I’m having a ridiculously busy weekend not helped by the fact that members of my family are watching Beyond Evil (on my recommendation) within hearing distance but I wanted to make a general response to a whole range of comments about Ik-sun in the last episode. It’s true that she’s been getting a bit of bashing around the web for playing the noble idiot or whatever expression one prefers. As an observer from the sidelines I am inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt because we don’t know everything although I think we know enough to be able to comment. It also crossed my mind that her grand gesture of saving Jun-wan from a potentially disastrous outcome can be explained by her previous experience with a former boyfriend and I wrote about it
Great essay, thank you for taking the time to write it!
I, too, hope they will work it out, have a fight if needed. And Ik-jun will come to grips with the fact that his oldest friend and partner in most crimes is going to become his brother-in-law, too...
We are our worst enemies, well said! Inspite of Junwan seeing Iksun’s post on her setting up a blind date for Se-gyeong, when she says she has fallen for someone else, his irrational and insecure part of the brain is activated. Yes Iksun is not doing any favour by the noble idiocy. Hoping she realizes that it’s not really helping Junwan by doing so.
My main contention with the Bidulgi couple is that to your point, they have communication problems. Jun-wan only learns of Ik-sun life milestones through other means: 1) he learned about the scholarship from Ahn Chi-hong 2) he learned that Ik-Sun passed her exams through her Instagram post.
If Ik-Jun is the warm and open brother, Ik-Sun is the closed-off sister. She even alluded to this that she and Ik-Jun only talks about things that they both find funny. Ik-Jun also said that Ik-Sun only calls when there's a problem. And for years, Ik-Jun has always thought that Ik-Sun was never in a relationship. This is a character who refuses or is afraid to open her heart.
Ik-Sun falling in love with someone feels to me a misdirect--a version of what you said about being a noble idiot. It was her way of releasing both of them from any hardships and probably stemmed from her being unwell. Ik-Sun, after all, told Jun-Wan in S1 that she only wants happy memories with him.
I also find it unlikely that she fell for someone because this is a character who finds it difficult to jump in a relationship. As Ahn Chi-Hong said, it took her a long time to consider marrying her previous BF and equally a long time before she plunged into a new relationship (with Jun-Wan).
I had been in a relationship where you are more concerned about maintaining peace and harmony and not being honest with each other. I think that's what Bidulgi couple has been. They were technically in a LDR even in Korea. So every moment they spend together whether physically or on the phone, they try to make it a good time. It continues in this pattern when Iksun moved to London - Junwan being too considerate and setting aside his feelings, Iksun too afraid (and perhals also a little self-centred) to fight through anything unpleasant.
But relationships doesn't and shouldn't work like this. For them to come back together, both have to work through these hurdles of communication and being vulnerable with each other. Iksun is facing the biggest vulnerability now with her health crisis. I believe this will be an opportunity for them.
Great essay, thank you for taking the time to write it!
I, too, hope they will work it out, have a fight if needed. And Ik-jun will come to grips with the fact that his oldest friend and partner in most crimes is going to become his brother-in-law, too...
Love your take on things and your writing too!
We are our worst enemies, well said! Inspite of Junwan seeing Iksun’s post on her setting up a blind date for Se-gyeong, when she says she has fallen for someone else, his irrational and insecure part of the brain is activated. Yes Iksun is not doing any favour by the noble idiocy. Hoping she realizes that it’s not really helping Junwan by doing so.
My main contention with the Bidulgi couple is that to your point, they have communication problems. Jun-wan only learns of Ik-sun life milestones through other means: 1) he learned about the scholarship from Ahn Chi-hong 2) he learned that Ik-Sun passed her exams through her Instagram post.
If Ik-Jun is the warm and open brother, Ik-Sun is the closed-off sister. She even alluded to this that she and Ik-Jun only talks about things that they both find funny. Ik-Jun also said that Ik-Sun only calls when there's a problem. And for years, Ik-Jun has always thought that Ik-Sun was never in a relationship. This is a character who refuses or is afraid to open her heart.
Ik-Sun falling in love with someone feels to me a misdirect--a version of what you said about being a noble idiot. It was her way of releasing both of them from any hardships and probably stemmed from her being unwell. Ik-Sun, after all, told Jun-Wan in S1 that she only wants happy memories with him.
I also find it unlikely that she fell for someone because this is a character who finds it difficult to jump in a relationship. As Ahn Chi-Hong said, it took her a long time to consider marrying her previous BF and equally a long time before she plunged into a new relationship (with Jun-Wan).
Sigh... I feel so bad for Jun-Wan.
I had been in a relationship where you are more concerned about maintaining peace and harmony and not being honest with each other. I think that's what Bidulgi couple has been. They were technically in a LDR even in Korea. So every moment they spend together whether physically or on the phone, they try to make it a good time. It continues in this pattern when Iksun moved to London - Junwan being too considerate and setting aside his feelings, Iksun too afraid (and perhals also a little self-centred) to fight through anything unpleasant.
But relationships doesn't and shouldn't work like this. For them to come back together, both have to work through these hurdles of communication and being vulnerable with each other. Iksun is facing the biggest vulnerability now with her health crisis. I believe this will be an opportunity for them.