Looking for answers from W writer Song Jae-jung
by awcoconuts
At a press conference nearly a week after the finale of W–Two Worlds aired on September 14, writer Song Jae-jung (who also wrote Nine and Queen In-hyun’s Man) attempted to answer some of the many questions raised by viewers. Song spoke freely about the story’s logical development, her thoughts on the two lead actors, how she never watched the last two installments, and her reasons for making the scripts for all 16 episodes publicly available. Herein lie spoilers for both W and Nine–you have been warned!
Q: How did you come up with W?
“I began putting together Oh Sung-moo writer’s story after first obtaining his motive from a Goya painting. I initially conceived of him as a pure artist but as I went along, it was difficult to obtain rights to show paintings on TV and it was difficult for me to depict Korea’s greatest painter. That’s why I changed it to a popular manhwa. I wonder if all creative writers have the same thoughts. Music, writing, drawing, it’s all the same. When I write, I always struggle with whether the objects of my expression will be my tools or if they will have their own souls.”
Q: Like in your previous works, the leads experience anguish.
“With Nine I felt apologetic towards the actor but I also felt apologetic towards the character. I went through a hard time too and it lasted for some time. I was tormented in my own way and it took me a long time to overcome that. I felt a sense of responsibility, too. Viewers get furious when they see a senseless death, and I started [work on W] with that concern. That doesn’t mean I’m Oh Sung-moo [who was played by Kim Eui-sung in the drama]. It’s good that W concluded within a year. When Oh Sung-moo died, I was pained.”
Q: Why did you choose a fantasy traveling across dimensions?
“I wanted to do something unique so I picked unusual material. [Through fantasy] extremely dramatic situations become possible. In the real world spies and soldiers perform dangerous jobs but here [in the fantasy world], ordinary people can [be put in dangerous positions]. They are hounded by life and death matters, they are pursued like spies, and they can fly. I have a lot of interest in ordinary people experiencing out-of-the-ordinary events.”
Q: In episode 12, Kang Chul [played by Lee Jong-seok] tells Yeon-joo [played by Han Hyo-joo], “Don’t readers want an ending in which Kang Chul marries Oh Yeon-joo and they live happily ever after?” Was this foreshadowing?
“It was a scene with a lot of meaning. The point was that, regardless of what readers thought and the context, it was Kang Chul’s life.”
Q: Opinions were divided over the ending.
“I wasn’t greatly concerned about the ending. Whether it was happy or sad wasn’t important to me at all. (In the past) I’ve submitted an ending without putting much thought into it and have gotten cursed, so these days I make an effort to think more about it. Now I understand that whether the ending is happy or sad or what lingers in the memories is important to viewers and so I take more care. I never wrote W thinking it had a happy ending, nor did I think it had a sad ending. You could look at it as, they’ll both overcome their pain at some point, which suggests a happy ending sometime (in the future).”
Q: It was out of the ordinary that you made the scripts publicly available.
“There are many reasons. I’ve taught at universities about dramatic composition. As I lectured, I felt that the learning style was inefficient. Broadcast is a medium that is friendly to the public but in terms of playwriting, I was doubtful because [those learning] must watch with aspirations, but [within the confines of what is trending]. Broadcast is trendy. Even if something is popular, once it’s over, it’s forgotten. If you’re going to release a script, you need to do it while it’s hot, and fortunately the opportunity presented itself to me. I thought if I released it with one episode left to go, it’d be hot and that many people would be curious about it. The timing was good.
“The script is mine but the drama is the work of many. Anyone can read a novel but that isn’t the case for a script. Even if you paid good money, you wouldn’t be able to see [the script]. I wanted to make it available when many people were showing interest but I didn’t realize that it had reached number one in search engines in real time. I think that I need to release scripts in the future, too. The collection of scripts weren’t worth a lot of money; it’s not like I made a big sacrifice. Unemployed writers and young people need to make many attempts [to break into the industry]. [Readers] can look directly at the files and make corrections on the spot. I made them available because I thought if [aspiring writers] played with them a little, eventually a longer script could be written. It is my hope that [those interested] will be able to make the script even greater with their own edits.”
Q: Oh Sung-moo’s death differs in what was broadcast and what was written in the script. Was that something agreed upon with the director beforehand?
“I haven’t seen the last episode yet. To be honest, I didn’t see episodes 15 and 16 air. Once a script is completed, I don’t like to watch the ending. I’m going to binge-watch it later, but I heard how the episodes differ from the script through the news. It’s a very peculiar problem. The script is mine and my understanding is embedded into it, but since there are actors and directors involved, the ending could be different from what I thought. I don’t think it would be professional if I gave my opinion. I’ve talked about the ending personally but I don’t think it would be courteous to discuss it here.”
Q: Were you worried that viewers wouldn’t be able to follow the plot?
“I co-wrote for ten years. There is a huge advantage [to working that way]. Shows like High Kick and Soonpoong Clinic wouldn’t exist without a writing staff. I can’t write about that many people in a family on my own. A sitcom is complete when a group of writers who know their characters well get together. For those kinds of projects, co-writing is absolutely necessary.
“I’m also dissatisfied with myself. Each individual’s personality gets shaved down a bit. I was a co-writer for so long that I have questions in my head. ‘If I say something like this, the person next to me will say something like this, right?’ ‘They’ll argue the other side, what should I reply?’ I’ll take on the role of three people, put on a show by myself, and have a whole debate alone. In W, I didn’t play for the minors but went for the general public, and I just barely pulled off writing for the mainstream.”
Q: How did you feel about Han Hyo-joo?
“I feel the most apologetic towards Han Hyo-joo. She had to portray such a difficult balance of emotions. We told two stories. The story about a woman who enters a manhwa and falls in love, and then I’m sure it was very disorienting to be weaved into a showdown between a creator and his creation. Oh Yeon-joo was a difficult character to emote. I wasn’t really interested in how the story ended but I felt bad because Han Hyo-joo sort of became a victim of the self-devouring ending. How do I repay this debt? I feel indebted to her.
“In certain respects, Yeon-joo became a casualty of the man to man battle. Sung-moo’s ending is sad but Kang Chul’s ending is happy. From Yeon-joo’s viewpoint, her ending isn’t happy. I felt bad because they’re a couple, but to the woman it’s not a happy ending and to the man it is, and it must have been a painful situation. That was my mistake.”
Q: As the writer, how did you feel about the performance of the leads?
“I’m so grateful towards both. First, Lee Jong-seok is an actor who gave us [a quality of realness] throughout the whole drama. We were so lucky he looks like a manhwa character. That was most important. In reality, Lee Jong-seok is very different from Kang Chul. Kang Chul’s age is 30 but I actually developed his mind to be aged more like mine, around 45 years old. He’s an extremely mature character. He’s not afraid of anything in this world, nor does he have any doubts–he’s like a superhuman character. It must have been extremely hard. I’m grateful to him that he maintained his concentration until the end.
“With regards to Han Hyo-joo, I spoke about it earlier–I was sorry towards her until the end, so it’s difficult for me to assess her performance. It was a difficult character and in order to stay true to her doctor character she deliberately didn’t pretty herself up. There were too many crying scenes. I’m most sorry because she had too many scenes in which she had to pour out her emotions. In my heart I wanted her to be a brighter character, but as you write, sometimes you just follow the story. As you [write], you just continue down the path you’re on. I regret that the two leads had such challenging roles in the second half. I wanted to see them lovey-dovey, too. I’m sorry that I couldn’t show them in romantic, comfortable dating [scenes].”
Q: It was a plot that was difficult for viewers to understand; what worried you?
“On the days [viewership] ratings became available my heart would pound as soon as I woke up. What’s unfair is that I target the masses when I write. It’s just that it doesn’t appear that way. ‘If I do it this way, I think the ratings will be high,’ are my thoughts when I write; it just doesn’t work out that way. I’m a common viewer, too. I make the mistake of writing the type of drama I like because I think viewers will enjoy it too. I like fast dramas and ones that surprise you. It seems I’m not quite like the viewing public. I need to listen to others but I have trouble with that.
“Ratings are so very important–because of ratings, the next drama is affected. The key to a writer’s survival is ratings. Ratings don’t determine self-worth but it becomes a driving force in [a writer’s] life, so it is very important. Fortunately, after watching the first episode, I thought we’d be okay. I was touched. There were texts that said it was daebak. Because the ratings were high early on, there was less pressure on me.”
Q: Tell us about the logical development.
“Around ten years ago, [portraying] realistic and scientific logic were important issues. Now I wonder if people aren’t a little tired of it. In a way, you’re dramatically entering a world without logic–even though there’s no probability of that occurring. The logic is already there in your head. I think we’ve moved into an era where it’s more important to choose what to show visually [versus the context]. When I was writing Queen In-hyun’s Man, there were still many questions as to whether things made sense. Now that we’re in an age of fantasy, even if you don’t tell [viewers] explicitly, [they] know. [Writers] don’t have to describe stuff like talismans; [viewers] understand and move along. I realized [a world like] W was already in [viewers’] heads. Fantasy is at that level now. Even if you don’t explain everything, the positive response is high.”
Q: What do you think about the trend towards pre-produced dramas?
“Pre-production is nice but what makes me doubtful is that I think you can only accomplish it if you have tremendous know-how. Both the writer and the director need to do well. Isn’t it the case that during the process, emotions crescendo? Movies are short so it is possible but dramas are 16 episodes long and you need the know-how to avoid losing the emotional flow. If you have tremendous support, it can be victorious but if not, it’s a gamble.”
Q: Is it not an error that the webtoon is over but Kang Chul was able to cross over into this world?
“In my thoughts, it’s not an error. It’s a difference of opinion. It might be an overreaching concept but from my position, it’s logical. From the beginning I didn’t think it was transcendental and when [Chul] was reborn we recognized the existence of two worlds. Once we acknowledged there were two, this world became that world. In Nine, Park Sun-woo eventually died trapped, but in this case, the trappings were made by humans. After Kang Chul determined he was a predetermined being, he shot Oh Sung-moo. At that point, because he accepted [his discovery], [the W] world became a subordinate world. After he was reborn, once he determined that it was a world on equal terms, it became an equal world.
“The instant Kang Chul determined it was an equal world, the webtoon did not conclude. Because it was important for Kang Chul to believe this, he believed that until his death. Kang Chul came [into this world] because he willed himself to come. Some people might see it as me taking liberties with the writing, but I don’t believe it to be an error.”
Q: What was the meaning of the corpse with a ring?
“It was nothing. Viewers misunderstood for a long time.”
Q: Do you have any plans to work on a romantic drama?
“I would like to but I don’t have the confidence. As I get older I have the thought that ‘I’m just going through the motions.’ In the past when I would work on sitcoms I was part of the same generation and wrote with empathy, but now it feels like I’m fumbling for past memories when I write [those types of arcs]. Since I’ve lost confidence, even though I would like to, I don’t think I can. It was hard for Jong-seok-ssi to act, too. He would sometimes ask me, why is this character’s soul so old? I also thought maybe I should increase [Kang Chul’s] age.”
Q: Any final words?
“It’s a big problem that I’ve been given such high ratings. I’m going to hide and not come out until everyone’s forgotten this success. I’m not sure how much of what I’ve said has been explanatory but I hope it is of help. Thank you.”
Via Xports News
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Tags: interviews, scriptwriters, W–Two Worlds
Interview with Kim Yoo-jung
Hello Dramabeans series
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1 wapz
September 24, 2016 at 3:09 AM
I so badly want to read her scripts. I hope they get translated.
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Saner
September 24, 2016 at 3:15 AM
Me too! How amazing that she's made them available as an educational resource?
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bips99
September 24, 2016 at 4:10 AM
That is super amazing actually. For successful professionals to part with their work to help newbies *applause*
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Nadia
September 24, 2016 at 6:54 AM
I agree. She is very kind to share the script with the viewers. I really hope that the script is available in english too, otherwise I have to hang on my tiny vocab in hangul.
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Nermin Badwi
September 24, 2016 at 3:53 AM
Me 3, for a moment I wondered if I could learn Korean just to read them. Unfortunately, I don't have endless time nor attention to attempt that. The woes of being ordinary human. ?
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Flin
September 24, 2016 at 5:51 AM
I am checking the never site now for the script, only to realize that they are in Hangul! I must have mistakenly confused reading subtitles with the actual script! ?
Do you think g**gle translate would help?
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yayabean
September 24, 2016 at 7:23 AM
@Flin
We need subbers stat? Where's the Cassiopeia team?
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Wag-a-muffin
September 24, 2016 at 10:54 AM
Or maybe "fan?" She translates interviews here on drama beans for us. Do you think she'd translate the scripts? (And I'm just kidding. I appreciate you translating whatever you translate.
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annyeong
September 24, 2016 at 4:08 AM
I lurked in soompi for a while and saw this list of differences between the script and broadcast:
1. Differences in sequence of the scenes
The opening scene conversation between KC and YJ isn't long, after KC says to YJ that he will respect her decision, the scene changes to Crazy Dog in Real World reading the webtoon, just at the part when it ends with KC "dead" at the bus-stop. Crazy Dog immediately goes to find YJ to rant, we then find out that YJ has been admitted to ER and SB went to the motel to look for OSM. We see YJ crying on the ER bed, and the ring vanishing. (Script Note: Just as like the situation in EP 6, once the manhwa concludes, the things which appear in the manhwa will vanish from the real world. ) After this, we jump back to the conversation between KC and YJ.
2. Cutting of YJ's conversation about the consequences of returning to the Real World after remaining in the manhwa world and YJ's hope that her mother will still be around
In the conversation between KC and YJ, YJ only mentions that as long as the 3 of them (OSM, KC, YJ) are able to live on together, she's willing to remain in the manhwa world forever even after death by old age. After KC's hears this, he replies, "If you live in the manhwa world until 80 years old, it means you would have passed 50 years here before you are able to return to the real world, but in the real world maybe only 30mins has passed, so even if you return, no one will recognize you, and your mother will even be younger than you, even so will you be fine with that? YJ: Even so it's okay, as long as my mother is alive and I can see her, it's good enough.
3. Cutting of OSM inner thoughts confession
There is a cut conversation (not sure whether they actually filmed it) between YJ and her father OSM, which happened after YJ calls DY and she later receives a call from KC asking her to fetch him.
OSM wakes up and asks with concern: Is KC not back yet? what happened?
YJ: we don't know what's the current situation for now.
OSM sudden starts to talk about his feelings after stabbing KC on the rooftop at the beginning, he had initially thought that KC was not a real human, so he felt no guilt even if he stabbed KC, since KC belonged to him (as a thing), he could dispose of KC as he wished. He never thought there would be retribution, and he would come here (manhwa world) and become like this...
4. Killing Method of Han Cheol-ho Different
OSM didn't kill HCH with a gun, he drew ropes and tied up HCH, before giving him a lethal injection.
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annyeong
September 24, 2016 at 4:08 AM
5. When YJ returned to the real
world, she went to the bus-stop many many times before finally meeting KC who returned to the Real World, not just the 2 times we see in the episode.
6. Difference in what KC told YJ about OSM's ending
When KC returns to the Real World, YJ asks: My dad, where is he?
KC, according to OSM's last wishes, told YJ that her father is currently convalescing in a mental health hospital, and KC visited him just before he came back (to the real world). He conveyed OSM's feelings that OSM didn't have the confidence to return to the Real World and face the others, so OSM decided to stay in the manhwa world forever. KC then passed YJ the letter and photo which OSM asked him to pass YJ, saying " This is a recent photograph of him" YJ felt reassured when she saw that her father was looking good in the photo and opened the letter. After which, YJ asked KC "Is everything really over?"
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yeonjooah
September 24, 2016 at 5:02 AM
I'm glad that unlike the script, the drama showed KC giving YJ the photo of OSM without saying anything/following OSM's wish. I understand that OSM wanted YJ to feel at least a little relieved in telling her he's alive in the webtoon world, but YJ deserved to know the truth. He's her father, after all.
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angieya
September 24, 2016 at 5:16 AM
Yeah I'm also glad about the change the production team made. How could our OTP have a happily ever after when they start their new life based on such a big fat lie? But after the writer's statement that she doesn't care about endings, I'm not surprised she went that route.
mary
September 24, 2016 at 6:43 AM
+1
And I'm also glad they let the manhwa world events flow normally instead of the:
- KC-YJ short convo
- Crazy Dog sees Chul dead in manhwa
- YJ is in ER
- Cut back to KC-YJ convo
Near the last eps, I was tired of them doing that cut to important event -> jump back to planning stage -> cut back to event consequences thing. At least they toned it down in the finale.
rlg07
September 24, 2016 at 1:32 PM
Yes, I really liked how it was ultimately handled. KC never did follow through on OSM's orders when he didn't believe in them, so why would he blatantly lie now? I felt like he walked the line between respecting OSM's request, and still letting YJ know the truth.
minyoungfan33
September 24, 2016 at 7:48 AM
+1 Thank you for this! I felt like the author still didn't really explain everything, but glad she released the scripts and made an effort to
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wackycashew
September 24, 2016 at 5:52 AM
Thanks for sharing all the details!!
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mary
September 24, 2016 at 6:44 AM
Yes, thanks for sharing the missing details (and thanks for posting the interview, awcoconuts!)
Though some parts of it make me mad, haha, at least I know more about how the writer thinks. I'm still waiting for her next drama though.
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Viki
September 25, 2016 at 4:09 AM
Thanks for sharing this :) I don't go to soompi at all haha
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 9:59 AM
On the soompi thread for "W" were I lurk sometimes, parts of the script are getting translated. I guess the parts that were changed in the drama.
I read that the kiss in the bathroom in episode 2, was supposed to be a proper kiss but for some reason the director - or I don't know who - changed it to that awkward kiss. If you think about it, it doesn't make sense for YJ to over-react like that, because she is being kissed by the man of her dreams.
Another change was when KC asked YJ to take off her robe (in ep 12). In the original script YJ hesitates and then shyly begins to take off her robe, and then KC gently laughs and stops her, and says that now he sees the "idiotic charm". They changed it in the drama. They should have left it because it makes YJ's level of trust in KC, and shows a bit of her old spark.
The other thing I read was that KC actually told YJ that her father was living peacefully in the "W" world. This change though I think was for the better with KC just showing her the picture and not saying anything, because YJ already knows.
I can only hope that with her next drama, this writer will be given complete control of her story and script, because of "W" success.
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halfmoon
September 24, 2016 at 11:06 AM
I think I still prefer the awkward kiss than a proper one, for the bathroom scene , episode 2.
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maryofbethany
September 25, 2016 at 6:34 PM
Hi, Worldiz, i unlurk to feed this:
this is translated by The dominjoonssi (one of those ever talented Beings that do translation work at Soompi).
here you goes:
*********************
The Bathrobe scene when KC crosses to the real world for the 2nd time
KC: I haven't seen your nude but he has, how can the feelings be the same if he has seen it and i haven't?
YJ: It's no use even if you see it, he said no matter how I strip, he still has no reaction after seeing.
KC: How can that be possible? I do know, KC may have said that but actually in his heart he liked it very much. I know that fellow's inner thoughts, you may see him standing there expressionless, but in reality he was quite moved. That's why he wanted to get married with you, curves are also very important!
YJ convinced by KC, intends to open her bathrobe....
KC: (burst out soft laughter) I was just joking...
YJ: You weren't serious?
KC: Not bad. Really quite idiotic... so this is the charm.
YJ: Seriously/Really... (after which, turns and walks into bathroom)
************
(hope there's still Worldiz fans around to read this)
was hoping there are more people translating and posting around. was busy wouldn't track.
oosp, i beta tell her i posted here.
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maryofbethany
September 25, 2016 at 6:44 PM
contrary to what some so said that they can't see chemistry between the Leads after the Memories wiped, or even worst, from beginning they can't see Chul's genuine feels for her... etc. etc.
well. i have said enough at soompi, don't think i want to write another essay here, since i am quite notorious for essay-posts.
just want to say, that act of YJ mentioned above, is meaningful on Song JJ's part to throw in, to show her sassy, and daring to give all kinda "special charm", as waht Sweet&Sour mentioned "old spark". Her bluntness and sassy, and willing to put aside her coy and reserve, just to get a message across. NICE! at least if she ever did, it didnt show her as been 'cheap and low-grade", its nothing 50 shades here, it actually, just something she is gamed to do, to bring back any memories he so damned rob of after wiped. i doubted even if she disrobed, she may go along play along for a Option4. maybe she just wear back her robe... jsut for the effect. remember in the prison, when Chul pressed her for a confession just before she gave in and disclosed W's a manhwa world? she grunted she preferred a nude show, which Chul smiled in response, that's doesnt work, you know.
i bet, if she disrobe truly, the present Chul may truly finally have a response, and quickly covered her back-up. But he will be truly touched the extend she is willing to go for him, just to bring back a feels.
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 10:09 AM
Quote:
(From the beginning I didn’t think it was transcendental and when [Chul] was reborn we recognized the existence of two worlds. Once we acknowledged there were two, this world became that world. In Nine, Park Sun-woo eventually died trapped, but in this case, the trappings were made by humans. After Kang Chul determined he was a predetermined being, he shot Oh Sung-moo. At that point, because he accepted [his discovery], [the W] world became a subordinate world. After he was reborn, once he determined that it was a world on equal terms, it became an equal world.
“The instant Kang Chul determined it was an equal world, the webtoon did not conclude. Because it was important for Kang Chul to believe this, he believed that until his death. Kang Chul came [into this world] because he willed himself to come.)
I like how it shows KC's strength and will, through free-will he became real. However am I to understand from this that by the end, the "W" world and the real world had merged? Because this is what this writer seems to be saying. If so, it explains why KC is well-dressed in the end and he has his own car already. This would also mean that Soo Hee and Do Yoon now exist in the real world, even if Soo Hee doesn't realize that her world shifted. This makes sense.
I also like the hope, KC and YJ may be sober (KC because of everything he's been through) and sad (YJ because of the loss of her father), but they will heal. YJ is lucky to have KC by her side, because he is type of man who is dependable and protective, and we know that he will take care of her as she grieves for her father. I actually wish they would make a 2 hour movie with sequences from that Puung book, to show YJ healing, and YJ/KC recovering from all the pain.
However what this writer said still doesn't change that the events of the last three episodes don't make a lot of sense. Sometimes the tablet has no control (not even SM could change the "the end" in ep 6 to "to be continued"), and yet sometimes the tablet has a lot of power (making the sequence into a dream for KC, bringing YJ back to life). This is an inconsistency, unless we are going to say that the tablet has more power is KC wills the tablet to have more power? So KC wanted YJ to live, and so she was brought back to life? KC wanted the reset to happen, so the reset could happen? Otherwise the tablet has no power?
Also by story logic, SM should've died by extension when KC shot the villain/SM in ep 13. I think maybe he did? and that is how he became a full cartoon character, who was eaten by the W world. I still see some plot holes in the last 2 to 3 eps, but I also realized that those were the eps the writer had the least control over.
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 10:22 AM
I hope that as this writer hones her skills, that her next work will be creative/thrilling/romantic, but simpler and clearer (when it comes to twists and logic).
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aliceka2000
September 27, 2016 at 9:19 AM
1. Only OSM and YJ can make changes to cartoon world through tablet.
2. In ep 6, KC has chosen his death and W has concluded at that point. KC lost his trust in OSM. The bond between creator and character has gone. That's why OSM cannot restart W anymore. It is villain who has followed KC to the real world refuses such ending, so villain restart W. Thus, the word "END" changes to "To be continued". After that, both OSM and YJ can technically make changes to cartoon world again but OSM was on the plane to New Zealand at that moment.
3. Tablet can make incredible/senseless changes to cartoon world. E.g. In ep10, made a shot at man's chest without the presence of gun. In ep 7, YJ has bring KC back to life through drawings. It is possible to bring YJ back to life in cartoon world (It seems OSM has drawn scenes showing YJ's pulse rate back to normal and then YJ is lying in bed. So developing from these clues, YJ can be brought back to life in W.)
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2 Nicole
September 24, 2016 at 3:13 AM
I don't really think she needed to apologize to HHJ. Coz, HHJ's acting was lack and have so many flaws.
Anyway, I really respect this writer for bringing a very new and fresh drama
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awer
September 24, 2016 at 4:47 AM
Ya i think shes afraid to tell hhj performance
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Nadia
September 24, 2016 at 7:08 AM
I think HHJ was not that bad. She was just not consistent. But hey, this is a drama of 16 eps, so she may be lacking at some scene, but she was good in others. I like her acting in teary kissing scene, or in noodle scene where she told KC that she never once got a recognition of her love and that her husband just disappear out of the blue....I cried at both scenes. But I agree that She was lacking when she was in ER crying. That crying didn't convince me either.
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nadia
September 24, 2016 at 7:58 AM
I agree that she was not consistent on acting at the whole 16 eps. There were the times that I cried for her acting (noodle scene when she told kc that she never once got a recognition of love and the teary kissing were the examples). But she did not convince me enough on the last crying scene in ER. That was...too bland. But overall I love her portraying Yeon Joo, beside I love the offscreen romance. That was my biggest shipping for dramas...I love LJS and HHJ. If they make a sequel please don't change the actors....Chaebalyo SJJ Chakkanim....
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nadia
September 24, 2016 at 8:00 AM
Whoops I am sorry...I made tqo similar comments. Mianhae....mianhae....
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nissa
September 24, 2016 at 3:54 PM
This scene reminds me of Queen In Hyun's man scene, episode 14, when YI begins to sob uncontrollably in her hospital bed, beating her chest right over her heart as she cries at the loss of JHW.
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Nadia
September 24, 2016 at 5:27 PM
Ya...ya....@Nissa. Now that you've mention it I remember. The leads, Ji Hyoon Woo and Yoo In Na also became offscreen couple for 2 years, rite? I hope LJS and HHJ will take the same path offscreen too, but this time it will last longer....ke..ke..ke..
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lemondoodle
September 24, 2016 at 8:01 AM
Sounds like she's taking the blame for her being lacking and awkward though.
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rlg07
September 24, 2016 at 1:35 PM
It's interesting how many people can watch the same thing and come away with a very different impression. I found HHJ's acting extremely on-point. I felt like she really fleshed out the character of OYJ and made her human and relatable and also incredibly sympathetic when awful stuff was happening to her. I didn't know anything about HHJ prior to seeing W, but I was really impressed.
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imbuk
September 25, 2016 at 12:28 AM
I felt the same way about Han hyo joo too!
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GretaC
September 25, 2016 at 3:18 PM
Agree. See also CozyBooks's blog where she talks about it far more eloquently than I can!
https://cozybooks.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/drama-rant-w-two-worlds-pt-14/
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Mint
September 25, 2016 at 4:54 PM
Totally agree with you rig. I watched her b4 in a couple of other dramas but this is the show that make an impression.
I love her comic timing. Love all those scences she had with crazy dog. Her emotional scenes work for me as well. I am even more captivated by her acting at times more than ljs. Especially like that scene on the hospital bed after kc return and they stare at each other. The expression in her eye says it all.
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\^0^/
October 12, 2016 at 11:14 PM
Yeah. You're correct. I found OYJ a very likeable character and her scene very moving throughout the drama. I think HHJ did well on her part and like the writer, I pity her since her character experiences a bittersweet ending.
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Hyo8rim
September 24, 2016 at 5:47 PM
HHJ may not be perfect and she obviously have flaws BUT I cannot think of anyone else to act as YJ.
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3 Saner
September 24, 2016 at 3:14 AM
Awww, she sounds really sweet and thoughtful. I'm one of those that loved W to the end, so I love that she mentioned writing stories that you yourself enjoy.
Can we still end her telepathic affection she she's in hiding? I never thought about the pressure of popularity.
Or, wait, I can just buy a tablet this weekend and...
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4 Malia
September 24, 2016 at 3:16 AM
Oh, I miss W, Kang Chul, Soo Bong and others.
Dear Writer, Please back soon with a new drama with a new theme and cast LJS again.
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5 Deragoth
September 24, 2016 at 3:17 AM
So can anyone translate what the original ending was suppose to be?
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6 Peyton
September 24, 2016 at 3:21 AM
Can you make W season 2? Please
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7 I Quit
September 24, 2016 at 3:23 AM
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Nana Premane
September 24, 2016 at 5:07 AM
True ! I agree over the romance ! this show was so good but I never really bought the YJ/KC romance, it happened too fast and always felt one-sided on YJ's part.
It went from KC trying to please her after their makeshift wedding and then he was madly in love to the point of leaving his whole world behind.
At this point I felt like the benefits of having two worlds were a little bit (really only a little ^^) lost if the hero was not torn over leaving his whole life behind (mostly his friends really) for a woman he couldn't remember spending time with. But I could totally believe in a very strong bond / friendship between the two.
Even though I do understand that with everything happening so quick it wasn't on his mind. He also had to worry about and catch the killer wrecking havoc litterally errwhere.
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 7:53 AM
I saw some comments on Naver saying in the script, there is barely any romance development. So they are kind of grateful to the cast for the best they can make out of the script.
I pasted a paragraph from LJS recent interview(on September 11). He also kinda addressed this problem.
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 7:54 AM
The interview was posted in the comment below.
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8 W could have been so much better
September 24, 2016 at 3:26 AM
First 7 eps were the best I had ever seen. But second half was much slower and less exciting ?
It's clear from this Song Jae-Jung has no clue about some things. How coukd she have so disregard for the ending?! No wonder the ending was as bad as it was. Such little closure and many plot devices and character developments left unfinished and unanswered ?
The corpse with the ring was nothing? You have got to be kidding me.
What happens to the manwha world and the characters in it like Doyoon and Sohee?
And to quote the finale recap:
Does the manhwa world just keep going infinitely, with no ties to the outside world? What made it possible for the manhwa to be the bridge between the two universes in the first place, if Dad really didn’t create that world himself? What gave Dad’s tablet magical portal abilities? Why didn’t we ever really explore the fact that Yeon-joo created Kang Chul first?
?
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shelly
September 24, 2016 at 3:45 AM
the answer to all those questions is: 42.
or variables.
quantum physics can make an argument on why everything happened, but it's still a drama and for dramas, suspension of disbelief is always the strongest argument for everything.
if we can accept that people can fall back in time, or commit numerous crimes and never get caught, or fall in love at first sight or not at all, that harems and reverse harems exist and make sense, that no one in any drama i watched actually behaves at work as normal people behave at work, etc... then why not everything/anything else?
dramas, stories, movies, all arts are ultimately a means for escapism. yes, they make us think and wonder and exercise imaginations, inspire social changes etc - but first and foremost, this century at least, they're about evading reality.
therefore, KC became a real boy because i said so, lol (and everyone else who did, obviously). i guess that's the gist of the making-sense game in dramas :D
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Lord Cobol
September 24, 2016 at 10:36 AM
So, a Douglas Adams fan? The answer to all the ultimate questions of two universes :)
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GretaC
September 25, 2016 at 3:19 PM
:)
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9 chimchim
September 24, 2016 at 3:26 AM
All I can think of is 'you don't care about the ending'?! And 'liberties'! You definitely took some 'liberties' just admit it with writing to the masses and in real time that this show had it's faults. Sigh, idk. It's 6 am here and I've seen snippets of this interview translated elsewhere and I lost confidence/trust/respect in her writing style and thought it was hypocritical of the story she told of lazy writers. But whatever it's a stressful job with sometimes little art to it so however she wants to justify herself I won't hold it against her too much.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:26 AM
Totally feel you, I thought that it would be a great article when I first clicked on it.
Didn't know I would need a cup of Coco this early in the day.
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Indigo
September 24, 2016 at 2:42 PM
@Asdf: Ditto.
Sad to realize that I gave this writer far more credit than she's due. She still generally delivers better dramas than the typical kdrama fare but, now that I know her writing philosophy, I won't bother investing too much in her dramas.
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canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:23 PM
Hmm, I read it more as she didn't care too much in the past but now she does tend to put more thought into it. She seems not to be too concerned about things being happy or sad and seems to just write until she gets to an end but not necessarily "THE END".
I feel like if she continues putting in the thought for a proper "THE END" then she'll get better and better, to be honest.
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celine
September 24, 2016 at 8:07 PM
My thoughts exactly. The irony between her words and the story she made about bad writing. Still, I think she is better than some writers out there, but having read her thoughts about her work, I realized I gave her way too much credit.
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hydesamagirl
October 12, 2016 at 10:11 AM
Yes, I feel the same way. She doesn't care about endings?! I wondered to myself if somehow something was lost in translation, because I don't really understand that.
She is still a cut above many. But I trusted her to give us a solid ending, and I say that it was merely passible. Most of the series was awesomely epic, but it petered out a bit.
I wanted few more happy scenes for closure. My sympathies to the webtoon readers. They were stuck with a horrible ending. Someone stated that webtoons don't end right away with the main characters death.
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10 michykdrama
September 24, 2016 at 3:33 AM
Wow! Thanks for this awcoconuts! :)
"What was the meaning of the corpse with a ring?"
“It was nothing. Viewers misunderstood for a long time.”
This totally made me LOL because we all thought we were being clever but actually it really meant nothing. Haha. And even when nothing came out of it we were still convinced otherwise. I bet the writer was completely horrified when all the guessing started from it. And she needed to clarify and squish the rumours. And tell us we were trying to be too smart for our own good!
It makes me wonder (as a extremely lousy literature student) if Shakespeare (or any of the other famous authors) really meant all the stuff we think they do. haha. I always did wonder this in school. which probably explained why I did so badly in the subject XD
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bips99
September 24, 2016 at 4:12 AM
Tell me about it ... i am remembering all the symbolisms and hidden meanings i found over the years in movies, dramas and books ... And to imagine the writer never meant any of them *face palm*
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 11:39 AM
lol, now I'm thinking about that too, and all those literature works that are given way too much thought. I guess many times the readers and/or viewers become too smart for their own good. I like that the corpse bit was just a red herring, like I had guessed.
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 11:51 AM
This also applies to the plot point of YJ drawing KC, and I notice many viewers giving it way too much importance, and even referring to YJ as KC's creator. When I never thought that, because it seemed pretty clear to me that YJ simply drew a picture of a boy/man she dreamed up, like many girls do (especially if they are into manga). She never gave her drawing life, therefore she is no creator. Like I said before, I noticed that this word was being thrown around way to easily and very inaccurately to describe both "SM" and "YJ", when both are not creators.
YJ is just a girl/woman with dreams, and SM is just a bad/lazy writer. The story came to life by itself when KC started to notice that the plot doesn't make sense and started to fight against the plot-line. Also SM should've realized that something was not right, when he couldn't use any fake places as settings for his story, from the beginning.
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 12:10 PM
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:29 AM
That would horrify me, I will limit this possibility to k-drama. The thought is just too depressing.
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angieya
September 24, 2016 at 4:45 AM
lol, I've always been super bad in interpreting and reading between the lines during literature class and would always go O_O when I saw what other classmates came up with. Now it consoles me to think that writers may have not meant anything. ?
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blnmom
September 24, 2016 at 11:54 AM
Me exactly. I vividly remember my English teacher asking us the symbolism of the whale blubber in Moby Dick. I didn't know, and I didn't care, and I didn't think Melville really meant some deep sociological point to come out of it. It was just whale blubber! So I LOVED this writer's answer to the question: it didn't mean anything. Yes!
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Nana Premane
September 24, 2016 at 5:15 AM
Lool totally wondered the same thing. I am pretty sure they don't consciently mean 50% of the hidden gems that come out.
Event though I do believe that writing is reflecting one's intellect and soul on paper when done with sincerity, so it wouldn't surprise me if all those ideas were actually in their subconscious mind all along if that makes sense.
That's actually the only explanation that don't make me feel cheated of hours and hours of Literature class XD
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rowanharper
September 24, 2016 at 5:16 AM
This is so true. People read more into things then the writter intended all of the time.
I remember in one basic literature class that I had, we had a creative writing assignment to write a sequel to a short story and read it before the class. The class then had the opportunity to critique our work. This one girl gave an annalysis of my writing that I hadn't intended but I just went with it because it sounded good. However, I think part of the fun of the written word is that it is malleable to the thoughts of the readers. :)
On a different note, I was a little disappointed that the writer did not have any driving internal logic in mind when writting and feels that protraying too much logical is old fashioned for this genre and disappointed that she didn't care about the ending. Also, because of the writing, it was hard to connect to the romance, which I think she realized.
Still loved W- I think maybe she would benefit from a good (constructive yet critical) co-writer.
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sweetsour
September 24, 2016 at 11:44 AM
I think this writer has strong potential, and I think that with this drama she has learned to improve her writing and learned how important an ending is (because it is what ties the whole story together, and leaves the strongest impression with the reader/viewer). It is just a shame, because "W" could've been a masterpiece from beginning to end. But even with its flaws, "W" remains my favorite k-drama.
I just hope that if this drama gets remade in the future, that the writer, will improve the second half of the drama, make the logic simpler and the twists less (so that the logic doesn't get lost), and give us more filler and KC/YJ character/relationship scenes, and give a lot of thought to the ending
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cozybooks
September 24, 2016 at 7:15 AM
There's actually a literary term "the writer is dead" which means once their work has been published or given for viewing, they have no control over how things are interpreted. Watching or reading a story becomes an interactive experience, each audience member bringing something new to the table. New pasts, emotions, values and ideas. (example: JRR Tolkien specifically said LOTR is not an allegory for WWII... but that doesn't mean a lot of people don't still interpret and find meaning in it that way).
In my opinion, that corpse in the drama is still fair game. The drama has been released, "the writer is dead" (please don't really die!) and we get to speculate to high heaven. ^^
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minyoungfan33
September 24, 2016 at 7:49 AM
Haha very well said :)
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Miky
September 24, 2016 at 9:20 AM
Might be the minority out there than belived it was indeed nothing and was just an unknown person without any importance that was a way for the plot in that scene to show Kang Chul was indeed not dead but to give a bit of suspense to it
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\^0^/
October 12, 2016 at 11:31 PM
For me it was also nothing. Actually I only knew now that many gave a different meaning to it.
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11 shelly
September 24, 2016 at 3:36 AM
how is OSM's death different in the script as compared to the drama disappearing scene?? did someone kill him? did KC??????
also, haha, she said
it’s more important to choose what to show visually [versus the context]
KC disagrees with that, lol. he's aaaaaall about context and why it doesn't make sense for the killer to he hunting him and his, for the changes around him, etc. must be a freudian slip.
gah, the corpse with the ring, it kept me so stressed out for a lot of episodes, especially after they faked KC's death when he was wearing a ring, too. i thought it was a clever plot detail meant to keep us wondering - it did, me.
it never hit me KC was thinking like an older person. what the... i am older than the chara, it might be that i could understand his thinking better, and if i were younger we'd disagree on understanding? that's a nice twist and i'm glad she made the point - but still i'm also glad they didn't age KC... i don't think LJS could look that young and pretend to be older.
also haha, i definitely concur on LJS looking like a manhwa character. can i pick his next manhwa adaptation for him? :D
the strangest thing is that the writer acknowledges it was initially - and toward the end, too - the AUTHOR's story. he was pretty important, yes, and the world(s) moved around him, but to me KC, YJ and even a few more people made a bigger impact (crazy dog, bong soo, even crazy dog's other underling, i forget his name.) was it the actor, did he underplay it, or was it the way he was written after all? i wonder.
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 8:18 AM
KC's attention to context made him realize his life is artificial, but I don't think he is really obsessed with context or logics, because as soon as he had doubts about his own existence, he was more than ready to accept that there were new rules to explain them all (like another dimension, aliens, or in this case he is in a manhwa).
Then I came to the conclusion: if KC had any doubts about the logics of the whole drama(the whole drama is his real life now), then sooner or later, he would realize he was in a drama world. Hahahahahha
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GretaC
September 25, 2016 at 3:59 AM
Nice one, Cipher! ...and then he emerges into the real world! And when WE realize that this "real world" is "but a dream," then...
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Peppa
October 12, 2016 at 11:42 PM
Crazy dog's underling's name is Seok Beom. Maybe he is really written like that. After all, he is a predertermined being like the others hahaha.
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12 neener
September 24, 2016 at 3:46 AM
Now I'm curious as how she ended the story. Hoping for a good soul somewhere who would translate the ending, just the ending. xD
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13 rei
September 24, 2016 at 3:53 AM
Writing is a writer's job but there's no guarantee that what the writer has written will be translated on to the screen.
Based on the "King of Dramas", there are people called Anthony Kim, there are things called PPL, and many other things that happen behind the scenes beyond the power of the writer...
Among Song Jae Jung's works, I enjoyed Queen Inhyun's Man (2012) and Nine Time Travels (2013). I've read from somewhere that Nine was her first work though it came after QIHM.
I have yet to read more on these two dramas' production bits so I do not know whether the scripts for both QIHM and Nine were completed prior to filming (the story is definite, the end is defined); whether these shows were almost or half preproduced (I might be remembering wrong that first 8 episodes were already shot when the show started airing? or the script for the first 8 episodes were already distributed to everyone involved in production for QIHM?) and the schedules merged in that as the show went on, it came to live-shooting around the last 4 episodes? (I need to go back to the forums for production bits.)
These two though are aired over at tvn, a cable channel unlike mainstream/more public channel like MBC as in the case of W.
Factoring in that this is 3-4 years ago, that the shows were not as "easily accessible" (for lack of better term) as opposed to W on MBC with more people reacting on SNS (aka "influencing" or "contributing" their input on how the plot should go), and that the script was already filmed beforehand (half preproduced?) as opposed live shooting *and yes, ratings*,
I wonder how the plot would have progressed if there were not as many factors influencing the writer's vision/ script.
Is it an issue about creativity or limitations to creativity?
Quality versus Quantity (ratings)?
Why do we choose only one? Can one co-exist with another?
There is much more to "bad writing", it seems.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:36 AM
Thanks for this info. Now it makes more sense that nine was first... It boggled me because I thought QIHM was higher in overall quality and story wise.
Also o think that cable channels give writers more creativity, they are expected to be different and wacky by default and I would expect that they would be under less pressure there.
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rei
September 25, 2016 at 4:42 AM
"In my heart I wanted her to be a brighter character, but as you write, sometimes you just follow the story. As you [write], you just continue down the path you’re on."
Yes. Follow the story... that the audience wants to watch.
Feedback and real time ratings affect a TV script. Unpopular character gets written off, acting/performance that do not get favorable response or annoys the audience gets less and less screentime.
The power of SNS...
"In W, I didn’t play for the minors but went for the general public, and I just barely pulled off writing for the mainstream.”
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14 Ren
September 24, 2016 at 4:03 AM
"I wasn’t greatly concerned about the ending. Whether it was happy or sad wasn’t important to me at all."
"I haven’t seen the last episode yet. To be honest, I didn’t see episodes 15 and 16 air."
"Around ten years ago, [portraying] realistic and scientific logic were important issues. Now I wonder if people aren’t a little tired of it...even if you don’t explain everything, the positive response is high."
...the awkward moment when you realise you cared and analysed W way more about than the writer did.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:37 AM
The heartbreaking moment, when you realize that reality is way different from your expectations.
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Lessa
September 24, 2016 at 5:01 AM
"…the awkward moment when you realise you cared and analysed W way more about than the writer did."
THIS.
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canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:29 PM
I did kind of agree with her on not explaining everything, though.
I know people were really racking their minds in those comments but for a lot of the things, I felt I had enough to go on from the writer to piece together things on my own. I guess the one big question is: How is the tablet connecting to the world of W? But for that I didn't need an explanation either. It's like a magic trick, you know? I feel like...if I got an explanation for that, the magic would be gone...
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15 kanz
September 24, 2016 at 4:09 AM
"and I just barely pulled off writing for the mainstream.”
If Song Jae Jung writernim just barely pulled off writing for mainstream, what makes the other writers then?
Anyway I want to hear explanations too from Empress Ki writers, Yongpal writer and other bad writers and most importantly Kim Eun Sook, since most of her dramas are hit that became Asian and even global phenomenon.
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16 Nermin Badwi
September 24, 2016 at 4:10 AM
I was excited, When I read the article's headline. But now I'm pulling my hair in the early morning,
1- you weren't concerned about the ending, Don't you realize that it what determines if it deserves / get rewatched. I dread the endings that ruined many good shows for me.
2- You wanted romantic scene but you couldn't write them, if you cannot then who can.. you are the writer for god sake.
3- Viewers has long passed the need for logic / laws in fantasy worlds or drama in general.
News Flash, NO we didn't.
Pulling more hair because of the numerous writers who probably think the same, thus ruining part of the fun of drama watching.
4- The corpse..ok, maybe we get a little obsessed with details.
Finally, I'm not bashing her. Her writing is one of the best and I love her work. I suppose I expected her to be more detail oriented and that should be concerned about the rules of each universe she creates.
Rant is over ... Running back to study ?
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fayyyy
September 24, 2016 at 4:12 AM
And she said when she writes the script she's thinking how to make it work so there's higher ratings? Really? :S
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:21 AM
I don't like it too, but as she explained that is the currency of Korean drama writers, the way by which their work / value is measured. So I understand that every time her drama get high ratings that would grant her more authority and control to prefect the next drama and would decrease the pressure from the podcast station and the production to change the plot just to get higher ratings. So I don't hold it against her.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:16 AM
Also kudos to her for releasing the script. ?? It is really thoughtful for her to have young writers on mind, a bonus for avid fans like ourselves.
I wish I could read Korean or maybe a kind soul would translate it.
Javabeans translate coffee Prince's novel eons ago, it would be awesome if Dramabeans would translate it. One dares to dream.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:46 AM
Thanks Awccocounnt for the translation, I was in a hurry to get the rant out of my system that I forgot to thank you.
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17 fayyyy
September 24, 2016 at 4:11 AM
I didn't like the parameters of this drama,honestly. Somehow when we draw x and y axis and we evaluate or compare everything in these two dimensions it makes sense..there is use of logic. But this writer kind of made it all convoluted. The twists and turns at some point on the drama did not seem credible to me anymore.
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 4:41 AM
I have a hard time imagining that establishing predetermined set of rules to guide your story is a difficult job. I know I'm no writer but how hard could to be, especially when you are that creative.
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fayyyy
September 24, 2016 at 7:37 AM
Pardon me but I'm having a hard time getting what you said there. :S
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MinaBoom
September 24, 2016 at 10:43 AM
On some level I agree with your comments, as I don't see it that hard to establish rules / bylaws that govern the fictional (fantasy) world you set to create. That logic would guide the story. Not necessarily the scientific logic we know in real life but more like, I can't really remember an example.
But I think in Gu Family Book, in the 1st eps his blood would heal wounds but suddenly in the last eps it suddenly become a one time thing. He healed the heroine wound once but couldn't do the same for her when she was fatally wounded. If that rule was established before hand that would be ok, but don't throw rules at us because you want the story to flow in a certain way. This way feel like writers are cheating choosing the easiest when they probably could direct the story to the same point using a more logical / creative device.
Let me know if you actually get it, I apologize in advance for the rant.
Not really sure if this would make sense.
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yukari
September 24, 2016 at 7:37 AM
I write story and even write for a play in the past. I find it easier to create a story when I already determine the characters and setting. It's like "ok, there's this place, what can happen here, how this character will react to it, how it will effect their surrounding as there's also rules and limit."
I read a book on how to make a good manga are characters design and set the rule. Even it's the first thing that will be discussed with the editor before move to the plot. So the story will still have some logic (even for fantasy) and not move randomly to nowhere.
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Nafiza
September 25, 2016 at 6:51 PM
As a writer, establishing parameters is invaluable to me. I mean, otherwise anything can happen without regard to logic. And I can't handle a story without logic. This drama started out very strong but it was precisely the lack of details, the lack of parameters, that lost me. Oh well.
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18 Excitable
September 24, 2016 at 4:38 AM
First of all, i thank you awecococunts for translating this for us!
Well, this going to be a long rant.
Firstly, concerning the actors..
I think something was wrong with me but i don't think this is Lee Jong Suk best performance (despite, finally getting the hype over his hotness). I find him lacking in terms of delivery which sometimes felt flat and too control maybe it is the character or something but i find myself thinking if the veteran actors will do it better. I'm not going to name names, but i personally can feel LJS struggling in this work and i cannot fully connect with Kang Chul.
(I hope, LJS fans don't throw rocks at me because i actually really like him it just i find him slightly lacking as Kang Chul although, undoubtedly he kills, some of the scene)
Concerning HHJ as Yeon Jeo. OYJ can actually become one of my most favourite heroine despite slightly rolling eyes on how happy she was in ep 7 but she is actively moving up to ep 11 and then everything to her character fall flat and passive, to the point of you are not able to connect at all. HHJ was at times performing (because i really do get her, Ie: teary kiss scene, any scene when Kang Chul do not remember her + the time at the jail) However, other scenes.. not so much. HHJ is inconsistent which left me frustrated as the viewer. (She is way better now than her Dong Yi days though)
Seeing how inconsistent she was, i can't stop thinking this is why she is sticking to movies. Movies are shorter, the script is done, more time to connect.
In short, i think the actors here is too green for the emotions the character needed. It is too complex. Plus. the writing on their characterization and the directing is not helping at all.
I'm a sad viewer who think W is really good but could have been much more better. I'm really hailing Song Jae jung as the best writer in KDrama so i expect so much of her but in W i realise putting too much hope is a no-no. She tries to outsmart too much that it left a lot of unsatisfying end to some issue, some never got any explanation. To add on, the director focus too much on the graphic and all, i personally, find it is an issue. You should absolutely focus on to convey and make the viewer understand what is that the writer trying to do.
W might be a too complex show in terms of execution. Despite all that, i love it to bits and pieces enough to find it something refreshing in KDrana despite some issues with it. Good job to all the people involve in the drama.
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Excitable
September 24, 2016 at 4:39 AM
PS, i saw the bts and special episode. Oh, what could it be with the chemistry off screen that is exploding with potential.
I need this two in a drama or movie together.
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rlg07
September 24, 2016 at 1:45 PM
I know, right? The further you get into it, the more chemistry there is off screen than in the actual show. I felt like they could have given five more minutes at the end to show some hint of KC and YJ recovering from all the trauma they've been through. I mean, I'm not complaining about kissing, but I just wanted to see them at the point where they're through some of the sadness, too. So I've mentally taken everything about the BTS scenes and stuck them at the end of the show in my mind--THAT is how it really ended, with them just like that.
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 6:30 PM
All the bts clips are like a 4 month long reality show, which would get really high rating if only they ever put it in a proper time slot. Seriously.
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Excitable
September 24, 2016 at 9:00 PM
I accidentally saw the bts for the photoshoot and then i cannot stop from watching their bts. It is kind of sad that due to the bts, you keep comparing real life chemistry and on screen chemistry... and find the on screen chemistry lacking which is really funny.
However, there are parts where you can see the chemistry like when they are separated. I believe them more during that period because man that was intense.
I think we can safely say the fast moving pace is killing a proper development of the romance and lack of characterization is not helping us to be more invested in them.
That is why, i need a drama with them together to fix this underutilize chemistry that they have. Maybe a best friend turns lover drama? I think that will work (well, screw age gap, both look youg LOL)
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observer
September 24, 2016 at 5:16 AM
I agree that it wasn't LJS's best performance ( IMO he was the best in Doctor Stranger) but I don't think that anyone else could pull this character better either , what I felt wrong about the characters weren't about acting most of the time but the character development through story just like as the romance which were fantastic off screen but writer & director couldn't bring it on screen, it seems they had focused on plot & twist instead of making the audiences sympathized with characters so I felt dis-attached to leads & I was following what will happen next...
I have many problem with what had been written for KC, some of them like as shooting OYJ & OSM got bold but there were many other examples that unlike what the writer thinks about KC as a superhuman, he wasn't in power position or the one who direct the stories & were passive more than being active & really the hero of manhwa.
I admire LJS's acting in this work & I find his new dimensions as an actor here but if I were him I don't accept to work with this writer for any other project unless I make sure that she has change her mind & is working on character's development.
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siesta
September 24, 2016 at 5:34 AM
i think LJS is a bit like us viewers-he understood the story and connected to KC in the beginning, that's why, imo, the first 6-7 eps of the drama were his best work so far (esp that monologue at the end of ep 5, he himself said that he felt the most satisfied by it).
when the reset happened, imo he still managed to differentiate the two versions of KC quite brilliantly. but then twist upon twist of twisty plot started, and most importantly, a lot of the emotional scenes that were necessary for character/relationship building were cut out of the story, most of the later eps were so plot driven and mostly built on exposition..i think that's when he started to lose that connection to KC and struggled, just like us viewers. idk if the cast were given the complete script at the beginning of if, like usual, the episode scripts were given out only hours/days before shooting
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Zoe
September 24, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Imagine you are the actor and reads the script before filming then get to set and the director re-writes lines/scenes/emotions. I think anyone would have a hard time . Also the 2 different personalities of KC do not make any sense. Losing his memories of YJ should have no influence on his personality. Everything in his world was the same. He was KC 1.0 till right after the shootings at tv studio. Then next day he was the KC2.0. The acting during the tv studio shooting was non emotional
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 12:40 PM
I think you misunderstood a lot with the personality thing here. KC2.0 is different because he did not meet crazy YJ and did not have his car frozen in time and did not get to know his true existence in a rushed shocking way. KC2.0 was the same person when he was released from the hospital. The different personality is the result of the events that happened after that! It is the experience that changed a person. I sinercely hope you would watch a second time.
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 1:02 PM
About the mass shooting in episode 9 and 10.
The following is from LJS's interview for High Cut September published in August. He mentioned that scene here.
High cut: What kind of person is Kang Chul in Lee Jong Suk’s mind?
A: Adult man. If a tougher actor did the role of Kang Chul, then he would be more masculine, but since I took up the role, Kang Chul looks younger than he is. Kang Chul can think fast and is composed and rational. Oh Yeon Joo suddenly slapped him and kissed him. Ordinary guys would respond like “What is that?” but for Kang Chul, “Why did you kiss me?”, he became curious first. Even In Episode 10, when the real murderer committed the mass shooting. The condition was messy, people should be shocked, I thought about how Kang Chul would immediately focus on how to deal with this, (instead of being shocked) so even if it is difficult following Kang Chul’s emotions, I am trying hard to.
Translation Credit: amyhsk.
What I love about LJS, is that he is a drama fanatic himself and he can always beat you to making a feedback.
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Zoe
September 24, 2016 at 1:48 PM
I think it's excellent the actor himself admitted to having a hard time with the character . Both main actors tried their best to keep up. That was my point above. The writer went one way and director/ editors went another. Also filming out of sequence does not help. From the basic observation on the reset . YJ just drew KC to a different point in time. She was orginal creator she gave him his personality traits. This was just a comic . Meeting someone does not change his orginal traits. My own pet peeve in last 3 episodes is that he had more unexplained clothing changes then necessary.
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19 Jham oquendo
September 24, 2016 at 4:58 AM
W two worlds is so far the best Kdrama I have ever watched. I WAS NOT ACTUALLY A FAN OF KDRAMAS, but when I happened to watch ep 1 with my friend (ongoing), I was really amazed by the content and also with the characters. And so I started watching kdramas eversince. Anyway, the story and the casting are so great! It was a jawdropping, fantastic not so stereotype story which just caught a lot of viewers. The writer and all the team involved especially the actors were really amazing. I think the ending was a bit open ended that's why we the viewers were looking for sequel. WE'RE BADLY HOPING FOR ANOTHER SEASON. There are still so many questions that need answera. WE WISH THE DIRECTOR AND WRITER CONSIDER FANS OPINIONS. We were grateful for you. We really love W. You all did hardwork. We're really looking forward to the future. Hope you grant our wish.
Btw, I'm one of the diehard fans from Philippines. GOD BLESS! :)
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20 PeepsLeAwesomePotato
September 24, 2016 at 5:05 AM
“It’s a big problem that I’ve been given such high ratings. I’m going to hide and not come out until everyone’s forgotten this success."
LOL! I truely understand that sentiment, I really do. Just look at the comments here, flabbergasted that she doesn't have answers to everything/ she didn't think through everything. She's only human and can only do so much. What was supposed to just be a throwaway titbit suddenly became the focus of 50 million people's investigation - something small became something huge, and they're all looking towards her for the answer that she doesn't have.
Her interview shed a lot of light on what kind of writer she is. I don't think that she's a narrative-driven writer, in that she doesn't decide plot A and then plot B and figures out some way to get there. She doesn't have everything figured out before she starts. She's a "flow"-writer, someone who just starts and see where that takes her, only with the vaguest and barest plot points/rules to guide her. You don't really see such people writing books, where the reader can flip back a few pages to recap what had happened and therefore think more. She's a total drama/movie scriptwriter, that's what she is. She's not a lazy writer in that sense. She just writes like Life. In life, you just continue on and what happens happens. Not everything has an answer and you don't know what the ending is like, as if there was ever such a specific thing . Her characters are multi-dimensional and not one-stock, like Oh MooSung's No-face and therefore, to me, she's not a lazy writer.
Of course she'll write for ratings, because that's what determines her income and what determines whether the viewer will continue to watch her show or not. But I never thought that she pandered to them.
And I understand what she means by the viewers not caring about logic, as in conservative logic. Nowadays, we're so exposed to sci-fi and talismans or whatever that we are very much more open minded and can accept a lot of out-of-the-world concepts, unlike in the past where we'd probably go like "that's bullshit. How can there be two worlds????" and refuse to even continue after getting stuck at that point. But now, we have knowledge (even if vague) about black holes, dark matter or anti matter and whatever concepts the space people come up with and realise that maybe we don't know everything. What I feel she neglects is that not everyone is that open minded. Many people need closure and some sort of understanding and she didn't provide that, which means that they end up not following her thoughts. In other words, she inadvertantly alienated that part of her viewers because she hurtles forward too fast.
I know that script writing has to be trendy and understand her hesitance to delve into anything remotely youth-like in case she fails at it but... maybe she could get some co-writers on for that paet of her stories? Because she shouldn't be running away.
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angieya
September 24, 2016 at 5:43 AM
Thanks for your take on the interview because honestly I was quite mad after reading it. It still doesn't make a lot sense to me that she doesn't care about the ending. I could understand such approach for character driven slice of life dramas but not for a drama like W which IS a narrative driven plot. Well at least now I know to be wary of the endings in her future projects right from the beginning and that the story can go off the rails any minute (and we thought it's just because of time constraints and live shooting).
And if Asianwiki is correct she had a co-writer for Nine and QIHM, having only seen QIHM I wonder if the romance part was mostly written by the co-writer. ?
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PeepsLeAwesomePotato
September 24, 2016 at 6:17 AM
To be honest, when I watch shows of her type, I don't care about the ending either. Because it's very obviously one that just... flows.
In that sense, I don't expect a complete book so much as being accompanied and led on a journey. For stories like that, the process is waaaaaaaaaay more important than the end.
In my opinion, W is not your conventional narrative. The goal of the characters is to just overcome odds and live as well as they want to. The real antagonist of the show actually was Fate/Life/whatever-magical-hoodoo throwing obstacles their way. It mirrors life and life itself IS about overcoming odds, again and again and again. You don't even know what obstacles will pop up. The only difference between W and our life is that W's Life is crazier, what with two worlds and everything.
But me being to accept that is just me, which is why I wrote that she inadvertently alienated some of her viewers because not everyone can accept that.
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yukari
September 24, 2016 at 7:20 AM
PD may take part in this too as he's the one who 'create' each scene, translating written word to motion.
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Bee
September 24, 2016 at 9:46 AM
Thank you for this. Your explanation of her intentions and goals was very necessary because the comments here are mainly people attacking her for "not caring."
To be honest, it's the plight of many artists and creators. They create something because they WANT TO and, yes, they may do it with an audience in mind but the majority of the time, they are creating something out of love for the idea that they gave birth to. So it's a shame that many viewers immediately go "I don't like this piece of art so it's automatically bad and everyone attached to it sucks."
Art, whether it's in writing or on a canvas or a screen, is interpretive and every person who comes in contact with it will have a different experience with it based on their personal experiences. For a viewer to immediately dismiss art as "completely terrible" just because they didn't personally like it is ignorant.
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canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:34 PM
This is good, Peeps.
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21 soapbox
September 24, 2016 at 5:05 AM
If W is her barely trying then I'd really love to see her try. Song Jaejung, I still support you, don't get discouraged and keep showing us more innovative ideas. You can mess up 100 times and I'll still look forward to your next work. Because here's the thing, I think she's really smart and even her messes are better than the average kdrama. Though her plots have flaws, her creativity might inspire others to build on those idea and maybe create something better from it. Like how she said she released her scripts for people who might want to "edit" it.
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22 Sancheezy
September 24, 2016 at 5:18 AM
I think me and her have the same mind about having two world, once you get that concept, it self explained imo..
and I feel like there's some missed things between the writer and the team when she said she hasn't watched the ending caused she may know that the ending will not happen as her expectation
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23 siesta
September 24, 2016 at 5:18 AM
Q: What was the meaning of the corpse with a ring?
“It was nothing. Viewers misunderstood for a long time.”
AKSJKSJHAJSH GIMME BACK MY HOURS OF PAIN!!1
idky but out of all things that part just pisses me off lol
i guess there will always be a part of the author in the characters- i can totally see parts of OSM in her, esp in her total disregard to the ending. wasn't that exactly what OSM did to KC? he basically tortured him to no end for profit without once thinking about the ending of his story
W is still a great story and a great drama, but it lacked heart esp towards the end, and i have to wonder whether it's the fault of the writer or director.. in this interview i get the sense that the writer only put romance in to get ratings and completely put it aside for plot, and come back to it whenever she remembered that there's supposed to be a loveline in there lol. i hope some kind soul would translate the entire scripts for us poor hangul-blind fans
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shelly
September 24, 2016 at 5:40 AM
scariest of all, she now wants to go away and hide for a while (and OSM disappeared completely.)
in the reverse, does that mean there could be a KC who already came in our world from a manhwa? :D
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24 GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 5:52 AM
I loved this interview, how honest, thoughtful, and diplomatic it was, and also how surprising!
First, just gotta say – in response to this: "I make the mistake of writing the type of drama I like because I think viewers will enjoy it too. I like fast dramas and ones that surprise you. It seems I’m not quite like the viewing public" – you most certainly ARE quite like THIS viewing public!!
Watching the show, I had really enjoyed the meta in this drama – the writing about a writer, and the embedded commentary on drama stories – and now I love the double meta in Song Jae Jung's interview, too – a writer commenting on writing about a writer!
Especially this whole thread in the interview: "When I write, I always struggle with whether the objects of my expression will be my tools or if they will have their own souls.” And then she goes on to show how, in fact, her characters and stories do have their own souls apart from what she, the writer, wants: “[In Nine] I felt apologetic towards the actor but I also felt apologetic towards the character. I went through a hard time too...and it took me a long time to overcome that. I felt a sense of responsibility, too. ...When Oh Sung-moo died, I was pained.”
More on how the story took on a life of its own, and meta on how the story affects real-life “characters” (the actors): "I felt bad because Han Hyo-joo sort of became *a victim of* the self-devouring ending” (and I loved that description of the ending!)
“I felt bad because they’re a couple, but to the woman it’s not a happy ending and to the man it is, and it *must have been* a painful situation. That was my mistake.”
But then, rather than a mistake, it seems she really had to follow rather than dictate where the story went: "In my heart I wanted her to be a brighter character, but as you write, sometimes you just follow the story ...you just continue down the path you’re on. I regret that the two leads had such challenging roles in the second half. I wanted to see them lovey-dovey, too.”
Again, speaking from inside the drama, she said, "The point was that, regardless of what readers [of the manhwa in her story] thought and the context, it was Kang Chul’s life” – but the meta speaks just as clearly to her role as writer outside of the drama – regardless of what *she* thought, it was KC's, and the story's, life.
I found it fascinating that she doesn't really think about the impact on the viewer as she is writing (e.g., about how the ending makes such a difference to us), despite feeling the pressure of writing toward the ratings. She has to care about the ratings, but regardless of what the viewers want, the story has its own life. Seems like a challenging balance between the artist creating the story that needs to be told, and the pragmatist having to make sure her work will be accepted so she can continue to tell more stories. I for one am happy she's telling us her stories!
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MikoDee
September 24, 2016 at 7:08 AM
I stand by everything you just said! Ithe IS a tough balance. She needs to know she won't be able to please everyone though, there will always be someone who doesn't like the way her story is being told. I personally like pre-produced dramas for that reason, the ability to tell your story with limited influence of the audience. I hope she finds peace about her work.
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GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 10:10 AM
Yes, maybe her hiding/retreat will bring her back with renewed confidence to "not care" what the viewers think. Can't wait for her next story!
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cozybooks
September 24, 2016 at 7:21 AM
"I found it fascinating that she doesn’t really think about the impact on the viewer as she is writing (e.g., about how the ending makes such a difference to us), despite feeling the pressure of writing toward the ratings. She has to care about the ratings, but regardless of what the viewers want, the story has its own life."
This. In my opinion, the ratings are why she doesn't care so much about actual audience reception. She said that "I’m a common viewer, too. I make the mistake of writing the type of drama I like because I think viewers will enjoy it too." I do the same thing: well, I'm a reader too. I like to read these kinds of things... so everyone else will to and that's what I'll write.
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cozybooks
September 24, 2016 at 7:24 AM
Sorry, just realized my comment didn't make sense because I didn't finish my though. I think because she wants the ratings she goes for the ending she would want (interesting that she didn't really care if it was happy or not...), thinking it will bring in ratings. And then realizes her tastes might be a bit different. ^^ Sorry if my above comment made no sense!
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 9:54 AM
No worries. I get you completely!
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GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 10:12 AM
Ditto: makes sense to me!
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25 wackycashew
September 24, 2016 at 5:54 AM
Thank you for bringing us this interview. It's always interesting to hear the writer's perspective. I did enjoy this series a lot even though the latter half slowed down... Great to know that she makes her scripts available so others can learn from them.
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26 Emmaline
September 24, 2016 at 5:56 AM
Its a disappointing ending.. Even kang chul and yeon joo looked awkward while telling us about their happily ever after. I liked the hero dying scene so much better.. Atleast it was true to the story,Not taking a short cut or whatever to get a happy ending which is sooo forced.. I cant even watch any other drama now.. It ruined k dramas for me..as of right now. I am waiting and hoping for k2 drama..to change everything as i know it!!
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cozybooks
September 24, 2016 at 7:30 AM
I actually just finished a 5 pt. review about that on my blog, you can read it here:
https://cozybooks.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/drama-rant-w-two-worlds-pt-54/
Sorry it's long, I had a lot to say. ^^ I liked the sad ending better, too.
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GretaC
September 25, 2016 at 3:23 PM
Just read all 5 parts of your review and really enjoyed it, Cozybooks! Thanks for sharing it here. You pointed out one really interesting thing about the ending that got me re-thinking it - and deciding I'm okay with an ambiguous ending...
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cozybooks
September 25, 2016 at 6:35 PM
Omo. Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed my review, the ending intrigues me especially (sorry it's so super long, but I'm overflowing with love for this show). I saw you'd posted another link to it here too, that makes me blush in happiness. Thanks!
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27 soapbox
September 24, 2016 at 6:45 AM
Also I didn't take it like she didn't care about W's ending, she tied up most the conflicts just fine to me. It just sounds like she doesn't care about a sad ending vs happy ending.
This time she put more thought into 'sad vs happy' because she was scolded in her past work and so now took into consideration how W viewers wanted a happy ending. So she gave it, but to her W's ending was neither sad nor happy, the characters just go on.
That's how I took it.
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canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:37 PM
Same for me. I'm kinda bewildered that people read that and came to a different conclusion.
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28 Aya
September 24, 2016 at 6:48 AM
I like Han Hyo Joo.. She was good in cold eye, but W really made me think she is not that great an actress. She seems not able to emote in many scenes.. her crying scenes, I guess she was using eyedrops most of the time. Is YJ really difficult to act? I can think of a few actresses who could have done it better
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 7:38 AM
I have my own disappointment with HHJ, mainly in episode 5 when she was in the taxi.
However, when I rewatched the show in HD quality(1080p) downloaded yesterday, it surprised me that she had tears in her eyes where I did not notice before.
Especially when she cried with her face covered with W vol. 34 cover. I could see tear drops that you would miss if you watch in a lower quality than 1080p.
These unnoticed tears happen a lot. I kind of want to blame it on the lighting but the lighting is so good and almost an art in itself in W. I don't wanna say anything bad about it.
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Lord Cobol
September 24, 2016 at 11:11 AM
Yes, hi-def helps a lot. I wish I could find more shows in 1080p
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29 MikoDee
September 24, 2016 at 7:03 AM
As a writer, my heart went out to her. What a revealing interview. I could get the sense that she blames herself for a lot that went wrong, but I actually am grateful that she shared this work. There is never going to be a perfect drama or novel written. If someone takes the time to really dissect even the best literary works, the flaws will stand out like l dirty underwear on a clothesline. That's just it though, a writer's work reveals both the strengths and weaknesses of its creator as evidenced in OSM's W. In short, I'd prefer to appreciate W for the Rollercoaster ride rather than not having had it at all. Cheers, writer-nim. I applaud you.
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30 yukari
September 24, 2016 at 7:04 AM
"....we’ve moved into an era where it’s more important to choose what to show visually [versus the context]. When I was writing Queen In-hyun’s Man, there were still many questions as to whether things made sense...."
THIS!
It describe current kdrama perfectly (and the reason why I back to jdorama)
The thing is she can do both in QIHM, it's beautiful visually and has great context. Among fantasy kdrama I've watched, Bong Do is the best male character (sorry KC, but he's way better than you). She made good romance in QIHM too, despite the fast pace their romance development is make sense (I don't buy KC-YJ's, but in this case the actors may take the part too).
So she get inspiration for W from painting?
After awhile wa
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yukari
September 24, 2016 at 7:12 AM
ups, accidentally touch submit button.
.....
after awhile watching W, somehow I get impression that this kdrama has the premise of Sophie's World (novel) in QIHM storyboard.
And reading her comment about public viewer and rating, I wonder how it will be if QIHM was broadcasted in the big 3 tv instead of cable?
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gpap
September 24, 2016 at 1:19 PM
~yukari,
I agree with you and your QIHM's views. I'm sure the writers need to follow the current trend: more visual, less sense. It seems that the local audience is not so preoccupied with plot holes as the rest of us, the international fans I mean. It probably makes sense, it's their TV after all and they prefer one fully relaxing hour than trying to find the message behind the words.
Bong Do was by far one of the most intelligent heroes but the romance was carried by the actors' RL love story and not the writer herself. Nine is an example of a good action thriller with minimum romance development, a clever hero and a finale that, besides so thought-provoking, it was possible exactly because the drama had been airing on tvN instead of the big-3. Nine was the writer's ultimate story and the execution was "in concept" as well.
In conclusion, I think not even QIHM would have been the same QIHM we knew and loved, had it been a big-3 drama.
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31 Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 7:10 AM
If anyone is interested, here is LJS's words on the emotional/romance development.
L’ officiel Hommes (LH) first congratulates you on successful completion of the drama W. Before W’s filming, I saw a report about you revealing your worries about the difficulty of this piece of work. However, it remained as number 1 in Wed-Thurs drama slot and obtained its success. In reality, what is the difficulty during filming?
LJS: Yes. The most confusing thing is the fast pace of development, it is hard physically but I am constantly troubled about whether I can explain the character’s emotional development adequately. From episode 11, I thought about, “What should Kang Chul who made everything into a dream be like?” At that time, the acting is really difficult. The first time Kang Chul realised he was a character inside a comic, I decided to show the way he poured everything inside out with his impassioned speech. The second time of his self realisation, I showed a bit of his rational side. I asked myself the question “What if I am Kang Chul?” non-stop, and that is the answer and the result. The emotional expression of the female lead in the drama was also difficult. Because a lot of the emotional development is omitted, I went through great troubles throughout the whole time on how the acting should be done, how the viewers would accept it.
Translation credit: amyhsk
Source: L'officiel Hommes Korea October 2016
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GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 10:15 AM
Cool! thanks for this
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shelly
September 24, 2016 at 10:59 AM
i liked the second part a lot - more for the action than for the romance, which wouldn't have made any sense, since only YJ remembered it. he had a second-hand romance with her, until he learned to like and maybe love her again.
i liked the way LJS acted as KC - not quite remote, but still not all that close to YJ, because he didn't actually know anything about her other than what he'd read. if he grew to love her again, it was a quiet love, not the fiery one they had in the first pass, when everything they'd say to each other strikes a match. (just imagine the bra versus gun scene again, through someone who saw it in a manhwa.)
KC 1.0 and KC 2.0 could not have been the same person, since the removal of all memories. LJS was really good into making that difference noticeable.
and let's not forget his attitude towards dad - first he shoots him, but after he pities him and even cries over him. he couldn't have been more different as a chara if he'd tried.
the pace was slower in the revival part because KC was thinking about his moves instead of just reacting. yeah so he wasn't all that moony-eyed over YJ out of the blue, but he was thinking, finally. that's about when the story went from saturn devouring his son to survival game.
the manhwa ending was beautiful but ruthless - i'm with crazy dog here, but it WAS a good ending - but their story goes on. i liked that final switch.
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32 eastwestmess
September 24, 2016 at 7:12 AM
I don't get it. She seems unconcerned about plot holes, yet the entire drama circled around how Oh Seung Moo was a bad writer, and that's how the the manhwa ended up being such a mess, with Kang Chul crossing over and no Face demanding a face, etc. This is so ironic.
I kind of wish I didn't read this interview. It's a bit heartbreaking that she thought viewers don't care about things making sense.
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mehungie
September 24, 2016 at 9:23 AM
The irony is just painful. If only there was a W tablet to enhance W to what it could have been. W managed to reveal the challenges of writing and sympathize with invested fans so well, but in the end it couldn't lift itself out of the very issues it depicted. That's only realistic though, right, not all problems can be solved? No wonder why it was so relatable and pulled us right in, hoping for a satisfying resolution. Just, the writer is only human, and there was no perfect answer.
I still love the show very much for its ability to stir up so much reaction and emotional and intellectual investment from all of us. The entire production crew did a great job turning a script of words into visually engaging live action. I wish I hadn't stuffed the effects of overhyped expectations watching it show. The 16 hours truly flew by, I enjoyed all of them, yet I keep wanting for some unwritten scenes that would tie things up better.
After all, the story ended, and even if we're not completely on board with the ending, like Professor Mad Dog, life still moves on for us. We can go hunt down the writer and express our frustration, like he did. Then we too should simply and quietly acknowledge the writer/character's struggle, leave her a handkerchief when she needs one, and go on our own way. With a W shaped whole in our soul.
Thank you DB for this article, maybe this was the closure that I needed.
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celine
September 24, 2016 at 8:18 PM
Indeed. Leaving something to the imagination and interpretation of the viewers is one thing and I have no qualms with that. However, throwing in all sorts of things in the story without really having the intention of addressing them and leaving it to the viewers is a completely different issue. Factor in the fact that the story of W was about a sloppy creator/writer. Oh the irony.
After watching the final episode, I could not pin point if the decline in the story were because of logistics alone or the writer had a hand in it. Now I know.
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33 MissUnicorn
September 24, 2016 at 7:14 AM
I'm so glad that someone (a writer in this case) spoke openly about ratings and its importance. It's the cruel reality. Many writers, PDs and actors continue to say politically answers during interviews, stating how they aren't affected by ratings. Not that i have anything against these statements. But we have to realise that realistically, ratings determine the actor/PD/writer's next project. Whether or not the project will be picked up; whether or not they will be picked for certain types of projects; how viewers view them etc.
I'm so glad that writer SJJ held this press conference. She didn't have to. But i'm glad that she did. Same with the release of the scripts. She really went out of her way and did all these. Shows her passion for her work.
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34 rasonic
September 24, 2016 at 7:15 AM
This was cool that she held a press conference to answer some questions. I think she's more apologetic than she needs to be. No writing is ever without its flaws, but I found W to be a great story to watch even with them. It kept me glued to the screen and anxiously waiting for Wednesday and Thursday to come. Thanks for that writer! Can't wait for your next drama!
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35 michykdrama
September 24, 2016 at 7:24 AM
Beanies! Since I figured most of you reading this would be W fans-
I compiled all the scenes in W that were found in the Puuung Illustration Book (that was featured in Episode 7) and put them up in my blog.
If you are missing KC and YJ you can check it out :)
Also, any help with the translations of the korean text would be greatly appreciated! :)
https://mydramalesslife.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/to-help-fill-the-w-shaped-hole-in-my-life/
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Karuna
September 24, 2016 at 8:24 AM
Thank you!
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GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Lovely!
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halfmoon
September 24, 2016 at 11:17 AM
That compilation was so nice , thank you !
I think there might have been other romantic things that KC intended to do but couldn't. For ex , after grocery shopping, he intended to cook pasta for her. Also at the grocery store, I wonder if he picked up some sort of pastry or dessert. The camera showed him picking up something and he stated that would do. I remember YJ selecting a scene in Puung's book about eating pastries.
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36 Karuna
September 24, 2016 at 7:37 AM
Enjoyed the interview and its honesty. Its really cool that she made scripts available.
I get the feeling she is imaginative and her plots have ideas and are open structured. I think that's what she meant by not terribly fussed about the ending. Life goes on, you can interrupt it at any point and declare OK storytelling ends here:)
There are constrictions one has to deal with in writing for TV which I think she is honest about.
I liked W a lot - I enjoyed its free wheeling nature and slap dashdness. I did want it to be about OYJ but that was not to be, quite clearly the red herring of OYJ creating the cartoon is in hindsight introduced to explain her investment in KC and enable her to do drawings where the plot required. The story is really OSM's and how stories are made and change (hence her observation on logic and fantasy?).
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37 cozybooks
September 24, 2016 at 7:41 AM
Hmm... I can see why a lot of people would be upset about the interview, because ouch--we did invest a lot into this drama. But I don't think that's wasted at all. ^^ Like @Peeps said, she's only human. And definitely more of a garden writer than an architect (writes as she goes vs. makes a blueprint first). Makes sense why she's not a super fan of the whole-pre-produced thing.
But I still think all of our investment wasn't wasted--I'm a big believer in "the writer is dead" philosophy, where the speculative rights (our right to speculate meaning and conjecture connections) don't end after the drama ends. Once it's out of the writer's hands, it's open for interpretation. Sounds like production did that with the ending, at least (Oh dear, I wonder how she feels about that). And I'm doing it with the production. So fun!
I think my favorite question was the one about foreshadowing--she's right that that scene had a lot of meaning. I'll have to watch it again and consider her interpretation.
I did laugh that now she just wants to hide for a few years. No! Don't do that! I want another drama by you! I did just finish a review of the whole drama on my blog, there's 5 parts (because I really, really like W). If you want to know more of my thoughts, it's there.
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Bee
September 24, 2016 at 9:52 AM
It's a bit of a disappointment that so many people read this interview and the only thing they got out of it was "she doesn't care."
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Cipher
September 24, 2016 at 10:22 AM
Me too. It's her work every day for months. Of course she cares.
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Brittany
September 24, 2016 at 10:28 AM
She does care...about the ratings. That's it.
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canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:45 PM
I doubt this. She clearly stated she writes the kind of show that she would like to watch but she also has to care about ratings and write for a more mainstream audience. She's not the only one getting affected and she even states how the ratings will affect the next drama airing afterwards.
It's not that she only cares about ratings, it's that she has to on top of everything else. Honestly, for any show, you really do have to take that into account.
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38 Bùi Quốc Khánh
September 24, 2016 at 8:02 AM
She don't answer any question I'm curious. So disappointed. I will never see her drama again if she keep that way.
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39 yayabean
September 24, 2016 at 8:11 AM
What?! ? Soo Woo dies?!
I'm barely on episode 16 of Nine!
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Bee
September 24, 2016 at 9:53 AM
Did you not see the spoiler warning for Nine in the opening paragraph?
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don'tknow
September 24, 2016 at 6:11 PM
What I get from her is as she writes she tends to lose control over her writing and become like us viewers. So that's why I'm still confess that SW didn't die in Nine even if she said so because what I got from the ending is not the same as what she got from it. Well, this is kind of interesting!
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40 aweebit
September 24, 2016 at 8:14 AM
I'm feeling good after reading the interview!!!
I guess I'm lucky that she basically confirmed the hypothesis that I came up with, which is Kang Chul became the editor of his own manwhathat when he decided not to jump off the bridge. What he decided, made the rules in that world and between the worlds, and altered things that happened. When he didn't want to be hit by a truck of Doom--he avoided it. When he decided he wanted to be done being in the manhwa --it was the last chapter. When the factors that forced him continue to be a protagonist in said manhwa were gone--it was over. He could leave and come back because he was the editor of his own life. (I don't know if the writer had this intent, but it has some nice symbolism for our own lives. We may not be the author of our circumstances but we can 'edit' how they affect us and the choices we make.) Why did Chul have that power? Again, I have my own theories, but most important for me just like the writer said, it's a FANTASY. We don't need elaborate rules and justifications. (Snow White was hunted by a wicked witch and lived with dwarves because there were witches and dwarves in that world. ) I feel strongly about this, and I'm glad she stuck up for it. This isn't World creation, it's storytelling. I think that fact gets lost in all of our over-analysis and critique sometimes.
I'm also glad she has learned to think about the audience's feeling though, and gave us a happy ending when I can see she might be just as satisfied with a sad one.
One more piece of satisfaction from the interview was that the dumb corpse with the ring was just a way to bring Yeon-joo's thoughts back to Chul like I originally thought until I was freaked out but everyone else freaking out! Ha! Next time I'm just going to relax and then get surprised in the end if some little red herring of a detail was meaningful. I'll be able to enjoy myself more in that way.
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GretaC
September 24, 2016 at 10:25 AM
Like your "editor of his own life" interpretation.
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41 divyrus
September 24, 2016 at 9:09 AM
Lol, I should have known when title said looking for answers from writer. We are still looking for answers.
Write Song Jae Jung - I still love you, I wanted to live in your brain. Some parts of the drama blew my mind in best way possible - it gave me such a high and even with its flaws, whatever they are I still believe it to be one of the bests drama of this year.
But,
I could see the struggle you went through and on how you feel sorry for the choices you made in the story. Still am disappointed in knowing that we had asked questions for which there are no answers and for which there were ever answers. You are a great storyteller, I hope you can be a good world builder too.
Please do not go into hiding for so long. I will be waiting here patiently for your next drama!!
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42 Bee
September 24, 2016 at 10:14 AM
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Not so much as a W fan (because I stopped watching around episode 5-6) but as a writer myself. She brought up many good points that a lot of creatives face, especially in this day and age.
A lot of people called OSM a 'bad writer' but if you look at it from a new perspective, there's more depth here that not a lot of people seemed to pick up on. He is a creative and he pushed his creation out into the world because he loved it but perhaps he never expected it to get as popular as it did (develop a life of its own.) And maybe over the years, his feelings for it waned but whenever he tried to end it, he had no choice but to keep drawing it (fan demand.) As time passed, he grew to hate and resent what he created, partially because he couldn't stop when he wanted to (think JK Rowling and the "8th book" that, according to fans, failed to live up to expectations) and partially because the story he started out with had changed considerably since his original vision because of all the times he was forced to keep moving on with it.
He's not a 'bad writer' inasmuch as he is a victim of his own work's popularity. Think of how the writers of Descendants of the Sun or Moonlight Drawn By Clouds must feel when their work gained such an immense amount of popularity so quickly. In Moonlight Drawn By Cloud's case, I'm certain the pressure is even more intense because it wasn't /instantly a success. To be honest, I'm reminded of the recent drama Wanted, and how there was always that morality divide among the team with one side ready to push boundaries and add shock value for the sake of hitting that ratings goal and the other side constantly trying to remind each other of the original purpose/goal of their show. Besides, think of how many dramas out there whose stories, pacing and tone changed dramatically as producers focused more on what they thought would get ratings (Cheese In The Trap comes to mind.)
But bringing this back to this interview, I'm glad that she spoke up on many of the topics that she did. A drama his a machine with multiple parts. She is just one of those parts. There are actors, good and bad, that she must rely on. There's a director she must partner with. There's a broadcast station she must please. Viewers may have mixed feelings about the show but they must take into account that isn't and shouldn't be the sole victim of blame.
I'm also really pleased that she made her scripts available as learning material. That's something we hardly ever get to see. Creatives tend to keep their process under lock and key, so such openness is rare and I'd love to get my hands on even a Korean version, not so much as a fan looking for answers but as a creative seeking to connect in some way with another creative.
This interview has a lot of gold in it and I'm thankful she shared her thoughts.
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mehungie
September 25, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Thank you for this perspective! I love the "8th book" comparison. I still haven't read it because I was content with the story ending with book 7.
I think OSM being a "bad writer" more or less started with how he made his characters single purpose without much depth to them. This was done on the very first page of the manhwa as part of the character introduction, so it's not like it's something that got introduced after he already got sick of the story. I could be mistaken there, since No-Face was also part of that intro but he didn't come up till later when OSM had his own family torn apart.
Your point is valid though. Most of the other lazy writing, like killing Chul's family for no reason, and numerous attempts at killing Chul, Truck of Doom included, can be fairly attributed to OSM's desperation to end the story.
I'm no writer, but I'd love to read the script too if I had a chance, I'm curious to see the transformation from words to scenes. Props to the W drama machine, I thoroughly enjoyed the series, even though I wish it didn't end that way.
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43 Brittany
September 24, 2016 at 10:26 AM
"Now that we’re in an age of fantasy, even if you don’t tell [viewers] explicitly, [they] know. [Writers] don’t have to describe stuff like talismans; [viewers] understand and move along. I realized [a world like] W was already in [viewers’] heads. Fantasy is at that level now. Even if you don’t explain everything, the positive response is high."
A world is already in the viewers heads so we don't need answers? What? Come again? Why doesn't she just say "The ratings were high enough that I didn't feel the need to explain stuff. People will continue to watch anyway". I have lost a little bit of respect for her. Her answers in this interview are disappointing.
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44 Lord Cobol
September 24, 2016 at 12:41 PM
No matter what the writer says, for me the center of the show will always be the scene in ep 1 when KC reaches out and pulls Yeon-joo into the story world. Any good story ought to be able to (figuratively) pull you in -- that's kind-of the definition of a good story -- but W is the first time I've seen anyone do it quite so literally.
In Shopping King Louie comments I bitched about things that drive me into dropping shows in the first episode. The opposite of that is pulling me in, literally if you have to. Show me something so good in the first hour that it persuades me that they know what they're doing and will have more can't-miss goodies later. Don't spend the whole episode on build-up without showing something worth building up to.
Faith did that with Choi Young's visit to "Heaven". Master's Sun did it when Tae Kong-Sil channeled the old lady's spirit to tell off her gambing son. Bring It On Ghost did it with Kim So-hyun. And W, well literally.
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45 blnmom
September 24, 2016 at 2:31 PM
She wrote an interesting and entertaining drama, which produced decent ratings. Not an easy task at all. Kudos to her.
Sometimes I wonder if there had been the internet and comments and ratings when the Grimm brothers were writing, how would the fairy tales have turned out.
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46 canxi
September 24, 2016 at 3:48 PM
I liked this interview. I see what kind of writer/person she is.
And most of all I see her potential to become better in the future.
Now that she is not a co-writer anymore, there are a lot of things she has to think about in drama and out. I felt like that kind of thoughtfulness and confusion and kind of fish-out-of-water mentality was conveyed here. I also like how she does look at reactions of viewers and uses it to try and create better content. She is not without her flaws but that's natural.
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47 Brave heart
September 24, 2016 at 6:32 PM
I don't get it why people's on this sites never add The three musketeers to include her work, why you don't give the credit, while The three musketeers is her best work for me!
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bil
September 24, 2016 at 8:58 PM
She writes the three musketeers? How come i didn't know! This is one of my favourite saeguk drama.
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48 h0n
September 24, 2016 at 6:33 PM
Ahhh.. She is s kind.. writer-nim, I'd like to see her give this kind of explanation about Nine.. I still confused about the ending T.T
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49 annyeong
September 24, 2016 at 7:38 PM
Seeing her put it like this, I can't help but see the similarities in theme along with the classic movie "The Truman Show."
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50 Barbrey
September 24, 2016 at 9:02 PM
The only reason people wondered about the ring was because they had overestimated the quality of the writing. I'm not being personally defensive - I didn't jump to any conclusions on the dead man and the ring - but the fact remains that YJ says it can't be KC because he's wearing a ring, and then a ring shows up to figure prominently in the drama. That's just pure sloppiness if it wasn't supposed to mean something.
As for the comments about not caring about the ending ... just WTF?
I wish I had read an abridged version of this interview before I started watching this tiresome drama. W: a story that's all about visuals, not logic, with an overly emotional heroine, a storyline that doesn't make sense, and an ending the writer couldn't care less about.
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