Drama Special Season 13: Nineteen Sea Otters (2022)

Gems hidden in a pile of rocks

I really liked some of the stories, especially the ones about characters who were living in desperate situation, and had to make desperate decisions to stay alive. The comedy episodes were unfortunately very boring. I didn’t find the behaviour of the characters funny at all. I am surprised that Silence of the Lambs won the contest because it didn’t really build up to any climax, and the story felt very flat to me. The Steam was probably the most complete story, with suspense and plot twist to keep me watching. Unfortunately, the idea has been done before. Perhaps my favourite is Strangers or 19 Otters. The plot lines were interesting and original.

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nice to watch

__*KBS.Drama.Special.2022.E04.Like.Otters*__ -8.5/10 -:kmovie;

nice school romance about two half-adults from problematic families
FL from twinkling watermelon showed quite different personality which was quite nice to watch too.
Truthfully I didnt cared much for ML story at least I didnt found him unique in any way. That kind of character I seen ton of times.
Kinda introvert being carried away by extroverted girl.

__*plot*__ - ML and FL are classmates which dont talk together much and both got family problems and both carry resignation letter to end their school days. Both of them discover it and starts to notice each other.

__*genre*__ - romance

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Better together.

Two lonely and neglected high school seniors find friendship, love and a family in each other when their respective difficult circumstances bring them together. The tittle comes into play as they study otters in the biology class and they learn how when adrift in the ocean, otters hold hands to be less scared and stay together.

It's the perfect metaphor for our leads and what they are going through. For them life is as big and scary as the ocean, and the lack of support from their respective families leaves them to be adrift in it, with no one to turn to when things go from bad to worse. So when at first glance this might look like a story about teenage angst, it couldn't be more far from it. Neither of the leads has a safe place to go or a sense of what a true family it's like until they find each other.

The performances are really good. Shin Eun Soo delivers a strong performance as the always in the move kinda of character, for her this is essential because staying put means thinking how bad things are for her at home. On the other hand, Kim Jae Won delivered a great deal of contained emotions. His performance is more subdued, until it comes to a turning point. Both actors share great chemistry and managed to make me believe their character's instant connection through shared pain and frustration that slowly becomes something more positive, full of warmth and eventually love.

Most of the drama was shot at night, under cool tones, which fills the story with dark vibes and sometimes a gritty feel. It gives us a glimpse at a time of day that doesn't seem fit for two kids to be walking around the city, delivering alcohol and condoms. Which is exactly the point the drama it's trying to make visually: the world these kids live on is cold and dark. Except for the scenes at the school, when they can disconnect from their families and connect with each other. Those scenes are shot under a warm color palette and full of light, sunny and happy days.

The conclusion of the story is somehow bittersweet because in order for our leads to be happy, they have to come to terms with the fact that family is not always the one you were born in but the one you choose. Abuse it's not always physical and people need to recognize this in order to move forward and start holding on tightly to those who care for your well being and happiness.

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O enredo deste episódio 4 do especial de dramas da KBS (2022) gira em torno de dois adolescentes do último ano do ensino médio que vivem em lares abusivos. Certo dia eles acabam trocando de carteira na escola e acidentalmente encontram a cara de desistência escolar um do outro e consequentemente acabam se aproximando e ao se aproximarem vão descobrindo que têm mais em comum do que parecia ao primeiro olhar.

Kim Jae Young faz contrabando de mercadorias proibidas para menores (como cigarros, bebidas) para juntar dinheiro e fugir de casa. Ela acaba envolvendo Seo Woo Kyu em seu esquema como fornecedor das mercadores pois a mãe dele possui um mercadinho na região. E essa relação que começa com uma troca comercial acaba se aprofundado e os dois vão se apaixonando e passam juntos por duros sofrimentos, mas sempre dando apoio um ao outro, de mãos dadas como o documentário que assistiram na escolha que falava que as lontras davam as mãos para não se desgarrem enquanto dormiam no oceano. Daí vem o título do episódio "Nineteen Otters" (tradução livre: lontras de dezenove).

A história das lontras acaba se tonando uma metáfora para explicar a situação dos dois jovens, acabando de entrar na vida adulta, o grande e desconhecido oceano, mas que de mãos dadas conseguiam enfrentar juntos, apensar do medo e da tristeza que tinham na vida devido suas famílias abusivas. Os dois se tornaram o apoio um do outro.

Particularmente eu gostei bastante do drama. Uma história de amadurecimento e entrada na vida adulta bem triste, mas também bonita. E os dois atores protagonista, apesar de ainda muito iniciantes na época, conseguiram entregar a emoção necessária para a gente se conectar com a emoções deles. No geral gostei.

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