TV
Jang Dong-yoon, retirement crisis
In ENA's Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Flowers Bloom in the Sand', which first aired on the 20th, Kim Baek-du (played by Jang Dong-yoon) was depicted as a promising wrestling prodigy who became an unremarkable athlete. His struggle to steadfastly heat the sandboard despite the constant attacks of reality and worried gazes aroused strong sympathy and support from the first episode.
Above all, Jang Dong-yoon's passionate performance as the wrestler Kim Baek-du shined. From Kim Baek-doo's complex emotional line facing reality to a lively wrestling match, the drama maximized immersion. Kim Baek-doo, who did not stop challenging his dreams despite an uncertain future, is at an important crossroads in his wrestling life. Oh Yoo-kyung (played by Lee Joo-myeong), who is on the verge of retirement, and the scenery of 'Geosan', a wrestling town filled with the scent of people, raised expectations for the stories they will tell in the future.
On this day's broadcast, the harsh reality of Kim Baek-du, a wrestling prodigy who has been wrestling for 20 years, was portrayed. Kim Baek-doo, who was once a promising player, became an ordinary player without any notable titles. Kim Baek-doo is now familiar with the sad reality of being labeled as 'Kim Baek-doo of the world by chance' for over 30 years. I also went too far in ignoring the sad looks and nagging from people around me. Kim Baek-doo was once the person I wanted to avoid the most, but now he has become the person I want to face the most. Perhaps dissatisfied with him, his rival Kwak Jin-su (played by Lee Jae-jun) scratches his insides, saying, “How did the world’s Kim Baek-du end up in this situation?”
Kim Baek-doo faced the biggest crisis of his wrestling career. Kim Baek-doo, who had been holding on steadfastly, got drunk and declared that he would 'retire' if business was not successful in this match. When asked by director Park Dong-chan (played by Hwang Jae-yeol) if he made a slip of the tongue while drunk, Kim Baek-doo said that his sincerity came out while he was drunk and made his decision to retire. Kim Baek-doo's luck did not favor him even in important matches where his wrestling career depended. In a match that could be the last of his wrestling career, he will face Lim Dong-seok (played by Kim Tae-jeong), the ace of Geosan County Office from the same team.
Kim Baek-doo shouted out that he wanted to join us once. No one predicted Kim Baekdu's victory. However, the game was close. Kim Baek-doo gave up the first game too easily, but won the second game with a skillful counterattack. In the last game where victory or defeat was at stake, Kim Baek-du and Lim Dong-seok fell onto the sand at the same time after a fierce struggle. But the reversal did not happen. Video review results showed that Kim Baekdu's elbow touched first. Kim Baekdu's complex feelings were visible on his face as he came down the sand slab.
The place that a distraught Kim Baek-doo visited was the house of his childhood friend Doo-sik. And an unexpected meeting was waiting there. Just as Kim Baek-doo was feeling puzzled by the unfamiliar luggage in front of his house, he was struck by lightning. When I came to my senses and looked up, Oh Yu-kyung was standing at the end of my gaze. Kim Baek-doo is reminded of his old friend Doo-sik whom he misses when Oh Yoo-kyung extends his hand asking if he is okay. The ending of Oh Yoo-kyung being taken aback by the confident voice, "Is your Doo-sik a child? Really? Your Oh Doo-sik?" made people look forward to the next story.
A mysterious incident occurred in peaceful Geosan. A body was found in a local reservoir. When Seoul Metropolitan Police detectives showed up at the scene of the incident, Geosan District Police officer Cho Seok-hee (played by Lee Joo-seung) sensed something strange. In particular, Oh Yoo-kyung's mysterious behavior of looking around the reservoir late at night stimulated curiosity about the reason why he came down to Geosan and his identity.
Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia reporter kkk39@tenasia.co.kr
