In a happy-sad ending, the story ends on two opposite emotional beats, making it harder to pick one over the other and leaving the audience in a happy-sad state. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a perfect example. I wept like a child and I loved every bit of it.
Secondly, if one emotion creates a desired effect, two will multiply that effect. Story is about emotional manipulation, and what is a grander act of manipulation than getting the audience to feel more than one emotion?
It was an epiphany that slapped me into a new story consciousness. I took his advice to heart and reshaped my story. After some tinkering, I stumbled onto a secret for creating this emotionally complex story resolution: For the happy-sad ending to work, the two emotions should be tied to each other in one sequence of cause and effect. In other words, one should not be possible without the other.
We see this in the movie Rainman. Charlie Babbitt spends most of the story holding his estranged brother hostage to protest his lost inheritance. But as Charlie gets to know his brother, he comes to care for Raymond and realizes that he has value. In the end, he gives up his claim to the inheritance in favor of a relationship with his brother.
Gilbert Bassey is a writer, filmmaker, and story consultant dedicated to telling great stories and helping other writers do the same. Subscribe to his Storycraft newsletter and get a free copy of the happy-sad ending builder.
I ended up with one of these unintentionally in Dance of the Goblins. I was actually going for the happy ending, but anyone who got to know Count Anton (as I did during the writing) could see where he would rather be.
My Jane novels are basically 4 with a variant of 5. Jane defeats Duncan, but on the way not only does Alan die, but she only realises that he loves her as he is bleeding and torn apart on the spaceship deck in front of her.
He chases her around the bedroom for a while, and then lands on the bed alone. She tells him to freeze, and then climbs on top of him for a kiss. Finally, the Ra-im of yesteryear, pre-wrist-grabs and buckets of tears.
Ra-im announces her married status to the action school, and the guys stare agape, some of them even crying (heh). Jong-soo congratulates her and gives her a script to a new project: Sector 7 (another shout-out to a Ha Ji-won vehicle).
Oska gets ready for his big concert, and everyone watches happily as he sings. Tae-sun is the only one who looks on with a heavy heart, as he sighs wistfully, slings a bag over his shoulder, and walks away.
Ah-young and Secretary Kim walk along the river, and happen to find the message in a bottle that he had thrown into the ocean on Jeju Island after they had first met. She takes it as a sign and hugs him in delight.
Jong-soo goes to meet a casting director for a project, only to come face to face with Sohn Ye-jin. Dude, he gets Sohn Ye-jin as a consolation prize? No need to feel sorry for this guy!
ok, now here's the thing. i have not watched ANY of the episodes at all yet, just read the recaps here, and youtubed a few scenes (definitely not more than half hour worth of scenes in total). i don't like the weekly waits and prefer to watch my dramas marathon style. probly this coming weekend :D
HOWEVER, i have to say that this is the first dramabeans recap that i wait for every week, and for episodes 17-20, you don't even know how many times i refreshed the blog to check if the recaps are up. and i've been a lurker here for more than a year. so, i bow to JB and GF for your power of story-telling. despite not liking a drama, you are able to draw out the story and re-tell it well.
it was fairly early in discovering dramabeans that i realize my taste in drama differs from JB's and GF's, but i now just come to the realization that despite not liking the ingredients much, you gals can use those ingredients to cook up a meal and have it enjoyed by others who do love them. and that's like the ultimate fanservice. so, kuddos!
Hi everyone!. I really really deeply loved this korean drama i mean drama/comedy it tinkled me alot from my nerves, bones until to my entire body(lols!=p).ahahaha .. Im so amazed & impressed, specially to the writer of these show watta huge ideas and thoughts u have to created this, may the Lord bless u more ideas better than this or i mean the same good like this=)..Hyun Bin i saw u before on other show but im not serious rather focus to watch u but in this time, i've finally i so inlove on u;] hehe ur character here so fit on u & also to ha ji won ur both great I wont forget this SG it makes me inspiration how to be inlove(hope in reality have like this?)...hopefully keep me updated on the next show?..Now! i am ur number one fan!.CONGRATULATION! secret garden=).Thumbs up! cheers!...Kamsahamnida...hyun bin love u..mwah!
Thanks to dramabeans team for the update. I think the body swap was designed to make the story a little longer. I agree with the 2 reviewers that the whole body swap was pointless but it did gave me some cheap laughs especially the way Hyun Bin and Ha Ji won acted on the switch.. it was hilarious! I also noticed that the character of Gil Ra Im was poorly developed but thanks to the excellent performance of Ha Ji Won - she added a different kind of persona to the character which made Gil Ra Im real and vulnerable. I think the casting director should be given an award.
I think the body swap is incorporated to make the plot more interesting, otherwise, it would just be like any other kdrama out there. hey, I think the drama could make do without the magical twist, it's completely illogical, but this is a drama. There really is no need to internalize everything deeply and make everything logical.
As for the amnesia, maybe it was designed so JW can remember his accident and his promise to relay R's father's message to R. I know, it's too complicated, but it gave us some laugh over the 21-yo JW.
i dont think her (jb) only quips with this drama is the feminist issue. if you care to read their commentary, they pointed out a few issues which i think are very real. why condemn us if we're ambitious about the story we read/see? is it wrong to have standards? it being a drama can mean being a little lax with the realism, but LOGIC is not always realism, and this story lacks logic. A narrative needs logic to be convincing. this wasn't (convincing).
It's not wrong to have standards. But I think the style employed in dramas and movies are different. Hence, the standards are also different. You would understand if you have watched a lot of (good enough) films. I watched SG just because of Ha Ji-won, and I'm glad she finally has a happy-ending drama. This drama is meant to incorporate fairy tales, and I think these elements had brought extra dimension into the drama.
I LOVED the FINALE! The fan service was awesome. Unfortunately, i didn't enjoy a single moment of it as i kept feeling that the author will pull the rug from under my enjoyment during the last 5minutes. Only when the credits rolled, did i breath a sigh of relieve. I will definitely rewatch this ep when the subs are available and i'm going to enjoy every damn unsuspenseful moment of it this time!
But i do agree with JB that HJW's character was neglected. She had no development and i didn't feel any bond with Ra Im. Although i rooted for her and hope her backbone didn't pull anymore sudden disappearing acts throughtout the drama, i felt detached as well. It was such a waste as HJW is an excellent actress.
The finale was episode 19 for me. The only thing I really liked about ep 20 was the couple tracksuits lol...they'll never let us forget about that, will they? And the only reason why I stuck with Joo-won was bc of Hyun-bin; I can't think of anyone else who would fit the role. At the same time, I'm in the same boat in that I didn't feel a special connection to Joo-won and Ra-im. I just feel that Ra-im is one lucky girl and Joo-won didn't develop that much. Anyways, thank you for the recaps once again!
Hahah totally agree. Loved the scene with the kids, I was like awww. SO cute. This is how a Kdrama should end after all the tears and what not. I mean, I know it wasn't as complicated as others liked it. But It was totally about the POWER of LOVE. lol, it's basically seeing how a relationship btwn two opposites, are. I loved it. ugh I can rewatc this anyday, everyday lol
The ending of SG, with the motif of a fateful encounter before the OTP's official meeting, triggered some tears and a big fat "awww"...until I had a big deja vu moment and realized that Writer Kim copied one of her old dramas! I was hoping for something more original. Ah well, gotta think back to all the lovin' I did earlier...I'm going to miss Hyun Bin.
This is kinda random but since Molly brought up City Hall which I'm currently watching, did anyone realised that stuff toy cat in GRI's room is also seen in Mi Rae's room. Go check out City Hall episode 15.
I was just about to say that!! And actually a lot little things of how this drama went reminded me of the other. Except JW actually finds out about the fateful meeting which give the characters the satisfaction of knowing it's "fated"and JG and MR didn't about the phone call (so only the viewers know)
And it was a (near) Win-win ending for both main male of the drama. JG and JW both were able to pretty much keep doing what they wanted and keep the girl but lost their "evil" dad/ mom's support. somehow I was expecting that..the mermaid ending that JW rewrote fell along those lines too, and it was totally hilarious.
Yes and what did happen to JW's sis? There better be some explanation that surfaces...she didn't even get written out logically (at least could say she went overseas or smth). did SYJ last min guest spot "steal" the original story line? hmm.. speculations...
The main hero never really grew from being and obnoxious Jack Ass, who was abusive to all the people around him, even after the fact that he went trough a series of traumatic events that could have serve him as a vehicle for his redemption and subsequent, mental, and spiritual restoration, that enables one to be deem worthy of someones love and affection.
Till the end he remain the same Jack Ass as when he started.