Some of the most amazing moms live in k-drama land. They can be tough, they can be sweet, they can be so fiercely protective that they’ll slap people with kimchi or pay them ridiculous amounts of money to go away and leave their precious children alone.
But even the strongest and most resilient of moms will break down in tears. Let’s honor the tears of these three k-drama moms this Mother’s Day.
(BEWARE — there are spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk!)
THE LAST EMPRESS
“The Last Empress” was a crazy makjang train from beginning to end. Jang Na Ra did a good job of showing how her character, Oh Sunny, grew strong enough to take on the murderous politics of the modern-day emperor’s palace, slicing her way through political intrigue and corruption with a strong sense of moral justice and a little bit of scheming.
But it was her relationship with the young Ah Ri, the emperor’s daughter, that made me really love her. They even got to the point that Ah Ri called her ‘eomma,’ but that made Ah Ri’s nanny break down in tears.
Of course, the viewer knew why — Seo Kang Hee was more than just a nanny. She was the mastermind behind several plots to twist the power structure in the palace in Ah Ri’s favor, just so she could become the empress’ mother. The secret Kang Hee had been hiding for nearly all of Ah Ri’s short life was that she was Ah Ri’s biological mother.
Those tears were the one genuine display of emotion Kang Hee allowed herself. While she was evil enough that I couldn’t feel sorry for her, I could understand wanting to be acknowledged for her true role.
That one moment of real motherhood didn’t stop Kang Hee’s scheming, though. You’ll have to watch the rest of the drama to see just how far she was willing to go.
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WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO
What’s one of the first things you learn as a new k-drama watcher? Family relationships are ALWAYS complicated!
Take “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,” for instance. The male lead, Jung Joon Hyung, is living with an aunt he calls ‘eomma’, and the viewer doesn’t immediately know she’s not his mother. We start to see that he’s been getting postcards and birthday presents from his biological mom for the last 10 years, but something’s fishy about it. When Joon Hyung’s biological mother does return to Korea, he’s overwhelmed with emotion and happy to see her, even though they’re awkward with each other.
The twist comes when Joon Hyung comes home one night and hears his family talking. It turns out that Bio Mom came to Korea to ask for money, not to see Joon Hyung. He bursts in and tells them that he’s always known that Aunt/Eomma was behind the gifts and postcards. Feeling devastated, he runs away, turning off his phone to truly escape. Kim Bok Joo finds him later and comforts him, giving him the courage to go back.
One of the first things Joon Hyung does after he recovers is find his aunt. She’s overjoyed to see him, and they embrace as she forgives him for disappearing. Joon Hyung teases her about her hair stinking, and she laughs a little through her tears as she accuses him of keeping her so worried that she didn’t have time to wash her hair. He apologizes and his aunt tears up again.
Joon Hyung’s convoluted family relationship actually becomes clear at this moment. Joon Hyung obviously longs to have his biological mom in front of him, but his aunt is his true mother in his heart. She’s the one who raised him and cared for him all these years, and her tears show just how deeply she loves him.
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COME AND HUG ME
If you want to really dive deep into a twisted, convoluted family, you don’t have to look any farther than Yoon Na Moo’s family in “Come and Hug Me.” This psychological thriller may revolve around Na Moo and Nak Won, who were teenagers when Hui Jae, Na Moo’s father, murdered Nak Won’s mother and father. However, the story of Na Moo’s stepmother, Chae Ok Hee, stood out to me.
Ok Hee is Hui Jae’s second wife, taking responsibility for Na Moo and his brother Hyun Moo 12 years ago. She’s spent much of her life bearing the burden of being connected to imprisoned Hui Jae, and seems cold and sharp on the outside. But Ok Hee is one of my favorite k-drama moms for a reason — when the chips are down, she comes out swinging for her children.
In a pivotal episode towards the end of the drama, Hui Jae confronts Ok Hee. Hyun Moo, Na Moo’s troubled brother, moves in front of Ok Hee, covering her with his body. Hui Jae strikes him over and over again for being weak and interfering. In a quietly heroic move, Ok Hee rises, even though she’s tied up, and flings herself over Hyun Moo, now shielding him from Hui Jae as she sobs. The situation is terrifying, but she’s doing her best to protect her baby. Her fearful tears show how much she cares, and her protective instinct resonated SO strongly with me.
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CAN YOU WEIGH A MOTHER’S TEARS?
Mothers do cry, for so many reasons, and not one of those reasons makes those tears any less valuable. From a scheming mother who wants to be acknowledged, to a loving aunt who has stepped up to be a mother to an abandoned boy, to a protective stepmother who does a stunning impersonation of a mama bear, every one of these mothers has her children in her heart — her tears are often the way she shows it.
What mothers will you be watching for Mother’s Day, drama fans? Who is YOUR favorite k-drama mama? Drop down in the comments and tell me all about it! In the meantime, you can watch “The Last Empress,” “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,” and “Come and Hug Me” right here on KOCOWA!
