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Post by galacticchick on Sept 24, 2003 13:26:42 GMT -5
If you were Son-ho, would you give Tae-man another chance?
Would you forgive the grandfather after finding out that he stole all your family fortune?
********************************************* I kind of have mixed feelings with the whole Son-jo/Tae-man relationship. He was mean and insulting to her and I recall an episode where he even abandoned her even though she had helped him escape.
I believe she truly loves him but I am not sure if what he feels with her is really love or just a deep gratitude. I haven't been watching it since Episode 1, so my view may not have all the information.
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Post by Lucy on Sept 24, 2003 13:57:25 GMT -5
Good question. I feel that there is something weird about a relationship that owes practically its entire existence to one person (Soon-ho). I don't understand her insistence on loving Tae-man even though she's been given so little to go on. (One little kiss early on and some shared history that we haven't really been shown.) But the way it's been presented to us (and in light of similar themes throughout the program), I think we're supposed to see it as love and goodness conquering all. Like with Yon-ho and Tae-woong; I mean, didn't she also insist they were going to marry even when he said he didn't love her anymore (no one bought that act, though) and was over her? And speaking of Tae-woong: talk about being too good to be true!
The thing about Tae-man is that he thinks he's bad and the world is bad, and that he doesn't believe in love and happiness or that he deserves either. So the dynamic they've set up is, Soon-ho keeps on trying until Tae-man reaches the point where he has no other choice but to believe he needs and deserves her. Finally Eun Ji-won went too far (though, in my opinion, she crossed that line the first time when she betrayed Tae-man to the mob and they attacked him in the club). Now Tae-man sees how chasing after money and trying to be cynical is never going to pay off, and I think he's really turned a corner.
So, to get back to your original question, I guess I have no identification with Soon-ho whatsoever, think she's too good to be true, and am annoyed with her doormat qualities. But she's kind of symbolic of the redeeming powers of love, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief and just let her be a symbol.
On the other hand, if Tae-man were a person in real life, he would be the stupidest, most negative person ever. I mean, he's got a nice family who love and adore him and a sweet, pretty girl who won't give up on him, and he STILL believes that the world is a hostile and selfish place?
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Post by mikey on Sept 24, 2003 15:50:10 GMT -5
If you were Son-ho, would you give Tae-man another chance? While I had fun observing the quirky relationship between ethical Tae-woong and scatterbrained Yon-ho, I had no fun at all seeing good-girl Soon-ho relentlessly clinging to that skuzzy Tae-man (guess it always ticks me off to see the sweet girl inexplicably latching on to a rotten guy and just refusing to let go – though I suppose this happens often enough in real life, doesn’t it)? Soon-ho’s the type to be loyal to the end, and while there’s no doubt that Tae-man will have to redeem himself sooner or later, it’s hard to imagine (except in fantasyland) that he’ll ever be capable of a complete turnaround. Would you forgive the grandfather after finding out that he stole all your family fortune? I was a little surprised that Yon-ho’s father didn’t try to get Tae-woong and the Guilty Grandfather together first, and allow Guilty Grandpa to first confess to someone who might take his confession a little better. But, noooooooooo, they had to go to Ok-hee first . . . and are you surprised at the response? No doubt Tae-woong would have forgiven Grandpa (Tae-woong’s Mr. Perfect, after all) but Ok-hee would never be so receptive. As for Yours Truly: forgiveness, maybe – but I can tell you that it sure wouldn’t come quickly or easily! I haven't been watching it since Episode 1, so my view may not have all the information. Since episode 1? Gee, how do you know so much about this drama, anyway?
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Post by galacticchick on Sept 25, 2003 13:57:14 GMT -5
guess it always ticks me off to see the sweet girl inexplicably latching on to a rotten guy and just refusing to let go – though I suppose this happens often enough in real life, doesn’t it? quote] LOL, Mikey! It's the universal complaint of the nice guy. Don't ask me why the same women who want someone who is "understanding, sensitive, appreciative" always end up with the scumbags. ;D I need a Tae-wong, not a Tae-man!
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Post by Lucy on Sept 25, 2003 16:34:51 GMT -5
I'm with you, Galacticchick. When it comes to picking a Tae-, I'm definitely more for the -woong than the -man. In reality, I don't know any women who like to date jerks. But, at the risk of going too far off-topic, I think some guys get confused between being the nice guy women say they want and being weak. "Nice" doesn't mean a person who sighs at your feet and agrees with whatever you say--it can definitely include the ability to stand up for yourself and maintain some independence.
I mean, as nice and tolerant and stoic as Tae-woong is, can you ever imagine him letting Yon-ho walk all over him? OK, maybe Tae-woong is a bad example after all--I mean, this is the guy who went down on his knees to Jung-ran even after she slapped him a couple of times, and let Seung-min knock him around without even yelling back at him. That kinda turned my stomach. But still, you can't call Tae-woong a wimp! Plus, he's kinda cute like a teddybear. Come to think of it, so is Yon-ho, so they're well matched.
Oh, and to finally answer the original question about Cheatin' Grandpa, I would have a VERY, VERY hard time forgiving him if I were Ok-hee. If I were Tae-woong or one of the other children, less so. But if I were in her position I would feel he had stolen the life I was meant to have, including probably many more years with my father and of course, tons of money. That's a lot to forgive.
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