Naksken
Cambodia
Woah! This episode is a total 180! I went from thinking I'd drop it to being hooked! I think the slow burn start might be a new addition to the Korean drama set up.
The thing I loved about this episode is we get a proper view of Anna. These women in unusual circumstances who have to appear weak to stay safe but are strong just through their existence are us.
Hae Soo from Moon Lovers and Anna from the K2 are so strong.
As women, we should think about all the energy we expend just walking from that bar to the bus stop/car. All the training we've had to make sure a man doesn't kill or rape or kidnap us, because if they do it's cos WE did something wrong:
That ally was too dark, we shouldn't have walked it,
That drink was one too many; we should have stopped,
That skirt was too short; we shouldn't have worn it [but trousers don't fly either]
We didn't look in the shadows; duh!
We didn't have our keys between our fingers; why?
We made eye-contact 8 hours earlier and didn't follow up with something firm but not too aggressive and now that dude is angry; if only we hadn't egged him on.
When we walk from that church to the bus stop at night we're scanning, hyper aware.
When men walk from that workplace to the bus stop/car, they walk to the bus stop/car. that's it.
I love that there are two prime time, flawed women like this. They're doing their best. They're trying to live. Anyone who wants to tell me either of these women are weak has either not examined themselves closely enough or is kidding themselves. Well done K-drama. I'm all in on the K2 now. I'll be cheering on Anna and Hae Soo to the bitter end.
If I was either Hae Soo or Anna I'd be either dead or a blubbering mess by now. The expectations we put on female leads to not be weak, to not be too much, to not be crazy are extreme and one sided, we would never put such high standards on ourselves.
When Eun Soo melts down and yells and cries and screams in Faith, at first I found it annoying but then I thought
"If a warrior from the past had broken into a plastic surgery conference, almost killed someone, made me fix them or they'd kill someone else, brought me through to another dimension to the past, and then didn't know if they could get me back, I wouldn't be screaming and crying, I'd have died of a heartattack"
Anna's ability to get to do everything that got her into that church is > the K2's ability to twirl while fighting and is > the rich bitch's ability to control stuff.
The thing I loved about this episode is we get a proper view of Anna. These women in unusual circumstances who have to appear weak to stay safe but are strong just through their existence are us.
Hae Soo from Moon Lovers and Anna from the K2 are so strong.
As women, we should think about all the energy we expend just walking from that bar to the bus stop/car. All the training we've had to make sure a man doesn't kill or rape or kidnap us, because if they do it's cos WE did something wrong:
That ally was too dark, we shouldn't have walked it,
That drink was one too many; we should have stopped,
That skirt was too short; we shouldn't have worn it [but trousers don't fly either]
We didn't look in the shadows; duh!
We didn't have our keys between our fingers; why?
We made eye-contact 8 hours earlier and didn't follow up with something firm but not too aggressive and now that dude is angry; if only we hadn't egged him on.
When we walk from that church to the bus stop at night we're scanning, hyper aware.
When men walk from that workplace to the bus stop/car, they walk to the bus stop/car. that's it.
I love that there are two prime time, flawed women like this. They're doing their best. They're trying to live. Anyone who wants to tell me either of these women are weak has either not examined themselves closely enough or is kidding themselves. Well done K-drama. I'm all in on the K2 now. I'll be cheering on Anna and Hae Soo to the bitter end.
If I was either Hae Soo or Anna I'd be either dead or a blubbering mess by now. The expectations we put on female leads to not be weak, to not be too much, to not be crazy are extreme and one sided, we would never put such high standards on ourselves.
When Eun Soo melts down and yells and cries and screams in Faith, at first I found it annoying but then I thought
"If a warrior from the past had broken into a plastic surgery conference, almost killed someone, made me fix them or they'd kill someone else, brought me through to another dimension to the past, and then didn't know if they could get me back, I wouldn't be screaming and crying, I'd have died of a heartattack"
Anna's ability to get to do everything that got her into that church is > the K2's ability to twirl while fighting and is > the rich bitch's ability to control stuff.
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Moon Embracing the Sun Episode 1
1 people found this review helpful
I enjoyed the opening scenes immensely. I was especially impressed with how quickly the foundations for the plot were laid out. I have a feeling I'm not going to be subjected to 4 episodes of political set-up, followed by 4 episodes of childhood and then a rushed story. This makes me really happy. However, with strong actors like Yeo Jin Goo and Kim Yoo Jung playing young versions of the characters and 20 Episodes to play with, maybe I won't mind so much if they linger a little on the early years.
My first impressions of the characters are that aside from the catalyst event everyone seems so nice. It's so refreshing to be watching a drama with so many lovely, intelligent people who are good judges of character and have something to offer. I already like all of them. I know that at some point they'll all be torn apart and I'm already anxious about how much that will hurt me.
Even though the characters are nice, they're not stupid, foolish or (thankfully) over the top. They're complex, and well acted. I recognise plenty of the cast in this and they're all putting in really solid, nuanced performances.
My favourite thing about this so far is that Yeon Woo has been set up as smart and proves her competency plenty of times during the first episode. If this keeps up I'll really love this drama. Good, strong, competent, women characters are so rare in K-Drama land. I can't wait for the rest.
My first impressions of the characters are that aside from the catalyst event everyone seems so nice. It's so refreshing to be watching a drama with so many lovely, intelligent people who are good judges of character and have something to offer. I already like all of them. I know that at some point they'll all be torn apart and I'm already anxious about how much that will hurt me.
Even though the characters are nice, they're not stupid, foolish or (thankfully) over the top. They're complex, and well acted. I recognise plenty of the cast in this and they're all putting in really solid, nuanced performances.
My favourite thing about this so far is that Yeon Woo has been set up as smart and proves her competency plenty of times during the first episode. If this keeps up I'll really love this drama. Good, strong, competent, women characters are so rare in K-Drama land. I can't wait for the rest.
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