by: Raine

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We have improvement! This episode was WAY better than the first. And it’s official: Gong Hyo-jin and So Ji-sub have ridiculous chemistry. SO CUTE!

AGB Nielson Nationwide had episode 2 coming in at 14.4% as compared to episode 1’s 13.6%.

episode 2 madcap

Raine: Joong-won the MASTER shakes off the unusually clingy Gong-shil and tells her to get a grip. But she begs him to sleep together. HAHAHA! I love this. This is the kind of hijinx I was expecting from a Hong sisters drama.

Deeno: It’s adorably backwards. She means it so innocently.

Raine: And yet, the pervert unni in me hears it not-so-innocently. ㅋㅋㅋ

Deeno: I don’t think it’s just you.

Raine: Hooray!

Master tells her she’s crazy and that it would only happen in her dreams. Then he catches a whiff of her hair – it smells rank. Then we find out why he’s there. He wants to know why she knows about his past, notably a girl named Hee-joo. Gong-shil admits she saw her, which pisses him off. That is, until she acknowledges that Hee-joo is dead and that she saw the dead chick standing next to him.

Raine: AND THEN IT HAPPENS. She admits it, Haley Joel Osment style: I see dead people. YES! I was totally waiting for that.

Deeno: Yay! Dead people.

Raine: Most of these aren’t bloody, though. Are you sad?

Deeno: There are a lot of gruesome ones, but where are my brilliant red colors?

Raine: In photoshop?

Deeno: The ghosts are a lot better in this drama. And I feel like the show knows what it’s doing now. The ghosts are more a part of everyday life and they don’t need the supsenseful shots because the ghosts are gruesome on their own whether or not they are trying to be scary.

Raine: The CG was cut down and there was more reliance on make-up. Actually, one ghost was pretty horribly done, but the others were GNARLY! It was great. And I agree, the integration of the ghosts into Gong-shil’s life was great. I finally see a clear path ahead for this drama. I was worried yesterday.

Raine: The security team eats together and fills sexy Kang Woo the head security heard in on the gossip. There is a dead girl preventing Master from marrying. Kang Woo recognizes the incident from the news a while back: a high school girl died after she and a high school guy were kidnapped. The kidnappers made lots of money off of Master’s rescue. They goof around making fun of Master’s name and Kang Woo looks pensive.

Back to Gong-shil who is getting a skeptical look from Master. Hee-joo died 15 years ago. But she admits seeing Hee-joo when he was staring at a spider web with a spider and a butterfly. He angrily swiped the web away and left.

Deeno: I loved that shot. It was so pretty.

Raine: I agree. This episode really showcased the Jin Hyuk directing style that I love. Last episode just seemed clumsy. It cleaned up this episode.

Raine: Master asks if there is a ghost present and she points out the rocking chair that is, well, rocking. There’s a ghost (a teenager in terrible makeup), rocking on it and playing with a weather vane. Master doesn’t believe her, but Gong-shil is too caught up in her fear. She explains that the ghost follows her and sometimes talks to her and asks for things and doesn’t let her sleep. As she talks, the teenager approaches her and she latches onto Master’s bicep that sends the ghosty into ghosty nothingness.

I told you biceps have power.

Gong-shil feels up the bicep of power and says he’s the first person who has made them disappear. Then she latches onto him like a loon and says that with him she’ll sleep well and live normally. She wants to be near him.

Gong Hyo-jin is so ridiculously adorable. *pinch da cheeks*

But the Master doesn’t think she’s adorable and instead talks money – it’s the way to get him. She starts to cry that she is really frightened, but he’s only scared of her. Hehehe. These two have great chemistry and their timing is DEAD ON.

Deeno: I wish we could just watch those two together all the time. The rest of the story doesn’t hook me. It’s just there to fill up time.

Raine: The “ghost problem of the day” format is difficult because it’s hard to invest in a new issue every episode. Cyrano did well with that…at the beginning. I do like seeing Gong-shil interact with other people, though, because she’s such a quirky character. And I like Master with his Uncle because the Uncle is so AFRAID of him. Hehe.

Deeno: I really hope they find some creative ways to work the ghosts in.. I was really worried after last night’s episode.

Raine: Ditto.

Raine: Master rocks the chair and spins the vane to mock and and warns her to stay away. Ghosty boy isn’t happy and stops the movement with a shake of his head. Ghosts are scarier than his threats and he scoffs. How could his ghost-repelling be more attractive than his money or his good looks. (Or his biceps….) She latches onto him again and he shakes her off. Candy the manhwa heroine would tie up her hair suck it up and so should Gong-shil. She says she’ll be his candy. BWAHAHAHA. She’s rejected and then she tells him her name: Tae Gong-shil, or, Taeyang (“Tae” her last name and “yang” the ending used when addressing a young lady). Taeyang ALSO happens to be the word for “sun” and she says she’ll be his “sun”. Pffft. So there is some punny goodness left in the Hong sisters, eh? Master leaves and she promises to stalk him again.

Master’s assistant asks if he met “Taeyang” and earns a glare. They leave and Kang Woo sees them go. He also notices Gong-shil on the roof. I wonder if he has a hidden agenda that has to do with her or ghosts or the Master.

Deeno: I’m still not interested in his mysterious background. It feels too heavy handed.

Raine: It’s just plain out of place. However, if it means more Seo In-guk, I’m game. Smile for noona!

Gong-shil knows that Master thinks she’s crazy, but she knows she saw Hee-joo. Speaking of, the curtains at the Master’s place come lose and he is momentarily thinks he’d like to contact Hee-jo. Then he yanks them shut like the badass he is. You show them curtains, Bicep Boy!

Raine: Some schoolgirls at a hagwon have a seance to contact a classmate who recently died, Lee Eun-seol. A trio of girls watch with particular interest as one girl leads the seance. Tension mounts and then the hagwon teacher walks in, making them scream like schoolgirls. Wait…

Class starts and a bloody ghosts floats outside the window, watching them ghostily. The trio gets a text from bloody ghost dead girl. It’s a picture of the trio in front of a fountain and in the fountain is what looks to be a ghost. Spoooooky…yeah…. Did anyone ever watch Goosebumps on Friday nights on Nickelodeon? This reminds me of that show…

Deeno: I’m just annoyed because I feel like precious screen time with Janitor and Master is being taken away to promote some girl group. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

Raine: One of the trio is from Girl’s Day, Bang Min-ah. Hehe. But yeah. These side stories are fine in moderation. But not when they take up half the episode.

Deeno: The scenes just drag. And I was watching at normal speed so it was like watching in slow mo!

Raine: I could watch So Ji-sub’s biceps in slow mo…or Seo In-guk’s smile.

Deeno: I wouldn’t mind that, but a girl group. No thanks!

Raine: The same photo is being debated by the Master’s uncle and his secretary. It’s all over the internet and it worries the uncle because the photo was taken at Kingdom mall. Bad publicity is BAD. Secretary thinks it’s a ghost and I’m wondering if she’s ever heard of photoshop.

Deeno: But ghosts are good…

Raine: Not when they are so obviously photoshopped in!!!!! Timmy could make a more realistic looking ghost!

Deeno: I could make a more realistic looking zombie.

Raine: I’m distracted looking at your zombie photos…

Raine: Uncle takes the photo to Master who is annoyed because Kingdon’s image is already damaged from the wedding debacle. Uncle tried to have the photo taken down, but it has already made Kingdom famous for it’s ghost. Master isn’t amused by the stories that are the hottest topic amongst his employees. He just wants them taken care of because they have other worries, like the new mall being built across the way.

Hilariously, he has a telescope to spy on it and won’t let his Uncle use it.

Deeno: I want to see him use it on Janitor.

Raine: Oooh, you so nasty!

Deeno: That’s not what I meant…*tries to distract you with a Pororo sticker*

Raine: ‘ey girl! Can I buy you a drink? (If you guys don’t know Eat Your Kimchi’s Simon, you need to go get acquainted…like now.)

Raine: Gong-shil heads to Kingdom to visit her friend before she starts her new job as a janitor. Her friend, the new manager of the coffee shop, is worried that Gong-shil will get hauled away by the police or an ambulance and make her lose her job. Hahahahaha. Gong-shil giggles that no incidents will happen here because there is somewhere she can hide so she doesn’t see ghosts.  Well, there are special biceps…*goes back up to look at the picture* Then coffee shop friend notices that Gong-shil has two cups of coffee. One for her, one for teenager ghost boy who won’t leave her alone unless he gets his caffeine.

The trio contemplates the picture and wonder why the ghost of Eun-seol is in it. Are they being punished for being mean to her even if it was a car accident that killed her?

Master’s aunt is looking at the picture, too. I love this actress and she looks really beautiful! Kim Mi-kyung, jjang! Anyway, the speculation around the mall is that the ghost is the girl who died because of Master. Aunt can’t remember what the girl looks like and Uncle teases her for being old and losing her memory. He gets a glare and it’s obvious that Aunt wears the pants in that marriage. Heh.

Deeno: As it should be!

Raine: A couple takes a picture in front of the haunted fountain and Master is annoyed that they are talking about the ghost. His assistant and driver, Kim Gwi-do played by Choi Jung-woo, says that it’s hard to stop such rumors; in fact they’re expanding. The girl in the couple falls in the fountain and thinks the ghost pushed her into the haunted fountain. Master is pissed that his expensive fountain is being called haunted and then he spots the new janitor: Gong-shil. She smiles sheepishly at him and he thinks she’s scary. She shows off her name tag and says she’s here because he is and giggles and pokes him. Gah! Why so cute!

She reminds him she’s there because of the ghosts and he asks if she came because of the fountain ghost. She doesn’t see it and points out that if she had, she would’ve latched onto his bicep. He double checks to make sure there is no ghost and smirks; there would never be a ghost in his expensive fountain. Then she giggles again, but I love her giggle, so she can giggle all she wants. She realizes he believes in her ability, at least momentarily. He stares at her in shock and fires her to be a douche-y chaebol lead with biceps of ghostly proportions.

Raine: More problems arise when a broadcast station gets ahold of the news that there is a haunted fountain in Kingdom mall. (The guy reporting is Bad Daddy from SHITTY HUNTA! Kim Sang-joon!) It mixes with the news of Master’s past, the kidnapping where his parents’ ransom only saved him. (EEE! I saw half of Kim Myung-soo’s face!!! EEE! No, I do not have an inappropriate crush on a 21-year-old idol singer…*sings* “Cause you’re my destiny, oooOOOoo!”)

Deeno: You’re really scaring me today.

Raine: And I don’t on other days?

Raine: The broadcast has the testimony of a security guard who says that there were already ghost rumors around the mall. Gong-shil is watching it on one of the mall’s televisions and realizes that the ghost in the photo and the one she saw aren’t the same.

Kang Woo watches the report as well and looks contemplative and sexy. He sees Master storm angrily out of his office and bump into Gong-shil. She assures Master that the ghost isn’t the same as the one she saw next to him, but he’s too pissy to listen.

The trio of schoolgirls debate the Kingdom ghost’s identity and decide to visit to make sure it ain’t dead Eun-seol. Meanwhile, Master is yelling at the detective who did the interview. The detective went on t.v. to lure out the culprit before the statute of limitations ended. The detective blames him for Hee-joo’s death and Master reminds him that he was the one who told Master to live well. Detective won’t leave the case alone and asks if Master is okay. He points out that Master can’t read since the kidnapping. Master lies that he’s okay.

Deeno: I’m much more interested in Master’s reading thing than Security’s hidden agenda.

Raine: Ghostly curse of dyslexia versus Seo In-guk’s smile, er, agenda.

Deeno: We definitely need some more smilings.

Raine: Gong-shil eats with the the two small boys who are her neighbors because their mother is busy…again. She contemplates the ghost in the picture while the older boy feeds the younger boy. It’s so ridiculously cute. They encourage her to figure out who the ghost girl is and Gong-shil hopes that Master will let her stay by him if she does. She leaves the table and we see that the boys humor her ghost-seeing abilities in order to get free food. Pfft. Oh man.

Time to search for ghosts! Gong-shil fearfully meets a bunch of them at the mall: one in the toilet, a cross-dressing male ghost with a beard, a trash can loving ghost, but no Eun-seol or Hee-joo. She gives up and cuddles with a mannequin. Then a hand grabs her and it’s GODZILLA! AAAAAH!

Deeno: A cat mannequin. Is she going to meow again because that was the cutest thing ever.

Raine: I agree. So does Timmy. He’s proud ‘cause he taught her that.

Deeno: Teach her laser eyes next. Do laser eyes work on ghosts? Cuz they should.

Raine: I’m not sure…we should ask Gong-shil when she’s not hitting on So Ji-sub’s biceps.

Raine: No, it’s not GODZILLA!…it’s just sexy Kang Won the Head Security Guard making his rounds. He asks her why she’s there and she lies that she’s trying to look for something she lost. He notices the picture in her hand and she hides it. Kang Won gallantly offers to help her find it since it’s scary at night and there are ghosts around. Sad thing is, he doesn’t know the half of it. But they are all cute as they formally introduce themselves. When a ghost scares her, Kang Woo offers her his arm. Aw, if only he had a magic bicep like the Master.

The trio of girls are also in the mall and they get caught at the fountain by Kang Woo and Gong-shil. Only this time, Gong-shil sees a ghost behind them, Eun-seol. While Kang Woo chases the living, Gong-shil approaches the dead.

Gong-shil finds the girls and shows them the famous picture; she knows it’s them in the photo. Dun, dun, DUN!

Deeno: Master visits the kidnapping site with his handy dandy driver. He doesn’t admit that Janitor’s words are starting to get to him. The driver asks he really never saw the culprit’s face.

Master says that he didn’t, but in his flashback he’s the only one tied up and the one coming towards him looked like a girl in a white dress. Did his girlfriend kidnap him and is he still covering that up?

Raine: That’s the vibe I’m getting. At least I think I’m getting a vibe. Or it could just be my hormones reacting to the hotness that is Kim Myung-soo.

Deeno: Well now I’m get a nauseous vibe.

Deeno: Model/actress girl tries to find Janitor after ruined her wedding. Master’s aunt agrees to help.

Janitor tells Master that she found the ghost and will tell him about it…if he agrees to let her keep working at the mall. He agrees and they head to the school to talk with the girls and their teacher.

Raine: It was pretty awesome how she jumped in front of the car with a grin. I wish grinned stopped moving vehicles. The dead chick could’ve used that trick…

Deeno: My grin has super powers.

Raine: You should’ve shared them with dead chick so she wouldn’t take so much screentime away from our cute OTP.

Deeno: But I can’t use my powers for good. Even if it’s also for my own benefit. I must use them for evil!

Raine: Useless powers.  *grumble*

Deeno: Well sorry I’m not a pickled baby and able to time travel!

Raine: Time travel is SO last season. It’s all about seeing dead people now!

Deeno: The trio was friends with the dead girl, but she was clumsy and mooched off them. When they were sad over a failed exam they told her to not to hang out with them.

Raine: Meanie faces! She should use Deeno’s grin of power and…and…I don’t know. My brain isn’t working.

Deeno: Too much writing and too little sleep perhaps? And what is this grin of power business. My grin means doom!!!

Deeno: She went to buy drinks to make it up to them and ran into another girl from their school. She forgot her phone and the girl wanted to return it but ended up hearing the other girls talking about the ghost behind her back. She followed the crying ghost until she walked right in front of a truck. The girl sent the photo out of spite.

Raine: So the trio makes fun of ghost girl and then ghost girl has the FUNNIEST DEATH EVAR! That truck running into her made me CACKLE. Wait…was that the wrong reaction?

Deeno: I feel like all my fantasies have been answered. I always want this kind of epic death for useless character.

Raine: It was a total Mean Girls bus death. Now I’m waiting for all the people in the Kingdom mall to start attacking each other like wild animals.

Deeno: I was hoping that sentence was going to end with some death.

Deeno: The girls get into a cat fight after hearing the story. Janitor tries to step in since it wasn’t the ghosts wish, but Master blocks her by saying that the living should deal with the living while the dead deal with the dead. Or something along those lines.

Raine: Seems to be his motto. Everyone stick to their own business. Sounds like he was burned before. Does our ickle hero have some issues?

Deeno: I don’t like the word “ickle.”

Raine: Ickle. Ickle…ACK THERE’S A HUGE SPIDER ON MY WINDOW!!!! *scared of karma*

Deeno: They leave, but Janitor wants to make sure everything gets fixed and uses Ghost’s phone to talk to the girls. They cry and wish that Ghost would make things better like before. The vending machine rattles and their favorite sodas come out. Everything gets bright and shiny as I puke all over. Serious, Fluffy Deeno, did you get hired by this show?

Raine: Again, the happy, perfect ends for the ghosts and the living they haunt make me laugh. The cheesy sweeping music, the glowing light, the grinning and the tears. It’s like every horrid happy ending trope all mashed into one.

Deeno: And why is it in my ghost drama?!! This is supposed to be creepy not cheesy feel good Leave it to Beaver stuff.

Raine: The ghosts should just stay in the scary, attention-grabbing form they initially appear in.

Deeno: Driver and Master watch Janitor bid the ghost adieu. Driver wonders what she sees, but Master doesn’t believe and decides to leave without her. Janitor is left chasing after the car again. Am I sensing a theme here?

Raine: You are. Master thinks she needs more exercise.

Deeno: Janitor gets hired on and Master decides not to punish the girls since rumors have rolled around to be in his favor as he dupes kids into getting their parents to buy them things. I wish I had a wish granting fountain.

Raine: I wish I had magic biceps…

Deeno: I wish I had Paksa.

Raine: PAKSA! I totally re-watched that hallway fight scene this morning. I had the warm fuzzies all day…

Deeno: Master’s aunt tells him not to live with guilt for the girl’s death and to find someone. He says that he’s been told this his whole life, but that he’s never felt guilt for Hee Joo’s death. His relationship issues are probably coming from betrayal and trust issues rather than guilt. Unfortunately, he’s the only one that knows that she was the criminal instead of the innocent victim.

Raine: That and he does feel very strongly about the incident. He’s just in denial that he doesn’t. I do like that Hee-joo isn’t a victim, but the instigator. That’s a nice little twist. I wonder why he kept it a secret though?

Deeno: Security reports back that he’s worried about Janitor being by Master’s side. Meanwhile she’s busy freaking out the ajummas at work while Master’s aunt finds out that she’s responsible for the ruined wedding.

Raine: So Kang-woo the Security man does have a secret agenda that centers around Master. OMG, I knew it. You know what would be even better? Bromance. Forget the agenda.

Deeno: Breakfast sounds good, too.

Raine: I want arroz con pollo and materva for some reason. Strange midnight cravings.

Deeno: Security asks Janitor to go home together with him in front of all the ajummas and in front of Master. Ooooh! I like this because now Master keeps watching her. And I think I may be squealing more than the ajummas.

Raine: Definite squealage. He was so charming. I just don’t like that he has another motive. But he did find her catnap charming, too. We’ll see.

Deeno: Of course, he can’t say that he likes looking at her so he tells her to make sure she doesn’t appear in front of him again. He also asks her if she sees any ghosts at his fountain. She says she’s sorry and and she hasn’t seen Hee Joo, but she’s sure that Hee Joo feels guilty and wants to tell him to keep living. He tells her to give Hee Joo a message for him. “Bad, Bad, Girl.”

Raine: My heart flip flopped when he smirked. So. Frickin’. HOT!

Deeno: Are you wondering why you’ve never seen him in a drama before now?

Raine: I know why, I just don’t like that I haven’t. *tries to calm racing heart, but looking at screencaps does not help*

STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK’S MADCAPS! AND COMMENT! WE LOVES COMMENTS!

Episodes 1, 2

Hancinema Reviews 1, 2

Character introductions.