songfalcon

Kang Moo simp you are 😂

Yes I agree with you here. But I am more of a person who enjoys character driven stories than plot driven ones, so most of the time, I don't really focus on the plot as much as I do the characters.

I absolutely agree with your first two points. This was one of the reasons I had been so excited for Snowdrop and why the first two episodes were my favorites up until now. Many think they're boring but I absolutely enjoyed seeing the old vibes and dorm life back then. It was just so warm and endearing. The dance scene in the dorm was golden, and wish we got moments like that.

For point number 3 although I do wish we got more romance and an epic love story like we were promised, I don't think that the love story is random at all. It is unraveling like how it was depicted, a pure love story, and what is the most purest way to fall in love? Love at first sight. I think our generation have gotten used to grand gestures and proclamations of love that we forget the true essence of what love is, which is caring for the other person in any way that you can no matter the situation. Just because it's not grand and out there does not mean that it's any less real. Simple gestures and the little things are what makes the most impact because they're the things we remember most. Moments like the paper airplanes, superman jokes, simple act of purchasing a cassette because it's a memorable moment for the both of them, etc... Grand gestures are more fleeting.

1. From the start I had wanted to learn about Youngro and her roommates the most. How they ended up together and grew to like each other. Their past strikes and the different dynamics by each roommate with each other. I also wanted to see more of Youngro and Young-U.

2. The most interesting character to me were Ms. Pi, Jang Hanna, and Boon Ok. I just knew that she wasn't the cold-blooded hall director made her out to be. I just had a feeling that she cared for the girls in her own way and that she only behaved that way because of her past. The way she carried herself was so classy and elegant, but you could also feel there's a certain tragicness to her character. Jang Hanna was also an interesting character for me, she was strong, confident, and reckless. I liked that, but unfortunately, as the drama continued, this reckless side was mostly prominent when it came to Kangmoo which I strongly disliked and turned me away from her character. Boon Ok was one of the my favorites in the beginning episodes, especially her dynamic with Youngro. She was so funny at the start, and I really wanted to see her family background and how her character would progress. Unfortunately as of recent episodes, my interest in her character had dwindled.

3. My favorite character as of right now would be Ms. Pi and also Kang Chungya.

Yes this here, I do agree with you, and again I blame it on her character being underdeveloped.

Yes I do believe that the writer had that in mind, which is why she had based the love story as a love at first sight because it was very common back in the day.

I don't think it's sudden at all and is in line with how his character is. He has always been loyal to his party and had unwavering faith in them (mostly in his father). As part of training, he had done what his character would do. The person he killed wasn't an innocent person like the hostages, but rather a "traitor."

Well again this has no romantic notions what so ever. And if he was given the choice, which he wasn't, he would've treated her as well as the hostages much better like how we've seen in the recent episodes. He wasn't in the position to do so then.

Like I said, I sympathize with her, but her recent actions have been inexcusable and does not garner any sympathy from me. Do I still feel bad for her character overall and sympathize for her? Yes. But I am no longer rooting for her. Even if she gets her redemption arc in the end and ends up dying by doing some major sacrifice, I don't think that it will change my mind about her character either, because I feel like it is not realistic considering the direction that her character has been going.

I never said that her characterization doesn't make sense, I just said that her character is now irredeemable. She is an opportunist and is selfish. She has no moral compass or values. I also did not blame her parents, I said that she lacked parental guidance. And even if I did blame her parents, it is a valid claim considering that they have neglected her since the beginning resulting in her having such an inferiority complex. I also never made her out to be the biggest antagonist nor did I call her a terrorist. I have never viewed her as a villain up until this point because since the beginning she was never portrayed as such. However, what I am trying to get at is that as of recent episodes, her actions have pushed her beyond the point of irredeemably for me and I can no longer condone her actions.

Chunya has been portrayed as a villain from the get go. People like her because she is a good villain who doesn't exhibit annoying tendencies. She is levelheaded and is a spy through and through. No one is making excuses for her actions. That is the difference between people who like Chungya and Boon Ok. Similar to how Boon Ok never takes responsibility for her mistakes, people who like her are making excuses for her as well, blaming it on the cards that she was dealt with in life.

The comparison you used in this situation is not the same since a 15 year old girl is not mentally mature enough to be able to think for herself and is literally still just a child. It can't and should not be romanticized. Up until ep 5, neither one of them had the upper hand in the relationship that allowed them to dictate it... Everything that had happened up until the hostage situation was unplanned and situational. They both fell in love the way normal people would if Sooho had just been an ordinary student activist.

Even during the hostage situation, the power imbalance that you're talking about doesn't necessarily make sense, since Sooho wasn't and has never forced Youngro to be romantically involved with him, nor did he force himself onto her. If anything, he had done the opposite and tried to place as much distance between them as possible.

The abusive relationships you are talking about can't be compared here because the circumstances are different. Sooho is only pointing a gun to Youngro's head because he had no other choice. He did it in order to protect her. If they weren't in that situation, Sooho would never result in such behaviors.

As for Nam Do san's situation, that is a completely different situation in which you do make a very valid point. The same cannot be said here because Sooho is literally a North Korean spy so from the get go, it was already an obvious inference that the love story is not a typical one. And yes you are right, it's not a healthy romance. But we live in the 21st century, this drama is not set in modern times like Start up but back in 1987. It is just realistic within that time period and specific situation.

Like you said, it is objective. The way that I understand Youngro's character, there is no way that she would be able to forgive Sooho for killing her father. Will she hate him? Maybe, maybe not. But she would never be able to forgive him.

It is not difficult to see that Sooho's actions and words contradict each other. Especially when his actions speak louder than his empty threats. It is obvious for anyone after recent events within the drama that Sooho is a victim just like any of them.

That comparison is just shallow and incomparable in my opinion.

Yes you are totally right about this. It is because of the fact that every "main" female character is either a spy or an agent, except for Boon Ok and Youngro. With Boon Ok she is willing to abandon her morals (if she had any to begin with) and isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty by doing whatever it takes to ensure her survival. Youngro, unlike all of these characters, is just a typical college student. When taken into account, many people today prefer badass types of characters, which Youngro isn't. This is why they don't bother to try and understand her character because they've already stereotyped her as how they had initially saw her.

With Youngro seeming like a supporting character, I agree with you on this. Yes it is mainly because of the writing, as well as prioritizing of Sooho's character over Youngro's and using her character as plot device in several scenarios. If her character had more background, then she would be more fleshed out. Even now though, I don't think her character is poorly written, it is just the plot that is creating an imbalance in characters and development.

There's no excuse for this because anyone can be a victim of abusive relationships. And to say that Sooho and Youngro's relationship is abusive is disregarding everything that has been presented to us thus far. Sooho's character is not abusive, but the predicament that they are in forces him to abuse Youngro. He does it to protect her, and if they were two ordinary people, their relationship would be much different. It's not romanticizing anything, it only highlights the complexity of the situation that they are in that as a result affects their relationship.

That's the point though, you're failing to understand the confusion and conflict of her character. Sooho's actions most of the time contradicts each other as well as his words. She didn't understand him and it confuses her. Up till this point, Sooho hasn't purposely done anything to Youngro that is irredeemable. Her brother's death was out of his control, and the gun holding was clearly only for show. So your assumption of her forgiving Sooho if he killed her dad is kind of reaching. If that were to happen, I believe that although she can't bring herself to hate him completely, she will never forgive him.

The situation I was talking about is how in their own way, each of them is a victim of corrupted politicians. Youngro doesn't fully understand the background of Sooho's character nor does she know his past. What she does know and has come to understand is that he never intended to do any of things that he had done to her. He never intended to kill or harm the hostages nor did he intend to hold them hostage in the first place. He is just a man who is trying to keep himself and his comrades alive so that they can return home.

For Boon Ok apologists:
Boon Ok’s background & upbringing was the blueprint of her vile character. She had to survive on her own being selfish, opportunist, scheming. Her lack of parental guidance & mentoring manifested in her inability to be accountable for her actions. Always blaming & playing the victim card. She knows her shortcomings which she compensates by taking advantage of the weakest link which happens to be Youngro because she thinks she is a pushover. Unfortunately, she is blinded by her jealousy, greed & power that she doesn't realize the only friend she truly had was Youngro.

I understand who she is. But I no longer empathize or pity her at all. Speaking her mind puts people in harm's way too many times, including herself.

Her character is easiest to sympathize for me. Boon Ok's just seems like a character people like to sympathize with because she is a grey character and had started off with more tragic origins. It was easy to sympathize with her from the get go.

Just because she mentioned it doesn't mean that's her biggest worry as of right now. She mentioned it because it was a moment that had happened between her and Sooho before everything went downhill. In her own way, she's saying that she still cares about him and that she wants to erase that moment because she was embarrassed and she still cares about his opinion of her. It's the symbolism within that scene. They were in the attic, which is known as their safe place, it is like conveying when two people are in love, everything around them fades away and in that moment it is just them. You are the one who said not to be convinced by telling. So here we are, just because Youngro didn't mention her brother here does not mean that she has forgotten about him. Do you never feel so much anguish and grief that you just want a moment to forget everything that's happening around you?

She doesn't pretend to be a hero. She is not a hero and she doesn't even view herself as such... She is literally trying everything she can to try and save everyone because she feels responsible. That doesn't seem like someone who is trying to be a hero but rather someone who is willing to own up to her mistakes. Her guilt is literally tearing away at her heart and the way she acts makes perfect sense. Would you not cry if placed in her situation? What would you have her do then? If you're talking about endangering everyone then that is more of Boon Ok's character... Literally everyone inside that dorm at the end of the day are victims, what makes Youngro so different? Because her past is not as tragic as Boon Ok's or Sooho's?

They're literally showing it though?? The falling in love at first sight, the subtle gazes and unspoken words. The small heart fluttering moments in the attic. The inside jokes about Sooho being Superman. For you it is hard to imagine a love at first sight, but it is real and it does happen. Ep 11 is the turning point for Youngro. It's the missing piece to the puzzle. All along Sooho's actions towards her have been confusing. One moment he is holding a gun at her and the next she finds him keeping her paper airplane. One moment he's dragging her around and threatening her, but the other he is tending to her wound. One moment he saying she's just a human shield, but the next he is using his own body to shield hers.

I don't know why you fail to see these things about Youngro's character. Maybe you are just more attracted to characters who are more gray and result desperate acts like Boon Ok. But in my opinion, despite understanding Boon Ok's character, I do let this overshadow the fact that her character is now irredeemable. She has no morals, no remorse for her actions. Heck it's her own god damn fault she hasn't been released yet. Even villains have lines that they do not cross. If there is anyone with rose tinted glasses around here, it would be people who still support Boon Ok even after recent episodes.

I am not saying that Youngro's character isn't flawed, but she is much more than people make her out to be.

The thing with Youngro's character development is that everyone is wanting her to change in a certain way according to their ideals and expectations of her. But they don't try to understand her character and its essence. What she has been doing is very true to her character.

The only frustrating thing to me is that her character is actually great but because she is always pushed to the back whenever Sooho is highlighted, it causes us to overlook her character.

Well of course she can't. What she can understand though, and what made her change her opinion about Sooho is that similar to her, he is also a victim in his own way. She understands that he is just trying to get home, and everything that has been happening is out of his control.

It may be easy for you, but for many it's not. There's literally plenty of people who are in love with their abusers. It's big red flag, and I don't support her decision, but I can see why she has forgiven him and still haas feelings for him. Even though he has held a gun towards her, he has done other things that show that he does care about her. It's similar in abusive relationships where one keeps going back to their partner despite the abuse that they suffer.

Maybe we've interpreted the scenes differently, but there are many clear instances that show Youngro being angry at Sooho. The lack of communication I believe is done on purpose and is not needed in their relationship and situation when actions speak louder than words. To us modern viewers, communication is one of the key factors in a relationship, but this drama is set way back in 1987.

Youngro didn't overlook his actions, she had hated him until she understood his predicament and then came to terms that he wasn't the evil communist that everyone, including herself, had painted him out to be.

please read my post just a few scrolls down. i hope it helps you understand her character.

This is one of the reasons why the first two episodes are my absolute favorite. It had so much good set up and potential. The later episodes tried to fit in too much and balances of tones and themes are offset, especially in the characters.

This is one of the reasons why the first two episodes are my absolute favorite. It had so much good set up and potential. The later episodes tried to fit in too much and balances of tones and themes are offset, especially in the characters.

If you consider Youngro’s character getting sadder and sadder each episode as one dimensional, then the same can be said about Boon Ok’s character who gets even more pathetic, selfish, and jealous each episode; Sooho’s character who continues to get betrayed by those he trusts, and who’s character gets more tragic through each episode. Youngro’s character did hate Sooho’s character, but then like I had previously said, she discovered the reasons behind his actions and began to understand him.

Predictably does not exactly determine a character’s depth, in fact not being able to predict a character’s actions makes them inconsistent and irrational. It’s not true to their character. It can also be argued that a character’s unpredictability in their actions is when the plot calls for it. From everything you’ve described that makes Youngro a one dimensional character, they are all factors related to the plot rather than aspects to her character itself. How does events out of Youngro’s control depict the depth of her character? It is how she reacts and deals with these events and the purpose behind them that describes the depth of her character.

If she is not a victim then what is she? That is exactly what she is. She went from a girl who’s biggest worry was embarrassing herself in front of the guy she likes, to a girl who is trying to save her friends from a situation that she feels that she had placed them in. Youngro exhibited change, just not in ways that everyone wants her to. This isn’t a revenge type of drama, Youngro isn’t a secret agent, nor is this a villain origin story. For Youngro to do a complete 180 turn and immediately forget her feelings for Sooho just because he caused her so much trauma is unrealistic. She will hate him for sure, but that does not make her feelings for him go away, which is exactly what we saw in Youngro. She was conflicted and in disbelief, not being able to wrap her head around the fact that she saved a North Korean spy.

Although I agree with the lack of foundation in their relationship, I think the writer decided to write their love story this way for a purpose. They described Youngro and Sooho’s love story as a pure love against the times. The purest of love is love at first sight. It was the situation and the things that they had suffered together that had strengthened their bond and connection. Their understandings and empathy that they had for each other grew as they go through it together.

Just like how you can’t hate Boon Ok cause you understand her actions, Youngro can’t hate Sooho because she understands his actions. It’s in her nature to try to cheer him up because that’s her character, that is who she is.

The selfishness that you wanted Youngro to have was exhibited by her character when she discovered her brother’s death. That was when she lost all rationality and wanted to get out to see her brother one last time. Other than her brother, there is not much that she would want to live for considering that he is the most precious and important person in her life. With the amount of self hatred she had, why would she be selfish? That wouldn’t make any sense. What would she want to live for? With the guilt that she feels and the trauma she’s gone through, death is a much better option.

What exactly makes Youngro’s character insecure? I don’t get any sense that she is insecure. Now Boon Ok is for sure full of insecurity.