I love that Our Blues gives us snippets of our main characters, followed by plenty of individual time and space to get to know them, not just in their present state, but also their past and the things that shaped them in between. But what I like the most is that there is more to each character than what we first see. That we shouldn't be quick to judge. The saying that people are products of their environment and the choices they make is especially true of Choi Han Soo. Working hard to ensure your child can have everything in life is indeed commendable, but the reality is that wanting to give everything and doing it isn't always possible.
Knowing one's limits, when to give, when to demand, when to say no, and when to say enough is enough, that's giving one's all. And that is what Choi Han Soo lost sight of the instant he decided to deceive Jung Eun Hee, use her feelings to borrow money for his daughter's future. Despite his uncomplimentary actions, I couldn't bring myself to dislike Han Soo. I knew what he did would hurt Jung Eun Hee terribly, and it did. Like her, I knew how hard and indignant it was for Han Soo to do what he did, and that he could only do it because he saw her as a friend. That she could see that despite the hurt and anger, that's true friendship, that the most she can do for her friend is simply be a friend. Now that was powerful. I hope we can see more of Han Soo and Eun Hee's friendship.
As I keep saying, there is so much to like with Our Blues. It's not just how it realizes friendship, but how it translates sorrows and disappointments -- how it artfully depicts what sadness and even depression looks like, not just to an onlooker, but to those struggling through it. How those around it say they understand, but can't truly, since they aren't in it, let alone know how to act around it. Seeing Min Seon Ah struggle to stay focused and feeling powerless was overwhelming to watch. For the few seconds she was on screen, I felt like I was actually in her trapped, unfocused head. I cannot wait for her story.
On the flip side, there is Lee Young Ok, a new comer to Jeju Island, who appears to hide her true self, who comes off as a little too nonchalant with the people around her, but is terribly misjudged and misunderstood. To some, she may come off as easy. To me, she seems like someone with a troubled and painful past, trying to survive to the best of her abilities. Someone who will say and do anything to fit, someone scared that her past will be her judgment. And it's why I appreciated Park Jung Joon so much for liking her despite the town's rumor mill, because there is definitely more to her than meets the eye. I love the way he looks at her. I just hope the bound they create will withstand her past, whatever it may be.
And then there is Jung Hyun and Young Joo, the teenage sweethearts, whose parents are always at each other's throat, and the predicament they find themselves in, and the message within it. I could sense their panic and wonder how they get past it, can they even get past it? I surely hope their young love can withstand the adversity, because as they say, love can be so sweet, but it can also be so bitter in a small place like Jeju Island. I hope it doesn't come to that. I love this drama. Watch the episodes here.