Some shows get you, which makes me happy
I could write a lengthy essay on My Mister, but let's try to boil down to the basics.
First, if you are reading this and you haven't watched My Mister (My Ajusshi) yet, then go watch it. The script and the acting are dazzling and the production is first-rate.
Second, if you are reading this and you have watched My Mister, then go watch it again. It's that good, and the show is loaded with so much context, symbolism, coded language, callbacks, double-meanings, etc. that you probably missed a whole lot of stuff the first time around that will yield a very different viewing experience the second time. Maybe spend a little time on social media to prime your next viewing.
The premise is that Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sun Kyun), the ML, is a 43 year-old structural engineer experiencing a mid-life crisis as his marriage, his job, and his brothers' lives are all showing cracks. Lee Ji An (IU) is the FL, a 19 year-old temp worker at the same company as Dong Hoon. While Dong Hoon's life is filled with angst, Ji An's life is simply miserable from crushing poverty and a sadistic loan shark.
You need to know that the series at the outset is grim, but that gloomy environment becomes fuel for the bond that forms between Dong Hoon and Ji An. One important detail of the dreary start is that the central relationship of the series kicks into gear when Ji An steals some money from Dong Hoon. Ji An is a criminal, not just an angel with a dirty face, but downright cold. The writing walks a fine line, not exactly endorsing her actions, but making it clear there's a kind of innocent motivation. Ji An is portrayed as a feral animal, preying on humans for her survival. Again, this is bleak, but from the bleakness emerges something to behold.
The key aspect of My Mister is the ineffable relationship between Dong Hoon and Ji An. It is worth mentioning that the second time through changed how I viewed their connection. The narrative includes so many events depicting Ji An's importance to Dong Hoon, that she almost literally gives him the ability to breathe. OTOH Dong Hoon teaches Ji An what it means to be human. Make no mistake, this is a love story even though there is virtually zero physical intimacy between the two, on screen or off. This develops into a platonic-but-romantic relationship. The romance is not the main focus, as these two are soul mates, who connect in spite of their vast differences, at a time when both desperately needed this connection.
The writing and acting masterfully creates an intense but ambiguous relationship. There is a great reliance on "show not tell." The CEO -- who is unambiguously a weasel -- is used occasionally to state the obvious, but otherwise there are all kinds of clever narrative tricks on display. One such technique is to build other relationships to put mirrors on the main relationship. The most obvious mirror was the pairing between Ki Hoon (Dong Hoon's volatile younger brother) and Ju Ra (an actress who had worked on an unsuccessful movie Ki Hoon directed), where Ju Ra is shown to be playing a character uncannily similar to Ji An. Ju Ra is quirky, and sometimes bubbly, and while I assume this is a joke about the public's perception of IU, Ju Ra's talk about love (and other matters) indirectly shows Ji An's true feelings but does so without impact on the main character's aura.
It is a complex show that works on the most basic level, but maintains its appeal when you dig deeper into the presentation. The craftsmanship in all aspects -- the writing, the acting, the editing, the OST -- is consistently outstanding. This is brilliant television. Again, go watch it.
First, if you are reading this and you haven't watched My Mister (My Ajusshi) yet, then go watch it. The script and the acting are dazzling and the production is first-rate.
Second, if you are reading this and you have watched My Mister, then go watch it again. It's that good, and the show is loaded with so much context, symbolism, coded language, callbacks, double-meanings, etc. that you probably missed a whole lot of stuff the first time around that will yield a very different viewing experience the second time. Maybe spend a little time on social media to prime your next viewing.
The premise is that Park Dong Hoon (Lee Sun Kyun), the ML, is a 43 year-old structural engineer experiencing a mid-life crisis as his marriage, his job, and his brothers' lives are all showing cracks. Lee Ji An (IU) is the FL, a 19 year-old temp worker at the same company as Dong Hoon. While Dong Hoon's life is filled with angst, Ji An's life is simply miserable from crushing poverty and a sadistic loan shark.
You need to know that the series at the outset is grim, but that gloomy environment becomes fuel for the bond that forms between Dong Hoon and Ji An. One important detail of the dreary start is that the central relationship of the series kicks into gear when Ji An steals some money from Dong Hoon. Ji An is a criminal, not just an angel with a dirty face, but downright cold. The writing walks a fine line, not exactly endorsing her actions, but making it clear there's a kind of innocent motivation. Ji An is portrayed as a feral animal, preying on humans for her survival. Again, this is bleak, but from the bleakness emerges something to behold.
The key aspect of My Mister is the ineffable relationship between Dong Hoon and Ji An. It is worth mentioning that the second time through changed how I viewed their connection. The narrative includes so many events depicting Ji An's importance to Dong Hoon, that she almost literally gives him the ability to breathe. OTOH Dong Hoon teaches Ji An what it means to be human. Make no mistake, this is a love story even though there is virtually zero physical intimacy between the two, on screen or off. This develops into a platonic-but-romantic relationship. The romance is not the main focus, as these two are soul mates, who connect in spite of their vast differences, at a time when both desperately needed this connection.
The writing and acting masterfully creates an intense but ambiguous relationship. There is a great reliance on "show not tell." The CEO -- who is unambiguously a weasel -- is used occasionally to state the obvious, but otherwise there are all kinds of clever narrative tricks on display. One such technique is to build other relationships to put mirrors on the main relationship. The most obvious mirror was the pairing between Ki Hoon (Dong Hoon's volatile younger brother) and Ju Ra (an actress who had worked on an unsuccessful movie Ki Hoon directed), where Ju Ra is shown to be playing a character uncannily similar to Ji An. Ju Ra is quirky, and sometimes bubbly, and while I assume this is a joke about the public's perception of IU, Ju Ra's talk about love (and other matters) indirectly shows Ji An's true feelings but does so without impact on the main character's aura.
It is a complex show that works on the most basic level, but maintains its appeal when you dig deeper into the presentation. The craftsmanship in all aspects -- the writing, the acting, the editing, the OST -- is consistently outstanding. This is brilliant television. Again, go watch it.
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