Protect the Boss: customary 2/3rds tears–not where you’d expect

This show is infested with cuties, I tell you.

I love her. I love her talent, that she was so hateable in Personal Taste, and this is a completely different character in a very similar set-up. I love, also, her complete babyishness when she's alone and hurt.

Chanelling the cafe boyfriends, practicing a nickname. Ugh, I wanna pinch your cheeks and give you candy to share with her!

DAD OF THE ULTIMATE CUTENESS - I can tell where No Eun Seul got her eyes. And how she was already an expert at dealing with Ji-Heon.

I screencap her from sheer girl-crush. She is so adorable.

And then the whole set up abounds with cuteness in general. OMG. When dad is crying over his mom not telling him about Ji-Heon’s phobia, and then about how it came about…

awww, mom, I love you

what more adorable dad is there? He’s short-tempered, but really compassionate. If he didn’t genuinely like No Eun-Seul and treat her well we wouldn’t know it so well, but those tears sell it. Also, at the core, his mourning of his older son comes into it, from my perspective, that’s why his tears have a kind of more desperate tone rather than disappointed one, after talking with Eun-Seul.

aww, she's kind of sloppy but still cute...

I love also that No Eun-Seul cries over her own inner turmoil. Not that she’s been told she can’t be with Ji-Heon–she’s not the type to take that lying down. But she doesn’t know if it’s worth it–she’s not being let nurse a crush and figure out whether she should go out with him, she’s being proposed marriage and a loss of her job if she makes a single encouraging move. It’s just too much pressure, and she’s *tired*.

Drink off! But actually it's just tea. And just one cup.

And then there’s the fact that all the awkward scenes for the characters aren’t awkward for the viewers. It’s just amusing.

Awkward scenes tend to resonate too deeply with me for pleasure, but the nervous dad and wannabe boyfriend here–the bicker-twins of all stripes together in the elevator–the moms being found out in their plotting–they’re carried off with a lightness that makes it fun to be there.

rivalry--cutest when they know and don't care

The Childishness Wars – Protect the Boss

I am now a week behind here, but I just watched episodes 3-5 of Protect the Boss.

The theme that is emerging is one that I didn’t expect–and that is, how *all* the characters have faces of childishness. I mean, what is up with these bicker twins?

they also look good together -- a forbidden love?!

The hate is so strong, you can almost feel the love coming on…

Even Madame Grandmother, hiding her face from Eun-Suel to spare herself embarrassment and continue to be just a humble granny to her, the way she’s still emotionally where her son is, and they reflect each other in their troubles.

she's a bit rogueish like her male descendants, too, really

As is right, Cha Ji-Heon continues to have the mannerisms of a boy, not even a young man.

Auntie's right, Ji Heon is a bad influence on him - these two always have motion blur in their caps together

This impression is reinforced in all his brightly colored outfits (if he wears a proper suit, it’s in blues instead of black or gray or white) that sometimes veer more toward *cliches* of school-children clothes than what kids actually even wear. It’s hilarious…

the backpack always helps

And yet, the acting itself is touching. Even when he gets turned down by No Eun Seul, his stages of realization are that of a small boy’s, not a man’s. Not understanding…

biting his nails, to let it sink in

pretending it’s not a big deal…

okay, okay, that's fine

and deciding to just keep on with it and wait till her mind changes!

EXTORTION how cute

I love this. The fact that the actor’s excellence is making me notice the details is only because I’m paying attention; it feels really natural. And it actually heightens the moments he’s showing darker emotions, the way it’s not the predictable manly-emoting of many heroes.

It’s also awesome how firm she is about propriety…and I really think she doesn’t feel strongly for him either way at this point.

He likes her, and is equally forthcoming and firm about that, which is also refreshing! This is an organic conflict that feels much more lifelike than the usual tears because someone’s family is too good, or their pasts are conflicting.

Takes Maturity to Play Immature Right

Lawks, this show is so cute.

SO CHILDISH

it’s great.

The hero keeps trying to be That Chaebol Leading Man:

But he’s NOT. When he get’s a shower scene, we watch him spazzing over “How much did she see?” Literal flailing.

…When he was in his cartoony boxers and a T-shirt. Embarrassing but really, not that disastrous. He’s not  mature, not because he’s willfully self-absorbed, because his life has been so limited. You know a girl has never seen him in his PJs before. And he hadn’t chosen her to be the one…

This is something superior with a mature actor. Ji Sung, who plays Cha Ji Heon, is 34, has done his military service. He reportedly dropped 30lbs. before filming, which gives him a boyish look. His ability to look completely uncool, unconscious of the camera, is one I haven’t really seen in younger thespians.

And he manages, that way, to be completely adorable.

Though I actually am more drawn to him in his “mid-thirties” glory:

courtesy hancinema.com

…he looks like he could carry the groceries, but would put his foot down at carrying a purse. But also pay for dinner, right?

This kiddo? Not so much.