Giant - Thank goodness There Are Only Two Episodes, Because. . .

[walkwithheroes]

I give up. I'll watch next week's episodes RAW, but I doubt I'll finish the series with softsubs. To say the writer, Jang Young Chul, dropped the ball with this drama is an complete and utter understatement. This series started off with so much intrigue, romance, family love, hope, and drama. It's turn into this big business and political thing. I DON'T care about the business dealings of the characters. Wasn't this supposed to be a revenge story? Why is it 1992 (as of episode 58) and there is still no revenge? That's over 15 years the Lee brothers have spent trying to get revenge - and failing.


As if that weren't enough, the characters have become mere shadows of their former-selves. And many of their storylines have been rushed or all but forgotten. In fact, some characters have gone missing without a word. Where did they go? Was it said in passing? Did I FF a scene and miss their goodbye? I just. . .





Kang Mo and Jung Yeon will get their happy ending. But, to be honest, I don't care. I just - I find them boring now. They haven't interested me since their first goodbye back in the 1970s.


Sung Mo, well he's been shot and is now mentally disabled. And, yes, MW played a role. (I think.) He's been missing for 5 years, living with his junior from his old job. And it only took 58 episodes to make his disabled. I thought they had tossed out that storyline.



Min-woo got Miju her first acting job. (Yet, he never told her) Instead, he watches her from afar, while doing shady deals, and falling apart in the privately of his car. He's not getting a happy ending. That's become painfully clear to me. It would be a rush job at this point, and I'd rather he be killed than be given a sloppy last minute redemption.


Miju, what has happened to you? She has no storyline. And, does she even remember she has a son? He's got to be 9 or 10 now - is he still overseas with Miju's ex-employer/foster mom? Miju has become one-dimensional, and everything is about how she's an actress/pop singer. She's got nothing else. The writer took the brightest and purest character and stepped all over her.


Pil Yeon keeps getting away. Somebody needs to just shot him. But, we know in 2010 he's in a mental hospital, so I'm guessing he goes insane after the death of MW. MW will probably step in the way of a bullet meant for KM. As Miju tearfully tells MW that WJ is his son, MW will die. And PY will suffer a mental breakdown. He'll blame the Lee siblings for everything, and then we'll flash foward to the first scene from episode one.


I have to say it: Giant is the biggest disappointment of 2010 for me. It started off as an awesome revenge story full of love and redemption and its become. . .a hot mess full of shady business deals, one-dimensional characters, unneeded angst, and plotholes I could drive a school bus through. I'm so disappointed and will pretend the show ended about 20 episodes ago. MW/Miju become engaged and live happily, KM and MW start their own business, KM/JY marry, SM meets his junior at the local whatever, PY dies in a horrible car crash after MW cuts ties with him, etc, etc.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

"Sung Mo, well he's been shot and is now mentally disabled. And, yes, MW played a role. (I think.)"

Minwoo went to get the tape, but Sangmo told him to give it back - as you already saw. The whole thing in that scene was that MW was just in disbelief - its like every person the guy ever loved turned out to be a betrayer or someone who just wanted to use him to their advantage. So MW was being simply very emotional in that scene.

Then when he heard the gun shot however, he ran out to see what was going on. And the first thing he asked the right hand man was "What happened to Sangmo Hyung?" -- in a frantic prose -- he was worried, lost and just a bit insane that moment. So he was worried about Sangmo.

MW really didn't play much part in Sangmo going missing. All Minwoo did in that scene was cry. And Sangmo already got his stuff and was on his way out -- and MW didn't even make the attempt to hold him back. It was all that right hand man's fault.

While watching it live, I had a tidbit hope that maybe MW would come after Sangmo, see his wounded condition, and then take him out of the car and then find the girl colleague and ask her to take Sangmo somewhere safe. Or he takes the colleague and Sangmo hyung and puts them somewhere safe while supplying them with enough money -- in a way taking care of them.

Hey I think that could of worked and in way make a good development of MW. But the writer of Giant of course is better at storytelling.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am pretty sure your prediction for the future is correct.

My biggest problem with Giant is not even MW/Miju but the utter lack of any revenge and the loss of anything that made the characters compelling and any tension. The characters, all of them, have ceased to make sense or be interesting about 20 eps back. I mean, in mid 20s, while MW/Miju was my favorite thing, I was still invested in everyone and everything else but now it's all so very boring and pointless.

I mean- why? I think East of Eden's second half was much inferior to the first half (which I loved) so I wonder if it's a common problem in these lengthy epics (though Seoul 1945 seems too have avoided that). But EoE did not fall apart anywhere near as badly as this - for one, whatever they did, they didn't screw up with the OTP and they gave me a reason why hero stopped going after revenge.

[(Anonymous)]

Contrary to all the disappointment expressed, I was just browsing through files when I decided to click on some episodes where the whole Miju and Minwoo interactions began.

You remember that scene when Minwoo stole some kimbabs while Miju was sleeping? Haha- I liked that scene so much --- especially when Miju, knowing who did it, asks Minwoo if he knows where the kimbabs went. His expression and reaction is just so adorable.

And then there's the random Minwoo unconsciously smiling at Miju and then catching himself in the act. Ah-- and then how he cutely hits her forehead every time he's about to like caress her hair or something.

So many cute moments! Ah, it was so beautiful. They were so amazing. You know, maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic-- but I think even if their ending is given to me as a mashed potatoes mess -- I'll just be content by ignoring it all and just rejoicing and remembering the good old times.

As for the bad -- Like dangermousie mentioned: The story of Giant has lost its zeal and charm that was so intriguing earlier on. You know I think they could have used the extension to bring on some very nice things. But once again the writer got way too tangled with politics and all that junk. One thing I do not enjoy but still watch in kdrama is the midpoint angst that often runs for miles and miles taking up so much precious time of the drama's run. I mean we all like some angst, but within the angst can't we have the characters grow into more dignified individuals? (Arh...Am I making sense?)

Anyways Giant was a good drama at the start -- and though Miju and Minwoo were a great joy to watch, they were not the only reason I got invested into Giant. Overall, everything seemed fun to watch-- but oh well, let's just take a deep breath.

why!!!!!!!!!!!why!!!! i cant wach this drama anymore

[(Anonymous)]

why ..Jang Young Chul why...

we need a sweet revenge.... never comes...

This series started so high!!!!!!!!!!

where is the deep love ...?

i can't wach my adorable lee san mo in this state

i am disappounted

biggest disappointment

i will also pretend show ended about 20 episodes ago......

[gwinna]

I just watched episode 58 and I'm incredibly disappointed in Giant right now. I can't believe they had another timeskip without resolving anything. That's just... I don't even know what to say, I'm so frustrated.

I'd like to believe that Minwoo helped Seongmo as per the anonymous comment above, but I doubt it. If that were the case, he would have told Miju about it when he saw her crying over Seongmo. There was a scene of his second in command hiring people to look for Seongmo, so I don't think Minwoo knows where he is. I suppose there's still a possibility that MW will find SM first and choose to tell Miju and Gangmo about it rather than his father, thereby earning forgiveness, but at this point I don't really believe it will happen, and probably wouldn't find it satisfying even if it did.

It looks like Minwoo's overall story arc will end up being "he's betrayed by everyone he loves and then he dies." That is the most upsetting thing for me, because the one thing I wanted most from Giant was to see him break away from his father and have a happy ending. I hate that they're giving me a tragedy where I wanted a redemption story. I could have forgiven them all the rest of the sloppy plotting if only they had given me that.

I never write fanfic, but right now I'm seriously tempted to do my own rewrite of Giant once it's finished. After all the time I've spent obsessing over this drama, I can't bear to let them ruin it for me.

ETA: Forgot to say, I don't think JPY will go insane due to MW's death, because I don't think he cares enough about MW for that. I always thought the Lee brothers would find evidence to convict JPY of murder and then he would plead insanity to get a lighter sentence, and I guess that could still happen, but now it seems more likely the ruin of his career will drive him crazy.