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ship_manifesto2005-12-31 12:15 am
angel-kathryn.livejournal.com) wrote in ship_manifesto2005-12-31 12:15 am
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TITLE: Jin/Sun – because the course of True Love wasn’t meant to run smooth
AUTHOR: Kat (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
angel_kathryn)
DISCLAIMERS: I so not own any of the characters or stories referenced in this essay.
SPOILERS: For Seasons 1 and 2 of Lost (or as much of Season 2 as has aired in the US up until now)
Author’s Notes: *waves magic wand* This isn’t late! Really! I have focussed on the three episodes which feature either Jin or Sun. However, there are many other beautiful moments in the other episodes – which you all should watch. Now.
Lost - general background
Lost was one of the hit shows of 2004/2005, and it has rapidly gained a cult following. The basic premise of the show is as follows:
A plane crashes on an island in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand miles off course. In the crash, the plane split into different sections – the tail section splits away from the remainder of the plane, and all aboard that section are presumed dead by the other survivors. These survivors are the primary focus of the show.
Each episode focuses on one character, or, in the case of one episode, one group of characters. Through the use of flashbacks, it explores that character’s past and the impact that past has had on the character’s development. So far there are been three Jin or Sun –centric episodes – House of the Rising Sun and ..In Translation in Season 1, and ..And Found in Season 2.
Lost is a show filled with questions. Who are The Others? What is the monster? Why did the plane crash? How did the plane crash? What are the Numbers? Answers are few and far between.
Jin Kwon
Jin, a South Korean, is the son of a poor fisherman. As we discover in ..And Found, he wants to escape the poor social standing he was born into. He is, at heart, a good man, and his love for his wife rules his life. He is utterly devoted to her. He is a fairly proud man, however he does struggle somewhat on the island and is socially isolated, as he only speaks Korean, and not English. By the end of the first season, however, he has formed a bond with Michael.
He is willing to do anything for his wife, up to and including “enforcer” work for her father. He goes to extreme lengths in his attempts to prove himself worthy of Sun and earn her father’s approval, in the process endangering his marriage, as Sun decides she cannot stand his silence and how he has changed.
Sun Kwon
Sun is an idealistic and intelligent young woman – as is shown in ..And Found, where it reveals that she has gone to university, and is looking for more in marriage than social connections and money, the chief concerns of her mother (who wants to see her daughter well married).
She marries Jin for love, and against all odds. However, when the marriage deteriorates, she takes steps to remove herself from it, secertly having English lessons and arranging to leave her husband. And as for what happens next …
Jin/Sun - as a couple
Why do they work? How do they stay together?
Let’s look first at “House of the Rising Sun”; the first of the episodes centred around Jin or Sun. This episode shows a brief overview of the marriage from Sun’s point of view. It shows us how much she loves Jin, how she misses him, how they drift apart, how she eventually decides that, as she and Jin travel to Sydney and then to New York on a business trip, she will leave him. The plan is that she will simply walk out of the airport at Sydney at 11:15 while Jin is waiting to check in for their flight to the USA.
Sun walks away. She sees the car just outside the door, waiting to pick her up and get her away from her husband forever. She cries as she walks towards it; it is hard to leave.
Jin looks over to her, and holds up a single white flower. It is a beautiful, if somewhat heart breaking, image. Sun smiles, and walks back over to him. She has decided to stay.
“…In Translation” shows us the same story, but from Jin’s point of view, and it goes a long way towards redeeming his character and explaining his motivations. We see how he loves Sun, how fortunate he feels to be married to her, and, most importantly, how little he feels he deserves it. He is a man with a keen sense of social standing, and he feels unworthy, he feels that he has to work hard to prove himself worthy – but, and this is an interesting point to note, he does not feel he needs to prove this to Sun. Instead, he feels he must prove this to her father.
My point? That he knows Sun knows the depth of his love for her. He does not need to prove it to her.
It is in this episode that we see the lengths which Jin goes to to prove himself – and the devestating impact this has on his marriage. He is given the job of “special assistant” – in simple terms, he is to pass on threats, or to injure or kill people who displease or fail to homour business contracts with Sun’s father. In order to save one such man from being killed along with his family, Jin bashes the man up in front of his family.
He cannot tell Sun. When he arrives home with his arms and shirt covered with blood, he refuses to answer her questions on what he does for her father – except to tell her “I do whatever your father tells me. I do it for
us.”
As we have already seen in “House of the Rising Sun”, it is at this point in time that the scared Sun arranges to leave her husband. However, “…In Translation” shows us that Jin, on the advice of his father, takes similar steps – except he arranges for Sun and him to disappear when they reach America – to “walk away”. To save his marriage.
I believe this entire episode shows us the depth of Jin’s feelings. We know that he has done terrible things – and we know that, for better or worse, he has done them for Sun. We also see that he is ready to leave everything for her.
As for Sun’s feelings – they are shown very clearly later in the season, when she attempts to poison Jin. However, she does not poison him in an attempt to kill him (far from it). Instead, she acts so as to protect him – she hopes that if he falls ill, he will be unable to leave the island on a raft to find help, a dangerous venture that Sun fears will fail. Her attempt fails, however, and Jin leaves on the raft.
At the start of Season 2, Sun and Jin are separated – Sun remains with the survivors of the middle section, while Jin was on the raft, and, unbeknownst to the middle section survivors, he, Michael, and Sawyer have been attacked by the Others and Walt has been kidnapped. Jin, Michael and Sawyer are then captured by the tail-end survivors of the plane crash, who decide to travel across the island to find the other survivors.
Episode 2x05 (“…And Found”) focusses on Sun and Jin’s first meeting, while on the island, Sun loses – and finds – her wedding ring. Her despair at the loss of the ring is a mirror for her concern for Jin – and her relief at having found it is heartwarming.
This episode shows clearly what Sun is looking for in a partner – she wants love in her relationship. Jin, however, is looking simply for a job, and he finds one at a hotel run by Sun’s family.
The moment when they first meet – Sun, disheartened by the revelation that a potential suitor is already engaged, and Jin, newly sacked for allowing a common boy and his father to use the bathrooms at the hotel – is obviously worldshattering for both of them.
Jin/Sun - why I ship them
Let’s start with the obvious – they look great together. Never underestimate the power of a couple that are cute together!
Next – they are so obviously in love. (And it is obvious, particularly from late Season 1, and from their – limited – interactions in season 2, as well as in flashbacks).
And also – he is so sweet (see: airport scene in “House of the Rising Sun”), and she is so sweet (see: ring-finding scene in “…And Found”). The first time I saw each of those scenes, I cried. I still tear up each time I watch them now – because they work so well. They fit together so well.
I got involved in the Lost fandom because, well, I watched the show, and figured ‘why the heck not?’. As for why I feel in love with Jin/Sun … see “House of the Rising Sun”. That was such a wonderful episode, and I loved every second. From then on, there was no stopping me.
Jin/Sun - why you should drop everything and ship them now
For all the reasons I’ve stated above: they’re cute. They’re sweet. They don’t have it easy. And because they are normal people, trying to live in an abnormal world.
Jin/Sun - in fandom
The best Lost resources on the web would be these:
Lost TV
Lost Media (look here for clips and screencaps)
And, on Livejournal:
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
lost_tv
There are many many more Lost sites out there, but these, for me, are the main three – and there are so many links to other sites on these that I can do no better than to point you there.
AUTHOR: Kat (
angel_kathryn)DISCLAIMERS: I so not own any of the characters or stories referenced in this essay.
SPOILERS: For Seasons 1 and 2 of Lost (or as much of Season 2 as has aired in the US up until now)
Author’s Notes: *waves magic wand* This isn’t late! Really! I have focussed on the three episodes which feature either Jin or Sun. However, there are many other beautiful moments in the other episodes – which you all should watch. Now.
Lost - general background
Lost was one of the hit shows of 2004/2005, and it has rapidly gained a cult following. The basic premise of the show is as follows:
A plane crashes on an island in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand miles off course. In the crash, the plane split into different sections – the tail section splits away from the remainder of the plane, and all aboard that section are presumed dead by the other survivors. These survivors are the primary focus of the show.
Each episode focuses on one character, or, in the case of one episode, one group of characters. Through the use of flashbacks, it explores that character’s past and the impact that past has had on the character’s development. So far there are been three Jin or Sun –centric episodes – House of the Rising Sun and ..In Translation in Season 1, and ..And Found in Season 2.
Lost is a show filled with questions. Who are The Others? What is the monster? Why did the plane crash? How did the plane crash? What are the Numbers? Answers are few and far between.
Jin Kwon
Jin, a South Korean, is the son of a poor fisherman. As we discover in ..And Found, he wants to escape the poor social standing he was born into. He is, at heart, a good man, and his love for his wife rules his life. He is utterly devoted to her. He is a fairly proud man, however he does struggle somewhat on the island and is socially isolated, as he only speaks Korean, and not English. By the end of the first season, however, he has formed a bond with Michael.
He is willing to do anything for his wife, up to and including “enforcer” work for her father. He goes to extreme lengths in his attempts to prove himself worthy of Sun and earn her father’s approval, in the process endangering his marriage, as Sun decides she cannot stand his silence and how he has changed.
Sun Kwon
Sun is an idealistic and intelligent young woman – as is shown in ..And Found, where it reveals that she has gone to university, and is looking for more in marriage than social connections and money, the chief concerns of her mother (who wants to see her daughter well married).
She marries Jin for love, and against all odds. However, when the marriage deteriorates, she takes steps to remove herself from it, secertly having English lessons and arranging to leave her husband. And as for what happens next …
Jin/Sun - as a couple
Why do they work? How do they stay together?
Let’s look first at “House of the Rising Sun”; the first of the episodes centred around Jin or Sun. This episode shows a brief overview of the marriage from Sun’s point of view. It shows us how much she loves Jin, how she misses him, how they drift apart, how she eventually decides that, as she and Jin travel to Sydney and then to New York on a business trip, she will leave him. The plan is that she will simply walk out of the airport at Sydney at 11:15 while Jin is waiting to check in for their flight to the USA.
Sun walks away. She sees the car just outside the door, waiting to pick her up and get her away from her husband forever. She cries as she walks towards it; it is hard to leave.
Jin looks over to her, and holds up a single white flower. It is a beautiful, if somewhat heart breaking, image. Sun smiles, and walks back over to him. She has decided to stay.
“…In Translation” shows us the same story, but from Jin’s point of view, and it goes a long way towards redeeming his character and explaining his motivations. We see how he loves Sun, how fortunate he feels to be married to her, and, most importantly, how little he feels he deserves it. He is a man with a keen sense of social standing, and he feels unworthy, he feels that he has to work hard to prove himself worthy – but, and this is an interesting point to note, he does not feel he needs to prove this to Sun. Instead, he feels he must prove this to her father.
My point? That he knows Sun knows the depth of his love for her. He does not need to prove it to her.
It is in this episode that we see the lengths which Jin goes to to prove himself – and the devestating impact this has on his marriage. He is given the job of “special assistant” – in simple terms, he is to pass on threats, or to injure or kill people who displease or fail to homour business contracts with Sun’s father. In order to save one such man from being killed along with his family, Jin bashes the man up in front of his family.
He cannot tell Sun. When he arrives home with his arms and shirt covered with blood, he refuses to answer her questions on what he does for her father – except to tell her “I do whatever your father tells me. I do it for
us.”
As we have already seen in “House of the Rising Sun”, it is at this point in time that the scared Sun arranges to leave her husband. However, “…In Translation” shows us that Jin, on the advice of his father, takes similar steps – except he arranges for Sun and him to disappear when they reach America – to “walk away”. To save his marriage.
I believe this entire episode shows us the depth of Jin’s feelings. We know that he has done terrible things – and we know that, for better or worse, he has done them for Sun. We also see that he is ready to leave everything for her.
As for Sun’s feelings – they are shown very clearly later in the season, when she attempts to poison Jin. However, she does not poison him in an attempt to kill him (far from it). Instead, she acts so as to protect him – she hopes that if he falls ill, he will be unable to leave the island on a raft to find help, a dangerous venture that Sun fears will fail. Her attempt fails, however, and Jin leaves on the raft.
At the start of Season 2, Sun and Jin are separated – Sun remains with the survivors of the middle section, while Jin was on the raft, and, unbeknownst to the middle section survivors, he, Michael, and Sawyer have been attacked by the Others and Walt has been kidnapped. Jin, Michael and Sawyer are then captured by the tail-end survivors of the plane crash, who decide to travel across the island to find the other survivors.
Episode 2x05 (“…And Found”) focusses on Sun and Jin’s first meeting, while on the island, Sun loses – and finds – her wedding ring. Her despair at the loss of the ring is a mirror for her concern for Jin – and her relief at having found it is heartwarming.
This episode shows clearly what Sun is looking for in a partner – she wants love in her relationship. Jin, however, is looking simply for a job, and he finds one at a hotel run by Sun’s family.
The moment when they first meet – Sun, disheartened by the revelation that a potential suitor is already engaged, and Jin, newly sacked for allowing a common boy and his father to use the bathrooms at the hotel – is obviously worldshattering for both of them.
Jin/Sun - why I ship them
Let’s start with the obvious – they look great together. Never underestimate the power of a couple that are cute together!
Next – they are so obviously in love. (And it is obvious, particularly from late Season 1, and from their – limited – interactions in season 2, as well as in flashbacks).
And also – he is so sweet (see: airport scene in “House of the Rising Sun”), and she is so sweet (see: ring-finding scene in “…And Found”). The first time I saw each of those scenes, I cried. I still tear up each time I watch them now – because they work so well. They fit together so well.
I got involved in the Lost fandom because, well, I watched the show, and figured ‘why the heck not?’. As for why I feel in love with Jin/Sun … see “House of the Rising Sun”. That was such a wonderful episode, and I loved every second. From then on, there was no stopping me.
Jin/Sun - why you should drop everything and ship them now
For all the reasons I’ve stated above: they’re cute. They’re sweet. They don’t have it easy. And because they are normal people, trying to live in an abnormal world.
Jin/Sun - in fandom
The best Lost resources on the web would be these:
Lost TV
Lost Media (look here for clips and screencaps)
And, on Livejournal:
lost_tv There are many many more Lost sites out there, but these, for me, are the main three – and there are so many links to other sites on these that I can do no better than to point you there.
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