Arang and the Magistrate - episodes 9 and 10.
Be warned - since it's for two episodes, there are a lot of caps behind the cut.
These episodes put the mysteries a bit on the backburner in order to progress the emotional and romantic threads of the story and I loved loved loved every little bit of them so much. They explain so much about Eun Oh (and about the growing feelings between Arang and Eun Oh) but are, to me, even perhaps more notable because this is the first time since ep 4 where I genuinely cared and felt for Arang.
Anyway, on with the show!
We open with a doozy of a scene - Lord Choi throwing into EO's face that he is a son of a slave, so how dare he be a magistrate or try anything with Lord Choi. Every word Lord Choi uses is calculated to cause maximum damage and all of them strike home to Eun Oh, who has to clench his fists and listen. Perhaps more strikingly, I realize that while we, the audience, know this already, Arang doesn't and I love that her anger at him from their past ridiculous tiff does not interfere with what she feels about seeing her Magistrate mocked and humiliated. She does leave with Evil Jr. on promised excursion but quickly turns back to go to the headquarters...
As EO is sitting there and Lord Choi gets to enjoy himself more and more (clearly, his background is something pretty horribly painful for EO that he suppresses most of the time but it is a weak spot in his armor against the world), Arang storms back in and quickly puts old freakshow in his place. Heeeeeeee. I love it that she defends him (just as he defends her whenever something happens). And I love that someone stood up for him - it's quite important because from the very brief flashbacks we saw that EO has had quite a horrid childhood being mocked and punished for his background and even his own mother never cared to defend him or even to commiserate. (Their interactions after Lord Choi leaves, awwwww). I also love that when Lord Choi moves to hit Arang, EO interferes - he was listening to all the bile Lord Choi was spewing, but the moment Arang is threatened - watch out! Interesting, also, the effect Arang's words have on Joo Wal who is, after all, a child from the gutters despite his trappings. You know, no character in this drama is who he outwardly seems. I close with the comment that perhaps Lord Choi's rant would have more moral weight if Lord Choi wasn't a serial killer for a demon. You sort of lose moral authority when you do that, you know?
Awww, poor Eun Oh. But look how your Arang is worried for you!
Then she drags him out to look at flowers (what Joo Wal wanted to do with her, ha!) I love that she cheers him up (and did you notice his customary snark lost all bite when addressed to her by now?) and I love even more the way he totally freezes when he thinks she means something romantic etc etc etc. Adorableness!
This scene! I know I am being incoherent a lot in this post, but these episodes were so so so good! This was such a huge 'aha' moment for me, when he explains that his mother never cared for him or his father, all she did was rant about her family, and he didn't hate her for it - he hated the world but pitied her. But then, one day he allowed himself to think and realized he hated her, and had for quite some time. And he is looking for her to ask some questions about how she saw him. In a way, this is so much better and more sane - it's an adult person trying to come to terms with the trauma of his background and move on in some fashion. But the thing is, whether his mother is a demon or, as seems more likely, his mother has been killed by the demon who now wears her body (I wonder if Mom traded voluntarily - Demon's comment to Joo Wal, when she wants Arang's body, is to find what Arang wants most, seems to indicate that. I wonder if Mom traded for vengeance or to save Eun Oh's life when he almost died as a kid), he is going to be hurt unbearably. You can't take Arang away from him too, drama!
And then they get accosted by guys hired by Lord Choi to terrorize him. Oops. Oops for the bad guys, that is. EO just gives Arang (who is unafraid too) his hat to hold and goes at it, pretty much like a killing machine. He uses a fan, without bothering to get anything else. Oh, and if anyone tries to get near Arang, beware! Why are you so frelling sexy, Magistrate?
But she follows some weird reapers and when the fight is gone, and he sees her gone, he freaks out, screaming 'Arang' and running to find her. Awwww. And then, when she is attacked by demon Mom reapers, he fights them and decapitates one with a fan OMFG! No human should be able to do that to demons, but then no human should be able to see ghosts either. What is Eun Oh? He's clearly not 100% human either - he started seeing ghosts after a bad illness so the explanation could be he was so close to death, he almost crossed and the portal never closed. But being able to destroy reapers who can only be destroyed by the mandate of Heaven? Umm, how? Cannot wait to find out.
He totally flips on her, telling her "Don't make me look for you. Don't make me look for you, don't make me concerned for you." I rewatched that 5 times already. Hormones, engage! I want a demon hunter of my own!
Judgement of Hades - creepy and creative.
Of course, his impassioned comment cannot stand so they both decide to retreat into the safe and familiar 'EO is only concerned for Arang because he needs her to find his mother' even though both know it's untrue. And then he decides to teach her self-defense despite her telling she knows how to fight from her days as a ghost. Which she proves by kicking him in the privates, LOL.
I am having breathing issues, guys!
Arang saying sorry to past magistrates. You know, she is experiencing personal growth as well because earlier Arang would never have done so.
Oh no, Demon might have figured out Arang is bait. I wonder what she's planning.
Arang goes off with Joo Wal anyway, despite EO's jealousy and telling her not to go (in a way, she almost does it to prove to herself there are no feelings between EO and herself) but EO is stopped from following by a kid who asks help for his Dad.
Joo Wal is buying her clothes but as she is being measured, she flashes to EO measuring her (also, I kinda love that it was the shopkeeper's words that pointed out EO's feelings to her - she's pretty much a romantic blank slate, having memories of only three years as a ghost).
Confronting Lord Choi about the prisoner. Of course - EO is always like that, crusty and seemingly uncaring but a total soft touch under it. And ooooh, when the flunkie calls him a slave and he goes off on him. I shouldn't find violence hot but between this and Faith, I've realized I must be socially maladjusted because I do!
The Bangs pile on too and it's pretty insignificant but I think it's the last straw and he just gets the hell out of there, to get rid of all his frustration and rage (it intercuts with little EO running full tilt after being beaten up by other kids for being a slave's child and that intercut sort of breaks my heart. No wonder the guy learned how to fight).
Arang is with Joo Wal but I love that she is worrying about EO and whether he's eaten. Awwww.
This scene! I love that he isn't doing his usual yelling or anger or anything at seeing her and JW together - he's just so tired and oddly defeated and he quietly stretches out his hand and she takes it (!!!!) and away they ride. In your face, Serial Killer Jr!
I love how gorgeous their ride through the mist is (significantly, he doesn't want to go back to headquarters but to get fresh air. Never mind the fact that both of them have been in the fresh air all day).
The emotional bombshell. She tells him not to care for her because she only has two months - and then she either goes to heaven if she solves her murder or to hell if she doesn't. His face! I've commented elsewhere but he has such huge abandonment and attachment issues so of course the drama has him fall for a woman who only has two months on this earth. It's the most cruel thing imaginable and hits his issues and fears dead center (because even if she had two months to live but then became a ghost, seeing that he can see, talk to, and touch (very important for smoochies and more :P) ghosts, they could have some sort of a future, even if a bizarre one, what with hiding her from reapers, no kids and nobody else being able to see her).
And then he asks her why she didn't tell him, so angry and hurt and she responds she didn't because it wasn't anything important and it breaks my heart anew - in part she is trying for it not to be important so badly, but what really gets me is the fact that she genuinely thought it didn't matter to anyone, that she didn't matter enough to anyone - but both of them are outcasts and loners, really. Forget romance - I get the sense that Arang is the first and only friend Eun Oh has, because due to his horrible mother and his status issue and even the ghost weirdness, he distances himself desperately for self-protection.
Serial Killer Jr. has fallen for Arang. Permit me not to care.
Oh woobies! You must have a happy ending, you must!
Then he gets up, miserable but then full of resolve. And drags her shopping for clothes. Heeee. And orders the seamstress to destroy clothes Joo Wal has made for her, and also corrects her measurements (making the seamstress wonder what relationship they have :P) Love that Arang is rolling her eyes.
But then the tone changes, as he tells her that he bought her clothes as he will be the one who will send her to Heaven (I love that he doesn't even contemplate her going to Hell). Oh, Eun Oh, you break my heart! He did send her body before, didn't he? I do think that at least this way, even if I don't get my needed happy ending, there is some closure - he knows Arang cares for him (though neither will admit than the caring is more than friends) and he knows it's not her decision to leave, and he knows when.
And then he takes her to 'heaven' - a beautiful meadow full of flowers, because she loves flowers so. Ohhhh.
She asks him how come he can see ghosts and he tells her about his illness as a child. He also says at first he used to do everything that ghosts asked because he was so terrified (well, that explains his hard shell about them now). Also, it seems his father is a really good person as he put him on a family register despite his status. And it guts me that Arang asks 'that's what fathers do, shield you. Why didn't Lee Seo Rim's father shield her?' (And the fact that she sees LSR as separate from herself somehow makes it even sadder).
When she asks him what he will be doing when he finds his mother and he says he will live with her quietly somewhere (that is such a little, safe ambition and it breaks my heart that it will not be realized. It also speaks volumes for EO's capacity to love and forgive. I wonder why he isn't closer to his father? Probably due to societal rank issue being always between them). And she says "and I'll be in Heaven" and he says "and you'll be in Heaven." Crying here. Thanks for nothing, you awesome awesome awesome drama!
This is pretty close to perfect.