Four and a half minutes into the first episode of this drama and it had already managed to elicit some laughter from me. Im not surprised that im already enjoying it from the get go… well, this just happens to be the much anticipated latest work of the Hong Sisters. Every avid and rabid fan of Korean dramas knows THE Hong Sisters, Mi Ran and Jung Eun. If you’ve never heard of them, you have no business calling yourselves Korean drama addicts…haha ^^ The very fact that they were able to cast A-list actors for this rom-com is most likely because of their reputation for coming up with top raters. anyway, I checked out the TV ratings for this drama and lo and behold, its at par or its even more impressive than that of Secret Garden(the last drama that caused quite a stir and sensation in the Korean drama industry early this year)… is that possible… maybe… the drama reviews are positively glowing too. dear lord, im just about done with the first quarter of this drama, and im thinking… how in the world can I survive it till the end without dying from laughter? ^^
Goo Ae Jung played by actress Gong Hyo Jin is a former leader of a defunct girl group and is currently struggling just to get into tv variety/game shows. To put it bluntly, she’s a “has been” in the entertainment industry with more “antis” than followers in her career. Dokko Jin played by actor Cha Seung Won is a top hallyu(ugh, im sooo uncomfortable using that word… ewww, its giving me goosebumps just writing it) actor. By some stroke of faith they met and a slew of some fortunate and unfortunate events in their lives and careers unfolded. Who would have thought that the arrogant actor will eventually turn out to be the protector/saviour of the “has been” singer. That whole evolution of Dokko Jin starting as an aggressor, to becoming Ae Jung’s accidental “guardian angel”, to becoming her sponsor and benefactor, to her being the object of his affection, is uber hilarious to watch. the comedy of errors in a suspense slash comedy style in episode4 literally had me ROFL, I swear, that was preeetty good ^^ it is so good that they did a some sort of a part2 of the same scene in episode11 and what do you know, to me it’s a winner too ^^
this trendy drama is also a tongue-in-cheek look into the Korean entertainment industry so its bound to be similar or based on actual people within that industry. Let me get this out of the way first… as the character Dokko Jin was being unravelled to me, I cant help but think that its like a combination of both Hyun Bin the man/actor and Kim Joo Won, Hyun bin’s character in Secret Garden(SeGa). WHY, because of 2 things. THE FIRST thing, Joo Won and Dokko Jin are both eccentric rich men who is struggling with themselves trying to make sense to explain their feelings for an unsuitable girl. Actually, now that I have seen both characters, Joo Won is way more “normal” compared to Dokko Jin, hmmm, yeah absolutely waaay more “normal”. One is claustrophobic and obsessed with his infamous flambouyant tracksuits(which are immortalized in this drama too^^), while the other is obsessed with his heart monitor and his “60-90 heartbeat”. I don’t think anybody who has seen SeGa wouldn’t think that there are similarities between these 2 characters specially when they were aired not too far apart and both enjoying tremendous following from the viewing audience. THE SECOND thing, the part about Dokko Jin pretending to be still in a relationship with Ae Jung’s former group mate Kang Se Ri played by Yoo In Na, when they had already called it quits for over a year is like the actual controversy surrounding the lovelife of Hyun Bin himself earlier this year and that whole split-up with famous actress Song Hye Kyo. Some say that they had already broken up last year but are just keeping up appearances for various reasons, all of which are career related… hmmm juicy celebrity rumors and intrigues ^^ is it possible that Dokko Jin the character is loosely based on Hyun Bin the actor??? Tarararannnn… so much for spazzing and back to the drama…
As far as I know, I dont think i have ever seen Cha Seung Won(CSW) in any previous production before. With his overall look, he strikes me as one who should be casted as a villain in an action film or drama and NOT a leading man in a romantic comedy. Maybe that is why initially, the vibe I was getting from him is…that there is something about his face or facial expressions that I find… awkward, weird, unsettling, quirky… my brain is telling me I should be hating him in that role BUT more often than not, when he’s on, I just end up ROFL ^^ I love it that when a particular scene is starting to turn melodramatic, he’d turn on his quirky side and diffuse the overly dramatic tensions. Even if at first I thought, it was a casting fail… but whoa… how wrong am I or what? the guy is a real pro. NO, he did not need to transform himself into the charming clean-cut dashing leading man for me to appreciate him, in fact, he remained the same petty, awkward and creepy character until the very end, WHAT CAN SAY---> he’s totally THE MAN. I have this question on my mind as I watched CSW play Dokko Jin. I wonder how much of what I see onscreen is the Hong Sisters’ brilliant characterization and how much of it was the brilliance that is CSW? Was how he portrayed that role exactly what the sisters had pictured it to be? I have a feeling CSW brought another dimension to Dokko Jin that was never even imagined by the writers themselves! With the kind of adjectives(those I wrote in the first part of THIS paragraph) and description that I showered this character, you can only conclude that with that character and face, feelings of sadness coming from him would be quite difficult to convey to the audience. That we may actually feel uneasy and unsettled OR end up not taking him seriously during the drama/crying scenes. Well… that is actually true IF an actor of a lesser caliber portrayed it. here, CSW’s tears are soo convincing and his sadness is so hearfelt that I actually felt sorry for the weirdo when he’s on the emo mode. What a versatile actor CSW is ~ let’s give credit where credit is due… please let us not forget that the comedy part of this drama basically lies on his shoulders alone. The others contributed some BUT whatever laugher you got from watching this is most likely because of him. Is it just me or did the Hong Sisters and actor Cha Seung Won inject a classic quirky Japanese style in that character??? Its approach is very Japanese, maybe that’s why im not pissed by it nor did I think of it as going overboard^^ his “evil” laugh doesn’t even annoy me… well… not that much ^^ I think what’s amazing about CSW is that to this day, I still think he looked completely psycho in his role and yet thats exactly why he is sooo effective. ^ding dong^ That i was not blinded at all by his charm nor good looks(Dokko Jin, charming? Weh! ^^)… so for me to say that he is darn good here simply means im absolutely stating a fact without an ounce of bias. No, im not and never have been his fangirl and still not likely to be his fangirl in the future BUT I recognize a job well done when I see one.
AND, what about Gong Hyo Jin(GHJ) and her gift of snagging the best roles in the best projects. She landed another winner in this one. Thank god she looks better here than in Pasta, but still the same amazing actress… unconventional, quirky, just the way i like it ^^ waaaa… I was floored by her gem-studded shoulder pads sewn outside her blouse(see the pic below), they look like pin cushions that landed on her shoulders^^ How did GHJ the actress and her character Goo Ae Jung handle and tackle her predicament of having a man as powerful and as strange as Dokko Jin falling for her??? I must say… with flying colors baby!!! She was able to hold her own and effectively balance her character to that of the male lead when she could have easily been clobbered by the presence of such a strong character in Dokko Jin. basically, what I like about her character is she treats Dokko Jin as her equal despite his superstar status. HER initial rejection of Dokko Jin’s love confession and HIS reaction to that rejection and how that entire scene was executed… from the setting, to the lines and its delivery, even to the follow through scenes(to his “storytelling” scene when he followed her until they parted on that night)… what can I say… both HE and SHE remained “in character” at all times. SHE was cool and no-nonsense while HE is weird and creepy as usual^^ No traditional lines here, nothing but real, down-to-earth, everyday ordinary lines… weh? Is there anything ordinary about Dokko Jin and his story ---> All that talk between them about the rejection of HIS GIFT of potatoes and finding HER treasured chicken is, is, is, witty, topnotch HUMOR!!! *clap, clap* ohhh mannn, now Im sooo looking forward as to how this two will finally get together… having said all that, I must also say that there is something about Ae Jung that makes me want to slap some sense into her. You know me, I have little patience for stupid people but im not totally heartless ^^ Selfless acts for another soul as far as im concerned are reserved for people who deserve them. Carrying everybody’s burdens is the height of stupidity specially when the people youre trying to protect are selfish and don’t deserve your good deed. It’s a good thing GHJ was not born in ancient times, otherwise, she would be burnt at the stake ‘coz that’s what happens to martyrs and saints. In the real world now, “dog eat dog” is the norm. so when our female lead starts acting like, im going to keep everybody’s secret and it doesn’t matter if I’ll look bad in the process, that to me is a lot of BS! To Ae Jung what her company wants her to do is selling out her friends(?) and family but to me Representative Moon was just asking her to simply tell the truth. Im sorry but her tears did not gain any sympathy from me, it only adds to my frustration at her pathetic decisions. She should thank her lucky stars that she’s got a “creepy angel” watching her back and ready to bail her out at all times in whatever and every way he can *omigosh, im sooo affected. calm down girl, its just a freakin' drama ^^* Oh, on another note, im sooo grateful that she didn’t sing the “Thump, Thump Song” inside the operating room. The scenes leading up to the surgery had me seriously worried and dreadfully anticipating that the writers wrote that into the story and I was thinking, “oh no, youre not gonna do that to me”. I would very likely throw a fit if something that cheesy will be thrown within my sight. Seriously, I was relieved when my worst fear did not materialize. Halleluja, praise be to the drama gods ^^
Yoon Kye Sang(YKS) who plays the role of Yoon Pil Joo is the dashing doctor who is the “searcher” in the dating game where Ae Jung is one of the “searchees”. When I heard who were casted for the latest Hong Sisters drama, I was hoping against hope that YKS will be the male lead and when I learned otherwise, I was like… darn, why did he even agree to be a mere 2nd fiddle? I’ve always liked him in his previous works that I have seen, I thought he carries himself really well and quite effective in the light lovestory-romantic comedy genre. But now that I have seen the Dokko Jin character I asked myself the question, could he have done a better job of portraying him? I have to admit… with that beautiful face, I highly doubt it. Dokko Jin is one h*ll of a complicated character. The role that YKS got instead was that of the classic, “cursed nice guy”. A name I coined myself and sentiments about this type of men was even acknowledged in this very drama! Don’t take it literally though, when I say “cursed” its just a figure of speech^^ You know how in some dramas there are these men who are rich, handsome, sweet, reliable, good natured and are 100% and wholeheartedly in love with the leading lady. Unfortunately, they are doomed to always fail with the leading ladies… for short, a nice guy who is cursed to always loose out to the complicated and brutish “bad boy”. You should know this by now ‘coz I always say it, nice guys never gets the girls, well at least in most dramas that is^^ The 2nd lead men from “Shining Inheritance”, “Pasta”, “Meteor Garden/HYD/BOF”… these outstanding young men are a fine example of the “cursed nice guy” in “dramadom”. Common sense dictates that we girls should pick these kind of men and yet, time and again, the rude, arrogant, complicated, problematic, yet sensitive “bad boys” are always the hands down winner with the ladies. Haaay, If these “cursed nice guys” are real people, I’d like to one day gather them together and hook them up with good girls with a fantastic sense of humor and fiesty personality to make these men’s lives happier and exciting… hehe, delusional much ^^
To what do this drama owe its huge success??? Nothing extraordinarily exciting in the story… Not much eye candy on this production… No big budget production sets, not even scenic locations. What is it then??? It’s the director, the interesting characters of the main leads, excellent acting, AND, the script, the script and the script! I soo hate it when lines/dialogues from dramas goes on and on beating around the bush, delaying the inevitable, sometimes using words and phrases normal people don’t use in everyday conversations. Unless it’s a period drama, I cannot tolerate antiquated dialogues, please spare me from that. why am I even ranting about this, its because one of things I really appreciate here is its well articulated witty lines and none of those cheesy dialogues. Besides, I cannot imagine Dokko Jin uttering uber romatic cheesy lines to Ae Jung, I’ll honestly die from shock! The metaphors are heavily injected with humor, while those smart and snappy lines were uttered one after another in rapid successions that leaves me in awe of the brilliance of the writers. The awesomeness of the script is displayed in the entire 16episode series but it was more intense and highlighted in the last 2 episodes. I may be a bit disgusted at the format of that tv show where Dokko Jin declared his relationship to Ae Jung, imagine pitting women against each other, discarding on national television those that does not appeal to the male chauvinist p*g and the worst part of it is I know there is really such a show in korea! I find the TV public declaration of love… ahhh, chessy BUT, the actual “I love you” was surprisingly totally devoid of cheesiness. That’s all thanks to CWS’s cool acting. Not to be outdone is Ae Jung’s equally cool reaction to the love confession. And the fans’ reaction to the announcement, their online messages are… waaaaaaa, waaay too funny people, I was literally rolling on the floor laughing in the last episode :):):) while it may be funny, it is also sad to see the bad side of being a celebrity in that country. the Hong Sisters showed us the ugly side of the korean entertainment industry. the fangirls and boys in korea or elsewhere in the world needs to grow up. They are to put it bluntly, immature, scary and are sooo possessive of their idols. The korean celebs are so scared of pissing their fans, they would keep their romantic relationships secret for as long as they can, sometimes even to the extent of only revealing them when couples are already in the middle of a divorce proceedings… really! Remember the brouhaha over Seo Taiji's secret marriage… need I say more? ~~~ I have one complaint though, the ring… that’s suppose to be an expensive ring??? weH? Cincha? It looks lke a costume jewelry! Not even an expensive crystal, much less an expensive diamond. Mannn, it looks cheap! Oh come on Dokko Jin, you can do better than that, right ding dong?
I swear, there is something extraordinary about this production that small details like holding one’s hands, casual embraces, simple but choiced close up shots, expressive facial expressions… to those short but significant scenes, all those made a whole lot of difference to add to the excitement in this drama. The “recharge” scenes between the leads are so heartwarming and funny. Who would have thought that the mere holding of one’s hands, at this day and age, could still be regarded and thought of as… sweet? Was there a part of this drama where I thought its dragging… boring… dumb? No… no…no. We all have to thank the director and the writers for that *clap, clap* lest I be accused of overlooking one of my pet peeves’ appearance in this drama, let me come right out with it. YES, this too fell into one of the “multiple choice” options again. The option that I wrote in the review of Frog Prince… the “one of the leads got seriously ill option”. Why didnt I raise a holler over this twist in the story? because it was excellently handled by the director in the story/script. It was not blown out of proportion by being overly melodramatic. The people around the sick person and the patient himself were cool and yet sympathetic, funny and yet caring, realistic and yet concerned, cheerful and yet heartbroken and sad. How outstanding is the Hong Sisters or what? That they resisted giving in to the temptation to extend this series because of its huge success and decided to stick to the original 16 episodes is a stroke of genius. Who knows what mess could have resulted with an extension. What we got instead is a perfect ending. What an awesome last episode that was. I cant believe that Korean dramas now know how to end a drama on a feel good/satisfying note. This is one of the best that I have seen so far *people, make room as I genuflect!*
As a final thought… You and I, and I mean most of us watch dramas to be entertained. Lets not kid ourselves into thinking we engage in this exercise to be intellectually enriched by the experience. If in the process we find ourselves learning something from the story, well and good BUT that’s just a bonus, that is not what we seek to find in the first place. If we choose to watch a love story, we want to swoon and be giddy and fall in love with the leads. If we choose to watch a melodrama, we would expect to be in tears and be touched by the story and the characters. If our choice is a comedy, it will be great to have a good laugh or betterstill, I want to be rolling on the floor laughing ~~~ question is, did The Greatest Love succeeded in what it is suppose to do? I think I have written enough material above for you to make a conclusion on what I got and did not get from watching this. But boy was I entertained by this drama… yes indeed! so how does this measure up against my other all time favorites, hmmm... the jury is still out on that one. to be on that list means enjoying the drama beyond the initial viewing... it means how many times im inclined to repeat the pleasure of watching it.
