[Drama 2015] Falling For Innocence 순정에 반하다

[Guest]

I finally got around to watching 3 & 4 and my thoughts can be summed thusly: Kim So Yeon - WOW! 
Watching her exquisite facial control, right done to minute tremors and tics, was a delight. Plus, I was reminded again that there's absolutely nothing wrong with my dongsaeng's aesthetic appreciation abilities - the lady is  effortlessly gorgeous. 
All the above is just as well, because  she's carrying the Drama, imo. That's indicated anyway in the title, so it's hardly a flaw. It's just that if you've seen one set of boardroom betrayals, you've pretty much seen them all, and this one blurs into all the others I've seen. Except for the Anglo with what sounded to me like the sort of Korean I'd kill for - I wouldn't have to wait for subs if my Korean was as good as his. 
Min Ho's journey proceeds according to the usual template too. I think the fact while both he and his uncle talked about firing and blacklisting her, only Samcheon Satan actually DID  was by design. It seemed clearly intended to show that Min Ho is Darth Vader to Samcheon's Palpatine - there's still some Anakin left in there somewhere, waiting for Sun Jeong to find and rescue him. All tried and tested stuff.
Happily, I've said often that I have nothing against formulae per se as long as they executed competently and have characters I can believe and invest in. And that's what I see here, especially with Sun Jeong and Jin Hee. Jin Hee continues to give me a VERY strong impression  of Ho Seong in Punch, particularly in terms of my reaction to his screen time. I'm not yet abandoning hope that he actually killed his "friend", and while I keep that hope alive, I also cherish warm, soothing dreams of everything that I wanted to see happening to Ho Seong happening to Jin Hee. 
And finally, on the question of the cellular memory gambit. My views on that are probably not that hard to discern from my posts here, so I'm very pleased that instead of a clear-cut answer, they've opted for ambiguity: 
Are all his changes the result of a silly childish fairy story, a Deus ex machina myth with no basis in scientific reality, or is he just haunted? Time will tell.

[bebebisous33]

First real comment on this thread. @littleloony had invited me to join this thread... but it took me some time to finally watch the 4 episodes. Well, it was worth it.The protagonist is interesting: he isn't all that bad. Yes, he is quite rude and insensitive, but he has some qualities that weren't directly shown first: he isn't a hypocrit and he succeeded to gain the support from people which proves that he can be likable too. His first secretary is always worried about him and can speak freely without getting fired. This proves that KMH can be tolerant. That's why I do feel pity for him... I can understand why he doesn't trust words at all. His parents were trusting people's words and were fooled. 
I can imagine that his revenge path will change. He might not longer want to destroy Hermia, but take it over.
About LJH: from the start, I disliked him... his speech about K. James has being the mastermind behind the first scandal bothered me a lot. He was always trying to put the blame on KMH, even if nothing had been proved. However, the CEO never doubts his words... not realiszing that LJH is acting just like he was in the past with his brother. Even one of the directors from the chairboard meeting mentioned to LJH that he would do only the dirty work without getting anything in return. He was wondering about it... From the episode 1, I never really trusted LJH and he is fake behind his kindness. Moreover, when he asked his friend not to investigate the scandal, my suspicions were confirmed. LJH is no different from the uncle. 
He is a hypocrit... just like the uncle and he only cares about power. When he mentioned, he couldn't protect SJ because of his lack of power, you see that he hadn't reflect on his actions. Yes, KMH was to blame for SJ's difficult situation, however LJH is also to blame. He put her in a difficult position from the start when he started his war against KMH's uncle. The pressure on Kang meant also putting SJ under pressure. Therefore his friend DW asked him if he had thought about SJ and his father, DW had realised that his dirty politics would endanger SJ and his father.
In the end, KMH can be read like an opened book: his anger and thirst for revenge isn't disguised and covered. LJH will double-cross KMH ... that's what I am expecting.
No, I don't think that SJ knows about the donor's identity because she asked KMH who he was. She is more confused and upset that he is reminding her of her deceased fiance.    

[larus]

We see many times actors in different roles. Sometimes I know who they are, or where I saw them but there are times that I don`t remember. And I try to remember but it is frustrating.

When Min Ho`s mom appeared on screen, I stared at her the entire time to remember where I have seen her. Silly me, I watched her quite recently in Yoona`s Street for 50 episodes. But I don`t remember about the actor who played Soon Jung`s father at all. I have a vague impression that I saw him in a quite role like secretary or something. If anyone knows his name or one of his dramas please share with me.

[selenette]

@Iarus I read your rant and I must say I'm a bit afraid that you're slowly losing your love for the drama? Please don't. I'm in dire need of a drama-watching friend here.

On a more serious note,

I'm not trying to defend South Korean culture because slapping an employee is a violation to human rights, after all. But if I can offer you an insight as an Asian living in an Asian country, I can assure you that such bosses do exist (although dramas tend to exaggerate their characteristics). I had this female boss at a giant media corporation's subsidiary, who used to throw her purse at her employees' faces, call them names (name any animals at the zoo, and that wouldn't be too far from what she said) and slam doors on people. She called me at 6 AM, shouting on the phone about my mistakes the previous day.

My point is, although you don't like it and neither do I, sometimes it's the truth. Maybe the writer tried to say something with the slapping scene: that there is injustice in South Korean workplaces.

My country has much historical similarities to South Korea. We were entrenched in feudalism and aristocracy, and afterwards we were caged by foreign occupation (by the Japan Empire, among others), so hierarchy and seniority really matter in any workplaces in both countries (mine and South Korea), because these two aspects were part of our history. Sexism is of course the fabric of every workplace culture in my country, and perhaps in South Korea, too.

Luckily we're not so much imbued in formality, at least not as much as what our culture originally dictated. Of course I still have to speak respectfully to the children of my late father's bosses, but I don't have to really pay attention to my speech, etc.

In South Korea, though, formality still hasn't diminished, so the writer stays true to this fact by showing how Soon-jung, Joon-hee and Min-ho interact with one another.

I don't know if you've watched "Misaeng" or not, but I'll recommend it to you if you want a taste of realism approach (at least in the first and middle parts of the drama), to South Korean workplace culture. The drama is pretty bleak, but it's insightful, and your post reminds me of that drama somehow.

EDIT: As much as I was offended by @stuartjmz 's post, I think he was right that Misaeng's finale was closer to fantasy/adventure. Also, I cut my sob story, it's not like I have the rights to whine a lot.

[larus]

Fashion Style

Soon Jung in a casual look, giving a stylish and cozy feel with unique detailing tweed jacket with jacquard material.


source

[Guest]

selenette said:
I don't know if you've watched "Misaeng" or not, but I'll recommend it to you if you want a taste of realism approach to South Korean workplace culture. It's pretty bleak,

[Guest ilchul]

http://www.soompi.com/2015/04/08/top-ten-k-drama-moments-of-the-week-april-week-2/9/

http://www.soompi.com/2015/04/13/top-ten-k-drama-moments-of-the-week-april-week-3/6/

[Guest ilchul]

miriamdream2 said:

[Guest ilchul]

ruzikie said: I wonder how long you will be able to love a man who's fallen to the bottom. This quote makes me thinking about the man who's fallen to the bottom. Minho maybe said it to Soonjung about Dongwook but it makes me thinking the man is Minho himself. Will he fall to the bottom or maybe he's failure to destroy Hermia ?

[larus]

selenette said: @Iarus I read your rant and I must say I'm a bit afraid that you're slowly losing your love for the drama? Please don't. I'm in dire need of a drama-watching friend here.

  In South Korea, though, formality still hasn't diminished, so the writer stays true to this fact by showing how Soon-jung, Joon-hee and Min-ho interact with one another.

I don't know if you've watched "Misaeng" or not, but I'll recommend it to you if you want a taste of realism approach to South Korean workplace culture. It's pretty bleak, but it's insightful, and your post reminds me of that drama somehow.

[selenette]

@stuartjmz

I agree that the last part of "Misaeng" wasn't exactly realism, but the first and middle parts were. Maybe there's another insight from you on Asian workplaces that I still know nothing about?

Moving on to cellular memory.

Although the evidences for cellular memory are anecdotal, they shouldn't be disregarded as merely childish tale. For people who claimed that they experienced it, the phenomenon is real. Whether we believe it or not is another matter, but as long as we're not knowledgeable in this field, I think we shouldn't be hasty in passing judgments. Unless we can rigorously prove that something is NOT real, then the possibility that something is real must be deliberated. Isn't that scientific skepticism?

EDIT: removing expletives.

[Guest ilchul]

selenette said: @12blbl Great you also think that the writer's take of cellular memory is that it's similar to a haunting. I think the PD wants to convey this message, too. You can have a look at my lens flare post. And the male lead character's name is KANG Min-ho.

@ilchul I agree with you that Min-ho now understands the (Jeolla-do?) satoori! Considering how he called Dong-wook "Japanese", the fact that now he understands the words of an ahjumma who speaks in the same satoori is quite strange and fantastic.

I think if he didn't understand the ahjumma's words, he would've shown the same reaction as when he brawled with Dong-wook. But here, he gets what the ahjumma says (which makes him angrier at her, LOL!).

[larus]

ilchul said: I didn't realise he called Dong Wook "Japanese" where were I ) now he have another clue to piece together to get to the fact that he has Dong Wook's heart and I love that and yes if he didn't understood the ajumma he would have just looked at her as if he was looking at an alien but he understood her and that made him react to her ) well sometimes ignorance is a bless ) )

[Guest chilbongsgurl94]

Just a thought on the violence against Soon Jung so far in the show. Chairman Kang slapping Soon Jung vs. Min Ho screaming at SJ in ep3, pushing her to the sofa, and smashing a glass against the wall to stop himself from smashing her...

In these cases of violence against women in dramas, I always check myself before I go on a self-righteous rant: would the violence have happened if it were a guy?
In Min Ho's case, he actually DOWN-moderated his actions towards SJ because she was a woman. Had it been a guy who so thoroughly crushed his uncle-crushing dreams to pieces, you can BET the guy wouldn't have gotten away with just a shove, towards a sofa no less (I feel like the ground would've hurt more). More like the heaviest PUNCH MH has thrown in his life or something.
But his uncle actually COMMITTED THE VIOLENCE towards SJ only BECAUSE she was a woman. Had it been a guy - would we have seen him slap him in the office? Probably NOT. Some harsh words perhaps, but none of that richard simmons slap sh!t. That's why I got MAD at the uncle. And why I hope he gets his comeuppance but GOOD. 
Let's say both these guys were lost to anger, and lost their heads, blahblah weren't thinking straight when they did what they did. Okay. Aristotle said that it is in moments when you can't stop to think that you reveal your true character. If so, I'd say MH's character is fundamentally a lot better than his uncle's.

In the end I accept Min Ho's character, flawed and broken in some parts as it may be. The first minute of Ep 4, from his POV, did a lot to redeem him in my eyes... Can you imagine? As a young child, determined to never suffer the same fate as your father, who was so foolish as to trust, well, HIS OWN BROTHER... The horror of becoming a "cruel monster", and knowing it every step of the way... Fate dealt MH a shitty hand, so let's not judge him too quickly before being sure we wouldn't all have become him, had we been in his shoes... It was probably the only way he saw to never be burnt by horrible people ever, either by stomping on everyone or keeping them at a distance, like the women he slept with... 
BTW I think that's why the presence of his secretary/ exorcist extraordinaire is a genius touch by the writer Shows a human side of MH where he actually craves warm connections so much that he can't help but trust and feel for people he's close to, as much as he doesn't want to. Also LOL I LOVED the exorcism and the secretary actor and would LOVE to see him get more roles in the future!! 
p.s. Hi to chingudeul~ This is only the 2nd drama I've ever posted on Soompi for :3 The only other one was... well, refer to my handle... I can feel my heart Falling for Innocence so damn hard :\"> This drama is bringing me to life after Healer! :xp.p.s. @larus - I think the father actor is Kang Chul's dad in Ho Gu's Love?? 

[larus]

The hospital scene stills




I actually had the same reaction reading the subtitles for that scene. ) I understood eventually that she was speaking in a dialect. And I understood why Min ho asked Dong Wook if he is a Japanese. (I think he knew exactly he is not but made fun of his accent).

Min Ho translating the ajumma`s words....

 Koongkooed?! )  :-??

Thanks, Min Ho, for the explanations.

[selenette]

@Iarus the actor who played Soon-jung's father was also in "Triangle" before, as a secretary who separated Im Siwan's character from his brothers when he was still a baby.

[larus]

@chilbongsgurl94: Thank you. Thank you. His name is Park Ji Il and I saw him in one drama, Empire of Gold. It was my favorite drama in 2013. I feel better now.

Yes, Min Ho restrained himself to not show his rage towards Soon Jung in the full scale. And I like that when he narrated in episode 4 they chose that moment before the heart attack and his words I become a monster. And probably the screaming in front of his employees at Golden Partners were an exaggeration from their part to show their fear. It was used to create contrast with their reactions afterwards. He was a difficult boss. I agree that Min Ho is not a man who will slap a woman. He realizes what he has become and wants to change.  He just need healing and a right path to go.

Uncle Kang is nonredeemable in my eyes. I want him down.

[larus]

selenette said: @Iarus the actor who played Soon-jung's father was also in "Triangle" before, as a secretary who separated Im Siwan's character from his brothers when he was still a baby.

[bebebisous33]

larus said: @chilbongsgurl94: Thank you. Thank you. His name is Park Ji Il and I saw him in one drama, Empire of Gold. It was my favorite drama in 2013. I feel better now.

Yes, Min Ho restrained himself to not show his rage towards Soon Jung in the full scale. And I like that when he narrated in episode 4 they chose that moment before the heart attack and his words I become a monster. And probably the screaming in front of his employees at Golden Partners were an exaggeration from their part to show their fear. It was used to create contrast with their reactions afterwards. He was a difficult boss. I agree that Min Ho is not a man who will slap a woman. He realizes what he has become and wants to change.  He just need healing and a right path to go.

Uncle Kang is nonredeemable in my eyes. I want him down.

[Guest anegool]

Min Ho ep4 cut:
https://youtu.be/bnGT-d88PHc