Source: AsianWiki
Death is pretty common in TV dramas and movies. We’ve all seen movies and dramas where someone close to the protagonist or even the protagonist himself, in some cases, dies. We see the trauma their death leaves behind, we see the tears, the rain, the black clothes, everything. But the thing these dramas hardly ever show is the aftermath of death- the ones who take care of the things that are left behind when people die.
In many cases, you’d just assume that the relatives take care of it all. But sometimes it's too much for them or there might not be any relatives in the first place. This is where the trauma cleaners come into the picture. The people who work behind the scenes collect the last memories of the dead. ‘Move to Heaven’ is a drama that’s dedicated to these trauma cleaners.
Introduction
Drama’s Name - Move To Heaven
Directed by - Kim Sung-ho
Genre - Drama
Language - Korean
No. of Episodes - 10
Main Cast - Lee Je-hoon as Cho Sang-gu, Tang Joon-sang as Han Geu-ru
Plot Synopsis
‘Move to Heaven’ is about a trauma cleaning service. It's a service that comes in when someone passes away and collects and disposes of their stuff, as well as cleaning and deodorizing the space. The idea for the unique series Move To Heaven came from a South Korean essay “Things Left Behind” by Kim Sae-byul, who worked as one of these “trauma cleaners”.
After the unexpected death of Geu-Ru's father, Geu-ru, who suffers from autism, and his ex-convict uncle Sang-gu are forced to meet for the first time because of Geu-Ru's father’s will that made Sang-gu his guardian. Sang-gu joins his nephew to support and manage their trauma cleaning service "Move to Heaven,".
Doing the work they do, they unravel untold tragic stories about the departed, while Sang-gu struggles to deal with his terrible past with Geu-Ru's father as well as the traumatic event that had sent him to jail.
Series Review
The story begins with a tragedy, which sets the tone for the entire plot. Each episode covers a case of death and how the trauma cleaners assist those who have lost a loved one in moving on. Get-ru, Sang-gu, and Geu-Ru's childhood friend Yoon Na-mu together work on collecting the important things of the deceased and delivering them to their loved ones as a form of closure.
Aside from routine cleaning, the "trauma" part of their work usually involves cleaning up after homicides, sites where a body is found weeks (or months) later, and domestic crime scenes. Each story is unique and touches on various topics, from parental love to lost lovers. These stories are such that you might’ve heard about similar cases around you, which makes the drama all the more relatable and “real”.
There are a lot of sensitive plotlines in the drama, but they're all addressed delicately. Filmmakers don't always approach neurological illnesses like Autism with care, but the characterization of Geu-ru feels respectable and tastefully done.
While we see his conflicts, we also see his genius, his total dedication to doing right by the dead, his inexhaustible care about people's stories even when those closest to them have lost all interest, and his sharp and quick brain that keeps him three steps ahead in solving cases that even the police are troubled by.
Other topics which are still forbidden in Korea are treated with the same delicacy. In one of the episodes that cover a tragic love story of two men, instead of focusing too much on how society could react to their gay relationship, the writers focus more on the love story at its center.
As the story proceeds, more information about Geu-ru and Sang-gu's family is unveiled, and the two become closer as more secrets are revealed. The interplay between Geu-Ru's unfiltered straightforwardness and OCD tendencies and his "dirty" and crass uncle's terrible attitude and bad behaviors is one of the show's highlights.
The Bottom Line
‘Move to Heaven’ reminds its viewers of the power of empathy and human connections in a time when thousands are dying each day and we’re surrounded by loss and despair. This drama brings to us an out-of-the-ordinary story and delivers its message in a non-preachy way that leaves us no choice but to deeply connect with each part of it.
In the process of providing closure to their clients, Geu-ru and Sang-gu are also healing their own wounds. Even though this drama is very emotional and you’ll need to keep a tissue box with you, it will leave you with a soothed and hopeful heart and will certainly make you more observant of the life and stories of people around you.
IMDb ratings - 8.6 on 10
The series is streaming on Netflix
Written By - Sanjana Chaudhary
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