Flames. Flames on the side of my face!

[dangermousie]

Ugh, Jin Jin, you freaking moron, I want to smack some sense into you!

I loved you for 39 episodes for you to do this! You find out your older sis and Kang Suk's older bro used to knock boots and because of it bro's wife got killed and you dump Kang Suk over it?

What the fucking fuck! I mean, I could see her dumping him if she found out older bro arranged the accident that killed JJ's parents and made sis retarded for 20 years and turned JJ's life into hell, but she has no idea about any of this.

Nope, it's "Oh, I have to dump you because otherwise my sister will feel bad all her life seeing us together, especially if you go against your family and get kicked out - that way she will feel even worse." WTF, priorities! She adds she can't run away with him because her sis will be alone - her sis is a fully-functioning 40yr old with a job and friends, who supports her choice of husband!

UGH.

This is the most idiotic reason for breaking up ever.

She can't give up her sister (and I don't even see why she'd have to) but she can give up Kang Suk?

UGH.

The thing is, Kang Suk is one of those rare kdrama heroes who would be an awesome guy in rl - well-adjusted, caring, smart, stand by you to the death, just an awesome guy. He deserves better than to come second to the woman he loves and sort of get scraps of her affection. She comes first for him, shouldn't it be mutual? Hell, shouldn't he come first to someone in his life? Anyone? He doesn't to his parents or his sociopath brother, and now not even to the woman he loves? Talk about unfair.

Drama, you totally lost my passenger status on the Jin Jin train. I got off. Boo-hoo, go cry a little more, you made your choice. You know, thinking back, she has not sacrificed a single thing for KS or gave one up? KS did plenty for her, and YS/DA gave up a hell of a lot to be together, but I have yet to see JJ make a sacrifice for romantic love. Familial love and friend-love to be sure. For Kang Suk's sake? Hah.

I still like the drama because Dong Ah/Yoon Seo are amazing and wonderful and R&Jish, and Kang Suk is the coolest kdrama guy in a long time, plus awesome secondaries. Not to mention I want to see Creepy get it in the face, but as to Jin Jin - I am done. I am done with JJ/KS too, except for the fact that he still wants her and I want him to have what he wants. Even there, I'd rather he met and fell for someone else.

Comments

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Word. On Jin Jin. That's why I've had a problem with Gloria's writing for so long. It's so one-sided on the KS train. I loved KS, and even adore smirky one-sided smile Suh Ji Seok now. But Jin Jin is not worth his suffering bc she's still all about her own needs first. We shall see about later.

Damn, K-drama really are crapping all over the second half of its dramas lately. Everything has let me down. What a shame. I wanted Gloria to be consistently solid to the very end.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I got to ep 40 and some of my issues went away the moment she admitted she couldn't carry through with her plan and took him back anyway, her unni be damned.

I don't have a problem with her deciding she can't be with him once she learns the whole truth (as I know happens), because that's a whole other kettle of fish - (a) she is justified wanting his family destroyed and (b) you can't be with someone whose family you plan to take down.

It's the earlier part that drove me nuts. Unlike you, I don't have a problem with Gloria's writing in that respect though because it's consistent with her character - she has always put her family first and negated any importance of personal happiness. She admitted 20 eps back to KS her sister came first, before him. None of this is a surpise. I want Kang Suk to have an OTP who loves him as much as he loves her, or more importantly, who places him above all, the way he is with Jin Jin, but I don't think it's in Jin Jin's character - she has always had social ties she took on in a very prioritizing way.

The scene in ep 40 with him kneeling and begging and her taking him back satisfied a lot of my issues - she did put him above her unni then, even if later she won't be able to put him above revenge. I don't have a problem with the latter per se - male heroes of dramas do the same a lot. Sure, I want her to chase after KS and tell him nothing else matters and sacrifice something major for him (because he keeps and keeps on sacrificing) but I don't think that was ever in the offing, much as I want it. She picked him once, I suppose I'll have to be content with it. It's not unrealistic and Jin Jin is remarkable in many ways, but KS fangirl in me can't help but want more. I don't expect her to be another Yoon Seo, but I'd sure love it.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Ugh this! I was so pissed that JJ did that because it made NO SENSE. Her sister has supported her and KS and has told her so too. And then she makes another stupid excuse about how she her sister will be all alone? A 40 year old woman who's totally recovered and has friends/neighbours who are there to support her is not freaking alone. Basically JJ is just making stupid excuses to rationalize her idiotic senseless choice.

I'd expected her to be angry at KS for keeping this information from her but then she'd get the story from her sister and she and KS would talk about it and then move on not this.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

They fixed it next ep, sort of, but it still made no sense to me, her initial decision! It would be one thing if JJoo was still handicapped (but even then, so KS loses his heir position, he's as smart as they come and has his own company - he may not be a chaebol any more but they won't starve). But JJoo is fully functioning and is a KS/JJ shipper! JJ is basically breaking the man she loves into pieces and tormenting herself for little reason - I am sure that is not what the writer intended but I saw it as a crutch for JJ's major commitment and trust issues. And if the way KS treats her wasn't able to overcome those, nothing will (it's understandble, with her upbringing, but it's not a good thing).

All it made me think is 'when the going gets tough, she bails.' Her behavior in ep 40 fixed most of my problems but I wish they didn't take that weird detour in the first place.

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

I know you said to ignore this, but I have to say it: JJ is badass in her own way. She's more or less survived on her own (while taking care of a sister with the mind of a 5 year old) since the age of ten, but. . .she can really be self righteous and annoying at times. While I have no doubt that she loves KS - I don't think she loves him nearly as much as he loves her. He's willing to give up so much for her, but she isn't willing to do the same.


Also, (and this is spoilery up to episode 43) - I dislike the way she often thinks that revenge on Creepy is just for her. Like, she's the only one that deserves it. Because, hello, Creepy has ruined/nearly ruined everyone's life at some point:

KS: was emotionally, verbally abused by his older brother and is threatened by him daily.
JJoo: was left mentally disabled for 20 years, lost her parents, and a baby because of Creepy.
Grandmother: lost her granddaughter - her only relative when Creepy killed her.
DA: beaten by Creepy's goons, nearly killed, kept away from wife.
YS: blackmailed, watched husband be beaten, stalked, psychologically tortured by Creepy,


Everyone else has a right to get a bit of the revenge pie, and it annoys me that JJ keeps telling people she alone (with a bit of help from Jin-Joo) must get revenge for their parents. And, the way she was treating DA (and still treating KS). . . JJ needs to stop this mess.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I can understand her emotional reaction to Dong Ah and Kang Suk - if I found out that dad of my best friend and bro of my fiance turned my life into hell, I might find it hard to be nice to friend and fiance too. And I can even get her 'revenge pie' hogging - it's understandable if not rational (I think she has more of a claim for revenge than anyone except JJoo and Grandma, but KS, DA and YS are certainly entitled too).

My big broblem was not about 'we can't be together because Creepy turned my life into hell.' That's reasonable enough. It was about earlier breakup because Creepy and JJoo used to date. It just seemed so out-of-character. One of the reasons I loved Gloria so was that the characters acted sane.

But - and here I totally agree with you - the disparity of feeling between her and KS is something that does bother me. I noticed it from the get-go, it was even made explicit back in the 20s, but I thought one of the themes would be her overcoming that - I understand why the life that made her tough also made her emotionally standoffish, a bit, but I hoped it would slowly melt under love. It's not unrealistic the way she is, but I wanted a change. Otherwise, it's just not fair to Kang Suk, especially in light of the fact that he has never come first to anyone.

I get the sense she'd survive if everyone she cared for was gunned down in front of her face, except for unni - Kang Suk, Dong Ah, coworkers and coinhabitants. She'd cry and get revenge, but she'd survive. It's praiseworthy but also scary.

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

I understand the reaction, but I hate when characters cut ties because they are related to a person whose harmed them. KS doesn't have a relationship with his brother, so it pains me to see JJ cutting him out of her life. It's only hurting him and her. And, it only makes Creepy happy.


I wanted a change, but I don't think it'll happen the way we want. JJ's character arc has always been about her struggle to rise to the top and overcome the harshness of her life. Her main relationship has always been her sister. That's her most important person, and that won't change.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think her being with KS at the end (because I am 100% sure it will happen) will be her way of sacrificing - because he is the brother of Creepy (it's more than I could do).

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

There is a rumor that Creepy not be KS's brother; that the mother had an affair. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But, it would be a twist.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It sounds a bit farfetched but I am all for it. If she had an affair, it must have been with a serial killer though, to beget Creepy!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am all for it, farfetched as it may be. though she must have had an affair with a serial killer, to beget Creepy.