Sparks from the Wheel

Playful Kiss Ep 2, Part 1: Exposed!

September 18, 2011 at 5:15 pm | Posted in TV shows | Leave a comment
Tags: kdrama, playfull kiss, recap, tv

A disclaimer: Playful Kiss is an example of “kdrama” or “K Pop.”  This is an area of pop culture I know nothing about as it is mostly a phenomenon in South Korea and other Asian countries.  Truly, I am going into this basically blind with the exceptions of a perusal of Wikipedia and questions posed to a friend who knows slightly more than I do about this area.  I don’t pretend to understand what’s normal or good; I’m just commenting as an outsider. If you’re here because you googled Playful Kiss and you really love it, I’m not sure you’ll like me much as I’m a bit snarky about it. No disrespect is intended, and I would be horrified at the thought of being really culturally insensitive.  I’m actually kind of enjoying it, so I hope you can read along with a sense of humor.   If you have concerns, you can definitely  leave a comment or email me at sparksfromthewheel at gmail dot com. All screen caps were made by me using by iPad and Netflix Instant.

In case you haven’t been riveted to my blog, here’s what the story starts:
Playful Kiss Ep 1: Part 1, Part 2.

Last time on Playful Kiss: Quirky dreamer Ha Ni is turned down in spectactularly embarassing fashion by her crush and then suffers the further humiliation of her new house collapsing in a mild earthquake. Luckily, her father’s rich childhood friend has invited them to live with him.  Not so luckily, his son is the awful object of her affection.

We pick up where we left off: with Ha Ni aghast and pointing a finger in Seung Jo’s face.

Yeesh, girl, you are only adding fuel to his fire and proving his point that you’re ridiculous. Put down your hand and save your horror for a private moment. This is the moment where you look scathing and have him carry EVERYTHING left the in the van while you stomp ahead of him and look superior.

Side Note: Wouldn’t Seung Jo know that she was moving in already? He already knew about the earthquake and the house falling down thanks to the lunchtime benefit concert sponsored by Duckie, and surely he knew his parents invited the victims of the earthquake to live with them. Didn’t he put two and two together? Whatever. There’s a teen idolizing Elvis and girls doing karate moves on soda machines… there is no place for logic here.

Seung Jo smirks away from her and they re-join the family indoors.  The old dudes reminisce about their childhoods and Ha Ni looks remarkably composed and proves that she can be totally normal in social situations.  The Dark Prince’s mother, who we should probably called the Queen of Hearts because she is so obviously a matchmaking meddler, asks if the two kids know each other from school. Ha Ni, betraying her ardor, sputters something about everyone knowing Seung Jo because he’s the smartest.  Then Mama Seung Jo wins some points by rolling her eyes and pointing out that her son has the personality of a really bitter turtle.

Ha Ni politely says nothing and then we have the privilege of meeting Seung Jo’s horrible younger brother who immediately pegs Ha Ni as dumb.

His parents are not nearly upset enough about this, but the mom does try to convince him Ha Ni is smart.  Not backing down from his assertion, he tries to get Ha Ni to translate his Chinese homework for him. It goes something like this: “Um… something, something, Korean Beef, something, something, wanting things you can’t have.”

Skeptically, Eun Jo asks his genius older brother to give the correct translation and it’s something about having too many books. I don’t know, I (like Ha Ni) was not paying much attention.   The important thing is that she was yet again wrong and Seung Jo didn’t exactly soften the blow.  Eun Jo, who needs to be put in time out, has this reaction:

The sting of the Brothers Douch Noodi (the plural of douche noodle. I’m surprised you didn’t know that) is only soothed when Ha Ni sees her new bedroom, courtesy of Meddling Mama.

Ha Ni is grateful and things get even sweeter when the mom gives her a pair of shoes as a gift. They’re actually quite cute and Ha Ni is appropriately gracious, but she insists on ruining the shoes by wearing them with socks.

It seems she only acts like a spaz when the boy is around, which is quite true to life.  In a bit of what I assume is foreshadowing, the mom implores Ha Ni to, “just be my daughter!”  Oh, yes. We can see that the meddler is already Shipper #1.  She leaves Ha Ni with her thoughts but Seung Jo can’t resist taking a shot before bed as he swings by to inform her she took the younger brother’s old room. He goes on to command she tell no one that they live together because OH THE SHAME for him.   Happily, Ha Ni sees this for the douche move it is and has  a fantasy about beating him with pillows.

And I do mean beating. There is a shot with him bleeding from the mouth and cowering as she re-groups for a second attack. Her fantasy concludes in a shower of feathers busting from her brand new pillows (“Thanks, Seung Jo’s Mom, for the nice new room! Now I shall destroy it!”)  when Seung Jo appears in the doorway and rolls his eyes at her.

Ha Ni is horrified, yet again. She spends about 80% of her time being horrified, in fact.  She goes to take her turn in the restroom  and here is where this show gets AWESOME. They are willing to go where so few TV shows are willing to go and have a heroine go to the bathroom on screen AND talk about poop. You guys– she poops!  She is a real person who has bodily functions, and when she sits on the warm toilet she realizes that Seung  Jo also has bodily functions and this humanizes him for her.   But then she has the horrible moment all girls have around boys they like when she realizes he might be able to hear her having a bodily function.    NO! HE CANNOT KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT GIRLS! Do something about this Ha Ni or our entire cult of mysticism will collapse!

I don’t know how, but some how she stops herself from revealing that girls are just people too.  She goes to brush her teeth and has a squealy moment when her toothbrush looks like his.

She pulls it together really quickly and has a serious heart-to-heart with the girl in the mirror.

The next morning, her  I-Hate-Him-I-Love-Him cycle continues at breakfast while she watches Seung Jo eat while reading the paper. Seriously? What senior in high school reads the paper at breakfast?  I guess we are supposed to see this as yet another example of his general mental superiority.  Incidentally, he also eats toast and jam.

His younger brother continues to be a punk.

He Who Must Not Be Bothered leaves for school and Ha Ni scrambles after him because she doesn’t know the way from her new home. He reminds her to walk really far behind him because he couldn’t deal with the humiliation of being seen with a cute and sweet girl.  I don’t even have to call out his fuckery this time because Ha Ni steps up for me:

She follows him from a ten foot distance, but she’s not very subtle about it because she makes spastic karate kicks in his direction and stomps around.  She’s so engrossed in imagining a brutal assault on his smug person that she runs into him because he has abruptly stopped. He suddenly tells her he’s changed his mind– he wants her to walk in front now.  Only he says it in this very tactful way:

At first, I thought we were about to get a bow-chicka-bow-wow moment with him watching her from behind and getting some lusty eyes.  Actually, it turns out that he’s being chivalrous because he’s spotted a shady guy in a trench coat hiding in the bushes.

At school, Ha Ni is still stewing in her own juices and telling everyone in her homeroom that she will restore their honor by making it to the Study Hall. In case you have forgotten, Study Hall is a magical place reserved only for the 50 smartest students in the class. It doesn’t sound like anyone is passing notes or  playing MASH there, so I don’t see the appeal.   Her peers are like, “Yay, good for you.  Sounds awesome. Etc.”  Then their irresponsible teacher comes in and doesn’t start teaching so much as she settles down in the Aggressive One’s makeshift beauty salon.

Also, Duckie sits in front of Ha Ni and tries to pretend they are dating. He wants to know where’s she’s living now since, “a guy should know where his girl lives.” Ha Ni is like, “Ugh. You’re nice to me and you’re kind of funny. Stop it! Gross. Leave me alone.” And the Aggressive One pulls Faithful Sidekick duty and backs her up by hitting him. Looking like a kicked puppy, he quails.

Ha Ni hunkers down to study but despairs that she doesn’t even know what she doesn’t know. Duckie and his Goon Squad sit nearby, trying not to fall asleep. She tries to give herself a little motivation by wandering over to take a glance at the real Study Hall. Computers for everyone! Soundproof Walls! And… sneaky interloper smart girls trying to get the attention of her man?!?

I don’t know who this chipmunk girl is, but she looks at Seung Jo the way I look at homemade mac and cheese. (Note: this girl is not the same person as the previously seen Mean Girl. I wasn’t sure so I checked– not the same. It seems Seung Jo’s general malaise and arrogance appeal to all levels of the social hierarchy- the popular kids, the nerds, the social rejects, etc.) Ha Ni is enraged that a girl is hitting on a boy that is not her boyfriend and ponces off to sulk by her class ranking.  Seung Jo meanders by and she talks a big game about him needing to work out because she’s going to destroy the exams next week and he’ll have to follow through on his promise to give her a piggyback ride if she makes it to Study Hall.  He’s not impressed (shocking!) and asks if she’s going home. Walking home with him? Too good to be true!  Wait… yes… too good to be true. Just as she’s jumping at the chance to walk with him, Duckie swings around the corner and  makes his own offer.

Ha Ni tries to get rid of her paramour, but he clings to her like glue and insists on walking her home while the Dark Prince  goes on his merry….no, bored and irritated way.   On the subway, Duckie is trying to trick Ha Ni into a date by asking her if she wants to get something to eat. She’s half listening and suddenly realizes they are at her stop. She darts for the doors, which symbolically close on poor Duckie.

Meanwhile, back at Casa Seung Jo, the world’s greatest mother has made a snack for her boys that suggests she sits around all day thinking of ways to be adorable and Martha Stewart-ish.

She comments that she worries about Ha Ni getting home because there’s weird people around the neighborhood. Eun Jo, world’s greatest kid, comments that none of them are weird as Ha Ni. While Mama Meddler chases him while threatening to hit him, Seung Jo tries to look thoughtful and concerned about Ha Ni’s whereabouts.

Elsewhere, Ha Ni is walking alone in the dark.  Obviously, this won’t end well.  Sure enough, our trenchcoated menace from earlier steps in her path and makes it clear that he’s going to show her his goods.  And thus begins what I believe will be the best scene in this whole series.

Ha Ni holds out her hand to stop him, says she will close her eyes if he does it,  and then starts wildly kicking around when he starts to unbutton his coat.

Unfortunately for her, one of her new shoes flies off and the flasher scoops it up before she can get it. Does Ha Ni let the shoe go and make a break for home while she has the chance? No. That would rob this gross situation of the opportunity to be comedic.   A chase scene ensues in which Ha Ni races behind him while he gleefully jogs in front of her telling her she has to look at his junk to earn back her shoe.

Ha Ni stops and offers to negotiate. Mistake- don’t ever negotiate with terrorists.  She’ll look- eyes open and everything- if he promises to give back the shoe.

The Big Moment is about to unfold… but wait. Ha Ni needs to prepare herself. She takes some deep breaths, looks constipated, and the polite  flasher gets annoyed.

He’s had enough waiting and is nearly giddy as he starts to unbutton his coat. Just as he’s about to open it, a desperado rides into town and covers Ha Ni’s virgin eyes with his hands.

What follows is a romantic-music-soaring moment in which Seung Jo twirls Ha Ni to face him while the flasher  rips open his coat to reveal his glory to the world.  Truthfully, it is a sweet moment,  though I’m annoyed by the implication that Ha Ni has been “saved” from the disgrace of seeing manparts by a chivalrous knight.    Wouldn’t it have been better if he opened his coat and she stared him down all steely eyed and said, “I’ve seen bigger.”  But this is still a cute picture:

Ha Ni gazes at Seung Jo is rapt adoration (vom) while the flasher revels in his moment.  And isn’t this the best screen capture ever?

The creep in the jacket takes off running and the creep with the attitude problem chases him down. The flasher tearfully promises to never show himself again and says it’s only his first time– he’s just been posting on a forum so far!   Seung Jo is unimpressed (what else is new) but demands the return of the precious ballet flat.  He returns it to Ha Ni in a totally unceremonious fashion, dashing all romantic hopes of a fairytale shoe fitting moment.

Still, Ha Ni is all fluttering eyes and coy smiles. She’s like, “You came after me! My hero!”  And he’s like, “Whatever. I was going to the convenience store anyway and I don’t give a flying fuck what happens to you.”  Ha Ni sees right through this and they start the walk home.   He also gives her the riot act about being a dumbass and trying to get her shoe back.  Grudgingly, I respect him for this.

She’s trying to make  cutie pie small talk: asking about what’s in his bag, commenting on the heat, noticing the Big Dipper, asking if he hears crickets, and so forth.   He’s like, “Did I say we were friends now? Back off!”  But she’s undeterred. She knows what we all to be true- this is only the first step in his inevitable inability to resist her adorkable charm.

Thus concludes Part 1 of Episode 2.  Next time… Ha Ni has a mental workout montage and Seung Jo cracks… gasp…. a smile.