This show offers no clear answers, and is full of ambiguity. It leaves the audience to make what they will. This ambiguity – peppered throughout – is precisely what makes it a complex drama, because it doesn’t hand you solutions on a platter. Just like real life. It makes you think about every little glance, word, dialogue, scene over and over again, long after you have watched it…
Take, for example, the confrontation in the conference room between Dong-hun and Ji-an about the attempted kiss. We have enough background information to infer why she did it: she wants to have him caught in flagrante delicto and extract her 10 million won. She offers, of course, a different explanation of why she did it to Dong-hun. But in between the truth we think we know, and the lie she tells him, there are multiple layers to be uncovered. Even Dong-hun doesn’t seem to understand or believe her fully. Did she really do it out of pity? Or because she liked him? Or out of empathy? Or because she wanted to satisfy her own desires? Or to distract both of them from their weary lives? Will we ever really and truly understand either of them?
Dropping by to say that I love your analysis and how I gather things that I otherwise missed when I watched the show. I completed the show a month ago too and didn’t check the comments because the whole experience would’ve been very overwhelming so it’s nice to come across yours, @eazal and @leetennant ‘s in this watch/rewatch.
Thank you! My analysis is kind of disjointed, and not sufficiently reflective of what I feel when I watch/rewatch this show. It’s just that kind of a drama that leaves you at a loss for words. I can’t think of any other show that has done this to me. A few books, maybe, but never a TV show!
I am also only now slowly reading the recaps and the comments as and when I watch each episode. I expected there to be many more comments considering what a phenomenal show this was, but the numbers are surprisingly low!
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pickleddragon
April 7, 2020 at 10:16 AM
#MyAhjusshi #rewatch Ep 4
Realism in ambiguity
This show offers no clear answers, and is full of ambiguity. It leaves the audience to make what they will. This ambiguity – peppered throughout – is precisely what makes it a complex drama, because it doesn’t hand you solutions on a platter. Just like real life. It makes you think about every little glance, word, dialogue, scene over and over again, long after you have watched it…
Take, for example, the confrontation in the conference room between Dong-hun and Ji-an about the attempted kiss. We have enough background information to infer why she did it: she wants to have him caught in flagrante delicto and extract her 10 million won. She offers, of course, a different explanation of why she did it to Dong-hun. But in between the truth we think we know, and the lie she tells him, there are multiple layers to be uncovered. Even Dong-hun doesn’t seem to understand or believe her fully. Did she really do it out of pity? Or because she liked him? Or out of empathy? Or because she wanted to satisfy her own desires? Or to distract both of them from their weary lives? Will we ever really and truly understand either of them?
Eazal
April 7, 2020 at 1:03 PM
There is a truth behind every lie.
Every episode I found myself more and more drawn to JiAn.
pickleddragon
April 7, 2020 at 11:04 PM
Yes! Ji-an is fascinating, but my favorite character in the show is actually Dong-hun’s best friend. More about that when the episode comes…
wapz
April 7, 2020 at 2:28 PM
Dropping by to say that I love your analysis and how I gather things that I otherwise missed when I watched the show. I completed the show a month ago too and didn’t check the comments because the whole experience would’ve been very overwhelming so it’s nice to come across yours, @eazal and @leetennant ‘s in this watch/rewatch.
pickleddragon
April 7, 2020 at 11:06 PM
Thank you! My analysis is kind of disjointed, and not sufficiently reflective of what I feel when I watch/rewatch this show. It’s just that kind of a drama that leaves you at a loss for words. I can’t think of any other show that has done this to me. A few books, maybe, but never a TV show!
I am also only now slowly reading the recaps and the comments as and when I watch each episode. I expected there to be many more comments considering what a phenomenal show this was, but the numbers are surprisingly low!