Seasons of Blossom

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

In 2016, popular student Lee Ha Min and shy student Han So Mang strike an unexpected friendship. But a series of incidents lead to Ha Min’s death. In present days, So Mang has become a trainee teacher. She goes back to her old school, where she meets Lee Jae Min, Ha Min’s younger brother. Past and present timelines get entangled. 

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

I really appreciated that web drama. Though it’s short, and sometimes sad, the story remains warm and positive. The fact that the two timelines (2016 and present days) are mixed in a very ingenious idea, as it helps bridge characters’ traumatic past with their transformation and healing process. I also really liked the focus on different couples, from the main one in the past to students in the present. The drama is full of love and good intentions, so you clearly spend a good time (even if you shed some tears).

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

2 timelines, 2 ambiances, 2 stories:

The great asset of the drama is its plot that is split into two distinct, but intertwined timelines. The first one occurs in 2016 and displays the slow-paced love story between popular student Lee Ha Min (Seo Ji Hoon) and shy student Han So Mang (So Ju Yeon). From the get-go, the narrative makes it clear that this romance knows no happy ending. The ambiance, from their encounter to their tragic separation, is full of nostalgia and sadness, as 2022 So Mang recalls what were once happy memories.

The past serves as a red thread to connect, but also explain, the events that take place in 2022. In that second timeline, Han So Mang comes back to her old school as a trainee teacher. It’s obvious that she hasn’t grieved the loss of Ha Min. Her wounds run deep, and she can’t seem to be able to let go (probably because of her own guilt). The turning point here is when So Mang unexpectedly meets Ha Min’s younger brother, Lee Jae Min (Kim Min Kyu). He also is stuck in the past, incapable of overcoming the death of his brother. At that point in time, the drama suggests that this incredible encounter will play a pivot role in characters’ healing.

Moving on to 2022, Seasons of Blossom offers a secondary plot that allows for some light-heartedness in the midst of gravity and pain. Lee Jae Min is a student himself, caught up in a love triangle and entangled relationships. Despite being stuck in the past, he still has to live his life, be confronted with his own problems and experience school life.

School romance: If Ha Min is the main character in 2016, So Mang the connection, then Jae Min is surely the main role in 2022. Though his friends also have stories of their own; the main intrigue starts with Jae Min. For example, Kang Sun Hee (Oh Yu Jin) is one of Jae Min’s oldest friends. She was here when he uttered words about his brother that he regrets saying, and was pleased to be reunited with his crush after the accident. Sun Hee is tough and impulsive, she uses this behavior as an armor to hide the feelings she harbors for her friend. Jae Min is unaware yet, not to mention that he himself is in love with someone else: Yoon Bo Mi (Kang Hye Won). The latter is Sun Hee’s best friend. Contrary to her, she is reserved, discreet and shy. She is highly appreciated by her classmates for her beauty and kindness, yet she lacks courage. Upon realizing that Sun Hee has a crush on Jae Min, Bo Mi rejects the teenager’s confession. Finally, she makes sure that Sun Hee wouldn’t believe it’s her fault by asking Choi Jin Young (Yoon Hyun Soo) out. He is surprised, but eventually strikes a deal with her and accepts to pretend they are a couple.

The cute part in that entanglement is that Bo Mi and Jin Young find out they are quite compatible and develop feelings for each other. However, the situation makes them doubt about the other’s real feelings. Choi Jin Young, who hadn’t spoken to Bo Mi before, is convinced that she likes Lee Jae Min, but that her friendship with Sun Hee prevails over her own feelings. As for Yoon Bo Mi, she is sure that Jin Young is indifferent and reserved because their relationship has been a deal/a pretense from the very beginning.

Thankfully though, characters manage to clear up these misunderstandings. Kang Sun Hee and Lee Jae Min unmask Bo Mi and Jin Young’s scheme, only to reveal that they are actually in love with each other. Sun Hee forgives Bo Mi for her lies, understanding that the reason why she faked her love for Jin Young was not because of her friend, but because she didn’t feel confident about her feelings (contrary to now, with Jin Young). Sun Hee and Jae Min also started again on a clean slate, forgetting the past and moving on.

All in all the second timeline showcases first loves, friendships, and the positive energy you experience at school, when the first timeline emphasizes its downsides such as pressure (educational and social), bullying and their consequences.

What are the themes tackled?

The S-word: Suicide

The pressure that leads to suicide: There are two types of pressure displayed in the drama. The first one is associated with parents and education, while the second one has to do with socially fitting in.

In both cases, Lee Ha Min is the epitome of the negative consequences of such pressure(s). Right from the beginning, the story sheds light on Ha Min’s mother and her obsession with education. She is intent on making him a top student, and later on a doctor in order to fulfill her dream. Indeed, she had to give up on her future when she had her children. So, she is now living vicariously through them, projecting her ambition and desires onto them. Unfortunately for Ha Min, he shows no interest whatsoever in medicine. Still, he made a deal with his mother, so he would carry the burden, sacrifice his own dreams (like arts) and protect in the meantime his little brother from their mother’s greed and pressure.

Though Lee Ha Min knowingly accepts to please his mother, he feels suffocated. She constantly tries to control her son’s life and future, making it impossible for Ha Min to have a hobby of his own. In my opinion, this same pressure is the main reason why Lee Ha Min decides to put an end to his life. He feels trapped, and sees in death his only escape.

Social pressure presents itself under the shape of popularity. Lee Ha Min is a top student, he’s the class president, appreciated and respected by all his peers. He gets along with quite everyone, but he can’t seem to find someone with whom he can be real. Most of his relationships are shallow, as other students tend to use him/become his friend out of interest (become popular, have his notes, have tips for the exam, be appreciated by the teachers…). That being said, he realizes that So Mang is the only person with whom he doesn’t have to pretend. He can be himself and talk about his feelings.

However, there’s a downside to popularity. The fall is more painful than the rise. So, when Ha Min is accused of dating/kissing secretly another student, his classmates start criticizing him. He becomes a sort of outcast, having people talk behind his back and judging him. The same students who were eagerly trying to become his friend are now ignoring him and spreading horrible rumors about him.

Whether it’d be the pressure inflicted at home or at school, the damage is the same. Lee Ha Min experiences great stages of loneliness and despair. Not only does he have no one to rely on, but he also makes it his duty to prevent his brother from suffering from the same pain.

In the second timeline, Lee Jae Min also arrives at a breaking point by the end of the drama. He’s harassed by rumors about his dead brother, he can’t quite communicate or clear misunderstandings with his (girl)friends Sun Hee and Bo Mi, and feels overwhelmed by the new revelations about Ha Min’s past. Yet, this time So Mang is able to prevent the past from repeating itself. Unlike for Ha Min, she reaches out to Jae Min, supports him and guides him on the path of healing.

The aftermath of suicide: Though it’s not explicitly shown in the drama, Ha Min is cornered and eventually kills himself. His desperate action has repercussions on all the people around him.

Classmates and teachers altogether are shocked by the news. The school even avoids mentioning this tragic accident later on.
His family falls apart. His father and his mother blame each other for what happened. The mother feels especially guilty for having pressurized her son to the point where he had no escape. They eventually get a divorce, leaving Jae Min and his grief in-between.

Lee Jae Min lost his protector, fell prey to his parents’ arguments, and failed at processing his pain. His devastation became so profound that moving out of the house was not enough. One day, his mother saved him from jumping off of the balcony at the last minute. Over the years, he hid his suffering. But, he still feels lost 6 years later.

Finally, Han So Mang had to deal with her guilt, remorse and regret alone. She felt responsible for Ha Min’s death, as her last conversation with him ended badly. She felt upset about stupid things, left annoyed and didn’t come back for him. She also missed his last message that Ha Min deleted shortly after. Instead, she wished she would’ve gone to him, hugged him and listened to his predicament. His brutal death left an indelible scar in So Mang’s heart and memory that she struggles to wash away even now.

Worse, her inability to be at peace with these events thwart her from living her own life. She’s stuck in the past, eaten away by guilt.

The S-word: Summer

Summer: Back in 2016, Lee Ha Min and Han So Mang meet right before summer. As spring turns into summer, both students get closer. They develop a strong connection, a bond that will persist long after the end of the season.

In the drama, summer is a metaphor of their fleeting relationship. In just a few months, Ha Min and So Mang experience love and share shy, but genuine feelings for each other. Under the pouring rain that summer brings about, both share a kiss. Yet, like any other season, summer needs to come to an end and give way to fall. The burning first loves tragically shifts into a cold winter. The transition from summer to fall perfectly flows with the storyline, as Ha Min commits suicide right before the end of the hot period.

Though the metaphor could stop there, the plot in 2022 repeats it. Han So Mang’s healing process coincides with the new generation’s own summer, during which love is at its peak. Except that this time, the end of summer is not synonymous with death, but with renewal. Han So Mang has finally stopped resenting and blaming herself for what has happened; Jae Min has made peace with his mother and accepted is brother’s death; and the 2022 students have cleared up misunderstandings allowing them to move on and embrace the upcoming new season (fall). All can now turn the page and be free.

Rain: If summer has a deep meaning in the drama, so has rain. It perfectly mirrors characters’ inner turmoil and/or intervenes during big reveals. For example, Lee Ha Min is standing under the pouring rain when he hears his brother complain about his existence and the fact that his parents constantly fight because of him. Opposite to that, Lee Ha Min and Ha So Mang experience freedom as they get wet in the rain shower. This storm enables them to get closer and share their first kiss. Finally, Han So Mang and Lee Jae Min both end up walking without umbrellas and getting soaked, while regretting the past and Ha Min’s death. Rain is a vector of strong emotions that accompanies characters in the best, and worst moments of their lives.

The title: The title of the drama Seasons of Blossom is not without meaning either. As a matter of fact, we often say that adolescence (or our teenage years) represent the spring of our life. It’s the time of innocence during which we experience new things, open up to people and relationships. Like flowers, we blossom in all fields of life. That’s exactly what our characters go through in the drama, whether it’d be those in 2016 or those in 2022. Bo Mi and Jin Young have their first love, Jae Min and Sun Hee mend their friendship despite Sun Hee’s unrequited crush on her childhood friend. Jae Min lets go of the past.

The fact that the title is in plural is rather explicit. In 2016, Ha Min and So Mang also get their blossoming days despite the bitter end. Finally, So Mang is able to have a second blossoming season thanks to which she breaks free from her guilt and moves on.

The S-word: So Mang (‘Hope’ in Korean)

In Korean, ‘So Mang’ literally means ‘Hope‘. So, it’s no surprise that the name of the main character would bear such a meaning. Though 6 years have passed and the scars still run deep, Ha Min’s family is finally able to move on thanks to So Mang’s unexpected appearance.

First, So Mang represents hope for Jae Min. He’s allowed to get closure and turn the page using his trainee teacher’s warm memories of his brother. He recognizes the fact that he had a part to play (although small) in his brother’s desperate action.

Second, So Mang brings hope to Ha Min’s mother. Indeed, the latter pressurized her son to the point of no-return. This led to a divorce and the destruction of her family. Now re-married, she finds out that she is pregnant with another child. Yet, she’s terrified of reproducing the same mistakes with this new baby. In order to start on a clean slate, Jae Min’s mother hopes to mend her relationship with her remaining son. She wants to atone for her ‘sins’, and renew dialogue between them. The fact that Jae Min changes thanks to So Mang is correlated with his shift in behavior towards his mother.
In the last episode, Jae Min disappears after confessing that the boy in the school ghost story is actually is own brother. He runs away without informing anyone. Therefore, So Mang contacts his mother, who crazily runs around to find him. So Mang eventually manages to find Jae Min, who had taken refuge in the ‘graveyard’ (if I may use that term) where his brother is buried. A few moments later, Jae Min’s mother arrives. She is obviously scared at the thought of losing another of her sons. Seeing how devastated Jae Min is, she hugs him and comforts him. That simple gesture is meaningful, as it illustrates reconciliation between mother and son, and the hope that the future may bring some light and happiness to the disrupted family.

Finally, So Mang brings hope to herself, but also all the viewers of the drama. If she can overcome her grief, so can everyone else. Of course it took her a long time to come around, but she eventually set herself free. She is the perfect epitome of the saying: ‘Time heals all wounds‘; proof that nothing lasts forever, not even pain.

All in all, the drama remains optimistic despite its harsh topic(s), which is pleasant to witness between two crying fits.

Brotherhood:

I would say that the last main topic of that drama is definitely brotherhood. It’s heart-warming, and also painful, to see how far Lee Ha Min is willing to go to protect his little brother’s from their parents’ extreme pressure. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his dreams, happiness and even relationships, if it means preventing his brother from going through what he suffers from. Despite the age gap, Jae Min is the apple of his eye; his only hope for the future.

So, I personally could understand how painful it must’ve been for him to hear his brother complain about his existence. Even if Ha Min didn’t listen until the end, and missed a crucial part of his brother’s reasoning, the pain must’ve been excruciating. By saying that he’d rather not have a brother sometimes, Jae Min actually precipitated Ha Min’s suicide. He had cut the last rope that held him onto life after losing So Mang. Hence, his death.

Once again here, there’s no way I can’t deny that Ha Min’s suicide was somehow done out of brotherly love. Indeed, Jae Min expressed his desire not to have a brother, and Ha Min fulfilled his wishes. Unfortunately, it all stems from a misunderstanding that never got the chance to be resolved. Ha Min sacrificed himself (literally) for his brother.

On the other hand, Jae Min is also able to demonstrate brotherly love towards his dead brother, though it’s only 6 years later. He’s adamant on not telling anyone that he’s not a single child, as he hasn’t processed his loss yet. However, he stands up for his brother at the end, confronting the teacher who was talking badly about the teenager who committed suicide. In that single scene, Jae Min shows his pain, affection and sacrificial spirit towards Ha Min, as he’s willing to risk hi school life to defend his memory. He doesn’t care about the rumors, nor the reaction of the teacher. He gives a voice to his lost brother (against people at his school), exactly the same way as his brother would give him one when he was too young to speak up against his parents.

The reconciliation between both brothers is perfectly captured in So Mang’s drawing, displaying the two adult men together, as they should’ve been, had the tragedy not occurred. It’s a poetic and beautiful way to reunite them despite death, So Mang acting as a bridge and mediator in that broken relationship.

So Mang even go as far as wondering if her encounter with Jae Min is not fate; if Ha Min is not responsible for it from the hereafter. Something we will never know.