Why I Can’t Root for Choi Mina Sue. .
I’m struggling to root for Mina, and it’s not even for the reasons people might think. Personally, I don’t care that she wants to experience all the guys; as a single, sexy woman, she should do whatever she pleases. The game is the game.
My issue, however, is the narrative dissonance and the optics.
Based on what we’re seeing (I understand we can't see everything but based on what's airing), Mina is acting like a sheltered puppy that ran away from home just to stand in the rain. The moment a passerby gives her a piece of candy or a blanket, she wants to follow them home.
Even worse, when they don’t pay her mind in the way she expects, she feels the need to compete for their attention—because in her head, she’s ‘Choi Mina Sue,’ so why wouldn’t you be obsessed with her?
Self-esteem and a high sense of confidence are great, but needing to prove yourself to everyone will always backfire. Newsflash: that isn’t actually confidence. Needing to be picked and loved simply because you think you’re ‘sweet and nice’ is a losing battle (I know this because I used to be that person). Also, there is no one on that island that isn't confident. Dare I say, it's the pre-requisite and the point. Hot singles gather and face healthy competition for love.
That aside, Mina doesn’t seem to understand the weight of her own words. It might be the "Westerner" in her, but she literally told Sung-hun, “You’re the only person I could love here,” while simultaneously complaining about Su-bin (who she is clearly obsessed with) and still harboring a strong attraction toward Seung-il—even after declaring to Min-ji that she was done with him. Again, there is no problem with her liking all of the men; the problem is her headspace.
More on Sung-hun, please didn't we all see how they bonded instantly as the only two Korean Americans? Sung-hun declared his attraction instantly, and Mina zoned him without a second thought. At the time, she was leaning more to Seung-il and his love for her yellow dress. Sung-hun played it cool and accepted to be friends, however the moment he called her a friend out loud, she flipped and claimed he was being indecisive and thus, she doesn't know what to do with him.
I feel like, Mina needs these guys to like her more than she likes them, regardless of whether her feelings are genuine. She needs them wrapped around her finger just to validate the "Choi Mina Sue" identity.
This new card she’s trying to play—“the girls hate me because their guys might like me”—is a total reach. Look at the situation with Min-ji in episode 6: Mina publicly declared she was done with Seung-il, completely unprovoked. Min-ji just indulged her and told her not to worry about it, because Min-ji knows that while her own feelings for Seung-il are clear as day, it’s not over until it’s over. Mina was the one who zeroed in on the "I’m done" narrative.
So tell me why she’s sitting with Seung-il and making it seem like it’s Min-ji’s fault that she can’t get close to him? I thought you were ‘Choi Mina Sue’? How is your confidence only convenient when you want to weaponize victimhood, but nowhere to be found when it’s time for healthy competition?
