Flower of Evil (2020) Final Reflections *Spoilers*

The best part of this show was probably in the first half when Lee Joon-gi's character, Do Hyun-so was playing cat and mouse chess with everyone including Moon Chae-won's Ji-won. It was both edge of the seat stuff and Hitchcock-like. Even if he wasn't actually guilty of much by way of crime, he did perpetuate a degree of deception against his own family. Because of that, the resolution that we got, made some measure of sense. Not in terms of plausibility... all of that went out of the window in the final act with the heavy makjang emphasis... but in terms of his journey as a man who was sinned against much more than he sinned. Whatever his natural propensities were, they were muted by his relationship to Ji-won, the girl who pursued him and married him. Her belief in him and the fundamental good in him was what, according to the show, saved him mind, body and soul. Love... so the saying goes... conquers all. To avoid an outright happily-ever-after (which is what they were really aiming at here), they compromised and gave us the amnesia trope on a platter -- a symbolic cleansing and reset.

While that might be aimed to give viewers the warm fuzzies, it's the safe option for the show to take. Ji-won stood by her man even when he "forgot her" and it paid dividends. More than that she proved to the world that there was sufficient good in him to transcend genetics and all the odds stacked against him in terms of upbringing and societal marginalization. Amnesia also meant that Do Hyun-so would do his sackcloth and ashes routine, self-reflecting and a bit of self-flagellation on top of all that.

Before her departure Hae-su offers a pep talk. They can't spend all their time wondering around the wilderness second-guessing themselves. Life has to be lived and there are people around who care. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. More importantly, they shouldn't live under the shadow of their father's dark legacy.

Clearly at the heart of this, is a drama about marriage and family. I think the final arc is proof of that. It is also why the show doesn't much rise above its early claims to be a serious police procedural. It's a contest of nature vs nurture on some level but the show doesn't go deep into anything because ultimately it's a family drama with the window dressing of psychothriller, crime show. It is first and foremost a love story. That's the double-edged sword. Contrary to the title, the show wasn't going the whole hog to turn Do Hyun-so into the image of his father.

Hyun-so taking on Hee-saeng's identity while the latter was in a coma was highly symbolic on hindsight. The latter was the apprentice Do Min-seok had groomed. While Hee-saeng had the bloodlust, he didn't have the mental acuity of his mentor. He survived under the veneer of respectability which his wealthy upper middle class professional parents gave. It seems that they knew very early on what his tendencies were but were hapless in nipping the matter in the bud. As Hyun-soo's alter ego and nemesis the question inevitably arises. So is it nature or nurture? The Baeks were quick to blame Do Min-seok's diabolical influence to diminish their own culpability. The school incident when he dropped the brick on someone from the roof was at the very least a hint of an ASPD nature. But ASPD doesn't have to be a death sentence. Or be followed by murderous behaviours. 

It is suggestive that Baek Man-woo even in his interactions with Hyun-so in the early days demonstrates malevolent tendencies. Hiding his comatosed son in a secret room behind the closet to maintain his professional standing seems to me highly dubious. Doing deals with Hyun-so to take on Hee-saeng's identity shows a pattern of behaviour. Advising Hyun-so to bump off obstacles along the way without batting an eyelash is indicative. While he doesn't go around killing random victims, he is not above engaging in morally questionable acts. The elephant in this room is the question of whether Do Min-seok was really the primary insidious influence on Hee-saeng's life because his birth father had serious character flaws which he could have picked up on growing up in that household.

Sadly the exploration of evil within families though a fascinating topic doesn't really get much of a probe beyond the usual platitudes. This also I think compromised the quality of the detective work towards the end... the silliness... all in service of the inevitable but needless melodramatic climax. Even though on first appearances the show looked like it was breaking the mould, it turned out more like a revenge story culminating in a big showdown between antihero and villain. This villain is not so terrifying as he is sheltered by wealth.

The part about Ji-won that was interesting is her much touted evidence-based approach to life. To some it seems initially to be something of a weakness to be exploited but as the story progresses, it becomes the quality (arguably an asset) that keeps their marriage together. Hyun-so saw himself as an imposter who acted in ways that would be socially acceptable as a husband and father but what Ji-won saw was beyond the social niceties. Effectively it wasn't all an act. There was a lot more to Hyun-so than even he himself realised or claimed to be Until his sister observed that he had changed, he was unaware that he was more than a programmed automaton... the absolute husband as it were. There's a certain charm to Hyun-so's honesty and Ji-won's faith in what was evident in his expressions of affection to her and Eun-ha. His claims and her own experiences were in contest and in the end, it was her experience that overruled everything. I think his do or die attempts to protect what he had as Baek Hee-saeng was partial proof to her that he was being driven more than just cold calculation in maintaining appearances. 

As far as the acting is concerned, it's a veteran cast with little to criticize. Lee Joon-gi was terrific as one would expect and Moon Chae-won did very well with an emotional rollercoaster journey. I was delighted to see Kim Ji-hoon playing against type and it seemed that he did it with no small amount of relish. While I was entertained for the most part and was even moved by certain interactions, I don't think it's a show I would revisit any time soon. 

Chocolate (2019-2020) A Review

There’s no denying that Chocolate ransacks the melodrama pantry with impunity: Unforgettable first love, orphaned children, past trauma, over-the-top chaebol family power struggles, misunderstandings due to noble idiocy etc etc. It’s almost relentless. All these elements would be immediately recognizable by seasoned viewers. Familiar though it seems, the haunting storytelling and the exquisite cinematography is what lifts the material beyond the burden of expectation. The locations are glorious to behold. Moreover, the use of tropes is largely the set-up for the meat of the story: The reality of impending death and how people of different ages and backgrounds find ways of processing mortality and loss.

The leads are two wounded souls who continually find their way to each other despite various attempts to stay out of the other’s way. Theirs is a slow burn romance as they navigate all the obstacles from within and without to finally come full circle. The romance plays out poignantly within the backdrop of a regional hospice. For one reason or another the romantic leads, Cha-young, and Lee Kang end up working there. The location is gorgeous and serene. An ideal setting perhaps for anyone receiving palliative care and putting their house in order before making their exit from among the living. 

Read the rest of the review at JangHaven Forums

The K2 (2016) A Retrospective

This happens to be one of those shows that I caught some time after it aired. I’ve liked Ji Chang-work as an actor since Healer but for one reason or another his drama choices haven’t always aligned with my interests or the timing hasn’t been right. I was leery of getting on board with K2 for some time because it seemed to be surrounded by a storm of controversy while it aired. So a couple of years ago after I had embarked on a Ji Chang-wook marathon, I scratched my head afterwards baffled by all the fuss that was generated. 

The premise of the show is this: A soldier of fortune while working in Iraq not only loses the woman he wants to marry (a local interpreter) but is then framed for her death. He does a runner and eventually returns to South Korea where he becomes embroiled with the head of a prestigious security company and her politician husband. After a series of encounters, he becomes a key member of her security detail in exchange for information that could help him clear his name.

It’s not a bad show. Quite good for the most part, in fact. There are even flashes of brilliance sprinkled about particularly in the first half. What seemed particularly enjoyable to me was the political theatre on display for public consumption and the behind-the-scenes wrangling that flew in the face of what the world was allowed to see. All of that was masterfully written and performed by seasoned veterans of the screen. In the most tangible ways, the machiavellian seniors dominate the story’s landscape with their machinations and under the table shenanigans. Their world is their stage to do what they will, consequences be damned. Onto this seedy platform steps K2, Kim Je-ha, former mercenary who will rock the boat until it overturns.

From what I had read it was largely the romance that people objected to. That was where the controversy arose. Apparently the expectation on the part of some viewers was that Ji Chang-wook should fall for the dubious and far more complicated Choi Yoo-jin (played brilliantly by Song Yoon-a) that he clearly mistrusted. From what the show does and the story it tells, it makes little sense to me that anyone could think that because Ji Chang-wook’s character, Je-ha, has a certain known history to draw on. It isn’t just that he’s attracted to a very specific kind of woman but also his general, undisguised suspicion of the rich and the powerful. There would be no way on God’s green earth a man like him would ever be romantically interested in Choi Yoo-jin, no matter what she felt for him because at the end of the day he could never wholly trust her to do anything unrelated to her self-interest. Anna (Yoona) notwithstanding. As far he was concerned, theirs was a transactional relationship based on mutual expediency. It didn’t matter how sympathetic the audience was to her plight, in his eyes, she was a dubious figure who used her power for her personal gain in all kinds of unsavoury deals. The lady locked up her step-daughter in the wonderful tradition of Grimm’s tales. I don’t doubt she responded to his inherent sincerity but she was his employer, not someone he could ever think of in that fashion. He’s certainly not interested in playing any kind of games that sees Yoo-jin refereeing. In fact, he thumbs his nose at all their antics.

Anna is depicted as an innocent, a particular type. Cloistered away (in effect imprisoned) for most of her life from any family because of a contract between her father and step-mother. There is no guile in her. It does make sense, given Je-ha’s inclinations as to why he is drawn to her. She’s the helpless underdog who has no one. A breath of fresh air in a world where every man, woman and their dog has an agenda. She just wants to be free, to live and to have choices. Now that is something that Je-ha can completely relate to. She’s a pawn like he is. A pawn he can’t help but want to protect. That is in his nature.

With all its obvious fairytale allusions, the drama plants its feet firmly within its melodrama roots. The older generation plots and schemes to build empires (or steal them) because… I don’t know… it’s their vengeance on a cruel world… or is it because they feel entitled to a piece of the action. Their rationale seems irrelevant. Of course if anyone plays that game long enough, there’s no getting out of that unscathed. Je-ha clearly doesn’t belong in that world. He stumbles into inadvertently. He unequivocally doesn’t want to be there. Who can blame him? He is figure that is above the fray untainted by all the hand soiling that goes on behind closed doors. Moreover he is the appointed incorruptible princely character that rescues Snow White from the clutches of Maleficent. 

Choi Yoo-jin is undoubtedly a fascinating character study wonderfully fleshed out in the story and during the performance. It’s not surprising that she elicits some measure of sympathy. But she’s not a figure of romance because power is her default weapon. It was drummed into her by her father from a young age. She craves affection undoubtedly and there might be some suggestion that her bid for power is really a cry for love. Could she have done a U-turn? It’s hard to say. Once a person goes down a particular path, there will be a moment from which there is no going back.

Anna is the obvious contrast. She’s a simple-minded, child-like creature. She has nothing, know nothing about wielding power. All she ever wanted was Daddy’s love and to be loved. In the end, the show does suggest that she and Yoo-jin both really wanted the same thing and they both get it only by giving up everything.

For me this is unabashedly a makjang morality tale. I’m not an avid watcher of the genre as a rule but when well-done it can be hugely entertaining and even addictive.