Episode 3 can be split up into two sections: Yumi and Gu Woong’s date and post date. During the date, I was laughing at more of Gu Woong’s dad jokes and cooing at his consideration. Once he stops being nervous, we get to see him and Yumi bond over good food and spark something adorable but fragile. At first the Emotion Cell is against the whole thing, because it doesn’t want Yumi to get hurt again, but it gradually comes around. Unfortunately, Hysterious pops up, a negative cell who doesn’t want Yumi to date and just revel in her loneliness. Post date, it causes her to second guess her budding relationship with Gu Woong.
Yes to Yumi and Gu Woong’s date
First, let’s talk about the date. It started out awkward, but went really well until Hysterious popped up. The fact that Gu Woong won over Yumi’s Hunger Cell (and the others) by taking her to a hidden gem of a restaurant is so relatable! Because if my stomach’s happy, then so am I. It was also really sweet that he got her an apron so she wouldn’t get food on her white outfit. I forgot which cell said it, but it’s true that not many people are that considerate. Then there was that lovely scene where their hands touched while arguing about who should pay. Yumi’s inner world suddenly became a purple haze of fluffy clouds and stars, and her cells began to float from happiness. It was an adorable scene, and the animation was so pretty.
Yes to Gu Woong’s beard saga
After Yumi’s Hysterious Cell makes her cut the date short, Gu Woong texts her like the sweetie pie he is to tell her he had a good time. Once again, the Hysterious Cell ruins everything and causes Yumi to leave him on read. He agonizes over it all night and scours dating message boards to see if he did something wrong. He realizes that a lot of women don’t like beards, and that’s when we get to meet his delightful Hair Cell. Gu Woong’s other cells blame Yumi not texting back on it, and threaten to shave Gu Woong’s beard if Yumi doesn’t text by 8 AM the next morning. She ends up texting, but Gu Woong has already shaved half of it off, so he just finishes.
This whole beard saga made me think of how preferences and cultural norms vary so much. In South Korea and other parts of Asia, beards are usually (but not always) seen as dirty and unkempt. But in other countries, they’re dignified and women love them. Even though I don’t live in Asia, I’m not generally a fan of beards (unless it’s Ioan Gruffudd as Lancelot in the movie King Arthur), so I’m glad Gu Woong shaved it. Y’all know I’ve been waiting. Honestly, his quirky fashion sense cracks me up. The dude loves wearing shorts and slippers/sandals!
Yes to Yumi telling Ruby to mind her own business
As the Hysterious Cell gets more powerful, Yumi’s mood and health worsen. She’s not having a very good day either, because Ruby told everyone at the office about the blind date, and they’re bombarding her with questions. She also breaks her phone before she can say yes to another date with Gu Woong after work. Since she’s not feeling well, Yumi decides to leave early, and Ruby literally follows her outside to bug her about Gu Woong. That’s when Yumi snaps and tells Ruby to mind her own business, and I couldn’t have been more proud. So far, she’s the most irritating character on the show, and every time she comes on screen, I wanna roll my eyes. I can’t wait until she finds out Wook likes men, so she can calm down and get out of Yumi’s face!
The icing on the cake of this scene is when Gu Woong shows up, and puts his umbrella over Yumi, and she turns around so they can stare into each other’s eyes. I’ve gotta say, I really like his personality. He can be awkward, but he’s not timid. He knows when to step up, and he’s willing to take calculated risks. That’s probably because he hasn’t been hurt the way Yumi was in her last relationship, but I can’t wait to see him slowly gain her trust.
I enjoyed this episode, because it delved into the insecurity people sometimes feel when they meet someone nice, but they’ve been hurt before. I loved seeing the inner workings of that, and the drama handled it well. With that said, I need the Hysterious Cell to be stopped, so Yumi can pursue a relationship with Gu Woong!