The forced proximity trope offsets Jihyeok’s misery in Episode 8 of Dynamite Kiss, appropriately titled “Love is Hell.”
Dynamite Kiss episode 8 has Jihyeok in the deepest trenches of his anguish after his resolution to no longer act on his feelings for Darim. The love square grows more complicated as Seonu clings to the lie, while Hayeong is ready but unable to break free.
Also Read: Pop Corner: Dynamite Kiss Episode 5 Recap: A Love Square Emerges
Meeting the in-laws
Jihyeok and In-ae are on their way to meet Hayeong’s family. In-ae was clearly affected by Myungsun’s words and has decided to be a stronger presence for her son, though she tells him that she had no idea that he’d been dating Hayeong.
At the family meeting, we get the lore drop that Jihyeok was in the same industry as Taeyeong before he joined Natural Bebe. Jihyeok’s career shift was actually beneficial for Taeyeong, as it eliminated one of his toughest competitors.
Jihyeok says that he and Hayeong want to get married as soon as possible, much to Hayeong’s surprise, as she had been planning to tell everyone that she didn’t want to push through with their marriage. She confronts Jihyeok and says she opposes their own wedding, but he shrugs it off, knowing that she has no power to sway her own family.
After-party
In-ae learns that Jihyeok is only getting married because he made a deal with his father. If Jihyeok gets married, Changho will divorce In-ae.
Meanwhile, Taeyeong wants to stop Jihyeok and Hayeong’s wedding so that he can marry Jihye instead and take control of both companies. He tries to use Jihye’s ambition against her, pushing her buttons to get her to sympathize with him, but she resists.
Heel turn
The engagement is made public, and Darim thinks that this was the reason why Jihyeok reacted so dispassionately when she visited him. She psyches herself up to act “like a pro” around him, which means she wears glasses and talks in an overly formal subway announcer voice.
Jihyeok continues acting nonchalantly. The next time he helps her, he coldly says she’s bothering other people by messing up all the time, pointedly showing her that he’s not “being nice” anymore.
Darim feels the weight of his change hit her when she sees their tree planting ad on her way home and remembers how kind Jihyeok was to her then. Now, she’s left with a broken heel in the middle of the street with no one to help her.
Island adventure
Mr. Ma, who did not get sufficient evidence of Darim and Jihyeok’s “affair,” cooks up a scheme to trap the two of them together on an island. He invites both of them on an assignment to interview a couple who recently just gave birth to quadruplets. There’s clearly some tension upon their arrival, as Darim denies Jihyeok’s help, saying she needs to do her job.
The tension dissipates somewhat as Darim and Jihyeok are left to care for the babies while the couple are off on a date sponsored by Natural Bebe. Mr. Ma purposefully keeps the couple out late so Darim and Jihyeok would miss the last ferry. They now have to stay the night in a single room in the only pension on the island.
Mr. Ma does his best to take more pictures, but nothing really happens between them except some salacious-sounding whispers over a spider. Jihyeok cannot physically take being so near Darim that he runs out into the night, further away from his feelings.
One punch
In-ae tells Jihyeok she knows about his agreement with his dad and that he should marry someone he loves. Despite this, a resolute Jihyeok goes to Hayeong’s dress fitting, where he imagines Darim wearing Hayeong’s wedding dress.
Equally unhappy about the situation, Hayeong goes to Seonu to rant about her upcoming wedding. Jihyeok finds out about this and punches Seonu in the face, thinking he’s continuing his affair. Hayeong is ready to tell Jihyeok the truth, but Seonu stops her.
Seonu tells Jihyeok he was drunk when he and Hayeong kissed and that he’s now persuading her to push through with her marriage. Seonu admits that he loves Darim. Jihyeok walks away, promising to kill Seonu with his own hands if it happens again.
Seonu tries once again to confess to Darim, but is unable to.
Saddest Jihyeok ever
Jihyeok walks to the grandfather tree, where he sees Darim, Seonu, and Jun acting like a perfect family. Heartbroken, he goes off to drink. He is soon joined by Gwangmin and they go off to sing sad karaoke.
The next day, Jihyeok is getting ready for his engagement ceremony, which is at the same hotel where Jun’s friend is having a grandiose first birthday party. Darim arrives, looking beautiful. Jun spots her and loudly calls for his “Auntie Darim.”
Episode 8 Thoughts and What To Expect Next
Finally, the end of Jihyeok’s misery is in sight! While it was endearing to watch him yearn for Darim, it would have been nice to see more of Darim’s growth. In the first few episodes Dynamite Kiss, she was feeling insecure and worthless due to her low specs and inability to get a job. If we saw how her time at Natural Bebe helped her gain confidence and how Jihyeok made her feel like she’s worth loving, it would have made her breakdown more affecting.
Also, the Yu siblings did so well with their screen time in the episode. Woo Davi shines in Hayeong’s more serious scenes that round out her character nicely, while Oh Junghwan plays Taeyeong as the perfect manipulative villain.
Seems like the secret’s out in the next episode, with In-ae’s collapse probably halting the wedding preparations for now. The rivalry between Seonu and Jihyeok escalates now that the latter knows the truth. With a confession in the rain on the horizon, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before we get our next dynamite kiss!
What are your thoughts in Dynamite Kiss episode 8?
Source: SBS Play, SBS NOW Twitter/X
