I recently had the pleasure of immersing myself in the cinematic world of “My Sassy Girl” after a friend thoughtfully recommended a diverse selection of Korean movies for me to binge. Approaching this film with initial expectations of encountering another cringe-worthy romantic comedy that elicits eye rolls, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the movie's tone gravitated more towards the dramatic than the comedic. As the narrative unfolded and reached its conclusion, I found myself emotionally moved.
Synopsis of My Sassy Girl (2001)
“My Sassy Girl” is a South Korean romantic comedy that revolves around the peculiar yet captivating relationship between Gyeonwoo (Cha Taehyun), an ordinary college student, and The Girl (Jun Jihyun). The narrative unfolds when Gyeonwoo rescues an intoxicated young woman from the subway tracks. Events unfold, leading to a unique connection between Gyeonwoo and The Girl. The female lead makes Gyeonwoo do unconventional tasks that he does without asking any further questions. Tragedy strikes when the girl’s father disapproves of their relationship, forcing them to part ways. Considering the genre of the movie, we all know Gyeonwoo and The Girl with reunite. But the emotional journey is bound to leave you teary-eyed for sure.
"My 'Bizarre' Girl
One aspect that bothered me during the movie was, The Girl wasn't as sassy as the title suggested; she was more peculiar than sassy. Only after reading the Wikipedia post on My Sassy Girl, I learned that the movie's Korean title "엽기적인 그녀" literally means "My Bizarre Girl", now that is something that I can digest.
I can also understand the reason behind the name change; "My Sassy Girl" implies a romantic comedy, while "My Bizarre Girl" hints at a horror thriller. My Sassy Girl is every man's ideal type, meanwhile My Bizzare Girl is someone who haunts you at night. You get the picture!
Physical & Verbal Abuse or Just a Coping Mechanism?
In the movie "My Sassy Girl," The Girl is depicted smacking and slapping Gyeon Woo multiple times. Initially, these actions made me cringe because they were presented as humorous. However, delving into her backstory, I realized she used her anger as a coping mechanism to numb her pain.
Nevertheless, I didn't find it amusing, however, I don't find her charachter as annoying anymore.
Love at Second Sight
A personal pet peeve of mine in romantic movies is the love-at-first-sight trope. Considering how beautiful Jun Jihyun is, I was concerned that Gyeonwoo would fall for her solely based on her beauty. However, I was pleasantly surprised that he despised her initially. Despite her beauty and being his type, she proved to be bothersome, leading him into various troubles, and even landing him in jail while attempting to help her. This indicated to me that later on in the movie, his affection for her developed due to their connection rather than her physical allure.
Additionally, Gyeonwoo is good-looking but doesn't fit the conventional K-drama/K-movie male lead stereotype. Yet, The Girl clung to him and fell deeply in love because of the emotional support that he offered.
Coincidence or Fate?
Throughout the entire movie, there were multiple shots indicating that Gyeonwoo and The Girl's meeting was not a a mere coincidence but fate. One thing that emphasized this point even more is the frog in the time capsule. Here's a rough translation of what Kwak Jaeyong, the director of My Sassy Girl, said about the frog scene:
"It's way more likely to find a frog in something like a time capsule than for Gyeonwoo and The Girl to run into each other among all the people on Earth."