Ahem.
I think a number of you have the wrong idea of me. You think I’m sort of this “Horse Whisperer” — but for kdramas. Just like a horse whisperer interprets horse sound and body language, to some people, I appear to listen to dialogues, watch the scenes, and bond with the story well to interpret the kdrama.
Well, you’re wrong. I’m not a kdrama whisperer. I’m an opinionated bitch. Hench, my blog name. I don’t whisper about drama, muse over dramas, obsess about dramas, reflect on a drama, deconstruct dramas or love a drama. Bitching is what I do best.
To get back to my roots, I’m going to bitch about the top 10 annoying things in this Episode 10. Because we’ve plenty of time, I’m going to divide this into two parts.
It’s the little things.
10. Kim Soo Hyun
I spotted the headline on soompi, “Kim Soo Hyun Delights Viewers with Cameo Appearance in ‘Crash Landing on You’” and I thought, “Really?? A cameo?” These viewers must have super-low threshold for what constitutes a “delightful” moment if a cameo was enough to thrill them.
I was annoyed because this is the second cameo Kim Soo Hyun appeared on in 5 months since he was discharged last July. He was in the final episode of Hotel del Luna, too.
source: knetizen
His cameo there also caused quite a stir because the fangirls (especially the stupid ones who weren’t paying attention to the story) thought there was going to be a second season of Hotel del Luna with him as the lead.
Stop yanking my chain, Kim Soo Hyun. Stop making me wait. Stop doing cameos. And get start working on your own kdrama. Now, THAT is something I’ll consider a DELIGHT.
9. Dan’s uncle
If there’s anything I learned from JungHyuk’s dad, it’s that North Korean generals live a double-life. They’re henpecked at home but strutting roosters at work. Dan’s uncle is no different. He’s nagged by his noona and dominated by his niece, but he’s a force to be reckoned with in the military.
But what’s niggling me at the back of my mind is that he might not be one of the good guys after all. He’d sent the note to the trial judge to give his final verdict and pronounce ChulGang guilty. There could be two ways to interpret this signal from him.
One, he wanted the trial fast-tracked before JungHyuk’s reputation could be damaged in court. He was being a good friend of the family like he was in Episode 2.
Two, he wanted the trial ended quickly because he himself was involved in a cover-up. It’s possible that he knew all about the illegal procurement of armor from Russia, and didn’t want his involvement, and the involvement of other military personnel, exposed.
What made me suspicious of him is his insistence that JungHyuk dropped his investigation.
From Episode 2:
JH: …Three Kamaz trucks passed before the accident.
General: Well, that’s a common truck.
JH: Is that what you really believe? It’s just a coincidence?
General: JungHyuk, do you only look at one side of things? If your mind is already made up, everything will look suspicious. Why do we have eyes on the front of our head? It means we must face front. Put your past behind you. And face forward now.
From Episode 10:
JH: There’s a possibility that those on his side caused the incident.
General: Stop making inferences. Just look at the facts. He got what he deserved. He died the same way he murdered his victims.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that he’s a just simple fellow who wants JungHyuk out of trouble. For now, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because
a) his reaction to the thieves who stole his wipers showed that he wasn’t a punitive man. He said, “There’s no need to blame the thieves. The one that failed to protect his valuables is the fool.” For now, I see him as playing the role of Junghyuk’s protector.
b) he gave his then-fiancee a chance to leave him when he found out that she was in love with somebody else. That was decent of him.
c) he didn’t know that, right after he tried to convince JungHyuk that ChulGang was dead, ChulGang called JungHyuk up to taunt him that he was alive.
d) JungHyuk trusted him. JungHyuk had turned to him a few times already when he needed help.
8. The Liam Neeson trope
This annoyed me because our hero was left with no choice again.
Chul: Have you received my gift? You seemed surprise. I’m not like your weak brother. You can’t get rid of me that quickly.
JungHyuk: I swear on my brother’s name that I’ll catch you at all costs and make you live a life that’s worse than death itself.
Chul: Is that so? That’s a pity. Before you do that, I’m going to head down South to kill that woman. Come catch me if you want. I’ll see you later.
Ta-daaaa!! It finally arrived, the Liam Neeson trope. We’ve been expecting it this week.
We all know that Liam Neeson never makes ineffectual death threats.
Likewise, JungHyuk doesn’t make empty promises.
This Liam Neeson trope is critical junction in the kdrama.
To me, the reason many viewers felt that this Episode 10 was Phase 2 of the kdrama was because we were given a new justification to reboot Seri’s and JungHyuk’s romance. The effect of this scene was twofold. One, JungHyuk had an excuse to seek out Seri and two, the stake had been raised. Whereas before, returning Seri to South Korea was the mission, now, protecting Seri from his brother’s killer had become the new “excuse” or impetus for the couple’s reunion.
Moreover, there’s a sense of guilt involved now. JungHyuk was feeling guilty – and responsible – for endangering Seri. He unwittingly put her in harm’s way when he exposed ChulGang’s criminal activities. He wanted ChulGang to pay for his brother’s death but he didn’t intend Seri’s life to be the collateral damage in his fight with ChulGang.
That’s what this angsty scene was all about.
On a side note: Did you notice his hair here? He had bangs while he was inside the office but when he rushed out, he magically had this classic side part with loose hair. Hahaha. Of course, this could just be an editing mistake or a make-up error. But as I said before, a change in hairstyle typically signified a change in mindset.
Anyway, to continue…
This scene was his “Moment of Truth” or to use stronger language, the “Oh Crap!” trope. He was having a mental breakdown because he realized what he had done, and he feared for Seri’s life. He had NO CHOICE but to go to South Korea and save her again.
And that’s why this annoyed me. I already said that I believe that love is a decision. I wanted JungHyuk to go after Seri because he chose to go after her. Not because he had no choice but to follow her.
This is going to be another heroic save for him like the time he took a bullet for her, and the time he braved a blizzard to find her.
7. Anti-Catholicism
Will kdrama writers please stop this?
The insurance guy suddenly becomes pious because a “miracle” happened.
And this greedy sister-in-law lies about praying for a “miracle” and Seri’s return.
Sigh. This is a gross misunderstanding of a miracle.
I’ve said this before. To depict characters like them as Christians is to insinuate that members of the Catholic Church are pretentious, vacuous, hypocritical and laughable. I dare kdrama writers to caricature adherents of other faiths in a similar manner.
6. The most underrated moment
Ugh. Trust viewers to miss this moment and focus on the kiss. So let me go back to Episode 9 and explain what I saw.
They arrived at the barbed wire fencing.
JH: We’re here.
SR: (nodding) We are finally here.
JH: Do you see that tree over there? (she nods) That’s the entrance of the South Korean search team. (checking his watch) The search team will do a round in the morning, so ask them for help.
SR: By any chance, (pausing) can you walk me there?
Now, we all know why this sounds familiar, right? She made a similar appeal before she left for the airport. She’d asked him, “Instead of shaking my hand, (pausing) can you give me a hug? I won’t ever see you again.” And now, she was asking him with the same hesitant and wistful tone. More importantly, her request echoed the same reluctance to let him go. She was clinging to him.
JH: (shaking his head and pointing to the demarcation sign) I can’t take a single step over this line.
This is revealing, don’t you think? Aside from them, there was nobody else there to witness him stepping over the line. Yet he followed the rules strictly. Last time I said it would have been awkward to hug because the Handsome Soldier could see them. But now, who cared if he stepped in the zone?
His answer tells me three things. One, it tells me that he’d reverted to his dutiful soldier values. Two, it also tells me that he studiously denied Seri’s request.
And three, he broke all rules to send her back, but he wasn’t going to bend just this one rule. lol. It didn’t make sense.
JH: (continuing) Don’t forget to keep your eyes on the rocks.
SR: JungHyuk, don’t forget about me, too.
JH: I won’t. How would I forget about a woman who fell from the sky?
He did it again. He was keeping the conversation light to distract her. He did this on the boat, remember? He told her to stop bragging about playing “For Elise.”
SR: I didn’t fall from the sky? I descended.
What’s the difference? I don’t know how this was originally said in Korean, but in English, falling from the sky implies clumsiness, while descending from the sky suggests grace and elegance. A goddess would descend from the sky, not tumble down from the sky.
JH: (humoring her) Sure.
SR: I’ll get going now.
She stepped over the barbed wire. He stepped over it to follow her. Then, he grabbed her coat sleeve, stopping her in her tracks.
This sleeve-grabbing is a trope. To me, it isn’t annoying like a wrist-grab but it pretty much heralds a romantic interlude
See here? Sleeve-grab + twist around + lip-lock in one smooth motion
JH: A single step should be okay.
Then he dropped his helmet and they kissed.
Of course, people were focused on that kiss. But since I was expecting that kiss anyway after the sleeve-grab, I just rolled my eyes when I saw the confirmation.
To me that moment when he followed her and crossed the line was more meaningful.
Remember how many times they drew the line? At least four times, right?
The first time was when they laid down the house rules. The line between the soldiers and Seri wasn’t visible, but it was there nonetheless. They couldn’t fraternize with the “enemy” and cross the line.
Well, we know what happened to their agreement, right? They all formed one line at the end.
The second line of defense was Jung Hyuk’s fiancée. JungHyuk came clean about Dan’s existence to draw a line between them.
He didn’t want Seri to develop feelings for him. When she confessed that her heart was fluttered in the marketplace, when he appeared out of nowhere with the candle, he told her about his engagement. Dan was a symbolic line. Again, we know what happened to that line eventually.
It broke down.
The third line was when she rearranged the beer cans. That was a physical line drawn on the floor of his living room. She wanted him to stick to his promises so they could have a cooperative relationship between them. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ha, that line didn’t last long, did it?
The fourth line was drawn on the hospital bed. That was a metaphorical line. She told him, “Don’t feel uncomfortable.” And when he pointed out that it was his bed (so why would he be the one to feel uncomfortable), she pointed out, “As I always say, there’s no need for a war if we stay within our boundaries.” She was saying that there were proprieties to be observed, and she trusted him not to encroach on her personal space.
Again, they both crossed that line that night.
So, this is the fifth line.
In my opinion, it was better for him to cross it and throw caution to the wind, than to just stare at the line and watch her walk away. For one, drama gods always frowned on male characters who are tepid about their pursuit of the girl. As the saying goes, “Faint heart never won fair lady.”
For another, the use of the “Gajima” or “Don’t go!” trope is well-documented in kdrama viewers.
It was imperative that JungHyuk chased after her and let her know that he didn’t want her to leave. This way, even though she was heartbroken from the separation, she didn’t have to suffer from imagining that he didn’t care enough for her to hold her back when it mattered the most.
And that’s why I think this moment was sadly overlooked because of the kiss. When JungHyuk said, “A single step was okay,” I thought that was an understatement.
To me, this single step to cross that line and to follow her was the biggest step he took for the primary reason that it was his first step he ever made of his own free will. Unlike the heroic events, he had a choice here: either to stay back or cross the line. He decided to step over the line and that step marked the beginning of his journey towards her.
*************************
Part 2 to follow (hopefully) tomorrow.
The number of cameos in Hotel Del Luna annoyed me. It just seemed like a gimmick to draw in new viewers and boost ratings. I felt it diminished the esteemed quality of the production. As if the story couldn’t already stand on its own and required “perks” to inch the ratings even higher. 🤔. It wasn’t just one, they had many… currently binging it with my daughter during our travels. 🙂
I’m with you on Dan’s uncle. I thought the nod from Dan’s uncle to the judge was suspicious—along w/ insisting for RJH to put it to bed. I’m also wondering who the mysterious figure is that approached the Rat to go to SK w/ the soldiers to get RJH.
Safe travels, @nrllee! And stay healthy! I hope you have masks with you.
My husband’s worried that I might catch this coronavirus when I’m in Asia in March. But my meetings have already been set so oh well. This happened to me when there was that SARS epidemic. I got sick shortly after my return from Asia and when the doctors found out, they had me quickly quarantined in the hospital before I even knew what was going on. They ran some tests, but found that I was negative. Phew!
Some cameos in HdL I didn’t mind, though. Like the Chewbacca guy from Euchalala Waikiki. He played the lousy actor who was possessed by a really good actor.
But Kim Soo Hyun’s cameo in HdL trolled so many gullible fans. 😈😂
Right? That shadowy figure didn’t look like JH’s Dad.
So let’s keep an eye on Dan’s uncle for now.
@John L It can’t be Seri’s brother can it? Wow if I didn’t see that comment I wouldn’t even have caught it
@Yvonne. The silhouette looks as if it could be Choi Dae-hoon (brother that got in a fight at work)–hair and suit. However, I don’t see the connection between him and the Rat (Man Bok) since the Rat really has no friends other than … Ri Moo-hyuk. What if RJH’s brother isn’t really dead? Isn’t easier to do investigation when nobody knows you’re alive? I am likely overstepping.
Did anyone find the SR family dinner scene a little odd? Choi Dae-hoon ask the dad when he found out SR was back, but the father never gave an answer. Apparently, he was on a business trip, but he never came home. Not sure what to make of this.
So many questions.
“Safe travels, @nrllee! And stay healthy! I hope you have masks with you.”
We will try. Thanks for your concern. I think everyone is in panic mode…the masks have sold out everywhere we looked. We will just hand sanitize regularly and pray for the best. Not that masks are protective anyway. All the doctors say only people who are sick should be wearing them to reduce spread. It doesn’t actually stop people who are trying NOT to get sick.
Morning! 😊
I did some comments already but I went to WhatsApp and when I got back here it’s gone. 😱
Anyway, I thought KSH’s cameo was funny. I ended up watching that movie that you put here, Secretly, Greatly. It wasn’t bad at all. I agree with you too that he needs his own drama now. Maybe Kang Sora can be his leading lady? ☺️ Wishful thinking.
Thanks for pointing that nod from Dan’s uncle to the judge. I totally forgot about it but I thought that was weird.
I loved what you wrote about JH finally making a choice to follow his heart when he crossed the line between the north and south. I thought that was a big step/decision from him. I wasn’t concentrating on the kiss otherwise I would have said something already. 😂 You know me and my kisses. 😜
I’m working on the short piece for the JH’s squad, right now. I’ve a public engagement today so I don’t have to rush off to work. (Hurray!!)
Yes, by the way, that kick that KSH did in the cameo is called a “leprechaun” kick. I thought it was very appropriate because he was wearing all green too like a leprechaun. 🙂
Dan’s uncle is suspicious, isn’t he? But I’m still crossing my fingers that he isn’t one of the bad guys. I just hope that he was just being protective of JH, just like how he protected him when JH was brought in for questioning in Episode 2.
Oh nice, I can’t remember all their names besides Sergeant Pyo and the drama guy? 😄
Thanks for the leprechaun kick info. 😀 He was cute. I’ve never seen him like that before , maybe that’s why I found it funny.
Yeah, I don’t want Dan’s uncle to be a bad guy but usually when they do something like that, something is up.
Oh I finally had some bingsu. Green tea bingsu with red beans. Soooo good. My niece, sister and parents loved it. My boys didn’t want to try it as they had an iced chocolate and custard cake. 😄
I’ve had patbingsoo a few times. I love the strawberry and banana ones. But I love anything iced.
By the way, I recently tried your Filipino version. It’s called mix-mix or something like that? I loved the purple ice cream on it. I heard it was purple sweet potato.
Oh wow! I think I prefer your mix mix name instead of our halo-halo 😉😂 That one is quite yummy too and yes it usually has the purple ice cream on top. I love that ice cream too. ☺️
I’ve had the Taiwanese version of patbingsoo but I prefer the Korean one.
Have you been to Soompi recently? There’s a few things/issues that’s written with regards to CLoY. I read it in Instagram but one of them is how they portrayed North Korea. I haven’t read the whole article. I guess that’s why they keep saying unification.
@ nrllee–
Don’t forget to try the street food in Seoul.
There’s this rose-shaped gelato ice cream in Namdaemun (or was it Myeongdong area?) that’s supposedly a tourist attraction.
I’d recommend the deep-fried crablets (just because I’ve never seen deep-fried crablets before), the grilled cheese lobster, and beef barbecue on a stick.
Weird experience: the fish cake. lol. It’s hard to eat it off a barbecue stick. I felt like a giant tongue was slobbering all over me.
No. Haven’t been to soompi in a while. 🙂
I was timing my post on the depiction of NK in the kdrama. I want Seri out of NK first before I tackled it.
In Malaysia, I’ve also tasted their version patbingsoo. Was it called Iced Penang? I can’t remember now. I remember the jello and corn. I’ve seen jello mixed in these shaved iced desserts, but I’ve never seen corn before so that was a treat.
Then, in Bangkok, I’ve tasted their namkang sai. (lol. I hope I spelled that correctly). I didn’t like it the first time I tried it because I thought it was a bit too sweet. They used sweetened milk and I should have asked for just regular milk. But I like the coconut and the yellow fruit (it wasn’t pineapple) they added to it.
So yes, I make it a point to order the shaved iced dessert wherever I’m in Asia. Too bad I didn’t start taking pictures of them so I can make a comparison. To me, it’s all about the explosion of flavors and colors. They taste exotic and they’re all so picture-perfect.
BTW, when that purple ice cream was sold in our local Traders Joe, I stocked up and bought 3 tubs. I guess other shoppers had the same idea because they quickly sold out.
“ In Malaysia, I’ve also tasted their version patbingsoo. Was it called Iced Penang”
Ais Kacang (pronounced Ice Kah-Charng). Thanks for all the food recommendations for Seoul. Daughter dear has already made a list a mile long… she also wants to visit LOTS of cute cafes… I am told they “do aesthetic” with regards to cafes on another level (Teen speak). 😆. Me I am fascinated with that particular library of books with the arches (http://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/01/23/crash-landing-on-you-episode-10-part-1/#comments) see Seoul Book bogo in link. Actually some of those places look interesting…so might make a trip just to see them for ourselves. 🙂 We are currently in Singapore with family for the Lunar New Year. We fly off to the frigid cold of Seoul on Tuesday 🥶
Oops pasted the wrong link (feel free to correct above post)
https://www.hallyusg.net/2019/07/24/filminglocations-hoteldelluna/
Have a fun trip! @nrllee, you are in my part of the world! 😀 It is CNY festivities for the next few days and a lot of eating…though it is gonna be quiet in some places tomorrow because many people will be out visiting families and some shops close on the first and/or second day.
@packmule3, I had an inkling that you would talk about that line crossing! I also thought that the part where he signed out the guns to bring along with him when Seri was on the way to the airport was something he ’should not’ be doing, it ’should not’ be for personal use. He followed the rules of signing out the guns because it is the right thing to do (following the rules), and it got him into ’trouble’ later on. Not that he minded other than he is stuck and Seri needs to be rescued. But then again, i think he would not be able to get the guns out if he didn’t sign out. I am confusing myself here….
I wonder what other lines he will cross in future or what lines Seri crosses too.
I was seriously confused by KimSooHyun’s character. Who sent him? He feels like the field guide guy in Jumanji, leaves them with clues and then disappears. Not sure if we will see him again though.
😂 i was going to write about the scratches on JungHyuk’s face 😈🤪 but decided to go with the shoes crossing the barbed wires instead.
This show is about “love without borders” (literally) 😂 so the leads need to start crossing lines.
Happy Chinese new year to you too! I just received a box of pineapple cake for CNY.
?? I’m curious? I noticed the barbed wire crossing. But scratches?
Interesting points raised here. I’m probably in the minority who thinks Dan’s uncle does not look suspicious. I felt like the nod to the judge as a sign to hasten the trial since Chul Kang was getting out of hand already. What really threw me off was how Chul Kang only managed to get a life sentence with hard labor. Considering the gravity of his crimes, I thought it should have merited a public execution.
Regarding the anti-Catholicism, I found the depictions amusing. As a Catholic myself, it seemed to me that the characters were not Catholic per ser rather Christians (perhaps evangelical or even Protestant), especially with the way Hye-Ji was depicted to be attending prayer meetings (more common among non-Catholic Christians). I, for one, have seen my fair share of hypocritical, money-making Christian preachers, and I have equally been critical of how superficial certain Christian and Protestant denominations have become. So I laughed at the scenes because I saw them as a reference to my own observations and experience. But while it does happen in real life I believe it is less common among Catholics than what mainstream media portrays. I do agree that media, in general, has been unkind to Christianity as of late compared to other religions (but perhaps that’s an entirely different matter).
If anything made me uncomfortable, it was how Se-Ri complained about Christmas, especially since much of the holiday’s tradition of giving gifts seems to be rooted more on increasing secularism and commercialization rather than anchored on religious tradition. At least she realized (in NK of all places) that at the heart of it, no matter how obscured by commercialization, it’s love that drives the generosity during Christas.
What I’m also curious to know is how RHJ will interact with SR in SK? Is there a kdrama trope on a lead character feeling inadequate or insecure about their love interest? Of course, RJH also comes from a privileged background but compared to SR, his family’s wealth seems modest. I hope the writer explores this dynamic. I would be interested to see how RJH reacts to how SR behaves in her home turf. In NK, she was courting death and tragedy and had to survive by behaving a certain way. Back home, will the “boss” in her have the same impact on RJH, or was the NK Se-Ri the real Se-Ri?
Howdy! ☺️
I haven’t tried the shaved ice stuff from Thailand and Malaysia but I’m sure it’s both nice. You know we have another dessert where you have creamed corn, evaporated milk, sugar and shaved ice. 😄 You can replace the creamed corn with avocado too. Yes, avocado to us is dessert, not part of our salad. But now I love it as a salad. 😊
Actually the purple ice cream is very popular so I’m not surprised your local Traders Joe ran out of stock. 😊
Sorry all I’m talking about is food. 😂
🤪 it’s five in the morning. I shouldn’t be thinking of dessert already when I’m still drinking my morning coffee.
Avocado is synonymous to guacamole to me. 🙂 I use it on nachos, toasted bread, and salad.
🙂 I’ll explain later.
I should stop as well as I’m going to bed a bit later. 😄 When I first saw an avocado on a salad, I was shocked 😄 I was adamant it doesn’t belong there but of course I learned that it does. At least now I have plenty of use for it. I do love it too.
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