Something Happened in Bali (and Loveholic)

[dangermousie]

In my quest to lessen my scary drama backlog, I've finished Return of the Condor Heroes (yummy till the end) and am now finishing Something Happened in Bali. Currently I am in middle of episode 19 of 20. I see myself finishing it soon.

This was a drama I stopped watching three episodes before the end not because I got bored or because it wasn't good, but because (rather like with Silence and The Outsiders) I got so attached to the characters and I knew it couldn't end well. The angst got a little too much for me and I needed a break.

Because it's been months since I posted about it, a quick refresher: SHiB was a phenomenally successful kdrama a couple of years back that revolved around Ha Ji-Won, a poor girl who attracts the intense but somewhat unstable rich scion of an abusive family Jo In-Sung (after this and A Dirty Carnival, JIS just might be one of the best Korean actors I've seen, but if I never see him angst again, I'll be happy). There is also Plucky Poor Man who is into Ha Ji-Won and an Annoying Cow, PPM's ex and JIS's intended.

I adore SHiB for a number of reasons but mainly because of Jo In-Sung (whom I haven't seen in anything before). His character is totally messed up and totally irresistable. Think a grown-up early Logan or (as lesbiassparrow pointed out, of SHiB as a very dark Hanadan). Plus, he's got the mad unsverving love of the heroine going which is a thing I love. Every time he and Ha Ji-Won are on screen, sparks are a mile high.

You know what I don't love? JIS's father? In fact if I had to pick the most abusive drama father I've ever seen, he would win hands down. JIS is a pretty messed up individual, but he is miraculously adjusted considering his horrifc family (there are no nice families in this one, are there?) I thought I plumbed the depths of character hate, when his father literally beat him half to death with a golf club and threatened to do the same to Ha Ji-Won if he didn't marry the girl the family picked for him, and then went 'business as usual' manner.

I was mistaken. There is an absolutely awfully painful scene in ep 18. JIS went and married the girl and he is a mess: he is turning into an alcoholic, he and his wife are both miserable and everything is falling apart. And of course he is still tormented by his feelings for HJW (who he finally got to love him only for the above to happen). And his father visits him in theoffice, and this totally horrible scene follows, where his grown-up son grovels, literally grovels, begging to be allowed to have Ha Ji-Won and saying he tried to be with his wife but he can't and she is miserable too, and he doesn't want anything else, doesn't need anything else, just Ha Ji-Won. And he is on his knees, sobbing 'Father' and holding the man's knees and the old man is hitting and he won't stop. And he is totally trying to protect Ha Ji-Won sobbing 'it's my fault, I pursued her' and the Old Man finlly responds verbally by 'I am going to kill her for making you be like this' and basically reiterates that he will kill her (and he is powerful and evil enough to do so, no question about it) and OMG, Jo In-Sung is all (awfully transparently) tries to collect himself and backtrack and is all, desperately, still on his knees repeating 'I was mistaken, I misspoke' and bsically saying he was confused and he didn't mean what he said earlier. To protect Ha Ji-Won, of course.

And the Old Man stalks out, and JIS is just left sobbing on the carpet.

God, there are no words for the HATE I have for the evil guy. This thing will not end well in a million years so the only thing I want is for the horrible father to suffer. Please. I hope the old guy will have a heart attack.

I have never hated a fictional parental figure like this before.

ETA: finished it.

OMG. He did say he will divorce his wife. He informed his evil family and didn't care that they cancelled his creditcards. And begged Ha Ji-Won to wait for him, he will come for her (and that he can ear her to be mad at him, but not to ignore him, it's killing him). And she was going to, but his family came after her and she ran with In-Wook and he ended up believing that she just used him and his family to get his $$$ and commit a huge scam and OMG OMG he went after them and he shot them (he didn't hear her just tell In-Wook moments ago that she loves JIS and was going back to him, and she finally couldn't deny it) and as she was dying she finally told him ILY. OMG the angst. So he went, and killed himself. Seriously. Messed up but not surprising. Of course, he was super awesome to her and she was not giving in and then he shoots and she says ILY? Girl, you should have said so earlier.

OMG OMG OMG...

Was so good. And JIS is awesome at falling apart (him silently keening in misery after seeing her and IW kiss is made of win).

So, now I restarted Loveholic. I like it a lot, but it's one of those things I can't binge in but enjoy in small dozes. And OMG, Kang Ta=HOT.

Comments

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

You finished! I think I only got to the end because the middle files were missing on jdramas and thus I didn't max out on the angst.

That father tops my list of most hated dorama figures. Seriously, it is obvious his son can't function without this woman and that you've had your way and your way is clearly a disaster so why not back down? My only satisfaction was not only did he end up screwed on the family front but IW took his money and probably doomed the company.

And no wonder with a dad like that that JIS was screwed up. It's not like he actually knew how to express emotion in any healthy way.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

You finished!

I had to take a huge break because the angst was getting to me. The problem was that these people actually did have a nuanc about them that made them more than caricatures (none of them were sweet or saintly) that actually made me care for them.

That father tops my list of most hated dorama figures.

Ugh. HATE. The thing that I loved (and that I thought was spot on) was that he was so matter-of-fact about it. It's not like he got sadistic pleasure out of mistreating his son. It's just he only wanted his way and the rest was immaterial. He just didn't 'have enough human in him to die' to quote Hagrid.

I am surprised Jae-Min was able to feel any love at all, however dysfunctionally expressed.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

It's not like he got sadistic pleasure out of mistreating his son.

I know. Nor did he even convince himself that it would be better for his son in the long run: that didn't matter. I did find myself wondering about the first wife of the Eldest Son and how she managed to escape.

Jae-Min tops (probably) my list of most screwed up dorama characters - and that's another thing that's difficult to do. It's not like (unlike Doumyouji) he appeared to have close friends to rein him in either. I spent a lot of my time torn between sympathizing with him and wanting the heroine to run for her life...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

wondering about the first wife of the Eldest Son

I bet she was from an equally important family, so the father couldn't antagonize them too much. I was so struck by the fact that he did send goons after Soo-Jung when his son walked out on the family. How creepy is that? Of course, I knew he wasn't bluffing, because of how his son was reacting but still...

I know. Nor did he even convince himself that it would be better for his son in the long run: that didn't matter.

I don't think he saw anyone as a person. He had an image of what his son was supposed to be/do, and how to act in relation to the company and that was it, however ill-fit the person was for it.

What struck me was not his objecting to Jae-Min having a mistress, and not even his wanting to marry her. But the fact clearly was that JM didn't go about it in the proper manner: finding someone 'suitable' and 'discreet' and keeping it separate from marriage and not getting emotionally involved.

It's not like (unlike Doumyouji) he appeared to have close friends to rein him in either.

And Domyouji had another thing that placed him in a better position. He must be ten years younger, which means much less time to be screwed up, to grow into the messed-upness. And his Mom seemed to be absent all the time which is definitely a blessing in that case, while JM was always around his horrific family.

spent a lot of my time torn between sympathizing with him and wanting the heroine to run for her life...

Oh me, too. This was clearly the first emotional bond of any sort he's formed in his life (unlike Domyouji, again), no wonder he went so off the rails. But while that made him so fascinating to watch as a character, as a boyfriend...he would have been so hard to cope with. So incredibly needy. Of course, he gets more and more messed up as the drama progresses and derails. Which is so ironic, because under other circumstances, finding a person to care for would actually make him better, but because of the psycho family and obstacles (and plain kdrama luck) it makes him worse...

[janlake83.livejournal.com]

wow i have yet to see something happened in bali but its in my backlog... and i am remembering your posts and the reason you needed a break from the awesome angst...

thanks to you *my drama pusher* i have started time of dog and wolf and have restarted loveholic to balance my fluff...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Bali is very very yummy.

Re: Loveholic. I finished ep 12 now. It's cute but a bit repetitive so I ff. It gets angsty though...