Drama Review: Cheongdamdong Alice Episode 8

            My favorite episodes in this series so far are episodes 5 and 6.  In episodes 5 and 6, Han Se Kyung realized that she is falling for Seung Jo as “Secretary Kim”.  I was hoping for more fun moments watching this couple but it was cut short by her goal of meeting a rich man for a husband.  I’ll let the photos speak for me just this time…

   

Episode 5:  In the project room in Se Kyung's college where she made the emotion dolls.  At this time she already knew that "Secretary Kim" avenged her against Tommy Hong. 

 


The last scene of episode 5 -- finally a turning point!

 




A scene from episode 6

 






The last scene of episode 6-- this is Han Se Kyung going back to her reality.

 



Short Review before I dissect Episode 8:

               

Episode 7

                At the end of episode 7 Han Se Kyung’s friend told her that “secretary Kim” is actually Jean       Thierry Cha, the CEO of Artemis Korea.

                Cha was told by his secretary that Han Se Kyung likes him (him as “Secretary Kim”).

Episode 8

           

            While in the elevator, Han Se Kyung, upon knowing the truth about “Secretary Kim”, didn’t know what to do, so instead of coming out of the elevator she stayed inside to avoid meeting him.

            I can understand her actions but I think it would have been better to just face the challenge head on.  It’s not like she knew that “Secretary Kim” knows about her feelings now. But where is the fun in that, so I can let it pass.  On the other hand, I think the reaction of Jean Thierry Cha was really cute.  He was stunned and could not believe what he was just told.  He was like a teenager who just learned that his crush likes him too.   When the truth has finally sunk in, he was jumping and hugging his friend like he won the lottery.  His doctor friend asked him when Han Se Kyung started liking him, he couldn’t really pin point exactly when.  He was just so overwhelmed by the fact.

            Meanwhile, Han Se Kyung was looking back at those events that will help her make sense of this new discovery.   Then decided to get out of the elevator and attend the party.  Well, really what choice does she have?  She can’t avoid Jean Thierry Cha a.k.a. “Secretary Kim” even if she wants to because she has a far greater goal – to meet a rich husband just like her high school “friend” and Jean Thierry Cha, obviously, is a good candidate.  He would be like her white rabbit and candidate at the same time.  At this point I was feeling worried for her because she didn’t really have to find a white rabbit or do tricks to meet a good guy that would change her life.  The “right” guy is just in front of her the whole entire time!  Unfortunately for her, there is no turning back.  So what is she going to do?

            Jean Thierry or Cha Seung Jo on the other hand was advised by his doctor friend to just come clean (remember, he doesn’t know that Han Se Kyung already knows who he really is) and confess to Han Se Kyung his feelings for her.  His friend congratulated him and mentioned that Han Se Kyung probably doesn’t know that he’s the president.  The smile from Seung Jo’s face vanished and was replaced by a worried expression.  Suddenly he realized that the person Han Se likes is Secretary Kim and not Cha Seung Jo or Jean Thierry Cha.  Once again he was back to his animated self and was asking what to do.  I just don’t get why he is so worried.  He should be worried if he pretended to be rich when in fact he isn’t.  But his case is the opposite so what’s there to be so worried about.  It was a good thing his friend is there to put some sense into his brain.  He advised him to just be himself.  Introduce the real him.  And he is right.  The clothes, the fashion, the name—these things don’t define him.  At least in the drama world because in the real world, people have become too tangled-up in all things material.  I like the line his friend told him: “The confession you are making is coming from a simple man named Cha Seung Jo to the woman he likes.” That seemed to have brought Seung Jo back to earth.  Although he was still worried if Han Se Kyung would feel disappointed to learn that he is the president of Artemis Korea.

            In the party Tommy Hong came and saw Han Se Kyung.  In his head he is trying to connect the dots of past events.  Hmm…I smell trouble!  I always do every time Se Kyung, Seung Jo, and Tommy Hong are together in one event.

            Seo Yoon Joo once again is facing Cha Seung Jo’s father.  This time she is asking him to keep her secret.  Seung Jo’s dad agreed only because he wants the marriage between Seung Jo and Yoon Joo’s sister-in-law (Shin In Hwa) to happen without any problems.    Upon hearing this Yoon Joo was upset pleading the guy to make sure the marriage doesn’t happen. 

Now, here’s my thought about that.  What is this woman’s problem?  Don’t get me wrong, though.  I don’t like Shin in Hwa (Han Se Kyung mediate boss) either because she looks like a total master manipulator,  but who is Yoon Joo to hinder a marriage between Seung Jo and whoever when she is already married herself.  Alright, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe, just maybe, in the past she really did love him and she was just forced to separate from Seung Jo. That doesn’t mean she should stop the guy from moving on with his life.  She made her decision long time ago and it has unavoidable consequences that she has to accept.  Regarding Seung Jo’s dad, on the other hand, I don’t know if he cares about his son or everything is just pure business to him.  While sitting in his office, he said “poor guy” thinking about his son.  Does he really care about him?  I’m not really sure yet.

Going back to the party…

            Shin Min Hyuk and Shin In Hwa came and Min Hyuk noticed the presence of Han Se Kyung.  In Hwa approached Se Kyung and asked her why she’s there while going over her with a fine-tooth comb.  She was questioning her relationship with Jean Thierry Cha (Cha Seung Jo) when the master of ceremony announces that the program is about to start.  This whole time Tommy Hong is being very observant.

            Jean Thierry Cha spoke in front of everyone thinking if Se Kyung is present listening to him.  There were some points in his speech that reflected his conversation with Se Kyung in the past that’s probably why he hoped Se Kyung is there listening and watching him.  That way, she would know that even if he hasn’t told her the whole truth about himself that he was sincere the whole entire time he was with Se Kyung.  This part melt my heart because I can see how he is trying to tell Se Kyung indirectly that his speech is for her; that he is speaking in front of so many people but he is addressing his speech especially to Se Kyung.  Through the poem that he shared, he is insinuating that the story of Se Kyung and him is just starting; that it is the best of everything, which is theirs, is yet to be done.  Only to come upon the fact that Se Kyung already left the room and when she did, she left her cellphone and the keen Tommy Hong took it.  Urrrrgh!  I hate it when bad people get a hold of something they could use against innocent victims but the other side of me is saying this is going to make the story even more interesting and I can’t wait to see how Tommy Hong is going to use the information he will gather against the main leads.

            Cha Seung jo, in the meantime is asking his friend why Se Kyung left.  He was speculating that maybe she felt betrayed but his friend said that Se Kyung left even before he, Jean Thierry Cha, was introduced. 

            Han Se Kyung met up with her friend, Choi Ah Jung, who is very excited about Se Kyung thinking that her friend finally landed a prince charming rather than a pauper.   But remember, this friend is aware of Se Kyung’s plan—the diary and all!  So she advised Se Kyung to pretend that she doesn’t know anything and continue meeting Seung Jo like before.  This whole situation Se kyung is in, to her friend, is like winning the lottery but ironically Se Kyung is crying.

            Despite Se Kyung having left the party Cha Seung Jo continued to entertain his visitors.  In Hwa started a conversation with him that was cut short by Seung Jo’s concern about Se Kyung and also because of the presence of Tommy Hong.  He told Tommy Hong that the best apology he could give Se Kyung and he is not to show himself to them anymore.

            Se Kyung went back to the project room in her school and wrote some logic statements to help her decide what her next step is going to be.  The whole time she was crying thinking she loves Jean Thierry Cha as Secretary Kim but she should target Jean Thierry Cha the President.  In conclusion she decided she’s going to act like the Han Se Kyung “before the change”; the Han Se Kyung that doesn’t know “Secretary Kim” is actually Jean Thierry Cha. 

  

            That evening, Yoon Joo came to Se Kyung.  Together they went to what seems like a hotel room that according to the first cost about $5000.  She asked Se Kyung if the latter is jealous of her and if she is sure about the path she’s going now.  Yoon Joo asked about the first crisis and how facing it head on worked.  The conversation was basically about how similar their situations are when Yoon Joo first started her journey, and so on.  I don’t totally agree because in Yoon Joo’s time, Seung Jo doesn’t have a company under his name and there wasn’t any diary that Seung Jo might one day read which will lead him to believe that Se Kyung is just using him from the very beginning; that she purposely got closed to him because of his money and connections.  Urrrgh!  Stupid Se Kyung for not throwing that diary away and for continuing with this charade!

            Jean Thierry Cha or Cha Seung Jo is still baffled as to why Se Kyung left without meeting the president when before she was the one who was so eager to meet the president in person.  He’s smart for questioning that.  Now, I am waiting for him to think that maybe Se Kyung already knows.  But nope and I’m a little disappointed.

            The next day, Seung Jo received the letter that Se Kyung wrote which is part of the plan to melt the president’s heart.  This is kind of like enforcement to her “candy” character. Together with the letter are the clothes that he gave Se Kyung.   In the letter, Se Kyung mentioned that she can no longer be the president’s stylist because she likes his “secretary” and that however, falling for someone amidst the hardship of life is an extravagance she can’t afford.  Oh boy!  Doesn’t that sound like why-don’t-you-tell-me-you’re-the-president-so-we-can-be-together kind of message!  But Seung Jo is already too engrossed to the fact that Se Kyung likes him and he likes her so logically if he tells her that he is a company president that yes, they can be together and she wouldn’t have to worry about life’s reality because she is just saved by a prince charming.   And of course, right after reading the letter he is off to find Se Kyung.  His first stop: GN Fashion.  Unfortunately, Se Kyung filed for sick leave which caught the attention of Shin In Hwa.  Seung Jo went everywhere to search for Se Kyung.  Thanks to Secretary Moon, he finally found out where she is (but so did Tommy Hong).

 

            On a side note, Tommy Hong is continuing his investigation about Han Se Kyung and Jean Thierry Cha.  He figured out that Jean Thierry Cha likes the Se Kyung who gives everything to the poor man she loves.  But his knowledge of Han Se Kyung’s “change” confused him as to why she “rejected” Jean Thierry Cha.  He went over the call records on Se Kyung’s phone and came across the name “Secretary Kim”.  He called the number and he recognized the voice of the person who answered the call—Jean Thierry Cha!  Because he was confused even more, he checked the message inbox and realized that Se Kyung thought that Jean Thierry Cha is a secretary.  He has a lot more realization but nothing that we don’t already know.

            Se Kyung, upon learning that Seung Jo found out where she is hiding tried to run away and ended up on the roof top/parking lot of the building.  She hid but later on decided to come out and face Seung Jo.  Seung Jo confessed the truth and Se Kyung pretended to be perplexed.   Not smart! My opinion doesn’t change.  She could have just told him that she knows the truth.  I mean, why make simple things complicated?

 

What I think overall:

             I am still holding on to this drama that is supposed to be a romantic comedy.  I hope that it will actually live up to its supposed genre.  Unfortunately, I think this will be more of a romantic drama than comedy.  Regardless of that, I would hate to see this drama develop into cliché after cliché of the heroine taking all the blame and all.  The acting ability of the stars in this series is unquestionable and a lot of them have proven that in their previous projects.  But that won’t matter unless the story is interesting.  In the future I am looking forward for a balance of drama, romance, and comedy and I am hoping that the writers don’t fail my expectations.

Thank you for taking your time reading!  Gam-sa hap-ni-da!