Attic Cat

 

Cast:

Lee Kyung-Min (Kim Rae Won)
In many ways university student Lee Kyung-Min still acts immature. His bad financial situation forces him to move into the rooftop apartment with Nam Jung-Eun. First he chases after the wealthy Na Hye-Ryun who doesn't share the same feelings he has for her. Suspecting that Jung-Eun is pregnant, he starts to pay more attention to his studies in order to provide a better future for her and her unborn child. He is envious of the wealthy Yoon Dong-Joon who attracts women easily and even starts to fight with him after he sees him and Jung-Eun together.

Nam Jung-Eun (Jung Da Bin)
Nam Jung-Eun, the female protagonist of the series, aims to start an independent life by seeking her own home and means of survival. At first she is not at all interested in Lee Kyung-Min, the guy with whom she is forced to share her rooftop apartment. However, after a while she gets used to his company and would like to get to know him better. Regrettably, this idea is hindered by the fact that Kyung-Min still longs for his old love interest Na Hye-Ryun and Jung-Eun also starts to draw the attention of her boss Yoon Dong-Joon.

Yoo Dong-Joon (Lee Hyun Woo)
Wealthy Yoo Dong-Joon is the director of an ad agency for which he solves all important business matters. More mature than Lee Kyung-Min, he is the constant desire of many women. Na Hye-Ryun is especially taken with his good looks and good financial prospects. However, he is not interested in her. Everything changes after he gets to know Nam Jung-Eun. But as fate would have it, Jung-Eun is not attracted to him but to the ordinary Kyung-Min...

Na Hye-Ryun (Choi Yoon Jin)
Na Hye-Ryun is the pampered girl of a wealthy family and her beautiful looks turn her into a subject of desire for Lee Kyung-Min. However, she is not at all interested in him but has a crush on the rich and good-looking Yoon Dong-Joon. She is totally envious of Nam Jung-Eun who wins the favor of Dong-Joon and also cannot bear the fact that Kyung-Min lives together with Jung-Eun. Unhappy about her own life she tries to sow discord whenever and wherever she can.

Nam Sang-sik (Jung-eun's dad): Jang Yong
Kim Soon-duk (Jung-eun's mom): Kim Ja Ok

Nam Jung-woo (Jung-eun's first younger brother): Bong Tae Kyu
Lee Pil-deuk (Kyung-min's grandfather): Kim Mu Saeng

Lee Kyung-hee (Kyung-min's grandmother): Kang Boo Ja

 

Official Site: www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/cat
                       http://atticcat.wo.to/

 

Other Titles:

Oktappang Koyangi

Roof Top Room Cat

Ohk Tab Bang Go Yang Eeh

 

 

Episode Guide:

Episode 1

To seek independence from her family and to live on her own, Nam Jung-Eun looks for a job everywhere. At her friend's school library, she accidentally meets Lee Kyung-Min and has a bad first impression of him. Inspite of this he lends her money to move into a small rooftop apartment to win the affection of her friend Na Hye-Ryun. Kyung-Min starts having his own financial difficulties and arrives at Jung-Eun's place to claim his right to share the apartment...

Episode 2

Nam Jung-Eun starts to get accustomed to Lee Kyung-Min's company but gets the wrong impression after he buys a necklace. The necklace is actually a gift for her friend Na Hye-Ryun. Hye-Ryun gives it to Jung-Eun instead. As a result, Jung-Eun kicks Kyung-Min out of the apartment and he spends the night outside in the freezing cold. After Jung-Eun fails at another job interview and Kyung-Min is also rejected again they decide to get drunk together.

Episode 3

Nam Jung-Eun and Lee Kyung-Min find themselves lying in the same bed and are extremely embarrassed. Kyung-Min decides to leave the apartment. Jung-Eun saves Kyung-Min from loan sharks and encourages him to complete his bar exam while he moves back into the apartment. Na Hye-Ryun confides her true feelings to the attractive Yoo Dong-Joon but fails to win his love., while Jung-Eun celebrates the news that she was hired by an advertising agency. Her new boss happens to be Dong-Joon.

Episode 4

An unexpected call by Na Hye-Ryun fills Lee Kyung-Min with joy and he asks her out on a date. Hye-Ryun stands up Kyung-Min and prefers to have dinner with Yoo Dong-Joon. Full of despair, Kyung-Min gets drunk and falls ill. Even in this exhausted state he still cries out Hye-Ryun's name. Jung-Eun ends up bringing Hye-Ryun to her apartment. Hye-Ryun gets upset over the idea of Jung-Eun and Kyung-Min sharing an apartment together.

Episode 5

Lee Kyung-Min does not like seeing Nam Jung-Eun coming out of Yoo Dong-Joon''s car. Kyung-Min''s grandmother learns of her grandson''s plight and gives him some money to ease his financial situation. Na Hye-Ryun, upset about Dong-Joon and Jung-Eun''s good relationship, impolitely asks her to quit her job. Kyung-Min plans to surprise Jung-Eun with a new washing machine, but instead goes out with Hye-Ryun and leaves Jung-Eun alone feeling betrayed.

Episode 6

Lee Kyung-Min plans to meet Nam Jung-Eun in Choon-chun. However, when he arrives, Jung-Eun boards the train back to Seoul. Luckily, Kyung-Min manages to board that train too. Jung-Eun playfully teases him and is obviously happy to see him. Yoo Dong-Joon is waiting in front of the apartment and Kyung-Min pretends to be Jung-Eun''s cousin. Jung-Eun unwillingly accepts Dong-Joon''s invitation to the Embassy Ball. Kyung-Min plans to watch a movie with Jung-Eun but changes his mind after receiving a call from Na Hye-Ryun.

Episode 7

Nam Jung-Eun unwillingly decides to go out on a blind date. Lee Kyung-Min is disappointed. Yoo Dong-Joon runs into the blind date and is very amused. After the date Kyung-Min lectures Jung-Eun on marital matters and gives her a ring made out of wire. Jung-Eun''s brother, Jung-Woo, can''t keep his mouth shut and tells his mother about Jung-Eun and Kyung-Min living together. Knowing that her mother plans to come over, Jung-Eun urges Kyung-Min to leave the apartment.

Episode 8

Lee Kyung-Min and Nam Jung-Eun grow closer together. After seeing Jung-Eun together with Yoo Dong-Joon, Kyung-Min acts aggressively and Dong-Joon finds out that Kyung-Min is not Jung-Eun''s cousin. Kyung-Min''s grandmother startles him and Jung-Eun with a surprise visit that leaves them speechless. Jung-Eun''s mother urges Kyung-Min to sign an agreement to marry her daughter. However, he is saved when his grandmother starts quarreling with Jung Eun''s mother.

Episode 9

Nam Jung-Woo tries to protect his sister by visiting Lee Kyung-Min's grandfather who is pent up with anger after listening to the false accusations of Kyung-Min. Na Hye-Ryun discovers that Kyung-Min keeps a gold ring from Nam Jung-Eun as a token of friendship in his pocket and takes it away from him, causing a quarrel between him and Jung-Eun. Hye-Ryun tries to surprise Yoo Dong-Joon during his birthday but Dong-Joon plans to date Jung-Eun for dinner instead.

Episode 10

Nam Jung-Eun confesses her love to Lee Kyung-Min but receives no response from him. Therefore, Jung-Eun asks Yoo Dong-Joon for advice but he offers to become her boyfriend instead, which she takes for a joke. Drunk and high on emotion Kyung-Min signs the marriage agreement saying that it is a token of friendship. On the following day Jung-Eun's mother welcomes him as her son-in-law and encourages him to complete the bar-licensing exam. Na Hye-Ryun is angry about this and demands instantly that Kyung-Min leaves the rooftop apartment.

Episode 11

Lee Kyung-Min is baffled when he witnesses Yoo Dong-Joon kissing Nam Jung-Eun but pretends to be unmoved and tells Jung-Eun to develop a lasting and stable relationship with Dong-Joon. Jung-Woo finds out about his sister's relationship with the wealthy Dong-Joon. After Jung-Woo tells his mother about what he knows, she prefers Dong-Joon to Kyung-Min and asks Kyung-Min to leave her daughter's apartment immediately. However, Kyung-Min insists on his right to stay.

Episode 12

Nam Jung-Eun no longer wants to share the apartment with Lee Kyung-Min. He begs her to change her mind, while Yoo Dong-Joon claims that he is genuinely in love with Jung-Eun and that Kyung-Min should stop bothering her. Overwhelmed by this complex situation Kyung-Min finally tells Jung-Eun that he likes her. Jung-Euns father discovers his daughters relationship with Kyung-Min and wants him to take responsibility. Kyung-Min rejects and Mr. Nam leaves in anger locking up Jung-Eun at home.

Episode 13

Lee Kyung-Min begs Nam Jung-Eun for her forgiveness, but she holds onto her decision. Kyung-Min's grandfather finds out about his grandson's feelings towards Jung-Eun and tricks her into letting Kyung-Min live in her place temporarily until he pays back his debts. Jung-Eun accepts this request under the condition that they do not intervene in each other's lives. When Jung-Eun invites Yoo Dong-Joon for a dinner in her apartment, Kyung-Min tries his very best to disturb them and even attacks Dong-Joon as he is about to kiss Jung-Eun.

Episode 14

After Na Hye-Ryun sneaks into the apartment she is shocked about the fact that Lee Kyung-Min still lives together with Nam Jung-Eun. Kyung-Min suspects that Jung-Eun is pregnant and decides to study more industriously and take care of Jung-Eun and her unborn child. While Kyung-Min's grandfather is happy about his grandson's change, his grandmother still prefers Hye-Ryun. Kyung-Min kisses Jung-Eun in her sleep and afterwards visits her father asking for permission to marry his daughter.

Episode 15

Lee Kyung-Min intends to meet Nam Jung-Eun immediately after his bar exam but is held up by Na Hye-Ryun who viciously arranges a plan to let Jung-Eun see her kiss Kyung-Min. Therefore, she throws away her congratulation gifts for Kyung-Min and kicks him out of the apartment. However, afterwards she tells her father that she cannot live without Kyung-Min. After Kyung-Min finds the friendship gold ring that Jung-Eun gave him earlier, he begins to realize how dear she is to him.

Episode 16

Nam Jung-Eun is perplexed by Lee Kyung-Min's sudden marriage proposal and scolds him instead. Upset by Jung-Eun's lack of understanding he loses his temper and claims that the proposal is just nonsense. Jung-Eun leaves in anger, leaving Kyung-Min alone in the apartment. Having nowhere else to go Jung-Eun receives a call from Yoo Dong-Joon. Kyung-Min finds out that Jung-Eun is at Dong-Joon's apartment and rushes there. Dong-Joon suddenly offers Jung-Eun to take up a company-training course in the U.K., which leaves her baffled...

 

What I Think:

I have read so much about this series, its wonderful acting and superb reviews. But I was hesitant on watching it cause the lead girl looks hahahah.. you describe Da-bin for me…let’s face it she is the least beautiful actress to grace Korean tv, ch 7 calls her “chaka” even….then local tv channel started airing it and so I started watching it just to check out what everyone is raving about.

 

I was sick of the many times Kyung Min moved in and out of their place in the latter part of the series. I am wondering when will the stupid moving in and out tug-of-war would freakin end.

I also don’t like the fact that Kyung-min is such an inconsiderate pig. Every time Hye-ryun calls him, he drops all his plans with Jung-eun and goes dashing to her like a dog wagging his tail to his master. Grrr those scenes!

 

Beat it, hard as it is to admit but Kyung-min is a jerk. He lies, and I soooooo cannot stand the scenes where he steals Jung-eun’s money over and over and over again! How could he steal her hard-earned cash just to go on a date with the biatch Hye-ryun! Aishhh! He deserves getting dumped by her just for stealing that money.

 

My favorite parts:

1. Drooling part in the library, that was hilarious! And the work interview of Jung-eun here she was asked to speak in English! By god I died laughing in that part!!

 

2. Jung-eun tries to seduce Kyung-min in a sexy nightie.

3. Jung-eun breaking up with Kyung-min cause I didn’t even know they were already a couple. Duh!

4. Jung-eun cries because Kyung-min did not pass his exams

5. Kyung-min thought Jung-eun was pregnant so he bought her a pregnancy kit, cooked her food, and pampered her, when it was all a false alarm. I liked the part where he went to Jung-eun’s family and asked for her hand in marriage from her dad. J

6. Where Kyung-min gives Jung-eun that wire ring. She kept it safe till the end.

7. Final reunion at the rooftop apartment when they both show each other the same ring and Kyung-min carrying Jung-eun on his shoulders!! That was romantic!

 

Rating: 8 Korean kimchis out of 10

 

Other Stuff:

** Aired on MBC in Korea: June 2, 2003 - July 22, 2003 on Monday & Tuesday nights at 9:55. The series that made the ratings of “Summer Scent” dip down.J

** Download the eng subbed episodes as well as the complete OST for the series here: http://atticcat.wo.to/

** Kim Rae Won won MBC's Best Actor award for his work in this series, and has since soared to super-stardom. He was temporarily condemned for apparently making a comment about Jung Da Bin not being pretty enough and her lack of looks made his job more difficult. One of the funniest rumours I've heard. --spcnet

 

 

 

Credits: yesasia or the episode guide, Attic cat official site, spcnet

 

Music Playing in the Background: Attic Cat OST