This drama was aired in 2001… jeez, that was more than a decade ago. So what am I doing watching a really old drama? Well, check out the casts… four of them went on to become big stars...
Son Ye Jin - Jang Hee-ae, her 1st lead role
So Ji Sub - Jang Hee Moon, female lead's brother
Ji Sung - Jun Su, male lead's friend
Kwon Sang Woo - Choon Shik, delivery guy
Jung Joon as Kim Hyo Dong and Son Yeh Jin as Hee Ae are starcrossed lovers. Their fathers were rivals in the past and one is sooo ruthless as to want to destroy the other, by any means. Faced with that reality, our lovers kept their distance yet all the while supporting each other secretly. While it is true that the love story between our main leads Hyo Dong and Hee Ae is classic and sweet, BUT still, im just a sucker for complicated relationships specially when there is a “bad boy” involved. Which brings me to the second leads and their own love story which I personally feel is more interesting than that of the main leads. Jang Hee Moon played by So Ji Sub is Hee Ae’s brother and seemed determined to carry out his father’s wishes to destroy his rival. Soh Yoo Jin as Ma Shi-nae is the object of Hee Moon’s affection. Unfortunately for him, not only is Shi Nae poor, she has also her sights firmly on Hyo Dong.
After im done with this 16 episode drama, I was like in my “mental” state again, talking to myself thinking… asking… “Dear god in heaven, why did I even continue with this drama till the very end?” lets see, what’s the best way to describe this drama??? If it was food, I’d say it’s bland, many ingredients are missing. If it is a relationship, I’d say its detached, lacks warmth and disconnected with your partner. If it’s a dress, I’d say its dowdy, ill fitted and shabby. If it's a song, i'd say it lacks melody, no harmonious rhythm in the notes. If its… I better stop here before I get even more nasty. anyway, i was wondering... whatever happened to the male lead here? he doesnt seem to have appeared in any significant production after this(?) he strikes me as a very competent actor with a face that definitely has "character". he probably had a short-lived career because of the onslaught of "flowers boys" in the korean entertainment industry. sad :(
Had I seen this 15-20 years ago would I have loved it… liked it??? Love it, maybe NOT. Liked it, hmmm, ok maybe a tinie winie bit. What can I do, im spoiled, after seeing cutting edge and trendy korean dramas… the likes of Coffee Prince, Pasta and Secret Garden, how in the world can you expect me to appreciate THIS. Don’t get me wrong, not every OLD drama sucks, some are classic and could and would always pass the test of time. In fact, my all-time favorite dramas are british productions of English period dramas!!! its just that this one is… is… unexciting… dull… dry. Traditional/retro/old-school type of productions are sooo out of my zone these days, it is totally not my style right now. When I say traditional, retro and old school, I do not mean the story nor the aesthetics, I meant, the lines/dialogues, the twists in the story, the characters.
As I was watching this, I realized that 10 years ago, the korean entertainment industry is not as obssessed at physical perfection as they are these days. Not that the actors here are a bunch of uglies, that’s not what I mean. Its just that im surprised to see visible zits in the male lead’s face and also on the leading lady! Tell me, do you even remember seeing any skin blemishes on any of the leads’s these day’s??? to tell you honestly, I prefer these “real” faces that has not been injected by collagen or botox or even “peeled” to perfection, it shows character and registers emotions. Dear Lord… why am I going back to ranting about my favorite pet peeve??? Just when I have succeeded in avoiding doing so in my last few reviews… haay, how frustrating to fall from grace…
I know this is not exactly a glowing review but please remember that this is just me. I know for a fact that there are people who appreciate old fashioned dramatic lines and scenes and characters. So, don’t let a “little” thing like this review stop you from watching. Besides, if youre a big fan of Son Ye Jin, So Ji Sub, Ji Sung and Kwon Sang Woo, regardless of what I wrote here, I would strongly suggest that you should see them here to see the rawness of their talent. As for me… I’ll move on to the next asian drama…
