Suspension of (Too Much) Disbelief



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 You know what it's like: you watch a really good TV series or movie or read a really good, vividly descriptive book. Then a much-loved character dies, or your favourite couple breaks up, or something Really Angsty happens. And you feel like a little bit of you has diedinside, or you end up spending sleepless (well ok, maybe that's a little bit OTT) nights wondering if things will work out in the end (if it's a Taiwanese or Korean drama, you've pretty much got yoruself a 100% money back guarantee for a happy ending.)

I don't even know if it can be considered as suspension of disbelief, considering some of the plot techniques employed to get two characters together are pretty disbelieving. I mean, seriously, how many times can a guy plausibly just 'happen to be there' when the girl's getting harrassed, or falls off her scooter or is stumbling down the street, blind drunk? It's more that you feel such a connection to the characters and the story that a part of you wishes it were...well, a little more real. Perhaps it's because you recognise yourself or someone you know in one of the chracters? Maybe it's because witnessing a dream love story just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

Whatever it is, I recently watched two series that I was a little reluctant to let go of after the ending credits scrolled up for the last time. Granted, one of them was Avatar: The Last Airbender, en epic TV series that spans three volumes and 61 episodes, which gave me plenty of time ot get more than jsut acquainted with the characters. After the last episode, I spent the next few days watching the special features, the audio commentary versions and searching deviantart for pictures of my favourite couple - anything to keep the magic alive, just a little longer.

The other, was the 30-episode Asian drama Happy & Love Forever/Happiness is Definitely Strong, which had me going through the list on mysoju.com in alphabetical order after I stumbled across an episode on the Viet channel. I spent two days watching the final 13-or-so episodes after reaching a particularly angsty bit in the series and not being able to bear the suspense. Afterwards, even though my eyes were severely strained and very sore, I spent an extra couple of days downloading the opening and closing credits and painstakingly searching for all five of the songs used in the series.

So, to you, what is it that makes one movie stand out from another, that makes a book unforgettable, that makes you cry even though you know you're watching a fictional composition about people who don't exist? Have you ever watched or read anything that you didn't want to let go of after you finished it?

Until next time,

Ngoc :)

P.S. Happy Valentines Day, everyone! :)