Shallow and Harmful – How NOT to Portray the People Who Suffer
I was really excited to start watching this K-drama because of its glowing reviews, but I quickly realized I’d made a mistake. Once again, it’s another series that tries to tackle heavy topics like death and suicide - but ends up framing them in the worst way possible.Instead of portraying the complexity and pain behind suicidal thoughts, it reduces people on that path to selfish, foolish individuals who “just don’t think about their loved ones.” That’s such a damaging and shallow take. In reality, suicide and suffering is far more complicated, and I genuinely doubt the creators ever took the time to truly understand it.
As someone who has lost a friend to suicide and met many people who have attempted it, I was disgusted. The show invalidates the experiences of suicide victims and paints them as the villains of their own stories. It could have been powerful if it had approached the subject with empathy and nuance - but instead, it gaslights the audience into thinking the blame always lies solely with the person who is suffering.
Yes, the cinematography is beautiful and some characters are funny, but beyond that, the writing is done badly. It’s shallow, poorly handled, and makes it hard to truly empathize with anyone on screen. The result feels more cringeworthy and artificial than meaningful and has no empact on the cruel reality.
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