[Drama 2015] My Love Eun-dong 사랑하는 은동아

[seungshin]

‘Eun Dong-ah,’ Even the name makes our hearts ache now

 

 

 

‘My Love Eun Dong-ah’ drama makes your heart hurt.

It seems like a foolish effort to tell of a ‘pure love’ story in this day and age.  Perhaps that’s the reason the ratings have not gone over 2%.  We nod at this suggestion while feeling bitter sweet in a corner of our hearts.  Are we really not interested in a story like this?  Are we not able to relate to the longing for the love of the faded past in this era of more realistic, forthright, emotionally expressive relationships?

The title of the drama is ‘My Love Eundong.’   It doesn’t sound sophisticated and it’s even a bit old fashioned.  Is that why so many have not even given it a peek? But once you do it will draw you in like no other drama.  By pears of drop by drop it reminds of dramas of the old that warmed our hearts and made us sad remembering the old love.  It feels like Japanese Drama ‘Love Letter’ or the Endless Love Season series of PD Yoon Seok Ho, which sometimes made us feel like we were on a treasures hunt of a painting.

This story is simple in one sense.  It’s a story of a man who meets a girl named Eun Dong in his youth and spends next 20 years remembering, missing and loving her.  After a series of meetings and separations, Ji Eun Dong (Kim Sa Rang) and Ji Eun Ho (Joo Jin Mo) fall deeply in love but as a result of a sudden accident Eun Dong loses her memory and disappears.  Ji Eun Ho eventually finds her and the drama is about going back to the memory of their first love.  

The storyline is simple but the well placed devices inside of the story and the luxurious pacing pours emotional rain on the viewers.  The autobiography as a device serves as a love letter that makes the viewers’ hearts to suffer from cramps.  

Seo Jung Eun ghost-writing Ji Eun Ho’s love story with Eun Dong without knowing that she is Eun Dong herself makes the viewers’ hearts flutter and tighten enough.  How she includes the stories from her own memory of their love without even realizing it and how that become the thread that reconnects Eun Dong and Eun Ho together is another story device.  How they become aware of each other’s identity and the the struggle they go through as a result of the changed surroundings when they do (Eun Dong is already married with a child) is another story device that draws the full attention of the viewers.  

‘My Love Eun Dong’ is a love story completely different from the relationship stories of immediate connection and separation in a digital era.  It’s a love story of longing for someone who is sitting right next to you.  It’s a story of not being able to express your love to someone who is right in front of you.  It’s a story that makes one part of your heart collapse in pain but one that gives you the strength to endure that pain.  It seems very old style but it is that little distance that enables us to feel the story of one heart communicating with another heart so much more.

The viewer rating is low but ‘My Love Eun Dong’ is too good to be judged by the ratings alone. Once you see the first episode you will not be able to stop till the end.  It’s a dignified love story with leisurely pace that will pierce right into your heart and make you remember your own love story.  Just the way your heart tightens as though you are Eun Dong each time Ji Eun Ho calls out her name and just like how Eun Dong’s memory is coming back little by little through Ji Eun Ho’s pure love for Eun Dong.

Columnist Jung Duk Hyun thekian1@entermedia.co.kr

[Cr. Photo JTBC]

http://entermedia.co.kr/news/news_view.html?idx=4581

PS:  With special thanks to @lucy13880 for finding these great articles and keeping me busy!

[-jade-]

 Someone asked me about this in PM....thought it may be of interest to some others here in the thread....for anyone who's interested to find out more on the late Pi's essay on Yin Yeon aka Predestined Relationship/Destiny/Fate/Karma...

• 1996年、인연 (因縁=Predestined Relationship) http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/皮千得
• 인연 Karma (1996 ) collection http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_Chun-deuk
• Affinity (인연) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23379852-affinity
• Destiny (picheondeuk) blog  below

There are two versions available online that I know of, but I'm not sure if they are complete versions of original works. 

• In chinese http://www.douban.com/note/47149283
• In hangul http://blog.joins.com/media/folderlistslide.asp?uid=jaewook53&folder=8&list_id=13315121

Available online for sale, for eg, at HERE. Seems inexpensive at about USD27 for a set of 4 hardcover books(in korean).

(EDIT: Link doesn't work, the site address is http://bit.ly/1FLyPdv )

Picheondeuk Literature Complete Works (Destiny, Life, I love poetry, Shakespeare's sonnets.)

 

 

 

Apparently, the Pi's writings are held in high regard, with ongoing promotion and reading events being held. There was a reading and appreciation session held a few years ago in a medical centre/hospital. (I wonder if it's held annually). Looking at the photos, the attendees, mostly patients from there, seemed moved by the writings. The hospital's management perhaps feel that 'a healthy body and a healthy soul go well together'. Here are a couple of the photos. For more, go to blogger link at http://bit.ly/1LRt8jo 

 

 

 

[-jade-]

@docster6 To me, EH isn't stealing his woman back but he is claiming her. It is his right to claim her, as she had been stolen from him in the first place.

She is not his property so he can't claim her; she hasn't been stolen from him. On the other hand, what her parents did to her is an entirely different matter. I hope the drama allows ED to make her own choice. We're just along for the ride.

I know, but what bothered me was the expression Stealing back, because it has a negative connotation. Stealing is something illegal, but claiming is not. You claim for a right and not only for a possession. Sure, it is ED 's decision, but she forced to leave her love. That why I am prefering the word claiming.

 

@bebebisous33 I'm with you. I agree. It sounds more like a case of Eun Ho reclaiming his love. But I can't deny STEAL makes the heart skip a little when I heard him say it that way. Perhaps the word was chosen for a 'special' affect? Maybe 'steal' in korean also loosely mean 'reclaim'? and what Eun Ho said doesn't have a negative connotation? @seungshin care to shed some light here? Thanks.

[mdj101]

@lorac :...

. I read your comment (p.208) about how you liked a feature in the old forum where you  could  "write in code view in the last iteration of the blog".

That was the clue that I would need to put on a life preserver before jumping into unknown deep waters.    Knew I would be surprised.  And I was just so pleased with myself at learning how to put a map into my REPLY.

I entered the entire "write in code view in the last iteration of the blog" into Google.      I hoped that having used the   < & >  & href &   a, would make it easier.  I knew "iteration" was  "repeating something" and "code", sure that's a  programmer talking to the computer.     Yipes!   But I did make a note of two really simple looking tutorial, let-me-take-you-by-the-hand, sites  --- If I ever get that good, I will know right where to go for help.     Very  clear, simple language, but I had to chuckle!  

I can imagine all those earnest young nerds  drinking in all those instructions. And understanding them all.   I am  sincerely so impressed now!   Actually this is the first time I've navigated sites where that  "programming / code talk" looked like stuff I MIGHT vaguely grasp if I had the right teacher and a lot more time.  I had fun on a page at those two sites.  So thank you for your comment.

 

[-jade-]

@jadecloud:  I'm a bit dense today and have noticed nothing ne.  Busy, too.  Please tell me what the difference is? I'll die (oops!  --- just not as dramatic as in Korean!) trying ti guess now. Thanks.  

@mdj101 The difference is soompi admin has altered the thread layout, whereby the posts are shifted to the right hand side and the topic highlights are on the top left hand corner, where it used to be at the top right hand corner.

Like you, I'm sure there are more differences which I haven't noticed yet  

[seungshin]

@mdj101 The information I found about Lee Ja In, she was born October 27, 2003... so she's currently 12.

Thank you for this info.  I don't want anyone to misunderstand me on this as I think both Jr. and Lee Ja In are fabulous in their acting.

That said,  it's too bad they had Jr. who is 21 years old in real life play a 17 year old boy against Lee Ja In who is 12 in real life playing the 13 year old because on screen they really looked as far apart in age as they are in real life (almost 10 years) whereas they were only 4 years apart in their characters.

I don't have any problem whatsoever for a 13 year old to deeply and madly fall in love with a 17 year old.  They are both old enough to have real romantic feelings of the kind depicted in this drama.  Just that any misgivings some of the viewers had I feel are strictly attributable to the actors' real life ages than that of their characters.  We might have been less likely of such misgivings had the actress been more similar to Jr in his real life age (15 to 18 even).

[seungshin]

Another doubt XD Sorry but i'm obsessive now... Episode 10 showed us ED recovered her memories so even if Choi husband plan to have a baby with her it's his only dream 'cause it is assumed that ED recovered ALL the memories included the event before the accident when she refused Choi! Now that ED and Hyun Soo are finally reunited (if the writer doesn't troll us) She know for sure that Ra Il is Hyun Soo's son so she have to reveal that to Hyun Soo...It doesn't make sense if she'll not remember this ESSENTIAL detail.

(Sorry for my bad english)

Your English and thoughts are awesome!  Two thumbs up!

[seungshin]

Regarding JJM's films, I've watched all of them except Dance, Dance & Park vs. Park (couldn't find subs for it). So far my favorites are:

200 Pounds Beauty - this is the first JJM movie I've watched. I think you already know about this movie. It's a romcom, a feel good one. He looks great in it.

A Frozen Flower - I don't know about you but this is his best film to date. Acting wise, JJM is amazing. Such a fearless actor, but this may not be everyone's cup of tea. (if you don't like sageuk with gay themes)

Love / Sarang - This is also my favorite. It's a touching story yet tragic ending. A Korean Romeo & Juliet. JJM has likened MLE to this film. Maybe in the way that his character In-Ho loved Mi-Ju like Hyun Soo loves Eun Dong. Another story of undying love. I think this is his favorite movie of himself and he treasures this film a lot.

In one of interviews (I believe in the Press Conference) he thought MYED will become a project he feels most fond of.  He did not elaborate much but I found out very interesting given so many different projects he's been involved with over the years.  I think his main attraction is that he feels he can show more of his real self than other projects.

[wolanah]

http://m.entertain.naver.com/read?oid=109&aid=0003101624 

[seungshin]

@awsparkle - nice to see you on the thread.  Agree with you. Choi is now becoming desperate. He is hoping beyond hope that Eun-dong will not  leave him. I hate to disappoint him but I think that ship has now sailed.

Welcome aboard @awesparkle and @dimples21, Whom I also didn't notice was in this thread..

Dimples how could she even think to stay with him even if it's for RA II sake she can't because the lie effects him also it's no way they can say they did this for her sake.. So in my opinion that ship has sunk..  

@valsava - thanks for the welcome. You are right she cannot stay with him but he is the only father her son knows and she will feel guilty about making him unhappy. Remember when she visited the school and they told her he was not adjusting well, can you  imagine how he is going to take  this. From a child perspective, he only sees his dad through rose color glass as a superhero, always there for him, loving and protecting him even though he was  a richard simmons bag to his mom (ED) .

Reading these made me think of a few things.  This writer-nim does not delay plot points.  She moves it along so we have every reason to believe she will address the paternity question in EP 11 (along with EH and ED's real union) since she had HA conduct a DNA test in EP 10.  

She also doesn't troll or play in the mud puddle of makjang making.  She has been so good at discrediting makjang I feel she has purposely included all the known tropes of makajang just to turn them on their heads.  It's as though she has deliberately set out to destroy and make a mockery out of all the makjang-ness in other K-Dramas.  This writer needs more attention and she doesn't even have her own Asianwiki page!  Is this really her first drama writing project?

My thoughts on this:

1. HA will do the right thing.  She will work to protect her own family that includes her brother first and foremost (and Eun Dong is part of EH's life) and Ra il, who she will find out is her nephew. She will protect the grandson of her parents.  They were deprived of having a relationship with their grand daughter until now, she knows what that feels like for them and the child.

2. I have lots of faith in strengths of children.  They are as resilient as they are sensitive.  I feel there is more resilience to Ra il than what we see and we have not seen much of his background story.  We don't know why he's been having adjustment problems.  We are led to believe he's close to JH but children know and feel a lot more than adults give them credit for.  His character is described as a child who doesn't complain or fuss.  Why is that?  

When a family keeps as much secret as JH's family vis a vie ED's parents, the child has to feel something is not in sync. We have no information how the family ended up in the US and then came back.  Is there a story there?   Whatever happened in the past and what's happening around him now, I feel knowing the full truth will not have as detrimental an effect on him as we fear.  They do have the capacity, enormous capacity, to understand and sympathize with situations that happen around them.

We are only concentrating on him finding out that the guy who he has believed to be his father will turn out not to be.  How about the positive he will have of knowing that he has a real father who has been searching for his mother who is the love of his life and who will give away his world (a very privileged world at that) for the sake of his woman and their son!  To learn about the incredible love story behind his mom and real dad?  It will be a total shock yes but not something he could not recover and thrive from. So much will depend on how it is revealed to him and I have faith the writer-nim will do this part really really well.  

The only character I will be genuinely sorry for is JH's mother.  I truly believe she knows nothing of all the evil doings JH has cooked up with the help of ED's parents.  Poor lady will learn the grandson that has been the light in her life especially since what happened to her son is not her real grandson.  That is so sad but I am not sure how much screen time she will get.

Most of all I have faith in the writer-nim that she will keep this story on an even keel in story telling and not go all makjang on us.  She does not do too much, not too little.  Not too fast and not too slow.  All along she has been resolving pretty heavy duty stuff without much fan fare either way. And just the right amount of comic relief.  I like that very much and I have faith she will continue on that way.

[sooyoungdaebak]

Aigoo, wae it's not the BTS pics of JJM and KSR together?? I don't care much about JJM and Kim YooRi, JTBC ahhhh!! Release more pictures pls.... 

[seungshin]

Aigoo, wae it's not the BTS pics of JJM and KSR together?? I don't care much about JJM and Kim YooRi, JTBC ahhhh!! Release more pictures pls.... 

OMG I was thinking exactly the same thing.  WE BAD.

[wolanah]

Hah! But Kim Sarang is trending hard on Naver right now...

http://entertain.naver.com/ranking/read?oid=117&aid=0002625974 

http://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=241&aid=0002428258

[wolanah]

 

[Guest iker]

Let's hope they don't let that 'most beautiful body' go to waste 

Well, Illicit Desire was mentioned as their inspiration, seems wrong not to expect the opposite of the ahjumma clothes they've put gorgeous KSR in so far. JJM is a lucky man & JEH even more so. <3

[seungshin]

 

[IG deleted]

Ji Eun Ho is a lucky man:

The women she beat to be # 1 star with most beautiful body

[valsava]

I have just finished with a MLED marathon and the one remaining thought in my head is rather bloodthirsty.

"When is ED going to start standing up for herself with all the people who have lied and hurt her? When is she going to give it back in spades to the chief architect of her misbegotten life?"

The only man who has been honest to her, even though it cost him, is Eun Ho.  He laid his heart bare to her and she trampled it to a bleeding mess.  He has been steadfast, faithful and determined.  He has pursued her even when it hurts.  I wish for the writer to stop making her a victim of manipulation and give her courage to meet Eun Ho half-way now.  She knows everything after the letter triggered the recovery of her memory.  I wish for Eun Dong to become worthy of the love Eun Ho bears for her.

 

@klgirl,  Hi,  That's the big question will Eun Dong feel worthy of all this love that PHS/EH have for her until this day how can she return and give the same amount of love to him without feeling guilty for being with another man even if it wasn't at her own will how do ED and EH go back to the way they were and bring that anew..    

 

As I read the comments I get the feeling that some are new to JJM and his body of work. How many have gone back and watched his early films and dramas?

I have not...don't know if I will.  I've seen him partly in 200 lbs Beauty and I stopped midway because I wasn't that interested in the movie.  The other work that I've seen him in was Fashion 70s which I didn't really enjoy because of his leading lady.  Chun Jung-myung was the main reason I finished it.  So when I read about My Love Eun Dong, I was actually more intrigued by the plot and the teasers more than anything. 

Anyways,anyone else think that things will get messy soon.  Eun Dong finally gets back her memory but I honestly don't see them truly reuniting until much much later.  For one thing, in the eyes of the public, ED is JE and is a married woman.  JH has public's sympathy because of the event and his disability.  ED/JE is gonna look like she abandoned her child and disabled husband.  HS/EH will also look bad in the eyes of the public because he stole another man's wife.  It won't matter to the public that he has found Eun Dong.  All they will see is that he's a home wrecker. It's gonna be interesting how this will play out and how the writer will handle this.

@honeywell,  This is why I think ED should write her own version of the events between her and PHS /EH and ED /JE not leaving JH and adopted parents out.. This the only way the public won't buy JH sympathy act.. If the public need to be sympathetic it should be to ED and the child they stole to hold her in bondage just so JH could have her..    

[valsava]

JH has really let his true colors shine through and they are definitely not beautiful...they are very very ugly. "This is an order as your husband", when JH says this he really takes off the mask, also when he tells ED that he didn't reveal his rehabilitation progress because he felt that his disability was what tied him to her (I'm paraphrasing here). Even without her memories recovered at this point she has died a little bit on the inside because she realizes there's something insidious about.

She knows she is ED, that she was lied to regarding everything prior to 10 years ago, she allegedly had a child with JH, and that she allegedly committed a huge wrong toward JH. At this point (before she reads the letter) she feels that there is something more going on but it remains elusive, just outside the grasp of her reach.

JH, with his extreme inferiority and obsessiveness, plans to show HS and everyone else that he owns ED, she is his possession and he will never release her.imagine it would be even worst now.

@thegoldbug,   I order you,  PHS favorite words to ED this is JH living as PHS but being JH the one in control like PHS.. PHS may have been demanding towards ED but it was never harmful and he always took care of her like a man should take care a woman JH only wants to own like and object like his favorite catchers glove..

The wrong and betrayal ED supposedly committed towards is loving another man giving herself to that man getting pregnant with that man.. I'm surprised they didn't abort the baby when she was in a coma..

Home life isn't going to be the same and I think RA II needs to be removed from the home for a while not with the lying deceitful G/parents and why send him to JH mom home she's not even his real G/ma.. If ED don't have a place for RA II at this point JH should leave but he never will and things will get ugly and JH will hold on to RA II to stop ED from leaving and he will feed the boy a head full of lies.. ED is going to have to move out but JH will play on the public about ED leaving her handicap husband after 10yrs and taking his so called child with her.. To be honest I can't think of a good solution other the ED moving in with EH parents home it's safe and a good enviroment for RA II..           

[seungshin]

Anyways,anyone else think that things will get messy soon.  Eun Dong finally gets back her memory but I honestly don't see them truly reuniting until much much later.  For one thing, in the eyes of the public, ED is JE and is a married woman.  JH has public's sympathy because of the event and his disability.  ED/JE is gonna look like she abandoned her child and disabled husband.  HS/EH will also look bad in the eyes of the public because he stole another man's wife.  It won't matter to the public that he has found Eun Dong.  All they will see is that he's a home wrecker. It's gonna be interesting how this will play out and how the writer will handle this.

@honeywell,  This is why I think ED should write her own version of the events between her and PHS /EH and ED /JE not leaving JH and adopted parents out.. This the only way the public won't buy JH sympathy act.. If the public need to be sympathetic it should be to ED and the child they stole to hold her in bondage just so JH could have her..    

Yah, there were a lot of cameras clicking at the 'Eclipse' dinner.  It could be the headline entertainment news the next day.  Wonder how EH would react to the media reports?  Would CSR take advantage of that? Would she support EH or fight him?  If she fights him publicly what would ED do publicly? Wonder if SR's toy boy will step in somehow?  Where would HB fall in this dance?  And what's up with that woman he keeps running into.  So many questions to be answered !

[gaixixon]

Well.. JaeHo did a very wrong move at the press conference. The greed of possession has made him blind when he brought his wife to the stage and declares a war to warn Eunho NOT to touch his wife. We all can see how Eundong was so embarrassed at the ceremony, and after Eunho's speech, added by his utmost painful crying out '지은동아..' Eundong finally made up her mind that she must return to Eundong and to live with her real man.

Now going back to the time that she got the letter from the old lady - her student, I was sooo surprised that she did NOT open it immediately, then I thought she would open it on the bus. But no, she just wanna keep it, keep it as a good memory of Eundong & Eunho. At this moment, she wants to bury all, and to live a a fate with her handicap husband and her (so she thinked) JaeHo's child.  and that's JaeHo, thanks to his greed.. Eundong has finally opened the letter, and opened her forgotten memory that has been lured for 10 years.. Thank you again Mr. JaeHo!