[2017 Year in Review] Making friends with the kids in the back row
by Guest Beanie
Because This Life Is Our First
By @redfox
I always end up doing this—socializing with the kids in the back row, instead of hanging out with the It people. It’s the one thing I noticed about my drama experiences this year: The main story didn’t engage me that much. I always got sidetracked, chatting at the last bench in the back row. Maybe it was that some side characters got a much more fully developed storyline and character growth than the main leads, or maybe it was me, who has just now started to pay more attention to them. Or maybe it was that side characters were often played by unfamiliar, fresh faces that got me by surprise with their depth and energy.
There has not been a year in my memory when dramas addressed this variety of life and people with such integrity. I remember more characters from this year and I feel like I have lived with them; I feel like I can almost see into their minds. Thus I want to preserve them in some way, and etch their names somewhere as to keep them with me.
Suspicious Partner
First, there was Ji Eun-hyuk from Suspicious Partner, played by Choi Tae-joon. Eun-hyuk was a sincerely good person, friend, ally, co-worker, lawyer, a great listener, and a true sweet meringue sugar muffin, who hid a sensitive and longing side behind a silly smile. Eun-hyuk was a great co-consipator for Bong-hee and he put in endless effort to mend things with Ji-wook. And I believe he is still doing that. You know, it greatly bugged me that Ji-wook never truly made up with his old friend officially, although he seemed to give in on a professional level.
Eun-hyuk-ah, how are you doing? Did you break up with Yoo-jung and get together with Ji-hae? I think she is a better match, but I have no right to say. Choi Tae-joon, thank you for making him into one of the most endearing characters of 2017. That’s not to say the rest of the squad wasn’t noteworthy. We had the Captain, My Captain—Chief Bang, played by Jang Hyuk-jin—with his knowing smile, and CEO Byun, who became our favorite neighborhood ajusshi.
Hwarang
And then of course there’s Ban-ryu of Hwarang, played by Do Ji-han. His character had an intriguing setup and the cutest bumbling romance and hilarious frenemy/future-brother-in-law balance with roommate Su-ho, played by Min-ho. Personality-wise, Su-ho surprised me—who knew the class playboy was a closet philosopher? Ban-ryu was a leader who lost his followers, but he came around to become a true friend to those around him.
Another drama that had some interesting back-row kids—maybe because in this drama there were no front-row kids, they all sat at the back—was Radiant Office. They were misfits and underdogs struggling to find their place. And among them was Ji-na, played by Han Sun-hwa, the overachiever who tried to steel her heart and cut all connection with the back-row kids… except she was actually a back-row kid all over, whose cold-hearted persona was just an act. And like so many great female characters this year, Ji-na was a valuable, smart, professional, and hard-working individual. I wished all would go well for her and Ki-taek, and ended up feeling like she was my friend.
Radiant Office
Then there’s the one kid you really, really want to be friends with exclusively but he is liked by everyone: Strongest Deliveryman’s Oh Jin-gyu, played by Forever Dimples Kim Sun-ho. Jin-gyu was betrayed, damaged, thrown away, bitter at the whole world, and desperate to prove he was worth something. All he had was his charm, or so he thought, but perhaps harsh life experience made him a better problem-solver. Or his dimples did.
Strongest Deliveryman was another drama filled with memorable minor characters, like Ji-yoon, the restaurant boss and chef, and the delivery boys (Gong-gi, Min-chan, Sung-jae) who all had their moment in the drama, showing some unwavering trust in their leader, vulnerability, and dreams of a better future. There was also Yeon-ji, whose situation was edgy, compelling, and a bit desperate. She would have made a good main character in a drama, but she chose to keep to her little corner instead.
Strongest Deliveryman
And last but not least, we have Su-ji and Ma Sang-gu of Because This Life Is Our First. They’re the kids who already live grown-up lives. Su-ji is everything I want to be—your true bestie whom you admire, the female ninja, the Amazon, so cool, but such a girl among her closest friends. She could run far ahead while you row your boat ever so slowly, but she keeps turning back, because her friends are more important than her destination. Perhaps the best character of the year. Esom, I’ll remember your name, I promise.
My drama-watching year was made memorable by all these back-row kids, who were hard-working (actual working! As in, they did their jobs! They didn’t just talk on rooftops and cry in the rain!) and competent characters that I would scout if I started a company. They were people with talents and very personal dreams and goals outside the frame, and they wanted to achieve something more than what was expected of them. I feel like if I gathered them all up, we could reboot this world. Back row revolution! Go, go, go!
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1 goldenaddiction
December 14, 2017 at 8:10 AM
Hello President-nim of Suji's official fanclub! I volunteer to be the first official club member and minion :D
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redfox
December 14, 2017 at 8:34 AM
accepted!
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Kdramahiatus
December 14, 2017 at 8:54 AM
Pls sign me up too for the Suji fangirl club. She is actually my favorite character in Because This Is My First Life. Suji was ambitious, arrogant, beautiful, and driven. The thing I loved about her was despite that cool bitchy facade, she was more vulnerable and loyal in the inside. Suji was so afraid to show her kind self to other people for she perceived that as revealing her weakness. I loved how she took care of her friends when they were in need of shelter and understanding. The protective and sweet relationship she had with her mom. She is the kind of BFF that you can rely on.. a toughie in the outside and will stand beside you in a fight. But at the same time, Suji will also be the first one to cry and worry about her friends if they are in pain and having a hard time. I think I became an instant Esom fan because of Suji's character.
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goldenaddiction
December 14, 2017 at 10:38 AM
Looks like you already wrote a great intro to our (unofficial) fan page haha.
Me: Suji! Can I call you Unni? Can I find out where you got that awesome red lipstick? Pleaaaaaasese ((hands her a smaller version of her doll))
Suji: ((looks at me in disbelief))
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salt N pepper
December 14, 2017 at 11:07 PM
Sign me up as a member, as well! I don't share as much love for the main couple as most other beanies here seem to but I did love Suji + Ma Sang Gu! They were the best part of the drama IMO.
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2 WishfulToki
December 14, 2017 at 8:34 AM
Congrats @redfox, your piece was published! :D
*Sigh* Yet another reason to watch Radiant Office!
And thank you for mentioning our precious Ban-Ryu and his underplayed bromance with Su Ho. Hwarang was a case where the back row kids were criminally ignored. :(
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3 redfox
December 14, 2017 at 8:37 AM
Oh my god, thank you so much for going through the trouble of editing my story so nicely! Major imprevement compared to the messy "raw footage" I sent! you truly are masters of your craft. something for me to learn
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Ally
December 15, 2017 at 4:46 AM
Congrats, girl! I am usually just invested in OTP’s so it was nice to see your perspective on our friends in the “back row!” Thanks for sending it in!
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4 rinny
December 14, 2017 at 8:41 AM
Thank you for writing such a lovely piece on nearly all of my favorite characters from this year! And I think it is definitely true that Su-ji is an aspirational character for many of us.
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5 PakalanaPikake
December 14, 2017 at 9:02 AM
Brava, redfox!!
Even though BECAUSE THIS LIFE IS OUT FIRST is the only one of the dramas in your article that I watched this year, I appreciate your heads-up on memorable characters in the 2017 crop of shows.
In BTLIOF, Su-ji and Sang-gu are the couple who have it most together. Whether it's kicking Male Chauvinist Pig butt, founding a humongously successful foundation business, or tooling off into the sunset [cue up Sailcat's "Motorcycle Mama" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgVN7lSgOkE ], they learn how to play well together while excelling professionally and being supportive, down-to-earth buddies to their friends. I appreciated Sang-gu for being such a wise and loyal friend to the laconic Se-hee. Su-ji tells it like it is -- and has a touching relationship with her Mom. Thanks for including this pair in your write-up. ;-)
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6 ObsessedMuch
December 14, 2017 at 9:12 AM
Such a cute write-up! I was smiling throughout! And yay for getting your article published @redfox :)
This really was the year of strong side characters! Eun Hyuk was a personal fav- though almost everyone in Suspicious Partner made me smile :) And even though I gave up on Hwarang at ep18, I did like Ban-ryu a lot! Oh and I have still not finished BTLIOF but Su Ji and Sang Gu really stand out!
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redfox
December 14, 2017 at 10:09 AM
Suspicious Partner had all these relationships - estranged friends, allies, CEO Byun & Ji Wook, CEO Byun & everyone, actually, can´t forget the villain either, his borderline psycho behavior even when we didn´t know he was the culprit yet. And of course Mr. Bang as the respected hyung to Ji Wook, then Ji-Hae and Bong Hee, Ji-Hae and Eun Hyuk, exes, first and unrecruited loves, and none of these relationships stayed murky. And then we even got a girl trio, don´t forget - one of the oddest of the year. But Eun Hyuk-Ji Wook made my heart ache the most, it was eased a bit by finding out the actors were friends irl
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7 purplerain☔
December 14, 2017 at 9:59 AM
nice writeup @redfox. I loved all the secondary characters in these dramas you listed. especially oh jinkyu and eun hyuk. banryu and suho remains my favourite couple in hwarang( still pained the king didn't get the girl)
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8 judilicious
December 14, 2017 at 10:07 AM
What a great write up! @redfox. Love how u highlighted some of d most memorable side characters i've seen dis year. I agree whole heartedly Su-ji from BTLIOF is d most memorable female character followed by witch's court Ma yi-deum for me. Guess dis year had great strong female characters. Also, congrats on ur write up being published here, i loved it!
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9 brian
December 14, 2017 at 1:10 PM
When I think about it, Suji was a true friend to both Jiho and Ho Rang. She was always hosting them at her apartment when they came over, or she was always at the roof top consoling one or both of them. So fierce and strong she was too. What a wonderful character. She's hard to define and yet she has so many admirable traits that you can't help but love and respect her.
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10 Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
December 14, 2017 at 10:45 PM
Loved this write up ~ I had nearly forgotten about the side characters in Hwarang, despite them being the reason I kept watching. 😉
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be the sidekick in the story. Because sidekicks get to go on adventures and meet interesting people, but they don’t have to deal with all the angst (aka “crying in the rain and talking on rooftops”) that the main heroes are required to (for some unwritten reason). Sidekicks get to be silly and act realistic and just be themselves, because, while they help to save the world, they can still see that the burden is not all on their shoulders, because they know they can never do it all themselves. Sidekicks do their best with what they are given. The heroes could not get far without them.
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redfox
December 15, 2017 at 12:27 AM
I generally agree, although I wanted to become a pirate not a sidekick, but all these aspects apply for pirates as well, I suppose. Having fun..... and some trouble, but that can´t be avoided. are you ready for some trouble?
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Cocoa, The Fake Poet of February
December 15, 2017 at 5:48 AM
I’m always ready for trouble, particularly up for some rash and impulsive actions. 😉
(No seriously, yesterday I was talked down from a tattoo so instead I gave myself a rather drastic haircut at midnight 💇🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️💃🏻)
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11 Jenmole🍊
December 14, 2017 at 11:06 PM
Great read! Choi Tae-joon portrayed his character really well. Eun-Hyuk is truly good friend. It also helps that he and JCW are best buds IRL.
Thank you for this piece. 2017 was indeed the year of side characters.
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12 Samurai
December 15, 2017 at 4:33 AM
„You know, it greatly bugged me that Ji-wook never truly made up with his old friend officially“
Thank you! I was really miffed about this. All this effort and that heart-felt talk they had and then..nothing! The bromance potential was so great.
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13 Minniepie
December 16, 2017 at 1:54 AM
I loved this a lot. It was refreshing and prefect. 😊
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14 mintkiri
December 16, 2017 at 4:27 AM
Comment was deleted
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15 rhienz
December 30, 2017 at 10:44 PM
Although I am late, but thank you for your post, @redfox. And thank you for including Suspicious Partner in your year-end review. I know that SP didn't get much love here, in DB, but until now I still remember those who enjoyed and commented on its every recaps, and you were one of them.
I love Eun-hyuk, I love Mr. Bang, I love Bong-hee and Ji-wook. I love all about SP. The one and only drama I watched in 2017.
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