Kimsamsoom

Boon ok is endemic of Asian society and the need to better ones status through marriage to wealth, status and education.

When your rich or privilege there problems become a personal choice, not the only choice.

At the point she sold out the old man, she had already been disrespected several times by him in leau of the other girls in the dorm. And the only person who doesn't treat the old man like some old employee is young ro.

I believe boon ok is chockfull of insecurity and low self esteem that is constantly seeking for praise and words of affirmation. Things she wanted to hopefully get from soon ho. And as we've seen low self esteem.

She switched sides on young ro after she felt the betrayal, and not before.

I feel her character so sympathetic because she reminds us of our worst side that we try hard to push down. Unfortunately for boon ok, with very little social support she is slowly allowing her insecurities to overtake her decisions.

It's a set?

I don't know, I just assumed it was the actual dorm used for shooting.

I guess it could be a set. pretty expensive to build though wouldn't it? They even had that room over the roof of a building.

I don't know, just repeating what I saw another person posted.

I don't care enough to translate Naver articles lol! And I never get my news from Reddit, Twitter or Instagram. So I have no idea what is happening in SK in terms of the controversy.

Someone earlier said its because the controversy peeps in SK has gotten stronger. I don't know.

It's Christmas. If you'll notice the comment section is pretty dead also. People are just enjoying the holidays. They will probably binge the next 3 episodes.

Not sure if SK ratings will go up, the more I watch, and the more I research the history of South Korea, the more I understand why the show is controversial.

I know Boon Ok is hated here, because she is a thorn in the Main Couples side. But I wanted to write a little something about her.

What is it about Boon Ok that has me gravitating towards her? Aside from being a character with surprising depth, her character is breathed even more life by the amazing acting of Kim Hye Yoon. But I think the real reason I gravitate towards her character is because we have been subconciously trained from watching Kdrama to root for the poor struggling underdog. And while most Kdrama FL's are portrayed as someone who doesn't allow her financial status to affect her outlook in life, Boon Ok is actually a more realistic portrayal of that poor girl.

Being born in a poor position, surrounded by wealthy, haughty, condescending younger college students must be difficult for Boon Ok. And maybe the only reason she considered Young Ro a friend was because she felt she was one of the few who was poor just like her, and maybe understood her plight. So that look of betrayal from Boon Ok to Young Ro, just speaks volume. Her only friend in Hosu Dorm, also betrays her. And now she finds out that Young Ro is secretly rich? it will cause even more emotional distress that will force Boon Ok into more desperate situation.

There was this one scene that I felt was so subtle yet powerful. After Hye Roung and Boon Ok got into a hair pulling match, literally seconds after the phone rings. Imagine Boon Ok's emotion being high, and the anger she feels bubbling over. She quietly answers the phone, and answers with very little emotion, no presence of anger like a professional, because people who do not have much in life like Boon Ok are not even allowed to have that second to vent, that moment to just say "screw the world", because they cannot afford to.

The bullying from the rich girls I understand, I even expect it as the girls in Hosu Dorm all seem pretty spoiled. But to see this attitude from Ms. Pi herself kind of broke my heart. Even the old man is not on Boon Ok's side, she is literally alone, being thrown away from one situation after another.

I just want to see this girl, come out of this situation unscathed, nay I wish her the best, and I wish to see her character triumph!

even at her age, she is just stunning!

not the ones where they are lying down, when the shootout first starts.

On to review Ep. 4.

Episode 4 may be the best episode yet, the confusing political arcs were kept short and simple, the action was turned up quite a few notches, and we didn't see the unnecessary Joy Luck club that much this episode. The problems from previous episode are still there though, but at smaller capacity. illogical scenes, jarring tonal and scenic shifts, and poor misplaced comedic/melodic timing are still there.

But there is one thing that Ep. 4 has that worries me. It included in it a dangerous propaganda filled message that is built on a radicalized foundation.

One amazing thing to come out of Ep. 4 though is the emergence of Kim Hye Yoon. Just wow, this girl can act, and she's only 25 years old. Her scenes with Ms. Pi are pure fire. She may be the standout star of the drama when all is said and done. I am hoping moving forward they don't limit her scenes as I am fully invested in her character and it's story. I feel she is doing the best with the character given to her. I would like to write a separate comment taking a bit more about Boon Ok.
What I had hoped was a dream sequence at the end of Ep. 3 turned out to be real, and I felt as an observer why? Clearly they are building up the suspense that the ANSP agents are coming, and yet he had time to bike all the way back, have a heartfelt conversation with Young Ro before skedaddling out of there, and seconds later the ANSP agents come, like how massive is this college? Then later in the episode, he is breaking into a literal full sprint to get the weapons and cash, but then has time to literally stop to smell the flowers? These illogical scenes, really hamper the suspense the episode is trying to build; as if the director/writer cannot figure out how to properly marry a spy thriller and romance, so each genre takes having their 15 minutes of fame.

The whole Lee Gwang Tae scene really irks me, to the point I have to type out his full name. You are telling me that because of his love of money, he is suddenly able to steel his resolve? The same guy who sang like a canary at the tiniest of insistence last time? I’ve seen my fair share of spy movies, and there are interrogation training taught to spies so that they don’t break and give out information. Communist spies knowing that under interrogation they may break, even have cyanide pills (also known as kill pills) to make sure they don’t succumb to the beatings and leak any information. But enter Lee Gwang Tae, a cowardly civilian with no previous spy training, suddenly able to survive physical beatings without giving up any details because of his love for money? Give me a break LOL! And all that is wasted because literally minutes later, Gang Moo and crew find out the truth anyway, what was the point of the whole Lee Gwang Tae scene then? His information becomes useless now.

Also, can the drama stop introducing new characters. I am starting to lose track of the people. Did the old man need to have a son? I feel like they just keep planting these unnecessary plot seeds, that will later bloom into castrated flowers.

I found another thing curious about the episode, is there like some sort of mass grave for NK spies or what? And gee, how many NK spies are actually in SK? It seems so easy for the NK’s to send in more “Teams”. To be honest, I thought that Ep. 3-5 is suppose to clear the controversy, but in fact I feel it is just creating more of it? And these problems are really brought to spotlight when Ms. Pi rams into Boon Ok for her snitching tendencies. “So what if he really is a spy? I would rather harbour a spy than let another protestor be wrongfully accused.” These are Ms. Pi’s words. And if many others share her feelings, then at this time of Korea, this must be the easiest time for NK spies to come in, because they can just claim they are student protestors, and get the students to protect them. It’s almost like the SK are unwittingly becoming enemies of the republic because of their strong hatred generalized hatred for the government.

Then we add to the fact that Ms. Pi is in a position of power over an all-girls college, and she is effectively spreading propaganda to mould these minds to her image. No different than some teachers in America who use their classrooms and literature to spread their political ideologies, whether they be Democrats or Republicans. It’s a dangerous political message, regardless of what country you live in, since radicalization in most countries usually happen at colleges/universities.
Another thing I disliked is how Ms. Pi is purely gas lighting Boon Ok. Sure, people will root for Ms. Pi because she is on the side of Young Ro, but gas lighting is just not good no matter what side of the coin you are. It was an uncomfortable scene, and both Ms. Pi and Boon Ok played that scene masterfully, amazing really!

It becomes hard to trust Ms. Pi’s decisions or narrative, since she is very clearly extremely biased to the point of zealotry.

Now let’s quickly talk about the political stories.

From my understanding, it actually seems like the collusion we are seeing is not between NK and SK government, but rather One jilted NK general, and two ambitious Assembly members. It does appear that neither the President of SK at this time, nor the Leader of NK at this time is aware of this black ops things happening.

From NK’s side, it appears he just wants money, because, eventhough he is a general, he is not wealthy enough to rise the ranks, and he has people who come from better backgrounds look down on him, so this money would allow him to “eliminate” his opposition.

And from SK side, it is just really these two members that want to ensure that one of them become president. In real life, one of these guys does become President of the new South Korea, in spirit at least, not in name. The eventual winner of the 1987 South Korean election is one of the cronies of Chun Do Hwan.

So Ep. 4 doesn’t paint a corrupt government, nor a corrupt ANSP, but rather just corruption in the higher positions. In fact, as Nam Taeil wife's says "unless war breaks out, you can't kill 13 virgins. This shows us that this current political landscape, even under military rule, isn’t as dreaded and doom and gloom as people would have us believe. In fact if you watch the lives of the people living in Hosu Dorm, this isnt’ what life under military rule is like. The curfews are set by Ms. Pi, not the government, search warrants are needed, people are not recklessly killed. In fact, so far, everything the ANSP agents have been doing seem quite logically sound, and normative to what I expect FBI/CIA to do. The only reason we are to expect they are corrupt is a few phrases here and there of what they used to do, but just words, no actual actions. Snowdrop is actually painting the ANSP and the 1987 government in a fairly sympathetic light. And this is further compounded when it is shown Gang Moo is willing to disobey orders to do what he feels is right.

The portrayal of Soo Ho as a NK officer is also a very romanticized view of a NK officer. He shows compassion to people, he is handsome, smart, and kind. In fact, his second in command seem more in line of what we expect NK spies to be.

I wish they would let us know why Young Ro dislikes the stepmom. Sure she is hungry for power, but it’s actually never shown why Young Ro dislikes her. It seems at this point Young Ro dislikes the stepmom, because she is a stepmom.

And lastly, I would talk about the chemistry of the leads. I am really not feeling it, and I feel the emotions they are displaying via flashbacks and imagined memories are built on very little actual chemistry. I don’t feel that the love they currently feel for each other is deserved, it doesn’t feel real at the moment. The way Ep. 4 ended, I just don’t see how the romance is expected to blossom?

P.S.
How bad of a spy is Jang Hanna, she checks the shed, briefly and that’s it? This is the sauna all over again… No offence to the actress that is playing Jang Hanna, she’s been amazing as well, but her character is incompetent.

I am telling you the cost to rent that dorm for Snowdrop must be astronomical. The drama may spend 16 Episodes just around that one dorm. That dorm is gorgeous though, but just saying, talk about getting your money's worth.

I think the preview showed some bodies on the floor?

The Characters line up like this, it's eerie actually...

Ms. Pi = Dumbledore.
Young Ro = Harry
Young Ro's Father = Voldemort
Paper Airplane = Hedwig
Boon Ok = Draco Malfoy
Old man = Hagrid
Hye Roung - Ron Weasley
Jeong Min - Hermione

She is horribly underused. Get rid of all the wives, and just leave Yoon In Na.

They could have cut back on the cast heavily. Take out the old man, just leave Young Ro, Boon ok and Ms. Pi, and the story would be the same, all the other cast members are either annoying, or useless plot wise.

I find the political storyline is really poorly written, but the actual romance, after Ep. 4 is just going downhill, so we are really leaning into Stockholm syndrome now? Would have preferred they kept to a Romeo and Juliet storyline.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Pi is actively organizing these protestors. The way she casually tells Jeong Min she should have known better than to harbor a spy, and Jeong Min not even showing an iota of surprise that Ms. Pi knew she was protesting seems sus.

I've been saying since day 1, Snowdrop is literally Korean Harry Potter with a spy theme.

Mom, how did you meet dad?

Young Ro: Oh, it was a beautiful sunny day, and I was about to be expelled when your dad came up, held a gun to my head and held me hostage.

As soon as he allowed me to look at him, it was love at first sight...

Her interactions with Boon Ok are literal fire.

Just a little context since it wasn't very clear in Ep. 4, and a bit of a history lesson as well.

In the first part of the episode 4, in the background the TV is talking about the Seoul 1988 Olympics, and the TV cuts off by saying it will the largest... The complete sentence is most likely largest congregation of athletes. The reasoning for this is because the past two Olympics were mired with boycotts that limited the number of countries that participated.

In the 1988 Olympics which was bid on by Chun Do Hwan, there were not many countries who boycotted it. Because it was only the second Asian country, and the first for Korea, North Korea wanted to co-host the game and demanded that approx half of the events be held in North Korea. It didn't really pan well, and so North Korea boycotted the games, prior to this relations between NK and SK are poor. The Korean war had just ended 35 years ago at this time, and the world was still globally in the midst of the cold war.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics was also meant to showcase Korea's economic revival, because if you've read Korean history, they were one of the poorest country in the world, in fact their GDP was below Ghana even. And fast forward to 2021, and they have one of the largest GDP in the world. What South Korea has accomplished in such short of a time is admirable.

Unfair to blame the children for the sins of the father. Young ro was 13 years old when the gwangjju massacre occured.

Ignore the political arc and thank me later :)