JBarky's "Padam Padam" [Recap] Episode 3: Family Matters

Here are the main characters:

Kangchil (Played by Jung Woo Sung)

Jina (Kangchil’s Love Interest, Played by Han Ji Min)

Gooksu (Kangchil’s Guardian Angel, Played by Kim Bum, yes the character’s name sounds like the Korean word for noodles)

Lim Jung (Kangchil’s Son, Played by Choi Tae Jun)

Evil Changul (Kangchil’s Arch-Nemesis)

Jung Yi (Kangchil’s Son) 

Yong Hak (Kangchil’s Friend Who Helped Frame Him)

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[Recap] Episode 3

So… this episode was more character development, and although nothing about the episode really stood out, I still was attached to my TV set. 

We ended off last episode with Kangchil holding on to Jina’s arm because he was reminded of her mother. Then the lights go out.

Kangchil’s momma and his long-time-ago girlfriend are arguing. The ex-girlfriend is trying to argue for Kangchil, because the mom didn’t pick up the phone when Kangchil was stabbed. She brings up finding Kangchil’s father. However, we find out that Kangchil’s brother died because he got hit by a car while running away from Kangchil’s father. (Kangchil’s brother was getting beat up by their father instead of Kangchil.) Gooksu arrives on the scene and greets hello, he also explains why he had beaten up Kangchil.

Kangchil fixes the light in Jina’s vet clinic. He asks her “I’ve helped you out a lot recently, didn’t you learn in school to say ‘Thank You?'” He also says that there is no reason for him to be treated with so much disrespect.

Jina begins to defend herself, to think of things in her shoes. Kangchil was a stranger and Jina didn’t know how to act. Then she patches up Kangchil. (Awwww) Jina receives a call from the hospital, saying that the person she hit (Kangchil) has liver cancer. However, it looks like she doesn’t realize that the person is standing right in front of her!

While Kagnchil is about to leave, a man sneaks up on Jina. (RUH OH LOVE TRIANGLE! The man is Jina’s Husband?) Kangchil asks if Jina is married, and she doesn’t give a reply.

Outside Gooksu is being chased by Kangchil. Gooksu says, “Why are you so angry? I just saved you from going back to prison!” So what does Kangchil do? He throws his shoe! 

Kangchil even calls Gooksu a grim reaper. Kangchil reaches his mother’s home. He doesn’t want to sleep there, wants to sleep at his ex-girlfriend’s home, can’t, so he wants to sleep at a motel. Then there is a big argument between him, her, and his momma. 

Kangchil gives up and decides to sleep outside of his momma’s home.

The next morning, Gooksu is looking at a pan full of water and he sees Kangchil’s son again. Kangchil’s mother is surprised to see him half-naked and exclaims that Gooksu should be sent off to a mental institute.

Gooksu goes to help out Kangchil’s mother. He keeps calling her mom and although she says otherwise doesn’t seem to mind him.

After the market, everyone seems to be at a picnic. Gooksu asks Kangchil if he can eat or not, the mom thinks it is ridiculous. Kangchil wants to borrow money to fix-up his mother’s house. Kangchil’s mother exclaims “How are you going to fix the house?” (But while she does this, she puts some bulgogi on his rice, she is warming up to him.)

Gooksu goes on about how Kangchil actually has a lot of certificates for building, mechanical work etc. Gooksu is then asked why he went to jail, to which he replies “bank robbery and intent of murder.” The two ladies are shocked and spit out what they were eating! However it seems like our angel went in because he had an axe to break into a bank and when the police arrived he lift up his axe in surprise.

Kangchil and Gooksu are out buying tools when they run into Jina and her husband or boyfriend. It seems like the two want to have their clinic fixed up. Kangchil’s childhood girlfriend tries to hook up Kangchil with work to fix up Jina and Jina’s boyfriend or husband’s vet clinic.

Kangchil and Gooksu are loading up the supplies when Kangchil is being wary of Evil Chan Gul’s henchmen. Kangchil doesn’t understand why Evil Chan Gul isn’t merely just putting Kangchil back into prison like he had done last time. The two run while looking for the man that was watching them, and wonder if Evil Chan Gul can’t put Kangchil back into prison because of “Yong Hak.” (Another friend associated with Kangchil’s framing) They are right! (Yong Hak is trying to blackmail Evil Chan Gul!)

Once Gooksu and Kangchil return back, they run into the prison guard that helped them out. The three of them have to go to Seoul.

Jina’s father and her husband or boyfriend are eating together. We finally figure out that he is actually her boyfriend! (He cheated on Jina and is also not marrying her.)

The trio are at the hospital and Jina’s insurance agent is trying to deal with them so that they don’t file complaints or anything. Once Jina arrives, the insurance agent goes to her explaining that there is no reason to see the hurt individual. (Kangchil) She is shocked to see Kangchil! The insurance agent says that he is an ex-criminal, one of the worst! Kangchil finds out that he needs to get a new liver!

So what does Kangchil when he finds out that he has liver cancer, he goes to drink! (HURRAH HURRAH!)

The trio are drinking together and Kangchil is going a bit crazy. Kangchil begins to say, “I don’t know much, but what I do know is that life is like this. Somebody without luck will continue to live an unlucky life.” In a depressing moment Kangchil begins to vent. “So that person up there (Meaning God), decided that somebody like me is useless is that why he kills me, in this despicable way?” 

Kangchil smacks Gooksu on the back of the head, saying that if Gooksu is his guardian angel then he should save him! Kangchil exclaims, “I always get beat up by my father when I am younger, than I lose my older brother, than I go to prison and come out to have liver cancer, is that the plan? When I die, I am going to you (God) and figure out, why me? WHY ME? WHY ME?”

Gooksu says, “Why shouldn’t you get cancer?” Then he begins to talk about his mother who died because of stomach cancer. Gooksu realizes that there is an answer as he thinks about Kangchil’s son. (The son probably has the same blood type so can give him a part of his liver.) 

Kangchil gets dropped off by the prison guard, while asked not to give up. Kangchil takes out the weird angel stone and thinks to himself about how Gooksu told him that he would have three more miracles. Kangchil says “That was probably just a dream.” 

Jina is out on a mountain spreading out feed for the wildlife. She runs into Kangchil who has been waiting in front of her car. She gives him a ride. Suddenly she stops when she sees a water deer.

The two then walk out and they have another “moment,” he is trying to find out her name. Jina finally says her name but when she is asked her age, she says 29.

Kangchil arrives in front of his momma’s fish vendor. Kangchil’s mother is fighitng with another lady who called Kangchil a “thug.” Kangchil screams at his mom, “Of course she would call me a thug, anyone who looks at me would think that I am a thug, should they call me a teacher or something?” Then he drags her home.

Back at home, Kangchil and his mother are finally spending some private time together. He brings the guitar asking for her to sing. She refuses at first and he says, “You would always sing for my brother, but you wont’ for me?” Then she suddenly breaks into song.

Kangchil doesn’t sleep at all, he first fixes up his mother’s home a bit and then goes to Jina’s directly to fix the clinic. Jina is going through a magazine when he talks about himself in the third person. “I know something who is my age and has lived in prison for most of his life,” he exlains his own story and then asks, “Do you think he has a chance of finding love in his life?”

A Few Thoughts

I remember that I was raving about the relationship between the main character and his guardian angel. I think the dynamic between Kangchil and his mother is the most endearing part of the show for me! (I really like how his mother is stern and stubborn but still shows some cracks through her armor around Kangchil.)

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jbarky is a senior editor for soompi.com. You can email him at barkjason@soompi.com, or follow his twitter.com feed at @jjbarky