New K-drama Alert: Angry Mom and Sensory Couple/Girl Who Sees Smells

Remember in my last post how I was like, "Blah blah I'm too fancy to care about Angry Mom or Sensory Couple"?

I take it back. Here's why:

Angry Mom

Premise: A mom with a feisty past (Kim Hee Sun) discovers that her daughter is being bullied. When the authorities refuse to help, she takes matters into her own hands, going undercover as a teenager at the school.

Episodes watched: 1-4

Thoughts so far: Four episodes in, and I'm in love. The whole thing could have been a silly mess, but it's a much smarter, more serious series than I initially gave it credit for. This premise won a screenwriting competition, and I can see why. Even after a few episodes, I feel like I've known some of these characters forever. 

Favorites? Obviously the magnificent Kim Hee Sun, who somehow manages to look far more like a grumpy teenager than she has any right to look. She even has the grumpy teenager slouch down perfectly.

Runner up is Bok Dong (Ji Soo), the resident bad boy. I have a feeling he's going to make me shed more than a few tears.

I am going to dock some points for the K-drama coincidence parade. It's fine if you have a couple of big reveals, but so far it's looking like everyone will have some amazing surprise connection to absolutely everyone else (I'm looking at you judge/teacher daddy). 

This series is much darker than it looks, but it's handling heavy subject matter like bullying and sexual assault with the weight it deserves. The lighthearted and comedic moments feel like a necessary breath of fresh air, and I don't fee jolted by shifts in tone like I do in other dramas.

Sensory Couple/Girl Who Sees Smells

Premise: After a tragic event, a woman (Shin Se Kyung) wakes up from a coma to discover that she can see smells. A police officer (Yoochun) who loses his sister in the same event finds that he has lost his ability to feel pain.

Episodes watched: 1

Thoughts so far: It's just the premiere, so it's not like I can say that much, but it's cute! 

I mean, with a title like Girl Who Sees Smells, it could have been way worse. Yeah, the cartoon smells floating around are as ridiculous as you would expect, but I'm happy to report that her visions weren't the focus of the first episode.

Granted, a bunch of people get murdered within the first eight minutes of the series (cue sad trombone), but after that, it's quirky, fast-paced, and fun. I expected to hate Shin Se Kyung, but she actually fits her role well so far. I pretty much always have zero feelings either way about Yoochun, and...I also have zero feelings about him in this series at this point.

Is it the next Citizen Kane? No. But will it make you feel like spring is here? Yes. Basically, if Angry Mom makes you too depressed, watch this as a chaser. Except for all of the murdered people (cue sad trombone again).

Stray observation (possibly spoiler-y): Was anyone else bothered by the cop just adopting her and changing her name and pretending he had been her dad for her whole life? I'm assuming it's a witness protection kind of thing, but still....

Anyone else watching? Tell me your thoughts so far!

Looking Ahead: What Will You Be Watching?

Confession: I started five different dramas this cycle, and I didn't end up sticking with any of them. For some reason, the only one that stuck was Heart to Heart, and even with that one, I'm still four episodes behind. Do you ever have drama cycles like that?

The upside of suddenly becoming insanely fickle is that skipping out on a full round of dramas almost acts like a palate cleanser, and it makes me even more excited for the upcoming shows. Since it feels like every drama for the rest of the year is in the middle of casting right now, I'm extra excited, and I want to know what dramas have caught your eye.

Let's weigh some of our options, shall we?

1. Angry Mom

Premise: A feisty mom (Kim Hee Sun) discovers that her daughter is being bullied, so she goes undercover as a student to get back at the bullies.

Premiere date: March 18 (Next week!)

Impressions: In no universe would Kim Hee Sun ever pass as a teenager. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about what appears to be a loveline between her and Ji Hyun Woo. So he gets to feel icky for the first half of the series for having a crush on his student, and then he gets to feel icky for the second half of the series when that student turns out to be a married ahjumma? Poor guy.

But then. This trailer.

Ok, so maybe Kim Hee Sun still doesn't look like a teen, but holy moly, she did pretty well. And I have a soft spot in my heart for female leads who love to swear.

Verdict: Probably yes, but only because it premieres two weeks ahead of anything else I want to watch.

2. Falling for Innocence

Premise: A cold corporate headhunter (Jung Kyung Ho) gets a heart transplant and then finds himself falling for his secretary (Kim So Yeon). They're also in a love triangle with her lifelong best friend (Yoon Hyun Min).

Premiere date: April 3

Impressions: I'm in love with the posters and teasers. They're playful and sexy and have Jung Kyung Ho and Yoon Hyun Min on them. What could possibly deter me?

Oh, yeah. The whole "the organ I got from a dead person is still in love with you" thing, which might be my least favorite thing of all the things.

Verdict: Sigh. My heart says yes, but is it only saying that because it came from the dead boyfriend of this drama? This one reeks of "fun romcom turned into a cryfest" from a mile away.

3. Divorce Lawyer in Love

Premise: A cutthroat divorce lawyer (Cho Yeo Jeong) has a prickly relationship with her office manager (Yeon Woo Jin). The tables turn when she loses her job and has to become an office manager for a new lawyer, who happens to be none other than her former employee.

Premiere date: It was going to be March 14, but rumor on the streets has it that it's been pushed back to April?

Impressions: Typical opposites attract romcom, which are always fun.

Verdict: Did I mention that Yeon Woo Jin's last role was in one of my favorite opposites attract romcoms?

Via

Yep, count me in!

4. Ex-Girlfriend Club

Premise: A webtoon artist (Byun Yo Han) writes a story about his four ex-girlfriends. When the webtoon gets picked up by a movie studio, he has to work with a producer (Song Ji Hyo) who just so happens to be one of those exes. Awk-ward!

Premiere date: May 

Initial impressions: Song Ji Hyo and I are going to be best friends someday. In order to make that happen, I have to watch this. You know—to prove my friendship.

You see that smile? She's totally laughing at a hilarious joke I made.

5. Descendants of the Sun

Premise: A UN peacekeeping officer (almost 100% certainly played by Song Joong Ki) and a doctor from Doctors Without Borders (Song Hye Gyo is considering) initially don't get along, but then the fall in love because of danger or something.

Premiere: Fall-ish

Initial impressions: I know this is really far away, but I already feel so conflicted. On the one hand, remember how I started my Song Joong Ki obsession right around the time he left for military service? Siggggggh I luff him.

Via

On the other hand, it's written by Kim Eun Sook. The same Kim Eun Sook who wrote Heirs.

I actually find the premise kind of interesting, and who knows? Kim Eun Sook tends to do better with bigger plots (body swapping in Secret Garden) than she does with basic ones (rich kids go to school in Heirs), so maybe having a background of war will force her to do more than end every episode with a wide-eyed love triangle formation.

Surely you all remember this. It was, after all, 40% of what happened in Heirs.

My biggest fear, though, is that this potentially intriguing plot will end up with Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Gyo doing a wrist grab stare-down at each other for five minutes while some poor guy's artery is gushing blood right next to them as I shout "MOVE IT, YOU IDIOTS! THAT MAN DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR LOVE" at my laptop.

...not that I have ever shouted that at a show before. 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

Okay, now it's your turn. What shows are all of you anticipating? I know I missed a bunch of upcoming ones, like Sensory Couple aka Girl Who Sees Smells aka Shin Se Kyung's Got a Fetish for Bizarre Superpowers, but the ones I covered are the ones tugging at my heart (for good or for ill) at the moment. What about you? If there's something else I should consider, by all means, convince me so that we can watch together!

New Dramas: Pride and Prejudice, Birth of a Beauty, and Mr. Baek

New drama time! New drama time! New drama tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime! *Jazz hands*

Can you tell I'm a little bit excited about getting a new crop of shows? In case you can't tell from my incredibly sporadic (read: nonexistent) blogging of late, I didn't have time to pick up any of the dramas in the last round. Plus, none of them really grabbed my attention. But now life isn't quite as chaotic, just in time for a new set of shows! Thanks, universe!


I checked out Pride and Prejudice, Birth of a Beauty, and Mr. Baek. Realistically, I won't be able to keep up with all of them, but I haven't been able to make up my mind on which ones I'll watch yet. Here are my thoughts so far:

Pride and Prejudice

An ensemble cast! My favorite!
Image via

What it's about: A genius ace prosecutor (Choi Jin Hyuk) and a hardworking rookie prosecutor (Baek Jin Hee) end up on the same team years after they dated. Romance, mystery, corruption, and pretty much everything else you would expect from a legal drama ensues. And no, despite what the title implies, it has no relation to Jane Austen, though they do have a little nod to the book in the second episode.

Initial thoughts: As someone who has watched more than her fair share of Law and Order marathons on TNT, I feel qualified to say that the case-of-the-day format here isn't the most compelling I've ever seen. It's fine, but I'm hoping they move to the central mystery and drop the procedural style soon. 

But who even cares about plot when you have Choi Jin Hyuk? I wasn't enthralled with his character in Emergency Couple, but for some reason, I can't stop watching him here. It's not like his character is that interesting, so I don't get it. Is it the suits? Is it his melodious voice? Am I really that shallow? Quite possibly. His banter back and forth with Baek Jin Hee is delightful to watch.

This is my first time seeing Baek Jin Hee in anything. Is it just me, or does she look a lot like Yoon Eun Hye from certain angles?

You all see it, right? I'm not just making things up?

I like her character fine so far, but I really wish she would stop running around in high heels. Just stop and take them off. Please.

I want to pat the second male lead on the head and give him a cookie.

Birth of a Beauty

I know that this is completely hypocritical given my feelings about the premise,
but I have massive hair envy. Don't hate me.
Image via

What it's about: An overweight woman (Han Ye Seul) finds out that her husband is cheating on her and goes to a genius (Joo Sang Wook) for help transforming herself. She undergoes massive plastic surgery and then vows to get her revenge.

Initial thoughts: When I first heard this premise, I wanted to smash my face into my keyboard. It sounds pretty similar to the premise of 200 Pounds Beauty, which I really didn't like. I know the movie is popular, but sorry, I can't get behind this one. The movie seemed pretty confused, and it kept sending mixed messages about body image. (Be true to yourself! But if you're sad, you should get pretty, and it really will fix all of your problems.) 

Still, I gave the show a chance, and while it's too early to say how it will handle body image issues, it has some promise. The first episode was a big hot logical mess, but once they got past that initial hurdle, it settled down into enjoyable romcom territory. 

This show wouldn't work at all with the wrong leads, but Joo Sang Wook and Han Ye Seul have some crazy chemistry together. That's pretty important because I hate pretty much ALL of the other characters right now. Like if I were in a room with all of the secondary characters and had the chance to give one and only one of them a terrible wedgie, I would be paralyzed with indecision. Ok, so that's a pretty specific scenario, but it encapsulates how I feel.

Mr. Baek

Image via

What it's about: A 70-year-old hotel owner (Shin Ha Kyun) is a complete Scrooge (no, really, there's a hilarious sequence of him bathing in gold in his tub). Due to a meteor/fate (?), he suddenly ages backwards into his late 30s. There's also some corporate intrigue and stuff going on if you're into that sort of thing.

Initial thoughts: This show may be worth it just to watch Shin Ha Kyun make grumpy grandpa faces. I don't know how long they can play that card, but seriously, this casting is perfection. The show itself is a bit too slapstick for my usual tastes, but he's clearly having so much fun hamming it up that it works somehow.

I haven't seen any of Shin Ha Kyun's other stuff, and he isn't completely handsome in a traditional flower boy (flower man?) way, but he has some interesting charisma that makes me want to keep watching.

Although I'm loving his acting, I'm really glad that we're done with the old man makeup portion of the show (for now) because that makeup made him look 102, not 70.

Lee Joon actually looks like his son, so that casting was pretty great, as well. I feel completely ambivalent about Jang Nara's character so far. She's basically as Candy-like a character as you will ever see. I guess she has a mom so she isn't an orphan, but it's all pretty familiar territory for anyone who has seen more than a handful of dramas.

Conclusions

So far, it looks like Dramabeans won't be recapping any of these shows (aside from the first-episode recap they did for Birth of a Beauty), which means I need to find people to discuss the episodes with me. People of the internet! Please come talk with me! What are you watching? What should I keep watching? I think I'm in for Pride and Prejudice for sure, but I can't decide with the other two! Hellllllllp meeeeeeeeeeeee.

Where to watch

Pride and Prejudice: Viki, SoompiTV (formerly Kdrama.com), and DramaFever (premium users only)

Birth of a Beauty:  SoompiTV, DramaFever, Viki

Mr. Baek: DramaFever

New Drama Alert: My Secret Hotel and Discovery of Romance

I've been on a new drama rampage again. I probably won't stick with all of these shows as they air, but I wanted to check everything out before choosing what I want to watch. Yoo In Na's My Secret Hotel is kind of a weird little show, but the first two episodes definitely grabbed my interest. Discovery of Romance is nothing too new, but it's fast-paced and full of hot kisses, which is just about par for the course given the writer.

My Secret Hotel

Overview

A hotel wedding planner (Yoo In Na) has to plan her ex-husband's (Jin Lee Han) wedding to another woman. On the day of the wedding, a dead body drops through the roof into the middle of the ceremony.

First impressions

Is it just me, or is pretty much every single drama a reconciliation drama these days? I mean, this show is going up against I Need Romance 7--Excuse me, I mean Discovery of Romance, which also features exes forced to work together. What I like about the first two episodes here is that they aren't going over the top with the hatred. There's no hair pulling or throwing of objects like you get in Sly and Single Again or Emergency Couple. Instead, the drama focuses on lingering love and regret, which is great because Jin Lee Han has some pretty convincing eyes of regret!

It's too early to say much about the series because there are too many moving pieces at this point, but the show gets points for some excellent musical choices (although "Time after Time" was kind of a weird pick). I like that they went for some warmer indie pieces instead of full-on K-drama prom ballads. The drama gets even more points for Yoo In Na's styling. It's rare that I say this about drama leads, but I want to own all of her clothing. It's like watching an episode of Project Runway in every scene. 

Pant envy. I have it.

I'm not quite sure how well the series will balance the mystery with the romance. Frankly, the lead baddie feels a little out of place, so I'm not quite sure what to make of him. (Also, did he pull bones out of that guy's hand? I'm pretty sure that's not how anatomy works, but whatever.) Time will tell, I guess!

Where to watch:

Kdrama.com

Viki

Discovery of Romance

Overview

A furniture designer (Jung Yoo Mi) has things great with her kind, successful boyfriend (Sung Joon) until--what else? her ex boyfriend (Eric Moon) pops back into the picture.

First impressions

Like I said, this is yet another rekindling romance drama. It's also another sexy show about young professionals in "modern" romances from the same writer who brought us the I Need Romance series. It might not be the freshest idea in the world, but there's a reason this writer keeps getting work. These types of dramas are fast and fun, which is why we keep coming back for more.

So far, Eric Moon and Jung Yoo Mi are killing it in the chemistry department. I don't completely understand his character yet, but I don't even care. I'm pretty sure I know how this love square is going to end, and I will happily grab a bag of popcorn and watch it all unfold with glee.

I t'll be tough, but I think I can handle 16 episodes of this. For science!

Bonus points in this drama go to Yoon Hyun Min and Kim Seul Gi, both of whom I love in everything. 

Where to watch:

DramaFever

Viki

At this point, it's looking like Surplus Princess will have to go on hold for a while, mostly because something's gotta go, and I'm way too impatient to handle a show that only airs once a week. What do you guys think of this new batch of dramas?

New Drama: Surplus Princess (The Mermaid)

With King of High School and Trot Lovers coming to an end, it's time for a new round of dramas. I'll probably pick up It's Okay, That's Love, but in the meantime, there is one drama that I couldn't resist starting right away. That drama is Surplus Princess (aka The Mermaid). In case you haven't heard of this drama, most of the descriptions that came out before the show indicated that it was about a mermaid who hates unemployed people.

Yes, you read that right. A mermaid. Who hates unemployed people. You guys were tired of K-drama cliches? Well, these writers listened with a vengeance.

With a synopsis like that, you'd better believe I tuned in for the premiere out of sheer curiosity. I can't promise that I'll finish the show, but I had to at least see the insanity for myself.

After the first two episodes, I don't know how to feel about the whole thing. What I will say is that you have to give the writers props for being ballsy and just running with the premise. So far, there's no indication that the mermaid actually hates unemployed people, but everything except for the hauntingly beautiful intro is still completely insane. For example, the first time we meet our heroine mermaid, we find out that she loves reading about K-celebs on her waterproof smartphone. 

Apparently, you can get a signal under the sea.

In a way, it's a smart move. I've seen plenty of dramas that took a wild premise and played it totally straight, which required the audience to suspend disbelief constantly in order to feel any emotional connection. In this case, the writers themselves have a winking (and slightly wicked) sense of humor about the whole thing, so there's no expectation that you should take things too seriously. Well, and even if the show doesn't work, at least they have Song Jae Rim, who generally goes a long way in making terrible things less terrible (see: Nail Shop Paris).

That's their subtitle, not mine.

Rather than comparing Surplus Princess to other K-dramas, it actually feels more like the classic Disney Channel Original Movies of the 1990s, back when they used to tell slightly naughty jokes every once in a while. You know, like Wish Upon a Star, where Katherine Heigl switches bodies with her little sister and then goes to school dressed like a stripper. Does anyone else remember those and possibly still watch them on Netflix? No? Me neither.

In any case, Surplus Princess is full of cheese and over-the-top, slightly obnoxious characters, but it might be kind of fun.

Where to watch Surplus Princess:
Viki
Kdrama.com

New Drama: You're All Surrounded

Source

Well, it looks like I'll be watching My Love from Another Star, which won the reader poll for my next drama in an absolute landslide. I still have a few episodes left of Nine, but once I'm done, I'll get started on your MLFAS. I hope you all chose wisely....

More importantly, I started my simulcast for this round of dramas with You're All Surrounded. Having seen episodes 1-4 so far, here are a few thoughts:

Overview

You're All Surrounded is an action/thriller/ensemble buddy cop show starring Lee Seung Gi, Cha Seung Won, and Go Ara. Eun Dae Gu (Lee Seung Gi) enters the police force as a rookie under the celebrated detective Seo Pan Seok (Cha Seung Won). He has a chip on his shoulder and a secret in his past. He is joined on the rookie squad by a handful of other misfits, including the hardworking Eo Soo Sun (Go Ara). Can Detective Seo turn this ragtag band into real detectives? (Answer: Yes, obviously.) Is Detective Seo a villain in disguise? (Answer: Probably not.)

Initial Reactions

I'm clearly the wrong person to ask about this show because I won't even pretend to be unbiased. I love action comedies. I love any show where things might blow up at some point. I love ragtag teams of misfits. I have seriously considered naming my firstborn child (male or female) after Jason Statham.

"Statham, honey, you clean your room RIGHT THIS MINUTE!"
Source

I know that action thrillers are already kind of passé with the saturation from last drama cycle, but I opted for the romantic comedies in the last round of shows, so this drama is actually a nice break for me. 

Is the plot groundbreaking? No. I (think I) can see where this thing is headed from a mile away, but I don't even care. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the second the comic book intro started. 

The one thing that has surprised me so far is the tone of the first two episodes. It started out quite a bit darker than I anticipated, setting heavy emotional stakes from the start. I though this was a smart move before getting into the workplace hijinks. Otherwise, the inevitable tone shift later in the show would have been completely jarring. I will say that the drama seems more effective than the comedy up to this point, but I would rather have a show with some emotional core than a slapstick laugh riot any day.

So far, it's everything I want it to be. In the first few episodes, the casting is divine. I can't think of anyone better for the leading men, and while I have heard some complaints about Go Ara's casting, I actually think that her brand of quirkiness works pretty well for the character. 

The veteran/rookie setup is pretty typical for a cop show, but an unexpected bonus is that it allows for different types of romantic relationships. While Dae Gu and Soo Sun are headed down the well-trodden Kdrama pathway of over-the-top hatred slowly blossoming into puppy love, Seo Pan Seok and Kim Sa Kyung (Oh Yoon Ah) have space for a more adult relationship. We haven't seen much of their relationship yet, but the sexual tension sizzles off the screen every time they're together, almost as if to say, "Move over kiddos; we'll show you how grownups fall in love."

Even though I'm a sucker for cop shows, I'm also a sucker for strong female leads, and in that regard, I'm withholding judgment for now. Soo Sun seems like the typical bumbling female lead in many ways. I was definitely rolling my eyes when her lover-to-be kept calling her "Bird Brain," but I still like her, and I'm hoping she'll prove her strength of character in upcoming episodes. Based on the promos for this show, I assumed that it would be all about the boys with a girl tossed in for good measure, but I really appreciate the focus the show has placed on her character so far. Allowing her to narrate the conclusion of episode 4 was a positive sign that maybe her narrative arc matters in this drama, and I'm hoping she grows throughout the series instead of becoming a convenient romantic prop. 

At least she isn't a docile, wilting little flower.

Overall, I have high hopes for this show. Then again, I have high hopes for every single new entry into the Transporter franchise, so I really can't be trusted. Who's watching with me?

Where to watch You're All Surrounded

Dramafever

Viki

Kdrama.com

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!

Halfway Review: Miss Korea Korean Drama Episodes 1-8

(Update: Our review of the full series)

I don't usually do reviews halfway, but I just discovered that virtually no one on the internet is recapping Miss Korea.  Seriously, no one.  (Or at least no one who is easy to find in a Google search result.  Because I'm lazy.)  Dramabeans did one recap for the first two episodes, and then they didn't have time for more.

I know that Miss Korea isn't the hottest drama out there right now (and yes, I'm keeping an eye on My Love from Another Star and may actually start it if the rave reviews hold out past the midway point), but it still strikes me as sad that there aren't very many options to discuss this drama for the people who have been sticking it out.  And so, mostly because I want to hear other opinions on this drama, here are some thoughts up to the halfway point.  For those of you who held off on this drama, no spoilers here!  I'm far too lazy for recapping.  These are just some general thoughts.


First of all, the only way I really know how to categorize Miss Korea is confusing.  Is it a comedy, or is it a tragedy?  Is it boring, or is it thoughtful?  Is the focus on female standards of beauty empowering, or is it objectifying?  Sometimes, I genuinely don't know, and that confusion has fueled my interest in the show.

The Verdict So Far

To be completely honest, at some point, I just decided to give Miss Korea the benefit of the doubt, and I started to enjoy it much more.  If I had decided not to give it the benefit of the doubt, I might be hating it right now.  

Okay, so maybe I was a little swayed in their favor by their excellent taste in company names...

To me, it almost feels like watching a documentary instead of a kdrama.  Most kdramas, even somewhat ambiguous ones, are pretty prescriptive in their storytelling.  Music, lighting, and facial expressions all give us a sense of who the villains are, who the heroes are, and how we should respond emotionally to each new plot development.  Miss Korea does very little of that for us.  It mostly just presents scenarios and people and allows us to make our own judgments. 

For example, given that the setting is a beauty pageant, the plot revolves pretty heavily around beauty standards for women and the pressures to look and act a certain way.  My initial reaction was to want the show to take a strong stance against this kind of pressure, but it didn't.  Then I was afraid that the show would play those standards for cheap laughs, but it didn't. (Okay, some of it is funny, but not all of it.)  Instead, the show seems to be saying, "Well, this is the society we've created.  How do you feel about it?"  

The writers have taken the same approach to the characters, as well.  None of them are flawless, but most of them feel real.  I have to say that I, for one, am loving the lead couple right now.  I skipped Gu Family Book, so I had no preconceived notions about Lee Yeon Hee, but I love her in this role so far.  She exudes a delicate balance of anger, vulnerability, sass, and frustration with the world.  I never, ever thought I would say this, but her character even made me see the decision over breast implants as a feminist move for a minute there.  She's sick and tired of having all of the men in her life tell her what she should or shouldn't do with her life and her body, and so she decides to take control.  Whatever decision she makes, it's clear that she does it for herself, and even though it wouldn't be my first (or second or third or fourth) choice, I have to give her character mad respect for taking a feminist stance through a beauty pageant and somehow making it believable.

I read some complaints about the chemistry between the leads after the first few episodes, but I have to say that I was sold on the chemistry from episode 1.  I love the balance between the sweet flashbacks and the more jaded interactions in the present day.  Then again, I'm terribly biased in favor of Lee Sun Gyun in pretty much anything.  He could be talking at a wall, and his voice would still sound like it was saying "I love you."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Actually, I take back what I said just now about liking him in anything.  Even though his character here is flawed, he's much easier to like than his character in Pasta.  Less shouting, that's for sure.

I like most of the side characters so far, but I kind of LOVE Lee Mi Sook as Ma Ae Ri.  She has hit the nail on the head with this obsessive former beauty queen.  Somehow, even when she's doing something completely absurd, I still buy it.  And the outfits!  Oh, man, the outfits...

So the one character I just can't get behind is Teacher Jung, our aging gangster friend.  His character probably gives me more cognitive dissonance than anyone else on the show.  He flails and shouts so much that it feels kind of comical, but then he always has his sad woodwind music playing (What is that?  An oboe? It sounds like Peter and the Wolf!), so then I think I'm supposed to feel sad for him, and the whole thing just makes me angry every time he's on the screen.

Overall, I would say that Miss Korea is unlike any other drama I have seen before.  I get what the naysayers mean about the slow-moving plot, but I like the depth of characterization enough that I'm willing to let it slide.  And this is coming from someone who thought that Pasta  was way too slow in parts.  In fact, even though both plots move slowly, these two shows are so different that I would never guess it was the same writing team between them both.  Disliking Pasta won't guarantee that you will dislike Miss Korea, and loving Pasta definitely won't guarantee loving Miss Korea.  

Is anyone else out there still watching this show?  How do you feel about it so far?

New Drama Time!

We're testing out the new batch of kdramas.  From the good to the bad to the unsure, here are some very brief initial responses:

1. The Prime Minister and I

Four episodes in, this is hands-down the most pleasant surprise of the bunch so far.  To be honest, ahjussi romances aren't really my thing.  I couldn't get past the age gap in Dating Agency: Cyrano, but it hasn't bothered me so far here.  It might have something to do with the fact that Yoona is relatively tall and Lee Bum Soo is relatively short, so they're always on eye level with each other.  Or maybe it's the fact that Yoona's character is a real adult with a real job, unlike 90% of kdrama females.  Or maybe it's the fact that so far, every time he tries to push her around, she finds a way to turn the tables.

I also think the writers have been very smart with their use of Lee Bum Soo so far.  He's a comedic actor, but sometimes his character was too much to handle in History of a Salaryman.  By using his funny skills in imaginary scenarios, we get to laugh while still taking him seriously as a person.  The one thing I can't take seriously is the reasoning behind the fake relationship.  Off the top of my head, I can think of about 47 better ways to resolve the problem than a contract marriage.  But what else do you expect from a kdrama forced marriage premise?

I'm cautiously optimistic.  If the writers flush this potential, I'm going to be Hulk smash a lot of things.



2. My Love from Another Star

Sorry, guys, but I can't do it.  I have a terrible habit of judging books (and shows) by their covers.  Maybe I'll work on it as a New Year's resolution or something, but until New Year's, I'm going to judge away.  I don't know what it's like to be a 400-year-old alien, but according to this poster, it mostly involves crying.  In Vivi's world, the only person who gets a pass on Poster Crying is Song Joong Ki.  The '90s-tastic "I'm sad! But also ethereal!" mist isn't helping, either.

3. Miss Korea

The first two episodes were much more serious than I expected from the Miss Congeniality-style premise.  The writers raised a lot of social issues in episode 1, and how they handle these issues later has the potential to make or break the show for me.  I'm squarely on the fence for now, but I'm also quite intrigued.  I love the gritty old-school vibe going on.

Happy holidays to all, and very merry drama-ing!