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dangermousieI have been catching up with Will It Snow on Christmas and it's such a lovely, undestated gem of a drama.
The notable thing is the plot development that bothered me so when I first learned of it (Ji Wan's mother, due to psychological trauma, represses and regresses and believes Kang Jin is her dead son and Kang Jin goes along with it for 3 years) actually makes total sense in character context.
The thing is - this writer's protagonists are always majorly damaged, sometimes irretrievably so. And you could see this damage in Ji Wan - her guilt for her brother's death which drove her away from Kang Jin for so long. But the thing is - I did not realize that this was even more so for Kang Jin. The grown-up Kang Jin came across as such a strong, outspoken person, that I fell into the trap of assuming that he was miraculously 'normal' and all-fine - I forgot the boy Kang Jin, the ashamed, suffocating-with-emotion and unable to express it, desperately yearning for acceptance and trying to hide it. I just assumed he somehow miraculously fixed himself between teen years and adulthood. But the thing is - he hasn't. In a way, it's a parallel to Ji Wan - the outer strength conceals an enormous emotional fragility for both of them. And once he finds out about her brother's death, about his mother running off with her father, her mother's damage etc etc - it isn't just guilt that keeps him acting the charade or even selflessness. It's those, too, but I think worthlessness is a huge component - I don't think he believes he can be allowed to grasp his happiness, to have what he wants. He's still the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, the one who got kicked out of schools and saw his mother groped in front of him by 'patrons' - he doesn't get to have good things. Despite that he seemingly has no problem speaking his mind - it's all on the surface - if you pay careful attention you notice that he is so emotionally reticent as to be almost crippling. So yes. His choices are not choices of a normal, well-adjusted person. It's choice of a person trying to act out some rather crippling guilt and damage.
And that is why the quiet, hopeful ending is so lovely - neither Ji Wan nor Kang Jin are loud, overwrought people (in many ways, this is the quietest melodrama I have ever seen). And being able to move past their brokenness and dysfunction and guilt - and to do so together - is the best gift they can ever have.
And while I am metaing all over the place, allow me also to meta about morality in the world of Chuno. I find it interesting that with the exception of Tae Ha (and potentially Un Nyun), no major character in the drama can lay claims to moral heroism, to a code of honor even, of any sort. They are all on a sliding scale of dark.
And this makes perfect sense - in a world not ruled by a fair and strict rules known in advance but whims of the powerful (everyone has someone who could snuff their life out so very easily) - the powerful who can decide that what was good yesterday is bad tomorrow - holding on to absolute moral principles is almost impossible and certainly entails some unbearable sacrifices. Morality is a luxury and if you want to succeed you have to follow not some abstract moral code but whatever the boss tells you is good. Free will is not really allowed.
Perhaps it's fitting that this drama is about slaves and slave-catchers because everyone in the world of Chuno, whether technically free or not, is actually a slave. See the peasants cringe at a mere hint of an official seal. Watch the minister casually tell Dae Gil that if he doesn't carry out his mission, he'd be dead in a month. See the nobles broken, imprisoned and tortured on a whim of a winning political faction. There is no true freedom to be had.
Perhaps that is why I admire Tae Ha so. He is the one character who has chosen to hold on to his duty and his moral imperatives no matter what it costs him (and it cost him beyond measure - of all the characters I think he has the most horrifying backstory) and he is incredibly matter-of-fact about it, as if there could be no other choice. Tae Ha is a very quiet man, if you think about it, but he is pretty much unbreakable.
It is so remarkable because all the 'fallen from grace' characters are not mustache-twirling villains - they have their reasons. Dae Gil is a slave-hunter, a horrible profession. But he had his family murdered and was left with nothing by a bunch of runaway slaves. His hardness and his way of earning a living are understandable in that context. Chul Woong's descent (oh, how good is Lee Jong Hyuk in the role? His intensity burns) is likewise understandable. He switched from honoring Prince Suhyeon but he had the Royal Dictate to back him up (back to the point about absolute morality being almost untenable in such a hierarchic society - the right length of mourning for a Royal family member goes from three years to three days upon Royal edict. Which would be treason yesterday - donning bright garments after such a short time - becomes praiseworthy today). He got drawn into the Minister's orbit but there is nothing abstractly wrong with that. He saw his friend, superior, and savior of his life tortured, framed for a crime, and enslaved and stood by - but meddling would have earned him a place in the torturer's chair next. When later he tried to resist going to after Tae Ha personally, he got thrown in jail by his 'father' until he saw the light. ETC.
Even that officer under Tae Ha's command who betrayed him did so under torture.
They all have reasons, don't they? That is what makes them understandable, sympathetic characters. But it explains, it does not excuse. No matter the reason, Dae Gil still catches people who do not want to be property and brings them back to their owners. Chul Woong still betrayed his best friend and is set on assassinating innocents like the Minister's pet killer. Tae Ha's former officer betrayed his commander and his comrades to torture and death. Etc etc.
In Chuno's world it's so much easier to just give in - to just do that one little thing, and a very understandable impulse it would be - it would make life so much easier if you just give in. (Just think - if Tae Ha compromised 'a little' - if he took off his mourning for Prince Suheyon - and he had such a good excuse as a Royal Command - if he did not choose principles over expediency - he'd still be a respected general). But if you do that, you sell your soul. You may be technically free but you become enslaved. Look at Chul Woong - he is more of the Minister's property than any of the ragged slaves we see running around. You can hide in cynicism (Dae Gil), or try to kill your emotions (Chul Woong) or even try to shrug the fact of your ownership in deliberately forgetting and pretend enjoyment (Sul Hwa), but the thing is - every single one of these characters is not happy - they know what they are and what they've done and how they've paid for it.
Ironically, the only truly free character in the whole drama so far is Tae Ha. Because his soul is his own, and so is his honor.
(I do think Un Nyun might also qualify - she has always done what she believed in, and she ran away from her marriage because she did not want to be tied down. She is very strong in her quiet way. The only reason I am not putting her into a 'certain' column is because we don't know her super-well yet and also because due to travelling with Tae Ha she's been largely sheltered from the worst consequences of choosing to hold onto her principles. But I do think she'd hold onto them no matter what, so perhaps I should move her into 'definitely morally absolute' column after all).
The notable thing is the plot development that bothered me so when I first learned of it (Ji Wan's mother, due to psychological trauma, represses and regresses and believes Kang Jin is her dead son and Kang Jin goes along with it for 3 years) actually makes total sense in character context.
The thing is - this writer's protagonists are always majorly damaged, sometimes irretrievably so. And you could see this damage in Ji Wan - her guilt for her brother's death which drove her away from Kang Jin for so long. But the thing is - I did not realize that this was even more so for Kang Jin. The grown-up Kang Jin came across as such a strong, outspoken person, that I fell into the trap of assuming that he was miraculously 'normal' and all-fine - I forgot the boy Kang Jin, the ashamed, suffocating-with-emotion and unable to express it, desperately yearning for acceptance and trying to hide it. I just assumed he somehow miraculously fixed himself between teen years and adulthood. But the thing is - he hasn't. In a way, it's a parallel to Ji Wan - the outer strength conceals an enormous emotional fragility for both of them. And once he finds out about her brother's death, about his mother running off with her father, her mother's damage etc etc - it isn't just guilt that keeps him acting the charade or even selflessness. It's those, too, but I think worthlessness is a huge component - I don't think he believes he can be allowed to grasp his happiness, to have what he wants. He's still the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, the one who got kicked out of schools and saw his mother groped in front of him by 'patrons' - he doesn't get to have good things. Despite that he seemingly has no problem speaking his mind - it's all on the surface - if you pay careful attention you notice that he is so emotionally reticent as to be almost crippling. So yes. His choices are not choices of a normal, well-adjusted person. It's choice of a person trying to act out some rather crippling guilt and damage.
And that is why the quiet, hopeful ending is so lovely - neither Ji Wan nor Kang Jin are loud, overwrought people (in many ways, this is the quietest melodrama I have ever seen). And being able to move past their brokenness and dysfunction and guilt - and to do so together - is the best gift they can ever have.
And while I am metaing all over the place, allow me also to meta about morality in the world of Chuno. I find it interesting that with the exception of Tae Ha (and potentially Un Nyun), no major character in the drama can lay claims to moral heroism, to a code of honor even, of any sort. They are all on a sliding scale of dark.
And this makes perfect sense - in a world not ruled by a fair and strict rules known in advance but whims of the powerful (everyone has someone who could snuff their life out so very easily) - the powerful who can decide that what was good yesterday is bad tomorrow - holding on to absolute moral principles is almost impossible and certainly entails some unbearable sacrifices. Morality is a luxury and if you want to succeed you have to follow not some abstract moral code but whatever the boss tells you is good. Free will is not really allowed.
Perhaps it's fitting that this drama is about slaves and slave-catchers because everyone in the world of Chuno, whether technically free or not, is actually a slave. See the peasants cringe at a mere hint of an official seal. Watch the minister casually tell Dae Gil that if he doesn't carry out his mission, he'd be dead in a month. See the nobles broken, imprisoned and tortured on a whim of a winning political faction. There is no true freedom to be had.
Perhaps that is why I admire Tae Ha so. He is the one character who has chosen to hold on to his duty and his moral imperatives no matter what it costs him (and it cost him beyond measure - of all the characters I think he has the most horrifying backstory) and he is incredibly matter-of-fact about it, as if there could be no other choice. Tae Ha is a very quiet man, if you think about it, but he is pretty much unbreakable.
It is so remarkable because all the 'fallen from grace' characters are not mustache-twirling villains - they have their reasons. Dae Gil is a slave-hunter, a horrible profession. But he had his family murdered and was left with nothing by a bunch of runaway slaves. His hardness and his way of earning a living are understandable in that context. Chul Woong's descent (oh, how good is Lee Jong Hyuk in the role? His intensity burns) is likewise understandable. He switched from honoring Prince Suhyeon but he had the Royal Dictate to back him up (back to the point about absolute morality being almost untenable in such a hierarchic society - the right length of mourning for a Royal family member goes from three years to three days upon Royal edict. Which would be treason yesterday - donning bright garments after such a short time - becomes praiseworthy today). He got drawn into the Minister's orbit but there is nothing abstractly wrong with that. He saw his friend, superior, and savior of his life tortured, framed for a crime, and enslaved and stood by - but meddling would have earned him a place in the torturer's chair next. When later he tried to resist going to after Tae Ha personally, he got thrown in jail by his 'father' until he saw the light. ETC.
Even that officer under Tae Ha's command who betrayed him did so under torture.
They all have reasons, don't they? That is what makes them understandable, sympathetic characters. But it explains, it does not excuse. No matter the reason, Dae Gil still catches people who do not want to be property and brings them back to their owners. Chul Woong still betrayed his best friend and is set on assassinating innocents like the Minister's pet killer. Tae Ha's former officer betrayed his commander and his comrades to torture and death. Etc etc.
In Chuno's world it's so much easier to just give in - to just do that one little thing, and a very understandable impulse it would be - it would make life so much easier if you just give in. (Just think - if Tae Ha compromised 'a little' - if he took off his mourning for Prince Suheyon - and he had such a good excuse as a Royal Command - if he did not choose principles over expediency - he'd still be a respected general). But if you do that, you sell your soul. You may be technically free but you become enslaved. Look at Chul Woong - he is more of the Minister's property than any of the ragged slaves we see running around. You can hide in cynicism (Dae Gil), or try to kill your emotions (Chul Woong) or even try to shrug the fact of your ownership in deliberately forgetting and pretend enjoyment (Sul Hwa), but the thing is - every single one of these characters is not happy - they know what they are and what they've done and how they've paid for it.
Ironically, the only truly free character in the whole drama so far is Tae Ha. Because his soul is his own, and so is his honor.
(I do think Un Nyun might also qualify - she has always done what she believed in, and she ran away from her marriage because she did not want to be tied down. She is very strong in her quiet way. The only reason I am not putting her into a 'certain' column is because we don't know her super-well yet and also because due to travelling with Tae Ha she's been largely sheltered from the worst consequences of choosing to hold onto her principles. But I do think she'd hold onto them no matter what, so perhaps I should move her into 'definitely morally absolute' column after all).
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 06:36 pm (UTC)I also hope they won't spoil Tae Ha!! I am fine with him dying (actually I think it will be his character who will die in this drama, I think this is how it is going to end : Tae Ha and Chul Woong will die with Dae Gil and Un Nyun implied after Tae ha's death). But if they make him lose his awesomeness - I swear I will never watch a Kdrama again. :D It has been a while since I liked a character so much (since Legend, may be).
I also glad you changed your mind back to liking "Christmas" - Kang Jin is awesome.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 07:53 pm (UTC)I am sure they won't spoil TH. The writer really seems to know what he/she is doing.
I do think though that if any of the mains are going to die (which is likely), DG is the most likely - simply because I can't imagine a happy life for him after all this. What would he do?
But I hope TH survives, if anybody does, because he so deserves it. He can be a mentor to the little prince (who apparently survived to adulthood and had kids of his own). I also looked it up and the current king is set to die soon - year or two at most, depending on when the story takes place.
Btw, how far in are you?
Re: Christmas. Yes, I am so glad I continued. KJ is total love.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 09:27 pm (UTC)I think they are going to have a redemption story for DG, but TH is such a Maximus - he is going to die heroically saving the young prince.
I am watching the episode 4 - and weeping :( about the baby.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 09:37 pm (UTC)He is very Maximus-like isn't he? Only even cooler. *infatuated sigh* I just love that he had so many unbearable things happen to him and yet he still maintained all his humanity, however shell-shocked he got.
And he never got to hold the baby when he was alive. I must stop thinking about this because I am freaking out all over again. They should have trigger warnings for this sort of thing.no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 10:02 pm (UTC)Yes, he is a total Maximus. I also can't believe how clever he is - that trick he did for so many years with his limp!! They would have murdered him long time ago!
no subject
Date: 2010-01-30 10:08 pm (UTC)Yeah, if the invasion was 10 yrs ago and he spent 8yrs with the Qing, that means he's been a slave for almost 2 yrs and he did it for so long. I am totally impressed. And yeah, they totally would have killed him if he wasn't incapacitated.
*Waves*
Date: 2010-02-05 12:07 am (UTC)Anyhow, your journal, OMG why didn't I know of its existence before? alsdjlsadkj I LOVED your meta and I agree on pretty much everything you said. I'm not sure I completely agree on Un-nyu as of yet cos so far, imho, her character is too flat and underdeveloped. True, it might be because, as you have pointed out, Tae-ha's presence sheltered her from the consequences of her choices. I'll reserve judgment till I see more.
I've watched up to ep 7 (*pets WITHS2's VIA access*) and I can't wait for more. I'm SO tempted to watch it unsubbed, but I'm afraid its awesomeness will be lost on me; I do understand korean a little, but sadly, not as much as needed to watch a sageuk and get all the subtle nuances of the plot.
I need to catch up on your old posts. Hee!
Re: *Waves*
Date: 2010-02-05 03:50 am (UTC)I like UN (I am on ep 10) - she is very reserved but she had decided ideas and is very strong. But mmv.
I don't know any Korean but I am spoilerfile so between soompi summaries I am OK. (Btw, are you in North America? If so, you can watch through ep 8 subbed on viikii in hd, and by sat morning you'll be able to watch through ep 10).
OMO YOUR ICON! *_____* I need to make and/or snag Chuno icons stat!!!
Date: 2010-02-05 04:19 am (UTC)Right now? Seol-hwa>UN for me. I love that kid. Love her. I'm looking forward to more UN though. I think I'm shipping the wrong pairings, zomg! ^^''
Nope, I'm in Europe, Italy to be precise. I think I'll wait for WITHS2 subs. They kind of spoiled me XD I tend to avoid soompi cos it's a minefield of spoilers and the last time I got spoiled (for IRIS. The finale for pete's sake), I almost lost interest in the drama. I'm still in denial and I do NOT want to watch it now. *sad panda face*
Re: OMO YOUR ICON! *_____* I need to make and/or snag Chuno icons stat!!!
Date: 2010-02-05 04:44 am (UTC)I made some (nowhere near as good but not spoilery) here:
http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/1770507.html
Being spoiled for IRIS - yikes. It was my favorite drama of 2009 and the thought of being spoiled for it if I didn't want to be - OMG.
Re: OMO YOUR ICON! *_____* I need to make and/or snag Chuno icons stat!!!
Date: 2010-02-05 01:28 pm (UTC)I know, right? Took the joy out of it. I can't bring myself to watch the few eps I missed. :(
Re: OMO YOUR ICON! *_____* I need to make and/or snag Chuno icons stat!!!
Date: 2010-02-05 03:32 pm (UTC)