dangermousie: (Gloria - DA/YS hug by timescout)
[personal profile] dangermousie
I find it interesting how the OTP of Nice Guy contrasts with the OTPs in the other three currently airing kdramas that I am following - Faith, Arang and the Magistrate and Five Fingers.

Because in the latter three, the OTP make each other better, they are functional together and their obstacles are external. It's most visible in Five Fingers, where Dami is Ji Ho's beacon of sanity, and that is why they must be forced to break up - otherwise he'd never descend into darkness necessary for revenge. You can watch only a few minutes of Eun Soo/Choi Young of Faith or Eun Oh/Arang of Arang to see how incredibly functional and functioning they are together. And the obstacles all the couples face, while huge (and possibly insurmountable) don't come from their intrinsic natures and flaws but outside forces. If these outside forces went away, you just know nothing would block their happiness - Eun Soo and Choi Young have the huge issue that she is a 21st-century woman and he is a 14th-century man and neither can live in the other's world. Not to mention an awful lot of people are trying to kill one or both of them. In Arang, the issue is that Arang has less than a month to stay in the world and, oh, a monster wants her body. In Five Fingers, in addition to Ji Ho's family being psychos out to get him, the issue is that Dami and Ji Ho come from enemy families (long story). But the thing is, if these were fixed, there would be nothing preventing OTP bliss - if the Jade Emperor waved a magic wand in Arang, got rid of the demon and restored Arang to permanent humanity, or Ji Ho's family in FF took nice pill and the family history issue was gotten around somehow, the couples would be happy together. If the bad guys in Faith were taken out and ES decided to stay (and CY allowed himself to allow her to stay), there would be little warrior babies asap. It doesn't mean that the characters do not change or grow - they do immensely. But it's a different relationship dynamic than between Maru and Eun Gi in Nice Guy where all the obstacles are really in their own head, in their emotions and baggage (OK, so this is more true for Maru than EG). There aren't really that many external obstacles. But the internal ones are almost insurmountable.

I don't think one form of narrative is better than the other. I just find the difference fascinating.

Date: 2012-10-11 01:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] issy-chan.livejournal.com
awwwwz, just the thought of "little warrior babies" makes me feel giggly and happy inside. cute little kids all over their dad the hot general messing up his hair....awwwwwww! ;-P

Date: 2012-10-11 02:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
I need this so badly!

Date: 2012-10-11 03:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] winegums.livejournal.com
I do think there's one nice parallel between the couple dynamics in Arang and Nice Guy though (weird as that might seem, given how different those two are)....in both, one half of the couple (Eun Oh, Eun Gi) is completely open about their feelings/not trying to deny it or take it back etc.

Date: 2012-10-12 03:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Hmmm, I never thought about it this way, but you are right.

Date: 2012-10-11 10:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] algelic.livejournal.com
I think with "Faith" the solution is actually very simple: both of them go to Eun Soo's time, where no one is trying to kill them, and live peacefully in a small village in the countryside (so that Choi Young won't be overloaded with modern-day stuff). Eun Soo could be a village doctor and Choi Young could teach fencing or fighting to little kids!

Date: 2012-10-12 03:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
True, but what are they going to do with the fact that taking CY out of 14th century would seriously warp history? He is a real person and an important one so they can't really do Queen In Hyun's Man.

Date: 2012-10-11 12:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] weissman.livejournal.com
Arang and the Magistrate -I do think the badies will be defeated and I think JW will actually be the one to pull the trigger (so to speak) I also think he will bite the big one in doing so-he has done too many bad things to ever get a free pass. As far as the two leads I will take my cues from MGIGMH and something will work out and it will be the jade emporer that works it out.

Faith , while I like the idea of CY living with ES in down town soul (I just had two friends spend two weeks there on busniess) . he is too important a hostorical figure to go that route. To ne honest I have no clue on the closure process for Faith, maybe part 2

Date: 2012-10-12 03:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
I need Faith to end happily so badly.

Yeah, I think Arang will end well.

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