We have come to the conclusion that perhaps we only enjoy slices of life when they aren’t overly realistic as we near the end of the 20-episode television series Our Blues. K-dramas have always included a certain dreamy element into their plots, which has helped to make them famous. However, I don’t want to put too strict a box on them. They never move quickly, but they also take care to keep the audience interested. Our Blues has had pacing issues since the beginning due to being too slow. Although the conclusion neatly binds the stories of all the people together in bow ties, we couldn’t help but reflect on how little we actually cared. And that is a sign that a show is failing. Let’s examine how the last two episodes were to better get this viewpoint.
Spoilers upcoming
Do Jeong Joon s Parents Like Young Ok?
Three significant storylines—young Ju and hyun’s; jeong joon and young ok’s; and, finally, dong seok and ok dong’s—were wrapped up in the final week of our blues. Near the end of this episode, Young Ju gives birth to a baby girl, and the happy new parents can be seen beaming as a result of their suffering. Jeong Joon and Young Ok are both incredibly anxious to meet Jeong Joon’s parents. She is reassured by Jeong Joon that his parents are aware of her family, so she need not worry. Although Young Ok is not persuaded, she decides to give it a try and borrows her automobile. She does this with the idea that she can easily depart if things don’t work out. Young Ok is troubled when they get to Jeong Joon’s parents’ house because they don’t even give her a grin. It turns out that the parents were not in a particularly good mood for reasons unrelated to the pair, so it was just a case of the two picking a terrible day. At the dinner table, Jeong Joon’s mother addressed Young Ok with tears in her eyes that she must have had a very difficult time due of her family. Following this exchange, Young Ok relaxes and begins chatting freely with them. Jeong Joon’s parents appear to approve of Young Ok’s and are fans of them.
How Do Dong Seok And Ok Dong Make-Up?
When Dong Seok’s story began in Our Blues Episode 1, we assumed it would be a love story between him and Seon A, and that something related to that was the source of his abrasive, dislikeable nature. However, props to the writers for not giving the character a backstory that washed over the complexities of generational trauma and what it means to overcome it for oneself. Dong Seok and Ok Dong miss their boat at the beginning and end up travelling by car. Dong Seok assists her with her seatbelt in an effort to be courteous. He is invited to accompany her to Madang Ri, which is practically on the outskirts of Makpo. The tensions between them are quite clear when they encounter Dong Seok’s stepbrother at Jong U’s residence after their visit to Man Su. Everyone there, with the exception of Dong Seok, bows in memory of their late father. Because Dong Seok used to be bullied and beat up by Jong U, the two don’t get along well. It doesn’t take long for a battle to break out between them, with Jong U accusing Dong Seok of stealing the money and fleeing the house. The latter believes that it is adequate restitution for all the bullying he endured at the hands of his and his stepfather. When Ok Dong steps in to correct Jong U and assert that it was his own acts that led to his father’s passing, Jong U responds that he felt sorry for him. He started the domino effect that led to her husband’s demise as a result of the trauma of losing that money.
Later on that day, Dong Seok queries his mother about why she never expressed regret to him for standing by while he was bullied. Ok Dong responds that she has never had cause to apologise, which clearly enrages her son. The following day, they discover that the settlement of Ok Dong, Madang Ri, has been transformed into a reservoir when they arrive there. At the conclusion of the day, Dong Seok snaps at his mother, telling her that this is the last thing he is going to do for her since he has had enough. She twists her ankle as they travel through the jungle to the location his mother wanted to go. Ok Dong describes her traumatic upbringing and shares with Dong Seok how she quickly lost every member of her family. She got married and moved in with his stepfather only to guarantee Dong Seok access to education and three meals per day. She had no control over anything else, therefore she was unable to stop bullying when it occurred. She requests that she not be given a burial once she passes away as she sobs in humiliation. As Dong Seok begins to comprehend his mother’s conduct, tears well up in his eyes.
Our Blues Season 1: Ending Explained- Does Ok Dong Pass Away? Do Jeong Joon And Young Ok Get Over Their Problems?
Dong Seok lets a lot of his rage go after understanding his mother. He encircles her with his coat and rides on her back. They spoke quite civilly, almost affectionately, while eating noodles afterwards. Ok Dong takes her son to Gusa town, where she initially met his father, for additional travel. Dong Seok takes his mother on a vacation to Mount Halla in an effort to provide her with some fond memories. He explains to her that it was not her fault that her loved ones passed away and then enquires about her pleasant memories. Ok Dong responds that she is at that moment very delighted. Both the mother and the boy went on the trip to mend. Dong Seok brings her to the house he has been remodelling for Seon A, where she is currently residing with her son Yeol, after they have healed from their wounds. Ok Dong informs Seon A that Dong Seok has a good heart and blesses them while they are at the residence.
When she returns home, she makes some soup for her son and invites him over. However, Dong Seok discovers that his mother has passed away when he gets there. He sobs and acknowledges that he never truly despised her. All he wished for was the chance to once more be her son. When we understand how just a small bit of honesty and openness could have prevented all of them from harbouring years of bitterness, it is a wonderful moment of the complexity of human emotions and tugs at our hearts. The saying “all’s well that ends well” can help us come to some sort of resolution.
A month later, the residents of Jeju Island assemble for an athletic competition. Seon A is persuaded to take part by Young Ok. It concludes with a lovely montage of individuals running, each group representing the progression of their personal relationships. Our Blues’ climax was so beautiful and made up for all the times we became frustrated with the characters over the course of the previous ten weeks in an episode that was so heartbreaking.
Final Thoughts- Why Doesn t Our Blues Work?
While the conclusion of Our Blues’ final episode left us feeling quite emotional, our assessment of the series as a whole is different. Even while we value the variety that comes from k-drama land, we have high standards for them. And perhaps that is why our disappointment is doubled. After a few episodes, we found ourselves lowering our standards of judgement in order to give the programme a fair shot as we struggled to care about the slow-paced stories and the people that we were simply unable to connect with. Even then, we were unable to handle how quickly the show moved. Multiple narratives have the drawback of alienating the spectator. In one or two episodes, we witness a character encountering difficulties before overcoming them. No change in character is apparent. Then they become incidental characters in everyone else’s narrative. And it took 20 episodes, each lasting an hour, to finish this. How then do we care for so long when we are given so little is the question.
Only eight episodes of Our Blues should have been the maximum. That would have made the show much more enjoyable. Recently, K-dramas have seemed to struggle with a single issue: they have the ideal actors, plots, and sets, but it all falls flat because they can’t agree on how long to make the show. I sincerely ask that the creators of Korean dramas address this issue as soon as possible. We adore you and detest seeing you squander your abilities on unsuitable formats. If you can put on a show that is amazing enough to make up for Our Blues, we will forget they ever were. Do it, please.
