Age of Innocence (2002)

Pathetic Love

Given that it's a drama from 2002, you may expect it to be extra dramatic with loads of self-sabotaging moments and forgiven unhinged behavior. The entire story was driven by a combination of last minute calls, missed opportunities and unreceived information which is expected from such a drama but sometimes it just gets a bit too frustrating, and the last episode amplified that even further. The first incident described in the synopsis was plain stupid and a general poor setup of characterizing the main characters. Compared to other melodrama from late 90s to early 00s this would rank at the very bottom. The last episode was objectively bad and was designed this way to rile up the audience and stir a conversation. It's an attempt to go for the "there is no such thing as bad publicity". Anyway, the drama was a flop.

Not a single character mentioned that Tak Suk was shot with a gun by Dong Hwa, not even Ji Yoon. Tak Suk and Ji Yoon couldn't be together out of guilt but choosing to marry and have a kid with the other guy is just retarded, yet she still doesn't know that Dong Hwa shot Tak Suk. They should've cut the drama 6 minutes early before the 3-years time skip where she choose neither of them, that's the only reasonable move.

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Watch it at the risk of being crushed and bent over with ache in the chest!

Firstly : I am a 300 plus Kdrama show old person (watched - dropped - hopped - skimmed).
So I am not a newbie gushing in the first flush of Kdrama. I am pretty jaded and stop only for the best kicks.

The fact that I took the time to write this will tell you how much I was moved by this show.
I was surprised that NO reviews are there.
See if you want to read what follows in the rambling - and decide.

GO FOR IT.
GO for GO SOO.

I realised in the last many months (while browsing for GOOD shows that appeal to me) I was checking out some very old films, there is a TRUE OLD GOLD treasury!

So in that hunt this show came on my radar; and then it all started; with discovering an actor; Go Soo.

I had never heard that name before; when I went in watching "Will it Snow this Christmas?"

I haven't completed that show yet. (It's on hold). I was waylaid because I just got impatient, greedy and decided to stack up all shows of his that might hook me.

(It's something I do a lot - if an actor / actress catches my eye - I line up as many shows of theirs I can find and try them out usually starting with mydramalist ratings as an initial guide. WISFC had an 8.0 I think.

I am also good at 'dropping' shows. I don't waste time on anything where I feel the story-acting-directing is dragging /dipping /limping.
Occasionally I HOP and JUMP some dramas just to follow the main story because I get curious to know "what happens" (usually it's the acting or actor driven shows - in a not that great a drama - that makes me do that)

Back to Go Soo.
I was so taken aback with how well he acted.

HOW GOOD (heart thumpingly handsome) he looked. (Ok so he may not be your cuppa. He was mine ;-p)

I'll be honest ;-D
Swoony actors reel me in, BUT I stick to the show ONLY if the swoony face and bod comes in a top notch acting talent packet. (just to let you know who they are IMO : Kim Woo Bin / Park Bo Hum / Park Hyung Shik / Kim Rae Won / Nam Joo Hyuk - who dole out consistent top class acting.)

Go Soo IS that (swoony) & DOES that (acting) and some more!!!!

Go Soo films are driven by his magnetic power in general - add to that a well crafted MELODRAMA (not the, too weepy - logic-defying - black and white character laden ones). Add a great palette of other roles pulled off with panache and wonderful directing and story.

That is Age of Innocence for you.
How many times tears prickled, and how many times I couldn't breathe - LUMP stinging pain in the throat, such was the story at times.

I am not a masochist who picks show to break down over. But inadvertently I've sometimes got trapped in Melo's / dramas that left me with a hollow - a depressed feeling. Not that they were all BAD shows or I didn't like how things turned out. Beauty sn sadness come hand in hand.

Some example of Drama traps I walked into:
- Uncontrollably Fond
- V.I.P.
- Mr Sunshine
- Innocent Man
- Empress Ki
- Happiness

(I was on edge of the seat watching Another Ms Oh Hae, ready to collapse in grief .. phew! So much red herring signalling went on.)

With When a Man Loves a Woman (Go Soo show from Pre-2005) I fell into the sad Melo trap.
However, it was a lax script - weep fest - not a strong tale .. SO I hopped and jumped and wrapped it. It's ending left me unhappy and unsatisfied and I moved on to LOVE 911 (a movie - adorable Go Soo and this fave actress of mine from HAPPINESS).
That brought a smile at the end credit role.

I was now greedier - Go Soo's looks and act and face just grew on me. Addicted.

That's when I bumped into Age of Innocence.
It's a SOLID Top Notch LOVE TRIANGLE story.
A GOOD ONE.
Who remembers "What Happened in Bali?" this is BETTER scripted.
I LOVED Bali too BTW .. but this one gave me such rumbles of stress in my tummy wondering what will these characters DO NOW???

The threat of danger and explosion was hanging overhead .. the play of emotions under tight reign .. At one time I switched off and sat trying to predict " how will this end?" Will I DIE of grief? Will I DIE watching the Main Leads unfulfilled Desires and Dreams?

Then It ended. BITTERSWEET!! So so BITTER this last drop of sweet ..

I gave the show a 9.0 because it broke my heart too badly (or else I was going to give it a 10) ..
(Not saying that the end was NOT GOOD) ..
I am saying it didn't allow the viewer solace or justice or comfort (I wanted to weep for Go Soo. I wept for Go Soo )

I gave the show a REWATCH of 9.0
But I WILL NEVER WATCH this AGAIN.
It's too painful .. not Painful in the way of Mr Sunshine or Uncontrollably Fond or even Empress Ki (I rewatched and cried buckets each time)
But INJURY painful.
So WHY 9.0 .. because it's like Van Gogh's Yellow Sunflowers - so bright and yet so achingly sad they appear .. (I hadn't thought of this famous painting in that way until the FL describes Go Soo's eyes as Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Your heart will shred.)

So yeah if you are a masochist - and want to be ripped to shreds for Go Soo. Watch it again.

WATCH IT.
For those who read until here and connected with my kind of actors / shows / stories .. WATCH this gem.


I almost bypassed the show because of it 6.9 rating!!!
I usually don't touch below 7.0 Rating shows.
At that moment I recalled that a few panned Dramas by viewer rating were a 8 or even 9 for me.
I decided to do the first 2 episode test.
I was HOOKED at HELLO ..

I looked at the profile of the folks who quit or rated it so low :
- maybe it was not a Melo day for them
- maybe they were too young to appreciate the crazy stuff life can throw at you (the stuff in this tale HAS happened to REAL people)
- Maybe it needs an emotionally mature audience, with triggers in the show that hark back to teenage and youth.

One would need the view from the distance of time (long long time) to truly appreciate the characters and the eddy they kept fighting inside.

You can checkout my WatchList to know my proclivities. If its a match I am sure you won't be disappointed - heart broken though it will leave you.

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