[Drama 2022] Red Balloon - 빨간 풍선

[forumsoomp]

The old couple Nam Cheol reunited & returned to his family & took over the business from his father-in-law.

CW is working as a labourer, EK's sister informed her that she saw him at the river front, EK rushed over & both met & smiled at each other - that's the ending. Final scene, EK went to BD office to decorate her new office with balloons & left.  BD saw & rushed out to look for EK but failed to see EK who was watching from a distance.  

[maribella]

13 minutes ago, forumsoomp said:

The old couple Nam Cheol reunited & returned to his family & took over the business from his father-in-law.

CW is working as a labourer, EK's sister informed her that she saw him at the river front, EK rushed over & both met & smiled at each other - that's the ending. Final scene, EK went to BD office to decorate her new office with balloons & left.  BD saw & rushed out to look for EK but failed to see EK who was watching from a distance.  

That's kdrama way of trying to please the for and against crowds. But they should skip the EK balloons, a bit realistic. It would take old age or fatal sickness to bring them together, judging by how BD has been reacting.

[junghwana]

Stupid ending.

[roli]

The worst ending of all kdramas. 

[maribella]

11 hours ago, junghwana said:

Stupid ending.

Absolutely, so many What the's ......?

Good Lord, if ever there is stupid and mindboggling ending, this is the one.

 

Does it matter that they broke off before or after they were busted? BD had an attack of remorse by EK kneeling etc... etc....  Perhaps if they were not found out now and BD found out about it 20 years later when EK and CW decide to declare their true love??? That they had kept their passion or what not all the time?? I am glad the writer has a little sense at least. 

 

The twenty years of their so-called friendship was always  recalled, repeated, rehashed ....  BD was the crutch and EK was the lame duck. Hardly something to reminisce or value.

 

The old guy gets to have a better life with memories of a passionate affair. Not bad.

 

I usually don't look for messages from commercial entertainment but it's difficult to ignore the forgive-at-end storylines, in the last 10 minutes. 
 

What annoyed me most about this show is that it implied well off people are rude and condescending, and their families are cold and distant. While the poor fight and argue but are loving and stick together till the end. But if you look at the individuals, there would not have been any loving warm relationships, Except for EKand ES perhaps. Their parents would be snarling at each other.

 

12 hours ago, forumsoomp said:

CW is working as a labourer, EK's sister informed her that she saw him at the river fro

No, he was a volunteer, probably for the same group as ES. He was the most unaffected for dropping his zipper for his wife's friend. Apart from being abused in public by BD, he had not suffered at all, even got to keep MP and got back with the mistress.
 

Likewise with GA for cheating. The boy is the taxi driver's kid. I am sure. She hasn't lost anything- except the possibility of living in poverty with the taximan and EK's family.

 

An unpleasant cheating story with flashes of enjoyment from the reaction of the wronged wife. I was watching to find out the end. A stupid one.

[backstreetboysfan]

Here are the ratings for Episode 20 *Last episode*! .

 

 

“Red Balloon” And “Agency” End On Their Highest Ratings Yet + “Crash Course In Romance” Heads Into Final Week On High

 

Both TV Chosun’s “Red Balloon” and JTBC’s “Agency” ended on all-time highs last night!

 

On February 26, both weekend dramas earned the highest viewership ratings of their entire runs for their respective series finales.

 

According to Nielsen Korea, the final episode of “Red Balloon” scored an average nationwide rating of 11.6 percent, marking a significant rise from the previous night and setting a new personal record for the series.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1569013wpp/red-balloon-and-agency-end-on-their-highest-ratings-yet-crash-course-in-romance-heads-into-final-week-on-high

[TheTranMan]

Uh well let's see here.

 

Was cringing and annoyed with Eun Kang once again after she kept begging Ba Da for forgiveness after announcing the lawsuit. Once again another 180 after she finally confessed how she felt being Ba Da's lapdog for 20 years. This flip flopping of personality pissed me off and it's not the first time she's done this. I guess everything turned out in her favor after all though with help of Chae Won.

 

And the end result, I wasn't expecting Ba Da and Eun Kang to resolve things at all. 

 

In the end all characters have awful flaws, none of them particularly likeable. I only liked Nam Chul's son and Moon Pi lmao.

Edited February 27, 2023 by TheTranMan

[maribella]

I read another group's comments, they like the ending. 
Infidelity is a big no no for me. This is infidelity and betrayal. Everyone ends up honky dory. Perhaps ES and GA had to compromise but if infidelity is a no no then the adulterers have not been punished.

[TheQueenReturns]

I blame myself as I am a glutton for punishment by seeing it through to the end! SMH!

[backstreetboysfan]

 

Seo Ji Hye Chats About Viewers’ Reactions To “Red Balloon,” Her Candid Thoughts On Marriage, And More

 

Seo Ji Hye has spoken about successfully wrapping up “Red Balloon”!

 

TV Chosun’s “Red Balloon” is a thrilling yet passionate story about the sense of deprivation we all feel when comparing ourselves to others, the thirst of jealous ambition, and our struggles to quench that thirst. Seo Ji Hye stars as Jo Eun Kang, who dreams of becoming a teacher but instead works as a tutor after consistently failing her employment exams. Lee Sang Woo plays Han Ba Da’s (Hong Soo Hyun‘s) husband Go Cha Won, who is a dermatologist. On February 26, the weekend drama aired its finale to its highest viewership ratings ever at 11.6 percent.

 

The drama followed the story of the ambitious Jo Eun Kang who falls for Go Cha Won, the husband of her best friend Han Ba Da. On responses from viewers, Seo Ji Hye shared, “They say this is a drama that married couples shouldn’t watch together. I’ve heard that husbands were left troubled because their wives asked ‘are you going to be swayed if my friend seduces you?’ There are people who understand Eun Kang and pity her, and there are also people who say ‘why were you so bad?’ Seeing such diverse reactions was new and fun.”

 

 

Although her character’s dramatic affair is such a key part of the drama, Seo Ji Hye revealed that she agreed to the role without knowing about it. While she had a lot of trust in the drama’s writer Moon Young Nam, the actress was also intrigued by the hidden ambitions detailed in the story.

 

Seo Ji Hye explained, “In the character description, it said that she had a one-sided crush on her friend’s husband in the past, but it didn’t say anything about her being the subject of an affair. That’s why there was fun in receiving the scripts while thinking, ‘what kind of story will unfold?’ I think all the actors felt like that. Even while filming, it was a fascinating experience.”

 

She then revealed that the drama’s ending was similar to her own expectations, sharing, “Even if it were me, I don’t think I would’ve been able to pick one person. She had a hope that she would become a cool woman who lives independently. I want to tell Eun Kang, ‘Please love yourself.’ I always thought that.”

 

 

Regarding her chemistry with co-star Hong Soo Hyun, Seo Ji Hye commented, “I learned a lot from Hong Soo Hyun. As we portrayed friends, she approached me in such a friendly way the first time we met, to the point where she said ‘just speak informally,’ and supported me a lot. Since Eun Kang went back and forth between two or three emotions in one scene, I had a hard time. She comforted me by my side and talked a lot with me.”

 

To depict just how long they’ve been friends, the drama included a flashback scene of Jo Eun Kang and Han Ba Da in high school, portrayed by the actors themselves, despite being in their late 30s and early 40s. Laughing, Seo Ji Hye explained, “There was pressure. We pleaded for them to use stand-ins. We said we didn’t want to get hate. A uniform at this age? I felt pressure because it’s been so long since I wore a uniform but the writer really wanted us to. They said that in order to showcase our close relationship, it’d be better for us to do it ourselves. Thankfully, they took care of it well so they stopped some time. Wearing a uniform for the first time in awhile was fun and reminded me of when I was in high school.”

 

Given the drama’s story, Seo Ji Hye was asked about her own plans for marriage. The actress nonchalantly commented, “I believe that the people who are meant to leave will leave, and the people who are meant to come will come. Whether it’s fate or not. Human relationships are not just about love, but friends too. Even if I hold on to someone because I like them so much, there’s nothing I can do if they say they really don’t like me. It’s not something that can happen just because I force myself.”

 

Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin of Seo Ji Hye’s previous project “Crash Landing On You,” as well as her “Red Balloon” co-star Lee Sang Woo and Kim So Yeon, are two celebrity couples who met while working on a project together. When asked about the potential of meeting someone on set, Seo Ji Hye responded, “I was also curious so I asked Lee Sang Woo how he met [his wife] and ended up getting married. I asked, ‘Is it nice to be with an actor?’ and he said there were pros and cons.”

 

Seo Ji Hye added, “To be honest, there are times I want to get married and times I don’t want to. My thoughts go back and forth. I’m not against marriage but I don’t want to quickly get it over with, like homework. I may do it if a relationship naturally occurs, but I don’t necessarily want to go out to intentionally find that. When I see others become a couple and get married while working on a drama together, I feel jealous but I also just can’t relate.”

 

Spoiler

 

When asked about her ideal type, Seo Ji Hye shared, “In the past, it was simple things like ‘I hope he’s tall and good looking,’ but after hearing a lot from my married friends, I think it’s harder than that. I realized that living with one person is not all that simple. Learning that, I think it’s become harder for me to get married.” She then casually added, “I don’t know. I currently believe ‘if they’re my soulmate, they’ll find their way to me.”

 

Now that “Red Balloon,” has come to an end, Seo Ji Hye revealed that she planned to take some rest and travel to Australia, where her younger sister and nephews live. The actress commented, “I worked for about a year and a half without rest. I used a lot of energy throughout ‘Red Balloon’ and I think I’ll need to take a period of rest. While resting and healing, I plan to work if there’s a good project.”

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1569318wpp/seo-ji-hye-chats-about-viewers-reactions-to-red-balloon-her-candid-thoughts-on-marriage-and-more

[Firefly]

Loved Seo Ji Hye and Hong Soo Hyun in the drama. 

[chickfactor]

That was weird.

 

Now that it's over, I think this is a love story - between Bada and Eun-kang. I guess those posters with these two holding hands or embracing were the clue.

 

And the second couple is Nam-cheol and his father-in-law. He had no emotional reaction to returning to his wife, but cried in the arms of his father-in-law. Haha, WTF. That's the real love story.

 

I think it's also worth pointing out that both relationships are the classic "master-and-servant" relationships, where the servant can never fully leave because of Stockholm Syndrome.

 

A lot of Korean netizens are upset that the adulteress got a happy ending with the husband she seduced. I didn't think I would have a strong reaction to that, but even I thought that was kind of... yuck.

 

If they were going to end with a happy adulterous couple, I think Nam-cheol and Eun-san would have been slightly easier to root for.

 

 

Ultimately the story is about wealth vs. poverty.

 

(1) Nam-cheol was welcomed back into the Ko house because without him, they'd lose the junkyard company and all their wealth - so they have to keep him at all costs.

 

(2) And Geum-ah and her decades-long passionate love for Dae-geun evaporated the moment she saw his poor homelife. There was just no way that she would be with him after that. And they both knew that.

 

(3) Eun-kang's behavior was ultimately blamed on her poverty. Once Bada saw her home, she realized that Eun-kang suffered from a "sense of deprivation." So she could ultimately forgive Eun-kang, at least enough to stop the lawsuit and prosecution. So being poor is the reason she seduced her best friend's husband, so that is understandable? Hmmm-kay.

 

She even defended Eun-kang to her mother saying, "If she was born into a wealthy family like me, she wouldn't be like this."

 

I don't know what to make of this except that this writer in her last three dramas has made this into her theme. Being poor is the reason for all the crappy things her characters do. "Don't blame them! They're poor!" 

 

==

 

I read a funny analysis of the show online. Basically, this drama is a story about Dae-geun, and the main story is about his revenge:

 

• Dae-geun is an evil mastermind. He is getting revenge on Mr. Ko for brutally beating him 20 years ago.
• Both his nieces grew up to seduce his son and his son-in-law.
• Dae-geun is also the biological father of Mr. Ko's grandson, Woon, who stands to inherit the junkyard business one day.
• Dae-geun wins.

[lila21]

On 2/26/2023 at 11:46 PM, maribella said:

On 2/26/2023 at 12:12 PM, junghwana said:

Stupid ending.

Absolutely, so many What the's ......?

Good Lord, if ever there is stupid and mindboggling ending, this is the one.

 

agree... SMH, whaaat?? If the writer had the audacity to write about befuddled, shameless characters all through the drama she should not try to end it with peace kumbaya at the very last episode....

[shivji44t]

TV Chosun's new drama 'Red Balloon' deals with the disease we all suffer from and the relative sense of deprivation. It depicts a heartbreaking yet warm story of a person who struggles to appease the thirst of desire that hurts the stomach. netgear login

pikashow.ltd
 

Edited April 12, 2023 by shivji44t

[damiendada]

Absolutely stunning! I was terribly moved by this story... it's beautiful, tender and violent at the same time!

 

 

^{_{Mini Militia App Lock}}

Edited March 19, 2023 by damiendada

[Firefly]

I for one think this is very resonable ending. Ba Da left the cheater but for the sake of their daughter, they stayed friendly and forgave Eung Kang becoz they have a long history together. Seemed Ba Da lost the interest in her husband too because of the nice guy who always takes care of her and on the other hand Cha Won wasnt very suitable for her and doesnt understand Ba Da and her needs. 

I hated Kwon Tae Ki though. That RickRoll'D used Eun Kang for 4 years and made her abort their child and yet he mocks she cant bear children since she is about to turn 40 anyday. 

I didnt like older guy and Eun Sang love story.

. 

[DocMcStuffins]

On 2/26/2023 at 8:46 PM, maribella said:

Absolutely, so many What the's ......?

Good Lord, if ever there is stupid and mindboggling ending, this is the one.

 

Does it matter that they broke off before or after they were busted? BD had an attack of remorse by EK kneeling etc... etc....  Perhaps if they were not found out now and BD found out about it 20 years later when EK and CW decide to declare their true love??? That they had kept their passion or what not all the time?? I am glad the writer has a little sense at least. 

 

The twenty years of their so-called friendship was always  recalled, repeated, rehashed ....  BD was the crutch and EK was the lame duck. Hardly something to reminisce or value.

 

The old guy gets to have a better life with memories of a passionate affair. Not bad.

 

I usually don't look for messages from commercial entertainment but it's difficult to ignore the forgive-at-end storylines, in the last 10 minutes. 
 

What annoyed me most about this show is that it implied well off people are rude and condescending, and their families are cold and distant. While the poor fight and argue but are loving and stick together till the end. But if you look at the individuals, there would not have been any loving warm relationships, Except for EKand ES perhaps. Their parents would be snarling at each other.

 

No, he was a volunteer, probably for the same group as ES. He was the most unaffected for dropping his zipper for his wife's friend. Apart from being abused in public by BD, he had not suffered at all, even got to keep MP and got back with the mistress.
 

Likewise with GA for cheating. The boy is the taxi driver's kid. I am sure. She hasn't lost anything- except the possibility of living in poverty with the taximan and EK's family.

 

An unpleasant cheating story with flashes of enjoyment from the reaction of the wronged wife. I was watching to find out the end. A stupid one.

 

Another issue is the idea that poor people have no moral compass and will literally stoop so low, to maybe just maybe get money and elevate in status. Also, that when you have cheating parents you are all too willing to be a mistress. In my experience maybe that happens with boys emulating their fathers. But girls! Girls usually sympathize with their mothers and would especially never be a mistress after seeing the  pain their mother went through.

 

I was happy that BaDa didn't allow her mother to post the banner, but all about dropping all the charges. It couldn't be me, Eun Kang literally betrayed her by selling her designs and that is unforgivable.

[maribella]

1 hour ago, DocMcStuffins said:

was happy that BaDa didn't allow her mother to post the banner, but all about dropping all the charges. It couldn't be me, Eun Kang literally betrayed her by selling her designs and that is unforgivable.

The writer just couldn't pass the kumbaya ending. Months or years later, I could see BD being sorry and forgiving EK but I agree, emoting after your marriage is destroyed and you are saddled with debts .... not a chance.

 

If we try to figure out the logic of stealing the design and getting $500 for it, does that make sense? She has a rich good friend of umpteen years. Borrow from her, now if she had refused then there might be a good reason.