What should she have done then?
The lead actress asks the same question.
Those who demand to deny choice in the pro-life vs pro-choice debate rarely volunteer to shoulder the hardships of the would be mother. Likewise, are the people condemning her willing to shield her from the forces bent on suffocating her?
This isn’t an endorsement of her actions nor an absolution, rather an invitation to recognize the weight and complexity of lives we do not live and acknowledge that moral certainty is easy when it is not us who bear the consequences.
It is one of several dramas with morally twisted protagonists but why I think the show rises above surface level appeal is that despite the cards already in her hands she does not seek to make her life more "interesting" than necessary. She moves through her world not looking for enemies who just happen to relentlessly come to punch her so she punches harder. Her actions stem from survival not villainous desire to orchestrate just anyone's downfall, though at some point it came at the cost of few innocent people.
The drama delivers an episode8-level bomb (kdrama watchers know this) as early as episode three. The first two are their own bam and kaboom too, then it breathes and adds enriching layers to the webtoon.
There are a few points where it falters:
Initially, the narrative moved as if it showed comic panels rather than achieving a seamless flow. The school antagonist's recklessness felt inconsistent with her status as a top student. It was strange that she would be bold enough to antagonize Ah Jin so publicly alone with minimal family influence. It still felt artificial, the acting still felt like a performance. She returns later to contribute little beyond superfluous screen time. The tension between Jae Oh and his father lacked, Ah Jin's manipulative lines to young Junseo bordered cartoonish- she was more subtle in the webtoon.
But by episode three, all of that changes. The emotions sharpen and the story takes off to find its rhythm.
The spectacular restraint gives the portrayal depth. Her laugh does not slip into an over-the-top deranged laugh and her cry bears no resemblance to the familiar cry of a wronged victim. She fills the spaces with an unsettling mix of emotions revealing an emotionally nuanced character, who is molded by circumstance so she decided to shape it in return. The show is brilliant at focusing on that. There is a toxic devotion in the background, sub themes of corruption, power, jealousy, meaning of love, the promise of a savior, but at the end of the day this is all about her and her story alone.
Whether the series wins you over or not, it is far from a wasted viewing. It offers several elements that are objectively impressive: the portrayal of the actors including the children, the storytelling choices, cinematography, the score and silence at the right moments. The parallels and symbolic imagery are fun subtle easter eggs for the sharp-eyed as well.
Ultimately on a viewer-level, suspense, delight, heartache, awe, disbelief, laughter, tears, laughter through tears, gripping hair .. DearX broke records for how fast it made me feel everything.
Those who demand to deny choice in the pro-life vs pro-choice debate rarely volunteer to shoulder the hardships of the would be mother. Likewise, are the people condemning her willing to shield her from the forces bent on suffocating her?
This isn’t an endorsement of her actions nor an absolution, rather an invitation to recognize the weight and complexity of lives we do not live and acknowledge that moral certainty is easy when it is not us who bear the consequences.
It is one of several dramas with morally twisted protagonists but why I think the show rises above surface level appeal is that despite the cards already in her hands she does not seek to make her life more "interesting" than necessary. She moves through her world not looking for enemies who just happen to relentlessly come to punch her so she punches harder. Her actions stem from survival not villainous desire to orchestrate just anyone's downfall, though at some point it came at the cost of few innocent people.
The drama delivers an episode8-level bomb (kdrama watchers know this) as early as episode three. The first two are their own bam and kaboom too, then it breathes and adds enriching layers to the webtoon.
There are a few points where it falters:
Initially, the narrative moved as if it showed comic panels rather than achieving a seamless flow. The school antagonist's recklessness felt inconsistent with her status as a top student. It was strange that she would be bold enough to antagonize Ah Jin so publicly alone with minimal family influence. It still felt artificial, the acting still felt like a performance. She returns later to contribute little beyond superfluous screen time. The tension between Jae Oh and his father lacked, Ah Jin's manipulative lines to young Junseo bordered cartoonish- she was more subtle in the webtoon.
But by episode three, all of that changes. The emotions sharpen and the story takes off to find its rhythm.
The spectacular restraint gives the portrayal depth. Her laugh does not slip into an over-the-top deranged laugh and her cry bears no resemblance to the familiar cry of a wronged victim. She fills the spaces with an unsettling mix of emotions revealing an emotionally nuanced character, who is molded by circumstance so she decided to shape it in return. The show is brilliant at focusing on that. There is a toxic devotion in the background, sub themes of corruption, power, jealousy, meaning of love, the promise of a savior, but at the end of the day this is all about her and her story alone.
Whether the series wins you over or not, it is far from a wasted viewing. It offers several elements that are objectively impressive: the portrayal of the actors including the children, the storytelling choices, cinematography, the score and silence at the right moments. The parallels and symbolic imagery are fun subtle easter eggs for the sharp-eyed as well.
Ultimately on a viewer-level, suspense, delight, heartache, awe, disbelief, laughter, tears, laughter through tears, gripping hair .. DearX broke records for how fast it made me feel everything.
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