Our Blues: Episodes 1-2

Our Blues: Episodes 1-2

by lovepark

It has already been four years since Noh Hee-kyung and Kim Kyu-tae’s last project, and I’m sure fans of the pair have been itching for their return. Alongside a star-studded cast, Our Blues is on the path to become a bona fide hit, and with so many characters and storylines to choose from, something is bound to catch your attention.

 
EPISODES 1-2 WEECAP: HAN-SOO & EUN-HEE

Writer Noh Hee-kyung’s latest drama has an impressive ensemble cast, and while most of the characters get a quick introduction this premiere week, the bulk of the narrative focuses on two characters: Han-soo and Eun-hee.

CHOI HAN-SOO (Cha Seung-won) is a branch manager for SS Bank, and a “goose dad” of seven years. His wife is in the US to support their daughter’s golf career, and though she has potential, the lessons and fees cost a fortune which Han-soo lacks.

Despite his wife’s pleas to stop all this nonsense, Han-soo refuses to give up on his daughter and transfers to his hometown in Jeju Island. It’s a humiliating push from his bank to get him to retire, but Han-soo grits his teeth and bears with it. His pride be damned.

Han-soo’s return is received with mixed reactions from friends and family, but no matter what anyone else says, JUNG EUN-HEE (Lee Jung-eun) is thrilled to see her first love back. In her eyes, he is still the same, cool person she fell in love with all those years ago.

In high school, Han-soo and Eun-hee were bullied for being poor, and one day on the bus, Han-soo stood up for her which started her infatuation. Afterwards, during their school trip, she confessed her feelings and kissed him. In truth, her behavior was awkward and invasive, but nostalgia is a funny thing that tends to gloss over the problematic aspects of past actions.

However, what made Eun-hee truly fall in love with Han-soo is what happens next. Bragging to her friend, Eun-hee lied about the encounter and flipped the script — he forced a kiss on her. To her horror, her friend asked Han-soo for his version in front of everyone, and he replied, “You liked it, too.” (It’s easy to see why Eun-hee was in love with him.)

Though they started on similar paths, Han-soo and Eun-hee’s lives have diverged drastically. While she has amassed a fortune from her fish business and fends off freeloading siblings, Han-soo is nearly penniless and begs his siblings for money.

Han-soo keeps his financial straits a secret from his high school friends for now, but his old buddy and now colleague, KIM MYUNG-BO (Lee Kwang-kyu), overhears some rumors circulating about Han-soo and his family. Apparently, Han-soo’s wife is suspiciously close with male sponsors and has a reputation for not paying people back.

As part of his work, Han-soo attends his school reunion with Myung-bo, but he runs a little late since he is still unaccustomed to the way of life here and their early schedules. By the time he arrives, his friends JUNG IN-KWON (Park Ji-hwan) and BANG HO-SHIK (Choi Young-joon) have already fought each other once in the restroom. No one knows why the two are constantly arguing, but their animosity is well-known.

Of the people who have not taken kindly to Han-soo’s return is In-kwon, and he makes the big-shot bank manager pay for their bill. Eun-hee is peeved at his little trick, and stays behind to take care of Han-soo who drank one too many beers.

Though a couple years younger than the group, LEE DONG-SUK (Lee Byung-heon) joins the reunion, too. A quick flashback from seven years ago reveals that Dong-suk harbors scars of his own, but that’s a story for another time.

After the reunion, sea captain PARK JUNG-JOON (Kim Woo-bin) appears out of the blue as their designated driver. It seems this arrangement is commonplace as Jung-joon makes his rounds and drops In-kwon and Ho-shik off first.

The two enemies are neighbors with kids in the same grade, but unbeknownst to them, In-kwon’s son, JUNG HYUN ( Bae Hyun-sung), and Ho-shik’s daughter, BANG YOUNG-JOO (Noh Yoon-seo), share a kiss before picking up their drunk dads. While Young-joo is clearly Ho-shik’s pride and joy, In-kwon is cruel to his son and berates him for always coming in second place.

The last stop on Jung-joon’s trip is a small seaside bar run by LEE YOUNG-OK (Han Ji-min). She is one of the haenyeos (women divers) he ferries in the mornings, and his gaze always finds itself locked on her whenever she is around. Among the other divers, Young-ok has a reputation for being a leech, and her friendly attitude towards men does not bode well for some. Besides her other jobs, Young-ok also works with Eun-hee at the fish market where many of the others do business as well.

Since everyone else leaves, Eun-hee stays behind and watches over Han-soo to make sure he gets home safe. He gladly accepts the ride, but instead of going back to his empty apartment, Han-soo accompanies Eun-hee to the auction house. He notices, again, a different way of life from his own, and gets lost in the moment until Eun-hee calls for him.

They drop by the coast, reminiscing about the good old days, and Han-soo admits to Eun-hee that he may have been poor back then but at least he had fun. He watches his younger self splash in the ocean, and longingly dives after him.

As Han-soo floats in the water, his burdens weigh him down, and his attempt to have fun fails. Shouting at Eun-hee, he asks if she wants to go on a trip with him, and his younger self stares at him in disappointment. Though it seems that Han-soo wants to free himself from his current shackles and find the happiness he had in his youth, maybe he is the one clutching onto those very things he finds suffocating—unable to let go because it would mean the last seven years were for nothing.

Resting at home, Han-soo receives a text from his daughter, telling him that she is quitting, and he immediately calls her. He tells her not to worry about money, and right then, his doorbell rings: it’s Eun-hee. The timing of his two worlds colliding finally pushes Han-soo, and like a trail of dominoes toppling over, the beginnings of his deceit rapidly move forward with no signs of slowing down.

Han-soo hides any traces of his wife from his tiny apartment before opening the door for Eun-hee, and when she asks about his family, he lies about separating from his wife seven years ago. He tells her that he is planning to divorce her, and invites Eun-hee on a trip — just the two of them. She declines him at first since he is a married man, but the next day, Eun-hee cannot stop thinking of Han-soo and accepts.

The two of them take a ferry to Mokpo — the same place she confessed her feelings to him — and Eun-hee tells Han-soo that the school trip was the best time of her life. Shortly after that day, her mom died, and she quit school to provide for her family. Even now, her biggest regret is being unable to graduate with her friends.

Han-soo thanks Eun-hee for growing up well despite all that, and she thanks him, too, for preserving her precious memory. She is glad he remained as the same boy she fell in love with, and Han-soo looks away, unable to reply. Guilt etches his face as Han-soo realizes that the person she loved has disappeared a long time ago.

Like many of Noh Hee-kyung’s dramas, Our Blues is not an easy watch. Her characters are not immediately likeable, and they all have their flaws, with some bigger than others. The show is almost painful in how realistic it is (Han-soo’s broken toenail gave me shivers), but at that same time, there is also a bit of catharsis.

While escapism is one form of finding relief from the real world, there’s also a certain comfort in realism. Seeing one’s realities reflected on screen makes people feel heard and helps them realize that others are struggling with similar issues. While I doubt the majority of watchers are “goose dads” with daughters trying to become pro golfers, I’m sure many people can relate to Han-soo’s longing for his romanticized past and wondering what if…

It’s a bit early to say how the rest of the show will fare, but it has definitely piqued my interest. Despite only having a few scenes, I’m curious about the other characters’ stories from the feuding single dads to the older ladies living by themselves. Knowing Noh Hee-kyung, I would be a fool to judge a character too quickly, and there are enough unanswered questions sprinkled throughout the first two episodes that already make me second-guess my assumptions.

Is Ho-shik actually the better dad compared to In-kwon, or is there a reason for his daughter’s aloof behavior? Why does Dong-suk cut ties with people so quickly when he seems to value loyalty so much? Who exactly is Young-ok and is her flirtatious personality actually her true self or a mask she wears to protect herself? There are so many things going on in the show simultaneously that every line feels important because there is no time to waste. With over ten characters and storylines to juggle, I wouldn’t be surprised if a throwaway comment in one scene turns out to be foreshadowing later on.

 
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Our Blues: Episodes 1-2
Source: Buzz Pinay Daily