Jaeeon Meeting His Mother (01 October 21)

 This is one of my favourite scenes, JE walks down an empty hallway to meet his mom in a hotel room, no warmth of a home. Being left alone growing up had a profound impact on the way he sees relationships, yet in their interaction, he harbours no rebellion, no anger. 


That hotel room speaks of the transience of their meetings, even on special occasions. That hesitance before he speaks shows how awkward he feels, yet he tries his best to talk to her. And his mom knows him, despite everything. 


It's an unconventional familial relationship, flawed, yet is not completely foreign to us. He's just a normal college kid, who actually reflects and listens. He absolutely fumbles through acting on his feelings - but he tries. A quiet gem of a scene.

doramaticbites

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nabi’s Sculptures and Growth (20 January 22)

Image
I found myself going back to Ep 2 and 3 -- episodes so pregnant with subtext, I'm itching to write about them. This scene in particular spoke about the gap between JE and Nabi at this time, the sculpture representing Nabi's internal struggle that comes between them.  Between them was the sculpture of a woman, bare and vulnerable, rough and seemingly unfinished. Its body facing towards Nabi's direction, like a symbol that Nabi needed to face her biggest nemesis -- her own self -- before she can finally close the gap between them. Nevertheless, towards the end, Nabi was able to conquer herself and bridge the gap between her and JE, the sculpture no longer between them but behind them, its wings spread wide open as if about to fly.  The room no longer blanketed with the shadows of doubt and hesitancy but rather illuminated by certainty. Because at last, they were able to realize that what keeps on leading them back to each other has always been what they have kept denying them...
Read more

Sex and Agency I (23 December 21)

Image
Not only did this show that it was ok for a girl to have a sex dream, it was good because she was so clearly pleasured. Coming from a relationship where she had to pleasure someone else at the risk of her own enjoyment and safety, this is what NB longs for. But more than that, what she longs for becomes reality. And lying in his arms after, she finds herself thinking, it was good. Her wonder causes you to think that perhaps it was never really that good before. And then you realise that while  JE barges in and corners her for a kiss in her dream, in reality he was about consent, about waiting for the go ahead, about stopping to check if he could continue. Ep 2 is good in its own, but even better in light of Ep 3. doramaticbites
Read more

Not Love at First: Learning Love (06 November 21)

Image
When JE was in the gallery, he was drawn to NB, but I don't think he realised that it was love at first sight. I think it was after Ep 6, when he spoke to KH and his mum, that he was fully able to evaluate and acknowledge his feelings. While he didn't involve himself with other girls (remember, there was nothing on with Seol-A) after his kiss with NB, I believe it was during the time in Ep 6 that he realises what he felt at the beginning when he first saw her. Fully committing, Ep 7 onwards we see him try over and over again to convey those feelings. Then in Ep 8, he saw how paralysed NB was at the gallery, but he also knew there was a painting there she wanted to see. So he gently encourages her to move forward. And when he does, NB is able to focus on her project, not her past. In the cafe again he tries to convey his true feelings, acknowledging that it was to the extent that he fell for her at first sight. Though he's weaker at verbal expression, he goes all in. JE ne...
Read more