East of Eden (the kdrama, not the Steinbeck novel)

[lesbiassparrow]

I am up to episode 10 now and agog at the screenwriter's one track desire to beat the living daylights out of the heroes as much as possible. Their writing strategy for every episode seems to be:

1. Beat up main hero
2. Do something horrible to a girl he or his brother likes
3. Toss in a bit of skullduggery by one of their deadly enemies
4. Beat up secondary hero
5. Have manly weeping or feminine angst
6. Insert small scene with Dennis Oh* for relief
7. Return to main hero for a last stint of beating up, just because you can

Honestly, I am not just astonished that these people aren't crippled for life but that they are still alive. They make 'em tough in Korea.

I am also impressed that where other series like to start off the angst slow, usually throwing in at least one or two episodes of happy childhood, this one doesn't bother at all. Nope, right into angst and misery and violence.


*Finally, an actor who makes Daniel Henney's 'skills' in that department look good.

Comments

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think his head gets a bit of a rest in 11-12 (though no, I lie, on at least one occasion there is a bash-free-for-all) but they compensate by deciding to really get serious about torturing his younger 'brother' some more. There is even a beat-down montage, as if they have so many beatdowns they don't feel like wasting too much effort on showing them individually.

The hero's revenge plan confuses me. If he couldn't kill Bad Guy once face to face with him, a quiet alley, and a length of pipe, why does he think it would be different in the future? My money is on the bad guy's crazy 'son' to do the deed.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

There is even a beat-down montage, as if they have so many beatdowns they don't feel like wasting too much effort on showing them individually.

Where other kdramas have angsty driving or the emo montage of snow and rain this one has beatings.

I am not sure what revenge plan the hero has; is he just going to become super rich and destroy Bad Guy? I really hope it's not that because that could take a long time. I bet they all kill each other in an angsty orgy of violence and blood.