Why Jeung Choi Why

Why Jeung Choi Why is the first TV movie of the 1990's series, It originally aired on July 1 1993, and was also nominated for an Emmy.

## Plot

Otto and Jeung Choi cope with a friend's leukemia.

## Characters

* Jeung Choi
* Kim Choi
* Otto
* Hang-Soo
* Students
* Walter (mentioned)
* Ms Choi
* Teacher Hoon
* Seoung-Cho

## Summary

Hang-Soo is a new friend and classmate of Jeung Choi, who loves to play on the swings, make sculptors and doing animation. The special begins with Jeung Choi, Kang-Il, and Hang-Soo walking together. As Soo runs from dogs, he hits his arm on the ground, causing it to bruise; Kang notices that Soo has been bruising easily lately. When they arrive at school, Soo starts feeling ill. he tells Otto that he is feeling tired and has a fever, so she is sent to the school nurse and is later picked up by his mother. Three days later, the class is told that Soo is in the hospital.

After school, Jeung Choi and Otto decide to visit Soo in the hospital, where he tells them that he has cancer (specifically leukemia). Soo explains what tests the doctors did to discover that he had leukemia (blood test, bone marrow test, and X-ray). he then shows them his IV line and explains her chemotherapy. Despite his illness, Hang Soo is determined to recover and return to school, so he can play on the swings and be with he friends again.

The news of Soo's illness hits Jeung Choi especially hard, as he appears to be falling for him. As Jeung Choi and Kang leave the hospital, Kang asks, "Why, Jeung Choi, why?" Jeung Choi then walks home feeling both sad and angry, thinking about Soo's condition. When he arrives home, he challenges the ignorance of his sister Kim Choi towards Soo's illness and tells her cancer does not spread like the cold or flu. It's not long until Jeung Choi tells Kim that he remembers the part when he touched Soo's forehead (trying to feel how warm he was). Kim Choi is shocked. However, her initial shock becomes an outrage when she finds out that Jeung Choi actually touched Soo. She also says that Soo probably got that disease because he is a creepy kid. Some months later, Soo's health has improved enough for his to return to school, but she has lost his hair because of the chemotherapy, and wears a cap to hide it.

At school, this attracts the attention of a schoolyard bully (possibly Seoung Cho), who teases Soo for the color of the cap she is wearing. He knocks it off, revealing his bald head. He then makes fun of her for it. Livid, Jeung Choi stands up for Soo and confronts the boy, angrily telling him about Soo's illness and asking him if he would like to go through what Soo has gone through. Seoung apologizes to Soo and Jeung Choi and compliments his on the cap. As Christmas approaches, Jeung Choi and Otto goes to Soo's house to give her a present, but one of Soo's two sisters informs Jeung Choi that he is at the hospital again, receiving treatment. The other sister complains of the attention Soo has been receiving, and later admits he and his other sister feel left out since Soo got sick. Jeung Choi gives him the present and leaves.

By the beginning of spring, Soo returns again and tells Jeung Choi she has a surprise for him, and she reveals the surprise at the end of the special while playing on the swings. The surprise fills Jeung Choi with joy, as Soo's cap falls off revealing that his brown hair has grown back than it was before, marking the end of her chemotherapy, and meaning that she has recovered.

## Hymn

This TV Movie also included a brief rendition of the hymn "Farther Along", sung by Becky Reardon. The song played in the background as an angry Jeung Choi tries to make sense of Soo's illness.

## Production

The idea for *Why, Jeung Choi, Why?* was conceived by Sylvia Cook, a registered nurse at the Stanford Children's Hospital. In December 1992, Cook sent a letter to Marc Brown, asking him to produce a short animated film about cancer for young patients featuring the *Happy Family* characters. Brown was initially doubtful because of the anticipated high production costs. Eventually, Cook received input from the American Cancer Society, which convinced Brown to produce, rather than just a five-minute film, a half-hour TV Movie about the subject. Producer Phil Roman and NBC initially balked at this idea, but eventually agreed to do it because of Brown's enthusiasm for the project. The script of the special was completely written by Brown, with Cook and the American Cancer Society serving as consultants .

In 1998, UNICEF along with Harper Collins released a book of it, Entertainment Rights relased the VHS in 2001

The TV Movie aired on US television since its original premiere; Cartoon Network has re-aired it while Playhouse Disney and FOX, which at different points have withheld the rights to the *Happy Family* TV Movies, have not. It has been seen on Cartoon Network in some Australia and UK.

Critical reaction to the TV movie was overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers praising it for its realism and poignancy, and for Soo's bravery in facing her disease. The TV Movie was also a cult favorite.

## Background Information

* In 2020 the TV Movie was released on Pororo TV along with the Seventh season of Pororo The Little Penguin in South Korea
* On 2022, Cartoon Network USA premiered this TV Movie as part of ACME Night