Synopsis

“Our Blues” takes place in a community of family and friends on Jeju Island.  The various relationships of the ensemble are presented in an omnibus-style, weaving in-and-out, revealing the trials and tribulations – or “blues” – that one must face throughout life.  The main characters are of varying ages and represent the struggles fought at different stages - from a high school couple becoming first-time parents, to an elderly mother struggling to mend her relationship with her son before she passes away.

Stellar Cast

The cast of “Our Blues” includes Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, Cha Seung Won, Lee Jung Eun, Uhm Jung Hwa, Han Ji Min, Kim Woo Bin, Kim Hye Ja, Go Doo Shim, Gi So Yoo, Choi Young Jung, Park Ji Hwan, Bae Hyun Sung, Roh Yoon Seo, and Jung Eun Hye.  But the actor I was most looking forward to seeing in “Our Blues” was Kim Woo Bin, making his acting comeback after being diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2017.  As a fan, I am delighted to see him healthy and happy.  And when I heard that Kim Woo Bin was being cast alongside his real-life girlfriend of 8 years, Shin Min Ah, my excitement – like many other Kim Woo Bin/Shin Min Ah shippers – was palpable.  Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the actors would not play love interests, and barely share the screen.  According to Pinkvilla, the decision not to cast the stars opposite of one another belonged to the screenwriter, Noh Kyung Hee.  In an April 7th online press conference, Noh Kyung Hee stated, “I wanted to cast them because they are great actors. I didn’t think much of anything else.”  Not putting them together was a big miss, in my opinion, as most of the couples in “Our Blues” lack chemistry.

OST

My absolute favorite thing about “Our Blues” is the OST.  With songs like “The Last” by Heize, “For Love” by 10cm, “Remember Me” by Davinci, and “Once Again” by Winter & Ningning, the OST is filled with talented vocalists and beautiful melodies.  But without a doubt, the song that has garnered the most attention is the duet track, “With You,” sung by BTS’s Jimin and Ha Sungwoon.  While Ha Sungwoon is a veteran to OSTs like “True Beauty” and “Our Beloved Summer,” “With You” marks Jimin’s first OST. “With You” features Jimin’s breathy, lower register, and trademark angelic high tones, as well as Ha Sungwoon’s warm vocals, blending in pitch perfect harmonies.

The song has been a success domestically, according to GEO News, “rapidly gaining popularity on Melon, the largest music site in Korea.” In addition, “unlike most singers' sound sources, which are usually released at 6 pm Korean time, the song debuted at 7th place on the 'Top 100' chart even though it was released at 11 pm KST after the drama ended.”

“With You” has also been a success globally, breaking records on both Spotify and iTunes.  AllKPop reported that “With You” surpassed 59 Million streams on Spotify in 30 days and 10 hours, the fastest Korean OST to achieve the feat in Spotify history. And then in July, less than 3 months after its release, AllKPop announced that “With You” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, “becoming the fastest Korean OST to achieve this feat [i]n Spotify's history, having accomplished it in just 85 days.”

On iTunes, “With You” became the fastest song in history to attain #1 in 100 countries, doing so in just over 4 hours. On July 19th, Allkpop reported that the song broke records yet again, reaching #1 on Micronesia’s iTunes chart on its 85th day after release, “making it the 119th country and the second song in history to achieve this feat. It thereby wrote a historic new record of becoming the fastest song in the history of iTunes to achieve #1 in 119 countries in just 85 days and the first and only song of 2022 to achieve this.” In addition, by reaching #1 on every iTunes chart “in each country where iTunes is available,” Jimin and Ha Sungwoon’s song “became the first song in history to achieve an iTunes all-kill, and Jimin and Sungwoon became the first artists in history to achieve an iTunes all-kill.”

Relationships

“Our Blues” focuses on several different relationships, and each relationship demonstrates a life lesson.  The first relationship is that of Choo Han Su (Cha Seung Won) and Jung Eun Hui (Lee Jung Eun).  Both Han Su and Eun Hui are the eldest children of poor families.  And as such, they each had to give up on pursuing their dreams of being a basketball player and singer, respectively, in order to make money and support their families.  By reconnecting as adults, Han Su and Eun Hui realize that regardless of station in life, one should never give up on their dreams, even while acknowledging that dreams change and adjust over time. 

The second relationship is that between Lee Yeong Ok (Han Ji Min) and Park Jeong Jun (Kim Woo Bin).  Through Yeong Ok and Jeong Jun’s relationship, we see what happens when one enters into a relationship with responsibilities.  In this case, Yeong Ok has a special needs sister, Lee Yeong Hui (Jung Eun Hye).  Because their parents are dead, Yeong Ok – and any partner she ends up with – must shoulder the financial and emotional burden of carrying for her.  Yeong Ok learns that she underestimates both Yeong Hui and Jeong Jun.  She realizes that her sister has worth and is capable of more than she gives her credit for – even with her disability – and that Jeong Jun’s love for her prevents him from running away from her and her situation.   

The third relationship – and my favorite of the K-drama – is that of highschoolers Bang Yeong Ju (Roh Yoon Seo) and Jung Hyeon (Bae Hyung Sung).  Yeong Ju and Hyeon are each the only child of a single father.  They are both excellent students with dreams for the future.  But while their fathers are frenemies, Yeong Ju and Hyeon fall in love.  Their futures are thrown for a loop when Yeong Ju becomes pregnant.  We learn through their relationship that dreams may be delayed, but that new dreams can also develop through hardship.  The story of Yeong Ju and Hyeon is extra relevant today in the United States with the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court.  When trying to decide what to do, Yeong Ju says “my body; my choice.”  Yeong Ju and Hyeon decide to keep their baby, despite the difficulties of becoming young parents.  And Hyeon, wise beyond his years, comforts Yeong Ju by reminding her that everything in life will eventually pass by.

The fourth relationship is the relationship between Lee Dong Seok (Lee Byung Hun) and Min Seon-a (Shin Min Ah).  Dong Seok and Seon-a know each other as young children who grew up under much distress.  Dong Seok helps Seon-a combat her self-destructive depression and Seon-a understands Dong Seok when his mother wants to repair their relationship before she dies from cancer.  Through their relationship we learn that people make difficult choices when in difficult situations, but that it is our children who suffer the most.  We also learn that the only way to clear up any misunderstanding in a relationship is to communicate and ask questions.

The fifth and sixth relationships in “Our Blues” are both between friends, the first between best friends turned enemies, Jung In Gwon (Park Gi Hwan) and Bang Ho Sik (Choi Young Joon), and the second between lifelong besties, Go Mi Ran (Uhm Jung Hwa) and Jung Eun Hui (Lee Jung Eun).  Through these relationships, we learn that we tend to hurt those that are closest to us.  It is those whom we love the most that we expect to know and understand everything about us and how we feel.  A true friend speaks up when hurt and is honest, rather than holding a grudge.   

The seventh relationship that we see is that between grandmother, Hyun Chun Hui (Go Doo Shim) and her granddaughter, Soon Eun Gi (Gi So Yoo).  It is through this relationship that we learn that family is comprised of those that are there for us when we need them, whether they live in the same community far away, and whether they share the same blood or not.  For me, I found many elements of this relationship quite disturbing, but more on that later.   

And the eighth and final relationship that is examined in “Our Blues” is that between town elder, Ok Dong, and her son, Dong Seok.  Dong Seok had a tumultuous and unloving relationship with his mother and lived most of his life doubting whether she even loved him.  From this relationship, we learn the value of apologizing and demonstrative love.  When she is unable to say that words that Dong Seok so desperately needs to hear, she is able to convey her love by making his favorite stew.   

The Elders

It is a well-known part of Korean history and culture to show respect to their elders. But where did this tradition come from? According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Koreans have been key players in Asian intellectual history and have historically been great propagators of intercultural adaptation. The “Three Teachings” of China, in the form of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (sometimes written “Taoism”), had all made their way into Korea by the fifth century CE, blending with the pre-existing institutions and culture there.”  Koreans relied on the Confucian ideas of “hierarchy and moral leadership” to imbue their society “with a rigidly structured and organized[sp] modus vivendi,” or manner of living. “Respect for others according to seniority is a pillar of Korea's Confucianist traditions,” according to zKorean, and that seniority is based on many factors, including age and position in the family. Therefore, Korean culture today, highly influenced by Confucian tradition, requires that the elderly be treated with “the utmost respect.” 

This tradition of respecting the elderly can be seen in “Our Blues” as the younger community members are encouraged to always treat Chun Hui and Ok Dong, the two elders of their town, with respect and reverence.   The residents are dissuaded by the others from arguing or fighting in front of the elders, as well as encouraged to answer any questions that the elders may ask.  And when an elder corrects a younger resident’s behavior, the resident must listen and obey.  An example of this is when Hyeon chooses to dropout of high school in order to work and earn money to support his pregnant girlfriend.  When a group of women begin to needle Hyeon about his situation in front of town elder, Chun Hui, she reminds the women not to “meddle in other people’s affairs.”  The women immediately cease talking, as none would dare disobey Chun Hui.

Overall, I adore the respect that the Korean culture has and shows for their elderly citizens. As an American, we are taught to treat others – regardless of age – how we would like to be treated.  Therefore, neither age nor position in a family intrinsically garners extra respect.  As a Historian, I value the experience that the elders in a family or community have, as they are often able to see a bigger picture than those who have experienced less in life.  Their words of wisdom and guidance, therefore, should always be heard, even if the final decision is your own.  But I will caution, however, against blind respect, especially if it not rightfully earned.  Blind respect for someone and their opinions and actions can be dangerous, particularly if the person is guided by fear, ignorance, or hatred.  Critical thinking should always be employed when making ones decisions, particularly if your actions affect others. 

There were two incidents with elders in “Our Blues” that I found particularly upsetting.  The first is when In Gown learns that Hyeon has slept with Yeong Ju and that they are expecting a baby.  When In Gown tells Hyeon that Yeong Ju must abort the baby, Hyeon refuses to obey, as he and Yeong Ju have decided to keep the baby, despite the struggles they will face.  In Gown tells Hyeon to do as he orders because, “You are my son. You belong to me.”  In Gwon argues that parents work hard to raise their children, and therefore have the right to beat them up and cuss at them.  As a parent, I absolutely cannot condone this mindset.  No one has the right to inflict harm on another.  I cannot condone the violence that In Gwon inflicts on Hyeon when he admits the truth to him.  I can appreciate that In Gwon’s reaction is influenced by the culture of violence in which In Gwon was raised, and also that one never knows what one would do in any situation unless they have experienced it. As a mother of both a son and a daughter, I truly cannot say what I would do if either child told me that they were having a baby in high school. But the violence that In Gwon demonstrates really upset me. Hyeon is scared - about to become a father much younger than he expected – and is taking the responsibility like the man he is quickly becoming, stepping up to care for his new family.  He comes to his parent for help, but instead of helping, his father responds with violence.  The whole situation was very unnerving.

The second incident that upset me was the way Chun Hui treated her 6-year-old granddaughter, Eun Gi.  The child, left with her grandmother while her mother tends to her father who is in a coma, struggles with the culture shock of living with her grandmother in Jeju, as well as battles rumors that her mother has abandoned her.  While it is true that the grandmother does not initially know about the family’s situation – that the child’s father, her son, is in a coma – it is still shocking how abrasive the grandmother is towards such a young child.  I do agree that yelling at her grandmother is disrespectful, as a mother of small children, I understand that the poor child is clearly scared and struggling.  Instead of calming the child down, the grandmother frequently exacerbates the situation, telling her that she is going to call her parents and tell them not to come, pretending to swallow the moon that she cherishes, asking her if she is dumb, and teasing her by sticking her finger in her mouth at night when the child is hungry.  All of these responses seemed wildly out of line by a grandmother.  What was unclear was whether this was a cultural difference and all grandparents are that way with their grandchildren, or whether this behavior was specific to Chun Hui.  It was particularly shocking because American grandparents are notorious for attempting to give their grandchildren the world, and the love for their grandchildren often surpasses even their love for their own children in their hearts.    

Down Syndrome

One thing that shocked me about “Our Blues” was how unfamiliar the characters were with Down Syndrome.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Down Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 21, “is a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome.” Yeong Ok’s twin sister, Yeong Hui, has Down Syndrome, and most of the residents are unfamiliar with it. When Jeong Jun first meets Yeong Hui, he is taken aback, and has to look up what Down Syndrome is on his phone.  He later admits that he has never met anyone with Down Syndrome before.  According to Research Gate, “Down syndrome prevalence (3.7 per 10,000 livebirths) in Korea was especially lower than in Japan (10.57 per 10,000 live- births) and the United States (13.56 per 10,000 livebirths), which may reflect terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.” Based on the findings of that 2006 study, the trend seemed to repeat itself for most birth defects in Korea. This would explain why the residents in Jeju were so unfamiliar with Down Syndrome. Jeong Jun tells Yeong Ok that he was not taught at home or school how to react to someone with a disability, which highlights the importance of spreading awareness and teaching children about inclusion.  We learn that fellow diver, Park Hye Ja (Park Ji-a), has an Autistic granddaughter.  “People don’t talk about it,” she tells Yeong Ok, “but there are many families like ours.”  I applaud K-dramas like “Our Blues” that attempt to normalize disabilities and special needs by talking about them, rather than hiding them away. This message is particularly important in a world that still views neurodiversity and disabilities in a generally negative way. 

Final verdict: SKIP  

Ultimately, “Our Blues” was not the K-drama for me.  I was really looking forward to watching this drama because of the stellar cast and the OST, but overall, the K-drama was a bit of a letdown.  The beginning of each episode is slow and depressing as the various characters and their “blues” – or sorrows – are set up.  I expected sorrow and misery from the title, but I also expected moments of sweetness to balance out the bitter. Unfortunately, the stories of blues are drawn-out and miserable, with few exceptions.  I do love how all the residents of the community help one another, pitching in to help with Yeong Hui and Eun Gi, and even embracing those that have moved away, like Mi Ran and Man Su.  But at times, the people of this community come across as unkind, always angry and shouting, talking about each other and meddling in each other’s lives, judging and gossiping.  And while they do help one another, sometimes it seems more out of obligation rather than kindness.  The drama bounces between a large number of characters – MyDramaList identifies 15 main roles! – with frequent flashbacks, making it difficult at times to follow.  But once the drama starts to get into the meat of the stories and work towards resolution, “Our Blues” became more interesting as we start to figure out the relationships between the characters and their backgrounds.  Despite the stellar cast, however, the couples lack chemistry, which means there is no Lead Couple, Secondary Couple, or Bromance to anchor the story.  And while there are a couple of moments that make you chuckle in “Our Blues,” most of the story is dedicated to the drama, which borders on exhausting.  The pay-off of all the sorrow and misery is the happy scene at the end where the residents all come together to compete against their neighboring town for an athletic competition.  Everyone is happy and laughing, and all of the blues have been driven away.  The message at the end – which plays over “With You,” the clear highlight of the drama – is that we were not born into this world to be miserable, but to be happy.  If you like K-dramas that are heavy on the drama and light on the romance and humor, that this may be a K-drama worth watching.  If, however, you like your K-dramas to have a Lead Couple with lots of chemistry, a hilarious Bromance, and lighthearted moments woven through your intense moments, then I would skip “Our Blues” and simply download the OST!

So there it is, our review of “Our Blues.”  What did you think?!  Thank you for joining us on this journey. 

Have a favorite K-drama you think we should review, comment down below!!  We look forward to seeing you back again next week!

Up next, “You Drive Me Crazy”