PURE LOVE WITH SAD BEAUTY...

There is so much to write about this series. I must say that I still can't get over it. The story, the acting, the music used in the series... I don't know where to start. First of all, if I briefly describe it, I think I can say that it has a sad beauty. There is no element in the content of the series that I would say if it were not. On the contrary, I wish it was a series with longer episodes so that we could feel the characters more deeply. We can say that it is a very good job in terms of cinematography.
This series was like a book or a poem, describing a deep love.
The fact that it was built on real events affected us emotionally. Yes, such people really existed. They loved and were loved despite the difficulties. They had dreams, hopes, loves. Most of them were ordinary people. Just like the characters in the series. Then there were evils, intolerance, cruelty, greed. People acting with these feelings have turned the lives of thousands of people into hell. In fact, the feelings and experiences of the people described are so universal. Even now, bad people who can't tolerate any other thought other than their own and disregard human life unfortunately still continue to exist, in many different ways in many different parts of the world.

Returning to the series, the way the main characters love each other is so ingrained that we have become one with them. The details of the script, the music and the great acting play a big part in this. The screenwriter especially wanted us to connect with them and empathize with them, and I think he wrote his screenplay accordingly. The actors also reflected the emotions very well. There is already an incredible attraction between the couple, which makes it easy to get into the story. In every scene where they looked at each other and held hands, I was excited with them, I felt those emotions.


By the end of the episode, we were all devastated. Because we were too attached to the characters. Myung Hee was such a strong, loving, kind hearted woman. It was the first time she had wanted something for herself. That girl was brave and passionate. She was not like the leading female characters in most of the series. She first held out her hand to Hee Tae, she kissed it first, she was the one who grabbed her hand and ran ahead as she was running away from the engagement ceremony with Hee Tae. Episode 11: "I'll be your family, let's get married." it was she who said it. She deserved to be happy, she. She breathed her last, alone, on the cold earth. I can't forget their last breaths. Imagine how lonely and scared he must have been. When I saw Myung Hee like that, I didn't just think about the people in Gwangju who actually experienced it. I thought of all the people in the world who are still experiencing this. Yes, at first I was very angry. I was so attached to the couple that I got used to the happy ending without realizing it.

Then I realized that the happy ending would probably go against the message the show wanted to give to the audience. This is the best way to understand the people who died and lost loved ones in Gwangju. We can think of this series as a homage to the memory of those who have died and to the pain of those left behind. If it had a happy ending, maybe we wouldn't be able to understand the feelings of all those people who died and stayed behind. In addition, the fact that it was so sad did not detract from the beauty of the series in my opinion.


We need to talk about the music. The music made is so in harmony with the feeling of the show. "Days in Memory" is already the song Hee Tae wrote for Myung Hee. We also heard Hee Tae muttering in the scene where the girl died. It was incredibly impressive. The lyrics and interpretation of "Words I Want To Say To You" made my heart ache. The scene where he was used in episode 11 was magnificent. "Winter of May" reflected the emotions of the characters exactly. I can't listen without crying. Then there is the need to mention other music used. The Rose, Annie's Song... They are both so meaningful. They have been carefully chosen, adding tremendous emotions to the scenes in which they are used.

Some words from The Rose:

And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live
...
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose

And finally, in the last episode, the song playing in the restaurant while Hee Tae is looking for Myung Hee... My heart aches as I listen to it.

Read More

Cinematographically perfect but story...

I have serious disappointments with this drama. Cinematographically perfect. The soundtrack is wonderful. The acting is so awesome. The outfits are great. But i think there is a problem with the progression and finale of the story. The script could have been written better.

First it was extremely stagnant until almost episode 15. So I think it should have been at most 16 episodes. Also, it was unnecessary for all men to fall in love with just one woman. Hina was a lonely and powerful character who deserved to be loved. She was more patriotic and brave than Ae-shin. There was incredible chemistry between him and Dong-mae. You can feel that sexual attraction even when they're just side by side. What a pity! I am most sorry that such fates were written on them. Moreover, this screenwriter wrote the second couples very well in his other dramas. E.g. descendants of the sun, goblin, hwi-seong was my favorite character in the drama. cute but lonely character who is happy with simple things. his way of death was ridiculous. He had to survive and support the struggle with his writings. What a pity! There was no chemistry between the main couple. I couldn't feel this throughout the drama. all I saw was the extreme age difference between them. moreover, the way the man died was very dramatized. it didn't affect me at all. Also Ae-shin's character was contradictory. For her, love was more important. It went beyond the patriotic woman image that was featured in the first episodes. I could not understand what she wanted to do. She couldn't make me feel her patriotism.

Read More

I don't think the problem with this series was that there was a big age difference. Because we've watched couples with an age difference before(I Hear Your Voice, Secret Love Affair, Romance is the Bonus Book. Light in Your Eyes, One Spring Night...). I think there was no chemistry between the main couple. Even though I enjoyed watching their old times, Da Jung's old version bothered me. It was like she couldn't get into the acting role. Especially 13-14. What was the acting of the woman in the episodes, for God's sake? She acted like she was 15 years old and in addition the scenes were irritating. For example, there is a kissing scene at the end of episode 14. Pay attention to the acting of the female character in that scene. She is crying but her face looks like she is disgusted. I think I should point out that the script is also weak at many points. Especially in the episodes in 2020. I felt the emotion more intensely in the parts describing the old times. I wish old Dae Young would act in romantic scenes. There were times when I questioned the meaning of Yoon Sang Hyun's presence in the drama. I think it was a pity for him. In order to express the emotion more in very unnecessary scenes, those scenes were played by the old Dae Young. But there was always LDH in the romantic scenes. LDH acted great, but we can't deny that the script is weak.

Read More