K-Drama Flashback: ‘Autumn in My Heart’
The idea of pain is crucial and embodied in the series, where sadness, resentment, or despair from suffering builds up over time in the heart
'Autumn in My Heart,' is a tearjerker. That, however, is the essence of this K-drama. In frame, the iconic ending scene. Photo courtesy of KBS
This one is deep; intense, and a soul-crushing classic K-drama that will make you sad while also making you want to watch it again and again as if there is some sort of satisfaction in suffering; in taking in the tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers and their unfulfilled love. Autumn in My Heart (also known as Autumn Fairy Tale) makes my heart ache. It feels quite real to experience the follies, frailties, failures, and shattered dreams, and you grieve because the characters are so sickeningly authentic. The lines “the world is so unfair” and “people are so cruel” don’t just make you upset; they rip a hole in your heart, fill it with profound sadness, and amplify the sentiments a lot more.
Even so, Autumn in My Heart is pretty damn good; it is a vivid portrayal of experiencing pain in love and something so beautiful but rather true that I read about in a book called The Book of Unholy Mischief, wherein author Elle Newmark writes, “Unrequited love does not die; it’s only beaten down to a secret place where it hides, curled and wounded,” and I believe that secret place happens to be your heart.
Widely recognized as a trailblazer in Korean melodramatic series, this television drama from 2000 stars Song Seung-heon, Song Hye-kyo, and Won Bin. It is the first chapter of the season-themed drama series Endless Love, helmed by Yoon Seok-ho, emphasizing strong emotional appeal over characterization. I dig how it blends themes of emotional upheavals, failed romances, strained familial ties, disease, physical hardship, and bereavement in perfect harmony with the protagonists, who endure enormous social obligations and challenges with fortitude.
The plot opens with Jun Seo dropping the name cards on the two babies’ cribs in the hospital’s maternity ward, unintentionally switching his sister and another baby. The story then jumps ahead to the girls growing up in the same hamlet. Eun Seo (Song Hye-kyo) is one of them and has a decent family life. Shin Ae (Han Chae-Young), on the other hand, is impoverished and was raised by a single father. One day, after Eun Seo receives a blood transfusion as a result of an accident, it is discovered that she and Shin Ae got swapped at birth. The girls are then returned to their original homes.
Years later, Eun Seo and Shin Ae cross paths at a hotel. Shin Ae is now a hotel manager, while Eun Seo is now a telephone receptionist. Meanwhile, Jun Seo (now played by Song Seung-Heon) has evolved into a successful artist. A chance encounter with his friend’s girlfriend reveals Eun Seo to be his long-lost sister. As the threads of various relationships begin to unravel, the siblings fall in love.
Song Hye-kyo as Eun Seo stands out in the story thanks to her innate acting skills, making it hard to take your eyes off her. Her perfect portrayals of gloom and suffering, both in terms of her predicament and her growing bond with Jun Seo, serve as a testament to her exceptional performance. She was only 18 when she played this character, and it laid the groundwork for subsequent stirring acts that rocketed her to become one of Asia’s most well-known Korean actors. Likewise, Song Seun-heon emerges as a pro at handling the many plot components. He deftly exploits feelings and incorporates a unique aspect of himself into the drama as his character, Jun Seo.
The idea of pain is crucial in Autumn in My Heart. It is embodied in the ingrained emotion of sadness, resentment, or despair that results from suffering and builds up over time in the heart without being voiced. The epilogue, in my opinion, brings this to light in the greatest possible way. Eun Seo accepts Jun Seo’s marriage proposal, and after their union, she passes away. On the beach, where they celebrated her birthday as teenagers, he carries her around. Before Eun Seo passes away, she urges him to continue living, which transports him to a fleeting memory of the past and the excruciating agony of the present. Something that leaves him bewildered and traumatized, and at this point, he gets hit by a truck in the same spot as Eun Seo’s accident during her adolescence, signaling the conclusion of the drama.
Autumn in My Heart is indeed a tearjerker. That, however, is the essence of this K-drama. I’d say the sad part is the best part because Jun Seo gets to love Eun Seo for a brief moment. But the depth of your love for someone is unrelated to the length of time you have been with the person.
