"Twenty Again" Episode 2

The pettiness of childhood has infiltrated the hearts and minds of No-ra, Hyeon-seok, Woo-cheol, and every other adult in"Twenty Again". It emphasizes the point that no matter how old a person may be, a twenty-year-old still lives inside her and can manifest at any time. Society makes it harder for someone older to behave like that twenty-year-old, but it happens nonetheless.

The back story of No-ra's and Hyeon-seok's high school relationship is given and although much has changed in the twenty years since they last met, there is still something that remains: Hyeon-seok's feelings for her . Her marriage was an impulse based on accidental pregnancy and broke Hyeon-seok's heart. He's acting on that broken heart, but that pain helps to fuel his gift for the theater - and the comedy born of pettiness. It's wonderful to see adults act out the childish antics of picking on the person one likes because it's laced with the life experience that will eventually take over.

Hyeon-seok, although inappropriately intrusive, is just the person to make No-ra focus on herself. The questions he wants to ask her are the questions that she should be asking herself. His active interest in her is the interest her selfish husband should have in her. Instead, he's too focused on himself. It is only when No-ra's first real venture into the world without him, her search for a university education, that he becomes remotely interested in her again. Striking out on her own gives her the seeds of confidence to begin to stand up to her husband, and hopefully it will show her that her thinking is incorrect. She can't win Woo-cheol back by becoming educated. Their relationship is flawed because of intrinsic differences in the couple as well as Woo-cheol's inability (and her inability) to see her as an equal human being.

The small things of the episode make it a delight to watch. No-ra dances at a student fair and it puts a smile on her face. Students pick on her because of her age (but they always find someone to pick on) and she struggles with a timeless inadequacy of the social aspect of education - it's so easy to relate to regardless of age. As she struggles through social anxieties, herSon Min-soolearns of first loves its difficulties. Eventually he will learn that his mother can be a great resource in that department.

One of the most important questions asked in the episode is: Why are you hiding? No-ra hides from her husband, but it pertains to every part of her life. Why is she hiding her pain from her husband and child? The cancer she believes she has? The aspirations that lay beneath the surface? The person she wants to be but feels she cannot show? Why is she hiding? I suppose we're going to find out.

Written by:Rainefrom 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Twenty Again"is directed byKim Hyeong-sik, written bySo Hyeon-kyeong, and featuresChoi Ji-woo,Lee Sang-yoon,Choi Won-yeong, andKim Min-jae-I.