Office Girls Episode 3

Yu Cheng Feng shows up at Jingshi and once again Zi Qi offers Xing Ren his handkerchief to mop up her drool. He's gonna need a whole lot more of them as everyone is fangirling over the designer. Kai Er's gold digger radar is off the charts and she quickly tries to insinuate herself into the conversation. Yu, however, cuts everyone off as he pulls Xing Ren aside for a private chat. He's leaving for Paris later to take care of business, but if he does decide to sell his clothes line in a department store, he assures Xing Ren she'll be his top priority. Before he leaves he gives her a parting gift: the original sketch of the (ugly) white dress he sold her eight years ago.

Kai Er's boss gets after her to up her game. He doesn't want the sales department to outshine the merchandise department. Plus he's creepy touchy. Kai Er quickly goes to wash her hands to try and get his creepy touchy feel off her skin. She starts to become emotional but manages to suck it in.

Manager Shi Te Long is so pleased with Xing Ren he promotes her to acting team leader and gives her a raise. So how about paying Zi Qi back the money you rightfully owe him??? The promotion causes conflict with some of the other office girls. Mandy at least has good reason as she has more time and experience than Xing Ren and should have gotten the position.

You know, here in America women who work in offices don't get to wear super short shorts to work. And men don't usually wear a vest and no shirt underneath. Just sayin'.

Kai Er is working late at the store and so is Zi Qi. They take a break to flirt with each other. He asks her out to the movies but she's playing the hard-to-get card. She goes back to her cubicle and, thinking back to what her creepy touchy boss said, she makes up an email insinuating the reason why Yu Cheng Feng is willing to come to Jingshi is because Xing Ren slept with him.

As these things go, the email spreads like wildfire. The sales department bickers amongst themselves and as a team leader Xing Ren does not do a good job of controlling them. In an attempt to get everyone to get along, she invites them over to her apartment for a barbecue.

Zi Qi goes grocery shopping with Xing Ren and needles her into shirking her thrifty ways for at least one night and buy expensive meat for the gang.  As a thrifty person myself, I can feel Xing Ren's pain as she forces herself to buy luxury items she usually denies herself.

Outside the store, Zi Qi gets a call from Kai Er. She's agreed to go to the movies with him. Now if only he had some money to pay for the movies. He asks Xing Ren for a loan but she cuts him cold on that idea. He ditches the barbecue for his date. Using office equipment, he sets up an outdoor theater on top of the store. I'll give him credit for the romantic gesture. He and Kai Er flirt some more, but when he discovers no one else is coming to the dinner (as we all knew would happen) he starts to feel guilty. But what to do with Kai Er?

The answer is to invite her to the dinner as well. Kai Er congratulates Xing Ren on her promotion and gifts her with a bottle of wine, but then turns right around and says she has to leave because she has an early day tomorrow. Xing Ren walks Kai Er down and orders the assistant manager a cab. Kai Er is all nice to Xing Ren, telling the naive girl if she ever needs any advice to not hesitate to ask her. Xing Ren is quite touched by the offer, never realizing it was Kai Er who had spread that nasty story about her.

Xing Ren and Zi Qi talk some more about her frugal ways and how she's saving up for a house. He says he has a friend in the construction business who may be able to get her a good deal. The friend shows them a display house and Xing Ren ooh's and ahh's over it. Zi Qi, who has taken to carrying around a manpurse this episode, has a goofy grin on his face as he watches her enjoying herself. His pal, Paul, notices the look and asks Zi Qi if he likes Xing Ren or something. Naturally Zi Qi is in denial, saying he's just trying to help a girl out. Xing Ren is in love, though - with the house. Even though it's jaw-droppingly expensive in my opinion, she takes it. It will be two years before she can actually move in, though, so for now she's still going to be living upstairs from Zi Qi. And his manpurse.

Office Girls Episode 2

Xing Ren and Zi Qi join Cheng Feng for coffee. Xing Ren is all fangirl while Zi Qi is kind of surly. This causes her to drag Zi Qi outside and order him to stay out. Sit, boy, sit. While he's out on the sidewalk, Zi Qi sees Dad's car and goes to see his old man. Dad asks how he's been doing on the poor side of life. Oddly, when Zi Qi asks his dad if he's been in touch with Mom, Dad becomes very uncomfortable. Wonder what the story is there.

Xing Ren again tries to give Cheng Feng her business proposal but he turns her down and (IMO rudely) tells her she can leave. When she leaves the restaurant she happens to see Zi Qi getting out of Dad's car. She asks Zi Qi what he was doing in the CEO's car and Zi Qi asks her to promise not to tell anyone what he's about to reveal to her: he's the son of the CEO. Xing Ren laughs at him. (Well, actually she karate chops him in the neck.) Did he really think she would believe such a story? Everyone knows that the CEO's son was involved in a car accident in America last year and now he's paralyzed. What?!? What's with this story?

Manager Shi Te Long, after putting down his Godzilla toy, rips Xing Ren a new one for not landing the famous designer as he ordered her to. She fights back tears and Zi Qi feels bad for her.

Back at his apartment building, a delivery girl asks Zi Qi if he'll accept a parcel that is for the woman upstairs. This is when he learns Xing Ren is his neighbor. Also, can he pay for the parcel and just get the money back from her? Later that night Zi Qi brings the box up to the rooftop apartment (sorry, there's no time traveling prince) and asks to be reimbursed. Xing Ren's roommate and co-worker, Le Le, demands to check the contents first. They find the box is full of empty jars instead of the cosmetics Xing Ren had ordered. She's fallen for an internet scam!

Zi Qi continues to demand his money. The girls argue that they didn't ask him to sign and pay for the parcel. Why didn't he check the box first? That is totally not a valid reason not to pay the man. If the XE converter is correct, Zi Qi paid nearly $500 for the delivery. I be damned if I left that apartment without my five hundred dollars!

Zi Qi is scraping by now. He's forced to dine on a cheap rice ball from a convenience store (witnessed by Xing Ren in the background.) As he sits outside and chokes the rice down, the world's cutest most adorable puppy begs him for a bite. Naturally who can resist the world's cutest most adorable puppy? Once more Xing Ren is witness to Zi Qi's kind heart. Now pay the man his $500!

Feeling sorry for the starving man (because it's all her fault if you think about it), the next evening Xing Ren invites him upstairs to share her dinner. She'll keep a tab of how much he eats and he can pay her back later. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, I say. After bickering over the food (he doesn't eat broccoli), they move on to bickering over what to do about Yu Cheng Feng. This is when Le Le sees a picture of the designer in a magazine. In the background is the man's assistant. Le Le doesn't care about Cheng Feng, she wants to know who the hottie is, which gives our duo an idea.

The next day Xing Ren, Zi Qi and Le Le go to Cheng Feng's offices. His assistant, Michael, says his boss isn't in. Le Le does some awkward flirting that would never work in the real world but does on TV, and Michael begins to thaw a bit. He offers to pass on Xing Ren's new proposal to Cheng Feng. Just then Michael gets a phone call from his boss. He writes down an address on a notepad and tears the paper off. He apologizes but he has to leave. After he's gone, Zi Qi gets the notepad and runs a pencil over the paper to reveal the impression of the address Michael wrote down. Now they know where their target is.

Xing Ren sends Zi Qi forward, ordering him to keep Cheng Feng there until she retrieves something. Cheng Feng is at a shooting range and judging from those bare arms he's been taking care of himself. (Cue LMFAO: I work out!) To keep the designer busy, Zi Qi challenges him to a shoot-off. (I don't know what it's called. They're shooting at clay pigeons. Whatever.) Zi Qi makes the interesting statement that he's heard Wei Mena's dad is the real boss of the outfit and that's why Cheng Feng can't commit to anything because he has no real power. This rattles Cheng Feng a bit and he starts to leave.

Just then Xing Ren comes racing up on her scooter and blocks his path. She pulls out a white dress and holds it up to him. Does he remember this dress?

Flashback

A young Xing Ren (who looks the same as the old Xing Ren) is graduating high school. All the girls have planned to wear the prettiest dresses they can buy for the graduation party, but our girl is too poor. She's in a boutique store dreamily looking at a dress when a young and unknown Yu Cheng Feng comes up to her and asks if she would like to try it on. She admits that she would love to buy it but she hasn't much money. Cheng Feng agrees to sell her the dress for the amount she has on her. (It is an ugly dress. It's white with big pockets on the chest and a big black zipper up the back. Blech!)

Back to the present. Xing Ren promises Cheng Feng that if he sells his line in their department store she'll put him right out front where everyone can see his designs, even people who can't afford his clothes. Cheng Feng sadly shakes his head and says something but by this time the sound of the insects drown out his voice. Soundman! Hey, soundman! Wake up!

A dejected Xing Ren and Zi Qi are sitting in the food court eating leftovers from last night. He still doesn't want to eat broccoli. Nearby, Assistant Manager Zheng Kai Er is watching. Plotting music plays. Her gold digger radar is honing in on Zi Qi as she picks up more clues that he's more than just a lowly assistant.

Later, Zi Qi runs into Kai Er and begs her to transfer him out of the sales department and into her merchandise department. Kai Er acts like she's considering this and invites him to join her for a meeting. Said meeting involving eating at an uber-swank restaurant, the kind of place Zi Qi is more used to. When he goes to the mens room, Kai Er gets his wallet out of his jacket and finds some kind of ID card (I don't know what it is) that includes the name of Zi Qi's dad, which Kai Er recognizes as the store's CEO.

Sitting next to the river of ponderance (just like everyone in kdramas go down to the Han River), Cheng Feng has a flashback to his past. We see Xing Ren's flashback from his perspective. As I said, he was young and unknown and we hear that nothing of his was selling at this boutique. The owner was asking him to pack his stuff up and move it out of the way when Xing Ren came in. Since he had nothing left to lose, that's why Cheng Feng decided to sell the dress (his first sale) so cheaply. Feeling nostalgic, Cheng Feng calls Michael and orders a plane ticket to Paris.

A tipsy Zi Qi stumbles home to find a note on his door from Xing Ren ordering him to come up for dinner. Her apartment door is WIDE OPEN!!!!! and he stumbles in, calling for her. Xing Ren is in the shower (with her front door wide open!!!) and doesn't hear him. Drunk, confused and stinky, he decides he could use a shower. He starts to strip and stumbles into the bathroom. Xing Ren is singing a song and drunk boy begins to sing along with her. Xing Ren screams. (Well, what did you expect? You left the freakin' front door open! Who does that?)

Xing Ren (after getting dressed) throws him out and warns him he had better never tell anyone about this or he's dead meat. In the morning at the office things are strained between them. The manager again is harping on Xing Ren about her mission when she gets a phone call. It's Yu Cheng Feng. He's agreed to sell his clothes in her department store.

Three Kingdoms Episode 18

Cao Cao is outside the gates of Xiapi. On the other side of a moat is Lu Bu, who is giving away everything by telling how much grain he has stored up and how thick the city walls are. Cao Cao's like, "No, I'm not here to conquer you. I'm here to visit with an old friend. All these men with weapons just happened to follow me here for some reason." Cao Cao continues to lay it on thick about how great and terrible Lu Bu is and Lu Bu, that poor simpleton, just laps it all up. Cao Cao recommends they become allies, with Cao Cao doing all the thinking and Lu Bu doing all the fighting. Finally Chen Gongtai has enough. He shoots an arrow into the ground right before Cao Cao, thus breaking the spell. He yells at Lu Bu to get in this house this instant, young man!

Cao Cao returns to his base camp and... takes a piss. (Will I ever understand you, Chinese TV?)

The rainy season begins and Chen Gongtai thinks the weather will buy them time. He suggests Lu Bu take some troops outside of the city and build a fort (because that's just so simple, right?) Lu Bu is all for the idea and prepares to leave when he learns that Diaochan is ill. Even though his lady love presses him to follow through with the plan - in between coughing fits - Lu Bu refuses to leave her side.

While Lu Bu nurses Diaochan, Cao Cao is at work. He diverts a nearby river into the city. As Xiapi starts to resemble Venice, Cao Cao sends in messages via arrows offering a huge reward for Lu Bu's head. The men turn against Lu Bu and the hairy Chinese troops take him prisoner and invite Cao Cao city.

A tied up Lu Bu is brought before Cao Cao and Liu Bei (who just suddenly showed up in the middle of this episode and really doesn't have much to say.) Lu Bu reminds Cao Cao of his earlier offer of them being allies. Now Lu Bu is all for it, of course. Cao Cao smiles and says that was before, when he was on the outside of the city and Lu Bu was inside. Things have changed.

As Lu Bu is taken away, another bound man is brought in. This is Lu Bu's second in command, a General Zhang Liao. Cao Cao removes Zhang Liao's binds and respectfully asks the man to join with him. Zhang Liao decides to throw his lot in with Cao Cao.

Next Cao Cao meets with Chen Gongtai. The two men manage to bury the hatchet between them and make peace, even though Cao Cao has Chen executed in the end.

Oh, and then a heartbreaking scene. As a chained and shackled Lu Bu is being lead to his execution, Diaochan steps in front of him. He tearfully tells her to go but she insists that since they weren't able to share this life together, they can share death together. Oh, Diaochan! Side by side they walk up to a wooden post which Lu Bu is then tied to. Diaochan wraps her arms around him. The archers ready their arrows. Suddenly a messenger rides in. He orders Diaochan to be taken away as Cao Cao has spared her. Diaochan fights against this as she's dragged away, saying she wants to be with Lu Bu. With a tearful smile, Lu Bu promises they will meet again in another life. Then the arrows fly.

Finally, Show, you get an ending right.

Office Girls Episode 1

Qin Zi Qi (who is also sometimes called Jason for reasons I have yet to fathom) has just returned to Taiwan from America and he's about to have the longest day of his life.

He's taken directly from the airport to the Jingshi Department Store to see his father, who is the owner of the whole shebang. Zi Qi isn't totally stupid; he has a masters degree in business. He's just a tad spoiled and rash. Dad is worried his son doesn't have the right work ethics to succeed when Zi Qi takes over the store. So Dad is going to give him one year to get his head on straight.

Zi Qi must sign a simple contract. He can't tell anyone he's the son of the CEO. He can't spend any of Dad's money or use the family credit cards; Zi Qi must survive on his own salary. He can't live at home, although Dad was nice enough to find him a new apartment. Zi Qi must earn an "excellent" rating on his year-end review, and he can't tell anyone about this contract.

While he's hanging out in the atrium of the department store, Zi Qi spots an attractive woman at a nearby counter and he attempts to flirt long-distance with her. But his view is impeded by someone dressed up as a dinosaur handing out balloons to the kids. Zi Qi motions for "Dino girl" as he calls her to come over. He takes one of the balloons and writes his phone number on it, telling Dino girl to take this over to the attractive woman. Dino girl stubs up, asking why should she? Why should she do anything for him? She takes off the head of her costume and this is when Zi Qi first meets Shen Xing Ren.

Shen Xing Ren is one of the said office girls in the show title. She works in the sales department of Jingshi and is only doing this dino gig because the part time worker who is supposed to be doing it didn't show up for work that morning. Xing Ren is a very frugal woman who has been diligently saving up her money to buy her first house. As someone who is also in the process of paying off my first home, I totally respect that.

But back to the argument. Xing Ren refuses to take the balloon over to the woman. Zi Qi blathers on that once he becomes her boss he'll have her fired. Xing Ren shoots back that once she becomes his boss she'll make him wear the dinosaur costume. Meanwhile, the attractive woman moves on. We learn later she is Zheng Kai Er, another office girl of the department store.

Later this same day Zi Qi reports to human resources and they take him to his new job assignment as a lowly assistant in, you guessed it, the sales department. He and Xing Ren (now back into her regular clothes) immediately recognize each other. To make her day even worse, her manager puts her in charge of training Zi Qi. I'm sure the manager has a character name, I just didn't catch it. He does have a Godzilla action figure that he sometimes carries around with him.

The manager (maybe his name is Shi Te Long) further puts the load on Xing Ren when he needs a proposal for the staff meeting today and he expects Xing Ren to just pop one out. When she does, he claims he can't read all the small print and so drags her along to the meeting. (She is so not dressed for this meeting, but at least she has a Dell laptop just like everyone else. No problem seeing what company is sponsoring this drama.)

Sales are down so the senior vice president asks each department for suggestions on what to do. When it comes to the sales department, the manager forces Xing Ren to make the presentation. She remembers a magazine she bought this morning featuring Taiwanese fashion designer Yu Cheng Feng. He is legendarily finicky about not selling his designs in department stores. Out loud she says if they could get him to sell exclusively at Jingshi, that will bring the customers back. She was just using him as an example, but the others think the sales department must have some kind of plan since they mentioned Yu Cheng Feng and so they all agree to it. Xing Ren's butt is on the burner now.

Later in the evening Zi Qi is at a nightclub hanging with his boys and moaning over his fate. He runs into attractive woman Kai Er and this time gets to speak with her. She recognizes him as someone who works in the sales department, yet she's smart enough to see he's wearing designer clothes, an expensive watch, and having drinks with rich and powerful men. She asks Zi Qi if he's someone rich and powerful. Remembering his contract, Zi Qi claims everything he's got on is actually knockoffs. He's just a poor assistant at the store. Gotta go, bye!

He finds the address of the apartment Dad got him and perhaps in his playboy eyes it is a dump but to someone poor like me it doesn't look that bad. Oh, and guess what we viewers know but he doesn't yet know. This is the same apartment building where Xing Ren lives.

The next day Xing Ren drags Zi Qi (who is wearing the same outfit he wore the other "day") along with her as they try to get in contact with Cheng Feng. The designer is having a closed fashion show. No one is allowed in without an invitation and the guards at the door are very strict. Zi Qi notices a florist truck nearby. He talks Xing Ren into grabbing a couple of flower baskets and nonchalantly walking in through the back door like they're delivery people.

Once inside, Xing Ren is ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the (IMO ugly) dresses. Zi Qi is ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the beautiful models. What Zi Qi doesn't notice at first is that dear old Dad is one of the invited guests and he's watching the fashion show from the front row. After the show has ended Yu Cheng Feng is supposed to be holding a press conference. Yet an annoying female reporter jumps right in and asks where is Wei Mena? This is Cheng Feng's main model, his muse, and his girlfriend. Where is she? Did they have a big fight? Will this make Yu's work suffer? Man, this reporter is annoying and Yu ends the press conference before it even really began. The reporter still keeps shouting out questions about Wei Mena.

Xing Ren, a fangirl of Yu's (Zi Qi even offers her a handkerchief to mop up her drool - hee hee) jumps to her feet and jumps to the defense of the fashion designer. She lambasts the annoying reporter for asking such personal questions when they should all be paying attention to the fresh and exciting line that Yu just debuted. Cheng Feng is touched by her defense and, thinking she's another reporter, asks Xing Ren what media is she representing. Caught in the spotlight, Xing Ren has to admit she works for Jingshi Department Store and she's here to invite the designer to sell his clothes through them. In the background, Dad has been listening to all this and makes note of this young woman that he probably had no idea worked for him until today. Cheng Feng doesn't quite answer Xing Ren and he walks away. Zi Qi and Xing Ren start to leave in defeat, and defeat always leads to bickering. As they are doing such, Cheng Feng's assistant catches up to them to deliver a message. Yu Cheng Feng would like to have a cup of coffee with them.

Let's be honest: Roy Qiu (Qin Zi Qi) is not hard on the eyes. And he speaks passable English. Also, the sound people on this show seem to know what they're doing, unlike the awful sound from Drunken To Love You. But once again, Taiwanese TV, what is with the cartoon sound effects?!? That "boing" is straight out of The Flintstones. Why do they feel the need to add such childish noises? Also, the music in this rom-com was distracting as well. At one point I had to hit the mute button because I couldn't stand the background music.

JIN Episode 11

The Final Episode

I go into this forewarned that this episode will be about an hour and a half in length. I sure hope there are no graphic surgeries in this, as I'm really enjoying my hoppin' john whilst I watch.

The assassins report back to Kusaka Genzui about how Sakimoto's body disappeared after he went over the cliff. They assume he's dead and his corpse sank to the bottom, which is good enough for Kusaka.

A bloodied Jin makes his way back to the Tachibana home where he begs for help in searching for Ryoma. Young Tachiban gathers together some men and they begin scouring up and down the riverside, asking villagers if anyone has washed ashore. Jin wonders to himself with the disappearance of Sakimoto, what will this mean for Japan's history? Just as important, if it was Sakimoto who time traveled to the future, does this mean Jin won't be able to return to his own time? Ah, good question, doc.

For everyone else, time continues to flow as usual. Saki is introduced to her prospective husband. Nokaze packs up and prepares to leave the brothel for her master's private residence. Jin's picture has changed again. This time he and Miki are both wearing their doctor's smocks and appear to be standing on the roof of the hospital. Saburi relents on his previous hesitation and hands over a book to Jin from the Hanoka School. Even Creepy Baby in a Jar makes a brief appearance.

Since his picture has changed again, Jin feels that Nokaze's lump must not be cancer. Still, he sends her a letter requesting to examine her again. He brings along Saburi since he actually has more experience with breast cancer than the neurosurgeon. After both men examine her (and just have to talk about secretions - blech), the two doctors butt heads over differing diagnoses. Saburi is pretty sure the lump is malignant, yet Jin is in denial and not wanting to operate. Also, this may cause the purchasing of Nokaze to be stopped, and Jin is still convinced her going to a new master is what's best for Miki. Oh Jin, I'm back to wanting to smack you upside the head. Nokaze, with a mysterious look that kind of says she knows he's sacrificing her for some reason, decides to go with Jin's prognosis and not have surgery. Saburi is hurt and disillusioned with his hero. He thinks Jin doesn't trust his medical skills.

Jin goes to visit Ogata's grave, which is too bad because while he's gone guess who shows up at the soy/penicillin factory. Sakimoto explains he was swept down the river almost to the sea when he was saved by a local fisherman. A fisherman who has a lovely daughter, which is why it has been so long since anyone has seen or heard from Sakimoto.

Jin sits in front of Ogata's headstone and confesses how selfish he is in disregarding Nokaze's cancer so that future girlfriend can be born. What Jin doesn't know is Sakimoto had come to find him and overheard everything. He begs Jin to save Nokaze, coming up with this cock and bull theory that once she has her breast cut off not only will she not be bought, but she'll be thrown out of the brothel as well, so then she'll have to get with Sakimoto because no one else will have her.

Jin still needs a day to think about it before he finally decides to do something about it. Jin and Saburi meet with Nokaze and ask to perform surgery on her. Saburi warns that the surgery may not be successful, or if it is, the cancer could come back. Nokaze, echoing the same sentiments Miki had before her surgery, says even if the operation isn't successful, if it helps the doctors learn more about treating the disease then it is worthwhile.

Nokaze says goodbye to all her prostitute comrades and she grandly parades down the main street of Yoshiwara. She's back to doing that odd strut on those platform shoes. It must be a geisha thing. Once she reaches the gate she steps out of her shoes. I swear they must be at least at least 12 inches high! She walks barefoot the rest of the way to where Jin awaits her at the factory. Because where else would you have surgery but inside a soy sauce factory? I mean, duh.

Meanwhile, her buyer berates the clan doctor for not finding the lump during his examination. The doctor blames Jin for this dishonor and swears he won't forget this. Oh dear, this doesn't bode well.

Saburi goes to the Tachibana's home to pick up the last of the medical supplies Jin left behind. This is how Saki learns they're going to operate on Nokaze.

Argh, Jin is looking at the damn picture again. Miki is disappearing again, yet this time Jin firmly places the picture away in a wooden box. No matter what happens in the future, he's going to deal with the here and now. He even goes to bury the box at the cliff side hangout. Good! Good riddance to the friggin' photograph.

Evil doctor pays off some guys to cause some trouble with the operation.

On the day of the operation, Saki is to become officially engaged. She's wearing this beautiful color of salmon pink but that's beside the point. As Jin begins, he slips into old habits and asks for Saki to hand him a scalpel, then realizes she's not there. However, Saki does seem to hear Jin's voice at her home. She knows where she is supposed to be.

She interrupts the men only meeting between her brother and the messengers from her fiance and begs out of the marriage, saying she has to be somewhere else. The messengers are scandalized. Suddenly big brother Tachibana grabs Saki and throws her down into the dirt of the vegetable garden. (No! Not that pretty pink outfit!) Tachibana orders Saki to commit suicide (!) and grabs her own knife out of her obi and forces it into her hand. The messengers start to protest saying it isn't necessary to go this far. This is when Tachibana leans in close to his sister and whispers for her to go, he'll take care of this somehow. Loudly he yells for her to get out, he never wants to see her face again. Saki takes off.

Gross stuff happens as Jin takes out a perfectly round tumor from Nokaze. (Do cancer tumors look like meatballs?) Oh well, at least he didn't find a breast baby, then we would have two Creepy Babies in a Jar. One is enough as it is. Saki keeps running and running. Honestly, honey, by the time you get there the surgery will probably be over. More gross stuff is shown, and then the group of trouble-making samurai show up!

They start hammering (literally) on the door trying to break into the operating room. Jin attempts to finish what he started. This is when Saki finally arrives and she orders the men to stop. She certainly has the voice of authority as the samurai are temporarily shocked into silence. She manages to slip her way in front of the battered door. When the trouble makers swear they're going to get inside no matter what, Saki threatens to kill herself there and then. She pulls out her knife and holds it to her throat. Good grief, Saki!

Of course Jin and the gang can hear all this. Jin continues to finish the operation. Saki sweats. One of the samurai decides to call her bluff. He starts to rush her when a bloody Jin opens the door. The gang leader demands Nokaze be turned over to them. Jin asks who sent them, as their clan leader (the guy who was going to buy Nokaze) earlier sent word that he hoped she would recover from her illness. Who ordered them to come here? This spooks the leader enough that he and his men turn tail and leave.

Jin goes back to the cliff side to dig up the box only to find the entire photograph has now disappeared. He wonders if this means the future has been changed that he never met Miki, or Miki was never born, or maybe even Jin was never born. (Or, I wonder, did someone else see Jin burying the box and they came later to dig it up, take the picture, and replace the box in the ground. Just a thought.)

Nokaze recovers from her surgery. Sakimoto offers to marry her but she politely refuses. She thanks Jin for all he has done, plants a big wet one on his lips, and then leaves. I don't know where she's going, but at least she's free and belongs to no one but herself. Jin does some more of his ugly crying.

And then... things just go on. Fire Chief Shinmon Tatsugoro breaks ground for the hospital he promised to build for Jin. Kiichi continues to hock food. Nokaze opens up a private school (for what?!) Sakimoto gets his Western style footwear. Katsu suffers through speaking English, telling some white guy to punch somebody. (Seriously. That's what the subtitle says. "You may punch him as you please.") Tachibana receives his own marriage proposal. Saki helps Jin hang up a wall plaque.

What the hell kind of ending is that? What about Creepy Baby in a Jar? Who was Patient Zero from the first episode? What about Miki? What about Bob? What about the audience? What?????????

Queen Insoo Episode 1

It's the first year of King Mun Jong (1450) and everybody's down on their knees listen like thieves. One of the men showing his respect is Grand Prince Su Yang. Say, wasn't that the evil dad from The Princess' Man? There are so many names being thrown at me, I can't keep up. If you've seen The Princess' Man then you'll recognize some of the players. If you haven't seen The Princess' Man, what the hell is wrong with you?!?

Young In Soo (played by the actress who was Baek Hee in Dream High) is the daughter of Emissary Han Hwak. He's just back from Beijing, as told to us by the Great Omniscient Voiceover. She's on her way to the palace where they're celebrating Mardi Gras. I don't know, but there are dancers with overly big head masks that look like devils. And when I say dancers I mean people who slowly stomp around and fling their arms up once in awhile. The king looks like he's about to fall asleep, but then he's ill, just like he was in The Princess' Man. I know I keep going back to the other drama, but what can you expect? After all, this show is covering the same time period and the same characters as the previous (superior) show. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to do this story so soon after The Princess' Man.

In Soo's older sister goes to have a spot of tea with Su Yang's wife, the future Queen Jeonghee. At least this version of the woman is a bit more spicier, and she's played by the long-suffering City Hunter mother. Meanwhile, In Soo has gotten herself lost in the palace grounds. She runs into this young man who looks so familiar to me. Is that the actor currently playing the younger brother in Big? She asks him for directions but he just kind of stares at her. Not making a good first impression. In Soo tries to pull rank on him ("I am the daughter of Emissary Han Hwak!") and the young man finally offers to show her the way out.

He takes her to the open courtyard where the men (separated from the women) are holding their feast. This time it is Grand Prince Su Yang who is dancing/flopping his arms around for the king. As In Soo and the young man watch the performance, she sighs and comments that Su Yang certainly has the qualities to be a king. The young man suddenly jerks her away, warning that what she said out loud could be taken as treason. In Soo doesn't take heed to his warning and continues to speak her mind, how the ailing current king only got the crown because China's Ming gave it to him.

The young man finally takes In Soo to where the women are hanging out. In Soo asks him for his name but he replies if they are fated to meet again, then he will tell her who he is.

The sickly king excuses himself from the party. In his absence the Su Yang party and the Kim Jong Seo party throw insults at each other.

That evening In Soo is waiting for her older sister to come out. This is the first time Su Yang's wife (and In Soo's future mother-in-law) encounters the young girl and she is so not nice about it.

Elsewhere, an arrogant young man has come to a peasant hovel only to find his father has just passed away. This is the son from the man's first marriage. I believe dear old dead Dad left the first family to start another one with a concubine, so relations are strained. The step mother is not pleased to see the son. He throws money on the floor and tries to leave. His half brother begs the arrogant man to at least help plan a decent funeral for their father. Hyeongnim refuses as he had cut ties with dead dad long ago. Young half sister comes out and orders her brother to stop begging, they'll take care of things themselves without Arrogant's help. Who are these people?

Oh, wait, here comes Great Omniscient Voiceover to tell us. The mouthy little sister is Yun Si, future second wife to Seong Jong and mother to Yeon San Gun. Historically she doesn't have a good ending.

In Soo climbs up a tree and refuses to come down in protest of talks of sending her to be a concubine to the Ming emperor. Older sister ineffectually orders her down. Father just shakes his head. Dad and Sis go inside to discuss what to do with In Soo. This allows time for the Great Omniscient Voiceover to give viewers a bit more background on Dad. I find it funny that during the voiceover, a couple of times Dad looks upwards as if to ask, "Who is that talking? Where is that voice coming from?"

Dad gives in, as we all knew he would. In Soo informs him that she's already made up her mind who she's going to marry. She wants to become Prince Su Yang's daughter-in-law. The only son Su Yang has at marriageable age is Prince Dowon.

Meanwhile, back at the dead guy's house, a woman drops by. She's Court Lady Chae, an attendant to Su Yang's wife. She had known this family back in their prosperous days and had only now heard about the man's death. Lady Chae offers to help the family pay for funeral costs. In return, she asks to take Yun Si back to the palace and train her to be a maid. The little girl is all for it. Better food, better clothes, better life.

Grand Prince Su Yang receives the marriage proposal from Han Hwak. Jeonghee is totally against letting those people marry into her family. However, Su Yang recognizes how influential and important Han Hwak is. He could be useful later on. You know, when the slaughter begins.

In Soo is getting her way, yet she complicates things by demanding to see the groom before they marry, something that just isn't done. Once more everyone gives in to the brat and Prince Dowon comes to her house to meet her. In Soo slowly turns around and is shocked to discover Prince Dowon is, you guessed it (of course you guessed it) the young man from the palace.



Three Kingdoms Episode 17

So where were we? Where were we? Sorry, got distracted by other things.

Oh yeah, Cao Cao had just defeated Yuan Shu. He's got some inside men in Xuzhou and Cao Cao sends them orders to somehow break up Lu Bu and Chen Gongtai, as well as create discord between Lu Bu and Liu Bei. Knowing Lu Bu, that shouldn't be such a difficult task.

Chen Gongtai is back to constantly nagging Lu Bu, this time about making Chen Gui and Chen Deng (Cao Cao's secret men) such close advisers. Nag, nag, nag. Gongtai does the ol', "Maybe I should just leave," and Lu Bu does the, "Maybe you should." Feeling sorry for himself, Gongtai and his men go hunting. A suspicious man crosses their path (on purpose) and they decide to hunt him. On the man they find a letter supposedly from Cao Cao to Liu Bei.

Lu Bu now believes Liu Bei and Cao Cao are in cahoots to take Xuzhou away from him (which was actually the plan if Liu Bei had been more cooperative). Therefore Lu Bu plans to attack that ever lovin' Xiaopei. While he's gone he'll leave the city in the good hands of... Gui and Deng Chen. Of course Gongtai tries to talk him out of this part of the plan. Of course Lu Bu is stupid, although he does relent enough to split the gruesome twosome up and take the son, Chen Deng, along with his army.

Just before departure, father and son have a secret meeting. The father has bought some of the lieutenants that have been left behind. Also, the soldiers at the gate are also on his payroll, so once Lu Bu leaves the city he won't be allowed back in.

Liu Bei can't believe Lu Bu is attacking him. Liu Bei, when did you get so stupid? Lu Bu brandishes the intercepted letter, saying he knows all about their secret plans. Even though Lu Bu has more men, Liu Bei has taken the time to reinforce the walls of Xiaopei. Several non-productive days pass as Cao Cao's army draws near. Lu Bu asks Gongtai what to do. Gongtai recommends he lure Liu Bei out of the city. When Lu Bu asks how he should do that, Gongtai is like, "Why are you asking me? Why don't you ask your new BFF's, Deng and Gui?" Oh Gongtai, you jealous bitch. Lu Bu ends up having to have a piece of humble pie in order to get the answer.

A secret message is delivered by an arrow into Xiaopei. It's supposedly from Cao Cao. Or maybe it really is from Cao Cao. I'm getting kind of confused. Anyway, the letter says Cao Cao's army will be arriving soon and Liu Bei should join his army with Cao Cao's to take down Lu Bu. The next morning Liu Bei and Loudmouth believe they hear Cao Cao's war drum. The brothers and their troops ride out to a designated spot where the letter said they would encounter Cao Cao. He's not there but Guan Yu, who had been at a different fort all this time, is. He explains he had received a secret message from Cao Cao saying to meet him here. They quickly realize

Lu Bu and his crew show up and we get a confusing battle scene. The Three Musketeers attempt to retreat, but it is only Liu Bei who barely gets away. Realizing his brothers have been left behind he tries to return to the battle but his men (all five that are left) beg him not to go. Then, wouldn't you know it, Cao Cao and his army finally arrive.

Chen Gongtai rides to warn Lu Bu about Cao Cao. They race back to Xuzhou only to have Chen Gui taunt them from atop the city walls. (Apparently this great big city has only one gate and one drawbridge.) Gongtai recommends they ride to Xiapi and defend themselves there.

The Three Musketeers are reunited and apparently they just ride off into the sunset, leaving Cao Cao and everything behind.

Diaochan is dancing for Lu Bu. (But I thought she was left back in Xuzhou when he went to go fight. How did she get to Xiapi?) You can't have Diaochan dancing without Chen Gongtai nagging Lu Bu that now is not the time for all this. Lu Bu is confident Xiapi has adequate defenses and enough food for 100 days. Just then they receive news that Cao Cao is at the city gates wishing to speak with Lu Bu. The big moron thinks maybe Cao Cao is here to sue for peace. Gongtai shakes his head in disgust and leaves.

Diaochan finally has some lines! She gently nags Lu Bu to listen to whatever Chen Gongtai says to do. Lu Bu, you are just doomed to be nagged for your entire life.



JIN Episode 10

While waiting for the latest episode of Bridal Mask to be translated, continuing my search for -- oh no! Emannuelle left Nour and has run off with the ice cream man! Anyway, continuing my search for another episode of The Chaser with subs, and cooking dinner (I'm so multi-tasking), lets see what the good old time traveling doc is up to this time.

I go into this episode fully prepared. I know that somewhere, at any time, that Creepy Baby in a Jar is going to pop up.

Yep, and there it is, right off the bat. Jin grabs his head in pain and falls to the ground unconscious. Somehow Saki gets him back home. As she's nursing him, big brother Kyoutaro brings up the subject of the marriage proposal and assures Saki that her family is not pressuring her to make up her mind right away. I love you, Tachibana. I love everybody.

Sitting next to the doctor's side, Saki thinks back to when she had walked up to join him at the cliff side. He was looking at his photograph and at the angle she was at she could see how Miki was disappearing from the picture. Wanting to see it to make sure, Saki starts to search Jin for the photo but can't find it.

Meanwhile, Sakimoto Ryoma is hanging out at the brothel when he's approached by a man. (He was part of the group of men at the very end of Episode 9.) Mystery Man hands Sakimoto a letter from Kusaka Genzui, a Choshu retainer (and thus anti-Westerner). In the letter Kusaka expresses interest in this new wonder drug, penicillin, and wishes to meet with Sakimoto privately about it.

In the morning Jin finally awakens. He thinks back to Father of Creepy Baby in a Jar. Could it have been him, Jin? Could it be possible he operated on himself? But then the voice sounded like it was Sakimoto's. If it was Ryoma, then was there no assassination? Or is the Sakimoto Ryoma Jin knows not the Sakimoto Ryoma of history? Both Jin's and my head hurt thinking about this.

Saki comes back from the cliff side hangout where she retrieved the dropped photograph. She returns it to Jin, mentioning she notices the picture is different. Miki continues to fade.

Hikosaburo drops by to see the doctor. Jin learns that she's been bought (that's what it is and that's what I'm going to call it) and once she goes to the home of her master he'll never see her again. Hikosaburo asks Jin to examine Nokaze as that is her last wish. (Well, her last wish was to have some nookie with Jin but it didn't work out so a girl's gotta take what she can get.)

Jin has a talk with Saki. He gets it into his mind that the last time when Miki started coming back into the picture (when Jin was about to rock Nokaze's world) was when Nokaze was thinking positively about her approaching sale. Therefore, Miki must be a descendant of Nokaze and this guy who is paying out some hefty cash, Inkyo. Jin must help Nokaze to go to her new master. Saki asks to go with Jin to be present at the examination.

Creepy Baby.

Jin is joined by another doctor who has been sent by the buyer. Jin uses his new stethoscope and I'm sorry, it looks like something the Professor from Gilligan's Island cobbled together from bamboo and coconuts. Anyway, as Jin begins to examine Nokaze's breasts, sure enough he finds the lump that she knows is there. Yet when Nokaze asks if anything is wrong, Jin replies in the negative. Again, as Jin is giving his report to Hikosaburo, he says nothing is wrong. Ever vigilant Saki can tell from Jin's face that he's lying.

Back home, Jin worries if he did the right thing or not. To him what he felt wasn't that big so may not be a malignant tumor, therefore he wasn't lying when he said nothing was wrong. Oh Jin, sometimes I could smack you upside the head. It would be for your own good. When he checks the photograph again, Miki has come back stronger, which convinces him he's done the right thing.

Jin consults with the Chinese medicine man - come to think of it, I believe that's the guy with the hole in the stomach Jin had to take care of - about breast lumps and Baldy suggests Jin speak with the Hanoka School. Breast cancer is their specialty. It's mentioned that Saburi had some training from Hanoka, yet he denies it when asked. What's up with that?

Saki and Moma T go to visit a friend who has recently had a baby. Seeing her daughter holding a baby gives Moma T a bad case of Granny Fever. On their way back home Moma T asks Saki just what does she have planned for her future. This gets Saki to wondering about it herself. Returning home she finds Jin once again staring at that damned picture. (She and I are getting rather tired of that.) I believe Saki is starting to realize that Jin isn't going to feel the same way about her that she feels about him.

Sakimoto shows up to deliver a letter to Jin from Nokaze. The men go to the hangout so Jin can read. This letter is nothing but a thank you for your time and attention, yet we viewers know Nokaze had started to write another letter asking for a re-examination. It is up to Sakimoto to open Jin's eyes to the fact Saki is in love with him. Ryoma joins me in wanting to smack Jin upside the head.

Tachibana is back to hanging out at the red light district, stealing glances at his near-sighted geisha, who is looking rather woeful herself. While he's outside, his sister is inside visiting with Nokaze. (Saki has spent an inordinate amount of time in the brothels. I'm surprised she hasn't developed a reputation.) Nokaze tells her visitor about the lump in her breast and also about how her own mother also had a lump in her breast which ended up killing the woman. If the lump was something to be worried about, Nokaze's sale would have been canceled. Since Jin said there was nothing wrong with her, then Nokaze is fine with it. Saki isn't fine with it. She urges Nokaze to be re-examined. What if this lump continues to get worse? Isn't she afraid of dying? Nokaze's pointed silence says loud and clear that she's not afraid of her own death.

Saki and Tachibana return home to find Jin's sign is down. Saki rushes to Jin's quarters to find him packing up his stuff. He says he has decided to move down to the penicillin factory. Saki asks Jin to examine Nokaze one more time, calling him out for not saying anything earlier about what he felt. Jin explains that what he felt may not be a tumor, or if it is, may not be cancerous. Besides, he admits he doesn't know how to treat breast cancer. (Oh, so you know how to do skin grafts, treat STD's, and sew up stomachs, but you don't know anything about breast cancer.)

Saki berates Jin. Is he going to sacrifice Nokaze because of Miki? Didn't Nokaze save Jin's life when she warned about the assassins? Is this how Jin repays her? Nokaze is a human being who deserves help the same as anybody else Jin has treated. Give it to him, Saki! Give it to him good!

Saki leaves Jin in disgust and goes to tell Moma T to accept the marriage proposal.

The next morning, as Jin is starting to leave the household, Saki is in a more forgiving mood. She gives him a packed lunch and thanks him for teaching her about medicine. It is knowledge she hopes will benefit the family she's marrying into. This is the first Jin has heard about Saki getting married. (Maybe if you stopped looking at that damn picture all the time you would know more about what's going on around you.) As Jin walks away he doesn't look back, otherwise he would have seen the tears in Saki's eyes.

Jin doesn't have much time to get settled in at the factory. Sakimoto shows up and practically drags Jin along to meet with the Chosu faction and explain about penicillin. Kusaka has brought along with him a syphilitic man in order to see for himself whether this new drug does what it does. After a few shots, the man is looking much better. Kusaka asks how much does the medicine cost when Sakimoto cuts in. The cost of the medicine is that the Chosu faction stops fighting with fellow Japanese. Instead, they should join with Sakimoto in selling the penicillin to the barbarians, then using the money made to build a great Navy, which will once and for all defeat the barbarians. As Sakimoto and Kusaka have an intense stare-down, Jin wonders what he's done to history. Kusaka only says he'll think about it.

As Jin and Sakimoto are walking through that scary-in-the-dark bamboo forest, the doctor more and more worries about messing with history. (Now? You're only worrying about it now?) Jin stops Sakimoto and apologises, but he won't have anything to do with this deal. The samurai argues about how he's trying to save lives by preventing battles. Jin argues back what if these battles are meant to be? The What If debate goes on for a minute or so.

Suddenly Jin cries out Ryomo's name. Without even turning around to look, Sakimoto draws his sword and skewers the assassin coming up behind him. More killers emerge from the ... woods? No, bamboo is a grass. Anyway, there are more bad guys. Ryomo leads the killers away from Jin, knowing they're after him anyway. Jin just stands there for a moment until he grabs his head in pain. Where are you, Creepy Baby? You must be around here somewhere if Jin has a headache.

Sakimoto is valiantly fighting three against one. Just when the assassins are about to get the best of him, Jin finally gets his headachey butt in gear and comes to Sakimoto's aid. Sakimoto fights the men off while yelling for Jin to run, but Jin has once again become useless. Sakimoto is disarmed and is at the end of three sharp swords. Good thing this fight somehow ended up at the hangout. Right before the killers strike, Jin tackles Sakimoto and they both go flying off the edge of the cliff into the river below.

Elsewhere, Saki's light goes dim. Nokaze's kaleidoscope breaks. (Which I'm glad. The kaleidoscope was as annoying to me as Jin's picture-staring.)

There is a moment of stillness. Then Jin surfaces, gasping for air. But where is Sakimoto? 



JIN Episode 9

I'm getting into the home stretch of this drama. Only a few more episodes to go.

Hikosaburo comes to tell Nokaze that some guy called Inkyo is wanting to, well basically buy her (and not just for one night) and set her up as his exclusive mistress. Nokaze knows that as a prostitute it would be stupid for her to turn this opportunity down. At the same time this discussion is going on, Jin is looking at his photograph of him and Miki sitting on a couch. Miki's image starts to fade away like Marty McFly although she doesn't disappear altogether.

Jin wishes he had a stethoscope and when Saki asks what that is he describes it to her in length. On her own, Saki goes to the boys at the soy sauce-slash-penicillin factory and has them make up a rough version of what she thinks one looks like. They also try their hands at making other medical devices Jin has talked about before.

Jin, Saki and Tachibana are out having a bite to eat at a restaurant (that's what I'm going to call it) talking about the new apparatuses. At the table next to them is a group of firefighters led by old man Shinmon Tatsugoro. Shinmon and Jin get into a debate about the worth of doctors - Shinmon says they have none - in a disaster like a fire. Jin of course defends his profession and Shinmon invites him to show up at the next fire to put his money where his mouth is.

When the three return home it is to find that irrepressible Sakimoto Ryoma flirting with Moma T. Sakimoto has come to talk over an idea with Jin. That idea being -- Sakimoto, are you sitting on Jin's lap?! Anyway, that idea is to start selling the penicillin to the public. They'll make money, the people will get better, and the two main parties (Throw The Barbarians Out vs Let The World In) will come together and Japan will become one without a shot being fired.

Jin receives a letter from Nokaze. She asks him to come visit her at the brothel, don't tell anybody else. Naturally Sakimoto is reading over Jin's shoulder and he's all for accompanying the doctor to the red light district. Jin goes because he's worried about what he's done to the future that Coma-girl is disappearing.

Turns out Nokaze was just inviting Jin to a feast in his honor. Remember that 50 ryo she tried to give him in the last episode? Since he wouldn't accept it, she spent it all on this party. Feeling guilty about it all, Jin stays. Sakimoto is having the time of his life but Nokaze can see Jin is uncomfortable with it all. Jin excuses himself to use the restroom and to the geisha's distaste Sakimoto slips into the vacated seat next to her. So while he's not looking, Nokaze slips some powders into Sakimoto's drink.

Jin is looking at the photograph again. He believes Miki has resolved a little bit more. A sleeping Sakimoto is dragged off to another room. When Jin comes back to the party room it is to find everyone is gone except for an old woman. She directs him to where Nokaze is waiting for him. He enters the room to find the courtesan has slipped into something a little more comfortable. (She's still got layers and layers on, but not as many layers and layers as she usually has.)

Nokaze gets right to the point and asks Jin if he plans to ever be with Saki. Jin gets all flustered and embarrassed, saying he's old enough to be Saki's father. (Really? He doesn't look that old. Just how old is Jin supposed to be?) So if it's not Saki, Nokaze asks if there's another woman in Jin's heart. She wants to hear all about this woman. As Jin begins to describe Miki, he starts to realize that coma-girl and Nokaze actually have more in common than just their looks. Nokaze gets up close and personal and tells Jin that just for this night he can call her by that other woman's name. That way he won't be cheating. Jin doesn't look like he's averse to any of this.

Meanwhile, poor Saki is left at home to worry.

Just as Jin is about to move in for the kill, the photograph falls out of his clothing. He grabs it up to see that Miki is coming back into the picture (literally) even stronger. Then the fire alarm bells start to ring. Looks like no lovin' for Nokaze as Jin rushes to the scene. (I guess this is how it is for all wives and husbands and whatnots of doctors, firefighters and police whenever there's an emergency.)

The injured have all been gathered in once place. Jin and Saki are quickly joined by the med students from the Western Medicine School. Jin quickly explains what triage is to everyone. They take over an empty warehouse and use it as an emergency room. There are so many patients the doctors are about to be overwhelmed when some doctors from the traditional Chinese medicine school join them.

Just when it looks like the worst is over, a firemen rush in with one of their own who is suffering from smoke inhalation. Shinmon Tatsugoro watches as Jin attempts to use one of their home-made respiratory bags on the firefighter but it's not working well. Shinmon scoffs that he knew doctors were useless and he orders his men to start carrying the man to a priest for last rites. Jin won't let them take the man and wants to try cutting the patient's throat open. To Shinmon that just sounds like cutting a person's throat to kill them and he won't have it. He and Jin argue, wasting precious time IMO, until finally Shinmon relents and goes back to fight the fire.

Jin starts a tracheotomy. I start to look away. Outside the wind is changing direction, threatening to blow the flames towards the medical site where Jin is. They attempt to move as many patients as they can. Tachibana comes to warn Jin and everyone that they have to leave but Jin says his patient is not able to be moved. He'll stay behind and asks everyone else to seek safety. Naturally they elect to stay with Jin and finish the surgery.

Morning breaks. The fire is out and the surgery is a success. When Jin and Saki step out of the warehouse it is to find every building around theirs has been burned or torn down to the ground. Jin can tell Shinmon that his right hand man has been saved. As expected, the ruff and gruff fire chief changes his tune about doctors. Jin thanks the Edo fire brigade for never giving up, never quitting.

Now awake, Sakimoto is angry that he got left out of everything and he goes looking for Jin in the brothel. Instead he finds Nokaze - and an empty bed. Nokaze tells him that Jin had left to go treat the victims of the fire. She also tells Sakimoto how she'll be exclusive after today and so she lost her chance to be with Jin. Sakimoto, seeing how much this hurts Nokaze, surprisingly hugs her. Not one of his lascivious hugs, but an actual comforting hug. He recommends to the geisha that she go ahead an cry on his shoulder. She takes him up on his offer.

Jin takes out his picture again only to find Miki is faded even more. He wonders if he should have stayed with Nokaze instead of rushing to the fire. (Eww, this isn't implying that coma-girlfriend is like Jin's great great great great granddaughter, is it? There might be a hundred or so years of genetics in between them but still, that's just a little too icky for me anyway. If, that is, where the story is going.)

Nokaze is feeling her chest and locates a lump in her breast. Good grief, is Jin going to be treating breast cancer in the next episode? How in the world is he going to manufacture chemotherapy drugs?

Shinmon offers to build Jin a hospital. Moma T informs Saki that a marriage proposal has been sent for her. Men in a dark room talk about Sakimoto, and not in a good way. Nokaze asks her boss to be examined by Jin before she goes to her new man. Jin goes to his favorite hangout to look at his picture. Saki comes there too and starts to tell him something when suddenly he grabs his head in pain. Ah, flash of Creepy Baby in a Jar with its eyes open!

The Chaser Episode 1

By golly I'm going to watch this damn show just because a) no one else is, and b) it has taken me forever to find an episode that's been subbed. It's like a white whale - it tasks me!

The story begins at the court house. Detective Baek Hong Suk is walking like a zombie into the building. He's seen better days. He sets the metal detector off, yet when the young guard attempts to stop him, he just sucker punches the fellow in the gut.

Inside the courtroom, the judge is handing down a handful of not guilty verdicts to the handsome defendant. Fangirls in the room scream and clap in delight. Suddenly a gunshot rings out. Hong Suk starts shooting at the clock. (Damn those evil clocks!) The fangirls are screaming for a whole other reason now. Everyone seeks cover as Hong Suk announces the trial is not over yet. He points the gun in the face of the defendant, stating this weapon will now be the judge. The young guy looks like his underwear is no longer clean. Not that I would blame him.

 

 

Baek Hong Suk demands the truth to be told about what happened to his daughter. While the young man trembles, security finally attempts to sneak up behind the gunman. A young reporter who was covering the trial makes the decision to knock over a chair, causing Hong Suk to whirl around and see the approaching man. While the crazy man is distracted, the defendant tries to scurry away. Hong Suk easily dispatches the guy with the stick, then he goes after the young man. They struggle over the gun, falling to the floor, when the gun goes off. It is that classic moment of "Who got shot?"

 

 

I'll end the suspense: it was the young guy. Surprisingly, Hong Suk looks very upset that the other man appears to be fatally wounded. He keeps saying, "Don't die! You can't die!" Dude, you were the one who brought the live firearm into the courtroom. What did you think would happen?

 

 

Now we flash back to happier times. A group of kids sing Happy Birthday to Su Jeong as her father, a clean-shaven Hong Suk, dances and makes a gentle fool of himself. There's a sweet moment where Hong Suk helps set up Su Jeong with the boy she likes to go to a sold out concert. Father and daughter exchange their secret handshake under the table when the date is established.

 

 

It's Presidential election time and Assemblyman Gang Dong Yun has a nice lead, yet ominous music plays at this information. (Look, it's Psycho Daddy from City Hunter! Luved City Hunter.) When Psycho Daddy and his team go into a room to hold a press conference, they find the seats are empty. But the room isn't totally empty. There are some cops there, come to arrest one of Psycho Daddy's staff members for a previous bribery case.

 

 

Right as his man is being hauled off to jail, Psycho Daddy gets a phone call from his father-in-law, Chairman Seo. In between whining for Dong Yun to come for dinner father-in-law asks the cryptic questions, "Do you still feel that time is on your side?" Father-in-law, did you have something to do with this scandal?

 

 

That evening Hong Suk is hanging out with his partner, Detective Jo, as she drunkenly discusses her upcoming wedding. (Jo is played by Park Hyo Joo, the mentor/assassin from Girl Killer K. Luved Girl Killer K.) Su Jeong calls to tell dad how her date went. Hong Suk starts to leave so he can walk his daughter home when his squad leader shows up to discuss business. They're all laughing and grilling meat when...

THUD

We see Su Jeong's body rolling away from a car that is blasting Adele's Rolling In The Deep. The driver is a rich older woman. She wants to get out and check on the victim when she's stopped by her passenger, who is the young man we saw get shot at the beginning of this episode. He urges her to just drive on but older woman insists on getting out. With only a few pokes to the shoulder, Older Woman decides Su Jeong is dead. Once again Young Man urges his date (that I'm sure he's not supposed to be with) to get in the car and just drive away. No one is around, no one saw a thing.

Suddenly Su Jeong reaches out and grabs Young Man's foot. Aha, she's not dead. So much for your diagnosis, Older Woman. Su Jeong begs for help. That's when Young Man notices some concert tickets laying on the ground next to the girl. They are to the sold out show of singer PK Jun. The Young Man panics and forces a protesting Older Woman into the car. Wait a second, would Young Man be the PK Jun?

Older Woman wants to call the police or take the girl to a hospital. PK Jun, who is now in the driver's seat, reminds his date of where he came from and how hard he worked to get to where he is today. He's not going back to singing in bars. He starts the car up and OMG, HE RUNS OVER SU JEONG AGAIN! THEN HE PUTS IT IN REVERSE AND RUNS OVER HER AGAIN!!! OMG!

Yet amazingly Su Jeong isn't dead yet. Her cell phone, which wasn't run over, starts ringing. (It's her dad calling to check up on her.) She does that kdrama slow-reach-for-the-phone thing and just when she's about to touch it, her hand drops. Jun puts the car in gear and this time drives around the poor girl as they leave the scene of the crime.

Psycho Daddy shows up for a not-too-intimate dinner with father-in-law, Seo. As Dong Yun  goes through the paces of eating, Daddy Seo tells him an allegorical story about land owners and managers. The land owner hires the manager to handle the tenant farmers. Yet pretty soon the farmers aren't afraid of the land owner so much as they're afraid of the manager.

While Dong Yun continues to not enjoy his meal, Daddy Seo tosses a manila envelope down the table to him. Inside are divorce papers for Dong Yun to end his marriage with Seo's daughter, Ji Su. (As we've all figured out by now, Seo Ji Su is Older Woman in the Car of Death.) Also in the envelope is a plane ticket to America. Daddy Seo wants Dong Yun to drop out of the Presidential race.

As Godfather music plays, Dong Yun lists off all the crooked things he has done for his father-in-law in the past. He fervently promises that when he wins the Blue House, they'll exploit the Russian crude oil industry. Dong Yun promises and promises that he won't turn on his father-in-law, but Daddy Seo didn't get where he is today by believing other people. In front of Dong Yun, Seo makes a phone call to someone and loudly talks about how Dong Yun is going to be arrested tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. - which is also the flight time on the plane ticket in the envelope. Daddy Seo plays hardball.

Silently Dong Yun picks up the envelope and starts to leave when a tearful Ji Su bursts into the dining room. The married couple just glance at each other as Dong Yun walks towards the doorway. However, before he gets the door closed behind him he hears Ji Su tell her father she's been involved in an accident. Ah, he's just been handed a bargaining chip.

Dong Yun consults with his female assistant, Hye Na. He goes through a list of his wife's lovers trying to figure out who she's with at the moment. When they hit upon PK Jun, Dong Yun asks Hye Na to investigate the latest boy toy and find out what happened tonight.

Baek Hong Suk finally hears about his daughter and he rushes to the hospital. Dang, this girl is tough! She's still not dead even after being hit by a car multiple times. She's in a coma, though. Hong Suk calls in a family friend, Dr. Chang Min, to perform the surgery. As he waits outside of the operating room, Hong Suk calls his wife to tell her the situation.

We move to PK Jun's posh digs, replete with indoor pool and giant picture of himself. He's on the floor groaning in pain. Next to him is an incredibly good-looking man. I think I've seen this actor before but at the moment I can't remember from what. Anyway, gorgeous man takes out a cell phone and calls Hye Na to report on how the "interview" went with the boy toy. It appears Jun told the whole story, including who the driver was the first time the girl was hit. Tellingly, Dong Yun puts Daddy Seo's manila envelope away.

Hong Suk's wife shows up at the hospital. She smells the alcohol on him and scolds him for not walking their daughter home. A doctor comes out of the surgery and in typical kdrama fashion says, "It's not going well" and then just walks off. Mom collapses.

We have another flashback to sweeter moments. Little girl Su Jeong is supposed to perform at a school function but she has stage fright and starts to cry. Hong Suk goes on stage to join her and he starts singing My Darling Clementine. Su Jeong stops crying and sings along with her father. Oh, my heart. We come back to the present. Once again Hong Suk is stationed outside of the operating room. He tearfully sings their song again. Oh, my heart!

Dong Yun goes back to Daddy Seo, who is comforting Ji Su, to present his typed up letter of resignation. Seo says to just leave it but Dong Yun insists that he hear what it says and he begins to read the letter aloud. It starts off with your standard fare of how touched and honored Dong Yun is to have such support of the people, but he can no longer stand upright in front of the people because... of a terrible car accident his wife was involved in and how she left the scene of the accident. Boo ya! Where's your Godfather music now?

After an intense stare-down, Daddy Seo calls his contact and stops the arrest planned for the morning. Dong Yun returns to his office, ordering Hye Na to get the campaign going again. She's got some bad news, though. Su Jeong's surgery was a success, she's not dead. This lessens the hold Dong Yun has over his father-in-law as he had told the Godfather that the girl was dead. Dong Yun can't have that girl regaining consciousness. You know what that means.

Su Jeong looks pretty good for someone who has been run over and run over and run over by a car. Slowly she shows signs of improvement as touching-slash-happy music plays. Chang Min predicts that she'll wake up in a few days.

Meanwhile, Hye Na fills in her boss on how much they've spent to take care of their "little problem." We see Gorgeous Man delivering an obscene amount of money to ... oh no, it's Chang Min! No! When her parents aren't present, Chang Min sneaks into Su Jeong's room and injects something into her IV. He runs out of the room as her body starts to violently react to whatever he injected her with. Hong Suk and his wife are coming back to the room when they see other doctors rushing in. The doctors are useless and Su Jeong flat lines.

Later, after Hong Suk and his hysterical wife say their last goodbyes to their daughter, he seeks out his "friend" Chang Min and asks if he'll be the host of Su Jeong's funeral. A guilty and sweaty Chang Min tries to back out of it but Hong Suk asks again. He won't be there because he has to go catch the person who killed his daughter, not realizing that the guy he wants is right there in front of him. As Hong Suk marches off with determination, a large TV screen shows Candidate Gang Dong Yun making an impassioned political speech.

Well hell, now I want to see more of this, but I'll probably have to wait six more weeks before episode 2 is ever subbed. I managed to find this one at Dramacrazy. If more people knew about this show, perhaps more translators would be working on it. Problem is, no one is reading this blog, so how do I get the word out? Hmmmm......

JIN Episode 8

Jin goes about working on a newer, stronger batch of penicillin. He explains his process in great detail. Am I in science class again? Why must I watch all this? He informs soy sauce king Hamaguchi Gihei that he would like the secret penicillin factory to produce this new strain from now on. Just so you know, it's gonna cost some money. Money that Hamaguchi isn't eager to donate at this moment. Jin has to prove himself worthy enough of Hamaguchi's esteem.

When a dejected Jin and crew return home, it is to find Moma T in a state. Some Bizen tea cups, family heirlooms of a sort, are missing. Tachibana has to admit that he sold them. That's where he got the money to buy the horrendously ugly eyeglasses for his near-sighted geisha. He storms off to see said geisha, only to be turned away at the brothel door because she is feeling under the weather.

Jin is wondering what to do about getting the money (400 ryo) he needs. Sakimoto decides this would be a good time to visit the red light district and so he drags Jin and Tachibana off. They arrive in time to see Nokaze turning away a strange man with a veil. Sakimoto tries to smoothly approach the geisha but she whizzes right past him to beg Jin to examine a geisha at another house. Her name is Hatsune and we can tell from the startled reaction from Tachibana that this is the near-sighted girlfriend. Suddenly Sakimoto's spider senses tingle and he whirls around. Two suspicious men melt into the crowd.

Hatsune is delirious with fever. Nokaze explains to the group that the young girl became this way after she had had an abortion. Although no one is sure who the father of the baby is, it could be Tanosuke, the foppish man Nokaze had just thrown out. He's a famous female impersonator but Nokaze doesn't like him or the way he was doing Hatsune. (Did you know Kabuki actors were prohibited from patronizing brothels? I wonder why.) Tachibana is silently suffering during all this although Jin has noticed the young man hasn't been himself lately.

Jin tries to treat Hatsune with his wonder drug but her fever won't go down. If only he could make his new and improved penicillin, but where to get the money? Surprisingly it is Tachibana who makes the suggestion they try asking Tanosuke for the loan. Turns out Kabuki actors can make a shitload of money.

However much they beg, though, Tanosuke isn't letting go of any of his hard-earned money. Finally Tachibana breaks and calls the actor out. Hatsune is in love with Tanosuke, is deathly ill because of him, yet he won't do a thing to help her. Tanosuke shoots back that if Tachibana really loved Hatsune then he would sell his shogunate retainership and get the money that way. This is an intense dramatic scene and Tanosuke is an interesting character. I hope we see more of him in the show.

Again, Sakimoto spies two strangers with swords in the crowd.

Hatsune is getting worse. Nokaze offers the doctor 50 ryo of her own but he politely turns her down (to the distress of Sakimoto). Jin goes back to the factory where the workers are about to revolt because they haven't been paid. He pleads with them to keep working, that somehow he'll get the money for their wages. That somehow shows up just in time - Sakimoto comes in hefting a chest on his shoulders. On his own Sakimoto went to the abortionist and explained their need for money. Surprisingly the abortionist was all, "Oh yeah, that's a great idea. I'll lend you the money at no interest. You can pay me back in seven years."

With the infusion of money, Jin and factory workers whip into action, which doesn't go unnoticed by Hamaguchi. With a batch of new and improved penicillin, Jin races back to treat Hatsune. In the room next door, Tachibana, Nokaze and Sakimoto await the results. Nokaze assures the young samurai that Hatsune had truly appreciated the glasses, the first thoughtful gift a customer had ever given her.

In the morning Hatsune regains consciousness. Jin announces the good news in the next room. Everyone assumes Tachibana will want to see his lady love, yet he refuses and leaves. In the sick room Hatsune asks Saki whose voice that way. Saki identifies her brother. Tentatively Hatsune asks while she was sick did she say anything. Saki confirms that the prostitute kept calling for Tanosuke. Hatsune quietly cries, expressing shame that she has hurt such a kind man.

As expected, if it sounds too good to be true it is. Seven days pass and the abortionist shows up to claim his money. He's flaunting a contract signed by Sakimoto. The rough samurai declares he had seven years to pay the loan back, but the smirking abortionist says Sakimoto was mistaken - it was seven days. If they don't have the 400 ryo, then they have to give up all the new medicine to him. It's all there in black and white. Er, black and light tan.

Jin is about to give in when Sakimoto stops him. It was sunset when he made the deal with the abortionist, so technically it hasn't been seven days yet. Tachibana runs to Tanosuke and offers to sell himself to the actor for the 400 ryo. Umm, just what do you mean by that, Tachibana?

Time is running out. Shockingly Saki blurts out to the owner of Hatsune's brothel that she'll work there if he will lend them the money. Oh thank goodness, Tanosuke shows up in time. Everyone in this episode likes tossing gold coins on the floor. The creepy abortionist picks up his money and leaves.

In a flashback we see what Tachibana had to do. Outside of the Kabuki theater, in front of everyone, he fell to his hands and knees and begged Tanosuke (who is wearing an odd wig) for the money. For a vaunted samurai to bow his head to an actor is a big loss of face in Japan. Afterwards, Jin and Sakimoto assure the young man what he did took the greatest of courage to do. Tachibana cries.

Jin reports to Hamaguchi about the lesson he has learned in today's episode: that he cannot accomplish anything without so many other people helping him along. He bows his head low and fervently asks Hamaguchi to be one of those people. Impressed, Hamaguchi agrees.

As Jin, Sakimoto and Saki are walking down a crowded street, Sakimoto is tired of their tails and tries to confront the Mystery Men, who again just slip away. Saki worriedly asks if they are assassins after Jin again. Sakimoto light-heartedly replies they are probably after him. This gets Jin to wondering if, in his effort to advance medicine ahead of schedule, he has also advanced the time of Sakimoto's assassination.

There's only one thing to do and that's consult with the Almighty Photograph. Jin pulls the picture out of the book he keeps it in. When he looks at the photo Jin has a mighty serious look on his face. We the viewers don't get to see it, though. Ah, another damn cliff hanger.

In conclusion: don't buy cheap chairs. Because I just broke mine.



Three Kingdoms Episode 16

Cao Cao Top's ministers convince him to attack "Emperor" Yuan Shu. I can only hope that Cao Cao's woolly bully beard is a casualty of war. After a grand ceremonial send-off, the army begins its march. Cao Cao is riding in the imperial chariot. As they are traveling through farmland, Cao Cao's horses are spooked by a bird. By the time his driver regains control the chariot has trampled through some wheat fields. Cao Cao reminds his men that he made it a law that anyone in the army that damages any crops is to be put to death immediately. He instructs Xun Yu to cut off his head as Cao Cao cannot be above the law. Xun Yu manages to talk Cao Cao out of the beheading part. Instead, Cao Cao cuts off his (beard! beard!) topknot (darn).

Meanwhile, Lu Bu is drinking chocolate milk. Oh, wait, that's a mustache! (Show, if you're going to have facial hair, at least have good facial hair.) Anyway, Yuan Shu sends an offer to Lu Bu to marry his son and heir to Lu Bu's daughter, who has never been seen nor mentioned until this moment. Ever the impulsive one, Lu Bu agrees. Chen Gongtai happens to show up just in time to prevent the still-unseen daughter from being taken away. He chastises Lu Bu like, "I've only been out of town for a few days and you've already done something completely stupid!" Just then an imperial/Cao Cao decree is delivered, making Lu Bu officially the protector of Xu Province and ordering him to send troops. Chen advises the moron to accept the appointment but send no men. I restrain myself from wiping the chocolate milk off of Lu Bu's upper lip. It is So Bad.

The Three Musketeers oversee their CGI troops as they are the only ones to come join up with Cao Cao's forces. Privately, Cao Cao takes a poll of his ministers: should he kill Liu Bei or not? In the end he decides to allow Liu Bei to live. For now.

Cao Cao's forces have surrounded the capital of Yuan Shu's empire. Yuan gives some hasty orders but Old Man With No Name jumps in and recommends their best bet is to just lock the gates and stay put until Cao Cao's food supplies run out. If only we knew your name, Wise Old Man.

Sure enough, the Supply Officer informs Cao Cao that the food is running out. At most they have enough for three more days. Cao Cao orders the rations to be cut in half. The soldiers don't like this and threaten to rebel. Cao Cao has the supply officer beheaded. After sticking a terribly fake head on a pole, the men are told the officer had been stealing from the granary. The last of the rations are given to the men to strengthen them to take the city within three days.

Battle scenes! Those are always good. Cao Cao is victorious and Yuan Shu is on the run. Cao Cao tries to convince Liu Bei to serve under him but Liu Bei politely refuses. When Cao Cao warns that sooner or later he will come to Xu Province, Liu Bei in return warns that he'll be forced to join with Lu Bu and fight unto the death. With a bit of cheek Liu Bei asks, "If you're not going to kill me now, please allow me to leave."