A 花より男子 (Hana Yori Dango); Meteor Garden show with political sibling rivalry
I. Story
In a story with many important characters, it is important to tell it clearly, they did well in doing that. The political war between the brothers were interesting, they also picked a good period for the Korean version of a Chinese novel.
Sadly, the romantic aspect of the story was delivered poorly. It did not elicit any emotional reaction. There was no built-up. This is primarily a story about sibling rivalry gone to the political level.
II. Acting
It was lacking in some areas, there were also scenes which looked like they were practicing. There were also memorable scenes, from pure laughter to serious where their acting were very natural.
III. Music
The music, unfortunately, did not make an impact. There were scenes where a powerful music fits but instead it did not have any or a weaker music was used. They should've used more.
IV. Production
The production was very good. They spent for quality materials and designs for the wardrobe of the actors. This is specially true for IU where she was able to wear historical wardrobes yet with a modern touch which fits her aura. Great job in blending the two eras.
However, close-up shots were overused to the 5th power. It wasn't needed in many of the scenes, it became annoying. In the boat scenes, there was too much backlight glare from the sun the actors (again close-up shots) can be barely seen.
The Greatest Science Fiction Romance in the last 40 years
"더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) was the best science fiction and romance of the 2010 decade. I would say that this show has gained the number one (#1) spot in my list of "Top 10 Overall Best Sci-fi TV Show" pushing down "Fringe" (2008) which held that rank for 12 years.
I. Story
The writer, Kim Eun Sook of the "Lovers in Paris" (2004); "Descendants of the Sun" (2016); "Goblin" (2016); and "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) fame, once again showed us her amazing talent in creating stories that truly captures the imagination and heart of the audience.
In "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020), Kim Eun Sook has woven beautifully the "parallel world" trope into her memorable romance plots. She did not leave it simply as a literary device then forgotten, she placed it in the center of the series, and the drama and romance unfolded through it.
Each episode was more or less one hour and ten minutes, and no episode was boring, no episode was dragging, no episode was a repeat of previous ones. In every episode there is a fresh plot, a new story to tell which added to the development of the characters, the relationships between them, and the tension and clashes when worlds and ambitions collide.
II. Acting/Cast
What an amazing cast--Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun CHae, Lee Jung Jin, Kim Yong Ji, Kang Hong Suk--they picked the right people for the roles. Their unique acting styles made their characters fully alive and their interaction with each other natural.
The show was not only about "Yi Gon" (Lee Min Ho) and "Jeong Tae Eul" (Kim Go Eun), everyone were key persons in creating the world of the "Kingdom of Corea". They all brought their best and created a masterpiece.
III. Production
While there were a few noticeable errors, the editing and sequence of the scenes covered it all. I especially like how they did not present the stories, in each episode, in a linear fashion; instead they kept scenes for the next episodes and did flashbacks at the right time.
The mixing of historical with the modern in the fictional "Kingdom of Corea" were seamless. There were no out-of-place moments. Where there are modern things, the room was designed to fit these modern gadgets. Where there should be a historical look and feel, the room either did not have any modern materials or the few blended with the environment. Not an easy task to achieve.
It was not only the interior designers but it was also the directors and cameramen who did great shots in creating a seamless mix of historical and the modern environments.
IV. Conclusion
I highly recommend "더 킹: 영원의 군주" or "The King: Eternal Monarch" (2020) especially if one is a fan of "parallel world" type of science fiction. Think of this show as "Fringe" (2008) but with touchy romance and intense family rivalry.
Overall score of 9.5 out of 10 stars.
A Masterpiece!
Summary: Alice is a major masterpiece.
Some details:
I. Time-travel
-- I am very critical when it comes to time-travel stories. The writers of Alice handled this very well with just 16 episodes. They backed it with current science and theories and less on artistic freedom. They also handled well the grandfather paradox.
Were there loopholes in the time-travel? At first, it appears so but after watching the whole series there is none. In the finale episode, many would probably think there were a lot of loopholes but I beg to differ, there were none as far as the theories and science used by the series they did this one well.
II. Acting
-- The acting of everyone were superb. From the comedy to seriousness, from the love triangle to family love, and from the future to the past to the present. I have no idea the sequence of filming you did--all past scenes first for example, or was it mixed--but everything fit perfectly.
III. Music
-- The background music were in the right place and at the right time. Not too soon, not too long, and definitely not in the wrong places. It was not used to elicit emotions, the music was there to add an additional layer to an already complex dynamics.
IV. Story
-- This is the most important part. The story is very deep and thought-provoking. It is a love story about a mother and her son. It is a love story about the son and a person who looks exactly like his mother. A love story about the son who was adopted and grew up with another family. It is a story about camaraderie. And it is also a story about time-travel and the repercussions and morals of it.
Having weaved all these different stories to form one grand story is not an easy thing to do in a 16-episode series. This is usually possible in a novel or comics but the writers of "Alice" and the director were able to pull it off. It started with love and ended with love.
Time has no beginning and no end but people do.
Did I just watch a true-to-life movie series?
I. Story
Overall, the story was great. The number of twists and turn, unexpected revelations, the high level political game, and the multiple layers, made this series one of the best crime drama of this decade ('10s). However, it failed closing the story properly.
In the last episode (16th), it was obvious it was rushed. There was no direction. Everything the series built up from episodes 1 to 15 disappeared. It started awesome, then became great, good, and ended poorly.
It is common among creative writers to have an open-ended story but in this case the ending was not an open-ending, no, it was a cliffhanger intended to be a premise for a guaranteed Season 2. If the intention was to have an open-ending, it should have ended with them driving to the airport. Everything else after that scene killed what made it great.
I still give it 8 out of 10 stars for the story regardless of the disaster after the "driving to the airport scene". I also applaud the writers and director for not inserting romantic scenes just because their lead female is well-known for it.
II. Acting
Suzy did well in portraying an intelligence officer. This was a big change from her usual romantic roles and I wasn't expecting she can pull it off. Yet, in the first two episodes, she already shone in her role, that's a sure sign of a talented actress.
The acting of the other actors were superb. I usually see them in dramas about family and relationships, seeing them portray political and intelligence roles was refreshing and in they owned the characters they portrayed in series.
Together, the acting were too believable I kept thinking I was watching a fictionalised true story. The characters were too real, all thanks to their acting and synergy.
III. Production
Did I just watch a 16-episode (16-hour) movie? It was clear they spent money on "Vagabond" to get it all right. But in the last episode the explosions were very bad. This was the other reason why I said earlier that anything after the "driving to the airport" scene should not have been included.
IV. Overall score
All things considered. I give it a rating of 8 out of 10 stars. The superb acting and quality production were what pulled it up, and for avoiding creating romantic scenes just because they have a great romantic-genre actress as a female lead.
A series I'll watch again in the future but not the scenes I mentioned earlier.
High emotional impact. Amazing cast. Great music! A story we can always watch.
NOTE: There are no spoilers. However, some people might consider some information as such. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
I. Story
There are two stories in this series, the first is the political rivalry; and the second is the relationship between the Main leads.
The political rivalry story was well-written. There were always fresh "content" (if we can call it that) in every episode. They avoided repeating the same plot or reusing what was already "solved" in the previous episodes, while maintaining the overarching plot.
The story between Kang Chi Choi (played by Seung Gi Lee) and Yeo Wool Dam (played by Suzy Bae) was more than perfect. I loved how they did not dive into romantic scenes and dating game, otherwise it would've ruined the whole show. They carefully built-up the expectation and tension between the characters and perfectly used the intense emotions they captured from the audience at the right time, at the right moment.
The finale episode (ep. 24) was beyond perfection. While writing this review, I can still feel the impact and weight of this episode. Anyone can easily feel the emotions of both characters and the dialogues were realistic, what most people would say if they're in the shoes of either of the characters.
II. Acting
Everyone successfully brought to life the characters they played. The seriousness, the anger, the laughter, and craziness were also reflected on their faces. Superb acting!
The Main leads--Seung Gi Lee and Suzy Bae--captured the hearts of the audience which made it easy to feel their characters, to think like their characters, to be their characters. The way they gave life to their characters was natural, we can feel their humanity.
Special mention to Suzy, if I am not mistaken this was only her third Main role in a TV series, the delivery of her lines and they way she showed us her character's personality was at a veteran actor level. It wasn't perfect, similar with Seung Gi, there were a few scenes which were awkward or maybe forced but both of them quickly recovered (even in the same scene).
III. Music
The best music/OST. Perfect timing, at the right place, at the right scene, at the right time. The songs were also memorable and easy to listen to. They also did not forget to lower down the background music a second or two before a dialogue, something often forgotten in many other shows.
IV. Production
It was clear they gave a very good budget for this show. The texture and colours of their costumes and props were awesome on the screen. It helped in bringing-in the audience to live in the world of "Gu Family Book".
V. Verdict
Highly recommended. 20 out of 10 stars. Very high in the re-watch list.
Great job!
Definitely a must watch show
I. Story
When you thought you have guessed the twists and turns, a new layer is introduced to prove your guesses wrong. This is rare in this genre and the writer, Hyuk Rin Jang, wrote a masterpiece.
While "The K2" was mainly about the political game, it was also about family relationships and the politics that is common in large clans with huge money at stake. This type of story is usually told by showing a dragging drama but in this TV series they approached it from an "outsider" view or as a secondary story. THe family politics was there but they were careful in keeping it from becoming the main story.
II. Acting
Excellent acting from the veteran and younger actors. The fight scenes, especially in episode one was beyond Western choreography, "James Bond" and "Mission: Impossible" can never match what they did.
I was also impressed by YoonA's acting of her character. At first it looked like her role was easy but as we get into the middle episodes, her character was challenging--she had to be a totally different person, someone with PTSD and deep hatred.
III. Music
The background music were perfect. It adds to the impact of an already powerful scene. It was good because BGMs should act as an amplifier for scenes and not as "the scene".
IV. Production
Great production. Clearly every centavo was spent to create a realistic show which captivated the audience and made the boundary between reality and fiction non-existent.
A great watch … worth it!
I. Story
a. Episode stories: The stories per episode were mostly good. Out of 16 episodes, I like the story of 9 episodes.
b. Series story: From the title, "Start-Up" (or "Sandbox"), it gives the impression that it is primarily about starting up a business or about joining a, well, sandbox program. However, overarching story is more about [1] a love triangle and [2] sibling rivalry. The impression from the series title only takes tertiary importance. It would have been better if the importance was as follows: [1] sibling rivalry; [2] start-up/sandbox/business; and [3] love triangle.
Regardless… the way the overarching stories were delivered and the choice of story per episode were enough to pull up the score for this rating.
However, avoid introducing important facts and then never mentioning it again. For example, Ji Pyung and the sisters have met when they were kids. It was also weird that a bloodied person can pitch his company, that does not happen in real life.
II. Acting
Acting! This is where I had to give a low rating. There were too many crying scenes where the facial expression was neutral. It was obvious they were only "acting" instead of actually feeling and letting their emotions out.
I'm a fan of Suzy but I have to mention this: relax more during kissing scenes, make us feel it, and it doesn't need to be "wild". The kissing scenes can still be romantic even if there wasn't too much lip action. A room for improvement. I love her acting and the way she brings life to the characters she plays but the kissing scenes needs improvement. Relax, take it slow, don't make it wild -- rather make it romantic. Don't act, imagine he's your boyfriend or some secret desire. You want to enjoy the moment, to just let him feel your desire.
As for Joo Hyuk, great job in portraying what appears to be an eccentric, possibly even an autistic, character. It is never easy if an actor is not in the autism spectrum--in particular asperger syndrome. Very geeky, logical, all about facts, and clueless about everything else, especially fashion and social skills. Those scenes where Dal Mi was sending signals and Do San missed it all--those were all great. Sometimes annoying but all of it were relatable. Neutral face, going back to the discussion he was focused on, definitely a character with aspergers syndrome. Well done there.
For Han Na, excellent job in keeping the character mysterious. It was not easy when the character In Jae had a change of heart, especially when it comes to her sister. There were clues but the next moment it's the total opposite. This happens in real life and so it's great to see it on screen.
III. Music
This one is hard. I can not remember any memorable music other than the theme songs.
IV. Rewatch Value
Definitely in my list of series that I'll choose to re=watch.
V. Summary
Overall, the production, story, and acting were awesome. The inclusion of business terminologies and explaining each, that was a very good idea. Explaining the processes, the whys and the hows, definitely a plus. It would have been better if they toned down the "young adult" giggles because that very rarely happens in-real-life. They should've used sandbox and showed the idea behind it and what's happening in it more as well, instead of just providing a free office and free funding.
The "revolutionary" ideas were well thought out especially the app helping those with vision challenges. I do hope such an app exists but we haven't achieved that speed of AI recognition still something to look forward to. Great choices on scenes and I wish they added more, like a team building session where they could feature the beauty of Korea instead of the exact same office.
From a dramatic episode 1 and funny episodes later, to the building up of the trials and tribulations, to the eventually resolution in the latter episodes. it was enough to pull up the overall rating to 9 out of 10 stars.
RomCom done right
Simply, it's romantic comedy done right. There are many shows categorised as "RomCom" over the years and very few deserving of this label. "Please Don't Date Him" is one of the few exception as it brings out genuine laughter in every episode while building on the romantic relationship of the characters.
The literary device used for the plot was properly used and was not just a literary device later forgotten after setting up the story. When this was revealed, I was expecting this show to turn serious and deviate from being a romcom and turn into a serious drama, but the writer(s) stayed true and kept it in the sidelines yet still an important part of the show.
Song Ha Yoon, who played "Seo Ji Sung" did very well in portraying an A.I. programmer yet still "just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" (to borrow from "Notting Hill"). I also love how they chose a woman as a programmer in this show debunking the stereotypes [1] programming is for men; and [2] girl programmers does not have a love life.
I recommend this show if you are looking for a series which will make you laugh, fall in love all over again, and appreciate the people around you, even strangers like our brave firefighters. Don't forget to check my review of episode 9: https://mydramalist.com/62539-please-don-t-meet-the-man/episode/9 -- a must-watch episode.
It's sad that they only planned a total of ten (10) episodes, they could have extended it to thirteen or a full series (sixteen episodes).
《허쉬》 or "HUSH" was a Korean TV serial which ran from December 11, 2020 to February 6, 2021 in jTBC. This show is about the life of a group of news reporters and how they faced the trials thrown at them.
"HUSH" started by introducing the audience to the process of getting hired in a newspaper company. Once the key characters were introduced, the story immediately tacked its first of many interconnected plots. These were no ordinary plots as it touched on the issues people face daily in work environments and in society. Stories where the audience can relate and question the ethics and morality of what they see, what they hear, and what they read.
In particular, it talked about suicide. Suicide is a very serious social problem in South Korea in recent years, it produced different movements, revision of existing laws, and even new laws, to help fight against the most common reason for suicides--bullying and unfair treatment. This show beautifully handled this subject and encouraged the audience to put themselves in the shoes of other people and to question and care about the things happening around them.
The stories in each episode and the main plot were deep and provoking. It was not simply an office drama in the world of news reporting, it was a life drama which touched the hearts and minds of its audience.
The casting was picked well especially with veteran actors like Son Byung Ho, Yoo Sun, Kim Won Hae, Lee Seung Jun, who were what is commonly called today as "second leads". They portrayed their characters well which was vital to the success of the main leads played by Hwang Jung Min and Im Yoon Ah.
Lim Yoon Ah, or "Yoona", brought all her acting skills in this drama. I can say that this was her best in all of her acting career a perfect match to her veteran male lead partner, Hwang Jung Min. From her innocent look as someone new in journalism to a matured character who earned her badges in life.
This is a good series to watch and I recommend it to anyone going through trials in their work and life in general. A show which reminds us and encourages us to speak out when we see bullying and unfair treatments and practices.
Originally posted on my blog: https://youronly.one/yuki/review-hush-2020-202140/ under a CC-BY-SA 4.0 International License.
I don't know what to say with "Azumi 2: Death or Love". As the title suggest, and if you've watched the first movie, this is a sad ending for the story of Azumi.
Movies with sequels usually fail to live up with the original film, Azumi 2 is one of those rare sequels that was equal to or even surpassed the first film. The production was great and the background music were at the right scenes. The story was great, now that the background or introduction was out of the way, this sequel concentrated on Azumi and her hidden conflict inside: Death or Love.
Both movies are highly recommended. In fact, these two movies are closely tied-in together, it was as good as a single film. I'm glad they did not follow this up with another sequel "Azumi 3" because that would more likely not be at par with "Azumi" and "Azumi 2", though of course it would be great to see Azumi in action again.
And this is where I give Ueto Aya the highest praises, she was able to pull the exact same fierceness and one-mindedness when her character is in killing-mode. She did not force it, it was natural as if she was Azumi. Aya was born to bring Azumi alive.
Another perfect 10.
P.S. Time period aside, it would be an epic match if Azuri and Hitokiri Battousai met.
I want to give this an 8 out of 10, but it was so hard to do, 7 is fitting.
The acting was forced to act as students. You can see they have a talent and skills in acting, but it failed to show because they have to act like “kids”, it isn't their forte. They did not have to overdo it. In some behind-the-scene clips, those were perfect. They just have to be their normal selves, for example, in the BTS in the last episode where they were preparing the proposal, it was just them playing. It was like being in their natural habitats. We are all like that. But whenever the camera starts to roll, they become so focused on acting like a “teenager” that it turned out bad.
The kung fu fight scenes and the training scenes, no comments there.
Production. Seems to be a low budget show? It could have been better if they have a higher budget.
However, in the last few episodes, the editing started to go down. There were also scenes not needed at all. It's a rule in creative writing, a scene that doesn't add anything to the story should be deleted. And some of those only distracted from the objective of the scene.
Last episode. It's a typical wrap-up episode.
Overall, the series was like a school project. In the last episode, they even added an explanation of what happened to the gang. Was this not 100% fiction? Then that explanation is not needed at all, it is a given, they went to prison, end-of-story for them, we don't care about them. Unless this series was based on a true story? Because that's the only reason why that explanation was needed.
OST. Awesome!
Last but not the least, the story. That I love. The story's great. The plot, sub-plots, the different message the writer wants to send across.
As of Season 2 Episode 6, these are my speculations:
Something happened which split the group into four:
1. Silas - has his own agenda (although, IIRC, he was protecting Gavin/Isaiah because he made a promise to his mother, so they're probably "aligned"?)
2. Aldrich - had her own agenda
3. Gavin's mother - to permanently shutdown 1988
4. James (father) - who doesn't care what happens to the past as long as the future is saved
I think when they learned they were causing the sinkholes, James changed his agenda. They will stay in 10,000 B.C. and restart the human history their way.
Also, Gavin's mother said that their own future (2076) changed after the sinkholes started showing up randomly in their history. This is probably what gave James the idea to keep the portal open, and maybe to stay in 10,000 B.C.
I'm also suspecting that James is using the portals as a weapon. When they opened a portal to 1988, it caused an earthquake, a sign of an impending sinkhole.
If that is correct, then wherever the portal is opened, a sinkhole will eventually show up too.
The portal from the Lazarus project is one way. The sinkhole is the loop back. That is why the sinkholes are showing up. The energy produced by the Lazarus portal needs a loopback. Since no one's controlling it on the other side, a loopback portal shows up randomly.
Now, why a sinkhole? It's not the sinkhole per se, it is the location of the original portal.
Over time, throughout history, the elevation of land only kept on going higher and higher. Back in 10,000 B.C. compared to the modern era (1980s onwards), a lot of layers were already added.
So, when the loopback happens, it returns to the same elevation, and it is underneath the layers of soil that accumulated over thousands of years. Which resulted into sinkholes.
Only problem, the location of the portal is random. The only possible fixed thing is its elevation, hence the loopback portal is always underneath.
--- Another possibility, James already knew everything beforehand. His wife, Silas, Aldrich, they were all kept in the dark as to his actual agenda.
Universe/World: I like the concept. If this was a novel, it could span 10 YA (Young Adult) novels easily. The adventure in this universe/world can be limitless, and the world can be fleshed out properly.
Speaking of fleshing out, episode 1 lacks a lot of that. It was as if this series is a sequel, or not standalone. That it expected the audience to already have knowledge of it.
But again, it's premier week. Still, for a show with only 8 episodes, they should be setting the universe early.
Acting: 5 out of 10 as of episode 1. The first episode gave me the feels that the talents are newbies. And I think they most of them are, at least after checking some of their past works listed here in MDL.
Directing/scenes: 6.5 out of 10. Needs more work. It seems like the show is being directed by a high school. They know what they want, but they are failing to capture the scene they have in mind.
Some weirdness in script: In the gym fight, the guy who went to the rescue of the FL acted as if he knows the real identity of the FL and have an idea on what's happening.
1. He was immediately on the offensive against the possessed student. No questions asked, just like that, he's flying for a punch.
2. When the FL summoned her weapon, and called his attention, he did not question why she's holding a weapon, and what she's about to do.
No ordinary student would act that way unless they too are a Phantom Hunter, or have knowledge of them.
If he is just an ordinary guy…
3. He never acted worried at all that the FL is “going to kill” their classmate, over for what? Defeating the bully?
Their classmate never did anything, as far as the gym scene is concerned, that would warrant getting stabbed by a spear. Yet, he just let the FL do it, no questions asked.
So, let's hope he is not an ordinary guy, and he does know something about what's going on. (After all, he did see the 7 orbs flying.)
What I love the most with this series is the character are multidimensional. They are not your cookie-cutter template one-dimensional character that we see in many TV dramas.
While the Prime Minister and the Chairman/Father are the usual antagonist characters, evil and bad respectively, the rest are not.
For example, Doctor Moon. All he cared about was winning the competition. It was as if he doesn't care about the patients as long as he gets what he wants. Sounds selfish, right? It is. But deep down, Dr. Moon did what he did because he also had an experience he can not forget, at the same time, he has an ambition, and he truly cares about the patients.
This was touching for me because many of us judge other people based on our first impressions of them. We only see the surface and fail to understand what's driving them to be that way. Why are some people we meet always making jokes or making fun of others? Could it be that deep inside, they are broken, and it is their way of hiding it? Or maybe, at home, they live in a broken family, and making jokes and making fun is their only outlet?
I am not saying we should tolerate these things if it crosses-the-line, just us how some actions of Dr. Moon should not be tolerated when he's out of line already. We tend to forget the person inside and only see the surface.
To put it another way, there are also people who always smile, are kind, and helpful. But we forget to ask how their life is. Are those acts only there as a mask? Some people would even take advantage of them, without realising that behind it is some painful and tragic experience.
As the idiom goes, “do not judge the book by its cover”.
It was not only Doctor Moon, but the two main characters. As was explained in episode 16, the second lead couple failed to look behind the surface of the two main characters. They had a very painful and tragic life. They judged them immediately without first trying to understand what's driving them and why they do what they do.
This is what struck me about this show. It was not just a romantic story. It was not just an ER/OR drama. It's about how people judge each other.
And then there was the “it's not money that I want, it's your sincere apology”. A very powerful message itself. Often times we think too much that we forget all it takes is a sincere apology, and when something reaches the court, more often than not it was because the grace period for apologies had passed.
If a person still pursues a legal action even after apologising, that's their call. Asking for forgiveness and the rule of law, are two different things. For example, in the show's context, a medical malpractice is a medical malpractice, especially when there are clear guidelines in the first place. The victims can forgive, because forgiveness is personal, it benefits both parties, releases the burden. But the law is the law.
This series portrayed how the doctors and the Chairman/Father misunderstood apologising/forgiveness and the law. They assumed that people will sue them for medical malpractice just because. Or the victims are only after monetary compensation. We think too much that we create our own demons, when something can be solved by a sincere apology.
I'm glad I watched this drama. It's touching and full of life lessons.
I love it. They addressed the less spoken issue of Korea's marriage tradition wherein a spouse's family registration is transferred to the other spouse's family.
For those who are not familiar, in Korea, it has been their tradition for centuries, for a spouse to transfer to their spouse's clan. Usually, to this day, it is the wife. Family registrations, as it is called today, or family trees, is a huge thing in Korea to this day. When you get married, typically the wife's family tree is moved to the husband's family tree. The wife stops being a member of her original family. And she is treated as a “daughter-in-law”, not as a full daughter, of her new “family tree”.
There is a centuries old issue with this practice, the in-law spouse, if she's unlucky, is treated less, as a slave, or as a helper. They are expected to serve their new “family tree”, because if they don't, it is a valid cause for divorce the new “family tree” can force on the married couple.
Unfortunately, this tradition of serving your new “family tree” lingers on, and many are afraid of speaking out against it, especially if the new “family tree” a spouse was adopted into are people in power or influential. As proven by the case in this episode.
There is nothing wrong with keeping “family trees”, or being adopted into your spouse's family tree/registration. Personally, I like that. However, the adopted spouse should be treated as an equal. If a wife was transferred to your family tree/registration, then she should be treated as a full daughter. You should not let your daughter-in-law do things you wouldn't ask of your own flesh-and-blood daughter.
The same way goes if the spouse who was adopted/transferred is the husband (which is not unheard of, and did happen centuries ago [at least, in this regard, Korea is more advanced socially]). Using this episode's case, if you wouldn't ask your children to be your driver and personal secretary, and treat them as slaves, then you shouldn't treat your adopted children's spouses like that.
A good way to end this social issue without killing the tradition of family registry/trees is to give the married couple an option to start their own family registration/tree, and be 100% independent.
Of course, in a culture where family registration/tree is integral, being independent, or starting your own registration/tree, would also mean you are disowning your original families. That will be the main argument of many. And if you do, if one day you need help, they wouldn't bother helping you.
But, is there any difference to it when a spouse is removed from their original family registration/tree and transferred to another? No one complained when their daughters stopped being a member of their own family registration/tree and moved to their husband's. The original family's “rights” are very limited, almost none, but they don't turn a blind eye when they require help (unless it's political, or forced by law).
If so, then there shouldn't be an issue if the married couple decides to start their own family registration/tree. People who will interpret it as “disowning their own family” are the problem, not the couple.
Think of it this way, instead of only one spouse (wife or husband) transferring to another family registration/tree, it is both of them. Does that make them “no longer your child/family”? No. And if one day they need help, you help. It is, after all, your responsibility as parents, regardless which family registry/tree they are under.
Our responsibilities as parents never stops. As this episode has shown, once our kids are married, the parents become passengers. Parents do not disappear because our responsibility to our children continues, it only changed in form, as a passenger. As a guide. As a support.
The ones at the front, holding the wheel and making decisions, are the married couple.
So, you see, the tradition can stay, but there is an option to become independent.
Lastly, if the married couple chose not to be independent, the in-law who whose family registration/tree was transferred to their spouse, should have a protection against being treated as anything but a full child.
Seriously. If your child married him/her, and you treat their spouse less than your own flesh-and-blood child, what does that make your child? In the first place, you approved their marriage. Haven't they realised by treating their children's spouses as a 'slave', they're practically saying that their own children are slaves, too? And you, as the parent, are a complete fool for having approved of their marriage?
Even in political marriages, be it centuries ago or this very day, you don't pick just anyone because the spouse of your children will also reflect on your children, and yourselves as the parents.
Let's be more liberal. Children getting married without the approval of their parents, which is the case in many countries today. It still will reflect on your children, and you as parents, whoever their spouse is. After all, you were the ones who shaped them to be who they are.
If they chose someone “undesirable”, it simply means you failed as a parent. In the first place, why did your child pick as a person? More likely than not, when they were growing up, their choice of “friends” were also undesirables. What did you do as a parent? Make excuses like “I'm too busy with work, it is all for you so you will have a better life than me?”
Watch this episode. It applies, not only to Koreans, but for all of us.
The ultimate question: Did they live happily ever after, as a couple? Or, did they live happily ever after, as friends?
Answer: it can go either way, 50-50.
Here's why.
As I mentioned in the previous weeks, this show is a story about love, relationships, break-ups, forgiveness, and moving on. This is not a fantasy romance where we would feel we are in heaven, and dream of Mr. Right and Ms. Perfect. No, none of that.
My first romantic relationship lasted for three (3) years. She was my first, and I was her first. We broke up, we talked, we closed things properly. But, guess what? We both failed to moved on.
In our case, she got married a few years later. It took us 11 more years to have a real closure. We failed to move on because we were not honest with ourselves, and we did not learn to forgive ourselves.
Before we can truly move on, we need to forgive the other party. But, we can not forgive other people if we do not forgive our own self first. To be able to forgive our own self, we need to face the reality and embrace it.
Yes, it is a process. It can take years, or it can take as short as a minute. It does not matter if you understand the process, there are people who can truly move on fast without being aware of the process.
Personally, I have proven that process to myself, when in late 2020, my 15-year relationship ended. When I learned to face reality, when I learned to embrace it. It was only then I was able to forgive myself.
It felt good. The heavy burden in my mind, and on my shoulders, were lifted. I was able to finally breathe. Then, I was able to forgive and thank her, even though I was only talking to the air.
It took me three (3) months, and I also had to put a deadline for myself. What do I mean? I told myself, “after this date, all is over, period”. After that date passed, I moved on. I started to smile.
Once we have truly moved on, that is only the time that healing begins. There is no healing if you can not smile. There is no healing if you can stomach hearing your ex's (or enemy's) name. You are not healing at all if you are still reacting emotionally when you see that other person's shadows, or hear them breath.
All these things are what “The Interest of Love” was telling us.
We all know that love and relationships are complicated, but do we truly understand it?
The 1FL was mostly pessimistic in the entire show. Rightly so, because there are people who are pessimistic. They do exist, and if you have not met at least one pessimistic person, you have not truly lived. The 1FL represents people who are pessimistic.
While the 1ML is a type of person who have a positive outlook in life, who was later crashed because of love. He was that type of person you have probably met once who never had time about love and relationships. But, when their heart was stolen by someone, they had no idea how to act and handle things.
Our pessimist 1FL eventually grew and started to have a positive outlook in life. All because of the 1ML.
At the same time, our 1ML, who had no idea about love and relationships, learned to listen and understand other people. All because of the 1FL.
Are you seeing how these two characters are helping each other grow? That is love and relationship. In episode 16, they even asked, “Were we really in love?” Because their relationship as two individuals was closer than they care to admit.
Let's take a detour.
There is also an important contrast between the 1ML and the 2ML. The 2ML acted badly when he heard the news that the 1FL slept with another man (note: there was no concrete proof if she did or not). The last word he told the 1FL was, “b**ch”.
However, what struck me was the 2ML also grew. Instead of sulking, or trying to find the 1FL and, maybe, force her back into a relationship after apologising, he decided to just call it.
Like what I mentioned earlier, the 2ML faced his reality and embraced it. He was not able to ask for forgiveness in person, but he knew he was forgiven because he learned to forgive himself.
He turned his bad experiences as a source of strength. He focused on his studies, and eventually achieved his dream to become a police officer.
Meanwhile, the 1ML was not giving up. He tried to find the 1FL, and he did, only to lose her again. And for the next four years, he tried to survive, hoping to see her one more time. (We are assuming he chose the branch himself.)
Another detour. The 2FL! Let's not forget her.
What type of character was she? She is that person who will do anything to get what they want. Not necessarily rich and wealthy people, mind you, there are ordinary people who get what they want just because. The 2FL represents those type of persons.
However, when it comes to love and relationships, it's either shallow or one-sided. First, she accepted the fact that the 1ML has eyes for the 1FL, but when he needed a shoulder to cry on, she freely offered herself. This is what we call “rebound relationship”.
For the 2FL, as long as she gets what she wanted, it is fine for her to be the rebound. The bad effect of this is that, the other person (the 1ML in this case) will never be fully into that relationship. They are either still thinking of the other person (the 1FL in this case), or they are only using the rebound relationship to heal (and once they healed, they will more likely leave).
The 1ML, who was growing because of the 1FL, realised this and broke up with her. Three years later, the 2FL returned to Korea, healed. In episode 16, she mentioned that she is fine talking about the 1ML because she (truly) moved on.
They even showed a scene how the 2FL saw the 1ML during the wedding, and it did not bother her. Was it because she found a new boyfriend? No, it wasn't about faithfulness and loyalty to her new boyfriend. In the first place, if she has not truly moved on, she would not be able to have a new boyfriend, that is not her character. Not to mention, she would not show up in the wedding knowing that they may cross paths.
The 2FL grew and learned what it means to love and have a relationship. Not just a romantic relationship, but also a relationship with her father.
Which brings us back to the 1FL and her relationship with her father. Like the 2FL, the 1FL also have a strained relationship with her father, although different, they are both not close to them.
See the contrast and 'relationships'?
And now, we are in episode 16. We have gone full circle when the 1ML and the 1FL started to talk about their “what-ifs”. This is a different kind of “what-ifs”.
Usually, “what-ifs” are regrets. However, in the case of the 1ML and 1FL, it was an intellectual discourse. Would things between them have ended up differently… if…?
There were no regrets when they looked back at their memories. Why? How? Simple. They learned to face and embrace their reality, and have forgiven themselves, and each other.
They moved on from the pain they caused each other. And they used those experiences to grow for the next four years of their lives.
Thus, when they met again, they were simply two healed individuals reminiscing their time together.
Think of it this way, tabula rasa. Clean slate.
They can choose to become a couple. Or, they can decide to remain as “special” friends.
I personally know married couples who broke up and later met again 4+ years later. They rekindled their love and relationship.
I, myself, went through the latter. Remember the first relationship I shared earlier, which took 11 years before we finally were able to moved on? Whenever our paths cross, after the true closure, there are no more lingering emotions and feelings between us. We can talk about the past normally, as in, just the past.
Some would probably say, “well, she's married and have children”. Sure, that's valid. However, even if she is still single, that part of our lives is long gone. We have reached the point wherein we will never cross our unwritten and undiscussed boundaries. We are just nothing but “special” friends.
I can see it in her eyes, and I am sure she can see it in my eyes, too. The past is the past. It's over between us, permanently. There is nothing to rekindle. We can reminisce, but that's it, nothing to rekindle. Our love for each other changed to something akin to brother and sister.
This is why the ending of “The Interest of Love” was like that.
Here are two individuals, whose lives were entwined when they were younger and innocent. Four years later, having learned from their experiences, and have forgiven themselves in the process, their paths crossed again.
They are representing two types of “couples”.
The first is: those couples who rekindled their love and gotten married later.
The second is: those couples, like me and my first, who will never have a romantic relationship ever again, but remain good friends.
It is up to the audience to decide which path the 1ML and the 2FL will choose. They can remain as friends, having grown and learned from each other. Or, they can rekindle their love and see where it goes this time around.
After all, they did ask and realised, “were we in love then?”
These are what the 1ML, 1FL, 2FL, and the 2ML, all learned in their lives:
You are the sum of your experiences. Learn from it and become a better person. Never harbour hatred and bitterness, rather, listen and understand each other.
All of our relationships are important. Be it romantic, as friends, or with our families. In these personal relationships, let love encompassed it all.
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!
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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."
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.
