I've felt the writer might go there. This has ended up being a story about the beauty of sacrifice, and how deeply…
I know what you mean, I just meant he sacrificed for this family to have a good life, willing to face the cost of what it will demand, even if it meant jeopardizing his safety with bad dad; I had prepared myself for the possibility of this happening since the beginning because of the way this screenwriter ended While You Were Sleeping. That said, I think there's still a chance he'll be fine. 😏
Actually, its good that the biological father remained true to his character; human beings didnt really change…
Great point! 👌 And if good dad dies, it's not going to be one of those unnecessary deaths tacked on to the end for no good reason other than to create an unasked for emotional climax. They've honestly been setting up this moment for a while.
Nooooooooo😭 If writer really kill the good father next episode, I'll cry a river and detest the writer. I can't…
I've felt the writer might go there. This has ended up being a story about the beauty of sacrifice, and how deeply meaningful it is to the person who sacrifices because of the greatness of their love. It would be heartbreaking, but fitting. The psycho dad is the one who can never blame himself, as Ran Joo said, and because of that, he can't stop being who he is until he is stopped.
What a stunning episode. Loveliness from start to finish. So many beautiful moments, but my favorite part ended up being the montage played during the song without lyrics, when Ran Joo realized she was a "Taker," too. Ack, the screen got so blurry!
P.S. Loved the prosecutor cameo from While You Were Sleeping!
There is something in this series that I didn't find in any other series this year, idk what it is but I like…
I think the director/screenwriter duo is top tier (and obviously the cast is amazing). If you look at their other collaborations they also did very well. Perhaps this screenwriter also tries to be a bit more artistic with her script and plot construction than the typical kdrama? And despite the darker themes and disturbing content, watching this drama still manages to feel like a warm hug. It also gives you plenty to chew on and think about after watching, and enough subtext that you come away with a richer understanding and deeper appreciation of the characters and story after a re-watch.
track is great, plot is great, but why did Sok Mok ha have to join that man's agency
I think she did it to prove to Ran Joo that she was serious about having Ran Joo's help and that she was serious about actually becoming a singer? If she had joined another agency she would have made it impossible to work with Ran Joo again, who was still signed on with RJ Entertainment. That's just a theory, though, as it's not made explicit what the reason is. 🤷♀️
Are you saying Mok Ha is lying? And if so, who is she lying to? What is she lying about? I'm not sure I understand…
@Nachi Okay, I think I see what you mean now. Yes, there is a lot of lying, though I don't think the screenwriter ever glorifies it? Over and over she's shown the consequences that come from it, even those lies that come from a thoughtful, not-malicious place? And just because the characters make mistakes doesn't mean we can't still root for them? Because it's a part of the growth she writes for them. And the lying portrayed here is still heaps better than the painful lying engaged in in Start-Up. 😖
I have wondered if the man swooping in to save the woman in Kdrama is actually not a cultural Korean thing but a Western trope assimilated into Korean culture due to the audience (mostly women, I think we can agree)? I am definitely NOT claiming to have expert knowledge or anything, haha, but here is my reasoning based on things I've observed. I wonder this because:
1) When I visited SK and Japan, I noticed on public transport and in general that men don't give deference to women because they are women (like giving them a seat, holding the door, carrying heavy items, etc.), as the only deference of that kind is paid to people older than you (so, age based rather than sex based). These are things you will still see some men do in the West even though it's being pushed back on heavily in recent years and dying out (same is true for the treatment of women in Western entertainment until more recently).
2) I read an article recently that highlighted interviews with Korean women (in Korea) who said the main reasons they are not marrying or in relationships (the interviews and research was prompted by the birth rate drop) is because many were abused while in relationships or had domestic abuse from men in their families. (And oddly, this is one of the few dramas to really address it head-on, and maybe it doesn't crop up more because it's too close to home...).
These two things make me wonder if this trend in Kdrama is creating fantasies of the kind of men women wish they could date, and a kind of longing for traditions or norms that foster men valuing and respecting women that have been appropriated from the West (also, Kdramas are gaining a lot of momentum with Westerners and these stereotypes still exist there for sure). These are the men women wish they married, fell in love with and raised a family with. I think the West is largely moving away from these longstanding stereotypes (not saying that it's a good or bad thing, just something I've noticed) for men and women, but cultures that have not opened up more opportunities for women yet and are just starting to move on from older cultural norms are still working on new ways to portray women, I think. I've started to see it a bit more in Korean dramas, but to be fair, even the West is still pretty lousy at it because they end up falling to extremes rather than being really thoughtful about it (I mean in TV and movies, specifically). And obviously we have a lot of women and families being mistreated here (in the West), too, but legislation and protection for it in Korea seems to be more slow in coming. I imagine it will take time since cultural norms are deeply rooted in up to centuries of tradition and societal routines.
Aaaaanyway.... just some of my musings based on what you were picking up on! I know I've over-generalized and over-simplified a ton... 😏
P.S. Loved the prosecutor cameo from While You Were Sleeping!
My theories, at least! 😏
I have wondered if the man swooping in to save the woman in Kdrama is actually not a cultural Korean thing but a Western trope assimilated into Korean culture due to the audience (mostly women, I think we can agree)? I am definitely NOT claiming to have expert knowledge or anything, haha, but here is my reasoning based on things I've observed. I wonder this because:
1) When I visited SK and Japan, I noticed on public transport and in general that men don't give deference to women because they are women (like giving them a seat, holding the door, carrying heavy items, etc.), as the only deference of that kind is paid to people older than you (so, age based rather than sex based). These are things you will still see some men do in the West even though it's being pushed back on heavily in recent years and dying out (same is true for the treatment of women in Western entertainment until more recently).
2) I read an article recently that highlighted interviews with Korean women (in Korea) who said the main reasons they are not marrying or in relationships (the interviews and research was prompted by the birth rate drop) is because many were abused while in relationships or had domestic abuse from men in their families. (And oddly, this is one of the few dramas to really address it head-on, and maybe it doesn't crop up more because it's too close to home...).
These two things make me wonder if this trend in Kdrama is creating fantasies of the kind of men women wish they could date, and a kind of longing for traditions or norms that foster men valuing and respecting women that have been appropriated from the West (also, Kdramas are gaining a lot of momentum with Westerners and these stereotypes still exist there for sure). These are the men women wish they married, fell in love with and raised a family with. I think the West is largely moving away from these longstanding stereotypes (not saying that it's a good or bad thing, just something I've noticed) for men and women, but cultures that have not opened up more opportunities for women yet and are just starting to move on from older cultural norms are still working on new ways to portray women, I think. I've started to see it a bit more in Korean dramas, but to be fair, even the West is still pretty lousy at it because they end up falling to extremes rather than being really thoughtful about it (I mean in TV and movies, specifically). And obviously we have a lot of women and families being mistreated here (in the West), too, but legislation and protection for it in Korea seems to be more slow in coming. I imagine it will take time since cultural norms are deeply rooted in up to centuries of tradition and societal routines.
Aaaaanyway.... just some of my musings based on what you were picking up on! I know I've over-generalized and over-simplified a ton... 😏