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how am i supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions?
I went into this show knowing of the intense controversy surrounding it, but my rule of thumb is that the more controversial a show is, the more I want to watch it. All press is good press, as they say. It is not for me to say whether the show should have used the ’87 elections as a backdrop to the show, so instead I will speak on everything else in the show, what I liked, what I hated, what I loved and what I rolled my eyes at.Overviewing opinion of the show:
I LOVE good star-crossed enemies to lovers and this show certainly delivered and they did not water it down. Love borne from ignorance and innocence that becomes corrupted by beliefs and ideology but eventually overcomes these difficulties, the show really tugged at my heartstrings with how beautiful and poignant it is.
There were points that lagged and lacked, points I rolled my eyes and skipped forward (looking at you, three wives of those three idiots) and the show did suffer from bad pacing when you spend like, what? 5/6 whole episodes trapped in the one place with the same thing happening time and time again? But even then, it’s a ticking time bomb – this pace is like a frog in water that is being brought to a boil. You don’t even notice what’s happening until it’s too late and everything has come down around you and the show explodes into action. Everything is falling into place and you can’t even breathe as you feel the helplessness and frustration of the people trapped inside of the University – who to trust? Who to turn to? Who is an ally and who is an enemy? These frustrations peak and the deteriorating situation literally leaves you having to watch the next episode after the last left you with bated breath because you don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s going to turn and who is going to betray.
The love story of the show is its backbone, its main star and attraction.
Yeong-ro is young and innocent and you watch her fall in love, just as helpless as the viewer. And then when the truth explodes, you can feel her anger and hurt and how betrayed she feels: betrayal for being lied to, betrayed by her own feelings that make it impossible to truly hate Soo-ho. She pulls back as Soo-ho reaches for her because she’s not some hapless teen in love: she’s smart, intuitive, she’s allowed to feel all those feelings of hurt and anger towards him before they lull and teeter off into forgiveness. You can even feel her being partly disgusted for having had those feelings, and partly disgusted for still having them.
Soo-ho, on the other hand, is less than innocent and he looks at Yeong-ro like she’s the only source of warmth in the cold light of his life that has been cast since he was a child. He knows he cannot love her, he knows he should not love her but he DOES. Even when he tries not to, it’s so painfully obvious he does and he’s caught between the rock and hard place of his love for her and his loyalty to his sister and country. He’s pulled in every single direction and spread too thin because no matter what he does, he knows someone is going to get hurt. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was life’s cruel joke to have him find a love and to be loved but cannot be, but he does and while the world is deadset on killing him and Yeong-ro, the two fall into this peaceful inbetween of taking the little time that they have together and seizing it with their hands.
ACTORS AND THEIR CHARACTERS:
I had no idea that it was BLACKPINK’s Jisoo as the main female lead as I’m not a BLACKPINK fan but I remember scratching my head for the first episode because I KNEW I had seen her somewhere and imagine my surprise! I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Jisoo’s acting, and I think a LOT of it is unfounded. For a first major lead as a rookie actress, Jisoo really holds her own against more seasoned actors and puts so much heart and emotion into Yeong-ro. Yeong-ro is young, she’s innocent without being naïve, unknowing without being ignorant – she’s truly a kind soul and a young woman on the cusp of being an adult in the real world and she still has this innocence about her that makes you want to protect her. And you can tell there’s something wanting in her – with a dead mother, a brother on the front lines and an apathetic, absent father, there’s a void inside of her that seems like it can never be filled in. Jisoo’s acting, my God, the girl can ACT and I know for a fact she can get even better with time. I loved seeing her onscreen and she really held her own against Jung Hae-in, especially when the truth comes out and you can feel how she is reeling with betrayal, hurt and how she wants to hate him but CAN’T. I did feel like the chemistry did dissipate slightly towards the end of the series before it was reignited again, but I suppose that is partially due to the fact that Soo-ho really becomes the main character from episode 10 onwards and the storyline shifts almost entirely away from the romance before dragging it back to the love story. Her characterisation flipflops a bit and there are times she does feel like only a plot device for Soo-ho's own character growth because Yeong-ro does not change as a person; suffering through tragedy and trauma is not character growth, not when she's left in the ruins alone after the fact. I liked Jisoo's acting and I know she has great potential for the future and I very much look forward to any future projects Jisoo has in store!
Hae-in, oh boy, lord hath mercy – the man is a powerhouse of talent. I haven’t seen anything that he has been in before, though I do know the titles and have seen clips but this is the first show that I have sat down and watched all the way through and I need to remedy my earlier mistake of not seeing anything he’s been in. Hae-in creates a Soo-ho that is the epitome of a victim of his circumstances. He could not choose where he was born, he could not choose his parents, he could not choose his life, he could not choose his path, his job, his future. He’s like a leaf atop of a streaming river, carried by its current until the end. And prior to Yeong-ro, he lets himself be carried without fighting against the tide, then she manages to take a hold of his soul and heart and pull him back from drowning. You can feel the conflict alongside Soo-ho, the conflict of what he wants and what he needs to do, duty and love tearing him apart. He tries so desperately to reclaim the person he was but it’s too late – the love that he has for Yeong-ro has fundamentally changed him as a human being. You can see him trying to disconnect from his feelings for her during the hostage situation but he’s tied to his emotions and to her whether he likes it or not. He’s desperate and lost because this is the first time he’s ever made a choice for himself and Hae-in is amazing at portraying this, at Soo-ho’s constant internal battle. Just like Yeong-ro, there’s a void inside of him that is shaped like her and only together do they really make each other whole.
The rest of the cast are sublime, Jang Seung-jo as Kang-moo is amazing. He’s desperate and calculating, passionate, pragmatic, and vengeful. You look at him and you know he’s a ticking time bomb, but you never know when he’s going to go off. Jung Yoo-jin was less than stellar, but she does portray Han-na as being exactly the opposite to Kang-moo: she’s a bomb whose fuse goes off time and time again. I did get annoyed with her multiple times throughout the show but I can’t say I hate her. Yoon In-na, unfortunately, did not stand out to me but I suppose it’s just because of how her character is written: cold and detached, pragmatic beyond belief and cold. There is one instance that I did love was her seeing the broken minded Ms. Oh and you can see it in her eyes that she finally realises the future that awaits her: abandoned by the country she served and left to suffer the memories of all the atrocities she committed until it breaks her.
Kim Hye-yoon, woooo boy she did a great job of making me both hate Gye Bun-ok and pitying her. Because on one hand, Gye Bun-ok has every right to be the way she is and you can understand why she doesn’t want to join in on the scheme that is brewing in the university. She has first hand experience of what happens to those who turn against the government and to communism, and the consequences they face as she still suffers the consequences that her old sister made because of that. She’s a pitiful character that I don’t think I can say I even hate her, even though she really annoyed me. She is constantly bullied and looked down upon by the college girls and has been abused by her parents all her life, even while acting as the sole breadwinner. She has every right to not feel loyal to the people who mocked and bullied her constantly, who saw her as nothing more than an infection to the rest of the student body. But, man, you see her act out time and time again even knowing why she’s doing what she’s doing but you just want to wring her neck out. Also, what the hell was that weird thing that was implied going on between her and Gyeok-chan? It really grabbed my attention and was quite disappointed it didn't really go anywhere.
There aren’t many other characters that stood out to me but I will say this: I HAAATTTEEEDDD the storyline of the three wives, like I mean HATED. I did not watch a single scene of them without skipping forward because of how boring they were. I only enjoyed it when they were getting their comeuppance but other than that, nothing positive can be said about these characters whose names I didn’t even bother to remember.
Other comments:
- The music and cinematography of the show were [chefs kiss]. Honestly outstanding and out of this world, a treat to the eyes and a feast that kept on giving. The show was honestly just so beautiful to watch, if I didn’t even like the show I would have kept on watching because it was such a beautiful show to watch.
- Once again, the pacing really hindered the show from reaching full potential as the same things kept happening more than once as well as the fact they stretched out the hostage situation a bit longer than I would have liked. I also would have liked if they kept up the storyline of the girls hiding Soo-ho in the dorm a bit longer.
- Even knowing the politics of the 1987 elections, I do think the show didn’t really go into the nitty gritty of it too much. I partially agree with some of the backlash being towards the show’s narrative of having ANSP agents being the ones trying to end the corruption within the election, but at the same time, I don’t think the show tries to say, “this is the truth and only the truth of what happened”.
- Not enough weird 80s fashion, disappointing.
- Now I know that I said I didn’t like how the hostage situation dragged on longer than it needed, but I liked the fact it made the show feel claustrophobic, as if you’re trapped in the university alongside the bulk of the cast. I felt as trapped as the students and staff did, only able to watch what was happening and not being able to go anywhere or do anything. It really added to the whole atmosphere and made everything feel much more tense.
- I’m going to admit it: there were times that I did wish Soo-ho followed through with his threats during the hostage situation simply because I wanted something to happen. But perhaps, on the flipside, it added more tension for me because I was there, waiting with bated breath wondering if he’ll actually follow through and kill a student as he threatened he would.
- I honestly feel disappointed at people who are hating on Jisoo’s acting because I thought she was sublime, especially considering the fact this is her first major role, I believe. Though I admit there are times I did feel like she was lacking a bit and Hae-in had to carry the bulk of the chemistry between the two – her interactions with Soo-ho towards the last few episodes felt lacklustre especially with the lack of reciprocation towards Soo-ho’s displays of affection, but I’m also empathetic towards the fact romance probably isn’t on the forefront of her mind what with everything going on in her personal life and the situation at hand. I see people getting annoyed over the fact that Yeong-ro felt betrayed and hurt towards Soo-ho as if he didn’t just take all her friends captive and use her as a human shield? As if he didn’t lie to her and put her in this situation? Like, Yeong-ro’s reaction and behaviour is extremely believable and human. Why should she trust Soo-ho after he lied and did what he did, acted how he acted and said what he said? And Jisoo was amazing at portraying this hurt and anger beautifully because you can see the innocence in Yeong-ro leave her, that she’s forced to face the consequences of being young and being in love and realising that all really isn’t fair in love and war.
Conclusion:
This show is not for people who like action packed, constant romance, fast paced, good guys v bad guys and characters who are more than three dimensional. You will feel fatigue watching it, but then it’s the end of an episode and you NEED to know what happens next. It’s a slow burn, an ember burning before it explodes into a fire. I will definitely be adding this to my very small list of shows I rewatch.
Final thoughts:
I wrote the bulk of this review when I was still waiting for episodes 15 and 16 to drop and much of it remains the same, but I am going to retract my last sentence in the conclusion. I do not think I will be able to mentally handle watching this show more than once. The tragedy and even the unfairness of this show remains consistent. I opened the review by saying this show was beautiful and poignant, but I forgot to say how tragic it is. I probably spent an entire hour sobbing hysterically after the finale to the point I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.
To say I wanted everyone to live happily ever after would be a lie, but I wanted them to simply live a life they can be content with. No spoilers, but I think the tragedy of this show lies in the fact that some people will always be victims – victims to the government, victim to their regrets, their mistakes, to the corrupt people in power, and even to their own feelings. There is no spoonful of sugar to wash down the bitterness in this show. It is raw and burns you and I cannot remember the last time a show has managed to pull this depth of emotions from me before. The ending is unsatisfactory, it leaves you empty and numb and you wonder: "What was it all for? What's the point if this is what the end is?". There are so many unanswered questions, so many loose ends left to dangle untied and even when those who deserved their comeuppance, it's superficial, like sand in your stomach because it fills you up but you're still empty otherwise.
You feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and it hurts, by God does it hurt watching that finale. And part of me hates the show for it, and I was adamant that if I didn’t get a bittersweet ending this show was going to get a bad score from me but I can’t, I can’t not when this show has caused such deep, emotional reactions within me.
And you accept what Yeong-ro has come to learn: all is not fair in love and war, not in this life.
And the real tragedy of it all is that you were hoping for much more than what this show was able to deliver, perhaps it's naivety or foolishness, but I wanted, I hoped, I despaired. You watch that final scene and you know in that moment, you are Yeong-ro and you know the life that awaits her, more tragedy paving the path. It leads me to ask: is a life alone, having lost everyone you know and love, any better than dying?
I have a feeling it will be a question haunting Yeong-ro for the rest of her life, forced to carry on when everyone else has been left behind.
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"A perfect spring day! Enjoy it while it lasts because you don’t know what’s coming.”
It's a quote by Marty Rubin in my titleSnowdrops are the first flowers that bloom in the spring. It is a sign of the end of long and cold winter. This white and delicate bell-shaped flower symbolizes purity and hope. The title itself us a glipmse of the content of the drama and that itself is compelling enough to convince you to watch the drama. I originally watched this for Jisoo and to find the meaning of the title. I had doubts as well as great expectations for this drama and I can assure you that it vanquished all by doubts and overcame all my expectations.
Snowdrop is adapted from the handwritten notes of a man who escaped from a prison camp in North Korea. This is director and screenwriter of this drama are Jo Hyun Taek and Yoo Hyun Mi respectively, who also worked together in the drama SKY Castle. Due to the drama accussed of being set against the backdrop of the 1987 Democracy Movement in South Korea or the June Struggle, which is an important historical event for the South Korea as it led to the establishment of democracy is South Korea, and it bringing the people of Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP) to good light, it faced many controversy before and after release. JTBC released their first official statement on the controversy on March 26 that read, "The drama is not distorting the pro-democracy movement nor is it glorifying the Agency for National Security Planning. It is a black comedy drama satirizing the political situation between the two Koreas under the authoritarian government in the 1980s. Also, it is a romance drama showing young people who sacrifice their love." On March 30, JTBC released a second statement regarding the controversy that read, "Snowdrop is set around the 1987 presidential election, and not a drama that deals with the pro-democracy movement". Also, the Blue House did not intend to interfere in its production adducing the protection of freedom of expression in South Korea's Broadcasting Law, which guarantees broadcasters' independence and prohibits extrajudicial regulation or interference.
To simply put the plotline, Eun Young-ro is a freshman in Hosoo Women's University in Seoul and Lin Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in), a North Korean spy sent on a mission to South Korea. They first meet during a group blind date and Young-ro falls for him at first sight. After this incident, they kept running into eachother, which led to Young-ro hiding and taking care of him in her dorm despite the strict rules and dangerous situation, whithout knowing he was a North Korean spy, when he jumped into the dorm injured while being chased by ANSP agents. She also helped him to escape from the dorm without suspecion. The period when Young-ro took care of Soo-ho was the time when he started to have feeling for her. Again, while being chased while accomplishing the mission, he enters a shrine, without knowing that it led to the dromitory. This inadvertantly led to him keeping the students hostages, to escape. From here, the pair's story begins to unfold against a political disruption.
There are other main characters other than Young-ro and Soo-ho in this drama. Jang Seung Jo plays Lee Kang-Moo, a NSA agent who dosen't obey orders from his superiors. He has a fiancée Jang Ha-Na played by Jung Eugene, whom he left for some reason and joined NSA. She too later joined NSA to find him. Yoo In Na plays Dr. Kang Cheong-Ya, a National Medical Center surgeon. She is also Nam Tae-Il's, Secretary General of the Democratic Aemin Party, mistress. Yoo Se Ah plays Pi Seung Hee, the strict yet caring housemother of the Hosoo dormitory. Kin Hae Yoon plays Kye Boon Ok, the telephone attendent of the dorm, who was at first friendly to Young-ro. All these characters have an important part to play in this drama. There are many supporting characters too who are indispensable for the progress of the story.
Snowdrop well succeeded in deceiving the audience at first. Most of the charactres in this drama have secret or hidden identities and a back story to tell us, which changes our perspective of the drama and the character. All these makes the character and the story rich and intriguing.
Although most of the drama is made in one set, the dorm, it is really interesting to watch. The mood of the drama changes episode by episode. In the first episode, it felt like Snowdrop was going to be a light and fluffy rom-com but, the whole mood changed as the episode ended. This drama is an emotional roller-coaster which takes us through each and every emotion possible to be felt by a human. The drama became serious and dangerous as the story went on. This drama is a slow-burn romance drama with political and melodramatic elements. Also, unlike someother dramas, the story started intersting and it didn't cease being interesting. You can't guess that they are going to show next. I was hooked from the very star till the very end of the drama.
And when we come to acting, I don't know what to say. As I said before, I came to watch this drama because of the cast. As I recently wandered into the k-dramaland, among the actors of this drama, I was only familiar with Blackpink's Jisoo and Yoo In-na from Goblin. Some of the actors like Jung Hae In and Kin Hye Yoon are the ones I have only heard of and always wanted to watch their shows. So, I took this opportunity to satisfy all my wants and wishes.
I have heard that Jung Hae In expresses his feeling through this eyes and smile. Through this drama, I realised that it is ultimately true! His eyes spoke so much emotions that I could have watch his eyes alone to understand the whole moods of the drama. The character of Lim Soo-ho needed aura of mystery and secretiveness but really caring and warm personality. Jung Hae In had it and gave his all too make his character perfect. I have become his fan through this drama and he is now my favourite k-drama actor!
I came to watch Snowdrop, mainly to watch Jisoo's acting. I wasn't really ecpecting anyting but, the usually average idol acting. But, I was really astonished and stunned watching her performance. At first, I didn't even believe my own eyes! I really can't believe that it's her first time acting in main role. She just nailed her character perfectly. Throughout the drama, she had to act many emotional scenes and she acted like a professional veteran actress who have done many projects!
Do I have to say about the other actors? They were all amazing. Yoo In-na as usual and nailed her characted perfectly which her acting skills and charms. As I had said before, she was the only actress whose acting I was familiar with. So, I don't know how the other actors are usually. But, in this drama, they were flawless. I wasn't disappointed with anyone's acting. Everyone were perfect for their roles.
Jung Hae In ang Jisoo's chemistry is beyond words. It is one of the most convincing and heartbreaking chemistry I have ever seen. Although, there were some inadvertant misunderstanding between them, their love was deep, pure and passionate.
The makeup and costumes in this drama have a key role in setting the mood and vibes of the audience regarding the story. Costumes and makeup give the audience perception of the character wearing it and the time period the story is set in. Depending upon the role, the costumes and makeup may reveal truths or hide secrets. The makeup and costumes of the actors were really nice. It made them look like the people from the 80s. The cinematography of this drama too is ideal.
The drama have many nice OSTs in both Korean and English that takes us to the 1980s ambience. Some of them are:
"If You're with Me" by Sung Si-kyung
"Friend" by Kim Hee-won
"Looks Like a Real Thing" (Korean and English version available) by JeHwi
"Wishes" by Jamie Miller
"Memories More than Love" by Kevin Oh
Among these amazing OSTs, Friend and Memories More than Love are my personal favourites.
A quote from Harry Potter goes, "It is choices that shows us who we truly are far more than our abilities". This drama too is about the choises that the characters take. Though Soo-ho was forced to make many choices which were against his will, he choose what is right in the end. He was a righteous person from the very beginning but, his obligations to his nation made him desperate. There are many other characters in this drama who was like Soo-ho, on whom choices were imposed, making them hopeless. They too changed and stood with what is right.
This drama shows the political dispute between Noth and South Korea. It's hard to explain their relationship. I was really confused about the political part of the drama at first too. As this was my first historical political-fiction drama, everything seemed too difficult for me to digest. But, it got better.
I know that I truly and unquestionably like a drama if the skip botton lies idle throughout the drama. Such a drama was Snowdrop for me. Throught the course of 12 episodes, there wasn't a dull or boring moment for me.
"Your future is whatever you make it" - this is a quote I liked form Snowdrop. Altough the person saying it didn't say it in a good sense (I won't say who said it. It will be a spoiler), what the person said is undoubtebly true. This reflect the Harry Potter quote I said before.
"Of course, love is more important than ideology or principles. Whether you are man or women this is the truth of lofe"- this is another quote I loved.
I won't say anything about the ending. I don't wish to spoil anything for the future watchers who are reading this review.
Overall, this is one of the best dramas I have seen in my life. Of course, this is not perfect, it had its own flaws. Well, nothing is perfect in this universe. But, this dosen't keep me from giving this drama a perfect 10. It has all elements a drama should have to make it enjoyable and emotionally engaged. This drama is amazing through and through. I will certainly recommend this to anybody who is in need of a well-written, amazingly directed drama with amazing actors and chemistry.
Note: Let me know in case of any mistakes or faults.
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I need to watch a cute rom com after this...
slowly the writers turned this into a "how can we drag the hostage situation and make every character miserable as the episodes continue?" the first two episodes were my favorite you got to see the different dynamics between the characters and their banter with each other. they were having fun and it was a treat to watch them interact, laugh, cry, be shy, etc. the beginning of the hostage play was intense and cool but to drag it out till the end got tiring. now at this point i have seen episode after episode with the characters portraying the same emotions of sadness, anger, betrayal and repeat that i as a viewer have become frustrated and it got to a point where the dramas tone was centered on these emotions and the writers refused to make the characters feel anything else, which in my opinion desensitized the story. I have seen many unsatisfactory tragic endings in kdramas (god's gift, cruel city, etc) but this one has by far left a bitter taste in my mouth. perhaps maybe it's because of the script that caused the dynamic range of emotions to remain far from balanced 95% of the show was a stagnant sad fest simply put, that being said, i do hope to see jisoo and haein act together in another drama their chemistry deserves justice.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Keeps you guessing type drama/ unpredictable yet very entertaining
Every episode feels like watching an intense action movie in a theatre.One of the best acclaim Kdrama this year so far, there are so many emotions you will feel when you watch this drama, you will cry, smile, WTF moments, you will hate characters, you will feel frustration, but don't stop because every moment is eye catching. If you get distracted you will miss something important for sure, it's that type of drama.
I can confidently say this drama will be to your liking if you give it a chance. the casting is really amazing. As of now there were many backlash and allegations against airing the drama due to historical distortion, but all that has been cleared up by JTBC saying it has nothing to do with it and also they have been given the green light by the Blue House. So I hope people can keep watching, I have now completed the drama and it was more than worth it, it was every bit of what I expected.
Rewatch value for this one is HIGH 10/10 for sure
Overall I will keep my score at a 10 for this drama because I enjoyed every character development especially for Young-Ro she was amazing all throughout and I would love to see her in another drama.
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Ending that rather rushed!
First of all, I’m not gonna write a long ass review about every detail of this drama. Just have a few thoughts that I want to throw it out here. Overall, this is not a bad drama, however it wasn’t that good either. It has so many potential to become a great one to be honest, but the writer-nim surely need to be more creative to make it works.I do have a huge expectation from this drama since this is the first debut of Actress Jisoo, so I really wanted to see her performance and acting (even though I can make myself clear that I wasn’t a fan of Blackpink, not one of the blinks). Still, I’m rooting for Jisoo journey to be an actress. And, I gotta say, she did quite a good job considering this is her first debut. However, the story line do injustice to her role. Because clearly, the drama portrayed her as someone who is weak-hearted and stood still without doing anything worth mentioning. If only her character could grow and develop for a bit, I could really give a perfect score for this drama. But her actions, most often, unnecessary and she always in Soo Ho’s ways and that’s really complicate things. If only, they can let her take a gun and fight alongside with Soo Ho, they could be the strongest couple..
For me, the big problem here with this drama is the script itself. Very repetitive. I almost think the story is about hostages and the spy who got stuck in the dorm and unable to get out even though there’s so many ways to actually escaped from it. To be freakin’ honest, the scene where all the hostages come out from the dorm in finale episodes can be done in episodes 8, but how they took so long just to get out from that dorm? How can they think the idea of escaping by fooling Mr. An and bring the soldier to the main door only after 16 episodes? This is really mind boggling. They should make the second half of the drama for something else, out from the freakin’ dorm but instead they dragged it till the end. Disappointing is really the word I could think of.
However, despite my critiques towards this drama. I really appreciate all the hardwork from the cast members to bring this drama to life and watchable. Of course, Jung Haein’s performance unquestionably and undeniably good. Yoo In Na’s acting is really great, I am so satisfied with her performance. Thank God she have a good brain to leave the dorm and for once, think about herself. Ms.Pi and Buk-Ok character’s deserved standing ovation. I really hate Buk-Ok for what she did, she boiled me with anger everytime. Jang Ha-na is the real superwoman in here. She really know what to prioritize and I’m glad she did what she did in order to save the students. All the veterans actors did their fabulous job in acting, but their characters often too repetitive and overlapping with one another. And too bad, there’s no scene showing the proper closure between Youngro and her friends, they just left it hanging there. The ending tho quite rushed in my opinion. So many things left unrevealed, and without a proper explanation.
Did I say I would not write a long ass review? Argh, forget that one. I will just continue abit more —
The OSTs from this drama are quite good. Kim Hee Won - Friends & Jamie Miller - Wishes. These two are my fav. Both songs are really unique on its own, sorrowful and heartbreaking too.
Okay, my final thoughts.. watch at your own risk. This is definitely not a lovey dovey melodrama, it’s in fact a slow burn romance that almost burn you with anger. Lol kidding. For a sucker of sad ending drama like me, I’ve seen better and better dramas out there, this is still not that really sad considering you can actually expect that the outcome would be like that. I just hope that they can executed it properly without us audiences thinking that if they do this or that, things could have turn differently. Thus, this drama is just an OK drama that I would not considered to rewatch it again.
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A drama with great potential ruined by controversy…
Story:Snowdrop’s story revolves around Lim Sooho, a North Korean spy who was used, manipulated, and betrayed by his own country. The story follows his journey to accomplish his mission and return home that had been intercepted by fate, causing his red string to intertwine with that of ANSP’s director’s daughter Eun Youngro, a lively and compassionate college student at Hosu University. Due to a series of unfortunate coincidences that unravels into a much more twisted scheme of the South and North Korean government, Sooho and Youngro face tribulation after tribulation both together and alone. Two people who face an incredible amount of suffering that is too much for any one person to bear. Despite being marketed as a romance, Snowdrop is predominantly an action/thriller drama with splashes of satire and black comedy interwoven with a tragical romance. Opposite of the tragedy that is depicted in Shakespeare’s original screenplay, however, Snowdrop’s twist of Romeo and Juliet veers away from the tragical epic love story and shows its audience a love story that had bloomed through innocence and purity against storms of hardships and suffering.
Snowdrop is a drama that promises a multitude of themes that draw in viewers from every genre, which unfortunately falls short as the drama’s multiple plot lines and characters offsets the balance of the drama as a whole. Snowdrop had convoluted plot lines that ensure plot twists through every episode, but at the same time leads to many other underdeveloped stories. Amidst a satirical black comedy, a tragical romance seems out of place and at times appear unnecessary. Besides Sooho, every other main character within the plot although start off with promise and depth, end up in disappointment due to underdevelopment.
Acting/Cast:
Snowdrop’s cast is a stellar cast with actors and actresses who bring the characters they play to life, allowing its audience to connect with their characters on a much deeper level than what we were given.
Lim Sooho is the only character that is properly developed which allows the audience to emphasize with his actions, inner turmoils, and tragic back story. Jung Haein was the perfect fit for the role and had incredible control and nuance in his micro expressions that tugs at the viewer’s heartstrings. His unmatched presence and charisma is exuded whenever he was on screen which brought to life a dynamic and tortured male lead. My heart ached for Sooho as I watched him through Jung Haein's eyes. He had too much that he wanted to protect. He carries so much pressure and guilt to not only save his comrades, but also to protect Youngro and his beloved sister. Haein left no room for criticism as he executed his role flawlessly. I am not kidding when I say that this is his best performance to date, and I will be disappointed if he doesn't win a Baeksang for this role.
The essence of Snowdrop's title is in the character of Eun Youngro herself, a flower that bloomed through hardship. Eun Youngro starts off as a character with great potential, equipped with an interesting back story that unfortunately was left undeveloped as her character is shifted towards the background in the later episodes in order to make room for the development of Sooho’s character and his redemption arc. Contrary to many people’s thoughts on Youngro’s one dimensional character, I thought that her character did have depth and multidimensional aspects that just weren’t explored enough to fully capture the audience’s attention. However, thanks to Jisoo’s acting, I personally was able to feel connected with Youngro’s character and was able to emphasize with her actions and thoughts. For a rookie, Jisoo had indeed proven herself in this drama with what she was given and showed great promise for a more successful acting career somewhere down the line. She definitely needs improvement, but for a rookie, I think that she has definitely set the standard for rookie idols actresses/actors. As her fan, I had been completely in awe and proud of her performance as well as grateful that she had the chance to work together with such a talented team for her first drama.
Lee Kang Moo originally was a character that I had despised for his self-righteousness and arrogance. However, as the drama moved forward, I began to like him more and more as his character came to accept the corruption of the ANSP and was no longer blinded by his obsession to capture Sooho. One of the reasons that Kang Moo was able to become one of my favorite characters by the end of this drama was because of the incredible performance of Jang Seungjo. The actor had great chemistry with literally every person he interacted with. He was able to portray the frustrations and resentment the character had for his higher ups as he eventually swallowed his own pride to work with the person he had dedicated his entire career to capture in order to do what he believed was right in the end. Kang Moo and Sooho’s bromance dynamic was definitely one of my favorite things to come from this drama.
Jang Hanna initially portrayed as a reckless, hot-tempered, and confident agent was what drew me to her character from the beginning. However, after the first few episodes, I grew disappointed by her character who lost her cool and rationality whenever Kang Moo’s safety was involved. I blame this on the writing which could’ve given us more background on their love story which would help explain her strong feelings for him and help us emphasize with her. It was such relief to see the shift in her character towards the end when she finally put her sense of duty over her love for Kang Moo. Jung Eugene did the best with her role, and it was unfortunate that her character was yet another character that suffered from being underdeveloped.
Pi Seunghee, better know as Ms. Pi and Kang Chungya are my two favorite characters by the end of this drama. Ms. Pi’s character is one tortured with guilt and self-resentment due to the tragedy of her past that had turned her into the person that she was now. Despite not knowing where her loyalties lie for the first half of the drama, it was clear that she had a strong sense of protectiveness over the students in the dorm and never hesitates to protect them in her own way. Her dynamic with Boon Ok’s character was intriguing to watch unfold as you try to guess the underlying relationship they had with each other. Yoon Se Ah portrayed this character with class and elegance, but never failing to influence the audience to feel for her character. Yoo In Ah also did not disappoint in her role, portraying multiple layers of a character who was first only seen as a mistress to the main antagonist of the drama. Chungya was a character you would hate but also feel for as you see her emotional side peak through when she is in the presence of the man she loves. Her character's ending was one of the very few had left me satisfied.
Gye Boon Ok is the antiheroine of the story and starts off with great promise to be one of the best and most complex characters on the show. Unfortunately, her character’s arc later on suffers as the writer turned her character down a path that I personally thought made her iredeemable. Boon Ok was initially portrayed as a selfish opportunist who is willing to do anything to ensure her survival. I emphasized with her character knowing that she was only doing what she could in order to survive given the unfortunate cards she was dealt with in life. However, there was a point where her character took a drastic turn and lost all sense of morality and rationality which made her impossible to root for. Kim Hye Yoon’s performance of Boon Ok though, was phenomenal and proves that she is one of the best new actresses of her generation.
Soundtrack:
If there was one thing the drama did right, it would be the soundtrack and scoring. Every episode ended with a cliffhanger that was accompanied by powerful and moving OSTs that had me at the edge of my seat. There were also heartfelt OSTs that convey Sooho and Youngro’s doomed romance and that pulled at my heartstrings. Every single OST and bgm was beautifully weaved into the scenes that made the drama much more enjoyable.
Overall/Rewatch Value:
What I wish could've been explored more:
- Dorm/college life set during the 80's
- Jang Hanna's back story
- Eun Youngro's back story
- Kang Moo's backstory
- Room 207's friendship dynamics
- Sooho and Youngro's love story (I was quite satisfied with what was shown, but since they marketed it as a romance, I was hoping for a much more epic tale)
- Hanna and Kang Moo's love story
- Kang Chungya's back story
Snowdrop is far from being a masterpiece, but it is not the worst drama out there. The ending although left me emotionally scarred, also left me incredibly unsatisfied. There was no closure and many characters' endings didn't feel right. There were questions left unanswered and so much wasted potential. However, If one were to ignore the flaws and plot holes, it is an enjoyable watch with interesting characters that help push the story through. The symbolism, cinematography, and plot twists within the drama were enough to pull me in and keep me engaged with the drama. Snowdrop could’ve been great if there wasn’t such an offset of balance in the number of characters and plot lines. The writer was too ambitious and tried to fit too many themes into one drama that didn’t didn’t quite convey what kind of tone the drama had. I came into this drama expecting far too much. My expectations were too high knowing that the drama was helmed by Sky Castle's writer and director. I had ended the drama with disappointment. Had I walked into this drama with no expectations in place, I would've had a less underwhelming experience. Overall though, I had enjoyed it and would watch it again.
Revised:
After having thought about the drama for a bit longer now, as well as engaging in some thoughtful discussions with other viewers, I’ve decided to come back and sort of take back my harsh criticisms for the drama and writer. Although my criticisms still hold true, I also understand that this was the best that the team could do amidst the controversy. Although the plot and characters were underdeveloped, one cannot deny that there was some clever dialogue and symbolism throughout the drama that I now feel like could’ve been very prominent had it not been for the controversy. The writer and director probably had to revise the script several times in order to be able to put the drama in air. They made sacrifices in order to make sure that everyone’s hard work did not go to waste.
It just didn’t make sense how the characters all started off with such great promise but ended up being underdeveloped despite the depth that each character had. One of my complaints for the drama was Youngro’s relationship with her grandma not being explored. But someone had pointed out that the sponsors of the rice cakes seen from Youngro’s grandma in episode 2 had pulled out of the drama which is probably why we got no substance from Youngro’s grandma and she hence why she was never shown throughout the drama.
With these thoughts in mind, all that I feel for the Snowdrop and its team now is gratitude. Despite the hardships and unfair criticism they received, they were able to stay strong until the end and blessed us with such a great drama considering the multiple rewrites. Like I had stated previously, this is not a masterpiece but it is not a bad drama. The fact that Snowdrop is still a much better drama than so many others out there despite the multiple revisions of the script really says how truly amazing and dedicated the Snowdrop team is. Like the flower and Youngro’s character, Snowdrop and its team was able to bloom through the hardships and tribulations. Here’s to the hope that they will one day get the recognition and good karma they deserve. Thank you to the Snowdrop team for not giving up on this beautiful story.
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Seeds of Plot that Never Sprouted
As a personal creed, I never drop any drama as soon as I start to watch it. And so with at that in mind, I was not ready for what awaited me as I started watching Snowdrop. With each passing episode, it became clear to me that the writer had watched every hostage and spy movie produced in the 90's as her source of "Inspiration", only weakly tagging Romeo and Juliet later as her literary source. If Shakespeare had seen what is being considered adaptations of his best work, he would sooner rise from the grave and pelt us with Wilt's and Thou's. In fact, until now, many literary scholars and professors would debate the merits, messages and hidden meaning of Shakespeare's best work. These days, the only scholars and professors who pay attention to Yoo Hyun Mi's Snowdrop, are the ones looking to cancel it.First off, before we can discuss Snowdrop the drama, we need to quickly touch on the OST. Initially, when I first watched the drama, I found the OST/Music quite distracting as there are so many jarring tonal and musical shifts in the first few episodes that essentially ushers you from one emotion to another, without a second thought to the emotional whiplash you may feel from such jarring tonal shift. From suspense, satire, romance, and slice of life, the music of the first few episodes felt so intrusive, that there was a fierce disconnect between the scenes being portrayed and the music being played. Thankfully the music/OST eventually finds the sweet spot in the back half of the episodes, where the beautiful music intensified what would normally be dull scenes of poor plotting and acting. In the back half, the music/OST are almost powerful enough to save the production. The beautiful tone of the music has a choir like quality which has an uplifting effect, much needed in the drama. But what I found weird was that, although there were a few scenes which seemed to have Christian undertones, the plot did nothing with it, other than to use it as a symbolism of blind faith. A symbolism that isn't presented often enough or given enough credence that the scenes of praying, feel very out of place. This is one of those scenes though, which needs further research to understand. You see, the original name of Snowdrop was supposed to be Ehwa University, a South Korean university that was started by a Boston Missionary Sister. And you know what? The plot does nothing with this information, it becomes just another unnecessary plot that does nothing for the story, but provide them a place to sit down and kneel.
Given the backdrop of 1988, I was half-expecting some amount of nostalgia to permeate its script to allow viewers to allow a reprieve on the dark tone the script intended to take, and appreciate some of the beauty and simplicity the historical refences would have. But instead, the whole drama is so stuck on the message it wanted to force, that there was nary a time to enjoy anything beautiful in the drama, which ironically included the romance between Young Ro and Soo Ho. And with little time given to enjoy anything in the dire situation they are in, the viewership started drowning in the watery plot, started getting lost in the labyrinth of plot holes, as the badly colorized plot started to mesh together, and started blurring lines, that were timid to begin with. In fact, without the buoyant properties of the stellar acting cast, the drama could easily have drowned in all the ludicrousness the plot was touting as realism.
Seeing as each episode boasted a staggering 90 minutes of drama, I patiently waited to see how the plot would grow as each episode passed. After the last minute of the 1,400 minute run time ticked, I was left with an empty feeling. The potentially beautiful garden that the writer had started was left in disarray as seeds of plot were left unwatered, many of the seeds the writer had sowed in the earlier episodes where neglected the necessary sustenance needed for development and thus withered away. Each episode, I waited to see the seedlings grow into the titular Snowdrop, and every episode, I am left disappointed to see the seedlings bereft of even the simplest of courtesies. The garden was riddled with potholes, partially created by the aggressively shouting dinosaurs that decried their existence with wails or shouts.
As the episodes rolled by, I wondered why the writer kept needlessly adding new plot points which she will have to cover up later. The quick answer is, that she didn't bother covering up the plot holes, or she hastily glossed them over in lieu of more new tragic plot points. In fact, after a certain point, it doesn't become a question of HOW the writer will make the FL/ML for tragic, but rather WHEN. As I kept writing theories, and kept predicting how the writer could write herself out of her predicament, the writer would surprise me, by denying these lifelines, and opting instead to martyr her plots over and over again, until there is nothing left but chaos and discontentment. Whenever I feel the writer had an opportunity to add complexity and creativity to her writing, she instead re-iterated some of the same old tired jokes she used earlier. She overused some plot lines and jokes so much, that seeing them rear their repetitive head over and over again worked against the writer as these jokes, which were not funny to begin with, became distractions. Much like the boy who cried wolf, after the 2nd or 3rd time, people will stop caring about these plot devices.
It's not like I don't believe in love at first sight. But you see that isn't the direction the plot took. Young Ro, you see, is just a poorly disguised Deus Ex Machina, that existed solely to keep the Male Lead company during his eventual redemption arc. The writer was so focused on making sure that the Male Lead had a coherent characterization that she neglected to focus any effort on making the female lead's character relevant or real enough on her own merit. And even though the FL is seen as the sole reason for the ML's existence, we are given to many HOWs and never really any WHYs. In fact, it is not just the FL, a lot of the female characters in Snowdrop do not past the Bechdel test as most if not all of them let their lives revolve around the men in their lives. One of the characters in particular literally throws caution in the wind for her "Man", while obviously that man is shown to be cool as a cucumber throughout the show. In fact, ironically, the only women in the plot who has shown a certain duality in her character is also the most reviled one in the drama.
No review of Snowdrop is complete without at least quickly touching on the controversy that mired Snowdrop in lower than expected domestic ratings. After seeing Snowdrop to fruition, I can't help but ask myself the question of WHY? Why did the writer feel she needed to tell this story using this particular historical backdrop, especially if she is picking and choosing what she wanted to be a fiction and non-fiction anyway. When I first read the synopsis of the drama, I had assumed that the writer intended to tell a love story that grew in the tall weeds of political chaos. But instead, what we get is a drama that ironically felt more like a subliminal left wing propaganda ad that reared its ugly head at several times in the drama in obvious and distracting way. The only clear message that the Drama made sure not to miscommunicate to the audiences is how evil and corrupt the ANSP was. But unfortunately the writer wasn't nuanced enough, and instead of allowing the ANSP atrocities to exist as a backdrop for the story, it allowed the backdrop to become a distracting flower bush that continually blocked the intended story from being seen. In fact, as soon as you felt, you would catch a glimpse of the story, the drama would feel the need to remind you of the ineptness and corruption of the ANSP.
Very early on in the drama, it becomes painfully clear to me that the idea of cause and effect were being thrown out the window. The plot doesn't pay much attention to consequences and ramifications, and instead focused on shock tactics that loses its novelty the less tense the situation becomes. As the characters pointed phallic symbols at each other over and over again, the lack of anyone getting shot, made me wonder whether these weapons of non-destruction were nothing more than military grade paperweight. In fact, I should put the word thriller in air quotes, because I was severely bothered by the lack of it. By episode 5, after a lackluster first 4 episodes, it appeared that finally, the plot remembered it's base genre. But after an interesting Ep. 5 though, the plot decides to languish back in it staid writing as if by clockwork. Every supposedly tense situation is diffused by illogical reasoning, and nobody really is punished. The writing, and the plotting had so neutered the spy scenes, that the whole hostage situation felt more like breakfast club, rather than a hostage crisis. People inside the dorm are wondering more whether they would still be able to voted prom queen and king rather than walk the line between life and death.
Of course, if you dig deep enough you will eventually find the depth and complexity of what Yoon Hyun MI is trying to portray, but depending on where you live, you are more likely to hit water and drown in the innate stupidity than find any complex meaning in the writing. When reading Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, finding the depth and complexity isn't too difficult, and the emotions, although shrouded in Shakespeare own unique language, is relatable to us; the characters, minus all the killings, feel real. To fully enjoy Snowdrop, you really need to turn off certain parts of your mind as it is a struggle to find the realism in such cartoonish characters, whose portrayed more closely belong to a museum of stereotypical acting, than a supposedly complex plot.
With such a long run time, it would have made more sense for the writer to flesh out backgrounds of the main characters, or flesh out the characterization of the different characters. But as if she has an obsession's with huge ensemble cast, Snowdrop instead contained a huge cast of characters, who in the end didn't amount to much, except as weak plot devices to keep the plot plodding along. That is not to say there are no good moments in Snowdrop, there are a few moments that are worth watching, but you would need to slog through at least 10 episodes before you reach them, and by that time, if you are binge watching, your mind might already be turned to mush, and your emotions already numbed enough that when the impactful scenes may not be good enough to shake yo from your reverie. The truth of the matter is that proper world building would have made many things in the drama, including the tragic experience and romance shine much more.
Now for the good things. I already mentioned that I felt the OST/Music was vital in making the drama watchable, but the writer/director also lucked out with the casting. Quite a few of the actors I believe put in the performance of their lives, and their acting prowess acted as buoys to keep the drama floating. The power of emotion of Jung Hae In in particular was strong enough to uplift Jisoo's acting as well. And although, I don't think Jisoo's acting was that great, as a rookie actress, I cut her some slack, and she did what I expected a rookie to do; a lot of this also maybe because her character wasn't written that well. Kim Hye Yoon as well deserves a shout out, because at only 25 years old, she is proving to be one of the best actress in the Kdrama industry.
What may be the ultimately infuriating thing about the drama is that although most of the episodes were dull and lifeless, the last 4 episodes were actually written quite well. The writer's vision finally came to fruition in those last few episodes, in those episodes we finally see what the writer was intending in her drama. But unfortunately for me, it was too late, there was too many flaws in the first 10 episodes that became hard to overcome by a few good episodes. If the writer had kept the same tone, style, and plotting in the first 10 episodes, I may give Snowdrop a substantially higher rating. It seemed to be that the writer did not have many ideas to put on paper, and she kept her best plot points for the last 4 episodes, whilst keeping the first 10 episodes for repetitive filler scenes.
P.S.
Below is an excerpt from a deep dive analysis I made on Boon Ok's character, I hope for people to give the character a chance, and sympathize with her the way I did. The whole analysis can be found in the discussion portion of Snowdrop entitled "The Tragedy of Boon Ok".
"To further talk about Boon Ok, we need to quickly touch on the characterization of Young Ro. Are we surprised Disney is behind Snowdrop? Young Ro’s characterization literally screams Disney Princess. The romanticized fantasies, the prince charming, the evil stepmother, the heroic tendencies and the overly optimistic persona are all qualities most modern Disney princess encapsulates. But you know what? Disney princess are called that for a reason, most of the time, they are gilded in fantasy, they don’t often represent realistic portrayal of life. In many ways Young Ro represents the best side of humanity, the side is always optimistic, the hero in all of us. It’s the goodness in humanity we don’t see often. She’s the perfect Kdrama Mary Sue, the heroine, she allows us to stay entrenched in the escapism Kdrama offers."
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Snowdrop, the perfect blend of chaos and an emotional rollercoaster.
I won’t make this long and boring so here goes nothing. Watching Snowdrop, you will feel every emotion humanly possible. Laughter, anger, sadness, happiness, butterflies in your stomach, anxiety, anticipation, etc. etc. I started watching this for Jisoo but stayed for each and every cast member.This show has a little bit of everything- Romance, Suspense, Action, Drama and Thriller.
The best part about watching this drama is that you absolutely can’t predict anything. You can come up w your own theories but never be sure of a possibility.
Now let’s talk about the casting:
Jisoo: I was a bit worried cause I thought it might be too heavy for her to pull off such a character as her first but damn she killed it. She ATE it and left no crumbs. If I were new to kpop/kdrama, I’d think she’s already a very experienced actress.
SooHo: Perfection is an understatement to describe his acting skills. Every emotion was executed with detail and perfection. I’ve been watching him for a long time so I knew what he was capable of but he exceeded all of my high expectations.
Kim Min Gyu: I was planning to only add the above 2 but HAD to mention him. I’ve been watching him for a long time as well but was never “Awed” by his skills. For me, he was always the “Cute or Creepy hot dude” but here- he went out of him damn shell and was absolutely impeccable. I’m so impressed with him here.
The rest of the cast was also ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!
Honourable Mentions:
Kim Hye Yoon (never fails to impress)
Miss Pi
Nam tae il
Kang Moo
Hanna
Yoo in ah (never thought she could pull off such a role w perfection)
Also, the bromance between Kang Moo and Soo Ho was pure bliss to watch!
Music was also on point.
To sum it up, I 100% recommend to watch it. Give it a shot, I’m sure you’ll love it.
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Beautiful ost, Not so romantic, Tense drama
This drama was overall a well executed production. The storyline was unique and although it had a fairly limited setting, the dilemmas and conflicts kept the drama tense and on edge. It may be partially romance but it wasnt heavily written into this drama, having said that, the relationship does pull on heartstrings due to their illfated love. As for the actors, well... i might get hate for this but... i dont think the female lead was the best fit. Her acting is too shallow as a beginner and this drama really requires in depth, experienced acting. For me she just didnt show a variety of emotion in her face such as anger, frustration or confusion. In contrast the male lead actor was particulalry good at expressing his rollercoaster of emotions. The supporting cast were also very well casted and presented a mixture of characters who u either hate to the bone or u really sympathise with. An especially beautiful aspect of this drama was of course the soundtrack. Jamie millers ost really gave the drama an emotional atmosphere, and its definitely in my top 10 kdrama osts. Overall, it is a beautiful romeo and juliet scenario story and i would recommend it. However, whether its rewatchable, i would probaby not watch it again, because of the emotional twists and turns.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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A love that bloomed through the coldness of winter, but never made it to the warmth of spring
'Snowdrop', I was one of those who had anticipated this drama for Jung Haein and ofcourse, one who got caught by the trailer that was almost fairytale-like, but was it ever? The answer is a straight NO. It wasn't a fairytale where the prince and princess would dance romantically on the middle of the dance floor wearing a suit and a pink dress, it was rather a tragic and cruel tale of two people who fell in love with each other when their hands briefly brushed against one another, meeting eye to eye, all to save a tower of matchsticks from falling. How innocent and pure their love could, would, should have been if they were just living as ordinary people who fell in love at first sight. But no, their love just had to be out of the ordinary, a welcoming door for tragedy to knock on. Their love was never given any chances, or perhaps, their cruel fate deemed them undeserving of any since the beginning. Maybe, all this time it was just the two of them against the world or it is because of how much they genuinely love each other so they bravely fought against their cruel fate all for the love they both dreamed to achieve, to the point they were willing to become human shields for one another. Nope, they weren't the Romeo and Juliet of Korea's 1987, but just simply Lim Sooho and Eun Youngro of Korea's 1987. The love between the both of them wasn't like the Titanic where even before Jack died in order to save Rose, they still got a shot at love. Sooho and Youngro's love was a different case, their love was like a snowdrop flower that bloomed through the coldness of late winter, but their love never made it to the warmth of early spring. It ended in coldness and its warmth could only be a memory. They had loved the right person but at the wrong time. So, in the end they were separated by life and death. Although, their end was so heart wrenching and sad, I still found beauty behind all their sufferings, as what lies behind is true love that tried to fight through until the end. It was tragically cruel but it was beautiful and worthy. Love is really powerful, Sooho and Youngro's love for each other is.I'm not really fond of politics nor one who has complete knowledge about korean history. I have only managed to pick up some ideas here and there after being an avid k-drama fan for years, watching dramas after dramas, though at times I did my own little research as what has been depicted on dramas were far from the real reality or truth after all. I started to become interested in 'Snowdrop' not only for the star-studded line-up of cast it had, but with its plot which I found interesting and felt quite familiar with, i'm actually very fond of 'Youth Of May'. Yes, I felt a bit of familiarity but I don't find them completely similar in a sense. Both dramas were set around the 1980's time in Korea, a time where a lot of innocent people had greatly suffered under the hands of people who were greedy for power and they both involved romance. It was just the vibe that got me. So, I dived deeply into 'Snowdrop' and is one of those who would excitedly anticipate each episodes. The first half of 'Snowdrop' really heightened my interest in the drama, from seeing an innocent, kind, and lovely Youngro who fell in love at first sight during a group date, to when she bravely helped hide Sooho who was being chased by the ANSP agents, and to the beginning of the hostage scene. Then the second half of the drama came and I know most found it so draggy in which I don't quite agree with, I only found the second half slow-paced as every thing had been continuously revolving around the hostage scene at the dorm, like literally 90% of the drama is centered there. Regardless of that, I never felt it was boring or draggy instead i've only been frustrated. Frustrated because of all the hardships and suffering they each had to go through because of the ill-intentions of majority of the characters and those who had such hidden under their sleeves. It got heavy like a baggage with so many things happening that are out of favor for the main leads. Still, I never felt the urge to drop it, I continued and honestly enjoyed even if it became mainly about politics. I won't get into discussing about the politics part but just write based on the feelings this drama had made me felt.
I'm in the minority who never felt that the romance between the leads was lacking. I was fine with it and found it enough given the situation that they were in. Their romance wasn't little and it wasn't bold in words but rather in actions. The actions which I was referring to is not the usual lovey-dovey we see on other romance dramas, it is the actions in terms of the things they were willing to do for each other. How despite all the things that had happened between them from the revelation of Sooho being an NK spy and him pointing a gun over Youngro's head to Youngro deceiving him in order to snatch the detonator away from him or the time she made herself a bait in order for them to be able to escape, the love they had felt for each other since the first time that they had met remained in their hearts and they knew themselves they fell. Many may argue how such a thing as love at first sight might be ridiculous or not completely realistic to the point one would be willing to go through so much for the other, like the fact that Youngro and Sooho's relationship had never even started, they were never a couple. I thought differently about that. Despite how Youngro and Sooho never really became a couple like what they both had wanted to be, they truly loved each other, their love was evident with how they held one another through the look in their eyes, how they comforted with words or hugs and protected one another. Just how they had constantly been there for each other, I felt their romance. Our views about love are very vast and different, my view about it is as long as they truly love one another and is willing to go through so much for the person they cherish regardless of how long they have known each other or if they were a couple or not, love is love and it conquers all, the strong love both Youngro and Sooho had for each other conquered all. So, it was not lacking, for me at least.
Then came the ending of the drama which I had actually expected even before 'Snowdrop' officially began to air, and there were scenes that had foreshadowed what will come. I never had hopes for a happy ending as I was certain it will be a sad one. Even if I had already expected it, I still cried a bucket because of the pain, seeing how brutally Sooho died. Adding to that pain is the fact that he died at the dorms rooftop attic, which was once their safe haven, a door to their other world where it was only the two of them, where they could open their hearts to each other as just Eun Youngro and Lim Sooho, away from all the sufferings, and that exact same place also hold their beautiful memories. It was torturing to see and think that the last moment they would ever share together and the last memory that they would ever have at that attic, that very place that was once their own is now a place filled with blood, pain and tears. As if those weren't enough, Sooho's last words to Youngro, how he told her to continue living even if it is hard and his sincere confession which he recorded on a cassette tape as he knew he would never get a chance to confess. It was all too painful and cruel. Lim Sooho didn't lie when he said he was superman and the sad thing about it is that he can't fly to be free. His life has always been cold, he was an abandoned son to his mother, a sharpened weapon for his adoptive father. He had never received love, he was betrayed, and constantly used. It was only through Youngro did he finally receive the love he deserves and he protected that love until his last breath. That was the last straw for me. He was so self-less and so was Youngro. And as I had written on the first paragraph, their love is truly like a snowdrop.
Lastly, in terms of the acting, i'm not being biased although it may seem so, but there were just so many scenes where Jung Haein left me completely speechless and gave me a thousand of emotions with how amazing he had brought not only life but color into his role as Lim Sooho. His insane micro expressions, especially his eye acting that completely awed the whole of me. His eye acting is one of the things that could be considered rare, there are not many korean actors who could hold a thousand emotions in their eyes alone, in like a split second, yet be able to deliver them to the audience and make them completely immersed and connected to those emotions like he does. Jung Haein is truly a commendable actor, he is a great actor who is not only talented but skilled as well. He is an actor who doesn't act for the sake of acting but acts his roles to life. I have watched many of his dramas before and I must say that among all the roles he had played, Lim Sooho is his role which I loved most and I think is his best performance as it completely showcased his ability and range as an Actor. As for Jisoo, I do think she had done a great job considering this is her first drama and debut as an actress. The rest of the other actors, Kim Hyeyoon, Yoo Inna and the others did a great job too and deserved praises for their hard work. I honestly, found no problems with how each actors and actresses acted their characters. I'm glad they were casted to play their roles, all of them were very suitable for those roles. I hope to see the future projects of each of the cast, most especially Jung Haein. I probably won't be rewatching this drama, it will take years for me to do so. Also, I can't say it is the best drama out there or a perfect 10/10 for me, but it was worthwhile.
"Lim Sooho"
"as in 'protecting my love'?"
and so, he lived up to his name.
p.s Lim Sooho's confession to Youngro will always be touching and beautiful, "you bloomed flowers inside me who was so cold".
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The juice wasn't worth the squeeze
This show infuriated me by the end. Snowdrop came in with a bunch of promise halted by waves of controversy — if you avoided this show because of that, congrats, nothing about it should tempt you to watch it after all.To be honest, this show started with a bunch of potential. I loved the nostalgic vibes and shiny wide-eyed jaunt towards first love. Snowdrop started to lose momentum once they got into the hostage situation. It dragged on way too long. I understood the point it was trying to make about politics and corruption, but we got the point after just a couple episodes. Someone joked that they blew their whole production budget on the dorm, and honestly, that sounds like the most plausible answer (considering they had to pay an all-star cast too... but we'll get to that in a second). Moreover, the last couple episodes were tropey and infuriating beyond belief. I didn't care enough about the romance to feel anything for Youngro or Sooho; the show didn't do enough early on to make us cheer for them. And then before we knew it, we were being bombarded by noble idiocy and regular idiocy galore. So many situations toward the end could've EASILY been preventable. Trust these competent agents; don't insert yourself into situations unnecessarily (this is directed at BOTH of our leads).
Jisoo especially frustrated me. All of the actors were incredible EXCEPT for her. And I swear, I enjoy Blackpink music! But she was so clearly out-acted throughout the whole show. She was tolerable for a couple of episodes, but once the hostage situation kicked in, she was clearly out of her depth. She gasped so much throughout the rest of the drama that I'm surprised she didn't pass out from the hyperventilation. She was the most useless person in the whole drama — you could arguably consider her a "candy" (not in the classic kdrama definition of the trope, but by effectively serving as bait for the ANSP and Sooho). Worse than a candy girl though, I'd argue that she was a straight-up liability. She was unwilling to compromise or sacrifice anything for the greater good of others. This was exemplified in a situation at the end that involved saving a random side character and harming four other main characters in the process (even leading to the demise of the one she cared about the most!). She blindly ran into situations without a plan and without being equipped to do anything, thus putting other people at even greater risk as they sought to protect her and achieve whatever random agenda she cooked up. I hate that she faced no consequences for this behaviour either; it wasn't even acknowledged as problematic. Jisoo's acting was awful too — I always knew I was watching JISOO, not some character named Youngro. This character could've had so much nuance and depth: idealistic, innocent, and in love, sure, but she could've also been defiant, emboldened, and thoughtful. If her actions were clearly borne of some strategic thought, I would've sympathized with Youngro. Instead, she was stubborn without seemingly any rationale, which made all her actions seem rash and ultimately stupid.
Then let's talk about the romance: it was cute at first, but based on where the story went, it really should've been relegated to a side-plot that took up less air time. Leave it as "Not meant to be" and move on. We lost so much closure and momentum towards the end of the drama by unnecessarily focusing on the romance. Think of all the moments Sooho and Youngro spend gripping each other, asking the other to go, and staring into each others' eyes without any interruption. You know what they could've done in that time? THEY COULD'VE ESCAPED INTO SAFETY TOGETHER. Of course, the more realistic situation would've been if there were constant pressure and action instead, with no time to shoehorn their longing for one another. Because of those moments, especially towards the end, it made their entire tragic situation seem completely avoidable. I found myself shouting at the TV during each of these moments, yelling at them to just GO already instead of standing there (in the basement).
Aside from Jisoo and the romance, the other actors did a wonderful job. I never cared for the moms' machinations (although I suppose they added some levity) or the political squabbles (how silly they turned out to be, although perhaps that was the point?), and I felt too many people were overly motivated by love (Jang Hanna, Kang Cheong Ya, and Lim Sooho especially), but some of the acting was truly superb. To me, there were four standouts: Jung Hae-In excellently blew past his archetype as only playing the boy-next-door in noona dramas. Kim Hye Yoon (Bun Ok), you somehow make me sympathetic towards you while truly giving us the least to cheer for. My only qualm was your choice to help Youngro save Ms. Oh towards the end — how was that choice in any way aligned with Bun Ok's motivations to SAVE HER OWN HIDE above all else? Yoon Se Ah (Ms Pi), I CANNOT believe you are the same person that portrayed Noh Seung Hye in SKY Castle — un-freaking-BELIEVABLE how incredibly she embodied that role as the headmistress. I would seriously watch a movie based on Ms. Pi's life alone. Yoo In Na (Kang Cheong Ya), who knew you had this role in you? I honestly wished Sooho spared her a single glance (or even wound up escaping with her as a way to avoid putting Youngro in harm's way). The rest of the cast did their job too; shout-out to students like Jung Shin Hye (who I liked to think of as "Madonna" for her stylish 80s fashion) and Kim Mi Soo, may she rest in peace.
This drama got my blood pressure up from the suspense; very much shades of SKY Castle. Unfortunately, it didn't critique current issues or hit the zeitgeist the way SKY Castle did, and it also didn't have the cathartic payoff due to its lacklustre, romance-oriented finale. Save yourself the pain of finishing this one!
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A lot of potential missed
Snowdrop is a political based drama more than anything, the romance element was an marketing plan which I feel like delivered snowdrop the attention it needed, amongst other things. But if you're going into this drama thinkings its all romance. Don't. The actors all did a spectacular job in portraying their characters, what an cast. That is what kept Snowdrop afloat mostly. Although every episode kept you on the edge, it was hard not to notice it becoming repetitive towards the middle and ending, the whole time the SK party was trying to win the election and the hostages were trying to escape alive with their plans changing all the time. It kind of got frustrating. Screen time was wasted going back and forth in terms of getting out of the dorm and that impacted the rushed ending. In the last episode, stories of the characters were finally revealed which could of been more flushed out and extended.There was so many questions unanswered in the last episode and rabbit holes not addressed. I have to say the story and screenplay got weak in snowdrop towards the middle and ending. What kept me hooked was the romance between the leads, the limited scenes between them created more anticipation but also disappointment as this was marketed as a romance. The politics in the drama can get very confusing if you don't keep up and even if you do, you may still find yourself struggling to remember. This was truly an sad and tragedy filled drama with so much pain. I feel like they tried to deliver this drama too realistically that they forgot about the screenplay. The politics was realistic as in real life politics is very messy, no one trusts anyone so things get complicated but their romance felt like drama romance. Maybe they should of balanced out the drama and realism aspect. The OST was one of the best things. The director mostly grabbed the audience's attention with emotion filled scenes and the unrequited love between the leads, which did the job for me as I'm a sucker for this type of romance but if you're not, the drama won't suffice. A lot of potential missed, but the ambience, the OST, it being set in the 70-80s, the cast, their love and being a huge fan of Jisoo and Jung Hae-in kept me watching till the end. I would still say give it a shot.
She fell like a raindrop
And I finally felt love for one
-Sooho
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