Our leads keeping running into each other. Once again she needs his help. Once again he saves her. I’m digging this.
Oh My Venus Episode 2 Recap
Our leading lady, Kang Joo Eun (Shin Min Ah), has been dropped off by our leading man Kim Young Ho (So Ji Sub) at her boyfriend’s house, the one she partially broke up with. Looks like the break up will be total now, she sees Im Woo Sik (Jung Gyu Woon) hugging another woman. She runs away. Young Ho spotted her boyfriend hugging the other woman and follows her. When she slips and falls Young Ho offers his help. She’s not thrilled that once again he finds her in distress, this has not been a good day. Sweetly Young Ho tells her he can’t leave her upset and alone. He offers to take her home. Forget it, Joo Eun snaps. She grabs the umbrella, points it at him with zest, and walks home. I love her moxy. She may be in distress, but she’s not looking for a man to solve all her problems.
Young Ho checks into the hotel under an assumed name. It doesn’t help. Manager Min wakes him the next morning and tells him his Grandmother is waiting to see him. Stuck Young Ho agrees to see his Grandmother.
At work, Joo Eun gets a shock when former overweight friend, Oh Soo Jin (Yu In Young) is introduced in the boardroom as a high powered attorney joining the firm. The two women recognize each other. Not only from their past but they also met yesterday before Joo Eun’s dinner with Woo Sik. In flashbacks we see Joo Eun stood up for Soo Jin when they were in college when Soo Jin was teased about her weight. As the two women talk in Joo Eun’s office they admit they are both surprised at the role reversal. Soo Jin is thin and Joo Eun is not. The women are not exactly effusive with each other.
Young Ho doesn’t have the proper attire. No problem Manager Min produces a suit. But he doesn’t have proper shoes. No problem, Manager Min produces shoes. But he doesn’t have a gift for Grandmother. No problem, Manager Min produces flowers. Cute interplay between Manager Min and Young Ho! When Manager Min told Young Ho he looked pretty, I laughed out loud.
Turns out meeting Grandmother is actually a blind date. Young Ho is polite but not interested. Wishing he could escape, his two friends; boxer, Jang Joon Sung (Sung Hoon), and Joon Sung’s manager, Kim Ji Wong (Henry), drive up and whisk him away to the frustration of Manager Min. What do our guys do? They shop! Joon Sung and Ji Wong try on winter coats until Young Ho finds the right one.
Joo Eun realizes that she’s misplaced her cell phone and calls it using her best friend’s, Lee Hyun Woo (Jo Eun Ji), phone. Young Ho is pleased to see the text indicates it is Joo Eun calling. He answers. Immediately she is NOT happy he has her phone. But she’s stuck. She wants the phone from him. He tells her to meet him a 8am at the hotel.
Manager Min catches up with Young Ho. He shows Young Ho the pictures of the hot star that reveals Young Ho’s identity. Manager Min paid her off for the photo. Young Ho is worried what his Grandmother and others will think. More cute interplay between Manager Min and Young Ho!
Young Ho’s grandmother meets the board of directors. She announces her grandson from America is back in Korea and she’s considering turning over the company to him. The board members are shocked. One man in particular does not look happy.
One of the board members turns out to be Woo Sik’s father. He worries about the grandson that could take over.
At the hotel, Joo Eun waits for Young Ho to show. He’s late. She goes to the lobby to see if she can spot him. What she spots is Woo Sik meeting and hugging Soo Jin. Stunned she stares at the couple. They stare at her. Woo Sik starts toward Joo Eun but she asks him to stay and not follow her. She spins on her heel and runs into the glass door landing on her shoulder in a heap.
Mortified she wishes someone would save her. That wish is granted when Young Ho walks up to her. He gallantly helps her up and offers his arm leading her away from Woo Sik and Soo Jin. Swoon!
Young Ho takes Joo Eun to his room. He realizes she’s dislocated her shoulder. He tells her it will hurt but he needs to pop it back in place. Their dialog is heard by hotel guests passing by the room’s door and it sounds sexually charged but it is not. Once her shoulder is in place. She takes her suitcase, bag, and phone and leaves.
Woo Sik and Soo Jin feel bad that Joo Eun saw them but then again they are relieved she knows.
Joo Eun meets Woo Sik and tells him it over between them now. He’s patronizing and she gets angry. She storms away. She gets her car from the airport parking lot. Recall last episode she was whisked away in an ambulance when the plane landed from America.
At work, Soo Jin doesn’t apologize so Joo Eun goes to her office. Nope, not sorry. They eat lunch at Hyun Woo’s eatery. Nope, not sorry. More flashback to their past relationship. I’m thinking Soo Jin is enjoying having the upper hand.
Ji Wong visits Joo Eun in her office asking her to review some contracts.
Young Ho who greets his father with reserve. Young Ho tells his father he’s not sure he wants to take over like Grandmother wants.
When she gets home, a box is delivered. The box contains items the hospital had from her emergency room stay. Her clothes and wait…Young Ho’s items are in the box too – wallet and name tag. The name on the tag, John Kim, is the famous trainer from America that can transform women’s bodies from slug to svelte. Thrilled, Joo Eun mistakenly thinks Ji Wong is the trainer when she recalls that he said he manages a fighter on the airplane ride from America. She decides to find him.
Joo Eun tracks Ji Wong down at his hotel. He is surprised to find Joo Eun in the hallway. She declares he is the famous trainer. Shocked Ji Wong looks into the room where Joon Sung and Young Ho are. Young Ho tells her she’s right…Ji Wong is the famous trainer.
My Thoughts
link * Good second episode. This couple sparkles! Young Ho has a gooey center when it comes to Joo Eun as he saves her again from her disastrous encounter with Woo Sik. At the end of the episode, Joo Eun decides she will get help to get her groove and body back. Little does she know Ji Wong isn’t the trainer she seeks…Young Ho is.
* Joo Eun’s orbit now includes Young Ho. Shin Min Ah makes Joo Eun spirited and vulnerable much to her chagrin. I love that Joo Eun isn’t looking for a knight in shining armor to solve her troubles and sweep her off her feet. The old friendship turned rivalry with Soo Jin was ok. The role reversal with their bodies is ok. But Soo Jin had reason to resent Joo Eun when they were young. She hasn’t forgotten that and Joo Eun knows it.
* Young Ho is sweet and tough. So Ji Sub is playing his role perfectly. I’m loving his comedic timing, his interchanges with ever character solid. Young Ho’s interaction with his friends, his father and Manager Min were well done. I’m impressed with Ji Sub! Besides the superb performance, I like Young Ho. I adore how he casually but caringly saves Joo Eun again and again. He’s drawn to her. She pushes him away. He wants to engage her but she’s not interested. Now that she wants to work with the famous trainer, Young Ho may have found the perfect reason to build a relationship with her.
* The supporting characters worked in this second episode. I like Young Ho’s friends. I liked Manager Min. I’m not exactly thrilled with Soo Jin but I don’t hate her either.
* This series has had a strong first two episodes. I’m invested in this couple in just two episodes…awesome!
* This first song of the OST is released. The upbeat “Beautiful Lady” by Jong Hyun makes you feel good. Check it out via the link or the embedded video below:
Recaps/Reviews:
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i have to say i really understood what 2nd leading lady was saying to shin min ah’s character at the table, im sure she was oblivious to the fact how her beauty awarded her many privileges that she utilized and flashbacks reinforce that. i dont think shin min ah’s character intentionally stole the guy, he obviously would have been smitten by her looks but i guess she doesnt understand it and realize how beautiful people have some advantages even though she doesnt fit into what considered beautiful in society.
Well said. Does current day Min Ah understand now that she is the one no longer prized by society?
This is my second time watching Venus–this time with my unni–I am excited to participate in your blog since i recently discovered it watching The Merchant: Gaekju. 💋
I think Joo Eun already had a clue about how society no longer values her due to her size, but her breakup and subsequent discovery that Woo Sik was seeing someone else was a rude awakening to reality. I think her discovery of the other woman being Soo Jin was jarring to her and without a doubt made her wonder how long this had been going on.