The Hero We Had VS The Hero We Deserved
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT |
| If you have not watched Chicago Typewriter, Mr. Sunshine, Rebel: The thief who stole people, Flower of Evil, Moon Embracing Sun, Angry Mom, It's Okay That's Love, then I would advise you not to read this article as it contains MAJOR spoilers including the endings and deaths of Major characters. Proceed at your own discretion. |
| Have you ever watched a sad Korean drama for therapeutic reasons? I sure have! Sometimes you just need a good cry to let all the stress of life out of your system and thus the reasons why I welcome a nice heartbreaking drama. There are probably thousands of sad Korean dramas to choose from out in the world. However, very few dramas will give you such a memorable and heartbreaking scene that is difficult to let go. For an instance, while I am studying for an exam in the library, the scene randomly replays in my head. While I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, it sure makes a drama stay with you forever. Therefore, I have taken the liberty to collect some of the most heartbreaking quotes in K-dramas to relive them with you all. As we relive them together, I hope we can all cry and vent it out together as a therapy to let out all the frustrations of both 2020 and 2021. |
Chicago Typewriter |
"Are you leaving? You wipe away my tears and you are going to leave?"- Ryu Soo Hyun Chicago Typewriter is a dangerous drama to watch for the tender-hearted like me because I promise you, you will ugly cry and you will have little control over it. The last two episodes of the show are especially heart-wrenching to me, but honestly, most dramas that cover the era of Japan's occupation of Korea are bound to make a person cry. The first moment on this list is one in which we see our main leads in their previous lives when they fought as a rebel group against the ruling Japanese government in Korea.In the last episodes, the police finally catch up to the group and manage to capture one person. This capture is important because amongst many rules of the rebel group is that you must place your country first and never betray a comrade or your country no matter the circumstances. One member of the group isn't so attached to that particular rule as he has something far more important to him to protect and therefore betrays his comrades.  Meanwhile, the other comrades continue to prioritize their country and thus continue the fight without looking back even when a comrade is captured. The betrayal from one member of the group leads to arguably one of the most heartbreaking deaths in Korean drama history. Information given to the police from the betrayal leads to the killing of the rebel leader and (sort of) main lead Seo Hwi Young. Nothing like being betrayed by someone you love while protecting something you love after sacrificing the woman you loved.Seo Hwi Young knew the risk of any other attachments to his heart aside from his country and fought hard the temptation of loving the female lead. His people were suffering horribly and there was no room for losing focus, something which the female lead luckily understood. It is especially for this reason that his death is so heartbreaking especially when the female lead grieves for him. They loved each other but their country came before their love, and this is something they were in agreement with, making It possibly one of the most powerful dramas I have ever watched.  |
Rebel: The thief who stole people |
"If you give up because of me, I will hate you forever. I will blame you forever!"-Song Ga Ryeon |
Rebel: The thief who stole people's last episode is one for the books. The drama tells the story of a man who dedicates his life to the people of Joseon who suffered through the abuse of the royal family and somehow this man manages to find love in Song Ga Ryeong. Unfortunately, when Hong Gil Dong grows too powerful it is this love that is exploited and used against him. Male lead Hong Gil Dong is placed in a difficult position where he must either surrender with his rebel militia to the tyrant King and give up on the people he is protecting or watch his wife die in front of his eyes. His decision? Aim an arrow towards her heart and shoot her so at least she dies by his hands and not the enemy's hands. His beloved and devoted wife's life is thus exchanged for the safety of the people. Therefore thoroughly breaking my heart.What really captures the moment is the fact that Song Ga Ryeong cries to him, begging that he forgets her and saves the people. She refused to be the reason why he would betray his purpose and as a viewer, I was sure he would ignore her and surrender. Alas, the poetry was that their hearts were in sync before hers is pierced. |
Mr. Sunshine |
“If the heavens help me if poor electricity hinders the telegram, if poor weather delays the ships — if all this were to happen, the message to Japan would only take ten days. I could live those ten days as if it were a year and die.”-Goo Dong Mae Mr. Sunshine’s Goo Dong Mae has lived difficult life, from losing a parent during the war to being ostracized in society. Dong Mae abandons the country that never cared for him and allies himself with one more powerful, by joining a ruthless Japanese gang that serves as a terror to Korean locals. Dong Mae is quick with his sword and possesses a cruel streak with a dangerous temper. For the longest time in the drama, the only endearing thing about GDM is his loyalty and concern for those he holds close to him. However, slowly we see him create an unlikely bromance and even land a hand to those fighting for a country he had abandoned. The last two episodes are also very heartbreaking for him as he turns against his gang and must naturally be eliminated for doing so. Goo Dong Mae fights a difficult fight and does not come out of it unharmed. He does whatever he possibly can to survive until the time comes and it honestly is very difficult to watch. From his choice to survive through the pain, to his prayer asking to make it for another 10 days before yet another fight is also heartbreaking. The only reason he lived and survived another fortnight was so he could spend time with the object of his affection before he perished. The curious thing is that I began the drama with absolute detest for his character but to watch him live through intense pain for just one moment of sweetness made me grow a level of respect for him. |
Flower of Evil |
"I'm sorry Ji Won, I did wrong. I hurt you, I've only caused you pain"-Do Hyun Soo Do Hyun Soo grew up in a single-parent household with his father and very beautiful older sister. Unfortunately, the father happened to also be a serial killer who was the terror of his town before his death, and Do Hyun Soo is suspected to have been his father's accomplice. After his father's death, Hyun Soo runs away and finds a new identity and life as a husband and a father. His wife Cha Ji Won is a highly skilled detective who begins to catch up to her husband's lies and begins to doubt his love for her. Being raised by a Psychopath inevitably led to Do Hyun Soo growing up without knowing what love is and to suspecting himself of also being like his father. Therefore come our moment of heartbreak when he learns that his wife has known his secret all along as well as his true Identity. Cha Ji Won encourages Do Hyun Soo to run away before the police catch up to him, meaning he would have to leave her and their daughter for him to escape to a new life.  Do Hyun Soo breaks down crying at the fact that he has hurt her, and his feelings of suffocation are excellently captured in the scene. The Idea of leaving his family behind and running alone torments him, for the first time it seems that he might actually care about something as the thought of losing his family makes him unable to breathe. Instead of running, Hyun Soo panics at the thought of losing his home and decides to find his wife instead and a confrontation ensues. Hyun Soo expresses his devastation toward hurting her and asks why she stayed with him even while knowing his true identity. Her response, it was all she could do because she loved him. Alas here comes the tears flowing.  |
| Did I cry reliving each of these scenes once again? Yes, I sure did! Out of all the four heartbreaking quotes and scenes I listed above, Flower of Evil is by far my favorite one. This is because it not only displays the emotional turmoil the couple experience but also the love between them is just as strongly expressed. Sure enough, all four dramas dragged my heart through filth again and again, but there was a hint of sweetness that appeared in the devastation portrayed in Flower of evil that I found to be someone therapeutic. |
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