JTBC‘s Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Quiet Sales’ has wrapped up its six-week journey with a full happy ending. It also recorded its highest viewership ratings of 8.6% nationwide and 9.1% in the metropolitan area, achieving a perfect ending. (Provided by Nielsen Korea, based on paid households)

In the final episode of JTBC’s Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Quiet Sales’ (directed by Jo Woong, written by Choi Bo-rim) on the 17th, Oh Geum-hee (played by Kim Sung-ryung)‘s heartbreaking past was revealed. Geum-hee loved the son of a servant she had grown up with since she was young. When Geum-hee’s pregnancy turned her family upside down, he left her, and she left home to raise the child alone, but it wasn‘t easy because she was experiencing poverty for the first time in her life. Then, a fire broke out in the house by mistake, and she ran home to ask for help to treat the child. Instead of allowing her to receive treatment as her parents requested, Geum-hee gave up the child. That child was Kim Do-hyun (played by Yeon Woo-jin).

The tearful reunion of mother and son after 30 years was short-lived, and Do-hyun was transferred to the unsolved case unit. Han Jeong-sook (played by Kim So-yeon) prepared a ‘Getting Close Quickly Project’ for the still awkward mother and son, such as eating their mother’s lunchbox, having her mother pick them up on a rainy day, and having a drink with her mother. Do-hyun finally narrowed the emotional distance between them to the point where he could call Geum-hee ‘Mother’. Jeong-sook also prepared to say goodbye to Do-hyun, saying, “Let‘s each work hard and meet again when we’ve become better”. In the meantime, Seo Young-bok‘s (played by Kim Sun-young) husband Park Jong-seon (played by Im Cheol-soo) was released from prison and decided to fully devote himself to supporting his mother. Lee Joo-ri (played by Lee Se-hee) chose to break up for the sake of Eom Dae-geun (played by Kim Jung-jin), who was kicked out of his home and was living in a pharmacy. However, Heo Young-ja (played by Jung Young-joo), who saw Joo-ri’s sincerity in caring for her son, eventually said, “No parent wins over their child,” and allowed the two to meet.

An incident occurred that hit the “Bangpan Sisters” who were on their way to a bright future. Kim Mi-ran (played by Ra Mi-ran), the CEO of “Fantasy Lingerie,” disappeared with public funds. Jeong-sook managed to track down Mi-ran, who was on the run, and heard the inside story. She had confidence in the business and invested all her life‘s savings, but she had no choice but to close after 6 months because people protested that the business was unfilial and ruining the country. The contractor who brought in the goods from overseas was also arrested, and she herself was on the run. She then said, “If you don’t think this is the wrong path, don‘t give up, hold on, and let’s meet again,” and disappeared again, avoiding the police. Although she was exhausted, Jung-sook ran again after seeing the happy ending of ‘Seo Taiji and Boys’, who had been harshly criticized as soon as they debuted, winning for two weeks in a row.

Four years later, ‘Bangpan Sisters’ opened an adult goods store called ‘Jung-sook Sales’. Do-hyeon, who came down from Seoul, gave her balloons as a gift, saying, “I wish they would fly up”. Choi Won-bong (Kim Won-hae), Jong-seon, and Dae-geun also attended the opening ceremony. The happy ribbon-cutting ceremony was short-lived, and as time passed and people‘s views changed, protesters still gathered in front of the store, saying, “Decadent establishment, traitorous offender, and mastermind of family breakdown”. However, Jung-sook did not ‘Shoot’ on her own this time either. She faced it more bravely, saying, “If they block your way, you can just fly up and get over it”, even if it takes time. In this way, I looked back on the journey of ‘Quiet Sales’ for the past six weeks until I wrote the perfect ‘happy ending’ that tightly captured work, love, fun, meaning, laughter and emotion.

● ‘Adult Products’ landed on the small screen, a scandalous door-to-door sales drama without a villain

‘Quiet Sales’ depicts the independence, growth, and friendship of the ‘Dog Sales Sisters’ who started a door-to-door sales of adult products in a conservative rural village in 1992, a time that was no different from the Joseon Dynasty compared to now. It was a time when revealing sexual desire was uncomfortable, and rather, being uncomfortable was considered noble and moral. So, it was obvious that these women, who sell flashy and embarrassing adult products with the motto, “You have the right to a passionate sex life,” and cause public unrest in the town, would be looked upon unfavorably. “Quiet Sales” is the first drama to deal with such adult products. Even now, 30 years after the time period in the drama, not all viewers find it any less uncomfortable. The struggles of the “Sisters Selling Adult Products” to sell adult products and the innocent reactions of the townspeople who encounter them for the first time were contrasted to create a pleasant development that naturally makes you laugh. In it, the message that “Desire is not shameful. What’s shameful is when that desire is expressed in a dark and twisted way” was naturally delivered. The four ‘Sisters’ who caused public disorder as if they were the source of false rumors about them were cool, but the ‘Anti-Sisters’ who eventually sided with Jeong-suk and joined forces to arrest the criminal who made a statement at the police station were also great and made us feel human nature. This was the power of a good drama that even resolved conflicts harmlessly so that viewers could enjoy them to their heart’s content.

● 100% synchronization, passionate acting that the actors also enjoyed

The perfect acting and ‘Fantastic’ chemistry of Kim So-yeon, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Sung-ryung, Kim Sun-young, and Lee Se-hee were the main reasons why ‘Quiet Sales’ was well-received. And this came from the realistic acting that the actors also enjoyed, to the point that they all said, “We really enjoyed it too.” As the episodes went on, their acting synergy became more mature, and I was able to immerse myself in the drama while truly sympathizing with both laughter and tears. Kim So-yeon, who showed perfect ‘one character’ from a wife who was intense and only kept quiet to ‘Han Jeong-sook’ who bravely pioneered her own life; Yeon Woo-jin, who perfectly immersed himself in the role of ‘Kim Do-hyun’, a suspicious detective from Seoul and received enthusiastic support from viewers as the ‘90s Romance King’; Kim Sung-ryung, who completed a new challenge as ‘Oh Geum-hee’, the brain of ‘The Bangpan Sisters’, with her experienced acting; Kim Sun-young, who proved her acting skills once again as ‘Seo Young-bok’, a power mom raising four children; and Lee Se-hee, who renewed her life character as the ‘hot girl’‘Lee Joo-ri’. The characters with different stories and charms came alive with a vibrant presence on screen. From Kim Won-hae, Im Cheol-soo, and Choi Jae-rim, who played the problematic husbands of ‘Sisters on the Wall’, to 100% pure man Kim Jeong-jin, ‘Anti-Sisters’ Jeong Yeong-ju, Park Ok-chul, Park Ji-ah, Kim Seon-mi, Joo In-young, and Seo Hyun-chul and Jeong Sun-won of Geumje Police Station, they each filled the gaps with fun in their respective positions.

● Encouragement sent to everyone who stands up to the world‘s prejudices

We all have our own “burdens to carry”. ‘Sisters on the Wall’ was no exception. Jeong-sook’s husband cheated on her and she got divorced, Geum-hee suffered alone for a long time because she had to give up her child she had before her marriage in order to save him, and Yeong-bok‘s husband is a criminal and Joo-ri is a single mother, so the two of them always had to endure the harsh gazes of those around them. They each started selling adult products door-to-door for different reasons, and the process was by no means smooth. We heard unfair things, were surrounded by false rumors, and were physically threatened. So there were times when we wanted to give up. But we stood each other up, dragged each other by the collar, and didn’t give up on each other, and we moved on to better lives. Now, we have the inner strength to have a ‘turbulent battle’ with ‘self-diss’ or laugh together while sharing honest sexual desires and fantasies. Seo Taiji and Boys, who appeared like a comet in 1992, eventually became revolutionary musicians who changed the history of Korean music by becoming huge hits. As the host of the show they appeared on narrated, “There are always many people who try new things, and what they need is strength, courage, and hope.” ‘Quiet Sales’ still breaks down the thick wall of prejudice and cheers on those who are posting ‘shots’. And that warm cheer reminds us of the meaningful fact that we are never alone. Like the ‘Bangpan Sisters’ Jeong-suk, Geum-hee, Yeong-bok, and Juri who stood up straight with that support.
Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com