Early Access: Mad For Each Other E6 (Patreon)

E6. I've come to the conclusion that the more Hwi Oh and Min Kyung kinda-sorta get along, the more I enjoy this show. And this episode, they are getting along pretty well, all things considered.

I groan-chuckled when Helmet Dude turned out to be just a dad dressing up as a superhero for his kid's birthday party. That was a little silly, coz Dad dude certainly could have put on his helmet after getting out of the elevator, instead of freaking out the neighbors with his helmet on. However, I would much rather this be a silly misunderstanding, than Helmet Dude turning out to be an actual threat.

You guys are right; there really is a a fragility about Min Kyung, even though we mostly see her  in her prickly, defensive mode. That fragility really comes through, in how frightened she is, during that elevator ride. Her knuckles are practically white, with how hard she's holding onto Hwi Oh's sleeve.

I love how compassionate Hwi Oh is, to then offer to teach her self-defense, even though he'd just recently sworn off having anything to do with her.

I find the self-defense lesson quite entertaining, especially because Hwi Oh gets mistaken for harassing Min Kyung, and has to explain himself all over again, pfft. I do appreciate, though, that 1, Hwi Oh's teaching Min Kyung very practical things rather than overcomplicating it, and 2, the way Min Kyung runs off grinning, is now distinctly flavored with playful mischief, rather than that mean streak that we'd noticed earlier. She's loosening up enough to have a good time with Hwi Oh, and that's really nice to see.

I also like how these two are slowly getting into a sort of routine with each other, where they train together and eat together. It feels warm and familial, and I like that.

I enjoy the fact that the people who had misunderstood Hwi Oh in our earlier episodes, are now showing him gratitude and appreciation. I'm really quite liking that we're seeing more of Su Hyun, the clerk from the convenience store. I'd thought that she was a character that we'd just see once, for the purpose of misunderstanding Hwi Oh and calling the cops on him, but she's actually a recurring character, and she even learns to appreciate Hwi Oh, and I do like that.

It's cute how she gives him chocolate, and he reciprocates by inviting her to join him and Min Kyung for ice cream. Aw. I love how Hwi Oh makes friends so easily.

Min Kyung's starting to feel little jealousies around Hwi Oh now, and I have to say, I'm nicely amused by this. It's not very obvious with Su Hyun, but I do think Min Kyung's a little jealous, in a low-key sort of way, that Hwi Oh invites Su Hyun to hang out with them, when that time had originally been a two-person-only sort of deal.

And then there's how Min Kyung gets jealous when she thinks that Hwi Oh had canceled their dinner plans because of another woman, heh.

On that note, I really love how easily Hwi Oh gets along with crossdressing neighbor Samantha. He's the one who calls out to Samantha, and there's no trace of weirdness or judgment on Hwi Oh's part, as they walk side by side. Hwi Oh doesn't even blink, when Samantha reaches for his arm, and walks with him like that. He's so comfortable with Samantha, that I kinda love it. I mean, Samantha's been shunned and ridiculed so much by other people, that this must feel like such a refreshing change, to be warmly greeted when recognized on the street, and to be easily accepted, like the crossdressing thing is truly no big deal. Gosh, this scene really made me love Hwi Oh even more. ❤️

And it's a small thing, but I really thought it says it a lot about Hwi Oh, that when Min Kyung gets all huffy about seeing him with Samantha, Hwi Oh patiently sets the record straight, without once mentioning that Samantha is really a man. He simply tells Min Kyung, several different times, that he's not dating Samantha. That implies that he doesn't discount Samantha as someone worthy of romantic interest, and this endears Hwi Oh to me further still.

I do like the little hints that Hwi Oh's starting to look forward to seeing Min Kyung as well. That little beat, where he smiles a little to himself when he hears the knock on the door, then catches himself so that he'll answer using the lower registers of his voice, is so dorky cute.

Min Kyung's suggestions at the brainstorming session for new and more prestigious names for their apartment complex really give us a glimpse of how creative and talented she is. It makes me feel sorrier for her, because if not for her anxiety issues, she could well be flying high at a corporate job.

I feel bad for Min Kyung, that just as she's beginning to make some progress in finding a way to work through her anxiety and enjoy life a little, her past comes knocking on her door. The fear of her Terrible Ex coming to seek her out, now that he knows her address, is very real to her. And I'm sure that thought just brings back all the bad memories associated with Terrible Ex.

I can't tell if the guy at the door is Terrible Ex, but he does look rather menacing, from the quick glimpse that we get of him. Although I feel bad for Min Kyung feeling so scared, I do feel assured that Hwi Oh's just next door, and will be able to be there for her, if/when she needs him.