Some Intersections

"Some intersections in certain times are not seen with our eyes. The fact that his mere existance will make things more complicated in the future - we couldn't have even predicted it."

This was an intriguing quote from what was presumed (by me and sold to me by Rebekah) to be a fluffy Korean drama: "She Was Pretty."

Quick synopsis: Pretty girl befriends ugly fat kid who's being bullied at school. Years later, he's rich and attractive and she is not. He wants to reconnect - so she sends her pretty friend to meet with him.

It gets complicated from there (big surprise, right?)

However, the writer's theme for the story is a puzzle of an oil painting by Renoir called "Dance in the Country."

And if you can pick up on the very subtle sub-text throughout the the drama, you can enjoy a very satisfying story.

Except during the main couple's on-screen time. That was boring (to me).

Here is someone else's commentary on the story devices used here. If you don't undertsand the common tropes of K-dramas, this commentary will also give you a quick introduction.

But even if you don't read it, isn't this a great quote for life?

https://overthinkingkdrama.tumblr.com/post/131778721077/5-reasons-why-siwon-is-actually-the-first-lead-of

Good Shoes

In the current K-drama Rebekah and I are finishing up (She Was Pretty), one character gifts another with a pair of shoes that are both an upgrade and permission to move on with her life.

More than a few years ago, when I was figuring out Twitter, I read a blog an author had written about her mother. Years ago, the mother had won a magazine contest about women who do their own makeup.

The author's mother was Asian, a single mom, and took her time in front of the mirror each morning, looking at herself while she carefully put on her makeup. The author said it was a time of meditation for her mother, a centering, a time for herself, before venturing into the world to be her best self. And her mother became quite adept with makeup.

The world "mindfulness" is used a lot these days. But what a beautiful concept, to spend a few quiet moments each day carefully examining ourselves, carefully choosing what we will wear, and deciding how we will present ourselves to the world, so that we always present our very best selves.

A popular quote says, "Good shoes will take you to good places." But what shoes? And what places?

Perhaps it's a call to us step a little further outside of the familiar, to stretch ourselves a little further, so that we can continue becoming our very best selves.

Here is the full quote from She Was Pretty, along with a photo of my granddaughter Riley showing off her new shoes on National Pancake Day 2020, where we had a family pancake dinner at IHOP in Morris, a couple weeks before COVID shut everything down.

May you never put on a pair of shoes again without thinking about where they will take you.

"If you wear good shoes, they will take you to good places.Wear these shoes and go to good places. Don't think about other things, and don't worry aout anything. Go wherever you want to go, wherever you want to go. It's going to be uncomfortable at first. You pay a lot of attention when you walk. But they will be comfortable soon. They will, for sure, be comfortable enough that you won't notice them."

Kim Min Seung (김민승) - Thumping (쿵쿵쿵) FMV (She Was Pretty OST)[ENGSUB + Romanization + Hangul]

Siwon and Character Development

I have a fun link to share with you today. But first, I'd like to give the link some context.

I've been watching Chinese and Korean dramas with Rebekah for the last few years, and I'm really glad she introduced me to this form of entertainment she's enjoyed for a decade and a half.

We watch one at a time, and it can take us a couple of nights to get through an episode. She's the curator of the selections, although I have suggested two dramas, and only one of my picks was good. So I'm happy to let her decide.

Now Rebekah's going through some challenges right now, so she's veered to the lighthearted. Still, if you've ever watched any of these rom-coms, K-drama-style, you'll know they're not all rom and com. 

The subplots also address trauma and other complex issues. I've not seen one yet that's two dimensional, although I'm certain they exist. 

Our current drama is called She Was Pretty and the internet said it's based on a true story. What true story, I don't know. I can't find any more information on it.

The setting is a fashion magazine (Most) that might get canceled as staff are planning for its twentieth anniversary special edition and celebration. The staff doesn't know the publication is under the guillotine; only the top editors do, so the staff don't understand why the leaders are short-tempered and pushing them extra hard.

Here's quick synopsis of She Was Pretty so the clip makes sense.

Two lifelong female friends in their thirties live together. They are so close that they have each other in their phones as "the husband" and "wifey."

Both are hardworking. One is pretty, comes from a rich family, and dates a lot of shady men. The other "used to be pretty" and isn't anymore. She has a younger sister in high school who is pretty and is afraid she will not be pretty later in life.

"Used to be pretty" had a male best friend growing up. He was overweight and bullied and had panic attacks on the school bus when it rains because he was with his mother when she was killed in a car crash in the rain. 

He likes Renoir and gives "used to be pretty" the missing piece of his favorite puzzle, a reproduction of Dance in the Country and kisses her goodbye when his family moves to the U.S.

Well, now the kid is all grown up and can't forget his first love. He's visiting Korea and wants to reconnect. So when "used to be pretty" arrives at the meeting place, he's gorgeous, doesn't recognize her, and walks right past her.

So "used to be pretty" asks her friend to stand in for her, which she does. The friend makes an excuse while she can't see him again: she's moving abroad. He sad but accepts it.

Except he's staying in Korea as editor-in-chief of Most. Except the friend is a hotelier and he runs into her again. So "pretty" keeps seeing him while pretending be his former love and (I'm sure you know where this is going) winds up falling for him.

In the meantime, "not so pretty" gets a job in support services at Most. She gets transferred to the editing department and her new boss is her old friend. And he can't stand her. So "used to be pretty" spends her time trying to avoid him and being heartbroken at the new them. \

In the meantime, she carries around the puzzle piece and loses it.

Now what's making this drama super fun for me is the magazine's features editor. The actor's name is Choi Si-won, also known as Siwon. He's a model, singer-songwriter, and part of the Korean boy band Super Junior, which Rebekah has loved for years. 

In fact the first K-song she ever played for me more than ten years ago was from Super Junior. Siwon is an evangelisic Christian, a regional ambassador of Unicef, and would like to become a mssionary. 

Siwon is also recording himself reading the Bible on YouTube, a new iniative that Rebekah showed me last night.

Apparently Siwon typically plays very suave roles when he does act. And the clip I'm sharing today starts with one of those roles - and then does a rewind into his role in She Was Pretty. Siwon's character is off the charts bizarre and makes its mission to annoy "she was pretty" (as in dipping little girls pigtails in inkwells-style of annoy) as often at work as he can.

So why am I sharing this?

Because now that you have the background, the clip is super entertaining. Enjoy!

And for those of us who craft characters, whether visually (on stage or in file) or on the page, I'm in awe of the mastery here. To create somebody who is absolutely not you and make someone else believe that person exists somewhere because that person is SO real is the dream of many who take their crafting seriously.

Furthermore, in this character's case, I'm pretty sure the actor is playing a character who is also acting. That's my theory. But we still have a few more episodes to go.

Either way, I hope this clip makes you laugh. Or, at the every least, smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq50Vo0rJHI