This review may contain spoilers
I loved The Witch from start to finish - my new favorite that goes straight to my top 5
It will be a long SPOILERy review as I have a lot to say, so buckle up. It is also not really a review in a typical sense, as I think the show is pretty much perfect in every aspect. It is like my take on some points of contention, sort of “look at what I see”. I had to cut a lot of it to fit the character limi, so it may feel choppy.
I think that some people these days seem to think very black&white and there is nothing in between. Life itself is anything but black&white. This show is absolutely amazing, a beautiful story. It is about the power of human connection. Mi Jeong is deprived of this connection her whole life and Dong Jin wants nothing more than to be able to talk to his love face to face.
If you are able to see in other shades, you may see the beauty of this story. The story of a man, that is doing everything he can to beat the circumstances, to be able to love without being afraid. Dong Jin risks his life not just for this reason, but also to give Mi Jeong a real life. Life she can live with no guilt or sadness. Does he want Mi Jeong to love him back? Of course, but what person in love, does not want this feeling to be reciprocated, right?
As I said, many people seem to think black&white only. They call the ML stalker and that´s it. Reasons why he does what he does doesn´t matter. Life is not that and it should not be. In the real word circumstances matter, motivation and goals matter and it should be, because if you steal something or hurt someone, the surrounding circumstances matter, and rightly so.
Even though Dong Jin´s friend said he can face stalker charges I am going to give point of view on this matter before everything else. Because he fits to the term technically (in the face of law, there is no doubt), I will never call him that, because thanks to his motivation, circumstances and goals he is not. Stalkers, in general, are someone who want the attention of another individual through harassment causing them fear or distress. They don´t care about the other person’s feelings and more often than not, stalking ends up badly.
Many people don´t understand his motivation for doing what he´s doing to the extent of risking his own life. I think it is easy to see and understand. His love is his main motivation. And you can say he doesn´t really know her, which I think doesn´t really matter. We know from episode one that she was his first love; even though he did not realize it at the time. When he saw her in the subway, those reappeared, and I think the power of first love can be underrated because those feelings linger with many people for whole life. It is a very strong motivator. It may start as love for what she represents, but as time goes by, his feelings morph into more mature love. Also, the fact that even though he had not seen her for a decade, yet realizing he misses her as much as he did when he was 19 or so speaks a volume of feelings, he has for her. Sometimes the feelings are there, even if buried under layers of busy life.
Another strong motivator is Mi Jeong´s life situation. He said he hoped that she was living well. I think he hoped she moved to another city and started a new life. So, to find out that she is still living this sad solitary life, it was a hard truth to learn. To find out his first love lives like this. He will try to break the curse, so she can live a normal life. As we see later, she lives literally in a cage.
His goal is to give Mi Jeong a normal life. His behavior is very different too. He, unlike the usual stalker, is not at any point danger to Mi Jeong at all. He puts himself in great danger, but his intentions are pure. Stalker does not join forces with best friend of said person. He hides his research and his own existence from Mi Jeong, sure, but he is otherwise very open with her best friend. Her friend is actually worried about his safety when he tells her that he has to test the theory himself. Stalkers are not capable of this level of love, feelings or affection in general.
It also seems like people dislike repeating scenes, but I like them, as they have their significance as they provide additional POVs. Sure, you can show everything in episode 1 and 2, but then, you would have no mystery and revelations at all.
These scenes add context and more details to previously shown events and provide window into our protagonists´ head. If you skip those on the premise, that they are repeated scenes you may miss the details. Some of my favorite scenes were shown multiple times and are important for Dong Jin´s motivations and goals and also for Mi Jeong´s feelings. As I think these scenes are connected to the subtle romance part of the story, I will try to explain why I think the repetition has its significance, specifically here in Mi Jeong part.
Lots of people say that her confession of love towards Dong Jin comes out of the blue, I don´t think so. Here are important flashbacks from episode 8 – tied to her feelings for Dong Jin in high school and episode 10 where she realizes and puts together lots of things. Also important is, that in episode 10, the flashbacks are from Dong Jin´s POV. She is going through the files on the PC, but those are from DJ POV so that´s how she (we) can see his memories and feelings.
If you skip to episode 10 flashbacks, she knows now, that Dong Jin reappeared in her life and indirectly told her he loves her and that he was the delivery man (ep 8). We also know through her now that she liked him very much in school. Jung Hyeok also told her that to Dong Jin didn´t matter she was a witch and he only wanted to find a way to love her. When she goes through his files, it is Dong Jin´s way to show himself to her. The good and the bad. It is part of his plan in the hope that by seeing “HIM”, his actions and feelings, she may come to love him. It was big gamble as he had no way to predict how she would react.
I find the delivery scenes especially important, as those connect her school’s days feelings for Dong Jin with the current ones, as it is clear, that she liked him as the delivery man. She was looking forward to his visits and was smiling again. The one time he didn´t show, she got a drink for him and almost run down the stairs to greet him. When it was not him, she checked the delivery herself in the hall, where they always checked together. She could check inside, but the spot in hallway has a significance for her now. It’s a small detail but I think it´s clear indicator she likes him.
Here she also learns that the rules exist, and she finally can put together what he was doing at the bridge. As she did not know by then, she misunderstood his actions. She thought he jumped to harm himself, as she searched “suicide attempt” later on, but she knows now that he did it to save himself. There was almost 100% chance he will get hit by lightning if he stayed on land but Han river was never struck by lightning during a rainstorm so jumping was the safest option.
There is a lot of subtle hints on the romance part, but I think what people don´t want to understand is that the romance is there, but it´s subtle and soft in nature. Mi Jeong and Dong Jin are very similar. They are both solitary souls, given for different reasons. They both have one best friend and their feelings are gentle. Even though Dong Jin loves her passionately to the extent of risking his life, his feelings and his personality is also on the softer side. Just because the love is not loud it does not mean it´s not there.
Dong Jin took a chance and shown Mi Jeong himself through his research. I think that her loving him is based on good foundation of her feelings in the past and present. And I think it´s natural that she needed time to process those to come to a decision about her feelings, as at some point in time, every human must reevaluate their respective feelings: is it affection, attraction or love? Do I like him or love him? Is he worthy?
When they meet in Austria they talk on the bench and you can see him think, especially when the time reaches 10 minutes. I think he did not initially plan to confess his feelings, but the whole point was that he can talk to her, face to face, like any other human being. So, he took a breath and said it. That is what this show is about. How much he wants to tell her he loves her by himself, and it is just so unfair he can´t. Any person can come to those they love, and risk being rejected, but he is risking his life by doing so and that is very brave.
And even now, after his confession he is not forcing his feelings on her (like, for example the guy in the subway in ep. 1). He was not brave enough to talk to her in high school, he couldn´t do it on the rooftop, but here he is, at the end of their conversation and he is brave enough to do it, no matter the consequences. I think it is a powerful scene, because he knows what is coming if she does not love him back and he just goes for it.
And her confession here does not come as a surprise to me, for all the reasons I mentioned before, but it had to be hard for her to say, or acknowledge her feelings, as she buried all her feelings so to accept them was probably very scary for her. But she likes him and worries about him and thinking about him comes easy to her. And as their love is gentle and soft, so is their embrace that solidifies their future as the curse is broken. This is brilliantly underscored by the OST and OH MY what a perfect scene.
Dong Jin was fighting for the possibility of a beginning together and that is exactly where they are right now. Their feelings were strong enough to bring them together and they are now walking together in order to strengthen their relationship.
Also, controversial opinion – I don´t mind that there was no kiss at all, or that we do not get their dating or future scenes. This show has a different mood so I feel like showing those would be weird and obtrusive in a way. It was about getting to the starting point, and we ended up just there, just on time.
I think that some people these days seem to think very black&white and there is nothing in between. Life itself is anything but black&white. This show is absolutely amazing, a beautiful story. It is about the power of human connection. Mi Jeong is deprived of this connection her whole life and Dong Jin wants nothing more than to be able to talk to his love face to face.
If you are able to see in other shades, you may see the beauty of this story. The story of a man, that is doing everything he can to beat the circumstances, to be able to love without being afraid. Dong Jin risks his life not just for this reason, but also to give Mi Jeong a real life. Life she can live with no guilt or sadness. Does he want Mi Jeong to love him back? Of course, but what person in love, does not want this feeling to be reciprocated, right?
As I said, many people seem to think black&white only. They call the ML stalker and that´s it. Reasons why he does what he does doesn´t matter. Life is not that and it should not be. In the real word circumstances matter, motivation and goals matter and it should be, because if you steal something or hurt someone, the surrounding circumstances matter, and rightly so.
Even though Dong Jin´s friend said he can face stalker charges I am going to give point of view on this matter before everything else. Because he fits to the term technically (in the face of law, there is no doubt), I will never call him that, because thanks to his motivation, circumstances and goals he is not. Stalkers, in general, are someone who want the attention of another individual through harassment causing them fear or distress. They don´t care about the other person’s feelings and more often than not, stalking ends up badly.
Many people don´t understand his motivation for doing what he´s doing to the extent of risking his own life. I think it is easy to see and understand. His love is his main motivation. And you can say he doesn´t really know her, which I think doesn´t really matter. We know from episode one that she was his first love; even though he did not realize it at the time. When he saw her in the subway, those reappeared, and I think the power of first love can be underrated because those feelings linger with many people for whole life. It is a very strong motivator. It may start as love for what she represents, but as time goes by, his feelings morph into more mature love. Also, the fact that even though he had not seen her for a decade, yet realizing he misses her as much as he did when he was 19 or so speaks a volume of feelings, he has for her. Sometimes the feelings are there, even if buried under layers of busy life.
Another strong motivator is Mi Jeong´s life situation. He said he hoped that she was living well. I think he hoped she moved to another city and started a new life. So, to find out that she is still living this sad solitary life, it was a hard truth to learn. To find out his first love lives like this. He will try to break the curse, so she can live a normal life. As we see later, she lives literally in a cage.
His goal is to give Mi Jeong a normal life. His behavior is very different too. He, unlike the usual stalker, is not at any point danger to Mi Jeong at all. He puts himself in great danger, but his intentions are pure. Stalker does not join forces with best friend of said person. He hides his research and his own existence from Mi Jeong, sure, but he is otherwise very open with her best friend. Her friend is actually worried about his safety when he tells her that he has to test the theory himself. Stalkers are not capable of this level of love, feelings or affection in general.
It also seems like people dislike repeating scenes, but I like them, as they have their significance as they provide additional POVs. Sure, you can show everything in episode 1 and 2, but then, you would have no mystery and revelations at all.
These scenes add context and more details to previously shown events and provide window into our protagonists´ head. If you skip those on the premise, that they are repeated scenes you may miss the details. Some of my favorite scenes were shown multiple times and are important for Dong Jin´s motivations and goals and also for Mi Jeong´s feelings. As I think these scenes are connected to the subtle romance part of the story, I will try to explain why I think the repetition has its significance, specifically here in Mi Jeong part.
Lots of people say that her confession of love towards Dong Jin comes out of the blue, I don´t think so. Here are important flashbacks from episode 8 – tied to her feelings for Dong Jin in high school and episode 10 where she realizes and puts together lots of things. Also important is, that in episode 10, the flashbacks are from Dong Jin´s POV. She is going through the files on the PC, but those are from DJ POV so that´s how she (we) can see his memories and feelings.
If you skip to episode 10 flashbacks, she knows now, that Dong Jin reappeared in her life and indirectly told her he loves her and that he was the delivery man (ep 8). We also know through her now that she liked him very much in school. Jung Hyeok also told her that to Dong Jin didn´t matter she was a witch and he only wanted to find a way to love her. When she goes through his files, it is Dong Jin´s way to show himself to her. The good and the bad. It is part of his plan in the hope that by seeing “HIM”, his actions and feelings, she may come to love him. It was big gamble as he had no way to predict how she would react.
I find the delivery scenes especially important, as those connect her school’s days feelings for Dong Jin with the current ones, as it is clear, that she liked him as the delivery man. She was looking forward to his visits and was smiling again. The one time he didn´t show, she got a drink for him and almost run down the stairs to greet him. When it was not him, she checked the delivery herself in the hall, where they always checked together. She could check inside, but the spot in hallway has a significance for her now. It’s a small detail but I think it´s clear indicator she likes him.
Here she also learns that the rules exist, and she finally can put together what he was doing at the bridge. As she did not know by then, she misunderstood his actions. She thought he jumped to harm himself, as she searched “suicide attempt” later on, but she knows now that he did it to save himself. There was almost 100% chance he will get hit by lightning if he stayed on land but Han river was never struck by lightning during a rainstorm so jumping was the safest option.
There is a lot of subtle hints on the romance part, but I think what people don´t want to understand is that the romance is there, but it´s subtle and soft in nature. Mi Jeong and Dong Jin are very similar. They are both solitary souls, given for different reasons. They both have one best friend and their feelings are gentle. Even though Dong Jin loves her passionately to the extent of risking his life, his feelings and his personality is also on the softer side. Just because the love is not loud it does not mean it´s not there.
Dong Jin took a chance and shown Mi Jeong himself through his research. I think that her loving him is based on good foundation of her feelings in the past and present. And I think it´s natural that she needed time to process those to come to a decision about her feelings, as at some point in time, every human must reevaluate their respective feelings: is it affection, attraction or love? Do I like him or love him? Is he worthy?
When they meet in Austria they talk on the bench and you can see him think, especially when the time reaches 10 minutes. I think he did not initially plan to confess his feelings, but the whole point was that he can talk to her, face to face, like any other human being. So, he took a breath and said it. That is what this show is about. How much he wants to tell her he loves her by himself, and it is just so unfair he can´t. Any person can come to those they love, and risk being rejected, but he is risking his life by doing so and that is very brave.
And even now, after his confession he is not forcing his feelings on her (like, for example the guy in the subway in ep. 1). He was not brave enough to talk to her in high school, he couldn´t do it on the rooftop, but here he is, at the end of their conversation and he is brave enough to do it, no matter the consequences. I think it is a powerful scene, because he knows what is coming if she does not love him back and he just goes for it.
And her confession here does not come as a surprise to me, for all the reasons I mentioned before, but it had to be hard for her to say, or acknowledge her feelings, as she buried all her feelings so to accept them was probably very scary for her. But she likes him and worries about him and thinking about him comes easy to her. And as their love is gentle and soft, so is their embrace that solidifies their future as the curse is broken. This is brilliantly underscored by the OST and OH MY what a perfect scene.
Dong Jin was fighting for the possibility of a beginning together and that is exactly where they are right now. Their feelings were strong enough to bring them together and they are now walking together in order to strengthen their relationship.
Also, controversial opinion – I don´t mind that there was no kiss at all, or that we do not get their dating or future scenes. This show has a different mood so I feel like showing those would be weird and obtrusive in a way. It was about getting to the starting point, and we ended up just there, just on time.
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