#sookhee

sookhee and lady hideko from the handmaiden: sun in aries

contains spoilers for the handmaiden

sookhee and hideko are both "rough around the edges" - even though they both technically use manners, they are brash and rough with their mannerisms and movements, almost as if bumps and bruises don't hurt them the same way they do other people. this results in them also being quite rough with each other and not even really realising sometimes.

they both have an abrupt, brash and straightforward way of expressing their thoughts and asking each other questions. both being aries, neither of them are really put off or taken aback by this and their conversations are therefore quite forward and quick. they are also quite blunt with each other and don't seem very sensitive to each other even though it's clear they both care deeply for one another, which could even seem too harsh or ill-mannered to some, for example: when sookhee apologises and confesses that she was trying to trick hideko, hideko then confesses she was trying to trick her too and says, "but since you tried to trick me as well i'm not saying sorry".

despite most of the movie being both of them pulling a con and being good at it, they somehow also both come across as bad liars as if they can't help but be honest, both being pretty bad at hiding their initial reactions to something. along with this, when faced with short-term conflict or aggression they both react strongly and impulsively, with other people and towards each other.

another interesting and very aries thing that happens is how quickly sookhee makes herself at home when she becomes hideko's handmaiden, this is a classic example of aries behaviour (for example: when hideko offers sookhee a pair of shoes to keep from her closet and sookhee snatches the one she likes most without a thank you). being rather self-absorbed and self-important, aries don't really see anything wrong with this sort of inconsiderate behaviour. they don't really see anything wrong when other people do it either so hideko didn't see this as rude or wrong.

- gay - British Victorian storytelling influences - one is a conman/faking their identity - the one who is NOT actively conning everyone actually betrays the other very dramatically - one is a servant (service kink in handmaiden is explicit, and implied in the terror, but confirmed by the writers) - mutual yearning!!!! shared, tense glances!!!!! - gender/heterosexuality roleplay

"Is this the companionship they write about in books?" -Lady Hideko