It seems particularly timely that I resumed this drama this week (and you started it, Camelia), as the news of the Laotian dam collapse has surfaced. It was a South Korean venture, in conjunction with a Laotian firm or their government, and I don’t know if it was just extreme rains and misfortune or poor design/construction (or a little of both) that led to this, but you can be sure there will be people assuming the worst. The graft and corruption that leads to people cutting corners and worse is really a sore subject for the country, as is the theme of top leaders and managers turning a blind eye to faults and rubber-stamping their approvals without due diligence, and these pain points are really driving this drama.
Mild, barely spoilers after the jump…
I think that the revelation that she has amnesia due to a head injury which happened during her rescue has opened the floodgates of hope and new emotions in our hero as he’s learned that she isn’t ignoring him, looking down on him, or pretending not to know him and their past history. But of course the Column is just finding out how very much he cares for her, and in a weird, sympathetic way, for Gang-woo too.
I can see why both men would like her even if she wasn’t such a pivotal part of their pasts; she’s not pushy like the construction company heiress, neither flashy, nor a pushover (most of the time). She’s smart and capable and dedicated, modest and thoughtful. These are all highly admirable traits in a woman. Plus, from a Korean perspective of attractiveness she’s petite (not small!) and has a tiny face, a western sort of nose and other facial characteristics, and double-lidded eyes. That she also doesn’t dress super girly or wear makeup is also in her favor in this work environment as she doesn’t scream to all and sundry “I’m looking for a husband!”
But with Gang-woo and CEO Seo there is more here that makes me wonder… they’re not drawn to her for those reasons, but because she was another victim of the mall collapse. Is that really a good reason? Would a relationship built on the collapse of a building really have good foundations? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that!) Especially for CEO Seo, I feel he’s drawn to her for reasons of guilt, wanting to make amends somehow, and while it’s believable that he could find more to admire in her than guilt alleviation, I wonder. He’s a decent guy, though, and she could do worse than someone like him. At least Gang-woo has the memories of her from the collapse and how they formed a kind of lifeline for each other in those dark hours, but is someone with PTSD from that event a healthy choice? Her post-rescue head trauma has saved her from some of what he endures, but certainly not all of it. It’s an interesting discussion for therapists everywhere.
And remind me: is the owner of the bar/club really the girl from the construction company heir’s past or really just someone who looks like her? As this is a drama, there are no such things as coincidences and lookalikes so it must be her, but I don’t remember the details if we’ve seen them yet.
We Talk Dramas All Day 