After having seen As You Stood By, I found out it’s inspired by a Japanese drama, which is based on a novel. The first thing I was confused about was why the posters of the Japanese drama have the women shirtless for no reason. If the source material doesn’t take the subject matter seriously, why should the remake? But of course, we’re told not to judge a book by its cover, and since I haven’t seen “Naomi and Kanako” since 2016, I’m not going to try and say what that’s about. I don’t know if it’s the original source material itself that’s the problem, or if this moral dilemma of what a woman should do when she’s slowly being beaten to death is just too hard to portray. I don’t think this is something we see in thrillers targeted at men; even if a woman is forced into being violent, she ends up being punished for it relentlessly.
I think the real problem here is that As You Stood By gets stuck between realism and a fantasy world. For some time, you think this is a very straightforward “Good For Her” thriller that will bring awareness to the horrors of domestic violence. How it’s not just a husband who ostracizes the wife, but everyone around her, making her feel isolated and alone. Enough not to accept the help of those who are willing to cross a line for her. The first half of the series is bang on, because it focuses on the generational trauma of domestic violence. How it can foster rage, animosity, and fear in children, and how it’s up to that one child to try and break out of that fear and focus on helping other people. In this case, our protagonist Eun-Su is helping out her best friend, Hui-Su.
Back in 2011, there was a movie starring Gong Yoo called Silenced. This is a film about child abuse that graphically depicts these scenes for what feels like no other reason than to sensationalize the film. This is not to dismiss the power of that film and what it did for that case. I felt the same way about this drama and the need to rage-bait us as an audience by showcasing the violence rather than simply implying it. This is not a thriller show about a serial killer who is being violent for the sake of being violent. The people who might end up watching this drama may feel triggered by what’s going on, and for the most part, it was definitely unnecessary to depict it so graphically, especially when there are no trigger warnings. But I have to admit, I appreciate that we don’t have to see any other form of assault visually.
As You Stood By loses track when a character that’s meant to be gone returns unexpectedly and, frankly, unnecessarily. This character doesn’t bring anything to the series except for more hate and anger. With their re-entry, the show loses track of the story it’s been trying to tell us. It goes into full-on thriller mode and then nosedives into a dull arc that frankly nobody’s interested in. Visually, the show has a tense atmosphere through and through. There’s even a bit that sounds like Psycho, making the whole thing feel horrific. I love this about the show, as it really taps into the feeling of a woman in this situation. Which is why it’s extra disappointing to see it go sideways in the second half.
I can’t go without talking about the performances, and everyone is absolutely fantastic. Jeon So-Nee is resilient as Eun-Su and shows great range. Her character is also very compelling, and both leading ladies feel well-rounded as three-dimensional characters, with their every move feeling intentional. Lee Yoo-Mi is also fantastic as Hui-Su, and you really feel for her as a character. The two girls also have great chemistry, making everything they do together believable. But I can’t go without talking about Jang Seung-Jo. Small spoilers here, so skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want any. The actor plays a double role and is convincing in both. It’s shocking how different the roles are, and the actor really shows his experience here. Finally, I’ve got to talk about Lee Ho-Jung, who plays a role that’s very different and probably hard to digest. You know how you think about actors who play bullies and can’t separate them from the character? That’s how I felt about this role. But on the other hand, some characters are neglected and feel somewhat shallow.
At the end of the day, I’m not going to call it an outright bad show, but I can say it’s a little bit misguided. For the first half, it feels like a very strong K-drama that never loses focus on unnecessary things with a tight script and great, intense moments. However, it’s the second half of the series that really slows it down and changes the vibe altogether, ultimately, giving you whiplash. Before you watch the show, this is my big trigger warning for a show that graphically depicts domestic violence. There’s no holding back, so if this is something you don’t want to see, there’s no reason to watch the show. It’s completely skippable. But if you asked me if I would recommend the show, I can’t exactly say I do either. While it’s a technically good K-drama, I don’t think it’s something you can tell people to watch, considering what it’s portraying. Still, if you want to watch it anyway, I’d give As You Stood By 2.5 out of 5 stars. I really liked what was going on in the first half, minus all the violence, so my whole rating is for that bit only.
