Throwback: Unstoppable High Kick - Episode 27

As promised, I'm reviewing/recapping random episodes of the daily drama Unstoppable High Kick (also known as High Kick!) that aired in 2006. Starting this series off with Episode 27 in which Yoonho outsmarts Miss Seo again, the English language is brutally murdered, and we learn the true extent of Yumi's intelligence.

I've debated which way to do recaps for this series: 1. In the chronological order presented in the episode, going from start to finish as we see it or 2. Grouping each event from the episode together, for example in this episode, talking about Miss Seo, then talking about the English conflict, then talking about Yumi. For now I'm going with the chronological method, but this may change for future daily drama recaps. 


At home, Haemi sits reading an English newspaper, and directs Soonjae to an article about a Western doctor who practices Eastern Medicine (I find it funny the section of the newspaper is North America, yet talks about an Australian doctor).  Joonha looks over, surprised that his father reads English papers. Haemi proclaims that of course Soonjae is good at English, to which Joonha walks away in disbelief. Haemi's not pleased about the way the reporter wrote the article and asks Soonjae for his opinion. Soonjae answers by rephrasing her questions:
Haemi: But don't you think this part is strange?
Soonjae: What? Yes, it's a bit strange.
Haemi: What do you think about it?
Soonjae: What? Well, it's strange.
Ha, methinks someone doesn't read English at all. Haemi decides to call the newspaper to complain. Soonjae retreats to his bedroom, wondering what she was going on about, and why she would think he knows English. Ha! He decides there's no point in correcting her; let her think what she wants. Just then, Haemi walks into the room on the phone with the newspaper, asking Soonjae to tell them his thoughts. Soonjae pretends to be asleep.

At school, Minjung sees Minyong on a bench, watching his PE students serve their punishments. Minjung decides to buy coffee for them to drink together, tripping and stumbling the entire way, only to find out that he already has one of his own when she gets over to him. Minjung pouts as Minyoung walks away to harass his students. This leaves her vulnerable to Yoonho, who runs up behind her and steals both cups of coffee. Yoonho cheerfully smiles and thanks her, running off.

Minho asks Yumi where she's been since she wasn't in her classroom. She tells Minho that she's been practicing the piano, to which he is amazed. But she's hilariously holding her music book upside down. I think we have another fraud on our hands! She walks off as the bell rings, and Minho stares after her, telling bff Bum that she's just perfect in every way.

Still outside, Minjung sees Minyong standing on the field, and sneaks up behind him to give him a little scare. Minyong is completely unimpressed as he already saw her coming. You're trying too hard, Minjung! She sighs as he walks off, only to turn around and be scared by Yoonho dangling a worm in front of her face.
Minjung: Yoonho, stop scaring me! Only bad students do that!" 
Yoonho: But I am a bad student, didn't you know that?"
Ha, so honest.

At the hospital, Haemi brings in the personal assistant for one of her patients to meet Soonjae.  The assistant speaks horrible English that no one understands except Haemi in which the assistant invites Haemi and Soonjae to dinner at his boss' house that night. Haemi does all the talking, and Soonjae is left confused when the two leave, having only understood "thank you" and "mountain."


Later that night, Minho and Bum sit on the couch watching a variety game show. Yumi joins them, and Bum is clearly jealous of Minho and Yumni's relationship even though he never says so. Eating together, they start laughing at a contestant's stupidity on the show:

Bum: He thinks the capital of America is New York! 
Minho: What? Does he really not know?
Yumi: Idiot. Everyone knows it's L.A.
Insert shocked blank stares by the boys. Oblivious, Yumi keeps laughing away.

Meanwhile, Soonjae is trying to figure out what to wear to visit Haemi's rich English-speaking client from earlier. Since the assistant talked about a mountain, he puts on an outdoor coat, just as his wife walks in. Munhee is mad that he didn't tell her that they were invited to dinner at a foreigner's house. In his head, Soonjae thinks, so that's what they were saying..., and plays it off by telling her it slipped his mind. He takes off the coat and starts getting ready, now knowing where he's headed.

Haemi and Joonha take their own car to dinner since they have to make a stop, sending Soonjae and Munhee ahead. On the way, Munhee worries over what to say and do since she doesn't speak any English. She asks whether to say "hello" or "good morning" as a greeting. Soonjae: You don't say "good morning" at night! You say "good night!"
Not quite, buddy, lol. Munhee decides to just sit quietly and eat her meal as not to appear ignorant. Internally, Soonjae realizes that's not a bad idea. They arrive first, and Munhee calls Haemi. Haemi tells them to go inside, but Soonjae wants to wait. Munhee rings the bell anyway, and when the speaker asks who's there in English, the two fight over how to respond. Inside, the English-speaking couple doesn't recognize them, and wonders who they could be, especially since they weren't responding in English. The English-speaking couple guesses that they must be the new housekeeper and masseuse they hired.

Soonjae berates Munhee all the way from the gate to the door for ringing the doorbell. Once inside, we are greeted by a native English speaker!!!! The husband speaks clear and concise English, which makes up for his mediocre acting skills. There's no hope for the English-speaking wife, however, as both her language and acting skills are sub par. Munhee greets the couple "good night" to the homeowners' confusion before the English speaking couple drags Munhee and Soonjae off in opposite directions. The next few scenes show Munhee being forced to cook and Soonjae forced to massage the man's feet. They are both offended and wonder if its custom in their home countries to put their guests to work. The English speakers are both upset that their "hired help" don't know how to do anything.


Back at home, Bum, Yumi, and Minho are in Minho's room. Yumi looks around, holding a model airplane marveling at all the ones displayed around the room. Minho proudly states that he saves up his money to buy plastic models. Yumi asks what's a plastic model. What?  Is she serious?
Bum: [They're] small copies of planes that you put together. How do you not know when you're holding it? 
Good question. Minho comes to his girlfriend's aid by saying girls don't care about stuff like that. Bum rolls his eyes.Yumi doesn't help her cause, as she mixed up the name of a famous historical gisaeng. Bum can't believe she doesn't know, and Yumi hurries out the room. Minho tells Bum to knock it off, but he only smiles at her stupidity and runs off to test her. Bum runs out to stop Yumi from leaving to quiz her. He asks her basic questions every Korean should know to which she can't properly respond. He falls out laughing as Yumi runs to go home.

Minho follows her outside and asks her if she was joking. Yumi says she just got confused, but Minho isn't buying it. He asks her if she really thinks L.A. is the capital of the USA, to which she gets mad at him for testing her. She reponds that of course it isn't, it has to be Los Angeles, right? LOL! Minho: You just don't know a lot of stuff--
Yumi: Fine! I don't and you do! You're first in our class! You can't expect everyone to be like you! Most people are like me!
Minho: That's not true. You know less than most people...
LMAO!


Back at the English couple's residence, the wife kicks Munhee out for burning the food and breaking a dish.
The wonders why the agency didn't send someone who speaks English. Me too, honey, me too. Munhee calls Soonjae from outside, but he blames her for not being able to communicate in basic English. He hangs up, telling her that he's busy with "men stuff." As he massages the husband's legs. lol. Munhee calls Haemi in a panic thinking that Soonjae's too busy having fun to save her.


At home, Yoonho and Minyoung walk in with pizza to find Minho depressed on the couch. Seeing a girl's bag also on the couch, Yoonho asks if Yumi was there. Minho jumps up, grabs the bag, and runs into his room. Minyoung recognizes the name, and says she's notorious. Cut to Minho dumping the contents of Yumi's purse onto his bed. He's disappointed to find not a single book, confirming that she's brainless. His eye catches her report card, and he opens it to find that Yumi's ranked 54/54 in her homeroom, and 379/380 in their entire class. Cut back to Minyoung in Yoonho, where Minyoung continues that Yumi immediately ranked last the moment she transferred. Yoonho laughs that he thought she'd be smart, and the two of them should be best friends since he does poorly in school himself.

Haemi and Joonha finally arrive, shocked to find Munhee standing outside the gate. Munhee yells at them for not answering the door, and they all wonder why Soonjae did nothing to help ease the language barrier for Munhee. Haemi is shocked to find that her mother-in-law was put to work, and decides to get to the bottom of it.


In their room, Minho lays in a daze on his bed while Yoonho practices his high kick. Minho jumps up, declaring that "a person can only be so ignorant; this is just too much," and runs out of the house with Yumi's bag. Cut to Minho standing outside of Yumi's gate, writing a break up letter. He's stopped by the sound of a piano playing. He looks up to see Yumi's silhouette playing in the window. He's so touched by her talent that he happily crumbles up the note.


Yumi's mom walks into her room and tells her to turn the music down. LOL. Yumi was sitting on her bed, bobbing her head and hands to the stereo. She begs for her mom to buy her a piano but mom won't get it because it took Yumi 5 yrs to finish the introductory book! Outside, Minho returns home, thinking that she must practice the piano so much that she doesn't have time to study.

Back at the English speakers' home, Haemi walks in to find Soonjae and the husband asleep in their chairs. Haemi wakes up Soonjae, telling him that the foreigners thought that him and Munhee were the hired help. Soonjae has another 'oh, so that's what they were saying...' moments, and brushes it off saying that he knew that's what the English speakers thought, but he let it go since they were guests. They walk into the living room where the wife is apologizing profusely for the mistake. Not understanding, Soonjae keeps walking by her, and both Haemi and the wife think he's upset about the mix up. Haemi tells him he should accept the apology since they honestly didn't know.
Soonjae: [thinks] Oh, she was apologizing? [aloud] OKAY!
He salutes her, and walks off.


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