[Drama Recap] Fashion King Recap Episode 5

Here we recap and discuss episode 5 of Fashion King.  Caution, spoilers below.  Don’t read if you don’t want to know what happens.

Young Gul is course feeling guilty about what Ga Young is going through because of him and decides rather late to man up and get off the bus to her out.  By the time he gets back, everyone’s already gone.  The only thing left of Ga Young’s at the factory is her luggage.

We now see Madam Jo in her office preparing to leave when she’s confronted by a very disheveled Ga Young.  Madam Jo has at least the courtesy to feign concern and asks if she’s okay.  However, she turns right back around and says that she heard that Ga Young got kicked out of school and that Ga Young has nobody to blame but herself.  Well guess that answers one of my questions from the last episode.    Ga Young then says that she’s going to stay here for a while ago, which obviously Madam Jo has an issue with.  Since Madam Jo won’t let her stay, Ga Young asks for money, which is also rebuffed.  She won’t take no for an answer though and says sorry, but she’s going to stay there anyway.  Madam Jo threatens to call the police on her, but Ga Young calls her bluff and implies that she’ll create bad press for the store by going to the reporters about how her adoptive mom kicked her out.

Young Gul has apparently gone to stay with his aunt.  She yells at him for bringing shame to the family and how he has the nerve to show up at her place.  He says that he’ll pay her for room and board, but that’s not the point apparently as she’s just sick of dealing with their family.  Young Gul then lashes out and asks her if that’s why she never took his sick sister to the hospital and let her die.  Aunt can’t take it anymore and lashes back even harder.  Young Gul has had enough and gives his aunt some of the money he earned in jail before storming out.  However, before he can leave the yard, he has a brief flashback of his sister telling him to come back soon and help her.

Young Gul next goes to visit one of his friends who was at the factory last night and asks him if he knows where Ga Young is.  He then borrows his friend’s cell phone and calls Il Gook, telling him that he’ll be coming in soon, but he needs a favor first.

Obviously not intent on giving up her dream, Ga Young is furiously drawing a new design while swigging a bottle of soju.  She then has an idea and goes up to the work room to gather materials for it.  Ga Young then retreats back to her little hideaway to complete her new jacket.

Jae Hyuk is looking through Anna’s design book, but doesn’t seem pleased.  Anna picks up on it and asks him why he doesn’t like them, but they’re interrupted by a phone call by Ga Young.  She asks to meet with him, but he tells her he’s busy.  Ga Young tries to get his email address, but he just says he’ll call her at the number he got called from when he has time.  Anna asks him if she should redo the designs, but Jae Hyuk is unsure and says that he just doesn’t want to fail again.  She then says that she’ll redo them and throws them away before storming out.  After she leaves, Jae Hyuk pulls his cellphone back out and asks to meet Ga Young tonight.

Madam Jo is now having an interview for no apparent reason and is bragging about how Jung Ah is studying at New York Fashion School.  Ga Young then shows up all cleaned up and dressed in her new jacket and asks for cab fare.  Of course, Madam Jo can’t refuse in front of all these cameras and hands her the money with a forced smile.

Meanwhile, Young Gul is getting beat up yet again, but this time by Tae San.  He’s trying to figure out Ga Young’s location, but Young Gul says that he doesn’t know where she is.  He then tries to tell Tae San that he’ll do anything to make him happy, but Tae San isn’t convinced and tells Il Gook to cut him.  Back to Young Gul now though.  He tells Il Gook to take something out of his pocket and it’s a picture of the jacket that he designed for Michael Lauren’s fashion show.  He then starts his sales pitch about how his design has become world famous and that he can help Tae San make money.

Tae San was apparently intrigued enough to let him go and we see him cleaning himself up in the bathroom.  Young Gul then asks Il Gook if he looked into the matter he asked about earlier.  Il Gook pulls a paper out of his pocket and says that Ga Young is staying at some fancy boutique.

Speaking of Ga Young, she’s meeting with Jae Hyuk who asks him what she’s here to show him.  She immediately gets up and does her best fashion walk and asks Jae Hyuk what he thinks.  Jae Hyuk is confused and thinks she’s offering herself to him, but she clarifies by asking if he likes the jacket she made, oblivious to the thought that actually crossed his mind.  Ga Young says she tried the best she could with her limited resources and that she could make it look better.  Jae Hyuk is confused and asks if that’s all she wanted to show him, but Ga Young says it’s not but she can’t show him until she pays off a debt.  This confuses Jae Hyuk even more, but she clarifies that it’s not her debt, but that her belongings are being held as a guarantee for the time being.  If he wants to see them sooner, he can lend her money to pay it off.  Jae Hyuk, surprisingly enough, seems to agree and asks how much she needs.

As they leave, Jae Hyuk offers Ga Young a ride, which she refuses at first.  He insists, however, and she reluctantly gets in.  He asks her where she needs to go and she just tells him the neighborhood and he deduces that she’s staying at the boutique.  Jae Hyuk then asks her if she’s been staying there since she came back to Korea and if she really has to stay there.  Guess their little run-in all those years ago really stuck with him.  He then asks her where her stuff is and she once again just has to mention the neighborhood and he guesses correctly the exact location.

Young Gul, who apparently decided that umbrellas are for wimps, reaches the boutique and is promptly splashed by a car driving by.  He smiles broadly when Ga Young gets out, but it gets turned upside-down when Jae Hyuk follows her.  Madam Jo also happens to catch this as she’s working upstairs.  Jae Hyuk then tells his assistant to drive him home, and sees that Ga Young left her wallet in his car.

As soon as Ga Young gets upstairs, she’s immediately confronted by Madam Jo, who asks what she’s doing with Jae Hyuk.  She then notices that Ga Young’s jacket seems to be made out of her fabric and demands that Ga Young take it off.  When Ga Young complies, Madam Jo then asks for her cab fare back.  Ga Young finally notices she dropped her money, but Young Gul makes his heroic appearance and asks how much it is.  She’s shocked to see him, but his eyes are on Madam Jo.  After tossing some bills at Madam Jo’s feet, Young Gul turns to Ga Young and hold out his hand, asking if she intends to stay here.  She says no and takes it and they walk out of the boutique.

When they’re on the bus, Young Gul asks her why she was hanging out at the factory.  He’s wondering if she was trying to protest and make him feel bad for making her get kicked out.  She tells him that wasn’t the reason and seems like she’s going to explain, but Young Gul opens his big mouth and interrupts her.  He then asks about her relationship with Jae Hyuk, but she just quietly sits there with tears in her eyes.  The boy sure knows how to talk to women.

The two make their way back to the factory and Young Gul picks the lock so they can get in.  He tells her to grab her stuff and walks into his old office to look for something.  Young Gul quickly packs up a few items, including a ledger he got from his desk, and walks out just as Ga Young is taking off her shirt.  Oops.  She, oddly, says nothing and the two just turn around and face the other direction.  As Young Gul looks around, he sees the Polaroids of their final dinner together and feels guilty.  We then see that they’re meeting with Young Gul’s friend again and she tells Ga Young to learn about dealing with customers as his friend owns a small clothing stall.  Young Gul jots down a few notes in the ledger and walks away.

We now see Anna working on one of her designs when the lead designer decides to come and mess with her again.  Jae Hyuk’s dad then comes in and looks at Anna.  Next thing we know, the two of them are sharing a meal and he’s asking her about her family and if she intends to marry his son.  She says that she knows that his parents would disapprove of it, but she followed him back to Korea anyway because she loves him.  I’m personally not convinced, and Jae Hyuk’s dad just smirks.

Jae Hyuk, meanwhile, is out of a run and thinks back on his last meeting with Ga Young.  He then decides to pay Madam Jo a visit, who immediately starts complimenting him.  Jae Hyuk asks to see Ga Young, but she tells him that it’s a long story and asks her assistant to bring some tea that she brought back from a London fashion show.  Showing off with tea, how classy.  As Jae Hyuk sits down, he sees Ga Young’s jacket in the trash where Madam Jo threw it before he came, but says nothing.  She tries to pull the innocent and sophisticated image, and tells how Ga Young walked out with Young Gul.  Jae Hyuk isn’t happy that Young Gul’s back and walks out of the boutique, despite Madam Jo’s insistence that he stay for tea.

As Jae Hyuk gets back home, he notices women’s shoes in the hallway and isn’t surprised to see his mother sitting there waiting.  She asks him why she hasn’t come home since he came back to Korea and what he intends to do with Anna.  He glibly answers her questions, and even threatens to marry Anna if she keeps bothering him.  His mom finally takes the hint and leaves.  He walks to his bedroom and finds that he has a lot of missed calls from Anna and tries to reach her.

We now go back to Young Gul, who is at a bank applying for a small business loan.  The banker asks him for a guarantee, but of course Young Gul has none, so he is turned away.  He’s now back at his friend’s stall counting his money.  As he’s asking his friend for a loan, who should happen to be shopping nearby but Anna.  Ga Young, who is taking hauling clothes around, happens see them but says nothing.

To celebrate their little reunion, Young Gul and Anna go to have dinner.  He says it’s fate that she happen to be there right then so now he can get back in touch with Michael.  The two share a shot of soju and he asks her if she quit her job with him for more money with Jae Hyuk’s company.  She then smirks at him and says he seems particularly obsessed with money as that’s all he’s been asking her about all night.  When he asks if that’s a compliment or an insult, she says she admires his honesty and finds it cute.  Young Gul then laughs it off and they take another shot together.

5 bottles of soju later, a drunken Young Gul is bragging how he’s a fashion genius even though he had no training.  Anna sadly laments that it must be nice that he has Michael’s respect after just one glance since he hasn’t even looked at her despite having worked for him for years.  She then asks him if he’s ever felt despair to the point where he felt like dying.  He says no, but she says she has and they take another shot together.  At this point, the alcohol’s lowered his inhibitions enough such that Young Gul says Anna is really attractive.  Anna smiles at him and then passes out.

Meanwhile, Jae Hyuk is still trying to call Anna, but her phone is turned off.  He gets angry and gets up from his couch.  Young Gul, on the other hand, has a sleeping Anna on his back and has found his way to her apartment.  He’s confused by the security on her door, but figures out the fingerprint lock and tries out her fingers until he finds the right one.  After he tucks her into bed, Young Gul starts to walk away but sees that she’s crying in her sleep.  As he leaves, he of course, runs into Jae Hyuk.

Final Thoughts

Five episodes in and I’m still not feeling any particular connection to any of the characters.  Of course I’m rooting for Ga Young, but who doesn’t root for the underdog?  At the very least it looks like the drama is finally settling down and moving on the standard storylines.  Jae Hyuk will probably go blind with jealousy and hire Ga Young to annoy Anna.  Likewise, Anna will probably hang around with Young Gul to anger Jae Hyuk.  Young Gul’s attention to Anna will obviously upset Ga Young, who will prompt similar feelings from Young Gul with her own interactions with Jae Hyuk.  In the end, Ga Young will stay true to Young Gul and Jae Hyuk and Anna will end up together in spite of his parents.  As I’ve said before, I don’t mind using the tried-and-true romantic comedy formula, I just hope there are some twists in there to keep me entertained.  Thus far though, it’s still been a tad too predictable for my tastes.

I am glad though that Ga Young started fighting back again.  It’s the part of her character that I most admired and missed in the last episode.  I was also mildly surprised that Yoo Ah In didn’t have any shirtless scenes in this episode.  Guess the director and writer felt they had finished drawing in the female viewers.  They made a small attempt to draw in male viewers with Shin Se Kyung taking off her wet shirt, but that was far shorter and less revealing than Yoo Ah In’s scenes.