by: Raine

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Episode 12 dropped 0.4% to 9.4%.

It’s the same stuff over and over. It’s saving grace is some mystical power that catches the attention and the heart and invests you. Perhaps it’s the hot men. Perhaps it’s the need to figure this hot mess of a drama out. I’m not sure.

“Killing Me Softly” –  Lee Ha-yi (from the Fashion King OST)

episode 13 recap

Young-gul is agonizing in bed over Ga-young’s departure and then rises  to check Ga-young’s sleeping area, but she isn’t there.

Why? Because she’s asking Bong Sook for a place to stay. Bong Sook is more than happy to have her and get rid of the good-for-nothing roommate. But she also wants to know the gossip? She she leave for Jae-hyuk’s company because she and Young-gul fought or because of Jae-hyuk?

Over lunch, Jae-hyuk and father discuss a commercial when Assistant Kim interrupts them with the news that Ga-young decided to work for them. Jae-hyuk smiles adorably at this, happier than a  bully stealing lunch money

Director Kim, with some freshly touched up roots, is supervising the work room when Jae-hyuk saunters in  to see Ga-young. He masks his true intentions and his exuberant mood with a quick perusal of the other designers’ work. He quickly meets Ga-young’s gaze before leaving. Kim stares after him with an understandable look of surprise.

In his office, Jae-hyuk receives research on Il-gook from Assistant Kim. Then he threatens the poor assistant to keep silent and not tell Mama Jae-hyuk anything or he’ll lose his job.

So this is a “grown-up” way of going behind your mother’s back? Oi.

Then in a very satisfying scene, Assistant Kim hands Madam Dragon her ass on a plate. How? Jae-hyuk wants to buy out the Dragon’s share, but only for a million, what she put into the company. When she declines because she has a new investor, Kim pulls out pictures of Il-gook and says, “We warned you Young-gul couldn’t be trusted.”

He tells her that it’s in her best interest to sell; J Fashion has YGM’s top designer. But the Dragon won’t go uncompensated – her line will be featured by J Fashion.

Needless-to-say, the Dragon is FURIOUS, blowing smoke from her nostrils and ready to crispy fry Kim. Instead, she calls Miss Go for some water and agrees on the condition that Jae-hyuk hire Jung-ah.

Yay, more unreasonable conflict to come…whoopee.

(Check those hideous things out.)

Just by the way, the Dragon’s platforms are disgusting. They’re not even shoes. Cinder blocks with lanyard laces would look better than that offensive pair of footwear. Can you imagine her walking around on cinder blocks? Heehee.

So there’s a public signing between Jae-hyuk and Dragon. Jae-hyuk is all smirks. I think that the Dragon is a contract slut – she signs willy nilly with any hot man who will make her money.

Jae-hyuk calls Young-gul to his office. Young-gul has already read the news. The chaebol wants Young-gul to come to J Fashion for efficiency. Ga-young is already here. If Young-gul doesn’t want to join J Fashion’s YGM, then Jae-hyuk will give him $5 million for Ga-young.

Young-gul signs angrily and on his way out, Jae-hyuk asks what YGM stands for: Yellow Great Mountain.

Nope, the “Y” and “G” do not stand for Young-gul and Ga-young. Idiot.

As Young-gul leaves, he runs into Ga-young who calls him “president”. He says he’s no longer her president and breezes by. She looks heartbroken.

Why do I pity them? WHY? They totally brought this on themselves. Changing sides, not talking, letting their pride and jealousy guide their actions. They do this every single flippin’ episode. How is this going to work out?

WAIT! I figured out why I pity them! There is a wicked sad clarinet solo wailing in the OST. Clarinet always gets me RIGHT. THERE. *brushes tear away*

J Fashion’s people are all over Young-gul’s factory questioning Young-gul’s staff about YGM. In the office, Young-gul listens to the head seamstress answer questions. She says that Young-gul took care of everything.

At Bong-sook’s place, Bong Sook tells Ga-young about what happened. She pities Young-gul because he tried everything, even cooperated with the Dragon, but was screwed over in the end by J Fashion. His employee and his contract with America were stolen. But Young-gul is Dongdaemoon’s roly poly: he can survive anything.

Gross nickname. Gross.

That night, Ga-young can’t sleep and she heads towards Young Young Apparel. Turns out Young-gul can’t sleep either and he keeps seeing Ga-young all over the place.

Hallucinations are side-effects of signing too many contracts in a short period of time. They’re also side effects of betrayal, being an asshole and miscommunication.

Finally, Young-gul leaves to go find some mental help – no, he doesn’t, I just wish he did. But I really pity him and my heart ached for him. Yoo Ah-in, you are a master. I pity a loathsome character.

So Young-gul is gone when Ga-young shows up.

RAWR! Stop being such a wishy washy little…GRR. Tell him exactly why you left and how you feel. Oh, and don’t go work for the other guy. Go find another job if you’re so ridiculously gifted at stealing Michael Jackson jacket designs.

Chil-bok has a guest, Young-gul, who is stealing his lunch again. Chil-bok thinks Young-gul is crazy because he doesn’t care about money as much anymore, he’s sticking to the failing factory like glue and he let his woman go. He’s been all crazy-like ever since. But Young-gul doesn’t hold onto women who want to leave.

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, honey.

Anywho, Young-gul wants to make Dongdaemoon into a fashion mecca, not just for Southeast Asia, but everywhere. Chil-bok thinks Young-gul lost his marbles after losing Ga-young.

I think so, too.

Time for Jung-ah to make her annoying return. Her mother brings her to the company where they both get invited to a meeting. An-na walks into the meeting and glares at Ga-young, then the Dragon and her spawn walk in and glare at Ga-young. It’s a total glare fest. It’d be better if there were some laser beams. Blue laser beams. Blue is pretty.

Don’t give the camera that puppy dog look, Ga-young. You brought this one upon yourself.

The Dragon sits next to An-na for a whispered confrontation. She lost money because of An-na who coolly replies that she only supplied information. The Dragon declares that An-na is not in her good graces no more.

I think that’s probably a good thing.

The meeting is about Jae-hyuk’s new idea. He’s gonna hold a Fashion King contest. The five best designers will sell their product on the market and the most sold will be Fashion King. The winner will go on a free worldwide trip to study fashion and receive a cash prize.

Jae-hyuk smiles at Ga-young the entire time, pleased with himself for making this opportunity for her. Abilities are on trial rather than status. An-na, of course, glares at the back of Jae-hyuk’s head.

Again, if there were blue laser beams, this scene would’ve been way more interesting.

Afterwards, An-na approaches him with a sneer and leaves him ruffled up. Then, Ga-young asks to speak with him, but they’re interrupted by the Dragon, her spawn and Director Kim walking by.

Ga-young shows up in the workroom and the gaggle of girls break up the gossip session to go back to work.

Women are so mean. Exclusion is ridiculously painful. This is where I wish women were like men and we just resorted to throwing punches rather than this passive aggressive bullshit. Who’s with me?!

Jung-ah comes to visit Ga-young with a poo-poo face and accuses her of colluding with Young-gul to steal her mother’s money. Although Jung-ah says it loudly, Ga-young gets a jab in: I may have been kicked out of school for a man, but you were kicked out of school ‘cause you couldn’t hack it.

In the middle of the conversation, Ga-young is summoned to Jae-hyuk’s personal relaxing room.

Wait…WHAT?! A relaxing room? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Assistant Kim leads Ga-young to Jae-hyuk’s *titter* “relaxing room”. Jung-ah follows.

The chairs look like American football helmets.

So Jae-hyuk is “relaxing” on a sofa and Ga-young sits straight-backed on an adjacent sofa. She doesn’t want to talk in a place like this because it’s not for work. That makes Jae-hyuk cranky and he tells her to just spill.

Ga-young accuses Jae-hyuk of stealing the business that Young-gul worked so hard for. Angrily, Jae-hyuk refutes this: Young-gul SOLD the business, and Ga-young, to him for $5 million. She was the condition for selling. Didn’t Young-gul tell her that?

By the crushed look on Ga-young’s face, we all know that Young-gul hadn’t. Also, because no one in this show talks to anyone else, they only hurt accusations, we know that Young-gul would never do such a thing.

Before Ga-young takes her leave, Jae-hyuk asks her if she can be Fashion King with a smile.

*squee* Smile. Smile. Smile.

Ga-young smiles awkwardly and leaves.

Okay, what’s wrong with this scenario. She’s in a private “relaxing room”, a ridiculously hot man is on the sofa, smiling at her. He’s already confessed to liking her. And what does she do? Leaves? LEAVES? *grumbles* Idiot.

So the idiot has left and she mopes that Young-gul sold her for $5 million. Wait, isn’t this what she wanted? To work at Jae-hyuk’s company to learn and have greater opportunities? Suck. It. Up. Then go back and jump Jae-hyuk in his “relaxing room.”

Young-gul hands out $20,000 bonuses and tells his employees to forget about YGM. They’re starting over ‘cause he’s the “roly poly of Dongdaemoon”.

Guh, I’ll say it again. Gross. Makes me want to step on him.

After handing out all the bonuses, Young-gul is left with Ga-young’s and calls her. She primps to meet with him, but receives a summons for a business meeting with foreign investors about the newly absorbed YGM.

An-na watches the business group leave and Ga-young backs out on Young-gul via text. He, of course, sees her climbing into a car with Jae-hyuk and there are glares and sad looks all around.

Why couldn’t she have said exactly what was going on? Is it that hard to type, “I have a business meeting. I’ll meet you later”?

An-na downs some anti-depressants or something, then puts on lipstick and smirks. Young-gul is brooding and drinking. Then, he impulsively begins to work on a new garment to keep his mind off things.

During dinner, Ga-young is unable to concentrate and begs her leave. Jae-hyuk is confused and hurt, but makes excuses for her and lets her go.

Then An-na visits Young-gul, dressed to kill and bearing champagne. Congratulations for acquiring $5 million by selling your employee. Not many people have that much money. She’s impressed by the red dress he’s making even though he says he was just messing around. She offers to model for him so he can finish it.

Cue Ga-young’s timely arrival to witness An-na shooting Young-gul come hither looks and laughing with him.

Is it just me, or does An-na look really turned on by being stuck with needles?

Ga-young leaves without a word, again, and goes home to cry herself to sleep.

Why didn’t you say anything? Why? Guh.

At a meeting with Director Kim, An-na glares at Ga-young who gets told by Kim to join the YGM meetings from now on. An-na pouts.

Yes, Ga-young is rising while you’re falling. Wah. Wah. Boo-hoo.

An-na then gets a call, which she ANSWERS as though she wasn’t in a meeting. It’s mommy Jae-hyuk who is PISSED and starts out the conversation with a resounding slap.

Heehee. Wait, I probably shouldn’t be laughing at someone else’s pain. Oh well, schadenfreude.

(Schadenfreude: A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.)

Mom has pictures of An-na trying on the dress the night before and declares that An-na is insulting Jae-hyuk. An-na says that Young-gul was just making her a dress. That happened all the time in America, y’know, the place mom banished her to. In any case, An-na didn’t shame Jae-hyuk, but he may shame her.

Then mom brings up the fact that An-na introduced the Dragon to Young-gul for a cut of 10%, which An-na doesn’t deny. That’s business.

SMACK!

*snickers* Schadenfreude! SCHAAAAADENFREUDE! (If anyone can tell me what musical that is from, you get a cookie!)

An-na thanks mom for the picture and leaves. I wonder if she had walked on mom’s side of the table if mom would’ve tripped her. Or shot blue laser beams at her…from her nostrils!

(Beware the chair!)

Jae-hyuk comes in while An-na is brooding and sits in the neon green chair.

DON’T DO IT! IT’LL MELT YOUR BUTT!

*Ahem*

He wants to know what she wants to do in this situation and An-na reminds him that he declared it was his decision so he should make it.

This is true.

So Jae-hyuk decides to break up with the conditions she stipulated: everything stays the same but their relationship. She looks ridiculously hurt and he says, rather earnestly, that he’ll do anything he can to help her.

And I’m touched by his earnestness even though he’s leaving her for another woman. *headdesk*

In fact, An-na points this out, saying that he left another woman to be with her. Isn’t this the same? No, he replies. There is one difference: Ga-young doesn’t like him.

At least…he’s…honest?

Then Jae-hyuk heads to the workroom and ignores Jung-ah while he searches for Ga-young. She’s angrily eating by herself amongst racks of clothes and he pretends to peruse them to get near her. He finally just plunks himself down across from her and steals her rice. He asks if she made the rice and kimchi and she did. Bong Sook doesn’t cook well. He invites her to eat in his “relaxing room” from now on.

OoooOoooOoooOoooh. Will she get another one of these?

But he shoots down my hopes and dreams by responding to her look of wide-eyed terror with: I won’t be there. I’m the type of person who has lunch meetings everyday.

He’s still shoveling her rice down his throat.

Then he asks if she came to J Fashion because he forced her and she answers “no”. With a satisfied smile, he hands her back the empty tupperware and leaves, pleased with himself and she pouts.

It’s actually a LITTLE bit cute how he wanted to eat her cooking. But it would’ve been better if he’d let her eat her lunch. But then, he smiled. But then, I shouldn’t be swayed by a ridiculously hot man smiling. But then, it was so ridiculously hot….

Young-gul returns to head ahjumma leading the troops. He is annoyed by the fact that Ga-young’s bed is still there. The ahjummas don’t want to get rid of it because they use it to rest. So he retreats into his office where Bong Sook and the new designer have set up shop. Bong Sook gives him an update and shows him ideas for their brand logo.

She gets a call from Ga-young, which immediately sobers Young-gul. He tells Bong Sook to take personal calls on her own time and then An-na calls.

Of course, An-na is standing next to Ga-young, emphasizing Young-gul’s name, talents and successes. Jung-ah shows up with pamphlets to Young-gul’s show. Even Jae-hyuk got one with which he concocts an evil plan.

What is it? Take Ga-young to Young-gul’s show to show off Jae-hyuk’s prize.

Congratulations, Jae-hyuk! You’ve won a doormat! Lucky you!

Jae-hyuk and Ga-young watch the show solemnly. At the end Young-gul walks out and locks eyes with Ga-young. Then An-na comes out with a smirk, flooring Jae-hyuk and Ga-young. Jae-hyuk is pissed and takes his own vengeance: grabbing Ga-young’s hand and she doesn’t refuse.

WHAT? Is she pulling that crap, too? The fact that she didn’t do that was making her bearable but now she’s all changing sides and letting Jae-hyuk grab her hand.

Young-gul looks ridiculously hurt.

Oh yeah, the fashion show sucked. The clothes were ugly and so brightly colored that I think I’m blind.

 Comments:

It’s separation angst. It’s be more effective if I actually understood why they were separated. I’m a little confused. Too many secrets and incontinuities floating around.

Questions: What happened to the loan shark? Why doesn’t anybody talk about anything of substance? Why is there not one genuine person on this show? Why isn’t there more good fashion? Why do people sign contracts like credit card receipts? Why am I still invested in this show?

And then Young-gul. You look all hurt, and yet you partner with An-na. Same for Ga-young. You look hurt but you scamper off to Jae-hyuk’s company and let him take your hand?

Where is the continuity? What does Michael have to say about his overseas investment changing so many hands in so little time? Jung-ah disappeared for a number of episodes then just popped back into the picture. Even the loan sharks girlfriend who was pretty much stalking Young-gul disappeared.

Why is Yoo Ah-in such a good actor? And those lips. I keep getting distracted by those lips. Why is Lee Je-hoon so hot? It’s messing with my head.

At least we have the sheep. Baaaaah.

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 13 Screencaps.