Flash Evaluation: Mild Store – The Fangirl Verdict

My mates, that is the evaluate that nearly by no means was, not as a result of I nearly didn’t watch this present, however as a result of I wasn’t certain find out how to go about this evaluate, and I nearly gave myself permission to simply.. not write it a evaluate. 😅 Virtually.

In case you’ve seen the present, you may need an inkling of why I really feel like this isn’t an easy evaluate to jot down, heh.

Ultimately, although, I believed that there would nonetheless be worth in including my two cents to the collective knowledge of the drama group, so right here I’m.

I make no guarantees, however I’ll do my greatest. 😅

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Right here are some things that I believe could be useful to remember, to maximise your enjoyment of this one:

1. Go in blind

I’d initially puzzled why all of the promo supplies and trailers for this present had been so imprecise, and it’s solely upon watching this present, that I noticed that it was all on goal.

It’s actually greatest to enter this one blind, for the storytelling to have most impact.

2. Be affected person

I’ll speak extra about this later, however the story is informed in a really fragmented fashion, and it’ll take a good whereas for issues to fall into place and really make sense.

Being ready to be affected person does assist, I believe.

3. It’s not actually a horror story

Though I stated to go in blind, I do suppose it’s useful to horror wusses (like me! 🙋🏻‍♀️) to know upfront that whereas there are horror components at play in our story, this isn’t true horror – and subsequently, you don’t have to fret an excessive amount of.

[SPOILERS HENCEFORTH!]

IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SHOW, COME BACK LATER!

MY THOUGHTS ON THE WRITING

I really feel that the writing is, paradoxically, Present’s best energy, whereas additionally being the best barrier to viewers.

Let me clarify.

On the upside, Kang Full clearly is aware of and understands the characters and story world that he created, and is ready to deftly transfer between characters and plot factors with ease, like he’s fixing a Rubik’s Dice with simply the little finger of his non-dominant hand.

Like with Shifting (evaluate right here!), the storytelling strategy that Kang Full adopts right here, can also be a revolving focus throughout a giant forged of characters, earlier than tying the whole lot collectively, at a selected level in our narrative.

The distinction that I felt right here, is that whereas Shifting spent extra time with every revolve, and subsequently gave us, as viewers, extra time to get invested with every character, the identical doesn’t apply right here.

The storytelling strategy is so fragmented, that we spend mere minutes with every character and narrative arc, earlier than the narrative kaleidoscope is twisted once more, to convey somebody – or one thing – else into focus.

It’s a cool idea, and Kang Full is adept at it, however I’ve to admit that I discovered it an actual battle to get invested, significantly in Present’s first 4 episodes.

My essential difficulty right here, is that whereas the reveal is suitably intelligent, 4 episodes is a reaaally lengthy runway, when Present is simply eight episodes. We principally spend half of the complete watch not understanding what’s occurring.

I don’t find out about most individuals, however this felt like an eternity to me. 😅

Except for the horror components that Present serves up, I felt that not realizing what was occurring additionally added to my sense of uncertainty and eeriness, whereas watching.

On a associated be aware, as a result of I couldn’t perceive what was occurring in these first 4 episodes, I additionally discovered it laborious to get invested in our characters.

I believe that is considerably mitigated by the truth that the primary 4 episodes had been launched , so that folk may binge all of them in a single sitting, thereby attending to the purpose of illumination sooner.

For me personally, nevertheless, I nonetheless struggled to remain engaged by means of all 4 episodes, as a result of, as I’ve found, I can’t fairly get invested in a narrative the place I don’t know what’s occurring. 😅

That stated, this narrative strategy was fairly efficient, when it comes to constructing, layer upon layer, that sense that you simply get, that the whole lot isn’t because it appears.

The conclusion that Hyun Ju (Shin Eun Soo) is shopping for a light-weight bulb each single day; the conclusion that Park Bo Younger’s nurse is seeing non-humans within the ICU; the truth that the scared singing highschooler goes in circles – and may see ghostly palms on Kim Min Ha’s character within the window.

All of it layers collectively, to finally create this very robust sense that one thing could be very off-kilter, after which all of it comes collectively on the finish of episode 4, in what appears like a single whoosh.

We study that you could see “particular” individuals, for those who’re both between life and loss of life, or have been there earlier than; Hyun Ju goes dwelling and embraces her mother – who’s revealed to be the lifeless girl within the coffin; the digicam lastly pans throughout the ICU, to disclose the identities of all of the victims of the massive accident.

Like I stated earlier, it’s a intelligent reveal, although that runway was somewhat too lengthy for me personally.

At this level, I used to be undoubtedly curious to see how Present’s storytelling strategy would evolve, after the Huge Reveal, and I additionally did wonder if Present would have any extra surprises up its sleeves, after this one massive shock (after all it did 😁).

General, I really feel way more at dwelling with Present’s comparatively extra simple storytelling fashion in episodes 5 and 6, after which after that, Present packs some shock emotional punches into its finale (which I’ll speak extra about later).

Like I stated, the writing right here is unquestionably a energy – besides after I really feel prefer it’s alienating me. 😅

On one other be aware, I couldn’t assist however be curious as to how the primary 4 episodes would land on a second viewing, and that’s precisely what I did.

Right here’s a group of realizations, conclusions and questions that got here up for me, throughout my second watch. When you’ve got theories or solutions to my questions, please be happy to share, within the feedback!

Realizations, conclusions & questions on my second watch

• Hyun Min (Uhm Tae Goo) finds himself within the bus, in a repeated cycle, and I believe it’s as a result of he’d been on the bus on his technique to see Ji Yeong (Kim Seol Hyun), when he’d gotten into the accident. However why can’t he bear in mind Ji Yeong, the best way different characters can bear in mind their companions / essential individuals, like Hyun Ju?

• If Hyun Min retains collapsing in a heap each time he will get off the bus, how come he’s capable of stroll to the condominium, when Ji Yeong asks to go together with him? Is it as a result of her will for him to stay is stronger than his personal will to stay?

• When Hye Received (Kim Seon Hwa) enters the sunshine store and tries to achieve for a light-weight, why does Received Yeong (Joo Ji Hoon) cease her? Is it as a result of, at this level, she’s already lifeless? That doesn’t appear proper, since we later see that she’s will get all scary-tall whereas strolling with Hyun Ju. But when she’s nonetheless alive, I assume Received Yeong had stopped her as a result of she’d reached for the flawed mild?

• All the scholars in Hyun Ju’s class are lifeless; she’s the one which’s totally different, as a result of she’s in between life and loss of life. That’s fairly trippy. 🤯

• Received Younger says that he generally is confused about whether or not a buyer is common or “particular” – I believe this confirms that he doesn’t really notice that Hyun Ju is “particular;” he solely concludes that she has the power to see “particular” individuals.

• It’s very seemingly that Yu Hui (Lee Jung Eun) had saved sending Hyun Ju to the sunshine store, to seek out her mild, however as a result of Hyun Ju doesn’t perceive the errand, and since Received Younger doesn’t notice that Hyun Ju is “particular,” that’s why she solely ever comes again from the sunshine store with common mild bulbs.

• I’d assumed that our total time within the afterlife is spent within the “night time” portion of time, since we see our numerous characters looking for a approach out, in repeating cycles. Later, even the detective mentions that right here, the night time by no means ends. Nevertheless, when Seon Hae’s proven in search of a home to lease in that alley, it’s daytime. What does that imply?

• The basketball boy appears high quality in episode 2, however by the point we get into our later episodes, his leg’s all wonky. We see comparable deterioration in different characters (just like the detective) however not others, like Hyun Ju. Does this replicate a deterioration in these characters’ bodily states, the place they’re in comas?

• We see that the people who find themselves between life and loss of life, generally present up on the planet of the residing, like on the hospital. I’m wondering how that works? How do they transfer between the afterlife and the land of the residing?

• There’s additionally the bus driver (Park Hyuk Kwon) who tries to go to the ICU. He’s lifeless. How does this work, the place he’s lifeless, however he can wander across the land of the residing, and the afterlife? He’s looking for all of the victims. May we are saying that he’s a ghost with a mission? Is that what makes it potential for the lifeless to wander each worlds..?

• There’s additionally Ji Yeong, who’s lifeless, and reveals up on the hospital ICU at Hyun Min’s bedside, sobbing. On the identical time, we see her dragging round her suitcase, within the afterlife. Is that this a Matrix type of factor, the place you will be in each locations on the identical time..? Or is she wandering round each locations, however is simply in a single place at a time..?

SPOTLIGHT ON SELECTED CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Hyun Min and Ji Yeong

With the Huge Reveal, I discovered this relationship to have the most important ingredient of shock, as a result of within the afterlife, after I’d been pondering of this present as horror-adjacent, it had completely regarded like Ji Yeong was out to hurt Hyun Min.

All these scenes of her performing so unusually, and asking unusual questions, then following him dwelling and taking out that pair of scissors – after which we see blood dripping out of the suitcase that she’s dragging round – completely made me really feel like she had perhaps chopped him into items and stashed stated items into the suitcase. 😅

It was an enormous twist, for me, to comprehend that she was really Hyun Min’s beloved girlfriend, who’d tragically killed herself when she’d believed Hyun Min to be lifeless (what an terrible, horrible lie that Hyun Min’s mom informed! 😱), and is now, within the afterlife, desperately attempting to maintain Hyun Min from dying, by stitching up the gaping wound in his torso.

Context modifications the whole lot, like I all the time say, and the context right here actually reframed this relationship for me, within the largest potential approach.

The factor that strikes me rather a lot, is the truth that she’s not attempting to maintain him with her, which she may actually do, since he’s teetering on the sting and will simply die with out her intervention.

As an alternative, she’s preventing with the whole lot that she has, to be sure that he lives, even when it means pushing him away from herself, into the sunshine store, to seek out his mild.

The one factor that doesn’t fairly appear to line up, for me, is the truth that Hyun Min can’t bear in mind Ji Yeong within the afterlife.

Each different pair of family members that we see within the afterlife bear in mind one another, like Seon Hae (Kim Min Ha) and Hye Received, and Yu Hui and Hyun Ju. So why not Hyun Min and Ji Yeong, particularly since they liked one another so deeply, earlier than touchdown within the afterlife?

In a while, we see a refusal by Ji Yeong, to maneuver on, from not permitting the door of her morgue chamber, to ultimately haunting Hyun Min.

I’d puzzled if this was as a result of she’d died such a tragic, unfair loss of life, or as a result of she was that consumed by wanting Hyun Min to recollect her.

I believe that each of these issues could possibly be components, however the factor that the mortician (Lee Hwang Ui) says – that she’ll neglect the whole lot as soon as she strikes on – appears like the important thing, to me.

My take, is that the most important cause Ji Yeong finally ends up being a virgin ghost that attaches herself to Hyun Min, is as a result of she doesn’t need to neglect.

Moreover, I’m pondering that it’s very potential that the explanation she attaches herself to Hyun Min, isn’t as a result of she desires to hurt him.

Ultimately, her remaining phrases in voiceover, are an identical to those that she’d as soon as texted him, “I’ll comply with you.”

I do suppose that this permits us to conclude that Ji Yeong’s essential cause for attaching herself to Hyun Min, is just because she doesn’t need to neglect him, or be separated from him.

And given what we’ve seen to this point, when it comes to her robust want to save lots of him, maybe  a part of the explanation she attaches herself to him, is as a result of she additionally desires to guard him?

Seon Hae and Hye Received

I really feel unhealthy for this pair, as a result of they’ve such a horrible falling out, earlier than the accident.

They’re technically a pair, however with the best way Seon Hae makes it clear that she desires nothing extra to do with this relationship, earlier than she boards the bus, it’s form of hazy if they’re nonetheless a pair, each in the course of the accident and within the afterlife.

Maybe that’s why we see them individually for a very good chunk of the afterlife portion of our story?

We see Seon Hae discovering a home to lease, and staying indoors to jot down, whereas we see Hye Received wander the streets, seemingly misplaced.

I believe that when Hye Received enters the sunshine store, she’s seemingly nonetheless alive; it’s simply that she approaches the flawed mild, and that’s why Received Yeong tells her to not contact something, which is when she leaves.

On the identical time, the truth that we hear the physician say that Hye Received’s arms are stiff from rigor mortis whereas clasped round Seon Hae’s physique, appears to point that Hye Received had died even earlier than arriving on the hospital.

I’m rationalizing that the best way time passes within the afterlife is probably going totally different from that within the land of the residing, and that’s why we see Hye Received wandering the streets and turning into a wonky big, earlier than she dies.

The factor that I discover attention-grabbing, is the best way Seon Hae ultimately remembers Hye Received; whereas gazing on the flickering mild bulb within the closed off room that she’s not supposed to make use of.

Is that bulb a mirrored image of her personal life mild? And that’s why, when it’s flickering like that – and she or he’s maybe subsequently slipping from life much more – she lastly remembers Hye Received..?

Or may it’s a mirrored image of Hye Received’s life mild, and that’s why the bulb goes out fully – as a result of Hye Received’s lifeless?

I’m going with that interpretation, and that it’s solely upon her loss of life, that Hye Received, now regular trying once more, enters the home and lies down on the mattress with Seon Hae.

It’s fairly touching, I really feel, that the very first thing Hye Received does, is speak to Seon Hae about getting out of the home to go to the sunshine store to get a brand new mild; she doesn’t enable herself to soak within the time collectively for a single second.

Hye Received’s love for Seon Hae is, like Ji Yeong’s love for Hyun Min, sacrificial; she’s pushing Seon Hae to stay, even when it’s with out her. 🥲

Additionally, I believed it was an attention-grabbing level that Hye Received brings up; the door had all the time been inside Seon Hae’s energy to open and stroll by means of; Seon Hae had been locked in by her personal beliefs.

Ultimately, this arc resolves whereas resting on Seon Hae’s capacity to decide on.

Not solely does she have the power to stroll out of that door, to hunt out the sunshine store and her life mild, she additionally has the power to decide on to destroy that mild – in order that she will get to stick with Hye Received.

Finally, I do discover this arc fairly touching, in that Hye Received chooses to point out Seon Hae find out how to go away, for Seon Hae’s sake, and ultimately, Seon Hae chooses to remain, for Hye Received’s sake.

Yu Hui and Hyun Ju

It actually was a really poignant reveal, for me, when Present lets us in on the truth that Yu Hui is the deceased girl within the morgue chamber.

That put the whole lot into sharp perspective; why Yu Hui had requested if she was alone, and why she’d been relieved to listen to that she certainly was alone (coz that meant that Hyun Ju wasn’t lifeless), and why Yu Hui retains asking Hyun Ju to go to the sunshine store.

In episode 6, we see that Yu Hui can’t converse, due to the cotton that’s been stuffed into her mouth on the morgue, and that’s seemingly why Hyun Ju doesn’t perceive the true cause that Yu Hui retains asking her to go to the sunshine store.

This whole arc, I really feel like Yu Hui’s selfless love for Hyun Ju, retains coming by means of, increasingly clearly and deeply.

I’ll speak extra about this within the subsequent part, however I simply have to provide Lee Jung Eun mad props, for a tour de pressure of a efficiency; worthy of all of the performing awards, after which some. 🥹

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

Like I discussed earlier, Present packs some emotional punches into its finale. They principally felt like they got here out of nowhere and hit me proper within the intestine. Oof.

I believe the very first thing that hit me within the intestine, was the reveal that the barking canine had been the rescue canine which had stayed by that hiker’s (Park Jung Pyo) facet till assist got here, and that the rescue canine had been impaled by a department, however had stayed by the hiker nonetheless.

OOF.

And to suppose that the hiker had been yelling for the canine to cease barking, for nearly everything of our story – when the canine had given its life, to save lots of him. 😭

In case you didn’t already know, I’m very a lot a canine lover, so any story the place a canine will get harm or killed is simply very overwhelming for me; I legit cried actual tears, after I realized what a self-sacrificial hero this canine had been. 😭

And what a very good doggie is he, to even lead the hiker to the sunshine store, and save him, another time, within the afterlife? 🥹

I additionally discovered the bus driver’s arc very poignant; his guilt over the accident is so nice, and he tries so laborious, to seek out the varied victims, to do what he can to assist them.

Within the pure, we see that he’s already lifeless, and is being ready for his funeral, so clearly, he doesn’t have loads of time left.

I discovered it very affecting to observe him push himself to the brink of his physique’s talents, in an effort to assist the varied victims attain the sunshine store, to seek out their mild, earlier than it was too late. 🥲

I additionally discovered it affecting to observe the scene the place Bus Driver sobs and apologizes to Hye Received, saying that it’s all his fault.

Present doesn’t sugarcoat it; Hye Received agrees that it’s his fault – however she additionally takes comfort in his apology, and that’s fairly poignant, I felt.

I discovered it attention-grabbing to find out how Received Yeong had turn into guardian of the sunshine store; that he’d been in a constructing collapse, and had made a cope with the earlier guardian, as a result of he’d wished to assist his daughter.

After which, the scene that I discovered most stunning, and that packed essentially the most emotional punch for me, is the one the place Yu Hui goes to the sunshine store to beg Received Yeong for assist.

Once more, I’m blown away by the depth and nuance in Lee Jung Eun’s supply, as a result of at this level, Yu Hui can’t converse in any respect, since her mouth is full of cotton.

And but, her rising desperation is so clear to see; I may barely maintain it collectively, with the best way she desperately whimpers, as she begs Received Yeong to assist Hyun Ju.

After which, what a wide ranging hit-to-the-gut reveal, that Yu Hui is definitely Received Yeong’s daughter. 🥹

First, there’s the best way Received Yeong reveals his eyes and subsequently his face to Yu Hui, to cease her hysterics, which is when Yu Hui makes the tearful connection, that the guardian of the sunshine store, is none apart from her personal father.

After which, there’s the best way Yu Hui struggles to speak this realization to Received Yeong, and at last hits on the butter-flavored toffees being the important thing to telling him who she is, as a result of that’s the shared reminiscence that they’ve, from their final moments collectively. 😭

AUGH. I’m a bawling mess; this reunion is so, SO treasured, and so, SO surprising. 😭😭

We see in flashback, that again when Received Yeong had first made that cope with the earlier guardian, that he’d gone again for Yu Hui – and he’d introduced her mild to her, and we are able to safely conclude that that’s how Yu Hui had survived the constructing collapse.

And so, it is smart that he would bend the foundations once more, to assist Yu Hui; in spite of everything, he’d accepted the guardianship, purely to have the ability to assist Yu Hui.

That’s how Yu Hui finally ends up bringing Hyun Ju’s life mild again to the condominium for her, in a lot the identical approach Received Yeong had as soon as introduced her life mild to her as nicely.

There’s one thing fairly poetic about that, I really feel. 🥲

In fact, the scene the place Yu Hui tries to provide Hyun Ju her life mild, could be very poignant as nicely.

The way in which Hyun Ju screams and cries, as a result of she doesn’t need to be parted from Yu Hui, is so visceral and affecting. 😭😭

Ultimately, we get to see our numerous characters transferring on from this level, with the survivors working to get used to a brand new lifestyle.

It’s not fairly, significantly with Hyun Min now being depressed and disabled, and Hyun Ju struggling to slot in in school.

My favourite little bit of the ending, needs to be the scene the place Yu Hui, now now not with cotton in her mouth (almost definitely as a result of her funeral is now over), visiting Received Yeong within the mild store, and sitting with him, speaking and laughing, and sharing these toffees – whereas the sunshine store’s new canine, Max, sits within the nook.

That’s very heartwarming and comforting certainly.

Finally, although, I don’t suppose Present units out to be heartwarming or comforting, actually.

Not all our characters get to be with their family members; some are separated, like Yu Hui and Hyun Ju, and Hyun Min and Ji Yeong. And we even have Ji Yeong turning into a virgin ghost.

The way in which I’m digesting this, is that Present principally takes issues that occur, like near-death experiences the place individuals describe a light-weight on the finish of a tunnel, the combined survival charge of accident victims, and the lore round virgin ghosts, and affords a potential actuality that will account for all of them, in an attention-grabbing approach.

If that’s what Present got down to do, then I believe it’s carried out an excellent job. 🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

A little bit of a gradual burn, however works out to be attention-grabbing and thought-provoking.

FINAL GRADE: B++

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