Dal Ja's Spring, ep. 21-22
The end twist of Dal Ja breaking up with Tae Bong just as he's about to propose felt manipulative, but at least they did it with two full episodes to go. By the time it was over, I had bought into Dal Ja's reasons. Of course, it helps that the show basically hit almost all of my romance buttons with the woman being afraid of love and emotional intimacy and the man being ok with it, along with the woman going off to find herself and the man staying at home waiting, and with the man making one (or more) last ditch efforts to get her back. I particularly love that all the matchmaking efforts of others on the show didn't work, to my surprise.
And though the break up felt very sudden, I ended up completely sympathizing with Dal Ja when she explained how easy it was to remain single and how frightening it was to have the thing you'd been idealizing since childhood in your grasp. It felt very real and very realistic, and something that I suspect many life-long single women can empathize with, particularly given the pressure to be in a couple.
Also, Rep. Eom has completely won me over by a) not making a move on Dal Ja, b) deliberately taking her to the bar where Tae Bong and co. were, c) spilling wine on Soo Jin, and d) the cute smile he gives his ex-wife. Clearly he has taken the lessons learned from reading tons of manhwa to heart. I cannot believe I am rooting for the Eoms now, as she is still insane and stalkery. Such is the power of this show!
I was rolling around on the floor when Jung Ae and Yeong Shim started scheming to get their kids together, particularly when they each began complimenting each other on how well they had raised them! And oh, I love so much that the two become friends instead of the romantic rivals they started out as, and I especially love the Go Stop nights! I need to learn the rules of Go Stop, as this is the umpteenth time I have seen it played on tv.
I love that Dal Ja and Tae Bong behave like adults after breaking up, and oh, my heart broke for poor Tae Bong when he asked her if he had really made it so hard for her that she wanted to break up with him. And I LOVE that throughout, Tae Bong remains not-stupid! He doesn't take Soo Jin up on her offer to stay at her place! And I love that final kiss before she leaves, and his desperate "Don't go! I love you!" It might have read as alpha male behavior in any other guy, but given the way they broke up and given Tae Bong's personality through the entire rest of the series, it was just made of awesome and sort of made me melt.
And while the cynic in me scoffed at the whole "fate" thing, particularly during two years spent apart without any contact after only three months of knowing each other, it still ended up working. I particularly like that the final episode had moments like Tae Bong's dad and grandfather bonding over cooking while Tae Bong's mom was off playing cards, and though in real life, I would be a little skeptical about Tae Bong's parents' relationship, I am very glad it seems to be working out on the show.
And! I LOVE Jung Ae and Dal Ja's grandma's conversation about men and each other SO MUCH. SO MUCH! And I love that we have an example of an older woman with a romantic relationship as well, so you have that as well. But I just love that a relationship that's historically supposed to be fraught with tension (mother-in-law/daughter) ends up being hugely important, so much so that Jung Ae says that is the relationship in her life. And I love that it's a relationship neither of them necessarily chose; you don't usually have much choice in picking your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, and that the two were thrown even closer by the death of Dal Ja's father. I am now hand-wavily generalizing, but it feels like something that I don't see portrayed quite as much in Western media -- the emphasis on taking something that wasn't necessarily your choice and going with it, the focus on working at a relationship instead of relying on chemistry.
A side note here to say that I don't believe everything works if you just work at it, but I also think relationships (friends, co-workers, family, whatever) take work, and I would like to see that aspect acknowledged more (aka, reasons why I always want to see the what's after "happily ever after").
But yes, I just loved it for the acknowledgement of intergenerational relationships and the burden of care, especially in a Confucian-influenced society, and I love the idea of two women having a bond that is much, much stronger than romance.
I laughed and laughed at Seon Joo the mother, particularly Sae Do mouthing all her advice behind her. And I love SO MUCH that after two years, she still won't marry him! And I love that he's the one with the ideal notions of romance, and that it takes her two years to tell him she loves him! After having a kid with him! I also loved it when she stepped up to the microphone at Dal Ja's party, and that the show doesn't forget their friendship, or Dal Ja's friendship with her unni (Shil Jang?).
I also howled at her boss singing "I Will Survive" in Korean and all the dancing! I still wish we got more of her backstory, but oh well. I love her anyway, especially her "Oh... Dal... Ja..." And I got sniffly at all the work goodbyes.
Though I wanted a little more Dal Ja and Tae Bong in the last episode, especially after all the teasing with the multiple missed meetings, I liked that a lot of the emphasis remained on Dal Ja's life. It made her reasons for breaking up feel more real, and it really brought home her growth as the mainstay of the show (as opposed to the romance, though that's a big part too), especially since the show begins with us seeing her at 20. And awwww! When they finally do meet again under the fireworks! So cute! And he feeds her his first lunchbox! And then he kisses her on the forehead like he can't help himself, and then looks chagrined, because every time he did stuff like that in the past, she backed away! And she actually grabs him to kiss him, and it's such a contrast from their interactions in the past, and I love how such a tiny thing ends up illustrating how much more confident she is in herself!
Also, I love that the show ends with the montage at the workplace, particularly with all the new women coming in (was that the snotty show host?) and getting to see all the women getting promoted.
Spoilers for Coffee Prince and Dal Ja's Spring
I cannot believe I have already written so much about just two episodes, but I have to bring in Coffee Prince! There are just so many similarities, from the man turning down a work opportunity for love (Han Kyul and Sae Do) to the woman going abroad and the guy waiting at home (Eun Chan and Dal Ja). I think DJS handles the "2 years later" much better, especially because it gives us more of Dal Ja readjusting to life back in Seoul. And it doesn't do the cheap makeover and "will she, won't she" that CP does. I also love the secondary couples in both, particularly the unconventional (?) desire to stay unmarried that both Seon Joo and Yoo Joo have, even after discovering that they're pregnant. And both of them end up proposing to the guy that's been there waiting forever.
I like this series a lot. I'm not sure if it's replaced Coffee Prince as the kdrama of my heart, but I rank the two equally. I think Coffee Prince is more flawed, particularly the ending, but it benefits a lot from not having the jealous, scheming women that Dal Ja's Spring does. That said, though I wouldn't call Dal Ja's Spring feminist, it feels proto-feminist in a way (yes, I am totally making that word up), particularly in its emphasis on "older" women (as in, 30+, though I was pleased to see 50+ women as secondary characters), on relationships between women that don't all center around the main character (it passes the Bechdel test easily), on the role of women in the workplace, and the general focus on the women and their issues. There really isn't any Male Angst Hijacking that appears in so many other works (kdramas, manga, books, and Western tv), and I can't begin to say how pleasant that is.
Also, Tae Bong for the win! He is up there with Han Kyul and Han Sung as my favorite love interest, though much like the two shows, he doesn't have the same "OMGSQUEE!" moments, but he also is more even. Plus, if he actually existed, I would totally date him.
I should stop making comparisons with Coffee Prince, but it's very hard not to, as both shows hit the same "Awwwwww!" and "Yay good female characters!" buttons in me.
Now I want to go rewatch all my favorite bits...
And though the break up felt very sudden, I ended up completely sympathizing with Dal Ja when she explained how easy it was to remain single and how frightening it was to have the thing you'd been idealizing since childhood in your grasp. It felt very real and very realistic, and something that I suspect many life-long single women can empathize with, particularly given the pressure to be in a couple.
Also, Rep. Eom has completely won me over by a) not making a move on Dal Ja, b) deliberately taking her to the bar where Tae Bong and co. were, c) spilling wine on Soo Jin, and d) the cute smile he gives his ex-wife. Clearly he has taken the lessons learned from reading tons of manhwa to heart. I cannot believe I am rooting for the Eoms now, as she is still insane and stalkery. Such is the power of this show!
I was rolling around on the floor when Jung Ae and Yeong Shim started scheming to get their kids together, particularly when they each began complimenting each other on how well they had raised them! And oh, I love so much that the two become friends instead of the romantic rivals they started out as, and I especially love the Go Stop nights! I need to learn the rules of Go Stop, as this is the umpteenth time I have seen it played on tv.
I love that Dal Ja and Tae Bong behave like adults after breaking up, and oh, my heart broke for poor Tae Bong when he asked her if he had really made it so hard for her that she wanted to break up with him. And I LOVE that throughout, Tae Bong remains not-stupid! He doesn't take Soo Jin up on her offer to stay at her place! And I love that final kiss before she leaves, and his desperate "Don't go! I love you!" It might have read as alpha male behavior in any other guy, but given the way they broke up and given Tae Bong's personality through the entire rest of the series, it was just made of awesome and sort of made me melt.
And while the cynic in me scoffed at the whole "fate" thing, particularly during two years spent apart without any contact after only three months of knowing each other, it still ended up working. I particularly like that the final episode had moments like Tae Bong's dad and grandfather bonding over cooking while Tae Bong's mom was off playing cards, and though in real life, I would be a little skeptical about Tae Bong's parents' relationship, I am very glad it seems to be working out on the show.
And! I LOVE Jung Ae and Dal Ja's grandma's conversation about men and each other SO MUCH. SO MUCH! And I love that we have an example of an older woman with a romantic relationship as well, so you have that as well. But I just love that a relationship that's historically supposed to be fraught with tension (mother-in-law/daughter) ends up being hugely important, so much so that Jung Ae says that is the relationship in her life. And I love that it's a relationship neither of them necessarily chose; you don't usually have much choice in picking your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, and that the two were thrown even closer by the death of Dal Ja's father. I am now hand-wavily generalizing, but it feels like something that I don't see portrayed quite as much in Western media -- the emphasis on taking something that wasn't necessarily your choice and going with it, the focus on working at a relationship instead of relying on chemistry.
A side note here to say that I don't believe everything works if you just work at it, but I also think relationships (friends, co-workers, family, whatever) take work, and I would like to see that aspect acknowledged more (aka, reasons why I always want to see the what's after "happily ever after").
But yes, I just loved it for the acknowledgement of intergenerational relationships and the burden of care, especially in a Confucian-influenced society, and I love the idea of two women having a bond that is much, much stronger than romance.
I laughed and laughed at Seon Joo the mother, particularly Sae Do mouthing all her advice behind her. And I love SO MUCH that after two years, she still won't marry him! And I love that he's the one with the ideal notions of romance, and that it takes her two years to tell him she loves him! After having a kid with him! I also loved it when she stepped up to the microphone at Dal Ja's party, and that the show doesn't forget their friendship, or Dal Ja's friendship with her unni (Shil Jang?).
I also howled at her boss singing "I Will Survive" in Korean and all the dancing! I still wish we got more of her backstory, but oh well. I love her anyway, especially her "Oh... Dal... Ja..." And I got sniffly at all the work goodbyes.
Though I wanted a little more Dal Ja and Tae Bong in the last episode, especially after all the teasing with the multiple missed meetings, I liked that a lot of the emphasis remained on Dal Ja's life. It made her reasons for breaking up feel more real, and it really brought home her growth as the mainstay of the show (as opposed to the romance, though that's a big part too), especially since the show begins with us seeing her at 20. And awwww! When they finally do meet again under the fireworks! So cute! And he feeds her his first lunchbox! And then he kisses her on the forehead like he can't help himself, and then looks chagrined, because every time he did stuff like that in the past, she backed away! And she actually grabs him to kiss him, and it's such a contrast from their interactions in the past, and I love how such a tiny thing ends up illustrating how much more confident she is in herself!
Also, I love that the show ends with the montage at the workplace, particularly with all the new women coming in (was that the snotty show host?) and getting to see all the women getting promoted.
Spoilers for Coffee Prince and Dal Ja's Spring
I cannot believe I have already written so much about just two episodes, but I have to bring in Coffee Prince! There are just so many similarities, from the man turning down a work opportunity for love (Han Kyul and Sae Do) to the woman going abroad and the guy waiting at home (Eun Chan and Dal Ja). I think DJS handles the "2 years later" much better, especially because it gives us more of Dal Ja readjusting to life back in Seoul. And it doesn't do the cheap makeover and "will she, won't she" that CP does. I also love the secondary couples in both, particularly the unconventional (?) desire to stay unmarried that both Seon Joo and Yoo Joo have, even after discovering that they're pregnant. And both of them end up proposing to the guy that's been there waiting forever.
I like this series a lot. I'm not sure if it's replaced Coffee Prince as the kdrama of my heart, but I rank the two equally. I think Coffee Prince is more flawed, particularly the ending, but it benefits a lot from not having the jealous, scheming women that Dal Ja's Spring does. That said, though I wouldn't call Dal Ja's Spring feminist, it feels proto-feminist in a way (yes, I am totally making that word up), particularly in its emphasis on "older" women (as in, 30+, though I was pleased to see 50+ women as secondary characters), on relationships between women that don't all center around the main character (it passes the Bechdel test easily), on the role of women in the workplace, and the general focus on the women and their issues. There really isn't any Male Angst Hijacking that appears in so many other works (kdramas, manga, books, and Western tv), and I can't begin to say how pleasant that is.
Also, Tae Bong for the win! He is up there with Han Kyul and Han Sung as my favorite love interest, though much like the two shows, he doesn't have the same "OMGSQUEE!" moments, but he also is more even. Plus, if he actually existed, I would totally date him.
I should stop making comparisons with Coffee Prince, but it's very hard not to, as both shows hit the same "Awwwwww!" and "Yay good female characters!" buttons in me.
Now I want to go rewatch all my favorite bits...