Episode 7 and 8 were like night and day. Episode 7 was infuriating in many aspects, but Episode 8 had a very obvious shift in tone. Lots of great things happened.
Let’s take a look.
Recap
Where’s Bo Nui
The episode starts out with the Soo Ho (Ryoo Joon Yeol) and Gary (Lee Soo Hyuk) arguing. They are equally worried about Bo Nui (Hwang Jung Eum), but don’t like the fact that the other one is involved.
Bo Nui Didn’t Do Anything Stupid
Thank goodness Bo Nui didn’t do anything idiotic in the end. They made it look like she was going to possibly hurt herself last episode, but she did not. She spent the entire night at the river though. In the daylight, she wrote her name on paper and sent it free on the river.
Gary and Soo Ho continued to worry about her since they weren’t able to locate her all night. Then all the sudden Bo Nui shows up. Gary’s instinct is to go with her but Soo Ho says they should just let her be, and at least she is okay. They both refrain from rushing to her at that time being.
I think that was a wise decision. Although Bo Nui didn’t do anything stupid, she still returns home in a depressed state of mind. Having two men rush to her, asking her where she has been all night, wouldn’t have served and positive purpose.
Bo Ra’s Hand Twitching
Bo Nui enters her apartment and takes a look at all her missed messages. Both men called her twice, Dal-Nim called her 4 times and the hospital called her twice. She immediately calls the hospital. The hospital notifies Bo Nui that her sister Bo Ra’s hand had moved which was very good news indeed. Bo Nui’s demeanor changes completely. The empty shadow which was Bo Nui quickly fades for now and she begins to come back to life. Enthusiastic Bo Nui goes to the hospital and speaks with the Doctor about Bo Ra’s progress.
A newly cheery Bo Nui calls Gary who’s been really struggling not knowing if Bo Nui is okay. Bo Nui shares the good news that Bo Ra is showing signs of waking up.
Soo Ho is also going through a mini meltdown similar to Gary, but Soo Ho style (which is much more frantic with lots of fast movements and quirky behavior). The phone rings and Soo Ho leaps to get it but misses it. Of course it was Bo Nui’s call he missed.
Soo Ho heard someone come into the office and wrongly assumed that it was Bo Nui. He rushed out and starts shouting, making quite the scene, only to see a delivery man standing there. Everyone was totally shocked, especially the delivery man. Soo Ho tried to retract his mistake by making it seem like it was intentional. Another smooth moment from our Soo Ho, haha. He’s hilarious, especially when he’s flustered.
The Shaman’s Return
Newly rejuvenated Bo Nui works her way to the Shaman. He’s still gone when she first gets there, but then she sees him walking back. She’s all over him and he’s pretty critical of her as usual.
Bo Nui is so happy to share the news with the Shaman that Bo Ra is slowly starting to regain consciousness. She also shares that she did not spend the night with a Tiger. He tells her that, the tiger is the only way, and asks her to think again carefully of the events of that night. She realizes that she did actually spend the night with a tiger (I guess they didn’t actually have to consummate the night, only be in each other’s presence). Ummm Shaman, don’t you think you could have clarified that before? There’s a big difference between the two.
What I don’t get about the Shaman is, when Bo Nui is there, he tells her how much bad luck she is and how everything is her fault. He is very serious with her and does not look friendly at all. But when Bo Nui is not there, he breaks into a smile like he really does in fact like her as a person. He even says a prayer for her. I get mixed signals from him.
Dal Nim Related Stuff
We get some more joyous scenes with Ryang Ha and Dal Nim interacting. Ryang Ha continues to tease her about her crush on Soo Ho. She had been denying it up to this point, but she slips and gets caught. He catches her immediately on it.
Dal Nim approaches Soo Ho while he sits outside on a bench. She asks Soo Ho if he can somehow persuade Bo Nui to come back to Zeze because she really needs the money to pay for Bo Ra’s hospital bills. Soo Ho learns new information as well. Dal Nim divulges the truth about the day Bo Nui originally interviewed to work at Zeze. He didn’t know it was the day that Bo Ra got into the accident.. another piece of the puzzle gets filled.
The Worried Tiger
Bo Nui comes to the company. Bo Nui tells Dal Nim that Bo Ra is waking up. Then she goes in to see Soo Ho.
She of course wants to share this news with him as well, but he’s quite stern with her, asking her where she was last night. He’s still mad, annoyed and worried. In the heat of the moment, he tells Bo Nui that he is worried because he doesn’t know what she is going to do next. He also tells her that he keeps thinking about her.
That’s when Bo Nui lets Soo Ho know that Bo Ra is waking up… not what he expected to hear. He doesn’t quite understand, but she tells him it’s thanks to him because they technically did spend the night together (side by side, under the same roof). Bo Nui tries telling Soo Ho, that now she will not bother him anymore, but he doesn’t like this. He tells her that he worries too much, so instead he wants her to stay within his sight. He doesn’t want to see her absent anymore, or continuously trying to quit. The conversation ends with her saying how he is a very cool tiger.
Coworkers Wager
The coworkers make a wager on whether or not Bo Nui will start working there again. It seems to be pretty evenly split.
Dal Nim and Bo Nui Talk
Dal Nim and Bo Nui have more of a talk. Bo Nui explains what has happened and Dal Nim is relieved that nothing actually happened between Bo Nui and Soo Ho. Dal Nim voices her concern that she was worried they were secretly dating. Dal Nim is going to be really upset once Bo Nui and Soo Ho get even closer and start dating, isn’t she? She’s so sweet, I don’t want to see her hurting. As much as I really like Ryang Ha for her, she doesn’t seem to have any feelings for him right now.
The Smiling Doesn’t Stop
Soo Ho has another one of his smile fests as he remembers how Bo Nui says that he is a very good tiger. He continues his smiling episode down by the cafe with Ryang Ha who looks freaked out by it (since he’s still not totally used to this out of character behavior). Amy shows up and is really happy to be seeing Soo Ho so happy. I feel like she misinterprets in and thinks that Soo Ho is happy because she is there and his feelings are still present. She follows him outside and suggests they ride bikes together, but she’s wearing heels.
Amy asks Soo Ho if she can ride on his bike with him, but he says no and leaves. Determined Amy, quickly catches up to Soo Ho on her bike while wearing her heels still. I really applaud her for not giving up, but she ends up falling over. He puts some cream on her and a band-aid, which makes her extremely happy.
I feel really bad for Amy right now. She does have quite a kind personality in my aspects and she really wants to progress her relationship with Soo Ho. She keeps misreading him though. Although he’s feeling more at ease around her, and being able to slowly let go of the past… his heart really is moving on.
Worrying is Liking
When Amy and Soo Ho were sitting on the bench, something she said really stood out to him. She had said that when you worry about someone, it’s because you like them. She was referring to the Soo Ho of the past that always worried about her, but Soo Ho’s mind was realizing that it’s Bo Nui that he always worries about.
Without even realizing it, Soo Ho ends up in front of Bo Nui’s building and we get another cute, spastic Soo Ho moment. He decides to go get her some food, but when he comes back he sees Gary and Bo Nui hugging, so he decides to leave.
Cake Time
Night time falls; Bo Nui and Gary enjoy some cake on the rooftop. Bo Nui makes a wish that Gary will be able to find his father.
Superstitious Gifts Are Still Gifts
The next day, back at the company, Bo Nui gives Soo Ho the gift of a jar of salt. He doesn’t look overly impressed and goes into his office. In his office, he talks to himself as usual. He carries on about how she gives away smiles freely. I detect a hint of jealous Soo Ho.
For gifts he apparently doesn’t understand or like, he sure does seem to cherish them, by carefully placing them nicely on his desk. First the cactus, now the salt. What a sentimental guy, when you factor in that he has a mini bicycle as well that reminds him of his first love. It’s still back in the drawing though, right?
The Filming
Gary’s doing some filming for the IF game, but he’s extremely unnatural and awkward. Amy asks Bo Nui to help him out since he’s the most at ease with her. She does help him and he immediately looks a lot more comfortable. Of course, Soo Ho appears to witness this, adding to his already existing jealousy.
The creative director wants Bo Nui to stand in as a model and pretend to be Gary’s girlfriend, but Soo Ho is not having any of this. He comes up with a lame excuse as to why it cannot be. He even offers to take her place as the model if it means he won’t have to see her link arms with Gary. The girls both laugh watching this ridiculous scene.
So Hoo doesn’t want Bo Nui to go out and get food with Gary, so instead he asks her to work on and finalize a project, which she does. He really wants to keep her away from Gary as much as possible.
Soo Ho Looks Online
So Hoo continues to obsess over his possible feelings for Bo Nui. He looks online to see what the signs are of liking someone. Although he clearly likes her according to the answers to the online questionnaire, he still tries to make up excuses and deny it to himself.
Not So Great Business Meeting
Soo Ho, Bo Nui, Gary and Amy have a meeting. Soo Ho wants Gary to talk about his family but Gary gets super uncomfortable. Both the women see this, but it’s Amy that comes to his rescue. She knows he doesn’t want to talk about his father, so she stays firmly on his side, supporting his right to privacy. Amy checks the contract, and see that there is no stipulation that he must talk about his family, so there is room for negotiation. Gary admits to Amy that the reason he wanted to come back to Korea is to find his father. This is a nice moment between the two of them. Their relationship has been manager/athlete and very platonic, but the honesty of the conversation does open it up to a bit of a closer connection potentially.
Bo Nui Tells Soo Ho his Father got Hurt
Bo Nui confronts Soo Ho and tells him that he really wasn’t being very nice to Gary and was being too demanding. She explains there’s things he doesn’t know that Gary can’t talk about. She also calls out Soo Ho on the fact he ignores his mother’s calls and didn’t even know his father got injured. Soo Ho is surprised.
Hee Ae goes back to see Young Il and bring him lots of food. Soo Ho calls her. He asked her how’s she’s doing. She’s so shocked because he never calls her. Soo Ho asks his mother where she is; she lies and says she is at home. He asks to speak to his father (to see if he’s okay) but she lies again and says he’s not home.
Bo Nui is a Bug
Soo Ho tries to remind himself that Bo Nui is a bug and that he only wants to fix her (but doesn’t have any feelings). Ryang Ha smiles as he watches Soo Ho in his own head. He asks Soo Ho which type of girl he wants.. the femme fatale or the luck charm and gives him two drinks, one representing each. Soo Ho pays no attention, but ends up picking the Bo Nui drink without realizing.
Soo Ho has a conversation with Bo Nui outside asking her why she forgives everyone except him. As she explains, while getting aggravated, he is being mesmorized by her beauty and totally drawn in to her.. He cracks a smirk, but as she leaves, he realizes that he was in a total daze.
Soo Ho catches Young Il with his mother by the bus stop and looks very uneasy. Somethings not right with Young Il, but I don’t really quite understand what is going on with him. He seems to have connections in the gaming industry.. so I wonder what his hidden motives are. I hope he’s not trying to secretly destroy Soo Ho (which would be very awkward if Soo Ho turns out to be his son).
Waking up on the Floor
Soo Ho goes on another mad smiling fit (I can’t keep track of them anymore). It’s weird, but adorable seeing a character that didn’t smile at all at first, walking around completely smitten, with a bright smile on his face. As he daydreams of Bo Nui, he hilariously wakes up laying on the floor where they had slept side by side.
The Caring Soo Ho
Soo Ho casually shows up at Bo Nui’s again but she is heading out. He goes with her to pay respect to her deceased parents. They talk in the car on the way back and she discusses her parents favorite song and how she really is bad luck. Soo Ho brings Bo Nui to see Bo Ra, but she’s scared she will bring misfortune to her sister. He reassures her that he is her talisman, so nothing bad will happen. She challenges him saying he doesn’t believe in that stuff. He says it doesn’t matter because she believes it.
So Hoo lovingly guides Bo Nui slowly towards her sister’s room, never letting go of her. Bo Nui enters the room cautiously and gets to finally see her sister up close after all this time. Bo Nui gets emotional, but is so glad to see her sister. As Bo Nui leans forward, Soo Ho makes sure to still keep a hand on her at all times to make her feel comfortable.
After seeing Bo Ra, Bo Nui gives Soo Ho a heartfelt thank you. He gives her a warm embrace, and tells Bo Nui that anytime she wants to see her sister, he will come with her.
Truth or Dare
For this episode’s Truth or Dare, we see a bit more of Soo Ho’s online search about whether or not you like someone. It basically says, if you are reading this and have someone in mind, you are already fallen in love with them. He’s like Whaaaatttt… but I think that’s really the moment of realization for him.
Closing Thoughts
I really enjoyed this episode. Much more than the previous one. Although I did like episode 7, Bo Nui was very difficult to relate to and handle. At least Bo Nui was very content this episode. The problem though is, she still thinks she’s the root of all the problems for everyone around her. She may be happy right now, but the moment something goes wrong, she’ll think it’s all her fault again and who knows what will happen.
I was really happy with Amy’s scenes. They managed to humanize her a lot more this episode, and made her much more relatable and likable. I thought the bicycle moment was really cute. That entire scene made me want to root for her… but in the end, she will not be the one for Soo Ho.
This episode focused a great deal on Soo Ho learning and coming to terms with his feelings towards Bo Nui. Most of it was denial in his head, but his actions were clearly and constantly stating otherwise.
I want to see Bo Nui’s feelings develop now. She appreciates Soo Ho for sure, but I think she’ll keep her guard up with him since she thinks she hurts everyone she cares about. If she falls in love with Soo Ho, she will want to back away from him to protect him.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about Gary, but I thought he did a great job this episode. Lee Soo Hyuk shows a lot of emotion in his face without overdoing it. He’s very good with subtle expressions.
I’m really very happy with the entire ensemble. Characters can be frustrating, but the actors are portraying their characters well.
The episode had a lot of sweetness, and some great, love triangle/love square moments. There were lots of jealous looks going back and forth as the characters took mental notes while watching other characters interact.
Episode 8 Quick Rating
4/5
I’m guessing the salt I sprinkled on the last episode helped; good thing I have some more.
*Sprinkles more salt
What were your thoughts? How do you feel about Bo Nui’s turnaround.. will it last?
Lucky Romance – Recaps:
kdramadreamer 