[Jan 3] "Like Flowers In Sand" Ep. 5 Hits New High, “A Good Day to Be a Dog” Ends Soon, Recaps

A Good Day to Be a Dog Ep. 13

The final episode of MBC’s “A Good Day to Be a Dog” will air next week!

Nielsen Korea reported that the 13th episode of “A Good Day to Be a Dog” had an average rating of 1.5% nationwide. This was a 0.3% drop from the previous episode, which had a rating of 1.8%.

The episode reveals a major twist in the fantasy romance plot, as Lee Hyun-Woo's character learns the truth about the past lives of the lead characters and lifts the curse that made Park Gyu-Young's character turn into a dog whenever she kisses Cha Eun-Woo's character.

Also, the lead characters visit the Hyeongi mountain, where Lee Hyun-Woo's character plans to take his revenge on them for killing his lover in their previous incarnation. However, he is confronted by Kim Yi-Kyeong's character, who is the reincarnation of his lover, and she reveals that the lead characters actually tried to save her. She killed herself to protect them and their unborn child.

The episode ends with Park Gyu-Young's character regaining her memory of her relationship with Cha Eun-Woo's character, and the two embracing each other. 

- I'm sorry. It was too late when I knew it.
- I'll wait until you find your missing piece. It's not too late. So come slowly and don't fall.

Like Flowers in Sand Ep. 5

On the other hand, ENA’s “Like Flowers in Sand” saw a rise in its ratings, reaching an average of 1.9% nationwide for its 5th episode. This was a 0.5% jump from the previous episode, which had a rating of 1.4%, setting a new record for the drama.

“Like Flowers in Sand” revolves around the ssireum competition (traditional Korean wrestling), the murder-mystery subplot, and the romance between Baek-du and Du-sik. It's technically well-constructed and has some interesting aspects, but also feels uneven and frustrating due to the mismatch of these threads.

The opening scene of episode 5 shows a flashback of Baek-du and Du-sik as youngsters, and their connection to Du-sik's father, who was involved in a match-fixing scandal. Baek-du returns to the team with his head held high, following his father's lessons, and his rivalry with Jin-su intensifies.

Moreover, this episode involves the investigation of Hyeon-wook, who is looking into the death of Choi, the coach who was also involved in match-fixing. Hyeon-wook becomes suspicious of Du-sik, who is actually Yu-gyeong, an undercover cop. Baek-du and Du-sik also travel to talk to Dong-seok, another wrestler who was asked to throw a match against Baek-du, but refused to do so.

Episode 5 works to draw parallels between the past and present scandals and it strengthens the relationship between the two leads. The final scene features a confession from Du-sik to Baek-du. I'd say that this confession is the nearest thing to a cliffhanger.

I came back because of you.

(Source: celuvmedia.com)