Secret Garden Episode 1 Summary

“Secret Garden” was quite successful on its first day aired. I’d been waiting for this drama, and I was so exited. Absolutely because of its two leading actors: Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin. Yay! finally Ha Ji Won back to the small screen. And after watching the first episode I was quite satisfied. She’s still a great actress, as well as Hyun Bin, he’s so cute in here.

A brief introduction:

Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won), a stunt girl with a very good shape and pretty face (even some actress feel jealous of her). She has a good attitude, modest, loveable person (but, I wondering why there are still people who hate her), a hard worker, dauntless, boyish but her heart was still as soft as a girl. She dreams of becoming a martial arts director.

Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), a successful businessman, snappy, self-centered, coldhearted, and a unique personality or I think he’s an unpredictable person because sometimes being badly cooked but sometimes being humble person. He can do everything he want just because he want it.

Osca (Yoon Sang Hyun), a popular-almost-over-the-hill-singer (maybe because his aged). On my other articles I write his name is Oscar, but actually his name is Osca or Oska (what an odd name), its a stage name. His real name is Choi Woo Yeong, he is a womanizer and a romantic person. Although he’s a playboy and so popular, he is a kind person. Ra Im is his (big) fan. Oh yeah…He is Joo Won’s cousin.

Yoon Seul (Kim Sa Rang), a CF director. I guess she is “the evil” in this story. She has everything, beauty, brain, money, and power but she has a rotten attitude, ambitious, rebel, over self confident and arrogant. She is an ungrateful person. She’s rich but Joo Won richer than her.

Making this summary is not easy for me, the problem is I’m not a good storyteller, I hope you are not disappointed and please understand with this my debut.

Rivalry, that is where this story begins. Joo Won felt himself better than Osca, his life is to compete with Osca, and of course only him who always should win. He simply hates Osca, he even called Osca with real names, Woo Yeong-hyeong. Sometimes they compete like children. When Osca bought a convertible car, Joo Won will bought the whole of the showroom. If Osca bought a yacht, Joo Won will bought the harbor.

Yoon Seul-Joo Won first met at the museum (it seems the meeting was arranged by Joo Won’s mother). It was clearly Yoon Seul tried to look good and to seduce Joo Won. Unfortunately she was too faked-personality so that Joo Won wasn’t interested in her and just left her alone.

Yoon Seul had an intention to win Joo Won’s heart, not because she loved Joo Won, but because Joo Won’s status. Joo Won was an owner of LOEL department stores. But it seemed that between Yoon Seul and Osca had had a relationship, and that she tried to hide it from Joo Won to avoid problems.

When she spoke with her friend, a gold digger fellow, at the LOEL VIP Lounge, Gil Ra Im came. Yoon Seul who felt as a high class woman objected of the presence of a lowly class woman. With the reason as the future wife of the owner, she thought she had a right to expel Ra Im from that place.

With quite a sloppy appearance (she even had a temporary dragon tattoo!), I thought Ra Im was going to fight and be rude, but she handled it in a very polite manner instead. Maybe she didn’t want to fight with that bitch. Ra Im came to that place to meet her roommate, Ah Yeong, who worked there.

Ra Im, Yoon Seul continued to create problems. She intimidated Ah Yeong by taking her name tag. Ra Im didn’t want her friends to get in trouble because of her, therefore she intended to ask for it back. Yoon Seul’s friend’s bag was suddenly stolen and Ra Im, who was about to ask for friend’s name tag, tried to help and managed to take back the bag reluctantly.

Yoon Seul ‘s still being rude even after her friend had been helped by Ra Im. Ra Im considered a break-even for her help and wished Ah Yeong’s tag name returned. I like the way Ra Im reply Yoon Seul impoliteness and gave her a lesson. Yoon Seul said the name tag was discarded in the trash. That brought anger to Ra Im, and she grabbed Yoon Seul’s collar and dragged her into the trash can. She told Yoon Seul to look for it in the trash to find the name tag.

(yay! She scored a pretty big victory at that moment )

Next…

Ra Im was a stuntgirl to Chae Rin, a bratty actress and also Osca’s ex-girlfriend. Ra Im was treated very badly by Chae Rin. Actually, Chae Rin was jealous because Ra Im prettier than her.

Ra Im was lucky to have Im Jong Soo (played by Lee Philiph), her boss as well as a martial arts director, who always made her comfortable and always tried to make her happy.

In fact, he bought an Osca ticket, since he knew Ra Im was a crazy Osca’s fan. He even accompanied Ra Im to the concert (A martial arts director came to Osca’s concert?! Clearly that he had a feeling for Ra Im).

(Hey girl, didn’t you realize those eyes when he’s staring at you? Your boss really love you )

Joo Won also came to that concert that night, not because he wanted to, but because he’s dragged by her sister. Also because Osca was the brand ambassador of LOEL (this was one of his ways in order to make Osca signed the next contract with LOEL). In the corner looked Yoon Seul was staring at Osca singing. From her gaze, it was likely that they used to have a very deep relationship.

Then…

Joo Won’s personality was quite even in leading companies. Many of his employees dislike him. He didn’t come to the office every day, just twice a week to visit the office, though his company was very successful.

Chae Rin, a bitchy actress who was dumped by Osca, created a problem with Ra Im  caused Ra Im being injured. Her arm had a deep scratch and was bleeding.

I felt sorry for Ra Im in this scene, she realized it’s her risk as a stuntgirl, so she couldn’t do anything but to accept Chae Rin rudeness.

Joo Won had a psychiatrist (I thought it was fair consider his unique personality). Apparently he suffered from claustrophobia, and therefore he never used lift even in his office.

Meanwhile…Osca was panic because Chae Rin threatened to reveal the scandal between them and distributed their scandal photos to the public. Osca ask for help Joo Won to take away Chae Rin from the shooting location and keep her from the press conference.

At first Joo Won refused, but Osca agreed to sign a contract with the LOEL again if this time he helped him and Joo Won eventually gave up. (I think Joo Won was smug because Osca begging him)

Joo Won came to the set, he didn’t know what Chae Rin looked like, he asked one of the sleepy crew and the crew pointed at Ra Im (because Ra Im was wearing the same costume with Chae Rin,).

Asa! Finally the couple (Ha Ji Won-Hyun Bin) met ….

Soon, Joo Won approached Ra Im and asked her: “You know Choi Woo Yeong..oh no… Osca .. ?”. As Osca’s fan she said yes she knew Osca.

Then Joo Won said that Osca wanted to meet her. Then, Ra Im who didn’t know anything took a ride with Joo Won. Joo Won, who thought Ra Im was Chae Rin, asked Ra Im where she first met Osca. Still in confusion Ra Im said “Ritz Hotel, room 1202”. Joo Won was surprised to hear “1202” because that meant the room would be on the 12th floor! And that meant he had to go up stairs to the 12^th floor.

At Ritz Hotel, Joo Won told Ra Im to the room first, saying that he’s not used to to enter the hotel room with a woman (actually because he can’t used lift). All the people there doubted what he said seeing his appearance at that time (he was wearing a jacket that I think like a pimp’s jacket .. so blink -blink)

With his dumbest style he showed the brand of his jacket and said if it was handmade from Italy … but no one cared.

Apparently room 1202 was the place where Ra Im first met with Osca,where Ra Im was a stuntgirl for Kim Sun Ah in the movie “Welcome to Dong Jok Gu”, and Osca was the leading man on that movie.

In the meantime, Joo Won took the emergency stairs to the room 1202. He almost collapsed when finally reached the 12th floor. Misunderstanding continued when Joo Won asked Ra Im (who he thought Chae Rin) with strange questions. The conversation between these two people was really funny, especially the bamboo thing and the car thing. (You really should see it, this scene is really funny).

When Joo Won said about “leading man”, Ra Im finally realized that there is a misunderstanding between them. Joo Won then called Osca and said that Chae Rin was sent off to a hotel. Ra Im immediately grabbed the phone and told that Joo Won had brought the wrong person.

Finally Joo Won realized his dumb mistake and blamed on Ra Im for not telling the truth from the beginning. Ra Im blamed Joo Won back by saying “You asked ‘ do you know Osca?’ rather than ‘are you Chae Rin?’!”…yups..absolutely its Joo Won’s folly.

Ra Im had to get back into the set, Joo Won said no. Ra Im finally took him to the set because he still wanted to see Chae Rin. This time Ra Im who’s driving, and that made Joo Won totally freaked out and was screaming like a girl.

Then.. Chae Rin’s problem was solved immediately by Joo Won (of course with his power as the CEO of LOEL department stores)

When Joo Won was about to leave, he saw Ra Im who practiced some movement. He was then absolutely fascinated by that woman.

When Ra Im was done, he teased her. Ra Im got angry, and even shot a kick on his foot. Then Joo Won realized there was something wrong with Ra Im’s condition. She apparently got injured (because Chae Rin), bled badly and caught an infection. Ra Im had a fever and looked weak and pale. Joo Won forced her to the hospital.

At hospital, he saw Ra Im sleeping, and even touched her forehead. He seemed to really enjoy staring at her when she was sleeping. Then he looked Ra Im wearing Osca print socks, and without asking to the owner first he just pull the socks off and threw it into the trash. Joo Won’s jealousy was really like a kid.

Im Jong Soo rushed to the hospital. Ra Im refused to go with Jong Soo (that’s because Ra Im respected his boss), and just prefered taking a taxi.  But she didn’t take a taxi, but walked on foot instead. Joo Won who knew that immediately offered a ride. I like Joo Won’s words when Ra Im asked why he was willing to help her. He said “Why not? I will even bring the sky for you and try to make you happy. I’ll do it just because I wanted to.”

Osca suddenly came to interrupt them, and got angry at Joo Won. Ra Im surprised to see his idol in front of her. Osca, finally, realized the presence of Ra Im and immediately changed to talk more gently. He looked at Ra Im and said that he remembered her eye gaze. Joo Won who realy knew Osca thought it was just flattery.

But Osca was sure that they had met, but Ra Im said that maybe he’d confused her with another person. Osca said, “In Welcome to Dong Jok Gu movie, you were the stunt girl of Kim Sun Ah. I remember you, you are really cool as always, Gil Ra Im-ssi”

Wow … your idol remembered you and even called your name clearly and saying that you are cool! Ra Im definitely felt like heaven.

My opinion

It’s probably too early to make opinion since it is only the first episode. However, so far Ha Ji Won is really cool! Ra Im character is so natural. Her reaction is always realistic on every issue. Ha Ji Won managed to create Ra Im emotion only through her face expressions. I like it! Reminds me of “Something Happened in Bali”.

Hyun Bin, two tumbs up for him. He’s out of his old image, and that’s good. He always was the prince charming without reproach in his previous works, but this time he got a different character. I think he managed to present Joo Won character without excessive expression, and that’s (once more) GOOD. Usually I’ll be very quickly get bored with his appearance, but in this drama his character is so dynamic and I’m enjoying it. Keep up the good work, oppa!

Yoon Sang Hyun, he appeared quite funny here, as an idol, whose career was almost ended, he really knew how to behave. As singer, he’s so natural (since he is a truly singer indeed). Kim Sa Rang (I did not really know her quality acting), quite amazing that with that beautiful face she managed a person who’s so evil.

And I think I will love this drama because they (drama makers) also get involved in “On Air” and “City Hall”, and I liked the both drama. I hope “Secret Garden” can make me feel the same.