Embarking new journey as thirty y.o. lady this year. Before years just have gone by just like that, but the turning point of being thirty is that I learn so much lessons about life than before. Like the first time driving, first time in thirty also needs extra attention to navigate it. Everything seems like going not according to my plan. I thought 29 years of life has taught me so much about human/people but then I hit thirty and there are so much more to learn. I thought I had already understood the nook and cranny about thing called love but apparently I don't.
But life is fair, karma does exist. Though everything in real life seems go to the wrong direction, life in drama universe is as good as it gets. Good dramas spread across countries, no day with bad drama. I usually watch 2 - 3 dramas in one time with drama marathon from time to time, but I watch 5 on air dramas and 1 completed drama this time around, every one of it is good and every one of it has high potential I end up finish it than to drop it. I feel like I'm in drama heaven now :) . (Please don't jinx it Drama Gods!) Because the side line bar of my blog can't contain all of it, I might just write an entry about it.
1. Bubblegum (Korean Drama)
Release Date: October 26, 2015
Episode: 16 episodes
Schedule: Monday - Tuesday
Station: TvN
A rom-com drama with friend turns to lover theme just like kind of my cup of tea. Lee Dong-wook plays a eastern medicine doctor named Park Ri-hwan who falls in love with his long time best friend faux sibling Kim Haeng-ah played by Jung Ryeo-won. Haeng-ah is a radio producer who has lost her parent when she was teenage, since then she was brought up by Ri-whan's mother since she was close with Haeng-ah's parent. Until recent episodes I'm still vague about the reason behind, Ri-hwan's mother decision to raise Haeng-ah like a daughter, is it pity? Guilt? Or simply just genuinely love? But it is clear that she doesn't want Ri-hwan to end up with Haeng-ah. Ri-hwan and Haeng-ah know about their mother's objection about the condition of their relationship, mostly for Haeng-ah because she's afraid of losing a mother to if she proceeds. At recent episodes, with effort Ri-hwan is succeed to convince Haeng-ah that everything is going to be okay with their mother. Though I am the who not sure, with the latest development that Ri-hwan mother simply got dementia to muddle the water. Swear I smell noble idiocy and makjang plot from miles away.
But you know what makes me stay? Slice of life drama with character driven plot is my favorite. Lee Dong-wook matchs so perfectly to play Ri-hwan character, they don't push him to play cold on the outside, warm in the inside bastard to make the character appears cool, but he is just this tender, warm, and talkative, like my perception how Lee Dong-wook is in real life. You should see Ri-hwan's face light-up, beaming, and smile giddily like a young boy at his first date with Haeng-ah. Gah!
The way the relationship between Haeng-ah and Ri-hwan is written such make me envy and have to remind myself, there's no such of thing in real life. The relationship is so strong and deep rooted that both of them can say anything to each other even things that maddening, but still feel sure about their relationship is going to be fine at the end. Or they can even try to change the condition of their relationship to romance not just platonic, without being afraid that's going to change everything forever. They have this safety net, even if their trial romance is not working, they can back to what they were before.
For the characters, usually they try to make the second lead characters unlikable, so the viewers don't have any confusion or dilemma whom they support in the love line. But in Bubblegum, they don't push it too hard. The second lead male character Kang Suk-joon (Lee Jong-hyuk) knows when to let it go, clingy second lead character always drives me batty. I'm kind of understand why he and Haeng-ah didn't work out, and know everybody have their fair share on their break up, not need to find who is to blame and who is the evil one. And Hong Yi-seul (Park Hee-von), the second female lead, though sometime she is trading the line of the character that I can hate and character that I just want to throw my arms around her and hug her, and tell her everything is going to be okay. She is a rich chaebol daughter, though she's accomplished young lady, her mother is not quite satisfied enough and proud enough of her because she is not beautiful enough, tall enough, slim enough, and shallow enough to just marry for money. But since she has been brought up in that kind of way, she seem to think affection can be measured with how much money we spend on that person. Honey, darling, there are two things in the world that should be given freely in this world, love and affection.
If the story and characters don't capture you just yet, the lighting maybe hook you up, those vignette color scene just lovely. Or the fashion choice in the drama is so edgy, the same reason why I adore Shinee's fashion trajectory. Just look out Haeng-ah's weird fashion choice but somehow it works for her. I can't even imagine myself wearing that kind of cloth without people questioning me. And Ri-hwan ankle-showing pants, colorful coat and sneakers, love it!
2. Answer Me 1988 (Korean Drama)
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Episode: 20 episodes
Schedule: Friday - Saturday
Station: TvN
The third installation of Answer Me series. I thought they would not going to make it, to live up the expectation. The expectation is high because the previous two series is success, I love both of them. And I fall in love for the third all over again. The writer just really knows how to write heart tugging stories about friendship and family with such humor and so much depth. Yeah they lied about not going to bring this time around again the game of finding out the husband. Liars!
If I must to point out what stand out or special about the plot, what makes it different with the previous Answer Me series, I probably cannot. It is the same old stories about a bunch of high schoolers, struggling in school life and love life. Beside Medical drama that I avoid like a plague, or body-appearance transforming theme drama that too superficial from my POV for me to like, school drama is another drama theme that I don't get the pulling to care, it is just the problems seem.... who care if your school grade is not good enough or school club doesn't get school grant for operational or your high school crush doesn't like you back, sun still shines tomorrow. Heh. But somehow the Answer Me team magically success to make me care. I think the key is that they make every little mundane things have a little more meaning.
So it is basically the same with the previous series, they rolled out the magic formula. The center character is Sung Deok-sun (Lee Hyeri), which is basically the same prototype with Sung Shi-won in Answer Me 1997, and Sung Na-jung in Answer Me 1994, who is not so bright at studying but rather sweet, though not too aware of it, who plucky and quick temper. At this point, I just want main female character who introverted and soft spoken, but sassy and intelligent. Or just go Bora-ing! Hee, I love Sung Bo-ra (Ryu Hye-Young), Deok-sun older sister, though everyone ask who is going to love and marry her? I do! You know changing the character description is going to change the way the plot unfold, don't you like one in Nirvana in Fire? Doesn't woman has the right to be prickly, cold on the outside, warm on the inside too?
And there are four other boys to complete the cast, with 2 main contender for Deok-sun's husband. First is Kim Jung-hwan (Ryu Jun-yeol), the usual archetype of K drama male lead, dependable and considerate, but has a hard time to emote their feeling and get prickly as the end result. I tell myself that I really avoid this type of character in real life but at the dramas, I tend to fall for the all over again. Team Jung-hwan! And the second Deok-sun's husband contender is Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum). He's young and successful professional baduk player. He's the lost puppy. He's the one who can't take care of himself, but always find someone who so please to take care anything for him.
The other two boys are Sung Sun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo) and Ryu Dong-ryeong (Lee Dong-hwi). Sun-woo is the typical "good boy", with good grade and becomes a class president. Besides that he is thoughtful and caring to his mother and his younger sister. He has everything that a mother wants from son in-law, the good husband material. He is the first bait in Deok-sun's husband hunt. But his character is dull as it get. And the Dong-ryong, he's my man. While the other boys are all good at something, from baduk to studying, Dong-ryong is good at nothing. But he is the group mood buffer and the wiser one when everyone becomes childish suddenly. His only dream is to become a famous, if it is only for his dancing. In the middle of heated fan war between Jung-hwan shipper and Taek shipper, I and my friends like to throw in jokes, the best for everyone is he to become the coveted husband position.
The other thing that worth mentioning in the drama beside the friendship of four boys and one girl is the mom trio from Ssangmundong street. Deok-sun's mother, Lee Il-hwa (Lee Il-hwa), Sun-woo's mother, Kim Sun-young (Kim Sun-young) and Jung-hwan's mother, Ra Mi-ran (Ra Mi-ran). I love them, espesially Ra Mi-ran, who is hot-blooded and kick-asses. The street-smart Ra Mi-ran. I'm not too favor with Deok-sun's romance either with Sun-woo, Jung-hwan, or Choi Taek, but I really love the romance between Jung-hwan' parents, Ra Mi-ran and Kim Sung-kyun (Kim Sung-kyun), it is steady, it is like something bubbling under the surface. It is something that you expect from a couple who has been through many up and down together. Or like the other couple Kim Jung-bong (Ahn Jae-hong), Jung-hwan's brother, and Jang Min-ok (Lee Min-ji), Deok-sun's best friend, their romance is cute, youthful and guiltless.
It may seem that the romances in Answer Me series taking the center stage of the drama, in fact it is only one of the parts that will pull the viewer in, despite the pledge to not ever again falling into this writer's attempt of trolling, over and over again. (It is sort of the toxic relationship with an abusive boyfriend). It is the slice of life that depict the human relationship in the form of father to son relationship, father to daughter, mother to daughter, mother to son, relationship between friend, between sibling, between neighbor that then forming makeshift family, that truly the bread and butter of Answer Me series. It is one that fools me over and over again.
Watching all the Answer Me series, whether I want it or not, there must be an observation to be written about this writer. First I guess this writer has a problem picking a priority in real life, really you made one single episode of drama series 1 hour 50 minutes! It is a drama series for cry out loud not a movie. The episode seems getting longer and longer every time. I'm writing this while finishing the last 4 episodes of Answer Me 1988, the long episodes really the one that makes me hesitate to finish it earlier. Don't you, writer-nim know the first and biggest world problem of drama addicts out there like me? There are so many dramas, so little time, and you just make our life a little harder (thank you, but no thank) with your incapability to pick priority. Focus, focus writer-nim!
I'm one that do not bother with fan ship war, the writer has full privilege to twist the plot (even into the cruelest one. Mourn over Jung-hwan’s altar.) or to choose who ends up being the final husband. I will not waste any energy to sign on petition to change the end game of the husband hunt. I’m more likely to ponder the difference kind of romance that has been in Answer Me series, in Answer Me 1997 and 1994, it was the kind of love that obsessive, endure the times, age, and changing situations. But the Answer Me 1988, the love that changes gradually, grows and matures with time and age. First is the childlike love, when Deok-sun has a crush on Sun-woo, since he's the obvious boy that everybody likes. Second is the teenage kind of love when Deok-sun starts to like Jung-hwan, love that playful and flirty. The third is when Deok-sun realizes that she loves Taek all along, you know, the kind of love that is steady and sure, one that last. Oops the spoiler :D
Actually this kind of progress on Deok-sun romance can be only observe if you can painstakingly endure those long 20 episodes. It is kind of fascinating, and good whatever you have said about the writer. The take home message: Love is something you must work on (Choi Taek)? Love is only for the lucky one (Deok-sun)? You cannot have everything as you wanted (oy you viewer)? Or Fate is really a bia**t no matter how you look at it (Jung-hwan)? Anyway, see you at the next *trolling* installment writer-nim :) Answer Me: Joseon or Answer Me : Guess the wife?
3. Love Me If You Dare (Chinese Drama)
Release Date: October 15, 2015
Episode: 24 episodes
Schedule: Wednesday - Thursday
Station: Dragon TV, Sohu TV
You know there are so many rom-com drama out there. But really what make ones stand out to another is their side stories. How they make the side stories seem not less important than the main love story, one that don't make me think Omigod the universe won't stop for you even if he break up with you. Because love story, sometime is just love story. So, its side story is what makes you care, what make you stay tune with the drama.
I do think the writer of Love Me If You Dare is success in making interesting side story which is about a psychopath who becomes a serial killer and and give birth a copycat serial killer. All bloody and murderous. The main character Bo Ji-yan (Wallace Huo) is a genius crime psychologist, spent his collage time in US and had worked for FBI, who came back to main land China, to help local police to solve complicated criminal case. In one of the case, he needs an assistant to help *cough* serve him writing a paper in Chinese, besides cooking and pick up phone call for him. His assistant named Jian Yao (Sandra Ma), last semester college student in English major. Bo Ji-yan got another best friend/assistant who take care anything technical, from computer hacking, software developing, internet tracking, or simply car fixing, his name is Fu Ziyu (Andrew Yin).
And of course there's Wang Kai (!), after Nirvana in Fire I can't get off my eyes off him. He plays Li Xuran, Jian Yao's childhood best friend and a police detective. To complicated things or wring some sympathy but not much to do with over all stories, Jian Yao is an orphan whose father, a police officer, and mother were killed in a murder case with her as eyewitness. Then Jian Yao was brought up by Xuran's parents as his father was close to Jian Yao's father. At first when I knew the childhood story of Jian You, I thought they would make Jian You's character more layered or her relationship with Xuran would be more complicated and muddled her relationship with Bo Jiyan, but guess what they didn't. They just left Jian Yaou like any other female lead character in most of drama which demure and boring and her relationship with Xuran and Jiyan so clear and resolute when I hoped they made it a little more shadowy, blurry, between assistant, partner or lover, between best friend, brother, or lover.
We spend earlier episodes of the drama resolving foul murder case one after another like they ate separate case. Until, they brought Bo Jiyan over from State and recognize the pattern. Hey, this killer is similar with the one who kidnap and tortured him until he manage to manipulate the killer and save himself and other victim with the help of FBI. But the killer is safely prisoned in some jail in US, so who did this? Who is this guy? Then people who are closed with him starts to become the target. Some Jian Yao's friends are murdered viciously, Jian Yao's uncle or Xuran's father turns into suicide killer while Xuran was thought to killed and then kidnapped on way to save him. Then Xuran successfully being saved only to be turned to be a hypnotized killer and acted out crazy to cost Fu Jiyu to get hurt and almost killed and to get himself near death again. Then the attempt is finally put Jian Yaou in real danger. Is this killer following him? Is it revenge? Is it a trap?
This writer really likes to tease the audience, when I thought Xuran, Fu Jiyu, Jian Yao, even Bo Jiyan were dead, he revives them again, revealing another plot twist. At some point I wish they are all dead already. With the entire horrid crime scene, bloody corpse, sordid torturing technique, to know all the main characters still safe and sound after all make the killer seem... harmless. Sort of it wants to counter all the images of the killer this drama intent to represent, the genius, sadistic, psychopath. And then when you thought the killer has been caught and his copycats had been killed and killed himself, turns out the drama probably is all about multiple personality gone mad :) So forget what you thought, good guy only bad guy who has not get caught.
4. Nirvana In Fire (Chinese Drama)
Release Date: September 19, 2015
Episode: 54 episodes
Schedule: Monday - Sunday
Station: Dragon TV
First of all, I don't even really like a period drama too much, not even the Korean one. Nirvana in Fire is even a period China drama. The only other period China drama that I have watched is Bu Bu Jin Xin. I finished it indeed, but it doesn't go to my favorite list. What usually draw me out is the confusing political intrigue, and so many name and characters to memory that I don't care about any of them.
But I don't know something about Nirvana in Fire that makes me one to watch episode after episode. It doesn't have the pull to make me staying up all night that some dramas have. But watching it like shipping delicious coffee in lazy Sunday morning. The historical background is laid one by one like the way you explain complicated thing to children without make them feel like a fool. You make sure nobody got lost and left behind, everybody have their time to think and mostly to care.
I don't watch many wuxia dramas so pardon my mistake. The story is taken place in Liang dynasty with belligerency over a crown prince position. There are three princes as the running candidate. The Prince Xian (Gao Xin) and Prince Yu (Victor Huang) are the front runners and Prince Jingyan (Wang Kai) as the underdog. The belligerency that has been going on over 13 years, has cost one noble prince, one royal commander, and 70.000 other soldiers left to die in cold at Chingyan. The tragedy has become public secret that nobody dares to talk about unless they want to offend the great emperor.
Reviving from Chingyan tragedy is Xiao Shu (Hu Ge) who after 13 years hiding to recover from bitter flame poison, come to Liang capital to seek revenge for his father, the royal commander. To accomplish his goal, Xiao Shu disguise himself as Meng Changsu, a political strategist. He needs to open the Chingyan case without offending the emperor. With the help of his close circle from the past, that include the underdog prince Jingyan, Imperial army Commander, Meng Zhi (Chen Long) , and his betrothed fiancé, Duchess Nihuang (Líu Tāo), he wants to seek justice for ones who has lost in Chingyan tragedy. For that to happen, he needs to orchestrate political maneuvering so his best friend, Prince Jingyan who has the same interest in opening the Chingyan case, can be the next crown prince.
The title is cheesy, the story description is ordinary, and so there must be something that makes me endure this 54 episode drama. How they write the characters must be one of them. The central character of Nirvana in Fire is Mei Changsu a.k.a Xiao Shu, the strategist. No one expect, at the first time he comes to Liang capital city, the physically fragile man with no martial art will shake up the political situation in Liang dynasty. With only his brain and silver tongue, he takes down two highest in rank princes, one by one, even makes the emperor himself admits his wrong doing. I have soft spot for this kind of lead male character as I can see the appeal of effeminate flower boys and soft spoken intellegent man than the brute and buffy one. Writing the male lead with this type of characteristic surely affects the overall story arch. There's no hero marching with sword and silver shining armor to save the day, but there is a man who orchestrate everything so there will be 'some' hero to do that for him. Or for the romance side, it is the heroine, Princess Nihuang, who vows to protect the hero. Stress over dumb in distress heroine? No need to worry no more. All the female characters in Nirvana in Fire are kick ass! Sometime some dramas really try to make the female character tomboyish and independent but at the end it is always the hero who comes to save the day, well that infuriates me to no end.
From the side of character writing, what stands out for me is the consistency. Have to deal reading people and predicting their behavior to come in daily basis, I do acknowledge that people actions make some pattern. So it is really gritting my nerve when the writer so inconsistent with the characters, how this kind of character does that kind of action or chose that kind of choice. Cue bewilderment. Watching Nirvana in Fire, I just do the "ooo-aaa" and nod in agreement for every action that the characters take. May you think it became predictable for me, but no it is the twist and the turn of the plot that made me excited, the next plot development that I didn't know, but if the plot has already out in open, I can guess what character is going to take what action to seal the recent turn of story. It is like a game in itself, just like the way I like my love for my daily routine, just like the way puzzle weirdo pick a piece of puzzle and find out it is the right one once she put it on puzzle board. Yes this iswhat that character would do in this situation, yes that what this character would choose given the choices, yes, yes, and yes. I love you show and writer-nim!
Romance v.s Bromance. Bromance overloading, romance no existence. I will just say the best bromance of the year, You should see the longing in Prince Jinyang's eyes for his best friend Xiao Shu. Dwaaaw! Or his sadness and disappointment for himself when he find out he is the last person who to know Meng Changsu is his long lost best friend. Awwww..... And the romance though none existed, but still it brings tears to my eyes. It is the kind of romance that involving two mature people. It is not the infatuation that turn people blind and stupid. It is love that endures time and separation, love that comes with understanding and sense liberation.
5. Marry Me Or Not (Taiwanese Drama)
Release Date: November 1 2015
Episode: 15 episodes
Schedule: Sunday
Station: CTV
I have not ever talk about Taiwanese drama in this blog, though I always intent to, always. You have to believe me :D Maybe someday I will write more comprehensive review about the overall view of Taiwanese drama, what set it different with Korean or Japanese drama, even with Chinese drama, that I just find it recently.
For the glimpse of Taiwanese drama, now is Marry Me Or Not. It is fitted the basic characteristic of Taiwanese rom com drama. Compare to Japanese rom-com drama, Taiwanese rom-com drama is much closer to Korean one. Things that I don't like from Taiwanese drama are first, the overacting tendency to bring out dramatic effect which I think it doesn't have to necessarily if the dialogue and screenplay are well written. Second, the character that is written solely for comedic reason, for one who dislike comedy movie or can sit with straight face watching comedy show, this kind of character really drives me nut. They usually portray as fat, funny lady that can be the female main lead mother or best friend or 'uglier' secretary or side kick of the male main lead. Marry Me Or Not has it all, but If other aspects from the drama are great I can close my eyes from those things that I hate, see how forgiving I am :D
The highlight of Marry Me Or Not of ones that make me stay above all the cliche and thins that I hate is Cai Huan Chen (Alice Ke), she is not typical female lead character who easy to love, meek every time she meets problem, needs help from the male lead character every time she goes into trouble. She is tough and competent. I just love when she just acts like she doesn't care to explain when people shed a bad light on her, and goes on tell those people: "Well if you don't like me it doesn't matter what I say you would still not believe me, thus you are opinion about me hold no weight, just because your those people. And for people who genuinely like me, it doesn't matter that I don't say anything or even say anything hurtful above all, you would still stay and believe me at the end". That is it, that is life lesson people!
For the male lead character, Hao Meng (Roy Qiu) I have nothing to say, but I'm just glad he doesn't approach as spoiled brat whom I painfully have to root for him, ask nothing more from Asian drama, I tell you. And Roy Qiu is such a beauty. Those long eye lashes, through which the sparkling tears come pouring down, glisten the white soft skin, omayaaa... Sometime I watch scene just to stare at him and forget what the character saying. Hah.
We are introduced to the main couple as two people who play as lover into a lovey-dovey relationship for a fact that they only pretend to each other to cast out one of them from the relationship, who will be the first to quit because she/he becomes the first to feel. You know from watching so many dramas, that no winner comes from such a heart playing game. (Life lesson number two :p ) Of course they fall for each other at the end of the game. So they goes on to the "real" relationship and so goes the "real" problems for the relationship arise. Sometimes, I love how this drama approaches on love and relationship because Hao Meng is working as a lawyer especially handling divorce case. Like a love can't go on without 'trust' from both of the party regardless other aspects from relationship get covered and fulfilled. Or when it comes about marriage, is not all about the couple but also the couple's each side of family. Hao Meng's sister, Hao Sheng Nan (Joanne Tseng), is ex-best friend of Huan Chen for some misunderstanding from the past and Hao Meng's mother can never seem to approve on the relationship because Huan Chen is ex-fiancée of Hao Meng's uncle. OR how about Hao Meng's mother is Huan Chen's father's EX-girlfriend? Oh drama, those are 'real' example of problems that rise from couple's family side.
So like any other rom-com drama that often come like cheery Sunday morning and goes side rail to gloomy Sunday evening, Marry Me Or Not does too. At first Hao Meng comes off as this rational man with rational understanding on love and relationship given the experience of divorce lawyer and bad parents' marriage. At later on, he just goes crazy about Huan Chen and he seems to forget about his childhood dream on becoming environment lawyer or stop listening to his mother. But anyway, is it the main reason we watch rom-com drama? To be naive and keep the hope that loves portrayed in drama existed in real life? To be happy and positive about life and human relationship? Since in our heart know love is never an option right? In real life or drama. When you love, you can only 'just' love away.
No comments:
Post a Comment