Memories of the Alhambra Review

Synopsis

Yoo Jin Woo is the CEO of an investment company. He has an adventurous and competitive spirit. Suffering after his best friend betrays him, he takes a business trip to Granada, Spain in search of the mysterious inventor of an innovative augmented-reality video game. He ends up at a hostel that Jung Hee Ju owns.
Hee Ju is a former classical guitarist who came to Spain to further her studies. After the death of her parents, she takes on various jobs to support herself, including running the old hostel.
They are both drawn into a series of strange and unexpected events. (Source: MyDramaList)

Not the worst, but not great
★★☆☆☆
it was ok

This drama had so much potential (+ high concept) and the first few episodes were great. However, after episode 5 or so, it goes downhill pretty fast.

The story became a mess, they’ve tried to pack it with too much stuff but never really bothered to actually build the fondation of each part strongly, the romance part being the worst one. I don’t mind watching a drama with not much romance, but at least do it properly. It feels forced and/or it comes from nowhere.

Hee-ju’s character doesn’t do much and it gets really frustrating. You have a good actress and do nothing more than make her cry all the time? (On an unrelated note, I really don’t like the shoes she wears in the whole drama and watching her run in these is even more annoying)

I watch until episode 11 and decided that my time was to precious to bother trying to finish it. The story not only was a mess at this point but they started to drag the plot so much, I couldn’t take it anymore. Not the worst drama I watched however (*cough* Inspiring Generation *cough*), there’s still some reedeming qualities here and there (but most of them are related to the concept, so…), but at some point, I lost interest and didn’t enjoy any of it.

My advice, if you still want to try, is to be attentive to how much you’re enjoying the show after episode 5, so you can drop it early if needed unlike me who tried until episode 11 for no good reason.

Oh My Venus Quick Review

I did finish Oh My Venus, but in the end, yuuoii.

It wasn’t a great drama. Also, #yawn at the fatphobia as a plot device.

I don’t quite remember every details of the ending, but he gets into some kind of rehab to learn how to walk again, they don’t talk for all that time (a year or so), he comes back, she gained back the weight I think, she gets slim again, she then gets pregnant and get fat again. LOL THE END.

The show was weak. The highlight of it was the expensive pillow he had. Don’t watch it, watch other Min A drama or Ji Sub drama.

Oh My Venus 13-14

So yeah, I’m still late. I’m going to finish that drama though. After that, I’m not sure I’ll continue, sadly, because my semester is starting and it looks like I’m going to have a LOT of work (aka my teacher might be batshit crazy). If ever I do, it will either be continuing 49 days (it’s been forever) or doing a Cheese in the Trap watch-along podcast…

Episode 13

We start off as we learn second wife was also driving that night and she was implicated in the car crash too.

Her brother might be starting to feel the guilt, and on top of it, her son wakes up and says he tried to kill himself because of what he heard his uncle say on the phone.

Young Ho is not in a life threatening situation, but he was badly hurt and might never walk again.

In the meantime, no one thinks about informing Joo Eun. She didn’t get any kind of news for a while and is super distracted at work because no one is answering her calls.

On a side note, Korean Snake finally reunites with his mother.

Joo Eun goes to Soo Jin’s place because she hasn’t been to work for 2 days. They talk it out, finally. And they kinda seem to patch things up, a little.

Back at the hospital, Young Ho tells the boys to say nothing to Joo Eun, because he doesn’t want to see her cry. But, she shows up at the house. They tell her, obviously.

She shows up at the hospital, but Young Ho doesn’t want to let her in. She gives him a speech about how he can pull through and that she’ll wait for him.

Glasses Guy signs a car crash settlement and resign.

One year goes by while Joo Eun wait for Young Ho. And finally, he reappears, standing in front of her.

Episode 14

This is when things get from okay to… not that great.

Episode 14 starts with some kind of big flashback if present time is the ending of the last episode. Young Ho is hurting in his bed and apparently got back to knitting (we get another flashback of him, as a child, knitting in a wheel chair). He hallucinate Joo Eun as well during that time (not as much as she did, but still).

He finally gets discharged from the hospital, but he cannot walk still. The doctors are also not sure it’s ever going to happen. He then goes to a rehabilitation center in the US to learn to walk again. He has a hard time and doesn’t want to indulge in looking at what Joo Eun texted him because that will make him want to give up everything.

As we know it, after a year, he achieves to walk again. So we get back to present when Joo Eun bump into him. She has to go back to work quickly and brings him with her so she can see him at all time.

Then they go to her place but she still have some work to take care of. While she’s tapping on her computer, she keeps glancing at Young Ho, and after a little while, she bursts into tears, because of the emotions, you know.

Meanwhile Woo Shik gives an engagement ring to Soo Jin.

Korean Snake goes to see his mom to give her a Christmas present. CF Model gets there too and take his mom shopping or something, like she has known her for a long time. She seems more involved than before.

The gang decides to throw a big birthday party/christmas celebration for the return of Young Ho.

After all that fun (there’s singing), Young Ho and Joo Eun go to bed. Things are starting to heat up just as the episode ends.

Overall impression

First off, how does Young Ho think Joo Eun will not ask question and will just be alright with never knowing what’s happening to him for a year. That makes total sense. Episode 13 is okay, but it’s a downer.

Episode 14 is not greatly put together. I understand that you’ll want to go through all the hardship of the hurting, and the not seeing each other for a year and how Young Ho felt and how he got better with all his hard work and stuff. But seriously, if you show me to result of it in the previous episode, when the doctors says they’re not sure if he’ll walk again, I know he does. We all know. Show all that before you give me the result. That way I’ll be more trouble with the struggle of the character. That was a really weird choice, and it seems like from then onward, things are rushed a bit. Like if they thought maybe the show would get picked up for more than the previously agreed on episodes.

And like, you resolve a problem that took an entire episode to build up to in about 15 to 20 minutes of rehabilitation… It’s weak at best.

And like come on, I’m sorry, but the band-aid thing isn’t romantic, right now it’s just gross. Like that band-aid stay on a hospital door for at least 3 months, right? I work in a hospital, and let me tell you, ewwww. And then, everyone knows that band-aid don’t stay glued after you pull them out a few time, so how can that band-aid stick on Young Ho’s hand? Or, more important question, how is Joo Eun still hot for that dude while he’s shoving that gross used band-aid on her face in bed? Worst rom-com quirky “romantic” gesture/idea ever.

I know I’m talking a lot more about how I perceive things now than before, but that’s because we’re almost at the end of things. And the flaws are starting to come out a lot more. I remember when I used to get excited at the very start for the next week set of episodes, but now, I’m struggling to end it. I also realized that the flashbacks (not the one that actually are new and add to the story, but the one about the exact thing we saw either a few episode ago or on the same episode) are multiplying, like if they are trying to 1-save money, 2-burn time. I mean, listen, I know K-drama episodes are longer than our 44min long episodes over here, I get that. But seriously, if you have a tight story, you won’t need to go for easy and cheap stuff to burn time, you’ll actually have too little. I hope the 2 last episode won’t be to bad, but I don’t have really high hopes…

My Year In Dramaland : 2015

Overview
Dramas watched this year (completed) : Empress Ki, Nae Il Cantabile, City Hunter, Ex-Girlfriend Club, The Producers, Oh My Ghost
Dramas watched this year (ongoing/not completed) : Warrior Baek Dong Su, Oh My Venus, Kill Me Heal Me, Jin 2 [jdrama], 49 days
Movies watched this year : Architecture 101, The Pirates
Variety shows watched this year : Roommate, Running Man, The Return of Superman

Best
Favorite drama watched this year : Oh My Ghost
Favortie movie watched this year : Both of them were great
Favorite variety show watched this year : I would say I’m happier with The Return of Superman this year. I feel like Running Man is getting tired maybe just a little.

Worst
Worst drama watched this year : Nae Il Cantabile & Warrior Baek Dong Su
Drama I’ve dropped this year : Hwajeong
Worst movie watched this year : None
Worst variety show watched this year : None

New Year Resolutions
Dramas planned for 2016 : Cheese In The Trap (SOOOOO EXCITED), Yae No Sakura [jdrama]
Movies planned for 2016 : Myeongryang, Collective Invention
Variety shows planned for 2016 : Finishing first ever season of We Got Married and trying to catch up to actual season at some point (same as last year)

Review
Thoughts about 2015 as a whole : Greatest stuff this year were light-hearted romcom, though Empress Ki was boss.

Oh My Venus 11-12

I’m getting back on track BABYYYYY

Episode 11

We start off seeing Woo Shik asking Producer Go to broadcast the scandal about John Kin identity (didn’t we really need that?).

Then we get back where we left off. They go into Joo Eun’s house and he lies on her bed, trying to come off as sleepy while everyone clearly know he’s hurting from his phantom knee problem. Joo Eun’s kinda freak out about it and phone Korean Snake for advice. He tells her to act as if nothing is happening.

That starts a flashback about how Korean Snake and Young Ho met. So basically, Korean Snake might have been a little bum and he was beat up/shot by people (gangster of some sort maybe). While they were chasing him, he hid. Young Ho saw him and try to help him by attending to his wound. We hear that thing about how he has a soft spot for the weak and he advice Korean Snake to continue fighting, but with rules (aka UFC).

CF Model sneak up on daydreaming Korean Snake and she “lays” with him on the ring’s floor.

When Young Ho wakes up, the boys are there too. Joo Eun feeds them breakfast and then brings them to some sort of ajhummas work out session.

After that, Joo Eun goes to work while Young Ho goes to see his father to talk about the scandal and ask for his help regarding his position. We also learn that grandma knows about Joo Eun and that she doesn’t seem to be happy about it.

Meanwhile, Joo Eun dig deeper in Korean Snake mom issue and she get all the info about her best friend’s mother (she’s not really her mother apparently, but that’s really unclear). That ajhumma doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with her son, that she had from an abusive husband whom she killed because he was threatening her life and the life of her unborn child. She did prison for this.

When back home, Joo Eun instate rules so that her and Young Ho don’t bone each other to death while he’s staying at her place. But apparently, she’s the one having a hard time with not jumping on him. But then she decides she cannot wait any longer and throws the rules out the window. But they get interrupted by the doorbell before being able to have an “erotic night”.

There’s some kind of big party for Young Ho investiture into his position or whatever. Everyone’s there (literally), but Young Ho is late. Joo Eun (who’s there too) gets out and searches for him with the two boys. She finds him having knee-panic attack, but she helps him with her words and he finally gets to the party like a boss.

Episode 12

This is a big one.

So this episode recap the end of the last one for a while, and then Young Ho goes to the stage and present himself as the new director of Gahong.

At the same time, CF Model comes to the boys table and reveals she’s a big chaebol’s daughter.

Glasses guy calls his sister to yell at her because she didn’t show. Her son (Young Joon) is just behind the wall with flowers and he seems sad because of something Glasses Guy said.

Young Ho leaves the party in a sea of reporter that want to now more about his scandal. He leaves back Joo Eun while seeming worried that she’s been crushed by the reporters. As he sees she’s alright, he leaves. But she hurt her ankle while she was searching for him so she goes back to sit for a while. Finally, Young Ho came back for her, and he helps her massage her ankle. She leaves with the boys that got the car for her.

Soo Jin is getting back to her car, but she almost faints on the way to it. Woo Shik was there to catch her, and they go back to her place. It seems they finally reconcile after Soo Jin cries it out.

Young Ho has a reunion about the hospital project the next day and Glasses Guy seems to be loosing influence over everything.

Young Ho then text Joo Eun to know if she finished eating lunch, and while she’s answering, he shows up to her work. He brings her to that fitness facility they’ve been early on and makes her take a full body scan like before. Turns out her health and her weight are better and she might be able to go off the thyroid meds she’s taking in a little while.

We then see grandma speaking to second wife about her leaving the house, financial compensation and how everything could have been better if Glasses Guy, her brother, wasn’t so greedy. I have a lot of trouble understanding what’s the deal with that second wife thing…

Joo Eun meet with the best friend’s mother (but not her real mother, anyway…) to talk about Korean Snake. She tries to convince her to meet him, without real success, but she leaves his phone number just in case.

Then it’s both Christmas and Young Ho’s birthday. The whole gang gets together + Joo Eun’s best friend and her son. They have a blast, eat a lot, sing and play yut. After the festivities calm down, Korean Snake gets a call from his mother so that they can meet. Young Ho gives him his car so that he can reach her faster.

Young Joon (second wife’s son) his at the hospital for a drug overdose (he tried to commit suicide). Glasses guy explodes and yell at Young Ho’s father to do something, yet he stays cold as usual. Glasses Guy then ask someone on the phone to find where Young Ho is, assistant Min was there watching so he alerts Young Ho about that (it seems like trouble).

Young Ho realizes that he let Korean Snake borrow his car so he’s in danger. He jump into another car to chase after his sports car and Glasses Guy if he’s around. He arrives just in time to prevent Glasses Guy to crash his car into Korean Snake but use himself as a shield. Glasses Guy’s car does a few 360 (no scope) until he crashes into a parked car while Young Ho’s car roll over while trying to avoid a big truck going the other way.

Korean Snake gets out of the car and go see if he can help the person in the car that roll over, he realizes it’s Young Ho and freak out. It seems Young Ho’s leg is trapped under the wheel. The end.

Overall impression

About the flashback, I know Koreans don’t really have the same features as Japanese or Chinese or Vietnamese (etc.), but still, how are you so sure you’re in front of one of your expat without a doubt and start talking Korean to them without knowing anything about them. Logically, you would go for English first since you’re in the US and you don’t know that person. But anyway, I guess I’m half and half on this one because sure, sometimes, yes, you can kinda know.

That said, I like that they didn’t downplay the cursing. They usually do that so they don’t have to bleep it out, but this time, they left it in and just silence it. You can still read it on the lips of Korean Snake though, so that’s cool.

Last episode was eventful to say the least. I don’t know if I’m happy with the accident thingy. We’ll see in the next few episode. I’m just hoping for no amnesia. Last week I think, there was something on the official KBS Facebook page about this, and they were saying something like “Share for no amnesia” and I was like, seriously?! I also find this whole thing kinda unnecessary, but I can see how maybe the show was getting crap from watchers about it being too slow or boring. It is kinda slow, but I was enjoying the lesser conflict and the more fun stuff. Anyway, at least I can say that I want to hurry and go watch the next episodes.

I thought about a few other stuff to say as an overall review but I cannot remember, so sorry. I’m less and less sure I’ll redo watch-along in this format in the future. There’s Cheese In The Trap coming soon and I think I might do something like audio thingy with maybe a few screencap for people who want to watch it on Youtube, or simply audio, before going to full on video with my face and stuff. But yeah, still not sure. I think audio might be fun since you can do something else while listening to it and the visual I put here is mainly to make you feel like you’re not just reading a whole block of text.

Oh My Venus 9-10

Sorry, still a little late again, but I have nothing plan for new year so I’m going to be home, doing stuff related to my many online project. Hopefully, I’ll be able to reach back the weekly release before winter semester starts.

Episode 9

Episode 9 starts off has we see Young Ho p.o.v of the melt down we ended on last week. It seems his father might be some king of trigger. But this time around he doesn’t really yell at Joo Eun, but he still wants her to go away so he can calm down. Meanwhile, Joo Eun cries her eyes out. When he comes out, he tells her how paradoxical it is that he’s the one in pain, yet it’s her who cries a storm. She explain that it’s because she cares for him and then hit him like a cliché female kdrama character.

There’s stuff going on with Young Ho’s grandmother and the second wife. Something is weird in this family, honestly. Somehow, their issues make me think a lot about Kill Me, Heal Me, but without the whole really intense drama behind it. It’s a little more light, but not by much.

Young Ho explain what happened to him when he was young to Joo Eun. She’s hurt that he was hurt, and the stormy tears might break loose again, but finally not that much. And then we see how so many people are suffering inside while it’s not showing on the outside (almost every character that has more depth than Henry). And then they fall asleep together.

The rest of the episode is “honey-moonish” between the two of them. Joo Eun wants to become the “dating coach” of Young Ho since he doesn’t seem to know most dating convention (apparently, peeling the yogurt lid of one another is one). They have those playful little thing together, with the blow out kisses and stuff.

Oh, and yeah, never forget that since this is a drama with training, sport and stuff, there will be cheesy training scene with characters kissing each other along the way.

They also get all lovey-dovey while at the table eating dinner, but they need to use tricks so that the boys don’t get suspicious. The CF model makes an apparition around that time to stalk Korean Snake and make him play his role in her fantasy one-sided romance.

Things are not looking good for Soo Jin and Woo Shik, he says he’s sorry but that makes things worse. He then as some kind of relapse for Joo Eun because of a necktie she bought him when he first started his corporate job.
He then meet Joo Eun at a cafe by luck, while she was already there with Young Ho. He wants to give her back the necktie she gave him when he broke up with her and talk about their relationship for some reasons. Soo Jin enter the cafe too, and after a while, she sees them and spot the gift box in front of Joo Eun. But nothing really happens. She only get some kind of weak revenge at work.

Finally, the boys, Young Ho, Joo Eun and her best friend go camping. They sing and play games, until they do that weird confession thing. When Young Ho has to say a secret, he finally tells everyone that he and Joo Eun are dating.

After that, Young Ho drives back to his house with Joo Eun. In front of the house, they meet Young Ho’s personal assistant, and while they talk about how private life could affect the corporate role Young Ho will have to play, he decides to make it official in front of his assistant too.

Episode 10

Since the last episode didn’t really stop on a cliffhanger, they restart episode 10 on the campfire reveal. After Young Ho retell his assistant Min that he’s seeing Joo Eun officially, Young Ho and Min talks about what all this might be problematic, and might even be frown upon by the elders (Young Ho’s grandma and his father).

Meanwhile, things seems to be failing with Woo Shik and Soo Jin, she had enough of his shenanigans and his being sorry and all.

Then Young Ho and Joo Eun spend the night together by not “spending the night together”. They talk most of the night about their life (mostly Joo Eun’s).

That was her last night over there so when Young Ho wakes up, she’s gone. That said, she left a gift for each of the boys, leaving Young Ho a dating book while the two younger ones gets a small heroine figurine. Young Ho left her the 2 band-aid on her phone.

Then, that day, Young Ho starts to actually work at his family company. He has a might with the directors for some kind of hospital project that he doesn’t want to sign quickly, so that piss the glasses guy (second wife’s brother). Young Ho introduce Soo Jin has his chief of legal team, so that piss Woo Shik off. They talk afterward and it really seems to be the end of their relationship.

Young Ho then goes to see his grandmother, but he’s tricked by her because she invited that girl from a good family that we saw and the first few episode. Grandma leaves them to have lunch together. Young Ho take this opportunity to explain to that girl his situation with Joo Eun, and to keep it from the elders. She’s totally fine with it.

Young Ho’s father and his second wife have a serious talk about stuff, and we understand he has cancer. We also understand (though it was pretty obvious) that their relationship isn’t great and that he doesn’t care much about his second son.

The boys (without Young Ho) go visit Joo Eun’s new house. Then they go for swim. At that time, CF model is drowning in the same pool they’re in. Korean Snake save her and has to do mouth to mouth to her. She wakes up fine and is all happy because it was their first kiss (she was faking it).

Woo Shik is meeting with Joo Eun’s best friend’s ex-husband (producer Go I think) because he will try to help him expose Young Ho as John Kim.

Young Ho pay a quick visit to Joo Eun at her place, but he has to go back immediately, because he’s now a busy chaebol and stuff.

The next day, there’s a big board of directors meeting at Gahong (the name of the family business), which is going to be the first one of Young Ho. Sadly, most people don’t attend, because glasses guy is behind it. So it get cancelled and everyone is mad.

Joo Eun gets back home and tries on her dream dress (the one she was wearing in her TV show fantasy). It fits. Meanwhile, John Kim identity scandal is revealed, so everyone is freaking out. Joo Eun tries to reach Young Ho, but he’s at her door. This time, he ask to come in. The end.

Overall impression

I liked the honey-moon phase of episode 9 and how the big reveal about their relationship came out too. I’m okay with episode 10 because it moves the plot more, but I like episode 9 as a whole much better.

A few stuff bugged me though, as usual :
– Weird choice of gift, from both Young Ho and Joo Eun. Stop it with the band-aid already.
– Also, I don’t know if I’m the only one, but it seems like Soo Jin is trying to flirt with Young Ho at some point. I don’t understand exactly what she expects. Anyway, he shuts her off really quickly so I guess we won’t go in that direction again.
– I know it’s not that simple, but if I was a chairwoman AND the biggest shareholder of a company, called a meeting and less than half of the people didn’t show up in some sort of protest against some choice I made, I wouldn’t cancel anything just for them, because that way, they win. I would still do the meeting as plan and fuck them. Then it would be their fault if they had trouble keeping up with the way thing are decided at that meeting. I thought she gave up maybe a tiny bit too quickly.

I got some kind of spoiler through the KBS Facebook profile, but I’ll keep it to myself. Anyway, I’m still a little late so I know most of you know already what’s coming up. I’m just crossing my finger things won’t get more cliché than they already are.

I care less and less about Woo Shik right now, and even more so after the look he gave both Soo Jin and Joo Eun when they were following Young Ho to the director’s meeting. Like, you can be jealous all you want boo, but the fact those two women are not all over you anymore has nothing to do with that new rich stud in front of them : it’s all your doing, because you sucked being in a relationship with both of them.

Now, for getting back on track, I’m going to try putting up the next watch-along before New Year and then rush to put up 13-14 during the weekend.

Oh My Venus 7-8

I have a little more time this week so I’ll be doing my best to put up the 9-10 watch-along and then the 11-12. Here it goes!

Episode 7

So we left off as they kissed. We get back as Joo Eun seems to be really embarrassed about it. She then dreams about kissing John Kim again by making really weird kisses mouth. She wakes up and put on make up and perfume, because, you know. But then he makes her work her ass out, like nothing really happened (though he isn’t really acting like that either).

Joo Eun then goes to work, but something is happening in Soo Jin’s office. The mother of the employee who got abused by the chaebol girl is there, doing a big scene. Soo Jin doesn’t seem to be able to handle it, at all, so Joo Eun steps in and take that woman to have coffee. She tells her to refuse to settle, to milk the chaebol as much as she can and ask for an apology. We then see why Joo Eun was interested in law in the first place and why she tries to avoid abuse case : her father died because of some safety issue in a big company, and they just paid to make it go away. And they never really apologize.

Now that CF model (I don’t remember if I talked about her yet, since she’s not that big of a relevant plot point, but she might become one) is making trouble again for Korean Snake, but it turns out she acted that way because she’s her fan and is kinda in love with him.

And then this rich thing happens. I really want to try that line some day ahahha

Everyone come back home and Joo Eun is washing a bag that stinks like crazy, because it’s the bag she used when she won her first case. And after a little while, everyone figured out that John Kim will buy her a new one. She wins the case (that we have no idea about).

Joo Eun’s chef friend (I don’t think I talked about her, but yeah, she’s her main friend) contacts her at that point because her mom is in the hospital because of her abusive husband (and looks a lot like the mother of Korean Snake). She ask her to go take care of her son’s “bring your parent day” at the school or daycare. She brings the whole bunch with her and Korean Snake demonstration has a lot of success with the kids. Joo Eun then brings her friend’s son to a superhero theme thing with John Kim.

Meanwhile, Soo Jin is having trouble in her relationship with Woo Shik. As for Woo Shik, he’s trying to find a way to create trouble for John Kim in the company because he works under that guy with the glasses that is the brother of the women John’s Kim father married after his first wife passed away… Yeah…

Finally, Joo Eun is summoned to a lawyers meeting for some reason. It appears they’re having a meeting for something about the company of the John Kim’s family, featuring John Kim himself. And that’s apparently a big deal for Joo Eun, she feels betrayed and stuff.

Episode 8

So we get back to our two main character. They have a really weird talk about how the fact John Kim hid his family identity and how it really changes not that many thing. But Joo Eun is really pissed about it because, well, honesty.

Joo Eun then goes back to her hometown for the opening of the chicken restaurant of her brother (that she helped pay for). She then spend the night at her mom’s place. In the meantime, John Kim use some logic and figures out she’s in Daegu, text her to come out and meet him. Suddenly, she’s not pissed anymore, gets out and meet him at some bridge where he opens his arm and she runs to him.

Then take a walk back to her mother’s place, holding hands, and she asks him to sleep there, because you know, sleep driving. But it’s not what you think, she just wants to sleep holding hands. In the meantime, Soo Jin is slowly realizing that being pretty doesn’t give you everything. Woo Shik is starting to get suspicious about John Kim’s identity (or, more accurately, secret identity – maybe I should start naming him Young Ho from now on to stop the confusion since it seems it’s going to be a major plot point).

So apparently, Joo Eun and Young Ho are dating, sorta. But they decide it’s going to be easier to hide it from the boys for now.

Then Young Ho has to go to the family’s company, to take on his new role in the business. Everyone seems pumped about it… We get even further down the weird relationship that Young Ho has with his farther, yet it’s still really not clear what’s up with him. Also, Korean Snake ask Joo Eun to help him with his mother, but I guess that’s another thing that will get relevant further down the road.

Finally, the first snow come. The boys promised Joo Eun to go camping if she lost I don’t remember how much weight by the first snow. She’s super happy even though she didn’t lose it, and want to share that moment with her boo. She search for him in the house and find him on the floor, sweaty and seemingly in pain. He yells at her to not come any closer. The end.

Overall impression

Really Joo Eun?! You didn’t realize that he’s some chaebol’s son? Because everyone knows being a big anonymous coach gives you that much money… Sure.

All in all, I thought episode 7 was kinda weak. The thing with the friend’s child was b-o-r-i-n-g. It felt like the episode was built by putting together separate stories that weren’t related to each other all that much. At least, they got back with something stronger for episode 8. They even closed the “angry scene” that made no sense quickly enough (though just skipping that would have been ok too). I’m interested to see where we go with Young Ho’s knee injury and how they will recover from the last scene.

That said, I’m getting less and less interested in Soo Jin, Woo Shik and all that family business too. I couldn’t care less about Young Ho’s father, the second wife, her brother and her son. They’re either not interesting or not mean enough. I don’t see them as having a real impact on the new couple anytime soon, so they aren’t good villain for now, hence I’m not involved with them at all. Honestly, to me, no one is remotely a threat to the main character. I’m wondering how they’re going to make all that evolve. We’ll see I guess.

This week…

I’m really going to try to put up the watch-along of episode 7-8 soon. But I had a weird week last week, coupled with a busy weekend. Then I’m also really busy AF this week. I’m almost there though, so I’m going to do my best.

Oh My Venus 5-6

Again late, because I also finish watching late. I’m really thinking about doing this in some kind of video format at some point. I just need to learn to edit videos more. And that won’t be for tomorrow. This one is going to be a little longer too since there’s a lot going on in the last two episodes. I’ll try to keep it short if I can next week.

Episode 5

John Kim kicked Mr. Stalker ass. He’s the downstairs neighbor. He was also that guy from episode 1 (so this drama is the kind to plant stuff that pay back after a while). Everyone goes to the police station yet nothing is really done against the stalker, because laws are shitty to protect women (not only in S.Korea).

Joo Eun try to take care of herself by going to some kind of hotel, because she’s too scared to return back home. John Kim anticipates/follows her and bring her back to his place. He’s giving her his bed linen and blankets. That will be relevant later. She also tells the gang about her past, being a Venus and all.

Woo Shik (Joo Eun ex-boyfriend) go back to Mr. Stalker and threatens him. That will be relevant later.

Apparently, Joo Eun’s getting back to her job rather rapidly (wasn’t she to be home for a week?). And she’s feuding against Soo Jin, who has a lot of problem with her past apparently. Joo Eun tried to set her up after her passing the Bar, but it all went wrong. Woo Shik gave her chocolate for it though. In the meantime, Joo Eun is hallucinating John Kim instructing her stuff about her diet. And she has superpower to sniff what her client have been eating for lunch too. There’s also that weird stuff with the second wife of John Kim’s father. It’s not really clear yet.

John Kim take Joo Eun to a jiu-jitsu demonstration and then try to teach her a few stuff. That’s when they accidentally kisses.

When they get back home, both of them think about that in very different ways I might say. Then John Kim has to go to Daegu for his knee. He doesn’t say that to Joo Eun though and she thinks he got back in America to go see Anna Sue and have mad sex with her. She’s getting jealous.

In Daegu, John Kim learn that his renewed pain is psychological, maybe related to a past trauma (maybe the gruesome surgery he went through as a child, or the fact his father was dead cold with him at that time), because he’s 99% cured.

He gets back home and makes Joo Eun lose her footing, then realize her face shrunk and he seems to quite like it that way.

Episode 6

So only her face shrunk. But it seems that’s enough for John Kim to start falling for her (though in a way, he already started since a while ago). And he’s also getting jealous about a hypothetical guy giving her a massage…

He then put her in one of those big massage chair. And there’s a somewhat weird scene where they discuss, really closely, if they should be a little more friendly than just a “coach/trainee” relationship. It to give all those feels to the ladies watching. But to me, it’s just weird.

The morning after, she gets on the scale and realize she lost weight. Since she made a deal with the two other boys, it’s going to be a “Kang Joo Eun day”, and everyone has to participate. Kang Joo Eun day means : having a sweet beverages, lying around like a death person (doing nothing), watching a movie and getting emotional, taking a nap, eating something tasty.

At first, and for a while, John Kim wants nothing to do with this. But slowly, he’s starting to hallucinate too, just like Joo Eun in the last episode. So he does a few thing somewhat willingly.

But everyone seemed to forget that around dinner time. Kang Joo Eun decides to take them to a restaurant. John Kim tries to resist to carbs, but he finally have to cave.

There’s also a harassment case taken by the law firm. Soo Jin and Joo Eun have to work together on it. Soo Jin goes to visit that girl from a rich family that assaulted employees, and it’s a weird scene. I don’t know if it’s going to be relevant.

Woo Shik is summoned by the police because Mr. Stalker has decided to press charges. And he has a recording of the threats. Soo Jin appears behind him, and say she’ll represent him as his lawyer.

They then have to get Joo Eun to come down to the police station for her version of the stalking situation. And then they need a witness of all this, so the policeman makes John Kim comes down there. After everything is settled, John Kim makes a call so that all this stay quiet and nothing is known outside of that office. Woo Shik tries to tell Joo Eun to be careful around John Kim for some reasons (jealousy, because it makes no sense).

We then get a little more from the part of memory we’ve seen in the last episode about Soo Jin getting insulted by her blind-date. Woo Shik came back there and punch that asshole. And it seems that’s why, even though Soo Jin is realizing Woo Shik is going out of his way to protect Joo Eun, she still helped him with the trouble he put himself in.

Finally, the day is almost over, but Joo Eun makes a stop to get sweet beverages. She gives one to John Kim telling him she did this day not only for her, but for him, because she wanted him to live and be happy and carefree a little. She gets out of the car because she feels the tension (saying she needs some air while they wait for the car to be fixed – the car isn’t broken, she just assumed), and he goes to her. They talk a little and she acts a little scared from what Woo Shik told her about. But then John Kim kisses her for real, under his umbrella. The end.

Overall impression

First off, this :

So Ji Sub has a contract with Kanuda. Kanuda is a company that makes pillows and stuff for neck/head alignment with the spine. I thought about such a pillow for the longest time. And I finally found it. But… it’s so pricy 😥 One day maybe. If someone knows where to order the orthopedic one from a place that ships internationally, please tell me.

Also, there’s something that I find really strange. How is it that we are only at episode 6 out of an estimated 16 episodes and the two protagonist already kissed, once accidentally and once for real? Isn’t it a little early? I wonder if in the next few episodes, John Kim will act like it was nothing and he’s not falling for Joo Eun or if he’ll only be able to love her when she get skinnier. I really hope it has nothing to do with the last one. Or maybe a third option that I’m not thinking about.

And like 62.2 kg… Shin Min Ah is 5’5″. It’s not that heavy. I know weight standard are not the same in Asia from what they are in Western countries, but still. I’m kinda puzzled about what kind of message it sends to girls…

Still, all in all, I’m really happy with those two episodes since they moved things further down the road, at least more than last week. I’m also happy with the way things are evolving around John Kim, because, even though I’m not that interested in his family and all that entails, I would like to see him “bloom” a little more. I’m not 100% invested in his relationship with Joo Eun though. We’ll see how things go next week.

Oh My Venus 3-4

A great third episode, and a somewhat okay fourth episode. And also don’t forget that I’m going for a shorter version of these watch-along. And apparently, Ji Sub didn’t confess being John Kim, but only confessed there was someone in their room that was John Kim.

Episode 3

So after a quick chat between the boys, Henry is posing as John Kim. And there’s that really funny part where he goes like “jeongmalo hangukmali”, I laughed so hard I almost peed a little. The boys are trying to make Joo Eun quit by making her do the exact same training as the Korean Snake, so basically UFC athlete kind of stuff.

Soo Jin is getting deeper in relationship mode but get pissed at the mention of Joo Eun’s name. Because she’s that immature I guess. And also, there’s a really weird car scene that I don’t get, but for now, I understand that this drama does little stuff here and there without explaining it at first. It might pay later I guess. Oh, and also, we kinda understand that John Kim’s (yeah, I’ll call him John Kim from now on) father is an asshole for some reasons.

At some point, John Kim has another blind date with that girl from last time. But at the restaurant, he’s seated not too far from Joo Eun, who is having some kind of weird family reunion where her mother realize she’s been dumped. John Kim starts to pity her, though that also makes him see her sincerity in her goal.

Soo Jin makes Joo Eun go on TV because she feels extra reveng-y about her boyfriend mentioning her once and then him taking a call from his ex mother-in-law. Joo Eun goes, but then she faints on live broadcasting. She has to go to the hospital.

Joo Eun’s ex boyfriend say that, and he rushes to the hospital, and that makes Soo Jin really upset evidently. John Kim gets there first, bring her back home, they talk about something that doesn’t make sense because of the translation (but, at least, episode 4 was ok, so in a nutshell, she got hypothyroidism and that’s why she’s all bloated all the time.), and when she gets out of the car, he follows her and finally reveal he’s John Kim.

So this episode is packed with many stuff. And I quite liked it too, even though there’s still stuff here and there that are not exactly tight enough, but it’s only episode 3 so that’s okay.

Episode 4

So when John Kim finally confess he’s John Kim and not Henry, Joo Eun gets angry because she feels like she was scammed by them. And she was almost in fact since they were trying to make her quit by over-working her. Nothing is really concluded by this conversation, but apparently she’s quitting because of the fact they weren’t being true to her.

Evidently, Soo Jin is pissed off AF that her boyfriend rushed to the hospital and their relationship is starting to be on a really weird vibe, but that kinda gets resolves at some point.

Then, on top of that, Joo Eun gets set aside for a week at the firm because of the TV fainting thing. But just before she leaves, Henry and Korean Snake apologies with some kind of plant, and then with coffee so that John Kim can come in and tell her he’s willing to help her. And she finally agrees.

They go together for a full body check up that takes way too much space in the episode. Then John Kim and his two buddies come to her house put her on a strict diet and clean her place of all the shitty stuff she’s been eating. He also gives her a proper training for her goal and her health. That said, when she goes to John Kim’s place to train, she has to hide because she’s fainting-liveTV-famous and because he’s famously anonymous.

And finally, at the end, some creep kinda break in at her place and has been doing so without her knowing, putting some plant there. He gets threatening, but then John Kim enter and seems ready to kick asses. The end.

Overall impression

I really like the third episode, but I felt like the fourth one was a bit uneventful compare to what we’ve seen before. I understand that they might be trying to hold off for the last scene or something, but I though it dragged a lot here and there. I hope things will progress just a little faster next week.

Sorry if this was a little late. I had a crazy week and so I finished watching last episode yesterday. But I’m committed to this. And I’m thinking about maybe start a Youtube thingy at some point with the watch-along concept. So I’ll be there till the end of this one at least.