Our Blues - Full Review
Welcome to Our Blues - Full Review. A community of people in a small fishing village on Jeju Island work, love, and grow together. If you haven't watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Our Blues
♥ Aired: April 9 - June 12, 2022
♥# of Episodes: 20
♥Where to Watch: Netflix
♥Genre: Family Drama
♥Starring: Lee Byung Hyun and Shin Min Ah
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The Story
On Jeju Island, a community of locals strive to survive in their small seaside town. Whether they are approaching the final years of their lives or just embarking on the journey into adulthood, each of them works hard to support themselves while still finding time to offer love and friendship to friends and neighbors. Through this intricate web of relationships, we learn about their life stories, the scars they bear, and the love they seek.
The Leads
Lee Jung Eun as Jung Eun Hee
Jung Eun Hee is a pillar of this small community. She gave up on the idea of marriage to build a successful business and gain her own financial stability. Because she doesn't have any family close by, she has given all her love and support to the people around her. The drama begins with her first love coming back to town. But while Eun Hee thinks they may be rekindling their past romance, Han Soo is more interested in borrowing money so he can put his struggling family back together. Her other main storyline revolves around her best friend, who is treated like a star while Eun Hee is taken for granted by all of their friends. Years of unspoken resentment finally bubble over and put their friendship to the test.
Lee Byung Hun as Lee Dong Seok
Lee Dong Seok grew up as the illegitimate son whose mother favored his step brothers over him. Now as an adult, he refuses to acknowledge his mother at all, even though he sees her frequently in the market where they both work. But when he finds out she is terminally ill, he has to make some heavy life choices about what he is willing to forgive and how he will say goodbye to her. Dong Seok's first love is Min Seon Ah. They met when they were young and he has always loved her, even though she turned him down years ago. When she shows up back in town, he can't help feeling drawn to her. But she will need some time to heal the scars of her past if their relationship has any chance of developing beyond an old friendship.
Shin Min Ah as Min Seon Ah
Min Seon Ah ran away from Jeju years ago and never planned to come back. But her difficult childhood left her battling severe depression. Even after marrying and having a son who is the light of her life, she is still plagued by an incessant darkness that threatens to overwhelm her. When her husband gets sick of dealing with her mental struggles, he divorces her and takes their son. Feeling devastated, Seon Ah returns to the small house she grew up in, and works to rebuild both the house and her life. Dong Seok is one of the only people who knows her from that time, and he offers her his support, friendship, and love, and with his help, she finds the courage to pick herself back up and go on trying.
Kim Woo Bin as Park Jung Joon
Park Jung Joon is a fishing boat captain who lives in a bus by the sea. He is in charge of taking the women divers out for work and he also help Eun Hee sell fish in the market when he isn't out at sea. He is charming and responsible and all the older residents in town treat him like a son. He falls in love with Lee Young Ok, who is an outsider in their community. They begin dating, but she insists that they keep their relationship light and that she doesn't believe in marriage. But Jung Joon is willing to be patient and try to change her mind. He also develops a special friendship with Young Ok's twin sister, Young Hee that helps to put some of Young Ok's fears to rest.
Han Ji Min as Lee Young Ok
Lee Young Ok moved to Jeju recently and studies at the school for women divers. She is confident and cheerful, even though the other divers still consider her an outcast and leave her out whenever they can. When she was young, Young Ok's parents were killed in a car accident, leaving her to take care of a twin sister who has Down Syndrome. Though she supports her sister financially, she has left her in a care facility and avoids going to visit. But when her sister suddenly shows up to stay for a while, Young Ok is forced to acknowledge that her sister deserves more than just her monetary support. Young Ok begins dating Jung Joon but she continues to put up emotional walls between them. But she may have met her match in the kind and loving "Captain".
Things I Liked
♥ "Picture" of Depression
Seon Ah's battle with depression was realistic and insightful. I loved the visual effects they used to show the darkness that she felt. It was important that they emphasized the idea that neither her desire to be well or her deep love for her son were enough to instantly cure her illness. Shin Min Ah's ability to show deep, raw emotions brought this role to life
♥ Dong Seok and Ok Dong
This mother/son relationship was at once heartbreaking and achingly honest. And it was fitting that even their reconcilliation in the end was tenuous and unsteady. Ok Dong's stoic stubbornness even until the end felt completely true to her character. And Dong Seok's monologue after she died gave such an accurate account of their relationship and the understanding that his feelings for her and her unspoken love for him were the only closure he really needed.
♥ Young Hee
I appreciated the normalcy they brought to Young Hee's character. She wasn't defined by her limitations, and she wasn't just a prop for Young Ok's story. She was her own person with her own ordinary struggles and dreams. I was so curious about what her art would look like, and I was so happy that it was neither something childish and clumsy nor something picture perfect. Instead it showed a fair representation of Young Hee's feelings and perspectives on those around her, just as a true artist should.
Things I Didn't Like
More Ki Joon and So Byul
Baek Seung Do is adorable and I loved the character of Ki Joon. His crush on So Byul was so fun. I really would have liked to see more of their romance. So Byul's playing hard to get was fun, but who could resist Ki Joon indefinitely? It was obvious that he was wearing her down and I would have like to see at least a couple scenes of them as a couple.
Han Soo
Even though Han Soo was included as one of the leads, his story just kind of disappeared. We see him go back to his family and never hear from him again until he shows up for Sports Day. To me, his character felt a bit incomplete. I would have liked to see at least one more scene of he and Eun Hee sitting down to drinks together, so we could see that their friendship was back on track. That would have given some closure to his Jeju story and his role in the lives of the rest of the cast.
Eun Hee and Ho Shik
It was pretty obvious that although Han Soo had fond memories of Eun Hee, he never really entertained the idea of leaving his family for her. And because of that I didn't ship them much. But it was also obvious that Ho Shik still had strong feelings for her. And she even admitted that he made her heart flutter. Now that they are both financial stable adults, I wish Eun Hee would have given him another chance. I think they could have had a very sweet relationship if she had just shown a bit of interest. I kept hoping they would finally get there, but unfortunately it never happened.
The Ending
"Our Blues" ends the way many slice of life dramas do; lots of happy endings with a few bittersweet moments and some dangling loose ends. So let's just run down our leads. Lee Dong Seok has time to say goodbye to Ok Dong before her heartbreaking death. Seon Ah is working through her issues. She is allowed to see Yeol for visits. She has finally admitted that she has feelings for Dong Seok and he is spending time with her and Yeol on Jeju. Young Ok has finally been accepted by the other divers. Her relationship with her sister has become stronger and more consistent. She no longer sees her as a burden to her own happiness. And this freedom has allowed her to get more serious about her relationship with Jung Joon. He still has a way to go before he will actually propose, but they seem to be on the road to happiness together. And Eun Hee and Mi Ran have patched up their friendship. Young Joo has the baby, and Ho Shik and In Kwon have made their peace as co-grandfathers. Everyone including Han Soo, is on hand to help the crew compete for Sports Day with lots of fun and laughs.
Should I Watch
"Our Blues" is another slow-burn deep dive (pun intended) into character development and slice of life stories. As always with this style, you shouldn't expect lots of action or fast-paced plots. The realistic tone of this series refuses to paint life in a warm, rosy picture. Instead, we are pulled into the bittersweet emotions of characters who struggle and do their best, even when they fall short. The beauty of this drama is in the humanness of the characters and the raw emotion this amazing cast brings to life. The "omnibus" style means that the focus isn't limited to a few lead characters, but instead fans out over a whole group of interconnecting life stories. I give "Our Blues" a 10 out of 10 ramen.
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