K-Drama: What is love? (by Zibin)

Zibin and I watched a Korean Drama titled My Girl recently. To say I like the drama is an understatement. I’ve simply never loved a drama serial this much before. And other than Jewel in the Palace, this is the only drama that has me thinking so deeply and philosophically about certain themes in life. With the ‘epic drama’ Jewel in the Palace, it was the tenacity, sincerity, courage, humility and selfless love of the heroine that impressed me greatly. My Girl, a much shorter and simpler drama, had me mulling about the issue of truth (is it morally justifiable at times to lie to protect someone?) and again, love in its many facets (familial love, romantic love, self-less love etc).

Other reasons why I loved the drama:
– The female lead (Joo Yoo Rin), an adorable but flawed, sunny, smart, food-loving, big-hearted, tenacious and funny girl – a character that I think I would also fall in love with if I were a guy – portrayed to perfection by Korean actress Lee Da Hae.
– The way the male lead evolved from a responsible, self-sacrificing, duty-bound and rather boring albeit filial grandson to someone who becomes much more fully alive and daring due to love
– The way the leads let go of one another because of how much they loved each other
– The leads’ fantastic chemistry and the uniformly enjoyable supporting cast
– The many, many laugh-out-loud moments
– The many scenes of Korean food and especially of Joo Yoo Rin eating with gusto (seriously making me crave Toronto’s Korea Town!)
– The many snowy scenes, and the fact that snowy days had a significant meaning in the drama
– A tall observatory tower in Seoul (63 Building) which had a special place in the story, and which reminded me of the view I love from the CN Tower in Toronto
– The progression of the love story echoed my own and made me nostalgic
– Last but definitely not least, the awesome soundtrack that Zibin and I’ve been listening to repeatedly for the last week. :P

Ok, my post was really brought about by Zibin’s blogpost about the drama which I shall now leave you with:

Recently, have been watching this K-Drama: My Girl. Other than the really cute and fun-loving female lead, I also feel much for the plot itself. The lead couple holds between themselves a lie that not only brought them together but continues to sustain their liking for each other, finally leading to them falling in love with each other. But what really captivated me was the female lead’s willingness to withhold her sadness, hurt and suffering in silence, because she knows that making known her emotions will only hurt the one she loves. She was willing to let the lie die with her, even to the extent of “destroying her life”, as her good friend put it.

Although, of course, the show ended in a nice romantic setting where all things turn out well, what really made me remember this show for what it is would be the self-sacrifice love of the female lead’s. On the surface, she is a fun-loving happy-go-lucky girl who is just too passionate about her life, about her experiences. Her free-spirited life come to a drastic change when she met the person whom she soon fall in love with. Gradually, as the drama unfolds, you can feel the fatigue and hurt of her many emotions take a toil on her. She started to lose her free-spirited lifestyle, because for the man she loves she cannot but live behind the lie that protects him. Towards the end of the drama, she no longer laugh the way she used to and one could almost feel the chains that hold her back. But she doggedly continue to love him with all her heart, not afraid of bearing all the pain and sadness within her heart. It makes me admire and feel for her. Near the end, she was even willing to let her loved one go because all she wanted was for him to be happy.

While this is only a drama series, I totally enjoyed it for the very real circumstances that one can be in. I’ve always believed in living for the one whom I love and for bearing all things I could for the one I love, even to the extent of breaking one’s spirit. I believe there is nothing greater than love (of course not the type of romantic sweet-sweet infatuation love that some people all too often associate with). Love is more than emotions, more than a spur of the moment. Love is a decision that one takes because of the willingness to bear all that is in one’s heart for the sake of another. And love is the reason why one can live life to its fullest, by believing in the strength of self-sacrifice for the sake of another. Afterall, didn’t Jesus give His all for the sake of us, whom He loves dearly even upon the pain of the cross.