karened | My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho ep 11 (Reply)

You know how crazy I was for You're Beautiful. I'm currently watching another drama written by the Hong Sisters, who were behind that manaic kdrama. It's named "내 여자친구는 구미호" (My Girlfriend is a 9-tailed fox). And I have to say that although I don't feel the crazy fangirl emotions I felt for YB, I thoroughly enjoyed the drama. If the next 3 episodes are at least as good as the previous 13 were, I'll definitely put it above YB. Because, while it was not as silly fun as YB, it did not drag and feel too angsty like YB did it its later episodes. I feel that the Hong Sisters had improved in their writing, and the angst is always resolved in a light manner that remains true to the spirit of the drama. And without giving an awkward, contrived feeling. It's rare, I tell you.

Here's a scene from ep 11 that's going into my list of memorable quotes.

*background notes:
Male lead- Dae Woong. Unable to face his growing affections for a non-human, he's always coming up with excuses for the display of affection/jealousy he shows to the female lead. Although the female lead has been asking him if he likes/can like her, his pride/rational mind has kept him from admitting to it.
Female lead - Mi-ho. She's a Gumiho (9-tailed fox) and, after being accidentally freed by the male lead, fell for him. Trusting in the advice of another, she kept her fox bead in the male lead's body; she'll turn into human after the fox bead has remained in a human for 100 days. However, she soon grows ashamed of her non-human self and decides to leave the male lead after 100 days, work hard and then return to him when she's able to live like a human.

After finding out about Mi-ho's intention to leave him, Dae Woong wanders to the spot where he had wanted to visit with Mi-ho. There, he reminsced about the happy times they had together.

미호: 나를 좋아해주면 안 돼?
Mi-ho: Can you like me?

Reponding to her earlier question, Dae Woong started to speak to himself.

대웅: 미호야...좋아해.
         널 좋아해.
         좋아해.
Dae Woong: Mi-ho... I like you.
                     I like you.
                     I do.

Unknown to him, Mi-ho was just standing behind him... Turning, he spoke without the hesitation and uncertainty that haunted him previously.

대웅: 미호야...가지마.
         나한테저 떨어져 나가지마.
         딱 붙어있어줘.
Dae Woong: Mi-ho... Don't go
                     Don't go away from me.
                     Stick right close to me.

미호: 내가 너랑 달라도 괜찮은 거야?
Mi-ho: Is it alright even if I'm different from you?

And here comes the best bit.

대웅: 안 괜찮아.
         말도 안 되고 어이도 없고 미쳤다고 생각될만큼 안 괜찮은데...
         너를 좋아해.
Dae Woong: It's not alright.
                     It's ridiculous and dumbfounding and it's so not alright to the extent that I think I'm crazy but...
                     I like you.

대웅: 괜찮아서 좋아하는 게 아니야. 좋아하니까 다 괜찮은 거야.
Dae Woong: It's not because it's alright that I like you. It's because I like you that everything is alright.

And Mi-ho is a happy girl while us viewers are happy fangirls. This is probably the most romantic yet least cheesy confession dialogues I've heard.

미호: 대웅아...
         네가 나를 좋아해 줘서 나 이제는 말할 수 있어.
         나... 인간이 될거야.
Mi-ho: Dae Woong...
           Since you like me, I can say it now.
           I am... becoming human.

대웅: 인간이 된다구?
Dae Woong: You said you're becoming human?

미호: 네가 백일 동안 품어준 구슬로 나 인간이 될 수 있어.
Mi-ho: Using the fox bead you bear for a 100 days, I can become human.

Any lesser drama lead would have turned this scenerio into an ugly 'you made use of my love' breakup scene. But not our Dae Woong!

대웅: 너...인간이 되려고 나 이용한 거야?
         너 내가 필요해서 날 좋아했던 거야?
Dae Woong: Did you use me in order to become human?
                     Do you like me because you need me?

Here's the female lead's mirror confession. I like her faint frown! Beautiful.

미호: 아무 사랑이어도 상관 없었는데,
         네가 좋아서 널 필요한거야.
         필요해서 좋아한게 아니야...네가 좋아서 필요한거야.
Mi-ho: Although it doesn't matter who the person is,
           I need you because I like you.
           It's not because I need you that I like you... It's because I like you that I need you.

대웅: 필요하면 이용해.
         다 갖다써
         대신...나 책임져
Dae Woong: If you need to, use me.
                     Take it all.
                     In exchange, take responsibility for me.

What else do you want from a drama? A role reversal at this pivotal moment! The guy asking the girl to take responsibility for him!!