Multiple episodes are taking place in a hospice. Prepare for the inevitable. There’s just not enough cocoa in the world to help us get through this unscathed.
Depending on the state of mind, the final revelation may seem either just right or a letdown. The gruesomeness of using body parts as messages makes suspending disbelief difficult. You may find yourself accepting the premise one moment, and reacting strongly against it the next. Even so, the show works quite well as a whole and is worth the watch.
As a viewer I appreciated the ample time given to closures, both emotional and plot-driven. It is respectful, even loving towards the sympathetic characters, and very satisfying. The inclusion of the dearly departed in the way the living processed heir new reality was human and humane. It highlighted the complexity of grieving while experiencing the big and small triumphs of justice being served. There’s a touch of beauty in the way this aspect of the story was handled. I wish more writers would put in such extra care.
Come to think of it, the female protagonist was treated very cruelly by everyone, except the detective. Those who loved her, those who used her, those who reacted to her as a political figure: all served a dose of brutality at one point or another. If she were a real person, she would be in dire need of a therapist and antidepressants.
Lee Min Ki continues to impress. A wonderfully nuanced performance. Always great to see him on screen.
I still don't and i think i never will undertand why Koreans find it absurd to marry someone who already has a…
My thoughts exactly. At least two shows this year can be boiled down to "OMG! OMG! OMG! S/he has a child! OMG!" The tragedy. What, people can't be generous enough to co-parent a child that doesn't carry their DNA? And everyone around should go into fits of desperation, whining and moaning at the mere thought that a family would embrace someone not born into it? What a s&%ty attitude to carry as a culture. On the whole, Koreans come across as warm-hearted people; this particular hangup is difficult to understand.
Not a fan of overusing the childhood connection trope, and even less fond of the whole "fated" mumbo-jumbo that comes with it, but here - such an unusual and sweet treatment, understated yet memorable; everything flows in a natural way, warms the heart and makes you accept with a smile that there's a certain destiny to the way people's lives intersect . Beautiful moment.
Fellow viewers, I may need an intervention. This thing is so drop-worthy. And yet - not only watching, but adding to the noise by commenting, for crying out loud. Must be some kind of sickness. ;)
The promos already hinted that the show would be a half-baked take on some high concept premise - statistically, a likely fail for a Korean screenwriter, unless s/he approaches the story as a study on the human condition. Sorry to see that the script is not defying expectations.
The three things that are worth it: - the warm treatment of a character with special needs, highlighting family love - the siblings' three-way hug, midway through, showing Ma Dong Chan as a loving brother - the fact that that Ji Chang Wook is playing a less stoic type of character, and we get to see him smile more
The things that are not worth it: Oh, who cares. It's a laundry list. If you commit to watching, you will inevitably come up with your own.
Out of curiosity: does anyone else find Ma Dong Chan kind of unlikeable? Yes, he is a daredevil, go-getter and a natural leader. He is also capricious, flighty, overbearing, quick to fall in and out of love, a charming bully (but bully nonetheless). And the way he orders Mi Ran around - go there, stay here, do that, smile and be happy, leave it all to me, l like that you're independent, but listen to what I'm saying and obey... If he weren't handsome, he would be creepier than the ex-boyfriend. I wonder if this is calculated - for those who have the frame of reference, is this the typical desirable Korean male of the 1990s? I'm really intrigued, would love to learn more.
Pleasantly surprised by this series. Started it unintentionally, fully expecting to drop it early on, but it delivers on its promise as it's approaching the midpoint. An easy watch and no major inconsistencies so far.
Jang Dong Yoon does such a good job in Lady Kim mode: it's remarkable how often she comes across as a fully fleshed character, not just Nok Du in disguise. While for a woman she has somewhat peculiar looks and personality, there are times when who you see is Lady Kim, not a man randomly dressed in drag.
I know Korea is a superficial country and dramas are even more so, but you would think in 2019 they could finally…
I think your perception is on point. The Virtuous Women Corp is supposed to be the comic relief collective; two out of the three are heavy and it's deliberate. Fat is funny and repugnant - or funny because it's repugnant. Nok Du was not only intimidated by them, but also appalled by their looks, and the viewer is invited to feel the same. The ugly ones are the enforcers: it's implied in no uncertain terms that no man would like or want them, so they are doubly zealous when chasing men away from the village and doubly pathetic as a result. The majority of the (intended) ugly ones are heavy. Fat equals unsightly and ridiculous.
It's not easy being a gay man or a fat woman in a Korean drama. These two groups seem to be destined to remain the object of ridicule, subtle or unsubtle. It's very deeply ingrained, to the point where most see the funny and filter out the unkind and aggressive overtones.
There is progress, though. The actress who is the tallest in the VWC was in the Arthdal Chronicles - as a character treated like any other, no specific attention to being heavier set, a competent and efficient martial arts fighter, in addition to being an aide and a spy. A rare thing, and nice to see.
And those last couple of episodes is what made me give it a 7/10 rather than an 8.5/10. Despite the messy subplots,…
I so agree with you, AnnitsAnn! What was especially grating was that in the previous episode, she made a strong point that they shouldn't be wasting precious time, he shouldn't be hiding from her, and she was there through thick and thin. I mean, the woman explicitly said she would be hurt more if he pulled what he ended up doing. Then - suddenly, all smiles and roses in the end. Sloppy.
And those last couple of episodes is what made me give it a 7/10 rather than an 8.5/10. Despite the messy subplots,…
Thank you for the rant, 3GGG! It feels cathartic to see similar reactions echoed by others. BTW, I've come across your articles on the visual language in K-dramas - learned a lot from you! Thanks for putting those together so nicely.
On an unrelated topic: did you follow Watcher? I think you'll appreciate the camera work, especially in the last episode. There's a strong "angels and demons" theme in the show, and a central character remains ambiguous to the end - the camera solves the doubt visually, through a slow vertical span which repositions the way the mascot on the coat of arms projects behind the character, either as horns or as wings. It's enjoyable to watch.
Making a medical drama takes a lot of work, so kudos for the execution and effort. The end of life issues are complex and universal - again, kudos for introducing them, and trying to be nuanced in their treatment.
As for the rest... The last episode ruined the show which was otherwise decent if a bit too contrived.
What was this pile of nonsense in the last hour? Just think of it: boy tells girl he loves her, flies off to a distant land, sends her daily messages for months like clockwork, then suddenly cuts off contact, ghosts her, reappears after three years, practically stalks her, then it becomes clear that has been stalking her for the past year, declares that their love is such that would endure all, teary-eyed (as usual) she melts into his arms, and brushes off the fact that her close colleague and practically brother in law has known for a whole year that pretty boy has returned from abroad. Who does that? Are we supposed to still like these characters?
Annoying team members act triply annoying. To add to the viewers’ irritation, visual clues are thrown in with a smug lack of explanation. For example, the shoe metaphor (for several episodes we had “tie those sneakers, you never know when you will have to run to save a patient” coupled with “I’ll tie them for you = I care for you”) becomes a stupid enigma thanks to the persistent shots of hard, pointy high heels with flimsy straps encasing the bare feet of the same character. Huh? As shoes go, they are uncomfortable, painful and inefficient. Is it some kind of veiled comment on her newly elevated professional status? Is she somehow lacking in judgement? She is shown to be competent, so this persistent visual is either veiled criticism if intended or inept composition of the scenes if unintended. Actors’ wardrobe takes planning, though, so at least someone on the writing/directing team had some kind of idea which somehow went somewhere - who knows where. Then we have the character with CIPA: as he is revealed over the course of the series, his insistence on specific temperature for the drinks, and simple, bland but well-balanced food makes sense. Now he’s accepting tea with minimal hesitation, and scarfing down subway sandwiches (thank you, product placement, for the extended shot nobody needed). So - an implied improvement or a tease, or basically no meaning for nothing? Very frustrating.
Liked the musings on palliative and hospice care. Didn’t care for the rest. Quick take: Watch the series. Forget the last episode.
Prepare for the inevitable.
There’s just not enough cocoa in the world to help us get through this unscathed.
This will require copious amounts of chocolate.
As a viewer I appreciated the ample time given to closures, both emotional and plot-driven. It is respectful, even loving towards the sympathetic characters, and very satisfying. The inclusion of the dearly departed in the way the living processed heir new reality was human and humane. It highlighted the complexity of grieving while experiencing the big and small triumphs of justice being served. There’s a touch of beauty in the way this aspect of the story was handled. I wish more writers would put in such extra care.
Come to think of it, the female protagonist was treated very cruelly by everyone, except the detective. Those who loved her, those who used her, those who reacted to her as a political figure: all served a dose of brutality at one point or another. If she were a real person, she would be in dire need of a therapist and antidepressants.
Lee Min Ki continues to impress. A wonderfully nuanced performance. Always great to see him on screen.
This thing is so drop-worthy. And yet - not only watching, but adding to the noise by commenting, for crying out loud.
Must be some kind of sickness. ;)
The promos already hinted that the show would be a half-baked take on some high concept premise - statistically, a likely fail for a Korean screenwriter, unless s/he approaches the story as a study on the human condition. Sorry to see that the script is not defying expectations.
The three things that are worth it:
- the warm treatment of a character with special needs, highlighting family love
- the siblings' three-way hug, midway through, showing Ma Dong Chan as a loving brother
- the fact that that Ji Chang Wook is playing a less stoic type of character, and we get to see him smile more
The things that are not worth it: Oh, who cares. It's a laundry list. If you commit to watching, you will inevitably come up with your own.
Out of curiosity: does anyone else find Ma Dong Chan kind of unlikeable? Yes, he is a daredevil, go-getter and a natural leader. He is also capricious, flighty, overbearing, quick to fall in and out of love, a charming bully (but bully nonetheless). And the way he orders Mi Ran around - go there, stay here, do that, smile and be happy, leave it all to me, l like that you're independent, but listen to what I'm saying and obey... If he weren't handsome, he would be creepier than the ex-boyfriend. I wonder if this is calculated - for those who have the frame of reference, is this the typical desirable Korean male of the 1990s? I'm really intrigued, would love to learn more.
Jang Dong Yoon does such a good job in Lady Kim mode: it's remarkable how often she comes across as a fully fleshed character, not just Nok Du in disguise. While for a woman she has somewhat peculiar looks and personality, there are times when who you see is Lady Kim, not a man randomly dressed in drag.
It's not easy being a gay man or a fat woman in a Korean drama. These two groups seem to be destined to remain the object of ridicule, subtle or unsubtle. It's very deeply ingrained, to the point where most see the funny and filter out the unkind and aggressive overtones.
There is progress, though. The actress who is the tallest in the VWC was in the Arthdal Chronicles - as a character treated like any other, no specific attention to being heavier set, a competent and efficient martial arts fighter, in addition to being an aide and a spy. A rare thing, and nice to see.
BTW, I've come across your articles on the visual language in K-dramas - learned a lot from you! Thanks for putting those together so nicely.
On an unrelated topic: did you follow Watcher? I think you'll appreciate the camera work, especially in the last episode. There's a strong "angels and demons" theme in the show, and a central character remains ambiguous to the end - the camera solves the doubt visually, through a slow vertical span which repositions the way the mascot on the coat of arms projects behind the character, either as horns or as wings. It's enjoyable to watch.
The end of life issues are complex and universal - again, kudos for introducing them, and trying to be nuanced in their treatment.
As for the rest... The last episode ruined the show which was otherwise decent if a bit too contrived.
What was this pile of nonsense in the last hour? Just think of it: boy tells girl he loves her, flies off to a distant land, sends her daily messages for months like clockwork, then suddenly cuts off contact, ghosts her, reappears after three years, practically stalks her, then it becomes clear that has been stalking her for the past year, declares that their love is such that would endure all, teary-eyed (as usual) she melts into his arms, and brushes off the fact that her close colleague and practically brother in law has known for a whole year that pretty boy has returned from abroad. Who does that? Are we supposed to still like these characters?
Annoying team members act triply annoying. To add to the viewers’ irritation, visual clues are thrown in with a smug lack of explanation. For example, the shoe metaphor (for several episodes we had “tie those sneakers, you never know when you will have to run to save a patient” coupled with “I’ll tie them for you = I care for you”) becomes a stupid enigma thanks to the persistent shots of hard, pointy high heels with flimsy straps encasing the bare feet of the same character. Huh? As shoes go, they are uncomfortable, painful and inefficient. Is it some kind of veiled comment on her newly elevated professional status? Is she somehow lacking in judgement? She is shown to be competent, so this persistent visual is either veiled criticism if intended or inept composition of the scenes if unintended. Actors’ wardrobe takes planning, though, so at least someone on the writing/directing team had some kind of idea which somehow went somewhere - who knows where. Then we have the character with CIPA: as he is revealed over the course of the series, his insistence on specific temperature for the drinks, and simple, bland but well-balanced food makes sense. Now he’s accepting tea with minimal hesitation, and scarfing down subway sandwiches (thank you, product placement, for the extended shot nobody needed). So - an implied improvement or a tease, or basically no meaning for nothing? Very frustrating.
Liked the musings on palliative and hospice care. Didn’t care for the rest.
Quick take: Watch the series. Forget the last episode.