Summer Strike

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Synopsis

After a series of unfortunate events, Lee Yeo Reum decides to quit her job and move to Angok village. There, she meets Ahn Dae Bum, the town’s librarian. While overcoming their respective wounds, they get closer to each other.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

Summer Strike is a great 12-episode long drama that revolves around happiness and the different ways to find it. Whether it’d be by overcoming the scars of the past, or by striking new and unexpected friendships, all characters in the drama pursue the same goal. The various perspectives depicted in the drama also enabled me to think about that topic. Moreover, the village atmosphere allows for a sweet romance to bloom between introverted leads on the one side. On the other side, it hides dark secrets and give a bit of suspense and mystery to the serene plot. All in all, I really loved that slice-of-life/feel-good drama with a touch of thriller vibe. If you don’t know what to watch, this one is highly recommended.

Analysis

• Two opposite worlds, the countryside vs. the city
• Nature, seasons and life
• Slow-paced romance
• What is happiness?
• Other themes tackled

Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Two opposite worlds, the countryside vs. the city: In Summer Strike there is a clear distinction between the countryside (Angok) and the city (Seoul) right from the start. Lee Yeo Reum (Seol Hyun) is being belittled and ill-treated by her colleagues at work, she doesn’t have much friends, and leads a solitary and sad existence. She’s clearly unhappy, yet passively accepts it. The city is represented as a soulless and cruel place, where the female lead can’t fulfill her potential. Moreover, Seoul breaks relationships instead of creating connections. At the beginning of the drama, Yeo Reum loses her mother, before cutting ties with her selfish and greedy brother. This event is the trigger in the story. The young woman is suffocating and can’t withstand this hellish place anymore. Hence her departure.
Just like Yeo Reum, Ahn Dae Bum (Im Si Wan) has had a similar experience with city life. His professor’s greed and his own obsession with mathematics almost turned him into a madman. He lost himself and his sanity in the capital, so he decided to leave it behind and move to his hometown. In Angok, Dae Bum is able to breath and regain control over his life. He becomes the town’s librarian and buries himself in books. Despite the fact that both characters want to escape the buzzing city, it seems like its toxicity follows them to Angok. It calls them back to ‘Hell’. For Dae Bum it is under the physical form of his professor, who needs him back to work on his thesis. For Yeo Reum, it is represented by all the negative events that follow her (murder of Bom’s grandmother, her vandalized apartment, her mysterious and scary neighbor, her confrontation with the not-so-welcoming inhabitants, etc…). To feel entirely free and move on, both need to heal their past wounds.

Once it’s done, Angok becomes a refuge where solidarity (vs. selfishness in the city), fulfillment (vs. burn-out), healing (vs. suffering) and freedom (vs. stuffiness) thrive. The ending of the drama is the perfect representation of all these: In the last scene, Dae Bum and Yeo Reum walk hand-in-hand on the beach, freed from the past, accompanied with Kim Bom (Shin Eun Soo) and Heo Jae Hoon (Bang Jae Min) and the dog Gyeo Ul. Peace transpires from that scene.

Title explained: The literal Korean title is ‘I Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything‘ which can be associated with the numbness that results from the pain inflicted by the city to both main leads. Yet, the second title given to the drama, ‘Summer Strike‘, has an even greater meaning (I prefer this one to be honest!). ‘Summer’ is ‘Yeo Reum’ in Korean. So, the title could mean that Yeo Reum has decided to stop trying to live up to whatever society imposes, and just let the wind carry her wherever (what exactly happens when she takes the bus, not knowing her final destination). Seems like it worked quite well.

Nature, seasons and life: I couldn’t write this review without mentioning the importance of nature in the drama. Summer Strike made me think about an initiatory journey during which characters settle down and create roots. It’s a quest to know the truth and, to a greater extent, yourself. Nature appears as a guide that leaves clues here and there to support characters’ in their overcoming of hurdles. First, you have the names: Yeo Reum, Bom and Gyeo Ul, pointing out respectively at the seasons ‘Summer’, ‘Spring’ and ‘Winter’. Just like all seasons are needed in nature for life to appear, people also, can have a positive impact on your life. Bom is in the spring of her life, and finds in Yeo Reum a big sister. The latter is the extension of the former, just like summer comes after spring. Gyeo Ul is Yeo Reum’s dog. It’s as white as snow, and going through a hard season of his existence when the young woman rescues it. Hence the name. Finally, the last scenes in the drama makes the circle of seasons (and life) complete when all characters have a barbecue on a rooftop in the fall weather. The reunion of all seasons at the same time and place is synonymous with the newly-found harmony in Angok and between people (after having solved two murders).

Last but not least, water plays an important role in characters’ development. As raindrops, water reflects the passionate emotions of Jae Hoon and Bom. As a vast beach, water attracts Yeo Reum and makes her want to settle down in Angok. Though she started alone, broken and lost on the sand in the first episodes, Yeo Reum ends her journey with her lover, a family and certain of the path she wants to walk on.

Slow-paced romance: Summer Strike is the perfect epitome of what a slow-paced romance is. Main leads Yeo Reum and Dae Bum are both introverts, who don’t express their feelings often. Instead of words, they generally opt for kind gestures to demonstrate their affection towards each other. For example, Dae Bum eagerly awaits Yeo Reum’s arrival for their morning run. When she finally presents herself his entire face lightens up. Despite their shyness, and sometimes clumsiness, they showcase perfect chemistry by supporting each other in their respective struggles, by listening without judging, and by providing a shoulder to lean on if needed. I was personally very satisfied with this relationship, as it illustrates that you don’t need to have cheesy confessions or expansive demonstrations of love to maintain a strong connection. Calm and tranquillity are as good as passion and ardor.

Opposite to that introverted couple stands the pair made up of turbulent students Kim Bom and Heo Jae Hoon. If Dae Bum and Yeo Reum barely communicate on their feelings, it’s not the case for these youngsters. Their relationship is a roller coaster of emotions, full of twists and childishness. There are grand confessions, kisses in the rain, push-and-pulls, and even a (fake?) love triangle. So many elements that are typical to a rom-com. Their blooming love is as intense as their blooming youth. The drama falls into the coming-of-age category for these two, as both adolescents learn how to gradually adapt to each other, and how to make their feelings fit with their own circumstances. For instance, Jae Hoon is supposed to go the States at the end, but ends up coming back, unable to forget Kim Bom. As for the latter, she discovers how to compromise. In her rare moments of vulnerability, she shows an affectionate and caring side of her to the young man to whom she confesses without hesitation.

What is happiness? Everyone has his own definition of happiness. For Yeo Reum, it is ‘the state of not lacking anything‘. That is to say when you have all your people around you and the little things of life that you appreciate (napping in the library, drinking fresh water after a run, the smell of clean laundry…). This statement shows that happiness should be easily reachable for anyone. Nevertheless, Yeo Reum had to learn it the tough way and solve some matters first. She helped Dae Bum find his sister’s murderer, as well as Bom’s grandmother’s. She overcame her past scars and made peace with herself. That’s how she reached happiness.

Other themes tackled:
– Being a divorced single father raising your son: Despite that, Bae Sung Min (Kwak Min Gyu) still confesses his feelings Jo Ji Young (Park Ye Young) over and over, with courage and confidence until she finally opens up to him.

– Parents’ favoritism for a child: Ahn Dae Bum’s parents preferred his older sister because she was considered a genius, they even told him they rather would have had him die instead of her. Dae Bum was just a child, who had found his sister’s body and thought his father to be the murderer. He regretted all his life his decision to mention his suspicion to the police, as it led to his innocent father’s arrest and his mother’s suicide. This trauma left an indelible scar in Dae Bum’s mind that he struggles with even as an adult.

– Alcoholism: Bom’s life is kind of a wreck because of her father’s dependence on alcohol. Due to that, he gambled the family’s savings away, forcing his mother and children to live day-by-day. Bom hates her father for that, and tells him loud and clear. This leads to an argument between the two, and Bom being stabbed by her own father. Even if her grandmother convinces her not to tell the police, it’s a wake-up call for the father. Shortly after, he goes to rehab. He comes back after the murder of Bom’s grandmother, forced to assume his responsibilities as head of the family.

– Bullying: Whether it’d be at work (Yeo Reum/Dae Bum and his professor) or at school (Bom and Dae Ho), the drama reflects the impact of bullying on someone’s mental health and overall life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPpJW_KDae4