“That was such a sad love story” was exactly what I exclaimed after watching Hymn of Death on Netflix. The special drama that actors Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun brought to life touches on the sad realities of being obligated to sacrifice one’s own happiness.
People tend to avoid tragic stories as much as they can. Perhaps, because we don’t want to be reminded of the sad realities in life.

Hymn of Death presented the story of a man and a woman who have been living to please and make sacrifices for their families when their utmost wishes are simple joys they can easily obtain on their own.

Although it is a quick drama watch, it challenged me to formulate the takeaways from Sim Deok and Woo Jin. Their story might not appeal to a general public owing to how it touches themes of alienation, depression, disobedience to parents and even forbidden affair. So, I flipped the other side to make the lessons from Hymn of Death to be more relatable and understandable.
Of course the situation of the lovers in the special drama would not fit in the modern broad-minded thinking of today’s generation. But the striking heartbreaking end of their story would shock people who will hear it even in years to come.

Not owing anyone an apology if you can’t please them because you want to live a life that is entirely your own, is the lingering impression I got from Hymn of Death. Celebrating life and finding your purpose does not need to be grand, because often times, what makes us happy are simple things and quiet solace.

I would not recommend how the main leads ultimately resolve the conflict set by the fictional world which drowned them. However, I understand the weight of emotions bottled up inside them which led to the sad closure.

Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun scored palpable portrayals which made the drama even more affecting. The emotional yet not exaggerated weep frames they both displayed were exceptional.

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It may seem like a typical RomCom drama but it's beyond that. I never expected anything from this drama but it gave me unexpected things. It's imperfections makes it perfect. Every moment was touching from Hae Young's struggle to gain her individuality, Do Kyung's regret of the mistake they made which made him care for Hae Young, Hae Young's ever supportive parents (which in the beginning didn't know of Hae Young's real situation), every character's own struggles, to every relationship made in the drama. I love how the two Hae Youngs affected the whole plot. It's not titled Another Oh Hae Young for nothing. The characters have their own personality, the differences which made them build bonds. Although at some point, the other characters seemed to be confused by the relationship between the two Hae Youngs, Do Kyung, and Han Tae Jin that the one who knows have to explain what's really happening and that's all because of the two Oh Hae Youngs. Lol. Anw, it's a roller coaster of emotions. One time, I'm laughing, the second time, I'm crying. There are also times that I'm both happy and sad. That's how it pierced through my heart. The female lead's crying moments are one of the best things about the drama.

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No matter which era you live in, life is an agony. There’s no such thing as perfect world. Every era has its own problems and things you’d want to resist. We resist, struggle, fight, and win. That’s how we shape the world we live in. Thanks to the youth you guys sacrificed, we can live in a world like this now. Pass this message along to the youth of the time: You fought hard. And I thank them for creating this world for us. (Han Se Joo – Chicago Typewriters)

Doesn’t Han Se Joo’s speech sound like one of Yoo Ah In’s statements in his SNS? I would buy it if they said he was the one who wrote these particular lines. I’m sure this is yet another reason why he picked Chicago Typewriter for his final project before enlistment.

As the story goes towards the end and each character tries to recall their past life, Chicago Typewriter‘s 1930s scenes take center in most part of the episodes. The 1930s classic story of the struggle of young independence fighters is done perfectly. There’s a hinge of sorrow and joy, there’s a hint of hope and desperation. And there’s Carpe Diem– seize the day. The scenes make a lot of viewers curious and digging more into the history of Korean independence as well.

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