My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, ep. 08-11
Sat, Nov. 24th, 2007 11:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterThis started out as a fairly standard-feeling drama, but the last few episodes have actually been pretty good, even in terms of gender dynamics. I mean, it is by no means close to feminist, but it also does not have me wanting to bury my head in the sand and go "lalala." Most of this is because Sam Soon has really come into her own. She doesn't let anyone walk over her, though she continues to feel what she feels, and she sticks with her own morals and beliefs the whole way through. I really like her a lot. Also, it helps that every single time I scream something at the screen, Sam Soon basically ends up saying it or doing it. Yay! Too bad the other characters won't follow my advice.
Spoil me and die!
Spoilers
Anyway, when I mean the first part feels fairly standard, I mean it has twists and turns and polygons and competing love interests and dramatic things about cancer and restaurants and whatnot. I don't know that much about kdramas, but given the shoujo manga, romance and soap opera tropes I know, it feels standard.
But now that Hee Jin is back in the picture and Jin Hun has basically broken it off with Sam Soon, things are taking a different turn. So far, it's felt like a very realistic portrayal of a breakup, particularly from Sam Soon's end. There are exaggerated elements, like her skanky ex, and Jin Hun is often stupid beyond belief when it comes to anything emotional, but the way he (and Hee Jin) try to first ignore Sam Soon and feel sorry without wanting to actually do anything, then the way he keeps trying to have it both ways... that feels very real.
Actually, what makes it all feel real is Sam Soon. Her reactions are great. Just... her hesitating after getting a text message from him, then vindicatively and sadly smiling as she deletes it, the way she stares at her phone caller ID when he calls and debates whether to pick up or not, all that is great. And I am so glad she has the self respect to chew him out every time he does something stupid, like follow her home, because she doesn't want a lying, cheating guy, and she knows her feelings are worth being returned honestly and openly. I love that she yells at him for lying to Hee Jin, I love that she yells at him for using her, and I love how she cries at home too.
And while I wanted to yell at her mom and sister for yelling at her when they found out, I love that they present a united front to everyone else and that both her sister and her mom go beat up on Jin Hun. Both those scenes were awesome. Also, I love that Sam Soon kicks him and slaps him, because he totally deserved that.
I am less annoyed at Hee Jin now, though during episode 8, I was yelling at both her and Jin Hun for being selfish and not taking Henry and Sam Soon's feelings into account. This is, by the way, not wanting someone to love someone else just because feelings should be returned. It's if you have people who you know are emotionally attached to you, I feel it is your duty to break up with them cleanly before going on to anything else.
And I like thta Hee Jin isn't being the insanely jealous girlfriend. She's jealous, yes, but for a pretty good reason, and I like that she's dealing with it by letting Jin Hun know.
And oh, Jin Hun. Every single time I start to like you again, you do something stupid like tell Sam Soon she's not your type because of her ugly hands. On the other hand, I don't want to slap you as much as I would normally because Sam Soon yells all my insults to you on screen. ("Yeah? Well, you're not my type either. I like honest guys, not lying guys who cheat.") It's great! I have nearly forgiven him because of the bathroom kiss, and I am awwww-ing inside, though me and my sister are both yelling at the screen still because hello! Break up with Hee Jin before you do that!
I actually have much more hope that the episodes will go how I want now! I am amazed! There is someone in the drama acting emotionally intelligent, and that person is the heroine! Are other kdramas like this? I don't actually know enough to know if Sam Soon is the norm or the exception. But dude, she is AWESOME.
Spoil me and die!
Spoilers
Anyway, when I mean the first part feels fairly standard, I mean it has twists and turns and polygons and competing love interests and dramatic things about cancer and restaurants and whatnot. I don't know that much about kdramas, but given the shoujo manga, romance and soap opera tropes I know, it feels standard.
But now that Hee Jin is back in the picture and Jin Hun has basically broken it off with Sam Soon, things are taking a different turn. So far, it's felt like a very realistic portrayal of a breakup, particularly from Sam Soon's end. There are exaggerated elements, like her skanky ex, and Jin Hun is often stupid beyond belief when it comes to anything emotional, but the way he (and Hee Jin) try to first ignore Sam Soon and feel sorry without wanting to actually do anything, then the way he keeps trying to have it both ways... that feels very real.
Actually, what makes it all feel real is Sam Soon. Her reactions are great. Just... her hesitating after getting a text message from him, then vindicatively and sadly smiling as she deletes it, the way she stares at her phone caller ID when he calls and debates whether to pick up or not, all that is great. And I am so glad she has the self respect to chew him out every time he does something stupid, like follow her home, because she doesn't want a lying, cheating guy, and she knows her feelings are worth being returned honestly and openly. I love that she yells at him for lying to Hee Jin, I love that she yells at him for using her, and I love how she cries at home too.
And while I wanted to yell at her mom and sister for yelling at her when they found out, I love that they present a united front to everyone else and that both her sister and her mom go beat up on Jin Hun. Both those scenes were awesome. Also, I love that Sam Soon kicks him and slaps him, because he totally deserved that.
I am less annoyed at Hee Jin now, though during episode 8, I was yelling at both her and Jin Hun for being selfish and not taking Henry and Sam Soon's feelings into account. This is, by the way, not wanting someone to love someone else just because feelings should be returned. It's if you have people who you know are emotionally attached to you, I feel it is your duty to break up with them cleanly before going on to anything else.
And I like thta Hee Jin isn't being the insanely jealous girlfriend. She's jealous, yes, but for a pretty good reason, and I like that she's dealing with it by letting Jin Hun know.
And oh, Jin Hun. Every single time I start to like you again, you do something stupid like tell Sam Soon she's not your type because of her ugly hands. On the other hand, I don't want to slap you as much as I would normally because Sam Soon yells all my insults to you on screen. ("Yeah? Well, you're not my type either. I like honest guys, not lying guys who cheat.") It's great! I have nearly forgiven him because of the bathroom kiss, and I am awwww-ing inside, though me and my sister are both yelling at the screen still because hello! Break up with Hee Jin before you do that!
I actually have much more hope that the episodes will go how I want now! I am amazed! There is someone in the drama acting emotionally intelligent, and that person is the heroine! Are other kdramas like this? I don't actually know enough to know if Sam Soon is the norm or the exception. But dude, she is AWESOME.
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Sun, Nov. 25th, 2007 07:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Mon, Nov. 26th, 2007 08:34 am (UTC)Alas, I am so sad that Sam Soon is more the exception, though I thought that would be the case. She is so awesome! There should be way more heroines like her!