Mine (2021)

Within a male dominated spectacularly exclusive golden Jaebeol-Cage women stand up for their rights

The (fictional) Hyowon Group's extended family is among the richest one percent in the country. This clan is analyzed in detail with their personal stories and their dynamics among themselves. It quickly becomes clear that despite all the wealth, nobody is happy here. They are prisoners in a golden cage of their own greed. The peacock cage in the park of the estate is a beautiful allegory for this.

If they were just satisfied with what is, they might be better off. But it always has to be more. "Mine... Mine... I want it... I want more... I don't want to give it away..." Communication is replaced by competition, love and comfort by money and luxury. The price has to be payed by suffering souls. Having lost their grounding in trust, sympathy and kindness, they somehow blindly fight for a substitute. "Mine" thus illustrates their sandbox games including mud fight. Maybe with designer sand - the architecture and furnishings are spectacularly exclusive down to the last detail. You don't have to like that, but it is supposed to impress - and it does.

Still, mud is just mud... And it is disgusting to deal with.

The Jaebeol orbit traditionally is a man´s world. In this respect the KDrama "Mine" choses a unique and inspiring approach: Here concentrated, intelligent and courageous women's power is fighting for liberation from the golden cage. This is possible in South Korea in 2021. Also that one of the female protagonists is in love with a woman. Can women set themselves free from male dominated power structures and constraints? There are some truly beautiful, touching, powerful moments of sisterhood and women's power. Sometimes offensive, sometimes subtle.

If you like, "Mine" is also a contemporary social criticism, quietly hidden behind the curtain of an exclusive and alien world of feudal arrogance. The orbit of the Jaebeol may be far far away from the rest of the world, but with all the interpersonal and inner-psychic dynamics (actually quite ordinary and human) that are in focus here, it comes very close to the themes of 'normal' (South Korean) society - with its social constraints, its strict hierarchical structures and their prejudices that put chains on people of almost every social class. The audience is thus free to choose who from the Hyowon clan household they want to identify with. And whether they want to dare to break free, too, and take a different path (together with one or the other protagonist).


--------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Jaebeol and their different topics among second and third generation heirs ---

The rise of the founding Jaebeol, like the growth of their companies, was shaped by strong patriarchal hands. Hardworking hands, too. However, this first generation patriarchs are slowly dying out... this being accompanied by creeping processes of change. The founding fathers knew where they came from. Plus, from the very first hour, they had long-standing, loyal relationships with their assistants, secretaries, drivers, foremen that had grown over time (even if they were characterized by dependency)... and over time they have built up a systematic network that takes care of their interests wherever they wish.

Their offspring however is already born "with the golden spoon in their mouth", spoiled by wealth and far away from the ordinary people who work for them and their living environment. These Jaebeol are increasingly preoccupied with their ego, family dynamics, scandals and inheritance disputes. They lack ´brothers in arms´, who shed their blood, sweat and tears - thus they lack someone they can trust. The principle of bribery may still work, yet the reins are now in several, increasingly fractious hands. By now many Jaebeol-Clans have already begun to dismantle their power structures by themselves. And if not, their past machinations are increasingly catching up.

"Mine" documents quite vividly how the Jaebeol families dismantle themselves... how the heirs identify with their (still young!) identity as Jaebeol as if they were feudal old noble blue blood... They haven't really had to prove themselves yet and by their arrogance are already failing in the second and third generation. Additionally, the youngest generation increasingly is no longer interested in the corporate empire, let alone their management...

In this respect "Mine" also represents a new variety of topics within the Jaebeol-Genre in KDramas for the 2020s. ´Competition´, ´cabal´ and ´revenge´ as leading subjects have already been processed back and forth since the early hour of KDrama. ´Justice´ was an increasing topic during the last decade. ´Breaking free´ as a Jaebeol-topic however so far is rather new and rare, yet it might increase in the future...
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Power to women

This is the second drama I watched because of Cha Hak Yeon (I am a Starlight, what can I say?) and I became hooked. Actually, the main themes aren't that great or interesting, rich people, forbidden love stories, secrets etc. What made this drama a masterpiece is the characters and the plot. Strong but sensitive women with weaknesses and bad moments, real people, are trying to free themselves from a supressing and abusive enviroment like a marriage, the society etc. Everyone, Seo Hi Soo, Jung Seo Hyun, Lee Hye Jin, has their own way to do it and each one has to create their own path to archive their freedom. They are real women in a real world.

This drama actually works a lot with the prejudice that follows the women. For example, the patriarchal sterotype is, if a woman wants to be a leader, she must be strict, emotionless with a "proper" family. Or if she is sensitive and sweet, she is naive or weak. I really, really, really loved how Seo Hyun and Hi Soo broke these stereotypes and became what they wanted to be.

The only thing which was a bit off is the wealth. We speak about a crazy rich family who lives away and without the real problems of the majority of the society. I think it would better if we talked about everyday women. But, OK, I understand that is a drama in a major korean channel and cannot be everything...

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