What’s Life Without A Little Drama?

It’s been a while since I watched the last episode, so I’m not sure if it’s because of the break or if I’m just not enjoying the series as much, but I struggled to pay attention with this episode

We started where the last episode finished, where Dae-hee, Soo-ah, and Geun-won entered DanBam. Dae-hee, having heard about Sae-ro-yi’s investment in Jangga Group, is on edge. Which is exactly where Sae-ro-yi wants Dae-hee to be. Sae-ro-yi has had time to plot his revenge and he means business. We also find out that the boy who was being bullied by Geun-won in the first episode (and the reason all of the kicked off) is now an investment manager and has been helping Sae-ro-yi with his investments. They’ve also managed to sway Jangga Group’s executive director, Min-jung, in their favour (although none of them know that Dae-hee is aware of this).

With Sae-ro-yi’s plans starting to manifest in the real world, he doesn’t spend an awful lot of time in DanBam in this episode. In fact, he ends up taking a trip to his home town (at least, that’s what I assume they have gone) to see the, now retired, police officer in charge of his dad’s investigation. He’s still trying to persuade him to come forward and reveal the truth of what happened - that Geun-won murdered his father.

Of course, Yi-seo has figured out that Sae-ro-yi is up to something and has made it her life’s mission to find out what it is in a bid to grow closer to him. And yet, I don’t think Yi-seo is plotting in the same way she has been. I think Sae-ro-yi admitting the truth about his plans has made her realise that he is no fool. He may dream big but this is a man who has every intention of making it come true. I’m still not sure whether she has real feelings for Sae-ro-yi or if it’s the appeal of an older man who has his shit somewhat together. Either way, I don’t think there will ever be a moment where I will consider these two a compatible romantic match - partially because of the age difference, but also because I just don’t think he sees her that way. It reminds me far too much of a sibling relationship.

On the other hand, I’m warming to Soo-ah. She finally admitted to Sae-ro-yi that she’s torn about everything. How she partially wants him to stop fighting Jangga Group, but also how she was excited when he said he would make her quit (which sounds like a weird thing to say, but I kind of get what she meant. I think it was a translation issue rather than actual dialogue, but I took it as she was excited when he said he would make her quit in that he would look after her and not that he would make her quit because he was going to force her to... if that makes sense). I think my previous assessment about her was right: she just wants some stability. And I think Sae-ro-yi is starting to prove that he might be it for her. I’m not saying that I support them getting together, if that is end goal. I still feel like she needs to prove herself to him, to show that she cares about him as much as he cares about her. I think, if that moment is to come, it will be Soo-ah picking Danbam over Jangga Group.

The end of the episode proved to be the most exciting moment of the hour. Sae-ro-yi is informed that the building DanBam is in has been sold to a new owner who is increasing the rent, but also has stipulated that at the end of the contract DanBam will have to move as the owner plans to open their own business in that location. Soo-ah provides some legalese as she looks through the contract, to which I believe is nothing malicious. In that moment, she was helping her friend and nothing else. Because I highly doubt she’s aware of the plot twist: that the building was bought by none other than Dae-hee.

Going by Sae-ro-yi’s face, I doubt he had planned for this to happen. And I know that DanBam will have to relocate. The issue now being that they might not be in Itaewon, and, if they are, they might not find as good of a location. But I think Dae-hee has underestimated Sae-ro-yi once again. Sae-ro-yi has a good group around him, including Dae-hee’s youngest son. I think the move will end up working in their favour in the long run, but short term it’s going to be a nightmare.

Speaking of Geun-soo - I feel like he is everything Geun-won could have been without their father’s intervention. He has a kind heart and is very attentive. He’s clearly infatuated with Yi-seo, but, unlike his brother, it doesn’t seem like he has any intention to pursue her as a romantic interest right now. He’s trying to be her friend, even when he disagree’s with her actions. I also feel like he’s going to eventually be swayed back into his father’s ranks - causing more trouble for Geun-won (who already feels like his younger brother is a threat to his status in the family as the heir to Jangga Group). But, if Dae-hee does make Geun-soo the new heir to the throne, I don’t think it’s going to work out in Dae-hee’s favour. Geun-soo likes Sae-ro-yi, but more importantly - Danbam is important to Yi-seo. Right now, I believe that if he’s put in that position of power, he’s going to use it to help Sae-ro-yi and not be his enemy. 

The episode started where the last episode finished - with Soo-ah and Sae-ro-yi having a moment and Yi-seo stepping in the middle. Except this time we are privy to a flash back revealing the moment Soo-ah was orphaned. 

I had assumed, like most would, that she had grown up in the orphanage. But that isn’t the case. Her mum left her there when she was a teenager and thus she would have fully understood what was happening to her. News get out that Soo-ah is now an orphan and Soo-ah overhears a girl saying how she feels bad for Soo-ah.

Suddenly I get why she’s constantly keeping Sae-ro-yi at arms length. He’s probably the first person in her life that has stuck around and cared for her (well, other that Sae-ro-yi’s dad - god bless his soul). She clearly has abandonment issues and she’s trying to protect her own heart by pushing him away. She’s picking the route of less resistant - by working with the Jangga cgroup rather than teaming up with Sae-ro-yi and starting fresh. I think that this is because she subconciously wants stability and she thinks she can find it there. But I don’t think it’s ever going to be that easy for her. With Sae-ro-yi hell bent on making life hell for Dae-hee, Soo-ah is going to be caught in the middle.

I think my main issue with Soo-ah is the fact that she is very quick to remind Yi-seo that Sae-ro-yi likes her, but not that she likes him. I don’t know if that’s just because she’s scared to admit those feelings and then run the risk of him leaving her, or if those feelings are just not present in the first place. She certainly keeps her cars close to her chest, and I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens next.However, what I will say is this; if I have to pick a ship to root for, then it certainly won’t be Yi-seo and Sae-ro-yi.

Geun-won implements his fathers advice and goes on a blind date with an heiress of a food company (I assume. I honestly can’t remember and I doubt it’s that important to the plot... unless it’s this moment that proves crucial and because he fucked up here her family end up working with Sae-ro-yi...), but it doesn’t go well as she orders chicken for them both and he clearly has PTSD from snapping the chickens neck all them years ago. 

It does make me wonder what he would have been like if his father wasn’t so involved in his life. I don’t think he is cruel by nature. I think the environment he’s been brought up in has really warped his view of the world. He thinks Soo-ah will want him if he’s the cocky king of the castle, and yet, against his father, his bravado is shown to be more of an act and he is nothing more than a child in a man’s body. But in the rare moments when no one is watching him, we get to see the real Geun-won. The man who’s tired of putting on a show but is too scared of his father to stop. I don’t know whether I would go as far as to say I like him, but his character is certainly an interesting one. It all really depends on how his story line progresses, but it could make for an interesting redemption arc.

Speaking of interesting characters; we come back to Yi-seo. 

I still don’t know where I stand with her. Her characterisation is fascinating, but she’s far too manipulative to support. I give her props for telling the truth to Sae-ro-yi, but I feel like I have to take some of the support back for her reasoning. Basically, she only did it to be on a level playing field with Soo-ah. 

I just don’t like the way they’ve been talking about him like his affections are guaranteed; that he will fall for one of them. It makes it feel like neither of them see him as a person. She’s already possessive, having stopped a potential new employee (who could have been good considering her experience) from working at DanBam because she was pretty. So I don’t know. It’s still very early days. Again, I think my feeling on her are really going to depend on how her story arc progresses. 

Sae-ro-yi. I still love him. He comes across as a little slow and yet he’s so smart. His has this quiet way of deducting things. I have no doubt in him and, whilst he really needs to pick his words more carefully around Yi-seo, he is an amazing boss. I really do like the way they’ve subtly characterised him, and he certainly knows more than he will ever let on. Right now, he is one of the few characters I love with my whole heart. But I feel like something is going to happen soon that will make me question him. 

With this episode, we also saw the introduction of a new character: Tony. He is the ‘foreigner’ Korean (who’s half Korean but is mistaken as a foreigner because of his skin colour). He gets the job working at DanBam, so we have yet to learn more about him, but he seems friendly.

I don’t think I can hate Soo-ah anymore... well, just not as much. It was revealed that she didn’t actually call the police and caused Sae-ro-yi’s license to be suspended... It was the girls Yi-seo got expelled. I can respect her for not making that decision, for actually having faith in her friend. But she still shady as hell. Plus, after the conversation she had with Dae-hee about Geun-won’s crush on her, I have a feeling that she’s going to end up engaged to him (or at least dating him to move up the company. After all, isn’t it power and money that she craves?). I’m curious to see how her story pans out but... if she hurts Sae-ro-yi in the process, I won’t hesitate. 

Talking of Sae-ro-yi... he official hired Yi-seo as a manager for DanBam in a move that surprised no one. Sexual assault aside, she does know her stuff. But despite her surprising amount of wisdom, I don’t think I’m going to be routing for her any time soon. Especially as one of the major reveals of the story was Hyun-yi being revealed as a trans-woman and Yi-seo’s reaction was... less than favourable, let’s just say.

Yes, Yi-seo took an immediate dislike to Hyun-yi from the moment she stepped into DanBam, especially when it was revealed that Hyun-yi can’t actually cook. But this mistreatment seems to grow once Yi-seo learns that Hyun-yi is a trans-woman, possibly because Yi-seo suddenly sees her as a threat in her pursuit to obtain Sae-ro-yi (much like she see’s Soo-ah).

I do like how the reveal was made. Even though I knew there was a trans character, I didn’t know how they were going to reveal her. 

Yi-seo and Geun-soo decide they want to go clubbing and Seung-kwon, having never gone (and also low-key obsessed with women... okay, it’s not that low-key), wants to go but he doesn’t know how to pull a woman. So Yi-seo demonstrates by using Geun-soo as a model (and in the process, making him feel uncomfortable because she’s touching him in what is a very intimate manner).Seung-kwon wants to put this new knowledge to the test and off they go. Yi-seo tells him to pick a woman, and so he does. Yi-seo comments to Geun-soo that the woman Seung-kwon had picked is out of his league and that’s when it’s revealed that Hyun-yi is in fact the woman.

Yi-seo doesn’t really say much at the table, but the look on her face is less than favourable. Whilst the boys are both struck dumb in their bafflement (no seriously. I think the whole moment confused them). 

This is where we learn that Sae-ro-yi not only knew, but is just the purest human on earth and accepted her. Honestly, he’s a little slow but I love this man.

We learnt a little more about the way Yi-seo thinks. I feel like I understand her a littler better as to why she acts the way she does, but that doesn’t actually make me like her as a character. Let me explain. 

In this episode, we learn that it is Yi-seo’s birthday and she is finally turning 20. This means that she can now legally drink in all the establishments she’s probably been drinking in for a while. Yet she doesn’t feel happy. She’s out drinking with two girls who can barely be called her friends and she’s bored. Everything is superficial with her. 

That’s where Sae-ro-yi comes in. She notes that she felt this instant connection to Sae-ro-yi in that she’s intrigued by him. She’s done some research and discovered that Sae-ro-yi was charged for attempted murder and this clearly screams perfect boyfriend material because that what she has set out to make him. However, first of all she’s going to help him make his dream come true and help him advertise his pub.

Whilst the episode fleshes out her character a lot, I still dislike her. Quite possibly because of the moment she goes out for a drink with Sae-ro-yi and he passes out on the floor. Instead of showing any sign of compassion, she continues drinking for a moment before deciding that the next best course of action is to kiss the unconscious Sae-ro-yi because... that’s what everyone thinks when they see someone unconscious (note the heavy use of sarcasm there). 

It all feels rather predatory and also highlights the extreme sexism shown when it comes women committing sexual assault (which yeah, Yi-seo 100% committed here). Earlier in the episode when Yi-seo was out drinking with two of her ‘friends’ (can they be called friends when you don’t really care about them other than their use in connections?), three men join them. One of them notes the obvious drunken state of one of the girls (she’s practically falling asleep), and the only thing Yi-seo can bring herself to say is a warning for the boys not to get handy because the girl’s father is someone of note and they would be wise to think twice before doing anything they would regret.

She then leaves and one of the guys follows her. She tells him firmly that she’s not interested and to leave her alone. He doesn’t and ends up hitting her. She manages to stand her ground, incapacitating him long enough to get away for a moment. In her pursuit to lose him completely, she ends up running into some random public men’s bathroom where Sae-to-yo is conveniently going to the toilet.

Yes this whole moment shows the very real fear women face day to day when it comes to unwanted sexual desires, but I can’t help but feel like Yi-seo kissing Sae-ro-yi when he’s unconscious takes away from the moment. All it does is make the statement that unwanted sexual desires from a man is bad. It’s aggressive and that we should feel bad for Yi-seo (which is all true, it is bad), but when it’s a woman who’s a perpetrator then it’s cute. In some ways, this moment is worse than the actual attempt of sexual assault that Yi-seo almost went through because she at least had the chance to object. To stand her ground. To consent. Sae-ro-yi wasn’t. 

So yeah, I’m still not warming to her.

The other notes of the episode. Seung-kwon was given a backstory as a gang member whose boss shared a room with Sae-ro-yi in prison. They’re a similar age and it was Sae-ro-yi who was the one who made him think he could achieve more in life and eventually he left the gang and joined Sae-ro-yi’s at his pub. Overall, I think he still has too many thuggish tendencies (the last episode definitely demonstrated that), but he’s also shown as remorseful for his actions. He clearly wants to be better, so I look forward to watching him grow.

Soo-ah was partially forced to come clean that she called the cops to Sae-ro-yi. And Sae-ro-yi pulled the old ‘I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed’ card (have I mentioned I love him?), which made Soo-ah storm off without another word. I think she might be reflecting on her actions. Sae-ro-yi is a man who forgives to easily for the people he cares about, but I’m starting to believe that Soo-ah doesn’t deserve his love. 

I knew Soo-ah was no good. I don’t know, I guess from episode 1 she’s put a bad taste in my mouth, but calling the cops? I mean, yeah... she is technically doing the right thing but she should have spoken to Sae-ro-yi. But I guess, 8 years of working with crooks will do that to a girl. Not that she was an angel in the first place. I’ve still not forgiven her for how she treated that homeless guy in episode one. How can Sae-ro-yi, with his golden moral compass, have a crush on her? It makes no sense! Sure she’s pretty, but so far she has the emotional range of a teaspoon. 

Can’t warm to Yi-seo either. I think it’s because she’s the opposite to Sae-ro-yi. He is an actual angel, yet Yi-seo seems to thrive off chaos. So far she hasn’t done anything that makes me interested in her character, but at least she has more personality that Soo-ah. Well, at least this episode has made her more interesting. The scene where Yi-seo is racing as a child and pushes the girl in front of her in order to win, in particular. The way her mother reacts by not punishing the behaviour and instead encouraging Yi-seo to continue to move ahead of her peers really highlights her current character. Still, interesting doesn’t mean I have to like her. 

I feel bad for Geun-soo. When he was first introduced, I thought he was going to be the problem because he was killing a bug outside their house in a previous episode, but now I can see I’m wrong. He’s surprisingly honest, all things considered. Maybe because his father and brother are bully’s. That or the lack of interest that his family have taken in him. But I like him so far. Also feel bad about the fact that he has a crush on Yi-seo. I’m not sure if she reciprocates his feelings. 

Geun-won on the other hand. I hope Sae-ro-yi gets to hit him again real soon. That or he finally goes down for murder. He’s a piece of work, that’s for sure. Ahn Bo-hyun is doing a fantastic job here. Mostly because we’ve already been shown that Geun-won wanted to confess to Sae-ro-yi’s father’s murder but was stopped by his father, Dae-hee. So let’s put them in the same category of ‘wouldn’t mind if something terrible happened them’ for now.