[mslee's thoughts] Endless Love - 2nd Review

Endless Love characters are evolving. From being a delinquent to a famous upcoming actress, young man  from a smart and righteous to becoming an ambitious one, sticking to a General's side, from a hard up beaten gangster in Japan to a trusted right hand of a wealthy and powerful man, In Ae, Kwang Hoon and Kwang Chul have all gone separate ways and reunited as new individuals but with hearts beating the same for the one they truly care and love.

The scariest character so far beside the calculating Park Young Tae is the Iron Butterfly, wife of the timid Prime Minister. Looking at these three, Park  Young Tae does not seem to be an ambitious one. He strikes me as someone who is manipulative yet content to stay in the shadows, just looking on, smirking but deadly in his actions when needed. He is the trusted man of the Iron Butterfly. I want to guess about the relationship, but not confident enough to say with conviction that one of the child of the PM is his. Maybe the son. Maybe I am wrong. But he continually monitor the activities of Kim Tae Kyung. While the Iron Butterfly is the most ambitious using her husband's position to gain power. She is working so hard for the Prime Minister to be the next President of the country. I believe this is what she has been aiming for despite the PM's decision to be someone who wants to stay silent and low profile. PM is timid, can't even contradict his wife's actions and decisions. He knows she is ruthless but he lets her. He acts as though he is simply the PM but he can also warn the General if he would become his arch rival in the future.

I wonder why the General insist on keeping Kwang Hoon to his side, even knowing Kwang Hoon loves In Ae. Well, he knows that KH is ambitious and even if he sometimes act on his own without the General's consent regarding In Ae, in the end, KH will still come back to his side. For now, the General sees KH as someone who will fulfill his dream. He may not be the future of Korea, but definitely, KH is, if he will take care of it. he dangled a irresistible future by studying abroad. A temptation KH could not easily put aside. 

I happen to like the General's daughter,Hye Jin. Maybe it's her open personality that is easy to love. I don't see her as manipulative on her own. She would whine but she can't really win against KH alone. Maybe I understand how she accepts the fact that KH is not in love with her, that he is just there because of her father. But she is confident that she would marry KH in the end.

In Ae is just as tough as she was before. After the incident where her face was almost ruined to Iron Butterfly's order, she was scared for a while but not for long. When she met her by chance, she was once again the courageous young woman who talked face to face with Iron Butterfly. She acknowledged IB's capability of using power to harm her but she also told her that she knows how IB can make that happen. In short, she made IB realize she is not naive of her powers. 

In recent episodes, there was a time jump. In Ae after becoming successful as an actress in her one and only movie, continued her studies. Unfortunately, she is again one of those that continue to fight for justice against government oppression. While Kwang Chul is now a successful hotelier, a manager. Kwang Hoon remained the underling of the General, doing the dirty works for him. Like Kwang Chul has said, gangster or not like KH, they do the same dirty works. 

The drama is still a long way from over. A new chapter is about to begin. Kwang Hoon will soon leave for abroad with Hye Jin. When conscience kicks in, he finds himself running towards In Ae. He does love her but leaving his dream for her is not enough for him. While Kwang Chul continues to be there for In Ae. I don't particularly like the PM's daughter for Kwang Chul. I don;t like her running after him. I want to think that KC likes her as a sister and nothing more. I believe his heart still belongs to In Ae. 

The story is complicated because of the timeline of the story. The era where Korea is undergoing political and military conflicts and disturbance. In the center of this is In Ae who is going in and out of torture chamber at the intelligence headquarters. Her life is always on the line because of her passion towards humanity.

There has always been one mysterious man behind who is looking for her welfare even when she was in detention center during her youth. I wonder who was that? Park Young Tae? Maybe. Prime Minister? I don't think he realizes yet who is In Ae. But whoever he was, he has been someone who has saved her from further hurt. I hope that in her recent captivity, she would again be spared.

I want to share some more thoughts on previous episodes of the drama. A collective thoughts I have posted in forum via @soompi.com 

I hope you would be able to understand my random thoughts and what it is talking about.:))

Random Thoughts

1.

my heart just felt like they were being torn apart for Gwang Chul when his hyung continues to point out to him how he caused their father's death and how he wants him to walk away for good. i ponder on my reactions how can i feel and understand GC's pain and hate GH for not having even a little ounce of pity to his brother. why he can assume that GC lived a comfortable life while they were suffering. when all this time he did not even grieve for the thought that GC is already dead. not once that the drama showed he cared or even think about what happened to his brother, how GC received his own punishment when he was thrown off the bridge.

2.

anyway, my own pov, GH can easily blame others but look at GC when he can also complain openly about what he had gone through in Japan, but he remained silent about it. GC can keep anything painful inside without bothering others around him about the pains. at this point GC is more interesting and a lovable character for me. I think he has more integrity than GH. 

3.

That's why I like Hye Jin for GH, she can always reminds him that if not for her and her family, he is nothing/he can't achieve his ambition. She will be his anchor to the ground. She knows how to appease him, to comfort him. Unlike In Ae, who in turn has a great/wonderful relationship with GC. She hasn't yet realized why she cared deeply towards GC.

4.

Love all the scenes with these two. The electricity is just so amazing between them. that's why I can't help but be irritated with the half sister. I think the character is overdone, the endless provocation towards GC is kinda annoying even for me as a viewer. Her obvious fascination to GC is too much for my taste. I hope she stops being whinny and just be natural and friendly towards GC.

5.

I like the ending scene, Iron butterfly and In Ae face off. Two tough women against each other. Again, IA is being provocative/challenging, but even though it is a stupid show of confidence, she really has nothing to loose,

6.

I think he is still in denial of what he has become. He is still trying very hard to fight what he should do and stay the same old KH for IA. He knows what is right and that is by sticking it out with his girlfriend who he professed he loves until forever. He is holding tightly to her maybe because he felt that in doing so, he is not turning into a bad guy who leaves his woman in favor of his ambition. For now, he is holding on to his conscience, when it kicks in, everytime after he hurts IA. It is the natural and good thing to do, to be the honorable man he still wants her/them to think about him.

7.

I remember BSB in Secret Love how he kept on feeling guilty but his greed stops him from doing the right thing, and in return, he stayed as long as he could to HJE's character's side until he could not any longer and left her and turned away. The reasons may be different but the actions they have because of guilt made them deny themselves what they truly wanted to do, to just turned and walk away.

8.

As for KC, again, his effort of showing he cared so much for his hyung even though they are not in good terms, which of course is what blood is thicker than water is all about facing a tough situation, was met with another criticism. No thank you from his hyung but he only thought of what could be the consequences of KC act of rescuing him which might put hinder on his ambition. At this point, I am really, chongmal! disappointed with KH. Forget about everything that happened, about his own actions so far, but to speak out about KC hurting him and his future for rescuing him in KC's way, that is total bull and inconsiderate of him. he was not the only one who risked his life that time, even KC and his gang risked their own life by saving him. I want to think that KH was just so frustrated in what's happening in his life, he is still finding himself in a messy situation, and then here comes baby brother whom he hates, come rescue him after all that has happened between them that he just felt so helpless and angered by the situation. I think if the situation was reversed at this point in his life, KC is the one who was captured and beaten to death by gangs, he would the other way so as not to be dragged  and scandalized that he has a gangster of a brother.

9.

It is sad at this point that KH has never realized his brother's worth and continues to blame him for the past which was clearly a sabotage and a conspiracy to kill their father using circumstances created by IA and KC, unfortunately.

10.

IA- I don't want to question her maturity in the process because it will come when the time called for it. I stick with my conviction that I like her for what she is, not a coward. I just hpe she would not have trauma in what she had gone through. I don't want to blame her for what happened because looking at the characters, Iron butterfly is simply not a person who would wait to do something bad. Yes, she has been provoked, but even if not, I think she would still do the same thing, be ruthless towards anyone whom she doesn't like.

-mslee1107-