Three Kingdoms Episode 28

Sun Ce receives word that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's armies are in a deadlock. Sun Ce laughs gleefully to himself as a woman walks in. Is it Ruby Lin?!? Aw, hell no. It's his wife, Da Qiao. Where the hell is Ruby Lin? Da Qiao (who at least has lines, a rare event for a female in this show) asks why her husband is so happy. He explains his time has finally come. While Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are mired together at Guandu, this leaves the city of Xuchang virtually defenseless. Sun Ce wants to attack immediately. Da Qiao councils caution.

 

Meanwhile, back at Guandu, more epic battle scenes as Yuan Shao's forces are literally being mowed down by this rolling spikey thing. Damn, I say. The CGI cavalry charge forward and the screen is filled with flying body parts as the two armies slam (and I do mean slam) into each other. This is money well spent, Chinese TV. Yuan Shao is forced to retreat, leaving his big ass Cadillac of a war chariot behind. (It was shot up with arrows anyway.)

 

As he and his men are fleeing back home, Yuan Shao runs into Liu Bei and company. Liu Bei offers to keep Cao Cao's men busy so Yuan Shao can regroup. Yuan Shao asks how many men the other has. Liu Bei replies he has under 5,000 troops. The old man shakes his head. He had 700,000 troops and was still defeated. Zhang Fei asks how in the world could Yuan Shao lose so many men? Even if they all lined up and stuck their necks out for Cao Cao it would take several days for him to go through them all. Loudmouth, you have a point.

 

Yuan Shao gets back home and blames himself for the defeat. (Well, it is his fault.) Guo Tu, another advisor, reminds Yuan Shao how Tian Feng had warned him it would be a disaster to go up against Cao Cao in battle. There are other ways to defeat Cao Cao, such as economically, socially and security. Yuan Shao asks where Tian Feng is and has to be reminded again how he was the one who ordered Tian Feng thrown into jail to await execution. Yuan Shao orders the poor beleaguered Tian Feng to be brought here immediately. He'll make Tian Feng his right hand man.

 

Xu You doesn't like the sound of this (as that's his position at the moment) and quickly tells tales of how Tian Feng laughed when he heard about Yuan Shao's defeat. Just moments after he ordered Tian Feng released, Yuan Shao orders a soldier to go execute Tian Feng. Yuan Shao, you just need a big old slap upside the head.

 

Meanwhile, Tian Feng is reading in his cell when a guard tells him of the defeat of Yuan Shao, just as the former advisor predicted. The guard figures Tian Feng will soon be reinstated to his position, seeing as he was right all along. Tian Feng shakes his head. He knows what a capricious putz Yuan Shao is. Tian Feng makes another prediction: he won't have long to live. Sure enough, here comes another guard to relay the order from Yuan Shao for Tian Feng to slit his own throat. The guards here seem to like their prisoner and are genuinely sadden by this order. Tian Feng writes one last letter to his lord, then he asks the guards for one favor. He doesn't want to die in his jail cell but outside underneath the stars.

 

Cao Cao's men celebrate into the night but their fearless leader finds himself in a bit of a jam. He knows they need to keep moving forward to hold the initiative, yet he only has enough food for ten more days. He worries about Yuan Shao finding out the truth. He has a messenger head out for Xuzhou requesting supplies be sent immediately.

 

Outside of Cao Cao's camp, Xu You and his men are doing reconnaissance. Security around the camp is tight, making Xu You wonder why a victorious army would be so worried about attack. Just then they see the messenger ride out and they intercept him, finding the dispatch on his body.

 

Guo Tu is taking a moment with Yuan Shao to lay the groundwork for screwing Xu You over when who should walk into the room but the man himself. Xu You presents the intercepted message and urges Yuan Shao to gather his forces now (he's got about 400,000 or so left) and attack. This is a golden opportunity they shouldn't lose. Yet Guo Tu convinces the easily convinced Yuan Shao that this is all a clever trick on Cao Cao's part. The prime minister wants them to attack his camp so he can finish annihilating them, therefore he makes himself appear to be vulnerable. Yuan Shao decides not to attack to Xu You's frustration.

 

To make things even more stickier, this is when Yuan Shao receives Tian Feng's last letter. In it, the dead man warns his lord to not trust Xu You. Poor Xu You is being screwed by the dead as well as the living. Yuan Shao chooses to allow Xu You to live - for now - but lets the advisor know he's treading on thin ice. Xu You leaves the room, thinking to himself how unappreciated his advice is and what a fool Yuan Shao is.

 

Cao Cao is having his toenails clipped or something when a guard comes in to report the prime minister has a visitor. Someone calling himself Xu You.

I Need Romance 2012 Episode 8

Ji Hoon fixes Yeol Mae a light breakfast but all she can think about is Seon Hyun. She's at least honest enough to warn Ji Hoon that although she and Seon Hyun have broken up it doesn't necessarily mean it's over between them. She asks Ji Hoon why he likes her, what are his reasons? He replies that sometimes you like someone for no good reason at all. During all this Seon Hyun keeps texting Yeol Mae to come home so they can clean the house.

 

Jae Kyung and Jeong Min are struggling to get her shoe business back on track. While he goes to try and sweet talk the vendors into giving them some more time, Jae Kyung gets some men to move her stuff out of the house she shared with Jang Woo. When she discovers he changed the combination to their safe, she decides to take the whole thing. (I'm not sure if this safe will be important to the story later on but I mention it anyway in case it does.)

 

Seon Hyun and Yeol Mae clean the house, with him mainly fussing at her. Kang Na Hyun, who apparently has no life of her own, is cleaning in another room when she happens upon the digital recorder that has Seon Hyun and Yeol Mae when they were discussing their bed buddies agreement.

 

As Ji Hee is leaving work, Asswipe shows up and demands she go with him to talk. Kim Tae Woo can't help being nosey and so he follows them to the cafe to eavesdrop. Asswipe can't believe Ji Hee would two-time on him. Ji Hee lies and says she's been enjoying the hell out of the sex she's been having with her other man (Seon Hyun). At long last Ji Hee shows some backbone and tells Asswipe they are definitely broken up. As a parting gift she gives him several sex manuals (like the Kama Sutra) and advises him to study hard.

 

Tae Woo follows Ji Hee out of the cafe. She whips around, knowing he's been hovering all along. She asks if he's wanting to date her or something. Tae Woo scoffs at this. Ji Hee grabs him by the tie, pulls him in close, and tells him she is soooooo hot right now. Too bad he'll never what she's like. Ha.

 

Jae Kyung and Jeong Min call the gang over and make a business presentation. They want the gang to invest in Shoezzle, their shoe line. Yeol Mae really doesn't want to invest but the others sort of bully her into it.

 

Na Hyun does another one of her sleepwalking bits, only this time it is Yeol Mae's bed she gets into. Yeol Mae ends up getting up and going to her study to work on her music. She checks her cell phone and sees that she missed a call from Ji Hoon. She texts him back to see if he's awake. It just so happens he is, looking at pictures of her taken back when they went to go entertain the orphans. He calls her back, asking why she's up at 2 a.m.

 

Yeol Mae mentions she has a craving for red bean sherbet. (Not a flavor I can say I'm anxious to try.) Ji Hoon offers to make her some in his coffee shop and bring it to her. She waits for him in a nearby park because that's an excellent place to go at 2 a.m. He brings her a bowl of sherbet and only one spoon. It takes Yeol Mae forever to figure out there's only one spoon because he wants to share it with her. While they eat a couple of people bike past them, because 2 a.m. is the best time to go for a bike ride. Koreans be crazy.

 

This gives Ji Hoon an idea and the next day he has a bike sent over to Yeol Mae. It's an odd looking bike with a small back wheel. Yeol Mae already has a bike (which is much prettier than the blah bike Ji Hoon sent) which she cheerily gives to Na Hyun. As Yeol Mae is getting on her new bike Seon Hyun comes back home. He invites her to join him for ice cream but she turns him down saying she has somewhere to go.

 

She rides the bike to Ji Hoon's coffee shop. He's just come back from buying a bunch of flowers to put out on the tables. Yeol Mae tells him she's going to give him a chance to make her fall in love with him. Ji Hoon shouts in triumph and gifts her with the big box of flowers.



May Queen Episode 3

I got a stupid computer virus and just now got my machine out of the shop. I have no one to blame but myself. Myself and those $*#%& sons of #*$& who sicced the virus curse on me. If I could I would sic Shunji and his nail cage on you, you #&$^%&$*$&#!!!

 

I have so many dramas to get caught back up on, starting with this one.

 

Hae Joo calls Il Mun out for talking disrespectful to an adult. Il Mun throws a glass of water in her face and calls her a beggar. She shoots back that how he's acting is more beggar-like than anything she's done. She thanks him for throwing the water on her as it is so hot today. I officially love her. Il Mun kicks back a chair and starts to come after her. Kang San turns the entire table over, daring Il Mun to come after him instead. Chang Hee, silent throughout though visibly suffering, just walks off. Kang San runs after him and berates Chang Hee for not standing up for his own father. Chang hee just whines "You don't understand" and runs off.

 

Hae Joo returns home with the leftovers from the feast and is surprised to see her dad home so early. He asks where she's been and that he was called home because baby sister Young Joo is missing. Pregnant Bitch Mom walks up and starts trying to pull Hae Joo's hair out, blaming the young girl for not being home to watch the child. (Brother Sang Tae was home but we all know he's an idiot. I wouldn't trust him to watch a rock.) Oh thank goodness, as they're all fighting the little girl shows up. She had fallen asleep somewhere else they hadn't looked.

 

With tears in her eyes, Hae Joo runs off to a scenic spot that overlooks the shipyard. She has a bit of a cry (long overdue, IMO) but then peps herself back up. That's when she notices she's not alone. Chang Hee is also here to let a bit of steam off. He thanks her for standing up for his father when he couldn't do it himself. She talks about how she likes to come here to look at the ships whenever she's feeling down. Chang Hee reveals that he plans to one day own this entire shipyard. At least the kid has ambition.

 

As Hong Chul is out looking for his daughter he's accosted by Gi Cheol. Gi Cheol demands to know why his old army buddy is still in town. He begins to rant, figuring out Hong Chul has discovered the truth. Who told him? How much does he want? Hong Chul just pushes the crazy man away and walks off, yet he flashes back to other hints and clues from the last two episodes and Hong Chul begins to put the puzzle pieces together.

 

He returns to his work at the dockyard just as a yacht (a very tiny, very cheap yacht) is coming in for repairs. One of Hong Chul's co-workers explains the boat belongs to the president of Chun Ji Petroleum and Chemical. Bastard Jang Do Hyun gets off the boat and Hong Chul recognizes him as the boss man that Gi Cheol keeps asking to keep Hae Joo away from. More puzzle pieces come together. Hong Chul asks his boss about bastard Jang and if he ever lost a baby girl. The boss recalls the story of how Jang's current wife, Geum Hee, lost a baby girl when Park Gi Cheol accidentally dropped the child in the ocean. The body was never found.

 

A light bulb goes on in Hong Chul's head. He may not be smart enough to use a comb on his hair, but he's smart enough to figure out who Hae Joo really is. Speaking of which, as he's walking back home he encounters his "daughter." Hae Joo is afraid to go home by herself and deal with Pregnant Bitch Mom. Sure enough, even with dad there, Pregnant Bitch Mom doesn't want Hae Joo back and wants to throw her out on the street. Hong Chul starts to argue with the wicked witch when Hae Joo stops him.

 

The young girl goes to start dinner because Heaven forbid Pregnant Bitch Mom do anything. Hong Chul joins Hae Joo and tentatively asks her what if her mom wasn't really like that? Oddly enough Hae Joo says she likes her mom and makes excuses for the bitch's behavior, saying she's stressed out by the pregnancy and the loan shark hoodlums. (Sadly, much abused people often make excuses for their abusers.)

 

Chang Hee is in his room trying to study but all he can think about is bastard-in-training Il Mun humiliating Gi Cheol. Dad comes in to try and get his son to eat something. Chang Hee begs for them to move out of this house and get away from this unbearable situation. Gi Cheol asks for his son to just keep enduring and to beat Il Mun with his smarts, not his fists.

 

Chun Hong Chul comes back to the big house, ducking into the trees when a car pulls up to the gate. It's Geum Hee and In Hwa back from a shopping trip. Hong Chul thinks how that should be Hae Joo getting to wear pretty clothes and laugh with her birth mother. The women go inside and Gi Cheol comes outside. Hong Chul calls his old army buddy over and demands to know why Gi Cheol hid the baby away and lied to the mother. The two old men fight and there's nothing more pathetic than two old men fighting. Gi Cheol finally spits out that if Hong Chul knew the truth they would both be dead men. Hong Chul leaves for now.

 

He runs into Hae Joo who is filthy because she's been catching mudfish. They have another not-father/not-daughter sweet moment as they prepare the fish, and of course the moment is ruined by Pregnant Bitch Mom. That evening idiot brother Sang Tae wolfs down his portion and asks for another serving. There is no more and Saint Hae Joo offers him her bowl, which he has no problem accepting. Finally dad hits the idiot on the head for taking his sister's dinner. Pregnant Bitch Mom defends her idiot son, calling Hae Joo an idiot for not catching more fish and selling them so they could buy meat. Oh, the gratitude.

 

Once again Hae Joo is made to sleep outside. When everyone is asleep, though, Hong Chul carries her back inside and tucks her in with the rest of the family. He sits outside to think and is interrupted by Pregnant Bitch Mom who wants Hae Joo kicked back out. Dad asks his wife why she treats Hae Joo so bad. After all these years, can't she see Hae Joo as her own daughter. Pregnant Bitch Mom declares she will never think of Hae Joo as her daughter since she believes Hae Joo is Hong Chul's child with another woman. (Pregnant Bitch Mom seems to have forgiven Hong Chul enough to have a couple more kids with him, but that's beside the point.)

 

The next day after school Kang San again tries to get Hae Joo alone so he can tell her something and once again In Hwa shows up at the wrong time. Hae Joo goes off to collect herbs and more mudfish when she's surprised by Kang San. He offers to buy her lot but she shoos him away. Kang San goes to the market and buys a basket of herbs. Then there's this cute moment when Hae Joo finds a field just brimming with herbs, never realizing they were just planted there by Kang San. She's also ecstatic in finding a muddy water hole full of mudfish (that Kang San just put there.) He's not very good at camouflage and Hae Joo discovers him hiding in the bushes. She puts him to work catching the mudfish.

 

They take the batch to the market but Hae Joo isn't able to convince anyone to buy from her. Kang San takes over, draws a crowd with his salesmanship and manages to get every last fish sold. Now it's time for his payment. He wants Hae Joo to teach him how to arc weld.

 

Park Gi Cheol is out trying to get the various village elders to sell their part of the pear orchard when he's stopped by Yoon Jeong Woo. Jeong Woo, who knows Gi Cheol from when the cringer worked with dead Yoon Hak Soo, asks why Gi Cheol is working for that bastard Do Hyun. Is he doing it to stay near Geum Hee because he feels guilty for killing Yoo Jin (Hae Joo)? Jeong Woo begs Gi Cheol to get away from bastard Do Hyun and his dirty deeds. In return Gi Cheol begs Jeong Woo not to try and fight Do Hyun as he's not the same man as he was years before.

 

Do Hyun is practicing his golf game when Gi Cheol returns to the big house. Do Hyun is not pleased that the pear orchard business isn't done yet and he uses his golf club to beat Gi Cheol. Chang Hee witness this abuse and starts to come to his father's aid but he stops himself knowing dad wouldn't want him to get involved. Crying in pain, Gi Cheol reveals that Yoon Jeong Woo has been causing trouble which is why they haven't gotten the pear orchard yet. Do Hyun fumes that old man Kang Dae Pyung is behind all this.

 

Jeong Woo is talking with Dae Pyung and offers to work with the old man if Dae Pyung will buy the pear orchard for twice what Do Hyun is asking for. At the most it will thwart Do Hyun's plans to build a rival shipyard. Dae Pyung balks at first but then agrees.

 

Do Hyun, Gi Cheol and a nameless minion are out on his teeny tiny yacht checking out Dae Pyung's shipyard when Gi Cheol notices the boat is taking on water. They return to Hong Chul's repair dock. Gi Cheol looks around nervously but this time Hong Chul is busy elsewhere. The two men (minus the nameless minion who got slapped around a bit) leave.

 

Hong Chul is called over to look at the teeny tiny yacht's engine just as Hae Joo and Kang San show up for his welding lessons. As she's getting into a welding suit, Kang San notices the burn scar on the back of her neck. He asks about it and Hae Joo explains she has no idea how she got the scar. 

 

Hong Chul notes that the engine is of Japanese make and they have no compatible parts. They all go off to find a business that has what they need. (Remember: the boat is not fixed.)

 

After the lesson Hae Joo and Kang San walk over to admire the teeny tiny yacht. There's that damn In Hwa again. I swear she must have a microchip planted on San somewhere. Also showing up is ulcer-in-the-making Chang Hee who has been sent by Geum Hee to fetch In Hwa back home. In Hwa refuses to leave and instead, to score points with Kang San, invites them all on board to check out her dad's teeny tiny yacht. Naturally the key has been left in and In Hwa starts the boat up. (The mooring line also conveniently comes undone.) Hae Joo quickly grabs the controls as she seems to be the only one who has an inkling of how to drive a boat. In Hwa urges Hae Joo to take them out of the bay and into open water, which is where they are when the engine stops working and the boat begins to take in water.

Office Girls Episode 11

I have had so much trouble lately with my internet it's no longer funny.

 

I bet if all the flashbacks were cut out, this episode would be only twenty minutes long.

Zi Qi returns to Xing Ren's apartment. Even though she's still mad at him she can't fight the impulse to treat his wounds he got from the fight with Yu Cheng Feng. As she's applying ointment to his neck, Zi Qi leans in an just barely brushes his lips against her cheek. I don't know if that's even technically a kiss or not. Xing Ren totally overreacts to his chaste kiss by slapping him hard and running him out of her place. Zi Qi goes downstairs to his apartment and... sings to a pillow. Eh well, nobody ever said love made sense.

The next day at work things are awkward and not just between Zi Qi and Xing Ren. Shi Te Long is sitting at his desk, stroking his Godzilla (his action figure, you pervert) and remembering the accidental kiss he shared with Le Le. He pulls Zi Qi aside for some male advice. Zi Qi figures out his boss has the hots for Le Le. Te Long figures out Zi Qi has the hots for Xing Ren. This creates a tentative bond between the guys. At the end of the day (prompted by Zi Qi) Te Long tries to offer Le Le a ride but she blows him off. She's going out tonight with Michael.

Zi Qi decides to step up with some flirting of his own. Unfortunately Shi Te Long tries to help by sending them off on some business out of the office. Te Long gets on an elevator and is joined at the last second by Le Le. You can guess what's coming. The elevator loses power. Le Le whines she's afraid of the dark. Te Long attempts to alleviate her fears and ends up ruining the moment by farting. Thank goodness the repairmen get the elevator back online before Le Le dies from the poisoned gas.

As Zi Qi and Xing Ren putt along on her little scooter, she stops when they happen to pass the apartment building where she had been trying to buy her own home. He once again promises to help her get dream home. Back at his apartment Zi Qi has that shoddy doll house out again as he thinks about Xing Ren. He pulls a band aid off his forehead (she had put it on him the night before) and sticks it on the back of his cell phone. (I know this is supposed to be a romantic gesture, but all I can think about is, "Eww, used band aid on the cell phone. Eww!")

Zi Qi finally gifts Xing Ren with the doll house he's been working on. She doesn't know what to say. He tries several times to make some kind of declaration. In the end he just does that lame "You know what I'm trying to say" thing. She thinks back to Kai Er asking her to back off of Zi Qi. Xing Ren tries to act like no, she doesn't know what he's trying to say.

Before he can go any further, Xing Ren's mother drops in for a surprise visit. She cooks dinner, which Zi Qi is more than happy to join. Besides, he knows Mrs. Shen is on his side. The old lady just praises him up one side and down the other. After dinner, Mrs. Shen asks to see Zi Qi's apartment. That boy still hasn't unpacked and he has cardboard boxes all over the place. Mrs. Shen scolds Xing Ren for not tidying up for him. After all, she'll have to do it once they're married, so she might as well get into the habit.

There's someone at his door. It's Kai Er. She's come to bring him toilet paper and a microwave. (That's a damn small microwave, Kai Er.) Mrs. Shen kind of wonders what's going on here but no one is talking. She and Xing Ren then say goodnight and go back upstairs. Xing Ren ducks into the shower to avoid answering any of Mom's questions. However here comes Le Le and she's more than happy to explain to Mrs. Shen that Kai Er is Zi Qi's boyfriend.

Downstairs, Kai Er is pouring wine and wondering why Zi Qi isn't happy to see her. He finally tells her that she's pretty and all, but he likes Xing Ren, so they should just be friends.

After Kai Er leaves, Zi Qi goes back upstairs only to find all the doors closed (for once) and the lights off. He texts Xing Ren to come outside because he has something to tell her. She ignores his message. Time passes but she can't get to sleep. She gets up to check outside and sure enough Zi Qi is still out there waiting for her.

May Queen Episode 2

This show seems to have gotten to me more than I thought. I actually dreamed myself into it last night. Chun Hong Chul was my father and he was being victimized by an evil gang. I was too young and weak to be able to do anything for him. Then I realized the gang had stolen my laptop, seriously hindering my ability to watch my dramas. Oh, it was on now! I swore eternal vengeance. About this time my snoring woke me up, so I don't know if I ever got my revenge or my laptop.

Now, on to the show.

Hae Joo bends down to pick up the broken pieces of the vase and Geum Hee sees the burn scar, but all she recognizes is that this is the same girl that hit In Hwa the other day. In Hwa starts whining and crying about an itsy bitsy little cut on her leg and Geum Hee acts like a shark has bitten the girl's arm off or something. Calm down, lady.

Geum Hee takes time to scold Hae Joo. The girl still protests her innocence but Geum Hee can't believe her precious In Hwa would lie to her. Only now does Geum Hee see that Hae Joo is also cut and bleeding a great deal more than In Hwa, but you don't hear her going on. Perhaps because attention is no longer on her, In Hwa starts crying again and, to my surprise, she confesses to breaking the vase. I really wasn't expecting a confession from the twit.

Outside, Gi Cheol is wringing his hands in worry when bastard Do Hyun comes home, reminding Gi Cheol he's supposed to be out doing something to get the pear orchard from the illegal village. Do Hyun goes inside to find Geum Hee bandaging Hae Joo's leg. This ordeal seems to have mellowed In Hwa a bit and she invites Hae Joo to stay for dinner. Has she changed her bitchy ways?

The dinner table it just covered with food dishes. Geum Hee protects the girls by taking the blame and saying she's the one who accidentally broke the vase. Hae Joo kind of makes a pig of herself at the dinner table but I understand. She probably has never had a decent meal in her life before. As she prepares to go home, In Hwa is nice enough to lend her a hand trolley to carry all the empty bottles home. Yet just when I thought In Hwa was becoming a better person she turns back to the Dark Side. Is she bipolar or something?

Dad Chun Hong Chul has found work repairing boats so he doesn't want Hae Joo collecting bottles anymore. There's another sweet father/daughter moment where he scolds her for getting hurt (you know how fathers are) and carries her on his back to the house. Only Pregnant Mom has to be a bitch and ruin the whole thing.

Gi Cheol followed Hae Joo and found out where the family is living. He pulls Hong Chul aside and begs him to leave town. Hong Chul points out his wife is almost due and they have nowhere else to go. Gi Cheol worries about how Hae Joo keeps coming up to the big house. He insists she never come back again, saying the boss man doesn't like kids coming and going. Hong Chul says he'll do something about it. Yet when Hong Chul asks Hae Joo if she's met the boss man, bastard Do Hyun, she reports he's very nice to her and she was invited to have dinner with the family. Hong Chul wonders to himself why Gi Cheol lied to him.

Speaking of bastard Do Hyun, he has a meeting with Kang San's grandfather, Kang Dae Pyung. Last episode I thought the old man was just a lowly welder. Turns out he's really the owner of the ship yard, he just likes to get his hands dirty at honest work. He warns Do Hyun to keep to his petroleum business and keep out of the ship building business. Do Hyun doesn't see why he should.

Dae Pyung is returning to his office when he's approached by a young man he knows. He's lawyer Yoon Jeong Woo, younger brother of the late Yoon Hak Soo. He's Hae Joo's uncle (unknown to her) and he's also the man who helped her family relocate to the illegal village. Dae Pyung wants the young man to come work for him but Jeong Woo turns him down. He then tells how Do Hyun is trying to get his late brother's pear orchard, but again, Jeong Woo doesn't want to get involved.

Chang Hee receives a math trophy from the school. He's riding his bike along the sea shore when he's surprised by Hae Joo. He tries to avoid her which causes him to wreck. Some of the spokes on the wheel are broken and the trophy is in two pieces. Hae Joo offers to fix them both and takes Chang Hee to where her father works at the boat repair place. He's not there but young Kang San is. He's trying to weld and even to my inexperienced eye he's not doing a very good job. Hae Joo takes the tools away from him and welds the bike spokes herself. Is there nothing this girl can't do? Well, yes there is. She starts to weld the trophy back together when San stops her. The trophy is made of brass, she can't use that kind of welder on it. San sees what the trophy is for and congratulates Chang Hee, who doesn't seem very pleased to have San's regards.

The trio walk through the shipyard, Hae Joo oohing and ahhing all the way. San takes her to the proper welder she needs to use, giving her a quick lesson on how to use it. The boys look on in amazement as she repairs the trophy as good as new. (She's also building a future love triangle but that's for later episodes.)

Bastard Do Hyun is back to harping on Gi Cheol to get the pear orchard. They need to move quickly because Kang Dae Pyung also has his eye on the land. Do Hyun orders Gi Cheol to do some "night work." This translates into Gi Cheol and some minions sneaking around the pear orchard at night, poisoning the trees.

After school Kang San runs into Hae Joo. He starts to tell her something when In Hwa butts in and is all over the boy, dragging him off to be alone with her. It's report card time and Jang Il Mun has come in second in everything to Chang Hee. Again. Dad is not pleased. Il Mun takes out his frustrations by ordering Gi Cheol around, reminding Chang Hee of who is the boss and who is the servant in this household. Chang Hee finally snaps and starts throwing punches (even though the kid actor is as skinny as a toothpick.) Gi Cheol pulls his son away and, worried what bastard Do Hyun will do if he finds out about this, the father gets on his knees and begs for forgiveness from Il Mun. Oh, the shame.

A group of thugs arrive at Hae Joo's house. (Don't take my laptop!) It's the loan shark Hong Chul was running from in the first episode. They beat the everliving crap out of dad and start to carry Hae Joo off to sell her for the debt. Her feistiness wards them off for now but they threaten to come back. To forget about their worries, Dad takes Hae Joo out for a trial run on a boat he just repaired. They have yet another sweet father/daughter bonding scene. (The Clouds of Doom loom closer and closer. Death is in the air.)

Kang San comes back to the boat repair place looking for Hae Joo. Once again they're interrupted when In Hwa utilizes her inborn Korean Stalking Skills and shows up to drag him back to her house. He insists Hae Joo come along as well or he's not going. They're having a big feast out in the front yard.

Gi Cheol is not happy to see her back at the big house. Il Mun starts being an ass again towards the cringing man and Hae Joo calls him out for being so rude to an adult. Il Mun throws a drink in her face and calls her a beggar, but that's not important. It's what's happening back at Hae Joo's house that is, at least to me. Baby sister Young Joo is missing! Oh God, I hope those thugs didn't take the little girl.

May Queen Episode 1

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. 

Three Kingdoms Episode 27

In front of his troops, Yuan Shao holds a ceremony to pledge himself and his army against the evil Cao Cao. From his prison cell, Tian Feng (remember that poor guy?) hears all the commotion and asks his guard about it. When he hears Yuan Shao is planning to march, Tian Feng begs for pen and ink so he can send a message to his lord to not go to battle just yet. Yuan Shao isn't pleased with Tian Feng's nagging and he flings the missive to the ground. One of the Yuan boys recommends Tian Feng be beheaded but Xu You is able to nip that particular plan in the bud. Yuan Shao climbs into his big ass Cadillac of a war chariot and they're all off to Xuchang, where Cao Cao and the emperor reside.

Cao Cao receives the news that Yuan Shao's army is 700,000 men strong, but he's not worried. It's not the quantity, it's the quality. Three Yuan Shao's can't equal one Cao Cao (those are his words.) The prime minister plans to take Yuan Shao down in one battle with only 70,000 men who are the cream of the crop, the best of the best. It's all or nothing. As Cao Cao climbs into his own big ass Cadillac of a war chariot, suck up Xun Yu reminds him the army had only 15 days worth of grain so they better be quick about it.

The two armies line up against each other and make a lot of noise. Cao Cao sets out a nice little picnic out in the middle of the battlefield and invites Yuan Shao over for some tea. Xu You doesn't trust Cao Cao and advises his lord not to go over, but Yuan Shao sees no harm in hearing what Cao Cao has to say.

After stalling for time and reminiscing about their long lost youth, Cao Cao gets down to business. He's supposedly suing for peace, offering to hand over several provinces to Yuan Shao. And look there, cowering in his wagon - it's the useless emperor. Cao Cao offers to hand him over to Yuan Shao as well. The two men dicker over possession of the city of Xuchang.

Xu You is getting worried. Alas, no one will listen to him. Not until it's too late. For Cao Cao has been stalling not only to allow his cavalry time to ride up behind Yuan Shao's forces, but also to let the sun move into just the right position. Yuan Shao's army are facing West and now the sun is in their eyes. Cao Cao suddenly drops his car salesman persona and tells Yuan Shao he'll never defeat him. Then Cao Cao does this sassy wiggle of his head. I can't describe it adequately, you'll just have to see it. Cao Cao goes laughing and waddling back to his own line (another thing you'll just have to see) and orders his men to engage in battle.

Epic Battle Scene! Probably one of the best in the series so far.

I Need Romance 2012 Episode 7

Since Yeol Mae can't save her relationship with Seok Hyun, she's decided to devote herself to saving the world. (Ah, the old I Have To Do Something To Keep Me Busy So I Don't Have Time To Think About What A Wreck My Personal Life Is routine.)

Jae Kyung celebrates her divorce by getting an ugly wig. At least I hope that's a wig and not her real hair. A wig you can at least throw in the back of the closet and never let it see the light of day again, which is what I want to happen to her new look. While she's not at all upset about the breakup of her marriage, she is upset about the breakup of her company. Her small staff abandons Jae Kyung, having lost faith in her. Good thing Jeong Min is there to comfort her.

Yeol Mae goes back to her whining, childish, clinging ways and apparently tries to annoy Seok Hyun into taking her back. This leads to yet another breakup fight. I fear this won't be the last. Yeol Mae is really getting on my last nerve. No man in his right mind would want to be with such an incompetent, incomplete adult. Which makes me wonder about Ji Hoon. What in the world does he see in Yeol Mae that he would want to date her?

The girls get together to play pool and discuss different ways to break up a relationship based on different movie scenarios. In the end they decide to go see a fortune teller. (Jae Kyung, thank goodness, changes out of that awful wig and into something slightly better.) They all get a terrible fortune. The girls all have a violent fate and are doomed to drive men away.

After hearing something like that, what is there to do but go to a church and ask God, "Why are you doing this to me?" That and drink alcohol. A sister comes in and the girls recognize her as an old teacher of theirs, the teacher Ji Hee had a vision of back in the hotel room with Asswipe. The sister teacher takes them all to a smaller church and makes them pray for forgiveness for drinking in the cathedral.

As she's riding the bus home Yeol Mae gets a text message from Ji Hoon, warning her it's supposed to rain tonight and he's worried about whether she has an umbrella. She doesn't and is forced to walk in the rain to her house. Yet once she gets there Yeol Mae is too heartbroken to go inside and be so near yet so far from Seok Hyun. She decides to go sleep in her music studio. To get there she passes the coffee shop and Ji Hoon sees her. He offers to take her to his house so she can dry off.

He tells her a story of how she saved his life. Ji Hoon was traveling in Africa and got lost in Ethiopia. His vehicle broke down and there were no people around. He walked for days with no food or water. Ji Hoon was ready to give up and lay down and die when a memory of Yeol Mae came to him. It was from her guitar class where she advised her students if their fingers were hurting to keep playing just a little more in order to build up calluses. So Ji Hoon kept walking and whenever he thought of stopping he would tell himself just a little more. Eventually he reached a homestead and was rescued. Ji Hoon tells Yeol Mae to stop thinking about herself as a woman who was dumped but instead think of herself as a woman who saved a man's life.

The next morning Seok Hyun wonders where Yeol Mae spent the night. I'll tell you where: she spent it in Ji Hoon's bed. Oh, don't get excited. He's asleep on the couch. She gets up to cover him with a blanket and says she's leaving. Suddenly Ji Hoon sits up and kisses her. Shocked, Yeol Mae runs out of his apartment and into the street, just in time for Seok Hyun (who has been looking for her) to witness all this. He orders her to go back inside and put her own clothes on (she's wearing Ji Hoon's sweats and t-shirt). Yeol Mae retorts it is none of his business where she spends the night or with who. Just then Ji Hoon comes out, all affable smiles, does the patented Korean Wrist Grab, and says for her to come back inside and have breakfast. As Ji Hoon is pulling her inside, the camera shows up Seok Hyun is on the verge of action and going after them, but he doesn't.

Yeol Mae tells Ji Hoon that the guy outside is the guy she likes, the one who dumped her. Ji Hoon (voicing all of our opinions) tells her to stop going around in circles with this relationship, end it right now and concentrate all her energies in finding a new man, even if that man isn't Ji Hoon.

To The Beautiful You Episode 2

The doctor, who has a sort of faux mohawk going on, still thinks Jae Hee is a girl despite her protests. She quickly scampers out of the infirmary.

Tae Joon sits alone in a dark gym. Everyone has packed up and left him. (Seriously, they didn't even give him a couple more takes?) Manager Jang attempts to comfort him, suggesting further tests to find out what's wrong with his ankle (when the problem is really in his head.) Tae Joon says not to bother as he wasn't planning to be an athlete all his life. Quitter.

Moe is delighted to see Jae Hee is up and around. He's the one who tells her about Tae Joon's failed commercial shoot. She runs back to the dorm room hoping to find Tae Joon.

He's not there. He's walking along the school grounds when Bad Dad drives up. He's come all this way just to slap Tae Joon. Bad Dad thinks his son did all this on purpose to defy him. Tae Joon advises his dad to go back to ignoring him as he's always done.

Tae Joon comes back to the dorm room and orders Jae Hee to move out. But then he relents and allows her to stay as long as she doesn't get much louder than 40 decibels. He goes to bed and dreams of his mother's funeral. On her grave he leaves his gold medal. Tae Joon moans in his sleep and Jae Hee comes to stalk him- er, I mean she comes to check on him. As she's tucking him in under the covers he grabs her hand, dreaming he's holding his mother's hand. Jae Hee stays by his bedside all night. When he wakes up in the morning he's back to his old grumpy self.

Jae Hee is in her bathroom cleaning up when Moe comes barging in. His roommate won't get out of their bathroom so Moe has come to use hers. She demands he leave but he's about to burst. Instead of leaving herself (which would be the logical thing), she stand with her back to him while we get to hear real to life sound effects of him taking a piss. As soon as he's done, without giving the poor boy a chance to wash his hands, Jae Hee pushes him out. But wait, here comes the RD to use their bathroom, and he's got to do the doo doo. Yes, we get sound effects to this, too. Jae Hee, why are you still in the bathroom?!?

The RD (I really need to find out his character name) meets with his residents to talk about the upcoming competition between the three dormitories of Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. The winning dorm gets to use the central cafeteria, run by a beautiful hostess. The losers have to go to the annex, run by a foul-mouthed old woman. RD expects Tae Joon to handle the high jump but Tae Joon refuses, acting like he doesn't want to waste his energy on something so below him.

As he's walking past the gym, Tae Joon sees his rival (another character who's name I need to find out) practicing the high jump. Looking wistfully upon the scene, Tae Joon is suddenly bothered by some woman. I have no idea who she is but she's asking him all sorts of questions. Is she a reporter? She asks him if the reason he's not jumping is because he physically can't or psychologically can't. Tae Joon quickly ditches her. Who are you, woman? What are you doing on this campus?

Back in the dorm room, Jae Hee is in full stalker mode as she tries on a pair of Tae Joon's sneakers.

Seol Han Na is in a studio practicing her gymnastic floor routine. (It's really cool.) She tells a fellow gymnast about her plans to marry Tae Joon and support him. Oh no, a rival stalker! She arranges to have herself delivered in a giant gift box to his dorm room. When she pops out, though, it's only Jae Hee in the room. Han Na can't believe Jae Hee has never heard of her, the nation's fairy. Are you having You're Beautiful flashbacks? I am. Tae Joon comes home and promptly throws her out.

It's track day at the school. Jae Hee is competing against mean Jong Min. As they're sprinting down the track he trips her which causes both of them to go down. The RD orders Jae Hee to report to Doctor Mohawk, the very man she's been trying to avoid. She sneaks into the infirmary hoping to find something to treat herself with when she hears voices approaching. She hides behind a curtain as Doc and Tae Joon come in. Doc can clearly see her sneakers beneath the curtain but he says nothing. Instead he discusses Tae Joon's case and says the boy may have something called YIPS Syndrome. After Tae Joon leave the room, Doc orders Jae Hee to come out.

Quick cut to Moe playing a killer game of soccer and talking on his cell phone at the same time. Apparently someone special is coming to the school.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. All Jae Hee wants to talk about is Tae Joon. All Doc Mohawk wants to talk about is why she's in this boys school. He threatens to make a call to the administration and have her thrown out. To stop him, Jae Hee begins to partially tell her tale of how her stalking all began. Tae Joon had inspired her to get into track and field sports and she says she feels indebted to him. She came to Genie High School (still shaking my head over that name) specifically to see him jump, and now that she knows he has a problem, she swears she'll do whatever she can to get him back on the field. Doc caves in and allows her to continue her masquerade while he thinks about it.

Jae Hee confesses to Tae Joon she heard about his YIPS and proclaims she'll help him any way she can. He replies if she really wants to help him then she'll move out of their room.

Moe finds the dejected Jae Hee wandering around campus. To cheer her up he challenges her to a game of one-on-one soccer. They laugh, they bond. Moe starts to see Jae Hee with those magical glimmering special effects that usually denote first love. He seems rattled, so I guess he still thinks Jae Hee is a boy.

The next day the annoying woman is back. Ah, I was right. She is a reporter and her name is Yang Seo Yoon. She knows Jae Hee is Tae Joon's roommate and she's hoping to pump the stalker for some inside information. We cut away before we hear what Jae Hee says. What we cut to is just as important. It's Rival Guy (man, I gotta learn his name) who has dropped by the infirmary to drop something off. Since Doc Mohawk isn't in at the moment, this is the perfect time for Rival to snoop through Tae Joon's confidential medical records and take pictures with his cell phone.

The story hits the internet. Manager Jang threatens to sue the reporter. Bad Dad reads the story and decides to go see his son. Are you going to slap him again? Tae Joon thinks it was Jae Hee who leaked the information to the press despite her denials.

It's time for the Dormitory Competition. We get a montage/a sports playing montage. It comes down to the final event and Tae Joon has gone missing. Jae Hee volunteers to run the marathon even though she's mainly a sprinter. The orange team is cheating. I wonder if they're Hufflepuff. Tae Joon finally wanders back and Moe scolds him for making Jae Hee have to run in his place. Jae Hee is tripped (again - for like the 20th time in only two episodes) and must dig deep to get back up and continue running even though this time she's injured. Secretly Tae Joon is impressed with her spunk and determination.

She wins the marathon and falls to the ground, her RD rushing to give her first aid. Jae Hee sees Tae Joon walking off and neither rain nor sleet nor injured foot will stop a stalker from following her prey. She once again declares she wasn't the one who ratted to the press, and that it was his catchphrase (Miracle is another word for hard work) was what kept her going during the race.

That evening there is a celebratory party. Some group called EXO performs and the fangirls over on Viki go wild. Tae Joon, still brooding over his news story, accidentally drinks a glass of champagne. A conversation between mean Jong Min and another student reveals why this is such a big deal. Jong Min reports Tae Joon has some kind of allergy to alcohol. Just one drink makes him want to kiss the first person he meets.

And guess who the first person is tonight...

To The Beautiful You Episode 1

Once again I'm just waiting for Bridal Mask to be subbed. In the meantime I thought I would check this new show out. It's based on a Japanese show which I haven't seen.

Young teenager Kang Tae Joon (played by Min Ho. Not Lee Min Ho, just Min Ho.) is competing in the Olympics. He's about to attempt to win the gold in the high jump. Elsewhere in America, a mentally unstable Goo Jae Hee (played by Choi Seol Ri) is watching the event and she appears to be almost slipping into a coma. (The writers don't say she's mentally unstable, I say she's mentally unstable, as her actions will soon prove.) Tae Joon shoots jumps, he scores! Korea takes home the gold medal! This inspires Jae Hee to gather enough energy to cut her hair short, fly to Korea, and enroll in the same private boy's school Tae Joon is attending. Wonder where she's getting all the money for this.

Outside the gates of the school, Korean girls with no lives gather to scream and squeal as Tae Joon's van draws up. Jae Hee, in pretty boy costume, is trapped in the crush of fangirls. When she/he attempts to enter the school she is stopped by a teacher who demands to know who he/she is. Jae Hee proves she's a student here by showing her school transcript from America, where she appears to have been a pretty good student. Too bad she's mentally unstable. The teacher waves her in, never noticing the three fangirls clinging to the outside of Tae Joon's van. The trio manage to hide out in the bushes and upload pictures of boy toys to their website.

Jae Hee is struggling to pull her suitcase on wheels up some steep steps. The constant banging on the suitcase causes it to open up and leave a trail of her clothes. She doesn't notice until she gets to the top of the stairs. Jae Hee is bent over picking her belongings up when the object of her obsession, Tae Joon, walks up. Startled, she falls back into the open suitcase, which causes it (with her) to snowboard back down the steep steps. She's stopped by a tree and she yells back to him that she's okay. Tae Joon replies he didn't ask. Actually this was kind of funny.

Jae Hee goes to the administration office to report in and we learn back in America, when she was a girl, Jae Hee was a pretty good track and field athlete herself. She changes into the school uniform (looking more like a girl than ever before, IMO) and goes to attend her first class. It's full of rowdy boys laughing and rough necking. One of them throws a banana peel right at Jae Hee's face. A more calmer boy in here is Cha Eun Kyul (played by Lee Hyun Woo) and he has a horrible hair cut. I can't tell you in words how bad it is. It's like he's channeling Moe Howard.

Also in the classroom is Song Jong Min (played by Hwang Kwang Hee). He acts friendly towards Jae Hee and easily tricks her into a sort of hazing. The school has a dog and Jae Hee must prove herself by retrieving a tennis ball from the dog's house. There are all kinds of signs posted warning to beware the dog's bite, but Jae Hee and the pooch are instant friends. She crawls into the doghouse to get the ball when she hears someone approaching and she hides inside. The someone is Tae Joon who has come to greet the school pet.

With the animal, the aloof Tae Joon is able to relax and show a softer, kinder side of himself. He talks to the dog about how he's supposed to shoot a commercial and they want him to jump in it but he's not sure he's ready. (He had hurt his ankle and has been on the injured list.) He asks the dog if he should just give up jumping altogether. Jae Hee crawls out of the dog house (to his surprise) and proclaims Tae Joon can't quit jumping. He tells her it is none of her business what he does and he stalks off.

BTW, the school is named Genie High School. Where do they get these things?!?

The rowdy boys in the classroom are all shocked when an unbitten Jae Hee returns with the chewed up tennis ball. Jae Hee is pleased to learn Tae Joon is in her classroom as well. He even sits at the desk behind her. This just makes her stalking even easier. The teacher comes into the classroom and immediately slips on the banana peel. Okay, that was kinda funny, too. You can't go wrong with the classics.

Sooner or later you gotta go to the bathroom, and Jae Hee has no choice but to enter the men's. Luckily she's able to get a stall. As she's leaving, mean Jong Min trips her. Falling, she grabs the nearest thing she can, which is the pants of a big senior, pulling them down to his ankles. Jae Hee keeps apologizing but the senior (after pulling his pants back up) is spoiling for a fight. She manages to dodge his blows until she's able to arm herself with a toilet plunger. Taking a fencer's stance, Jae Hee does quite well at defending herself against the bigger guy. He gets in one kick and thinks he's all that. Jae Hee avenges herself by sticking the plunger on his face. Alright, that was really funny. The enraged bull is about to cave Jae Hee's face in (after getting the plunger off his own) when he's stopped by another senior. (I didn't catch the rescuing boy's name but I have a feeling he'll show up again.)

Moe - I mean, Eun Kyul escorts Jae Hee to her dorm and fills her in some more about the school, like the rivalries between the dorms and who the top star athletes are. Jae Hee is just interested in which dorm Tae Joon is in, so she can continue honing her stalking skills. Mean Jong Min watches from afar as he applies yet another coat of lip balm. He seems to do this in every scene he's in.

Tae Joon is supposed to be doing a photo shoot with a Seol Han Na, but when he doesn't show up, she storms off the set.

Because this is a private school for the extremely rich, the dorm rooms are as big and as nice as a Manhattan apartment! My dorm room never looked like that!

The company paying for the commercial is pressuring Tae Joon's manager/agent, Jang, to get her client to jump in the ad, otherwise they threaten to pull their endorsement deal.

It's the second day of school and Jae Hee has a new obstacle to overcome. Everyone must go to swim class. In the changing room Jae Hee tries the excuse that she didn't bring a bathing suit. Jong Min offers to lend her one of his. She next tries the old "I'm allergic to chlorine" routine. Eun Kyul has trouble getting his locker door open. When he finally does get it open, out fall the three fangirls from earlier. How did they all fit in there?

Tae Joon goes to see the school doctor. He's told his injury is pretty much healed, but just in case they should do a couple more tests at the hospital. While he's waiting, Tae Joon gets a call from Jang telling him he has to high jump in the commercial shoot.

Back at the dorm room, Jae Hee goes to take a shower. They even have their own bathroom! Look at the size of that shower! I bet you could fit twenty people in there. Not that I'd recommend that. Unless you're a freak or something. But I digress... Anyway, Jae Hee thinks she's locked the bathroom door only it didn't latch.

Tae Joon agonizes over what to do when he gets a call from his rich and overbearing father who orders him to jump for the commercial. He goes back to his dorm room and guess what, it's the same dorm room as Jae Hee. Her stalking just gets easier and easier! (So where was he last night? Why is this the first time he's been to his dorm room?) Jae Hee hears someone outside the humongous bathroom and she quickly covers herself with a large towel before he comes through the door. Tae Joon is not pleased to find he has a roommate, especially not her. After she gets dressed, he tosses Jae Hee and her much abused suitcase out the door.

(I got confused as to who this next character is so I've come back to edit.) We see another student in the gym alone, practicing the high jump over and over. Sometimes he gets it, sometimes he falls short. He has a picture of Tae Joon taped inside his locker door, but unlike our star stalker, I believe it's more a rivalry/jealousy kind of thing. This guy is Hyeon Jae and he's NOT the rescue guy from the fight scene like I first thought he was.

With nowhere else to go, Jae Hee camps out with the dog, Sangchu. She's found by an RD who takes her back to her dorm room and scolds Tae Joon for throwing his roommate out. The next morning Tae Joon finds all sorts of stalker post-it notes around the room.

The test results are back and the injury is completely healed, yet Tae Joon doesn't seem to happy with the news.

Everyone is playing soccer today. Tae Joon still wants Jae Hee to move out of the room. She begs for him to give her a chance. Alright, if she can make a goal, he'll think about it. The game is pretty rough for her, even with Moe Eun Kyul trying to help her out. Just when she's impressing everyone with her speed, mean Jong Min slams into her, knocking Jae Hee out cold. Tae Joon carries her to the infirmary where the doctor assures them she's okay, she just fainted from the shock.

Tae Joon is called away from her bedside because the commercial shoot has been relocated to the school gym. It's now or never. Everyone is there to watch, including Dad and Seol Han Na. He warms up and warms up and warms up, delaying the actual jumping as long as he can. When he finally goes for the jump, he doesn't clear the bar. Everyone is shocked. (Oh come on! Like that's never happened to any professional athlete. You don't always get it right on the first try.)

Jae Hee wakes up in the infirmary. The doctor, who may or may not be gay - jury's still out, reveals he knows she's a girl.

Three Kingdoms Episode 26

*Sigh* It's lonely here in I-Don't-Like-Lee-Min-Ho's-Drama-Faith Land.

Meanwhile, in a show that's actually good, although where the hell is Ruby Lin?!?...

When Guan Yu reveals his identity to the bandit king, Zhou Cang drops to his knees and begs to be accepted as a follower of the general. Longbeard can't make any decisions on his own and goes to ask his sisters-in-law what they think. The sisters speak! (Sort of. Almost. Not.) At first they don't want to Zhou Cang because of his army of bandits. He swears to disband his thieves and burn his hideout down. This is good enough for the women, so Zhou Cang gets to join our little band.

They approach a city Zhou Cang identifies as Gucheng. He had once wanted to occupy this city but a bigger, fiercer bandit rode in and took over instead. Ah, so this is where Zhang Fei has been terrorizing the locals. When Loudmouth hears his brother is at the gates, he dashes out with a spear. (Zhou Cang has the best line of the show: "Get your ass out here now!")

Guan Yu demands to know why Zhang Fei is trying to kill him. Loudmouth confronts his brother with the fact Longbeard had submitted to Cao Cao. Guan Yu can't deny any of this but proclaims he did it just to protect their sisters-in-law. Just then an army rides up to the gate. Guan Yu asks to prove his loyalty to his brothers by killing the enemy general. The fight takes only a minute. The general (and his horse!) are dead and the army runs off. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei make up.

Yuan Shao sends Liu Bei to go fetch his brothers. Xu You worries once Liu Bei leaves the city he'll never come back.  He stops Liu Bei as the other is leaving and asks directly what his plans are. Liu Bei admits he's come to realize Yuan Shao is never going to accomplish much of anything, so yes, he's going to leave and raise an army of his own to battle with Cao Cao. Xu You respects his decision and advises Liu Bei to join up with Liu Biao.

As Guan Yu and Zhang Fei ride to reunite with their brother, they run into that other brother, Zhao Yun. He's been holed up with old man Guan Ding and raising an army. The old man welcomes them to his abode and asks Guan Yu to take his son, Guan Ping, and make a man out of him. Zhao "I've Got Some Lines In This Episode!" Yun goes one further and recommends Guan Yu, who has no sons of his own, adopt Guan Ping as his heir. Remember, Guan Yu doesn't like to make decisions on his own. He wants to wait and ask Liu Bei what he thinks, but the other two brothers convince Longbeard to just go ahead and adopt the fellow.

The brothers are all reunited and they cry like babies. Off screen I guess Liu Bei is also reunited with his wives. He probably cried like a baby then. I'd cry too if I had two unattractive wives.

There is a very brief scene that has nothing to do with anything. Sun Ce had requested a promotion from the Han emperor and was turned down. Sun Ce ain't happy. And that's it. That's all that is shown of him. Why was this even in here?

Yuan Shao just now realizes Liu Bei is not coming back. He wants to send his cavalry out and capture Liu Bei, but Xu You is able to talk his master into concentrating all his efforts at Cao Cao. Yuan Shao mobilizes his army.

I Need Romance 2012 Episode 6

Like all lifelong friends do, the girls make up over being so harsh with Jae Kyung the other day. She's still in the hospital when they learn the news has broken all over the media. Jae Kyung sneaks out of the hospital but finds her husband has changed the pass code and she's now locked out of the house. (Jang Woo deserves a new nickname, but Asswipe is already taken.)

Speaking of Asswipe, he comes to Ji Hee's work to confront her about the front page scandal involving her close friend. He worries his mother will see this. He insists Ji Hee do another interview and publicly dissociate herself from Jae Kyung. Kim Tae Woo (Earbuds Guy) once again witnesses the couple's argument. Later, he echoes my very thoughts as he asks Ji Hee why is she still dating this guy? The longer she stays with him, the longer her misery will last. While Ji Hee won't stand her ground and talk back to Asswipe, she has no problem telling Tae Woo this is none of his business and she'll date whoever she wants to date.

Jae Kyung is hiding out at Yeol Mae's but the press soon learns of her whereabouts and they circle the duplex like vultures. On TV our gang sees that Jang Woo has taken the lead as he talks to the reporters and portrays himself as the noble victim. With tears in his eyes he chokes out that he'll let Jae Kyung go to be with the man she loves. He only wants her happiness even if it means losing her to someone else.

Our gang pull the old bait and switch. Yeol Mae comes out the front door escorting Ji Hee who is made up to look like Jae Kyung. The real Jae Kyung is able to sneak out of the back. Once they elude the press, our gang all get back together. Since they can't go back to Yeol Mae's house, they all decide to just go ahead with their planned cruise. (I can't help but notice Seok Hyun doesn't seem to have any male friends. At least the show never has any scenes of Seok Hyun hanging out with guys. Just an observation.) Ji Hee gets a phone call from Asswipe. She doesn't want to talk to him so Seok Hyun offers to do the talking. He answers the call, identifying himself as Ji Hee's lover, and asking Asswipe how come he has boring sex with her. Seok Hyun and Ji Hee have fantastic sex, so the problem must be Asswipe. Seok Hyun advises Asswipe to stop watching porn and start reading poems.

On the Love Boat (which has hardly any passengers other than a few random white people) Jae Kyung is afraid to go out in public. She just wants to stay in the room. It's up to Seok Hyun to restore her confidence and remind her these strangers are unimportant. They're her friends and they know she isn't trash.

Yeol Mae gets to agonizing again over how Seok Hyun really feels about her. (I'm agonizing again over her agonizing. It's getting old.) She goes to confront him and demand he tell her once and for all what she is to him. He tells her once and for all he does not want a romantic relationship with her.

When the Love Boat (which didn't have much love, exciting and new) returns to dock, the press are again waiting to ambush Jae Kyung. But now her confidence is back and she's wearing dangerous shoes. She goes right up to the cameras and admits yes, she is having an affair and yes, she is in love with the other guy. Said other guy, Jeong Min, is standing in the back of the pack and hears her confession.

Yeol Mae goes to the coffee shop and orders something extra sweet. Ji Hoon asks what's up with her. She admits she was just totally dumped by a guy she likes. Ji Hoon says this is a good thing she's free now, because he would like to date her.

Rich Man Poor Woman Episode 1

Hyuga Toru (played by Oguri Shun) is the Japanese version of a Mark Zuckerberg/Steve Jobs type of mover and shaker. He and his partner, Asahina Kosuke, created their little enterprise, Next Innovation, in a dorm room. Now, at the tender age of 29, Hyuga is a billionaire. Want to use your smart phone to spend 900 million to buy a business in India? There's an app for that. He suffers from Prosopagnosia, which is basically an inability to recognize faces. He's looking for his mother, Sawaki Chihiro, who apparently walked away one day and never came back.

A struggling young college graduate (played by Ishihara Satomi) is wearing out her shoes looking for full time employment. Did a bee sting her on the lip? She has a really huge upper lip. She goes to apply for work at Next Innovation. Hyuga wants to throw her out because he doesn't believe she's the right type for his cutting edge business. She reveals she has eidetic memory. She also reveals her name is Sawaki Chihiro. Well obviously she's not Hyuga's long lost mother. Still, the coincidence jars him.

Hyuga decides to hire Chihiro for only 48 hours. He wants to use her extraordinary memory to help sell a project to the Ministry of Information. Things go very well at the meeting and Chihiro is making a good impression on everyone until the very end when her mouth (with the huge upper lip) kind of gets away from her and she may have jeopardized everything they had accomplished. Hyuga throws a hissy fit on her, and not in private. He leaves her in tears and goes for a drive to cool off.

Partner Asahina attempts to comfort her and offers to take her out to eat. She admits she's very hungry. Asahina says she can order whatever she wants, but first she must tell him something. What is her real name? He knows her name isn't Sawaki Chihiro.

This drama is all the rage right now. For myself, I kept looking to see how much longer I had to go to get to the end of this episode. That's never a good sign. Also, the character of Hyuga Toru is a bit of an ass, IMO. Maybe if Chihiro (or whoever she is) had had a bit more backbone in her and stood up to him, I might have almost cared. The pacing is really slow, the story is not interesting, and the characters don't grab me.  

Office Girls Episode 10

To be honest not much happens in this episode. Yu Cheng Feng calls a press conference to set the record straight about the video of him and Shen Xing Ren. The much talked about Wei Mi Na makes a surprise appearance and practically takes over. She does, however, stand by her man and tells the press she totally believes he's not cheating on her.

Later, though, even with Cheng Feng still pressing the fact he and Xing Ren are just friends, Mi Na believes the other woman is the one responsible for him abandoning his name brand. Why else would he leave everything behind if not for a woman?

Zi Qi has finished the shoddy doll house and has even slapped together some Xing Ren and Zi Qi paper dolls. He's playing with them when Le Le and Xing Ren come down to his apartment. Their power is off and they think they have a short circuit. Zi Qi claims he can fix it and he's messing around with live wires when he's electrocuted and knocked unconscious.

The girls don't do anything sensible like call 911 or anything, they just get him to the couch. Xing Ren is watching over him, commenting how handsome he looks when he's asleep. Unexpectedly, Cheng Feng drops by. He tells her he's broken up with Mi Na because he has feeling for her. Xing Ren is stunned and Cheng Feng is moving in a for a kiss when a suddenly awake Zi Qi pushes his rival away. Zi Qi declares if anyone's going to kiss Xing Ren it's going to be him. He moves in close to her and...

And you guessed it, it's a dream. Zi Qi wakes up with both Xing Ren and Le Le asking who was he dreaming about kissing. (It's dark outside. How long has he been unconscious? Seriously, girls, you should have called for medical attention. Also, I noticed their power was back on. Guess his electrocution straightened out the short circuit. Do they thank him? Of course not.)

The next day at work Kai Er learns about Zi Qi being shocked. She goes to confront Xing Ren about putting him in danger and asks that Xing Ren have nothing but a working relationship with him.

Since Mi Na is in Taiwan, and since she's the CEO of the Yu Cheng Feng high fashion brand, Kai Er goes to talk Mi Na into putting in her own counter at the store. (So I guess that whole special team thing between sales and merchandise is over.) Mi Na agrees with the condition that she get PB's counter space. (Does PB stand for Playboy? Is this legal? I mean there's no mistaking the trademark bunny logo. I wonder if Hugh knows about this.) Mi Na is hoping if she makes it hard enough for Cheng Feng, he'll come back to his old brand and they can fly off to France together. (Mi Na is just a bit too whiny for my tastes. I hope she improves as the show goes along.)

Shi Te Long accidentally runs into Le Le and causes her to drop all her files. She fusses at him, he fusses at her. They both squat down to pick up the papers. Te Long turns around to hand her some files just as she turns around and they accidentally kiss.

Cheng Feng is feeling pretty low and drops by Xing Ren's apartment to drink a large amount of beer and spill his sorrows. Xing Ren listens sympathetically. He stands up to leave and wobbles. Xing Ren tries to help him but he drunkenly falls on top of her. This is what Zi Qi sees when he comes up to the apartment. The two men exchange a few punches before Xing Ren is able to stop them.

The guys go for a walk and a talk. This allows them to cool their heads and they both apologize for hitting the other. The older and wiser Cheng Feng urges Zi Qi to admit his true feelings for Xing Ren. Zi Qi finally does and asks Cheng Feng to back off.