Aahana Swrup
Netflix’s K-drama’ Aema’ delves into the nitty-gritty details of what goes on behind the scenes of the glamorous Korean showbiz in the 1980s. Jeong Hee-ran is an admired veteran in the film industry, decorated with numerous awards and tens of thousands of nationwide fans. For the same reason, she is less than pleased to still entertain ridiculously objectifying scripts that producer Ku Jung-ho, with whom she holds an exclusivity contract, continues sending his way. Naturally, when she finally puts her foot down, the sleazy producer decides to cast her in his next big film as a supporting character, with eager newcomer Shin Ju-ae as the new lead. This creates a certain friction between the two actresses as they continue to butt heads on set. Nonetheless, as Ju-ae begins to learn a lesson or two about the cruelty of the industry, her dynamic with Hee-ran gradually changes, pitching the pair of thespians against a common enemy. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Aema Recap
It’s the year 1981, and the Korean film industry is eager to herald in a new era. Ku Jung-ho of Shinsung Pictures is particularly eager to delve into a world of sex, cars, and sports through the cinematic lens. Nonetheless, he finds himself in for a bitter reality when the crowning jewel of his production house, Hee-ran, makes a spectacle out of him at her homecoming party. She makes it clear that she has no interest in being a part of his raunchy movies and drives the point home further by holding a press conference and announcing her departure from roles that require nudity. Yet, the producer has an ace up his sleeve: the exclusivity contract that binds the actress to the production company for at least one more movie. Therefore, Jung-ho resolves to cast Hee-ran as a supporting actress in a film, ruining her reputation through a horrible role.
On her part, Hee-ran tries to avoid this by attempting to convince renowned director Kwon Do-il to cast her as the lead in his next project, one that he would have to develop with Shinsung Pictures. Simultaneously, she also sways the novice director, Kwak In-u, who is working on Jung-ho’s project, to let her sit in on the casting call for the new lead of their film, Madame Aema. Yet, both of these plans quickly deteriorate after Jung-ho picks a fight with Kwon, and Kwak finds his leading lady through a twist of fate. The newly discovered talent, Shin Ju-ae, is a beautiful young woman who is desperate to get out of her current, financially morose predicament. Her determination and willingness to achieve her dreams at any cost dissuade her from overcoming Hee-ran’s spiteful attempts at bullying her out of the project.
Eventually, despite complications with national censorship, which has recently decided to ban female nudity, Madame Aema goes into production. The project suffers through many roadblocks, including an ill-timed injury to the male lead, the script undergoing multiple rewrites, until the authorities shut down the entire production. As a result, Jung-ho convinces Ju-ae to attend a celebratory banquet, implying her presence could possibly save the project. Despite her reservations, the new actress agrees, only to discover that the banquet is a depraved party where Shinsung Pictures sends out their actresses and musicians to entertain and have sex with high-profile and high-paying men. Fortunately, Hee-ran, who is also a performer at the event, saves Ju-ae from a horrifying night. This serves as a turning point for the relationship between the two actresses.
Thus, once Hee-ran secures the permit to continue production of Madame Aema, she tries her best to encourage Kwak to rework the film to save it from being a trainwreck. Nonetheless, once production wraps up, Jung-ho reveals he has a loophole that threatens to keep the actress bound to the company for another project. Consequently, a big altercation unfolds between the talent and the producer. In the end, Hee-ran and her manager, Yeong, break into Jung-ho’s house to steal the contract. However, the actress finds something much more sinister. As it turns out, the producer has been directly organizing and benefiting from the sordid banquets. Inevitably, the revelation sparks a battle between him and Hee-ran, which threatens to become both of their undoing.
Aema Ending: What Happens to Hee-ran? Does She Work in Kwon’s Film?
Shortly after Hee-ran learns about Jung-ho’s direct involvement in the horrifying banquet parties, she also discovers that his girlfriend, Mi-na, was recently found dead via overdose. The older woman knows that the latter was an aspiring 20-something actress who was eager to get into the limelight at any cost. As such, she can also confidently conclude that the producer must have been behind arranging her attendance at a “banquet,” which ultimately resulted in her death. The fact that Jung-ho distances himself from Mi-na and her name after the death further cements this theory. This instance becomes the catalyst in driving Hee-ran to extreme methods. So far, she has been silent about the industry’s dirty secrets because of fear and a lack of knowledge about where exactly to point fingers.
Nonetheless, Hee-ran knows exactly what she has to do now. Earlier, in the moments that defined her and Ju-ae’s growing friendship, the latter gave her senior the contact information for Yang Seok-won, a reporter who specializes in cases involving workers’ rights. On the other hand, during her break-in into Jung-ho’s house, Hee-ran was able to rip out and smuggle a few pages from his incriminating ledger, which proves his association with the banquet parties. Thus, she decides to combine these two elements and orchestrate an exposé moment during one of the biggest nights of the year: The Daejong Awards. The fact that both actresses from Madame Aema are nominated for the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories helps facilitate this plan. Consequently, on the night of the wards, Hee-ran makes the attendance with a sizable plan. Despite the nomination, she has always known that Jung-ho would never let her win the award in the midst of their battle.
Therefore, Hee-ran arranged a different method to get herself on the stage. Director Kwon is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award on the same night. For the same reason, she pays him an early visit and implores him to take her with him on the stage and let her deliver a speech. When the time comes, the director complies, opening up the stage for Hee-ran. Thus, she reveals on live national television and radio that Jung-ho has been pushing his talent into industry prostitution for years, making big bucks from them in return. Simultaneously, Park disperses thousands of flyers that contain evidence about this statement. Ultimately, after making this declaration, the road to escape remains tough. Still, Hee-ran manages to make her escape out of the country. In the aftermath, the actress remains hidden from the public eye. Yet, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her own plans for the future. A shot of Kwon’s script on her desk, for Predation Night, a tearjerker film the director wrote with Hee-ran in mind, remains reflective of the same.
Does Ju-ae Stay in the Industry?
The lead-up to the Daejong Awards proves to be a difficult time for Ju-ae. For all the faults that Kwak’s original script for Madame Aema has, the final cut he assembles remains a respectable film. Nonetheless, in his hatred against Hee-ran and obsession with mindless slop, Jung-ho re-edits the film into an objectifying, gratuitous flick. However, the stars align for the producer as the government decides to revoke the long-standing curfew around the same time, allowing the film to be released as a midnight erotic movie. Consequently, Madame Aema blows up, breaking numerous records and launching Ju-ae to stardom. Yet, instead of being a respectable actress, she earns the title of a sex symbol in the country. In a way, she gets her wish of becoming the next Hee-ran, but has to pay the price that comes with it.
This includes the sleazy advances of reporters like Jae-geon, who turns around and publishes a smear campaign against the actress when she takes a stand against him. Still, Ju-ae refuses to let anyone belittle or humiliate her. After the reporter goes after her shwogirl days, she intentionally arrives at the award function in a flapper-esque costume to facetiously own up to the narrative. Likewise, when Hee-ran launches the scandalous exposé, the younger actress makes her choice and helps the former escape from the premises, bringing her to safety. Yet, when it’s all said and done, she decides to stay back and continue with the life she has chosen.
Unlike Hee-ran, Ju-ae has just started her career. Therefore, she does not have the luxury of disappearing. Instead, she chooses to take on the industry regardless of its many toxic facets. Since the beginning, the showgirl-turned-actress had only ever wanted fame and stardom and the ability to perform the arts. She has always been prepared to pay any price to achieve this dream. As such, she continues to stick to the same path, but does so on her own terms. She doesn’t sign any restrictive contracts, and she remains critical of the country’s treatment of erotic art while remaining a crucial artist of the same genre. In the end, the completion of her journey is symbolized by Ju-ae, who mirrors Hee-ran’s situation. She flies into the country and reads through salaciously titled scripts while drinking in her private jet. Yet, thanks to her perseverance and the help of her enemy-turned-mentor, the young actress remains more in charge of her fate than ever.
What Happens to Jung-ho? Are His Banquets Shut Down?
Jung-ho’s fate is more or less sealed the minute Hee-ran releases the truth about his banquets. So far, the producer has been banking on his actresses and musicians’ silence by keeping them threatened and docile. He makes the talent believe he is as powerless as they are when it comes to these events. The fact that some of the most powerful and wealthy men are in attendance as their abusers further cements this idea of powerlessness. Some women like young Ju-ae are horrified and shaken by these events, and others make the best of a bad deal by using them to their advantage. Many, like Mi-na, end up being victims beyond help. Regardless of the way they cope with this practice, every artist becomes a victim stuck in a cycle.
They’re scared of ruining their own reputation, which reinforces the scary tactics the banquets employ to maintain anonymity. However, the evidence Hee-ran collects is undeniable, and her method is foolproof. In the end, she’s willing to put her own reputation and future on the line if it means she can take Jung-ho down with her. Initially, the higher-ups who are equally as likely to go down with Jung-ho put their efforts toward catching Hee-ran. However, the actress eventually goes to them herself. She shares some of the more intimate papers from the producer’s ledgers that plainly prove an official’s frequency of these abusive banquets. Using this as leverage, she manages to turn the tide on her nemesis. Her demands remain as such: Jung-ho and his banquet’s full and complete ruin.
Do Yeong and Yang Survive?
Yeong, Hee-ran’s manager, and reporter Yang end up being significant players in the actress’ big move against the industry. Time and again, the former remains prepared to stand as a human shield for Hee-ran, saving her from thugs and bodyguards that are sent her way from some very powerful men. Likewise, Yang puts his own life and career on the line in service of the truth and ultimately sacrifices himself to allow the actress to escape. In the aftermath, both of these men end up caught and tortured by the higher-ups of industry who have everything to lose. This instance compels the veteran actress to pull out the ace up her sleeve.
Initially, Hee-ran’s plan had simply been to expose Jung-ho and allow the media and the public to tear the industry’s most vile corners down to pieces. However, she knows this will disrupt things in a way that will ruin lives, especially those of the very same women who were victims of the cycle. Therefore, in the end, she uses the preserved ledger files as blackmail against the higher-up official to negotiate a deal directly with him. As a result, Jung-ho takes the entire fall for the scandal, the industry promises better protections for its artists, and lastly, Yeong and Yang are released from their abductions. In the end, the reporter gets to go back to his job while Yeong is hired as a manager for Ju-ae, aiding her in her career with the same loyalty he held for her predecessor.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Aema Filmed?
