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Review: My Sweet Mobster – The Fangirl Verdict

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show is a sweet little ball of fluff that is funny, silly and sometimes quite ridiculous, but is, at its heart, warm, poignant and hopeful.

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Our OTP is winsome and cute, and the secondary characters make a great little found family, but, for me, itā€™s Uhm Tae Goo as our titular sweet mobster that just makes the show, for me. šŸ¤©

A tiny touch uneven in spots, but overall, this oneā€™s easy (and fun!) to slurp up. šŸ„°

THE LONG VERDICT:

My friends. Iā€™m actually really pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this one.

Iā€™d liked the premise when Show was announced, but I was really doubtful when I watched the trailers, because theyā€™d all seemed quite aggressively comedic, and if youā€™ve been around the blog for a while, youā€™d know that thatā€™s just not my thing.

So imagine my surprise, when I fell for this one ā€“ hook, line and sinker ā€“ just about right away. šŸ˜

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Hereā€™s the OST album, in case youā€™d like to listen to it while reading the review.

Overall, I thought the OST was fun and enjoyable; a very apt companion to our storyline, which I found fluffy and sweet.

In terms of a favorite, I think I have to go with Track 5, Everything. I am, once again, drawn to the 6/8 tempo of it all šŸ˜…, and I also really like the earnest vibe of the song, which feels laced with a touch of sweet angst. šŸ„²

Here it is on its own as well, in case youā€™d prefer to listen to that on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select ā€œLoop.ā€

HOW Iā€™M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First Iā€™ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering the more macro aspects of Show, and then I give the selective spotlight to characters and relationships, in a separate section.

Finally, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If youā€™re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon membersā€™ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Donā€™t take it too seriously

Show tends to be on the ridiculous side of things, so being ready to roll with the ridiculous, instead of taking Show to seriously, would be really helpful.

2. Be prepared for a bit of secondhand embarrassment, sometimes

..But donā€™t worry, it mostly doesnā€™t tend to last long, when it shows up. šŸ˜

3. Just have fun

Maybe it goes without saying, but put away your overthinking, analytical lens, and just let Show do its thing. You might have more fun than youā€™d expected ā€“ coz thatā€™s what happened for me. šŸ„°

STUFF I LIKED

Itā€™s fun to watch

Just like how some foods are just fun to eat, this show is just fun to watch.

I honestly looked forward to Showā€™s new episodes every week, because I trusted that they would be a highlight of my week, and they really were ā€“ most of the time (more on the wobble, later).

Mainly, I loved that Show was consistentlyĀ so dorky and silly; all I wanted to do was laugh indulgently, in response.

I guess you could say that with this one, Iā€™m like a pet owner with a super cute, bumbling puppy; affectionate indulgence and disproportionate squees over The Cute, is the order of the day. šŸ˜

Showā€™s got heart

For all of its silly trappings, one of my favorite things about Show, is that itā€™s got heart.

Our story is told with heart, and our characters are also full of heart.

Our ex-mobsters might look scary and intimidating, sometimes, but theyā€™re all sincere and goodhearted (if awkward) folk, and I liked that a lot.

I also appreciated that Show had an ongoing theme in its story, of whether itā€™s possible for people to leave their dark pasts behind.

I thought that added a nice layer of poignance to our story, which helped to ground the sillier beats really nicely.

Showā€™s sense of humor

Given how k-humor and I traditionally mostly havenā€™t gotten along, Iā€™m happily shocked to actually have Showā€™s sense of humor in this section, among the things I actually liked about it. šŸ˜

Even though thereā€™s physical comedy in this show, and the humor does land on the broader side of things, it doesnā€™t feel too aggressive for my taste.

Itā€™s mild enough that I donā€™t find it too in-yo-face, even though it still falls within what I would consider broad comedy.

I also really like that, not always, but quite often, Show has layers ofĀ poignancy and heart underneath the silly. That definitely helped the silly land better, for me.

Here are a couple of my personal highlights.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I have to tell you, I literally guffawed aloud, when I got to the scene where Ji Hwanā€™s (Uhm Tae Goo) stunned to find that Eun Haā€™s (Han Sun Hwa) channel has been suspended, and he can no longer watch her videos.

His dorky sorrowful lost expression, and the captions onscreen pronouncing that life is meaningless, had me giggling uncontrollably, no lie. šŸ˜‚

ESPECIALLY since Ji Hwan then starts asking Il Yeong (Kim Hyun Jin) whether Eun Ha has called about returning his jacket, because he simply canā€™t go out without his jacket ā€“ the dozen or so identical jackets in his closet notwithstanding.

I find it very hilarious, especially given Ji Hwanā€™s dorky, plaintive expression. šŸ˜‚

..Which is pretty much the same expression he has on, when he finds himself at Ye Naā€™sĀ  (Song Seo Rin) apartment block, with his arm in Ye Naā€™s grip, while Eun Ha walks off. Aw. He doesnā€™t want her to leave him behind! šŸ„²

E9-10. The surprise blind date was so silly and entertaining, while also being quite secondhand mortifying, that I wasnā€™t sure what to do with myself during the scene. šŸ˜…

First, it was so surprising, but fun, to see Lee Joon cameo as Eun Haā€™s blind date, and then, it was kind of secondhand mortifying to see Ji Hwan getting all worked up, while sitting back to back with Eun Ha (without her realizing it, of course), and listening in on said blind date.

Ji Hwanā€™s big reactions had me on tenterhooks, thinking that he was going to get caught at any moment ā€“ and then we get that ridiculous slo-mo save, when his cider and glass of ice fly into the air, complete with one-legged martial arts pose and all. That had me in stitches. šŸ˜‚

..And then Ye Na shows up, and in his haste to cover her mouth, Ji Hwan ends up being caught with his hand on her cheek instead ā€“ which sure looks like an affectionate boyfriend gesture, oops. šŸ¤­

Ha. I honestly kinda love the way Eun Ha stares daggers at him (complete with sound effects), as she walks away to enjoy the rest of her blind date.

Itā€™s just too bad that Ji Hwanā€™s coping mechanism when heā€™s stressed, is to keep putting his foot in his mouth, or at least, thatā€™s the impression I got, given the way he kept arguing with Eun Ha that evening, instead of just coming out and telling her that he likes her. šŸ˜…

[END SPOILER]

The whimsical touches

Showā€™s got some fun touches to it, which I like to think of as whimsical.

Like how it has different characters doing the little ā€œlike and subscribeā€ blurb, each episode; I thought these were a really cute idea.

And then we have the French bulldog, who makes such regular appearances, that itā€™s a bit of a motif in our story world.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I love that the production thought to dress the Frenchie in different outfits, every episode, and then the sudden introduction of his girlfriend, complete in a bridal outfit, was such a fun little surprise. šŸ¤©

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

When stuff gets secondhand embarassing

You might not struggle with this as much as I did, because your threshold for secondhand embarrassment might well be higher than mine. šŸ˜…

Iā€™ve got this in this more neutral sort of section, because any moments of secondhand embarrassment didnā€™t tend to last too long, and I mostly did manage to see the funny inherent in the situation.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The scene where Eun Ha puts toy handcuffs on Ji Hwan, and pretend-arrests him, after getting pushed into the fray by someone assuming that she was a real police officer, was rather secondhand embarrassing for me to watch. šŸ˜…

Itā€™s as ridiculous and silly and secondhand mortifying as it sounds, and it took me a little bit of time to wrap my brain and my feelings around that.

I honestly had to tell myself to press through this scene, because the secondhand embarrassment was hitting me harder than the funny, but happily the scene ends relatively quickly, and we are soon blithely moving on to other things.

E3-4. I have to confess that I was struggling with some secondhand mortification, when Ji Hwan, desperate to stay in Eun Haā€™s presence a little longer, makes those random outbursts, about how the milk stains on his jacket look like various different countries on the map. šŸ˜…

I mean, for the record, I did giggle too, while being secondhand mortified, because Uhm Tae Gooā€™s comic timing is great, and I love how gung-ho he is about these silly comic scenes, despite him looking like a shy badass. šŸ˜

E11-12. The whole gang visiting the orphanage was sweet in concept, though a little cringey in execution. šŸ˜…

Looking past the execution, I do like the idea that Eun Ha enables the boys to actually feel welcome at the orphanage, which is something that theyā€™ve accepted as being an impossibility, because of their mobster backgrounds.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT I LIKED LESS

When Show slumps

In episodes 11 and 12, Show works to retain its core fluffy vibe, while also acknowledging that there are tensions and obstacles in this fluffy world, that we should be aware of, and prepare ourselves for.

The execution landed as a mixed bag for me, and Iā€™m sad to report that this was the first time I actually felt a sense of drag while watching this show.

I guess itā€™s all kind of par for the course, like, most dramas start to slump somewhat in the watch experience, at roundabout this point, because itā€™s time to gear up for the penultimate angst that will lead us towards the finale.

In that sense, itā€™s not entirely unexpected, but Show had been such fluffy, adorable fun up to this point, that Iā€™d hoped that it would somehow be different from most other shows, and rise above the three-quarter point slump.

Thatā€™s.. not the case, at least in my experience.

Mostly, a lot of what Show was serving up in these episodes felt like filler to me, like it was cycling in place, and offering up some sprinklings of cuteness, to distract us from the fact that we were cycling in place. šŸ˜…

[SPOILER ALERT]

For example, one of the things that I did absolutely giggle at, is the whole extended wind machine sequence, at the top of episode 11.

The more it went on, the funnier it got, with Ji Hwan and Eun Ha taking turns to bask in the slo-mo wind spotlight, with a good amount of hair-toss-preening and coy blushing to go with.

Ji Hwan and Eun Ha making hearts at each other while Hong Ki (Moon Dong Hyuk) says a very long and protracted grace, is also low-key amusing.

I will admit, though, to finding this all cuter in concept than in execution, and I think the reason for that, is because my brain recognizes all of these cute moments as filler.

I find it hard to believe that Jae Soo and Man Ho (Yang Hyun Min and Lee Yoo Joon) would be so obtuse as to not notice the ā€œnew coupleā€ energy around Ji Hwan and Eun Ha, especially when they are not with the rest of the group, and Show making them so obtuse, isnā€™t that funny to me.

If you look past the high likelihood that Ji Hwan used the tracking app to figure out where Eun Ha was, itā€™s actually quite sweet how heā€™s happy to be her porter, carrying all her purchases, and even encourages her to keep shopping, without worrying about him.

I did think the shadow puppetry thing was quite heavy-handed; it felt quite random in the introduction of it, and then the connection to Hyun Woo Oppa also felt quite needlessly aggressive.

When Eun Ha brings up Hyun Woo Oppa to Ji Hwan, I really wish that Ji Hwan would just come out and tell her that he IS Hyun Woo Oppa.

I find that Iā€™m very ready for the mystery of Hyun Woo Oppa to be put to rest; I want Eun Ha to know, and I want Ji Hwan to tell her.

If sheā€™s willing to date Ji Hwan, he must be a good enough guy, yes? And so, thereā€™s no problem with knowing that heā€™s also Hyun Woo Oppa, since that would mean that Hyun Woo Oppa turned out to be a pretty decent guy?

I am guessing that Ji Hwan doesnā€™t want Eun Ha to feel any guilt about leading that mobster dude to his house, but.. surely mobster dude would have figured it out sooner or later, with or without Eun Haā€™s help?

Another thing that I find myself getting tired of, is the whole thing with Ye Na trying to get closer to Ji Hwan.

I donā€™t begrudge her the chance to shoot her shot, but since Ji Hwan has already made it clear to her that he only sees her as a business partner, Iā€™d like her to believe him on that, and back off.

Itā€™s really poor form, for her to cling onto false hope like that, and even try to convince Eun Ha that she deserves to be with Ji Hwan more, because she got to know him earlier.

Yet another thing that Iā€™m ready for Show to put to rest, is the love rivalry between Ji Hwan and Hyun Woo (Kwon Yul).

After all, isnā€™t Ji Hwan already dating Eun Ha? And hasnā€™t Eun Ha already turned down Hyun Woo?

That should be enough to put this rivalry to rest, but no, Hyun Woo says to Ji Hwan that he wonā€™t give up on Eun Ha, and Iā€™m over here restlessly rolling my eyes, because I want him to take Eun Haā€™s stance seriously.

I mean, he can care for her and support her as a friend, surely? Why does it have to be romantic or nothing?

I was so ready for this love rivalry thing to be put to rest. But ok, the petty battle between Ji Hwan and Hyun Woo in the comments section of Eun Haā€™s new video, is quite silly and therefore rather amusing.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

Uhm Tae Goo as Ji Hwan

This was my introduction to Uhm Tae Goo, and right away, I was really taken with how perfect Uhm Tae Goo is, as our titular mobster, Seo Ji Hwan.

First of all, I just love-love-LOVE his raspy voice that sounds like itā€™s coming from the far recesses of his throat; somehow that just screams mafia to me. šŸ˜‚

The long leather trench coat and the slicked back hair, paired with his smoky, dark good looks complete the picture of the handsome gangster perfectly, for me. šŸ¤©

And then there are the forays into physical comedy, where Iā€™m impressed with how Uhm Tae Goo throws himself into it, without any vanity whatsoever.

Fun fact, I went searching for Uhm Tae Goo videos after watching the first two episodes, because I just needed to know if that was his real voice, and I found out that:

1, that is, indeed his real voice, and

2, he really is that dorky and shy in real life.

That just multiplied my instant love for our dorky mobster, because I thought it was so cute, that heā€™s mostly just being himself. šŸ˜šŸ¤­

As a character, I really found my heart going out to Ji Hwan multiple times, and I think itā€™s safe to say that he is my favorite character in this story world. šŸ„²

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I love that Ji Hwan is the kinda guy who would effortlessly rise to the top of his game ā€“ and then nonchalantly dissolve his organization, because he wants everyone in it, to turn over a new leaf.

Aw. An ex-gangster making good, and doing his best to get his men to make good too?

Thatā€™s endearing enough on its own, but I find it even more endearing, that he would disappear quietly from the spotlight, like the attention never mattered to him.

The fact that we see him praying at a temple, tells me that heā€™s seeking spirituality, which is a nice trait to have, I think. It makes me think that heā€™s got some depth to him.

And then, the way he takes that phone call and effortlessly rattles off, without even thinking, how his men should deal with the bloody scene theyā€™ve come upon, complete with instructions on how to wrap up the pieces so they donā€™t bleed, and ventilate the place so that it doesnā€™t smell, and clean the blood off the floor, is such a funny contrast ā€“ especially given that heā€™s at a temple, which he himself seems to have forgotten, heh.

After that, the very sheepish face that he makes, as he realizes that heā€™s just described all those things to a room full of monks, and the hilarious way his leg cramps up as heā€™s trying to leave as unobtrusively as possible, just completes my mental picture of him, in my head.

Now, in my head, heā€™s this suave, dark, too-cool-for-school ex-gangster on the outside, but is quite the adorable dork on the inside, and this amuses me greatly. šŸ¤­

I think I will never tire of Show playing these two sides of him against each other, for my entertainment.

E3-4. My thought, coming away from these episodes, is how much I LUFF our sweet mobster. šŸ˜šŸ˜

Honestly, these episodes had me giggling and squeeing in pretty equal measure, and Iā€™m having so much fun, you guys. šŸ„°

I mean, when Ji Hwan is in his strong, silent mobster boss mode, he oozes presence, and I find him so quietly commanding.

And then, when heā€™s being all smitten with Eun Ha, heā€™s the cutest, dorkiest dork ever, and my soft spot for him just grows bigger and bigger. šŸ˜ I basically cannot help it. šŸ˜

E3-4. We start episode 3 revisiting the scene where Ji Hwan shields Eun Ha from the milk mob, and I find myself swooning all over again, with how quietly helpful Ji Hwan is, as he gets her to calm down, and then proceeds to carry her outta there ā€“ while very calmly telling the protesting milk mob, to save the milk for the milk company.

I find him to be such a grounding force, in this entire scene, even though Eun Ha soon protests and demands that he put her down.

Importantly, I appreciate that he gets Eun Ha to see a different point of view, by telling her that she can go back in there ā€“ if she is able to shoulder the responsibility.

Thatā€™s the thing that gives Eun Ha pause, because even though she does feel a sense of duty towards the parents who had trusted her recommendation and bought that milk for their kids, itā€™s true that she isnā€™t in a position to shoulder the blame.

This incident does make me feel like Ji Hwan is wiser than most people would give him credit for, being an ex-gangster and all.

In fact, Iā€™m thinking of the phrase ā€œstill waters run deepā€ and it feels apt to describe Ji Hwan, because heā€™s usually so reticent and reserved. And yet, when he has something to say, like in this case, he makes so much sense.

E5-6. I feel bad for Ji Hwan, because it really seems to hit him hard, when Hyun Woo insinuates that Eun Ha shouldnā€™t be around a dangerous person like Ji Hwan.

The way Ji Hwan tells Hyun Woo to take Eun Ha with him, makes me think that heā€™s more hurt than anything, and that hurt isnā€™t coming from a place of offense, but from a place of.. defeat, like he canā€™t refute anything that Hyun Woo has to say.

Aw. Poor Ji Hwan. šŸ’”

E7-8. Ji Hwan is determined to save Taek, particularly now that he knows that Taek was taken by force, and that he hadnā€™t broken his word to live clean.

At the same time, Ji Hwan is very much aware of how this is a very dangerous situation.

I can see why he would conclude that it would be best to keep Eun Ha as far away from this danger as possible.

And because he canā€™t take himself from this danger, because of his commitment to Taek, his only way to keep Eun Ha safe, is to keep her away from himself.

It definitely looks like noble idiocy to us viewers, but I can understand this line of thinking.

Ji Hwan loves Eun Ha and wants to keep her safe ā€“ even if it means losing her, himself. Thatā€™s honestly kind of touching, when you look at it like that?

Thatā€™s why he digs up the time capsule, and thatā€™s why he doesnā€™t reveal his identity, when he gives it to her.

In a similar vein, this is also why Ji Hwan doesnā€™t tell the rest of the boys where heā€™s going; he doesnā€™t want them in danger either.

Heā€™s literally like this big mother hen, trying to protect all his chicks, and using his own body as the shield.

Honestly, the more I see of Ji Hwan, the more my heart goes out to him.

We finally get to see what had happened that fateful day when Hyun Woo had seen Ji Hwan with that bloody club, at the hotel, and the truth is heart-pinching stuff.

I feel so much for Ji Hwan, who was ambushed and attacked by Go Yang Hui (Im Chul Soo) and his men.

Iā€™m glad he survives, of course, but by the end, heā€™s been clubbed and slashed, and heā€™s bleeding so much, and it feels like heā€™s been attacked like some kind of rag doll. šŸ˜­

And then, when Il Yeong confesses that heā€™d purposely missed all the calls that the rest of the boys had made to him that day, and is wracked with guilt over it, it kind of kills me, to hear Ji Hwan say that if Il Yeong had been able to live for a while like a regular college kid, he would have died happy.

AUGH. Ji Hwan is so self-sacrificial, in the way that he loves, and I just want to protect him from everything and everyone ā€“ including himself. šŸ„²

The whole sequence where Ji Hwan and Il Yeong move in to save Taek reminds me a fair bit of that day when Go Yang Hui had cornered and attacked him, because Ji Hwanā€™s body takes such a beating this time, too.

Not only is he beaten up, heā€™s even run over by a car. And he says that all he cares about is saving Taek.

AUGH. This man. I honestly believe that he would literally die, in order to protect his own, and it kills me to see that he would do so much for them, but neglect to care for his own wounds and injuries.

When he and Eun Ha had finally been released from the freezer, heā€™d only cared that she got checked and treated.

This time, too, he keeps insisting that heā€™s fine ā€“ even though he got knocked down by a car.

E9-10. It is poignant to hear Ji Hwan respond to Hyun Wooā€™s pointed question, by saying that he knows best what kind of person he is and the kind of danger that surrounds him, and that everything Hyun Wooā€™s thought of 10 times, heā€™s thought of a thousand times or more.

Eep. I found this moment quite heart-pinching, because how sad must this make Ji Hwan, under his stoic mobster boss aura? šŸ’”

[END SPOILER]

Han Sun Hwa as Eun Ha

You guys. I thought that this was my introduction to Han Sun Hwa, but I was wrong.

Iā€™ve apparently also seen her in other shows like 2014ā€™s Marriage Not Dating and 2018ā€™s My Husband Oh Jak Doo, in which she had main roles. Whoops. šŸ˜…

Honestly, if I didnā€™t know better, Iā€™d think that Han Sun Hwa was just being herself; sheā€™s just that natural and believable as Eun Ha.

Han Sun Hwa does a really good job of being our sincere, goodhearted heroine, and IĀ  quickly found myself liking her, and rooting for her.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Eun Haā€™s a sweet, goodhearted, guileless person, who just sincerely wants to do well as a content creator for kids, not by hawking products to kids and their parents, but by creating fun and wholesome videos for her audience.

Sheā€™s immediately an underdog sort of character, because Show quickly informs us that the world of content creation is a dog-eat-dog one, even when youā€™re in the realm of content for kids.

E3-4. Eun Ha really is a pure-hearted soul, isnā€™t she?

Not only does she not blame the parents for attacking her over the milk incident, sheā€™s kind to that mother, who had attacked her the previous day.

And, she listens with empathy, when the mother describes how tough it is, to be a single parent, and how Eun Haā€™s videos had helped her, because she could feel at ease letting her daughter watch the videos, knowing that Eun Ha wouldnā€™t be pushing products like other creators.

Aw. Itā€™s actually rather eye-opening to see how Eun Haā€™s choice not to push products made her a more attractive choice for parents with tight budgets.

This proves that Eun Haā€™s reasoning to her CEO had been correct; there are parents who need creators like her.

I also admire Eun Ha for being able to put her pride aside and accept that cleaning job from Ye Na, whoā€™d obviously said it to spite her.

The fact that Eun Ha can call Ye Na and accept the job with a smile, and be so cheerful and upbeat on the job, makes me feel that Eun Ha really is made of strong stuff.

Plus, how about the fact that Ye Na purposely invited those other creators over, specifically to let them see that Eun Ha was cleaning her house, so that Eun Ha would be humiliated? Grrr.

Iā€™m glad that Eun Ha handles it with composure, even though sheā€™s clearly taken aback.

[END SPOILER]

Our OTP

I found this OTP loveline super cute, and waiting breathlessly for forward movement on this loveline, ready to squee at any given time, was one of the big highlights of my watch. šŸ˜

I love that Ji Hwan falls first, and he falls hard, and it was just very cute to me, how our effortlessly badass ex-mobster, would become such a dork, in the face of feeeelingggss. šŸ¤­

Ji Hwan being discombobulated by Eun Ha never got old for me, and I had a great time lapping up our OTP moments.

To be clear, the writing and handling of this OTP is definitely on the more wholesome, sanitized side of things, but that worked, I felt, in this particular manhwa-esque story world.

I still found them endlessly endearing together, and I very much appreciated that Show took the time to inject layers and heart, into the development of their relationship.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I love that Ji Hwan literally falls for Eun Ha very quickly, not at first sight at the nightclub, but the first time he sees her in her element, interacting with kids and having a fun, educational, wholesome time with them.

Aw. The fact that itā€™s this side of her that makes him fall for her, is very endearing to me, honestly.

So far, itā€™s a comedy of errors in terms of their encounters, from her trying to fake-arrest him, to her misunderstanding his actions and thinking that heā€™s extorting money from a kid, to her accidentally breaking his ribs and causing him to fall down a flight of stairs, eep.

It does make everything even more endearing though, when he wakes up from his concussion and spends all his time binge-watching her videos, because it makes him happy.

After all the trouble sheā€™s brought him, heā€™s still smitten and swooning over her wholesome kidsā€™ videos, and even hallucinating about her being in his hospital room; Iā€™m just so gleeful at how dorky he is, over her. šŸ¤­

And how cute is it, that when his men, still very gangster-like in their habits despite turning over a new leaf, report her particulars to him, as the person behind all his injuries, he insists wildly (coz heā€™s hidden her under the covers next to him, ha) that itā€™s not like that at all, and they shouldnā€™t lay a finger on her.

Isnā€™t he so cutely protective, even though itā€™s true that she broke his ribs? Aw. šŸ„²

Within our first two episodes, we already get our first misunderstanding and first reconciliation between Ji Hwan and Eun Ha, and I find it all quite cutely poignant.

Itā€™s unfortunate that Ji Hwan misunderstands that Eun Ha had uploaded that unflattering video of his men as a means to gain attention and traction, but Iā€™m glad that he realizes his mistake soon enough, once Eun Ha uploads the original footage, in order to set the record straight.

That scene where he trails her to the bus stop and then sheepishly gets caught, because she spots his feet peeking out from under the bus stop billboard, is amusing yet poignant.

Itā€™s amusing to me because of the bit of physical comedy involved, that showcases how sheepish and awkward Ji Hwan is, and itā€™s poignant, because things are so so needlessly awkward between them.

Theyā€™re both apologetic for how theyā€™ve each misunderstood the other, so it feels kinda sad, really, when their stilted conversation gets nowhere, and Eun Ha excuses herself to walk off the beer that sheā€™s had.

As for the milk incident, we donā€™t know yet why the milkā€™s causing food poisoning in all those kids, but it does make a point about the responsibilities of a content creator.

Because Eun Ha endorsed that milk product, all the parents are turning around and blaming her, now that their kids are ill.

As tropey as it is that Ji Hwan shows up and shields Eun Ha from the milk that parents are tossing at her, I honestly kinda love that closing scene, where Ji Hwan and Eun Ha lock gazes.

I love that our dark, smoldery, smitten ex-gangster is here to help and protect Eun Ha, and I love just as much, that the first thing he says to her, is tell her to close her eyes and count to ten.

Ahh! Heā€™s prioritizing her emotional and mental wellbeing, and getting her to find her place of peace and stillness on the inside, over actually getting involved in the situation and trying to get these people to stop blaming her.

Thatā€™s.. pretty darn great, and I think I love him more now. šŸ„²

E3-4. I like that in the various snippets of conversation that we see between Ji Hwan and Eun Ha, they do seem to offer different perspectives to each other, which makes me feel like theyā€™re expanding each otherā€™s worlds, in a way.

Like how Ji Hwan says that running away is the best strategy in a fight, while Eun Ha tells him that the kidsā€™ parents werenā€™t trying to fight, but were simply upset that their kids were sick and in pain.

What Iā€™m most taken by, in this scene, however, is the thoughtful way Ji Hwan listens, like heā€™s being schooled and heā€™s intently chewing on the new information that heā€™s gained.

Or maybe Iā€™m just reading too much into his squint ā€“ because I love his squint! šŸ¤©

E3-4. Iā€™m glad Ji Hwan manages to find Eun Ha again, at the pochangmacha, and I am pleased that he has enough boldness about him, to sit down with Eun Ha uninvited, because that leads to some meaningful conversation.

Ordinarily, I would prefer that the guy mind boundaries more, and not get into the ladyā€™s personal space without permission, but somehow, in Ji Hwanā€™s case, with how awkward he is around Eun Ha, I find that Iā€™m more willing to.. overlook that.

I feel that itā€™s meaningful that Eun Ha talks a bit about her childhood, and why she hates mobsters. I also feel itā€™s meaningful that she says that she wishes Ji Hwan werenā€™t a mobster.

Aw. Doesnā€™t that indicate that Eun Ha has good feelings of some kind towards Ji Hwan, since she wishes that he werenā€™t a mobster? Otherwise, why would it even matter, yes?

And I find it so poignant, the way Ji Hwan says, with wistfulness in his voice, that he wishes he werenā€™t, either.

Awww. Are we talking about life regrets now?? šŸ„²

And then, I had to laugh, when Show serves up that scene of Ji Hwan swooping Eun Ha into a princess-carry because sheā€™s too drunk to go home on her own, only to undercut everything by making that the fantasy, while the reality is that Ji Hwanā€™s the one whoā€™s as drunk as a skunk. šŸ˜‚

All of the drunken playground antics are hilarious, and I found myself giggling harder and then harder still, as Ji Hwan dances from one playground item to another, blithely showing off his prowess to Eun Ha.

My gosh, Ji Hwan and Eun Ha spinning around and around on the roundabout was very funny, and then Ji Hwan going down the slide and bonking his head was laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Ji Hwan randomly yelling out, ā€œTransform! Flash mob!ā€ in that raspy voice of his was just GOLD, though. I was literally silently shivering with laughter, by this point. šŸ˜†

And then everything turns a little more thoughtful and poignant, when they move to the swings, and Ji Hwan praises Eun Ha for doing a nice job of standing on the swings, which I thought was sweet.

But heā€™s even sweeter, to tell her all the things she does well, when she talks about all the things she doesnā€™t do well, like drinking, and making bubbles.

And afterwards, I felt all warm and fuzzy inside, when Ji Hwan tells Eun Ha to keep making videos, and then I silently squeed, when Ji Hwan sits up and tells Eun Ha, in his raspy, tipsy way, that he misses watching them.

Eeeee! Somehow my inner fangirl is spazzing at the fact that heā€™s admitting to Eun Ha that he misses her videos; I think itā€™s because heā€™s letting on, in some way, that sheā€™s important to him. šŸ„²

Ji Hwanā€™s mortification the next morning, as he remembers all his drunken antics, just makes everything funny all over again; itā€™s like he gives the hijinks new life, ha.

And then the way he starts hallucinating visions of Eun Ha around him, instead of paying attention to presentations at work, makes me giggle all over again. šŸ¤­

Itā€™s really unfortunate that Eun Haā€™s basically fired from the company, not just for the milk incident, but for not being the kind of money-focused creator that they want her to be.

But, itā€™s because of that, that she ends up wandering her old neighborhood, and finding herself at Ji Hwanā€™s home.

I kinda love that Ji Hwan keeps finding excuses to help Eun Ha, like telling her that heā€™d like to check the condition of his very expensive jacket, to get her to come into the house.

Iā€™m reading this as him recognizing that Eun Ha doesnā€™t want to be a charity case, and doesnā€™t want people to pity her, and this is why heā€™s being so careful and tentative about offering help.

E3-4. I am amused but no longer surprised, when Il Yeong makes up an excuse so that Eun Ha can go with Ji Hwan to Jung Yoon Taekā€™s home, to try to find out more about where he might be.

Again, I like that we get some meaningful nuggets of conversation between them in the car, like Ji Hwan and Eun Ha apologizing to each other for the various ways theyā€™ve misunderstood each other, Ji Hwan telling Eun Ha why heā€™s looking for Jung Yoon Taek, and then talking about why Ji Hwan started a company with just ex-cons.

E5-6. I get a real kick out of Ji Hwan having such a commanding sort of effect on everyone, like when he shows up to save Eun Ha and Hong Ki from those guys from the Kitty Gang. šŸ¤©šŸ˜

Itā€™s played in an exaggerated fashion, but I absolutely got a kick out of all of those tough guys disappearing in the blink of an eye, the moment Ji Hwan appears.

And then, we finally get Ji Hwan telling Eun Ha that she can stay at the mobster mansion for the time being, until sheā€™s found another place to stay.

YESSS. I just reallyreallyreally want Eun Ha to live in that house with Ji Hwan and the rest of his boys, and be the princess-cum-mother hen that they all love and need. šŸ„°

One of my favorite things about Eun Ha living at the mobster mansion, is that she gets to know more about Ji Hwan, whether sheā€™s interacting with him directly or not.

Like how she overhears Ji Hwan telling his boys that their mistakes are unfortunately not judged as simply as if the mistake had been made by someone else; that their ex-con backgrounds unfortunately do factor into how people see them.

Aw. Thatā€™s quite sad and sobering, isnā€™t it?

Of course, my absolute favorite thing about Eun Ha living at the house, is that she gets to spend time with Ji Hwan, and even have the occasional moment of hyper-proximity.

Like that moment when Ji Hwan reaches through the trellis separating their balconies, and removes that bug from her face.

Heā€™s so gentle and tender about it, that I honestly totally understand why Eun Ha would find her heart racing, in response. šŸ¤­

And then thereā€™s the way Ji Hwan mistakes Eun Ha for a burglar and accosts her in the garden ā€“ and they end up having a nice little conversation about why Eun Ha had come to the house in the first place; that sheā€™d had good memories of the place, and of a very good person.

It really feels nice that Eun Ha and Ji Hwan are loosening up around each other, and getting to know more about each other. šŸ„°

I love how happy Ji Hwan looks, when he tells Eun Ha that theyā€™re having a welcome party for her, and she gets all thrilled and excited.

But also ā€“ how random is it, that Ji Hwan ends up putting his hand on Eun Haā€™s head, without even realizing it? šŸ˜‚

Iā€™m sure Showā€™s just putting that in there for laughs, but I do find it a sweet idea, that Ji Hwanā€™s so drawn to Eun Ha, that heā€™d overcome his usual reservations without even realizing it, and put his hand on her head, like a gesture of affection.

Also, isnā€™t Eun Ha such a good help, going out and talking Hong Ki into going back to the house, even though Ji Hwanā€™s officially cut him off as punishment for his fraudulent mistake?

Thatā€™s totally the kind of thing Iā€™d expect the mother of the house to do, and this thought amuses me ā€“ and satisfies me! ā€“ quite a bit. šŸ˜

I got a kick out of Eun Ha trouncing Jae Soo at drinking games, and Jae Soo getting super drunk and hungover as a result, when heā€™d been intending to use the welcome party to get Eun Ha suffering drunk. šŸ˜…

Eun Ha does get tipsy, however ā€“ which is how we end up with that drunk kiss with Ji Hwan, at the end of episode 5.

Iā€™m half squeeing coz it is technically a kiss, but Iā€™m also half mortified on Eun Haā€™s behalf, because I feel her horror the next morning, when she remembers how sheā€™d kissed Ji Hwan. Oops. šŸ™ˆšŸ˜…

I can totally understand why Eun Ha would lie that she canā€™t remember a thing, coz sheā€™d been too drunk, but ā€“ eep! ā€“ how unfortunate, that she and Ji Hwan talk at cross purposes and she ends up getting the idea that Ji Hwan thinks that the kiss was an unpleasant situation. šŸ˜…šŸ˜…

Isnā€™t Ji Hwan quite cute though, with the way he pays such close attention to Eun Haā€™s likes and dislikes, which sheā€™d shared at the welcome party, and then takes them so seriously that heā€™d give fresh instructions to his boys, so that they can align more closely to Eun Haā€™s preferences.

I luff this dork, so much. šŸ˜

And Iā€™m glad that Eun Ha finds herself feeling a little jealous, when she hears about Ji Hwan ā€œhuggingā€ Kang Ye Na and taking her to the hospital.

ALSO. How about that ā€œshoulder thugā€ moment?

Omona. I laughed so hard, when Ji Hwan gets all hurt that Eun Ha referred to him as a thug, because he hadnā€™t understood the slang.

And Iā€™m SO stoked, really, that Eun Ha keys in to his peevishness, and actually hits on the reason why heā€™s acting all touchy and aggrieved ā€“ and then has a good hearty laugh about it.

I found this so funny, and I found it even funnier, when Ji Hwan finally looks it up, and then gets all pleased about her noticing his shoulders ā€“ and then proceeds to work out only his shoulders, the next morning.

Tee hee hee!

I LUFF THIS DORK. šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜šŸ˜

E5-6. I was really shaking my head at Man Ho for his crazy idea of locking Eun Ha in the freezer with Ji Hwan, so that the two of them would get some quality time together.

I mean, thatā€™s quite dangerous, as we see, when Man Ho realizes that heā€™s lost the keys to said freezer. šŸ¤¦šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

BUT.

We do get some quality moments between Ji Hwan and Eun Ha, when she tells him that his employees think really well of him.

I thought that was quite precious and meaningful, especially when Eun Ha tells him that she thinks that heā€™s a good person. Aw. šŸ„²

And then we have Ji Hwan taking off his coat and his jacket to try to keep Eun Ha warm, which I thought was really sweet and gallant of him.

AND THEN WE HAVE BACKHUG HUDDLING.

Ahhh!!! I mean, if I were Eun Ha Iā€™d probably be too frozen to register this as romantic in the moment, but as an observer, I find it very romantic, that Ji Hwan would do everything he could, to keep Eun Ha from freezing.

PLUS DID I MENTION BACKHUG HUDDLING??? šŸ˜šŸ˜šŸ˜

I dunno, maybe Man Ho really was on to something there, after all? šŸ˜…

E7-8. I do love that slo-mo hero moment that we get, when Ji Hwan walks out from the freezer with Eun Ha in a princess-carry, complete with that icy cloud billowing around him.

It wouldā€™ve been cooler if he and Eun Ha werenā€™t actually frozen, but it still made for a very cool visual.

After that, I do love what an anxious dork Ji Hwan becomes, when Eun Haā€™s in the hospital.

I love the way he fusses over her, in every sense possible, from hovering over her, all worried that she might have lost her memory or something, to making that very detailed list of things that she might need, and asking Mi Ho (Moon Ji In) to bring everything to the hospital ā€“ even though Eun Haā€™s only going to be warded for a single night, heh.

His care for Eun Ha is spilling out all over the place, and I love it. šŸ„°

And, it does look like Eun Ha feels heā€™s very endearing too, judging from the way she softly smiles to herself, after heā€™s left with the boys.

In my view, it definitely seems like Eun Ha might be growing a bit of a romantic soft spot for Ji Hwan.

The way she sits up close to him, when heā€™s dozed off while sitting up in her hospital room, and air-traces his features with her finger, is so very telling.

Honestly, I canā€™t think of any other scenario in which someone would do that (unless it was a parent to their child, and this is absolutely not the case here šŸ˜).

And, I do love that Eun Haā€™s basically got Ji Hwanā€™s number; she knows how to make him do things, even when he protests that heā€™s fine.

Like the way she gets him to stay at the hospital for an IV drip, because he doesnā€™t look too well.

He protests and protests that heā€™s fine, but in the end, she has him lying in her hospital bed, obediently getting that IV drip.

Tee hee hee. I am honestly very tickled by the fact that this mobster boss dude, who literally has people shivering in their boots just by showing up, is wrapped around Eun Haā€™s little finger, and doing her bidding.

Isnā€™t that so very cute?? šŸ¤­

I do really like the fact that Eun Ha is curious to know more about him. That shows that sheā€™s interested to understand him as a person, and thatā€™s one step closer to this would-be OTP actually getting minted, yes?

I appreciate the fact that Eun Haā€™s clearly been paying attention; the way she describes Ji Hwan to himself, sheā€™s obviously been putting all the fragments of information together to form a picture of him.

And I also appreciate that when Eun Ha asks if heā€™s ever opened up to someone, he does open up a bit, right then and there, and tells her that there had been one person, when heā€™d been little.

Of course, now we know, on hindsight, that heā€™s talking about Eun Ha, because thatā€™s the big reveal that Show gives us, these episodes.

I thought it was really quite sweet that Ji Hwan would sleep soundly through the night, when heā€™d ordinarily be on reflexive high alert, and therefore not sleep very deeply at all.

I like to think that itā€™s because he feels comfortable and safe around Eun Ha. šŸ„°

Isnā€™t he such a funny dork, though, the way he tries to leave the room so stealthily, upon waking up? It honestly gives me Pink Panther vibes, itā€™s so cute. šŸ˜‚

Of course, I canā€™t get enough of the tender look in his eyes as he stops to look down at a sleeping Eun Ha, and gently pulls her blanket over her. Melt. šŸ„°

Itā€™s just too bad that he drops his wallet while sneaking out of the hospital room, because thatā€™s the whole reason Eun Ha goes to his company to look for him ā€“ and thatā€™s how she ends up seeing him ā€œwrist grabā€ Ye Na, to prevent her from eating the sausage that sheā€™s allergic to.

Poor Ji Hwan. Heā€™s so perplexed and mortified, when he finds out that Eun Ha had seen it, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.

As a silver lining, a bit of jealousy always works to nudge charactersā€™ feelings into focus, and it definitely does that for Eun Ha.

Sheā€™s absolutely low-key jealous, and you can see it in the way she digs up the garden with a bit more aggression than is absolutely needed.

Plus, sheā€™s kind of passive-aggressive later as well, when she remarks that Ji Hwan had looked busy, and thatā€™s why sheā€™d handed off his wallet to Dong Hee (Park Jae Chan).

Poor Ji Hwan, heā€™s so out of his depth, in trying to explain himself to Eun Ha. šŸ¤­

BUT THEN.

How about that moment of hyper-proximity and hyper-awareness, when Ji Hwan gets soap bubbles on Eun Haā€™s hair, and hastily tries to get them off her, with his hands.

I totally held my breath for a while there, thinking that one of them might initiate a kiss or something ā€“ but Man Ho, big hiccuping dork that he is, breaks the moment, pfft.

E9-10. I can understand Eun Haā€™s decision to move out of the mobster mansion.

When she explains it to Mi Ho, it makes a lot of sense; that she should get out quick, before her feelings for Ji Hwan get too big and too deep, because, as far as she understands it, he doesnā€™t reciprocate her feelings.

Itā€™s not noble idiocy, itā€™s putting herself first, and protecting her own heart, and I can absolutely get behind that.

As for Ji Hwan, I can understand his thought, that it would be dangerous for Eun Ha to associate herself with someone like him, so I can also understand him trying his best to stick to his guns and not stop her from leaving.

Honestly, you can see that one of Ji Hwanā€™s biggest drivers, is the desire to keep Eun Ha safe.

Thatā€™s why he goes to see Go Yang Hui, to make it clear that he will not tolerate Go Yang Hui messing with her, or with his boys.

Aw, isnā€™t Ji Hwan such a mother hen at heart? He just wants to protect those who are precious to him. It just so happens that he has the glower of a top mafioso, to go with his protective mother hen heart. šŸ¤­

And so, a lot of these episodesā€™ plot points, revolve around Eun Ha getting ready to leave the mobster boys, and Ji Hwan angsting over the fact that sheā€™s leaving, but not feeling like he could or should do anything to stop her.

E9-10. Thereā€™s no denying that Ji Hwan absolutely cares about Eun Ha.

Just look at the way he panics, when he calls her, and hears her screaming, as she runs away from the high-schoolers.

The way he races over there to retrieve her phone, and then keeps running all the way to the police station, you just know that heā€™s ready to do anything it takes, in order to make everything ok, for Eun Ha.

Itā€™s just too bad that heā€™s stopped dead in his tracks, at the sight of Eun Ha in Hyun Wooā€™s company.

Aw. Dang it. Poor Ji Hwan, feeling dispensable and all ā€“ not to mention jealous at the fact that Eun Haā€™s with Hyun Woo.

Honestly, as much as I love Ji Hwan and sympathize with him, and even understand his reasoning, I did want to reach into my screen and shake him a bit, for being so stubbornly withholding with Eun Ha, to the point of even being rather brusque.

Credit to Eun Ha, really, for approaching Ji Hwan to talk, after heā€™s put such a clear distance between them.

And credit to her too, for figuring out that heā€™s the one whoā€™d left her phone on the ground of the carpark, at the police station, and also, for telling him that sheā€™d enjoyed the time that sheā€™d spent at the house ā€“ and also, with him.

But with Ji Hwanā€™s iron will ā€“ and we know that he definitely has one, to have been able to do stuff like turn in his father to the cops ā€“ itā€™s honestly not that surprising, that it takes A LOT to galvanize him into action, especially a course of action thatā€™s different from the one heā€™s set his mind to.

The fact that Ji Hwan panics when 11am rolls around, because thatā€™s the time that Eun Ha had told him she was signing the contract with the real estate agent, and goes running out the door, says a lot about how important Eun Ha is to him.

Even his iron will has to give way, when it comes to Eun Ha. Thatā€™s quite touching, when you look at it that way, yes? šŸ„²

E9-10. The ā€œlost in the woodsā€ scene is very akin to the classic one, where the female lead gets lost in the woods on a lonely, snowy mountain, and the male lead goes out desperately searching for her, and then, when he comes upon her, finally, there are tears and hugs and handholding.

The way Show does it, though, is a nice twist to the original, because in this case, Eun Ha is not actually lost; itā€™s just that Ji Hwan panics because sheā€™s been gone for a whole hour and isnā€™t answering her phone, and his panic stirs everyone into a panic, and soon thereā€™s this whole entire frenzy of an emergency search for Eun Ha ā€“ whoā€™s just really taking her time with her walk. šŸ˜

Itā€™s quite funny how Ji Hwanā€™s panic is basically the catalyst for everything ā€“ including that tumble that they both take, because his desperately urgent approach startles Eun Ha.

I was a little taken aback when Ji Hwan starts berating Eun Ha for taking off on her own, but I was glad to hear him blurt out that he was worried about her, and then, shortly after, that he likes her.

And Iā€™m glad that Eun Ha latches onto that, and gets him to backtrack and repeat what he said, which is how we finally get Ji Hwan confessing his feelings for Eun Ha. HUZZAH!!

ā€œEun Ha, I really, really, really.. like you. Only you.ā€

Awwww. The dork is so simple and sincere in his confession. Melt.

And then, I do love that Eun Haā€™s confession is done so naturally, while heā€™s carrying her on his back, because of her sprained ankle.

That she hasnā€™t been able to stop thinking about him since the day heā€™d carried her at the hospital; that he doesnā€™t say much, and picks mean things to say on purpose, loses his temper often, awkward with words and even more awkward with actions, has no idea what a woman wants ā€“ but she still likes him.

Itā€™s hilarious that Ji Hwanā€™s in such shock that he literally drops Eun Ha right then and there; I guess he was all wrapped up in all the not-so-positive things that Eun Ha had been saying about him, that the confirmation that she still liked him, in spite of it all, was just too much for him. šŸ¤­

I do love the idea, though, that Eun Ha is very clear on all of his failings, but likes him anyway. That is very accepting and lovely. šŸ„°

And, I love just as much, that Eun Ha doesnā€™t hesitate to take Ji Hwanā€™s face in her hands and kiss him, now that she knows that he likes her. šŸ’‹

I found it utterly hilarious that Ji Hwan would promptly almost pass out in response. šŸ¤­

And then I found it very cute, the way Ji Hwan insists on taking her back on his back, but staggers sideways here and there, because heā€™s still dizzy from the kiss. šŸ¤­

The most priceless thing, though, is the fact that we see leaked smiles from both Eun Ha and Ji Hwan, as he carries her back down to the lodge. I LOVE. šŸ„°šŸ„°

After that, I was quite entertained by all of Ji Hwanā€™s instincts to, 1, protect Eun Ha from other members of the male species getting too close, and 2, show off his own prowess at the barbecue.

I did feel that Ji Hwanā€™s skittishness around Eun Ha was rather OTT, but the way he sighs that sheā€™s just too pretty, is very sweet. šŸ„²

E9-10. Ahaha ā€“ it looks like Ji Hwan just lives catalyst to catalyst, in this relationship, because the moment he sees Hyun Woo walking Eun Ha home, he gets all antsy, and the moment he sees Hyun Woo reach out to shake Eun Haā€™s hand, Ji Hwan is, once again, galvanized into making a move.

..Which is how we have Ji Hwan grabbing Eun Haā€™s hand and yelling, ā€œBaby, letā€™s GOO!!ā€

And then, as he leads Eun Ha up the stairs, heā€™s allā€Letā€™s go, baby! Oppa will make ramyun for you!ā€

HAHAHA. This is just gold. GOLD, I tell ya! šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

But then, once theyā€™re in the privacy of the garden and no longer in Hyun Wooā€™s line of sight, I love how Ji Hwan gets all quiet and serious, and, his gaze never leaving her as he puts his hands on her face, he leans in and kisses her. And then kisses her again.

Eeee!!!! YESSS.

It took a lot of catalysts to push Ji Hwan into action (it does take a village, in this case! šŸ˜), but weā€™re finally at a proper OTP kiss, and I am lovingggg it. šŸ”„ā¤ļøšŸ« 

E11-12. I found it quite cute the way Eun Ha manages Ji Hwanā€™s peevish feelings, and promises that sheā€™ll give him wayyyy longer answers next time. It feels like sheā€™s pacifying a little kid, and the idea of badass dorky Ji Hwan as a little kid is the thing that kind of amuses me. šŸ˜

Itā€™s too bad that the happy bubble of OTP togetherness takes a hit, when Ji Hwan starts getting worried about Eun Haā€™s safety, and tells her in that exasperated way that she should quit her job, but wonā€™t tell her why.

I donā€™t blame Eun Ha for getting upset, and keeping Ji Hwan at a distance for a while.

Iā€™m glad, though, that this OTP has pretty healthy communication dynamics, at least for now.

I like that Eun Ha can tell that Ji Hwan wants to apologize, but doesnā€™t know how to start, and that she gives him the opening, by saying, ā€œYou want to apologize, donā€™t you?ā€

Itā€™s honestly pretty cute that Ji Hwanā€™s prepared that apple for his apology (because in Korean, ā€œappleā€ and ā€œapologyā€ are homonyms), and I like that it really only takes this much, to make Eun Ha crack a smile.

I also really like Ji Hwanā€™s gentle manner as he articulates exactly why heā€™s sorry:

ā€œIā€™m sorry. There has been bad blood between us for a very long time. Heā€™s a dangerous man. And out of my concern for you, I overreacted in the moment.ā€

Isnā€™t it sweet, the way Eun Ha wraps her arms around him, as she accepts his apology? I really like the way Eun Ha doesnā€™t hold grudges; I can just feel that sheā€™s putting the incident behind them, with this apology. I like that a lot.

That said, I do think that Eun Ha still needs to know about whatā€™s really going on with the mobster side of things, because when she says that sheā€™s not someone that he needs to worry about or protect, that.. doesnā€™t ring true.

At least, right now, it does seem like Eun Ha might be in danger, if not from Go Yang Hui, then from Mobster Dad (Kim Roe Ha) himself. šŸ˜¬

It is very cute, however, how Ji Hwan presents Eun Ha with her own studio for making videos for her new channel.

I do love the idea, and itā€™s even sweeter, that it was a group effort, with all the boys chipping in to make it happen. šŸ„°

(I did chuckle a bit indulgently at the double fall resulting in an almost embrace; itā€™s suuuper tropey, but I guess this particular OTP needs a bit of help in the form of narrative catalysts. šŸ˜)

Yay for the almost kiss on the couch as well, but ā€“ dang it ā€“ the moment is ruined by Il Yeong coming through the door. šŸ¤Ø

Oh well. Maybe next time, eh? šŸ˜…

E11-12. I feel like the mood was right, for Ji Hwan to tell Eun Ha more about his story.

For the record, Iā€™m frustrated that he left out the part about being Hyun Woo Oppa, but fine, whatever. Iā€™m sure weā€™ll get there next week ā€“ or so I hope. šŸ˜…

I do love how sweetly and gently supportive Eun Ha is, not just in the moment, but just in general.

Itā€™s no wonder Ji Hwan feels galvanized into action ā€“ and we get a sweet little OTP kiss, yesss. šŸ„°

[END SPOILER]

Kwon Yul as Hyun Woo

To be brutally honest with you guys, I found myself feeling mostly quite ambivalent towards Hyun Woo as a character, through my watch.

And Kwon Yul was.. well, he was.. mostly similar to how I see him in just about any other second male lead role Iā€™ve seen him in? šŸ˜…

Iā€™m sorry; Iā€™m sure heā€™s done way more than that, but itā€™s just that heā€™s played enough of a particular second-lead type that my brain has identified him with that, and heā€™s that, in this show too.

In terms of his function in our story, I mostly saw him as a plot device more than anything else.

On the upside, he was a plot device that I eventually had more positive feelings towards, but.. he was still a plot device to me, nonetheless. šŸ˜…

[SPOILER ALERT]

What I mean is, this characterā€™s entire existence seems to be for two main things:

1, to be a red herring, because the way Show positions him, itā€™s easy to assume that heā€™s Eun Haā€™s long-lost Oppa from her childhood, when he really isnā€™t.

But Eun Ha canā€™t help thinking that he just might be, especially since heā€™s a prosecutor, and that had been Hyun Woo Oppaā€™s dream, as a child ā€“ and that, in turn, distracts her from entertaining the possibility that Hyun Woo Oppa might be someone else.

2, to act as an obstacle to the development of our OTP relationship.

Thereā€™s the whole love triangle thing, of course, but thereā€™s also that other layer where Hyun Woo has what feels like an unreasonable amount of dislike for Ji Hwan, which, of course, needs to be worked through.

Hyun Woo as a character fulfilled his narrative purpose, but I didnā€™t have any strong feelings for him, even when I got to the end of our story.

[END SPOILER]

Il Yeong and Mi Ho

Show starts to tease a potential loveline between Il Yeong and Mi Ho (Kim Hyun Jin and Moon Ji In) from very early on in our story.

This in itself didnā€™t surprise me, since Il Yeong and Mi Ho do make a cute couple, and Mi Ho does get stars in her eyes right away, just because of how handsome Il Yeong is.

What did surprise me, is the direction that writer-nim chose to take, in developing this loveline.

It all works out in the end (as it totally should, given the fluffy nature of this story world), but I was a little bit thrown for a while there, not gonna lie. šŸ˜…

[SPOILER ALERT]

Mainly, I hadnā€™t been expecting fireworks šŸ”„, and certainly not at the early episode 6 mark, but thatā€™s exactly what we get, and I was honestly rather taken aback by this, since Il Yeong and Mi Ho barely knew each other, at this point.

So what we get is an immediate launch into angstville with these two, with Mi Ho angsting about the pregnancy on her own, while Il Yeong angsts about how heā€™s not good enough for a nice girl like Mi Ho, thanks to his crime-related past.

Itā€™s not typical in a fluffy kdrama, thatā€™s for sure, yes?

However, on the upside, this does give rise to one of the best funny lines in this entire show, when Man Ho (Lee Yoo Joon)Ā finds the positive pregnancy test, and concludes that someone must have contracted COVID. PWAHAHA!!! šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚

I literally had to pause the video; I was laughing so hard and so long over this. *wipes tear* šŸ„²

Iā€™m glad, though, that Il Yeong figures it out, once he sees the other boys holding the test.

And Iā€™m also glad that, despite a few hiccups (and some unnecessary, arc-prolonging obstacles), Il Yeong does manage to show Mi Ho that he absolutely would be up for settling down and starting a family ā€“ if itā€™s with her. šŸ„²

[END SPOILER]

The (ex-)mobster family šŸ„²

I just love theĀ setup of the house, where all of Ji Hwan and his boys live together, and they each take turns to take care of chores like cooking and cleaning.

It gives me found family feels, and I love this for them, so much. šŸ„°

In fact, one of my favorite bits in this show, were all the times that we got to see the mobster household functioning like a real family. šŸ„²

The group of them had been a little overwhelming at first, but over time, I naturally got a handle on who was who, and their various quirks and idiosyncrasies.

And the more I felt like I got to know them, the more this mobster family endeared themselves to me.

[SPOILER ALERT]

One of my biggest asks, while watching this show, was that Eun Ha would get to live in the mobster house too, to give us Eun Ha and the seven (ok, six) mobsters sort of deal ā€“ AND SHOW DELIVERED. YESSS. šŸ„°

I loved watching Eun Ha settle into the household, asĀ cutely incongruous as it was, to see dainty Eun Ha amid a bunch of burly ex-cons.

I was quite obsessed with the idea of her potentially becoming a permanent member of this household, honestly, and so I loved every hint or indication, that her position in the family was solidifying. šŸ„²

Which is why I love that little arc in episodes 9-10, when Eun Ha takes the boys shopping for books, as a goodbye gift of sorts, and then stands up for them,Ā to those snooty high school kids.

I loved how the boys then came to her rescue, in turn, from exactly those same snooty kids.

Aw. How fantastic is that, yes?

This showed me that theyā€™ve got one anotherā€™s backs, and I love that, so much. So very homey and warm. šŸ„°šŸ„°

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E13-14. You know, for a set of penultimate episodes, these actually worked out to be pretty solid, in my opinion.

I definitely enjoyed these episodes more than last weekā€™s episodes, and thatā€™s a step in the right direction, as far as Iā€™m concerned. šŸ˜

Backing up to the top of episode 13, suspicious-looking guy turns out to be after Dong Hee, and not Eun Ha, so that whole thing takes on a very different direction than if Ji Hwan had had to save Eun Ha from suspicious-looking guy.

In fact, I do appreciate this arc, because it puts into focus an idea thatā€™s been percolating within our story world for quite a while, and that is:

Can we really leave our past behind? And also: Do people deserve second chances, even after their wrongdoing has had deep long-lasting effects on others?

That is something that haunts not only Dong Hee, but everyone in Thirsty Deer, Ji Hwan in particular.

I really feel touched by Ji Hwan wanting to be that rock and shelter for his employees, and especially for his boys.

The way heā€™s willing to kneel down before those whoā€™ve been hurt, and apologize, even though the sentence for the crime itself has already been paid, says so much, really.

It shows that he has a deep understanding for what crime can do to others, and an enduring empathy for those whoā€™ve been hurt, and that really endears him to me even more. šŸ„²

I thought Dong Heeā€™s arc in these episodes was nicely wrapped up, with that moment of acceptance and closure, when his late girlfriendā€™s mom texts him to set him free from his guilt, and Dong Hee in turn replies that he will always remember her and feel sorry towards her.

Itā€™s the best outcome that we could ask for, given the circumstances, and Iā€™m glad that Ji Hwan helped him to get there.

I thought it was an interesting but still relevant point to tie to Eun Haā€™s guilt towards Hyun Woo Oppa.

While Eun Ha hadnā€™t committed a crime, her guilt towards Hyun Woo Oppa, for getting him caught by the mobster dude (who was apparently Go Yang Hui), has continued to haunt her over the years, and it is something that she needs to work through, just like Dong Hee needs to work through his own guilt.

I really like that she shares her experience with Dong Hee, because I always feel that solidarity can do so much for us all. šŸ„°

And in that same spirit, I very much like the idea that Eun Ha wants to share Ji Hwanā€™s burden too.

The way she takes him up to that hilltop and then shouts his frustrations for him when he feels too self-conscious to do it himself, is really cute.

Iā€™m really glad that Eun Ha finally figures out that Ji Hwan is THE Hyun Woo Oppa whom sheā€™s been searching for all these years, coz as far as Iā€™m concerned, this identity thing has really overstayed its welcome.

I would have been happier honestly, if Show had done the reveal two episodes ago ā€“ at least. šŸ˜…

But YAY that Eun Ha finally found her Hyun Woo Oppa, and yay, too, for the reunion around that, because I found that all very sweet and poignant.

The way Eun Ha cries and apologizes for not recognizing him sooner, is so sweet, honestly.

Iā€™d been half afraid that Eun Ha might get upset with Ji Hwan for not telling her that he was Hyun Woo, and that Show would use that as a source of narrative tension, but I neednā€™t have worried.

Our OTP gets through this reunion in a really sweet manner, and Iā€™m glad that Ji Hwan tells her that heā€™d been afraid that sheā€™d be disappointed to learn that he was her Hyun Woo Oppa.

Iā€™m also really glad that Eun Ha tells him that sheā€™s glad that heā€™s her Hyun Woo Oppa, because both he and Hyun Woo Oppa had always been good people, in her eyes. šŸ„²

That feels really important for Ji Hwan to hear, doesnā€™t it, especially in the light of the theme of these episodes, about people being defined by their pasts? šŸ„²

Still, Ji Hwanā€™s sense of duty towards his boys really comes through in his tipsy talk, where he tells Eun Ha that heā€™s never thought about getting married, and mostly only thinks about getting his boys all married.

I can see why this would miff Eun Ha, but I do take Ji Hwanā€™s words at face value; itā€™s not that he doesnā€™t like her enough ā€“ heā€™s always seen it as his deepest duty towards his boys, and therefore never put thought into a wedded future for himself.

Iā€™m glad they make up over that cupcake though ā€“ after Show throws in a shirtless scene for Ji Hwan, just coz. šŸ¤­

Iā€™m not super sure about the potential loveline that Showā€™s hinting at, between Hong Ki and Ye Na, but I did appreciate that moment in the cafe, where Hong Ki tries to say all those unflattering things about Ji Hwan, in an attempt to help Ye Na feel better about not dating him.

I liked that it helped Ye Na to open up about her past and how she felt about it, and Ji Hwan, and that Hong Ki told her what she likely didnā€™t even realize that she needed to hear ā€“ that sheā€™s been through a lot, and has done really well; that heā€™s proud of her.

Aw. In spite of myself, I thought this was a sweet and meaningful moment. šŸ„²

Maybe a loveline between these two wouldnā€™t be such a bad idea after all, heh.

Over on our secondary OTPā€™s side of things, Iā€™m very pleased that Il Yeong and Mi Ho finally get their misunderstandings sorted out, because they do make an adorable couple.

Iā€™m glad that Il Yeong gets to tell Mi Ho that the reason he wants to make a family now, is because itā€™s with her, and that he wants to do everything with her, going forward.

Aw. Schweet. šŸ„°

Itā€™s a little silly that Mi Hoā€™s parents (Lee Byung Joon and Yoon Jin Seong) suddenly object to Il Yeong, after being so pro-Il Yeong prior to this, but Iā€™m happy to roll with it, coz it naturally brings Ji Hwan into the picture as a father figure of sorts, and also, it all gets resolved pretty quickly.

The key conflict that I think is going to be a driving force in our finale episodes, is Mobster Dad putting pressure on Ji Hwan to join him.

We already see the seeds of that being sown in these penultimate episodes, with Ji Hwanā€™s meeting with Mobster Dad.

Even though Ji Hwan says that he belongs to Thirsty Deer and has no intention of rejoining his father, Mobster Dad does not seem to want to take no for an answer.

The way Mobster Dad marches into the Thirsty Deer boardroom with all his minions, is so, well, mobstery and mafia-esque.

Clearly, heā€™s purposely sabotaging Ji Hwan, in order to force his hand; like, if everyone quits Thirty Deer, Ji Hwan would have nowhere else to go but back to Dadā€™s gang ā€“ or at least, that seems to be Mobster Dadā€™s angle.

In the meantime, as we close out episode 14, Hyun Woo sustains a bloody head injury while trying to protect Eun Ha from Go Yang Hui and his men, and this feels like just one more thing that will weigh on Ji Hwanā€™s mind.

Iā€™m pretty sure Ji Hwan wonā€™t actually end up becoming a mobster again, but.. letā€™s see how Show solves this dilemma, while taking us to the finish line. šŸ¤žšŸ»

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E15-16. Now that Iā€™ve gotten to the end of this little show, Iā€™m suddenly hit with a sense of empathy; like, now I truly understand why so many of you guys have been feeling so wistful about saying goodbye to our sweet mobster, his sweet little mouse, and their little collection of dorky thirsty deer. šŸ„²

What makes it all better, though, is the fact that I think Show stuck the landing, and very well, at that. (I inexplicably feel like a proud mother hen. šŸ„²)

I think one of the things that I appreciate the most about this finale, is that the final angst and conflict makes sense within our story, ie, it doesnā€™t feel manufactured or shoe-horned in at the last minute.

Weā€™ve always known that Mobster Dad was a problem that Ji Hwan had only temporarily solved, when heā€™d put Mobster Dad in jail, and Iā€™m sure we all knew that Mobster Dad would become an issue for Ji Hwan again, upon his release from prison.

I found it easy to believe that Mobster Dad would look for any and all ways to put pressure on Ji Hwan to come back to the gang and be Mobster Dadā€™s successor, and it made total sense to me that Eun Ha would be Ji Hwanā€™s achilles heel, no matter who was after him.

Yes, we do get the dreaded penultimate separation between the OTP, but in this case, I appreciate that itā€™s not noble idiocy.

Ji Hwan choosing to keep Eun Ha at a distance only feels like the smart thing to do, given that Eun Haā€™s an easy target for anyone wanting to get at Ji Hwan.

Importantly, he doesnā€™t lie to her, nor disappear on her.

And also very importantly, in that moment when he removes her hand from his arm, which is the most overt ā€œpushing her awayā€ thing that he does, he does so very gently, so she understands that heā€™s pushing her away, not because he dislikes her.

ALSO. He doesnā€™t actually give in to Mobster Dadā€™s demands, which Iā€™d been half afraid that he would do if driven into a corner, if only to protect Eun Ha.

Iā€™m SO relieved, honestly, that Ji Hwan continues to hold on to his principles, and his dream to live a normal life, even when pressure mounts, and it looks like everything is on the verge of falling apart.

And, it feels poetically apt, that in the end, the reason he gets released from his fatherā€™s grasp, is because of his good, noble inner core.

It was hard to watch Ji Hwan get so beaten up, when he went to that warehouse trying to get hold of Mobster Dadā€™s slush fund ledgers, but it made sense that he would allow himself to be beaten, in a bid to protect Jae Soo, who was being held hostage.

Jae Sooā€™s muffled screams every time Ji Hwan got hit, really amped up my own desperation, because I really couldnā€™t bear to see Ji Hwan getting beaten up. šŸ˜­šŸ™ˆ

It made sense to me that Ko Yang Hui would be so angry about Mobster Dad being so dismissive of his loyalty over the years, that heā€™d think of stabbing him.

Even though part of me kind of wanted Ko Yang Hui to be successful at stabbing Mobster Dad, it made sense to me, that Ji Hwanā€™s noble inner core, would cause him to make that split-second decision to shield Mobster Dad with his own body.

And again, itā€™s Ji Hwanā€™s noble intention ā€“ to have Hyun Woo arrest him for breaking and entering ā€“ that ends up ensuring that Ji Hwan gets immediate medical attention ā€“ and that the mobsters are all arrested, and the ledgers, collected as evidence.

I really like this idea, that even though things didnā€™t go at all according to Ji Hwanā€™s plan, that it was his good inner core that prevailed, and ended up saving him, and turning the situation around.

Show had me on tenterhooks for a while, wondering if Ji Hwan was going to stay in a coma until our final minutes, but thankfully, Ji Hwan wakes up from his coma quite quickly ā€“ thanks in part to Jae Soo clumsily trying to pluck out the grays from Ji Hwanā€™s head of black hair, ha. šŸ˜†

I honestly kinda loved that, because that effectively brought us back into feel-good, goofy territory in our story, which I appreciated very much.

And, even though Mobster Dad is extremely gruff in telling Ji Hwan that Ji Hwan will henceforth not be his son, I am convinced that this was Mobster Dadā€™s way of setting Ji Hwan free to live the life that he wants. šŸ„²

Afterwards, it makes sense that everyone sinks back into life as they knew it, but happily, before long, we get that quick time skip to after Il Yeongā€™s and Mi Hoā€™s baby is born, and Ji Hwan starts getting all these nesting thoughts whenever he looks at Eun Ha.

Aw. Yes please, itā€™s about dang time. šŸ˜

Honestly, when Ji Hwan was just following his gut, just about to tell Eun Ha that he wanted to marry her, and Il Yeong stopped him, saying that he couldnā€™t do it empty-handed, I kinda wanted to smack Il Yeong, for sticking a spanner in the works and causing what I felt was an unnecessary delay.

Iā€™m very sure that it wouldnā€™t have mattered to Eun Ha whether Ji Hwan proposed with a ring or not; to her, it was always more important that he wanted to marry her, right?

In the end, though, I do really like the proposal that Ji Hwan eventually comes up with (after angsting about it for dayyyys).

It feels quite perfect, that he propose in the garden where theyā€™d first buried their time capsule, and that heā€™d use the time capsule container, as a key point in his proposal.

I love how heartfelt and earnest his words are, as he expresses his desire to be a better person, and to be her subscriber for life, and like her for life, and would she give her permission for him to do that.

Melt. That is so perfect. Meltmeltmelt. šŸ« šŸ« šŸ« 

Itā€™s just bonus, that as Ji Hwan and Eun Ha seal it with a sweet kiss, the mobster boys start crying tears of happiness in the background, where theyā€™re watching from the balcony, and set of little bursts of confetti. šŸ„²

I would have been perfectly content to have left our story right there, but Show gives us a little extra, by showing us that, 1, the boys donā€™t actually have to move out because Ji Hwan and Eun Ha are getting married, and 2, theyā€™re actually making appearances with Eun Ha now, and itā€™s all going swmmingly.

Aw. That is a sweet epilogue-esque sort of note.

I just love the idea of Ji Hwan and Eun Ha continuing to keep the boys with them, and all of them being one big, boisterous, happy family.

Itā€™s everything I wanted, from the moment Eun Ha moved into the mobster mansion, and the fact that I actually get this, as we close out our story, makes me very content indeed. šŸ„°šŸ„²

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Sweet and silly, with lots of heart. Wholesome, zippy fun. šŸ„°

FINAL GRADE: B++

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama Iā€™m covering on Patreon, in place ofĀ  My Sweet Mobster, is Serendipityā€™s Embrace [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Serendipityā€™s EmbraceĀ on Patreon here.

Hereā€™s an overview of what Iā€™m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (thatā€™s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early AccessĀ (US$5): +Serendipityā€™s Embrace [Korea]

Early Access PlusĀ (US$10): +The Tale of Rose [China]

VIPĀ (US$15): +Miss Night and Day [Korea]

VVIPĀ (US$20): +The Princess Royal [China]

UltimateĀ (US$25): +No Way Out: The Roulette [Korea]

If youā€™d like to join me on the journey, you can find my Patreon pageĀ here. You can also read more about all the whats, whys, and hows of helping this blogĀ here. Thanks for all of your support, it really means a lot to me. ā¤ļø

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