[Focus] The Life of Lee Jung-eun in "Our Blues," Cha Seung-won's Face

Jeju Island Fish Seller Portrayed by Lee Jeong-eun
Cha Seung-won, Eun-hee's First Love Worn Down by Life
Writer Noh Hee-kyung's 'Our Blues'
A Story of Middle-aged Youth Born and Raised on Jeju Island
Fresh Character Breaking the Wealthy Woman Clich?

Photo by tvN 'Our Blues'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Eunhee (played by Lee Jung-eun), with her dry brown bob haircut, wearing jeans and work gloves, chops fish with a large knife. Running Eunhee Fisheries at the Jeju Island market, she calls out with a blank expression, "Today's hairtail fish is good." Though the work is tough, she constantly hums songs to forget the hardships of labor. She never married and worked hard to earn money. She has 2 billion won in cash assets. She became wealthy when a building was constructed on the land she bought in Seogwipo in her twenties, but time passed and she is now in her late forties.

Born as the eldest daughter among one sister and four brothers in Jeju, Eunhee is self-made but could not ignore her parents' and siblings' situations. She worked hard selling fish to send her younger siblings to college and even provided the funds for their marriages. When a younger brother, who casually demands a house even after marriage, she lashes out with harsh words, saying "You don't know how to be grateful."

One day, Eunhee meets her first love Hansoo (played by Cha Seung-won) from high school. Driving a truck, Eunhee appears like a prince on a white horse. Hansoo returned to his hometown after being assigned as a branch manager at a bank in Jeju. Having studied abroad in Seoul, he and his wife worked together to repay university tuition loans and marriage loans. Discovering their daughter's talent, they sent her abroad for golf studies, becoming a "goose dad." The costs for coaching fees, living expenses, and tournament fees are considerable. They even took 70% of his retirement pension in advance and sold their Seoul apartment, but they cannot escape a financially tight life. He makes calls everywhere, begging for loans, but no one willingly lends money to a friend who is in debt.

Eunhee and Hansoo reunite in Jeju. Hansoo hears from an alumnus that Eunhee has become incredibly wealthy and approaches her, grasping at straws. Though he wonders, "What am I doing now?" he breaks down after video calling his daughter. Eunhee, unaware of his feelings, smiles brightly at the still kind and handsome Hansoo, saying, "Thank you for staying just as you are." Hansoo feels guilt over Eunhee's innocence.

The two take a boat trip to the destination of their school trip during their student days. They spend happy times finding nostalgic places and eating cotton candy. Eunhee feels fluttering emotions looking at Hansoo. The words that he is separated from his wife linger in her ears, barely suppressing her growing expectations.Fighting different emotions, the two face unavoidable reality. They understand and embrace each other in a lively way and grow once again.

In existing media, wealthy women have mostly been portrayed as "samo-nim" (madams). They appeared in flashy styles adorned with luxury cars and designer goods. They showed up with elegantly manicured nails and hair, heavily made-up. The madam's occupation was usually unknown, but the husband was always depicted as an enormously wealthy man.

In that regard, the tvN weekend drama "Our Blues" (written by Noh Hee-kyung, directed by Kim Kyu-tae, Kim Yang-hee, Lee Jung-mook) is special. Opening the drama with a solid narrative, Eunhee is portrayed as a so-called building owner and cash-rich person, but she lives as a diligent woman running a fish shop. Wearing jeans and a bob haircut sticking out in all directions, she is depicted as our neighbor who lives authentically?angry when angry, excited when excited?differentiating it from other dramas. Though burdened with younger siblings and even friends on her shoulders, she values loyalty and possesses the wisdom to see through people.

Screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung said she wanted to give Lee Jung-eun, who mostly played mother or grandmother roles, a character closer to her actual age. Thus, Eunhee, a solo woman of the same age named after Lee Jung-eun's "Eun," was born. Lee Jung-eun even lived in Jeju for a year to study the local dialect for her role.

Eunhee is both touching and confident, making her charming. She is someone you want to see repeatedly, think about, feel pity for, and find amusing. The thrill of overturning existing female characters is considerable. Cha Seung-won and Lee Jung-eun deliver deep pathos with graceful acting. The faces of Eunhee and Hansoo, soaked with the weight of time, will likely remain unforgettable. Carrying the heavy burden of life, the song "Whiskey on the Rocks" by Choi Sung-soo, sung by the two, is "Our Blues" itself.