Didn't really know what to make of this episode.
Firstly, I was expecting more of a cutesy light hearted episode with sweet romantic moments like episode two where it left off. But obviously there would be no point in that since the second episode had already established the romantic bonding between Han jung woo and sooyeon.
This episode was more drama action thrilled genre-ed (not sure whether the producer over did it with this episode- but it left me with angry tears). I was emotionally frustrated with the characters and their reactions to situations.
Starting off with sooyeon- it took her unbelievably long to realise that jung woo was in danger when she saw him getting kidnapped in front her eyes. The frustration I felt to just push her to run after him guess adds to the tension of the scene and makes us join in and empathize and get involved more (not sure if I'm getting too practical here but it really is true).
And don't even get me started off with han jung woo. This boy is a ladykiller- no doubt. But honestly- I'm not sure whether to like him or dislike him anymore because his morals are just too flexible.
The first time we saw that unreasonable sideo f him was when he listened to all those rumours and rejected her friendship proposal and honestly- I did sympathise with him here a little- I mean, who wouldn't freak out if you found out the girl whose umbrella you borrowed was a murderer's daughter? Ok0 han jung woo- you did act a little cowardly- but since we can sympathise with you- we won't degrade you that much.
But.
What was that you just did now?
Did I see you- just run off on your own after sooyeon offered her life to save you? But really? You're just gonna run off like that? Ok- maybe I should give him some points for regretting it after and trying to make up for it by telling his dad to save her- but you can't leave all the hard work for your daddy! Plus- this isn't the first time he's run away to protect himself and now...that, is just not cool.
But honestly- moving away from han jung woo- the thing that frustrates me the most is when adults bring their children into their problems. Like- what is up with that woman with the kid that looks like a girl (sorry this sounds unprofessional but I've forgotten his name). She's blaming his cut on jung woo (like he has anything to do with him jumping out the window and getting the cut on his leg himself).
The main villain of the story is Jung woo's father who is actually unexpectedly more evil than we expect. I mean- I know right from the start he kidnapped the woman's son for her money- but for some reason- I still had hope for him until this episode. I mean- how much of your son's life insurance would it cost to save the girl who went after your son and got kidnapped also as a result?
And after a while- we find out that Jung woo's father has been in prison and escaped and is on the run. Boy- no wonder your morals are messed up...I don't blame you.
And this evilness which started off with money underlines the stereotypical sense of dramas- it's always what the evil side seem to be looking for- money or love. In this case- obviously money even though I guess you could associate love in this situation (since jung woo's father's search for money is driving a fork between the love between jung woo and sooyeon).
And another person I'm really disliking is Jung woo's stepmother- she's no innocent person either- I guess that's probably why she and Jung woo's father suit... But it's obvious that she's after her husband's approval or clearly wants something. She's the stereotypical two faced character- nice to Jung woo when her husband is around- and shows her true colours as soon as he's not in the room. I guess that's probably why Jung woo and soo yeon are able to relate so well- they're both suffering from the darkness and cruelty of the real world they live in.
Ok- so even though there's been a few degradation in characters- there's also been some uprising. A huge example and a huge unsung hero for me definitely has to be sooyeon's new profound cop father is getting so involved in this investigation is admirable. It's touching to see how many people actually care for her despite her once living in a cruel world where she was unloved. Especially sooyeon's mother- this scene is too touching. She's been constantly saying how she wants to give away her daughter as if she's meant nothing to her- but now that her daughter is actually gone- it's changed her into a completely different person. It's actually shocking to see how her adamant view has reduced her to tears- especially because of her cocky and confident character. It sort of makes the audience take a step back and realise the seriousness of the situation- but at the same time, feel relieved because this is how a mother was supposed to act in these times of their child going missing.
Moving onto episode 4- I can tell from the preview of this episode that this episode is going to be even more depressing- so prepare a box of tissues!
There's not a single minute of this episode that's happy at all. Even the flashbacks of Jung woo and sooyeon doesn't give you positive feelings. It makes you miss everything about their innocence and how it's all destroyed now.
I have to say that yeo jin gu is doing an absolutely amazing job at portraying the emotions of jung woo. His mentally scared face really hit me. He makes it impossible for you to not feel sorry for him. There's something about his crying scenes that make you want to comfort him.
''I am doing this as a father, not as a detective'' those were the words that made me cry.
I am so absorbed into this character of the detective father. He's exactly the hero I've been waiting for to develop in the story. I didn't take much notice of him at first- but his character development has stayed strong and deep. I am completely siding with him in everything. He's almost like the audience's robot. He's doing everything the audience want him to do. I'm cheering him on.
Oh- and don't forget about eun joo. I've liked her completely from the start. She was all too adorable when she refused to stay on good terms with sooyeon- she was the typical little sister. It's cute watching how attached she's become to sooyeon- this kid has got a strong sense of morals just like her father has. Like father like daughter. She's also a hero in the story- except a little less practical. But she plays the role of cheering her father on, encouraging him, and staying positive. Her determination to find sooyeon is admirable. She cries at her father and calls him a bad person in episode 3 when he's not doing what he's supposed to be and saying ''who can I trust now''. In the start of episode 4- she sneaks into Jung woo's house- getting all the detail she can even though she doesn't manage. But she does manage to get the DNA of Jung woo from past books he's used. At first- I thought she was a little hesitant and trying to get between Jung woo and sooyeon since she didn't seem too concerned when sooyeon first went missing- but I guess that she didn't realise sooyeon was in danger.
It's upsetting how everyone's thought that sooyeon's dead except for Jung woo. I'm not too sure about cop father- he seems to be holding on a little- but the grip has loosened a little. Honestly- I do hope that a love story develops between sooyeon and the second guy (who she's trapped with). Maybe it might spark some jealously in the near future with Jung woo. Plus- the storyline needs a little help with plot movement since I'm not sure how it's going to progress after episode 4.
I think that episode 5 and 6 is going to be when the younger roles have to be dropped. It's so sad because yeo jin gu and the girl who played sooyeon (yet to find out her name) were such brilliant actors. They've raised the standard of expectation for yoochun and yoon eun hye. I'm pretty sure that yoochun will be able to pull of his character since I've seen him uptake some melodramatic dramas e.g. rooftop prince. I'm not so sure about yoon eun hye though- most of the dramas she's participated in tend to be on the comedic side e.g. coffee prince. We'll just have to wait and see in episode 5 and 6- and I'm anticipating every second of it!
