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My Picasa edit
Yoon Ah Jung as Choi Yoo Ra and Lee Yu Ri as Seol Yeon Hwa |
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Even though Choi Yoo R was an absolutely evil villain who repeatedly harmed and deceived people, including her own family, I couldn't completely despise her in the end. At first I hated her because she reminded me of most evil bitches on TV, but in the final episodes my opinion changed. Yoo Ra went completely insane in the end and kidnapped Yeon Hwa's son. For a sad, fleeting moment Yoo Ra experienced being a mother to Ha Yoon Jae's child. This is when Yoo Ra's humanity started to show. She had the chance, once again, to turn herself in and accept punishment, but she chose to run and avoid it.
When she confronted Seol Yeon Hwa on the beach and left her for dead, again attempting to avoid blame and punishment, that's when I confirmed what I had suspected throughout the drama, Yoo Ra is mentally unstable and will not stop until she is locked away in a correctional facility. During the trial all eyes were on Yoo Ra as she was given one final chance to show remorse for her murder, attempted murders, framing of crimes onto the innocent, deceit of all those around her, and kidnapping. As predicted, though, she refused to acknowledge her guilt or accept the consequences.
Once in prison, Yoo Ra faced the same bullying and wish for death as Yeon Hwa had. Living in the hell of her own creation, Yoo Ra began to realize that she was the cause of the trouble and misery in the lives of the people around her. I don't think she fully acknowledged her fault up to the point that was shown in the conclusion of the drama, but her final line "mianhada, Seol Yeon Hwa" reveals a glimmer of self reflection.
Deep within this over-the-top jealous step sister is, unfortunately, a demon that we all fall victim to at times. As imperfect humans, we all feel envious, embarrassed, and unapologetic. What separates a normal person from Yoo Ra, though, is that we eventually feel shame or guilt. Yoo Ra was so convinced that she deserved wealth, love and happiness that she lost her ability to feel remorse and she began to believe her own lies as truth.
I am by no means attempting to justify Yoo Ra's, or any other crazy person's crimes, or the unprovoked hatred she fostered. I am simply think her character is twisted, complicated, and interesting. She repeatedly stated that she would go all the way to the end with her deception, and she really did take herself to the boundary of morality and threw herself over the cliff into the abyss of evil. How can one person cause so much misery? Well, it seems like a daunting task, but at least she was captured before inciting wide-spread racial cleansing (ahem... Hitler).
The actress playing Choi Yoo Ra is so pretty and cute that is makes the whole premise that much more unsettling. Her outer facade was that of a pampered princess, and she fooled everyone around her until there was a mountain of proof to solidify her guilt. Masked beneath a spunky bob haircut and lady-like makeup and clothes lived a unrelentingly deceptive demon. As Yoon Jae accurately stated, "I lived with the devil."
Overall, I believe that Ice Adonis is an impeccable drama. The idea of watching 108 episodes may be off-putting, but it is well-worth the effort. The first 60 episodes were almost torture to watch as Yeon Hwa was beaten down by Yoo Ra unmercifully, but when Yeon Hwa rises up and begins her revenge, it is amazingly gratifying. I love Yeon Hwa. She is strong, smart, and never let her loss hold her back. Most other Korean drama heroines wouldn't have been able to handle the assault that Yoo Ra made on her life, but Yeon Hwa came back and spoke the truth until everyone listened. She never allowed her love to make her ill and solemn, she used it to gain energy. Most importantly, she never became Yoo Ra during the process of vengeance. She laid out the truth and allowed the villains to destroy themselves. In the end as Yeon Hwa smiled and was able to live with her son, she wrote to Yoo Ra and let her know that she is still alive and not alone. Her kindness finally pierced through Yoo Ra's stone heart, and Yoo Ra apologized towards the sunlight, the only thing the sisters could share.
