Sunday, March 14, 2010

Stairway to heaven













The story is about Han Jung-suh (Choi Ji Woo) and her best friend Cha Song Joo (Kwon Sang Woo). As childhood friends, Jung-suh and Song Joo had a special bond that blossomed into love. They were always by each other's side even when Song Joo's father dies and when Jung-suh's mother dies. After a few months, Jung-suh's father meets an actress and falls in love with her. The two of them get married and Jung Suh is very happy that her father is finally smiling, stating to Song Joo that she hasn't seen her father smile like that since before her mother died. After her stepmother moves in, she brings her daughter Yoori and son Tae-Hwa, but when Jung-suh's father leaves for work, her stepmother shows her true nature as a cruel woman. She thwarts Jung-suh's attempts to study abroad and so Song Joo leaves to America to study abroad alone, leaving a sad Jung-suh behind. Jung-suh is left alone to suffer in the silent cruelty of her step sister, Yoori, and new step mother. Jung-suh's cruel stepmother plots for her own daughter, Yoori, to win the affections of Song Joo, who comes from a rich family, and thwarts any attempts of Jung-suh's to be with Song Joo. All the while, Jung-suh tries to be nice to her new step brother, Tae-Hwa, who in return mistakes this friendship for affection. Tae-Hwa falls in love with young Jung-suh.

Song Joo is in America for three years. On the night of his return, an excited Jung-suh rushes to greet him. A jealous Yoori tries to stop the two lovebirds from reuniting so as they race to the airport, Yoori spots Jung-suh and intentionally runs her over with her car. Jung-suh, now unconscious, is taken to the hospital where a group of people just died in fire. Yoori swaps Jung-suh's ID with one of the people that just died in the fire to fake her death. She takes the real Jung-suh to her biological father's home. Tae-Hwa, still in love with Jung-suh, finds out what Yoori has done but sees the accident as a chance to run away with Jung-suh, who would otherwise return to Song Joo. Yoori and Tae-Hwa, along with their father, are the only ones who know what has happened, and Tae-Hwa's father agrees to cover up for his daughter. Jung Suh loses her memory, and Tae-Hwa moves them away and changes their names. Meanwhile, at the scene of the crime, Song Joo finds a blood stained picture of them both from when they were young.

Five years after the accident, it seems that Yoori has won the battle of love; she is soon to be engaged to Song Joo. The day before getting together with the families to arrange the engagement, Song Joo decides that he needs to let go of Jung-suh. He goes to the carousel they used to ride as children and he whispers a wish to see Jung Suh just once more. He looks up, and he sees her on the carousel. Jung-suh is now Kim Jisoo (after being renamed by Tae-Hwa, who is now Han Chulsoo). Song Joo rushes to Jisoo and tells her that she is Han Jung-suh, but she does not believe Song Joo's words. However, Song Joo believes that it really is Jung-suh and determines to make her remember her past and the love she had for him. Through a series of events he and Jung Suh become close. Jung-suh's family also meet her and are shocked by her similarity to the daughter they think is dead. Yoori and her mother, who both know the truth, are terrified that Jung-suh will regain her memory, therefore ruining their plans. However, Jung-suh does not remember her past life and Song Joo finally realizes that he is mistaken and this is not the Jung-suh he knew. Fortunately, one day, Jung-suh regains her memory when Yoori nearly hits her with her car again. She rushes to tell Song Joo. She goes back to Tae-Hwa and he tells her the truth — the accident, her memory loss, and everything else, and forgives him as she knows he did it out of love. Luck seems to be on the side of the two lovers, Jung-suh and Song Joo, until Jung-suh discovers she has eye cancer. Depressed, she goes to Tae-Hwa and tells him to take her away from Song Joo since she can't bear to see him in pain. Gradually, Jung-suh's vision deteriorates into blindness. Determined to not cause any more sadness to his step-sister, Tae-Hwa tells Song Joo and his family the truth, with Tae-Hwa's biological father providing further evidence. Yoori is arrested and her mother is sent to a mental institute. Song Joo marries Jung-suh, who is now blind.

Over the next few weeks, Jung-suh and Song Joo spend quality time together as husband and wife; Song Joo and Tae-Hwa even become good friends. Jung-suh tells Tae-Hwa that her one wish would be to see Song Joo's face for one last time. Both Song Joo and Tae-Hwa (separately) ask a doctor to allow them to give Jung-suh one of their corneas, but the doctor informs them that they are not allowed to take corneas from live donors. Song Joo leaves the hospital disappointed, while Tae-Hwa thinks pensively about Jung-suh's last wish. He decides that he wants to grant that wish at all costs and begins to set in motion his plan. He creates fake pictures of him and a girl in France, writes letters to be sent later, and tells his friends and family that he will be going to Paris, France for his art and is not sure when he will be returning. What everyone does not realize is that Tae-Hwa has decided to commit suicide in order to donate his cornea to Jung Suh. He intentionally creates a car accident to cause his death. After his death, Jung Suh has the operation and is able to see again. However, Jung-suh later on finds out that the cancer has already metastasized. Though Song Joo wants her to pursue all chemotherapy treatments to live, she decides that she would much rather spend time with him than "die in a hospital". She also finds out about Tae-Hwa's sacrifice for her and decides to only see all things that are good and beautiful. Jung-suh also visits Yoori in jail and her stepmother in the hospital, shortly before her death. Jung-suh dies a few days later at the seaside near her childhood house in the arms of Song Joo.

The epilgue shows Song Joo playing a tune which he used to play for Jung-suh during their childhood. At length, he stands up, asking Jung-suh if she can hear him...

The quote which I like from this drama is this :
Song-joo: People who love each other end up reuniting. No matter how far apart they are, they will reunite in the end. Love is something that returns!


If you ask about my opinion, Iwould say that this love story is kinda tragic but its overall nice. Suitable for those people who loves love triangles or squares. Hahaha..

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