Taleena and I and the rest of the Dramafever Drama Club talk all things Hong Sisters as we enjoy the beginning of Jeju Island Gatsby (Warm and Cozy).
Taleena and I and the rest of the Dramafever Drama Club talk all things Hong Sisters as we enjoy the beginning of Jeju Island Gatsby (Warm and Cozy).
Its been a while since you’ve posted this but thought I’d respond since I just found your site.
I find the Hong Sisters dramas to be rich in potential but they often ultimately fail to deliver. I haven’t seen everything they’ve done but of the sampling I have seen (My GF is a Gumiho, Master’s Sun, The Greatest Love and Jeju Gatsby/Warm and Cozy) are all very similar in the following respects. They have a really interesting story premise, rich in potential. They have a female lead that is fascinating and strong. And then there is the male lead… a character so utterly childish, smug and annoying that I find it difficult to finish the series.
Master’s Sun was an exception, I thought that show was excellent despite So Ji-sub (whom I think is one of the better actors in Korea) and his ridiculous caricature of a man. I was unable to finish either My GF is a Gumiho or The Greatest Love despite Shin Min-a and Gong Hyo-jin being two of my absolute favorites. In both cases, I got so annoyed by the male leads that I couldn’t power through. In fact, I was convinced that Cha Seung-won was the worst actor in the history in television based on this performance and was pleasantly surprised when he turned out so well in You’re All Surrounded.
I am similarly struggling with Warm and Cozy. Again, the female lead, in this case Kang So-ra, is one of my absolute favorites but Yoo Yeun-seok is just awful and I don’t feel their chemistry at all. Frankly, the secondary story between the resort chairman and the lady diver is vastly more interesting. Overall, I am pretty disappointed with the show through 12 episodes.
Perhaps it is because I am that rarest of individuals, a middle aged man obsessed with Kdramas, but the Hong Sisters can’t write male characters worth a damn. They aren’t funny, they are even more childish and simplistic than the standard Kdrama male lead in a romantic drama and they detract from what is otherwise a really interesting story.
Anyway, just my opinion. Keep up the good work!
I’m so glad you commented on the blog.
I have to agree with you on Caricatures in Kdramas. I also did not like Gumiho or Greatest Love. I find that often its the women who are the ones that drive me nuts in dramaland. The simpering, can’t-make-a-decision-without-a-man, I’m-to-innocent-to-know-anything version of “innocent and pure” that some of these girls portray just drives me up the wall.
A lot of that is rooted in Korean culture, especially the place of women in their society. On the one hand, I get it but on the other, I find it very odd. The whole “scandal” sub-culture is very strange as well. A woman can’t date except under certain circumstances? Oooookay.
That is why I find so much entertainment value when a show like Misaeng or Reply 1997 is aired. Just so different from the norm and completely brilliant. Not enough shows like that are aired but I have noticed a certain “maturity” developing in Korean fare. By that, I mean that the stories are getting more complex and less predictable. Many are still straight out of the Kdrama handbook (Falling for Innocence; My Love, Eun Dong) and are still quite enjoyable but shows like I Miss You and Hogu’s Love are dealing with heavier topics that can create a lot more dramatic opportunity. I’d really like to see more of that…
Anyway…off my soapbox for now. 🙂