Highlights: “Pinocchio,” Episode 2

We’re back on the TV show platform, and Dal Po’s impressing everyone with his perfect answers. But before we go any further we first have to find out how Dal Po — whose life was ripped apart by TV personalities — ended up on that show.

Two weeks prior the TV show…

In Ha’s used to having to run a marathon to go to school every day, because Dal Po doesn’t want to ride her to school (though he pretends to be a good uncle in front of his adoptive father). And what have we here at school? A seemingly lovesick Chan Soo, the future quiz master, who offers In Ha his own bike to ride to school.

Two weeks ago is also when the school chose its champion to go on the show via a common sense test. For once, Dal Po decides to take another nap… only to change his mind at the last second and score a perfect 100%, to his teachers’ great shock. A jealous Chan Soo starts spreading false rumors about Dal Po, and Dal Po loses his chance to go on the show, where Chan Soo wins his first game and finally gets to confess to In Ha.

When the show winner Chan Soo returns to school, In Ha tells him in front over everyone that she can’t accept his love before telling the whole class they need to apologize to Dal Po for spreading those rumors. Out of anger, Chan Soo kicks the old bike he gave her, messing up her brakes. Only a worried Dal Po is there to save her, although they both get hurt.

The next day, Dal Po leaves the house on his grand adventure, proving In Ha right and that he’s not an idiot! You guessed it, he’s decided to get on that TV show! While he’s out, In Ha sneaks into his room in search of proof that Dal Po’s not the All-Zero everyone calls him, finding a book from the library. And at the library, she finds more and more books that were checked out by Dal Po – and not manhwa! (Does this remind anyone else of Studio Ghibli’s “Whispers of the Heart”?)

And that is how Dal Po landed on the TV show. The competition is tough and both students keep answering questions well. On the final question, Chan Soo misses his chance and it looks like Dal Po’s going to become the winner. But contrary to all expectations, Dal Po does it on purpose to miss his answer as well, giving Chan Soo the chance to win for the second week in a row.

Though he (purposely) didn’t win, Chan Soo did accomplish something: He proved to the whole school he didn’t cheat on the test, thereby proving In Ha right as well. And that is how In Ha decides on her future career.

At the end of the show, the director tells Dal Po that TV isn’t a joke. Dal Po retorts, all serious, that he doesn’t think TV is a joke. In fact, TV can kill innocent people. The reason he didn’t answer correctly is because he didn’t want to go back to that hell hole where people spend their lives spinning lies with no concrete evidence, destroying people’s lives just to make a living.

When Dal Po gets back to his town, it’s dark and pouring, but In Ha is waiting for him at the bus stop with an umbrella. And then he finally admits out loud (though she’s sleeping) that he did all of that because he likes her.

Here are a few of my favorite moments:

1. In Ha seeks revenges against Dal Po by splashing him with mud on her new bike… only to find that it’s her own career test that ends up splattered.

2. When In Ha overreacts about Dal Po’s head injury, saying he can’t become an idiot on top of being bullied all the time.

3. Dal Po gutting the piggy bank, after feeding him for so long, to pay for his trip to Seoul and get on the TV show.

Also, did anyone else notice this slight incongruence? There’s blood on the outer layer of Dal Po’s bandage, but not the inner ones? Those are some interesting bleeding patterns!

Final Thoughts:

OK, so my take on the show yesterday was a lot darker than it’s turning out to be, and I’m glad of it! I guess I was being a little melodramatic, kind of like In Ha when Dal Po’s head got injured. Now, it’s pretty clear why Dal Po is going to go into journalism, despite how much he abhors the profession — to stay close to In Ha (although perhaps he’s going to try to become a reporter of truth and, at some point and perhaps with In Ha’s and his brother’s help, uncover what truly happened the night of the fire).

I am looking forward to seeing both Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye play adult characters for once and how their characters, Dal Po and In Ha are going to get closer to each other while navigating the murky waters of journalism.

What do you think of the show so far? And if the six degrees of separation theory holds true, who would you rather be introduced to? Lee Jong Suk? Park Shin Hye? Someone else?

[tv]If you haven’t done so yet, check out “Pinocchio” on SoompiTV every Wednesday and Thursday![/tv]