When A Man Loves - Episode 3 (A SqueeCap)

[kakashi sits back, relaxes, and makes gifs as Shukmeister and JoAnne continue to rock with their When A Man Loves recaps...]


Shuk: Tae-sang, posing dramatically against the backdrop of the books as he asks the question burning in his breast for seven years: “Will you marry me?"
JoAnne: [Screaming across an ocean and several weeks of lag time:] Yes, Oppa, yes!
Shuk: Seo Mi-do, in all her virginal idiocy, doesn’t say yes immediately but proceeds to state that the idea of marrying for money makes her sick and runs out of the bookstore. He chases her down, and pours his heart out to her.
JoAnne: This is not the first time I will say ‘Girl, I do NOT get you.’ Honestly - she would sell herself to him, but not marry him? Stupid.
HTS: "I came this far because of you. Yeah, I can give you anything you desire. You can finally wear designer clothes and go to fancy places. I want you to enjoy the good life. You know I'm a fool. I’ve never dated before. There's a woman I want to protect and spend every day with. But I don't know what to say to her. Teach me what's more appropriate than "let's live together."
I know there’s a lot of discussion about this. I feel very strongly that Oppa is not exactly saying he’s a virgin here. He’s saying that she’s the first woman who has made him want a SERIOUS relationship, and he doesn’t know the rules of THAT. Oppa can bang a gong just as thoroughly as the next gangster, I have no doubt about that. But prolly once he started seeing Lil Miss Priss around town again, or maybe even since he met her 7 years ago, perhaps he went cold turkey then. It’s possible. Don’t ask me how I know this, but sadly, I do. (Plus, except for a mild case of way too much head tossing, he’s not bad in this scene.)
Shuk: The next day she proves that she neither understands Korean, nor can she read English subtitles, since she turns him down flat. (Shukie is so funny!) He accepts that, surprising her. She grudgingly thanks him, and he responds by giving her a ‘business‘ trip to Guam.
JoAnne: And thus begins my non-stop squee spree because this episode is FILLED with deliciousness. Oh wait no, that’s next episode. But this one is good too and Oppa was so cute here, playing it off all cool and everything. Plus, he has a philosophy. Which he outlines later when he‘s educating her young ignorant butt with the wisdom of his manly maturity.
"okay"
Shuk: Seo Mi-do bumps into a former gangster-turned-respectable-manager, and gets in a few verbal jabs regarding the bookstore shakedown seven years ago.
JoAnne: Seriously though, I think this is the ridiculous little gangster from Kimchi Family who liked the slow sister. He’s funny. Plus, awwww, Oppa brought a whole LOT of the gang with him when he went legit.

Shuk: Later, she finds President Han arm wrestling with a middle school coach while a crowd of young students cheer and ultimately dog-pile him. In a quieter moment, he shares his story with these young folks, admonishing them to never give up on themselves, and Mi-do remembers that he said the exact words to her seven years before.
JoAnne: She remembers the words but even before that, she appeared to have her first lustful revelation about Oppa. Because I kinda think that was an ‘oops, where did my ovaries go?’ moment for FishFace, who is actually kind of cute when she smiles. Also: that was a coach? I thought that was just a REALLY big kid with maybe a hormone issue. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that they’d have a grown up along. Plus: Oppa with kids! MY ovaries left the building, even if hers didn’t.
Shuk: Tae-sang retires to the conference room with some bad news: because a long-term loan was not properly handled, the district office issued a 15-day injunction against new business. He decides to accept the punishment and move on, which again impresses Seo Mi-do.
JoAnne: News flash, idiot: He really IS a good guy. Why are you being so stubborn? Honestly, Kakashi, she’s being so stupid I don’t think we should reward her by putting her picture in the blog at all. Can we just do another shot of them abs?
Here you go, JoAnne :)
[Note to self: Do any of us know anyone who can add special effects to screen caps? Because I would like a gif of Oppa’s torso, but glittery, and while the glitter, um, glitters - we should get that angel chorus sound effect. You know, where they just go ‘AhhhhhhhHHHHHHHH’ Or maybe that should be the GIF of his lovely jaw and cheek lines. Whatever. Even his calves are a thing of beauty, so it doesn’t really matter.]

Shuk: And the Evils get a moment in the story: ugly-purple-haired Gu Yong-gap meanly rips the newspaper head off a perfectly lovely photo of Tae-sang, and Gangster Moll Seon-joo starts the process of looking for President Han’s missing family.
JoAnne: Already done with Grandpa Leeteuk, and he just keeps getting worse. Before he dies though, someone should explain why he’s had purple hair for at least 7 years. Is it a love protest? And HER. She could have been looking for those people for 7 years already, but suddenly now it matters? I question your love for Oppa, Miss, I really do.

Shuk: It’s night, and Mi-do finds Tae-sang again working in the Bookstore of Single Copies Of Everything. She offers to forget the trip because of the company’s problems, but he refuses. After all, what isn’t possible one day may become possible someday.
JoAnne: Seriously, he makes sense. #WhenAManIsNotJustAnotherPrettyFace
Shuk: She gets petty revenge by ordering spicy noodles for two, which he manfully attempts to eat. Finally the scales are at least partially removed from her eyes as she manages to smile at his antics.
JoAnne: IT’S ABOUT TIME. And I can totally see their relationship. He’s her protector, he thinks, but love turns him into a puppy around her no matter how tough he is elsewhere. And she is the young brat who teases and plays with him but secretly relies on as her pillar of strength and support. And yet, because she is strangely mature - I admit it, she has a gravitas at certain moments that’s not simply Frozen Fish Face - she is just as much a support and pillar to him and takes very tender care of her hard-working, devoted Oppa. And then there’s more than a hint of sexual chemistry here, I think. But I could be projecting. Ok. Moving on. But this: Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. I was NINE when I read that book. Can you blame me for shipping this OTP?
Shuk: At the jail the next day, he updates Chang–hee on his brother, and Chang-hee flashes beautiful eyes of amber gratitude. I pause and rewatch [sigh].
JoAnne: Oh, those are pretty, pretty eyes, I must agree. And I love the loyalty and devotion between the two men.
Shuk: In Guam, the room is sumptuous and pretty, including a new flirty wardrobe, and a note from the boss telling her to have a nice time and think about business the entire time.
JoAnne: You don’t mention the entire cutting garden’s worth of flowers, the cut fruit, the champagne chilling on ice, the box of macarons and tasty little cakes? Not to mention how carefully he words things so that she understands the heart behind all of this: When you can enjoy nice things, you breathe a little easier and you can imagine life being good and getting better. He doesn’t really deny that he does this out of love for her, but he also says that she’s representing the company and not just herself, and he wants her to be able to feel like she belongs, and that she is a fitting image for what she’s been sent to do. Which is much nicer than just, ‘Here, if you sleep with me I’ll buy you nice clothes.’
Shuk: Sorry, J, I was struck dumb by the sheer magnitude of the gesture...

Shuk: Seo Mi-do is out ostensibly visiting all the touristy things that Guam offers, while our Hong Kong connection Jae-hee is given some shirtless time, diving off a rusted old bunker, and hitchhiking into town.
JoAnne: That was a cool bunker thing.
Shuk: Somehow the two of them end up on the same bus, visiting a local market, and giving a chance for Mi-do to prove her English is better than his English. In the meantime, he snaps a couple of shots with her the background, but fails to find her in the crowd. Meeting crisis averted temporarily!
JoAnne: How cute is he though? Wait, no, I’m supposed to dislike him. 
#WhenAWomanFailsHerOneJob  
#IAmSorryOppaHeIsJustSoCute
Shuk: Back in Seoul, Tae-sang is doing what he does best, stretching his white shirt…err…back muscles and strolling around his office. He receives a cryptic message from Seong-joo, who then hangs up on him and barges into his office with a twist-cap bottle of wine and a Cheshire cat grin. He is leaving for a meeting and tells her so. Begin hissyfit #2 when she throws a glass of wine and it shatters on the floor. He indulges her tantrum for a second but heads off to his meeting, leaving her seething.
JoAnne: I did think Oppa was unnecessarily rude to her but then again, I haven’t watched him put up with her games for seven years. #WhenAManIsTiredofYourAss
Shuk: And at this perfectly-timed (for a KDrama) moment, Mi-do calls Tae-sang’s cell phone, which is conveniently (also for a KDrama) on his desk and unprotected. Seong-joo pulls the prank that she and President Han are together (hint hink wink wink) and he can’t come to the phone. Seo Mi-do buys the act, and drops her business notes while walking, lost in thought.
JoAnne: Oh, you bitch. I know you were contractually obligated to do that as the official Girl Who Hasn’t Got a Chance with Lead, but still, that was wrong.

Shuk: Seon-joo proves she’s not human by picking up the pieces of broken glass WITHOUT CUTTING HER FINGER!!
JoAnne: Heh. I hope a sliver is hiding somewhere on her (reaaaaaaaaaaaaally well-dressed) person and later on she goes blind somehow. But honestly, that outfit was stellar. And the BAG? Drooling.
Outside the pretty clothes, I'm pretty sure she looks like this.
Shuk: Tae-sang tells her to stop her fake-ass cleaning and talk to him, but she’s gone into Bitchmode and flounces off, taking the wine with her. Which turns out to be an act as she was waiting outside his office for him to run after her. She mentions the phone call, and he completely tunes her out to redial Mi-do, and doesn’t even notice when she walks away. Naturally, the phone goes into voice mail.
JoAnne: That was an act? I didn’t think she thought he’d go after her, I thought that was just the standard pensive lean against the wall moment. Do you mean all of those were supposed to be ‘here’s where you follow me’ scenes? I’m such a plotting failure. No wonder I’m single. I LOVED how she’s all in the middle of her heartfelt explanation and he completely ignores her to dial the phone once he hears Seo Mi Do’s name. And it wasn’t just voice mail, I think it was the ‘this phone is turned off so the person can passively-aggressively let you know that they’re angry’ message. We don’t have that, do we? We have passive-aggressive but it doesn’t come with your phone, right?
Shuk: Jae Hee looking at his PPL pictures on his tablet, when he notices Mi-do’s dropped notes. When she shows up, he shows off, but telling her all the local fun and yummy things. Jae-hee mentions that a ‘good friend’ has a place in Guam as well, and wishes her luck.
JoAnne: Her map was adorable. Also, I thought it earlier but there wasn’t an opportunity to say it: she’s been really cute so far wandering around Guam, and she’s got GREAT legs. Not sure if it’s this ep or the next one, or both of them, but this girl can put food away like a long-distance trucker.

Shuk: And if you want to try coconut, wasabi, and soy sauce, here’s a recipe:
JoAnne: Thanks, Shuk! Google Fu strikes again! It does sound delicious

Shuk: A froggy-colored messenger at the market seems to recognize the ramyun Ahjumma and tracks her to her shop, where the school boy who stiffed her is lurking.
JoAnne: I still think he’s one of the reformed gangsters. Ramyun Ahjumma. We could call her Ahjuramyun. I also like NoodleMama.
Shuk: Seo Mi-do’s mother pretends to care about her daughter’s well-being when she lists a bunch of stuff she wants, along with the advice that Mi-do should buy him something expensive (with his own money), and send him a cute photo. Carrot Idol Boy just wants a wallet; Dad is mortified, but quietly checking out marriage horoscopes for our OTP.
JoAnne: Mom has fallen for Oppa too. She ain’t no fool. FishFace must take after dad.

Shuk: Mi-do guzzles beer like a sailor, and we have Fateful Meeting # 2 when Jae Hee shows up, in a Stanford Unversity t-shirt. His is for real; her’s is a discount knockoff. They shoot darts together until she leaves for her next touristy thing. He continues to play, and wins a ticket to a free buffet and jam session.
JoAnne: Goddammit they’re cute together. This SUCKS BALLS.
Shuk: Every non-Korean extra they could find are tapping feet at a party when Jae Hee arrives for Fateful Meeting # 3. During a musical chairs event, he cheats when he picks her up in his arms for the final game. The judges rule they play a final game of suction darts. He hits the target perfectly; she hits him square in the forehead.
JoAnne: How come they were the only two people who knew how to dance the ancient dances? I guess that was shorthand for ‘we have a deep, soulful connection.‘ As for the dart, well…I knew it was coming but it was still funny.
Shuk: Brahm’s 3rd Symphony, 3rd Movement dolefully plays in the background as Tae-sang sits in a darkened office and waits for Seo Mi-do to call.
JoAnne: Poor Oppa. She didn’t even call him to thank him for all the stuff in the room.

 Shuk: Walking back from the party, she suddenly realizes Jae-hee as her Rice-Bearer seven years ago. She wonders how he became so successful when he was as poor as she was, and he tells her he will explain over lunch tomorrow.
JoAnne: Those lights hanging down from the trees were REALLY pretty. And I thought the visual reach back (reach back, ha! If it were really a reach back this would be a very, very different type of gangster movie.) of the two teddy bears putting her in mind of the rice bags was cute. This is actually filmed pretty well - stunning scenery and I’m not just talking about Oppa and Chubby Cheeks
Shuk: They meet behind a beautiful backdrop of the ocean as fluffy music plays and the two do some low key flirting. They hang out at Fort Soledad (built by the Spanish in 1810 and the last of 4 forts built around Umatac Bay in Guam) , go kayaking, and generally do non-lunch things.
JoAnne: Did they go kayaking at Disney World? How less real could that river have looked? Also, remind me to be pissed off about the fact that she’s wearing heels while they do all of this. And that he never actually told her where to meet him in the first place.

Shuk: Finally they are eating, and her purse gets stolen. Jae-hee runs after him, and yells at her to meet him in Two Lovers Point (which I found after the fact).
JoAnne: I missed that. I know he yelled something but I thought he just told her to wait there, where they were. So I was irritated with Fish Face for her ineffectual chasing, in heels, to some random spot where he eventually just happens to find her. Now I feel awkward. But they still ran off without paying.
Shuk: YOU ARE CORRECT, JOANNE. I found the place through extensive research on Places to See in Guam. They have the amazing synaptic ability to figure it out in a nanosecond. I apologize for any confusion.

Shuk: We get a splendid view of President Han in a burgundy jeep while the wind lovingly tousles his hair. He leaves a voicemail for Jae-hee to meet for dinner.
JoAnne: Oppa came! Because she didn’t call, and he loves her! I was all impressed that he DIDN’T just casually show up, earlier. It’s clear he didn’t have a plan to do that - he was just sending her and letting her enjoy her time. (Seriously, classy move.) But then she didn’t call and he couldn’t take it anymore…plus, I’m kind of looking forward to him seeing his two young proteges together. I love Oppa but I love conflict, too.
Shuk: Back at the park, Jae-hee hands Mi-do her purse, and they snack by fading sunlight and chat. Jae-hee promises to visit the bookstore the next time he is in Korea. Finally, they get around to his life, and he explains that his education was the result of a benefactor.
JoAnne: They should have compared notes and figured out it was Oppa, thus clearing the path for her to realize her love. But NOPE. She's going to turn into a two-timing hussy who pisses me off.

Shuk: Said benefactor is playing a game of golf, showing that fine physique. Nice shot!!
JoAnne: You ain't never told a lie. But did you notice how tiny he was compared next to his driver? I hope that man is enormous, because otherwise Oppa is more like an Oppette.
Shuk: At the park, the two of them share a Titanic moment, and she rings the Two Lovers bell, which signifies the beginning of a new love. A sudden rain shower has them scurrying for shelter, and they agree to meet for dinner that night.
JoAnne: Way to beat us over the head with it, Show. Plus she sneezes, which immediately portends the Korean Flu of Doom. Heroines must catch this within 30 seconds of any water touching them that does not come from an Approved Faucet or Showerhead. Grumbling because they're so cute together. Little brats. Oppa deserves better.
They were standing on the upper deck, in case you were wondering...

Shuk: Seo Mi-do is feeling giddy at the prospect of dinner, when our hero arrives in all his white tshirt and jeans glory. She looks poleaxed as he walks up and asks the obvious out-in-the-rain question. He tells her not to misunderstanding anything she heard, and invites her to dinner. She declines, stating she has plans, and he tells her to take care of her health and have a good night. She finds a bouquet of roses from Tae-sang, and broods.
JoAnne: Now I just want to lick the tee shirt. Right off his body.

Shuk: Seong-joo receives a bouquet of roses from Tae-sang and rejoices, except that it’s a cruel joke by our gentian-hair Evil One. She calls him and tells him to send more flowers in Tae-sang’s name, because that makes her happy.
JoAnne: Oh, Grandpa Leeteuk. You are SO. PITIFUL.

Shuk:   Gu Yong-gap then visits Lee Chang-hee in prison, and tries to convince him to join The Dark Side, but our amber-eyed knows where his loyalty lies. [NOTE: close up of Kim Sung-oh’s eyes ]
JoAnne: Seriously pretty eyes. I wonder if maybe there’ll be conflict between him and Oppa when it becomes clear that Chubby Cheeks is the rival for Oppa’s girl. That would be interesting. I was so glad that Grandpa L. was a miserable failure at plotting here, because I’m not interested in that story.

 The ramyun ahjumma get a visit from the thieving school boy, who promises to work for food. It’s like the Middle School version of FBRS…
Shuk: More stunning backdrop / stunning male as Tae-sang waits for Jae-hee at the hotel. They agree to meet for dinner, as long as Jae-hee can bring a girl with him.
JoAnne: *sings* Tension is buillllllllllllllllllding


Shuk: He calls Mi-do to ask if that would be okay, but she decides to blow off dinner, citing a fever from the rainshower. They agree to meet up tomorrow morning. When they hang up, Room Service shows up with some herbal tea and another note from our Hot Hero telling her to take care of herself. She immediately calls him and offers to meet him for dinner.
JoAnne: You know what? That pissed me off. Even if I’m in Oppa’s camp, that was a shitty thing to do to Chubs. He has been adorable, damn him. But I get it, I do. She’s made up her mind. She’s going to give Oppa a shot.
Shuk: The two men amiably chat as Seo Mi-do heads towards the restaurant in a fiery orange dress, and the danger music begins.
JoAnne: *more singing* tennnnnnnnnnsion! Was that the end of this episode? Really? I hated that dress, by the way.
JoAnne: So this doesn't really fit anywhere, but I have to say it: I've been watching this because Oppa is so bee-yoooo-ti-ful but usually I end up giving up on his stories (except My Princess) because they're just so BAD. And I know this one is full of cliches but it's not BAD. Prepare to be amazed by Episode 4, which I ended with this surprising thought: Wow, I never even noticed his acting at all. That's GOOD, Oppa! Hwaiting!