Hello, emotional k.o. without warning is not fair!

[dangermousie]

That is so sneaky and unfair, Someday!

You lure me in with your low-key rhythm and your lyrical cinematography and your tender unspoken emotion. And so I get lulled and ignore the darker undercurrents which are always present, instead enjoying the slow uncertain transformation of Hana from a shut-off, emotionally frozen woman into a person of flesh and blood who discovers friendship and attraction and mystery, loving the little understated but oh-so-true conversations and the looping trips and the gorgeous drawings and the uncertain new chemistry she has with Seokman and her coming to terms with her mother and her discovery of the mystery of her elderly neighbor's life.

And so I go along, loving episode 7 so much (the scene with Hana waking up from her nightmare of her mother leaving and stretching out her hand only for Seokman to hold it, and then wipe her tears and smile at her and ask her if she wants to cry together and then they are lying on the bed in the living room (purely platonic btw) and talking about things, and he tells her about the whole story with his family and she touches his hair (she is rather touch-phobic) made me melt in about 18 ways and it was so quiet and undramatic).

So I go along, enjoying the mellowness and the quirkiness, and then...baaaaam. You spring this on me, Someday - how could you? And all of a sudden my favorite character is being beaten half to death and given three days to live (if he doesn't come up with the money by then, as he clearly won't, he either has to kill himself or 'volunteers' will do the job for him). None of it is out-of-nowhere or a surprise of any sort - it was clearly going towards something like this, but I forgoooooooot. And his lack of surprise and even acceptance of the end but a total unrelenting defiance at the same time...

*wails*

I know he isn't going to die because it's ep 7, for goodness' sake, but I can't help it - the characters and their emotions feel so real that I can't bear it - I am too invested. Watching the freaking preview for ep 8 made me freaking BAWL. I am not making this up - I was sitting in the dark bedroom, waiting for Mr. Mousie to wake up, watching this and crying crying crying.

WTF, self?

No fair, drama!

ETA: I still can't believe I am the only person on my flist who's seen this drama - it's in my top 10 kdrama, guys, and nobody has heard of it! BOOOOO!

Comments

[saturnhime.livejournal.com]

I've seen it, long time ago though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I feel less alone now :)

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

It's on my Netflix list. I'm looking forward to it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! It's really really good. It's VERY understated - rather unusual for a kdrama - in some ways it reminds me of a jdrama or maybe one of those really unusual lowkey kdramas like Worlds Within or 9 end 2 out.

Plus, Lee Jin Wook, together with Yeon Jung Hoon, is on my "criminally underrated kdrama actor' list - I love him to bits so I am so excited he got to be a drama lead. (Now, if there is a drama where YJH is a lead, I'd probably explode - thus my excitement for Jejoongwon).

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

From the clips I've seen,it does seem rather understated. It reminds me of the "old school" dramas from the mid 90s-very early 2000s (like '00-'02). They don't make them like that anymore.


Yeon Jung Hoon is in that new medical drama, isn't he? Though, it looks like he is in a more ensemble drama, which is good. Lee Jin Wook is so good, but hardly anyone remembers who he is; and, he's been the lead/co-lead in a few things: City of Glass, Before and After, Powerful Opponents. Of course, he does play 'Secondary guy' a lot, which might be why people don't remember him.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It is very understated - in a way that makes me think of 1990s jdramas - Love Story or Aishteiru to ittekure etc.

YJH is in that new medical drama, yes - he is one of the three main characters (a nobleman who gives it up to be a doctor, yes!) but he i not THE main character (who is the other male character whose actor I am not familiar with). I love him and it's driving me nuts he doesn't get leading men roles (I loved his character in East of Eden so much until they did a bizarre character u-turn but they did fix it by the end). I know he is not picture-book gorgeous a la Hyun Bin or similar but he is very charismatic and (to me) sexy as hell.

Lee Jin Wook - yeah, I first saw him as the secondary guy in Smile Again and I loved him (and his character) ridiculously much - much as I adore Lee Dong Gun, I wanted the drama to be about him instead. Oh well. And ahhh, Powerful Opponents - a drama I loved until the bizarre final ep (I still do not get it). I know he was also in Air City, where he lost Choi Ji Woo to the male lead (which is so amusing because of course they are now together in real life) but that wasn't my type of drama.

Yeah, I honestly don't get it why he isn't a bigger star - he can act and he's really good-looking. What gives, Korea?

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

YJH - he needs a lead role, like last year. It sucks that there are so many underrated actors out there.

Was Smile Again any good? I'm in the mood for a drama with no evil secondary characters and a great plot.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I liked Smile Again but the hero (played by Lee Dong Gun) is not a nice person - he is not portrayed as nice, and the heroine refuses to hook up with him until he fixes things (she is one of the sanest heroines I have ever seen) but not sure if that's a problem.

This said, I do love the drama.

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

Smile Again sounds like it might work for me. I'm looking for stuff to watch over my winter break. I already have IRIS and Will It Snow at Christmas? I'm really in the mood for a drama that's not all about love triangles and evil secondary people. I'm finding myself drawn toward older dramas - I just started Glass Slipper and Sandglass, and loved both of their first three episodes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I want to watch Sandglass badly.

I've heard...troubling...things about Glass Slippers' ending.

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

Sandglass is alright so far. I'm only three episodes in. I have to say though, one of the lead actors was 36 at the time of filming and he's playing a 20/21 year old. It's throwing me off big time. I'm hoping that they go through the 70s and 80s, because as of now, I don't get the casting.



I also heard those things - it will not end well. And, the main girl's foster-sister is apparently one of the most evil secondary girls ever.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know Sandglass progresses through the years, so hopefully...

[pho50.livejournal.com]

I've seen it. Excellent cast. And it's killing me that I don't remember that scene from ep 7 you described.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's the bit where he tells her about the dreams about his family and his debt and she does the whole "I am healing you" thing and then they end up being playful until he sort of accidentally pins her to the mat and of course stops asap and goes off and she is all "why is my heart pounding?" (which was SOOOOO adorable).

[doublethink101.livejournal.com]

This is such a weird coincidence! I was debating whether or not to buy Someday because it was on sale but I've never heard of it. (I can't resist sales even if I don't need or want whatever it is >_<). If your interested, here it is: http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/rjNhwGhqTHnxbckPPk/browse/item/80134/4/0/0 .

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am so interested! Thank you! (I've been watching through netflix rental but I want to own this one). It is the most underrated drama I have ever seen and yet so good - I think it would actually make a great intro for someone into drama world.

[doublethink101.livejournal.com]

I think it would actually make a great intro for someone into drama world.

I actually have some friends I want to get into the drama world, thanks for the tip.