You Raise Me Up

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

Do Young Shik has spent years preparing for the civil service exam, while not caring for himself. Thus, he becomes impotent. He goes to a urology clinic, where he meets his first love, Lee Ru Da, again. Ru Da is in a relationship with Do Ji Hyeok. She constantly brags about her first love Young Shik to him, until the former re-enters her life, completely changed.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

You Raise Me Up came as a rather good surprise to be honest. First, it is the first time I watch a drama tackling erectile dysfunction. Second, Yoon Shi Yoon’s character Do Young Shik is probably the most touching one I have seen recently. Third, the drama manages to tell a love story, while depicting serious and actual topics in a very short amount of time (only 8 episodes of 40-45 minutes). For all these reasons, You Raise Me Up definitely deserves praise.

However, I had a hard time connecting with characters, other than the main one. Indeed, Hani’s character was really annoying at times, blinded by prejudice, while Park Ki Woong’s was just despicable from beginning to end. Because of that, the main trio was rather unbalanced, picturing Young Shik as the victim and Ru Da and Ji Hyeok as his bullies. Too bad for a drama that is supposed to be feel-good, enjoyable and full of hope for a better life.

Anyway, if you miss Yoon Shi Yoon on screen and/or if you are interested in the topic, I recommend you watch this drama!

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Do Young Shik (Yoon Shi Yoon) is probably the sweetest and kindest character of the drama. Unfortunately for him, his generosity and selflessness have often played, and still play against him. As we discover later on in the drama, Young Shik and Lee Ru Da (Hani) met in high school. Ru Da was rapidly smitten by Young Shik’s kindness towards her and others, as well as his charisma and presence. Indeed, he was the best student of his class, handsome and full of potential. He naturally drew people to him, among whom Lee Ru Da. Both started going on dates at the cinema, at the restaurant and other nice places. However, an accident occurred one day. As they were walking in the streets, a glass window that was being installed on a building got loose and threatened to smash Lee Ru Da. In a protective gesture and without really thinking, Young Shik acted as a shield and received the broken glass straight in the back. This left scars on his body and is the trigger of his future demise.

After that incident, Lee Ru Da was forced by her parents to go abroad to study, leaving a wounded Young Shik behind. From then on, his life started to gradually crumble, as well as his self-esteem. To fight his stress and anxiety, Young Shik developed a special link with the color pink, to the point that the darker his life got, the more pink there was in his house. Professionally speaking, Do Young Shik also seemed to hit rock bottom. Despite his brilliant mind, he has failed several times the civil servant exam, as he was not able to overcome his stress. He thus had to find a part-time job, or several, in order to pay his rent and survive.

Although he went through hell most of his adult life, Young Shik accepted his fate. He blamed himself for not being capable of succeeding at least once and felt guilty constantly. I have to say that Young Shik may seem like a weak and feeble man, who is unable to defend himself, stand up in front of others and fight for a better life. However, that it absolutely not the way I understood him. To me, yes, Young Shik was shy, reserved, quiet and lacked energy to keep up fighting, still he is the embodiment of resilience, determination and courage in his own way. Indeed, he failed for several years the exam, but kept studying for it. Moreover, when he starts suffering from erectile dysfunction, he is brave enough to recognize his problem and to seek help and treatment. He reached out to doctors, thought about giving up, but still held on with all his strength to get better. And let’s precise too that he did all that, while being dragged down that by his doctors, a.k.a. those who were supposed to help him.

In the end, I think that Young Shik owes his healing to none other than himself. Of course, Lee Ru Da was there to show him the way, but she also backstabbed him several times. Young Shik is proof that the only way to get better, to feel better is if you, yourself, wish to overcome your struggles. No one can do the first step (and all the steps along the way) for you!

Lee Ru Da is a two-faced character in my opinion. On the one side, she is the kind and generous woman, whom Young Shik has known since high school. On the other side, she has changed as an adult. She has become materialistic, expecting success and money from her boyfriend. Although a small part of her still wishes for affection from him. That’s the reason why she argues with her current boyfriend Do Jin Hyeok (Park Ki Woong) at the beginning of the drama.

Her re-encounter with Young Shik is also a healing process for her. She goes back to her old ways little by little, realizing that the values she has now are totally off compared to what she wants in a relationship. She gradually becomes a real support for Young Shik, just like the day they had their accident. By the end of the drama, I have to say that I was surprise to see her so patient and calm. She wanted Young Shik to come to her on his own, what he eventually did in the end, after he had raised his self esteem a bit up. Because she has truly at heart the desire to help her lover-to-be, Lee Ru Da transforms herself as a person. By the way, that is also the reason why her relationship with Do Jin Hyeok is no longer viable.

Indeed, Do Jin Hyeok is the kind of character that I really disliked. Even if by the end of the drama he seems to have understood that people are not toys and that you shouldn’t take others for granted – showing thus a more genuine side of him – his actions throughout the drama can’t be forgiven yet. When the drama starts, Ru Da and Jin Hyeok have been dating for some time now, but Ru Da is tired of her boyfriend’s lack of consideration and empathy. As a matter of fact, Jin Hyeok believes that his money, his handsome face and his stable job are enough to make his woman love him and stay. However, he forgets that affection and kind gestures are also important to make it work. Being the patient woman that she is, Lee Ru Da endures the best she can, until she’s reached her limit. That’s exactly when she meets Young Shik again.

Jin Hyeok and Young Shik are polar opposites, not only in terms of financial and professional status, but also in terms of personality. The former lacks respect towards his partner, while the latter is full of love, affection and kindness for Ru Da. Jin Hyeok’s twisted attitude and behavior are the reason he deserves to be alone at the end of the drama, so that he can see how bad and harmful his actions were and could be. His defeat against Young Shik is a good slap in the face for the character. Swallowing his pride, he is now capable of understanding that money can’t buy love.

The bullies: Although Lee Ru Da changes after meeting Young Shik, she and her current boyfriend Jin Hyeok are just despicable for most of the drama. Indeed, seeing how certain Ru Da is, Jin Hyeok decides to take her down by forcing her to admit that her first love is not that radiant anymore, and by betting that she would never cure him. As if this was not enough, Ru Da accepts the challenge and uses her patient as a toy to prove a point. You thought the story was over? Not at all! Turns out that Young Shik ends up witnessing their conservation, twice, during which both admit the bet. Deeply wounded, with a self-esteem lower than rock bottom, Young Shik is about to kill himself to make the pain stop. Fortunately Ru Da rescues him, before backstabbing him a second time.

To be honest, I really couldn’t understand how Ru Da and Jin Hyeok, as experienced doctors, could even think about playing with their patient’s feelings and use him as a collateral damage of their broken relationship. I was more than shocked! Ethically speaking, there is a lot to say as well. Neither should pursue a career in that field.

What are the themes tackled?

Erectile dysfunction: The main theme that this drama tackles with a lot of subtlety, seriousness and humor as well is obviously erectile dysfunction. Few dramas dare to discuss that topic, but it is always enjoyable when one does! As explained in the drama, that trouble has generally two causes: one that is really physical (that is to say the penis doesn’t raise up) and one that is psychological. Because there is not much we can do for the physical deficiency without knowing the root cause of the problem, You Raise Me Up focuses on the general psychological state of his main character. Gradually, we get to understand Young Shik’s story and all the little elements that impacted him and had a consequence on his current state such as: the fear of disappointing his mother, people criticizing and judging him and his family, his numerous failures at the civil servant exam, the success of his friends, the stress and constant anxiety….. All of that leading to a decreasing self-esteem and worse, suicidal thoughts. I really believe that showing how negative feelings about yourself can really influence your way of life, was a fresh idea, especially when connected to manhood. The more Young Shik wishes to be treated and healed, the stronger and braver he becomes, impacting positively his own life and preparing his road ahead.

Fighting prejudice: You Raise Me Up also dedicates a huge part of his drama to fighting prejudice. Indeed, on top of his low self esteem, Young Shik also happens to have rather atypical tastes. These push people to laugh at him and criticize him even more. For example, Young Shik is obsessed with the color pink. There is a reasonable explanation behind it, that nobody knows (it helps him calm his stress, ever since his accident), but from the outside most people are quite taken aback by this passion. Hopefully, the drama breaks down the prejudice and emphasizes the fact that you are entitled to like any color you want, even if you are a man and love pink. What is weird in that? Same for men who love to knit. Why should they be judged?

The same goes for having a part-time job at 30, when all your friends and acquaintances have a stable job. There is nothing demeaning in that. Sometimes the road is just bumpier for some people.

What to expect in a relationship?: As I mentioned before, Do Jin Hyeok is convinced that Lee Ru Da will never dare to break up with him because he has a stable job, a good financial situation, and is rather good-looking. He doesn’t care about his emotions at all, when all she actually wants is affection, attention, and not being taken for granted. This simple contradiction in the couple is a perfect epitome of what one can expect in a relationship and how things can turn sour, when both lovers don’t align. Hence, the importance of communication and empathy.

P.S.: What did you think of the opening credits of the drama? Funny right!?