"Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 3

"Uncontrollably Fond"'s penchant for bookending episodes with dilemma's in the character's present is already a repetitive plot tool. It is attempting to draw parallels between past and present, and work the story in a non linear fashion, but these efforts come off as heavy-handed. The glimpse into the past is welcome, but Joon-yeong's motivations are hard to follow and make the past a messy place to be.

The first two episodes indicated that Joon-yeong wanted some sort of revenge on No� Eul. Thereafter, he began to truly like her to the point of following her, waiting for her, shedding tears on her behalf. Perhaps it is because Suzy andKim Woo-binhave lukewarm chemistry that I don't believe his crush on her, or perhaps its inconsistent character writing. In any case, Joon-yeong chases No� Eul around like an ineffective second lead. The woes that surround No� Eul should make me pity her. Instead, I feel annoyance at the fact that the episode showed her in the hospital twice and harassed by loan sharks. It's melodrama overload. I know that Writer Lee loves her dramatics, but it's only episode 3!

Also, involving Joon-yeong's manager and No� Eul's friend in the episode was only to push Joon-yeong towards No� Eul. They served no other purpose. Side characters used as tools feels clunky. The inclusion of the second leads has also been strange. Ji-tae is a Daddy Longlegs of sorts because he knows of his father's wrong doings, keeps quiet, and seesk to protect No� Eul in place of offering justice. Yoo Jeong-eun (Lim Joo-eun) has barely been introduced as just seems to be a character barely come to life.

My favorite relationship has been one little scene: that between No� Eul and her brother No Jik (Lee Seo-won) lean on each other in their parentless home and their financial difficulties. In just a few scenes their sibling relationship has become a tangible thing. I also like that Assemblyman Choi doesn't see No� Eul as a threat, and for that I hope she proves him wrong with her unflagging efforts. Choi may not be her ultimate enemy. Jeong-eun's father,Yoon Seong-ho(Jeong Dong-hwan), is the man with enough money and power to manipulate Choi.

A key point in the episode seems to be Joon-yeong's prayer to save No� Eul's life at the cost of his own. I see this coming into play in the future. For now I will look into the near future and hope that tomorrow's episode isn't quite so frustrating.

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine�from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Uncontrollably Fond"is directed byPark Hyeon-seok, written byLee Kyeong-hee, and featuresKim Woo-bin,Suzy,Im Joo-hwan, andLim Joo-eun.

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Episode 3

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