Asian Addicts Anonymous

Didn’t get much sleep and am kind of running on fumes right now, but thought I’d try to get this out since no work or jury duty today. In honor of a certain even that happens in this episode, I present you with Chaos’s “Kiss Kiss”:

And…does anyone else feel nauseated while watching this video? I mean the camera tricks and presentation aren’t bad, but watching the whole video with that choppiness…yeah…not a good effect.

We open with Tae Ik and his mother returning to the restaurant to find Man Ok and Bum Soo. He’s surprised to see them while Man Ok is happy to see that Tae Ik appears to be okay. Meanwhile, poor Kang Hwi is lying morosely on a bed staring at the ceiling recalling what the doctor said. No bright lights. No heavy exertion. Treatment should be started posthaste to try to slow the progress of the degeneration. He also recalls Joon’s words about there not being enough time left and how Joon will help him stand on stage til the end. He gets up and rushes out. Truthfully, I think it’s the wrong decision. Sure, if he wants to remain a star, he needs to stay in the public eye, but at the same time…is it worth the expense of his health and relationships?Ming Hwa anxiously calls Joon. How come there’s been no news from him? Has he found Kang Hwi yet? Joon says that he has and Ming Hwa says she will start preparing then. The two hang up while Joon recalls what happened after the press conference. He vowed Tae Ik will not be safe after stabbing him in the back. That’s when he saw Man Ok and Kang Hwi. When one door is closed, another opens. I’m reminded of one saying from a show where one character told another, whenever God closes a door, he opens a window. The other character’s reply? To throw yourself out of. Random, but just what I was reminded of during this scene. The secretary comes and Joon asks if she’s heard from Kang Hwi yet. Nope. Hire someone to find him then. No need for that as Kang Hwi has just arrived. Joon smiles. This was faster than expected. The secretary is sent out for tea while Kang Hwi sits down and asks why Joon wants him back on stage knowing that he will soon lose all sight. Joon smiles and says because he needs Kang Hwi-nim now (since Tae Ik jumped ship). Kang Hwi says that is just like Joon who replies that Kang Hwi shines the brightest on stage. Joon then says that it’s a shame that Kang Hwi’s eyesight is going, but he should be on stage to the end.

Okay, so yes, going blind could end your career as an idol singer or a dance singer, but losing your sight does not mean a career death sentence. Remember we do have some very famous blind musicians like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Andrea Boticelli. So…I actually didn’t get the whole time limit and how Kang Hwi’s time as a star would end with this disease.

Kang Hwi quickly agrees to come back under the condition that Jang Man Ok remains as his stylist. Joon balks at this. She’s the cause of the whole issue with Tae Ik. If Joon can’t do this, then Kang Hwi won’t do anything. Joon’s smile goes away and says he’ll think about it. Does Kang Hwi happen to like her? Kang Hwi quickly gets up and refuses to answer. Joon had better think quickly since there is so little time left. Kang Hwi leaves and Joon laughs and yells “done!” He then looks at where Kang Hwi had been sitting and his face gets a very serious expression. This character always makes me wonder just what is really going through his head. There are times you think he’s pure evil and really only considers the boys as dollar signs, but then there are times when he seems like he might genuinely care.

Back at the house, Kang Hwi is still in the basement. He’s cuddling with Chaton and trying to call Man Ok, which he can’t reach since she’s in Japan. He sighs and asks the kitty where his mother went. Is she upstairs? He goes to her room, but no one is there. He sits on her bed and looks around. Something catches his eyes. It’s the sketch that Man Ok drew of Tae Ik for the t-shirt. He then recalls Man Ok’s worry about Tae Ik at the conference. He puts down the sketchbook and covers it with something else. He then goes down to the kitchen where he keeps turning the lights on and off.

In Japan, Aunt Lee thanks Bum Soo and Man Ok for helping out. Tae Ik asks where his mother is and Aunt Lee replies Mina is resting as she was tired. Tae Ik then demands to know why the two of them are in Japan. Bum Soo said he came to look for Tae Ik. Does he know how hard they looked for him? Let’s take a break for a few days and go back. Tae Ik refuses this and tells them to be on the first flight back to Korea at 9 the next morning. Man Ok tells him not to be like that. When he gets up to leave, she declares she won’t leave if he won’t. This surprises Bum Soo and Tae Ik. Both look at her in surprise. Man Ok says she’ll be under Aunt Lee’s care for a few days. Bum Soo quickly says the same and Aunt Lee and Tae Ik look totally shocked.

That night, Tae Ik recalls Man Ok’s arrival and the gaggle of girls who surrounded him earlier. What’s going through his head? Meanwhile, Go Dong rushes to Full House and wakes Kang Hwi up. Why didn’t Kang Hwi tell him he was back? Kang Hwi asks the time and then asks why Go Dong is there at dawn. Didn’t Joon tell Kang Hwi he was going to Japan today? Uh-oh. This can’t be good. It’s for the film festival that Se Ryeong is going to as well. Kang Hwi then asks where Man Ok is. Go Dong reveals he can’t get in touch with either Man Ok or Bum Soo who went frantically searching for Tae Ik.

In Japan, Man Ok comes back from jogging and sees Tae Ik getting into his car and leaving. She quickly gets on a bike and follows him. A bike? How can she keep up enough with his car not to lose him? I had the unrealistic Skip Beat! moment where Ivy Chen’s character Gong Xi beat a race car, a plane, a train, and Superman, lol. Man Ok catches up to him as he boards a ferry. She gets on and searches it all over to find him Where did he go? She finally sees him on the top deck and gives a brilliant smile. She goes up to him, but it’s not Tae Ik, it’s a Japanese man with a similar hairstyle and outfit. How embarrassing. She heads down to the car park on the ferry to look once more. There is Tae Ik sitting in his car with his eyes closed. She hits the window until he wakes up and rolls it down and then she jumps out at him yelling. Tae Ik is startled and yells while Man Ok scolds him as she was looking all over for him.

Man Ok gets in and asks if he has been in the car the entire time. Tae Ik doesn’t answer and wishes to know how she follow him? Man Ok doesn’t answer this and says that ever since she saw him leaving like a stray cat with a bag she’s been looking for him. Tae Ik then warns her that if she doesn’t get out now, he’ll drop her off in the middle of a road once the ferry lands. He opens the door and tells her to find her way home well. Man Ok scolds him for trying to be so cheap. He’s trying to go somewhere good by himself isn’t he? Take her, too, and let her sight see since this is her very first time in Japan. This shocks Tae Ik. Sight see? Man Ok smiles and vows to buy him something delicious as repayment. Tae Ik storms out of the car and Man Ok gets out as well. Is he really just going to abandon the car? Abandon? Tae Ik turns in horror. Does she know how expensive this car is? There’s no way he can abandon it. She’s going to have to drive since he’s tired. Omo. This is her first time in Japan and you’re making her drive? Man Ok glares at him and calls him a rude b*stard as he gets in the passenger’s seat. LOL. Got to love their relationship.

Man Ok is just like a little kid and Tae Ik enjoys watching her. He goes up to the tree where she is looking at charms hanging. He comes over and with a straight, serious face, tells her he loves her and asks her to stay by his side forever. Man Ok gets a little uncomfortable and goes to say something, but Tae Ik tells her to stop and stand still. He comes in closer and closer and then asks Man Ok why her face is red and she’s closing her eyes. Man Ok looks at him in surprise. Man Ok stutters and Tae Ik says he was just reading the shell in front of her. Since it’s in Japanese, it’s not like Man Ok can confirm that or not. She gets angry at him for teasing her. He plays all innocent saying he was just reading it. LOL. TEASE!!!! Confess for real already!!! Nappeun namja.

Man Ok angrily grabs Tae Ik and tells him to follow her. She then takes him to a store and picks out a shell. She hands it to him and tells him to buy it for her as retribution. Tae Ik refuses as he doesn’t waste money on frivolities like that. Writing your wish on a shell and hanging it on a tree is all a lie. Hearing this, Man Ok wants to do it even more. Tae Ik goes to leave, but Man Ok says she has no money and if he doesn’t buy it for her, she’ll give him a hard time. Tae Ik looks back and tells her to try it. Man Ok then vows to sit in the middle of the store and cry her eyes out. Tae Ik doesn’t believe her until she really does sit in the middle of the floor. He quickly tells her to get up and she happily pops up and hands the shell to the cashier and asks Tae Ik to translate she wants to buy that. Tae Ik reluctantly does and hands over the money with a very annoyed and grumpy face.

Back at the tree, Man Ok is hanging her wish. Tae Ik comes over with a smile which fades as he sees Man Ok’s shell just says “Growth.” What a waste of money! She then calls him the King of Petty. How much is the shell? She’ll pay him double the amount back in Korea. Tae Ik tells her it’s $11,000 won. What? That expensive? Why did he buy it? Tae Ik can’t believe the question. Wasn’t she the one who threatened him that she’d cry if he didn’t? LOL. Man Ok’s going to feel guilty now. But still, if it was that expensive he should have said something. Man Ok then wonders if they collect seashells and sell them there, wouldn’t they make a lot of money? Tae Ik turns and leaves and Man Ok calls out to him to wait for her. She then says the expensive seashell makes her feel her wish of growth will come true. They should have bought him one. Tae Ik says that’s okay as he doesn’t do such things, but that’s a lie. He secretly bought a shell which says he wishes he could protect those he loves (his mommy, Man Ok, Kang Hwi, such a cutey). I wonder why Tae Ik never does anything out in the open. People really misunderstand him since all of his good deeds are basically done in the shadows or under a vow of secrecy.

They continue on with their sightseeing and Man Ok catches sight of a play. She and Tae Ik go over and sit down. She thinks it’s cool as its her first time there seeing such a thing. The man next to them (speaking in Japanese so Man Ok doesn’t understand) asks if they are tourists. Tae Ik replies they are and Man Ok parrots him. Then the man asks if they are on their honeymoon. Man Ok happily smiles and keeps saying yes. Snort. Ahhh, what did she think he asked? This makes Tae Ik pause and look at her. Is she saying that because she knows what the man has said? Nope, she’s only doing that because the man is smiling? WHAT kind of reasoning is that? Heck, that’s what gets Song Yuri’s character in trouble in A Prince’s First Love as she agrees to something in Japanese that she doesn’t understand and it involves sleeping with the male lead for a chunk of change. Anywho, the nice Japanese man then points to a temple behind them and says if they both wish for love, it will come true. Man Ok smiles and says “yes” again while Tae Ik has a serious expression as he stares at the temple.

Tae Ik walks alone to the temple and closes his eyes to pray. Man Ok follows behind him, but stays at the bottom of the stairs and wonders what he’s doing. So cute. Afterward they take a walk and Man Ok says it feels like a shoot where the couple lost their way. Be honest, Tae Ik did lose his way, didn’t he? Tae Ik says he didn’t, but Man Ok doesn’t believe him. He then stops. He has something to ask her. What? Why did she come all that way to find him? Man Ok, of course, can’t answer 100% honestly and says what would she do if he complains he became like this because of her? Tae Ik says it’s not her fault so she needn’t worry. Man Ok smiles and says of course, why would he think about someone like her? Don’t be so down on yourself girl! Tae Ik’s immediate response is to look at her and demand to know what’s supposedly so wrong with her. This shocks Man Ok. Huh? She doesn’t get why he’s mad. Tae Ik then asks if that is really the only reason she came. Man Ok can’t tell him the real reason and says of course that’s the only reason. Tae Ik unhappily walks away all depressed. Can’t he tell Man Ok isn’t being truthful at all? Man Ok rushes after him all flustered by the question and Tae Ik’s response.

In the car, Man Ok is sleeping when Tae Ik becomes fascinated by her lips yet again. He leans in for a kiss as if he’s magnetized by them when Man Ok opens her eyes and jumps, startled. Just what does he think he’s doing coming that close to her face? What do you think, baboya? Tae Ik snaps back to his side of the car and quickly covers his mouth and gags. What’s wrong? He thinks he’s car sick and gags again. Is this all faked? Man Ok quickly looks around for something and then tells him to quickly get up and out. Nothing like ending an almost kiss scene with nearly throwing up on the person you like.

They stand on the deck and Tae Ik says that he’s feeling slightly better. Man Ok then exclaims over the beauty of the view. Tae Ik replies it’s only black for him. Man Ok turns and says this is because he’s wearing sunglasses. I don’t think that’s what he meant at all, I think this was more that his outlook right now seems very dark and bleak. Man Ok tells him that there isn’t many people, so he can take his sunglasses off. Tae Ik refuses so she snatches them off and tells him to look at how beautiful everything is. He turns to her and demands to know once more if what she said earlier really is the only reason she came. Man Ok’s voice softens and her bubbly animation gets very serious. Then what about him? Why did he give up Full House? Tae Ik just kisses her as his response. FINALLY!!!!!!! I’m impressed he actually took the initiative at long last.

We then cut to Kang Hwi arriving in Japan with Se Ryeong and Joon where they are greeted by a gaggle of fan girls. Tae Ik and Man Ok have arrived back and are eating while Bum Soo demands to know why they both went off without telling him earlier. The atmosphere is a little awkward between them and Bum Soo demands to know if they fought yet again. Tae Ik quickly replies that isn’t the case. Bum Soo then asks if Tae Ik was mean to Man Ok yet again. Man Ok says that he wasn’t. This makes Aunt Lee tell Tae Ik that he shouldn’t be petty towards women. Poor Tae Ik. Mina then looks at Man Ok and says she’s pretty. Isn’t she? Tae Ik stares and doesn’t say anything. LOL. His silence can be construed as his confession, ne?

Bum Soo feeling something is not quite right with the atmosphere, wonders what’s on TV. Oh, he knows Japanese (this is asked him by Tae Ik’s aunt)? Not really, but do you need to know the language to understand what’s going on (it helps)? He turns on the TV and manages to catch the report of Kang Hwi and Se Ryeong coming to Japan for the film festival. This shocks everyone. What the heck is going on? We then cut to the festival where Snowflake an Kang Hwi have arrived arm in arm. That must have been hard for them both to do since they intensely hate each other. At the festival, the two sit together and shoot each other nasty looks while Go Dong and Joon arrive. Joon is happy because the response of their arrival is good. He then asks for Se Ryeong to follow him. She leaves and Go Dong worries about how unwell Kang Hwi looks. Go Dong then gets a call from Bum Soo that catches Kang Hwi’s attention.

At the restaurant, Man Ok asks Bum Soo how Kang Hwi knows she’s in Japan. Bum Soo guesses Go Dong told him. Anyway, he asks Man Ok to meet with Kang Hwi-nim the next day to learn why he’s returned to U Entertainment. Oh, and keep it a secret from Tae Ik-ssi. This won’t be good. Nope, not at all. We all know how things go when secrets are kept – even innocent ones. Man Ok reluctantly agrees to this. Meanwhile, Tae Ik is sitting outside recalling the footage of Se Ryeong and Kang Hwi on TV. He looks unhappy and worried. Gorsh. Why can’t these two good friends admit their care and worry for one another? Back at the hotel, Kang Hwi asks if Go Dong made the appointment. Go Dong says he did, but is worried about Kang Hwi skipping out on a schedule. Kang Hwi tells him not to worry and pretend Go Dong knows nothing to Joon. Kang Hwi then asks why Man Ok came to Japan. Go Dong reveals that it appears she came with Bum Soo to look for Tae Ik. Go Dong then gets a call asking him to go somewhere. He tells Kang Hwi to rest and leaves.

The next day Man Ok waits for Kang Hwi who comes wearing a duck hat that hides his face. Playing with her, he asks her in Japanese what the time is. Man Ok, not understanding says that she’s Korean in both Japanese and English. Kang Hwi then replies he knows she’s Korean and unzips his coat so she can see his face. Man Ok is happy to see him. The two then go around and start playing together. Kang Hwi picks out a shirt and Man Ok says it suits him well. She’s looking at hairpins and asks which of the two suit her best. Kang Hwi says they are both pretty and he will buy them for her. Nope. Only one. Man Ok picks one and Kang Hwi wonders why since he said he’d buy them both for her. Man Ok then tells him what her grandfather told her. Wanting this and that is greedy. If a person is greedy, eventually he ends up losing everything he owns. True…if you are too greedy, that is what can happen and I’m sure this can and will happen to at least one person in this drama…preferably Joon or Se Ryeong. This makes Kang Hwi uneasy. Man Ok goes to pay and Kang Hwi picks up the hairpin she didn’t choose. It’s pretty, too. He then catches sight of a flier and asks to go to that place with Man Ok.

They go there and Kang Hwi starts yelling after making sure he’s in the right position. The sound starts echoing fascinating him and Man Ok both. He then has Man Ok try it, too. She gets excited. Kang Hwi then yells out she’s prettier than the actor of the same name. This makes Man Ok laugh. He turns and then tells her he has something to say. He thanks her for always being by his side while he was hurt. In the future, can she continue to be by his side? You know, these very serious moments are the moments that PKW’s acting seems to shine the most. Oh, he’s great with his silliness, but these brief moments of utter seriousness and intensity really stand out and showcase how wonderful of an actor Park Ki Woong is. Man Ok, sensing Kang Hwi’s sincerity and feelings behind the question, begins to stop smiling. And we end this episode half here.

The previews show Bum Soo encouraging Tae Ik to stand back onstage and regain everything he’s lost—from Full House to his love (Man Ok?). We then also see screaming fangirls who support Tae Ik still. Bum Soo comes to Tae Ik with drinks as does Man Ok and it looks like we’ll get a good scene with our drunken stylist and Tae Ik. Kang Hwi sees Tae Ik and Man Ok at the airport and recalls Man Ok’s words about being greedy. Tae Ik goes back to Korea with Man Ok and she wonders where he will stay. Kang Hwi’s reinstatement and Tae Ik’s leaving gets Seo curious and he rushes to find a connection between the stories. Tae Ik stays in Bum Soo’s messy place and Man Ok worries if he’ll be okay there. We then cut to a scene of Tae Ik sleeping in bed with Bum Soo and sitting bolt upright and screaming. WAE? Can’t wait.

But tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Don’t expect a recap early or at any time tomorrow. Unfortunately, in recent years since my grandmother has gotten sicker, I have become the Thanksgiving dinner cook in the house. Sure, other family members help out, but I’ve been doing the majority of cooking for awhile now, so there will be no time. And my precious niece and nephew will be here 😀 Plus my Ina, father and siblings from Alabama arrived at midnight and will be here until Saturday.