Lee Kangsuk’s poignant first kiss with Ha Dana
“Family Honor” was classic Korean family drama at its best. It combined both old traditional Korean family values and that of the modern, new rich. There were many unforgettable scenes and conversations in “Family Honor” but one which really tugged at my emotional heart strings.
It was that poignant first kiss between Park Sihoo-ssi’s Lee Kangsuk and Ha Dana, set in the falling winter snow. A bitter, sweet kiss, one made more poignant by the events that unfolded prior to that kiss, showing the vulnerable side of the outwardly strong Lee Kangsuk.
To set the scene, Lee Kangsuk had been suffering from insomnia because of so many things happening around him that he could not understand. The heart of it was the unfathomable thing called “love”. His sister had been struggling to cope with unreciprocated love and Ha Dana was still mourning her dead husband. Then, in front of her, he was almost bashed up by ex-employees in his home for selling off his company and cold bloodily leaving his employees jobless with no means to support their families.
As he drowned his sorrow in liquor in a pub, he shared with her the tale of the scorpion and the frog from a movie he watched, “The Crying Game”. This story reflected how he felt about himself, instinctively cold blooded and opportunistic, cannot help being so even if he didn’t want to be like that.
Walking down the steps as they left the pub, they encountered the first falling snow. The very vulnerable Lee Kangsuk grabbed Ha Dana’s hand and begged as he had never begged before, “Just this once”. Then he gave her a brief, sweet, poignant kiss. He was surprised at her silent acceptance as he was prepared to receive another tight slap for his affront. She replied that she was just being sympathetic. Being the opportunistic scorpion that was instinctively him, he tried to push the envelope and boldly asked if she could extend that sympathy further to spend the night with him. She declined on premise that nothing would change even if they spent the night together and then walked away in the falling snow.
After watching the very confident, cocky and bold Lee Kangsuk, his confession followed by that most poignant kiss brought out what was in his innermost heart. A man who felt compelled to do what he did to survive instinctively, however reluctant. One who shouldered his obligations but deep inside was most remorseful. What made it worst was, he knew his very nature and yet could not stop his instinctive actions.
Such a sorry state for a man and brought out to the core by his confession and that unforgettable, poignant kiss.
See below on “The Crying Game”
那刻骨铭心凄美的初吻
“家门的荣光”是最高水平的典型韩国家庭剧，结合了传统韩国家庭观念和现代，新富的追求和思想。在“家门”里，有许多难忘的场景和对话。但，有一幕给我留下最深刻印象并最打动我的心怀。
那就是在冬天刚下雪时， 施厚君饰演的李江石和何丹雅之间的凄美初吻。这是一个又痛苦又甜蜜的初吻，一个因为之前所发生的一连串事情，展出了外表坚强的李江石，内心脆弱的一面。
Park Sihoo-ssi’s Lee Kangsuk’s cold blooded handling of his company almost got him beaten up
在这凄美的场景之前，李江石遭受了严重的失眠，因为在他周围有许多他无法理解的事情在发生。中心点是所谓的“爱”。他的妹妹为了不相互的爱情忧愁，而何丹雅还念念不忘她过世的丈夫。然后，因为冷血的他把公司出售，员工失业养不起家，到他家闹事，差点就狠狠的揍他一顿。
在何丹雅的陪伴下，他在一家酒吧用酒解愁，分享了他在电影“The Crying Game 哭泣的游戏“里所诉的蝎子和青蛙的故事。这个故事反映了他如何看待自己，本性冷血，不禁如此，即使他不想也无法改变。
离开酒吧下楼时，正好下着第一场雪。非常脆弱的李江石抓住了何丹雅的手，从来没有恳求过的他恳求着，“就这一次。” 她默默地接受了他那短暂的，甜蜜的，凄美的初吻。因为是无理的要求，他可惊讶她为何不给他拐一巴掌。她的回答是因为同情。作为蝎子的他，本性难改，抓着机会大胆地问她是否可以进一步扩大同情心，跟他过一夜。她拒绝了，因为即使他们在一起度过一夜，什么都不会改变。然后在飘落的雪花中，掉头就走了。
That poignant first kiss in Family Honor
看着那非常有自信，胆大包天的李江石，分享自己的感觉和那凄凉的吻后， 我非常心疼李江石内心的痛苦。一个觉得不管他是多么的不愿意，也必须跟随他本性所要做的事情才能生存。一个觉得所做的是他的义务，但内心感觉万分的懊悔。最心疼的是，他知道自己的本性，但无法阻止他的行为。
真是一个人可悲的状态，那凄美的吻带了出了难忘的一幕。
The Crying Game 哭泣的游戏
I remember watching the movie “The Crying Game” as a young adult just experiencing work life. I was simple and naive then, so the movie’s controversial views on nationality, gender, race and sexuality held so much attraction. And there was Boy George, so hot with his transgender appeal at that time, singing the theme song for “The Crying Game”. The movie made a deep impression on me with that very “Scorpion and Frog” tale. It had me and my friends debating for days on what constituted “human nature” and what was nurture and what was nature. Yes, I remember the long ago movie, “The Crying Game” 🙂
我记得年轻时代刚加入上班族时，曾经看过电影“The Crying Game哭泣的游戏”。那时，头脑简单而幼稚，所以这部争议性的电影，包含着公民身份，种族和性别特性的观点对我有很大的吸引力。还有“The Crying Game哭泣的游戏”的主题歌是由当时非常红的变性歌手“Boy George”主唱。电影的“蝎子和青蛙”的故事的确给我留下了深刻的印象，让我和朋友们辩论了好几天，究竟什么是“人性”，什么是培育和性质本性。是的，我还记得好久前的电影“The Crying Game哭泣的游戏” 🙂
Youtube Video – Boy George “The Crying Game”
Photo Credits – Many thanks! Weibo, Twitter, Youtube, PPTV
You might also like
9 Comments
안녕하세요. 멋져요. 오늘도 좋은 하루 되시길 바라며 활기찬 하루를 행복한 시간을 보내시길 바라겠습니다. “항상 건강하시고 당신을 응원하며 사랑합니다.”
Good morning. cool. We will look today, or send a happy day wish you a good day hope hour. “Always healthy and cheer you and I love you.”
Yes, unforgettable is the whole drama, “FH”, and unforgettable are many scenes in this drama. But if you refer to the first kiss between L.K.S and H.D., I think this is the saddest moment for LKS , and I was sorry for him. He was in such a low mood trying to win HD’s love, with no results, that he finally surrendered.The proud, conceited, arrogant, lofty LKS, for the first time, had to backdown in front HD, asking her permission anf forgiveness for kissing her. LKS: ” Just this once..Forgive me just this once.” And instead their first kiss to be magic, affectionate and passionate, their first kiss was a sad kiss, “a poignant kiss”. LKS:” Why did you let me? You can slap me. You can slap me as much as you want”. And his sadness was amplified by her answer :” You looked sad.” His great deception and broken heart made him suffer a lot. And I suffered for him too, for his first sad and poignant kiss!
Stefania I like how you analysed the sad thing about this 1st kiss. What you analysed , to me, it’s at its best intention what the script writer intended to deliver : that the proud, conceited, arrogant LKS had to backdown the moment the snowfall triggered that soft spot in him. Nevertheless I am of the view that script writer had to introduce more scene on his arrogance and confidance in himself and more scenes on himself tormenting his own heart, example his confession with his good mate about the thing in his heart which he doesn’t understand, thereafter only he reached the point where he can no longer contain that “”fire” in him, then only he kiss her for the 1st time and caught her totally off guard like what he did in their 2nd kiss, then only to me will render viewers like me the satisfaction , coming from the proud arrogant yet conflicting heart and mind personality of LKS. My instant reaction when I saw he begged for her forgiveness for what he is going to do next at that stage, was oh no, LKS please no, not now, not yet, continue to act arrogant like you wouldn’t care, build the burning fire, build it up please, stomach it, hold it……please plEASE!!, to give me more oomph out of your arrogant exterior BEFORE you give in….hahaha that’s exactly the thing that went through my mind watching the 1st kiss unfold. FH is a long serie, the script writer had their chance to get this right, this is my view. Much more chance than QOR in terms of air time. I don’t mean to compare FH & QOR yet, however we can’t not reflect how, in QOR, how many times he came close yet not able to (disrupted etc) to reveal his heart, hence finally when it gets to the point, it gives viewers like me complete satisfaction. I am not saying his 1st kiss in FH is revealing his heart as he kept under disguise – other than the backing down message the script writer wanted to deliver, the other meaning can be viewed that he was very tempted to seek out things about the “bees and the birds” which he had so far no personal experience, hence best chance to do it when the snowfall enhanced the romantic atmosphere and could still hide himself , protect his face after all they were just acting as a couple. But still the impact of the most treasured 1st kiss is somehow lost. Apologies for my long ranting and blabbling. 🙂
I have just watched this scene today. Now what can I say…..bit blank in my head as honestly I didn’t feel the compelled need to kiss her at that point in time of their “relationship, “no, not yet, No doubt he has been conflicting his own heart and feeling about her so much so he doesn’t really know himself, up til this stage, nevertheless judging from his external arrogance tand hat shield that he puts up up til that point in time, the events are not that compelling and strong to drive him to kiss her at that stage. Sorry I am too much a realist, not a romantic hahaha
Every woman for herself I guess. Everyone can have their own take on things…maybe when you finished the series and watch it a couple more times, you will see more things. I have watched FH so many times and each time, I am discovering new things I didn’t see previously. Enjoy the rest of the run!
Sihoossi Park 박시후 씨 This is the fun thing about drama and movie we could talk freely and not personal about it. It has nothing to do with PSH’s acting. He did what he did well as usual. To me the script is pushing it just a little bit, just a little bit. I have also reached the 2nd kiss. THIS 2nd kiss is absolutely spot on in terms of timing and development of their “relationship” in particular in the context of what they were doing at that moment. If the 1st kiss is executed after she has cooked dinner for him (I don’t mean just after he ate the dinner she cooked, I meant by that home cooked dinner event he has actually personally experienced her good cooking skill and her kindness and warmth and act especially for him), then it would come as more natural/logical to me. Her reaction and answer to why she let him kiss her the 1st time is also not clever enough answer (again I don’t mean her, I meant the script writer), if her answer is “I don’t know why I didn’t slap you, I don’t know the answer. You came on too unexpected and I just froze ….” to me it’s a more logical answer after the 1st kiss. You don’t let a man kiss you (especially in traditional background Asian woman) just because you have symphaty for him. Unless both the Chinese and English translation had it wrong, meaning she actually said something else in Korean, otherwise, sorry the 1st kiss in terms of script, timing, context does not get my vote. 2nd kiss should have been their 1st kiss. That would be more impactful to my heart and mind as I absorb the drama as it flows. FH is a long serie hence the sequence and development does not flash across too fast (like that in CDDA or PP which if you don’t pay attention you tend to miss something) but FH play out nicely every scene in enough time and conversations to let it sink into me the meaning the show intended to deliver, I personally do not think rewatching it I would suddenly find the thing that I had missed so critically to render their 1st kiss my vote, this is my view thus far. Of course in this world we never say never, who knows in the future one day I suddenly realise or see something else that I then would say oh yeah that 1st kiss is spot on. After all this is only my very 1st viewing of FH.Nevertheless for now this is my honest personal feedback, as how my senses and logical mind perceive it. No offence intended. 🙂
No apologies from you , dear Cha Hua Loke, but my thanks from me for your pertinent , profound and keen analysis of LKS ‘s first kiss in “FH”. And i think that you are right, “The impact of the most treasured first kiss is somewhat lost”. But I alos think that from that moment of his first kiss ,he got more courege to reveal his deep love for her and even kiss her again.
Indeed Stefania. Every action there is a reaction or consequence. Although the 1st kiss did not get a vote from viewers like myself nevertheless the very brave act of stepping out of his arrogance to kiss her no doubt lead him to further reflection on what he was doing to himself thereon to fall deeper into liking her more and more. I am only coming from the angle of wishing the 1st kiss of the leading couple to be more impactful but then in real life how many people their 1st kiss was an impactful kiss. I was only doing movie talk ?