[Recap] City Hunter Episode 4

Here are the abbreviations that I will be using for the recap

Lee Yoon Sung (Played by Lee Min Ho): Yoon Sung

Kim Na Na (Played by Park Min Young): Nana

Lee Jin Pyo (Played by Kim Sang Joong): JP

Bae Shik Joong (Played by Kim Sang Ho): Bald dude

Choi Eung Chan (Played by Cheon Ho Jin): President CEC

Choi Da Hae (Played by Goo Hara): Dahae

Lee Kyung Wan (Played by Lee Hyo Jung: Target 1

Kim Young Joo (Played by Lee Jun Huk): YJ

Jin SeHee (Played by Hwang Sun hee): YJ’s ex/Sehee

Here is the link for the City Hunter Episode 3 Recap

[Recap] City Hunter Episode 4

This episode was a half action and half romance. I enjoyed the complexity of the various situations however and have talked about it in detail at the bottom of my recap in “Final Comments”

Yoon Sung’s mother and the president were talking about PMY in the first scene. The president asked her if she knew about JP. Yoon Sung’s mother stated that JP had stolen the baby and asked if the president had any more information. (All detailed in Episode 1) 

Next scene JP is scolding Yoon Sung. Yoon Sung doesn’t want to be involved with vengeance that calls/draws blood. Yoon Sung states, “If you were my real father, would you have wanted me to partake in this revenge that calls blood? I also want to rip apart these people that have ruined my life. If I kill them will their offspring let me be? This cycle will just continue on an on!” (Good point!) JP told Yoon Sung to stay out of his vengeance plan. As Yoon Sung is stubborn, they make a deal: If Yoon Sung finds the second target before JP kills him, Yoon Sung can do as he pleases. He then suggests that Yoon Sung go see his mother.

Yoon Sung’s mother is drinking Korean Sprite by herself. (Called cider in Korea) Yoon Sung approaches her and asks for ramen, without telling her who he is.

Nana is there with her bodyguard partner and Dahae, the place is Nana’s favorite. (Hmm my coincidence meter is starting to go up) They notice that Yoon Sung is there and Dahae sits close to Yoon Sung asking to be tutored.Yoon Sung’s mother says, “You look young but you already have a PHD? Whoever your parents are, they must be very proud.” Yoon Sung suddenly decides to leave saying, “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Yoon Sung is driving on his own thinking about the meeting with his mother.

Nana is back at her apartment eating ramen on her own. She gets a text from Yoon Sung asking for Daerie services.

YJ enters a bar with his supervisor. Yoon Sung is there and a little drunk. The supervisor asks YJ to find the “City Hunter.” (Coincidental meter is going up even more! >_<)

Nana arrives to take Yoon Sung home. She notices YJ and is surprised to see him.

Yoon Sung, “Yah, hurry up and come.” Nana, “I came right after I saw the text.” Yoon Sung, “Aish, You should’ve came faster.”

While dragging Yoon Sung, Nana drops her wallet/coin bag. She is picking up the coins and YJ is there to help her out but they touch hands! 

Nana, “It’s ok I’ll pick them up myself.” YJ “Ah, your fingernails are short, it’s going to be difficult.”

Yoon Sung, “Pfft.. So dirty.. Shi.” Yoon Sung says, “Chi… So Cheap/Dirty.”

In the car Nana scolds Yoon Sung saying do your parents know how you’re living in Korea, always club, girls, or bars. Yoon Sung tells Nana to just drive. She goes on and on saying that his parents probably sheltered him. Then she hits him where it hurts, “Do you talk like that to your mom? Why is the way you talk so mean?”

Yoon Sung shouts at Nana, “I don’t have a mom to even talk mean to! I grew up without a mother and that’s why I’m like this!” He tells her to stop the car.

Yoon Sung is up some kind of stairs, and he talks alone to his mother, “You should be happy. You should live a good life. I hate that you’re having a hard time. I also hate that you’re old.”

Nana hands Yoon Sung a Pocari Sweat. (A drink made by a collaboration between Japan and Korea, it’s somehwat similar to Gatorade or Powerade) Nana apologizes and remarks how they have something in common so that at least is a good thing. Yoon Sung, “Why are you trying to make relations with me?” Nana “Lee Yoon Sung, I was sorry about before, and we both don’t’ have mothers, we can understand each…” Yoon Sung, “I don’t want to understand you. I don’t like how you’re cheap. I don’t like how you are so energetic all the time. What do you mean prosecutor of justice, I can’t understand you always talking to any guy. I don’t understand you. I refuse to understand you.” (He’s talking about YJ, obviously jealous)

Nana tells Yoon Sung to go on cause she’ll let him go easy. Nana, “I got the chance to spend some time with my mother growing up, so my heart is probably 3 cm larger than yours. Even if you’re like a porcupine pricking me, I’ll let it slide today. Sometimes I miss my mom too.” Yoon Sung, “What about after today?” Nana, “You’d be dead!” They both smile. Yoon Sung, “I don’t like you that much either, but your smile is ok.”

Then as she watches the cars passing by with him she exclaims, “Ahh! I miss my mother too.”

Next a short scene of cars passing them by (Pretty scene)

Yoon Sung is back at his home and he talks with the bald guy, and the bald guy is shocked that JP is back. Yoon Sung explains that now he will fight against JP. Yoon Sung wants to live normally like anybody else after this revenge plot is over, but he can’t if he’s a murderer, he might never be happy. The bald guy says “Aigoo such a nice person” like a Korean woman. (Ajumma) Yoon Sung is thinking alone remembering the coin dropping incident and remarks, “So Cheap.”

Yoon Sung leaves to go shopping and he literally runs into YJ. (Coincidental meter was going off the charts! But it was explained by YJ, Yoon Sung and YJ seem to go to all the best bars and shops) Here they both banter but YJ says an interesting line when Yoon Sung remarks that YJ seems to have a lot of time on his hands, “Well my philosophy is to work while living like anybody else.” (Something that Yoon Sung deeply desires)

They both see the same gift and grab at it. The shop keeper exclaims, “There’s more of that product.” Both YJ and Yoon Sung ask for one.

YJ puts in a key chain. Outside they banter again, with YJ saying “Looks like you’ve ended all your one night stands? You wouldn’t be buying one for a short-term girl.” Yoon Sung, “Me, I usually get gifts.” (YJ is actually slightly amused, haha always fun to watch the two bicker)  

In the next scene YJ is debriefing other prosecutors about Target Number One. The supervisor still wants to know more about the “City Hunter” but YJ has no information. (BAH!! They should’ve found the glasses that Yoon Sung left behind >_< I guess that wasn’t such a big deal)

Next a scene with Dahae and the first lady, Dahae is all upset because Yoonsung won’t be her tutor.

She keeps whining and the first lady promises that she’ll try to make it work out. (There’s a cute Korean word for the kind of whining Dahae is doing and it’s called “Jing Jing”)

Outside of the Korean Assembly, there were people rioting asking Target Number One (Lee Kyung Wan) to step down. 3 members of the Group of Five were meeting together, talking about Target Number One and agreeing to stay away from him and not be associated.

JP is at a beach looking on. He is reminiscing about his fallen comrades and especially PMY. A man named Kim Sang Gook arrived asking who JP was. (Kim Sang Jin’s younger brother, who was one of JP’s comrades)

JP had paid for Kim Sang Gook’s nephew and hints that he knows what happened to Sang Gook’s older brother. JP is trying to find people to help him in his vengeance plan. JP needs help in figuirng out the rest of the Group of Five members.

Meanwhile, Yoon Sung was also looking through friends of Target Number One to figure out Target Number Two. The supervisor and Yoon Sung were called to the president.

The president wanted to know about any weak spots for their computer security (Concerned after the events of episode 3) and for Yoon Sung and his supervisor to fix them. Once Yoon SungA Group of Five member came to visit the president asking for protection, the president decides to give him some bodyguards. 

Back at the Blue Office, Yoon Sung sees Nana run off after reading some news. (It’s from the government that is going to auction off her belongings because she couldn’t pay her loans) Yoon Sung asks the bald guy to resarch about Moon Ki Joon (one of his group of five candidates) also he asks about the bald guy and his relationship to Nana, and then tells him that she’s broke.

Nana is at a government office trying to find out more information about the person who she owes money to. The bald guy was observing Nana. She’s being evicted but she can’t move out yet. She gets the info about the person who bought out her apartment. She received a text from Yoon Sung that read, “Get me coffee!” and replied, “I’m busy!”

Yoon Sung is back at home, still trying to figure out the Group of Five.

Nana was begging an owner of a restaurant (the person who bought out her apartment) to get a break, while Yoon Sung watches from afar.

He called her and she picked up swallowing her tears and trying to act like nothing was going on. Yoon Sung demands that Nana to meet him in front of the fountain again, to “Daerie.” If she comes within 30 minutes he’ll consider her debt forgiven.

Nana comes and to her surprise Yoon Sung hasn’t been drinking. Yoon Sung exclaims that he’ll start drinking now and pops open a beer. Nana asks, “You don’t even care where I came from huh?” Yoon Sung, “Of course, I don’t care, you’re the one that wanted to pay me back.” Nana is extremely upset, “I never thought you were a bad person, well I did before, but I never thought you were evil! But, I was wrong.“

She truns away and Lim Jae Bum’s OST begins to play. She is driving for Yoon Sung again.

The drive to Yoon Sung’s home is silent.

After they both get out of the car, she silently gives the car keys back and leaves. (Some might think this scene and the ones following are cheesy and odd, why doesn’t Yoon Sung just pay off her debts? But I loved it, because it showed the depth of Yoon Sung’s character, I’ll explain below in my final comments)

Yoon Sung ends up following her in his car and drives alongside her bus.

She is shedding a few tears, he’s observing her in a weird/sadistic way.

He follows her all the way to her home, watching outside. Will he go up and apologize? Alas no, he just leaves.

Nana talks to her mother in the photo and sadly about her situation. She then talks about the prior incident, the moment she heard that Yoon Sung would forgive all her debts she ran to see him. She was hoping that Yoon Sung would have changed as a person, being a nicer good person. Then she tells herself, you’re being crafty, you’re being pathetic. She breaks down and confesses that she’s having a difficult/scary time without her mother. (Also a complex situation, I like the drama)

Yoon Sung gets back into his car, speeding away. Cars are parked in a strange fashion in front of a vet. A dog owner was arguing with YJ’s ex-girlfriend. The dog owner was upset that the dog had surgery without his consent. He was asking for getting some type of compensation. (Probably spayed or neutered) She exclaims, “Like dog like owner.” (She uses the word Gae Sekki, which literally translates to son of a dog) The owner though leaves his wife frequently like his dog. Right when he’s just about to hit YJ’s ex, Yoon Sung appears as a dark knight in shining armor.

Outside YJ’s ex-girlfriend says thank you. Yoon Sung replies, “I wasn’t helping you, there were cars in the way, that’s why I acted.”

Regardless, YJ’s ex (Jin Sehee) gives out her hand and introduces herself, Yoon Sung accepts and shakes her hand introducing himself as well.

The next day at the Blue House, both Nana and her partner are told to take up a bodyguard project for one of the other members of the Group of Five, Seo Yong Hak.

Seo Yong Hak asks Nana to sit down, and asks her pick music for him. He is asking her to help out with an event he wants to hold for his wife for their wedding anniversary.

JP’s right hand had narrowed down suspects of the Group of Five down to Seo Yong Hak. (Damn JP is dressed up all baller now) Seo Yong Hak is going to be a strong presidential candidate next year. JP states a few conditions, JP alone will have blood on his hands, and also everything must be kept secret.

The bald guy was also taking pictures of Seo Yong Hak and later tells Yoon Sung that Nana is now protecting Seo Yong Hak. (I’m going to call him Target Number Two now har har) Yoon Sung asks the bald guy to go and question Target Number one.

Nana is picking out the song, “Over and Over.” However her computer has a problem. Yoon Sung is called over to fix her computer.

As Yoon Sung leaves, Nana recieves a package from “Ajushi.”  (RUH OH! She is giddy calling the sender “Tall Guy,” I’m curious though does she know it’s from YJ? Or maybe the “Tall Guy” is actually the bald guy? When she was little, maybe the bald guy seemed really big?)

Yoon Sung asks Nana to get him some coffee, and Yoon Sung is waiting with his present. However, she’s cold to Yoon Sung obviously still upset about last night. She demands to get her stamp back.

He notices that Nana had received a gift that is the same as his. Whenn Yoon Sung inquires about the present She described him, “The person who I like the best in the world only after my father.” Yoon Sung leaves, very angry and jealous assuming that she’s in love with YJ. He goes back to his desk and stuffs the present in his drawer, pissed off.

The bald guy can’t get any info from Target Number One because Target Number One is being transferred. During the transport of Target Number One, the driver is actually JP. Yoon Sung is outside probably waiting on the bald guy, but notices that the driver is actually JP. Yoon Sung begins to follow the transport bus.

The other guard is thrown off and now Yoon Sung and JP begin thechase scene.

Honestly I enjoyed the chase scene, it was pretty exciting and well thought-out.

Yoon Sung gives up slowing down the bus, and he puts his car sideways on the road, standing on top of his car and they play chicken.

JP moves slightly to the side missing Yoon Sung and JP sighs with relief.

JP begins to question Target Number One. JP tells Target Number One that either he will tell him the rest of the Group of Five or his family will be killed. JP doesn’t get much information because cop cars arrive, but he finds out that Seo Yong Hak is a member. (Target Number Two)

Nana and her partner are with Target Number Two’s family for their anniversary. JP is also at the restaurant. Yoon Sung calls JP, and JP gives him a hint of sorts when he says that the music fits well with the wedding anniversary. Yoon Sung frantically calls Nana but she doesn’t pick up.

JP was ready to assassinate Target Number Two, having set up his sniper rifle on a rooftop across the street. As Yoon Sung arrives at the building, it suddenly blacks out. Nana is helping out the people in the restaurant using a flashlight.

JP uses this to aim at Nana’s head. Right when JP fires, somebody (probably Yoon Sung) comes in and rescues her. (Thank god they didn’t end this episode as a cliffhanger)

Final Comments

This episode was the first battle between father and son. Remember for my last recap how I talked about Star Wars? In a sense this is an “oedipus complex” in its extreme form, with the mother figure removed. However, in this cat and mouse game, it’s interesting to note that JP is sort of testing Yoon Sung and making deals with him. In episode 1, JP will let the lady go free if Yoon Sung hits the targets. In episode 2, JP allows Yoon Sung to dish out his own kind of vengeance. Here, JP is starting to compete against Yoon Sung in a game of who reaches the targets first. 

Likes:

1) Beautiful Cinematgraphy

Damn! Some of these scenes were really beautiful. Each episode has one scene with this “Lost” vibe to it (the TV show) and some scenes look like they are straight out of a music video or film. 

2) Car Chase + Sniper Scene

If last episode was the “Bourne Identity” this time we got to see an exciting chase scene. Otherwise I also liked the sniper scene at the very end. The hotel that the restaurant was located in was Seoul’s “Intercontinental.” It was pretty cool to see a place I know to be portrayed in that way.

3) YJ and Yoon Sung Bickering

Haha watching these two reminds me of primates puffing out their chest to look bigger. 

4) Character Depth

This will be described in detail below.

Dislikes:

Haha I know some of you will hate that I mention it but, Uggh the coincidental run-ins made me cringe. I was happy though that they explained this when YJ and Yoon Sung bicker. (They both go to expensive/popular places in Seoul)

Analysis: For this episode there are two things I wanted to talk about, Character Depth and Symbols

1) Character Depth

This episode really stood out to me because it added more depth to Yoon Sung. I’m talking about the scene that was like a music video. 

We all know that Yoon Sung probably has enough money to bail Nana out, but what is he doing merely following her. (Kind of glad he didn’t just bail her out, because it makes his character more intriguing) Also, why is he giving Nana such a hard time when he knows what she is going through? At first it seems like he’s just being mean on purpose. But, what do we know about Yoon Sung already? He’s had a hard time growing up and was probably taught to hide his true emotions. We can already tell that he adores Nana, but he tries his best not to show it. 

It was interesting to me how he continued to observe the effects that he had on her. He wants to know what she thinks about him, how she reacts, and is probably feeling guilty at the same time. When he reaches her home though, Nana was just within reach, but Yoon Sung didn’t have the courage to apologize, hug her, or help her out. Yoon Sung learned that he shouldn’t love anybody, and I believe he’s probably scared underneath. Most bad boy concepts work like this, there’s a soft little child underneath who is scared. Yoon Sung has problems opening up. 

Also, I find that it is interesting to watch Yoon Sung and YJ interact. In many ways YJ is the type of person Yoon Sung wants to be: always just and having a career that still fits within his life. I bet the characters are set up this way because if Yoon Sung had a warm family, he could have been a succesful prosecutor. 

Yoon Sung is quite the complex character, and I LIKE!

2) Symbols

Watching this episode I couldn’t help but notice certain “symbols” that I think represented the characters and their thoughts.

A) Hands, Hands, Hands!

Hands, Hands, Hands! We all know that hands are used as symbols a lot and have a lot of deep meaning behind them. YJ touching hands with Nana was romantic but also the fact that it was on the ground kind of signals how he’s trying to see her eye to eye. 

The handshake between Yoon Sung and Sehee (YJ’s ex) was also significant, because it signified that they consider each other equals in a sense? When Sehee thanks Yoon Sung, he talks in his typical bad boy manner but Sehee ignores this and puts her hand out. Also if you guys remember, in a previous episode when Nana put her hand out towards Dahae (Goo Hara’s character), Dahae just slapped it away. (She considers Nana beneath her) I am curious as to what will come out of Yoon Sung and Sehee. 

B) Messiah Complex

This one was pretty obvious. I don’t think I have to explain much more about Jesus Christ and the Cross. But, for Yoon Sung this is also significant. Yoon Sung himself has a tendency to try and help out others. In this case, he is helping out Target Number One who is a villain. Yoon Sung is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the villain and also his own beliefs/principles. (Of course he was probably also banking on the fact that JP wouldn’t try to kill him and he was right, this time)

C) Food

Haha this is a funny one, Yoon Sung and Nana are always eating during the episodes. Sure they are people that get hungry often, and it’s cute to watch them eat like hungry animals. However, I think there’s something more to it also. Nana and Yoon Sung are lonely individuals, food is a great way to fill in the void.

D) Drinks!

This symbol has a lot to do with Nana and Yoon Sung’s relationship. Although Nana is/was Yoonsung’s “Daerie” she is always giving him coffee or in this episode’s case Pocari Sweat. In a way she is there to rejuvenate/refresh Yoon Sung, much like coffee does. Yoon Sung is a bit disillusioned and cynical while Nana tries to always be bright and positive. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this recap! Please comment on whether you agree/disagree with me and I’ll try to find the time to discuss with you =)

Here is the link for the recap of  City Hunter Episode 5!