Roommate, The Move-In Episode 1 part 2
Now that the roommates are moving in, we get a glimpse into their real personalities as well as what they can expect from living in the house. Yes, couples are encouraged to form and will even be rewarded with a trip! This just gets better and better.
JoAnne: Awww, maybe someone will fall in love. Wait how long do they even live in this house?
bcook: Heck! For that prize I would try my hardest to fall in love. (It wouldn't take much...just my ajusshi smiling at me)
First to move in is EXO puppy, ChanYeol, arriving all by his lonesome, bright and early in the morning. To say he's in awe of his new domicile is putting it mildly.
When comedian Se Ho moves in, I had to laugh at poor ChanYeol trying to figure out if he should answer the door or just wait. He should have hid because Se Ho has him unloading all his stuff while he places his giant photo of himself prominently in the living room. ChanYeol just smiles and tells the camera he was excited to have something to do. Oh man, I'm going to want to adopt this guy, massive hat collection and all!
JoAnne: What an absolute doll. A son to be proud of! He has the brightest eyes and smile ever, and his ears stick out so far~he's adorable! And really TALL.
bcook: He's alright *hears the thunder of EXO fans rushing to protest* He's just a puppy really. He seems to be very big on maturing through experience (which is weird. Or maybe I just have crap subtitles)
The housemates are given boxes with clues as to who their roommate will be. Se Ho wonders if it's a prank when he realizes that not only will his roommate but 184 cm (vs his 169 cm) but will be Wookie, a compelling actor and a complete opposite from him. (One thing I love about this show is how they superimpose both roommates in the room at the same time as if seeing a future interaction.) After telling ChanYeol to look to him as a brother, Se Ho is off to an appointment and ChanYeol heads to bed for a little shut eye before leaving for his own schedule. Before ChanYeol leaves, he writes a message to his roommates on the big chalk board.
JoAnne: A gesture I thought was very thoughtful and friendly!
bcook: Were Se Ho and Wookie in army together? Trying to figure out how they know each other. It would explain the easy friendship.
With the first 2 gone, Soo Hyun moves into the house alone. Along with some cat ears (in case of a party) and a fair amount of alcohol, she brings a chair which she realizes will not go into either the living room or her pretty new room. Bye bye chair!
Soo Hyun's first thoughts on finding out her roommate will be Na Na? She's young. Soo Hyun wanders around the house mumbling to herself waiting for the next arrival, who is everyone's favorite ajusshi, Sung Woo.
JoAnne: She seems eager to please and maybe a little worried that she won't fit in. The alcohol really made me laugh.
bcook: She annoyed me for a little bit. But yes I did find the alcohol packing amusing.
Even though the awkwardness is palatable, Soo Hyun greets Sung Woo and follows him around while he figures out, very quickly I might add, that his roommate is ChanYeol. He seems less concerned about that fact and more concerned when Na Na's arrival is preceded by all her belongings, including a full length cutout of herself. As Sung Woo becomes responsible for moving her stuff in, he ponders how NaNa could be so narcissistic and says "This might be a little difficult." haha
JoAnne: Why would those two (Se Ho and NaNa) bring pictures or cut outs of themselves? I don't understand it at all. I'm impressed by how readily Sung Woo jumps in to help with stuff, though. Every one seems to be, actually, as you watch them.
bcook: It seems to be "the thing" for famous (or very rich) people in korea to have giant pictures of themselves. usually in their bedroom. ref Greatest Love, Full House (1&2) etc.
Next at the door in Min Woo. Awww, he's so reverential to his elders as he bows deeply and asks them to talk comfortably. Now every time a doorbell rings, Soo Hyun and Sung Woo run to greet them. It's Kang Joon, Mr. Pretty Eyes.
It's cute how the clues for Min Woo and Kang Joon are that they look like other actors, older actors. Kang Joon studied in Malaysia so tries to speak in English - you can tell this will be used for a laugh now and then. Soo Hyun is practically gaga over Mr. Pretty Eyes - well, I for one am not putting any blame there!
JoAnne: Yep, she is ALL over him. And I mean, sure, look at him, of course - but then again, SUNG WOO. I will even forgive him for wearing a fanny pack!
bcook: I totally missed Min Woo's entrance but he's my fav. Soo Hyun was sooooooo all over Kang Joon it was slightly nauseating to see.
The four housemates are off to the store, and the jockeying begins. Soo Hyun is like a kid in a candy store, sitting in the back with Mr. Pretty Eyes and engaging him and Min Woo in flirtatious conversation. Don't worry Sung Woo, even if I have to look up your name every time I write about you, you will still get PLENTY of love from here! Can we just call you Hot Aj for now? Poor Min Woo seems to be getting shut out of the convo even though it's clear that Pretty Eyes is still really green behind the ears and shocking Min Woo and Hot Aj with his lack of respect. Geez, they take this stuff pretty seriously! Although Soo Hyun is all a-giggle, of course.
JoAnne: That's something I'd been picking up on as well - people are deeply polite to each other. If anything, the rules are followed MORE than in dramas, but it doesn't even really feel like rules. It feels like these people genuinely want to make the others feel comfortable. Please don't tell me it's all an act. Just let me live in my bubble of nice pretty people for a while.
bcook: Hot Aj = My Ajusshi!! So you may call him BAjus or Ajusook. I had to watch again to figure out why they were shocked at the way Kang Joon was talking. He was polite, but didn't use sunbaenim or seonsaengnim (which I don't really understand but I guess after a certain number of years in the industry you automatically take on teacher like qualities?)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (hehe. My friends and I say that after an awkward silence) , Miss MMA Ga Yeon moves in and almost immediately causes the pool table to collapse. You can't help but cringe for her.
More awkwardness ensues as Se Ho returns, and he and Miss MMA adjust to being in the house together. While trying to outdo the other with kindness, Se Ho ends up landing on his butt which I'm not sure helped ease or contribute to Ga Yeon's discomfort! Decking him, even tho it was at his request, probably didn't ease things either.
JoAnne: I laughed SO hard. And then I rewound it and watched it again and laughed some more. And now thinking about it, I'm laughing again.
bcook: Poor guy was writhing I'm sure a little of it was for comedic effect (but not that much). I loved how she said "I did it hard so that he wouldn't ask me to hit him again....It wasn't that hard tho"
At the store, Soo Hyun hooks arms with Pretty Eyes and takes off down the aisle. (yeahhhhh) while Min Woo brushes it off saying that's why he likes Soo Hyun - even though she's being filmed she does what she wants. I can't wait to see more from these three.
I love how she does this under the guise of taking care of him because he's young (just like I want to take care of Song Joong Ki)
JoAnne: yeah, I think it's going to be fun. Unless she watches herself in this episode and realizes no one is ever going to buy her 'oh he's a cute dongsaeng' excuse for more than 30 seconds.
bcook: Are they going to have a love triangle storyline? Hey readers! Do you know how to pick the second lead? The one you ship the most because he's so kind and sweet?? That's the one that doesn't get the girl. This may be 'reality' but it's still on SBS.
Back at the kitchen, the shoppers are unpacking their groceries. You really get the feeling that sometimes Hot Aj feels like he's dealing with a bunch of teenagers as he tries to explain an orderly way to stock the refrigerator. He admits he's changed over the years and even says he's like a neighborhood lady. No Hot Aj, we will never think of you as a neighborhood lady! But the apron and hair drawn on him are pretty funny.
JoAnne: Shin Eomma makes me giggle, it's true. And I gotta tell ya...the combination of thoroughly domesticated sweetheart with rock god/bad boy looks is killer.
bcook: I luff him *sigh*. We even order our fridges the same way.
As the roommates work busily in the kitchen, supermodel So Ra arrives with so much luggage that Se Ho kids her with "welcome to our hotel" as he and Pretty Eyes deliver it. Once again the awkward-o-meter spikes as So Ra watches everyone interact and unintentionally leave her out. Hey, I can relate to So Ra and Hot Aj, who have to feel a little more uncomfortable being the oldest (although I tend to get along with people 30+ years younger than me--maturity has never been my priority.) Luckily she has her dog Giselle for comfort. Maybe if she took her coat off she'd feel more at home!
JoAnne: She is majorly awkward and I feel bad for her because she looks like she wants to join in but doesn't know how. Seriously, they're all so polite, how could they not notice her anxiousness? It must be the editing. Giselle is cute but how do you bring a dog to a house full of strangers?
bcook: I was totally yelling at the screen telling her to take her coat off! ugh. She wasn't trying at all. I've been in those awkward situations a lot and yes it's very, very hard but you have to try! Giselle is a little fatty.
Na Na bursts on the scene and all the guys rush out to greet her. And the cat claws come out. Soo Hyun is clearly not taken with Na Na and wonders how being roommates will work out. Poor So Ra laments that she didn't get special treatment from Se Ho like Na Na does - ouch. But Na Na is happy to meet So Ra and reaches out to her first.
JoAnne: She seems like a really nice girl, honestly. I wasn't expecting that.
At 10 pm they finally sit down to dinner and introduce themselves formally. I still can't figure out why Pretty Eyes keeps saying he's 22. Even in Korean age, his birthday is clearly stated (on every site, I checked) as October 12, 1993. (Ok, let me see if I can work this out. Born in Oct 93 so in Jan 94 he turned 1 automatically; so Jan 2014 he should be 21. You're right. But what if they do like the Chinese and you're 1 at birth - so then in Jan 94 he actually turned 2. But I don't think so, I hear people talk about the 1st birthday. And actually the important one is 100 days...I dunno.) I thought you were born with one year in korea which is why they're a year ahead. Not saying that he doesn't have a lot of natural acting ability for his age, because when asked who helps him with his script, he says he just does it himself. I guess you can concentrate hard when you have no cell phone and no drivers license to distract you. Obviously there is a lot of underlying competition going on between Soo Hyun and Na Na over Pretty Eyes which made for some pretty interesting conversation and really placed him on the hot seat.
But you have to wonder how long a 1993-er would hold the attention of a 34 year old. And once again, poor Min Woo has to witness all the girls going gaga over his roommate.
JoAnne: Maybe someone will come along for the cutie pie. It's just that Kang Joon is such a stunner when you first see him that it sort of wipes everyone else out of your mind, and really, if you think about it...the poor guy. These women are fawning all over him about his looks and everything, and he must get that all the time. Wouldn't it be awkward? Wouldn't it make OTHER people (like MinWoo, after enough time) jealous and mean? Would you want to spend time with someone who everyone would treat like a prince and ignore you constantly?
bcook: Is that a trick question? I think You're All Surrounded is treating that rather hilariously. Watch if you aren't already!
After dinner the girls head off to bed, and the ice begins to thaw between Na Na and Soo Hyun. I'm really glad they will end up getting along well. Before turning in, the "boys" try and fly a toy remote helicopter that landed on the roof below. With that mission a failure, they turn in too. It's interesting that even guys use all those facial moisturizers.
JoAnne: So far, no one has any real animosity toward anyone else, and no one is really being set up to be the jerk the way they would in an American show. I'm glad. Re: moisturizer - do you use that much when you put it on? Do you rub it around so vigorously? Because I use a lot less...I wonder if I should be using more.
bcook: I was really surprised that everybody uses some type of night cream. I think it's just a guy thing Jo. The women were more delicate about what they were using.
Wookie finally arrives at 2:10. Everyone else is in bed, and he is nervously giggling as he has to carry the stuff up himself. He realizes his roommate is Se Ho, and since they've met before he wakes him up to figure out the lay of the land. It's obvious that Wookie has been living with his Mom all these years as he can't quite figure out what to do. But 40 minutes later, Park Bom quietly arrives and meets Wookie. This time someone else is the newbie, so he helps her out. As she tries to get to her bed, Giselle starts barking. What will she do?
JoAnne: Ok, this, I felt, was just rude. If you show up in a place you don't know at 3 am, you don't go around disrupting a sleeping house. You park your suitcases in a corner and you go the hell to sleep in the LIVING room without disturbing your sleeping room-mates. You can figure out the real situation in the morning, in daylight, with room-mates who are awake. It was particularly irritating because she kept saying how she didn't want to be rude or disruptive, and then she proceeded to be just those things. (Lafer: I totally disagree! She had a right to tip-toe into her bed after working until 2:30 a.m. She was speaking very quietly and just walked in the door when the dog barked. I feel the real rudeness was bringing the dog!) I don't feel like she INTENDED to be those things, but the thoughtlessness/airheadedness was a bit irritating.
bcook: I agree with lafer. It's her room too. And seriously if So Ra is so sound sensitive she should have brought some ear plugs. I can't sleep well if there's even a hint of light (from a charger, alarm clock etc) so when I share a room with other people I bring my sleep mask.
Observation: While I stated last time that this reminds me of Big Brother, it has more of a Real World feel to it. The housemates obviously can come and go as they please (or need to.) What I love are the added graphics and comments from the producer as it gives it more of a comic feel. I'm sure we won't see any drama like in Real World, but it will be fun to see how the relationships, both male and female, develop.
JoAnne: I am thoroughly enjoying myself, yes!
bcook: The best producer effects are when they use gag concert music. If you aren't watching gag concert you should be! It's hilarious. KBSworld on youtube has a lot of episodes. (KBS if you're reading I totally want to work for you!!)
bcook: Heck! For that prize I would try my hardest to fall in love. (It wouldn't take much...just my ajusshi smiling at me)
First to move in is EXO puppy, ChanYeol, arriving all by his lonesome, bright and early in the morning. To say he's in awe of his new domicile is putting it mildly.
JoAnne: What an absolute doll. A son to be proud of! He has the brightest eyes and smile ever, and his ears stick out so far~he's adorable! And really TALL.
bcook: He's alright *hears the thunder of EXO fans rushing to protest* He's just a puppy really. He seems to be very big on maturing through experience (which is weird. Or maybe I just have crap subtitles)
The housemates are given boxes with clues as to who their roommate will be. Se Ho wonders if it's a prank when he realizes that not only will his roommate but 184 cm (vs his 169 cm) but will be Wookie, a compelling actor and a complete opposite from him. (One thing I love about this show is how they superimpose both roommates in the room at the same time as if seeing a future interaction.) After telling ChanYeol to look to him as a brother, Se Ho is off to an appointment and ChanYeol heads to bed for a little shut eye before leaving for his own schedule. Before ChanYeol leaves, he writes a message to his roommates on the big chalk board.
bcook: Were Se Ho and Wookie in army together? Trying to figure out how they know each other. It would explain the easy friendship.
With the first 2 gone, Soo Hyun moves into the house alone. Along with some cat ears (in case of a party) and a fair amount of alcohol, she brings a chair which she realizes will not go into either the living room or her pretty new room. Bye bye chair!
JoAnne: She seems eager to please and maybe a little worried that she won't fit in. The alcohol really made me laugh.
bcook: She annoyed me for a little bit. But yes I did find the alcohol packing amusing.
Even though the awkwardness is palatable, Soo Hyun greets Sung Woo and follows him around while he figures out, very quickly I might add, that his roommate is ChanYeol. He seems less concerned about that fact and more concerned when Na Na's arrival is preceded by all her belongings, including a full length cutout of herself. As Sung Woo becomes responsible for moving her stuff in, he ponders how NaNa could be so narcissistic and says "This might be a little difficult." haha
bcook: It seems to be "the thing" for famous (or very rich) people in korea to have giant pictures of themselves. usually in their bedroom. ref Greatest Love, Full House (1&2) etc.
Next at the door in Min Woo. Awww, he's so reverential to his elders as he bows deeply and asks them to talk comfortably. Now every time a doorbell rings, Soo Hyun and Sung Woo run to greet them. It's Kang Joon, Mr. Pretty Eyes.
JoAnne: Yep, she is ALL over him. And I mean, sure, look at him, of course - but then again, SUNG WOO. I will even forgive him for wearing a fanny pack!
bcook: I totally missed Min Woo's entrance but he's my fav. Soo Hyun was sooooooo all over Kang Joon it was slightly nauseating to see.
The four housemates are off to the store, and the jockeying begins. Soo Hyun is like a kid in a candy store, sitting in the back with Mr. Pretty Eyes and engaging him and Min Woo in flirtatious conversation. Don't worry Sung Woo, even if I have to look up your name every time I write about you, you will still get PLENTY of love from here! Can we just call you Hot Aj for now? Poor Min Woo seems to be getting shut out of the convo even though it's clear that Pretty Eyes is still really green behind the ears and shocking Min Woo and Hot Aj with his lack of respect. Geez, they take this stuff pretty seriously! Although Soo Hyun is all a-giggle, of course.
bcook: Hot Aj = My Ajusshi!! So you may call him BAjus or Ajusook. I had to watch again to figure out why they were shocked at the way Kang Joon was talking. He was polite, but didn't use sunbaenim or seonsaengnim (which I don't really understand but I guess after a certain number of years in the industry you automatically take on teacher like qualities?)
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (hehe. My friends and I say that after an awkward silence) , Miss MMA Ga Yeon moves in and almost immediately causes the pool table to collapse. You can't help but cringe for her.
bcook: Poor guy was writhing I'm sure a little of it was for comedic effect (but not that much). I loved how she said "I did it hard so that he wouldn't ask me to hit him again....It wasn't that hard tho"
At the store, Soo Hyun hooks arms with Pretty Eyes and takes off down the aisle. (yeahhhhh) while Min Woo brushes it off saying that's why he likes Soo Hyun - even though she's being filmed she does what she wants. I can't wait to see more from these three.
JoAnne: yeah, I think it's going to be fun. Unless she watches herself in this episode and realizes no one is ever going to buy her 'oh he's a cute dongsaeng' excuse for more than 30 seconds.
bcook: Are they going to have a love triangle storyline? Hey readers! Do you know how to pick the second lead? The one you ship the most because he's so kind and sweet?? That's the one that doesn't get the girl. This may be 'reality' but it's still on SBS.
Back at the kitchen, the shoppers are unpacking their groceries. You really get the feeling that sometimes Hot Aj feels like he's dealing with a bunch of teenagers as he tries to explain an orderly way to stock the refrigerator. He admits he's changed over the years and even says he's like a neighborhood lady. No Hot Aj, we will never think of you as a neighborhood lady! But the apron and hair drawn on him are pretty funny.
bcook: I luff him *sigh*. We even order our fridges the same way.
As the roommates work busily in the kitchen, supermodel So Ra arrives with so much luggage that Se Ho kids her with "welcome to our hotel" as he and Pretty Eyes deliver it. Once again the awkward-o-meter spikes as So Ra watches everyone interact and unintentionally leave her out. Hey, I can relate to So Ra and Hot Aj, who have to feel a little more uncomfortable being the oldest (although I tend to get along with people 30+ years younger than me--maturity has never been my priority.) Luckily she has her dog Giselle for comfort. Maybe if she took her coat off she'd feel more at home!
bcook: I was totally yelling at the screen telling her to take her coat off! ugh. She wasn't trying at all. I've been in those awkward situations a lot and yes it's very, very hard but you have to try! Giselle is a little fatty.
Na Na bursts on the scene and all the guys rush out to greet her. And the cat claws come out. Soo Hyun is clearly not taken with Na Na and wonders how being roommates will work out. Poor So Ra laments that she didn't get special treatment from Se Ho like Na Na does - ouch. But Na Na is happy to meet So Ra and reaches out to her first.
At 10 pm they finally sit down to dinner and introduce themselves formally. I still can't figure out why Pretty Eyes keeps saying he's 22. Even in Korean age, his birthday is clearly stated (on every site, I checked) as October 12, 1993. (Ok, let me see if I can work this out. Born in Oct 93 so in Jan 94 he turned 1 automatically; so Jan 2014 he should be 21. You're right. But what if they do like the Chinese and you're 1 at birth - so then in Jan 94 he actually turned 2. But I don't think so, I hear people talk about the 1st birthday. And actually the important one is 100 days...I dunno.) I thought you were born with one year in korea which is why they're a year ahead. Not saying that he doesn't have a lot of natural acting ability for his age, because when asked who helps him with his script, he says he just does it himself. I guess you can concentrate hard when you have no cell phone and no drivers license to distract you. Obviously there is a lot of underlying competition going on between Soo Hyun and Na Na over Pretty Eyes which made for some pretty interesting conversation and really placed him on the hot seat.
JoAnne: Maybe someone will come along for the cutie pie. It's just that Kang Joon is such a stunner when you first see him that it sort of wipes everyone else out of your mind, and really, if you think about it...the poor guy. These women are fawning all over him about his looks and everything, and he must get that all the time. Wouldn't it be awkward? Wouldn't it make OTHER people (like MinWoo, after enough time) jealous and mean? Would you want to spend time with someone who everyone would treat like a prince and ignore you constantly?
bcook: Is that a trick question? I think You're All Surrounded is treating that rather hilariously. Watch if you aren't already!
After dinner the girls head off to bed, and the ice begins to thaw between Na Na and Soo Hyun. I'm really glad they will end up getting along well. Before turning in, the "boys" try and fly a toy remote helicopter that landed on the roof below. With that mission a failure, they turn in too. It's interesting that even guys use all those facial moisturizers.
JoAnne: So far, no one has any real animosity toward anyone else, and no one is really being set up to be the jerk the way they would in an American show. I'm glad. Re: moisturizer - do you use that much when you put it on? Do you rub it around so vigorously? Because I use a lot less...I wonder if I should be using more.
bcook: I was really surprised that everybody uses some type of night cream. I think it's just a guy thing Jo. The women were more delicate about what they were using.
Wookie finally arrives at 2:10. Everyone else is in bed, and he is nervously giggling as he has to carry the stuff up himself. He realizes his roommate is Se Ho, and since they've met before he wakes him up to figure out the lay of the land. It's obvious that Wookie has been living with his Mom all these years as he can't quite figure out what to do. But 40 minutes later, Park Bom quietly arrives and meets Wookie. This time someone else is the newbie, so he helps her out. As she tries to get to her bed, Giselle starts barking. What will she do?
bcook: I agree with lafer. It's her room too. And seriously if So Ra is so sound sensitive she should have brought some ear plugs. I can't sleep well if there's even a hint of light (from a charger, alarm clock etc) so when I share a room with other people I bring my sleep mask.
Observation: While I stated last time that this reminds me of Big Brother, it has more of a Real World feel to it. The housemates obviously can come and go as they please (or need to.) What I love are the added graphics and comments from the producer as it gives it more of a comic feel. I'm sure we won't see any drama like in Real World, but it will be fun to see how the relationships, both male and female, develop.
JoAnne: I am thoroughly enjoying myself, yes!
bcook: The best producer effects are when they use gag concert music. If you aren't watching gag concert you should be! It's hilarious. KBSworld on youtube has a lot of episodes. (KBS if you're reading I totally want to work for you!!)