Jae-young Kwak' My Sassy Girl

My Sassy Girl, the story of two people destined to be together despite their unusual relationship, is easily successful in finding its audience because of its standard and predictable storyline. While new elements and funny bits were introduced by writer and director Jae-young Kwak, throughout the film we cannot help but predict how the story unfolds as well as its ending, which remains faithful to the romantic comedy formula. The comedic nature of this film stemmed mostly from the unusual situations The Girl put other characters in as well as her disturbing reactions to certain actions and even the most minor of comments. Eventually, after the millionth time repeating the same lines, her odd and bizarre responses to something the main character Gyun-woo would do or say to her became tiresome, frustrating and off-putting. Whether the meaning and humor behind many of these details is lost in translation or cultural differences, the repetition of such outlandish statements was unnecessary and distracted from the plot line and development of the characters. Other times throughout the film, the ridiculous nature of the characters’ actions forced viewers to pull back from what they were watching, removing themselves from the film experience and analyze just what was going on in front of them. While the writers may have tried to break down the barriers of a strict but fast-changing culture through their portrayal of a dominating female and submissive male, the “comical” tones of this film offset their efforts by poking fun at the situation instead of taking the issue seriously. Their attempts are instead viewed with mockery and ridicule.