Life can change overnight in the blink of an eye, and this has never been more real than for Bong Cheong Ja (Uhm Jung Hwa). Waking up in a hospital after a mysterious accident and finding out that her life as top star Im Se Ra is over, she has to get back on her feet and face her new reality as an anonymous former actress. However, things get harder the more she realizes how much she has lost in the last 25 years! Here are some of the moments she struggled the most in the latest episodes of “My Troublesome Star.”
Warning: spoilers from episodes 3-4 ahead!
1. Meeting her family again
Families are complicated, even more so when you don’t have any memories with them from the last two decades. So far, we don’t know exactly how Cheong Ja’s relationship with her younger sister unfolded during all those years, but it is clear things aren’t good between them. In hopes of getting a better understanding of the situation, Cheong Ja approaches her young niece, but she doesn’t get much information from her. Like any other teenager, she is shy and grumpy around adults. But deep down, the girl has a burning desire to be an idol, perhaps dreaming of becoming just like her aunt. Though they don’t interact that much for now, there are hints already that they will become very important in each other’s lives.
Not having much success with her niece, Cheong Ja visits her father in the nursing home where he lives. There, the situation turns into more than a little bit torn. On one hand, she only has painful memories from his father’s misdeeds, but on the other hand, she needs him to recover the memories she’s lost. However, she is surprised to discover he most likely has dementia and is unable to recognize her. Furthermore, the bills in the nursing home are due and increasing, revealing the poor financial state her family is in. At this point, who wouldn’t break down in despair just like Cheong Ja does?
2. Having her dreams taken away
As if her current financial, professional, and personal situation were enough to feel like she is living in a nightmare, Cheong Ja has to see firsthand how her dreams of becoming the first Korean actress to win an award at the Cannes Festival get stolen. Even worse, it is done by none other than Go Hee Young (Lee El), her worst enemy. At this point, you can’t help but feel more than sympathetic for Cheong Ja, and so does Dokgo Chul (Song Seung Heon). Despite still not being able to reconcile the idea of Cheong Ja being Im Se Ra (Jang Da Ah), his good heart continues to be drawn towards this awkward but pitiful woman.
All things aside, it is interesting seeing how both the female protagonist and antagonist are being portrayed. Their relationship might involve petty jealousy, distorted insecurities, and an insane fixation between them; however, they are both talented and beautiful women who are trying to stand out in a ruthless industry that most likely will always pit them against each other. Although they make a clear distinction between who is the heroine and who is the villainess, you can see the complexity of each character, and how, despite the years, their presence alone still represents a constant driving force to fight for what they want.
3. Reminiscing about her first accident
In terms of plotting, there might be much more behind Cheong Ja’s accident than we know until now. Fortunately, Dokgo Chul isn’t someone who gives up easily on a case. Even if taking her back to the place where the accident happened doesn’t help that much to recover her memories, it still gives him the chance to trace some key evidence for it. More importantly, he finally discovers that Bong Cheong Ja is truly Im Se Ra. From that point on, he does his best to help her since she proves to be a certified troublemaker. But he is relieved at finding her again after she had disappeared all those years ago.
Even if tracing back to her accident is useless to Dokgo Chul, it isn’t for Cheong Ja. This moment makes her think back on her first accident. It might have happened 25 years ago for everybody, but in her mind, it was just a few days ago. And to nobody’s surprise, all the minor details leading to her accident end up pointing to one person: Kang Doo Won (Oh Dae Hwan). We know he was involved from the beginning, but what’s shocking is that some people on their team are also implicated. It is so sad to see that the people Cheong Ja trusted and loved turned their backs on her when she needed them the most.
4. Trying to make a comeback as an actress
But not everything is lost for Bong Cheong Ja! In a stroke of luck, she finds a valuable ally in her former makeup artist, Min Tae Sook (Cha Chung Hwa). At first, her old friend doesn’t believe that she is Im Se Ra, but she is quickly convinced when Cheong Ja reveals a secret about her love life. Just like that, their friendship rekindles in the most natural way, and she gets on board with her plan to make a big comeback as an actress. The best thing about this is that if Cheong Ja’s antics weren’t funny enough already, now we will see the double chaos with her hilarious friend by her side.
Unfortunately, neither the industry nor her are what it used to be 25 years ago, and making a successful comeback is harder than she expected. As soon as Cheong Ja gets a chance to act in a small role for a TV show and people notice her undeniable talent, she gets bullied and humiliated by another actress. But our female lead isn’t alone anymore! She has her best friend and Dokgo Chul now, who will support her all the way. Since Cheong Ja isn’t ready to give up on her dream just yet, you too cannot miss the next episodes of “My Troublesome Star”!
Watch the latest episodes of “My Troublesome Star” here:
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “My Troublesome Star”
Plans to watch: “The Legend of the Female General“
