#dramarecap

***If this is your first time browsing the Drama Files, please read The Rules on how our Memo-style reviews work***

***This song and music video  really resonated with us and we felt compelled to share our theories about what they could possibly signify, as there has been some speculation as to what it could mean. Our views are simply theories.***

Memo

Dear Reader,

There have been some questions regarding the recent release of BTS’s latest album, Wings: You Never Walk Alone, particularly:

(1) Whether BTS’s two songs, “Spring Day” and “Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone”, had personal references; and

(2) Whether the four new songs were cohesive.

Conclusion

(1) BTS’s two songs, “Spring Day” and “Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone”, very likely are very personal and very likely involve a death of a friend.

(2) There is a sense of cohesiveness between the four songs. However, the two songs, Not Today and Outro: Wings, seem more related to each other and the other two songs, Spring Day and Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone, seem more connected to one another content-wise.

Analysis

(1) BTS’s two songs, “Spring Day” and “Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone”, very likely are very personal and very likely involve a death of a friend.

“Spring Day” and its music video (MV) likely mean a death of a friend, possibly from suicide. The lyrics, themselves, hint that a friend passed away or committed suicide: “Yeah I hate you. You left but there was not a day I ever forgot about you.” Why would you hate a person who passed away? Likely because the person chose to end his/her life or somehow experiencing an unfair death.This reaction is quite plausible because anyone who has experienced the untimely passing of a loved one, experiences anger as a stage of grief.  Other verses include: “You know it all. You’re my best friend. Morning will come again” and “Will you stay a little longer?” 

The MV supports the notion that the friend has chosen to end his life. The MV opens with the “friend” who is portrayed by Jungkook in a white turtle neck sweater with black striped sleeves on one train, and Rapmonster on a different train. This could be symbolizing that they are on two different paths.

Jungkook playing the “friend”

Rapmonster on a different train

Rapmonster then heads out of his train and to a place called “Omelas”. Omelas is very likely alluding to the short story written by Ursula K Le Guin; “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas“. In brief, the story is about a place that’s like paradise, but to achieve that paradise, one child has to be subject to suffering and darkness. Later the citizens find out the truth about the suffering child, but some are afraid of change and choose to stay in Omelas while a few choose to leave. (That’s important for later)  After Rapmonster arrives at Omelas and meets a few other BTS members, we see Rapmonster walking by the “friend” who is still on his train. The lyrics also match because Rapmonster sings that he wants to “get to the other side of the earth holding your hand” but obviously he can’t because they’re on different paths.

See the shadow? That’s Rapmonster walking by the “friend”.

After walking past Rapmonster’s friend and heading out of a train, Rapmonster has a crown which could symbolize success. Everything is great because everyone is having fun at Omelas. You see the boys throwing cake and partying hard. However, to have this sort of paradise, there must be some sacrifice per the Omelas ideal. Hence, again we see Jin acting as the “friend” who seems trapped at the bottom of the stairwell and can only watch as the boys walk around him and climb up the stairs to more success.

If you notice carefully, Jin is wearing the same type shirt with the same design as Jungkook who acted as the friend on the train. None of the other boys wear the exact same design with the black stripes on the sleeves on a white sweater. This likely alludes to the idea that Jin must also be playing the part of the “friend.” The “friend” is also stuck in a barren place all by himself (See Jungkook by the blue rundown carousel), while the other boys are missing him and still in Omelas.

The boys continue their mundane, everyday life like brushing their teeth, getting their ears pierced, doing laundry, etc. Life goes on, but the “friend” is still on the train and all by himself heading somewhere else.

Life moves on again as we see more everyday scenes, but there’s always a hint of sadness. You see Rapmonster and V laughing, but you can tell that there’s some forced laughter. There’s a birthday celebration with Jungkook (not playing the friend anymore), and he is not very happy either. (In this MV, Jungkook seems to play two roles: one as himself and the other as the ‘friend’. When Jungkook is not wearing the white turtleneck, he plays himself.)

At the laundromat, we see that there are mountains behind Jin. Mountains in this MV likely symbolize “death”. (In an interview with Christian Boltanski, the artist of the mountain of clothes piece, he revealed that the mountain of clothes represented death)

Sad Jin looking to the mountains

Then the mountains lead to the scene with Suga being on a pile of clothes which is probably a reference to Christian Boltanski’s “No Man’s Land” which features a mountain of clothes and a crane beside it. (The link explains more in detail; there’s also this interview that gives more details about this.) The pile of clothes represents “an eternal afterlife of sorts”.

At this point, it’s likely symbolizing that the “friend” has actually passed away. Suga raps that he missed the friend, but he’ll erase him because it hurts less than to blame them. That also seems to suggest that the friend committed suicide (arguably because there’s no point in blaming someone who died unless he/she chose to die. At least that’s our take on it).

We see that the boys keep trying to find this “friend”. J-Hope is on top of the train, but obviously he can’t get inside. The boys are circulating around the “friend” who notices them and moves away to follow the boys. Notice how this scene is where the “friend” is in perpetual darkness with only the lights being behind him. An alternative theory that a friend pointed out is that the yellow ribbons likely signify the Sewol ferry tragedy. Alternatively, then it could be inferred that the “friend” may have unfortunately passed away from that tragedy (which moves away from our possible suicide approach, but i’s an alternative proposition). It’s more likely that the friend has joined the dead which includes those that passed away from the Sewol ferry tragedy.

It’s only after the “friend” joins the boys does the scene cut to Jungkook looking frantically for the other boys as if he has suddenly realized the truth about the suffering child/friend and wants to break free from this “paradise” in Omelas. The other BTS members walk out with Jungkook and they all have genuine smiles on their faces. (Notice how Jungkook is dressed in different clothing and has a more boyish haircut. He looks a bit older with the turtleneck as he is acting as the “friend”.)

All of BTS is set to find the “friend”. They’re running out of Omelas and towards the train that the “friend” has been on trying to get to him. (This is why I also say Jungkook is playing 2 roles in this MV because Jungkook sees the “friend”.)

But the friend is on a path that they cannot get to, as the train whizzes past them. The sad scenes that follow likely showcase mourning with the passing of the friend. Rapmonster is sadly staring on his train going in another direction from the friend’s. All the guys are sitting in the dark room and are watching as the match they light really doesn’t really light up the darkness they’re in. That action seems to symbolize their attempt to possibly understand their friend’s plight of having been the suffering child, or maybe even their own feelings of grief and loss.

The scenes following also show them on a mountain of clothes, which again, symbolizes death based on the art installation of Christian Boltanski, possibly reiterating the friend’s passing. The scene changes to Jungkook back to playing the “friend” again (he’s in the turtleneck sweater again), but this time he’s surrounded by all the guys on this train. This part was confusing. However, it’s likely that this is the deceased “friend” dreaming that his friends are actually with him on this journey. There is also the possibility that this scene represents how the BTS members feel. They would want the “friend” to feel that they are with him on this journey.

After getting off the train, they walk through a wintery expanse to a tree. It’s possible at this point that the two story lines are concurrent as we see that Jungkook is still wearing that sweater. This implies that he is the “friend” who is walking with them towards the tree. Another explanation is that they want to memorialize the “friend” and are hoping that he would be walking with them in that instance.

Jimin placing the shoes (tied shoes being strung on objects in urban mythology can have a range of meanings, some meaning death) on the tree probably symbolizes the finality of the friend’s journey and their coming to terms with his passing as the tree with the shoes stands in memory of their lost friend.

(2) The four new songs were generally cohesive.

It seems that there is more cohesiveness between “Not Today” and “Outro: Wings”. The two songs are about underdogs trying to prove to the world that they will succeed. On the other hand, the other two songs, “Spring Day” and “Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone” seem more linked together. “Spring Day” speaks to missing a deceased friend and wanting to see the friend again. “Supplemental Story” talks about sacrificing a friend to gain success and believing that the friend is also behind their success.

It seems like “Not Today” and “Outro: Wings” were written much earlier than the other two songs. Its quite possible that the incident with the deceased friend happened after these two songs were written. Plus, Rapmonster did reveal in the V Live Preview Show that “Spring Day” was written based on his and Suga’s personal experiences, and that the lyrics express their feelings. This is possibly a big hint that this song really was personal.

BTS did do a decent job trying to tie “Spring Day” and “Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone” with “Not Today” and “Outro: Wings”. There’s a reference to “wings” within the lyrics of “Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone”. It’s as if the friend is helping BTS fight to be successful. The friend has helped BTS have “wings”. Though we aren’t music experts, we did feel like there were traces of “Outro: Wings” in “Supplemental Story: You Never Walk Alone”. It was as if the latter song was an extension/remix of “Outro: Wings” in some ways. Moreover, the two have a faster tempo and a more upbeat/pop vibe.

Finally, the order of the songs in this album helped tie everything together. “Spring Day” plays before “Not Today”. Then, “Outro: Wings” plays and the album finishes with “Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone”. There’s sadness that comes with “Spring Day”, but “Not Today” reminds us to keep going and fighting. “Outro: Wings” continues that message of a fighting spirit. Finally, the “Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone” reminds us that we are all not alone and that the friend is also with them.

Here are some lyrics from “Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone”: (Credits goes to here for the translation)

At the end of this road you walk alone ….. That’s okay, I am by your side If you and I could be together I can smile

It’s as if BTS is telling the “friend” that even though the “friend” is alone, BTS will always be by the friend’s side.

I want to fly but I don’t have wings BUT your hand Becomes my wing

Your hand seems to reference the “friend”. The friend has helped BTS fly to success.

This is a sin I committed Even if all the lives Are the price of My punishment

We feel like this might also be a personal reference that goes back to the death of the “friend”.

Ayy I never walk alone If you and I can be together, I can laugh Ayy You never walk alone If you and I can be together, I can laugh If you and I can be together, I can laugh

In BTS’ mind, the friend and they are not alone anymore. BTS will be there.

The songs, although they seem to have been written at different at different points in time, do blend well together to create an overall cohesiveness with the themes of life, loss, temptation, and success.

Alternatively, this whole song could also be directed at fans supporting them. (LOL!)

BTS have really been stellar at creating music away from the traditional love song route by focusing on issues that people in different stages in their lives experience. Its because their music is so relatable that makes it amazing!

RedRosette J: Hey Everyone! we were really behind on the end of year reviews and awards posts that everyone was doing at the end of 2016, so we decided to do it in line with Chinese New Year because technically 2016 just ended (LOL)! We came up with random categories based on what we thought was deserving of a best/worst/whatever award. We also are basing this list off the dramas that we watched this year (we have not watched some of them so those aren’t included in this list). So….Enjoy!

Jubiemon J: We had this idea a while back but remembered it now! Yes, Chinese New Year ended recently. This is probably going to be a savage post, so let’s hope you’ll like this!

Best Couple

RR: So it’s really hard to say which couple is THE best, but there are a few strong contenders in the running for best couple. I wouldn’t award this title to one particular couple per se, but would award it to a few couples because I think that they were all ‘best’ in their own way. My picks for Best Couple are: Shopping King Louie, Descendants of the Sun, and Oh Hae Young Again. All of these couples had redeeming qualities. SKL was really all about their devotion to each other and the cuteness, DOTS was about two people who learned to be with each other while still remaining very much a part of their own established lives and OHYA was about two people overcoming their insecurities to be with each other (sort of). At least that’s what I got out of them. These are all qualities that a ‘best couple’ should have so, I’m choosing to award this title as a combo award!

Worst Couple

RR: I think the Worst Couple title should go to IU and Lee Jun Ki in Scarlet Heart Ryeo. If anyone is curious as to why we’re awarding this, please read our reviews on this drama. We go on ad nauseum about how badly these two are as a couple.

JM: Yes, the Worst Couple award goes to these two. I still think IU and Kang Haneul had more going on…. *face palm* Yes, we did extensive reviews about their relationship, so please check out those posts!

Other Contenders for the Title: Kim Woo Bin and Suzy in Uncontrollaby Fond and Hye Ri and Ji Sung in The Entertainer.

Cringiest Drama

RR: Scarlet Hear Ryeo. Ugh. Again for reasons see previous review posts.

JM: Agreed! Especially the awful editing and multiple versions floating around and . . . well, check our reviews.

Drama “that had shit going on and then shit hit the fan and everything died” Award

RR: This category was created specifically for W – Two Worlds because when it started out it was amazing and we were all glued to our screens and freaking out and yelling and gasping and it was awesome. Then episode 6 or 7 happened and everything just went south. All of a sudden, none of it made sense and it just became a hot mess so it gets its own special category.

JM: The title of that award came from me, just saying. ;) Sorry for the long-ass title, but I think it summed up W very well. We didn’t review this drama because we hadn’t started our blog yet. However, both of us watched it and like RR said we were literally SO into this drama INITIALLY. Then . . . he kept dying, reliving, the dad also kept dying, reliving, etc. Oh my god. No.

Worst Legal Drama

RR: If you’ve been following us, you will know how we feel about this drama….Woman With A Suitcase! It was so awful that we had to stop reviewing it halfway. If you decide to do a legal drama, make sure you have a legal consultant is all I have to say for this drama.

JM: I think what made Woman with a Suitcase awful was that the lawyers solved the legal problems in a very similar fashion for each case. More details can be found in our reviews.

Most Ridiculous Action Drama

RR: This is also a special category that we created for The K2 because it was just completely ridiculous. The plot was a big mess and consisted of ridiculously long action scenes, Yoona acting like an infantilized Bambi, and the evil Mother lady directing everyone from her secret supercomputer in an even more secret underground lair. Seriously? (We actually reviewed this whole drama too -_-)

JM: I have to be frank. I watched the first episode and saw that she was running for 90% of the ep. I knew that this action drama would be a mess. I don’t know how RR stuck with this drama. I fast-forwarded through the first episode and finished it in less than 10 minutes. All I got from it was this: she ran.

Most Pointless Adaptation from US TV Shows

RR: Entourage gets this award. Unlike the other adaptions which got better reviews (I didn’t watch those so I can’t comment on those), this was just an excuse to have penis jokes and watch dudes walking around in their underwear. The characters apart from Jo Jin Woong and Park Min Jung really fell flat and didn’t really do anything much. Most of the time the 60 minutes felt really long and pointless, hence it deserves this award.

JM: Ah, I tried to watch this drama too but then dropped it after the first few episodes. We were really looking forward to potentially reviewing this, but . . . no. The first few episodes were just the guys talking and talking and talking. Nothing really happened. *Yawns*

Most Underrated Drama

RR: When Age of Youth started out, I honestly didn’t see it going the way it did. I really liked the way it portrayed the girls’ friendships and individual struggles. They were all really relatable. Maybe it’s because I’m also a twenty-something struggling through trying to figure out life, but it really resonated with me. I liked how this drama also left the ending very broad and open, as if to say that the characters struggles continue on and it’s not something that can get wrapped up neatly in a bow at the end as how it is with life in reality. It was definitely the most underrated drama of 2016 in my opinion.

JM: Jesus, Age of Youth is SO underrated. I wished we had started this blog earlier so that we could review this drama. I have to say the ending was kind of rushed and could have had more, but overall I still really enjoyed watching this drama. There was just the right amount of suspense, gossip, mystery, friendship, love, and drama. This drama is perfect for those going into their late teens to mid twenties. So many of the problems that the characters face are realistic and interesting.

Best Remake

RR: Being a huge fan of the original drama, I was a little skeptical about the remake but 1% of Something really delivered and is totally deserving of this title. Ha Seok Jin and Jeon So Min were the perfect Lee Jae In and Kim Da Hyun. It was the perfect contract dating love story, and I think that’s where the perfection lies: in its predictability and normality. Plus Ha Seok Jin had much better hair than Kang Dong Won in the original. It was a really good remake. I’d recommend watching it if anyone hasn’t already.

Best Reverse Harem Drama

RR: I would award this title to Cinderella and the Four Knights. It was a bit all over the place and Ahn Jae Hyun spent most of it brooding over Son Na Eun‘s dull as ditch water character and Jung Il Woo was an ass for most it. But once you get over it and focus on the cutesies, it’s not awful. Its still a lot better than the reverse harem nightmare in Scarlet Heart Ryeo so I will give it that!

JM: Personally, I couldn’t get into this drama so much. Maybe in the end . . . where there were more cute fluffy scenes and I wanted to watch some cuteness. But yeah . . . this drama was kind of stereotypical? I did like the character who was the musician.

Worst Web Drama

RR: So I actually gave up watching Seven First Kisses after the Lee Jun Ki episode. NO ONE KISSED ANYONE!!! WTF?!?! How is this okay? You get all these hot guys and no one is kissing anyone? The title of this show is the epitome of misrepresentation! -_-

JM: This was the drama I watched when there was nothing else to do and I needed to pass around 10 mins of my time. I watched the whole thing because I wanted to know whether she would get kissed. I mean, the actors and the actress really got it easy for their roles. They didn’t even have to KISS each other. Even as an advertisement, this failed. I still have no idea what Lotte Duty Free is selling. A lifestyle? A romance? A fantasy that will never be fulfilled?

Contenders for Best Web Drama: High End Crush and The Miracle

Worst Character – The One You Most Want To Push Off A Cliff

RR: If I absolutely HAD to pick one character, I’d choose……IU’s character on Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I just couldn’t deal with the wishy washy-ness going between Kang Ha Neul and Lee Jun Ki  and just her attitude in general. Ugh. Off the cliff you go!

JM: Soo from SHR. Yup. She was super weak, flat, stupid, selfish and more. How could she not So even be with his daughter? Huh? That really boggles my mind. Guh.

Worst Mom

RR: Hands down the Mom in Scarlet Heart Ryeo is the worst drama Mom of 2016. I’m guessing that EVERYONE has seen this drama so it warrants no further explanation. If you don’t know what I’m talking about watch this train wreck and you’ll see.

JM: Oh dear. I forgot about her until RR mentioned her. LOL. I guess she was such a bad mom that I had to blank her out. I still don’t understand why she hated So. LOL.

a) Evilest Mother in Law

RR: As a sub-category under Worst Mom we’re doing the ‘Evilest Mother in Law’. This title goes to…….the Mother in Law in Happy Home who used emotional and psychological terrorism to subjugate the daughter in law. It was frankly quite terrifying to watch. Honourable mentions in this category should also be: Do Kyung’s mom (the money stealing mom) in Oh Hae Young Again, the whole in-law family (they killed the daughter-in-law’s mother and father) in My Daughter Geum Sa Wol and Gab Dol’s mom (abusive mother in law) in Our Gab Soon (this one is still airing though so it doesn’t technically count).

Second Leads:

a) Who Should Be First Leads

RR:  Hands down this title goes to Baek In Ho in Cheese in the Trap, although arguably this did happen for like half a second so…..But he gave us all the feels with the moping….

Other Contenders for the Title: Ryu Jun Yeol’s character in Reply 1988 and Lee Joon’s character in Woman With A Suitcase.

b) Best Male Second Lead

RR: The adorable Gong Myung’s puppy character with the crush on Park Ha Sun‘s character on Drinking Solo was by far the best second lead. And because you know that he can never be the equivalent of a first lead, it really was the one character that gave you a real case of Second Lead Syndrome.

Other Contenders for the Title:  Go Kyung Po’s character in Jealousy Incarnate, and Ohn Joo Wan’s character in Beautiful Gong Shim.

c) Best Female Second Lead

RR: I honestly can’t think of any second leads who are decent and not absolutely horrible people. Except maybe Shin Hye Sun’s character on Legend of the Blue Sea (but technically its not included as 2016 drama because it ended in 2017 so it doesn’t count)

d) Bitchiest Second Leads

RR: Most female second leads are by default absolute bitches so it’s really really hard to pick one particular character. For this reason, I’m going with a combo award again. I’m choosing Seo Hyo Rim (the sister) in Beautiful Gong Shim, Jeon Hye Bin (the sister) in Woman With A Suitcase, Park Se Young (the adopted sister) in My Daughter Geum Sa Wol, and Lee Sung Kyung (the twin sister) in Cheese in the Trap for the Bitchiest Second Lead title. Is anyone else sensing a trend with the evil sister thing in 2016?

JM: I concur. Bitchiest everywhere. Man.

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Worst Actor-Please Go Back to Acting Class Award

RR:  By far the Worst Actor title goes to Baekhyun on Scarlet Heart Ryeo. It was just terrible. Too much of everything. Please. Go back and get some acting lessons.

JM: I think they made him do aegyo WAY too much. I get that his character is supposed to be really innocent and cheerful, but . . . yeah. If he does pursue acting, I agree that he should take more acting lessons!

Candiest Candy

RR: I absolutely love Gong Hyo Jin, but her character on Jealousy Incarnate was the Candiest Candy character of 2016. Candy characters annoy me but oddly, I didn’t hate her version of Pyo Na Ri which I think is the point. She was dogged and clingy but not in a creepy or desperate way. Also, her fashion in this drama was absolutely on point so….Kudos girl!

Worst Kiss

RR: OMG. These were the absolute worst kisses in the 2016 dramaverse. The IU and Lee Jun Ki kiss on Scarlet Heart Ryeo (they were all horrible so you can choose which one you hate more) and the Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won in Doctors (also known as the ‘Dancing In The Rain Kiss’). These were all equally horrible in their own right. Mostly because a) the kissing was bad and because b) it was super awkwardly positioned. Ugh. How hard is it to mess up a kiss scene?

JM: SHR for me. RR actually showed the “better” kiss scene from SHR. I’m telling you, the worst kiss in that drama has to be the initial forced kiss from So. The director even filmed the kiss upside down so you couldn’t see much of the action at all. The kiss was reflected from a pond. LOL. (Yes I know LJK has said in an interview that he hasn’t been that good with kiss scenes in the past, so I was kind of looking forward to seeing some improvement on his hand for SHR. Unfortunately, those scenes didn’t show . . . much. I wished they had created better kiss scenes.)

Best Kiss

RR: Hands down, the best kiss of 2016 goes to……Seo Hyun Jin and Eric (also known as the ‘Wall Kiss’) in Oh Hae Young Again. This kiss is totally deserving of this title. It was very much what you would expect a real kiss to be; all the tongues and hands and feelings. So very realistic. An honourable mention should also go to Gong Hyo Jin and Jo Jung Seok (also known as the ‘Locker Room Kiss’) on Jealousy Incarnate. *fans face*

Best Makjang (Or worst depending on your approach to Makjangs)

RR: I would award this title to…..My Daughter Geum Sa Wol! It had a little bit of everything; fires, death, birth switches, birth secrets, love affairs, awful in-laws, noble idiocy, poverty, a Romeo-Juliet-esque love story etc etc. It was all super intense and very much in your face all the time and made you want to scream and/or pull your hair out. It was great.

a) Best Family Drama

RR: In line with the Makjang is the Best Family Drama title. I would award this to Five Children. It’s all about a blended family coming together and their extended family drama. If nothing else, the scene stealing Sung Hoon and Shin Hye Sun put this drama on the map with their super awkward ‘Supremely Obnoxious Jock Falls For Nerdy School Teacher’ love story!

Best Costumes

RR: The costumes in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds were absolutely beautiful!

JM: Yes. So pretty.

Worst Costumes

RR: The outfits and style choices in Lucky Romance were absolutely atrocious. They made Hwang Jung Eum look like some New York city bag lady. It was absolutely terrible! An honourable mention for worst costumes also goes to…..Hwarang: Poet Warrior Youth for its god awful drowned rat hair! (it’s technically still airing so it doesn’t count but I think it deserves to be included twice in this category for both 2016 and 17!)

Worst Script

RR: I mean there is no contest for this……Scarlet Heart Ryeo (If you want to know the reasons why please read our review posts on this)

JM: SHR!!!!! They had a NOVEL and a Chinese script to work with. Things shouldn’t have gone wrong.

Worst Editing

RR: Again, no contest….Scarlet Heart Ryeo

JM: SHR. Cutting off the actor/actress’s speech before the scene ended? Having multiple versions going on? What? No.

Worst Manhwa Adaptation

RR: When you basically make the Male Lead disappear and replace him with the Second Lead for half the show which is totally not what is in the Webtoon, you deserve this title. Cheese in the Trap, I’m talking to you!

JM: My God. The webtoon is SO MUCH BETTER. Guys just read the webtoon and ignore this drama. What a waste of Park Hae Jin. He’s a really good actor. (Watch him in Bad Guys).

Most Underused Talent Award

RR: Talk about a waste of talent. This title goes to Ji Sung in The Entertainer. This whole drama was pointless in the first place, but to cast Ji Sung and then have him do barely anything and give him have an awkward love line with Hye Ri? Really? That’s the best you could do? -_-

Actor Who Did A 180 Award

RR: Honestly, I didn’t see this coming. When UEE was cast in Marriage Contract, I must admit that I was less than excited. But, she totally proved me wrong by really killing it in the role. Oh My God. She gave me all the feelings. It was a job very well done. *applause*

Rising Star Award

RR: I didn’t really notice any newbies that really took my breath away in 2016 except maybe Kim Min Suk who was Private Kim Ki Bum and Jin Goo’s little ‘brother’ character on Descendants of the Sun. He also went on to play a cute doctor on Doctors later in the year as well. He’s doing quite well playing resident puppy roles. Keep it up!

Best Drama

RR: For me, this year’s Best Drama Award should go to Descendants of the Sun. In spite of some of its cheesiness, what I really liked best about this show was the characters’ dedication to their own lives and careers and choice to be with each other without giving these up. They remained very much their own person until the very end and were not willing to compromise things that made them, them. This is often not the case with most drama characters, so it was really refreshing to see a love story being portrayed in such a way. Its really the twenty-something struggle (love vs career) and these two really figured it out amidst the landmines and natural disasters.

JM: For me, the best drama goes to SIGNAL. If I could vote Signal for everything, I could try to squeeze it in for anything. ;) I’m sort of biased because I adore watching murder mysteries. I find the suspense to be fascinating. All of the actors were great. However, the younger male police lead (Lee Je Hoon) . . . he was decent but still not as skilled as the veteran actors. The cases were also very interesting and I heard they were based on real cases which makes the drama even more fascinating. I think the drama also brings on some social issues to light which is great. BRING ON A SEQUEL or another wonderful murder mystery drama for 2017. PLEASE.

RR: That’s it for our 2016 wrap up! Goodbye 2016! You will not be missed!

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

Issues:

Whether date montages should include time sequenced trips to the beach and junk food.

Whether the “what happened to Byul” plot line makes sense.

Whether the stabbing incident was realistic.

Whether holding a guerrilla concert after your agency screws you over is a reasonable thing to do.

Whether Woo Joo and Byul’s backstory is believable.

Whether it makes sense to make a “life-for-a-life” deal with a Reaper.

The Rule(s):

Absolutely. Especially when the cinematography is a great as in this drama.

Yes. It makes sense. It’s also kind of nice how the drama didn’t vilify the guy who killed her but gave him a chance to redeem himself.

Ehhh….For dramatic value and plot development it makes sense, but it was grasping at straws in terms of realism.

Totally. It’s like a giant “F U” to the agency.

Maybe? Not sure tbh.

In a way yes it does. If, to restore balance to the universe, a life has to “go up” then it doesn’t matter which goes up as long as one goes right?

Analysis:

RedRosette J: Okay. So we’re at the last episode already (these episodes might actually have been segmented into smaller ones too…it really depends on which sites you watch on). I’m not gonna lie: I cried. (*sniffles*) And it has been A WHILE since a drama made me cry.  And then I just sat there not knowing what to do with myself after it ended. This drama has really been exceeding expectations and really hitting all the points. The previous episode was a bit slow, but I think that this episode really did a nice wrap up. There were certain things that were a bit WTF? but in the grand scheme of things, those can be overlooked. I think what I liked most about this drama overall was how well the characters were written. Everyone actually had a reason for being there and they all got their endings nicely wrapped up and resolved. It was very well written. I was actually just gushing to Jubiemon about how pretty the whole episode was too and that I was having trouble deciding what to screenshot! Absolutely beautiful and the OST was very well done, not too overpowering and at just the right amount to give you all the feels. Suho, to his credit, I think tried his best to convey a dude haplessly in love, but again, fell a bit flat to me. But honestly, it didn’t even matter because the bulk of the drama was carried by the female lead Jiwoo anyway.

Jubiemon J: Okay, I cried too! I agree that I haven’t cried for a drama in a while, but the ending here was so bittersweet. I did like how they showed their couple life quickly and didn’t bore us with unnecessary romantic scenes or random rivals showing up! I also overall enjoyed how everyone was connected in some way and that’s partly why she showed up as a human. As Redrosette mentioned, the OST and cinematography were great. The director/writer (they were both the same in this case) has a very distinct way of filming and I loved it. It was very artistic and beautiful to watch. I agree too that Suho probably needs more experience in acting as a guy who is crazily in love. However, at least it seemed like there was “some” chemistry between the two leads.

All about dem awkward love confessions

How pretty is this?

How cute were these two?

When you know your girlfriend well LOL!

Blessed friendships

Issue 1: Whether date montages should include time sequenced trips to the beach and junk food.

RedRosette J: There’s just something about the beach that really does it for me. Date montages should always be at the beach. I loved how this particular montage used the natural backdrop to its best. There was a sunset shot, night time shot and a daybreak shot, which is really when a beach is at its best. Absolutely beautiful and really created a nostalgic vibe. Its the best. I mean who doesn’t want to run around the beach and eat junk food with the guy they’re in love with? This drama though…really catering to fan fantasies….

Jubiemon J: I’m personally not a super big beach fan, so whether or not a shot is shown at a beach doesn’t affect me much. The eating junk food at the beach was cute! Although practically speaking, I think eating stuff at the beach can be gross. Sand getting on your food? Wind blowing harshly on your face? Seagulls coming at you for your food? Sand getting on your clothes even with a towel underneath your bottom? Getting crazy cold at night? We all know how beaches can get so cold at night. I’m probably one of the minority that thinks this way. Speaking from a viewer’s POV while watching this scene, it was nicely done.

Sunset

Night

Dawn

How cute is this?

Awww

Issue 2: Whether the “what happened to Byul” plot line makes sense.

RedRosette J: I saw it coming a mile away, so it wasn’t a huge shocker to me but I think it makes sense. Guy accidentally kills girl, Guy feels so bad, Guy takes care of girl’s sick mother and becomes a paramedic to save lives. The viewers were also fed tidbits of this plot and I liked how the whole thing wasn’t shoved in your face in the last minute in a desperate attempt to wrap things up (*cough* Hwarang *cough*). I liked how they didn’t vilify the paramedic guy and gave him a chance to redeem himself. The whole thing was just an unfortunate accident, so to me the plot line makes sense. I also liked how the drama focused on this incident (Byul’s death) and how it impacted so many people in different ways: the mother, the paramedic, the doctor etc, and used a cause and effect angle to tell the story. To me, it was a believable plot line.

Jubiemon J: Yes, I think the drama dropped many good hints for us to know what really happened. I agree that this was done well and so we were convinced of the fantasy element too. I did also like how Byul at first couldn’t forgive the paramedic guy. That’s realistic! The guy did kill you! Her unforgiving nature does make her character more believable. Usually she’s shown as that type that gives her all to her friends and lover. Later, it was nice that she had some closure and realized that hating wasn’t the way to go. I’m also happy that the paramedic found closure too.

Nooo poor mom!!!

Forgiveness is hard

Issue 3: Whether the stabbing incident was realistic.

RedRosette J: We’ve already explored the sassaeng situation in the previous reviews of this drama, so based off that, the stabbing incident could be a little realistic? I mean I’ve heard of celebrities getting threats and stuff from obsessive stalker fans so it makes sense, but I think in this case, it was a last ditch attempt to move the plot forward. It does make sense that Woo Joo had to get stabbed/die/be injured seriously so that Byul could make a deal for his life, but I just wish they’d thought of something a little bit more interesting. I do think that it lacked a bit of realism though…

Jubiemon J: I agree that the stabbing was a bit unrealistic? I really don’t think security would be so relaxed these days. However, seeing how there’s a fantasy element where they are grim reapers, then perhaps they are able to fool security somehow? I’m probably stretching it, but I agree that the stabbing incident could have been replaced with something else.

When you know shit is about to go down…

*gasp*

Issue 4: Whether holding a guerrilla concert after your agency screws you over is a reasonable thing to do.

RedRosette J: Totally. I mean we already know that Woo Joo has a huge fan following so even if the agency totally screwed him over, this is a totally plausible outcome. Not sure if it had to be in her junkyard, but still quite realistic. Guerrilla concerts are actually quite commonly used as marketing things so this part was totally realistic.

Bureaucracy can suck it!

Issue 5: Whether Woo Joo and Byul’s backstory is believable.

RedRosette J:  This backstory felt a bit unnecessary tbh. It’s like when dramas are doing a perfectly fine job of having the characters fall in love with each other and then go ahead and introduce the pointless childhood connection. I mean, did we really need to know that Byul was his #1 fan when he was starting out and that he was responding to her letters and wanted to date her? I don’t know if that part is believable at all. Also, her letter was super creepy. I doubt any pop star wannabes are going to go date the person who proposes marriage to them in a fan letter. That’s just weird tbh. This part, the drama could have done without.

Jubiemon J: I think the drama did want to explain how the two actually fell for each other, so it didn’t seem like she loved him out of nowhere and he too. However, I did feel like this connection was out of the blue like RedRosette mentioned. It would have been nicer if they had been introduced as classmates or what not instead of her being his number one fan. Perhaps they were always chatting online? That’s likely given technology these days. Falling for someone online and then meeting them? I’m just not sure about the fan letter thing and him falling for her because of that.

Issue 6: Whether it makes sense to make a “life-for-a-life” deal with a Reaper.

RedRosette J: This drama bested me with this. I didn’t see it coming. The whole the Reaper dude’s daughter being the one that Byul “saved” thing. It was an interesting take on the “trading a life” situation. I think it made sense for the character to trade her time for the girl’s time because she was dead either way and had nothing to lose. It was interesting how all the characters were tied to each other in some way too and I liked how this drama did it without making it too cliche (especially how her Reaper boss man was the paramedic’s dad). I’m not a huge fan of sad endings so this really came out of nowhere for me. I was expecting them to resolve it and for her and Woo Joo to live happily ever after. Oddly though her having to leave seven years later without any regrets seemed like a much better ending than a happy one. It’s very reflective of the realities of life and how you don’t always get a happily ever after…but at least they had that time together. (*sniffles*)

Jubiemon J: I should have suspected that the little girl she saw was going to make some impact! Like Redrosette, I didn’t see this twist coming. I did like how you can’t have that perfect ending and there are some trade-offs that you must make. Byul came back to life when she wasn’t supposed to and to extend that, she’d have to do something in return. I understand that this ending becomes bittersweet, but I guess that’s life. The one part I didn’t really enjoy was how Woo Joo seemed to know about her being a grim reaper and what not without any explanation? It was like he was psychic and understood everything?!?! I wished they had a scene where he and she had a good chat. That part was a bit lacking.

Literally making life or death deals

*hugsies*

Such a cute proposal

Sealed with a kiss!

Bye Bye Puppy :(

Cute kid.

Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.

Rating: 4 = I’ll Give You A Hug (Yes. It’s getting hugs over cookies because it’s just so sad and totally deserves a hug and because everyone did such a good job on it!)

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

Note: This is a special review File. We will not be reviewing the whole show.

Issues:

Whether someone is allowed to record a private conversation held by others to win a case

Whether prosecutors actually do all police work/investigating/evidence hunting/arresting

Whether its normal for head hunters to come to your workplace and try to openly recruit you in front of your co-workers

Whether the happy family in the first episode always ends up becoming the unluckiest family ever

The Rule(s):

No, you are not allowed to do that! I am pretty sure that you can record conversations that you are directly involved in without the person’s consent in Canada.

No. Prosecutors can meet with victims and witnesses to build their case, but they don’t do any investigating and arresting. That is where the police comes in.

Uhhh no….it’s super awkward and just tacky.

Yeah, totally needed for the drama and for Yuri’s character to be with the prosecutor. Gosh, we just thrive on drama and conflict huh?

Application:

RedRosette J:  We decided to review the first two episodes of this drama as part of our “special file” series rather than reviewing the whole drama.

I was actually really excited for this show to start. It’s the first real ‘law’ show to come on after the train wreck that was Woman With A Suitcase. Sadly, I have to admit that I wasn’t really blown away after the first episode. The start was quite strong with a very Prison Break-esque vibe to it and it was all very exciting and then the plot just sort of fizzled out towards the end. Or maybe it’s just me because I hold law shows to a much higher standard. I knew the minute we were introduced to the twins that there was going to be a switcheroo. It’s not a novel idea and it’s something that has been done time and again, so it wasn’t really mind blowing. It’s a little disappointing. The plot also felt very over the top and a bit slow at times. Ji Sung, while totally capable in emotionally compelling roles like Cha Do Hyun in Kill Me, Heal Me, came across a tad overzealous in this role. Maybe it’s the writing? I don’t know. It felt a bit forced and fake to me. However, because its the first episode, I am willing to give this show the benefit of the doubt. We still haven’t been introduced to Yuri’s character yet either so I’m waiting to see the chips fall. That being said, there were quite a bit of problematic things with how the show dealt with the law, which considering its a legal thriller, should have been handled better.

Jubiemon J: The start really felt comedic! It was super dramatic and there were so many cops chasing 1 guy. I thought we were dealing with a wave of massive serial killers for a second. Nope. Just one guy. I knew the moment I saw the gloves that that person would be the BAD guy. How many times do we see a bad guy wearing gloves? Too many times. Plus, that character just looked like a bad guy. Can we get someone who looks like Park Bogum with a super happy, cheerful face to act as the bad guy? Have the writers not looked into pictures of sociopaths/psychopaths? They usually look really normal and can be quite charming.

I think Jungwoo has been written as a stereotypical prosecutor, the sort that has 100% ethics and morals and will do above and beyond for the law. We’ve seen too many of those in dramas that it’s getting a bit boring. Plus the start of the drama with his happy family, yeah I knew tragedy was going to strike. Whenever a character starts happily in some drama, everything will be ripped from them. I’m just not feeling the mystery/intensity/intellect/emotions. Jisung isn’t a bad actor, but I don’t know . . . I just can’t connect with his character much.

Looking forward to more prison scenes…

Don’t trust anyone wearing gloves and glasses without lenses!

Cutest Daddy-Daughter duo!

Can we please stop with the memory loss?

:'(

Sorry but this guy’s crying was more comic than evil…

When you finally realize what’s happening

Issue 1: Whether someone is allowed to record a private conversation held by others to win a case

RedRosette J: I haven’t taken a privacy law class so I’m not an expert in this area, but I do know that if you are recording a conversation unbeknownst to the parties involved, it is illegal and cannot be used as evidence to build a case. Its a violation of the individual’s privacy so you can’t do that. I’m like 99.9% sure that a Judge is not going to issue an arrest warrant for an individual if the basis for the arrest lies in illegally obtained pen recorder evidence. It is a whole other story if the wiretap (pen recorder) was authorized based on evidence that point to the individual’s potential to commit a crime. In this episode, it wasn’t really clear whether or not there might have been prior evidence of the guy planning criminal activity for the basis of the pen recorder, so I just wish they’d been a bit clearer on that. Even if all of the above was legal and the warrant was issued, it is highly unlikely that the prosecutor himself would have been the one doing the arresting (See Issue 2). This part was a little iffy and while it makes for the grandeur of TV, it could have been written better and perhaps used actual legal means to obtain such evidence.

This was the best you could do? Really?

You do issue warrants, but you don’t carry them out

Issue 2: Whether prosecutors actually do all police work/investigating/evidence hunting/arresting?

RedRosette J: So, here’s my problem with this. In most legal dramas, the prosecutor does most of the work: building a case, investigating, arresting, interviewing and going to court. They basically make a detective’s role obsolete. In reality, a prosecutor doesn’t do any actual investigation on a case. They can hire a private investigator if they wish, but they don’t go around and actually investigate things. That is a job for the detective in charge. The prosecutor decides what charges to lay on the accused and help the police obtain wiretaps and search warrants and such. The prosecutor can talk to witnesses and victims and work on building a case against the accused and doing all the court stuff. This basically translates into the prosecutor sitting at a desk all day reading through documents and drafting said documents. So, you can see my problem with how prosecutors are portrayed in dramas. To be fair, I don’t know whether that’s how its done in South Korea, but as far as I know, in Canada, it is very much a “desk job”. Also, I guess it makes it more dramatic for TV because who wants to watch a drama about a guy sitting at a desk and reading all day. But yea, prosecutors don’t arrest people or investigate crime scenes.

Jubiemon J: It’s usually the crim defense lawyer that hires some private investigator. Yeah, the prosecutor doesn’t do police work. They’re busy writing facta.

This is a detective’s job!

-_-

Issue 3: Whether it/s normal for head hunters to come to your workplace and try to openly recruit you in front of your co-workers

RedRosette J: No. This is not how head hunting works. It’s super tacky to go to someone’s workplace and then openly try and recruit them in front of their co-workers. This is like the DO NOT DO in Head Hunting 101. Come on people. It’s basic manners, you don’t do this. Even if this was meant for dramatic effect, it was still very tacky. There are other ways to show that he’s an upstanding member of society. I didn’t think it was very well done at all.

Tacky move brah…

Issue 4: Whether the happy family in the first episode always ends up becoming the unluckiest family ever

RedRosette J:  This is again a tired drama trope where the family dies, the guy gets wrongly accused and etc etc. But I guess its the most effective means of driving the plot forward and creating a believable motivation for the character’s pursuit of revenge. I mean, it’s hardly believable if someone goes on a revenge spree if their cat died or something. They might, but it’s slightly less believable. It’s such a shame because Shin Rin Ah is an amazing child actor and I would have loved to see more of her and Ji Sung together!

Jubiemon J: I’ve mentioned this before, so I won’t say that much here. Yeah . . . this drama plot has been overused.

Conclusion: Appeal Dismissed.

Rating: 2 = Yell At The Writer (Something other than a predictable twin switch might have been more compelling. Please make it better for episode 2)

***If this is your first time browsing the Drama Files, please read The Rules on how our Memo-style reviews work***

Memo

Dear Reader,

You have asked several things:

(1) Whether the Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo drama is worth watching;

(2) The type of lessons we learn from this drama; and

(3) Whether a sequel should be made.

Conclusions

(1) This drama is not worth watching unless you are there just to see pretty men and a cute actress and you’ve decided to completely shut down your brain. (Actually, just watch till ep 8 and then crack open a history book to fill in some blanks and use your imagination to do some of the romantic work.)

(2) The lessons learnt from this drama include:

(a) making sure the man you love does not have severe Mommy issues if you want an easier romance;

(b) making sure not to have the female lead spend so much time with the second lead, only to then rush her into a romance with the male lead and fail to convince us of the OTP;

(c) making sure not to use so many side characters with badly written character development; and

(d) making sure that the production team can edit.

(3) A sequel should not be made.

Analysis

(1) Whether the Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo drama is worth watching

RedRosette J:  Absolutely not. It is a COLOSSAL waste of time. It’s not worth it unless you just want to see some pretty faces. Even then it’s pushing it. I personally will probably never ever re-watch this drama. Even with my brain shut down I had a hard time. Even with just watching the LJK bits, I had a hard time. I’m cutting the guy some slack because he was basically carrying the weight of the entire drama, but there was only so much he could do. If I could time travel, I would probably make it so that this drama never even gets made. Like what was the point of all that?

Jubiemon J: I adored the drama up until ep 8. Then everything went downhill. I’d say watch it if you’re going to play a drinking game where you drink every time Soo looks like O_O or if you’re just there for the hot people. Don’t watch it when your brain is switched on! I will not rewatch this drama as well. The only thing that I took away from it were a few OSTs. Other than that, I’m not going to get back to this drama in the future. As much as I like Lee Junki and respect his acting skills, I also couldn’t really stand the latter half of the drama. That’s not because of him but because of the poor character development of So.

I would totally recommend the Chinese version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo, the original which was based off of a Chinese novel. That Chinese drama was definitely worth watching and worth my tears.

Not worth the tears people.

(2) What are the types of lessons we learned?

(a) Making sure the man you love does not have severe Mommy issues if you want an easier romance

Jubiemon J: Women have a tendency of wanting to fix broken men, but honestly there’s only so much you can do for some cases. Look at So who lashed out towards the end of the drama due to his Mommy issues. He was never loved at all by her and got all her hate. Even when Soo showed love to So, Soo wasn’t able to help So conquer his Mommy issues. I think part of the reason was also that Soo was also not capable of sticking it with So through tough times too and never really direct So to conquer his Mommy issues. The best probably would have been for So to see a counselor but obviously those occupations didn’t exactly exist back in the day.

I’m not saying that every time you meet someone with issues that involve parents that you should not even consider them, but if you do accept them, please note that it takes time for them to open up to you. If they do and you hurt them in a deep way, the consequences/their reactions will be more severe than the average person, I think. Plus, I think you have to really be able to stick with them during their tough times and help them work out their issues. I really think Soo wanted an “easier” romance that was filled with rainbows, unicorns, and fairies sprinkling pixie dust. That’s not exactly plausible with someone like So who has suffered emotionally before.

RedRosette J: I totally agree with you. Soo just completely ignored the fact that he was in a lot of conflicting emotions over how his mother treated him. I think that might have had an impact on how he reacted to her as well, but for her to completely re-affirm those insecurities of his by abandoning him and constantly stating that she was afraid of him might have hurt him more. I agree with you that if someone decides to enter into a relationship with someone who has some baggage on the family front, you need to decide to be there for them for the long haul. It’s not a situation where you get to choose to be there whenever you feel like or whenever it’s easier on you. Isn’t that the whole point of a relationship? Being there when someone needs you the most? Soo is the worst type of person; selfish to the very end and only in a relationship for self-serving means. Either way, So got screwed. I don’t think that a relationship is all rainbows and kitties and honestly, they did a really pathetic job of conveying a complex relationship. Descendants of the Sun, on the other hand, showed us a complex relationship that wasn’t perfect and one where the characters did want to be with each other through difficult emotional times. This is where good writing kicks in.

Approach Mommy issues with caution…

 (b) Making sure not to have the female lead spend so much time with the second lead, only to then rush her into a romance with the male lead and fail to convince us of the OTP

Jubiemon J: This lesson is more or less for writers and the production team. It’s okay to have the female lead love the second lead first but for her to convincingly move onto the first lead, there needs to be more touching scenes throughout the whole drama. For half of the drama, we had Soo stuck on Wook and then after like one episode or so, she went for So. Sure, Soo and So had a few “cute” moments in the past, but they weren’t enough to convince us that Soo and So were actually destined to be. There needs to be better storytelling.

RedRosette J: I totally agree with you that this is where the writing and editing need to be really good to make it convincing that the female lead no longer loves the second lead. I never really got the sense that Soo got over Wook; it just seemed like she settled on So just because she couldn’t have Wook and throughout the drama, we continuously got situations where Soo was willing to defend Wook and take his side, but rarely did we see her do that for So. I’m sorry but this production and writing team failed to convince me of this epic tale of love and romance. Instead, I was watching a concessionary and cautionary tale. Which was totally not what I had signed up for.

(c) Making sure not to use so many side characters with badly written character development

Jubiemon J: Holy smokes. This drama had a lot of side character plot going on for a 20 episode drama. With such a condensed time frame, I really don’t think it was totally necessary to have so many side character stories that were essentially chopped up. All we got were flat characters and all in all the side characters’ stories detracted from the main couple’s time. Every character’s story line suffered as a result. There’s definitely a way to have side characters and good plot development but when you already have Soo trying to get over Wook, there’s just no time for us to care about others.

RedRosette J: Do these people learn nothing from precedent? Honestly. Take a look at old dramas and learn! underdeveloped characters are not a good thing. It should be quality over quantity. Yea we get that you wanted to have idols to jazz things up, but if you were going to do that, why not pick a select few and develop those characters well? We could have totally done without Seohyun’s character. I still don’t understand what the point of her character was. Not to mention, Baekhyun’s character could have been written much better (or maybe it was the fact that he was a noob and it showed), but he was redeemed only by getting married to Z.Hera’s character (this is why I’m giving him a pass. She carried the weight for both of them). This is was serious waste of precious screen and plot development time. The production team also made no use of the golden opportunity they were given to recreate some serious sageuk badassery with the fighting and armies, what with the horde of extras and resources they had at their disposal given that this drama was entirely pre-produced.

This is a bit much. 

(d) Making sure that the production team can edit

Jubiemon J: My god. The editing in this drama made me realize how amazing the editing for other dramas have been. I have never seen such choppy editing in K-drama production. I’ve never noticed issues with scene transitions or focused on them until I came across Scarlet Heart Ryeo. It’s only when shit hits then fan do you appreciate the good editing that you’ve seen. Often the wrong music would cue or it would fade all of a sudden. Sometimes some scenes would be chopped off before the actor or actress even finished talking. Then the transitions for time gaps were awful or in the day too. Suddenly, it’d be all dark when the scene before was clearly sunny. So many details weren’t focused on to make smooth transitions.

It’s not just the cuts. It’s also the choice of filming. A lot of shots were really awkwardly filmed where the actor’s head would be cut off or the camera would zoom way too out that I’d have to squint my eyes to see stuff. The kiss scenes were not shot well either. You didn’t even see the lips and just saw some weird embrace. Then cut to zoom out or a weird upside thing reflections. There were also tons of shots of hands. When the actor and actress would touch their hands, they’d do a close-up. That’s fine, but when you lots of intimate scenes are like that, it gets so boring! It doesn’t help either that some of the actors do not have beautiful hands. That made me realize why models get hand models. The eyes are picky creatures.

Even worse, there were two versions circulating around: SBS and the international version. How can you tell a complete story when you have two versions of the same drama floating around? When you do one version better than the other, people who view the suckier version will complain and they have a reason to. It’s like picking audience favourites? Maybe the intention was to cater to different markets, but I don’t see that working here.

RedRosette J: I totally agree with everything you said. The editing was a joke. It’s like they were all stoned and did it the the night before. Seriously? How did these people even get hired? Was there no oversight? How could SBS allow these shitty versions to be aired? Why is no one suing anyone over this? Can you sue for a shitty product? I’d have to look into it but I’m pretty sure you can….

The editing was so bad, this was us half the time.

(3) A sequel should not be made.

Jubiemon J: I’m saying this because the Chinese one didn’t really do that well with the sequel too. Sure, you might say that’s faulty logic because one shouldn’t dictate the other, but when the Korean one already adapted the successful Chinese drama poorly, I don’t have confidence in them making the sequel better if they use the same team. Maybe if they changed the writer, then the sequel MAY be better. Honestly, if you think about this story though, if it were to drag onto the present, wouldn’t that be really repetitive? You’d get Soo trying to get So to remember the past. Should we as viewers be caught up with the past or just live in the present or perhaps the present is a reflection of the past? These are interesting questions that could be potentially explored. However, I never really got the feeling that reincarnation was heavily at play in SHR. There were hints of it scattered throughout perhaps, but this drama really didn’t give much heavy thinking in general.

RedRosette J: OMG please don’t make a sequel. For all the reasons that Jubiemon stated and because I highly doubt that these characters can ever be redeemed, short of a complete overhaul in their personalities and characteristics, which would essentially mean that it would be an entirely new drama, so the whole point of a sequel is moot*.

Let’s just leave it at wishful thinking.

*Arguably Hwarang could be  “sequel” of sorts to this nightmare because given the trajectory of its stills, it’s not looking so promising right now. Stay tuned for more rantings on Hwarang. 

Announcement: Woman With A Suitcase

Hello Readers, Unfortunately our writers have decided to stop reviewing Woman With A Suitcase due to time constraints because of the upcoming exam season. The writers have also made the decision to stop reviewing this drama because they don’t see much legal development happening and because the issues feel repetitive. Thank you for following The Drama Files!

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

Issues:

Whether it was necessary for Soo to go back to the future?

Whether Soo should have even been in the drama?

Whether Soo tried out 21st century dating in Goryeo?

Whether Jung is the only character that had any character development at all?

Whether So deserved to have been left alone again?

Whether the ending should have been different?

The Rule(s):

Maybe. Laws of Physics and Time and all that probably require her to get zapped back.

No. She was just there to create trouble and get everyone exiled and/or killed.

Yes. This is the definition of stringing guys along and breaking all kinds of ye old social norms.

Yes. He’s literally the only character that actually changed throughout the drama. This is what a drama is supposed to do: show character growth.

No. Absolutely not. It is messed up that he got left alone all over again and his worst nightmare of being abandoned came true.

Probably.

Application:

RedRosette J: I just need a minute to pick myself off the floor, to which I fell when those last two minutes zoomed in on LJK’s face. First off, kudos to LJK. Stellar job. Without him this drama wouldn’t have even made it this far. I will be the first to admit that I got all teary-eyed at the end and I don’t even like this drama. That’s how awesome this guy is. If he can get people who’ve totally given up on even fake liking this drama to cry, that’s some mad skills. *applause* Secondly, THANK GOD it’s over. Seriously. OMG. I can’t even tell you how thankful I am that it’s over. The amount of stress this drama gave me was so real. Ugh. Thirdly, they couldn’t even pull off a decent finale episode. Most of it was filler and flashbacks that we’ve already seen like a bajillion times and the editing…*sigh*  The international version was crappily edited; the music was off, the scenes were haphazardly cutoff and placed in different time sequences. I give up. I honestly give up. There’s no point in even talking about it. It’s done. Ugh.

Jubiemon J: Holy. It’s the end. A twenty episode drama is finally done. The latter half of SHR was such a chore. This episode was only better because of predominantly Lee Junki. Without Soo, he totally shined. I did shed a few tears, but not enough thanks to the unconvincing love between So and Soo and the editing/filming. I can’t exactly pinpoint what’s wrong with the filming/editing, but it certainly didn’t draw out as many emotions as did the Chinese drama did with So’s heartbreak after Soo’s death. The music was really edited oddly too for the Korean SHR. Sigh. My tears turned to desert when I heard one of the songs being cut and then another song just went over right on top of it. Huh. This finale left me unsatisfied for so many reasons. The ending for many of the characters were hastily done. I dislike how So never could be with his daughter and how selfish Soo was. Soo never deserved So.

All the feels.

We can’t watch all the sadness either…

Issue 1: Whether it was necessary for Soo to go back to the future?

RedRosette J: There’s no point in stressing about it. She had to go back to the future. Laws of Physics and Time would probably dictate that. But at the same time, the consequence of her going back to the future was what? So being abandoned (see Issue 5) and that kid ending up motherless. I think they were also trying to create some star-crossed lovers kinda crap at the end which also dictates that they can’t be in the same time as each other (?) so she had to go to future. Okayyy.

Jubiemon J: The whole time travelling thing made it so that she had to go back to the future, as RedRosette said. Necessary to go back if that wouldn’t mess up the time travelling? Even if she stayed, I doubt she would have been a wonderful mother. I get the feeling she’d be the type to spoil her kid endless and let the kid turn out to be bratty and obnoxious. I’m slightly glad that only Jung is raising the kid.

Regardless, I think how she planned out her will sucked. She left a huge mess afterwards for Jung to clean up and huge emotional turmoil for So. Her child also never knows her real father. When Jisoo kindly asked whether she wanted So to see the child, Soo said, “No. I just want to see So.” What?! How unfair is that to So? So should have the right to see the child and if he had been warned of a child, I am sure that So would have rushed over to see the mother and daughter. The child also has a right to see her own father or know of his existence.

Also, I absolutely detest how Soo said that she didn’t want the child to be at the palace because it’s so cold and lonely. She’s essentially shielding the reality from the child, which I think is stupid. Ignorance is bliss at work here? I keep saying this, but the child should have a right to visit her birth father. Sure it would confuse the heck out of the child, but years down the road, one day, she will know that her real father isn’t Jisoo. Then what? Anger and hatred. I can just imagine the child screaming, “After all these years, you lied to me! You never gave me a choice to figure out how I wanted to live!” Maybe the kid wanted to be like Yeonhwa and be the next Queen, but nope she’s stuck being a damsel in distress while looking at cows because that’s how Soo wanted her kid to be like. (How ironic that Wook would want the same thing for his children: to stay away from the palace. That’s totally So x Wook there.) Anyway, what is this irresponsibility and bad planning on Soo’s part? Oh right, it’s Soo. She has always been like that. Damned selfish.

You have to go back; it’s kinda how it works with these time travel situations.

Motherless child. 

RedRosette J Aside:  What happened to the child? When Soo went back to the future the child stayed what is the outcome in the future of that? Shouldn’t that have been recorded somewhere? I’m confused. If we’re to get really technical about it, it would have been a temporal anomaly so where’s the ripple effect? I swear, this drama just changes the rules whenever it wants. Unfortunately for them, they aren’t W: Two Worlds so it doesn’t come off as awesome. Sorry. 

Jubiemon J Aside: And the kid doesn’t even have a name.

What happens to this kid?

Issue 2: Whether Soo should have even been in the drama?

RedRosette J:  Honestly, no offence to IU, but the minute Soo died, it was like it became a whole other show; Ji Soo was giving us all the feels with the sadness and LJK’s breakdown when he sees the urn… *clutches heart* Basically Soo was just there to serve as a common sense lacking catalyst to set things in motion for the future to become what it is (read: have rose scented makeup and face masks). I feel like if she wasn’t in this drama, it really wouldn’t have made a difference. The characters still managed to carry on the rest of the 30 minutes without her just fine. In fact, I personally thought it was a lot better than with her actually in it. Yea yea, arguably it was her presence that was missed and blah blah, but I strongly dislike how Soo’s character was written so I’m don’t think that her being there would have made a difference. I just really don’t like her character so I couldn’t care less. Oh and don’t forget that she also got everyone killed and exiled…so thanks for that.

Jubiemon J: Did Soo really make an impact and change history? Uh . . . The fourth was always going to be the Emperor, so she didn’t change history. She might have shifted tiny details, but the overall result was the same. Yeonhwa remained the Queen. So was the Emperor. Yeah, nothing big happened with Soo there. Soo was just there to give heartbreak to So, to make him feel even lonelier. If I were him, I would have rather been a lone wolf than to have experienced love and get that ripped away from him. Mm… I agree with what RedRosette said about the minute Soo died, the whole drama became better. I felt like the actors were able to portray their emotions far better. Seriously, Lee Junki’s acting skills were superb. I did shed a few tears. I felt his pain and his love for Soo. On Soo’s end, I think I could only feel her love for So while Lee Junki’s expression were on play (the voice over part).

We wish you weren’t in this drama. 

Issue 3: Whether Soo tried out 21st century dating in Goryeo?

RedRosette J:  If we’re talking about setting a historical precedent, stringing guys along was totally cool in Goryeo thanks to Soo. She strung 4 guys along romantically (Jung, Eun, Wook and So), 1 guy as an older brother type figure (Moo), 2 guys as frenemies (Yo and Won). If this isn’t some modern concoction of psuedo-dating I don’t know what is. Not to mention, she went around breaking some serious social taboos (having sex without being married and such) and no one said anything. If this was a regular sageuk, she probably would have been burned at the stake for it. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t really watch sageuks. But some bad public punishment would have taken place. How was she able to do all of this without getting any backlash (except from Yeon Hwa) from society at large? Right. It’s a drama so no one cares. Either way, trying out 21st century dating in Goryeo is not advised. Especially because they walk around with swords and can kill each other and because you can be tortured until you can’t walk properly again. So maybe don’t.

Jubiemon J: She totally tried 21st century dating in Goryeo. I get that at first she was comfortable with skinship because she was from the 21st century, but even as time went along, she often became far too friendly that it led the other guys to think that she could possibly love them. Every time she suffers a break up, she moves onto the next guy to make up for her loss. If that’s not modern day dating, I don’t really know what is….(stereotypical modern day dating).

Stringing people along…

Stringing more people along…

RedRosette J Sidebar: I got so mad that Soo wrote So letters asking him to come and visit her. I’m sorry. YOU LEFT HIM. And what? now you regret it? OMG. This is the epitome of stringing someone along and not letting them move on. It’s just cruel. It’s honestly worse that what Yeon Hwa was doing with the blackmail and stuff. She dies, but leaves behind words that makes it worse for him. How is that a nice thing to do? So will probably never recover from all those emotional scars. Also, she never tells him about the child. That’s just cruel. Ugh. Soo is a bad person in nice person clothing.

Ye Olde Pregnancy Test.

Issue 4: Whether Jung is the only character that had any character development at all?

RedRosette J: Yes, because he’s the only one that changed throughout the drama. We see him going from being a total brat with Eun (who, in contrast, remained unchanged up until his death), to a military commander, and to a husband and then a father. You can actually see it through the character’s behaviour and actions which a vast majority of other smaller characters lacked. It might also have to do with the fact that Ji Soo is a decent actor and can actually hold his own and show these subtle changes, unlike first time actors like Baekhyun. Again. There are pros to casting actors with some experience as it vastly improves the quality of the production. In this final episode in particular, we see Ji Soo delivering a bulk of the emotions in the scenes with Soo because she’s busy being frail and weak and faking death. So, good job Ji Soo! You’re one of the redeemable aspects of this drama. *finger hearts*

Jubiemon J: As a character, he grew a bit, but of course he was still himself. He still had a bit of immaturity to him which was fine. Jisoo delivered as an actor, and actually when you watch the last episode and you see the Princes talking one-on-one to each other, you’ll notice the difference in each actor’s acting skills. I never noticed how much So supported Baekah’s character until I saw the scene with Baekah and the evil prince. Baekah was supposed to show restraint mixed with remorse and a bit of anger, yet it felt like he was just rehearsing some lines. (If you watch the Chinese version of that scene, you’ll realize that the Prince who essentially had Baekah’s character acts better.)

O hey, honey, I brought you flowers.

Aigoo, your heart hurts. Gotta bring you to bed.

Let’s just talk before we sleep. Pillow talks.

It’s okay. I’m here for ya. Lean on me.

RedRosette J Aside: I was so disappointed that they didn’t get rid of those nasty sideburns though…

Issue 5: Whether So deserved to have been left alone again?

RedRosette J: WHY IS HE ALONE AT THE END?!?!? This is his worst nightmare. We find out that everyone is either dead or has left him. He even tells Soo earlier on in the drama that being abandoned is his worst nightmare. She left him too in the last episode and now everyone else is gone. More than Soo dying, it was really this that did it for me. Those last few minutes where he’s standing in the courtyard, finally realizing that it’s lonely at the top and that his worst nightmare has come true….Oh My God. And the fact that he covers up his scar with his hand is reminiscent of the beginning of the show and almost in remembrance that it was the scar that caused him to be abandoned. It’s almost as if the character is coming to terms with it at the end. It was really hard to watch. That last part where he says he’s going to find her and stares into the camera….(I was full on crying at this point; mascara running, stuffy nose, the works). It’s a testament to LJK’s acting ability really. I’m just still really mad that Soo chose to leave him and make his worst fear come true. And then she had to go die and make it worse. They could have at least left Baek Ah there. Ugh. Not cool. -_-

Jubiemon J: It’s completely sad how So is alone in the end without any friends or anyone really on his side. You see Baekah leaving. (In the Chinese version, I believe Baekah’s character died from an illness.) You also see Jimon leaving and implying that So isn’t a real Emperor in his mind; the only rightful Emperor was Moo. Gee, that’s great. Yeonhwa is power obsessed. Soo died. So’s daughter is never with him because Soo didn’t want that to happen. And that last line we see of Soo saying that if they had met in a different time, she could love him as freely and as much as she wanted? What the heck? He was there, right there, in front of her. He loved her so much. Why couldn’t she just appreciate what she had? Savour the moment? Gosh, she is just so damned selfish. Leave it to So to say: “If we aren’t from the same world, leave it to me to find you.” Oh my God! It should have been Soo saying that in the next world, they will be together again. Somehow, she will find him this time. My God. Ugh. I’m so irritated at this one-sided love. And man, LJK saved that damned last thirty seconds of that scene. If it had ended with IU just saying those lines, my god…I’d flip another table.

Jubiemon J aside: The museum scene where Soo sees all those paintings is kinda of creepy. Made me wonder who in the world painted all those intimate scenes? Did they have paparazzi already back then? It’s like you never know who is watching. That snow walking scene with Wook x Soo? I’m pretty sure that was private. Someone sure has been following Soo’s life to a great detail. God.

OH

MY

GOD

Issue 6: Whether the ending should have been different?

RedRosette J: I’m a huge sucker for happy endings but in this case, I’m kind of glad that they didn’t do the future meet up like in the Chinese version. If they were trying to go for some star-crossed lovers crap, I personally, didn’t feel that come across so much, but I did like the nostalgic feeling that it left us with. Like an old love that’s gone and the only thing left are the memories. I liked that aspect of it. I didn’t like that they left So completely alone (see Issue 5) or that So and Soo never really resolved their issues before she died.  But all in all, the whole thing just came across like the ending of a toxic love story where we just ended up idealizing the good things.

Of course, there should have been better resolution with some of the other characters as well. I didn’t get why Won suddenly felt upset after reading the Chaeryung blood letter because this entire time we were told that he was pretty much dead inside and now what? the tin man suddenly has a heart? I didn’t like how Wook just up and died. He should have committed suicide or something for it to be way more epic. I didn’t quite understand that inclusion of the scene with Baek Ah and the child that had WH’s fake name and her norigae. Was that supposed to be nostalgic? What was it? I also didn’t like how IU’s future was an extended PPL for BB cream or whatever and the fact that Ji Mong “happened” to be there. It was too cheesy. The one character that really got her comeuppance was Yeon Hwa. She got all the political ties she wanted but without a happy marriage or family, and it’s apt lesson in being careful what you wish for.

Jubiemon J: I feel like seeing Jimon was kind of unnecessary and forced? I understand she met him before she time traveled, so that’s why she seems him again. I honestly would disagree with RedRosette on one point and that’s I think Soo should have met So’s present self. This whole time travel thing dealt with reincarnation too and without meeting So in the present life, it’s like … so what was the point of Soo back in Goryeo? Huh? Sure, she says oh, I turned him into a good, wise king. Oh really? Uh. She couldn’t even get her history right before and now she’s claiming she turned him into a good King. If they were supposed to just be old lovers, then perhaps have a scene where Soo is dating now but feels really nostalgic. In the end, she moves on and she passes by the present So who is living well. They acknowledge each other as they walk by and cut, that’s the end.

There were other parts that were confusing for the other characters’ ending too. In the international version, we saw Wook and his mother chatting and the mother wanted her grandchild to be the next Emperor. Okay, since when did this mother turn into the other crazy consort who was power hungry? So weird. Baekah leaving So was really random too? They’re supposed to be bffs. Ugh. Awful.

Overall, the ending could have been done better, but it’s done and I’m glad it’s over.

“We’ll Always Have Goryeo”

Conclusion: Appeal Dismissed.

Rating: 3 = MM. Okay. Fine. (Only because LJK and Ji Soo were really awesome!)

Dissent from Jubiemon J: Rating: 2 = Yell at the Writers/Production Team/Editors. (That’s also because of mostly Lee Junki. I feel like his heartbroken scenes could have been a bit more extended; editing there wasn’t as good as the Chinese one. I cried far more for the Chinese one.)

Pre-Trial Drama Conference: Legend of the Blue Sea

The drama, Legend of the Blue Sea, is called to a pre-trial drama conference before Jubiemon and RedRosette JJ. ***If this is your first time browsing the Drama Files, please read The Rules on how a pre-trial drama conference works*** (more…)