As I sit down to write this week’s post, I find myself feeling all sorts of nostalgic (which probably has a lot to do with the fact that I become a sentimental sap this time of year, what with the holidays and all) so it makes sense for me to choose one of the classic dramas for this weekend’s marathon and that classic is none other than director Yoon Suk Ho’s Spring Waltz.
Originally airing on KBS from March – May 2006, Spring Waltz was the last of Yoon Suk Ho’s “Four Seasons” dramas. Full of heartbreak, healing and true love, Spring Waltz is the story of two children, Lee Su Ho (Seo Do Young) and Suh Eun Young (Han Hyo Joo) who, through a series of unfortunate events, end up roaming the streets of Seoul with no one to depend on but each other. As things progress from bad to worse, Su Ho finds himself in a difficult position and ultimately makes a decision that changes both his and Eun Young’s lives forever. No longer able to stay with Eun Young, Su Ho seems to disappear, leaving nothing but a bittersweet mixture of happiness and heartbreak for the two of them to harbor in their hearts for over a decade. Years later Su Ho and Eun Young are reunited but there’s more standing between them than time and distance. Alternate identities, jealous lovers and ghosts of the past all work together to keep Su Ho and Eun Young from rekindling the love they shared all those years ago but we all know nothing can stand in the way of true love.
Spring Waltz really is one of the classics of our beloved K-dramas and if you haven’t taken the time to watch it (or any of the other “Four Seasons” dramas directed by Yoon Suk Ho) you really need to add them to your “Must Watch” list. Seriously, they ought to be a requirement for every drama addict, along with Coffee Prince and Secret Garden and a whole bunch of other dramas I could list here but because you don’t want to be reading this post until next Tuesday, I’ll just stop here. Being listed among the dramas that helped start the Korean Wave it kind of seems like a given that you’d want to watch this one but maybe that’s just me.
Being one of those dramas that’s just full of drama, Spring Waltz is sure to make you feel all the feels as you watch but that’s not a bad thing. There are some truly sweet moments in this drama, as well as some ridiculously heartbreaking ones and there are several moments when you’ll go, “Oh my gosh! Really? Enough with the drama already!” But if we’re honest with ourselves, don’t all dramas make us shout that from time to time? Su Ho, or should I say Yoon Jae Ha’s (Yup! There’s an alternate identity coming into play here. Oooh!) best friend, Phillip (Daniel Henney) makes an amiable second lead and of course, there’s all kinds of tension between the two as they struggle with their feelings for Eun Young. Song Yi Na (Lee So Yeon) fills the role of the second female rather well and she’s a character that you can’t help but feel a little sorry for once she figures out everything she’s believe for all these years turns out to be a lie. Darn those secret identities and the havoc they wreak! Actually, this whole alternate identity thing plays a big part in this story as both main characters take on different names and different roles and it gets a bit confusing when you try to explain it but it’s really not that bad when you sit down to watch. Hooray!
If melodramas are your thing, you can’t go wrong with Spring Waltz as it’s like the Godfather of melodramas. Seriously! All the drama! Still, it’s the good kind of drama, the kind that makes you wish for better times and happy endings for characters who have suffered through so much, so it’s bearable. Sometimes you needs a good melodrama to remind you that your life isn’t nearly a screwed up as it could be and in that sense, this drama is perfect. (Perspective is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?)
As always, I want to hear what you have to say, especially when it comes to this particular drama. Have you watched it? Did you love it? Did it make you want to throw things? Do you have a favorite character? I wanna know it all so be sure to let me know what you’re thinking my leaving me a comment below!