We’re entering the final week of PBIO, and here’s a handful of questions you can ask yourself about the kdrama.
1. What does the writer (and director) mean about being okay? We’ve seen that life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. But I’ve seen Sangtae and Gangtae reassure people with various forms of okay-ness. “You’re okay.” “It’s okay.” “You’ll be okay.” “It’ll be okay.” What does that mean to be okay for each person?
2. Do you think that there is (or not) a sudden shift in the direction of the script? Has the storyline been consistent? Of course, we expect growth in the main characters, but was it believable or feasible?
3. Within the moral purview of the kdrama, what do you think are the values it tried to cover? Look: there’s always a bit of “virtue-signaling” in kdramas so it’s important that we recognize what it is and decide whether to accept it or not. This is where the difference of opinions comes in.
4. Did the kdrama leave you feeling empathy, cynicism, or apathy toward its central message? I assume that you liked the characters or else you wouldn’t have lasted this far.
5. Since this is supposedly a healing drama, did you observe any healing? Or is it “too little, too late” (or as the kids abbreviate it nowadays, “TLTL”)? Do you feel uplifted? Was it a fun ride?
source: kwakkitae’s tumblr
Again, enlightenment is a personal thing. The discussion led by @Growing_Beautifully and others, and your own contribution to the discussion would determine how much you learned from the drama. But in the end, only you can say if the show moved you emotionally or had an impact on you.
I promised only a handful of questions, so I’ll end here. 🙂
Thank you, @pm3, for these questions. They are a springboard for an intelligent discussion of any drama.
before I start answering, I need to explain my bias. I admit that I like fairy tales, fantasy, and stories about larger-than-life characters. I read a lot of those as a child and continue to do so. In the country where I grew up, realistic children’s literature (and literature in general) was highly censored, so the supernatural and fantastic was pretty much excluded, except in the fairy tale genre. Fairy tales and mythology were viewed as the collective wisdom of “the people” or “the masses”, and therefore allowed, but only for children. Fantasy literature for adults or a deeper interpretation of fairy tales simply did not exist in my childhood and young adulthood (or at least I was not aware thereof).
I was immediately drawn to this show because it approached the serious topic of mental health through fairytales.
!. I think that by “Okay” the writer means being self-aware. It is important to recognize one’s own (and the others’) feelings in order to achieve growth and healing.
2. The story has been consistent, except for the twist in Episodes 13-14. I think it added too much unnecessary makjang to the story. I have not seen the last 2 episodes. I hope that there will be some kind of rational explanation about this sudden reveal. If not, it will cast a shadow on the otherwise excellent story.
3. The moral of the story seems to be the message at the end of The Boy Who Fed On Nightmares: facing one’s own problems head on requires a lot of courage (and support), but without it growth and healing is not possible.
4. I like the message of the drama. It is hopeful and optimistic, and conveyed in a rather poetic and whimsical way.
5. I have observed healing and growth in the main characters, and also in many of the supporting characters. Unless the focus of the drama gets totally derailed in the last 2 episodes, this has been a very satisfying watch so far.
I hope that the last 2 episodes are not going to cause me to change my opinion, but we will see.
Hi @pqckmule3, You give us lots of points to ponder and in some level (my opinion), themquestions make me feel daunted and not up tothe task. . So, I’m going to give BoD some general impressions and leave it to our more scholarly contributors to dig deeper.
To me, there is no way that a drama, given the 16 episode format, can explain away heavy character change in such a shortbtime. It’s difficult in life, so in drama, And the good thing is that so far, there have been no time jumps to explain character change. Instead, it requires catalysts. The big catalyst was our head nurse. And here I think her character arc was covered well. Her role resulted in various forms of action and uncomfortable change by our protagonists. And here’s where reality set in-none of the characters had a profound change in his/her nature. Up until this episode ST and GT behaved consistently. GT didn’t become Superman and ST continued to have autistic responses (see the brothers’ hug scene (it was not easy and awkward for ST to hug GT). One thing I have been consistent about from the get go is that the writers misled us about MY’s diagnosis-if she had anti-social personality disorder, she probably wouldn’t have reacted the way she did. That diagnosis is a very difficult one and not easily “curable”. What was obvious, was that her entire life was a reaction to all manner of childhood trauma mainly sparked by her evil aunt. This is not improbable. The poor kid was neglected, gaslit, and inconsistently “loved”. The writers established her potential for empathy (not empathy) in her childhood flashbacks. It is interesting to note that her destruction of dead butterflies may havd been influenced by her confusion in determining who, exactly wad her mother figure based on the butterfly pins. We did not see miracle cures in this drama.
One thjng about this drama was that very few characters could be considered flawless. And therein lies the okay moments. I think okay from the name of the hospital to the npatients, staff,visitors and main and supporting characters, actually means accepting their humanity. Nobody is perfect. Humans react to love, trauma, deprivation, loss if loved ones, good and bad treatment. Humans have egos-can be everything from grandiose to humble. For example, the exemplary Dr. Oh is humbled by his lack of awareness about the evil head nurse. He, as we learn, is a neglectful father, putting patients ahead of his child. But, again, it is telling, that his son has followed in his footsteps and become a doctor. (Parantheticalky, there’s lots of nepotism in K dramas). Ju-ri and her wonderful mother are great examples of kindness and goodness (even though Ju-ri is jealous of GT and MY’s relationship, she worries about MY and tries to reach out to her. It is great that Dr. Oh chose her to be head nurse). The only person who is downright not okay to be not okay is evil aunt/head nurse and the writers provide an explanatoon of her behavior in her jealousy. Hannah Arendt explained this post WWII by calling it “the banality of evil”. And there are some people in real,life who arevdownright evil and must be separated from thevgenrral public.
So, bottom line, most of the characters’behaviors remain consistent. Howevever we’re seeing catharsis. MY has finally broken down. Her deep traumas have come to the surface. She also is showing guilt for what she thinks are her mother’s crimes. She has always gone it alone with hervreal emotions and there was no change when she locked herself in her room. She had her prickly persona and for businesscreasons, she had supportt from herbpublisher and art director. But consistentbwith his role as a caregiver (who has a hard time accepting care), GT remains on the othervside ofvthe door until he is able(or getsbup the courage) to be with MY.
I fell in love with most of the characters. From a superfucial poing of view, it didn’t hurt that our two leads are just so beautiful to look at. But my favorite characters are ST (just saw him in a rom com where he was the male lead and he couldn’t have been more different not to mention the first role I took notice of him in Camelias); Ju-ri’s mom(love that actress-she does love and droll somwell-think Healer), Dr. Oh,sort of;reminiscent of Dr. K in Dr. Romantic but more lovable; goodvfriend Oizzaman(first notivced in Romancevis a Bonus book but could have been used better in TKTEM); our creative director(wkuld love to see her in a lead role and she can sing too); our publisher(he has great comic chops but wow, he was so different in Dr. Romantic 2) and iur sweet patient, the Vietnam vet. So much of the time on dramas, there are maybe a couple of characters besides the leads who getbsome time. Here thrre were lots of riches for supporting actors. Am so glad that they didn’t make Ju-ri and art director plucky.
One other note-this drama’s use of fairy tale connections, the Tim Burtonesque early animation, artistic creativity from book illustrations to film within a film to mood lighting to the self-reverential humor of the ad for this drama on the side of the bus, the creepy mansion and MY’s dead gorgeous costumes kept me coming back for more.
For me, finally, I’m grateful that ST represented a realistic depiction of autism. He was not shown to be a robot or a super savant. He was shown to be loveable, sometimes annoying and not unfeeling. And the dynamic between ST and GT was true to life(GTis not a saint and does harbor resentment)
Looking forward to seeing how they wrap up this drama. Have a lot of hope that it ends well.
I agree with @SnowFlower especially point 2. I found the weird “twist” distracting. And it took away from the main thrust of the story. The storyline was plodding along at a nice pace with the fairy tales, the larger than life person of MY, OJS’s brilliant portrayal of ST (writer did a fantastic job of researching autism – I especially loved the bit where ST has trouble drawing emotions on faces) and then Nurse Park happened. And the mood shifted to sinister abruptly. I cannot help but feel that if the writer had opted to be less sensationalist, the drama would’ve just finished on the right note? Instead we have MY painting her nails black again in Ep14 (when she had moved to lighter brighter colors upon meeting the brothers) as if she’s gone back to being the “witch” of old…just so she could take on her mother (presumed) again? So we’re heading to a finale akin to a showdown of the witches. What’s more, the twist was just baffling? It didn’t serve to illuminate? It just confounded everyone? We’ll see how it goes with the last 2 episodes but Ep13/14 is leaving me guarded when it comes to expectations about a satisfying conclusion.
Most people would probably say being okay is to be “normal”–if there is such a thing. Overall, I think what this story is trying to convey is to be sympathetic and have empathy w/ everybody. Everybody have been scarred by some sort of trauma in one way or shape or form. We live our lives everyday w/ this internal mental battle while trying to seem “normal” or okay. It is not easy, especially those that were born w/ it and require a lifetime of help. Sadly, we quickly judge someone solely based what we see or just their actions alone; I am more than guilty of doing this. However, we have to make the effort and have the patience to understand the why (ie. GT w/ MY and MY w/ GT). We just must be aware that everybody suffers an internal battle w/ themselves everyday. You can really can be a positive domino effect if you approach someone out of kindness instead of hate or fear.
I am a closet romantic so I really enjoyed the series. In any drama, I love how people get past obstacles and hurdles to find happiness, especially romantic happiness. Isn’t that what everybody wants at the end of the day? It also doesn’t hurt that they are both absolutely gorgeous. This is my first drama watching Seo Yea-Ji and she is such a gifted actress–she is going in my ALWAYS Watch list for sure. Quite sad that next week will be the ending, but I will re-watch this series for years to come.
But hey, it’s okay to agree to disagree.
Thanks to everybody that responded to my posts whether you agreed or not. And of course, thanks to @packmule3 for hosting this series. See everybody on the post for 15 and 16.
@JohnL I love YeJi. Somehow she always manages to shine in dramas. Even when the concept of the drama is lacklustre, she’s always “watchable”? Moorim School was when I first saw her. I only persevered for her. The whole concept was lame…a special school (think XMen) for martial arts. And cringeworthy performances from most bar her. Somehow I could watch her without cringing? Then there was Last (the KDrama). This one had a really novel concept. I quite liked it. The male lead was good in this one but YeJi’s part wasn’t big. Lawless Lawyer would be her biggest hit I think. Wasn’t bad but I find Lee JoonGi distracting for some reason. I can’t help thinking he looks like a real life goblin. 😂
PBIO is a win for me. The strength lay in the fairy tales woven in and blending them into the plot line. And the portrayal of autism by OJS. The kindness of strangers (JuRi and her mom). What constitutes family. Nurse Park was (still is) my only gripe.
@pkml3, thanks for the questions which give us the impetus to reflect further. This is going to be so long that I’ve broken it up into different posts. In true schoolgirl style, I’ve addressed the questions as they were asked.
The Question on What Okay Means
I believe that for the creators of PBIO, being okay means being acceptable by society in general, without being stigmatized, ostracised or feared.
In the hospital – people are okay in that they are people worth caring for, people who can be healed and where there’s hope that they can return to society.
From the perspective of society in general, being okay would mean being on the outside of all mental hospitals and able to function in society without causing harm or major problems. Conversely society would consider okay, mental patients, as long as they stayed behind closed doors. From the campaign speech of the Assemblyman Kwon, those closed doors should also not be near one’s own home.
To GT and ST, their being okay would mean they were able to take care of themselves, to work and earn a living, and basically live without too much in the way of medical or institutional help.
And aside from these, the idea that all people are on a spectrum of normal to crazy resonates with me. Among us there are many “normal” people who may not behave as normally as they should.
– We have GT who had buried his ego for years, who had preferred to apologise and sacrifice himself, and to run away instead of standing up for himself, thus harming himself emotionally.
– There’s Jae Su with a strange clinginess to GT who behaves fine with others, but more like a ‘wife’ with him.
– And there’s Director Oh, who has his little quirks, and seems to have an affiliation to several kinds of religions, and who needed a sleep talisman to avoid sleep paralysis.
All of them are not exactly normal or crazy but they are okay because life can go on around them with little upheaval to others.
Being okay means the status quo can be more or less kept, even when they are crazy.
With this in mind, then, Nurse Park’s kind of crazy is NOT okay because it upsets the lives of others, injecting terror and causing upheaval. Therefore show does not condone Nurse Park’s kind of crazy.
The Question on Direction of the Story
What is the direction of the script? The story is about growth and healing in the midst of hurdles from the past, and in the face of threats and unresolved trauma. In this sense, it has stayed mainly on course. To add more drama and conflict, to the healing of the 3 main protagonists it seems to have gone just a little out of the way to include a tremendous obstacle to healing and happiness, in the shape of Nurse Park, however, this has not shifted the script.
We have seen the repeated foreshadowing of what to expect in the cases for each episode with a fairytale that highlights a focus point, and there has been follow through with how these have impacted our characters. Show has consistently warned that the hospital looks like a safe place but is far from it. It is there after all that there were 2 occasions of near strangulation, there were threats and fights, assault and attempts to terrify. Nurse Park is just the ‘last’ in the line of obstacles/threats, so that the action can now be taken to the Cursed Castle, where the story really began.
We are returning full circle to the beginning, as if the shadow of MY’s mother had never died, where once again she seeks to control MY’s life and make her prince give up and go away. However we know that MY is no longer exactly the same little girl who’d remained under her mother’s thumb, and neither is she alone. In addition, in the last few episodes, GT and ST have grown in purpose and self-determination and are not the runaways they once were.
We also know that the last tale was about Two Sisters (and their father) and that Nurse Park is hardly likely to be MY’s real mother (who looked very dead), but rather a sister figure of some kind.
With so many differences therefore, the tale will not go according to the way Nurse Park plans it, but it is fitting and satisfying that the beginning of the end takes place where the Castle first became Cursed.
One thought that cropped up… show does not seem to have propounded that sick people need therapy in order to get well. It has in fact shown that people have a hope of recovery by their own self determination, as in the case of Sang Tae, Kan Pil Wong and Joo Jung Tae, or by means of a catalyst as in the case of Kang Eun Ja and Kwon Ki Do. Therefore, when MY makes strides in being more empathetic and generous, without any formal therapy, show has not contradicted itself.
The Question on Character Growth
About character growth being believable or feasible, I’d say yes for ST and GT, but not so much for MY. As for Nurse Park, her aberration was not sufficiently prefigured.
ST still remains trapped in his box of autism plus trauma over his mother’s murder, but his immense growth has roots in his always wanting to be the adult that could be relied on. It’s lovely to see him tentatively opening that box. He has embraced his role as guardian, and has become able to offer help to others, instead of always being on the receiving end.
GT was stuck in repeated pattern of self-abasement and running away, while filled with resentment at never being given a choice, and a desire to break out of that pattern. With MY who was his first crush as his catalyst, his transition with ups and downs to reclaiming his self worth has been natural (in the short span of time allowed in a drama). He is still a caregiver, but now, intentionally to protect his family of choice.
If MY really had Antisocial Personality Disorder, her transition is the one that lacks conviction the most. I agree with another commenter, that what she definitely had was trauma over what her parents did/failed to do, and how her mother died/disappeared, however it’s not certain if she had ASD.
All MY’s stories reflected a loathing for cheer and beauty. She herself claimed that she’s always in a ‘not good’ mood, …always not okay. Her story endings were at best open or with dark, real advice; or at worst disturbing and saddening with a negative vibe. I believe the sign of her healing will be her ability to reflect in her future stories, positive and happy endings or they should at least point towards a hopeful future.
It is hard to reconcile her character of the last 4 episodes with that in the first 4-6 episodes. Perhaps we are to accept that her strong anti-social, dangerously violent tendencies were to hide her sweet sympathetic side, the way her power dressing hid her insecurities. But it’s hard to believe that.
Her tendencies in the beginning were toward a complete lack of empathy, an inability to compromise, unhesitating manipulation and self-gratification. She even blithely, without any noticeable conscience, attempted murder/man slaughter 3 to 4 times!! (Would be victims: filicide dad, slimy book critic and she was even ready to bash Sang In on the head and she did push him from the stairs). Just because her ‘victims’ did not die, did not make right what she did to them. I felt then that she needed to be called out for it, and she needed therapy. I also suggested that she and GT would do well with a long separation, for her to heal enough so that she’d be able to enter equally rather than need-ily into a relationship with GT. @pkml3 was predicting a dysfunctional relationship, and deplored neither party admitting that something was not right with them, and neither getting help.
Unfortunately show has taken the easier, ‘sweet Kdrama’ route where love conquers all and MY becomes quite normal, for no reason other than that she liked GT, and was willing to listen to him. The only way to reconcile what she was with what she is, is to assume that she never had full blown ASD, or at most, a mild form of it, fanned into a more extreme version by her mother’s brainwashing and abuse, and her father’s non-action, wrong action and labeling her a monster. On the side of accepting the ‘sweet Kdrama’ solution, and excusing MY, at least I can say: perhaps her witnessing how her father killed her mother and attempted to kill herself, as the means to deal with problematic people, gave her the great role model for her attempted killings as well.
The Question on Values Covered
Show stands up for accepting people with all kinds of disorders without stigmatizing them.
Show has consistently served up a compassionate view for and empathy with people with disorders. It has repeatedly shown that most disorders, except for those inherent in a person or brought on by disease, are not the fault of the victims. There is no victim blaming, rather show has highlighted that it has been abuse in some form or other that has brought on mental illness, and that given the chance and the help, many patients can return to ‘normal’ life.
The other point is that if we who are ‘normal’ can also be a little crazy, we should look upon people with disorders without prejudgement, especially since we never know their full story. Nurse Park herself is given those words to say. We have seen in the cases of patients like Kang Eun Ja, Yoo sun Hae and Kan Pil Wong, that show let’s us in on their back stories, so that we gain a fuller perspective, and come to a more compassionate viewpoint.
The Question on Attitude Towards the Message
Empathy for me, since it is a long held belief of mine, that everyone is on a spectrum of some kind or other, and we need to be compassionate as we hope for compassion in return.
The Question on Healing
The healing of the main protagonists, I’ve already mentioned above. Aside from them, there has been the healing of Ju Ri who is able to move on from her crush and the healing of Jae Su who is able to let go of GT. The changes in all characters except, MY, have been believable.
I posted earlier, 7 healing endings that I wanted. Since 6 out of these 7 have either come to pass or look likely to, I’m finding this a great, uplifting ride.
The healing ending 1, that I want was for our threesome to be a family) – That’s done and I trust it will hold despite Nurse Park machinations and MY’s impulsive reactions.
The healing ending 2, I wanted was for GT to not be struggling alone, but to have a life-giving and healthy friendship. – This he gets with Dir Oh, with the good advice of Ju Ri’s mum and he even enlists the aid of Sang In, so he is no longer alone.
The healing ending 3, I wanted was for GT and MY to be good for each other – That’s also done with both benefitting from their relationship.
The healing ending 4, I wanted was for Ju Ri and MY to re-establish their friendship – Happily that’s happened as well, … all it took was alcohol! LOL.
The healing ending 5, I wanted was for KDH to recognise that MY is not her mother but an individual in her own right – This is the only ending that was not fulfilled. One of the greatest crimes is to kill someone to prevent him from committing a crime that hasn’t happened yet – KDH’s attempt to do this makes him a total failure in this area.
The healing endings 6 and 7, I wanted was for Jae Su to become less like a girl with GT and more like a man with Seung Jae, AND for Ju Ri and Sang In to get together. – This has been fulfilled.
Enlightenment?
Show has given me a greater appreciation for people with disorders, for their families and caregivers, and for the institutions that aim to help them. Where I’ve been unmindful, I’ve become thoughtful. One thought I take away from this show, is that like those patients, I too should keep growing beautifully, breaking out of unfulfilling repeated patterns, and making my own story with a happy ending.
Hi! @packmule3, thanks for this lovely blog, many impressive views n details I gathered from the posts made me woW. Esp the TKEM series, every comment in the forum has so much perspective n I was oblivious to all that. hee
I guess the writer wants the viewer to consider what is being okay—
O=bediently K=issing A=ss Y=ucks !
(Honestly— I’m often guilty of saying okay but not feeling/being okay) —is that okay><
It never cross my mind that MY has DID. As a child, she has been oppressed by a psycho mother, n prolly most confused about what love is. Or how to express it. Her father told her the house is like a castle n she is the princess but didn’t protect her from the mom, or maybe he was ignorant of how mother treated daughter. I’ve only diagnose MY with PTSD due to childhood trauma.
In comparison, GT is a suppressed soul. He is kept within, n that was also expected of him as a child, to do that—take responsibilities, always put others he cares before himself.
So GT & MY found healing in each other. Had GT not met MY, he wouldn’t be able to let go his burden n guilt over ST. MY taught GT how to love himself more, by being in love with her; GT shows MY what love means, love simply is. If MY is an empty can—to be filled, then GT is an ocean sealed in a bottle—to be released .
@GB,
Your writing is so eloquent and insightful. I agree with everything you said.
@2uke,
I loved the can and ocean metaphor. Very well said.
For me, GT and MY are like the left and the right hand of a pianist playing a Chopin Nocturne. My piano teacher used to say that the left hand should be like velvet, soft, deep, and supportive, while the right hand should be like lace or pearls, sparkling and delicate. And so they are: GT is like the left hand playing the harmony, steady and reliable, providing the foundation, never outshining the right hand and always letting it breathe. MY is like the right hand playing the melody, charming, seductive, imaginative, always flying high and yet always grounded in the harmony.
Here is my favorite recording of my favorite Chopin Nocturne:
Hi All, I need to make a comment about autism. You don’t “cure”autism. People on the spectrum view people not on the spectrum as neurotypical. Those of us who are neurotypical should be aware that a subgroup of people with autism would prefer not to be neurotypical. They prefer to see the world differently with all of thrir strengths and what we neurotypicals view as quirks. Part of the treatment of people on the spectrum is to help them deal with neurological discomforts like chalk squeaking on a chalkboard or excessively loud noises or clothing that feels like sandpaper. These discomforts are actually painful-so a lot of the work involves sensory integration. There are people who are so profoundly impaired that in order to comfort themselves they self-injure. that’s why some autistic people wear helmets. But also, if you attrmpt to “cure” some autistic people, you can do away with their talents. So in our drama,would we like to see ST no longer be able to draw or paint? So for people like ST the best goal would probably be to enable him to care for himself. In many ways thst goal has been met. ST has a sense for money-he negotiates for it with several people. He can also use public transportation. The idea here is to help some live independently. For others who can’t,the idea is to have community residences where they are cared for insmall groups in a home-like setting-e.g.,the need for trustworthy caregivers. There are also in between options like supported apartments where people live independently for the most part but get helping services that can run from housekeeping to cooking. My point here is that in ST’s case, I am not looking for change from him,but support from GT and MY without resentment. Autistic people can be loving and caring-likeST’s being a big brother, wanting GT to kiss MY to make things good with her, his willingness to share money with them. And one of the beautiful parts of this drama-the support system ST actually has from GT’s best friend to Dr. Oh to Ju-ri and her wonderful mother. So please don’t view the spectrum from the perspective of pathogy, but look at is from thebperspective of human difference. And hope for treatments that relieve sensory pain andvfor those that can, provide the tools to allow these humans to live as independently as possible. Thanks for reading this. As the mom of someone who can pass for neurotypical I can only ask that you don’t deal in harmful stereotypes, even when well-meaning. And heartfeltbkudos to actor OJS for his brilliant, sweet performance. He deserves so many awards for this role which is a departure from his orevious work.
Ha! You said you felt daunted by the questions and then you went ahead and answered everything very well. 🙂
Questions are just springboards for reflection. I agree with your comment that there’s no miracle cure presented in the drama. I think miracle cures, like happily-ever-afters, are reserved for fairy tales. And this drama insists that it isn’t a fairy tale although it revolves around them. Everybody is okay as they are, and should be appreciated as they are, flaws, strengths and all.
I’m glad you like the drama. 🙂
Thanks, @snowflower.
We’re getting to be very good at analyzing dramas, but I just want to make sure that whatever we de-construct, we can re-construct again. That occurs when we look at the drama in its totality, and its impact on us.
I’m glad you like this drama. I agree with you. Let’s wait and see how Eps 13 and 14 fit in with the rest. 🙂
@pm3, can you pin the post with drama analysis questions? It is very useful as a reference tool. Also, from which of Goethe’s works are the first 3 questions?
Thank you.
Thanks@packmule3, I’m so in awe of the people who post here, that my childhood insecurities sometimes get the better of me. Thanks for your reassurance. I love this site and the people on it.
Moorim School? I watched it for Seo YeJi’s costars, Lee Hyunwoo, and Eugene Jung. I can’t remember what happened in the middle so I must have just watched the beginning and the end episodes. I should make an spreadsheet of all the dramas I began and never finished.
Lee JoongKi reminds me of an elf! He just needs a green hat and those pointy ears and he can be put to work in Santa’s workshop. He has a new drama coming out, “Flower of Evil.”
No need to thank me, @John L. It was actually a welcome change to just watch from the sidelines and let you all have the floor in turns.
I don’t know if I’m a closet romantic like you. Maybe a closet cynic? A closet dust bunny? But yes, I like dramas where the good and the diligent get rewarded and there are consequences for actions. But morality tales are considered patronizing so….(cackle)
Okay, welcome to the blog, 2uke.
Just wanted to let you know that this “If MY is an empty can—to be filled, then GT is an ocean sealed in a bottle—to be released,” was your winning ticket to the blog.
lol.
@OldAmericanLady I agree about OJS and his portrayal of autism (I hope he gets an award). The writer has definitely put the most effort (or perhaps it’s OJS himself) to really make him come to life. I liked how she slipped in how very difficult it is to actually read faces (by ST asking JaeSu and SeongJae (? is that her name I forget) how to read faces with various emotions – annoyed and angry look similar). Most of us take it for granted but when you actually have to teach it, it’s nigh impossible. Then throw in the fact that most of us learn to “hide” our feelings and pretend to be nice when we are actually angry, it just makes it terribly confusing. Honestly I would much prefer it if MY just accepted ST’s drawings. With no faces right through the book…and only faces right at the final page. Happy ones. Because that’s the one he gets and is usually the easiest one to get. It’s okay not to be okay. ST is perfectly fine just the way he is. For me he’s actually the steadying force in the threesome. Everything is stripped back to basics. Kissing is better than fighting. Eat your porridge and I’ll forgive you. The hug that GT received, assuring him it will be okay in the end. Drawing the dreaded butterfly as a means to conquer his fears. We have a lot to learn from their perception of the world. Our propensity to overthink things is quite often our downfall.
@packmule3 re Moorim School. I forget but one of the male leads was just difficult to take seriously. I think it was the second lead? I don’t know who he was but I just cringed every time he came on screen. But yes I fast forwarded most of it. 😂. And could still sort of make sense of the story. Which I guess says a lot about the script.
@Snow Flower, thanks! I end up saying something similar about the posts that I read as well LOL.
I like your piano-playing analogy. So apt with regards to MY and GT. And how lovely shimmery pearls are on dark, soft (thick/deep), velvet. I can ‘see’ that as I listen to the Chopin Nocturne.
@Old American Lady, thank you for the information on autism and mention of ‘neurotypical’. A good reminder of discussions I’ve had before and of gifted friends. I recall being with groups of friends puzzled over some individuals’ behaviours, but accepting them as they were. We were the richer for their different interpretations and contributions to our projects.
@pkml3 I am now watching Flower of Evil. I feel inundated with possible ‘sociopaths/psychopaths’ LOL but am enjoying it. As it involves crime investigation as well as the twisty machinations of possibly several psychopaths, some of us wondered if you’d prefer to avoid the show. I’m sure you’ll let us know if you choose to do a first impressions of it (and possibly nothing more). At the moment the show is going the usual route of teasing us viewers no end with the “Is he?” or “Isn’t he?” question. I anticipate this will go on for several more episodes as we try to garner all the clues (and figure out the red herrings) to make some kind of informed decision! Oh, Lee Jung Ki is extremely good in this show. I forgot his other roles as I watch him here.
@nrllee I agree about our overthinking and how being open to basic alternatives actually frees us, enlightens, inspires and gets us realigned with truth/reality better.
Moorim School – I watched and so wanted to like it. I even attempted a short recap or two for a couple of episodes. It was just not convincing or well executed. I recall thinking what a shame it was to have a school (hidden by magic) full of kids who are supposed to be trained in amazing battle skills that defy the laws of nature (I’m thinking of Chinese Wuxia), but we saw barely anything of it. The only so-called battle was in the imagination and it didn’t even pan out as a fight where the fighters made contact!! I sort of recall a quest, where again I was hopeful for some great daring-do or inspired making of solutions. I don’t seem to recall what happened though. Hmmm. I’d put it down to being vaguely watchable.
Without Google dictionary, it takes me much more time to understand all of your analysis and comments. As usual, the work is worthwhile, and I enjoyed them very much.
Yes, it was a fun ride and my heart racing during the show.
I think”family” is always one of the main topics in K-drama. In this drama, most of the character are so broken because their parents were not functioning. And I really love Ep13 that GT&ST &MY decide to make a new family on their own and defines it by taking a family picture, forgiving them if they being willing to take 2 more bites on porridge.
And for me, ” Okay” means: “get thought it”. You’re damaged, but YOU (can)(will)get through it (Okay) .
@GB same about Moorim School. I was expecting a lot more martial art moves? The whole setting was very XMen/Percy Jackson (Lightning Thief)…so I had high hopes but it just never quite took off for me.
@packmule3 Thank you! Glad to earn my ticket, thought I shouldn’t miss these 🍪🍪🍪
@snowflower ❄️Thanks for yr compliment!❄️
I’m not a rom fan but definitely enjoyed PBIO n TKEM. Recently finished Shin Wh’s Prison Playbook -love this! n Hospital Playlist. Wondering to watch after PBIO ~
For me, I think the best and worst part are the same : MY. I love her character, she’s bold, funny, strong, wears great clothes, etc. But she’s the one would need the most help to treat her past trauma and to deal with her APD, so with a story that happens in the psychiatric hospital, I hoped she would get better with professional help and not the “love heals everything” road. They made all the professionnals looking pretty bad and weirdly MY saved a lot of situations. I think it’s a sad they didn’t use the real potential of the hospital.
You raised good points there, Sayaris. What’s the point of having a psych hospital when none of the professionals is reliable? The message? Don’t trust anyone?
Also agree that “Love heals everything” can’t be used as cure-all, esp in real life. But for me, it was a foregone conclusion that the story would take that route. The show began with an unfinished Rapunzel story so I expected that the ending would cycle back to Rapunzel and finish it. The fairy tale approach to episodes went hand-in-hand with a “Love heals everything” resolution. I get that this wasn’t meant to be a documentary on medical intervention for people with psychosis. But as a drama that strove to raise awareness for autism and healthcare providers, I wonder if it did its job.
@Sayaris and @packmule3, I think the awareness of autism has been very good. I don’t agree about the other problems the patients at OK hospital have. Neither ‘Love Heals Everything’ nor a one-off confrontation with one’s past will have much effect on serious chronic conditions. The perceived ineptness of the health care providers is actually sad and ironically plays into the mindset of the politician from the earlier episode. If this drama were about a facility where I live, the mental health workers would be up in arms protesting. Let’s hope the last episodes improve on this. I am grateful for the autism portrayal so far.
Sigh that was my biggest gripe about the Nurse Park reveal. It made Dir Oh look inept? All those years and he missed the signs? She was right under his nose and he’s in a psychiatric facility? And she was Head Nurse. Full authority on pretty much everything because Oh gave her the reins to run the facility. Goodness knows how many other patients she may have manipulated (or worse yet, “helped” in her deluded mental state) during her time there? It threw a huge spanner in the works about trusting health professionals. If you can’t even trust them who do you trust? Yourself? And Dir Oh even voiced it 🙄, “don’t trust anyone in the hospital”. Nurse Park cast a huge shadow on the hospital and healthcare professionals. I don’t expect them to be “perfect” and get it right all the time but to get it SO wrong would be fodder for the newspapers and social media. Imagine the headlines “Head Nurse In OK Hospital Found to be Closet Psychopath” 🙄. But you know what? It’s Okay Not To Be Okay.
My first thought (when GT called MY an empty can) or rather what I felt then was GT is more of the empty can. He bottled up his emotions n desires to fufil a life with ST out of family love—with an emptied self. ST called GT a hypocrite cos he knew GT is not true to himself n others.
@Sayaris mentioned ‘weirdly MY saved a lot of situations’. Imo MY is true to her emotions, even in negative outbursts. Coming face to face with one’s truth is prolly healing, like how she indirectly help KEJ accepted the loss of her daughter.
Guilt, self-denial n -deception are emotions that have profound and averse effects to mental health.
Will answer these questions tommorow but just wanted to say that I feel very dissatisfied with episode 14’s wrap up of DHJ conclusion. But I understand the show is meant to be a healing show so the writers wanted to end the conflict quickly and focus in growth and happiness of our characters. Still I can’t help feel a bit odd about how much buildup was given for this DHJ plot line only for it to end this way.
Hmm… I don’t think she answered the raging questions regarding her reasons for writing the DHJ/Nurse Park arc 🤔
https://www.soompi.com/article/1419684wpp/its-okay-to-not-be-okay-screenwriter-praises-cast-picks-best-scenes-and-more
Agree @nrllee, DHJ/Nurse Park didn’t get her healing. She was very manipulative/bitter until the end and she’s been like that for more than 20 years. 😬
Well, I will go with the fairy tale villain interpretation of Nurse Park.
😂 As to be expected of our Top Gumshoe. Thanks for sharing the soompi article.
@packmule3 you’re welcome. I am in 2 minds if she achieved what she set out to deliver with the drama. So much emphasis was put into the DHJ/Nurse Park arc (in the final episodes) that I felt it took away from the main message she was trying to convey. Somehow the whole “is she or isn’t she” became the focus at the end. It did nothing to enhance the message, if anything I think it sent the audience on a wild goose chase with no resolution. The message of healing for the main characters did come across in the finale but it just felt like the detour didn’t help us get there. ST I felt had the most consistent (and satisfying) character growth. That was beautifully done. MY – I am still unsure her whole ASPD was explained well. Did she NOT have it and we were just led to believe that she had? I don’t think the writer researched that condition as well as she did Autism (although I get the feeling it was really OSJ’s own research that we really have to be thankful for in the portrayal of ST). GT was well acted and delivered by KSH on the whole. Although it was actually the side characters of JuRi, her mom and SangIn that surprised me in the end. Their kindness and willingness to keep giving at great cost to themselves warms the heart. And the fairy tales. Retold and reinvented. Reinterpreted in a new light. Enlightening and refreshing.
Hi @nrllee Thanks for the links and your good review of the show with the Nurse Park arc. I agree.
Show would have been better without Nurse Park becoming the ‘Mum’ and distracting us with puzzlement. If she was really needed for MY to get her closure with her mum, then Show should have kept her much more ‘alive’ than what we’ve been shown, and gave us convincing reasons why MY and her dad could never recognise the woman who’d been such a big part of their lives for years. As it was, she should have just remained dead-dead and POR should have been the crazy fan who impersonated her. That would have made so much more sense.
It would also have been an ironic balancing out of what happened between Kang Eun Ja (the woman who thought MY was her daughter) and MY and what happened between POR and MY. On one hand we have delusional KEJ who thinks MY is her daughter and MY is almost persuaded that she might be, versus on the other hand, POR who is certain that she’s Do Hee Jae and MY equally certain that she isn’t. 😂 🤪
By the sound of it, Nurse Park would have buggered me too. I like my kdramas balanced and she seems to have thrown everything off-kilter.
So was she the mom or the aunt?
I’m glad the actor who played the Hyung impressed everyone. I was impressed with him too in “Camellia,” he was a scene stealer there. Too bad he wouldn’t be given the lead role in a romcom any time soon, what with kdrama standards of male beauty. 🙃 I think he’ll make a fine sensitive, Beta male.
The actress who played MY isn’t my type. I think that’s one of the reasons I was able to drop the show early. If I were to describe her in geometric shapes, she’d be a triangle, and triangles are my least-favorite shapes as a kid. It was too much of an effort to make their vertices straight with a ruler. I thought the actress portrayed MY like a triangle. Too demanding and requiring high maintenance. 😂
KSH? For some reason I can’t imagine him as loverboy. 😂 He doesn’t appeal to me. I tried. I skipped “You From Another Star,” when everybody was going bonkers for him, because he couldn’t convince me that he was in love, totally freaking IN LOVE with the woman.
Same thing happened in this drama. 🤔 Their meeting in the rain? That threw water at my romantic aspirations. I couldn’t read ethos in his face. There she was, the girl of his dreams (or rather nightmares) and, looking as pathetic as seaweed left by the tide on the beach and he just stared at her. 👁👁
Move by darn facial muscles, KSH! Clench the jaw! Blink! Blink! Swallow!
I wanted to see him struggling to contain his feelings at the sight of MY walking in the rain. But all I saw was him standing in the rain. How could the lighthouse in the background look more emotional? 🤯
That was it for me. I want to see KSH in a Korean adaptation of “Brokeback Mountain.”