Huh, I was quite puzzled how it took an SNU graduate to realize the stakes of the game; that a single winner meant every body else HAS TO die. Others were just plain dumb or in deep denial. In fact, this denial from others, especially Gi-Hun, is highlighted heavily after Game 5. A preachy Gi-Hun (mirroring preachy viewers like us) refuses to accept they'd all be dead, had the old man not been pushed off by Sang-Woo. -_- The scene where he calls out Gi-Hun and his denial/ preachiness is brilliantly done! I liked Sang-Woo's purpose to the story. His actions make us question would we have done the same, had we been in his shoes? He was the only one to see the games for what they were, and spit HARD facts, irrespective of how hard they were to digest.
In fact, I believe Sang-Woo always had it in him to be utterly nasty and a cheat, the games just brought that side out of him. Since you brought out the frequent comparison between Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo's morality, I had to mention this. A good contrast is how the SAME 10 dollar bill plays out between both Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun, at the verge of abject poverty. The former pretends to be a nice guy giving Ali his bus-fare, a decent man who doesn't want to be paid back or given any favors in return. Gi-Hun on the other hand, promptly goes back to the cashier-lady to ask for the coffee-tip back, as he loses the money to Sae-Byeok. Sang-Woo thus appears to be magnanimous, and Gi-Hun appears to be petty. A scenario that is completely flipped 180 degrees, inside the island.
During the marble games, Sang-Woo plays ethical only till he's down to the last piece. Whereas Gi-Hun cheats the old man, because he's a habitual cheat, not because he's down to the last piece and had no choice. SW's a decent human being, only when the stakes aren't high, his life isn't on the line, and the cost he has to bear is chump change to him (aka the bus fare). Credit to writers for structuring the games in a way such that SW's character arc appears to be a mirror of the progressive moral corruption within the games as well. His moral decay however, isn't completely a product of his environment; deep down, SW was always this kind of a person.
I think the 'majority voting' was a nice plot-point by the writer. SW didn't need to off Sae-Byeok before the finals, but he does so citing the 'majority voting' as the reason to continue playing and prevent Gi-Hun (and Sae-Byeok) from voting and quitting, thereby losing out on the prize money. The writing prevents you from calling Sang Woo an outright villain, and still wants us as viewers, to extend him a benefit of doubt! I think you have done an incredibly beautiful job analyzing his progressive moral decay.... I think more people need to read this before blindly hating on such a well-written (but hateful) character.
I like your article but ( please dont take it personal its a general thought)I dont understand why I see articles…
Wait, I think the difference between them is how both their games are written. Sang-Woo ends up cheating Ali out of all the marbles he has. Whereas, the old man pretty much lets Gi-Hun win at the last minute, and gives him his last marble.....? Ali had no choice, but the old man had? Both Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo are cheats at the end of the day, however Gi-Hun is shown remorseful, but Sang-Woo isn't.
Child actress does a phenomenal job of playing a boy Crown Prince and a girl Court Maid. You can instantly spot the difference in her body-language whenever she plays the Twins. Gosh, her performance reminds me of Megan Lai, the ultimate queen of cross-dressing. <3 Bravo!!! :D
Are you kidding me? What moronic logic is this even? This is Kim Eun Sook and he's starring opposite Song Hye…
I see the trend, Lee Jae Wook turned down another drama for a Hong sisters script, and now Do Hyun turned down Bloodhound for a KES drama. Ugh, it's a catch-22 really, kinda like when you find a nice indie-band... you discover a hidden gem and you don't want it to go mainstream, but still generate itself enough love so they don't go out of business... Hahaha, really selfish of me. Wishing him all the best though. I just hope it isn't a trend of LDH being type-casted (like Jung Hae In) as the noona-romance go-to. This is going to be his third after all.
Are you kidding me? What moronic logic is this even? This is Kim Eun Sook and he's starring opposite Song Hye…
Absolutely my point. I really wish he wasn't being marketed into this niche of dramas, as he's already far beyond it... it's no longer about potential, he's proven it already. Sad to see this.
Are you kidding me? What moronic logic is this even? This is Kim Eun Sook and he's starring opposite Song Hye…
Too good an offer to pass up & a logical career stepping-stone, I admit. Yeuhua's still being a sell-out though, imo. Dude is far too talented to be in scripts like these. But it is, what it is. :/
Nooooooohhh, what happened to your script-choices Do-Hyuna? Don't be a sell-out please! T_T You don't need KES as your script-writer to launch you to Hallyu-superstar status. I REALLY wish he didn't pick this. T_T I hope the writer performs a miracle and doesn't deliver something half-baked again. Fingers crossed.
As I only tend to swoon over K-dramas, I've only come across Woo Ri and Bok Go and honestly, such adorb lil' creatures…
'Fluffy cupids' <3 <3 <3 Bok-go and Woori have all my heart, lol! :') I'm shallow, and looks do matter when it comes to adorable, hehe! Ssssshhh, but I 2x-ed sometimes when there wasn't a cute critter around... so if you're in for the cute-ness, this a secret tip for you! :P :P :P Thank you so much, I hope you have an amazing time watching! :')
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Huh, I was quite puzzled how it took an SNU graduate to realize the stakes of the game; that a single winner meant every body else HAS TO die. Others were just plain dumb or in deep denial. In fact, this denial from others, especially Gi-Hun, is highlighted heavily after Game 5. A preachy Gi-Hun (mirroring preachy viewers like us) refuses to accept they'd all be dead, had the old man not been pushed off by Sang-Woo. -_- The scene where he calls out Gi-Hun and his denial/ preachiness is brilliantly done!
I liked Sang-Woo's purpose to the story. His actions make us question would we have done the same, had we been in his shoes? He was the only one to see the games for what they were, and spit HARD facts, irrespective of how hard they were to digest.
In fact, I believe Sang-Woo always had it in him to be utterly nasty and a cheat, the games just brought that side out of him. Since you brought out the frequent comparison between Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo's morality, I had to mention this.
A good contrast is how the SAME 10 dollar bill plays out between both Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun, at the verge of abject poverty. The former pretends to be a nice guy giving Ali his bus-fare, a decent man who doesn't want to be paid back or given any favors in return. Gi-Hun on the other hand, promptly goes back to the cashier-lady to ask for the coffee-tip back, as he loses the money to Sae-Byeok. Sang-Woo thus appears to be magnanimous, and Gi-Hun appears to be petty. A scenario that is completely flipped 180 degrees, inside the island.
During the marble games, Sang-Woo plays ethical only till he's down to the last piece. Whereas Gi-Hun cheats the old man, because he's a habitual cheat, not because he's down to the last piece and had no choice. SW's a decent human being, only when the stakes aren't high, his life isn't on the line, and the cost he has to bear is chump change to him (aka the bus fare).
Credit to writers for structuring the games in a way such that SW's character arc appears to be a mirror of the progressive moral corruption within the games as well. His moral decay however, isn't completely a product of his environment; deep down, SW was always this kind of a person.
I think the 'majority voting' was a nice plot-point by the writer. SW didn't need to off Sae-Byeok before the finals, but he does so citing the 'majority voting' as the reason to continue playing and prevent Gi-Hun (and Sae-Byeok) from voting and quitting, thereby losing out on the prize money. The writing prevents you from calling Sang Woo an outright villain, and still wants us as viewers, to extend him a benefit of doubt! I think you have done an incredibly beautiful job analyzing his progressive moral decay.... I think more people need to read this before blindly hating on such a well-written (but hateful) character.
Ali had no choice, but the old man had? Both Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo are cheats at the end of the day, however Gi-Hun is shown remorseful, but Sang-Woo isn't.
Bravo!!! :D
I REALLY wish he didn't pick this. T_T I hope the writer performs a miracle and doesn't deliver something half-baked again. Fingers crossed.
Bok-go and Woori have all my heart, lol! :') I'm shallow, and looks do matter when it comes to adorable, hehe!
Ssssshhh, but I 2x-ed sometimes when there wasn't a cute critter around... so if you're in for the cute-ness, this a secret tip for you! :P :P :P
Thank you so much, I hope you have an amazing time watching! :')