by: Raine

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Last weeks ratings dropped from 10% for episode 1 to 8.9% for episode 2 and it’s really not hard to see why. I think I’m probably one of the only people enjoying myself. Why? It’s THAT ridiculous. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on and when I can’t, I just make fun of it and wait for Rooftop Prince on Wednesday!

This week was a bit better than last week but it’s still setting up background. Yoo Ah-in is carrying the show on his very sexy, often nekkid, shoulders.

“???” –  ??? (from the Fashion King OST)

Coming out as soon as more of the OST comes out!

episode 3 recap

Kang Young-gul’s request has just been brutally rebuffed by Jung Jae-hyuk who has no money for the likes of Young-gul. So the incensed Young-gul barrels into Jae-hyuk’s meeting with Tory Burch, the teach of the New York Fashion School (NSF). He yanks Jae-hyuk up by the collar, embarrassing him in front of his important guests.

Young-gul had cast aside his pride in order to beg for money for food and is furious at Jae-hyuk’s disdain. He dares Jae-hyuk to go hungry for four days and then see what he’s capable of. Security comes and takes him away, kicking and screaming and hurling death threats at the stunningly hot heartless Jae-hyuk.

But Young-gul wasn’t without his wits as he assaulted the chaebol – he gained a pilfered wallet full of hundreds. Tha’s what I’m talkin’ about. The wallet holds not only cash but a ticket for a Michael J. Lauren show and a picture of a woman with “Forever love, An-na” written on the back (yes, it’s Choi An-na). That gives Young-gul a chuckle.

Now did anyone else notice the mashup of Michael Kors’ and Ralph Lauren’s names that make “Michael J. Lauren”?

Anyway, Young-gul’s not about to get off that easy. A kid runs by and snatches the wallet and Young-gul gives chase, but loses the thief. He still has An-na’s picture though.

(It’s a god-given gift to look that hot with an angry face.)

Jae-hyuk discovers his wallet is missing and then watches the news confirming that Young-gul was indeed telling the truth about the mutiny. Also, the news touts current leader of the mutiny as Young-gul…of course. Maybe he should bribe the newscaster with a  Lorax Rolex.

The next phase of Young-gul’s story after selling knock-offs, running from loan sharks, escaping a mutiny that he supposedly led and being turned away by a fellow countryman is the street rat phase. He is starving and starts eating restaurant leftovers, garbage and stealing from corner stores.

As poor Young-gul lives as a bum, Ga-young writes him an e-mail, telling him how well she’s doing and how glad she is to have met him. When he’s available, she’ll treat him to a good meal. Hun, go get him now. He needs food.

(Yoo Ah-in is amazing. The story is ridiculous and still his sad face makes me want to cry. Come to noona, baby. She’ll take care of you.)

On a bench, which looks like that crazy homeless lady’s bench, Young-gul eats stolen junk food and cries out his misery. By chance, he spots coats in the trash and scratches his butt as he goes to check them out. I like that particular, rather delicious, detail.

He finds a two dollar bill in the pocket and uses it at an internet cafe where his smell becomes the topic of conversation. Ga-young’s e-mail induces more tears and preempts a visit to NSF where she is finishing up a long day.

An impatient Young-gul waits for Ga-young to finish and the moment she appears, his sorrows immediately lift and he embraces the stunned fashion student tightly. “Where were you? I’ve been looking for you!”

*raises hand* I’m here. I will feed you. I just made kimchi fried rice for dinner. It was good.

Bong Sook is reading about the mutiny when Ga-young brings home the stray. They greet each other, she taken aback by his beauty…and the stench. He moves to sit on her sofa but she suggests a shower because he looks like he’s traveled a lot. He agrees…phew, crisis averted.

Ga-young fills Bong Sook in on his story and Bong Sook wonders if they are more than boss and factory worker. The conversation reminds her of the article she just read about a man from the Dongdaemoon market and a mutiny…

Yumminess is next.

Young-gul comes out of the shower in a towel and gets the once over by both gaping women before he asks for a change of clothes.

On the roof, Bong Sook informs Ga-young that just because a man has a body like that, doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t report a crime. Ga-young tries to explain it isn’t that way, but the older women isn’t having it. If Ga-young gets caught with him, everything she worked for will go down the drain. Bong Sook is willing to report him, but Ga-young decides to move out instead.

In Jae-hyuk’s fancy, schmancy office, Ga-young waits for him in order to thank him for his help with her readmission. This pleases Jae-hyuk who has a crush so secret, he doesn’t even know about it. No, I don’t think I’m making this up.

She offers to buy him dinner in thanks and he suggests that night. She leaves an envelope with the returned cash and a bag with an embroidered shirt. More Jae-hyuk smiling. YAY!

Jung-ah shows up at the dinner date, smug as you please, and stakes her claim with Jae-hyuk with a few barbs throw in. Ga-young holds her ground, tells the witch that she’s no match for Jae-hyuk and the witch announces that her mother, Madam Jo, hates her.

Enter arrogant Prince Jae-hyuk and on goes Jung-ah’s nice evil-step-sister routine. She asks way too many questions and offers her mother’s help, which Ga-young accepts with a smirk, making Jae-hyuk smile.

Then, Jae-hyuk asks Ga-young if she knows Young-gul and then go back and forth, both hesitant to answer any questions about him fully. Jae-hyuk discovers that Young-gul IS a president, he DOES have an assistant in America and that she did meet him, just as Young-gul had said. She asks if he has any connections at the embassy, which infuriates Jae-hyuk. Does she think he’s her problem solver ’cause he helped her once? Behave. Then he leaves and his groupie follows.

The boy is seriously petty. If you wanted her attention, you shouldn’t have brought the wench – or let her OPW her way into lunch. Whatever the case may be.

And the bad American actresses are back and fawning over him in a disgusting way that would never ACTUALLY happen. They also mistake his name as “Young Girl” and don’t even try to correct it. These women gives “foreigners” a bad name.

The cops give a little ring and Bong Sook stares wide-eyed at Young-gul, declaring that there is no such person here.

A man shows up at Young Girl asking about Young-gul’s whereabouts and his relationship with Ga-young. The seamstresses mention that they slept in the same small space. The inspector, at least I think he is, believes they are lovers are meeting up and wants contact information for Ga-young, which they don’t have.

Young-gul and Ga-young move into a slummy apartment. He feels badly that she is shouldering all of the costs even though she gets rent and allowance from school. They use their mad sewing skills to decorate the apartment because she doesn’t get living expenses.

Exhausted, Ga-young passes out at the table and Young-gul carries her to bed, watching over her with guilty heavy on his shoulders. He decides to rip apart the jackets he found in the trash and make some new ones.

Bong Sook comes over with a job offer: I run the business and you sew. Ga-young haggles for a fair cut, which impresses Bong Sook.

On a pier, in a very strange scene, Young-gul tries to peddle his coats. One very man gets angry, saying that the coats were his. He hands Young-gul a card, inviting Young-gul to see him at any time.

Wait…what? He was mad and then he’s inviting him places? For realz?

Young-gul walks home without having sold anything and is kept awake by Ga-young who is working on Bong Sook’s things.

She asks if he knows Jae-hyuk, which immediately fouls his mood. If he knows him,  Young-gul should ask him to help out at the embassy.

After everything that has passed between them, Young-gul is not about to approach the arrogant Jae-hyuk for anything and he lashes out at Ga-young. Did he ever ask her for a favor? She needs to mind her own business.

Ga-young is frustrated because she doesn’t want him to remain hidden forever due to false accusations, but Young-gul refuses to to ask a man who looks down on “people like them”. He assumes she and Jae-hyuk are “friendly”. If she is ever annoyed with his presence, he’ll disappear.

Baby boy, she has a major crush on you. You ain’t going nowhere. However, you have hurt her feelings pretty badly. You need to kiss her and make it better…

He stalks into the bathroom and suddenly recalls that the name on the card the man on the pier gave him was the same on the ticket in Jae-hyuk’s wallet. He hurries out, avoiding Ga-young’s gaze and grabs the card from this jacket.

The next day he is welcomed into a fancy place where a bunch of half-naked gay men check him out. He is shown to a room with a bathtub and a pretty frickin’ incredible city view and told to bath at his leisure. It takes a bit for him to get comfortable, but soon Young-gul is enjoying the luxury.

He is rudely interrupted by Choi An-na who is, as always, yelling at someone in very horrible English. Young-gul sinks further into the water, feeling rather violated. Turning on him, An-na orders, in English, for him to get out of the bathtub. After a moment, he acquises and stands, naked (YES!) and cold (BOO!) before her calculating eyes. She asks for his height and then mutters in Korean that they all look good, but they’re all gay.

(You guys like the fruit covering all the vital bits?)

The Korean jolts him out of his cold, wet misery and he replies in Korean that he’s not gay. She looks annoyed and asks why he’s there. He’d like to know that, too. Then why did he say his name was “Young Girl”? Because the Americans misunderstood his name, “Young-gul”.  She looks frustrated (which I bet is due to the situation and many other culture clashes she’s experienced) and gives him a once over, wondering if he’s a model. No, he’s in the business, but she doesn’t seem to care as she needs to find a gay man to send to the party.

How…completely random is this scene? I understand they need to meet, but…I think it was the shows way of having more nekkid Yoo Ah-in. So I’m forgiving it.

After he dresses, he finds An-na getting dressed (and looking pretty hot) and helps her with her zipper, whilst checking her out. She gets a bit flustered and tells him to leave. They argue a bit and he makes her understand that he wasn’t there as a gay date for Michael, but as a designer Michael was interested in.

In a dingy van, she drives him to the party and he is impressed that a Korean is working for a name brand designer. He thinks people like her should be on t.v. – he’s proud of her work and of her nice body and pretty face. She jerks the car to the side…I suppose she ain’t as happy about all of that.

At the party, he wanders as Tory Burch, bless her heart, tries to act. She introduces Jae-hyuk to Michael who isn’t really interested in the meeting and quickly leaves, humiliating Jae-hyuk.

Then he spots Young-gul and takes out his frustrations. Why is someone like him here embarrassing the nation? Young-gul is incredulous. Someone like him can’t be here? In any case, he’s here for work. Not to steal wallets? Jae-hyuk returns.

Touché.

Before the fists start to fly, An-na, who pointedly ignores Jae-hyuk, comes to fetch Young-gul because Michael wants to see him. An extremely jealous and confused Jae-hyuk watches as Michael greets “Young Girl”.

Ga-young is working on some garments for Bong Sook when Young-gul bring An-na back to pick up samples of his work. He acts like the apartment is his shop and Ga-young is his employee, which stuns Ga-young. He shows off the coats and Ga-young’s skills, working his newfound connection with the American fashion biz as best he can. When asked for a number, he runs to get the payphone number. Alone, An-na comments that Ga-young won’t have to worry about work because of NSF and asks if she and Young-gul are lovers. Ga-young denies it and An-na doesn’t believe her.

Young-gul hustles back, sees An-na out and promises that he’ll buy Ga-young lots of meat soon. Then he moons over An-na, breaking Ga-young’s little heart. Aw.

Jae-hyuk jogs and reflects on all of the different encounters he’s had that involve Young-gul. He invites An-na to breakfast and wants to start again with her because now he can protect her. She is skeptical and slides the envelope with the contract towards him with her “answer” to his proposition. He asks what Young-gul can do with Michael, but she suggests asking him personally. Ha.

Why do I love this guy even though he’s arrogant, vindictive and selfish? Maybe it’s for that itty bitty soft spot he has for Ga-young. Or, more likely, ’cause he’s wicked hot…and an oppa. w00t!

Assistant Kim, sent by Jae-hyuk’s parents, meets An-na and offers her contracts in Paris if she would only stay away from Jae-hyuk. Ah, yes, the interfering parents, can’t forget about them in our roundup of tropes. When Kim leaves, An-na shoves the papers onto the floor as her armor begins to crumble under the stress.

The inspector visits Madam Jo who latches onto the information that Ga-young could be deported for harboring a fugitive. She calls Jung-ah who weasels an invitation to Ga-young’s “home”. Ga-young is no idiot and wouldn’t dare take the spawn of the devil incarnate to her real home, so she takes her to Bong Sook’s. The kooky lady plays along and bites her tongue as Jung-ah looks around, commenting that the apartment only looks big enough for one.

With a few final barbs, Jung-ah leaves, then gets caught by a testy Bong Sook listening in at the door. Bong Sook wonders (and looks all gossipy while doing it) if Ga-young likes Young-gul because of all the effort she’s putting into protecting him.

Young-gul is doing the pee-pee dance in front of the payphone. Finally, he can’t handle it and bolts to the bathroom, which is, of course, when the phone starts ringing. When he is through, the phone is still ringing and he shoves a very angry black man out of the way to answer. Oh stereotypes…

Dressed very nicely, *drool* he goes to a shoot for Michael J. Lauren who has hired the ugliest models ever. He also treats An-na like poo on his shoe, which makes Young-gul’s heart-full-of-puppy-love bleed for her.

Anyone else notice the Baroque-style music? Such a strange OST choice…

Michael spots Young-gul and declares a break. He apologizes about messing up his name and about the bath. Don’t even try to apologize for that. All ya’ll know you just wanted to see him nekkid. In fact, here’s proof:

Yes, we all wanted to see that. Yes, Deeno, even you.

Anyway, Michael is impressed with Young Girl’s work and wants to buy his talent, earning him an ADORABLY HOT smile from Young-gul.

 Comments:

Bong Sook makes the best faces. I wanted to put a montage of her faces, but this is a recap, not a picture gallery…although…okay, I won’t go there.

Has this drama improved? Not really. It’s still pretty convoluted although now the plot (or lack thereof?) has been REALLY well established. In fact, we’ve spent three episodes establishing it. Young-gul’s luck sucks. Ga-young is talented. Jae-hyuk is a lonely, nasty chaebol. An-na is a frigid bitch with issues. Bong Sook is nuts. Madam Jo and her spawn need to get a life.

But…I can’t help myself. I’m enjoying it! Haha. I see bits and pieces of stuff that is legit: Ga-young’s feelings for Young-gul and Jae-hyuk’s soft spot for Ga-young. The crack in An-na’s facade.

And for a fashion show, I want some more fashion. I admit, that dress that Yu-ri was wearing was GORGEOUS! I was drooling over it while Young-gul was drooling over her.

As for plot, I will be disappointed if Ga-young has to give up school to go back to Korea. I vote time jump.

Yu-ri rocks the angry face but her character needs a bit more depth now. We saw a bit when she shoved the papers off the table and her pitiable sad face when scolded, but I want layers.

Speaking of, can Yoo Ah-in act or what? I showed a friend some stills and she pointed to Yoo Ah-in and said, “that guy can act, can’t he?” Yes, my friend. Yes, he can. He knows how to use his face, his body, his voice, silences. Unlike the other actors (who are by no means horrible), he goes beyond momentary portrayals of emotion and really encompasses the entire emotional spectrum in every moment. I see the inner workings of his character in everything he does, even if his character kinda doesn’t make sense.

According to the SBS website, he’s directionless with no faith in himself and I took that to mean that he would be meeker and much less of a hustler than he is. I suppose they meant that he would hustle for a living, but not really try and actualize his talent.

Didn’t he just hook up with Michael J. Kors Michael J. Lauren of his own efforts? At least Yoo Ah-in is rocking the character he was given to play and hopefully it will develop more soon.

I want to see Ga-young’s affect on Young-gul now. Right now he’s barreling over her and that spunk she occasionally shows needs to really start coming out a bit more.

On to episode 4…where rabid rabbits from Deeno’s army come to chew off limbs of unsuspecting, horrible American actors…

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Character introductions.

Fashion King Episode 3 Screencaps.