Or: The Weather Man
Hello Friends and Readers!
I am on a comparative roll. Two consecutive posts in one week. About the same drama. Those of you who are new to the blog may not realize it but that’s like…a big deal around here. At any rate, we’re chugging along with Blade Man, and even though I could do with the main character calming the frack down, I am liking it so far. There are only so many formulaic melodramas a girl can watch in a row. This one doesn’t seem to have a definite plan just yet, but hey. Sometimes that’s a good thing. So let’s get to it.
On the Street Where You Live
As stated previously, Se Dong has been climbin’ up that hill for a good long time with a conked out toddler on her back, and is understandably about to face plant on the pavement. Hong Bin, catching of not only her pleasant scent, but also the fact that she wants to speak with him, takes his opportunity to stalk her to the door of her basement apartment in the dark of night. However, considering that “your breath smells like my ex-girlfriend” might not be the best opening like ever (good call), he allows Se Dong to relieve herself of her adorable parcel while he formulates a plan of action.
Unfortunately, the pair are forced to converse through the window of Se Dong’s apartment, since little Chang is suffering a severe bout of separation anxiety. And this scene is the first sign that Hong Bin and Se Dong are meant to be. Because the ridiculously meticulous Hong Bin gets down on all fours on the dirty pavement to talk to Se Dong. Now if that’s not an indicator of things to come, I don’t know what is. Feigning interest in Se Dong’s plight, Hong Bin at first appears to be listening to her struggles regarding the loss of her video game character Monstro, until we realize along with her that he is once again in one of his creepy raptures. At which point, Se Dong is fully skeezed out and slams the window on his face. No, literally on it. It cuts him up pretty good.
Is This the Cutest Kid Ever
No really. Is it? Every time I see a drama involving a toddler, I am immediately convinced that said child is the most adorable thing that has ever been on planet Earth. But Joo Chang might just have them all beat. Have you seen those sticky-out ears? Have you?
The morning following is full of revelations. But let’s first begin with Se Dong and Chang as they sit together over bowls of cereal. Basically what happens here is lots of hugs, because clearly Chang is starved for affection. And your heart can’t help but break for him when he is willing to do anything, and I mean anything, to stay with Se Dong. What I love most so far about the Chang storyline is how great this kid and Shin Se Kyung are together. Sometimes when you see an actor playing a scene with a child, you can tell the affection is forced. But these two seem so natural together, like she really is his big sister.
After Chang gives Se Dong a lollipop he was carrying with him as a gift (the feels) and she gives him her first mock up character toy, he proposes marriage because he likes her almost as much as his mom (the other feels). But sadly, it at first appears that this pair is not meant to be together forever, since Se Dong is forced to release him to the authorities, where he will doubtless end up in The System. Sad day.
Prison Friends
You know those friends you have that always need help out of a sticky situation? Meet (once again) the deadbeat gamer ensemble last seen gathered around a hospital bed after escaping Se Dong’s apartment. While Se Dong and Chang were minding their own business and enjoying the most important meal of the day, the gang was wasting a way in a holding cell at the police station. And why?
They had to go and graffiti Hong Bin’s (extremely expensive) stone wall while under the influence. Great.
At any rate, the boys have landed themselves in the slammer on 100,000,000 won bail. Now, I am terrible at conversions, but that at least sounds like a lot of won. And for sure Se Dong does not have that much at the ready. To be perfectly clear, I don’t care who they are. If my friends got themselves pickled, did something dumb like that and then got arrested I would be mad. If they expected me to pay that much money to get them out from my own pocket, I’d laugh right on out of that police station.
But being a much nicer person than me, Se Dong plays their antics off like they’re not even a big deal, and takes herself off to the scene of the crime (at the request of Hong Bin) on the promise of returning with snacks. This girl, I tell you.
Long story short, she goes to visit Hong Bin and tries to get him to give her and the other designers free employment, in exchange for the copyright to Monstro and half of the sales profits. This he flatly denies, but offers to sell her Monstro for another 100,000,000 won. As if that’s going to happen. In the end, the two part ways, she without her game or the money to bail out her friends, he still haunted by the fragrance she emanates and suffering an empty stomach.
Notes on Secretary Ko (and Why This Is Getting Out of Hand)
Secretary Ko is quickly becoming my favorite character in this drama. Aside from being a great sidekick to the antihero, his dry personality plays off of Hong Bin’s crazy antics really well. Add to that the fact that he grows more and more endearing the more we see him protecting and worrying about Hong Bin, and my poor heart doesn’t stand a chance.
But why in the blue Hell does he still work for Hong Bin? He doesn’t seem to be the kind of a guy that would be swayed by money. He’s more like a “throws himself in the line of fire for God and country” sort of man. But he continually puts up with beatings from Hong Bin, seemingly to let his employer vent his frustrations. Which is especially odd when you consider that given his size, he could probably wipe the floor with that volatile man child.
The only thing I can figure is that he genuinely cares for Hong Bin, and that there is some great big back story to these two that we have yet to uncover. That’s pretty exciting. And it’s pretty funny watch him try to find out any way at all to quell his employer’s excessive anger. Has he thought of tranquilizers administered by dart gun? Or court ordered commitment to a psychiatric facility? Obviously not. Either one seems to be a valid and effective option.
Lastly, I’m going to leave this here. At one point during his last conversation with Se Dong, he got mad and lifted his hand up like he was going to hit her. If he actually had, we would be done here.
Daddy Issues
But he didn’t, so let’s move along. Se Dong manages to bail out her friend who is in ill-health, but has to leave the others locked up. On the way out of the police station she momentarily crosses paths with Hong Bin and Secretary Ko, who are headed inside.
Episode 2 heads straight into one of the big issues that come along in every drama ever: family dysfunction. It turns out that Hong Bin’s little brother Hong Joo not only shares his brother’s penchant for video games, but his tendency toward violence. He is in the police station after having gotten into a fight with his friends – who would not believe that the Joo Hong Bin of Global Games is his hyung.
Hong Bin, being a snarky so-and-so, shows up to see his brother in the police station (which doesn’t imply anything at all), then promptly denies having a brother. That is, until the standard evil dad appears on the scene. Now, I have seen my share of pointlessly evil parents in my drama watching career. But this guy thoroughly creeps me out, I must admit. He has this natural glare, this way of filling his whole face with loathing. I can’t explain it, it just makes me dread every time he appears on screen. It’s awesome.
Also he likes to hit his kids. Hard. So there’s that. Not awesome.
After he demonstrates this terrible affinity on poor Hong Joo (that kid’s little baby face kills me), Hong Bin magically appears again to come to his rescue. Don’t you just hate it when the antihero suddenly does something legitimately heroic? It plays havoc with the feels. Anyway, the two get in a pretty heated argument over their sad history, and two very important things happen:
1. A thunderstorm rolls in, and Secretary Ko’s face fills with dread
2. Hong Bin’s body knives pop out. And nobody seems to notice.
Now, I guess if I have to, I can suspend disbelief and let pass the fact that none of the police officers notice the severely angry man with sharp metal blades protruding from his body. But what is most interesting here is that Hong Bin’s father says nothing, even as one of these same blades is cutting into his own hand.
Interesting…
Baby Daddy Drama
Everyone knows that a drama loves to drop a previously undisclosed young child on a prickly male lead, in the hopes that the bond that will doubtless grow between them will make all of our ovaries explode.
It tends to work.
Anyway, such is the case with Blade Man, when Secretary Ko discloses the existence of adorable little Chang, and the fact that Tae Hee is his mother. Sidenote: Wouldn’t it be great if Kim Tae Hee played Kim Tae Hee? Also has she been blacklisted or something, because I haven’t seen her in a drama in ages. Back to the point…
Through a series of events that we don’t need to go over in crazy detail, back brace boy ends up needing surgery which no one has the money to pay for. Se Dong ends up as Chang’s paid foster noona, and Hong Bin, who is kind of sad now that he has hurt his brother’s feelings, has gone on a full-on rampage to find Tae Hee. Only, in keeping with the fact that she abandoned her son, she is nowhere to be found. Which of course puts Hong Bin in a further tizzy.
Finally, Hong Bin decides to give a crap about the fact that he has a kid now, and goes to find him in Se Dong’s neighborhood. Which means that he has the police in tow. Which in turn causes Chang to run away, because he fears men in uniform. So then Hong Bin freaks out and takes Se Dong by the collar (I am telling you he needs to calm down right now. I am losing patience VERY quickly)…when they hear a child’s voice and see Chang huddled on the ground and clearly pretty stressed out.
Friends, my feelings about Blade Man are still very much mixed. The drama is beautifully shot and the score is subtly moving. The script is unusual while sticking to enough standard drama tropes to give any fan a surge of nostalgic familiarity. But I’m still not convinced that I will grow to like the male lead. I don’t hate him, it’s just that every time I start to soften towards him he does something violent. As far as the other characters are concerned, I’m on board. We’ve discussed my feelings about Secretary Ko (I should add that his 4D acts of acrobatics crack me up every time). I really like Se Dong, especially her optimism and her natural and sweet interactions with Chang. And even though I have no idea what any of their names are, her friends are hysterical.
But is this enough to make up for Hong Bin if he never wins me over? Will I be able to stick with a whole drama where I can’t stand half of the Alpha couple? Only time will tell.
Until next time loves, stay tuned!
DramAdrenaline! 
