What happens when a troublemaking angel is sent to find the true love of a ballerina who doesn’t believe in love? He falls in love with her, of course.
Welcome to our newest recapping project. Kmuse and I will be taking turns recapping Angel’s Last Mission: Love every week. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the blog, we don’t do a full recap, it’s more of what stuck out to us in each episode. So don’t expect a play by play, but we will hit all the high points. Now, who am I? I’m Clkytta, one of the Fangirls here at Dramas with a Side of Kimchi. I’m a student, a teacher, and a mom. I’m also on summer break, so bring on all the dramas! Come and join me as I watch the first episodes of Angel’s Last Mission: Love.
Pause a moment for fangirling
Ok, so I really wanted to watch this drama because of the cast. While L hasn’t had a lot of leading roles, he’s gotten a lot better at acting. Plus, can you think of anyone else who looks more like an angel? Also, I have a major girl crush on Shin Hye-Sun, and I’m extremely excited to see her in this role. Toss in Lee Dong Gun as the second lead and I’m completely on board. Plus, as a dance mom, I love that this drama is about a ballerina.
Dancer on the Edge
We open with a nightmare sequence where Yeon Seo (Shin Hye-Sun) is dancing beautifully. Just as she throws her head back in triumph, the lights come crashing down and she awakens gasping for breath. She walks into the bathroom and stumbles over a stepstool that is out of place. We learn very quickly that her nightmare was real and she is now visually impaired and cranky. She makes all the maids trip and fall over the stepstool that no one remembers putting there. She really is cranky and has no patience for anyone. Three years after her accident Yeon Seo is waiting for a cornea transplant, but every time something happens to prevent the donation.
Angel on a Mission
While Yeon Seo jogs along with her canine companion, we see a white dove flying through the air. Then we spy Angel (L) sitting on top of a skyscraper. He makes a dramatic leap and wings spring from his shoulders. While he seems perfectly angelic and peaceful, his true nature emerges soon. Angel hitches a ride in the truck of a thief and proceeds to mess with the thief’s head. Oh, he was there for a dying dog! Oh my heart, that was sad and sweet at the same time. Interestingly, he seems to have a connection with animals.
A Ballerina Dies Twice
Yeon Seo is confronted by two creepy guys looking to take advantage of a blind woman. She’s visually impaired, but she’s not helpless, and she proceeds to fight back and win. As Yeon Seo recovers from her shock, she is standing on a bridge she once jumped from. We hear a voice over that says that ballerinas die twice, once when they quit ballet, and then when they stop breathing. Wow, this really shows us how important ballet is to her and the struggle she has now that she can’t see. Angel walks over to her in ghostly form and places a ghost kiss on her lips. He gets his next mission while sitting on the bench with her and suddenly she is aware of his presence.
The Deity is a Jerk
As she sits there reprimanding Angel, who she thinks may be another creep, he’s trying to tell her to let go of her anger because she can’t take it to Heaven. She then proceeds to tell him that the Deity is a jerk. I’m cracking up at all his facial expressions and stuttering. After all, he is an angel and she’s dissing the Big Boss! During their conversation, she reaches out and grabs him. Now they are both shocked. Him because she can actually touch him, and she is shocked because he disappears. No one else saw him sitting next to her. She finds proof that he was there because she picks up a hankerchief he leaves behind.
Enter the Evil Aunt
The Fantasia Cultural Foundation belongs to Yeon Seo, but her aunt runs it. Yeon Seo’s parents are deceased (cue surprised face here, kdramas and Disney love to kill off the parents don’t they) and she has enough on her plate without dealing with the foundation. Apparently, Evil Aunt wants to make sure that Yeon Seo doesn’t take over the reins because it’s pretty obvious she has something to do with all the transplant issues. We see some pretty shady interactions with a doctor which pretty much means that Yeon Seo won’t be getting a transplant anytime soon.
The Troublemaking Angel only has 24 hours
How much trouble can a troublemaker cause in 24 hours? Angel only has 24 hours until he can go to Heaven. He’s just got to keep his nose clean and not cause any trouble. Except, he’s already lost his special angel hankie that signifies that he’s a dispatched angel in charge of animals. See, I told you he had some kind of animal connection. Now we all know who has his hankie, and he’s trying to steal it back. It’s hilarious watching him cringe and hide as she moves around while he’s trying to snatch his hankie back. I’m wondering why she can’t seem to tell he was there when she could tell at the bench. Maybe it has to do with stressful situations?
Ballerina Goes to a Party
The Foundation has
Swan Lake
Let’s do a quick list of characters. We have a scheming aunt, a suck up uncle, a very capable cousin with questionable morals, and a prima ballerina cousin with self-confidence issues. Just what a visually impaired orphan needs to deal with on her first foray back into the world of dance. To top it all off, the performance is on the death day of her parents and it’s the same performance that she was performing when she was injured. Nothing can go wrong in this situation, right? Instead of watching the performance, Yeon Seo dances in the foyer. Angel watches over her while she dances.
Shady Car Repair/The Real Odette
While Mr. Jo looks for her, he goes to the parking garage. He passes a guy in a car repair uniform and thinks nothing of it. Now fellow fans, we all know this is foreshadowing something, right? Everyone is waiting for Yeon Seo (who has been referred to as The Real Odette right in front of her cousin’s face) to enter the room. As highly capable cousin tries to diffuse the situation, the door opens and in walks Yeon Seo. Oh, I love this girl, she gives a speech that sets everyone on their toes! Don’t pity her. She holds nothing back and basically tells everyone off. Her aunt is not happy about this. Standing half hidden by the wall is Lee Dong Gun, looking as fine as fine can be, but we don’t have any other information on him yet.
You Smiled That Day
Why is Yeon Seo so hateful to her family? Because they were happy that she was hurt and they could take over. She could feel her aunt smile in triumph as she hugged her. Honestly, with all her heightened senses I’m sure she could tell how fake and insincere they all were. As Angel looks at the scene before him he smiles. He has a little better understanding of her now, and he has his hankie back. In the car, Yeon Seo the brat reappears and Mr. Jo stops the car in the middle of the road and raises his voice. This shocks her.
Are You Going to Give Me Your Eyes?
Oh no, no, no. Why did she have to ask if he was going to give her his eyes? This 100% means he’s going to die! As the brakes fail while they go around a curve, Mr. Jo remembers the car repair guy in the parking garage. They have a horrific wreck and are hanging off the side of the road. Dan is headed to his pick up point when he hears Yeon Seo’s voice and stops. As Yeon Seo pleads for someone to save her and Mr. Jo, Angel is conflicted. He isn’t supposed to be involved with humans. Angel has a flashback (to his previous life?) and then he jumps and saves her.
My Thoughts
Whew! That was pretty intense. I’m hooked though. We have a tough as nails heroine, a goofy handsome angel hero, a smoking hot second lead, and a suitably shady family as the villains. I can already tell that there will be a lot of funny moments from L, after all, he’s an angel who deals with animals, not humans. So I think we will have a good mix of comedy and suspense with this drama. Who’s ready to see an angel fall in love? Me!!
Until the next dance,
Clkytta
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi