EPISODE 3 July 02, 2008

"Ikinagagalak kong maging parte ng grupo ninyo at pinapangako ko na pag-iigihan ko ang aking trabaho para naman mapatunayan ko sa inyong lahat na hindi kayo nagkamali sa pagpili sa akin. Maraming salamat. Mabuhay! Mabuhay tayong lahat!"

--- Kim Samsoon Buot

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
"I'm glad to be a part of this group and I promise that I will work hard to prove to everybody that you made the right decision in choosing me. Thank you very much. Long live! Long live everyone!"

--- Kim Samsoon Buot

Just like how Samsoon made a pledge to her co-workers in La Dolce Vita, Episode 3 seems to make a pledge as well that they will continue to prove to everyone that doing a remake for MNIKSS was the right decision.

+50 points for the opening scene
Although I miss the taxi-bickering-about-the-age-and-please-read-my-name-card scene, as always they were able to capture the mood of that scene.



-1000 points for the food props
Everytime I watched the original MNIKSS I always end up craving for cakes. One strength of Korean dramas (as noticed in MNIKSS, Jewel In The Palace, Love Truly, Only You, and recently Gourmet) is making sure all the food props and food shots are good and inviting to the viewers. Too bad this is one aspect that the local version wasn't able to perfect yet.




I actually don't feel like eating Samsoon's cake - yet. And I am not impressed with her cooking skills either (when she was preparing for the job interview). But there's still a lot of room for improvement, hopefully they will recognize this soon. Before the scene wherein Samsoon will bake something for Cyrus.

+10 for Samsoon-Eliza relationship
I was wishing they stick to the original storyline where Sam Soon is the youngest daughter and having Yi Young (Eliza) as an older liberated sister. There were just a lot of priceless moments between Sam Soon and Yi Young on the later episodes of MNIKSS that I felt wouldn't be possible with a younger sister.


But Jennica continues to amuse me every episode. And I'm loving their sister-tandem. I cannot say yet if that is enough to take care of Yi Young's original role in Sam Soon's life. But it's enough for me at the moment to accept Eliza as a younger sister to Samsoon.

-500 points: Why is Cyrus handsome in the eyes of Samsoon?
I don't know why Samsoon seems a bit confused about Cyrus' looks while talking to Eliza as early as now. Ok, ok. Cyrus is indeed good-looking. But not in the eyes of Samsoon - not yet at least. In the original Sam Soon first said that Cyrus was good-looking while talking to her assistant In Hae (Lani / James) but just not to embarrass her. She hates him so much, that she cannot find him good-looking even though he, obviously, is.


I can't remember exactly on what episode Sam Soon said Cyrus is good-looking but it was only after he attempted to kiss her when she started being confused.
But on the second half of the episode, Samsoon told James that she's an exemption. All female employees have a crush on Cyrus, but she said, not her.
I think I have to wait for the next episodes to fully understand Samsoon's feelings.
But stiil, -500 points for making me confused on this part.

-100 points, Cyrus laughed at her name
I don't know why they changed it. In the original, Sam Soon was a bit surprised why Jin Hun didn't laugh after reading her name. It makes Jin Hun different from the rest. I just feel bad that Cyrus laughed at Kim Samsoon's name.


-100 points, call me Hannah
Sorry, I know this scene is well executed, but I can't help but compare it with the original scene. And the original scene was really good.

I love the excution of this scene in the original MNIKSS when Sam Soon was telling Jin Hun that she'll only work in his restaurant if he'd introduce her as Hee Jin (Hannah) to everyone. Jin Hun declined (and that's where the equally famous "Sam Shik" nickname originated - too bad it's something that we cannot incorporate in our local version). Eventually Jin Hun agreed that she can change her name to any name but Hee Jin. Jin Hun was as persistent as Sam Soon, making us all (including Sam Soon) curious why he dreaded the name Hee Jin. They stalled and tried measuring each others' patience. Until Sam Soon won.

I am not saying that the scene should be executed exactly. I just felt that that scene was too fast. It could have been better if they stalled a little especially at the moment when Cyrus was refusing Samsoon to use Hannah, giving us a clue that there must be something wrong between him and that name.

But I'd like to give +10 points for making me laugh with Cyrus' dialogue: "Ayoko! Gusto ko yung tunay mong pangalan. Maganda yun!" ("No! Don't! I want you to use your real name. It's beautiful"). Our arrogant prince is not only arrogant, but also a liar. Who is he fooling? Kim Samsoon - a beautiful name?





+100 for another well-executed classic scene
This was as fun as the original. I just feel bad that Samsoon noticed Cyrus first. It's just very minimal but it would have been better if Samsoon will be more off-guard and surprised when Cyrus suddenly approached her.


But nonetheless, it was well executed. Mark was able to handle this scene so well, as if he was being possessed by Jin Hun again.




And I must say, I love the "Marimar" spoof. Though we miss the "pillar" dialogue (Sam Soon was telling her blind date about a place in France that is made of chocolates and her goal when she was there was too taste all the chocolates. When the blind date asked her if she was able to do that, she said except for one - the pillar. It was not funny at all but Sun Ah's gestures were so cute), we were given a very good replacement. It feels like a follow-up of the "suicide methods" sequence.




-500 for the kiss
And what a cliffhanger?! I never really expected that he'd end the episode with a kiss. Seems like Cyrus was more daring than Jin Hun. I honestly love the kiss and finds it funny as well and an excellent cliffhanger at that.


However, it looses all the excitement and meaning of the first kiss shared by Sam Soon and Jin Hun beside the piano on a latter episode. Plus the fact that it's not Sam Soon who kissed Cyrus first anymore.

Overall
Episode 3 keeps up with the promises given by episode 2, although I didn't feel anything special in this episode. But I can feel that it's a good way to build up the next episode.

RATINGS: 32.6% vs My Girl 23.9%
(ratings courtesy of: Les Samsoon of RVMM)