From a time travel perspective (instead of just pure romance), “Lovely Runner” is about a couple who is trying to defy time by finding ways to change the “fixed time”.
In time travel, the “fixed time” trope is about an event that must happen at all cost because it is a very pivotal moment in history. If it doesn't happen, literally everything will change and once it changes, it will be impossible to fix it… possibly unraveling time and destroying all existence.
In this story, Sunjae dying is a “fixed moment”. He needs to die no matter what, because the future depends on him dying, otherwise, there won't any future. So, “time” itself is naturally fixing things, ensuring that Sunjae will die no matter what the time traveler tries.
Sol fixing her legs is not a “fixed moment”. While time tried to ensure it happens again, for three times at that, time eventually adjusted to a version where she can walk fine. Those three “opportunities” where she would've lost her legs, eventually superseded that one timeline where she did.
Unfortunately, for Sunjae, no matter how many attempts they do, him dying is integral to something. That something will happen in the future, maybe a new law was passed giving more protection to celebrities; or a new law was passed criminalising keyboard warriors. Whatever it will be, that's beyond the story.
However, there is hope. While Sunjae's death is vital to ensure the continued existence of the universe, there is one factor that can change that “fixed moment”. Love.
In many cultures, both historically and present, “love” is the ultimate power that can make even the impossible possible. “Lovely Runner” is showing us that. Their love for each other transcends all times/timelines. No matter what, they will always find each other, and love each other, and die for each other.
This was also demonstrated with Sol's brother and bestie. Though her bestie and brother did not get together in the original timeline, they had a spark, the spark just did not flame (think starting a campfire). When Sol started to change things, and even without doing anything related to his brother and her bestie, the two eventually got a chance to flame that spark. Thus, every succeeding time travel by Sol, she didn't have to do anything, in fact, she even tried to separate them, but they still got married.
The way I see it, this is what Sunjae and Sol needs to prove:
Well… we'll find out next week in the finale episodes.
^_^
This was a tribute to the original show and actors.
Special mention:
* Actors Lee Kye In and Song Kyung Chul, were also in the original. They appeared in the last episode of this show.
I hope they release a sequel.
They can do it multiple ways:
1. Another prequel set before the original “Chief Detective 1971”.
2. Remake the 1971 original.
3. A sequel of 1971, set sometime later.
4. A modern 2023/2024 version. Continue the story line of the present time. This time, focusing on Park's descendants, and telling us the other case stories through his grandson.
If they'll choose to do a 2023/2024 version next, then those past case stories can become the 3rd sequel/prequel. For example, it will tell the story of Park's son. Was he a detective as well? How much did he adore his father, the cow-thief detective? What were his achievements?
Doing that way will fill in the gap as to how original Park's grandson became a detective, which is his father (or son of original Park).
There are plenty of ways they can go about this. And I hope they will.
If you're confused, or comparing “Parasyte: The Grey” with the original, you should not. “Parasyte: The Grey”, as far as the hints they dropped in multiple episodes, is set in the same universe as the original Parasyte.
In other words, this is not your regular adaptation, it is a spin-off. It is called a “shared world”.
“Parasyte: The Grey” is set in Korea and tells the story of what happened when Parasytes landed in Korea. This is why there are a lot of differences, it is not an adaptation, it tells a parallel story. There are also similarities, and that can be easily explained as the world governments sharing information; as well as, humanity today thinks similarly, so we end up doing the same things even without direct contact.
Don't dismiss “Parasyte: The Grey” just because, otherwise, you're going to miss a greatly written live-action TV spin-off of the franchise. Again, based on the hints dropped in multiple episodes, this Korean spin-off exists in the same universe as the original material. It is, however, unclear if they directly based on the manga (the original), or the recent two-part Japanese movie adaptation.
If you're going to ask me, I think “Parasyte: The Grey” is closer to the two-part Japanese movie adaptation than the original manga and anime adaptation. But, that's not important. The important thing is, for the 3rd or 4th time, as per the hints, this series exists in the same universe as the Japanese story.
^_^
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A lot of life lessons to be learned from this, most especially when it comes to relationships, encouragement, and healing.
In the end, the story is sad. The only one whose memories of the “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” were erased was the wish maker, our main character. It kind of points to “No good deed goes unpunished”. Our main character made the perfect wish which saved everyone, healed everyone, and led them to their new path in life.
But like any wish, it has to be paid, be it a good or bad wish. There is equivalence. Or, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. She made the perfect wish, a wish that resonated throughout time and changed the path of six other people. Something like that will cause an equal and opposite reaction; or a major payment. This was in the form of memories for the wish maker. Everyone remembers but her.
As for how the 6 other kids were able to remember, it was because of the Wolf Queen. She made her own wish for the sake of her little brother. Actually, there were 7 kids who remembered, the 6 + the Wolf Queen. Thus, only the wish maker has forgotten.
This brings me to how I love the way they paid attention to current “proverbs” and time-travel. They combined it all together and woven a great story with a lot of lessons in it.
Highly recommended. Full 10 stars!
It is a 2024 fantasy “damsel [in distress]” story. If you have read a lot of fantasy novels, or watched fantasy movies, the story will be very predictable for you right from the beginning (even that glowing larvae were too predictable). Thus, you should put those aside and just enjoy it for what it is: a 2024 fantasy movie.
The production was good. The animation was fluid, and they did take effort in creating the dragon more alive instead of taking shortcuts. For example, the dragon takes time to gain momentum, or had to do manoeuvres to have a controlled landing; instead of just plain flying or landing.
The acting was good and believable, and even though there weren't character backgrounds, one could easily imagine what kind of persons the characters were.
However, they should've not had any excessive screaming and running. They could've replaced those with the main character and the dragon exchanging heated conversations. Since she's screaming a lot instead of being quiet, might as well have a conversation instead of screaming here and there.
But, I think, what they want to show was how panic can make humans forget their intellect and wisdom. Survival is fight or flight, and the main character reacted with the latter. Which, in the end, we've seen how she's an intelligent and wise woman capable of doing things when she's in “fight” mode.
If we look at it from that perspective, then yes, they did well in telling the story and sending that message; and why she kept on screaming and running.
Another good lesson here is humanity's constant fear, leading to unwise decisions. As the dragon said, they killed her daughters unprovoked. That hinted how she would've left them alone, probably migrated later.
Then again, was it truly ‘fear’? The first king did say, “for the glory!” They were hunting. Which brings us to, well, wars. Was it about ‘fear’ or because we are ‘hunting’ and sugar-coating it to justify our actions? Similar to how the latter kings and queens did.
Last, but not the least, they showed us how weak a familial relationship is if a parent can sacrifice their children in the name of money and alleviating poverty. We assume it is justified because the people comes first. However, what kind of ruler are you if you are willing to sacrifice your own children? It speaks volume to your character and the high possibility you'll do it for anyone else.
You just don't. No matter what happens, a parent should never ever sacrifice their children, or use them to make money. Using your people/constituents to justify what you're doing/did to your children is nothing but an excuse.
Good lessons there, which I hope those who watched, and will watch, will also catch and be reminded about.
Why I think there won't be a Season 3: the way S02E14 ended is the hint.
Which, unfortunately for the detective, he still cannot see, so they failed to find him. The detective just shouted in frustration.
It is the crew telling the audience that, “hey, there are a lot of missing persons in the real world, share the burden and help in whatever way you can”. Admit it or not, the majority of us ignore the missing persons, as this series have shown us.
They set out to write stories about missing persons, so the public will be aware of them. They have completed their mission in two Seasons. They strongly believe they no longer need to create a Season 3.
In fact, I agree. Creating a third season will dilute the message of the series. The third season won't have the same impact as Seasons 1 and 2. If they do it, Season 3 will just be “for entertainment purposes” and turn the entire series into “nothing but fiction to entertain people and make some money”.
This is it. As much as I want to see a Season 3, even a Season 4, it is not advisable.
The series is about the missing persons and the people left behind wondering what happened to their loved ones. It is about waking up the audience to the reality of missing persons, instead of pretending that they don't exist just because it hasn't happened to them.
It ended beautifully. It was very touching. And it is alarming.
I'm a blogger, and after watching Seasons 1 and 2, especially the series finale (S02E14), they convinced me to help. I've already started making plans on how I can incorporate missing persons in my line of work.
I hope you will too because that was the objective of the creators of this series.
If you watched this first before “To Every You I've Loved Before”, you might get confused and find “To Me, The One Who Loved You” less appealing. Even though the production team and writer claimed that these two stories are standalone and can be watched in any order, I strongly discourage you from doing so. Watch “To Me, The One Who Loved You” first before watching “To Every You I've Loved Before”.
That said, let's go to the explanation of the ending.
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This is assuming you've watched both already, preferably “To Every You I've Loved Before” first, then “To Me, The One Who Loved You” next.
At first, the timeshift would have been useless since Koyomi chose to timeshift to himself before the divergence occurred, which was before he had to choose between his mother and father. Why? The parallel world where he picked his mother, let's call it the “Kazune-world”, will just happen the way it is. Nothing will change, even if Koyomi from the “Shiori-world” (where Koyomi picked his father) timeshifts to it.
Timeshifting doesn't change the past because (1) the shifted identity will not remember anything. Zero. Zilch. The timeshifted identity will simply merge with its past self and that's it, his future knowledge is gone. In other words, his timeshifting was useless.
However, that was not the point. Koyomi from Shiori-world realised how him and Shiori Ghost are quantum entangled. So, no matter where or when Koyomi goes, Shiori will be dragged as well, be in space or in time. The quantum physics in this multiverse is that, those that are quantum entangled must exist in the same space and at the same time (side note: in the real-world quantum entanglement, both objects can exist anywhere in space and anywhen in time).
Koyomi realised that when he dies, Shiori will be stuck as the Ghost at the Intersection, forever. So, he tried to find a way to timeshift so he can drag Shiori's ghost with him and merge her with her past version in the “Kazune-world”.
This is why the ending of “To Me, The One Who Loved You” ended with both of them going down together. Once they reach the past, Koyomi of the Shiori-world will merge with his past self and forget himself; and Shiori will also merge with her past self and forget herself.
Back in the Shiori-world, the Ghost at the Intersection will cease since Shiori is gone as well; while Koyomi will probably be in a coma for a short while until his body gives up.
Q: How come, in “To Every You I've Loved Before”, the old Koyomi from the Kazune-world saw the Shiori ghost?
It was the promise they made not to forget. It was their hope. Somehow, this part of their memory resurfaced 66 years later at that intersection, which allowed Koyomi of Shiori-world, and Shiori Ghost, to meet one final time.
Hence, when Koyomi of the Kazune-world looked at his IP watch, it was “error”. The reason is, he never parallel shifted. His personality just had a sudden interruption because the remnant Koyomi of the Shiori-world resurfaced at that moment.
Q: How can the Shiori Ghost be explained?
It could either be Koyomi of the Shiori-world's imagination; or, the Shiori who merged with the Shiori of Kazune-world, somehow was able to manifest herself at that moment.
Remember, Shiori of the Kazune-world was also at that exact same area at that exact time. Like Koyomi, who had a momentary identity interruption, Shiori more likely did as well.
Thus, when everything went back to “normal”, Shiori of the Kazune-world showed up to pick up the medicine of Koyomi of the Kazune-world. Shiori was there too. The fact that it took a few minutes for Shiori to show up, hints that she probably collapsed or fell asleep as Shiori Ghost momentarily manifested herself. Remember, the two Shiori's merged when they were kids.
That's how the two films are connected.
As far as Koyomi of the Shiori-world is concerned, he gave Shiori a chance to live a new life, by merging her to her Kazune-world version.
Q: But wait! The timeshift was before the Koyomi divergence!
Correct. That means, Shiori Ghost and Koyomi of Shiori-world, were also in both parallel worlds. So, yes, there is a version of them that keeps on repeating the Shiori-world events.
In my opinion, Koyomi should have chosen to timeshift to the Kazune-world, right after the Koyomi divergence. Or maybe that's what he did, and the subtitle translation was inaccurate.
One last thing:
Q: When did Koyomi of Shiori-world formed his plan?
A: When Koyomi shifted again to Koyomi of Kazune-world, where Koyomi and Kazune slept together.
That was when Koyomi of Shiori-world understood what to do, and why he was willing to make the sacrifice.
Easter egg:
In “To Every You I've Loved Before”, Kazune kept on talking about the Koyomi who saved her when they were little kids. It was Kazune of Shiori-world. He did not exactly save Kazune, he was simply chasing his dog who was chasing another dog that was chasing Kazune. For Kazune, that made Koyomi kind, helpful, friendly, thoughtful, especially after she saw his affection with his dog.
They probably had a short interaction, hence Kazume also kept saying that Koyomi is this and that good qualities, but the Koyomi in high school is different.
That's basically it. ^_^
For the non-spoiler part:
1. The time travel is straightforward and easy to follow. No advance time travel theories. No time travel gymnastics. Nothing crazy. Pretty much linear.
I strongly advise finishing the entire series first because the show itself explained the linearity of the time travel. Again, it's simple and easy to follow.
However… this is the SPOILER part.
They made a mistake on two things:
1. They dated the murder of Kwon Min-Ju on 1998-10-13.
2. When Han Jun Hee arrived in July 1998, her dialogue was she realised she only had 3 months to save Min-Ju.
Yet, in Episode 10/11, when Jung In-Kyu was about to jump to his death, he recalled the Christmas he, Nam Si-Heon, and Kwon Min-Ju, spent together. If Kwon Min-Ju did die on 1998-10-13, then how did he have a memory of spending Christmas together?
Kwon Min-Ju was murdered on 1999-10-13. Han Jun-Hee controlled the body of Kwon Min-Ju for almost 15 months. She spent 5 months in 1998; and spent 10 months in 1999. Not 3 months in 1998.
I'm not sure how they missed this very important detail; or why they filmed a Christmas scene and included it in Jung In Kyu's memories. If Kwon Min-Ju was indeed murdered in 1998-10-13, then the Christmas scene was not possible. If the Christmas scene was correct, then she died on 1999-10-13.
Okay, so it was indeed a game as suspected and it was Se Eun's parents who programmid it and the "AI" Jung Won who learned how to hack it.
I think episode showing Jung Won creating the game was her learning the harsh fate of everyone, and she's continually trying to end the game.
Also, Jung Won seems to be making sure Jae In remembers bits and pieces of the previous games. And in the finale episode, Jae In remembers everything from the previous one, including when she was awakened by Se Eun's parents.
The real question here is this: Did See Eun's mother reprogrammed Jung Won?
When the game reset, Jung Won was sitting far from Jae In. Also, Jung Won looks at Jae In with contempt.
I'm highly suspecting Se Eun's mother changed Jung Won (the AI) and now Jae In will be the one who will suffer the most since she volunteered to take responsibility.
I think that's what She Eun's mother did, she reprogrammed Jung Won to "think" that Jae In is the primary person responsible. Hence, Jung Won was looking at Jae In with contempt.
Even moreso, Jae In remembering everything is an additional layer of "punishment". She will be the only one who will remember the pain, as Se Eun's mother wanted.
The 10th Hunger Games. Why 10th? Simple, it is both completion and a new beginning.
Now that's telling.
1. Completion of the "experiment" (if you will) if the Hunger Games work.
2. A new beginning to the Hunger Games. Since now they know it does work.
3. Completion of the old way. i.e Snow's father's idea.
4. Welcoming the new way. i.e. Snow's new idea.
5. Completion of the foundation the Snow family started.
6. The beginning of the real Hunger Games.
If you think about how the Hunger Games ended later with the death of Snow, you'll realised how poetic it was. The father implemented it (after stealing the idea). The son managed and improved it, and eventually died together with it.
Ironically, everything about "Katniss", the Mockingjay, betrayal, District 12, the song about the hanging tree; it started with Snow, and it was his downfall too.
If there was one thing Snow won, it was when Katniss killed the President of District 13. His laugh was a victory laugh. Because in the end, Snow died as a Victor.
Victor? Lucy left him. Lucy sang to him her last song. Lucy told him the name "katniss". Lucy told him about the Mockingjay. When Katniss shot the arrow against the District 13 President, that was Snow symbolically winning Lucy back in the end. Or, his revenge against Lucy. That hey, "I, Snow, turned Katniss, your Mockingjay my dear Lucy, to fulfill my last desire. Because I am a Victor."
I'm speaking here as an autistic person, my score is 7 out of 10.
Also note:
* I've heard a lot of good things about this.
* This was released 10 years ago.
Those said and considered:
1. The show is not about the autistic person, or autism for that matter. Autism was only used as a literary device to create a drama, like most other shows (be it Asian or Western) where there is an autistic character.
There was an excessive emphasis on "dumb", "stupid", and "idiot". Instead of it making people emphatize, it makes an audience hateful.
None of them actually showed that they finally understood autism and autistic people. To the very end, it was all about "do this" and "do that" so people will accept you and respect you. Sure, this is a common problem with society, however, should they have ended it that way? People will unconsciously think that's the proper way. It is not acceptance, it is forcing an autistic person to be "neurotypical".
And yet, 박시온 (Park Shi On) said in the last episode that it hurts him more when he's trying to remove his difference. But the people around him still acted the same way to end. There's a disconnect there.
Yes, that's how it is in the real world. I've been in such a relationship. However, why leave it that way? She want to do things her way to the end. She will eventually get tired and quit. They will have a lot of fights. 시온 (Shi On) will just keep doing the same thing, keep quiet, say it is okay, say he is not mad, because he is always the one doing the "understanding".
What they did was to only validate that this relationship is doomed to fail instead of showing how a relationship with an autistic person can be if done properly.
Conclusion:
* While it did show the discrimination, stereotype, and prejudices against autistic people.
* While it did capture the traits and quirks of an autistic person well.
* I cannot recommend this show at all because it does more damage than in helping the autistic cause.
If I watched this when it was released in 2013, yes, I would say the same thing and rate it similarly. I'm sorry.
Just watch 이상한 변호사 우영우 (Extraordinary Attorney Woo).
This is an excellent film. For an American production, they weren't afraid to depict the "evilness" or extremism of the Western world. It's a nod to the sins of the West during the Colonial era, which unfortunately continues to this very day.
No one country, no one regional power, should be given this much might and sway for it will eventually make them dictators and tyrants disguised as democracy, freedom, and human rights. Exactly what is happening in our world today.
The ones who pay are not the 1% or the politicians or the high ranking military officials. It is the 99% who suffer. They justify their actions as "peace" and "for the future of humanity" when in reality, they only created more reasons for hatred and wars.
Sure, this was about AI. Yes, it is fiction. However, we cannot deny the underlying message of the film. Anyone who denies it is lying to themselves or living in their own fantasy.
Again, a superb film. It is rare to see productions from the West with such a profound message behind it. Western productions are often about entertainment these days, and making tons of money. Not this one. It's all about the message.
The 복수 (revenge) mechanics is not fair. Why did they give all the privileges to the Pinkers (the winners of the 1-on-1 matches)?
The Pinkers:
1. Played a game to form their team members.
2. They picked the members for the Green teams.
3. They picked the concept.
4. They picked the songs.
If the Pinkers are so damn good, then they should still win even if the Greeners chose their own team members, then got to pick the members of the Pink teams, the concept, and the songs.
The "revenge" stage is to give the Greeners a chance.
It is not 복수 at all if the Pinkers chose everything for the Greeners.
At the end of the day, luck still played a big role.
Imagine if the first Pink team were composed of different members. They probably would pick different members for the Green Team they want to compete with. The concept and songs will more likely be different too. The first Green Team in this what-if would not have ended with members who can barely communicate with each other.
It is NOT revenge for the Greeners. This is the stage wherein the Winners have to prove they truly are winners, and losers will be losers.
It's all about luck. Not skills. Not talents. Let's be honest, if this was about skills and talents, then the team members would've been balanced.
The mechanics for this 복수 stage/phase is not a revenge at all because it is in favour of the Pinkers. The chance for a Green Team to win lies on the composition of the team they'll match with. If the Pink team fails to work together, the Green Team will win even if they don't give much effort.
Imagine if the first Pink Team failed. The winner would've been the first Green team. They lost not because they lacked skills and talents, they just got unlucky this round; and the Pink team won not because of skills and talents, rather they got lucky they had a good team captain; they almost failed during their practices if not for their team captain.
You may have the best team members, but if you don't have a good team captain, the team will still fail.
You see, it is exactly what Kim Se Jeong said in episode 1. She knows it because she came out of a similar competition and was a member of two groups. What she said is what's happening now.
While Suzy's acting was great as always, unfortunately, this did not help her career. I don't want to say that the story was bad because I haven't read the original material this live-action adaptation was based from. I think the problem was the execution of the live-action adaptation. It was everywhere and nowhere.
They could have had focused more in building the main character instead of showing the other relationship of the other characters, then what Doo Na's going through would be more impactful instead of lacking. You know, it's there, the audience understands what she is going through, but there is no emotional attachment to it.
The show, “Castaway Diva”, with a similar celebrity whose career ended, actually have a better introduction and background build up. Both characters want to die. Both characters were pushed to their limits. Both characters made mistakes. But there is no emotional attachment with Doo Na and there is with the other character with a parallel story. It's one thing to “know” and it is totally another to “feel”.
Watching Doo Na was like having a discussion, from a logical and objective perspective, of a celebrity's life in a classroom. They should have chosen a real-life story and created a documentary, which would be perfect for this kind of execution or production.
I actually stopped watching at episode 06. It took a few weeks before I was able to force myself to watch the last three episodes, and that's coming from a big fan of Suzy.
Episode 01 was great. It showed the things that happen in real life that most people choose to ignore. The things that happen that people turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to, like those bystanders who just watched someone else's boy be bitten to death by an adult.
While this episode depicts physical child abuse, so there is evidence and all that. Don't be mistaken dear readers, there are a hundred ways of child abuse, especially from parents. Right from their HOMES where supposedly there should be love.
It saddens me deeply that the majority of comments and reactions I've read about the premiere episode failed to see this problem and instead focused on the actors and shipping and the entertainment value.
Episode 01 is loaded. But people missed it; or decided to ignore it because they can't accept it happens for real.
Depression is real. Kids who grew up with destroyed dreams because the people who should have supported them in the first place are the very ones who destroyed them.
How can you appreciate the rest of the story if you fail to understand and absorb the essence and message of Episode 01? Look at it deeper instead of focusing on the shallow things.
While sure, there is propaganda here, but let's be honest, which country did not use movies/films to push their own propaganda? Which country did not make themselves as the “heroes” or “better race”? Can you truly say that your local movie or film production companies are not guilty of it?
In other words, let's put that aside and address the underlying “lessons”, if you will, of this story, and that is: humanity.
Have we truly reached the point wherein we are capable of working together to save the only planet we have today? Or are we still the same humanity for the past centuries, and millennia, bent on conquering and destroying everyone else who doesn't subscribe to our own beliefs and political aspirations? It doesn't matter if you're American, Chinese, Japanese, British, Spaniard, French, German, Russian, it all applies to us, most especially the so-called “colonials” and “supreme race”.
Where are we today?
Do we really need to have these disasters to make us realise we need to work together as one humanity? We may not need to build 10,000 super engines today, but we do have global crises coming and trying to survive from. Yet, at the end of the day, if we are going to be honest with ourselves, it still boils down to “my country”, “my politics”, and “my money”, the rest can die in oblivion.
The real deal here is that, no matter what our country is, no matter which nation we call home, no matter what our political stance is, we all want the same thing: to be with our families, survive, and give our children and children's children, a better life than what we've gone through. It's all about you and me, our life as human beings. Intelligent human beings.
If we cannot re-learn this basic and fundamental lesson, then the human race here on Earth is doomed to fail, or to put another way, we are just delaying the inevitable.
I'm not talking about globalisation or establishing a United Earth or Earth Union or whatever you want to call the one world government. Personally, I think we can keep our national identities without devolving into savage beasts thinking we're better than the other nations. We just need to realise that we all want the same thing, protection, and continuation of our own respective families. If we recognise this fundamental fact, I do believe we can live in peace with our neighbours.
And this is what I think this movie wants to convey.
S02EP06 reaction.
A very good episode. It reminds us of the following:
1. Our actions can and will affect the people around us in ways we never thought of.
We should not judge other people, and condemn them, just because of what we saw and heard from the surface.
Regardless of our reasons, we are responsible for our actions because no one forced us.
The Spring Lady, while she has good intentions, she chose to threaten the suspect. She knew what kind of person he is, she should have considered asking him first if there is a problem.
Because she judged and threatened him, as a father who will do anything for his innocent daughter, he was placed further deep in the rat hole.
For the father, likewise, he should've had kept his cool and explained to her. When he went to her unit to commit his crime, and lied about turning himself in, the Spring Lady told him she did not report him because of his daughter.
That was a clear sign that there is a window for them two to talk and work it out.
We have to realise, no human being is pure evil. Even the baddest criminal in history have someone to protect (or using as a reason to take revenge). (We are NOT talking about rapists here, or sexual needs, or similar, like psychopaths.)
And, like it or not, if no one forced us, we have to take responsibility for our actions. Yes, it is understandable why the father started to steal underwear, they need the money, he needs to protect his daughter from the loan sharks. Yes, he had no choice, and it was the fastest route for him to keep the sharks at bay. However, it still is punishable by law.
Yes, maybe the father did ask other people for help and no one were willing. Not a single person. Not the government. No one. So, he had to do things he knew is against the law (be it civil or criminal). Still, he made a free will decision to do it, so he's responsible for his action.
Him killing his own daughter? Now that will never be justifiable, no matter where and how we look at it. If he wants to commit suicide, it's his free will. Hi could've had called the police and social services to their home, so once he's dead, someone will pick up her daughter instead of her living off the streets, or taken by the loan sharks.
Murdering your own children, or any innocent children for that matter, is the ultimate crime. Not even those criminals in deathrow will want to be in the same room as a child murderer, at least most of them won't.
Good lessons here.
Once again, Kim Tae Ri has proven why she's a Rank 1 actor. Special mention was her portrayal of the ghost desperate to live yet Tae Ri's character was forcing her to burn the final key object to banish the spirit.
I played that scene multiple times because I can't get enough of the out of this world acting by Kim Tae Ri. I felt compassion on the ghost in that scene. She only wanted to live because she was wronged when she was still alive. And her very strong desire to live, by trying to fight back San Young (Tae Ri's character), was delivered by Tae Ri in a very powerful way. I think Tae Ri's theater acting training and exposure greatly helped her at that moment. She knew how to act the ghost's desires and desperation to live without overdoing it.
Of course, I also commend the director and the cameraman for perfectly capturing that moment, up close and personal. It magnified what Tae Ri wants the audience to feel: this ghost, she was a victim, while it doesn't justify the ghost's murders, it is us humans who turned her that way.
Which is true. Many of humans only think of their own desires and greed, and doesn't care if another human being turn evil because of their actions and words. Yes, we cannot blame others for our own actions, but we also cannot deny the fact that we are who we are because of our experiences.
For me, the moral of this story is that we should always strive to do good. If you truly want to be selfish, then keep your mouth shut instead of speaking hurtful words behind other people's backs. For example, San Young realised how she was killing herself in the final episode because of how people said hurtful words, like that scene with the convenient store manager. If one did not notice, Tae Ri showed her "evil face" at that time, and she was not yet influenced by the ghost then.
Many of us probably reacted that way too after hearing hurtful words from people. Our faces probably showed how we want "kill" them for looking down on us as if us struggling in life was our fault (when it was just what we're given). Or, like it was a sin to have been born in that situation. And that moment was when San Young, without her knowledge until the final episode, that she started to slowly kill herself.
I've been there, too, without me realising what I'm doing. You gave up. You just try to live every day, but you no longer have any desire to live. You are just waiting for death to collect you, and you'll even welcome death with open arms. And the ghost that possessed San Young, she was right. San Young was wasting her life, and she (the ghost) wants to live.
The show may have been about ghosts and suicide. But if we look deeper into it, it is sending us a message that we should strive to live no matter what. Why? Because there were people whose lives ended not out of their own will, rather, they were forced to it. They were victims.
So, to you and me, this show is a strong and powerful message. Fight to live. It is hard. I know, I am struggling myself. I want to give up. I had enough of this life. But, let's fight to live another day. Let's show this world, let's show this evil society that we have today, that we can. If we know people whose lives ended early, either through suicide or they were murdered, let's live for them. They have desires and dreams, let's live for them, and maybe, through us, our society will become better.
Thank you, Kim Tae Ri, to the cast, the staff, the director, the writer, for this very timely story and message. I hope you'll win awards for this, you 100% deserve to grab all the awards.
What I like about this show is that they showed us a glimpse of the financial world and how the 1% controls the system. Sure, more or less half of it is fiction, yet they were able to give us an idea of the workings that we, ordinary people, don't see.
However, there is room for improvement when it comes to storytelling. There were episodes and scenes which were confusing because of the constant jumping from one time period to another. There are certain actions, or plans, that takes time, but the next scene, it was as if it only took stepping out of an elevator. This was especially evident in the last episode of Season 1.
I'm not saying that they should be very detailed and write "filler" scenes to keep the time pacing, rather, they should not overdo it. It is a tool in storytelling, and like any other tools, it shouldn't be overused.
Last, but not the least, great acting from the entire cast. Not only that, great choices on who should be acting which character. Live-action shows require having the perfect cast, we shouldn't cast someone just because they can bring in audiences because of their popularity, or because we are building an actor up. Casting should be first and foremost based on the character they are going to bring to life. If actors fit their characters, then their acting overall will be in harmony with each other, making the entirety of the show feel like it was actually real.
I hope there will be a Season 02. This is a great show. Watch it.
I like how they turned the story into literal vampire + symbolic vampire.
The FL is a symbolic vampire. A type of vampire that sucks the love and fun around her and from other people. Focused only on making ends meet, nothing wrong there, but is dead inside. She thinks she is living her life, but the truth is, she's an “undead”.
Meanwhile, the ML, a literal vampire (or half-vampire in the present day), is a vampire who wants to become a human. Who wants to feel love. Who wants to know what it means to live as a human and enjoy life to its fullest.
Two opposites meet each other. Nothing in common with them. They should repel each other… instead, they slowly attract each other.
The real vampire is making the symbolic vampire realise what she is missing. And the symbolic vampire is only making the real vampire firm in his decision to become a human.
Why? The clue is the fact that he can see his reflection only in her eyes. Because that is not only literal, it is also symbolic. He can see himself in her. The kind of life the FL is living is the life the ML had before he fell in love.
That is… just living for the sake of living.
Exactly what the FL is doing. Living for the sake of living.
Seeing himself in her, with the kind of life she is living, is only strengthening his resolve to become a human. He is done with being a vampire. He wants to find meaning. He wants to enjoy life to its fullest. Who cares if he dies? What is immortality if there is no meaning and purpose to it? He wants to love and be loved “until death do us part”.
And here's the FL, getting curious why a vampire wants to become a human. Why love is so important for this vampire. Because, for her, immortality is a gift, not a curse. For her, she can live a carefree life. She doesn't have to worry about paying bills, or what to eat tomorrow, or where to live next month. She can even make a fortune.
But… a vampire, with immortality and no worries in life, wants to become a human because of love? Knowing he will die as a human? Why indeed?
While for some the story is cliché, I enjoy stories that add symbolism or deeper meanings to each character, like as I've mentioned, the ML can see his reflection in the FL's eyes is both literal and symbolic. Or, how the FL is a symbolic vampire; and how the two of them are attracting each other instead of repelling.
Good job. Love it!
I like how they turned the story into literal vampire + symbolic vampire.
The FL is a symbolic vampire. A type of vampire that sucks the love and fun around her and from other people. Focused only on making ends meet, nothing wrong there, but is dead inside. She thinks she is living her life, but the truth is, she's an “undead”.
Meanwhile, the ML, a literal vampire (or half-vampire in the present day), is a vampire who wants to become a human. Who wants to feel love. Who wants to know what it means to live as a human and enjoy life to its fullest.
Two opposites meet each other. Nothing in common with them. They should repel each other… instead, they slowly attract each other.
The real vampire is making the symbolic vampire realise what she is missing. And the symbolic vampire is only making the real vampire firm in his decision to become a human.
Why? The clue is the fact that he can see his reflection only in her eyes. Because that is not only literal, it is also symbolic. He can see himself in her. The kind of life the FL is living is the life the ML had before he fell in love.
That is… just living for the sake of living.
Exactly what the FL is doing. Living for the sake of living.
Seeing himself in her, with the kind of life she is living, is only strengthening his resolve to become a human. He is done with being a vampire. He wants to find meaning. He wants to enjoy life to its fullest. Who cares if he dies? What is immortality if there is no meaning and purpose to it? He wants to love and be loved “until death do us part”.
And here's the FL, getting curious why a vampire wants to become a human. Why love is so important for this vampire. Because, for her, immortality is a gift, not a curse. For her, she can live a carefree life. She doesn't have to worry about paying bills, or what to eat tomorrow, or where to live next month. She can even make a fortune.
But… a vampire, with immortality and no worries in life, wants to become a human because of love? Knowing he will die as a human? Why indeed?
While for some the story is cliché, I enjoy stories that add symbolism or deeper meanings to each character, like as I've mentioned, the ML can see his reflection in the FL's eyes is both literal and symbolic. Or, how the FL is a symbolic vampire; and how the two of them are attracting each other instead of repelling.
Good job. Love it!
I love the topics on s02e05 of #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds.
It talked about family, relationships, love (most especially a mother's love), being true to ourselves, and [our] humanity. But for this post, I want to talk about [our] “humanity”.
I'm a Star Trek #TheNextGeneration batch where #Spock was more of a side-character in the Star Trek universe. You know, he's half-vulcan half-human. However, there was always this lingering question: What made Spock the way he is? What made Spock pro-human? What made Spock, who lives by the vulcan expectations and yet very human at the same time?
Season 02 episode 05 of #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds answered that. This was the pivotal moment when Spock understood his humanity. For some reason it was familiar, maybe it was mentioned on a movie, or I've read from a novel, but seeing this episode gave a lot of impact on the character “Spock”.
Spock is no longer just a half-vulcan half-human character. Spock is no longer just an icon for me. Suddenly, Spock is alive, a figure. A person who is the embodiment of two conflicting worlds yet was able to harmonise the two and lived the way no one else can.
Almost everyone looked down on him for being half-half. There were people who ridiculed him, made fun of him, shunned him. And yet, he became a better person than everyone, all because of this pivotal moment in his life.
To the point that, in the future, his experiences pushed him to champion the welcoming of the romulans back into the vulcan fold, as equals. As well as, to understand who they really are as the same race: vulcans.
S02E05 is, for me, the best episode of this season, and more likely the entire series. I will always remember this episode.
The episode where:
1. Spock embraced his humanity.
2. Humanity shone brighter than the stars.
3. That despite the many flaws in being a human, that maybe we are indeed inferior than the other races, it is our humanity that makes us the better race in the universe.
#LiveLongAndProsper #Earthlings #Humans
If there is one thing that I really, really, super, duper, admire with the FL, is that, she is strict with her rule that her current life is who she currently is.
I'm thinking nothing good comes out of telling people that s/he was their friend/lover/sibling/child/parent. A very valid reason. However, there is no fear in her that points to that.
Instead, it seems that she is keeping her past lives to herself, simply because she just wants to be who she currently is. Not the previous life, but the “now” life.
That is hard, especially in the rare cases wherein she is reincarnated too close to her previous life, like right now in her 19th life.
You obviously want to reconnect with the people you love in your previous life. But, you know deep inside that if you do, they wouldn't see you as you are now, rather, they will see you as your previous life. Which is… well… not you anymore, no matter how many emotions and good memories you might have had.
The FL is strict to the point that she ended up having hallucinations of reconnecting with her previous life mother and sister.
She only bent her own rule in her 19th life when she was a kid because of her dire situation. If she did not, she probably would've died again, or her 19th life ended up as her worst to date.
I don't think I will be able to hold myself the way s/he can if I were in her shoes. Knowing that much, I will not hold myself back to just performing as the “genius kid”, I will work my way around different aspects of society and use my knowledge to manipulate people, circumstances, and everything.
To the point that, in my next life, I already have a system to prove my next life, thus taking over the system I created with my next life. Eventually building my own empire. (For example, I'm the only one who knows 100 passwords.)
I wonder how long the FL can keep herself in check. I'm more interested in how she's going to handle her situation than any other part of the story.
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NOTE: Trakt.tv's spoiler tag is very buggy. Not my fault if it is not hidden.
1. For someone who isn't interested in people and strangers, he sure has big ears for relationship updates. LMAO!
Yep. Get mad at him! He deserves it! All people like him don't deserve our love!
Here in the Philippines, we call it “hugot”. It literally means “pull”, but in this context, it translates to something like “deep source about something”. And this is what the Assembywoman was going through, the death of her son.
Let's be honest with ourselves here, it is NEVER right for children to die before their parents. Every religion believes that. Even those who don't believe in religion agrees.
That is the “hugot” of the Assemblywoman. It wasn't so much about neglect that is bothering her, it is because her only child died before her. She is just using their neglect and the budget as a way to channel all of it.
She was even willing to sacrifice her right foot because her “hugot” is so intense. Who wouldn't? Your child died before you. That will never ever be right.
So, again, it is very easy to hate her, but we have to understand where she is coming from.
> She experienced the worst thing any decent human being should never experience. <
And that brings us to:
They finally revealed why he is acting the way he acted. He had a very bad experience already. I don't think it has to do with his son (Season 2), it was probably something worse, where he was directly involved or someone he respected, or his junior.
Something happened in the past, they got sued to the ends of the earth, and someone who doesn't deserve to be sued probably lost their license and later committed suicide.
It probably changed Daddy Cha. He vowed to never let it happen again. So, today, we are seeing this version of him that even his daughter has never seen. He will protect the hospital and he will protect the doctors.
He did not even care about what Woo Jin did with his son. He did not even care about what Woo Jin to his senior. He judged Woo Jin based on his skills as a doctor, period.
That tells us that Daddy Cha is a reasonable person, and doesn't get himself involved in stupid politics like in Season 01 and Season 02.
We go back to what I already said before, Daddy Cha is the polar opposite of Master Kim. They have the same values and principles at the end of the day, they just differ on how they approach it, how they make decisions, and how they want to achieve their goals.
They are like the North and South Poles. One is moving counter-clockwise, the other clockwise. Polar opposites. But have the same goal and purpose in life.
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That was a very nice move from Dr. Cha (father). He quickly understood that the Trauma Center was Master Kim's project, and Director Park was simply a partner who happened to have the same dream as Master Kim.
Since there are two departments, the main hospital and the trauma center, Dr. Cha found a way how to corner Master Kim… through his principles.
How can Master Kim handle both the main hospital and the trauma center? The reason they are head-hunting for another excellent doctor was exactly for that reason… they need personnel, highly experienced personnel.
He knew he can request to keep Master Kim out of the trauma center. Master kim can keep his role in the main hospital, while keeping his dream of a trauma center for everyone running.
Master Kim can not decline, after all, was it not his motto that the lives and care of patients is their utmost priority?
We are surely in for on mega roller coster of a season!
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Initial feedback as of s03e01
It was a good idea, they sort-of “rebooted” the series in Season 02. The new couple is better suited for the series, and now they're back in Season 03.
It's great to see they're continuing from Season 02, instead of starting a new story. Although 3 years have passed (same as in real-life = premiere year of the shows.)
I like how they retained most of the characters/actors. Again, continuity.
Back in Season 02, I was hoping they'll pick Lee Kyung Young in Season 03. YEAH THEY DID!
Suspicion is correct! Lee Kyung Young's character is Cha Eun Jae's father. Hahaha. This was a very good decision, we need this kind of complex relationship, and it will add a lot of amazing conflicts.
And we all know, when Lee Kyung Young is in a show, 99% he's the antagonist, and it's going to be brutal. LOL!!!!
So, imagine her daughter is Dr. Cha Eun Jae, and he is also a rival of Master Kim. SUWEEEEETTT
Great to see the latest in ER and medical tech. About time, especially in Korea, a country which excels in medical technologies.
Great premiere episode 01, they did not jam every character immediately. It was a slow re-introduction. Also, I like how they immediately revealed the antagonist. That means, we're going to enjoy a hospital war very early.
Since it's this early, I can't imagine what twists and turns they are going to introduce. After all, it shouldn't be a rehash of any conflicts they used in Season 1 and 2, otherwise it would be boring.
Great premiere, I love it. I can't wait for tonight's episode 02!
I love this! It captured that moment when we were in High School (Grades 10, 11, 12 in South Korea; Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in the Philippines).
It was a very good throwback to the best day of our lives. When we were so young, innocent, brave, that part of our life where we were trying to carve a name for ourselves, trying to be independent, yet reality is pushing us back. That point in our lives when we start to hate our parents/guardians because of this and that.
But, today, as adults, we are saying the exact same thing to the kids of today. Go study. GO STUDY! It is not the time to be in a relationship. Or, us adults find it hard to trust kids because WE KNOW EXACTLY what is going on in their minds and what they are and will do. Why? Because we've been there ourselves.
To some, relationship became the reason their grades fell. While for some, it became the reason they became the top of the class. Some got distracted because of it, some it was a source of inspiration.
That is what this show is about, High School life, and how we were poking into the world of adulthood, yet too afraid to face make a stand. Where we thought we knew better, only to realise, often the hard way, what we know about ourselves and about life is nothing.
EVEN SO, it is that point in our lives that many of us wants to go back to. The fun. The feeling of being sooooo muuuuch in love. Laughing with our friends. With absolutely no care about the world.
To kids out there, enjoy your school life. Play hard. Live it. Laugh all you want, cry all you want. Be in love. Feel all the pain of break-ups. Because, trust us, once you are an adult, you will never have time to play, you will never experience that kind of life ever again. You will never have time to laugh, NOT EVEN to cry. And all the pain you will experience as an adult, you will lock it away. And all the love in the world, you will learn to ignore it.
It sucks to be an adult. So, enjoy your High School life. Make the best of it. Make a lot of good memories, and learn from all the bad memories. It will shape you. It will be the source of your strength and success one day.
You may hate your teachers, those subjects, but they will become useful in your adult life.
At that age, you think you know what you want to become and what job you will apply to, but no, more than half the time, things doesn't go according to your plan.
You hate math? Who doesn't? You are thinking you don't need to learn history, or English because it has nothing to do with the job you want? We all assumed that, too.
But, you know what, kids? We were wrong. Even in the type of jobs where it's 99% not needed, there is always that 1%, and you will wish to paid attention to your teachers.
Enjoy your life at eighteen, or you will regret it later.
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It's a story about the four seasons of relationships. From Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter, and back to Spring signifying new beginnings, new hope, and a brighter future.
I talked about the Four Seasons of Relationships here: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/the-season-of-kokdoo/91869-the-four-seasons-of-relationships
But, to add to that, I love how in Episode 15 and 16, they revealed additional layers into the meaning of the Seasons.
For example, their Korean names have a meaning if you know the Hanja equivalent.
1. FL in the past: Seol Hui- Hangul: 설희- Hanja: 雪希 which means snow.
2. FL in 2023: Han Gye Jeol- Hangul: 한계절- 계절 in Hanja is: 季節 which means ‘season’- According to Kokdu, her name means Spring. Or, something that was in Winter (her past self) that reached Spring, the changing of Seasons (her 2023 name).
The FL's past and 2023 names are tied to each other. They were never meant to be together in the past, because that past was the beginning of their winter fate.
However, when she was reborn in the present time, she was given the name Gye Jeol. A sign that the winter season is about to end, and the a new season is going to begin. New beginnings. New hope.
And as Kokdu realised, her names mean exactly that. Winter to Spring seasons. From dark and cold, to bright/light and warm.
3. ML in the past: Oh Hyun- Hangul: 오현 - means "five strings". -- He came back after 5 years.- Hanja: 傲泫
There are many possible Hanja to his name, but the Hangul itself already has a meaning.
I tried to find other references to five, but found none. The strings can mean fate.
Other Hanja variations of 오 are "to meet", or "bright"; "crow", "black".
Other Hanja variations of 현 are "wepp", or "swift", or "bow string", or "black".
If we consider the possible Hanja characters and meanings, a picture starts to form why he was named Oh Hyun in the past, and why everything ended up the way it all did.
And let's be reminded, Kokdu is Oh Hyun stuck as a god of the afterlife. It still is his name, so, he's living true as Oh Hyun.
4. ML as a god: Kokdu- Hangul: 꼭두의- Hanja: n/a
I think there's no need to speculate on Kokdu.
Another good thing. The ending was not something expected. There were similar supernatural romance before, and usually they have similar endings. This TV series chose a path less shown in K-dramas.
Again, warning, spoilers.
There are spoilers because it is what this show is about.
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Final warning. Spoilers.
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As the title says, “Strangers Again”, so you shouldn't be surprised what the story is about: break-up.
This is a very rare topic in TV series, after all, who wants to be reminded of their painful memories? Thus, I applaud the entire team for taking on this project even though there is risk it may, or may not, become a success, maybe forgotten after a few months.
However, it is important to note that there are lessons in this story, and here are some of it:
Love is not as simple as we assume it to be.
People are unique.
Relationships are not easy to handle.
Yes, break-ups are painful, but how you handle it defines if you are a mature adult.
Moving on is not about hating each other, not wanting to see each other's shadows, rather it is about if you can become “Strangers Again”.
Another winning aspect of this show. It is rare to see the Second Leads end up happy and the Main Leads go on their separate ways. In many stories, not only K-dramas but in other countries as well, the title points to one thing then still end up with “they happily live ever after”.
This show? The title is what it is about, “Strangers Again”. Huge plus for me.
If you want to learn something about life, love, relationships, breaking-up, and moving on, then put this show in your list. However, if you are looking for a fantasy, this is not it.
Season 01
Awesome series!
If you are familiar with physics, astronomy, mathematics, theories, you will recognise a lot of stuff used in this show. I'm not sure about the novel, so I'm only referring to the show.
The philosophical questions are also relevant, and many have been asked before, and many were recently asked.
I can't believe they were able to combine these different school of thoughts into one cohesive story. I haven't seen a story like this before. Usually, sci-fi authors would only focus, at most, 5 to keep it simpler for the audience, but in this show, it's out-of-this-world.
The animation part was also great. They combined two types of art, and that was amazing. Also, some would probably critic how the movement of the animated characters are not fluid, but that's the whole point, it was intentional. It captured the 'game feel'.
Overall, from episodes 1 to 16, each episode felt like watching a 45-minute movie. They spent a lot. It wasn't half-baked. They were consistent in quality every episode.
Highly recommended!
