I’m writing my notes down as my aide-mémoire. With so many dramas on my list, I’m likely to lose the plot.
This is a work in progress.
A. Shin Woo Yeo
From Episode 1
According to the legend, was born as a lowly beast but dreamt of becoming human. The deity said, “What a foolish and poor thing you are. I’ll take pity on you and will make your wish come true. Once you live a hundred years with good virtues, you’ll grow a tail. If you cultivate yourself and live 200 years, two tails. If you come to an understanding and live 300 years, three tails. Then you will make yourself a red marble. If you manage to turn the color of the marble to blue with human energy before 1000 years is up, before you grow more than 9 tails, you, a beast may become a human.”
He gathers human energy. He doesn’t eat a human liver. That was a false rumor started about Hyesun.
His gumiho powers:
He can stop time.
He can erase memories.
He can teleport. Teleporting causes a wave though which can affect things around him.
He has supernatural strength.
He can levitate objects.
He can make other people disappear and reappear elsewhere.
But he has no gumiho powers to make food taste good, which is a bummer because Lee Dam is a foodie.
Human energy fills him up, not food. His known favorite food is coagulated ox blood (puke!)
The natural enemy is the Tiger. Gumihos are vulnerable to the Tiger’s energy.
Men born in the Year of the Tiger are full of yang, so they’re his worst enemies.
It’s worse for Mr. Fox because he was born in the “cursed year” (1012), and became the only male gumiho.
But if tigers are the natural enemy of foxes, chickens are fatal for gumihos. From ancient times, chicken blood was used to ward off bad luck.
He’s 999 years old. Born in 1012, during the reign of Hyeongjong of Goryeo.
Studied at Sunkyungkwan.
According to ex-fox Hyesun, he’s picky.
Hyesun: Stop looking displeased before women. They can turn you down any minute. Humans are very sensitive.
WooYeo: Then I’ll look for another prey. If it doesn’t move my heart, whatever I take just disgusts me.
Thinks there’s no need to run his prey dry to the point of her death.
Is a nocturnal animal. Trimmed trees at night but began tending his garden during daytime when he realized that Dam got scared of him.
From Episode 2
Promises that he’ll look for ways to retrieve the Marble while she focuses on keeping it safe
Told ex-gumiho Hyesun that Lee Dam wasn’t his type because she was a human who was still wet behind the ears (i.e., young). In the next episode, though, Lee Dam told him that he wasn’t her type.
Careers over the centuries:
a. was a trader during the reign of Jeongjo (1776-1800)
b. worked for the science department as astronomer
c. fought against the Japanese during the reign of Seonjo (1567-1608) and led the country to victory
What’s his reason for keeping Dam with him?
1. He felt pity when he heard her crying after finding out she’d die if the Marble wasn’t taken out of her within a year.
2. Later, it was revealed that he knew how to remove the Marble all along.
His conversation with ex-gumiho Hyesun, Ep 2 at 23:39
Hyesun: Anyway, does she know that she can end up dead if the Marble keeps taking her energy?
Fox: I’m not going to let her die.
Was he remembering the time that he came too late to save his woman from the Japanese soldier?
Hyesun: Okay. I’m glad you made that decision. I hope you won’t have to take the Marble from her dead body like back then.
Thanks for guilt-tripping him, girl.
Hyesun: (continuing) Anyway, there’s something I’d like to ask. Did you even want to become a human? To be honest, after what happened, I thought you gave up hope. Who is she to turn you like this? You already know how to take the Marble out.
3. Did he want her to stay just because of his Marble or because he thought she was the reincarnation of his former love?
From Episode 3
Dam thinks he’s a player, but given his picky nature, I doubt he dated a lot of women in his 999 years.
B. Lee Dam
From Episode 1
She’s 22 years old. Born in 1999, the year of the Rabbit.
She’s a history major at Seogwa University.
She’s in the class of 2018.
Class of 2017 = Tiger = her sunbaes
Note: the order of Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake…
According to Mr. Fox, the reason she gets sick is not the marble, but because she’s touched a man born in the Year of the Tiger. He didn’t tell the complete truth.
Two ways for her to die:
1. if the marble isn’t removed from her body within a year
— but he knows how to remove it
2. if the marble keeps taking her energy
According to Mr. Fox, she feels pain whenever she comes into contact with a man born in the year of the Tiger because she has his Marble inside of her. Only the touch of Mr. Fox can kill the pain.
lol. So far, he hasn’t tried anything perverted with her.
She turned the marble blue, startling Mr. Fox.
From Episode 2
She says she loves history and always liked to watch historical dramas. (lol. This is a non sequitur)
She wants to be museum curator after graduation (why not? if she gets married to Fox?)
Dam: I’ve always wanted to travel back in time like in TV series if I could. I’m so envious that you got to live in so many eras. How does it feel to live a long life?
Fox: Nothing. It doesn’t feel anything.
From Episode 3
Her reasons for not dating (thanks @agdr03)
1 – she becomes small in front of the guy she likes.
2 – she becomes too relaxed with guys she’s not interested in.
3 – she turns down guys knowing exactly what she’s like.
C. Yang Hye Sun aka the ex-fox
Has been “friends” with Mr Fox for 700 years
200 years younger than Mr. Fox
In human years, 4 years ago? She only became human 4 years ago.
She brags that she’s beaten a smart guy like Shin Woo Yeo to become human first.
Last time they met was during the Liberation (1945).
WooYeo likes to rub it in that it took 80 years to learn 1000 Chinese characters.
She also doesn’t understand figures of speech, metaphors, English, French,
She had a reputation of sucking all the energy of her prey:
D. Gye Sunwoo
Class of 2017
Legend of the history department because dated over 20 women.
Curiosity was piqued when Dam avoided his touch, interaction.
Cool move or jerk move? He asked for time, then grabbed her phone to type his number. “Call me if you want to drink something.”
Seems to admire Dam’s spunk after she told him off for taking her phone without asking, so he texted her to leave her his number. She ignored it.
His explanation for his name reveals his conceit. “They say one’s life lives up to one’s name. ‘Seon’ means kind and ‘woo’ means friend. My parents gave me this name because they wanted me to have kind friends and be a kind friend myself. But they seemed to have given me the wrong name. I’m good-looking. I’m smart. Plus, I come from a wealthy family so life seems easy to me.”
Taught her how to unclog the toilet, and thought she was funny.
E. Agreement between Mr. Fox and Dam
A = Fox, B = Dam
Party B is obligated to keep Party A’s Marble safe for a year, and comply with the clauses below to keep the Marble safe.
One, no contact with the opposite sex born in the Year of the Tiger.
Two, quit drinking to stay in good health.
Three, do not consume chickens.
Dam ordered him to quit smoking to teach him a lesson that habits (like eating fried chicken) are hard to break. She guilt-tripped him, too: second-hand smoke was bad for her.
She demanded amendments.
A = Dam, B = Fox
B is obligated to keep A and A’s Marble safe, and comply with the clauses below
One, find a way to retrieve the Marble out and share the progress every Friday.
Two, no cold gaze.
Three, (no smoking).
Mr. Fox was confused about “cold gaze.”
Dam: Let’s be honest. A gumiho can look scary even when it smiles. Whenever you give me a cold look, I feel a bit…
Fox: When did I do that?
Dam: Just now! And also sometimes when you pass by.
pic
Later in Episode 2, she found out that she’d forced him to break a 400-year-old habit. She found a pipe that he’d been smoking since 1592, when cigarettes were imported.
Dam: 1592? When Japan invaded Korea? Have you been smoking cigarettes for over 400 years then? And I made you quit that? Just keep on smoking then. Who am I to stop your 400-year-standing habit?
Fox: Actually, I thought it would be easy. I thought it shouldn’t be too hard to change one habit. But it turned out to be hard. It made me realize that I might have made unreasonable demands. So I want to keep myself from smoking during the contract period. To share your pain.
Dam: That’s okay.
Note: That was nice of him to show his support.
F. Apologies
I suspect there’s a reason she apologizes to him often but I still haven’t figured this out yet. She’s sorry for a lot of things:
From Episode 1
1. Sorry because her drunk friend slobbered all over his car.
2. Sorry about going to a club and being in a crowded place
Dam: I want you to rather scold me for going to a club even though I knew being in a crowded place could be dangerous, and making you come all the way from work because of me. I’m sorry.
Fox: It’s okay. The marble is fine, and so are you. But from now on, I want you to avoid places like that, for your sake.
3. Sorry for worrying him because she looks scared in his presence
Fox: And don’t be scared.
Dam: What?
Fox: I know you’re scared of me. You’re worried I might harm or threaten you. I can see that. I understand. Who wouldn’t be scared of a gumiho? But you’re not just anyone. You have my Marble, and you need to be safe to keep my Marble safe. So I need to protect you at all costs.
When he talks about his Marble like this, it sounds like he’s talking about his baby growing inside her body.
Fox: (continuing) So why don’t you try to be less scared of me? It makes me feel bad to see you on pins and needles.
Dam: I’m sorry I worried you. From now, I’ll try not to be scared of you, and not to repeat the same mistake.
From Episode 2
1. She’s sorry for getting drunk and causing a scene.
2. Sorry for leaving a mess
Fox: If you move a tangerine tree in the south to the north, it becomes an orange tree. Just like that, the environment changes people. Could you clean up the place so you can keep your body and mind healthy?
Dam: I was going to clean up after I finish eating.
Fox: That isn’t what I’m talking about. Your socks are rolled up in the washing machine, your hair is everywhere, and when you recycle…Anyway, please be careful.
Dam: I’m sorry.
3. Sorry for barging in the basement and locking them in.
Dam: I’m sorry. I’ll leave now. Please let me get out of here.
Fox: I can’t.
Dam: Why not?
Fox: Because I’m locked up here too.
lol. She realized that she locked them both in, and apologized again. He knew that she was terrified, thinking he locked her up on purpose.
From Episode 3
1. She’s sorry for getting mad at him for the way he erased her brother’s memories
She probably realized that he didn’t have family, friends, or acquaintances. Her number was the first one he saved on his phone.
Dam: I’m sorry. My brother is four years younger than me, and he acts up sometimes. Then, I’m like, “That brat,” and I want to give him a noogie. And I, who am hundreds of years younger than you, got up against you. It must be seemed just outrageous to you.
Fox: Don’t say that. I’m sorry to have upset you who are way younger than me. By the way, Ms. Dam, as I said already, I cannot think like humans. I’m merely copying what I’ve seen over a long time. I guess I can call it a learned sentiment. So I might be not so good at empathizing with others and resolving relationship problems. I’m sorry I didn’t understand why you got upset and angry.
Note: I think this is the first time he apologized to her.
He finally said it! He was planning to apologize when she got home after their fight, but she was upset about losing her phone so he didn’t get to do it.
Dam: Don’t say that. You are not like me, and you don’t have anyone around you, so I understand you didn’t know. I’m sorry.
Fox: Why are you saying you’re sorry.
Dam: I mean, I thought I might have said it too casually that you had no one around you. You must have been very lonely.
Fox: That’s also a human idea to think it’s lonely to be alone. I rather find it uncomfortable spending time with others.
Dam: I see. Does staying with me make you feel uncomfortable too then? Are you coping with the inconvenience because of the Marble?
After thinking about it all night, he decided that it wasn’t just because of the Marble.
He wrote on a post-it for her to see. “Have a good day today, and call me if you need me. And it wasn’t just because of the Marble. It is true that being with others make me feel uncomfortable, but you were okay, Miss Dam.”
G. Food
I know we laughed when Dam’s brother and best friend thought that she and Fox were having a baby, but when we think about this, their cohabitation does resemble a pregnancy.
The Marble in her tummy is like an unborn baby, and her huge appetite is like the food cravings of a pregnant woman. When he goes out to buy all sorts of food for her, he appears like a husband indulging and accommodating her pregnancy cravings. Since it’s his baby…err…Marble inside, he has to take care of her. He thinks food is the best way to take care of her.
From Episode 1
He stocked up the fridge and even bought popsicle.
He brought her tiramisu instead of getting angry at her for going to the night club, and endangering the marble.
From Episode 2
She ate fried chicken and beer with bestie.
She was invited to her school party but ate only macaroni salad.
He tried his hand at cooking spicy stir-fried chicken using duck.
I should have known that he would make a lousy cook. How would he know what good food tasted like if he doesn’t like to eat human food?
He bought her pizza instead.
But she told him to get yum woon sen to delay him from coming home while she unclogged the toilet. He’d have to go to a Thai restaurant to buy yum woon sen.
From Episode 3
Pizza, Chinese Food, Tteokbokki, Bossam. After she turned him down as a boyfriend because he wasn’t her type, he tried to gain favor by ordering food she liked. “A way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”
Restaurant near school when they were on their “simulation date.” What’s this food called?
Jokbal
H. Do’s and Don’t’s
He seems to keep on adding to the rules.
1. No contact with the opposite sex born in the Year of the Tiger.
2. Quit drinking to stay in good health.
3. Do not consume chickens.
4. Use only good words
Fox: According to “Mingxin Baojian,” one’s mouth and tongue are the doors to anger and worries, and they are axes that kill one’s body. From now on, I want you to use only good words.
Dam: (wittily) “Mingxin Baojian” I’ll keep that in mind-xin.
Fox: I don’t like puns.
Note: He looked down on ex-fox Hyesun because she didn’t understand figures of speech and idioms. But when Dam outwitted him and dished out puns, and he didn’t like that.
5. Dress nicely
Fox: Ms. Dam. According to “Sajasohak,” one must be clean-cut and well-dressed. It means you should be neat and dressed nicely. But you’re going to school, and it looks like you didn’t care about how you’re dressed.
Dam: By any chance does everything in this world irritate you?
Fox: What?
Dam: Because I think you might be suffering from some withdrawal symptoms.
Fox: No way. and be careful and get back safely.
Note: she told him that she didn’t mind a scolding from him whenever she displeased him. But I bet she didn’t expect him to give a Sungkyunkwan style of lecture. When she found out how ancient he was, it made sense to her. She admitted that whenever he scolded her, she felt like she was living with a great grandpa. She thought it was funny that he lived longer than her great great grandpa.
He wasn’t just friend-zoned. He was fossil-zoned.
6. Always answer his calls
Fox: Miss Dam. From now on, always answer my calls. Even when I’m next to you.
I think he said this for three reasons. One, because he worried about her safety. Obviously.
Two, because he saw how she avoided Tiger Sunwoo’s calls. Tiger complained that she never answered his calls, and she replied, “Okay. But I can’t respond if you call me during mealtime. Contact me between lunch and dinner, when it’s not too early or too late. You can reach out in that ambiguous hour.” It probably crossed Mr. Fox’s mind that she could be doing the same thing to him and avoiding his calls.
And three, because her number was the only number important enough for him to save on his phone. To have her on his phone meant that she was special. He wanted to be reassured that she’d always be there should he need her.
7. Curfew
I. Romantic Tropes
1. First time to hold hands (Ep 2). She thought he was asking for her hand to teleport them out of the basement, but all he wanted was her phone. He recovered nicely though when he realized that they were going to walk in a dark place.
Fox: Hold my hand.
Dam: (refusing) I’m good.
Fox: Okay. (turning around)
Dam: (grabbing his hand)
2. His first gift (Ep 2) A wind chime that she admired. She said she’d seen fish-shaped sails before, but not a leaf-shaped one. She thought it was an antique, but he joked that he bought it in Insadong (a well-known street selling touristy trinkets) for 7,000 won (or $7.00).
She wasn’t to know that it was the same chime that was hanging at his home.
That night, he had nightmare about his wife (?) getting killed during a Japanese invasion.
3. First contact (Ep 2)
Fox: Losing the Marble would be a good thing for you.
Dam: Right. That’s what I want.
Fox: Then, why were you so relieved when I said the Marble was still there?
Dam: I do wish the Marble is gone, but I wish it happens safely. I don’t want the Marble to go to the sewer. I don’t only care about my own life. I care about the Marble and your dream too. I’m not that selfish.
Then, later that night, she recalled how lonely he had looked in the basement. So she searched for him to lay out her “Lee Dam Principle on Cohabitation.” I think this was much better than the original contract because it showed care and consideration for the other party that went beyond the stipulations of the contract.
Dam: Until now, I’ve been thinking only about my situation, but earlier when I visited the basement, I realized how long you have been living. For such a long time, you had one dream. And it can all go down the drain. So I can only imagine how hard it must be. I feel a bit bad too because it feels like it’s my fault.
In other words, she was willing to bear the pain and inconvenience because a) she thought it was her fault that Marble went inside her, and b) she wanted to help him achieve his dream.
Fox: Why would you feel bad?
Dam: Just because.
Dam: You know what? How about we try to live through this day? If we repeat that, I believe good days will come in the end. Let’s tough it out together.
Fox: (not answering)
Dam: I’ll go in now. Don’t think too much.
I think she struck a nerve. She was encouraging him to have a positive outlook because she thought he was having a difficult time. She was encouraging him despite feeling miserable herself. He’d seen her crying in her room when she thought she was going to die in a year because of the Marble.
He must have felt guilt putting her through all of this, especially when he could free her from her anxiety and physical inconveniences, since he knew anyway how to remove the Marble.
I think that’s why he called out to her.
Fox: Let me check one thing.
He held her wrist and looked at the Marble. The red Marble flickered blue. He decided then to free her, and stop using her. At this moment, he cast a spell to freeze time and to erase her memory of what he was about to say and do.
Fox: You can go back now.
Dam: (not replying, like she was hypnotized)
Fox: Just think that all this was a dream.
He was going to kiss her to remove the Marble, and erase her memory. However, the Marble glowed blue, and chimed. He stopped in mid-action, and broke the spell. The time unfroze, too.
Dam: (stepping back) I’ll get going.
To me, it looked like she didn’t remember that he was about to kiss her. She walked away. She looked sad, so he went after her and hugged her. The marble chimed again but there was no blue color.
I noticed she dropped her hand.
4. The day after
In kdrama, the day after an unintentional “skinship” is always confusing. When Dam recounted the incident to her friends, she couldn’t remember the almost-kiss. All she could remember was “The guy she lived with suddenly wanted to check something, then grabbed her hand. And then, he suddenly hugged her.”
And because her friends couldn’t give her a satisfactory reason for the hug, she went directly to the source of the hug, and confronted him about the hug (not the almost-kiss). He almost choked on her question.
Dam: Did you want to be my boyfriend? So then why did you hug me?
Mr. Fox explained it as a moment of weakness. “At first, I was really going to let you go. But then it hit me that I had to stay behind all by myself to figure this out, and it made me feel hopeless.” She accepted this reasoning but warned him not to do it again because such action could be easily misconstrued. He shouldn’t lead people on like that.
Then, it was his turn to shock her with a question.
Fox: What if it’s not a misunderstanding? If I say I want to be your boyfriend, will you let me?
Dam: No, I won’t.
Fox: Because I’m a gumiho?
Dam: You are not my type.
Then she asked him why he was asking such this question, and he lamely replied that he had a withdrawal symptom, and he wasn’t in his right mind.
4. Fate trope
As for Ex-fox Hyesun, she was also surprised about the Marble. But I don’t think that Mr. Fox told her his almost-kiss, and his hug.
Hyesun: What? The Marble turned blue? It turned blue the moment you tried to take it back, then it went back to normal?
To me, the Marble turned blue because he was letting her go at the cost of his dream. But when he hugged her, he was clinging to her again.
Hyesun: You have no idea how to color the rest of the Marble in blue.
Fox: I’ll have to keep my eyes on her for now.
Hyesun: I finally get it. You wouldn’t let a random human stay by your side. The Marble rolled into her as if she’s the owner, right before your 1000 years. It happened for a moment, but it even turned blue. I can see why you thought this was fate.
Hyesun: (continuing) Anyway, be good to her as much as you can, and do everything you can.
Fox: Why should I do that?
Hyesun: This might be the last chance you have.
Then she told him that humans emit a kind of energy when they’re happy. So she made a lot of effort to make them happy. I don’t think this would work with Mr. Fox’s Marble. He shouldn’t make Dam happy for the selfish reason of making his Marble blue.
Fox: What did you do?
Hyesun: I dated them.
Fox: (stunned, couldn’t believe how conceited she was)
Hyesun: There’s no other way they could be happier than that. Right… You should just date her while you got this chance.
Fox: Nonsense.
Hyesun: I’m saying because dating is the best way to make them happy. And of course, I know how much you hate to feign love and stay by a human’s side. But you have no choice. Learn to be patient, and try dating her.
When she found out that her advice to date Dam was rejected by Dam, she suggested that Mr. Fox tried another method…because girls are mercenaries.
Hyesun: It looks like dating you isn’t her idea of happiness. Ah! Right! Humans have a weak spot for presents. Why don’t you give her a load of stuff she likes? If she likes clothes, get her clothes. If she likes accessories, get her things made with diamond, gold, sapphire, clam gem and pearl.
Fox: Clam gems are pearls.
Hyesun: Huh? Since when?
5. Umbrella trope
J. Miscellaneous
1. She decided that he wasn’t so scary after all.
2. On the “Downtown Murder”
Ep 2 at 39:45. One woman was brutally murdered. Busy street, but no witness, no evidence found from CCTvs.
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
To be continued
Wow! Wow! 👏🏻 Love it! 🍪🍩🍫
Thanks so much for this Queen! 🙇🏻♀️
Yes, I’m starting to think too that the marble is like a baby because it’s in Dam’s tummy and Fox do take care of her. ☺️
Thanks for your notes @pkml3. I’ve watched Ep 1-4, but made no notes, so I will only have a nebulous sense of what’s what by the end of the week LOL. I’m watching this since there’s a thread here, and to fill the gaps while waiting for DAYS and HP2.
I feel that perhaps Hyeri does better with more guided directing. She’s better here than in her previous show, but it’s mixed. Sometimes she’s ok, and sometimes I don’t know what emotion she’s supposed to be portraying. I did, however, like her rendition of Mr Fox at the assignment movie date.
Hye Sun seems to have retained her foxy craftiness, and her ability to see through Shin’s impersonation of Lee Dam. It remains to be seen what tricks she may be hiding behind her helpfulness, and what her un-avowed goal is. The same goes for Mr Fox. He’s got other motives for keeping Dam around, because he could just take back his marble and make Lee Dam forget. But he doesn’t and we are left in the dark as to why.
In spite of show’s light tone (and somewhat strange comedy), I’m glad to see that it treats the themes of respect for others, the importance of good communication and whether the supernatural are more humane than humans, with a degree of seriousness.
I look forward to the next episode where we get to see a nice smile from Mr Fox, and maybe more than just one. I guess Dam has to educate him to become more human before he deserves to get his marble back.
Agdr03,
When I was taking screenshots of her food, I was reminded of “Dating in the Kitchen.” I really should finish that drama one of these days. 🙂
Same here. I had to make notes, because I was just laughing at the jokes, and not paying attention to the plot.
I didn’t get the last scene in Episode 2 (the almost-kiss and the hug) until I rewatched it, and saw that Dam didn’t know that she’d been “hypnotized” by Fox in preparation for her memory-deletion.
Yes, HyeSun seems to be devious, but I don’t think this writer will make her the real villain in this story. There’s something about this script — I can’t put my finger on it but I’m getting the sense that it’s female-centric.
I think I know why I like this show…it reminds me of the humor in “Zombie Detective.” lol. I think the actress in Zombie Detective is better but Hyeri is Hyeri. As long as I see the character as Hyeri being placed in that impossible situation — and not Hyeri acting out a character — then I don’t mind it.
@packmule3, I know what you mean about Zombie Detective-type humour. I think that Hyeri was cast to be a middle-class every-girl type, so it works for me.
Thank you for your notes. 🤩 I think he hasn’t yet taken the marble out because it’s still in the process of turning blue from Dam’s energy. I noted that he bought her a lot of supplements and sweets in addition to all of the food and meals. It’s like he’s the coach of an elite athlete. Yes, or the husband. Ha, the popsicles reminded me of my sister-in-law who had a craving for ice cream while pregnant.
As to food, the ox-blood reminds me of a bovine version of black pudding in a traditional ‘Full Irish’ or ‘Full English’ breakfast at a hotel or B&B.
It’s funny about Gumihos vs. chicken because in real life foxes would like to be as close as possible to chickens. 😉😋
Her constant apologies are a bit strange to me, too. When it wasn’t her fault at all that she received the marble. (Hye-sun thinks it’s fate.)
Dam’s table manners are another thing that I think bothered him at first, although he was too polite to say so. When she practiced ways to gross-out Sun-woo, he said that she didn’t have to exaggerate – or could just eat as she usually did.
@Growing Beautifully, your thought that Dam has to educate Fox before he becomes more human is a good theory and another reason why he didn’t take the marble yet. He values her blunt ideas. Is she the only woman who was allowed to know that he was a gumiho?
I wondered if Dam’s putting him into fossil status was eroded a bit when she saw him sleeping, exhausted, after shape-shifting into her for the movie date. Was it further eroded with the quotation at the end of episode 4? Her hands clenched, but I couldn’t tell if is was her reaction to him, good or bad; or whether it was her reaction to the possibility that Sun-woo might think that way about her. I guess we’ll see in the next episode.
Sort of off-topic: Korea has a long and complicated history with tobacco. Tobacco, not cigarettes (prob. a mis-translation) was imported from Japan following the Imjin War (1592-1598) and was rare. It was considered a medicine; smuggling was a crime. Eventually it was grown in Korea to feed the high demand. Foreign visitors were amazed that even women and children had pipes. Pipes gave way to cigarettes in the late 1800s. At some point the Korean government decided to control the industry. The state-owned Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation (KT&G) held a 100% monopoly over the tobacco industry in Korea. and this was the case until 1988, when imports were reluctantly allowed in.
I’d guess that lung and mouth cancers would be prevalent with such a large chunk of the population smoking from childhood, so it’s strange that it’s not mentioned much in dramas.
Ref: https://10mag.com/how-tobacco-was-introduced-to-korea-throughout-history/#:~:text=Tobacco%20was%20first%20introduced%20into%20Korea%20in%20the,to%20profit%20from%20it%2C%20often%20by%20illegal%20means.
Hey @Packmule3!
I am up to day as well! I really enjoyed the series so far and I loved your post!
Geynyang…😉
The Writer-nims are the same with “What’s wrong with Secretary Kim?”
So I am waiting for the plot twist. I have already a theor, but I would like to say more when I am on my laptop!
Have a nice Sunday everyone!
🏝️🍪🌹
Try to finish Dating In The Kitchen when you go back to the beach house. 😉
So true! The amount of food in this drama is way too much especially because it’s only Dam that eats it most of the time. 😁 But they all looked sooo yummy 🤤
I knew Dam wasn’t aware of the almost kiss because I thought Mr Fox said you won’t remember this tomorrow before he grabbed her.
I liked it when he picked her up at University and she just cried her heart out. The karaoke! He looked like he wanted to teleport away from her 😂 But he got into it too and sang! 😂
The fossil-zoned was good and I liked that she was honest about it. But she’s slowly being drawn by him. ☺️ I like that she’s being honest all the time.
Aww those little notes! It’s the new love letter! I like it! 🥰
Fern,
😈 I was actually disappointed when all Mr Fox bought were supplements and sweets. I was expecting sanitary pads or tampons in that shopping bag. That would have been a real test of his boyfriend material.
@agdr03, remember when Gu Weiyi in “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” bought Si Tumo stuff for menstrual cramps?
Same here. I thought it strange too that chickens are fatal for foxes because chicken blood was used to ward them off. What about halal chicken? Can’t she eat halal chicken? The blood should have been drained. But yes, substituting duck for chicken would have worked. If only he could cook. I liked how the Director showed sweat on his forehead while he was cooking the meal. It looked as if he really worked hard to feed her but he ended up giving her bad case of diarrhea. 😂
Hehehe yes, Gu Wei bought Si Tumo medicine and sanitary pads too? 🤔
That equates to 105 boyfriend points! 🙌🏻
But Mr Fox was in a hurry to get her the hot bag, food etc. You got to give him that. 😁
It was funny too when he knocked on her door and asked if he should buy her the Thai food again, and he heard her faint voice through the door asking for — what was that again? Pizza? 😂😂 She made it sound like it was a dying man’s last wish.
Yes, he hurried out of her room to get her items; I was surprised he didn’t teleport.
Yeah it was funny 😂 she did sound like she was dying. Piizzzzaaaa….. 😂 Well for me it feels like dying, monthly anyway. 😝
@pkml3 @nrllee @Fern @Cleo
It took me some time but I finally found this show to be somewhat charming by it’s absurdity. Yes, I believe it’s made somewhat in the same vein as Zombie Detective. It’s just meant to be OTT and ridiculous, does not take itself seriously, and does not mind making a fool of itself.
My take on the apologies: I am used to the frequent apologising and the way I take it is that it’s sometimes more to acknowledge that the other party had been inconvenienced, and not really to mean that the apologising party was taking on blame or responsibility. It was something like “I’m sorry that it’s raining and you can’t go out after all.” It was at times, this kind of sorry.
The other thing was that Dam knows that Fox wants her to keep the marble safe, therefore going to the club was a reckless thing to do, and she acknowledged that with an apology. Dam is also aware that she’s very young in front of a 999 year old elder. Therefore he has authority over her, and as a young student, her position is always to be a bit submissive before authority and age. The polite form is to apologise when the elder is upset or inconvenienced.
I admit that Jang Ki Yong manages to carry off the fossilised state, but ohhhh he looked so debonair when he stood tall with bow and arrow and took aim. That was one hot figure of a man!! I believe Lee Dam caught her breath at the sight of him.
Yes, the amount of food and eating in this show made my jaw drop. I did want to be able to reach into the screen to help myself to some of that food. I kept thinking that I hoped the production crew got to eat it while it was still fresh. There was so much!!!
@Fern, I believe you’re right. Fox was about to take back the marble but it turned blue, so he stopped. Since he needs human energy to make it change colour, he has to treat Dam well to bring her energy up, while the marble saps it.
LOL the mistaken pregnancy. It was perfectly natural that pregnancy could be assumed, and he did a whole lot of husband-ly things for her, even to helping her when she had her period cramps.
Yes about educating Fox. He’s had lots of book learning about humans, but very little practice with them. He probably did more with humans in the Joseon era and is out of touch with the modern folk. We know because his idea of the latest song was something from Dam’s grandad’s time. I expected him to sing a Trot song, but I was not sure if the song he chose was one such song or not.
Although Lee Dam may be lacking in finesse, I like that she’s forthright, is clear about what is right and wrong, and not afraid to point it out. I felt that show made a good comment about how wrong it is to grade people by their looks, or even to be party to it, by merely listening, without joining in.
Lee Dam is actually a normal, simple enough character, with no great claims to anything, but she has started to intrigue Fox, Sun Woo and even Hye Sun. I do believe that as the title suggests, show takes from Lee Dam’s perspective and is centred more around Lee Dam, rather than around the Fox.
She is the figure around whom all the other characters are now being gathered. This means Hyeri will be carrying this show with JKY’s help.
She’s doing an OK job and the supporting cast are fine, so I trust it will be an interesting, fluffy watch.
Yes, I still find myself chuckling when I recall the ludicrous things Zombie Detective did. Like, when he cursed himself because he couldn’t run fast enough, or when he tried to hit the birds nest with a stone but he couldn’t aim right.
This one is like ZD but it’s mostly Hyeri/Dam being a goof-ball. I thought it was funny when she asked Mr Fox to go a SIMULATED date but she ended up feeling hurt for REAL because his feedback had zero filter and was 100% honest. She didn’t need the practice date when she could have gone “as is” and turned off Tiger Sunwoo just as well.
Yes. I like that part when she shamed Tiger Sunwoo for not speaking out and coming to her defense when his friends were rating her. Many heroines are so mealy-mouthed that it was refreshing to hear Dam take on her bullies. I don’t have to wait till Ep 10 to see her character development from doormat to spunky lead.
And the zingers and puns in the script are entertaining too. The Hong sisters used to be this witty before they fell into this blue funk/morose mood that they’re in right now. Plus this kdrama gives us the feel and flavor of the college dating scene. Like, I didn’t know that there was this “sunbae culture” in the university. That whole sunbae-hoobae dynamics looked more archaic to me than Mr Fox’s treatment of Dam.
To me, comedy is harder to achieve for screenwriters, especially nowadays, than tragedy. Sad stories are just…sad. Throw in pain, loneliness, angst, and death in a mixing bowl, and you’ll get tragedy. But comedy? What passes off as funny to one, may be insulting, insensitive, mean-spirited, racist, sexist, crude, and rude to another.
@GB unfortunately I am not watching this. 😂. Thanks for tagging me anyway. I am residing in the other DramaVerse. No Gumihos. I always thought that was an odd term for a spirit. It sounded like Gummy Bears (which is a candy that hubby adores).
Ah my dear @nrllee… sorry LOL… I meant @agdr03!! My apologies to @agdr03 as well!
See… I apologise profusely too! (￣■￣;)!?
My excuse: a head up in the clouds! ꒰⑅•ᴗ•⑅꒱
Dear Friends, loved that Dam is even more formidable than Mr. Gumiho. For his Magical Foxiness she replied with her Vengeful Spiritness XD . She scared the hell out of him in the windows scene, then plausibly denied it saying that she was just making a phone call.
I get that she is brave and not afraid to speak her mind, but she is also self-conscious. She has a very good idea of how she is perceived and that her bluntness can hurt others, so she apologizes a lot.
About Ms. Fox, I don’t think she is a bad person at all, she cares for Mr. Fox a lot in her own way, her advice to him is also solid. If you remember that we are omniscient viewers and the characters are like us in real life (we know what we know and the only way to get closer to the truth is by experiencing and asking the hard questions) then you will get that our pair of foxes are good people up to this point.
This plot parallels thus far a sex-reversed plot (or better, development) of “My Girlfriend is a Gumiho”. But Dam is way more likable than the Stunt Guy and Mr. Fox is a cultured and educated character where Mi-Ho was a force of nature that learned to share by being showered affection and love. It seems that these two foxes in these two shows have to discover humanity from two opposite starting points.
Hope to read you soon!!! =D
Yes, there’s a role reversal here, FGB4877.
Although Dam is younger, she’s the one guiding Mr Fox to become human. She’s the driving force, and I’m not surprised that the Marble latched onto her as source of energy.
She’s fully human just the way she is. To me, that’s what Mr Fox needs to turn his Marble fully blue: the human element. She eats with gusto. She poops and pukes. She’s happy in her own skin. She doesn’t hold back on her emotions. She dotes on family and friends. She’s fiercely opinionated on some things. She’s bright. She’s quirky. She’s natural.
After living for 999 years, Mr Fox literally and metaphorically lost that spark in him. He lost the Marble when it chose to jump into Dam’s body. So I think for his 1000th year he’ll get that rejuvenating life force from Dam… if he doesn’t kill her first, that is. 😂
And yes, that window scene, when Mr Fox jumped in horror at the sight of her ghostly vision outside his window had me laughing. It was a roll reversal, too. He scared her when she saw him outside HER window trimming the trees, so now she scared him back while allegedly making a phone call outside his window. 😂
Gotta love a person that stand its ground ;D . And yes, Ms. Fox has been telling him that she got her humanity basically because she did her best, meanwhile Mr. Fox has been living haunted by the absence of his loved one – since the Imjin Wars. His more than a Hundred Years of Solitude (just to keep the Gabriel García Márquez reference ;D ) has hindered both his progress and his social skills. For her to learn that she was the only other number in his smartphone, having potentially hundreds of friends through time, speaks volumes. @Packmule3, do you think he has been depressed since the Imjin Wars trying (and failing) to find love again?.
Hope to read all of you soon 😉
Thanks @PM3 for the observations! This was very helpful. I’m finally caught up on this show and I’m liking it.
Dam is a regular girl next door, not conventionally beautiful but big on personality. She is comfortable in her own skin and is self-aware of her quirks. She shows empathy when needed and she has a good sense of what is fair. But she is also human and vulnerable (physically and mentally), who fears dying, cries when the situation is unfair.
The scenes when she’s evading the males in school were funny and executed well by Hyeri. Mr Tiger is the trope male who thinks highly of himself and assumes every girl has a crush on him. Their date when Dam was showing all her “gross” habits (basically being herself hahaha!) turned out to interest him rather than be a turnoff. Dam should just say she has a boyfriend (pretend BF Mr Fox) and that should solve this Mr Tiger problem, right? That was how my simplistic mind was working.
During the double date when they watched a movie that turned out to be mature content and the “guys” were uncomfortable while both Mr Fox and ex Ms Fox had the same thought “this is mild” had me guffawing! What have these 2 gumihos seen in their hundred years existence? LOL!
I’m suspicious of Hyesun. How did she know it was Mr Fox in the form of Dam when she is supposed to be human already? I feel like she is not human yet and has interest on Dam because of the marble – can it be stolen by another gumiho for it to be human (like Hyesun)? Kang Hanna looks beautiful and stylish here. I like her outfits.
Mr Fox – he is Mr Lonely but sentimental. I like that his house is full of mementos that meant to him through the centuries. Contrast to Doom’s stone cold home, Mr Fox’ den is a nice blend of old and new (I prefer his house than Doom’s). He got “Fossil-zoned” many times including his karaoke song choice. But Dam likes history so what’s better than having a “living” history as a partner? He is also cultured and well-read. I gushed at his recitation of GGM’s novel which is basically the “guenyang” explanation of love. Mr Fox is already halfway in love with Dam.
Janey,
I saw that scene when Dam was evading the male Tiger classmates done before in “Extraordinary You.” (The actress was Kim Hyeyoon, another cute actress.) But I like how this director/editor added computer graphics or animations to tell us what the characters are thinking or feelings. Sometimes the animation can get too busy, but for the most part, it helps create this don’t-take-this-seriously effect. Sigh. Korean directors/editors are really getting good at this sort of thing. Remember how American sitcoms, like Seinfeld and Friends, had laugh tracks to encourage the audience to laugh? Well, these kdrama directors/editors aren’t using laugh tracks anymore, but also these little motion graphics, and sound effects (like animal sounds) to add cuteness and comedy to the actors’ performance.
As for Dam’s pretend boyfriend, I giggled whe Dam couldn’t find the right word to describe Mr. Fox to Mr. Tiger so she said, “This is a guy that I somehow became acquainted with while going here and there and to other places.”
hahaha. She practically put a disclaimer on Mr. Fox. Like, “I-know-him-but-just-coincidentally.”
I think ex-gumiho Hyesun recognized Mr. Fox in the Dam’s appearance, but she was once a gumiho. Hyesun claimed to be human already so she didn’t need Mr. Fox’s marble anymore. Besides, I think she needed Mr. Fox to be around because she wanted to get a university degree with his help (I just skimmed through Ep 4). She knew she wasn’t bright and would need tutoring/coaching from him.
Yes, I like his house better than Doom’s, too. As you said, it looked lived in. I also like his museum pieces. He’s not like Doom at all. He’s an erudite scholar. He’s well-read and cultured. I find it ironic though that he was a Humanities scholar but he wasn’t human himself.
He was fossil-zoned, wasn’t he? Or fossilized. lol. I laughed too when Dam suddenly went down on her knees when she found out that he was almost 1000 years old. I thought she was going to prostrate herself.
I really like how they referred to their age disparity when they apologized at the jokbal restaurant.
Dam: I, who am hundreds of years younger than you, went up against you…
Fox: I’m sorry to have upset you, who are way younger than me.
I like that they were making allowances for their generational gap — or should I say millennial gap? A partner like him, who has survived wars and natural disasters, should have no problem contending with daily problems. But I think the hijinks will come when he has to experience the dating 21st century style.
And yes, reading that passage from “Love in the Time of Cholera” was romantic. Wasn’t it @Fern who said that she’d fall in love with anybody who could quote such romantic lines. I think what’s swoony about him is that he’s fallen for Dam’s madness, and found the right words and timing to let her know. Of course, whether she’ll understand him or not is another matter since she fossil-zoned him. 🙂
@FGB4877,
It could be a number of things.
Definitely, he was affected by his inability to rescue that Joseon lady from the Japanese soldier. He could be depressed or laden with guilt.
But he also said in the introduction:
“If you live your life long enough, you become indifferent to everything. The change of seasons. The meaningless time as I pretend to be in love. The emptiness that swarms in from time to time. All of these mean nothing more than countless numbers of repetitions. How much longer must I spend living my life in this indifference?
So he claimed to be indifferent because he was bored of the endless cycle. What’s the whole point of falling in love if he was going to outlive the girl?
But it could also be weariness because he was tired of this whole waiting-to-be-human phase. When would it all end for him? He wanted to be human 999 years ago. And it hadn’t happened yet.
Kalimera Everyone from my part of the world!
I have read what you have written so far and I agree with most of you!
I would like to pinpoint the following:
The murder in Episode 1, but also the murder of Mr. Gumiho’s wife by that Japanese soldier / samurai, in my opinion, are connected.
There was a twice repetation of both scenes so far.
For me that is a pattern. Something we shouldn’t forget.
For that reason, alone I don’t think responsible for the killings is: Yang Hye-Sun. She might be cunning like a fox, *winks at the ex Gumiho lady*
but she wouldn’t kill an innocent woman like that.
She would target a male, not a female.
So, I think the killer is male and ancient like the foxes we currently get to know.
P.S. @Janey, the line: “This is mild”, had me laugh so hard.
I mean the humans were appalled, the foxes were bored! LMAO!
No need to apologise @GB! 😉 I’m glad you’ve caught up with the show. ☺️
I’m curious about Dam’s Mother. Dam doesn’t look like she’s got any savings right? She was happy to take the tuition fee care off Mr Fox. She said she’ll be able to use it too for her brother.
@Cleopatra! 👋🏻 nice to see you here too. ☺️
Hey @agdr03,
I am glad, I am at your company too! 🙂
I started rewatching Episode 1 and in the scene where Dam is presented to us wearing a Hanbok with her friend, it seems like she talks about her period and how much it makes her suffer :facepalm: then she changes it to fine dust. Just that such an idea has crossed my mind makes me appreciate Hyery’s Dam even more in retrospect.
Hello Ladies! I have read all your comments and thanks for sharing your thoughts. @PM3, thank you so much for putting the notes up. And I’m glad you ladies are watching this show. I have enjoyed the first 4 episodes so far. It’s a light and fun show.
Hi All
i was wondering why all your comments did not make sense: I was watching My Friend is a Gumiho from 2010.
Jo
“From now on, always answer my call. Even when I’m next to you.”
That sounds romantic in that scene. However, maybe it’s also a hint for the future event. Some being will try to fool Dam by resembling the Fox (I hope this won’t happen) and the only way to confirm his identity is by using the phone call. Something sinister is still lurking in the hood.
Hi there, Rahrah.
True! I never thought about that but you’re absolutely right. If there’s another Gumiho who’s killing women, he might be a shapeshifter too and could take on Mr Fox’s form.
😂😂 Jo! I hope you’ve caught up with the right Gumiho program. Ep 5 was yummy again.
@packmule3
no unfortunately it is not on Netflix. But the one I am watching is interesting – 2010 and the actors do not seem as so ultra good looking. I am getting confused though about the Dr Joon character – he seems to be a take off of the Fox in My Rooomate. A lot of your comments still apply – for example the meaning of the liver etc.
Hello @Rahrah,
I am glad that we share the same idea that someone else is there and doing the killings! I was pretty sure that it was not Mrs. Ex-Fox-Now-Turned-Human Hye-Sun doing thoses.
As I have posted above, I think that it is that Japanese soldier that killed Mr. Fox’s wife / lover 500+ years ago. 🙂
Hello MRIAG Peepz,
I just started watching this show last night (binge watch all 4 episodes) and what a delightful surprise… coz I was in hysterics (i laughed out loud a lot with a reprimand from the hubby) and realized i found me my next rom-com show *excited… i do prefer rom-coms to melodrama (just finished watching “the smile has left your eyes” and currently watching “doom at your service). i tried to watch Vincenzo, but it’s still a stop and go kind’a watch. hmmm.
Thank you @packmule3 for your notes… i was able to comprehend their first contact trope with the “almost kiss” moment. Didn’t realize the frozen time and the chime sound of the marble. cooleo.
i love that DAM is a foodie to the point of having a Mukbang haha. Yes, wish i can have all those food, too. that’s what i love about korean food… the banchan (like “tapas”). i empty those out and ask for seconds when i eat at Korean Restos. haha.
Karaoke = Dam’s therapy was hilarious. omg. Her Scream-singing does not compare to his solitude in the mountain as coping mechanism. hahaha
i have yet to read “love in the time of cholera.” I’ve read “100 days of solitude.” Thanks for including his whole quote (swoon) that shows how he’s fallen for Dam’s madness – indeed 🙂
i do love the computer graphics / animations as well. such a comic relief 🙂
I appreciate this thread; all commenters and comments… can’t wait to catch up with you all. until then ♥
Argh! You’re distracting me, @HK_Lady! 😂 I’m on my “Bossam” mode, so I can’t watch Ep 10 of MRIAG. But yes, I know exactly how you feel about this drama. I still don’t “get” part of the Korean humor, e.g., their potty jokes are still icky, and farce, horseplay, and slapstick can be too mean, but I was laughing heartily at Lee Dam’s antics and the unexpected twists and turns of the story. Just when I thought I knew what was coming, Dam and Fox do something entirely. The egg confession had me laughing at Mr Fox’s misunderstanding. I was flabbergasted as Lee Dam.
Glad you’re liking the show. Let’s hope for a good ending.
@packmule3, sorry for distracting you. i’m more behind than you so it’s ok 🙁 but hope to catch up this weekend 🙂 maybe.
omg, the unclogging the toilet scene was crazy gross but you’re right about the “laughing heartily at Lee Dam’s antics” for sure. i don’t imagine her face being so close to that stinky mess. i wonder if Mr Tiger’s advice is for real. anyone else tried that trick? hahaha.
awww i haven’t reached the “egg confession” yet…
*counting on a happy good ending 💙