I have to sincerely apologize for getting this out so late. We celebrated a holiday this week and I have found myself regrettably (and unexpectedly) lazy and draggy this week. And honestly for someone who doesn’t drink(alcohol), I am more surprised than anyone that it’s taken me this long to recover! I can only blame the heat, my grill and too much sweet tea.
Either way, this means that my posts will be a few days off schedule but don’t worry they are coming! I still plan to have Day 8 out by the weekend along with Nagareboshi 5. A little late but not forgotten!
This challenge day was actually a little fun but I so wanted to add every line I ever liked and link scenes that made me laugh or cry, but that’s for another post some other day so you’ll just have to bear it along with me and take it one day at a time, ok? I don’t think that I made line choices that are earth shattering or poignant beyond compare but words said by male characters that resonated with me in some way.
Characters in dramas say things we’d love(or been waiting) to hear, things we’d never say or we wish we’d thought of and everything we’re thinking. That’s the brilliance of fiction, the wonder of writing. Whether you loved or hated the character, each character in every drama fits into at least one(if not all) of these categories. The next four days in “The Challenge” I have the privilege of revisiting some of those lines from character that moved me, gave me pause, brought tears to my eyes or fluttered my heart. As always, it was a task to pick my favorites but I decided to choose those that stuck out to me as much today as they did when I first heard(read) them.
“Did you know that time I taught you magic because of Ke Zhong and you told me you’ve only held his hand, I was crazy with happiness. That’s how much you matter to me. If you could be like me, for me to matter so much to you, no matter what you ask of me, I’d be willing to agree.” — Xiang Yu Ping Down With Love episode 15
I truly melt every time I watch this scene. Sure it’s Jerry Yan but more than that, it’s what Yang Guo has been through as a character that makes his words mean so much to me. Yu Ping is a man in love. So much so, that everything concerning her, concerns him, makes him possessive and causes him to be insane (even asinine) in his actions. But his words are always straightforward, whether lacquered in gooey mushy love or spat with spontaneous annoyance. When you love someone you shouldn’t be afraid to give of yourself completely, however, we all want our love received gratefully. Even if the other person can’t give as much as we, knowing that person accepts our love unselfishly expands our hearts in pride and delight. This confession is a wonderful example of that sentiment.
“Let’s take it slow. There are so many things I want to ask you, to hear from you, to tell you — I want to hold onto you and stay up all night for days, but let’s do it slowly. From now on, I’m going to see you every single day. I’ll come to you every day, and talk to you every day, and listen to you talk every day. About how I lived the last eight years, how you lived. And after you left so suddenly, what I lived for, and what you lived for.”— Cha Kang-jin Will It Snow For Christmas- episode 7
First off, only choosing these lines from this drama was excruciating! The character of Cha Kang-jin was so intense that almost everything he said, was said with earnest, conviction and sincerity. I chose these lines because I thought it was a moment in the drama that expressed the maturity of his character(from his high school declaration), yet a firmness to hold on to this moment and take advantage of this second chance he was blessed with.
After eight years of separation and several weeks of ambiguous conversations, Kang-jin is able to speak his heart and mind to Han Ji Wan. He didn’t say he loved her or that he’d spent the past eight years pining and waiting for her. He simply said, “let’s start today.” He doesn’t know her pain or her past but because she’s someone he had loved and couldn’t forget, he wants to see if they can make love last, this time. He extends his heart to her, with no hesitation, instead, a steady and calm certainty that they can share each other’s hurts and hearts. Ultimately he offers her unabashed hope.
“People are supposedly half good, half evil. But I think when Mother gave birth to us, she miscalculated. I think she gave all the darkness to me, and all the light to you.”
When Eun Soo jokingly asks if he felt slighted by this he replies– “Sometimes, sometimes. Like tonight, I should be crying. I want to cry. But when I don’t know how to cry, I feel wronged.” — Chae Do Woo A Man’s Story/Slingshot episode 4
Do Woo was an extremely complicated character, but a character, I for one, really liked. He was multi-layered with a clear and present psychosis but sharp, intelligent and unique. He was one who knew exactly what he was doing and why, yet, never felt remorse. This may be hard to watch or respect but I found it mesmerizing.
In this scene, he’s referring to a specific thing: ordering someone’s death (which he’s sure is happening at that moment). A person he knew, a person his family loves, yet, he can’t feel anything and knows he should. It’s one of the first moments that we realize that Do Woo knows exactly who he is and what he lacks. He’s devoid of human sympathy and compassion which is the crux of the emotional angst in this drama. However, it’s not only about feeling remorse or empathy, he neither feels apologetic or gleeful. He’s barren and that is where the problem lay.
A statement like this one is so telling for him as a character that one can’t ignore it but rather mull over it and apply it to everything that he does from this point on. Chae Do Woo wasn’t evil itself, but he wasn’t afraid of evil, nor did he define evil in the same terms as most and that invokes fear and confusion. This line spoke volumes because it’s clear that Do Woo was aware of himself, accepted himself but didn’t enjoy his short-comings, nor did he feel they was “normal” or just.
“When someone is saved, someone else is sacrificed. That’s how things work in this world.”— Ryuzaki Shinji Orthros no Inu episode 3
Orthros was a drama that played with the dichotomy of power and god-likeness, therefore, the characters had to decide how they felt about humans having control over things that no human should have responsibility for. Two finite men given the power to kill or heal at will made this drama one that created tons of opportunity for introspection, not only for the characters but for the viewers.
Shinji spoke many true statements, like this one that not only applies to people but to all things; all that life encompasses. I don’t believe in karma, but I do believe that there is nothing free in this world. Everything has a price and everything costs more than it appears. Whether it be social, spiritual, emotional or physical freedom (life); a sacrifice is made and it’s usually deeper and more profound than the eye sees. It’s easier to accept that freedom, than acknowledge how the bondage was purchased (or by whom).
Salvation and freedom, safety or release (however you shake it) equal sacrifice, regardless of what side of the world we live in but given each, we are then able to love. Life isn’t circular but linear, connecting one life to another through love and relationship. If we learn to acknowledge our freedom, wear it with pride and in turn, sacrifice ourselves; we can continue to help save others, for it’s the one true thing that “works”in this world.
Honorable mention:
Choi Seung Hee What Planet Are You From?
with.subtitles.please. 
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