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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Blade Man" Episode 8

The focus of "Blade Man" seems to center around Hong-bin's focus. He is mostly concerned with Se-dong and the drama most often shows his interactions with her. Only when his attention is forced from his obsessive crush does "Blade Man" focus on another aspect of Hong-bin's life: his family.

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This episode focused on revealing the home life Hong-bin grew up in. Hong-joo, his younger brother, is now experiencing similar torment. Their father (let's call him Daddy Joo) does not know how to reign in his temper or his disappointment and therefore goes on destructive binges that entail breaking his children's beloved belongings and yelling things that cut to the quick. It seems to hurt him as much as his children, and he's a child in that aspect, much like Hong-bin. The only interaction that takes this selfish man out of his own pain is when he is with his grandson, Chang. He hasn't lost him like he believes he has lost his sons and he makes an effort. It would be nice to see such a learning process take place in Hong-bin concerning Chang. Indeed it does, very minorly, when Hong-bin invites Chang to the amusement park. There needs to be a visible plot reaction to learning about Daddy Joo's inability to cope with his perception of failure in Hong-bin's life. The very same anger is now molding Hong-bin's life for the worse and we need to see the parallels between the two.

Madame Yoon is more of an insidious character that she seemed to be. She disguises her ambition behind impeccable manners, even when she is threatening. Lee Mi-sook is fantastic at portraying the nuances in the woman who would otherwise be very two dimensional. Madame Yoon wants material comfort from Daddy Joo and will threaten his second wife, Hong-joo's mother, in order to get what she wants. She's rather terrifying, but her character is one of the better used in the story. Her greed has connected Daddy Joo and Chang and created one of the sweeter relationships in the show.


What we've learned about Madame Yoon has come to us in disjointed bits and pieces, which makes me realize that much of the plot is delivered in the same way. It's hard to put things together because they are randomly sprinkled throughout the episodes. The gardener losing Hong-joo's envelope to his brother is something I almost forget about until I am reminded again. It's such a strange point to keep bringing up with no apparent endgoal. There are many small points such as this that crop up. It's a fluidity and continuity issue that has to do with inconsistent writing.

Se-dong is my other large quibble with this episode. She has been, until now, a very even headed person who handles other people with acuity and insight. But this episode had her blubbering in a stressful situation where she normally would put off her tears until after she has taken care of the trouble. Instead she breaks down. Her reasons are understandable, but it is a jarring change from who she normally is. She also turns down Hong-bin's propositions to date because of a very good personal reason, but the way she tells him also doesn't fit in with how she's dealt with him for the past eight episodes. Again, it is consistency that "Blade Man" lacks in general.

One very good parallel that "Blade Man" has created is the obsessive behavior that is present in Daddy Joo, Hong-bin, and Hong-joo. Daddy Joo is obsessed with climbing to the top. We learned this episode his is still in love with/obsessed with Hong-bin's mother, a poor woman who died. Hong-bin was obsessed with Tae-hee even after learning she died and now he is acting similarly with Se-dong. Hong-joo shows similar patternings. The men of the Joo family need to learn to break that behavior and it will be a good journey for them to take.


Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Blade Man" is directed by Kim Yong-soo-I, Kim Jong-yeon, written by Kim Gyoo-wan and features Lee Dong-wook, Shin Se-kyung, Kim Kap-soo, and Jung Yoo-geun.

 

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