(no subject)

[skygiants]

The most adorable Korean drama I have seen lately is Avengers Social Club, a twelve-episode show in which three middle-aged women from different walks of life team up to GET REVENGE!



....they're honestly not very good at it but, you know, they try their best, and do eventually succeed in destroying some assholes, and anyway it turns out that maybe the real revenge was the friends we made along the way.



Our heroines are:



Hong Do-Hee, a struggling-but-feisty widow who sells fish at the marketplace and whose two plucky children are being threatened by a school bully (minor villain) and the serially sexually harassing school principal (MAJOR VILLAIN, DESTROY); instantly adopted by her fellow revengers as the world's absolute best human, they're stealing her forever, no takebacks.



Lee Mi-Sook, a perfect housewife whose family Harbors Secrets, not least the fact that her politically-ambitious husband is abusive; initially on team "ok revenge but like soft revenge, gently-make-them-see-the-errors-of-their-ways revenge!" but eventually comes round to "how about we make them see the errors of their ways in prison, that's fine, that's a soft aesthetic I can live with!"



Kim Jung-hye, founder and most committed member of revenge club and READY TO SALT AND BURN; the daughter of a very wealthy family with a weird-ass sense of humor, an even weirder fashion sense, and absolutely zero skills in human communication, as one may gather from the fact that she thinks a good way to make friends is to approach random strangers and invite them to join a revenge club. Decides on her REVENGE PATH when her terrible arranged-marriage husband suddenly brings home his surprise illegitimate son with no warning and informs her that this brand-new teenager is going to live with them now! enjoy being a mom!



Lee Soo-gyum, ancillary revenge club member and token male main character, the illegitimate son in question, who in fact ALSO wants revenge because abandoning a child for most of his life is not a great way to earn his love and respect! I don't care as much about Soo-gyum in and of himself but I care A LOT about his dynamic with Jung-hye, which starts out understandably awkward but by episode six or so mostly involves both of them taking turns attempting to fling themselves in between the other and the Oncoming Force of Their Terrible Family, a la this classic comic:



"I'm sure this will be emotionally difficult for you, I'll handle it." "No no you are a teenager and should not have to deal with an angry adult, YOU leave, I'LL handle it." IT'S ADORABLE.

Speaking of gender dynamics, the show has just two token romances. One is between Do-hee and a very cute carpenter who has about ten minutes of screentime total, and essentially just serves as her narrative reward for being amazing. The other is theoretically between Soo-gyum and Mi-sook's quietly furious daughter Seo-yeon, but it's hard to call it a romance since it mostly just consists of Soo-gyum shouting "BE NICE TO YOUR MOM, YOUR MOM IS GREAT!" at Seo-yeon every time they meet in school.

I should mention I'm very fond of Seo-yeon, who wears a boy's uniform, does not ever show any outward sign of gender conformance, and spends most of her screentime attempting to drown her anger at her parents in grunge rock.



Speaking of queer haircuts, a shout-out to my favorite side demi-villain, Jung-hye's ambitious half-sister:



She's definitely a pretty terrible sister and my reasons for wanting her on the screen all the time were extremely shallow ones, but THERE IT IS.

That said, while our Avenging Heroes face both male and female antagonists throughout, by the end, the men face their comeuppance while the women mostly get recruited (more or less forcefully) into becoming reluctant allies: a thesis statement of which I approve, in a show that is very much invested in alliances between women and the way that men underestimate them.

...honestly I could have done with a little more revenge, but that's a relatively minor quibble for a show that charmed me overall as much as this did. And it ended so well! FREEDOM AND FRIENDSHIP FOR EVERYONE except for certain teenagers who gotta get back to studying, revenge club is unfortunately somewhat distracting when you're trying to ace your exams!

Comments

[sovay]

the men face their comeuppance while the women mostly get recruited (more or less forcefully) into becoming reluctant allies

That sounds charming.

Do the characters not get revenge on someone you thought deserved it, or just not on that many people objectively?

[skygiants]

Mostly it just takes them a while to get around to actually getting revenge -- like, there's The Gang Getting Together, and then they spend about probably just a few more episodes than necessary sort of fumbling around trying to determine how hardcore they're going to go before they really get down to business. But the ending revenges are very satisfactory revenges!

[genarti]

Everything you have told me about this makes it sound deeply charming, and the pictures DEFINITELY INCREASE THAT EFFECT. :DDD

[skygiants]

THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE. Look at them getting drunk and plotting destruction!

[meganbmoore]

This was easily one of my favorite kdramas from last year.

[genarti]

AWWWWWWW.

[thistleingrey]

Whenever I finally figure out how to read again, and then how to watch tv again, this is the first show I intend to return to.

[shati]

weird-ass sense of humor, an even weirder fashion sense, and absolutely zero skills in human communication

I'm glad Lee Yo-won's character is relatable!! The show sounds at least close to my alley if my attention span returns from war. :O

[umanothing]

But the ending revenges are very satisfactory revenges!
Then I don't mind it taking a while, yeeeep!
*was going to start watching Secret Forest next*
*dramatic change of plans*

[china_shop]

but it's hard to call it a romance since it mostly just consists of Soo-gyum shouting "BE NICE TO YOUR MOM, YOUR MOM IS GREAT!" at Seo-yeon every time they meet in school.

Heeee! YES!

Great recap! Avengers, fighting!

[affreca]

I've been really intrigued by screen caps of this, but my kdrama finding skills are terrible. Where might I find this to watch?

[schneefink]

That sounds delightful :) Thanks for the rec!

[lemon_badgeress]

I'm had to relearn how to read again last year. You are not me and have your own path, of course! But for me I found what helped was letting myself do rereads and Very Small Books. I read a lot of kids books, honestly.

I hope you find your own successful way!

[thistleingrey]

Thanks for the good wishes. Children's books mostly make me impatient, alas (I have a child, so I tried sampling what was coming from the library anyway). I'm working on it! And I'm glad that it has been helpful for you.

[elsane]

this sounds really charming and delightful!

[themadpoker]

I am in the same straits! Viki and Dramafever are my usual sources but it doesn't seem to be available on either of them.

[skygiants]

I have heard good things about Secret Forest but does it have Our Heroines taking down an abusive husband in a cathartic chicken fight? NO IT DOES NOT.

[skygiants]

It's definitely my ... second favorite from the past year? I think Chicago Typewriter squeaks in ahead through hilarious tropiness and WTF.

[skygiants]

A GOOD CHOICE. I look forward to your thoughts whenever you watch it!

[skygiants]

She's SO relatable, all my favorite parts are when she just stares blankly and then wanders away from a conversation she does not want to be in.

[skygiants]

To be fair to the family tradition, I guess, Seo-yeon's parents also seem to have gotten together entirely because Mi-Sook thought her husband's mom was amazing. (I didn't have a chance to mention Mi-Sook and her mother-in-law in this review but I LOVED THAT.)

[skygiants]

I had to search really hard to find it! It's not on any of the usual sites. I ended up watching it here but I had to be careful with annoying ads.

[skygiants]

Yeah, it's really frustrating that it's not in any of the normal places! I ended up watching it on one of the sketchy sites, here.

[skygiants]

You're very welcome! I enjoyed it tremendously.

[skygiants]

It was SUPER CUTE. Ahjumma revenge club!!! plus one token teen ahjumma support squad who hooks them up with inspiration in the form of revenge mangas

[affreca]

Thank you. I'm half an hour into the first episode, and enjoying it.

[meganbmoore]

Chicago Typewriter is a bit weird for me, because if someone mentions it, my reaction is "oh! i loved that one!" but if i'm asked about dramas for last year i completely forget about it.

[thistleingrey]

Secret Forest is awesome in a very different way. It's much darker, almost unrelentingly. That said, I can't balance Bae Du Na versus Yi Yo Won and Ra Mi Ran. I just can't.

[dhampyresa]

THIS SOUNDS AMAZING.

[lokifan]

...oh my god, this could not be more relevant to my interests!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MIDDLE AGED WOMEN MULTIPLE WOMEN REVENGE WEIRD GREAT ADOPTED-FAMILY DYNAMICS IN THE MIDDLE OF HORRIBLE BIO-FAMLY DYNAMICS FABULOUS HAIR ALLIANCE BETWEEN WOMEN TAKING DOWN BAD MEN

Sorry about all the capslock but OMG!

[skygiants]

It's so good!!!

[skygiants]

YESS, ALL THOSE THINGS. "We're strangers who are better than family." I love them all so much!