Summary
Character deaths are a necessary evil in shows such asSweet Home, but two of its characters deserve much better endings than the ones they got. Based on the webtoon of the same name by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan,Sweet Homedelves into a mysterious world where humans are slowly turning into monstersthanks to a strange virus. Many characters meet a less-than-ideal fate in one ofNetflix’s best K-dramas, which adds toSweet Home’s shock factor.
Sweet Homemakes several changes to the webtoon, resulting in a television adaptation that’s very different from its source material. From the introduction of new characters to the removal of much-needed backstories, these changes significantly impactSweet Home’s storylines and the overall outcome of the show. Though some of these changes do work well, some have come with a lot of criticism and weakenSweet Home’s later seasons. This is especially the case with characters who die before their time.
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Ji-su & Yi-kyung Are Both Killed Off In Sweet Home
They Are Two of Sweet Home’s Best Characters
Despite being one ofSweet Home’s best characters, Yoon Ji-su (Park Gyu-young)’s death comes far too soon.Ji-su is one of the most important characters inSweet Home’s webtoon, as she gives Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) a reason to remain human. However, Ji-su’s importance to Hyun-su is ignored in the television adaptation, with Lee Eun-yu (Go Min-si) becoming a more significant character to him instead. As such,Sweet Homefumbles Ji-su’s character and elects to kill her off rather than see her follow the same storyline as her webtoon alter ego.
Ji-su’s eventual death only continues the disappointment of a character that could have been such a pivotal and necessary figure in the latter two seasons.
Yoon Ji-su is not the only character who dies in the K-drama when they survive the webtoon. Park Yu-ri (Go Youn-jung) and Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin-wook) die in the season 1 finale and are great losses toSweet Homeas they are two of season 1’s most memorable characters. Fortunately, Ji-su survives until season 2, episode 3, yet her on-screen presence is small compared to season 1. Ji-su’s eventual death only continues the disappointment of a character that could have been such a pivotal and necessary figure in the latter two seasons.
Similarly, Seo Yi-kyung’s (Lee Si-young) death was another cruel choice. Unlike Ji-su,Yi-kyung is an original character in the television adaptation, making her fate much more unpredictable. The birth of Seo Yi-su (Kim Si-a) makes Yi-kyung’s crisis of morality one ofSweet Home’s best storylines, particularly as her daughter turns her into a monster to save her. The potential of this storyline was endless, especially as she is feared dead in the season 2 finale. However, its quick resolution was underwhelming and Yi-kyung’s death just a few episodes later left a permanent hole in the latter half ofSweet Homeseason 3.
Sweet Home’s Seasons 2 & 3 Get Rid Of A Lot Of Characters
So Many Deaths Meant Sweet Home’s Later Stories Lacked
Ji-su and Yi-kyung were far from the only characters to meet a gruesome fate inSweet Home. Only8 characters fromSweet Homeseason 1 are alive in season 2and this number quickly dwindles towards season 3. In season 2, Green Home residents Jae-hwan (Lee Joon-woo), Seung-wan (Woo Jung-kook) and Su-yeong (Heo Yul) also succumb to the cruel world ofSweet Homein some of its more shocking moments. This is quickly followed by the death of Cha Jin-ok (Kim Hee-jung) in season 3 in a heartless move by Nam Sang-won (Lee Jin-wook).
That said,new characters in the series are also not exempt fromSweet Home’s villainous track record. Outsider Yang Ho-sang’s (Hyun Bong-sik) death is harrowing, particularly as Ha-ni (Chae Won-bin) is unable to keep her promise to him in his last moments. Dr. Lim’s (Oh Jung-se) scientific curiosity gets the better of him, leading him to be thrown into a fire in season 3, episode 7.Sweet Home’s antagonist also meets a cruel end as Nam Sang-won is thrust into the same fire as Dr. Lim, thanks to the returning consciousness of Sang-wook, who had been presumed dead in season 1.
Many of these deaths add toSweet Home’s shock factor, but they also mean thatlater storylines suffered as characters were often killed partway throughSweet Home’s seasons. For example, Chief Ji (Kim Shin-rok) is one ofSweet Homeseason 2’s best new characterswith a hardened and complex situation that makes her character very interesting. Her presumed death comes only three episodes into season 3, cutting her narrative painfully short. Many ofSweet Home’s other characters suffer this same fate, which greatly hinders the K-drama, particularly as only a few original characters survive the series.
Sweet Home’s Most Controversial Decision Makes Way More Sense After Season 3
Sweet Home’s most controversial story decision almost ruined the Song Kang K-drama, but it all made sense after the events of season 3.
Only Four Green Home Residents Are Left At The End Of Sweet Home
They Have A Happier Future Ahead
While it would have been great to have seen more characters make it to the end of the series, much like they do in the webtoon,four ofSweet Home’s original cast members do survive. Hyun-su remains as one ofSweet Home’s special infecteesand learns to balance his monster and human sides for good. A surprise return from Lee Do-hyun’s Lee Eun-hyuk means that he also survives after allegedly dying in the season 1 finale, but he returns as a neohuman who is slowly relearning how to regain his humanity.
It’s great to see some original members ofSweet Homesurvive when characters such as Ji-su, Yi-kyung, and many others, are killed off far too soon.
The final two survivors’ fates are unclear.Lee Eun-yu and Kim Yeong-su (Choi Go) both succumb to the monsterization process, which most likely means their reappearance in human form is as neohumans. However, Hyun-su states that he intends to turn Eun-yu human if he finds her first. He would most likely do the same for Yeong-su, too. Therefore, it’s hard to know in what state these characters survive in. No matter the case, it’s great to see some original members ofSweet Homesurvive when characters such as Ji-su, Yi-kyung, and many others are killed off far too soon.
