The K-drama Wonderful World has begun with quite a slow premise. Episode 1 introduced us to the protagonist, Soo-Hyun, who loses her son to an accident. For the most part, as is the norm in K-dramas, this show shows us how her seemingly perfect life is completely ruined by one moment, making her dig her own grave. What is with Dramaland’s dedication to watching a woman fall from grace and then seek revenge? I find it dull rather than provoking. Anyway, I’m not sure what the reason for the ironic title is just yet, but ending each episode on a cover of the song Wonderful World is almost laughable and doesn’t add any kind of emotionality to the show, which is honestly quite boring. I really do hope for Cha Eun-Woo’s sake that the show picks up next week and the revenge bit takes center stage, minus all the slow-burn emotional moments that don’t quite hit the right spots.
Spoiler Alert
Does Soo-Hyun go to prison?
Well…yes. Not sure why, but Soo-Hyun chooses on purpose to get the longest sentence possible for her crime, claiming that she would have done the same thing if she got a chance again. She shows no remorse for killing the man who killed her son, and she hopes for no leniency in her case. Her husband, Soo-Ho, on the other hand, is playing the part of a dedicated husband. He was also obviously devastated by what happened to their son, so it’s possible he understands why his wife would do such a thing. He uses his job as a news reporter on the broadcast channel to provoke the nation to favor his wife rather than the victim, considering he was a cold-blooded killer who got away with killing a child practically scot-free. He’s determined to get his wife’s name cleared and is doing everything in his power to figure out exactly who was responsible for Ji-Woong getting away with killing a child. As we suspected, he finds that the congressman involved is the same guy he exposed back in 2012, Kim Joon. The reason Soo-Ho lost his job and developed a psychological condition.
Soo-Hyun has lost all sense of hope in prison. In her grief, she continues to work hard; however, she doesn’t even realize when she runs a sewing machine onto her hand without a yelp because she’s so distracted by the thought of her son. Seeing how devastated she is, an older woman named Hyung-Ja starts to help her out with tasks and chores. When Soo-Hyun is in the hospital for the treatment of her wound from the sewing machine, she tells her mother that she’s certain she locked the house gate when she came home that fateful day. There is more to the story here. It almost feels as if someone may have intentionally opened the gate to their house to let Gun-Woo out. Or was he able to do it himself? Maybe it really was Soo-Hyun’s fault, but we’ll only know if someone gets their hands on that video from the neighbor. Hyung-Ja and Soo-Hyun have become really close. By this, I mean, they don’t actually talk or interact as such. Only help each other with things they each need. In the meantime, Soo-Hyun refuses to see her husband for visits because she feels too ashamed to do so.
Why does Soo-Ho stop searching for evidence?
Kim Joon, the congressman, is quick to learn of Soo-Ho’s endeavors to find out the truth about his son’s death. He invites Soo-Ho to meet him, knowing that he was the one who wanted to expose him way back when. While Soo-Ho has proof that Joon is involved in the case, he falters when Joon shows him a video clip of a scene in front of Soo-Hyun and Soo-Ho’s house. We don’t know what’s in this scene or what makes Soo-Ho quiver in fear, but Joon definitely has the upper hand now. What secret is Soo-Ho keeping from his wife? We will find out later on Wonderful World. Many months into her imprisonment, Soo-Hyun finally agrees to talk to her husband. She learns from her mother and sister that he’s going to get correspondence which would mean that if he chooses to take it up, there’s a chance he’ll never come back for her (not so wonderful, huh). I did think it was unique for a K-drama to show a dedicated husband when a woman’s life is completely shattered, and it proves me right again. Maybe Soo-Ho is actually afraid of what Joon has, and this might be the only option he has, but instead, he could just tell his wife the truth. I don’t know. Soo-Ho ultimately chooses to do it because Soo-Hyun tells him that she has no space for him in her life anymore. Ironic, since it should be he who says that to the murderer, no? She’s only trying to push him away, but it works rather easily for her.
What Happens to Hyung-Ja?
Suddenly, it’s 2020 (maybe 3–4 years into Soo-Hyun’s imprisonment), and we learn that Hyung-Ja is on the brink of death. She asks Soo-Hyun for a favor as a sort of parting gift. Hyung-Ja’s husband had cheated on her, and so she, like Soo-Hyun, had been blinded by revenge, setting a house on fire with her husband and lover in it. What Hyung-Ja hadn’t realized was that there was another family in the house or nearby, and the massive fire killed them too, leaving only a young boy alive. Hyung-Ja has been writing letters to this boy, but she hasn’t had the heart to tell him what really happened. So, she requests that Soo-Hyun give him these letters when she’s out of prison.
Is Sun-Yool the Boy in Hyung-Ja’s Story?
Now, we can’t be very certain just yet; however, this is the point of the show where Sun-Yool is introduced. He works hard as a car mechanic by day; however, at night he works as a vigilante of sorts, collecting evidence about Joon’s colleagues. There’s some sort of political connection in all of this, but nothing is clear just yet. Maybe Sun-Yool also lost a dear one to one of Joon’s wicked schemes. He’s found a school that is hiding embezzled money for one of Joon’s fellow members, but we don’t know just yet why.
At the end of Wonderful World episode 2, Soo-Hyun is out of prison; another three years have passed, and it’s now 2023. Nobody comes to receive her, and she misses her husband; however, she goes straight to her son’s grave. Sun-Yool is there too, visiting someone else’s grave, when it suddenly starts to rain. He insists on her taking his umbrella because he thinks her dead son would feel bad to see her get drenched. It seems a new friendship may be born from this interaction, but it’s too soon to tell. How are their stories intertwined, and why does Sun-Yool try to kill Soo-Hyun? We will find out later in Wonderful World.
