Early Access: Run On E2 (Patreon)

E2. Well. I feel like the quirk's settling quite nicely for me, and that definitely bodes well for my watch, since it doesn't look like Show will move away from the quirk, as a general rule. It also looks like Show might be moving in a different direction than I'd originally expected (maybe this is what happens when you don't pay much attention to a show's synopsis), and while this probably means some adjustments in terms of my expectations, I'm not opposed to it.

I admit I kinda love how studiously clueless Seon Gyeom is. The fact that he has no clue who the superstar is, who's embroiled in a dating scandal with him, is ridiculous and quite hilarious. I also find it endearing, that he's never seen the ad campaigns which have his face splashed all over them. In a world where just about everyone's continuously plugged in to the news and social media, and where most people are looking for a way to stand out, I find this quality about him very refreshing. He's like some kind of alien-caveman, the way he seems so purposefully ignorant of all these things.

Of course, it can be argued that he can afford to be this oblivious about everything, and not care about what people say or think, because he comes from a well-off, well-known family - and his detractors already make that statement several times, just 2 episodes in. I'm curious if Show will remove him from the context of his family, to demonstrate that even without the moneyed context, he remains as pure, steadfast and unwavering.

I'm curious about Seon Gyeom's apparent lack of strong emotion. Even when he moves to take revenge on the bullies, there's no sign of rage in his eyes. He's very focused and determined, yes, but aside from that intense focus, there is no strong visible emotion like outrage, fury or anguish.

I find this all very intriguing, not least because I don't know anyone who's remotely like this in real life. Could someone like Seon Gyeom exist? I'm not sure. I have known a couple of people who seem to have their emotional chip missing, and for the most part, they don't display the empathy that we see in Seon Gyeom. How does he have an emotional setting that's switched on enough to feel for a bullied fellow athlete, that he'd take revenge for him, but that's switched off enough, that he'd do that with a relative lack of emotional display? So interesting.

Dan Ah also comes across like a person with minimal emotion, but her vibe is very different. She seems heavily rational and analytical, especially in the way she manages Seon Gyeom as an athlete. The only emotion I've noticed in her, is an impatience and annoyance, that's particularly directed at her half-brother. I think Dan Ah is supposed to be "chic" in that Korean way which means cool to the extent of being rather cold. So far, I find her mildly interesting, and I'm curious to know why she seems so impatient with life in general.

I can understand Mi Joo feeling quite mesmerized by the sight of Seon Gyeom sprinting towards her. There's always something very appealing about seeing a man do something that he excels in, and Seon Gyeom clearly excels at running. I can buy that in this moment, Mi Joo starts to see Seon Gyeom is a more charming light, thus sparking an attraction.

I still don't have strong feelings about Mi Joo, but I do like that Mi Joo and Seon Gyeom end up having some nice conversation over supper, like how she became inspired to become a translator. Also, Seon Gyeom shares that he doesn't often feel angry, but when he does, he can't control it. These feel like pretty meaningful nuggets of information to share, particularly between people who've just met, and I rather like this, because the sharing feels deeper than one might expect.

I'm quite surprised by Mi Joo getting up close and personal with Seon Gyeom, but not all that much, because Show's done a pretty good job of demonstrating that Mi Joo tends to speak her mind, sometimes without weighing the consequences.

It feels like a forthright moment, the way she tells him that the way he's flirting with her and smiling at her is making her heart wobble, and that if he keeps it up, she might make a mistake - cue Mi Joo stepping right up into Seon Gyeom's face within kissing distance. It's a pretty bold move, but I find it reasonably organic because, 1, they're both varying levels of tipsy, 2, Show's done a reasonable job of proving that Mi Joo is the outspoken kinda gal, and 3, the honest tone of their conversation seems like a good springboard for this.

I like that tipsy Seon Gyeom has the interest to ask Mi Joo what the line of movie dialogue had been, that had inspired her to become a translator, and it seems like meaningful foreshadowing, that her answer is, "Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." It sounds like our main characters are going to be doing their fair share of falling and picking themselves up. For now, though, I like that this line is so inspiring to Mi Joo, that she basically uses it as a motto.

The fake relationship kiss at the end of the episode feels rather tropey, but what sells it, for me, is the gleefully pleased look in Seon Gyeom's eyes, as he tells Mi Joo that he means it. It's so perfectly sincere, while still completely tipsy. It's perfect, and makes me want to see more of this side of Seon Gyeom.