Call It Love

Presentation

For more…

Preview

Synopsis

Shim Woo Joo’s life became miserable after she discovered her father was having an affair. To get her revenge, she applies for a job at Han Dong Jin’s company, who is the son of her father’s mistress. However, she gradually starts developing feelings for him.

My Opinion (No Spoiler)

What a beautiful drama! There’s really nothing to criticize for me. It was perfect from beginning to end. First, actors (especially Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Kwang) deliver a top-notch performance. Their emotions/expressions were matching their characters’ inner turmoil. I genuinely felt pain, loneliness, sadness, and joy with them. Second, the plot was very smooth and straightforward. No scene was irrelevant, as each displayed a new piece of characters’ transformation. On top of that, characters are indeed complex, but consistent in their choices and behaviors whether it’d be the leads, mothers, siblings, friends, exes… Call It Love is a slow-paced drama showcasing a burning and emotionally intense romance. The side love story of Hae Sung and Jun is also pretty interesting. Finally, the cinematography and aesthetics of the drama are amazing. Watching the drama was a pleasure for the heart and for the eyes. I highly recommend it!

Analysis

• Characters
  Shim Woo Joo
  Han Dong Jin
  Shim Hae Sung
  Yoon Jun
  Kang Min Young
  The father and the mothers
• Relationships
  Past and new romances
  Family bond
  Friendship
  Work-related acquaintances
• Symbolism
  The siblings’ names
  The house
  Han Dong Jin’s back
• Cinematography, acting performance and ambiance

Characters: Though characters have different personalities, and some are on opposite sides, they are all united by that one same element: Loneliness. In Dong Jin’s case, his solitude is palpable, as much as Woo Joo’s despite the fact that she’s surrounded by her family members. On top of that, all characters are somewhat empty at the beginning, unable to move on from their past wounds and/or stuck in the past. They eventually overcome these obstacles and find happiness to fill their empty hearts.

Shim Woo Joo: Shim Woo Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) had a promising life ahead when she was a teenager. Indeed, she was a skilled runner and was set to become an athlete. Unfortunately, her entire life crumbled down at age 18, after she stumbled upon her father and his mistress. To express her anger, she jumped in front of his car, cutting her sports career short. After that event and the subsequent divorce of her parents, Woo Joo started living like an empty shell. She bore resentment and hatred towards her father, while assuming his role as head of the family (her mother was crushed by her divorce and also suffered from cancer). Even years after, Shim Woo Joo is the shadow of herself. She doesn’t enjoy life, is unhappy, and is hurting. Her father’s funeral is a good opportunity for her to vent out, but it’s also yet another brutal shock. Indeed, she learns her father has supposedly left their house to his now widow. Cornered and deeply wounded, Woo Joo decides to get her revenge by sabotaging the the company of the mistress’ son.

At the beginning of the drama, Shim Woo Joo appears to be a resentful woman, who’ll go through with her revenge. But, it turns out that she’s too kind to hurt others, especially those who haven’t wronged her. In a way, the reason why she has been through so much is because she cared about her father, and felt rejected when he abandoned his family. Nevertheless, Woo Joo proves to be the sweetest person of the drama. She always puts others’ needs before hers, whether it’d be her siblings’ or Han Dong Jin’s. She may be crazy and have a disproportionate behavior at times. Yet, she always ends up getting hurt by her own actions. Shim Woo Joo’s kindness and sacrificial spirit are what makes her romance with Dong Jin so hard, but also what allows for reconciliation between all parties at the end.

Han Dong Jin: Han Dong Jin (Kim Young Kwang) is Ma Hee Ja’s (Nam Gi Ae) son. Though they share the same blood, they couldn’t be more different. Ever since he was a child, Dong Jin suffered from his mother’s selfish behavior. She never really took care of him, leaving him on his own most of the time while she was chasing men. Han Dong Jin grew up lonely, quiet, introverted and withdrawn. As an adult, he also went through a terrible breakup with Kang Min Young (Hani). The latter cheated on him and got married to another man a few months later. This isolated Dong Jin even more, turning him into a taciturn and sad man. But even if he is the son of a horrible mother, Dong Jin is a kind man who’s always trying to make amends on his mother’s behalf. Hence, his choice to give back the house deed to Woo Joo’s family at the end.

Shim Hae Sung: Unlike her sister, Shim Hae Sung (Kim Ye Won) is more expressive and outgoing. She pretends to be strong and not impacted by anything, always wearing a smile on her face. However, this doesn’t mean that she’s happy. She goes through a myriad of relationships in the drama, but always gets hurt by men and breaks up. At some point, she even discovers she was dating a married man. Throughout the years, Hae Sung has developed many insecurities, among which the fear of being alone and abandoned. Hence, her need to constantly be with someone (even while eating). This fear also explains why she wants to please the other in the relationship which makes her sound like fake or hypocritical according to her ex-boyfriends. Despite that, Hae Sung manages to overcome her anxiety and learns how to enjoy spending time with herself. She improves her self-esteem and even find comfort in a healthy relationship with Jun.

Yoon Jun: Just like the other characters, Yoon Jun (Sung Joon) knows solitude. He’s the only child of a conservative family. His parents are not good at communicating, and only think about marrying him off. That’s why he moved out. Jun is Shim Woo Joo’s best friend. They are loyal to each other, and protect one another. When Woo Joo starts developing feelings for Dong Jin, Jun warns her to put an end to the relationship because he doesn’t want her to be hurt again. Unfortunately, it’s already too late. Still, he doesn’t reveal the truth to anyone, not even Shim Hae Sung when she inquires for more information. Yoon Jun is a good listener, a nice shoulder to cry and rely on, as well as a patient and caring person.

Kang Min Young: Kang Min Young (Hani) is surely one of the most annoying characters of the drama. She’s selfish and self-centered to the point that she victimizes herself, even when she’s in the wrong. The way she ended her relationship with Dong Jin was disrespectful, if not totally out of place. Now years later, she comes back to mend the broken bond though it’s too late for that. I think Kang Min Young is just confused during most of the drama. She too can’t seem to find happiness, while hating loneliness. This turns into a depression that only Dong Jin manages to prevent by asking her to snap out of it. Nevertheless, Min Young learns from her past mistakes, apologizes for her reckless behavior and simply backs off from other people’s lives. She becomes more mature at the end of the drama which makes her an almost appreciable character.

The father and the mothers: Kang Min Young may be unbearable, but you can empathize with her a little. That is not the case with Woo Joo’s father Shim Chul Min (Ahn Nae Sang) and Dong Jin’s mother Hee Ja. First, let’s start with Shim Chul Min. We don’t know much about him apart that he has ungratefully turned his back on his family. He left with all the family’s money to start again with his mistress, forgetting even the existence of his own children. Not once has he tried to contact them before his death. His last proof of ‘affection’ towards them is his will in which he bequeaths them the house.

Now moving on to Hee Ja. As mentioned earlier, she was definitely the worst possible mother. She didn’t care about her son, spent her time jumping from one relationship to another, and was (and is) only interested in money. All her life she has wronged others and disrespected them. She is selfish, hypocritical, insensitive, greedy and just a bad person. Let’s say that she got lucky not to finish in prison at the end after committing fraud. Opposite to Hee Ja, there is Kim Hyun Joo (Kim Hee Jung). She is the epitome of the good mother and graceful woman. Good mother because she welcomes Dong Jin in her family despite his background. Good woman because she doesn’t avenge herself on Hee Ja by sending her to prison and making her pay for everything she put her through. The last confrontation scene between both women proves how dignified Hyun Joo is.

Relationships: The drama displays a good amount of relationships of all types; that all deserve to be studied in more details.

Past and new romances: There are 3 romances in the drama. One is that of Dong Jin and Min Young’s that ended badly. Indeed, Min Young and Dong Jin started to drift apart, as they were not on the same wavelength anymore. Though the reason is understandable (it happens to many couples), the means used by Min Young to break up were despicable. She cheated on him, confessed and broke up with him in the only location where Dong Jin felt comfortable and at home. Since then, he hasn’t been able to go back to the camping site. After that, she disappeared and Dong Jin even received an invitation to Min Young’s wedding 3 months later.

However, I believe this break up was a necessary evil. This allowed Dong Jin to connect with Woo Joo faster, as they both share similar backgrounds. Their main resemblance is that they are both lonely and unhappy because of the same people. They are also both kind and sacrificial, always trying to put the other before them. Hence the perfect match they make. And their slow-paced burning romance was so enjoyable. You could feel emotions in every scene.

The last couple that deserves some spotlight is Hae Sung and Jun. Even if they don’t seem attracted to each other at all at the beginning, their living together make it easier for them to share their feelings. Hae Sung goes to Jun for advice several times before realizing that he’s the person she wants to see the most when she feels sad. As for Jun, he gradually gets over the confusion, especially after the siblings move back to their house and he ends up alone again. Only them does he understand that he wants to hear Hae Sung in the house.

Family bond: Despite the difficulties, the Shim family proves to be quite united. Woo Joo, Hae Sung and their brother Shim Ji Gu (Jang Sung Bum) may have different personalities, but they care for each other and would do anything for the other. The parent-children bond in the Shim family is also quite strong, as all siblings go to great lengths to protect their mother. We can’t say the same for Dong Jin and Hee Ja. Although Dong Jin tries to protect his mother as much as he can, she on the contrary doesn’t care. The dialogue also seems to be broken between Yoon Jun and his parents which contrasts with the Shims and explains why Jun feels so comfortable around his ‘adoptive’ family.

Friendship: Without the shadow of a doubt, Yoon Jun and Woo Joo have proven to the world that men and women can be best friends without becoming lovers. Their loyalty towards each other is remarkable and so heartwarming. Though they voice out their concerns, they never hinder the other from doing what he/she wants. They act more like a wise adviser giving an opinion.

Work-related acquaintances: Apart from focusing on family and friends, Call It Love also explores the sometimes complicated relationships one can have at work. Putting Han Dong Jin at the center of the professional world, the drama unveils betrayal – when the senior sales rep Cha Young Min (Seo Dong Won) steals the company’s clients and organizes another fair; lack of fair play – with Shinto Fair’s CEO Shin Sung Man (Shin Mun Sung)’s obsession with destroying Dong Jin’s company; but also loyalty – Best Fairs’ employees who stick with their CEO despite tough times; and partnership with Choi Sun Woo embodying the lazy yet trustworthy right-hand man. Rumors, dealing with clients, agreements and disagreements between employees are visible in the drama, and to be honest somewhat relatable.

Symbolism: Not only are the plot of the drama and actors’ performance amazing, but there’s also a lot of meaning behind locations, names and subtle elements of this world that make Call It Love a beautiful work of art.

The siblings’ names: As mentioned by their mother in the drama, the Shim siblings have a special name that matches their personalities. Hae Sung means ‘comet’ in Korean. This goes with Hae Sung ephemeral relationships, but also with her brightness and capacity of always smiling even in tough moments. Ji Gu means ‘Earth’. This perfectly matches with her down-to-earth approach to life. For example, he doesn’t really care about Dong Jin’s family background. He considers him an older brother with whom he gets along well. And that’s more than enough. Ji Gu is a simple man who doesn’t overcomplicate things and just go with the flow. Woo Joo means ‘universe’. Ever since her father’s affair, she’s endorsed the role of the breadwinner, mother, father, sister and so many others for her siblings. She’s the core of the family, and also at the center of the drama.

The house: In my opinion, the house in Call It Love is the allegory of family. At the beginning of the drama, it represents the harmony in the Shim’s family. Parents are happily married and children dream of a bright future. However, it turns into a battlefield when Woo Joo’s discovers the affair. Her father leaves the house, leaving behind their past bliss and happiness. Then, the house falls into the hands of the father’s mistress, while the siblings are being thrown out of their shelter. Hee Ja takes away the last piece of happiness and memory they had. Hence, the emotional turmoil all of them go through. They have been uprooted and need to create a new home for themselves. Despite the destruction brought about by the introduction of an outsider piece in the house (and family) aka the mistress, the location is also a symbol of reconciliation. It’s the trigger that creates the meeting between Woo Joo and Dong Jin, as well as the final destination for the siblings once they finally start to move on. By being stripped from their house, children and mother were forced into a conversation to clear the air and close past wounds. Finally, the house is a symbol of love. The last gift given by their father as proof of his affection for his children. Indeed, he had planned on giving them the house all along, as displayed in his will. It’s only after this series of ups and downs that siblings can finally start moving out of the house, as part of growing up; instead of being forced out of it. In the end, the house still stands, is a place of love, harmony, and happiness. The past, represented by the photos, has given way to hope for the future with new ones on the walls; showing that wounds have finally scarred.

Han Dong Jin’s back: Simply put, Han Dong Jin’s silhouette from the back is both a symbol of his loneliness as a person, but also of Woo Joo’s attraction to him. By seeing him carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, she relates to his solitude and pain. Instead of pushing her away, it makes her want to embrace him and his wounds, to comfort him and get closer. Dong Jin’s back acts as a powerful bridge between characters who unexpectedly find themselves drawn to each other.

Cinematography, acting performance and ambiance: First, I really need to mention the acting performance. It was INCREDIBLE! Kim Young Kwang and Lee Sung Kyung, respectively playing Dong Jin and Woo Joo, did an excellent job at portraying their character’s complex and intense emotions. It was extremely credible to the point that I could put myself in their shoes most of the time. Their burning romance represents for me one of the best part of the plot. It pained me as much as it satisfied me. Thankfully, they got their happy ending. After all, that’s all they deserved. Moreover, I would mention the beautiful aesthetics and cinematography of the drama. Many cuts enhanced the actors’ emotions, making it either more painful or enjoyable to watch. Honestly, thumbs up to all the staff and crew. They really created a masterpiece!