K-Drama Reaction: Our Blues

We have reached the end of yet another masterfully written series by the one and only Noh Hee-kyung. Our Blues has been a refuge for the past several weeks, and watching the way of life on Jeju Island sends a familiar sense of attachment. The drama succeeded in bringing connection not just among the characters, but also between the townspeople and the audience. I’m going to miss everyone for sure, and this heartwarming drama is automatically added to a re-watch list for days when I am feeling down.

I think it’s clever for the drama creators to make the two elders of Pureung the last two subplots. It’s like they gave their best in telling the diverse stories of the young ones, so now it’s time to focus all our energy on the village elders, who everyone considered as their mother figures.

Chun-hui and Eun-gi

I haven’t watched a grandmother and granddaughter dynamic in a long while. It’s rather refreshing to see haenyeo leader and self-proclaimed village boss Chun-hui (Go Doo-shim) meet her match in the form of her own granddaughter Eun-gi. Who else can combat against a feisty grandma than her offspring’s child, right? Their bickering has a tender touch to it, reminiscent of our own grandmas in the past. But the story not only tested Chun-hui’s patience towards the equally gutsy Eun-gi, but it also showed how maternal love can be powerful yet yielding.

Chun-hui’s children were not blessed with long lives. All of them died of natural and accidental causes, along with her husband. For years, she dedicated her life to her remaining son, Man-su (Kim Jung-hwan), and his family. Man-su lives in Mokpo with his wife and daughter, but he usually works in the field to log. One day, Man-su got into a serious road crash causing him to fall into a coma. His wife Hae-seon (Min Jin-a) had no choice but to send their daughter Eun-gi to Jeju so that she can be taken care of by Chun-hui, who is unaware of the incident. Excitement turned to anxiety when Chun-hui learned about her son’s life-threatening situation and rushed to Mokpo to visit him herself. It was a painful sight, but what surprised me the most was that Chun-hui gave Hae-seon the go-signal to remove Man-su’s life support when the worse comes to worst. I can’t say he gave up on her son, but Chun-hui did not want him to suffer much longer.

But the Almighty had other plans for Chun-hui’s family. Her son survived and is on his way to recovery. I would like to believe Man-su woke up because of Eun-gi’s prayers to the 100 moons! What a touching scene/twist for Chun-hui and the Pureung community!

Ok-dong and Dong-seok

Ah, the mother and son face-off that’s been teased since the beginning. I expected it to be tear-jerking, and oh my, it delivered. Secrets were out and ready to pierce through our hearts! Ok-dong (Kim Hye-ja) and Dong-seok’s (Lee Byung-hun) estranged relationship started when she remarried her husband’s friend. Dong-seok calls his own mother a mistress and Ok-dong lets her son maltreat her regularly. Both of them are wounded by the past, and it’s painful to watch them continuously hurt each other (maybe because it’s their defense mechanism? Ok-dong ignoring her son and Dong-seok shouting at his mom).

But when Ok-dong’s cancer was revealed to the community, the neighborhood friends huddled towards Dong-seok and convinced him to at least try reconnecting with his mom before it was too late. Honestly, I did not like that Dong-seok had to do reconciliation first just because Ok-dong has cancer. Ok-dong was not apologetic and seemed to rub it against Dong-seok that she is closer with her stepsons than her own. But at the end of the day, I am glad Dong-seok to the high road and made peace with his mom. Peace of mind is priceless, no matter how much time has passed. There is immeasurable joy in knowing that you made the right move before it’s too late.