang’s point of view regarding her return to Korea from her ‘dream’ in California. — I understand, Eun Sang, honey, really I do. If I got to spend that much time with Lee Min Ho and then return home, I’d wonder if I had hallucinated the entire thing. Let’s face it..
He’s definitely worth hallucinating about.
I’m not going to recap the episodes. I don’t have the patience for it. Sorry! Most of what I’ll type in this post is just going to be my take on things, and all-around spazzing over.. well, pretty much everybody. There’ll be some general ‘what happened’ here and there just so I’m not randomly spazzing out about someone being an ass (and there are a few of those). I’d like to explain WHY they’re an ass, and that requires a bit of info about what scene or scenes have led me to that conclusion.
Where to start… where to start…
Well, let’s go with the relationship between Kim Tan and Young Do. If this were a bromance instead of pure hatred, I would probably fall all over myself because of these two. And no, it’s not just because both men are prime examples of the male species (don’t even get me started on the other men in this drama or we’ll still be here next year).
The relationship between Tan and Young Do is rather complicated and frankly heartbreaking. The idea that their friendship ended because of Tan’s status as an illegitimate son and (I’m guessing at this so don’t quote me) something to do with Young Do’s own mother… Ugh, It kills me!
Going from there to Young Do in general..
What a scary, cruel, and yet oddly attractive young heir. I can’t seem to make up my mind whether to hate him or bow down at his feet. In all honesty, even with all of his cruel scheming, I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for the second male lead as much as I have here. I know I’ve probably said that before, but this is on a whole new level. As much as I really don’t trust him, I am completely torn between rooting for Tan to win Eun Sang half the time, and the other half practically begging the kdrama gods to let Young Do have her… even though she’s showing no signs of her heart swaying to him. Crazy girl. Smart Girl. Damn it…
Young Do is a very confusing young man to me. With Tan, he’s very straightforward: He hates him with the passion of a thousand fiery suns and he’s got every intention of taking him out – literally. There’s nothing confusing there. Same thing when it comes to his relationship with Rachel. She hates him, he certainly seems to hate her, end of story. He’s very close to Myung Soo (played by Hyungsik for those of you just joining the series), and from what I’ve seen he lets the camera-addicted little cutie say things he’d beat the tar out of anyone else for saying. Definite bromance there, The Inheritors style.
You want the confusing part for me, then look at the situation between himself and Eun Sang.
Ding ding! We have a winner for the most confusing pair in the entire drama! One minute he’s being a total ass to her (see any GIF depicting the pool incident or tripping scene in the cafeteria), and the next he’s giving her the saddest expression or getting all googly-eyed and moony over her – in his own creepy predatory way.
In some cases I think his bullying of her is just to get at Tan. Okay, in a lot of cases. Now that he’s claiming to like her, though…
Damn I’m confused!!
First off, if he likes her, why use her as a pawn in his war with Tan, and why continue to subtly threaten her with her secret? Secondly, in recent episodes he claims to be trying to show her that Tan will let go of her when things get tough… but does that mean that he wouldn’t? He’s already proven he can’t be friends with an illegitimate child, and let’s face it, Eun Sang isn’t exactly on a higher tier in society than Tan when it comes to that. The only reason Tan is still even partially accepted at Jeguk High is because of his father, the chairwoman, and the fact that his secret hasn’t been spread – yet.
Which brings me to all of my concerns (and a bit of fluffy love) about Tan.
Silly Kim Tan.. She can still see you.
I think he’s in over his head, honestly. He thinks he can protect Eun Sang but he has no idea what he’s getting them both into with his father and everyone else. Young Do is probably right in a way (hear me out) to tell him to stop protecting Eun Sang. Tan, if only you would listen to him for once!
Instead he had to go and spill his own secret. Now the cat’s out of the bag in more ways than one. Rachel and her mom both know Tan’s mom faked being Eun Sang’s mom, which means Rachel’s going to be trying harder than ever to find out Eun Sang’s secret. This also means his father will probably be kicking his evil scheming up a notch.
Most of the time, his story makes me sad. He’s like a puppy who’s been left alone too long – eager to please to the point that it’s almost obnoxious. By this I mean he’s eager to please his brother. There’s a depressing relationship if I ever saw one.. Tan tries so hard to get Won’s approval only to be constantly and coldly rebuked. On one hand, I can understand why Won might feel the way he does… On the other hand… Grow up already! And smile more, damn it!
Seriously, though… I’d love to see this relationship move forward for the better, and regardless of what anyone says, that’s what I’m taking Won’s most recent behavior as. If he didn’t care about Tan at least a little bit, he wouldn’t have warned him to be careful about what he does because their father has someone following them. You can puff your chest up indignantly all you want, Wonnie, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it!
Won… Oh the poor guy. Nobody seems to be on his side. Well, except for the one person he doesn’t want on it — Tan, of course. Even the chairwoman only warned him about his father’s plans regarding Tan because she’s in the middle of a female pissing contest with Tan’s mother. This man is utterly alone in his world. There’s no fighting this time – unlike Young Do, I can’t go back and forth between hating and loving, unable to decide. When it comes to Won, I feel terrible and would love to wring his father’s neck!
Lee Bo Na makes me crack up most of the time. I started out completely hating her, but as the drama has progressed I can’t help but like her at least a little. She came through for Eun Sang when she needed a place to crash, even if it was only upon the threat of Eun Sang turning to Chan Young for a place to crash. Notice how Bo Na will do just about anything to keep Chan Young from actually acting like Eun Sang’s longtime friend? Careful Bo Na, or you may find yourself actually seeing her as your friend one of these days.
Hyo Shin… Hm. You are an interesting one, aren’t you? You’ve got a crush on your former tutor and apparently tried to commit suicide. After this confrontation with your mother, you’ve got me worried. Just what are you planning?
Does anyone else find his constant teasing of Tan adorably funny?
On other more random notes…
— I can’t make up my mind about Myung Soo. To trust or not to trust? He certainly seems like a real sweetie, but who’s to say he won’t turn into someone completely different once the inevitable happens and both Eun Sang’s and Tan’s secrets come out into the open?
— Rachel’s mom and Chan Young’s dad have history. Apparently daddy is the equivalent of Won’s secret love, Hyun Joo. How interesting… and a little sad.
— Hyun Joo was raised by Jeguk and by the looks of it has become a pawn for Won’s dad. Can’t help but feel sorry for the girl. She’s caught in the middle of what will likely turn into a very bloody family war.
— Was that guilt I saw in Young Do’s eyes when he met Eun Sang’s mother and realized she can’t speak? Surely this can’t mean he’s going to get all compassionate on us, can it? Oh I can hope…
— Tan’s mom. As much as the woman irritates me with her treatment of others, her situation is kind of sad. Sure, she brought it on herself years ago by basically allowing herself to become ‘the mistress’ for a married man, but living like that, being treated like that… I couldn’t do that.
— Young Do got revenge for Eun Sang… Hehehe naughty but strangely sweet.
— Only the Heirs could make a game of paintball into a life or death soap opera. That was hilarious to watch.
Die, Mr. Bullyman, die!
asiandramacloud 