Emergency Couple Korean Drama Review

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Warning: This review is pretty spoiler-y. We can't keep our mouths shut. You've been warned!

Vivi: I’m really glad that Coco and I both watched Emergency Couple because I was waaaaay more invested in it than I had any right to be, and I needed someone to text about it in the middle of the night.

Coco: And I needed someone to talk to about how cute baby Gook was! Seriously, was he not the CUTEST baby in the world?

Vivi: YES. But I thought you were going to say you needed to text someone about how cute Chief Gook was. Because that happened too.

Coco: I’m pretty sure that was YOU. Although I do agree that he was very cute, it was you who did most of the second male lead pining.

This happened every week. Multiple times a week.

Vivi: Yeah, I did. I don’t understand how you were able to watch it without rooting for the second male lead. Are you even human? 

I’m serious. Are you a robot?

Coco: A Choi Jin Hyuk-loving robot!!! I admit that I was on on the first male lead’s side the whole time. That largely had to do with the behind the scenes footage I saw of him laughing and joking with Ji Hyo. They were so freakin adorable together (as cute as the Monday Couple comprised of Ji Hyo and Kang Gary on Running Man, I dare say!) So I was patiently waiting for his character to grow up and act like a man and for her character to finally settle into her confident self.

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Vivi: And my love of Chief Gook was mostly tied to his scruff and the fact that he was socially awkward and emotionally constipated. In other words, if I had a Kdrama patronus, it would be him. You’re right about the character growth, though. A lot of people complained about the leads at first, but I appreciated that they had plenty of time for gradual growth.

Coco: Yes, I was pleased with the growth of these characters. It felt natural, and they all became legitimately awesome people.

Vivi: Yeah, everything felt pretty natural, except for the last few episodes. Song Ji Hyo suddenly baking fortune cookies from scratch and throwing herself at the man made me throw up in my mouth. (And if you run up multiple flights of stairs, of course your heart will be beating hard. You're a doctor! Pull it together!) Also, “I hate divorced people?” It’s like they suddenly realized they only had three episodes left and finally noticed that all sane people loved the second lead.

You know what else was a well-developed character? This cat poster. Behold its glory.

Coco: My complaint at the beginning of the drama was that the female lead was too passive and incompetent for me to love her, but she quickly proved herself and developed the self confidence that had been drained out of her after her terrible divorce. The male lead also gradually stood up for her and came to respect and admire her for real reasons, unlike many other Kdrama characters where I continually ask myself, “Why does he/she like him/her?” (Kim Tan and Eun Sang in Heirs, I’m talking to you).

Vivi: Completely agreed about the respect. I was thrilled that she didn’t stand for it when he tried to force himself onto her, and they included a few episodes where he had to learn to take the relationship on her terms. Unlike you, I liked her from the beginning. She wasn’t really incompetent. From the very beginning, she would do things right, but no one else took her seriously. I think the fact that the character was played by Song Ji Hyo also helped. She as a person doesn’t really strike me as a wilting flower, so I was willing to wait for plot development. I don’t watch Running Man, but I might start.

Coco: Running Man is the best btw. But yes, I love that he had to figure out how to have a mature relationship, and it was too bad that she went over the top in trying to convince him that she truly loved him back at the end. It is sad that they kind of threw the “I hate divorced people” at the Chief as a device to make him less of a good match, but I did really like him with Ji Hye. I just loved her from the beginning with her cool and collected demeanor. I was happy that they alluded to them ending up together, although I wish they would have done more with it than the awkward airport scene. I mean, if I were her I’d be like, “That’s it? A ‘come back sometime’ is the best you can muster during a dramatic airport scene?”

Vivi: I actually kind of loved that. It was so fitting to his entire personality. If the writers had done more with that relationship earlier, I might have expected more, but if he had run to the airport and suddenly started making out with her, it would have been weird. Like sexytimes CPR weird. Or clown music during a hostage scene weird.

Coco: Sexytimes CPR was one of the most awkward scenes of any Kdrama ever. Especially since it fell on a commercial break so it immediately repeated and made it twice as long. Eww.

Vivi: Seriously. It was like I couldn’t stand to watch it, but I couldn’t look away, either. MAKE IT STOP! Speaking of that scene, this show wins for most fakeouts ever. I’m not happy about it, show! If you show someone moving in for a kiss, you’d better mean it!

Coco: But wouldn’t it have been sadder if he actually did kiss her and then she rejected him? At least their relationship didn’t progress that far. But why did she go visit him at his cabin? That was kind of a mean trick when she already knew she wasn’t done with her ex-husband.

Vivi: That was a big complaint for me. It was like the show wanted to pretend that he never even confessed his feelings. Every time I thought they might let the relationship go, they just kept adding in something heartbreaking like that stupid cabin and stabbing me in the heart. And hello, letting him see them making out at the bus stop???? I hate them.

Coco: Ok, can we talk about the side characters for a minute? I totally love her sister and brother -in-law. Yes, she was a total pain in the butt at first, but the way they kept intervening with their relationship was really funny. And they spawned the cutest, funniest creation on God’s green earth, Gook.

Vivi: I wasn’t crazy about any of the parents, but I did enjoy the sister and her bumbling husband (Except for her terrible advice at the end. "Your body knew you were in love"? Nope. Your body was drunk.), and the other people in the hospital were fine. I mean, I can’t say that I was hanging on to every word Ah Reum said, but it was okay.

Coco: Yeah, I didn’t know what to do with Ah Reum. I hated her smug face so much at the beginning that even though she turned into a good person surprisingly quickly, I could never sincerely wish for her happiness. I’m glad that Yong Gyu ended up getting the girl because he was sooo adorable and sweet, but they’re kind of an odd match.

Vivi: They are a perfect match because Ah Reum’s only job was to look hot and smile, and Yong Gyu just wanted a hot girlfriend. Boom. Match made in heaven.

Coco: That’s true. Plus, she really did show that she was a good person many times over. What about the newly married couple and the pregnancy plotline? Something that did strike me over and over again in this drama was the theme of female empowerment. It was fantastic to see so many strong women in typically male positions in this drama.

Vivi: Absolutely. That storyline felt a little underdeveloped and thrown together, but between that, the double standard for divorce, and Ji Hye as a single working mother, it was a show that largely revolved around the problems women face. And at the end of the day, none of the women had ideal lives, and none of them were pushovers.

Coco: It’s so nice to see a Kdrama, or a show in general, that addresses those issues realistically and doesn’t primarily focus on the issues surrounding modern women and sex and romance like in I Need Romance and Sex and the City. Yes, sex and romance are struggles for modern women, but there’s much more than that in their struggle for equality.

Vivi: I Need Romance 3 also had an unwed pregnancy plotline, which was probably the most interesting part of the whole show (which I still need to review someday). I do like to see the emergence of more nuanced shows, though. Wait, did I just call Emergency Couple nuanced? Scratch that. There were definitely rough patches, too. Some of the tone was bizarre. Some of the plot elements jumped forward at the end. The mother drove me insane. But even with the stuff I didn’t like, I was waiting for each new episode, which is something that hasn’t happened in a while.

Coco: True, is had its struggles, and sometimes it seemed a little slow (mostly because I don’t love medical dramas so I would rather fast forward through those scenes), but I was also waiting for new episodes and sometimes got way too excited and then sad when I realized it was actually Thursday and not Friday like I thought. Overall, I highly recommend this drama for its talented and fun cast and their great chemistry, not only as couples but as an overall ensemble as well.

What did you guys think of this show? Did you stick with it past the rough start? Comment below!

Where to watch Emergency Couple

DramaFever

Viki

Exploring Second Lead Syndrome

After watching both Emergency Couple and Sly and Single Again this week, I've been thinking about Second Lead Syndrome again. Both shows feature a woman caught between two men, and in both cases, the female lead is clearly destined to go back to her ex-husband from episode 1. Neither ex-husband is exactly a shining paragon of awesome boyfriend-osity, but hey,  he's rich and he's on the promotional poster, so it has to be true love, right?

It's no secret that Emergency Couple is giving me what might be my worst case of Second Lead Syndrome yet (We're talking Young Do levels here, folks. Things are bad.). In the case of Sly and Single, I feel sad for the second lead, but he doesn't have me clutching my heart and sighing at the TV or anything, either. The comparison of two very similar shows has got me wondering what it is that sparks Second Lead Syndrome (SLS) and why it is that I catch it for some dramas and I just don't care for others. There seem to be a few different factors at play in my self-diagnosis of this ailment:

Go ahead. Just stab my heart with little daggers, why don't you?

What could have been...

Second leads are notoriously bad at spitting out their feelings. While the first leads are dragging women around by the arm and forcing kisses onto them, second leads are always stuck forming painstakingly cautious love declarations, only to be interrupted at the last minute by a phone or something equally infuriating. (Seriously. Stop answering the freaking phone.) 

If viewers are already favoring the second lead, an interrupted love declaration is basically the worst thing a writer can do. It ensures that we will spend the rest of the show wondering what could have been if only the man spoke at a pace slightly faster than one word every thirty seconds. How can we feel satisfied that the female lead made the right choice if she didn't even know she had another option until it was too late?

Oh, Geol Oh, if only you had overcome your girl-instigated hiccups...

On the other hand, there is such a thing as waiting too long, and second leads who beat around the bush for a million years tend to lose my sympathy at some point. Take You're Beautiful's Shin Woo, for example. Yeah, she got interrupted by a phone call on their pseudo-date, but he could have said something a little earlier instead of just staring at her and talking in thinly veiled "stories." 

Then again, if she was too stupid to figure out that the story describing her exact situation was really about her, maybe Shin Woo dodged a bullet on that one. 

It takes two to tango

Mutual interest is the next big factor in second lead syndrome. Sometimes, I want to give male leads a copy of the book He's Just Not That Into You and send them on their way. I'm thrilled when they confess their feelings, but if it's obvious from the start that there's no interest from the female lead, it makes it a teensy bit easier to let the relationship die in my mind. 

If the show develops the possibility of a relationship with the second male lead, though, all bets are off. I think that's what got so many Boys over Flowers fans. She was completely interested in Ji Hoo one minute, and then suddenly she's dating Jun Pyo. Why? Because he shouted about his feelings more adamantly? His family had slightly more money? It's a mystery. Add in a fortune teller announcing that Ji Hoo is her soul mate, but Jun Pyo is her husband, and you've got a herd of angry fans on your hands.

Lesson of the day: Don't trust random island fortune tellers.

Emergency Couple is another example. Jin Hee and Chief Gook had fantastic chemistry for most of the show, which made it that much harder to figure out why the writers wouldn't just cave to their obvious connection and kill Chang Min in a freak bench pressing accident or something. (I'm joking! Sort of.)

Variety is the spice of K-dramas

This one's a biggie. It wasn't until I watched the recycled mishmash that was Nail Shop Paris that I realized just how predictable male characters are in Dramaland (or at least the romcom segment of Dramaland). I know that we've talked a lot about female leads on this blog, but if we want complex, interesting women in our dramas, don't they also deserve complex, interesting men to date?

As it currently stands, many romantic dramas have two tropes: the chaebol lead and the supportive second lead. The male lead has two personality traits: haughty and rich. (Rich isn't even a personality trait, but that's the best we've got, so we'll take it.) As time goes on, he becomes less haughty, and he falls in love. But that's it. Beyond haughty, rich, in love, and maybe sad about daddy issues, you don't have much to work with, personality-wise. 

Then you have the second male lead, who is (slightly less) rich, kind, and supportive. His main characteristic is his willingness to follow the woman around and serve her with his invisible love. 

Now, I love a good old fashioned chaebol love story, but every once in a while, I wish Kdrama male characters had just a little more personality. Haughty vs. nice makes it tempting to root for the nice guy, but you have to admit that some second leads are just a teensy bit boring. How can you blame her for having no interest if he's kind of a snoozefest? 

Sorry, not sorry, Jaejoong fans. His character was like watching paint dry.

When Kdrama writers break the mold and offer complex, intriguing second leads who break the basic mold, that's when I really can't resist. In Dating Agency: Cyrano, the main lead was doing typical male lead shenanigans, while Master was having long, heartfelt conversations with the female lead. They laughed together, cooked together, talked together, and he was secretly a gangster in disguise. It was a refreshing break from the norm, which automatically prejudiced me against her boring grandpa of the boyfriend.

Similarly, in Heirs, Young Do might have been a violent maniac, but if your only other option is another violent maniac, why not at least root for the one with multiple facial expressions and a motorcycle? (Remind me not to become a life coach for teen girls. Something tells me that I would be bad at it. Teens, don't actually date violent maniacs with motorcycles, okay?)

Whatever the reason, Second Lead Syndrome is always lurking around the corner of every romantic K-drama. As far as I can tell, the only cure is to demand a higher quality of male lead to leave their competition in the dust.

Fashion Face-off Friday: Trendy Tracksuits

In our last Fashion Face-off, Kim Tan and his Cookie Monster turtleneck were able to hold off some stiff competition from the Yzma lookalike on Miss Korea.

This time around, we're going to look at Kdrama tracksuits, which I secretly love. I mean, it's like wearing pajamas, but outside of the house. What's not to like? My only complaint is that Kdramas rarely allow women to take off their absurdly high heels and lounge around in comfy sportswear. I call sexism! Kdrama women, unite and demand your right to wear zip-up polyester from head to toe!

There are a few standouts in the arena of Kdrama tracksuits, so let's look at the challengers, shall we?

Contender 1: Kim Joo Won, Secret Garden

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Obviously. I mean, by the end of the show, I felt like his custom-made jogging suits were a character all on their own. They certainly did catch the eye, but on the downside, I can't imagine wearing those things to do any actual exercise. I have a strict no-running-in-sequins policy.

Contender 2: The Joseon Entourage, Rooftop Prince

It's like a couple's outfit, but for best friends! Suddenly, Lee Gak's entourage was transformed into the Joseon Power Rangers with the use of matching suits.

Contender 3: Kim Kwang Soo, Emergency Couple

This tracksuit inspired this post. Look at that camouflage magnificence! This guy knows what he likes, and he wears it like a boss.

Contender 4: Jo Gook, City Hall

I guess we can toss in a serious tracksuit for good measure. Don't be fooled by the fact that he actually plays sports in this thing--it's all a political statement in the end. But a handsome political statement, I must admit.

In the realm of Kdrama tracksuits, there can only be one champion. Vote below!

Best Kdrama Tracksuit
	Joo Won, Secret Garden
	Joseon entourage, Rooftop Prince
	Kim Kwan Soo, Emergency Couple
	Jo Gook, City Hall
pollcode.com free polls

New Dramas: Bride of the Century and Sly and Single Again

Until last year, we swore we would never watch currently airing dramas, but now that we've started, it's kind of addicting. While you don't get the benefits being able to marathon the whole thing or knowing if a drama is going to fall apart halfway through before you begin (*cough*Prime Minister*cough*), there is a fun sense of community you get from chatting about current shows as they air, even if they're terrible.

So that brings us to the latest batch. We've been sampling bits and pieces of a few of them, but to be honest, none of them are looking like they're going to break into our favorites any time in the near future. Here are some quick thoughts so far:

Bride of the Century

What it's about: Lee Hong Ki (aka Jeremy from You're Beautiful) plays--what else? A grumpy chaebol heir with a sad past. Newcomer Yang Jin Sung plays--of course--a poor, hardworking girl who happens to look exactly like the heir's fiancee. When the fiancee disappears, this girl agrees to temporarily step into her place. Oh, and there's a ghost who kills the first wife of anyone marrying into the family.

Vivi's take: Everything about this drama--the sets, the styling, the characterizations, the soapy acting, etc--feels very reminiscent of early- to mid-2000s dramas like Full House or Boys over Flowers. Whether or not that's a good thing entirely depends on how you feel about that generation of dramas. For me, I enjoy them as classics, but I can't say that I've ever actually uttered the words, "Man, you know what would be awesome? A Boys over Flowers knockoff! But with a ghost added in!" If that's your jam, though, this is the drama for you!

If it's possible, I think she just out-Jan Di'd Jan Di herself.

While I'm okay riding the old school vibe for what it is, I have a much bigger bone to pick with the first four episodes of this drama. Given the rich chaebol jerk lead, it's not surprising that there are wrist grabs and some forced kisses. I hate it, but it's pretty typical fare for this brand of show. Bride of the Century, however, takes sexual intimidation to a whole new level:

In almost every episode, Kang Joo backs Doo Rim up against a wall or pins her on a bed against her will, and instead of doing it because he wants to be near her, he does it to intimidate and to punish her. Even though she fights back, five minutes later, she's falling in love with him. I just can't root for that.

Then again, the second lead is falling in love with someone who looks just like his sister--wait, sorry, half sister. Gross.

Two saving graces so far: 1. I'm cheering for the sassy ghost to win. I love her. 2. Lee Hong Ki makes some excellent facial contortions.

Sly and Single Again/Cunning Single Lady

What it's about: A man (Joo Sang Wook) and a woman (Lee Min Jung) divorce after years of financial hardship. Years later, he has become a successful businessman, and she wants to win back back and exact her revenge.

Vivi's take: Man, I must have taken grumpy pills before I started watching or something because I'm not really feeling this one, either. Episode 4 started to move into some character development, but mostly, almost allof the characters seem petty, bitter, and mean spirited so far. I wish that the secretary and Seung Hyun would run off and form a spinoff buddy comedy instead. 

You're welcome, MBC. I've just made you a surefire hit!

If Sly and Single spends some time making the characters more likable (and maybe kills off all of Na Ae Ra's family), it could have potential.

P.S. For those of you watching Emergency Couple, I was gradually weaning myself off of my love for Jin Hee/Chief Gook, but after episode 13, you will have to pry this relationship out of my cold, dead fingers before I will let it go.

Coco's take: While I love Emergency Couple now, I wasn't the biggest fan at first because I was expecting it to be more playful and over-the-top based on its behind the scenes and advertisements. I feel like Sly and Single Again is exactly what I initially wanted Emergency Couple to be. It's definitely more in the romantic comedy genre than Emergency Couple, which seems to be more in the romantic drama category. This means that if you are in the mood for something light and ridiculous then Sly and Single Again may be the new series for you. Yes, the main characters aren't that likable yet, but isn't that the point? I'm expecting some major character growth from them, and I think they'll get there with plenty of hijinks along the way. Plus, Joo Sang Wook has me on the hook! (see what I did there?)

Which new dramas are you guys watching? Are you loving something that we haven't started yet? Convince us to watch with you!

Is It Snowing in Hell?

The second male lead in Emergency Couple is sporting real facial hair, which he appears to have grown all by himself. Those of you who were around for our Fashion Face-off battle of facial hair know just how impressive this is. Kudos to you, good sir.

Also, his character might just be my favorite thing about this show right now. Lee Pil Mo, I will love you forever.

In other Emergency Couple-related news, Coco and I are in a fight over Oh Jin Hee. Coco says she can't like her until she grows more of a backbone. I kind of like that she stands up for herself and demonstrates competence at surprising times, like when the mother-in-law tries to belittle her. I can think of a few other Kdrama leads who would have trembled and cried in that situation (*cough*Eun Sang*cough*). I guess only time will tell if it's a character worth supporting.

P.S. We have feelings about the ending of Prime Minister and I. A review will be up soon.