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This review may contain spoilers
Letting Go
Life is a process of letting go. The futility of attempting to hold on to anything is that nothing lasts forever, and it’s the struggle to attempt to hold on to things that leads to unhappiness, misery, and suffering. As Socrates from “Peaceful Warrior” wisely stated, “When you don’t get what you want, you suffer. And even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold onto it forever.”
“Missing: The Other Side” is one of my all-time favorite dramas. The first season yielded so many touching and heartfelt moments. Season 2 attempts to dive even more deeply into the reason why the villages for the missing exist, and what can be done about those poor souls who find themselves trapped in “limbo.”
Kim Wook and Mr. Jang are back and unwittingly find themselves in yet another village in a different place and with a different group of people. This time, the village is headed by a matriarch in Kang Eun Sil, or as she’s nicknamed “Captain Kang” by the villagers. The new village holds a special meaning for Mr. Jang who quickly finds out that this is where his beloved daughter, Hyun Ji stayed before moving on.
Mr. Jang quickly finds himself attached to the village, especially Hyun Ji’s friends Ha Yun and Young Rim who tell him all about Hyun Ji. He also finds that Captain Kang has kept mementos of many of the villagers who have since passed on, and he’s given a small, pink box with a letter inside addressed to him. Mr. Jang is a sweet man who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and each time he breaks down in tears, we feel it. Such is the mark of an incredible actor in Huh Joon Ho.
Meanwhile, we find that the construction scandal from the first season was just the tip of the iceberg as Kim Wook and Detective Shin quickly find themselves investigating a drug ring, no thanks to Oh Il Young, a young man who is somehow able to traverse the land of the living as well as the village. In fact, we find out that he’s been looking for Kim Wook due to his ability to enter the village, and it’s through Oh Il Young that Kim Wook and Mr. Jang are able to find the current village.
We still have the beloved Lee Jong A and her amazing computer and detective skills which she uses to help Kim Wook and Mr. Jang as well as indirectly helping the people of the village.
Once again, Kim Wook and Mr. Jang set out to help the people of the village find their bodies. Some are tough because the victims are children. The diabolical, evil woman who’s been killing children and the elderly for years is easily the most disturbing. How anyone could conceive of harming a child is beyond my comprehension, and when Ha Yun and Young Rim finally transform into beings of light as they are on the swings and disappear is pure sweetness.
While I found that Season 1 had more tender and heartfelt moments, Season 2 is just as powerful and effective. It’s especially heart-wrenching when we find out what happened to Captain Kang as well as disturbing that one of the newest members of the village is a 5-year-old girl in Alice who quickly takes to Kim Wook and Oh Il Young. Still, the mere thought that someone killed this sweet, little girl is enough to make your blood boil.
This is simply an amazing series that certainly left us with a cliffhanger for a Season 3! If the writers continue to give us these kinds of stories, then I have no doubt that the next season will be just as amazing.
I’ve said in many reviews, but I still marvel at how deftly Korean performers can access their emotions and make us feel it. They aren’t afraid to let it all hang out and thank God for that! It makes their performances all the more powerful and effective.
Everything in this universe is made up of energy, including us. And if energy can neither be created or destroyed, what does that say about those who have “moved on?” Grief is for us, and it’s a necessary component that allows us to let go of our attachments and those who have moved on to another plane of consciousness. One has to wonder if the people in the villages exist because their bodies aren’t found, or if it’s simply due to attachment to their bodies. Either way, the premise for this series is intriguing, and I already can’t wait for the next season!
“Missing: The Other Side” is one of my all-time favorite dramas. The first season yielded so many touching and heartfelt moments. Season 2 attempts to dive even more deeply into the reason why the villages for the missing exist, and what can be done about those poor souls who find themselves trapped in “limbo.”
Kim Wook and Mr. Jang are back and unwittingly find themselves in yet another village in a different place and with a different group of people. This time, the village is headed by a matriarch in Kang Eun Sil, or as she’s nicknamed “Captain Kang” by the villagers. The new village holds a special meaning for Mr. Jang who quickly finds out that this is where his beloved daughter, Hyun Ji stayed before moving on.
Mr. Jang quickly finds himself attached to the village, especially Hyun Ji’s friends Ha Yun and Young Rim who tell him all about Hyun Ji. He also finds that Captain Kang has kept mementos of many of the villagers who have since passed on, and he’s given a small, pink box with a letter inside addressed to him. Mr. Jang is a sweet man who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and each time he breaks down in tears, we feel it. Such is the mark of an incredible actor in Huh Joon Ho.
Meanwhile, we find that the construction scandal from the first season was just the tip of the iceberg as Kim Wook and Detective Shin quickly find themselves investigating a drug ring, no thanks to Oh Il Young, a young man who is somehow able to traverse the land of the living as well as the village. In fact, we find out that he’s been looking for Kim Wook due to his ability to enter the village, and it’s through Oh Il Young that Kim Wook and Mr. Jang are able to find the current village.
We still have the beloved Lee Jong A and her amazing computer and detective skills which she uses to help Kim Wook and Mr. Jang as well as indirectly helping the people of the village.
Once again, Kim Wook and Mr. Jang set out to help the people of the village find their bodies. Some are tough because the victims are children. The diabolical, evil woman who’s been killing children and the elderly for years is easily the most disturbing. How anyone could conceive of harming a child is beyond my comprehension, and when Ha Yun and Young Rim finally transform into beings of light as they are on the swings and disappear is pure sweetness.
While I found that Season 1 had more tender and heartfelt moments, Season 2 is just as powerful and effective. It’s especially heart-wrenching when we find out what happened to Captain Kang as well as disturbing that one of the newest members of the village is a 5-year-old girl in Alice who quickly takes to Kim Wook and Oh Il Young. Still, the mere thought that someone killed this sweet, little girl is enough to make your blood boil.
This is simply an amazing series that certainly left us with a cliffhanger for a Season 3! If the writers continue to give us these kinds of stories, then I have no doubt that the next season will be just as amazing.
I’ve said in many reviews, but I still marvel at how deftly Korean performers can access their emotions and make us feel it. They aren’t afraid to let it all hang out and thank God for that! It makes their performances all the more powerful and effective.
Everything in this universe is made up of energy, including us. And if energy can neither be created or destroyed, what does that say about those who have “moved on?” Grief is for us, and it’s a necessary component that allows us to let go of our attachments and those who have moved on to another plane of consciousness. One has to wonder if the people in the villages exist because their bodies aren’t found, or if it’s simply due to attachment to their bodies. Either way, the premise for this series is intriguing, and I already can’t wait for the next season!
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