This Netflix K-drama turned out to be a major disappointment but I don't necessarily feel resentful for watching it. The heartfelt scenes in Gangneung were definitely highlights for me, reminiscent of the small town charm of Hometown Cha Cha Cha and When the Camelia Blooms. Additionally, I got to see one of my favourite actresses, Seo Hyun-jin and I was introduced to another bright light in comedy, Nam Gyu-ri.
You are my spring had a lot of promise but I should have known by the strange opening scene that the plot and narrative would be jarring and disorienting - not in a fun, whodunnit kind of way. More of a why are they doing this with the story kind of way.
The murder plot twist and instantly killing off a main lead is a game changer move and I was intrigued to see what would happen next. The story of the church intrigued me and Dr Ju Young Do's heart transplant equally intrigued me as did the resilient storyline of a mother fleeing with her kids in the night. All excellent starting points that soon become blips in a messy narrative with no real direction besides feel good vibes and awkward date scenes.
First off, narrative points of impact are introduced then slowly dwindle off. Are Choi Jeong Min and Ian Chase brothers... it is obvious they are but Ian Chase only admits it in the final episodes. Both brothers meet Kang Da Jeong at the school but as to which one stayed in Korea and which one went to America, and which one patted her head and which one called her a fool...and further, which one is capable of murder and which one provoked a murderer is up for speculation. The mystery is frustrating and Ian Chases's morose, cold demeanour puts me off figuring out mentally who did what when. I can't be bothered. Go to the States, stay here, step on Ju Young Do's foot, I don't care.
The flashbacks to the twins' childhood repeats and each time we get closer to the truth, only for the scene to remain unfinished. Who did Hwang Jae Sik murder? Was it Choi Jeong Min's foster mom or his real mom? Is this act of matricide something we should pay attention to? Who are the other murders? Is it necessary for me to feel sad about them? These are all questions I asked before skipping most of the repeated flashbacks or moments of sentimentality.
I think in this series, the side characters pulled rank and ran the show. Nam Gyu Ri in particular stood out, as did Oh Hyun Kyung who plays Kang Da Jeong's mother. The product placement of Alvolo pizza was a good laugh and I am dying to try that multi-flavour pizza with the garlic bread on top.
Da Jeong's brother and best friend getting together was too reminiscent of Something in the Rain which tore at my heart and left tears streaming down my face EVERY episode. The pairing in You are my spring just seemed contrived and played out. The unrequited love of Haneaul for Eun Ha was predictable at best and the awkward vibes of Han Jin ho being rejected by Haneaul on the reality show was empty with no real attention paid to it after the fact. All these great moments of film occurring with epic chances for exploring what it is to deal with unrequited love and confessing that love but... no dice. The scene moves on to the boring dates of Kang da gong and Ju Young Do.
And, what about the cat? The opening scene is a woman screaming, a black cat and a blaring car alarm tearing through the night after the smash of broken glass fills the air. The next we see is Kang Da Jeong reading the story, hanging a picture in her flat, Ju Young Do analysing her based on the picture and then the shaman predicting the best person for Ju Young Do is a black cat. Is this enough metaphor? For me, No. I needed the main characters to go over the black cat story once again at the end.
With all the fast forwarding I was doing on this series, I wondered If maybe I had watched too many dramas too fast. Perhaps my brain had seen enough and did not want to endure the kdrama cliches I had grown to love. But... some scenes seemed unrealistic, like Eunha getting drunk in front of Da jeong's mom or Tae Jeong putting all the lights off so Eun Ha could cry. Just too much scripted chivalry...
The other thing is why so many reenactment scenes where the friends imagine what Ju Young Do would say in scenario ABC. It wastes time. It's not fun. Hajima.
SO if I think the series wasted time then what did I want it to use the time for? I think they could have gone deeper into the side characters. They could have given Ian Chase more light as a character, presenting information on his time in America, how he found his brother again, scenes where the brothers are nice to each other. They could have also shown the audience that Ian Chase remembered all about meeting Da Jeoung and Young Do at the church as a child in earlier episodes. Also, maybe some information on Hwang Jae Sik or the relationship between Jeong Boom and Detective Ko. You have to flesh out the background so the audience can understand the motivations of the characters better.
Unique characters in the series were Nam Gyu Ri, Patrick and Da Jeong's friend at the Concierge desk. Nam Gyu Ri had hilarious catch phrases, tone of voice and storylines that elevated the plot. How curious, I thought, she is his ex-wife but his best cheerleader too, what a fun character. Her entitled yet down to earth personality was definitely a unique winner in this otherwise boring story. Patrick was equally a delight as the besotted idol who comes to Ju Young do for advice. His quiet persona held quite a lot of presence in each scene he was in. The Concierge desk lady is another unique character I have only seen in Oh my Venus, the American Korean who speaks in English and Korean, providing an amusing personality for the serious Da Jeong to bounce off of.
Another character I would have liked to see fleshed out was Eun Ha and Cheol Do's dad. They introduce him as someone to fear but when he arrives it is others who ostracise him. He doesn't seem all that bad. It's irritating to see parents treated badly, even if you can sympathise with how the characters feel towards their parent, it still does not sit well.
I think, the themes of parent and child take centre stage in this series more so than the psychological welfare of adults adulting in the world. Whether I can call this series whimsical and refreshing is mixed in with the long stretches of banal and repetitive that keep pushing their way between scenes of dramatic tension. So, there you have it - a mixed bag, largely waste of time but watch it if you love Seo Hyun Jin and Nam Gyu Ri.
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