A lone house sits in the shadow of Mt. Fuji. Inside, petroleum scientist Yoon Hak Soo plays with his infant daughter, Yoo Jin, while his wife feeds snacks to toddler Chang Hee, son of Yoon's assistant, Park Gi Cheol. The family is in the process of packing up and moving. Yoon goes to answer his very orange phone (oh, this has got to be the Seventies at least. Maybe the Eighties.) On the line is Jang Do Hyun (played by Lee Duk Hwa. He's always good.) who is urgently warning Yoon that the Japanese are on to him. Yoon needs to grab "the data" and get out now!
Nope, too late. Outside several cars drive right up to the house and dispel a large number of men wearing ski masks and carrying weapons. Yoon runs upstairs to open his safe, removing one of those little plastic canisters that you keep a roll of film in. As he tries to rush the others to the basement, the wife accidentally knocks over a coffee pot, splashing hot water over the children. There's no time to doctor their wounds, the masked men are coming!
The Japanese go straight to the safe only to discover what they came for is gone. The basement has a door to the outside, which is how the Koreans got out. They're running through some high grass with the masked men in pursuit. Hak Soo hands the baby to his wife, Geum Hee, ordering her to go with Gi Cheol over the mountain where they'll find Do Hyun. He knows the Japanese are after him so he leads them off away from his family.
Gosh, what action and drama. And this is just the first five minutes!
Hak Soo is surrounded by masked men who are asking for "the data." Dude, and they broke his glasses, too. Meanwhile our fugitives reach a road where they encounter Do Hyun and his men. He quickly gets the wife and kids in a car and has them taken to a safe house. Gi Cheol leads them back to where they left Hak Soo, and just in time as the Japanese were about to shoot him. Do Hyun and his armed men get the drop on the masked men who drop their weapons. Hak Soo is so glad to see Do Hyun. Do Hyun asks him where is the data and Hak Soo reveals he had given it to Gi Cheol when they were in the basement. Do Hyun then shoots Hak Soo dead, blood splattering all over his face. (Ya know, I just had a feeling Do Hyun was in on this, so I'm not too shocked.) He turns his gun on the flabbergasted Gi Cheol. The assistant begs for his life, swearing he'll never tell a soul what happened here and he'll do whatever Do Hyun tells him to do for the rest of his life. (I'm having a Giant flashback, but that's no problem as I loved Giant.) Do Hyun smiles and shoots Gi Cheol in the side.
We get further evidence of Do Hyun being a bastard as he attends Hak Soo's funeral and comforts the grieving widow. (I'm sure this is important later on as the camera shows baby Yoo Jin has a burn scar on the back of her neck from the hot water.) Later, he's at an observation deck with Gi Cheol and son Chang Hee. Do Hyun reminds Gi Cheol of his promise to do whatever he's told to do. To further warn Gi Cheol not to step out of line, Do Hyun picks up Chang Hee and does a Michael Jackson, dangling the boy over the side.
Under orders, Gi Cheol kidnaps baby Yoo Jin and takes her to an old army acquaintance of his, Chun Hong Chul. Gi Cheol asks Hong Chul to adopt the baby and raise her as his daughter and not to ask any questions. Hong Chul has a wife and son of his own, how is he supposed to explain this kid? Gi Cheol shuts him up with an envelope of money, the answer to everything. Hong Chul takes the baby and tells his wife the girl is his from another woman. Way to set up a loving mother/daughter relationship, Chun.
Gi Cheol explains Yoo Jin's disappearance to Geum Hee as an accident. He was walking along the sea shore with the baby when a wave knocked her out of his arms. Bastard Do Hyun has his people act like they're searching the shore for the baby but all they find is one shoe. She must be dead.
As Geum Hee is grieving in the graveyard, Do Hyun walks up with his two young children, a son and daughter. He floats the idea that since Geum Hee has no husband or daughter, and his wife is dead, perhaps they can raise his kids together. OMG, you did not just propose marriage! You bastard! Geum Hee is just as shocked as I am, but then the little girl starts crying and the mother in Geum Hee responds.
Time skip to eleven years later. Yoo Jin is now called Hae Joo and is played by Kim Yoo Jung who is in everything. But again, that's okay, because she's really good. She's grown up poor but seems to be happy with her family, brother Sang Tae and little sister Young Joo. Mom is pregnant. Dad owed some money and couldn't pay it back so the family has had to slip out of town in the middle of the night. He goes to look up his old pal, Gi Cheol, to ask for help. Gi Cheol, recognizing the young girl is Yoo Jin, wants to get rid of the family as soon as possible.
The kids go exploring a nearby field while the adults talk. Brother Sang Tae proves he's an absolute idiot by stirring up a bee's nest. The bees attack. Hae Joo throws her body over her younger sister's in an effort to protect her. A young Chang Hee is walking up a path when he sees the trouble. Thinking quickly, he grabs a conveniently left behind bucket and douses the girls with water from a nearby stream. Young Joo is alright but Hae Joo is covered in bee stings and she loses consciousness. Chang Hee carries her back to his house so the kids can be treated.
Meanwhile, that bastard Do Hyun is now a powerful businessman. He wants to get some land to build a shipyard but there's an illegal village on the sight. To add salt to the wound, a nearby pear orchard, donated to the illegal village, was once owned by the late Yoon Hak Soo. Do Hyun rips off his tie. He wants that land!
After treating Hae Joo's bee stings, Gi Cheol hustles the unwanted family out. He explains this big house isn't his, he just works here. He just manages to get the family packed up in a truck and on the move when the real owners of the house drive up. It's bastard Do Hyun and his family, including Hae Joo's real mother.
The family get into a fight with the truck driver and he dumps the clan on the side of the road. They stand there into the night until a stranger finally stops to help them. He takes them to an abandoned house. (Is this part of the illegal village? How can you have an illegal village anyway?)
The next thing we know, Hae Joo is slightly better from the bee stings and is starting school, so I guess they're staying in the abandoned house. Hae Joo clashes with school bitch In Hwa and her girl gang. In Hwa slaps her. Hae Joo slaps her back. Hae Joo gets punished. In Hwa's mother comes rushing to the school to check up on her precious daughter - it's Geum Hee. The teacher orders Hae Joo to apologize but the girl remains silent. Frustrated, the teacher picks up a yardstick and starts whipping Hae Joo. This shocks even Geum Hee who orders the teacher to stop. Geum Hee feels the child has been punished enough. She looks at Hae Joo a little closer and it's like she almost recognizes her. Almost.
In another classroom we learn the son, Il Mun, isn't much better. Chang Hee is going to be attending a math competition and represent the district, but Il Mun wants to be the one who goes instead. After class Il Mun and his boys gang up on Chang Hee. Hae Joo's idiot brother, Sang Tae, isn't much help. It's another boy, Kang San, who comes to Chang Hee's rescue. San is the grandson of a tough shipbuilder (played by a bad guy recently offed by Gaksital) who wants San to learn shipbuilding from the bottom up.
Hae Joo collects bottles to earn enough money to buy the family food. When she sees there won't be enough for everyone, Saint Hae Joo gives up her portion for the rest. As a reward, Mom makes the girl sleep outside. In a show of solidarity, Dad sleeps outside with her. (I know this is supposed to be a touching moment but I'm just a tad uncomfortable with a dad sleeping with his pre-pubescent daughter.)
At school Hae Joo is going through the trash to retrieve the bottles. In Hwa sees this and invites Hae Joo to come to her house and get their old bottles. (She's up to no good, Saint Hae Joo. Don't fall for it!) Hae Joo recognizes the house from earlier and my God, do they drink a lot of Coke. Gi Cheol is out trimming the bushes and sees Hae Joo/Yoo Jin, meaning the family didn't leave town like he ordered them to.
In Hwa invites Hae Joo inside and shows off an expensive vase her father, bastard Do Hyun, paid 30,000 won for. She accidentally drops it, shattering the antique into pieces. Mom Geum Hee rushes in to see what's going on. In Hwa tries to put the blame on Hae Joo. As Hae Joo bends down to pick up the pieces, Geum Hee sees the burn scar on the back of the girl's neck.
Oh yeah, this has potential to be my new kdrama crack. Gotta see just how much lower that bastard Do Hyun can go.
We get further evidence of Do Hyun being a bastard as he attends Hak Soo's funeral and comforts the grieving widow. (I'm sure this is important later on as the camera shows baby Yoo Jin has a burn scar on the back of her neck from the hot water.) Later, he's at an observation deck with Gi Cheol and son Chang Hee. Do Hyun reminds Gi Cheol of his promise to do whatever he's told to do. To further warn Gi Cheol not to step out of line, Do Hyun picks up Chang Hee and does a Michael Jackson, dangling the boy over the side.
Under orders, Gi Cheol kidnaps baby Yoo Jin and takes her to an old army acquaintance of his, Chun Hong Chul. Gi Cheol asks Hong Chul to adopt the baby and raise her as his daughter and not to ask any questions. Hong Chul has a wife and son of his own, how is he supposed to explain this kid? Gi Cheol shuts him up with an envelope of money, the answer to everything. Hong Chul takes the baby and tells his wife the girl is his from another woman. Way to set up a loving mother/daughter relationship, Chun.
Gi Cheol explains Yoo Jin's disappearance to Geum Hee as an accident. He was walking along the sea shore with the baby when a wave knocked her out of his arms. Bastard Do Hyun has his people act like they're searching the shore for the baby but all they find is one shoe. She must be dead.
As Geum Hee is grieving in the graveyard, Do Hyun walks up with his two young children, a son and daughter. He floats the idea that since Geum Hee has no husband or daughter, and his wife is dead, perhaps they can raise his kids together. OMG, you did not just propose marriage! You bastard! Geum Hee is just as shocked as I am, but then the little girl starts crying and the mother in Geum Hee responds.
Time skip to eleven years later. Yoo Jin is now called Hae Joo and is played by Kim Yoo Jung who is in everything. But again, that's okay, because she's really good. She's grown up poor but seems to be happy with her family, brother Sang Tae and little sister Young Joo. Mom is pregnant. Dad owed some money and couldn't pay it back so the family has had to slip out of town in the middle of the night. He goes to look up his old pal, Gi Cheol, to ask for help. Gi Cheol, recognizing the young girl is Yoo Jin, wants to get rid of the family as soon as possible.
The kids go exploring a nearby field while the adults talk. Brother Sang Tae proves he's an absolute idiot by stirring up a bee's nest. The bees attack. Hae Joo throws her body over her younger sister's in an effort to protect her. A young Chang Hee is walking up a path when he sees the trouble. Thinking quickly, he grabs a conveniently left behind bucket and douses the girls with water from a nearby stream. Young Joo is alright but Hae Joo is covered in bee stings and she loses consciousness. Chang Hee carries her back to his house so the kids can be treated.
Meanwhile, that bastard Do Hyun is now a powerful businessman. He wants to get some land to build a shipyard but there's an illegal village on the sight. To add salt to the wound, a nearby pear orchard, donated to the illegal village, was once owned by the late Yoon Hak Soo. Do Hyun rips off his tie. He wants that land!
After treating Hae Joo's bee stings, Gi Cheol hustles the unwanted family out. He explains this big house isn't his, he just works here. He just manages to get the family packed up in a truck and on the move when the real owners of the house drive up. It's bastard Do Hyun and his family, including Hae Joo's real mother.
The family get into a fight with the truck driver and he dumps the clan on the side of the road. They stand there into the night until a stranger finally stops to help them. He takes them to an abandoned house. (Is this part of the illegal village? How can you have an illegal village anyway?)
The next thing we know, Hae Joo is slightly better from the bee stings and is starting school, so I guess they're staying in the abandoned house. Hae Joo clashes with school bitch In Hwa and her girl gang. In Hwa slaps her. Hae Joo slaps her back. Hae Joo gets punished. In Hwa's mother comes rushing to the school to check up on her precious daughter - it's Geum Hee. The teacher orders Hae Joo to apologize but the girl remains silent. Frustrated, the teacher picks up a yardstick and starts whipping Hae Joo. This shocks even Geum Hee who orders the teacher to stop. Geum Hee feels the child has been punished enough. She looks at Hae Joo a little closer and it's like she almost recognizes her. Almost.
In another classroom we learn the son, Il Mun, isn't much better. Chang Hee is going to be attending a math competition and represent the district, but Il Mun wants to be the one who goes instead. After class Il Mun and his boys gang up on Chang Hee. Hae Joo's idiot brother, Sang Tae, isn't much help. It's another boy, Kang San, who comes to Chang Hee's rescue. San is the grandson of a tough shipbuilder (played by a bad guy recently offed by Gaksital) who wants San to learn shipbuilding from the bottom up.
Hae Joo collects bottles to earn enough money to buy the family food. When she sees there won't be enough for everyone, Saint Hae Joo gives up her portion for the rest. As a reward, Mom makes the girl sleep outside. In a show of solidarity, Dad sleeps outside with her. (I know this is supposed to be a touching moment but I'm just a tad uncomfortable with a dad sleeping with his pre-pubescent daughter.)
At school Hae Joo is going through the trash to retrieve the bottles. In Hwa sees this and invites Hae Joo to come to her house and get their old bottles. (She's up to no good, Saint Hae Joo. Don't fall for it!) Hae Joo recognizes the house from earlier and my God, do they drink a lot of Coke. Gi Cheol is out trimming the bushes and sees Hae Joo/Yoo Jin, meaning the family didn't leave town like he ordered them to.
In Hwa invites Hae Joo inside and shows off an expensive vase her father, bastard Do Hyun, paid 30,000 won for. She accidentally drops it, shattering the antique into pieces. Mom Geum Hee rushes in to see what's going on. In Hwa tries to put the blame on Hae Joo. As Hae Joo bends down to pick up the pieces, Geum Hee sees the burn scar on the back of the girl's neck.
Oh yeah, this has potential to be my new kdrama crack. Gotta see just how much lower that bastard Do Hyun can go.
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