Friday, July 28, 2006

Have We Really Loved? - The Songs

There aren't as many songs in HWRL comparing to Hotelier or WLS. In fact there are only 3 theme songs, and they were all composed and sung by the same person - Choi Jin Young. In the end I included an interview with him by WJS club. I saved it from a baidu posting. Love the songs in Have We Really Loved because they are so emotional. Don't know if it is because this drama was made earlier (1999?), there are not as much varieties in music as Hotelier and WLS. Maybe the drama was too serious? Maybe the director's style was not as musical? Maybe the script writer prefer to have more dialogue than background music and songs? Even I found the 3 theme songs sounded so similar.Thought my ears are pretty good to music, but I still found challenging to differentiate the 3 songs from one another. Maybe they were all written and sung by the same person? Above all these whinings, the 3 HWRL songs remain my favorite "YJ music". The tone of the songs and the voice of the singer are very sentimental, raising sad feelings every time I listen to them.

Also need to mention that there was a piece of interlude played by flute(?), was so sad and beautiful. It appeared a few times after Jaeho learned he had brain tumor. The first time it was played when Shin-yeung on her way to return a computer disk to Kil-jin, Jaeho followed her in his car. The second time it appeared was when Jaeho went to Shin-yeung's house after he learned about his illness. He stand by the fence looking up to Shin-yeung's window, his eyes were so sad, with this music playing in the background, my heart saddened and saddened ... Since then, when Jaeho and Shin-yeung were together suffering, this flute would lament. I want to find out the composer. My husband said he heard it somewhere else as a classical music by a famous composer. Who could he be? Mozart? What is the name of this music? Someone out there can help?




Posted on BYJ's Quilt by Tiffany

Song Lyrics from the closing theme song in Have We Really Loved

Chinese to English: tiffany // http://www.joonsfamily.com/

Have We Really Loved?

I seem to see you in another world
Is it a dream
I am sure it is not the old me
That moment when you use your love to hug me
Our love has reached the end
My life has its ending
No more need for any more promises
We have both suffered
My love is like the wind
I've thrown away everything
All my painful memories
Now I no longer remember them
I only want you

That moment when you use your love to hug me
Our love has reached the end
My life has its ending
No more need for any more promises
Because it is already so painful for both of us
My love is like the wind
I've thrown away everything
Don't wish to have any more memories
of nights drown in sorrow and tears
I only want you


Chinese (posted on BYJ Baidu)
"我们真的爱过吗?" 片尾主题歌

我们真的爱过吗?
主唱 崔真永

好像看到了另一个世界的你
不知道是不是在做梦
确定不是以前的我
当你用爱拥抱我的那一瞬间
我们的爱到了终点
我的生命也到了尽头
不再需要任何承诺
我们彼此都痛苦过
我的爱就像一阵风
只是抛下了我的所有
那些悲泣的痛苦回忆
现在终于不再想起
只想要你
当你用爱拥抱我的那一瞬间
我们的爱到了终点
我的生命也到了尽头
不在需要任何承诺
因为我们已是如此的悲伤
我的爱就像一阵风
只是抛下了我的所有
那些悲泣的痛苦回忆
现在终于不再想起
我的爱就像一阵风
只是抛下了我的所有
不愿再有比彻夜哭泣
更痛苦的回忆
只想要你


Lyfics of HWRL theme song "For My Love"

Translator : Heippieh

For My Love

The day I learned no one can be in the place of me
time left me wound and pain
transformed into part of my life
In these painful days
countless times I wanted to give myself up
but this me fell in love with you
feeling fearful
You were hurt because of my selfish desire
but I still want to tell you
Now my only spiritual support
is you

In these painful days
countless times I wanted to give myself up
but this me fell in love with you
feeling fearful
You were hurt because of my selfish desire
but I still want to tell you
Now my only spiritual support
is you

Whenever, in any time I love you deeply
No matter how tired, how painful I always love you
When I possess nothing in this world
I know one thing I still have
you, the one who loves me only

Chinese :
以下是主题歌《为了我的爱》的歌词:

知道谁也无法代替我的那天起
岁月留给我的伤痛
化成了生命的一部分
在这痛苦的日子裏
有无数次想放弃自己
这样的我还是爱上了你
觉得恐惧吗
因为我的私欲使你受了伤害
不过我还是想对你说
我现在唯一的精神支柱
就是你
在这痛苦的日子裏
有无数次想放弃自己
这样的我还是爱上了你
不过我还是想对你说
我现在唯一的精神支柱
就是你
无论何时我都深爱著你
就算再累再痛苦我都爱著你
当这世上我已一无所有
我也知道还有一样
那个唯一爱著我的你


Lyrics of HWRL song "My Pain"

Translator : Heippieh

My Pain

Don't want you to see the hesitating me
can not straightly look into your face
if I can forget you for a moment
then it won't be so hard to endure
only if we can ignore this love
can our life be as quiet as before
perhaps I love you more than you do to yourself
perhaps this is truely as it is
just you did not realize anything!
I endure sorrow on my own, to love you
the love with known ending will not be happy
there is only endless wound and suffering
suffering always secretely intrude before love
if I can forget you for a moment
I want to regain your love
do not worry about the past and the future
only want to embrace this very moment


我们真的爱过吗插曲
〈我的一个痛苦〉
—崔真永
词:任宝庆
曲:崔真永

***
不想让你看到举棋不定的我,
无法正视你的脸。
要是能暂时忘记了你,
那就不会这样的难熬!
想要无视於这份感情,
这样我的们生活才会像以往平静。
也许我比你更爱你,
也许真的是如此,
只是你一无所知!
我独自忍住悲伤去爱你。
知道结果的爱情是不会幸福,
只有无止境的伤痛。
痛苦永远比爱先悄悄闯入。
要是能暂时忘记了你,
想挽回你的爱,
不在乎过去和未来,
只想拥有这一刻!



Interview with Choi Jin Young

Questions by WJS club
Answers by Choi Jin Young
Translated by outlander
Made by Song MiYoung
source WJS club http://forum.netian.com/@wjs/fhome.htm


Q1. As a person responsible for the music in WJS, on which aspects did you put your emphasis in making the music?

Rather than composing a song with a specific purpose, I get to compose the music naturally from certain feelings that arise from the story. If I have the purpose to pass on certain message, in other words, if I am too stiff and rigid, then many times, feelings cannot come easily and even when a song is made, I often have to throw it away because it is not satisfactory.
It's similar to a silkworm pulling thread called song with mulberry leaves called story.
In case of WJS, the songs are made mostly from feelings about a person called Kang Jaeho, in other words, from my feelings as I became Jaeho. At that time, that feeling was so natural and strong that it did not take a long time to write the music. Personally, I take expressing my feelings rather more into consideration than how well the music fits into the concept of drama.

Q2. Although WJS fell slightly behind in viewer's rate, maniacs, who sent enthusiastic encouragement, were established. One of the reason could be the music. How do you feel as the person who made the music?

Viewer's rate is not always proportional to the quality of drama.
Sometimes it is inversely proportional and I think WJS is one of those cases.
I think personally too that WJS is an excellent work.
It is a drama that can remain in the hearts for a long time.
I am quite attached to WJS music as well.
One can say that my musical disposition is best revealed in WJS music.

Q3. How is Jaeho's life in WJS that you personally feel?

Well, it is difficult to talk about how somebody else's life is.
Because Noh Heegyeong let Jaeho suffer so much....
If Jaeho were right next to me, if he were my friend, I believe I could understand his soul.

Q4. What are your reasons for doing a lot of drama music especially, Mr. Choi Jin Young?

It was not like that from the beginning. After '사랑을 그대 품안에' "Love to your bosom", it somehow became like that. I think I shared pleasure with you through the drama. I heard several times that my music and voice fit together well with the drama

Q5. What kind of music do you want to do in the future and what are your plans?

I appreciate your support from WJS club because it gives me lots of strength. And therefore, I would try even harder. If my music is right next to you at the moment when you feel tired, lonely, and empty, nothing would be as worthwhile. From now on, I will do many concerts as well as drama.

Although I am a bad member because I cannot participate actively in the activities of WJS club, I get news through the web site every day.

Give me many reproves in the future. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Have We Really Loved? - Jaeho-ya, What Do You Wanna Eat?

Just when you thought I am done with HWRL, here comes another one. It is an old posting in Quilt. But I just found it recently from http://www.byjindofamily.com/. Did not realized this website before, until I gooled for HWRL songs. This piece came to me in surprise, I was aware of it since Yukomaru san told me about it before. It is one of the two articles of her 13 ones being translated into English, but I've never got lucky to find it until I found www.byjindofamily.com. Again, any Jaeho related article is a nice or sad read. This one is particularly sad. I can tell the author was very passionate about Jaeho. Aparently she wrote this during last summer before April Snow was done. I found this summer is even hotter. BYJ has definitely been heating up all Asia and my side of the ocean hotter and hotter. Hopefully after this summer we can meet him in his new drama. For now, let me just get stuck with Jaeho and HWRL.

================================================================

Posted on BYJ's Quilt by soil


Now it's hot summer.
The real summer has come....

He will be very busy in the middle of this summer to heat up all Asia hotter and hotter, and after this summer we can meet him in his second movie.


Right now it is like a pause before a typoon;


how about delving into and savoring Jaeho' life, again... with the help of yukomaru's guidance?


------------------------------


Jaeho-ya, what do you wanna eat?


source : yukomaru in JOB July 19. 2005
translated into Korean by yesbut
translated into English by soil


How are you, everybody, fans of ?


To me Jaeho is as precious as my life.


Though I wrote a number of long and dull articles about Jaeho till now, today I feel so overwhelmed with my flooded love to and longing for Jaeho that I can't help but to want to speak to him directly.


What I want to speak to him is about food.


Basically I am a food-lover so that I loved so much the scenes where he ate, and I am wondering about which kind of food he liked. Sometimes he might have to hurry up to go to the market simply after drinking down a glass of milk. Oh, he was such a tall and well-built man. To maintain his frame he might be a man with a good appetite and I am wondering about whether he usually could have a proper breakfast, and whether he might eat fast ... because he always must have been pressed for time with loads of work and study.


Thus, I want to write in a quite different style than before without any specific theme. Do you think it would be alright? (don't say no or I will be deaf to it. ^^)


I think this article would be a bit sentimental and silly, therefore I'd like to recommand reading this only to the people who are food-lovers and have enough time to read it.


Jaeho-ya, what do you wanna eat right now?


Before you passed away, you suffered severe vomiting.


Even eating itself might become part of your battle against the illness. You could neither see nor hear so that it might be very difficult for you to speak something, and in the last stage of your illness it might be impossibe for you to eat itself....


The night before your last day, Jinsook, your aunt, and SinJa talked together in the garden of Gooro-dong house, looking up at stars and shedding tears "I'm gonna see Jaeho tomorrow, making Kimchi that Jaeho likes," said Sinja. Even though she said like that, she knew, Jinsook knew, and me who was watching knew that you were not in the condition to eat sort of Kimchi thing.


But, Jaeho, now you are in heaven, without feeling any pain or feeling like vomiting any longer, and you could hear and see, be happy and healthy, and laugh, right?


And then, I am wondering about what you wanna eat right now?


In your Gooro-dong house, everybody ate together around the table for breakfast in the morning. And next to you there was always that small Heejin sitting. Why, why did Heejin always occupy the seat by you??? It was strangely impressed on my mind.


Childeren are honest. They get easily irritated in an uncomfortable place. When sitting by you, small Heejin might eat relieved. She might feel good at your young vitality, life force. She might get noticed the warmeness and the big-heartness hidden inside your heart.


Yongjoon-ssi who played you said somewhere, sometime, " when I played Jaeho, I tried to imagine what a man, who grows up in the surrondings like Jaeho's, was like, and I tried to act accordingly even in small gestures like holding up and down a spoon.


Yongjoon is really beautiful when eating food, but you who looked straight at food and ate a mouthful of food at once vigorously were also Yongjoon-ssi.


Hi there, Jaeho, what do you wanna eat now???


When she noticed you were sick, Jaeyoung said, crying, "you became sick because of mom. Since childhood, you couldn't eat what you wanted, you keep having hard time mentally, you should work at night, and study at day,,, and then you became sick."


When I realized that you had a time even to have to supress your desire to eat what you want to eat, I was so sorry.


It occured in your adolescence, when you were growing up the most actively.... You didint afford to think 'I like this, oh I wanna eat that.'


But, you know my ear didn't miss auntie Jinsook's saying "Jaeho-ya, have Bulgogie, please" when you and Sinhyung visited to Gooro-dong house, after your marriage, to congratulate Jaeyoung on her pregrency.


Hm, you are a man so that naturally you prefer meat rather than Sinja's Kimchi, I suppose. But when I saw all of you relieved when Seogu could receive his first salary, no doubt that eating meat frequently might be luxury to all of you.... Thus, you couldn't eat enough meat, I suppose.
Well, what if I send you cooked meat in heaven? Oh, Sinhyung is cooking it for you??


By the way, I guess you might think Haeja's (Sinhyung's mother) food was more delicious than Sinhyung's.


I could remember that you had dined at Sinhyung's house, finding Sinhyung neither to go for tutoring nor to come back home. Regretfully, there was no scene of your having meal at that time. I really wanted to see which food you ate then.


Although you were worried to death about Sinhyung's whereabout, you must have not showed your anxiety about her to Sinhyungs's parents, and must have been polite enough to have your meal with relish. I really wanted to see you in such a scene.


Your fans, the japanese azummas, said whenever they saw crabs, it reminded them of you. You know that on the box you carried on your back there were jananese letters also written, didn't you?


I think that Sinhyung's family or Giljin could buy crabs at the market and say, "oh, how about having crabs tonight" but Jaeho, did you have eaten crabs then?? crabs...... that you carried so often, delivered so often, and kept tidy so often at your shop that the smell of crabs might permeat into your whole body.....


I'd rather make a bet on the people saying your won't eat crabs. If he couldn't sell out crabs, Seokgu would have said, "let's just boil all of them and eat all".


But I think that you would never say that, and you'd rather try to running around shops here and there to sell the last of crab.. I think that to you crabs were valuable goods that were to sell. They were not that you would eat.


And then, what in the world do you wanna eat now??


In Japan, people make an offering of liquer in front of tomb, and do you do that in Korea, too?


But, Jaeho, I will give up doing that in front of your tomb, because I know that liquers always meant tears to you.


Once you had a time to drink with Seokgu with a bit pleasure, but most of time you were swollowing bitter liquer in desperation, lament. A glass of Soju (Korean pop liquer) would remind you of sad memories, wouldn't it?


Instead of liquer I would make an offering of a bottle of water, which you gulped down with your happy face, working lively and wiping out your sweat, when you obtained Sinhyung's heart after much trouble.


Yongjoon-ssi often appears on CF for sport drink, Ion-aid and recently we also can buy it in Japan. And he shows up on CF for 'Seven Colors Asian Tea', the miraculous tea, too. How about trying those soft drinks? I can picture how you sip those strange drinks..... how adorable!!.


Oh, Jaeho, what do you wanna eat, what do you wanna drink??


Jaeho, I wanna send them, whatever you want, to you.


Jaeho, I am thinking and thinking for 44 hours about that, but there's no clue on what was your favorite food or drink, and I don't know what I can send you to make you happy.


When I reflect on your life, I realize that you can't afford to enjoy food or drink. And the fact itself touches my heart and makes me heartbroken.


I wanna ask you, Jaeho, that when you come into this world again, you should lead a life to enjoy ordinary but natural happiness; you should be healthy, laugh, and be in a position to say "Oh, I wanna eat this. Sinhyung-ssi, on the salary day, let's go to a restaurant together to eat this"


Till then, I will drink a glass of liquer solmnly, contemplating on your tears.


If any idea what you want to eat or drink occured to you, please drop by me anytime in my dream , tell me and then I'll send it to you.


to my beloved Jaeho.... with my hands clasped in prayer



Have We Really Loved? - Jaeho, A Man of Courage

Anyone know about Yukomaru san? A Japanese fan, more specifically, a Japanese HWRL maniac, who wrote 13 postings about HWRL and Jaeho on JOB. Here is one of the two that was translated into Korean then English. Think I read this from Quilt and then posted on KOB. Yukomaru chatted with me a bit on KOB about her 13 writings. Hopefully one day, or maybe it has already come true, that all of her 13 writings about HWRL are translated into English. I saved this one for myself, here repost it as a record. As you read thru, KOB ID "yesbut" translated it from Japanese to Korean thru a translator machine and Quilt ID "soil" translated it into English. (When can we have a reasonable translate machine from Japanese to English???) I am thankful for all these people who put their heart and blood translating these articles for sharing love.



Subject: JaeHo, a man of courage

Hi, guys!!!
Although I didn’t have a chance to watch yet,
when I happen to read this posting, it was so touching.
I tried to forget about this, but I couldn’t turn back on it.
I don’t know exactly why I couldn’t, either because of JaeHo, or because of her writing power?The original writer is Yukomaru-nim of JOB, And this was introduced in KOB around a week ago by yesbut-nim.
I am afraid if I could convey the original writing without too much distortion,
Nonetheless, JaeHo remains lingering inside me,
And I can’t ignore him….. Thus, I decide to gather courage again to retranslate in spite of all risks of distortion.
Probably, I wanna say something through her writing….
And one more thing, I wanna say to you is
I totally enjoyed the translation of this……

***************************************************
Original: Yukomaru, from JOB 3511, July 5, 2005
Translation into Korean (through automatic translation machine): yesbut
Translation into English: soil

Good morning, everyone, especially fans!!
Today, I want to be talktive again .
Last time I contemplated on JaeHo’s life that was full of pains not only in his heart but also on his face.
(yesbut: last time Ms. Yukomaru wrote a witty but deep,
insightful posting in which many people slapped on his face in turn, and I knew it cos I am her fan and read all she wrote… ^^)
And then a lot of you replied, and among the comments
which made my mind warm,
there was one that particularly has remained in my heart, It was Asaake-nim’s comment:
If he had got hurt simply by having his face slapped,
he couldn’t have lived.
He must have been desperate to suppress his feelings.….
He should be numb to whatever misunderstanding people around him might have.
If I only read through the comments, I might simply have thought
‘Hm, surely it is.’. But I couldn’t help thinking abou
this life before the drama started to depict it. Yes. his struggle began much earlier than in the opening scene offish market auction, where he looked so dignified with cap on
which the fiqure 205 is written on.
JaeHo must have been sensitive to get easily hurt,
But he had to get through rocky and bitter experiences
from his adolescent period to the early young days.
Looking back on JaeHo from that angle,
I felt tears welling up from my eyes, with the shivers down my spine,
when realizing how much courageous he was.
Thus, today I want to talk about how I felt on his courage. I guess it will be not very interesting, so that I try to write not so long posting as usual.

☆☆☆If you love , and JaeHo,
No wonder you should realize that he is courageous JaeHo….who doesn’t give in to hardship one after another ordinary people couldn’t stand .
JaeHo…who tried his best for his love with SinHyung,
but had to decide to part with her as if to sever his soul from himself
just for the people around him…
JaeHo…who was sentenced to a time-limited life, but didn’t give up,
but rather encourage the people around him,
and try to complete his love, putting up with intensive physical pain…
JaeHo, he is courageous! He is wonderful!!
I, being an Azumma, almost burst into tears.
But his courage didn’t stop there.
I came to think deeply about
how much courage it took him when he decided to love SinHyung.
The fact that JaeHo was originally a person who had warm heart and tender, sensitive susceptibility to get easily hurt. has been revealing as the episodes of the drama went on.
With a trauma that he was deserted by his mother.
he must have had to endure misunderstanding, discrimination. or sometimes, even violence by the people near him, on coping with difficulties in reality to earn for living for his sister and him, I suppose.
His tears might already dry up,
his heart might get hurt over and over again
even before the last scar didn’t have healed up yet,
and through all those his heart might be callus, distorted and changed.
Now the 27 year-old young man who could hide his mind burned with
ambition to marry a girl of a rich family
by driving a sports car.
In the fish market, he who got a knack of how to carry a straw bag with crabbs on his back like a veteran became an able broker.
This young man, JaeHo, met SinHyung and had a hunch about loving her.
Oh, no, he trembled in fear of hunch that he would love her
To the ordinary people like me who didn’t get through hardshipsit would be easy to say“JaeHo-ya, who you need is SinHyung.
Just give up a girl of a rich family. You could do your best to get SinHyung”
But to JaeHo it must be a very difficult decision, almost a fear, mustn’t it?
Human beings seem to be a creature who defend themselves responsively by gradually having their mind or body paralyzed when the pain that they cope with last too strong or too long.
JaeHo seemed to had reached to his conclusion:“I will be rich,” “I won’t be naïve enough to get hurt again,”“I won’t let it happen to make me cry.”
To love SinHyung meant to withdraw all his view of life, and
to get back to the original tender mind that easily gets hurt, and the tearful himself.
I could understand how scared he was at that moment.
That fear might be beyond imagination of people who can’t understand such situation. In episode 17, GilJin called out JaeHo and notified JaeHo that he parted with SinHyung.
In that scene, JaeHo asked GilJin in return,“Do you think that it was easy that I decided to throw away all my way of life I have kept unill now just because of only one person,
professor Lee?” GilJin answered,“No, I don’t think it was easy. It is love that isn’t easy. Thus, go to ShinHyung.”
How anxiously I had wanted to see JaeHo and SinHyung together!!
But, when I heard this line of GilJin, I couldn’t help avoiding a sense of incompatibility.
It’s difficult to explain why, but I felt that GilJin with a good background could never understand what JaeHo’s real fear was. And I couldn’t blame GilJin for that.
What was not easy to JaeHo was not only “love isn’t easy.”
Anyhow, JaeHo made up his mind, with courage, to love SinHyung, and to recover himself again, no matter how difficult it would be,
He might know how much pain and suffering in their hearts and lives would follow, though.
He might know that the one who he loved also would get involved in the midst of his pain, and he should prepare for protecting her with his whole body to get all the wounds of the two by himself.
He threw away a molphin that could have his pain paralyzed, and prepared for an operation for the recovery of himself with no help of pain-killer.
JaeHo determined not to disclose or complain, no matter what disaster would happen to him In the middle of loving SinHyung, and to endure all the burdens by himself.

Although he didn’t recognize it himself, such an attitude proves his preparedness that is mentioned above, doesn’t it?
How about it? Don’t you agree that JaeHo who decided to love SinHyung
was an overwhelmingly courageous man???
But JaeHo had to, for inevitable reasons that he couldn’t do anything about it,
let go of SinHyung’s love that he chose courageously to save his soul,
keeping all wounds silently left in his heart and body
that he got from the battle for love. He tried to close his heart again to start a new life.
But his heart that already recovered his original sensitive susceptibility
and an attribute that easily get hurt couldn’t become callous again.

JaeHo, who was in unbearable pain caused by losing SinHyung…….

Again, JaeHo came to take the ultimate courage.
He decided to live with SinHyung till the last day of his life.
In the episode 41,his doctor, JeongYoon, said to HyunSoo about JaeHo and SinHyung
who decided marriage, “I don’t think that the two decided on their marriage for fun,
It was a decision that required a lot of courage from both of them.”

All of us know about what SinHyung’s courage was,
because she made up her mind to dedicate all herself to JaeHo,
in spite of her knowing that the two would never live together long.

And then, what was JaeHo’s courage?
I think that he is courageous enough not to be afraid of having himself hurt
and having even his beloved one hurt as well.
He perfectly knew that SinHyung should live in bitter wailing
after he would leave.
No doubt, it would be regretful for him to leave her behind.
Nonetheless, not being afraid of being in pain, and giving her pain,
he tried to hold the most precious thing in his life tight in his arms,
relying on it at the same time.
Coping with a terror, he tried to grasp it and urged her to do so, too. It was the courage of JaeHo, I suppose.

JaeHo knew what terror he should get over to take the courage . Then he determined firmly to marry her.

Even when the time-limited life sentence on JaeHo shook ShinHyung,
JaeHo could supported her properly without being weak.
While I am writing this, I am so sure of it deep down.
He got through all cruel times since being orphaned with his sister.
Having lost his lover and then his health, he had his day of life left for short days,
and got over the ultimate terror in the desperate situation to stand up again.
Can you imagine more courageous man than him???

☆☆☆
I really tried to shorten my writing, but failed again,
Ah~~~Ah, Thanks a lot, and I appreciate your reading all this long story……

--------------------------------------
I, soil, briefly introduce what yesbut-nim said here:
she is a fan of Yukomaru. who, as a maniac of ,writes a profound and sharp analysis about it almost like a critic.
It is said that Yukomaru watched the drama tens of times.
And yesbut said that because she doesn’t know Japanese, she had to put it into Korean based on the automatic translation machine, then the part she couldn’t understand clearly, she had to skip.

Have We Really Loved? - Noh Heekyung

Talking about HWRL, no one can ignore its script writer Noh Heekyung. Unlike other BYJ dramas, we are more or less focused on the storylines and the actors, HWRL made me want to know about its script writer. In almost every dialogue and scence in HWRL, you hear and see its creator and her values. I particularly like the part bb wrote about her in one of her HWRL postings and an interview with Noh Heekyung by yukihosi, translated by Joanne from Quilt. At the end I also include a web site I kept for some informations about HWRL and its script writer in English.


You know me, I will copy/paste down the writings I like ... So here is the paragraphs in bb's posting about Noh Heekyung ---


In fact, Yong Joon was the first actor to be cast in the drama. When he accepted the role, he didn’t know who he would be acting with, including the female lead. Why then did Yong Joon decide to take such a big risk in accepting this role then? It was purely based on his trust in the scriptwriter Roh Hee Kyung and director Park Jong for HWRL. [he did it again with AS didn't he? guess some things never change...]Scriptwriter Roh Hee Kyung came from a poor family herself and has first-hand experience when it comes to the lives of the lower income groups in the society. Her works emitted an real-ness and sincerity that never failed to touch hearts. Lines penned by her were sensitive, philosophical. She’s got a very unique character and her own special style. She’s one of the very few writers who would approach script-writing as though she’s writing a novel. And it’s precisely because of this that each and every piece of her work shines with such artistic realism.Roh herself once said, “If I were not poor once myself, how then would I truly understand the loneliness and helplessness in life? If I came from an average income family, how then could I share the sadness and the bitter anger of those being left behind? I personally feel that as a writer, the more painful memories I have, the better. If I’ve experienced pain myself, then I can really understand the despair of others. If I’ve failed before, then I would know how to comfort others when they fail.”“Who’s to say TV dramas must be lighthearted and funny? When it comes to a TV drama, yes, no doubt it can be a lighthearted and happy hour, but it too can be a time that inspire the viewers to think hard, to search for answers. Yes, it can be something that’s not once-off, it can be more permanent with a more lasting effect… For a TV professional to create something that just tickles the viewers for three minutes, or just touches them for three minutes… that’s an insult to the viewers.”Her ideals towards her art run parallel with those of Yong Joon’s. And her gift also won Yong Joon’s immense admiration and respect. Before, Yong Joon had already read scripts penned by her, and he had long decided he would, one day, act in her story. And when the opportunity presented itself in the form of HWRL, he didn’t think twice.


====

Now here is the translated interview with Roh Heekyeong (Noh? not sure)


【TRANSLATION】Interview with charismatic script writer, Roh Heekyeong..
[AERA] October 2005 By yukihosi

http://www.onlybyj.com/bbs/dispbbs.asp?boardID=13&ID=19530&page=1

From Quilt Korean to English translation by Joanne

yukihosi translated this from Japanese to Korean and posted on the Talk Box of BYJ’s official home.

【Translation】Interview with charismatic script writer, Roh Heekyeong..

By yukihosi

Roh Heekyeong, charismatic script writer in Korean dramas..

When it comes to Roh Heekyeong, she is one of writers whose works are most highly evaluated in Korea.

However, she is still in her 30th and young. We cannot hide our surprise at the potential power in Korean visual(video image) fields.

One of her representative works, ‘WooJeongSa-‘HWRL’ (1999) is depicting a heavy theme of death with sincerity and is a masterpiece beaming with conspicuously unusual color among Korean dramas.

Its original title is ‘Wooriga Jeongmal Saranghatsseulgga?-Have We Really Loved?’.

As showing in this title, this work throws questions about what is the most important thing in life, what is the love, with the main axis of love between main character, Jaeho, played by BYJ and woman senior to him, Shinhyeong, played by Kim Hyesoo. The appearance of BYJ, who played Jaeho stricken with incurable disease, also shakes up hearts of people who watch him.How come this writer, as young as she was yet, was able to have depicted the work like this?

Do we love (our) lives?

I have a memory that it was very difficult while I wrote the ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’.

Although I am talking this and that through main character Jaeho,I really had agony if it was all right to give hardship to that much extent to a young man.

The latter half in 20th, age of Jaeho, is a very important period in life.I wanted to think various things through that period.

Do we really love our lives?
My intention was that I would like to ask that (question) once again.

Sending off a loved one

The latter half of 20th was also an important period to me.

When I was 27, the same as age as Jaeho, I lost my mother due to stomach cancer.

Although I nursed her for about one and a half year with my father, I had been in very much deep sorrow while I was taking care of her.

No matter how hard I nursed her, I could not save my mother,and I myself did not get any salvation(relief) at all.

At that time, I found out that if one does not prepare for the ‘death’ all the time, neither oneself nor people around could not get salvation.

Now, I am able to accept that dying with cancer or disease is a big present in life.

The reason for it is because (the cancer or disease) gives preparation time to arrange the ‘life’ properly.

To tell you the truth, my father has lung cancer at this time. He was diagnosed 5 months ago.

When I found out that my mother had cancer, I kept on only crying for 3 months.

However, when it was time for my father, I cried only for one week. It was because time was too precious to cry.

At this time, we are living together and spending precious time of properly arranging history of father and me.

No one can avoid death.

If that is the case, I think it is precious to send off loved ones while telling them what we would like to say to them like ‘thank you or I am sorry’, instead of sending them away with crying.

There is a scene in which father of Shinhyeong was asking to his daughter who was to marry Jaeho who was about to die.

It was if you will be able to live your life alone after sending off Jaeho…Shinhyeong answered 甀 am able to live’.

Hence, in the last scene, Shinhyeong neither said Jaeho ‘Do not die!!’ nor did she cry or scream holding him. The things I want to speak are contained in that scene.

Missing one while crying.

Sufferings in life, I think Jaeho is the person who represents that.

Not having money and fame, not having won the fight against disease, not being able to be with loved one for a long time,there was nothing Jaeho had accomplished after all.

However, appearance of making his heart precious at each and every moment and of living his life hard, no matter how much cruel life he was shouldering…that itself is beautiful, I think.

To live faithfully to one’s life..

I think that is probably reason why Jaeho receives love from people.I cried many times as I gave pains to young person(Jaeho).

When oneself does not really cry, one cannot make TV viewers cry.After wiping tears, I would read (a line) once more and if I did not shed tear, I did not use that line.

It was because I was able to know that if I calculated to make TV viewers cry or if I really made their hearts cry.

The times when I cried the most were when I wrote the scene where Jaeho, suffering pain from diease, thought that he wanted to go to a villa to die, and when I wrote that line of Shinhyeong telling Jaeho ‘I will not wake him up again twice’ in the last scene.

However, it is not that important to write wonderful lines. The problem is the fundamental thing.

For example, what kind of heart would Jaeho have with death ahead of him.Why did Shinhyeong accept Jaeho who had once betrayed her.

As I could not get the answer when I thought about them once or twice, there were times I had to think over 100 times.

It is a difficult work to kill a person.

Jaeho and BYJ…

BYJ was a person who was loved from many people in Korea as he was the star since his debut period.

I was a little anxious before I began work (with him).
Thinking, he seemed to have strong will, and wondered if he would have points of arrogance rightfully for the star?
..However, the fact I was really surprised when I met him was that he was really a person who was putting efforts.
He always pursued perfection and when the writer or director were not prepared, he also did not move.
Regarding the setting of the situation also, there were not any time he did at his will with his own interpretation.
He always asked this side(me) and about the things I thought wrong, he would ask with questions.
He is not a person who prides himself or who would be satisfied in a certain appropriate place.
He would repeat efforts no matter how many times, how many times.
When we saw his script book, he checked even the ?(question marks) one by one,
and he is to the extent that he even memorized all the lines of other people.
I have a memory of telling him ‘Please let your brain rest a little bit..’ as he was thinking too many things.
Although there are not a few cases that stars would not practice as they spend too much time with shooting CF, etc. orbecame self-centered, etc., he did not have such aspects at all and he was never once tardy.
At first, I had many conversations with him about Jaeho.
However, after that time, because he became assimilated to Jaeho, there was no need to talk anything.I think that although it was difficult for him also, he could understand Jaeho.
Although he originally was not a person who cries often, he shed a lot of tears.
In the ‘WLS’ also, he played crying action really well.
As there happened to occur many fans of this drama and BYJ in Korea so that what they called fan club was created.
That fan club is active in raising fund for poor children or children with brain tumor like Jaeho and there were times when BYJ himself cooperated with them.

Women embrace men

Probably because I am young, I inspire dramas with my ideals.

For example, the relationship between Shinhyeong and her parent in the ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’ is the appearance between parents and children I wanted the most.
It is a relationship where they can talk like friends. The fact that my mother was my friend might influence it.
I think that the high and low relationships between parents and children should not become stricter than what they are now in Korea.
Parents & children, male & female, junior & senior…separating things like those, I have cautious feeling about them.
Although there are cases that even the relationship between male and female becomes a relation of the upper & the lower or confronting relation, if those become fixed, those are problematic.
Human beings are multi-faceted so that they could become either weak or strong. For example, even in Jaeho, there is a weak side.
He is either disturbed and when his heart is in pain, he would even cry also. I gave him such frankness like that.
On the other hand, although Shinhyeong seems to be tender and weak, she is strong.
The two people have all the merits they can have as human beings.
I like very much the scenes where woman embraces man.
When I was little, there was a time I was surprised upon seeing my parent sleep.
It was because that my mother embraced my father and had his head on her arm.
I thought that men too could lean on women. Of course the opposite of that is also possible.
I think that it will be nice that I am able to depict such relationship between men and women.

Made up her mind to become a writer when she was in primary school..

When I myself was young, my family was very poor. I also had worked in a garment factory or movable bar on covered cart as appearing in the ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’.

Such experiences gave me big confidence.
The scene I like the most in the ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’ is the scenewhere Jaeho and Shinhyeong are simply eating noodle soup in at the sea food market.
For the young people, things they eat together with their loved ones are the most delicious.
Although there are things I get angry at being poor, the fact of sharing something with each other..
I think there are esthetics the being poor can give.
The time when I thought to become a writer was when I was in 5th grade in an primary school. I won an award at writing once.
Although I loved drawing, as I could not do that without buying supplies for it, I decided my mind to become a writer at that time.

To write it one more time again.

I thought about writing a novel when I was in college.

However, I took a drama class without any expectation as people around me recommended it, the saying from professor ‘The drama is a human being’, that words rang & spread (touched) in my heart.
Saying that if one does not love human being, one cannot write a drama also…
This is the saying I like the most even now. What is human being? This is also a philosophical question.
Although I have been continuously questioning (about human being), I could not find an answer until now.
The viewing rate of the ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’ was not high. However, there occurred enthusiastic fans.
Although ordinary Korean dramas cannot help but be written as they are chased by time fortunately, I was able to write (HWRL) ahead of time getting some time.
The ‘WooJeongSa(HWRL)’ also never received interference from the broadcasting station even once.
Come to think about it now, I feel like I was not able to write all about Jaeho’s pain because I was young and also I had insufficient understanding about life at that time.
Sometime later, when I become mature as a human being, I certainly want to re-write this drama one more time.


Translated by yukihosiThis is the entire copy of interview carried in a supplement to the October issue of the AERA magazine.

====

Here is a website that has some introductions about HWRL, the crew, and the script writer No Heekyung.

http://home.hanmir.com/~junahother/wjsintroframe.htm


Have We Really Loved? - Lee Shinyeung

"Time to get up for camp! Sweetie!" When I rushed to his room to wake him up, I found him curling in the bed, eyes wide open, day dreaming. "Mom, Why can not a bicycle stand on its own?" "You see, you need 3 points to balance a plane ..." I started lecturing him on the physics,. "No", he cut in, "the correct answer is, it is two-tired (too tired)! and I am the same!". Oh, Okay ...

"Yeah, I am the same too! Too tired!!!" I won't tell him this but I AM exhausted. A series of "unfortunate events" have been happening one after another in the past few weeks, it has been a good struggle going about putting off the fires. Made me relate to Jaeho's life. Who said life is easy? Even, expect it to be worse than his - full of sufferings without loved one's support and comfort. At this hard time, the thought of Shin-Yeung gives me some courage and hope.

When Shin-Yeung asked Jaeho "Why do you love me?", he replied "Because when I am beaten down, you give me courage to stand up again."

Lee Shin-Yeung, Jaeho's wife. The luckiest woman in history. She has married Jaeho and accompanied him for the rest of his life.

Who else has been this fortunate? None! In Papa, she divorced him. In April Snow, she betrayed him. In Hotelier, she let him fly back to New York alone. In Winter Sonata, she decided to study in France even though she knew he was in US risking his life in brain surgery. In Love Greetings she distanced him because of her self-centeredness. In Barefoot Youth, she is a daughter of his farther's enemy. In First Love, she was chasing a young man who was overwhelmed by his family's misfortunes. In Untold Scandal, her love was not accepted by the society, she could only meet him in another world. In Sea Wind, in Sunny Place of the Young, in Seven Steps to Separation, none of these girls was fortunate enough to take vows with him in front of an alter. Except Shin-Yeung. No wonder she is my favorite female character. She made union with him based on mutual true love. What else can be more beautiful and satisfactory?

She won Jaeho's true love. She deserved it. Her love to Jaeho was motherly and womanly. Jaeho's love to Shin-Yeung was childish and manly.

He would say to her father "I love her. I want to have her. I do not want to give her up. Please agree to give her to me." The father was pretty impressed by his determination and his "greediness" towards her.

He would say to Shin-Yeung, "I can make a lot more money. I will feed you good food to make you fair and chubby."

He would promise her, "If it is just for money, you don't have to work. But if you don't like staying home, you can go out to teach. Or if you like to continue study, it is fine too. You can finish your thesis for doctoral degree. I can pay for your tuition. As long as I have this job, you don't need to worry about our living."

He would tell her, "I like to stay with you just like now. I did not know before, that this is the life I wanted - I work hard to make money, my wife stays home and cooks. We argue once in a while and make up in no time. Children are all healthy just like me. We watch our savings gradually grow in the bank. I just want to live the most ordinary life." (... 'mind you, before meeting Shin-Yeung, Jaeho's only purpose of life is to get rich.)

Shin-Yeung would smile sweetly back and praise him "You are such a capable man."... "No doubt I've chosen the right man." ...

Shin-Yeung is truly intelligent. She knows what makes a perfect man - strong, handsome and most importantly the ability and willingness to work hard. No matter what his current social status is, the future holds for the diligent man. She values Jaeho's quality regardless of his poverty. She is the luckiest woman who has chosen the right man - Jaeho.

And no doubt Jaeho has chosen the right woman, likewise.

Lee Shin-Yeung was a college assistant professor while Jaeho was a student taking the lecture she taught the first time as a substitute. She was 3 years older than him. She appeared not as smart, not as pretty, not as slim, not as wealthy, comparing to Hyun-Sue, a proud princess of a wealthy family, and also Jaeho's classmate. From the look of it, Jaeho should have chosen Hyun-Sue as his wife. And sure enough, this was his goal - marry a girl of a wealthy family to bid farewell to his poverty. He told Hyun-Sue straight in the face : this is why I want to court you - because you are wealthy, you are smart and you are pretty. You satisfied these 3 criteria. And you do not need to be responsible to me, and I do not need to be responsible to you either. (Hey, Jaeho, what kind of relationship is this? Jaeho? Are you so sure ...?)

Obviously, the relationship fell into a subtle war between the two. Jaeho determined "I can not guarantee that I will fall in love with you, but I can make sure that you will fall in love with me! Let's wait and see!" As smart as Jaeho can be, he knows his charm and he knows how to use it. Professor Lee who lives with Hyun-Sue in the same house would be a perfect flirting target to arouse Hyun-Sue's jealousy.

Apparently, Professor Lee is sophisticated in academic but she is as pure and innocent as a child in nature, in times naive. Throughout 30 years of her life, she might have been studied too much in the books and never learned the tricks of flirting between a man and a woman. She seriously thought if a girl goes out for a date with a man, they would go on the path of getting married. While she views Jaeho as a rude student, she would warn Hyun-Sue to be careful going out with him. While she found out Jaeho was cheating in writing the project report, she would not tolerate the behavior even though other professors did. As knowing Jaeho more and more through these conflicts with him, she becomes attracted to this young man just as a woman would do. While Jaeho was playing the flirting game between her and Hyun-Sue, knowing Jaeho's real intention was to use her, she still could not escape the fate of being a woman captivated by him.

Her heart was so soft and caring, which reminded Jaeho of his mother, who has abandoned him and his sister when he was 12. Since then he hated his mother, but deep in his heart, he has the painful longing for her. When he met Professor Lee, his yearning was fulfilled. He opened his heart only to her without knowing it and gradually realized his love for her. He would subconsciously call her up and tell her "Ever since I met you, my heart started becoming soft."

Before she discovered her love to Jaeho, she would behave like a professor or a mother. She would lecture him on how to save money and be a modest student. She would give him lessons on how to get honest grade with honest study. She would pick up the cigarette butt and told him "You should not liter.". She would listen patiently to his confessions. She would withhold her affection to him while wishing him to achieve his goal of gaining Hyun-Sue.

She could not hold her tears after Jaeho confessed to her the scars of his life. She asked him "Why do you want to tell me of all these?" Jaeho paused, puzzled, "I don't know, I just want to tell you..." She would cry out beside a tree on her way home. I believe she not only cried for Jaeho's misfortune, but mostly she cried for not being able to withhold her emotions to Jaeho.

Jaeho saw it, he learned at that moment that this woman had a gentle heart, and somehow I think he might very well realize at this time that she has fallen in love with him. It is intriguing to watch how and when the two started realizing and facing their love. I assessed that Shin-Yeung fell in love with Jaeho first, while Jaeho was busy pleasing Hyun-Sue. But she dismissed this feeling since it appeared so impractical - how can it be, between a student and a teacher, a woman 3 years older, with meek college salary, definitely not the type of interest to Jaeho. She tried to desert him and avoid him, which actions helped Jaeho realize clearly that he was actually in true love with her. He held her in his arms and craved, "Tell me you love me. As long as you love me, I do not want anything else, I do not want money. I do not love Hyun-Sue. I love you, only you!"

But in fear of hurting her relationships with Hyun-Sue, Kil-jin and her parents, afraid of gossips in the college, she denied "This is not love. I am afraid of choosing you. I am afraid of the gossips, I am afraid of fighting with Hyun-Sue and my parents, if I can not give up all these for your sake, how can this be love?!" Jaeho's heart was burning "I was not honest before, I was attracted by Hyun-Sue's wealth, I hated poverty. But because of you I want to give it all up. I do not want money anymore. I do not want anything. As long as you are with me, I will have the courage. I am willing to work around the hours. If this is not love, what is love?! If you do not love me, how did you make me like this today? If this is not love, what is love!?" Believe it or not, she stared at him and said "It's just an illusion!" Jaeho's heart is sinking in disbelieve. Shin-Yueng needs time to grow stronger.

It was not until she started preparing for the wedding with Kil-jin, did she realize that she could not live without Jaeho. She finally cried to him "I was afraid of Hyun-Sue, Kil-jin, my dad, my mom, I was afraid of fighting with them because of you. But now I found out, there is a more scary thing ahead of me - I am afraid of missing you, I am afraid you are not by my side... I love you."

Shin-Yeung, always remember what Jaeho said "When you said you love me, my dream has come true.". What can be more simple, yet more profound than these words. With Jaeho's love, Shin-Yeung started to become more courageous.

Shin-Yeung walks in slow pace, speaks with soft voice. She appeared to be weak and tender, but her mind was strong and determined. She could face up with the department head and 6 other senior professors in a meeting, argue with them about her right of private life. She would not give in to their accusations about her relationship with Jaeho. When the department head threatened to immediately end her job if she would not give in, she would fight for her legal right of continuing the teaching contract. She would bravely face Hyun-Sue's challenge. She would go on a hunger strike to protest against his parents' disapproval of Jaeho. She would secretly apply for professor jobs in another city, preparing for the run-away with Jaeho.

Shin-Yeung's love was forgiving. When Jaeho gave her up and turned to Hyun-Sue in need of money for his family, her heart was broken. But she said to Kil-jin " I can understand him ...".

Shin-Yeung's love was unconditional. "If I can not forget him, then I won't try to forget him. I'll keep him in my heart".

Shin-Yeung's love was hopeful and life-giving. When Jaeho gave up his true love and found out he has brain tumor, what could be the better excuse to gave up on this unworthy life. He refused to take medicine and treatment. He told Hyun-Sue that he want to die in front of her. When Kil-jin counciled Shin-Yeung, "What does a dying man need the most at this time?" Shin-Yeung answered "Hope!". Shin-Yeung came to Jaeho and insisted "If you want to die, that is fine, I will die with you!" Her determined love give Jaeho hope and courage to live on and take the treatment.

Shin-Yeung's love was sacrificial. She would quit her professor career, take a tutor job with more flexible hours, in order to take care of Jaeho in chemotherapy.

This woman is an ideal wife, ideal mother, ideal lifetime friend. She is quiet but strong. She is gentle. She is beautiful. She is love. I wish wuri yong joon will find such a woman in his life, and yes, marry her.

The last night, Jaeho was lying in bed with Shin-Yeung, he asked "I can not hear, I can not see. You must be very lonely." Shin-Yeung held his hand and said "No, it feels so good to hold hands with you every day.". Jaeho smiled "God takes special care of me. He told me I have too much treasure. I did not think before that looking at you and hearing your voice are so precious. Do you know how much I love you?" "I know." she wrote on his hand. "That's good. This is enough. I need to sleep. In sleep I can have dreams. I can see you and hear you in dreams. I am very tired. I am going to sleep." "See you tomorrow." Shin-Yeung wrote. "See you tomorrow." Jaeho smiled.

The next morning, Jaeho did not wake up. "I wish when you wake up again, you will feel pain no more. Jaeho, I will remember you forever."



Just started learning this song from my voice teacher two days ago. I am amazed by its lyrics. Is it Jaeho talking to Shin-Yeung? The melody is beautiful too. I wish I could share.


Sing me to Sleep

Lyrics by Clifton Bingham
Composer : Edwin Greene

Sing me to sleep, the shadows fall,
Let me forget the world and all.
Tired is my heart, the day is long,
Let it soon come to even song.
Sing me to sleep, your hand in mine,
Our fingers as in prayer entwine;
Only your voice, love, let me hear,
Singing to tell me you are near.
Love, I am lonely, Years are so long,
I want you only, you and your song;
Dark is life's shore, love, Night is so deep,
Leave me no more, love, Sing me to sleep.

Sing me to sleep, with you alone,
Stay with me and remain my own,
Gladly my heart will know no pain,
When I awake from sleep again.
Sing me to sleep and let me rest,
Of all the world I love you best.
Nothing is faithful, nothing true,
In Heaven or earth, but God and you.
Love, I am lonely, Years are so long.
I want you only, You and your song.
Dark is life's shore, love, Night is so deep,
Leave me no more, love, Sing me to sleep.



Reset in peace, Jaeho! I love you! Shin-yeung, you gave Jaeho new life, true love, you are my heroine. Where is wuri yong joon's Shin-yeung???

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Have We Really Loved? - Kang Jaeho

Tonight I want to be serious. By now most people already know that I am a very very serious person. So serious that sometimes I consider myself boring. But to be honest with you, I am not serious enough and I wish to be more serious. To me everything should have a purpose and everything has to have a meaning. So why am I here behaving like a silly goose and blogging about a Korean actor who has no connection with my daily life? Why have I said I am not JUST a BYJ fan, even, I LOVE him? There are so many reasons. And here is just one - because he freely chose to perform in the drama "Have We Really Loved?" and even paid hefty price for pursuing it. This alone holds value to me, and if you learned the reasons he chose this drama, it holds even more value to me, such that BYJ tugged a tender part of my heart and remained there deeply, till today.

If you want to know more about HWRL, there are so much to read. But I would start from this one, of course, our bb has it. I love this posting of hers so much that I almost want to re-write it down here word by word. But since I am a lazy person, how about I just do the "copy and paste" business.


who loves jaeho? hands up please! ( h: Me! Mee!)

yea... thought so there'll be so many of you... ( h: I know you too, and you will!)

for me personally, HWRL ranks pretty high up there in terms of faves. but it's also one of those i don't rewatch that often. it's just too painful. personally,

...

The role Yong Joon played in HWRL was Kang Jaeho, a young man who’s from the lower rungs of the society. He had to sell crabs at the seafood wholesale market in order to pay for his and his sister’s tuition fees. He had lost his father since young, and was abandoned by his mother too. Therefore, he had this thinking that money’s everything. In order to get somewhere, in order to turn from rags to riches, he courted Hyun Soo who’s from a rich family. But he found himself drawn to the young professor Lee Shin Hyung. When he finally realized the true love in his life and was prepared to face life squarely in the face, worse blows came…

...


another thing... HWRL is not just a love story between jaeho and the female lead. there're a lot of other love stories in this drama too. love between jaeho and his aunt, between jaeho and his sister, between jaeho and his best friend, between jaeho and his mother... there're also other love threads depicted in the drama, like the female lead's parents, jaeho's sister and her boyfriend, the old granny and her daughter...

some people feel that all of the other characters are redundant and their stories boring and they fast-forward and watch only the yong joon scenes.... but think about it this way... this drama is about the real life of the people in korea. and this is as real as it gets. i've yet to come across another drama that reflects so much of korean culture and the korean way of life. in this context, this drama really explores and challenges the various values or set standards in the korean society. like how the female lead defys her family in pursuit of real love, like how could a man choose between real love and to support his family, like how there's a social stigma against orphans and men who do not serve the army, like how love between an older woman and a younger man tends to be frowned upon, like how money seems to make the world go round...

in fact, i've found that i like the drama (and all the other characters) more and more as i watch it again and yet again. they sort of grow on you, esp the old granny (i used to think she's just way too noisy...)!

yes, HWRL is a heavy drama. but to me, it's also the very essence of korean culture, of real life.

( h: to me, HWRL ranks No. 1 among all his works. Why? Because it is a heavy drama, because it is so serious. Don't you remember that I am a serious person? I love everything that is serious. I watched HWRL for more than 5 times, and the more I watch it, the more I enjoy it. The first 2 times I did the what-you-know the skipping thingie, only want to watch Kang Jaeho part. It was such a long drama, you know? 44 episodes! Then the next few times, I enjoyed watching more and more of every charater's performance and every character's dialogue. I even realized that I "enjoyed" more and more the painful moments in the drame, and even, "enjoyed" crying with the charaters, particularly, with Shin-hyung, not because I was insane, but because I cherished the realization that out of my callus heart that deep tender part of my heart is found and touched - I can still cry! Isn't that amazing? Isn't that treasuable? Now I want to stay in that state for a little longer, so I enjoyed it.)

of all the roles wuri yong joon has played, this one seems the most real. as real as though kang jaeho is not just some guy in some drama. really. when i was watching HWRL, the sadness, the pain, the anguish i'd experienced was as though someone really dear to me was dying. it was that bad. in most of yong joon's works, no matter how brilliant he was, i was still very conscious of the fact it's not real, it's just a drama or a movie. and that yong joon is an actor. but when it comes to HWRL, somehow, yong joon disappears and jaeho comes to life. so real, so real it's painful

...


i've had many fans asked me if they should watch HWRL, and i've shared my views both on soompi and loveyongjoon.com. will just say it once again here... no one can promise you that HWRL will be a good or bad drama. actually, i've always thought that this is one of those dramas that you either love it or you hate it, no two ways about it. if you hate it, then you will think it's terribly boring and you can't bring yourself to even carry on and finish it. but if you love it, then it will become your fave byj drama.

i belong to the latter group myself. of all the characters yong joon has played, this one (jaeho) is the dearest to me.

why? coz jaeho felt so real. most of the other characters yong joon has played seemed to border upon perfection. too handsome, too rich, too cool, too... whatever.... but jaeho is as as human as it gets. and coz he's a flawed person, coz he felt pain and got hurt, we feel even more for him. really...

(h : talking about this role of yong joon's being so real, that the actor disappeared and Jaeho comes to life, I want to re-post an article here that I felt dear to and saved from KOB, written by "yesbut", posted by "water" and translated into Chinese by "happiebb". I can tell bb loves HWRL and Gang Jaeho very much!)



Gang JaeHo. Gang JaeHo.

Written by yesbut KOB 2005.07.06
translator: water


How strange it was.
that while I watched (HRWL)
I couldnt see Bae YongJoon there.


When we see a drama and try to explain it to somebody,
we usually call the talent of the drama his or her real name
instead of the name in that drama, right?


After we watched , we did chitchat like:
Bae YongJoon bla bla . ,
or Choi JiWoo bla bla.
(I am afraid whether this may apply only to ME ??? -_-;; )


But when I watched ,
I couldnt call him Bae YongJoon but Gang JaeHo.


Well, to me it was the first and quite weird experience
that the actor looked like the same person as the character in the drama,


Around the end of last year I watched ,
I finished watching all 44 episodes of it only for 3 days.
(Well, frankly speaking, I was a bit crazy at that time.)


Alas, how much was I moved, touched..
(can you see my tear dropping down my cheeks??)
After completely watching them,
I had felt stuffy in my heart for a while.
(The after-effect affected my life slightly, oh, no, considerably -_-;;;. )


Gang JaeHo Gang JaeHo..
I can tell you without hesitation
he was a character of the most powerful impression
that I ve been ever faced with.


How is it possible (that I cant see Bae YongJoon in this drama)???
Wheres Bae YongJoon gone???
You know what the feeling is like?
It is as if I fell in love with a creature
that didnt exist in reality.
An inexplicable feeling, the confusion.


Of course, needless to say, its partly
because of the power of script of the writer, Ms. Nor HeeKyung.


It is said that while writing, Nor HeeKyung attached the character's
photos on the wall, then made a conversation with them
from time to time, any time,
and lived with them together, intimately.
She said that in her own dream Gang JaeHo frequently showed up.


Because of the writers infinite affection on him,
the character of Gang JaeHo could be so vital and alive, I suppose.


Then, all of a sudden,
I got a question:
If another talent (or actor) played Gang JaeHo,
could I still absorb myself in Gang JaeHo so deeply like this? '
If Bae YongJoon didnt play him,
could the life and love of Gang JaeHo have still appealed to me like this,?


What if Jan DongGeun, Jeong WooSung, or Cho InSeung played Gang JaeHo???


Well,. It might be a bit embarrassing. mightnt it ?? -_-;;
No matter how hard I think through it,
I cant find any one that can replace Bae YongJoon as role of Gang JaeHo.
And I think its not only because of his performance.


(Of course I cant deny that he did acting very well,
I dare say that his acting in this drama
is the best among all his works.
But, frankly speaking, there are a lot of other actors
who can be named the best in acting.)


And then, where does this UNREPLACEMENT come from???
Hm I think it is not necessary to analyze it,
But if I should put it into a few words:


His decisive, provoked ,or depressed expression
might come from Bae YongJoon in his real person
who always has lived , trying his very best,
without compromising smoothly with the world.


Why does JaeHo that tries every trick for gaining an actual profit
seem still not to be snobbish???
It seems to be because Bae YongJoons nave and honest attitude to life
seeps into the role of JaeHo, right? '


JaeHo who looks cold, harsh would sacrifice himself
for his family, and in that aspect JaeHo is not much
different from the real Bae YongJoon
who always becomes humble and weak to his fans,
and shows too much love to them..


Gang JaeHo , no matter how dirty he behaves,
raises an infinitely warm feeling in me, allowing me
to ask no question about his meaness,
and then leads me to embrace him,
comforting him: yes, youve got through a lot of hardships.
I can tell that Gang JaeHo is sort of realization of
typical Bae YongJoon with delicate, tender emotion
and basically a good nature.
(He succeeds in bringing about the maternal instinct
from even my callus heart -_-;; )


And then,
JaeHo's wide, strong back on which he carries a box of crabs....,
his big, soilid hands which speaks for nobleness of labor
and his wide chest on which he hold SinHyung tight.
Without Bae YongJoons physique,
could it be possible to incorporate them?
(I am a bit being excited~~~)


(Now, I have to calm down ;;;;)
I personally like very much
that JaeHo works at the-break-of-dawn-fish market.
It was the first time for me to find an actor
who could show his laborious acting so naturally.
He really embodied an original MANLY BEAUTY.
(Above all, man is a symbol of power, isnt it !!!!)


Therefore
while actor Bae YongJoon is very well matched with an intellectual, and luxurious
image, he is also very well suitable for the blue-collar image who struggles
in the midst of the cruel, bitter life.


He has both sides of the affluent and the deficient,
How can it be explained; that strange two faces...,
It also could be one of his charms that entrances lots of women.


If it were not for Bae YongJoons Gang JaeHo,
I might have been cynical at SinHyungs absolute love
and unconditional dediction to JaeHo,
and I might have hastily defined an extreme and selfish love
of HyunSoo as attachment or a desire for possession.


Just because Bae YongJoon played Gang JaeHo,
the two womens love to him could look
so plausible and touching, I suppose.


After SinHyung goes through all hardships,
then obtained her parents consent for her marrige to him,
then JaeHo leaves SinHyung as cruelly as possible
At that scene, SinHyung talks to GilJin, crying:
Hyung, I tried to hate him, but I cant, because I can understand him so well.

(water: in the past (from 1970s to 90s), female students in colleage
used to call male seniors Hyung
whose literal meaning is elder brother but originally
the word is used only by males like unni (elder sister) is used by women.
Thus that women call male senior Hyung
meant sort of destruction of gender, womans liberation movement.
And here we also can peep into the SinHyungs relationship with GilJin.
She thinks GilJin as a senior rather than a man.)


It is not only SinHyungs view but also my view.
I also can understand him,
not because of continual misfortune, and my compassion for it
but because of Gang JaeHo with Bae YongJoons body and soul.
No matter how unforgivable behavior he does,
I can't hate him.
(Oh, okay, you could blame me
for my biased, unobjective affection on him,
anyhow, what shall I do? I am his fan.~~~~)


Today I missed him so much.
As SinHyung desired,
I wish that the world where he wakes up again,
would be not so harsh one. '


I ain't finished yet, but I got to stop it here for tonight. I NEED to talk more about wuri yong joon's HWRL later. Just to conclude tonight's serious thoughts, to find the meaning and purpose of loving him, I got to say that I want more people to know about wuri yong joon and the drama "Have We Really Loved?", for it is such a nice drama with such a nice title - a really essential question - Have We Really Loved? Hopefully through him and through this drama, we all learn to love in our lives in a better way. I’ve never been a fan of anyone, but BYJ is an exception, mostly because he had the eyes and heart to pick this drama out of so many potentially popular dramas that may have higher commercial values. He IS different!

Monday, July 17, 2006

Now you have his eyes



Never tired of reading people praising wuri yong joon's eyes. Now we have Mrs A's review of his eyes. Just translated it into Chinese. There are so many photos showing his powerful eyes. Here I'd like to add some more of his photos that struck me.

Posted it before? I'll post it again. That first black and white pic is my all time favorite. Who can escape this pair of crystal eyes, these laser beams ???!!!



眼睛告诉我


我们很多人都记得这句话,"情人眼里出西施",我们也都从裴勇俊身上看到各式各样的美.最显著的美就是他吸引人的外表.我同意有些人的看法,他不是绝对的最英俊的男子.有些男人长得更漂亮,但是他们对我来说没有魅力.他们看着不错,但是对我来说他们很无聊,没有内涵.我喜爱多才多能的,更富有男子气概的,并且相貌好一点的类型. 可以说那是成熟,或是知性的长相.很象已逝的美国著名演员迦里.格兰特(Cary Grant). 成熟洋溢于外表,展现优雅,决断,以及他勇于对关心的人坦诚地揭示内心情感. 对我来说这就是真正的男人.


对于裴勇俊的气质,我们每人都有自己的想法.世界便是这样运行着.虽然要指出裴勇俊身上的某一个独特的品质非常困难,但是我们每个人都能从他身上的某种品质发现某些乐趣. 有些人感到他著名的优美的微笑很亲切,有些人喜欢他完美的嘴唇,有些则是眉毛,他纷乱的或是修饰整齐的头发,那练就健美的身材, 他的下巴,当然,还有他的眼睛. 虽然我百分之百地同意裴勇俊的外表有许多出众的地方,但是他锐利的眼睛是我最为喜爱的.当我看到他的眼睛时,我不会去想他是否带眼镜,也不会去想他是亚洲人,不会去想他的肤色,睫毛,或是眉毛. 我看到的是那双迷惑我,拥抱我的眼睛.那双眼睛背后蕴藏着一个他要对观众诉说的故事.有时他的眼睛可以默默地诉说人物的情感.


不幸的是,我只看过他的三部作品.作品中的每一个角色,他的眼神都起到了重要的作用. (也不能排除他运用面部表情的作用)


在”外出”中, 裴勇俊饰绎了一个另人痛苦的英书. 他的眼睛帮助我们了解了一个复杂的故事 -- 由于他的妻子和她的秘密情人的车祸给英书带来的混乱,不信任和痛苦. 他的表演非常的引人注目和有力度. 如果你还没有机会观看这部优美的影片, 你可以从 jillc838 制做的MV窥见一斑. 这部美妙的MV 是为英书和外出制做,名为”再一次裴勇俊”. 点击此处 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2vGXmURFuU&search=byj%20 . 这部MV真正表现了他的眼神, 以及同样优美的音乐和图象. Jill, 向你致敬.


“冬季恋歌”, 一部美丽的杰作, 向我们介绍了痛苦和愤怒的俊尚. 他的眼睛向我们表述了一个私生子多年隐藏内心的痛苦和愤怒. 一人饰两角,裴勇俊的眼睛又向我们展示了民亨这样一个愉快而充满活力,又伴有爱,绝望和忧虑的男人. 裴勇俊灵巧地扮演了这一角色.


我很清楚地知道,这位杰出的演员会运用他所有的能力来展示他的表演. 但是他的眼睛是他表演素质的精华. 所以下次你看他的表演,集中注意他的眼睛,因为它们会帮你了解勇俊要与你共享的故事. 他的眼睛说明了我们的裴勇俊是他这一行业的大师.


Scandal :






Winter Sonata :






Hotelier :






Have We Really Loved :






First Love :







Barefoot Youth :





Ordinary times :



Saturday, July 15, 2006

Soul, be it!

Working in the field of building components used for networking infrastructures, I did not realize the power of internet until I got into studying BYJ. As I mentioned before, my life was centered around work and family, no awareness and knowledge about the vast applications of internet. After realizing the existance of BYJ and his fans, I got into the daily bae-net surfing business. Alas, there is so much internet can offer. With internet, I can look up online dictionaries; I can check out encyclopedia; I can learn how stuff works; I can make phone calls; I can watch TV, I can post pictures; and I can read BYJ news; I can join BYJ club; I can read people's writings about BYJ; I can download BYJ VODs; I can listen to BYJ musics;I can gaze at BYJ photos, I can hop around various BYJ blogs; I can chat, I can write ... just like what Marissa and Yokee shared and added about an observation of Fandom, which Marissa found from a non-BYJ related forum -

Fandom is focus. Fandom is obsession. Fandom is insatiable consumption. Fandom is sitting for hours in front of a TV screen a movie screen a computer screen with a comic book a novel on your lap. Fandom is eyestrain and carpal tunnel syndrome and not enough exercise and staying up way, way past your bedtime.
(Marissa : fandom is instant technical know how on downloading, uploading, making websites, forums, videos and just about anything related to the world wide web. fandom is exorbitant electricity and dsl fees)
(Yokee : fandom is something i never tot i'll part of it and being stuck to it...scotch tape, UHU glue, contact adhesive..you name it.)

Fandom is creating. Fandom is drawing, painting, vidding: nine seasons in four minutes of love. Fandom is words, language, authoring. Fandom is essays, stories, betas, parodies, filks, zines, usenet posts, blog posts, message board posts, emails, chats, petitions, wank, concrit, feedback, recs. Fandom is writing for the first time since you were twelve. Fandom is finally calling yourself a writer.
(Marissa : fandom is expression of a creative genius you may or may never know existed within you. and the best part - a matter of perspective really, you enjoy doing it even though you dont get PAID for it)
(Yokee : fandom is regretting not paying attention during english classes. fandom creates the so called 'writer' in u. fandom scores u an 'A' when nobody cares.)

You see, I am the example of that "instant technical know-how". With BYJ as the propeller, I ramped up on these internet skills faster than I could have ever imagined.

And most importantly, I found the most treasured offering of the internet - I can meet with the many SOULs that belong to BYJ. Boy those souls are beautiful! I would add to what Marissa and Yokee blogged :

Fandom is you in the US and me in the Philippines and him in Korea and her in Japan. Fandom is a sofabed in Singapore, a roadtrip in Hawaii, a friend behind a face in Malaysia. Fandom talks past timezones and accents and backgrounds. Fandom is conversation. Communication. Contact.
(Yokee : fandom is learning a language u'll never use in your everyday life. fandom speaks as though u understand itself but in actual fact u understand nothing.)

Fandom is meeting souls that share the same value, same interest, same taste.

Through internet, we can not and we do not need to know anything about the bodies of these souls. How beautiful they look, how tall they are, how big they are, how young they are, what country they are from, what language they speak, what tradition or religion they hold, what education they had, what family they are from, how do they smell, how do they eat, how do they dress, how do they sound, ...... we don't know any of these, and we are not distracted by any of these, all we care is, the souls are communicating with mutual love and we sensed that we know each other before, now and ever after. These souls belong to BYJ and BYJ's to them. These souls treasure life, love truth, foster unity, appreciate beauty, value virtues, cherish love. And don't miss this, they have absolutely straight, perfected taste in sexuality - they know exactly what attricutes a man should have that are attractive to a woman, and vice versa. (They do have a body after all).

Fandom is where you found yourself....(Marissa : MAYBE.... ahahaha).... (Yokee : im glad)

These souls are connected through internet. They found BYJ, they found what they have dreamed for and they found themselves. As I chatted before, the bodies of these souls will eventually change form as the lasting effect of these souls conversing to each other and watching BYJ for too long - eventually they'll be really look like folks from the same family, they'll start gesturing the same way, smiling the same way, staring the same way, sighing the same way, walking the same way, sitting the same way, talking the same way ... I am thinking one day, walking on the street of Seoul, I can spot a BYJ fan right away since I have known that soul for too long - she wears a pair of glasses or sunglasses, puts her hand on her heart, shines the most geniune smile, eyes offer the most understanding comfort, and gently bow when she expresses her gratitude. That woman, her soul comes from the BYJ family.


Thank you BYJ for your power, your charisma to have magnetized so many wonderful loving souls to fill my life with more meanings and joy.