I really wanted to like the latest George Clooney movie, The Midnight Sky, on Netflix, so much so that I sat through the entire two hours even though my family was ready to give up, all in the hope that the ending would make this really slow-paced boring movie worth a watch. Sadly, that ending never came.
When an unidentified cataclysmic event wipes out most of Earth’s population, the remaining people try to go underground to escape the powerful radiation. Dr. Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney), a scientist looking for habitable planets, refuses to evacuate his base in the Arctic, and instead tries to locate any space missions to warn them of the situation on Earth. The only space mission that is currently commissioned is the space craft Aether that is returning to Earth after exploring K-23, Jupiter’s habitable moon. The movie is about the astronauts on Aether and the challenges they face in space when they are unable to contact Earth, and Augustine with the help of Iris, a little girl accidentally left behind during the evacuation, trying desperately to contact the astronauts who may be mankind’s last chance of survival.
While the story does sound interesting, and the performances are spot on, the narration is too slow and the only scene with some excitement is too brief and cliched. What I want to know is, if Hollywood will ever get tired of space debris wreaking havoc and someone dying as a result of it. This scene is so obvious in The Midnight Sky, that you could predict exactly when it was going to happen, how it was going to unfold and who was going to die as a result of it. This and the fact that they never try to explain anything in the film, made it very hard for me to like the film. The only good thing in the film is Caoilinn Springall as Iris, and some of the scenes she shares with Clooney’s Augustine.
The new Netflix series Bridgerton, is what happens when Pride & Prejudice collides with the world of Gossip Girl, with the exception that compared to Bridgerton, Gossip girl would be a PG-13 show and Pride and Prejudice a kids show ;). Almost every character and plot line feels like something you have read or seen in other stories. While this period drama about the Bridgerton family does not really have anything new to offer, it is still an interesting watch, especially if you love romantic dramas.
Lady Violet Bridgerton is a widow, who lives in London with her eight children, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth (yep, they are named alphabetically). Unlike the Bennets of Pride and Prejudice, the Bridgerton’s are a well-off family. However, just like Mrs. Bennet, Lady Violet is anxious to find suitable husbands for her daughters, and similar to Jane Bennet, Daphne, the oldest Bridgerton girl is very beautiful and the perfect example of how a lady should be, where as Eloise, like Elizabeth, is a free-spirit who loves books and does not understand why society gives so much importance to marriage. Even Eloise’s best friend Penelope Featherington will remind us of Charlotte Lucas, and her family will remind us of the Lucas family. The only difference here is that the Duke of Hastings (Simon Basset) is more of a Mr. Darcy than a Mr. Bingley. While all the characters feel like they walked out of a Jane Austen novel, it is the way the gossip is circulated in the ton (high-society London), that reminds us of Gossip Girl. Lady Whistledown (narrated in the beautiful voice of Julie Andrews), is an anonymous writer who somehow seems to know almost every scandal happening in ton. Nothing escapes her eyes, and no one is immune to her writings in the scandalous society pages. The question in everyone’s mind is, who is Lady Whistledown, and how does she know about what is happening in everyone’s lives. Another similarity that this show has to Gossip Girl is that despite living in a very male dominated world, all the female characters in the series are very strong women who have a mind of their own.
While there are many key characters in the series, this first season which is based on the first novel of the Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn, The Duke and I, belongs to Daphne and Simon. Simon is the Duke of Hastings, who is raised by his mother’s friend, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Though he is the most eligible bachelor in town, he has no intentions of ever getting married or settling down with a family. Daphne on the other hand, being the oldest Bridgerton girl, and chosen as the diamond of the season by the queen herself, is desperate to find a suitable husband to fall in love with, and start a family of her own. With an over-protective brother who thinks no man is good enough for his sister, and a mother who is too uncomfortable to talk to her daughters about the facts of life, Daphne has her work cut out for her. Rege-Jean Page as the duke with a dark past, and Phoebe Dynevor as the first born Bridgerton girl under immense pressure, are just perfect. Their undeniable chemistry, every time they share the screen is what makes this first season of Bridgerton worth a watch.
So, if you are in the mood to binge watch a good romantic series and do not mind a few steamy scenes in almost every episode then you can definitely give Bridgerton a try. Just make sure your kids are not around when you are watching ;).
True Beauty is a new Korean Drama that just started streaming on Viki. This drama starring Moon Ga-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-yeop and Park Yoo-na, is about a high school girl who is bullied all her life for looking ugly, and how she turns her life around when she discovers the power of makeup. Im Ju-kyung in one of three siblings. While her sister and brother inherit the good looking genes from their father’s family, Im ju-kyung ends up with her mother’s family genes (plain looking). Being the only plain looking one, she is bullied at home during family events, as well as at school. At one point she is even driven to the point of wanting to commit suicide. However when her family moves to a new place, she decides to turn her life around. With her parents disagreeing to pay for cosmetic surgery, she turns to the internet where she learns about the power of makeup. After investing a good amount of time and money, she finally figures out the perfect makeup technique that will transform her into a true beauty. On the first day of her new school, she realizes for the first time how different life is for someone who is pretty looking. Everyone is not only very nice to her, but they also want to be her friend.
This show reminded me of one of my favorite dramas, the 2018 Korean Drama My ID is Gangnam Beauty starring Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri and Kwak Dong-yeon. Gangnam Beauty is about Kang Mi-rae, who is also bullied all her life for being ugly, so much so that she also tries to commit suicide. Unable to bear her daughter’s misery, Mi-rae’s mother pays for her to undergo cosmetic surgery, so she can be more confident and have a better life, once she starts college. While Mi-rae was just hoping to be average looking, her surgery transforms her into a beauty catching the attention of everyone in college. The fact that it is obvious that she had work done on her face (and hence the name Gangnam Beauty), makes her very self-conscious. Also having been bullied all her life for looking ugly, Mi-rae has a very hard time adjusting to her new face, as well as the attention she gets for looking pretty.
Of course this is not all that is similar in the stories. The most common factor in both the series is Cha Eun-woo. His Lee Su-ho in True Beauty seems very similar to Do Kyung-seok in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. In both the dramas he is the silent, good-looking guy who does not care about looks. He is very good in his studies but is an introvert who keeps to himself. Both the characters have famous fathers that they do not get along with, and do not want others to find out. Another similarity that these characters have is that they both have a history with their female leads and like them before their transformation. Do Kyung-seok is one of my favorite Kdrama male lead. From his thoughts and views, to the way he treats Kang Mi-rae and others around him, and his judgement of people, everything about him is perfect. Seeing how Lee Su-ho is very similar to Kyung-seok, I am really interested to see how this character evolves.
While there maybe quite a lot of similarities in the two shows, True Beauty is only two episodes old and it will be wrong to judge the show based on just two episodes. I will definitely continue watching it because I really enjoyed the first two episodes and I want to see how the story unfolds and the characters evolve. Do check out the show, if not anything, you will get to see a cute light-hearted High School drama. True Beauty is available for online streaming on Viki.
In the mean time if you haven’t watched My Id is Gangnam Beauty, definitely check it out. It is also available for online streaming on Viki. This show does a great job of dealing with all the issues that trouble our youth as well as address all the prejudices most of us hold in regards to physical appearances. A must watch for any high-schooler.
It’s Okay to not be Okay. Such a perfect title for this amazing show that deals with mental health issues. Of all the shows I watched this year, if I had to choose just one drama to recommend to anyone, then it would have to be this one. From an interesting story line, to brilliant writing, great characters, amazing performances, and important life lessons in every episode, this show has everything. It is definitely a great come back series for Kim Soo-hyun, after his military service. While Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Yea-ji did an amazing job of portraying Moon Gang-tae and Ko Moon-young respectively, it is Oh Jung-se as Moon Sang-tae that steals the show. He was beyond brilliant as an autistic person trying to navigate through life while being a good older brother to Gang-tae. He is the heart and soul of the entire drama. Sang-tae is the type of person we all need in our lives, someone who brings out the best in us, just by being by our side.
Of course, that is not all what sets It’s Okay to not be Okay apart from other shows. In order to keep the narrative interesting while making sure they do not miss out on the many important steps to overcome any kind of mental health issues, the writers introduce a fairy tale in each episode, that has some connection to the main characters. These are not your ordinary run of the mill fairytales, they are real meaningful stories with some important life lessons. While some of the stories were made up for the drama, the others are old classics with a twist. It is these stories that make the drama extra-special. Irrespective of whether you have watched the drama or not, the stories themselves are worth a read.
Here is a look at all the sixteen stories and how they relate to the actual drama. If you haven’t watched the show, and are planning to do so, you may want to watch the show before reading this blog, as it contains a few spoilers (or you can read the stories under the pictures and skip the part that talks about the drama). It’s Okay to not be Okay is available for online streamlining on Netflix.
The boy who fed on nightmares
The boy woke up from another awful nightmare. Bad memories from the past that he wanted to erase from his head were replayed in his dreams every night and haunted him non-stop. The boy was terrified of falling asleep. So one day, he went to the witch and begged, “Please get rid of all my bad memories so that I won’t ever have a nightmare again. Then I will do everything you ask.” Years went by and the boy became an adult. He no longer had nightmares, but for some strange reason, he wasn’t happy at all. One night, a blood moon filled the night sky, and the witch finally showed up again to take what he had promised in return for granting his wish. He shouted at her with so much resentment. “All my bad memories are gone. But why can’t i become happy?” The witch took his soul as they had promised and told him this, “Hurtful, painful memories, memories of deep regret, memories of hurting others and being hurt, and memories of being abandoned, only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. Only those people can attain happiness. So don’t forget any of it. Remember it all and overcome it. If you don’t overcome it, you’ll always be a kid whose soul never grows.”
This story is in relation to the emotional baggage carried by Sang-tae, Gang-tae and Moon-young. They have been suffering for a long time, due to the bad memories they have been carrying. All three of them want to be happy, but they do not know how. They need to understand that unless they overcome the emotional pain hidden deep inside each of them, they will never be truly happy.
The Lady in Red Shoes
The little girl wore her red shoes everywhere she went, even to a God-fearing church. Once you wear those shoes, your feet start dancing on their own, and you can never stop dancing, or take them off. But even so, the little girl never gave up on those red shoes. In the end, the executioner, had to cut of her feet. But the two feet that got cut off still continued to dance in those red shoes.
This story explains Moon-young’s obsession with Gang-tae. It shows one of the biggest differences in both their personalities. While Gang-tae prefers to run away when things get difficult or uncomfortable, Moon-young prefers to tackle them head on. When Gang-tae realizes she is the girl from his past, he wants to run as far away from her as possible, while she wants him to be her safety pin. He is her red shoes, and like the shoes, some things can’t be torn apart no matter how hard you try to do so.
Sleeping Witch
Once upon a time, in a castle in the middle of a deep forest lived a princess who had been asleep for many years. A needle on a spinning wheel will kill her — that was the curse the evil witch put on the princess the day she was born. Frightened, the king burned every spinning wheel in his kingdom to avoid the curse, but the princess ended up getting pricked by a thorn on the rose given to her by the witch in disguise and fell asleep.
When asked about her relationship to Gang-tae, Moon-young replies “Every encounter we’ve had was awfully dramatic, being an inch away from death, and every moment we crossed paths, we surprised each other. If such coincidences, one after another, somehow led us here, how would you define that relationship. It would be such a cliche to say that we’re destined for each other”. This shows that Moon-young is unsure of Gang-tae’s role in her life. He could be the forbidden needle of the spinning wheel or he could be the Prince that can break her curse. Either way, she knows that she can never escape her destiny, and neither can he. They just have to accept the reality and face it, only then can they be truly happy.
Zombie Kid
A baby boy was born in a small village. He had pale skin and large eyes. While raising the boy, his mother naturally came to the realization that he had no feelings whatsoever. All he had was the desire to eat like a zombie. So his mother locked him up in the basement so that the villagers wouldn’t see him. And every night she stole livestock from her neighbors to feed him. That’s how she raised him in secret. One night she’d steal a chicken. The next day, she’d steal a pig. A number of years passed like that, then one day, an epidemic broke out. It left the remaining animals dead, and it also killed many people. Those who survived the epidemic left the village. But the mother couldn’t leave her son all alone. And to appease her son cries of hunger, she cut off one of her legs and gave it to him. After that, it was her arm. She gave him all her limbs when she was left with nothing but her torso, she embraced her son for the last time to let him devour what was left of her. With his both arms, the boy tightly held his mother’s torso and spoke for the first time in his life, “Mom, you’re so warm.”
Often parents think they know what is best for their child. But is that best really what their children want or need? In this episode we get a glimpse into Moon-young and Gang-tae’s childhood. Moon-young is raised by a mother who considers her daughter her greatest creation. She is so obsessed with her beautiful daughter, that she becomes her whole world and does not like anyone else entering it. On the other hand for Gang-tae’s mother, his brother Sang-tae, who is autistic, is her whole world. So much so that Gang-tae is almost invisible to her. Even in her subconscious state she does not forget to remind Gang-tae that his sole purpose in life is to care for and protect his older brother. While Gang-tae is fine with taking care of his brother, he longs for his mother to love him and show that she cares for him as well. All Moon-young and Gang-tae wanted was for their mothers to understand that they are not objects for them to obsess over or use, but real kids with feelings, longing for love and warmth.
Rapunzel and the cursed castle
A long time ago, deep inside the forest, there lived a little girl in a cursed castle. The little girl’s mother always told her daughter that she’s too special to live among everyone else outside the castle. The mother told her that she must only live inside the castle. However, the little girl felt like she was imprisoned. So she prayed to the moon every day, “Please send me a handsome prince who can save me from here. Will he come today? Will he come tomorrow?” The little girl waited every day for her prince to show up.
Both Moon-young and Gang-tae are weighed down by their past, Gang-tae with his responsibilities and Moon-young by her nightmares. Both want to break free of this imprisonment. He is the prince that she has been waiting for, the one that will rescue her from her nightmares and the cursed castle. She is his princess that will help him forget all his troubles, and finally make him actually smile and feel real emotions. Like in the story of Rapunzel, both have to be patient and keep on believing. When the time is right, they will both be free.
Bluebeard’s secret
Once upon a time, a count with a blue beard lived alone in a huge castle. He was very wealthy but everyone avoided him out of fear because of his blue beard. But one day, a poor woman came to the castle and said that she wanted to be his bride. Brimming with joy, Bluebeard brought out all the jewels and treasures from each room and gave them to his wife as a gift. However, there was an exception, the room in the basement. He warned her to never go into that room but his curious wife eventually opened the secret door without telling her husband. Do you know what was in that room? Corpses of women were displayed on the walls. They were the wives of Bluebeard who had ignored his warning and opened that door. That’s how they all ended up.
While the story of the bluebeard draws a parallel to Moon-young’s parents and herself when she is young, the lesson to be learnt in this episode is that it is ok to be different. What is important is to accept each others differences, and love each other for who we truly are, and when you love someone, you should also learn to trust them. With Gang-tae’s inability to truly express himself, Sang-tae’s developmental disorder and Moon-young’s personality disorder, they are all misfits, in societal norms. It is in this episode that they finally start opening up and accepting each other for who they truly are. This not only gives them a feeling of security but also a sense of belonging.
The Cheerful Dog
Once upon a time, there lived a dog that was very good at hiding his emotions. The dog was tied beneath a shade tree. He always wagged his tail and acted cutely. So he got the name, the cheerful dog because he is as cheerful as springtime. The dog always had lots of fun with the village kids during the day. But every night, he’d moan and whine when no one was around. That’s because he wanted to cut off the leash and freely run around out in the spring field. However, he couldn’t. And that’s why he cried every night. Every single night. One day, the voice inside him asked the Cheerful Dog, “Hey, why don’t you just cut off the leash and run away?” To which the cheerful dog said, “I’ve been tied up for way too long so I forgot how to cut myself free.”
While Sang-tae feels Gang-tae is the Cheerful dog, Gang-tae feels Moon-young is the Cheerful dog. Both put up strong cheerful appearances when in fact both are hurting inside. Like Sang-tae points out, you whimper in your sleep if you have an aching heart. Our body is honest because when its in physical pain we cry, but our heart is a liar, it stays quiet even when its hurting. Since both Gang-tae and Moon-young carry a lot of pain in their hearts, they weep and whimper in their sleep. This is true for all of us. We are very good at hiding our true emotions and only displaying our good cheerful selves. This story tells us the importance of letting go of anything that weighs us down and to move on before its too late. However good our intentions might be, if we keep holding on to someone or something that is weighing us down for long, it will only result in unhappiness and regrets. So, it is important to cut off the leash holding you down before its too late.
Beauty and the Beast
This is Moon-young’s views on the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. According to her, Beauty and the Beast is a story about Stockholm syndrome. The beast lives alone in the castle because of a curse. He holds a lady named Belle hostage in the castle and grooms this victim of his. The Beast is usually selfish and harsh on Belle. So doing something nice once in a blue moon and gazing at her with a faint smile on his face was enough to move the naive lady, Belle. “The Beast is lonely. I should embrace him with my love. Only I can change him.”
In this story Moon-young is Belle to Gang-tae’s Beast and vice versa. While Gang-tae’s love calms Moon-young’s violent nature and embraces her wounded soul, Moon-young’s loves gives Gang-tae the courage to break free of his shackles and finally be true to his feelings. Like Aerum says, the greatest thing anyone can do as a human being is pure love. A love that has the power to break all barriers and embrace you wholeheartedly for who you are.
King Donkey Ears
King Donkey Ears is a story about a king who has donkey ears. Except for his crown maker (hair dresser in some versions), no one knows about his secret, not even his queen. The crown maker kept the king’s secret safe for many years. However, one day when he couldn’t take it anymore he went into a bamboo forest and making sure that no one was around, shouted into the trees “the King has donkey ears”. The bamboo trees however couldn’t contain themselves and every time the wind blew, the forest echoed “the king has donkey ears”.
In this story, Gang-tae is the King with donkey ears. As a child, unable to take the burden of being the neglected younger brother of a special needs child, he once wishes that his brother would just die. He spends his entire life making up for those words, and hoping that his brother does not remember them. However, it is those very words that bother Sang-tae the most, and become the reason for his insecurity. Despite years of unconditional love and sacrifices, at the very first sign of trouble, Sang-tae shouts out this very painful secret of Gang-tae to the whole world. This is what happens when we keep secrets (especially painful ones) to ourselves, we end up getting frustrated. We need to tell someone in order to relieve our stress or better yet try to talk it out and resolve it, before it becomes too big to handle.
The girl who cried wolf
In The Boy Who Cried Wolf, the shepherd boy lied all the time. He repeatedly lied to the villagers, that one day when the wolf really appeared the villagers did not believe him. The boy lied to the villagers not because he was bored but because he was lonely. He did that because he was so lonely, all by himself in the mountains. But because he lied so much, when the wolf actually appeared, no one came to help him. Had even just one person believed him and came to help him, the boy would not have died.
In this story, Moon-young is the Girl that Cried Wolf. With no parents or friends, she has been living a very lonely life, until Gang-tae and Sang-tae enter her life. Desperate for company, she does everything possible to hold on to them. All it takes is one lie, for their relationship to fall apart. Wanting to win them over, she sends multiple messages of being in trouble. So when real trouble comes knocking on her door, will anyone show up to help her? This story is the about the dangers of lying. While it takes a long time to build trust, all it takes is one lie to break that trust and ruin a relationship.
The ugly duckling
In the story The Ugly Duckling, the other ducks are mean to the ugly ducking. They bully him because he looks different from then. So he gets really lonely, and leaves his family. But, what if mother duck had given lots of love to the ugly duckling. Then it wouldn’t have left. If adults embrace all their kids, the ducks and swans can all get along and live together just fine.
In this story Moon-young is the Ugly Duckling. Though she is pretty like a swan, she is still an outsider, making it very difficult for Sang-tae to accept her. For Moon-young to not feel alienated, Sang-tae will have to become the adult and accept her whole-heartedly into the family, but for that to happen Moon-young should also treat Sang-tae as an adult and let him know that she really needs him. In the end, it is all about how we treat each other. We either build ourselves up or pull ourselves down, depending on how we judge each other and act upon it.
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a Shakespearean drama about two ill-fated lovers who meet a tragic end, due to their feuding families.
Upon finding out the connection between their families, Gang-tae realizes that like Romeo and Juliet, he and Moon-young are ill-fated lovers. What he thought was destiny is in fact a tragic fate. The question is, will he continue to be trapped in his past, or will he be able to let go of it, in order to preserve his present. Life is all about which path we choose when we are at a cross-road. The question is, do we let the past define our present, or do we choose a present that will define our future?
A tale of two sisters
In a tale of two sisters, the father turned a blind eye even though his daughters were abused by their stepmother and were on the verge of death. The one who neglects and turns a blind eye to the abuse is worse than the abuser.
Moon-young hates this story the most, because it is the closest to her life. Her father turned a blind eye, while her mother emotionally blackmailed and abused her. The fact that her father never once came to her rescue, hurts her the most. The one who neglects and turns a blind eye to the abuse is worse than the abuser. Now even though her father is on his deathbed, she is unable to forgive him. This is very common in most abusive families. While they scar the child with constant abuse, once the parents grow older they expect their child to forgive and forget. This is a very important story, because it tells us the importance of speaking up when something is wrong. Whether we choose to speak up or keep quiet can be a matter of life and death for the victims, and the emotional trauma is far greater if the silent by-stander is someone they love and trust.
The hand, the monkfish
Once upon a time, a beautiful baby girl was born into a wealthy family. She was as beautiful and flawless as magnolias. Her mother loved her so much that she pledged she’d do anything for her baby. She said she would even present her the sun and the moon. When the baby started eating solid foods, her mother was thrilled, “My sweet child, I will feed you everything you want to eat. Open your mouth wide like this, aaah”. When the baby started walking, her mother ran hurriedly to where she was and said, “My sweet child, I will carry you. Come on, hop on my back”. After raising the baby by always providing her with everything she needed, the mother said this, “My beloved child, I need some rest now. Can you get me some food?”. Then the child spoke, “Mom, I have no hands. I never used them so they’ve vanished”. To which the mother said, “Then my sweet child, can you carry me on your back? My legs hurt”. Then the child said this, “Mom, I have no feet. You always carried me on your back. So, I’ve never even stepped on the ground. But instead, I have a huge mouth,” and she opened her humongous mouth. Then the mother shouted in anger, “You weren’t my perfect baby after all. You’re like a useless monkfish. All you can do is eat what I feed you. You can’t do anything on your own. You’re an utter failure”. Then the mother threw the baby into the far away sea. Even since that day, it’s been said that the fisherman can hear a baby’s cry on spooky, windy days out on the sea. “Mom, Mom, What did I do wrong? Please come and get me. Please come back and get me”.
Like the little girl in the story, Moon-young was also adored by her mother, and was raised like a princess. Being an overly obsessed parent, Moon-young’s upbringing was not a healthy one. However, in her mother’s eyes she was always the perfect child. So, when Moon-young starts changing, her mother realizes she is not a perfect child anymore. Since she is failure, she wants to get rid of her. This story teaches us the importance of raising our children to be independent and self-sufficient. It is fine to love one’s child, but that love should nurture the child and not stifle or harm it.
A tale of two brothers
A long time ago, there lived two poor brothers who cared for each other very much. One day, it was the harvest season so they both harvested rice. The older brother was worried his little brother might run out of rice. So he secretly carried a sack of rice at night and left it in front of his little brother’s house. The same day, the little brother also carried a sack of rice and put it in front of his older brother’s house. Thinking that his older brother might need more due to his big family. When they woke up the next day, they both noticed that they still had the same amount of rice as before. The two brothers thought it was strange so they did the same thing at night and left a sack of rice in front of each other’s house. And that continued for days.
Gang-tae tells this story to Moon-young to make her realize that instead of suffering alone, it is better suffer and try to work out their problems together. By suffering alone and not telling each other how they feel or what they are going through, they may never be able to resolve the issue tormenting them. Instead if they talk it out and work together they may be able to put their past behind them and actually be happy. This is the first time we see Gang-tae taking a stand and willing to face his problems, instead of running away from them. This story tells us that sometimes problems can be resolved just by talking, and it is always better to work together than alone.
Finding the real face
Once upon a time in a castle in the deep forest, there lived three people who had their real faces stolen by the Shadow Witch. The boy wore a mask with an awkward smile. Then there was the princess who was loud but all empty inside, and there was also a man who was trapped inside a box. They couldn’t make any facial expressions because their faces were stolen from them. They had no way of understanding each other’s feelings, so they always misunderstood one another and fought. The Box Man spoke, “If we want to stop fighting and find happiness, we must retrieve our stolen faces”. So they hopped on their camping car and began their journey to find their real faces. Then one day, they run into a mother fox who was bawling, curled up on the snow. The Masked Boy asked the mother fox, “Ma’am, why do you keep crying?”. “Oh I came out here to find some food but dropped my baby whom I was carrying on my back somewhere in the snow,” the mother fox’s tears had run dry. She wailed while beating her chest. When the masked boy saw that, warm tears started gushing from his eyes. Then the snow began to melt quickly and the baby fox who was frozen under the snow soon appeared. The three of them resumed their journey. Soon, they ran into a clown who was dancing naked in a field of thorny flowers. The Emotionless Princess asked, “Why are you dancing with all your might knowing you’ll be pricked by the thorns?”. “I feel that this is the only way to make people look at me. But it hurts and no one’s looking at me,” he answered. The Emotional Princess walked into the field of thorny flowers and started dancing with the clown, “I am an empty can so I won’t be hurt even if I get pricked by the thorns”. When she began hopping and dancing, loud clanking noises echoed from her empty torso. And upon hearing those sounds, the people began to flock to where they were. The crowd watched their dance and applauded them. They began a new journey to find their stolen faces and the evil Shadow Witch appeared in front of them once again. She kidnapped the Masked Boy who shed tears on behalf of the mother fox, as well as the Emotional Princess who danced with the clown, “The two of you will never be able to find your happy faces”. After putting such a curse on them, she locked them in a deep, dark mole tunnel. The Box Man found the mole tunnel a few days later but the entrance was so narrow that he couldn’t go in. “What do I do? I need to take this box off my head in order to go into the tunnel”. That moment, the Masked Boy’s voice reached him from the inside of the tunnel, “Mister, don’t worry about us. Just ran far away. The Shadow Witch will return soon”. However, the Box Man mustered up the courage to take the box off his head. He went inside the tunnel and saved the Masked Boy and the Emotional Princess. Upon getting out of the dark tunnel, the two of them saw the man’s face covered with dirt and grime instead of the box and burst out laughing. They laughed and giggled. While laughing uncontrollably, the Masked Boy’s mask suddenly fell off. The can surrounding the Emotional Princess’ torso also fell off and made a clanking noise. The Box Man, now out of his box, said this when he saw the two of them finding their true faces while laughing, “I’m happy”. What the Shadow Witch had stolen from them was not their true faces but their courage to find happiness.
This is the best of all the sixteen stories. It does a great job of summarizing the journey of Gang-tae, Sang-tae and Moon-young, three wounded souls who finally find happiness. It was always about the three of them letting go of all their inhibitions and embracing true happiness. With this story the writers give this show and the characters the conclusion they deserve.
As someone that comes from a country that still retells stories from ancient times, I am no stranger to mythology or mythical legends. I have alway been intrigued by the imagination of our storytellers of yore. In fact, I was so fascinated that I spent a great part of my childhood reading stories about mythical creatures from ancient Indian texts and comparing them with legends from greek mythology. This year, thanks to my obsession with Asian Dramas I discovered a whole new world of mythical creatures, some so unique that I don’t think I could draw any similarities to any creatures from other cultures that I have come across till date. One such creature is the Gumiho (Kumiho) also known as the Nine-tailed Fox. According to Korean legends a fox that lives a thousand years turns into a Gumiho, giving it the power to shapeshift. It is said that a Gumiho often transformed into a beautiful woman to seduce young men and eat their heart/liver. Gumiho’s are considered evil, however if they can control themselves and live a thousand years without consuming human flesh, then they can loose their evil character and permanently become a human. Another mythical creature that seems to be unique to the Korean folklore is the Imoogi. Imoogis are serpent like creatures (lesser dragons) that need to live a thousand years or catch the Yeouiju (this part is interesting because it is equivalent to the Chintamani, a wish-fulfilling jewel, in Indian mythology) falling from heaven to become a true dragon. Unlike the Gumiho, Imoogis are considered benevolent. A sighting of an Imoogi is considered good luck.
The Tale of the Nine-tailed is based on these two mythical creatures, but with a twist. The benevolent Imoogi is evil in this version of the story, while the malevolent Gumihos are not only kind-hearted but are also almost all male. While in the legends an Imoogi is supposed to be the bringer of rain (agriculture), in this version Imoogi and water do not go well together, and instead of helping them flourish he brings the plague upon them. Similarly, instead of being a creature that seduces multiple people, in this version of the story the Gumiho’s are considered loyal creatures who fall in love only once and will mate for life. Of course there are other characters that are quite similar to characters you would find in legends from other cultures like Yeomra (Ruler of the underwold – Yamaraj / Hades), Taluipa (Manager of the afterlife – Chitragupta) and Hyun Eui-ong (Gatekeeper of the afterlife – Heracles / St. Peter).
Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook), a gumiho, is a kind-hearted mountain spirit who protects the beings of his mountain. When circumstances involving the Imoogi results in the death of his one true love, Ah-eum (Jo Bo-ah), a human, convinced that she will be reincarnated and not wanting to loose her again, Yeon abdicates his position as a mountain spirit to go in search of her. It takes six hundred years for him to finally find her. Ah-eum is now Ji-ah, a television producer. However, his joy of finding her is short-lived, when he realizes that the Imoogi (Lee Tae-ri) has also emerged, and the fate that connects the three of them, is one that cannot be changed. It doesn’t help that his brother Lee Rang (Kim Bum), believing that he was abandoned by Yeon, is also out for revenge. With Imoogi’s ability to read and control people’s minds, it is not an easy fight for Yeon. Thankfully Yeon is not alone. With the gate keepers of the afterlife and a snail bride on his side, he may have a chance of making things right this time around. Tale of the Nine Tailed is without a doubt one of the best shows this year. With a host of interesting characters like foxes, dogs, snails and serpents walking around in human form, either wreaking havoc or trying to save mankind, there is never a dull moment in this one of kind fantasy drama.
Do check out the Tale of the Nine Tailed that is currently streaming on Viki, and then go read up on all the interesting Korean legends surrounding each of the mythical characters. You will be surprised to see how very similar some of these stories are to those you must have heard growing up. It is always fun to compare folklore across cultures.
What a way to end my year of binge-watching K-Drama! Start-up has everything one would wish for in a good series. It is fast-paced, interesting, entertaining, relatable and most importantly ends perfectly on a high note. Though I love watching K-Drama and watch a lot of it, I am often left dissatisfied or disappointed when they end. While the K-Drama world has mastered almost every aspect of story-telling, they often seem to drop the ball when it comes to endings. Often the endings are either incomplete (open-ended), rushed, dragged out too long, incoherent, forget to tie up all the loose ends, or completely forgetting how the story even started (case in point Goong). It really felt great to finally watch a show that not only started off great with a host of interesting characters, but also maintained its momentum throughout and brought it to a satisfying conclusion not just for the main lead, but for every character in the show. What more can an audience that has invested sixteen hours of their life on the show ask for?
Start-up is about Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy), Nam Do-San (Nam Joo-hyuk), Han Ji-Pyeong (Kim Seon-ho), Won In-Jae (Kang Han-na) and Choi Won-deok (Kim Hae-sook). Not being old enough to open a bank account or rent an apartment without a guardian’s signature, or young enough to be considered a child, Ji-pyeong has nowhere to go after being discharged from an orphanage. So, when Won-deok, a corndog shop owner shows him kindness by providing him shelter and access to a bank account, he feels indebted to her for life. Dal-mi is Won-deok’s granddaughter. When Dal-mi’s parents get divorced, she loses both her mother and her sister, In-jae, who is also her best friend. To cheer up Dal-mi, Won-deok asks Ji-pyeong to help her write letters to Dal-mi as a secret pen-pal. Since the letters are fake they decide to use a fake name. The name they decide to use is Nam Do-san, a young math genius who was currently in the news as the youngest Math Olympiad Champion. When circumstances result in Ji-pyeong moving away, the letters stop, and life goes on for everyone. Start-up is about what happens when all these five characters meet fifteen years later. In fifteen years Ji-pyeong becomes a hotshot Venture capitalist, Won-deok moves her business from a shop to a food-cart, Dal-mi is a part-timer working many jobs, Do-San is a genius programmer who is trying desperately to get his company SamSan Tech on its feet, and In-jae is a CEO in her stepfather’s company.
As someone who has seen this world closely, I could relate to all that was going on in the show. From entering a Hack-a-thon to becoming a Unicorn Startup, the writers do a great job of creating a narrative that shows the progression of not just the company but also of each individual involved. Of all the characters, it is the growth of Dal-mi, Do-san and other members of the SamSan Tech that is the most interesting to watch. After all, nothing can beat a good underdog story. Of course, the duo that steal the show is without a doubt Won-deok and Ji-pyeong. Their relationship and chemistry is so endearing that you can’t help but smile and tear up every time they are together. Not to take anything away from Do-san and Dal-mi, because they both also have amazing chemistry and some great emotional scenes, but the scenes involving Won-deok and Ji-pyeong are hands-down the most heart-touching in the entire series. If not for anything, you should definitely watch Start-up for the performances of these four amazing actors. Another actor to look out for in the show is Kim Joo-hun as Seo Cheong-myeong (Dal-mi and In-jae’s father). Though his appearance is brief, he leaves a lasting impression.
So, if you are a K-Drama addict like me, or if you are someone who just likes to watch a good show, do give Start-Up on Netflix a try. It will not only entertain you, but might also end up teaching you a little about a world that you may or may not know much about. There is only one downside to watching this show. You will not only end up binge-watching it, but you will wish that you were back to being a twenty-year old, so you could go start your own company or pursue that dream that you may have given up. After all there is nothing more satisfying than following your dream.
“Yahan ka chodiyen, pura desh ka yahi haal hai. Zyadathar logon ko yeh bhi pata nahi hain ki PTI banne ko degree bhi chahiye hoti hai”.
Truer words have not been spoken. I went to one of the best convent schools in the city. We had some of the best facilities, and a very well-balanced curriculum. I have always been very proud of the wholesome education I received as a student of my school. It wasn’t until I watched Chalaang did I realize the one thing my school was lacking, and that was sports. I did not learn a single sport in my eleven years of schooling there. While PE was very much a part of our curriculum, emphasis was more on structured exercises and marching. For games it was mostly free play. Though we had some sports equipment like volleyballs, badminton rackets, jump-ropes, tennikoit rings and frisbees, no one ever taught us how to play with them. If we already knew how to play, we could check out these equipment, if not we were left to make up our own games, while our teacher sat under the shade of a tree and watched. The only time my school took sports seriously was around sports-day. Even then it was mostly track and field related sports, the kind that did not require any special training. I have a feeling this was the case with many schools, after all we come from a country where the mindset of most adults is “PT karke kaunsa Bill Gates banna hai“. The sad part is that none of us saw anything wrong with it, just like how Montu, the namesake PTI of a local school, and other adults see no value for PE in the lives of the students of the school, in Chalaang.
Having landed the job due to his father’s recommendation, Montu (Rajkummar Rao) is lazy, unambitious, unmotivated and the worst example of what a teacher should be. He could care less about the fitness and well-being of his students, let alone their future. For him, his job is a paycheck that he receives for doing nothing. Sadly, he does not see anything wrong with his way of thinking or living, and you cannot really blame him for it, because he is a product of his surroundings. Montu is heavily influenced by the actions and thoughts of the people around him. With a Principal who uses him for personal errands instead of disciplining him for slacking off at work, a staff that still treats him as an ex-student and does not show the respect deserving of a teacher, a father who encourages his son to give up at the first sign of trouble, and a mentor / best friend who justifies all his actions, however wrong they maybe, in the name of moral support, Montu truly believes that there is nothing wrong with him or his life. That is, until Neelu (Nushrat Bharucha) a newly appointed Computer Science teacher enters his life. Unlike the other people in his life, Neelu does not entertain his BS. It is through her eyes that he finally starts to realize how very flawed his way of thinking is, forcing him to mend his ways. If Neelu makes him want to be a better person, it is Mr. Singh (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), a newly appointed well-qualified PTI, that pulls him out of his comfort zone and makes him want to be a better teacher.
This journey of Montu, along with the change he brings about in the mindset of the students and parents regarding the importance of PT is what makes Chalaang worth a watch. Chalaang is available for online streamling on Amazon Prime Video.
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