It’s funny how a little bit of time can change your perspective on things. When I sat down to watch the first 2 episodes of this drama, I thought it was super fluffy, a bit frustrating and came a little too close to the border of ridiculous. However, there were underlying themes that, if developed, could provide this drama with a surprising amount of satisfying substance. The problem with having substance lying just under the surface is that you must have the patience to wait for that substance to emerge. I have to admit, these next 2 episodes felt more like a test of patience than anything else. However, I still believe there’s something more this drama has to offer; it’s just a matter of holding on until that moment comes.
While this next set of episodes didn’t offer a whole lot in the way of monumental development, it did offer us quite a bit of insight into the lives of our main characters. It was interesting, getting a few brief glimpses into the life of Baek Joon. Knowing a bit more about where she’s coming from, we have a much better understanding of why she is the way she is. Knowing that her father made some sort of life-altering decision in the past, and knowing that decision has essentially scarred Joon for life, explains so much about her as a character. We know that her father used to work for Byun Hyuk’s family company, but they had a falling out, of some sort. When, why, or how has yet to be answered but we do know that Joon had to spend a good portion of her childhood watching her father being harassed by thugs. We also know that the words Joon’s father spoke in his moments of despair have stayed with her ever since. It’s pretty clear Joon has tried to live her life, following her father’s words of wisdom but these episodes clearly demonstrated the fact that anyone can do anything when they’re desperate.
Enter Joon’s mother. The most desperate character of them all. Woo! I’m still not 100% sure what the story of Joon and her mother really is, but it’s obvious that they don’t have a healthy relationship. But really, how could they? We may not know their entire story, but we know enough to see that Joon harbors all sorts of resentment against the woman who gave birth to her. And not just because the woman pops into Joon’s life every time she needs money. No, the anger Joon holds in her heart has been seething in there for years. Whether Joon’s mother left her father when he was down-and-out, or she waited until after he’d passed away, is still a mystery but it’s obvious that this woman decided not to take an active role in Joon’s life. As such, Joon has no sentimental feelings to spare for her leech of a mother. At the same time, every time this money-sucking woman comes around, Joon struggles to push her away. Maybe it’s some sort of innate mother-daughter connection that Joon just can’t seem to sever? Or maybe Joon is just too caring of an individual to push away someone in need? I’m not really sure. What I do know is that having this woman in Joon’s life is nothing short of toxic. I’m sure Joon would agree wholeheartedly with me when I say that it would be better if this woman left and never came back.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Joon’s mom is going to disappear completely. Especially not after one of the boys in Joon’s life has given her mother the money she was after. *sigh* Oh you darn boys! Don’t you know that if you feed a stray cat, they’ll keep coming back? It’s the same with Joon’s mom. Every time she appears, Joon caves, giving her the money she wanted; which is why she keeps coming back. Joon was really close to not giving in this time and I was really proud of her for trying, even if her effort was short-lived. I know Joon cleaned out her bank account, with the intent to give that money to her mom, but having someone else step in and lend the money on Joon’s behalf, just made things so much worse. The problem I have at the moment, is not knowing which of the 2 boys actually gave Joon’s mom the money. I know we’re meant to think that Hyuk was the one responsible but in all honesty, Je Hoon could just have easily been the one to hand that money over. Neither Hyuk nor Je Hoon want to see Joon cry, so either one of them could have been the guilty party. I’m sure we’ll find out who the culprit is eventually but for now, I’m more inclined to think Je Hoon is the guilty one. At the same time, I know Hyuk really wanted to help Joon out, and he thought this was the best way to do it, but the only way he could have done so was by getting the money he needed from his brother. Would Byun Woo Sung really be willing to help out his little brother? My guess is, he’d only be willing if it meant eventual trouble for Hyuk. So the question is, did he or did he not lend his little brother the money? And if he did, what sorts of trouble can we expect from this in the future?
Though this money mystery is meant to keep us wondering until the next episode, the bigger question on my mind is, WILL HYUK EVER GET A CLUE!?! I get that it’s hard for a 3rd generation rich boy to get a grasp on the harsh reality of “common” life but seriously! This boy is as clueless as they come and quite honestly, I’m getting really darn annoyed! I know that Hyuk has spent his entire life trapped in a bubble. I also know that he’s slowly being made aware of what life is like outside that bubble. Beyond that, I know that being pushed out, naked, into the street might force those eyes open in a hurry but really, even after being completely cut off, I don’t think Hyuk quite gets it. This boy’s head is very thick and even if his heart is in the right place, his bumbling ways are anything but cute. I suppose there’s a chance I’m being a bit too hard on this guy, after all, he’s never really had any contact with the real world. But even so, shouldn’t he possess even a tiny bit of common sense? Shouldn’t there be some sort of little voice in his head telling him things like: “Don’t walk out on a brick-lined catwalk to blow dandelion seeds.” “Don’t drink 3 whiskeys on an empty stomach.” “Don’t say incriminating things when you’re surrounded by 5 lawyers and a prosecutor.” I mean none of these things require a PhD to understand. It all seems pretty basic and yet, Hyuk can’t seem to operate in any world without causing accident after accident after accident. What’s even worse is that after every single accident, he finds himself being bailed out by the people around him. Which means, HE NEVER LEARNS!
I’m pretty sure this is why Hyuk’s dad kicked him out of the house. It’s because he believes Hyuk will eventually spread his wings and soar to greatness. Well, either that or he’s just hoping his son will fall flat on his face, come crawling home in despair, and live the rest of his life doing exactly as he’s told. Either way, it’s a win for Hyuk’s father. The problem is, there’s not much in this deal for Hyuk. He thinks he has freedom but he’s completely dependent on the kindness of Joon and the jobless construction workers. He only has Je Hoon because that poor boy is stuck in a terrible position, being the family’s personal cleanup crew as well as a spy for both Woo Sung and Chairman Byun. (Poor kid!) So here’s Hyuk, thrown out onto the streets, with no money, no job and no idea of how to function in the real world. I’m sure that as time passes, Hyuk will find ways to get by, but he’ll always have other people around him, helping him out. Which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. It’s nice Hyuk has kind people around him but it does make me wonder if this kindness is really doing this man any good. How is Hyuk ever going to learn what it means to be truly independent, if he’s constantly relying on the kindness of others? What is Hyuk actually capable of doing on his own? Will he ever have the chance to live up to his full potential if he lets everyone around him dictate this life for him? Does the man even know how to order his own food? Or how to make food? Or to even where to buy groceries? Does he know how to find a job? Open a bank account? Find a place to live? What exactly does Hyuk no know to do, other than cause trouble? Now that he’s out on his own, what’s going to happen to him? Will he ever be able to make the transition from palace life to that of a commoner? And what about the lessons Joon has been trying to teach him? Will he ever learn that people and their feelings are so much more important than they money he keeps trying to throw at them?
It may seem like Hyuk is a pretty desperate character right now but I think that ultimately, that’s the way things have to be. You can’t have important character development if none of the characters need developing. The good news is, every one of our main characters has plenty of room to grow. And yes, that includes Joon. She has a lot of issues from her past that she needs to get over. Je Hoon is stuck in a terrible place right now and he needs to see that the path he’s currently walking may not lead him to the destination he desires. (He also needs to get rid of all that resentment he’s holding against his father and see that the man has only spent his entire life trying to give his son the best life possible.) Of course Hyuk has all sorts of room to grow but I think he’s in the best position to start making changes, even if may not seem like it now. Being the most desperate, he’s probably the most motivated and, of course, his infatuation with Joon drives him better than anything or anyone else in his life. The question is, where will these 3 characters go from here? At this point, it’s really anyone’s guess. All I know is, I’m ready for these changes to start taking place because if I have to put up with too much more of this clueless, helpless, klutzy Hyuk, I may throw myself out a widow.
So what are your thoughts on this drama so far? Am I being too hard on Hyuk at the moment? Am I expecting too much from him? Should I lighten up and give the poor man a chance to prove himself? What about Joon? Is she really going to have to spend the entirety of this drama trying to teach Hyuk how to be a decent human being? Will there ever been anything good in this crazy relationship for her? What about Je Hoon? Will he ever grow a spine and tell Joon how he really feels about her? Will he continue to let himself be walked all over by Hyuk’s family? Will he ever grow up and stop resenting his father? Where do you see things going from here? You know I always love hearing from you so be sure to let me know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
You can catch up on all of my Revolutionary Love reviews here:
it definitely gets a lot /a lot/ better but its a bit slow on the uptake, and it becomes a lot about hyuk’s development arc, by the latest episode (ep 14) his character is a lot better, becomes more and more likeable!
Hooray for a more likable hero! I can’t wait to keep watching! 🙂