The Typewriter of a Revolution

Chicago Typewriter (2017)

시카고 타자기

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Starring: Yoo Ah In, Im Soo Jung, Go Kyung Pyo

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Seen: Feburary 2020

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I dived right into this drama, and it became my absolute favorite so far. In my top three, Chicago Typewriter is number one (1). Hands down. I live in a country that has been a power kingdom all throught out old history and therefore never had any occurance recidence fighting in the way Korea has. I'm not an expert on Korean history, but I know as much as that they didn't want to be Japanese - naturally. To see a story with the aura of real events, real fights, the echo of past people's struggles, feelings and demand of freedom, is so capturing. I love history, as I think I've mentioned, and I love old things, stories from old days and I love how Chicago Typewriter brings a 1930s Korea to life in the way it does. The characters are interesting and their story is marvalous and so brave. I could almost believe the actors were real people of that time.

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Story Summary:

The drama follows three resistance fighters who lived during the 1930s during the Japanese occupation of Korea, and are reincarnated into modern time as a best-selling writer in a slump, a fan, and a ghostwriter - an actual ghost. In modern time Jeon Seol, the fan, is an ex shooter who quit because of constant flashes from her past life. She meets Han Se Joo, her favorite writer, unexpectadly when she's delivering a package to his recidence. What neither of them know at the time is that Yoo Jin Oh, the ghost of their past lives' friend and comrad, brought them together for a mission. A mission based on a promise he made to his friend Han Se Joo in their previous life, to finish the book he started writing before the resistance fight claimed his life.

It is an epic story of comradeship, friendship, love and betrayal that lasts over 80 years. As the trio race against time to find the truth of the past that haunts them all, they will discover that their time travling journey of memories also will affect their present.

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first impression:

Wow.

I loved this storyline so much. It's got it all; history, supernatural aspects, bravery, action, romance, inspiration, awsome actors and even more awsome costumes (but that's my old times loving side talking). It's got humor too, which made it just that much better. The humor kind of seeped through and filled all the cracks inbetween all the other fantastic genres it ticks off. Chicago Typewriter is definitely an underrated, brightly shining gem that pulls off a unique concept so seamlessly, it never ceases to surprise until the very end.

The storyline, intertwining the characters' lives in the past and present, was masterfully done. It was a slow burn, but paid off well, with no details left unexplain. The drama also managed to stir jall sorts of emotions, even in just one episode, going from tugging at your heartstrings in sadness, to whiping tears of laughter and feeling utter shock at an unforseen turn of events. There were moments that felt a bit uneven, when the scenes played out in the past were a lot more interesting than what was going on in the present, but the further into the drama you watched the more it evened out. It was wonderful to watch the protagonists in present day, especially Se Joo and Jeon Seol, realize that their fates weren’t set in stone. They could forge their own destines with their past lives as guiding hands.

I love how the drama isn't primarily about Se Joo and Jeon Seol at all, like we were meant to believe, but it is in fact Jin Oh’s story. It's about his journey to seek redemption, by fullfilling his promises; finishing the book and making sure that Hwi Young and Jeon Seol end up happy together. That would explain the title, Chicago Typewriter, if you think about it, since the typewriter had been a gift from his past self to Seo Hwi Young (Se Joo), he sealed his soul in the typewriter that ment so much to both of them. One thing I thought was really sad was the fact that Jin Oh didn't come into the show earlier, in an interacting way. He played his ghostwriter part from the beginning but in "ghost person" and for example him and Jeon Seol seeing each other for the first time I thought it took way too long. I was so excited when it finally happen. The dog was a cute detail, though. How Jin Oh took over its body to be able to be close to Jeon Seol all along. It was quite heartbreaking how the dog was most likely homeless, concidering how it turned so dirty and tired as soon as Jin Oh left it. It was also very humorous how Jin Oh and Se Joon subtly (but really not so subtly at all) fought for Jeon Seol's attention and affection - like they both didn't already have it lingering from 80 years ago! Jin Oh in general was very amusing in the modern time. Maybe that was a way to weight it up; unconsiousy funny when his past self had been so determind and fierce.

I will not fail to mention his loyalty either. Having been the right hand of the Joseon Youth Alliance resistance group's hidden leader, his best friend, and keeping the promise of finishing Seo Hwi Young's book in another life for 80 years astonished me. Just simply being so detemind to meet his friends again, made me emotional. I don't necissarily believe in reincarnation myself, but I love the imagination of it. His loyalty to his friend and leader is undoubtfully what really kept him in the typewriter for so long. He wanted to honor his promise. I respect that immensely.

I loved the ending that this drama delivered with Yul/Jin Oh at peace, though. Him living on within the pages of Se Joo’s novel about them. Even if the reality that he couldn't stay with them forever was an ever hovering sadness in the story, Jin Oh getting to live happily with the new fictional but accurate representations of his best friends was a great comfort. n the end he got his redemption, without even realizing it himself. He had written the novel with his best friend and he had earned their forgivness, so he could finally rest in peace.

Next on my agenda of appreciation is our protagonist lady. I loved Ryu Soo Hyun / Anastacia. She was hands down the most badass in the whole series, but that feels a little obvious. I loved how she managed to trick everyone that she was a man, only her two closest comrads knowing her true self (or at least bothered about it). She used it to her advantage and it's the most respect thing in my opinion in this situation. She was a man at the front of fighting for freedom, but she was also a woman distracting and tricking the enemy while her comrads came from behind. How no one discovered her sooner amazes me. My favorite scene is when she dives into the changing room of the performing women at the club and just about has time to take off her disguise before the Japanese soldiers barge in. And she just calmly asks them in Japanese to leave. The suspence was intense - would she make it in time or get caught? Then she goes on stage and sings! So clever. I imagine it was more common than people think for women to cross dress as men to get there say in things, in this situation their part in a fight for freedom. At the same time I think it was very rare for women to take that step of pure bravery. You can't have anything to loose if you do that, going head on with no fears or you know you will die within a few minutes. I wish history knew of specific women like her, those women are ones to look up to and honor them like they deserve~

To mentioning Han Se Ju, it's touching to look back on his little breakdown in episode 5, when he thinks he's failed himself as a writer. You see flashbacks of the pre-story moment when Jeon Seol tells him she's his first fan and her question what kind of writer he wanted to be:

Jeon Seol: "The kind that intimidates other writers?"

Han Se Ju: "No, the kind of writer that can't be intimidated".

In that moment, when he's about to send Yoo Jin's third script to his published, he realized he's intimidated by Yoo Jin's writing. He's so confused how Yoo Jin can know his story idea and how he can put it into words so much better than he can. I love how Yoo Jin just keeps smiling, for he knows the story is indeed Han Se Ju's. He's just repeating the words until Han Se Ju can finish where he left off 80 years ago. It gives you a very inspiring view of how Han Se Ju developes as a character, how he invites his previous self into his present one for the ultimate goal. The funny thing about it all is the fact that he was intimidated by himself without knowing it. Doesn't that say something about what kind of writer you are? I definitely think it does.

Also, I think there’s something very poignant about the 1930s timeline, mostly because it quickly becomes obvious that our 1930s characters would die young. So the scenes set in 1930s, particularly the happy ones, all feel like they’re weighted by a strong sense of bittersweetness. They fought for a dream many of them would not survive to see come true. I'm sure that's how it really was, too. War is not a playground, especially not for those who fall.

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Cultural imput:

I found it a little harder to notice particular scene with culturaly differences in this drama, mostly because such a big part of it was played out in the 1930's. Since I wasn't exactly around then (heck barely even my grandparents were, they were born in the end of the 1930's!) I can't compare much of that time period's cultures. Neither can I compare anything from the situation. I did however really enjoy the 1930s timeline and found myself feeling more emotionallt engaged with those character than the present timeline's. I just found myself looking forwards to all those scenes whenever the show moved to the 1930s timeline.

I was thinking about how Ryu Soo Hyun, as a woman disguised as a man, was met by her male comrads, but again it were completely different times 80 years ago and now. Today it's more accepted for a woman to cross dress, it's seen as part of their identity in a different way. Tomboys too. Neither is transsexuality unheard of today, even if maybe less accepted in different countries around the world. Same with drag queen's (even if that is classified as a profession).

There is a lot of Korean historical culture in this drama, I'm sure, but since I don't know much of the Korean history I don't feel like I can rightfully interpret it. During this time Korea wasn't really considered Korea, since they were occupied by Japan. They were in theory Japanese. A detail I picked out, which could speak for one of the cultural differences the Korean people had to adjust to with Japan ruling, was the fact that they had to learn the language. In the scene previously mentioned when Soo Hyun was running from the police and took cover as a singer at Carpe Diem, she asked them in fluent Japanese to leave the women's dressing room. I think that it was also a way for her to survive as a Korean woman and avoid being taken as a comfort woman for the Japanese soldiers. By firstly disguise herself as a man no one questioned her, and secondly learning Japanese when not dressed as a man, Japanese soliders thought of her as Japanese and thus wouldn't touch her. That's a theory of mine at least.

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Wohooo!! It's finally up!! I apologize, this review took way too long. Hope this made you want to watch it or reminded you of how (hopefully) awsome you though it was when you watch it! Time for a rewatch, in that case?

안녕 until next time!