Whilst Joseon period drama have attempted to tackle crossovers of popular genres such as romance and action before with different results ( either for better or for worse), the more surreal take of horror/ fantasy in Joseon period dramas ( notably Scholar Who Walks The Night, Arang And The Magistrate and in flashbacks from the hit series Goblin), have very rarely depicted levels with historical realism or a grounded depiction ( I.e. in terms of cleanliness, monarchs or violence) of actual life during this period.
Screenwriter Kim Eun Hee ( Ghost, Signal) and director Kim Sung Hoon ( Tunnel-2016, Kidnapped- TBC) were paramount from the get-go to revolutionise this in their horror -period drama Kingdom . This creates a surprisingly brilliant fusion between the surrealism of violent zombies into a political and social critique of the bloodthirsty and ruthless Joseon period and hierarchy .( Although labelled as a “ zombie show”, realistically , the word “ zombie” isn’t used once by any of the characters, due to the concept itself coming from Haitian folklore and not even entering the English language until the 1800s.)
Set in the 1500s , Kingdom revolves around the estranged and traitorous Prince Lee Chang ( Ju Ji Hoon) , whose fate as the successor to the throne looks grim with the recent announcement of his stepmother and the young Queen Cho ( Kim Hye Joon) ‘s pregnancy. Chang, however, becomes suspicious when his father is suddenly ailing from a mysterious illness which nobody will elaborate about outside of the palace. After stumbling upon the truth that his father is a flesh -eating creature, he travels to the South in search of questions with his trusted guardsman Moo Young ( Kim Sang Ho). Naturally, however, they are not the first to stumble upon this truth as assistant physical Seo Bi ( Bae Doo Na) and the mysterious Young Shin ( Kim Sun Gyu) also come across this startling discovery, which will truly test alliances and friendships as a political bloodbath simultaneously corrupts even the heart of Hanyang ( now present- day Seoul)...
It is undeniable that the “ violent zombie” cliche isn’t anything new , nor exciting to television programmes . On the other hand, Kingdom’s strength lies in its focal point ( unlike many zombie programmes) not being on the undead, but the complexity and intricacy of humans.
From Lee Chang’s strong sense of morality towards his allies ( of all classes), Cho Beom-pal ( Jeon Seok- ho)’s gradual transition from one of the selfish members of the ruling-class to someone with a good heart , and the Queen’s ulterior motives against her father’s knowledge , it is notable that the majority of the characters in the show are fairly three-dimensional. Arguably, antagonist Cho Hak-Ju ( Ryu Seung Ryong) can often be written off as your typical moustache-twirling villain, however, there is still a notable level of depth to his character- a bereaving father who has lost his son and is out for revenge against Lee Chang , desperate to protect his family’s lineage and has many more secrets than first meet the eye.
Undeniably, the pacing of the show can be a little slow in the beginning, however, once the events of the show kick off, it is fair to say that time flies out of the window when watching Kingdom- the plot is engaging, the historical elements are surprisingly realistic, the characters are actually intriguing and the horror premises ( zombies, cannibalism and bloodshed etc.) are certainly not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless, perhaps the one thing which should honestly be said about the show is that whilst the acting certainly wasn’t unwatchable and the actors undeniably had their moments of genuinely good performances , some acting in the show was often a little wooden and lacklustre.
Overall whilst Kingdom was undeniably slightly flawed by quality of acting and pacing at times, it was certainly a good show with an intriguing balance between history and horror as well as a deeper conceit towards a social critique contemporary of Korean society. Certainly worth a watch, if you’re looking for something to invest time and effort towards.
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Is it Worth Investing Time in ” Hospital Playlist”?
Yes, I am late to the party with only just having completed screenwriter Lee Woo Jung ( Reply series, Prison Playbook ) ‘s drama “ Hospital Playlist”. However with ”Hospital Playlist 2” now ( at the time of writing) being released on Netflix streaming services , I decided it was a good time to give the critically acclaimed and hit series a go.Of course“ Hospital Playlist” isn’t without its more nuanced flaws. At times ” Hospital Playlist” struggled to step away from the medical show fusion genre scenario with the mundane setup of high drama, lighthearted comedy, “life vs death” consequences, and not every patient makes it through in order to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. (Additionally this provoked the evident problem of tedious pacing in the show also.) However, there’s a more poignant element similar to Friends in the mix, as the quintet are revealed to have a deep-rooted friendship with one another for more than two decades.
Whilst the first couple of episodes invest time within “ getting to know” our ensemble and present the fairly dynamic performances of our main cast, the following episodes explore an oddly balanced investment into the quintet jamming out in their band during their free time, backstories and the current ups and downs of life at the hospital also.
Arguably one of the major roles to talk about in the drama was the role of Jo Jung Suk as Ik Joon. As a single dad, Ik Joon could have easily been stereotyped as the cliched “ estranged father” or having a “ bitter” relationship with his son Woo Joo (Kim Jun) due to the bitter nature of his divorce from his wife , however, Ik Joon is refreshingly nothing but a kindhearted goofy dad, with a charm that easily wins over even his most stubborn of patients in the hospital . Arguably the potential “ love story” element in consideration to his unrequited feelings for Song Hwa ( without decisive spoilers) may leave viewers a little on edge by the unnecessary setup, however, surprisingly the later decisions of Ik Joon felt surprisingly natural for his character.
Following on from Ik Joon is evidently Jung Kyung Ho as Kim Jun Wan.
Despite his tough shell in front of the trainees and his peers , actor Kyung Ho seemed to pretty much nail Jun Wan’s archetype as the “ grizzly bear with a marshmallow heart”. Jun Wan is a harsh teacher at times, but a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon and truly cares for his patients ( even if it means making tough calls). In one particularly heartfelt scene of the series, Jun Wan adorns a terrible suit from Jae Hak (Jung Moon Sung), and attending the wedding of his patient’s daughter as his patient is unable to attend. His love story with Ik Soon ( Ik Joon’s sister) did undeniably start on a bit of an eccentric and uncomfortable setup but did become enjoyable ( especially with Jun Wan’s grouchiness at times) as the series progressed.
As the only female friend of the quintet and a single woman in her 40s Chae Song Hwa could’ve easily done down the more stereotypical route of being “ bitter” or “ pitiful”. However Song Hwa is refreshingly anything but these labels. A Charismatic, compassionate, intellectual and elegant character , its easy to see why actors Jo Jung Suk and Yoo Yeon Seok recommended theatre actress Jeon Mi Do for the role.Arguably whilst season two has given a potential opportunity to explore the landscape of Song Hwa’s mixed feelings for her respected love interests, season one undeniably often failed to truly sketch - out Song Hwa’s more profound complexity in her love life. (However room for a second season will hopefully delve into this issue more.)
Nevertheless arguably one of the most surprisingly heartwarming characters in the series was Kim Dae Myung’s role as Seok Hyung. Seemingly starting off the drama as the cliched and spoilt “ mama’s boy”, Dae Myung’s performance added surprising layers to Seok Kyung as a character with his complicated past and rationale as a medical professional . His potential love story with coworker Min Ah could’ve easily gone down several mundane routes, but his overall development and reactions rarely felt out of character.
On a weaker note, the final member of our quintet was Yoo Yeon Suk as Jeong Won. This isn’t to say that Yoo Yeon Suk’s performance was bad in any way. In fact the actor truly animated his onscreen persona to life with many endearing and likeable qualities. However Jeong Won was sadly a little less well-rounded. Whilst he had an intriguing storyline and a more complicated backstory than a lot of the other characters, but his later motives and personality assets often felt less profound. In addition to this whilst the show did seem to go down the evident route of his potential love story with Gyeo Wool in snippets, it often lacked the same charisma as the rest of the ensemble.
So is “ Hospital Playlist” worth watching? The show doesn’t entirely step upon new ground with its concept with certain characters and storylines felt slightly undeveloped ( although a sequel season will hopefully dismiss these issues) and snail pacing in parts also. On the other hand “ Hospital Playlist” has surprisingly profound and bittersweet themes with backstories and life in the hospital, as characters are often faced with realistically challenging issues which helped to provide food for thought. If you are willing to invest some time into this show, then you’ll absolutely love “ Hospital Playlist”.
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An After-School Passion For Crime...
The message of the Extracurricular becomes clearly evident for viewers over the course of the show ; South-Korean society can become a “ dog-eat-dog” world if individuals are impoverished, or if they do not match-up to the expectations of being “ successful ”( succeeding in school, being rich , going to university and getting a good job), and none so are these pressures more apparent than for our main protagonist, Ji Soo.Kim Dong Hee ( Itaewon Class , SKY Castle) ventures once again into another South-Korean social critique as the high schooler Ji Soo; a model-student who soon falls from grace when he becomes involved in illicit after - school activities in order to attend and pay for his fees to go to University .
Directed by Kim Min Jin ( Time Between Dog and Wolf, Lawless Lawyer) and written by screenwriter Jin Han Sae ( Irish Uppercut) , Extracurricular undeniably addresses many realistic issues typically glossed over by mainstream South-Korean high school dramas; delinquency, prostitution, violence, the poverty gap, crime and academic stereotypes, are refreshingly neither “played down” nor ignored over the course of the series.
Nevertheless, despite its realistic topicalities and issues, Extracurricular was severely flawed by its characters, plot inconsistencies and overarching storyline as well.
Whilst it is hard to really fault any of our main cast within their performances, the character progression around many of our main protagonists was fairly lacklustre to say the least. By default, Ji Soo should have been an intriguing protagonist; hardworking, impoverished, a tragic past and who becomes a victim of the forced social pressures in order to “ succeed” by partaking in numerous shady crimes. However, in reality, there were few prominent or truly captivating traits or elements present within Ji Soo as a character. Although he arguably had some form of strength within wanting to survive in a cruel world, his impassivity at key moments often made him hard to feel any strong sentiments towards as an individual.
Arguably our female main lead Gyu Ri ( Park Joo Hyun) had some elements such as coming from a well-to-do family , holding a nasty grudge against them and her mysterious reasons for getting close to Ji Soo which made her a more intriguing character than our male lead. On the other hand similar to Ji Soo, Gyu Ri lacked a lot of character depth during key moments, making it hard to hard understand both her initial enmity towards her parents as well as exactly how she became so interested in Ji Soo in the first place. Similarly, the second leads of the series, school bullies Min Hee ( Jung Da Bin) and Ki Tae ( Nam Yoon Su) were undeniably intriguing characters, however, their lack of emotional depth and backstory often made them feel more like “ stock” leads simply used as plot devices, rather than actually intriguing individuals.
To summarise, it’s fair to say that the series Extracurricular, isn’t your run-of-the-mill high school drama; it isn’t afraid from offering a deeper insight into tricky issues, themes and topics, as well as having an intriguing plot, however, a fairly inconsistent ending , several badly-written characters with poor depth and backstories and lacking realism at times, often made this series feel a little lacklustre in comparison to other psychological high school dramas out there. Worth a watch if you’re looking for something to pass the time, but certainly not worth actually investing time towards.
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The Woe And Joys Of Adolescence …
Teen and high school storylines are not an unfamiliar subject in South-Korean popular culture , with myriads of teen films, productions and dramas being churned out every year en masse in South-Korea. However whilst many South-Korean film and drama enthusiasts find themselves drawn again and again to these setups , the typical depiction of “squeaky clean” high school life has left many enthusiasts torn about whether South-Korean directors and producers should try to push the boat out towards a more “ realistic” presentation of teens.
‘ Adult Trainee’ can be found somewhere between daring and eye-brow raising - belonging in one of the notably categories of South-Korean “ teen productions” which attempts to market itself at an older age demographic as well as being “ raw and truthful”.
This is certainly reflected within casting choices of rookie and lesser-known actors as our main lineup . However whilst this does create certain benefits for the storyline by respectfully a more mundane presence of the characters onscreen ( aside from the initially controversial casting decision of Miyeon), certain line deliverances and scenes admittedly could differ within quality and performance. Of course this isn’t to critique the cast or bring down their talents as actors. However it is crucial to point out to those expecting impeccable performances that you may be slightly disappointed by the final result.
The storyline itself is composed of three storylines ( and evidently three “main couples” ). Rising rookie actor Ryu Eui Hyun is the notable main character of the first few episodes as Seo Jae Min; a high-school boy addicted to sexual gratification and attempts abstinence in order to focus upon spending more time with his crush. Yet before we could even delve more into the highs and lows of Jae Min’s tale we are suddenly whisked away to another school and experience through notably conservative high schooler Yu Ra ( Jo Yoo Jung)’s exploration of casual relationships with a boy, as well as our final story through the problem of single high - schooler Na Eun( Kwon Young Eun)’s first experiences of love and feeling self-conscious about her body.
The seven-episode miniseries wasted no time within diving into each storyline and their problems, yet with a short time to cover these plot points and characters, it should come as no surprise that these executed plot points and characters could often feel incomplete.
Admittedly‘ Adult Trainee’ does interweave the subtext with some more “risky” issues of teen relationships. However it often felt as though the show wasn’t entirely sure which direction to go with these messages at times with more serious scenarios often being “ fixed” by feelings, romantic relationships or love, rather than taking the screen-time to focus upon character-building or growth.
In the miniseries we rarely saw these opportunities to understand more about our main characters’ social and emotional interactions.
Admittedly‘ Adult Trainee’ does interweave the subtext with some more “risky” issues of teen relationships. However whilst these “ problems” did touch upon some realistic issues for teens and helped to motivate plot-angst , ‘ Adult Trainee’ rarely took time to diverge from problems defining the characters. More realistic teen issues such as relationships with friends or family, likes, dislikes and searching for personal identity were rarely touched upon and even our main characters often felt shoehorned into particular tropes such as the “ infatuated teenage boy”, the “ goody-two shoes high-schooler” and the “ bullied girl” rather than well-defined or subversive approaches to the cliche archetypes.
In between the more “heavy” topics in ‘ Adult Trainee’, the miniseries does interweave the plot with notably more comical scenes. The comedy is fairly lighthearted- enough to generate perhaps a chuckle for audiences and necessary to take the weight entirely off certain issues , but admittedly variable in quality from scenes and context.
The ending of the series acted as a deadlock for ‘ Adult Trainee’ - enough to just briefly finish off some plot points of the final storyline, but admittedly lacking in an over-arching sense of fulfilment and satisfactory completion for audiences.
So this leaves the ultimate question; is ‘ Adult Trainee’ actually worth watching? ‘ Adult Trainee’ is a short miniseries which attempts to present itself as a more “ realistic” depiction of teenagers. ( Alongside comical scenes which may differ for audiences dependent on personal tastes.)Acting performances admittedly did vary from certain episodes and scenes but a possibly unfamiliar cast lineup for audiences will likely give the series some fresh appeal. The more “ daring” messages of the series whilst addressed, admittedly did feel slightly downgraded and lacked an impactful punch. As a consequence whilst the split narrative of the series for different episodes spiced up the storyline, characters often fell flat due to little time for audiences to digest their personalities and growth onscreen by instead often being shoehorned into romantic setups.
Overall ‘ Adult Trainee’ was the epitome of a “ binge-watch” drama to watch when you have nothing else to do; not unwatchable and certainly entertaining within its different plots, setups and heartwarming messages , but admittedly lacking in more subtle character growth, plot buildup and diverse as well as more relatable and realistic issues for teens.
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Is ‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’ Actually Worth Watching?
Produced as an original miniseries by Naver TV Cast, ‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’ ( ‘돈 라이 라희’) is a fairly lighthearted yet niche setup with an abundance predictable cliches along the way.
The series focuses upon the titular female lead and influencer Noh Ra Hee ( Kim Na Hyun). Despite having other 100,000 subscribers and a popular image, Ra Hee struggles to maintain her perfectionism . Instead Ra Hee has turned to fabricating a web of lies in order to boost her influencer persona. However when a particular lie leads her to running into childhood friend and her first love Seol Ho-won ( Kim Ji Woong), Ra Hee finds it even harder to keep her hidden secrets …
‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’ is notably a simplistic and lighthearted concept. Whilst the series was surprisingly compacted into its short duration time of four episodes, this did admittedly present a double-edged sword. A shorter and easygoing setup allowed the miniseries’ narrative to be expedited and wrapped up quickly, but it also highlighted a major dilemma also; there was no real sense of impending doom or growth ( even in a short space of time) for the characters.
It is important to reiterate that ‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’’s storyline and execution was limited from the outset with only four episodes . On the other hand whilst extended time can be a contributing factor towards writing a detailed and well-executed plot, certain short stories and mini dramas have proven time and time again that writing and the usage of plot is key also.
One of the most notable things about ‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’ is that even in a very short space of time, the series often struggled with trying to buildup the dilemma surrounding Rahee. Of course this isn’t to say it wasn’t apparent from the outset or nonexistent but aside from some cutesy exchanges between Ho-Won and Rahee onscreen, a multitude of selfies taken by Rahee, or a heart to heart chat with Rahee’s close friend Go Min-yeong ( Choi Yeon Soo), it was hard to really pinpoint precise moments ( aside from the final episode) when the storyline really permitted a climatic build or sense of unease for the audience.
The acting of the miniseries is admittedly decent enough. There were admittedlt a few abrupt moments of awkwardly delivered dialogue and interactions but the main cast, specifically Kim Na Hyun and Kim Ji Woong, were certainly charming enough.
Former SONAMOO member and actress Kim Na Hyun ( ‘ The Miracle’, ‘ Café Kilimanjaro’) played main female lead Noh Ha Ree.
As a character, Ra Hee is fairly hard for audiences to warm up to. Initially whilst she is supposed to be haughty, fractious and evidently flawed through her multiple shared falsehoods, it was difficult to really feel pity for Ra Hee during seemingly sympathetic moments in the final part.
Perhaps one of the key reasons for viewers feeling somewhat disengaged from this seemingly “ quintessential” character came through the fact that there were few redeeming moments or even opportunities to see past Ra Hee’s false pretences early on.
Of course throughout the narrative, we are supposed to see Ra Hee “ grow” by her rekindled feelings for Ho-won as well as her confession in the final course of the narrative. On the other hand whilst this did resonate a certain sympathetic tone with audiences, it was hard to really grasp how Ra Hee truly matured or developed as a character, or at least painted in a more sympathetic light early on by foreshadowing or trying to build up her storyline subtly more even in a short space of time.
Costarring alongside Kim Na Hyun was idol-actor Kim Ji Woong ( ‘ The Sweet Blood’, ‘ Kissable Lips’) as leading man Seol Ho-Won.
Reserved, slightly brooding, good-looking and altruistic, Ho-Woon embodied all of the stereotypical tropes surrounding a main lead and a potential love interest with differing results. Whilst is arguable that Ho-Woon was a a necessary component for the events of storyline and for Ra Hee’s character , Ho-Woon was a shoehorned archetype. He was kindhearted and sweet but aside from his ambivalent feelings for Ra Hee and helping her in different ways, Ho Woon rarely had prominent flaws or at least notable drives as a character. Instead Ho Woon came across as a carte blanche main male lead; necessary for keeping the plot afloat, but rarely sticking out as a sentient or driven character.
On the other hand it is undeniable that the chemistry between lead actors Kim Na Hyun and Kim Ji Woong was prominent throughout the short series. Despite some limited dialogue and situations, Na Hyun and Ji Woong were able to power through with surprisingly natural and coherent chemistry from beginning to end.
The quality of production and filming is admittedly to be expected for a miniseries. ( Although notably slightly glossier than some productions due to the corporate funding by Naver.) It’s slightly limited by settings and quality of camera angles and gradients in parts, but certainly not bad either.
Overall ‘ Don’t Lie, Rahee’ truly epitomizes a “ binge-watch” miniseries; shortly compacted into less than twenty minute episodes and easy enough to watch in one sitting. The acting is solid enough and whilst there were a few questionable moments, the chemistry between our main leads was surprisingly dynamic. The storyline is limited by certain elements of writing, execution and buildup, but did offer enough opportunities in for those willing to disengage and embark into a lighthearted and fluffy viewing session.
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“Spellbounding” Performances...
“ The Witch Part 1 ; Subversion” (2018) has been sitting on my “ To Watch List” for the past year or so , yet , I could never quite find the right opportunity to properly see it. By chance a couple of weeks ago, however, I finally had the opportunity to sit down and watch it properly, when a film channel in my country was airing the movie late one night .Having always been quite a big fan of Korean revenge thrillers and horror movies such as Oldboy (2003) and The Tale of Two Sisters (2003), “ The Witch Part 1; Subversion” lived beyond my expectations with an actually intriguing and grappling storyline by screenwriter/ director Park Hoon Young. This is because whilst the movie was brilliantly focused upon bloodthirsty violence, there was a good amount of time to see and understand our main female lead Ja Yoon ( Kim Da-Mi) through her interactions , as well as fairly difficult themes being tackled such as mortality, dementia and illness being shown throughout the movie as well.
On the other hand, I must admit that it did take me awhile to recognise that Ja- Yoon was being played by the same Kim Da-Mi from Itaewon Class , due to appearing strikingly younger without the makeup or hair dye. Yet as Da-Mi has proven before during her performances , she doesn’t merely act and her role here is no exception . In the movie, Da- Mi truly stepped into her character and her performance as Ja-Yoon; a seemingly naïve and talented schoolgirl with a secret which becomes more intricate as the duration of the film progresses .
Another immediate note of praise must be given to Da-Mi’s costar Choi Woo Shik. Admittedly, Woo Shik has always been under my radar as a good actor for awhile after seeing his lesser-known and brilliant performance as the seemingly innocent Male lead in Hogu’s Love and then his diverse roles across several Asian films and movies. Woo Shik’s role in “ The Witch” is no exception as the sardonic, near-psychopathic and ruthless physic
(referred to only as “ Nobleman” during the ending credits), determined to destroy any sense of Ja-Yoon’s normality by revealing her hidden secrets. Naturally Jo Min Soo and Park Hee Soon cannot be forgotten by animating the movie with being the seeming mysterious antagonists, Dr Baek and Mr Choi , and the underrated role by Da Eun as the mysterious accomplice of Woo Shik’s character, certainly shouldn’t be overlooked as well.
Yet whilst the movie was undeniably brilliant by its transition from a seeming teenage comedy to horror over the gradual halfway point of the film, “ The Witch” was undeniably flawed from its lacking sense of greater purpose with its cliches. That’s not to say that these cliches didn’t add anything to the characters or storylines, however, there seemed to be too many loose ends with some of these flaws meaning that it took away a lot time from intriguing focus and the actions the storyline.
Overall the Witch; Subversion Part 1( 2018) wasn’t completely flawless ( from cliches that have been seen and done before to arguably some shakier performances by Go Mi Shi), however, the film was filled with an intriguing storyline, action and fairly spellbinding performances by the majority of the cast ( particularly Da-Mi and Woo- Shik) and definitely worth a watch.
Although Woo- Shik will be a sad loss to not being the sequel, so long as Park Hoon Jung maintains the quality of screenwriting , Part 2 will be equally brilliant with the added performances of Jin Goo, Park Eun Bun and Lee Jong Suk appearing in the next part.
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The Eternal Search for ‘ Happiness’…
Against its seemingly antithetical title screenwriter Hang Sang Woon and director Ahn Gil Ho’s‘ Happiness’ attempted to mirror similar issues from prejudice, isolation and loneliness which occurred particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The unusual combination of genres highlighted a hellish fight to not only escape from the “infected “( the mysterious disease ravaging the population and leaving the infected in a zombie-like and feral state with few lucid moments ), but surprisingly a bittersweet love story between its main leads also .
The TVN drama presented an odd accumulation of fast-paced thrill and tension through its plot twists as well as tender and bittersweet scenes by taking a moment to slow-down the storyline and allow viewers’ to contemplate and soak in events. Yet like most intriguing fusion-genres in execution ‘ Happiness’ could sometimes not escape certain pitfalls of writing errors and character-drive along the way.
Of course ‘ Happiness’ offered viewers a fairly impressive lineup of acting abilities and most notably our main cast. Actress Han Hyo Joo brought forward Yoon Sae-Bom to life through adding an unlikely sweet charm to her onscreen persona ; a professional counter-terrorist operative whose pursuit of happiness by moving into a new apartment proves only to be a blunder during the events of the series. Sae-Bom’s reactions and interactions with others throughout the series could often feel prosaic during early episodes; initially driven for the “sake of plot “ rather than upon reflection of viewers getting to understand more about the female lead through subtle character growth . Nevertheless as the series progresses Sae-Bom provided to be a major asset to the plot and allowed some time to focus on developed sides of Sae-Bom’s personality from altruism to stubbornness in order to present some focus on the importance of humanity and depth within the female lead.
Costar Park Hyung Sik’s reprisal of an intriguing role was highlighted through his onscreen persona Jung Yi-hyun ; a suave and observant detective investigator who had shared-history with female lead Sae-Bom from their school days and provided to be one of the first key characters to come across findings of the mysterious disease during a case. Yet whilst Yi-Hyun was undeniably an intriguing character he could often suffer from the fate of many main characters through becoming an inherent “ plot device”; necessary to keep the storyline moving, but sometimes lacking in more subtle character development. Naturally Yi-Hyun did have golden opportunities to be explored in more depth during some key moments in the series but this could sometimes lack greater exploration.
As far as the chemistry between our main leads is concerned ‘ Happiness’ admittedly was a bumpy road- good onscreen chemistry between Hyung Sik and Hyo Joo could often fall victim to more staid cliches and setups which did not always weigh up against the more heavy-hitting moments of the series. Naturally later episodes took a little more time out to focus on some subtle relationship development between the main leads but often this was interwoven with more serious scenes and storyline moments also.
the supporting characters of the drama also have an intriguing part in events of the drama from Han Tae Seok ( Jo Woo Jin); a discharged military informant agent to the residents of the apartment ( some of which are admittedly less well-defined than others.)
Ahn Gil Ho plays upon subtle palette changes and lighting tones throughout the mis-en-scénes of the drama - key scenes crafting an important ambience throughout the series through this setup and pragmatic choice of OST, whilst some quintessential moments admittedly lacked the same ingenuity when required.
‘ Happiness’ offered viewers an intriguing concept with a dash of profundity and romance in between its zombie-style thriller setup- it isn’t inherently terrifying , but director Ahn Gil Ho and writer Hang Sang Woon are able to add a touch of suspense and sweetness in an intriguing and pacy storyline. The writing could sometimes wane through the pressure placed initially upon odd tropes, cliches and setups( especially for our main leads) during early episodes.( Alongside the heavily dominant setting of the apartment growing slightly bland.)However later scenes spent time focusing upon the storyline in more depth; brilliantly brought to life by our main cast’s dynamic performances by our main leads and the interwoven cinematography of the director. The ending was admittedly filled with a few loose ends but did deliver a sense of completion for the series. Overall whilst ‘ Happiness’ wasn’t without its more evident writing faults the drama offered an intriguing storyline with contemplation with a good cast and intrigue for viewers, as well as allowing room for philosophical thought towards the true definition of happiness in life.
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A ‘ Door’ Into The Realm of Disappointment…
Based upon the eponymous novel by Robert A. Heinlein, ‘ The Door Into Summer’ ( alternatively known as ‘ Natsu e no Tobira: Kimi no Iru Mirai e’ or ‘ 夏への扉 キミのいる未来へ’) seemed to initially offer viewers an intriguing premise under the directing reigns of Takahiro Miki and the writing of Kanno Tomoe.
However despite the movie’s impressive plot premise and the casting choice of renowned actor Kento Yamazaki ( ‘ Orange’, ‘ Alice In Borderland’, ‘ Death Note’), ‘ The Door Into Summer’ soon suffered greatly under the aimless direction of plot holes, lacklustre genre exploration, character and plot growth as well as pacing also.
The movie initially focuses upon young scientist Takakura Soichiro ( Kento Yamazaki). Trying to complete the research of his late paternal and mentor figure Matsushita Kazuto ( Hidekazu Mashima) upon plasma research in 1995, Soichiro’s plans are scuppered when he’s betrayed from the shadows and loses control over his research . With no other options, Soichiro is subdued into a cryogenic chamber. Waking up nearly thirty years later in 2025, Soichiro discovers that the world has changed significantly as he desperately tries to find a way back to 1995…
Perhaps one of ‘ The Door Into Summer’’s greatest downfalls and arguable strengths came through its emotive moments. Admittedly it isn’t out of a question for the science-fiction genre to explore and widen the scope of expectations with presenting the emotional conflicts and struggles of humanity. In particular one of the most heartfelt moments of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ came through Soichiro’s relationship initially in 1995 with his adopted feline friend Pete and being able to relate to his cat’s emotional struggles. In the latter-part of the series this relationship was replaced by Soichiro’s android friend PETE ( Fujiki Naohito); one of the few characters who could offer viewers surprising comic relief and emotional complexity at times also .
Nevertheless ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was a storyline that was supposedly focused upon elements of time travel and pseudo-science. However whilst the lingering presence of humanoid robots and time travel are intriguing plot hooks for viewers, Kanno Tomoe’s screenplay greatly struggled under the cataclysmic weight of plot inconsistencies and lacklustre loopholes as well as logic .
One of the major problems of Tomoe’s world-building and “factual “ science came through its lacking and quintessential presence in the main events of the storyline. Perhaps the major source of the problem can be found that ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was heavily dominated by its emotional aspects. However rather than using this as an opportunity to explore characters or even widely offer an edge of complexity towards Soichiro, Kanno Tomoe ladened the narrative in parts upon Soichiro’s insipid, potential romantic relationship with main female lead Matsushita Riko ( Kiyohara Kara).
This was a notable flaw throughout Miki’s movie; there was rarely a sense of plot. Seemingly quintessential characters and events were rarely developed and whilst the movie did attempt to present a gradual “ villain” , ‘ The Door Into Summer’ could often feel aimless and directionless within its messaging and plot development. In particular the ending of the movie notably presented the outcome of the plot’s aimless narrative with an anticlimactic and lacklustre conclusion.
In addition to this there’s also the issue of the lacking opportunities to really flesh-out characters and in particular the main male lead of the series. For a a main character who is supposedly constantly looking towards advancement , Soichiro’s uninspiring and tailored reaction towards the near-future, technology and the world around him felt somewhat regimented rather than befitting for his seeming character archetype.
The acting of the series was admittedly a slight mixed-bag. Kento Yamazaki’s role as Soichiro was admittedly somewhat uninspiring with certain line deliverances feeling enforced. The supporting cast such as Matsuhhita Riko played by Kiyohara Kara and Natsuko as Shiraishi Rin in particular were decent enough with their performances but rarely brought forwards a dynamic charm due to limited screenwriting opportunities. Perhaps one of the few standout performances of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ was Fujiki Naohito as PETE but due to limited dialogue and depth opportunities, Naohito was rarely a wider scope to exploring his onscreen persona with tact.
Perhaps one of the few saving graces of ‘ The Door Into Summer’ under the directing reigns of Takahiro Miki came through the movie’s impressive and glossy CGI, cinematography, slick shots and fuzzy retro and nostalgia shoots also. Although admittedly a somewhat generic approach with certain filming techniques, Miki did help to captivate a certain aesthetic throughout the filming of the series. The OST of the series was slightly dull in comparison to the slick shots of the movies; synchronic in parts, but rarely giving viewers an opportunity to feel the emotional weight and impact of scenes either.
Overall ‘ The Door Into Summer’ is a film which whilst boasting some impressive filming shots, scenery, CGI and some familiar faces, often felt heavily burdened by its writing. The elements of science-fiction present within the narrative of the film are approached tactlessly with aimless plot motivations rarely giving further insight into the growth of characters or tension either. The ending of the series will likely offer viewers with a final admittance of the narrative’s disappointing deliverance despite its unlimited potential.
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Well, I Certainly Won’t Be “ Hiccuping ” To Say That This Drama Has Its Flaws...
With numerous reviews over the years upon the drama, it wouldn’t be surprising if this review easily becomes disregarded amongst others. Nevertheless, it’s important to give an honest and objective verdict on whether “ Pinnochio” still lives up to its legacy as a “ good” series , or is overrated for what its worth.
Pinocchio tells the story a man ( Lee Jong Suk) whose life was devastated by corrupt reporters. Seeking revenge since childhood, he takes up another identity as “ Dal Po” ; the deceased son of an old man suffering from denial and mental illness called Choi Gong Pil ( Byun Hee Bong). Together with his “ niece” and sufferer of the fictionalised illness “Pinocchio Syndrome”, Choi In Ha ( Park Shin Hye), the two go on a journey of self-discovery that forces them to face some uncomfortable truths.
Undeniably the most intriguing concept present within the show was the ideology of Pinocchio Syndrome; a (fairy tale-inspired) condition which causes the individual to hiccup whenever he or she lies. As someone suffering from the condition, In Ha is often subject to discrimination and prejudice by wider society, however, this concept of the show did lack genuine or factual explanation to viewers towards its causes- is it hereditary, psychological or just a cause of random gene mutations? Although it is notable neither of In Ha’s parents suffer from this disease, it did remain a lingering question towards exactly how and when In Ha was diagnosed with Pinocchio Syndrome and the actual science behind this fictionalised disease.
Instead, the fantasy concept of Pinocchio Syndrome is truly reduced to more than an asset plot device to accompany more prevalent focal point of journalism within the show. The aspects of critiquing the competitive and exploitative natures of the industry of media did notably help to present a surprisingly realistic and somewhat fairly profound depth to the storyline.
Dal Po’s entire character is driven by his enmity and obligated feelings of revenge for his family . Yet by becoming the very thing he hated more than anything in the world, he stumbles upon the truth that the world of journalism is not as black and white as he originally had the preconception of ; news outlets, individuals and reporters may twist certain stories for their own gain whilst the true victims remain without voices. Whilst Lee Jong Suk has often had a mixed bag of performances over the years, his role as Dal- Po did seem to capture multifaceted and depth to his character. This is because Dal- Po is still motivated by his intentions for revenge, but he also learns to forgive and learn that sometimes honesty is the greatest weapon of them all.
Yet this also moves us on to the obvious problem of the drama. The ridiculous amount of cliche coincidences happening in the subtext of thirteen years of secret messaging between the second male Beom Jo ( Kim Young Kwang) and In Ha, the notable “ chances” which arise for Dal-Po being able to land a job as a journalist despite his limited qualifications ( regardless of his intelligence) and of course the sudden reversal of “ external forces” which kept away characters such as Dal-Po and In Ha from developing relationships in order to suddenly have a “ happy ending”. Although a preferred choice for the dramatised events of the series, it was initially off-putting at times within the cliche and unrealistic setups which suddenly manifested without prior build-up.
Yet perhaps the biggest problem in the series was the dragging sensation of storyline in places. Initially this is somewhat ironic for a show which has surprisingly quite good pacing for the majority of the show , but the duration of episodes in addition to transition in places upon plot devices, over actual characterisation often resulted in this problem.
The biggest example of this problem can be found through In Ha as a character. Although Shin Hye can’t be faulted within her stellar performance and her character does initially having an interesting backstory, her actual relevance to the storyline often felt minimal and intrinsically quite lacklustre. In Ha simply does not have notable character growth in the series. Arguably a lot of In Ha’s problems and the drama wouldn’t have been as effective without In Ha having remained the same, however, this is also a somewhat nonsensical venture into In Ha as a character. Considering her experiences and scenarios growing up, In Ha neither really seems to be given the chance to confront them openly and actually learn and develop, often resulting in her character coming off as a plot device in order to keep the story motivated such as her relationship with her mother and Dal Po , than an individual in her own right.
In terms of the latter mentioned point , the relationship between Dal Po and In Ha was a little questionable over the course of the series. Although not relatives by blood ( giving the obvious explanation against the otherwise incestuous proposal) , a lot of viewers often forget that In Ha and Dal Po grew up together for more than thirteen years as uncle and niece as well as during their younger years having a notably fraternal relationship - the pairing between the two characters just felt odd and mismatched. Actors Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye did help to cover up some of the more awkward onscreen moments through their performances and the show acknowledged it to some extent , it still seemed oddly problematic to romanticise this pairing in the first place as well as the striking differences between both characters and their personalities.
Perhaps the most praiseworthy relationship in the show occurred between Dal-Po and his biological, revenge driven brother Ki Jae Myeong(portrayed by Yoon Gyun Sang), provided the zeal of the revenge story and the clear differences in motive and experiences of both brothers.
Dal-Po seeks revenge in a similar manner to Ki-Jae, but in the process considers and acknowledges reconciliation and forgiveness against certain individuals due to being distracted by a kind-hearted “paternal” -figure and surrounded by a fairly loving family . On the other hand, Ki-Jae’s experiences was solely driven with cause of distraction for revenge with a carte blanche given by viewers just to see how far he can gross the line of morality. This presents an intriguing relationship between brothers with Ki Jae oblivious for a major proportion of the series due to not knowing Dal-Po’s true identity. Jae Myeong’s performance was surprisingly good and a honest gift to this drama by making up for some of its more evident flaws .
So, was a “ Pinocchio ” a good series, or another overrated drama? It’s fair to say that the concept of the show was intriguing by tackling difficult issues of manipulation, injustice and exploitation, the OST was quite good, and there were some particularly well-written characters such as Dal-Po and even In Ha’s mother, Song Cha-ok ( Jin Kyung) who was surprisingly given some profound depth despite her antagonistic role in the series. Nevertheless, “ Pinocchio” isn’t as flawless as watchers truly make it up to be- the ridiculous coincidences took away from the surprising twists of storyline, In Ha as our female lead was severely underdeveloped and the relationship between both characters was ultimately a little uncomfortable considering the angle of the storyline. It is probably fair to say that “ Pinocchio ” wasn’t a dire or terrible drama by any stretch of the imagination and had many likeable assets , but it certainly was overrated within being passed off as a “ flawless” drama by some fans.
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Should You Keep A “ Distance” From This Drama?
There is undeniably something poignant about the plot premise of ‘ At A Distance, Spring is Green’ as the series pursues the soul-searching quests of our tritagonists trying to guide themselves through friendships, love and their own personal conflicts in different ways.
Yet in between the vivid spring palette scheme of director Kim Jung Hyun ( Secret Garden, Legal High) ‘s cinematography , ‘ At A Distance, Spring is Green’ doesn’t escape from the realm of scrutiny either. The divergence from the original storyline by conservative production channel KBS ( including changing platonic friendships to romantic pairings and even a character’s sexuality),unsurprisingly has sparked a lot of controversial debate over the handling of characterisation and plot throughout the drama.
However against the more heated feud surrounding the drama’s storyline , our main cast offered refreshing performances as their onscreen personas . Idol and former child actor Park Ji-Hoon delivered a beguiling performance as Yeo Joon. Throughout the drama we learn more about Yeo Joon away from his cheery and fake facade of similes. Foregrounded as a byproduct of an oppressive and dysfunctional family consisting of his older brother Yeo Joon Wan( Na In Woo), as well as his parents Cha Jeong Joo ( So Hee Jung) and Yeo Myung Hoon ( Kim Hyung Mook). One of the major drama subplots surrounding Yeo Joon’s family did undeniably have some surprising twists, but this subplot was sadly underdeveloped as a consequence of the predominating screen time into Yeo Joon’s “ romance” with So Bin ( Kang Min Ah).
It wasn’t the case that Park Ji-Hoon and Kang Min Ah had terrible onscreen chemistry. Kang Min Ah is a brilliant actress and she certainly helped to convey sweet moments between their onscreen personas ( one of the loveliest scenes of the drama being when So Bin gave Yeo Joon a hyacinth). However, the plot often seemed to struggle with conveying a symbiotic and mutually respectful relationship between these two characters with Yeo Joon (in early episodes) manipulating So Bin’s feelings, and then So Bin happily going out with someone who infringed upon her self-respect . Aside from diverging from the original webcomic the pairing between these main leads was similar to So Bin merely acting as an emotional band aid for Joon’s emotional wounds; quick to slap on top in order to make their relationship seem “ soulful”, yet often
resulting in a one-sided investment of only So Bin hearing out Joon . Whilst in the later storyline Joon did arguably “ support” So Bin, this was in a fairly manipulative manner towards humiliating someone who caused her to get into a tricky scenario rather than trusting and listening to So Bin and working out their problems together. Instead whilst it is understandable that Joon needed some respectful boundaries with So Bin ( and vice versa), it provided a sense of distrust within their relationship by Joon often considering Soo Hyun ( Baek In Hyuk) more as a “trusted” confidant than So Bin throughout the drama.
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However arguably one of the most enjoyable feats of the drama was Yeo Joon’s gradual relationship with his older brother Yeo Joon Wan ( Na In Woo) and then of course his friendship with Nam Soo Hyun. For the former, Na In Woo was really dynamic at capturing his persona Joo Wan’s stoicism by his expressions rendering something which is “ more than meets the eye” in early scenes. His heart-rendering journey from being the “ estranged” and “ heartless” brother of Joon to expressing his actual worry and emotions as truths come to light was one of the few beautiful moments of character development in the drama . However the ultimate show stealer was of course Joon’s oddball friendship with Soo Hyun.
Ironically this gradual “ blood brother” bond was more intriguing at times than the predominating relationship of Joon with So Bin, as a consequence of being able to contrast and present the characters for all their flaws and strengths. In Hyuk is captivating as second male lead Nam Soo Hyun. A distinctly subversive character; he doesn’t beat around the bush about Yeo Joon being used for his money, his irritation at Yeo Joon sucking up to him and also acknowledges his own social stigma of being " arrogant" on campus whilst struggling to play a fraternal and paternal role for his brother Nam Goo Hyun( Kim Su Gyeom). However one of the biggest problems with Soo Hyun came from (controversy aside), his lacking focal investment with his equivocally intriguing backstory being disregarded in favour for the “ romantic” moments of the drama.
The “ romantic pairings” present in ‘ At A Distance, Spring Is Green’ seemed to provide an ultimate foil at times to greater development with our characters (especially in regards to our female characters) , with the biggest elephant in the room being So Bin.
Respectfully whilst we do get to see insights into So Bin’s life through her interactions with roommates Wang Young Ran ( Kwon Eun Bin) and Gong Mi Joo ( Woo Da Vi) , her " crush and best friend" Hong Chan Ki ( Choi Jung Woo) and some abrupt glimpses into her ” difficult“ past, there’s little to truly put together about So Bin’s greater sense of purpose in the drama . There is the evident argument that whilst Yeo Joon and Soo Hyun represent the problems of loneliness and economic injustice, So Bin is supposed to show the “ average Korean student”. However unlike her counterparts So Bin rarely has this greater calling towards why she was even studying in the first place, her sense of personality outside of her interactions with her roommates, classmates and romance also and being able to have a more profound backstory . Arguably there was a quick passing comment by So Bin that she wasn’t entirely sure about her future and we did get to see abruptly little snippets of So Bin’s past catching up on her , however, perhaps if the series had gone more into So Bin’s reasoning either to ” prove everyone wrong“, her struggles with feeling motiveless or if this was previously rooted from academic or social pressure in her backstory , So Bin would have felt less like a “ emotional band aid” for an enforced romantic pairing, and more of a sentient individual.
This was also a case and point problem with the " unrequited feelings” of Gong Mi Joo towards Soo Hyun. It wasn’t necessarily that Mi Joo was an unlikeable character. In fact actress Woo Da Vi was brilliant at portraying an otherwise paper thin role of the ” superficial rich girl” . However for a major proportion of Mi Joo’s character arc, she was often fractious by her “schoolgirl crush” as well as her motiveless and unhealthy obsession over Soo Hyun. If Mi Joo had tried to understand more about Soo Hyun beyond “ he gave me the drink at the convenience store and is good looking” by asking Young Ran ( and perhaps acknowledging at least their different outcomes), maturing slightly after her previous breakup or even being able to venture more into her backstory, then perhaps Mi Joo would have felt like a well-rounded character. However, it was tiresome to once more see the second female lead be stereotyped as “ pitiful” and “ needy” before being disregarded nearly entirely when she wasn’t “ necessary to the plot”.
Arguably one of the few female characters in this drama who was given justice for a major proportion of the early storyline was Young Ran. The best friend of Soo Hyun who proves herself to be a supportive and a down-to -earth friend, it is disappointing that the show did not take more time to invest in her character arc aside from playing match maker and her seemingly “ unseen” future . The ending overall was a little underwhelming to say the least- not bad per say, just failing to wrap up key character points and moments.
So is ‘ From A Distance Spring Is Green’ actually worth watching? It is evident to see where this drama has its own alluring appeal for certain viewers by really good casting , beautiful cinematography and the portrayal of hard-hitting issues ( such as abuse, bereavement, economic and academic pressure ) in an attempt to take off the audience demographic’s rose-tinted glasses associated with youth. On a more pessimistic note, it is evident to see how this drama struggles with mixed-criticism by viewers with the adapted storyline straying away beyond recognition from the webcomic, mismatched pacing in parts ( due to the investment in lacklustre pairings) , the “ mismatched” main pairing ( which dominates a high proportion of screen time) as well as stereotyping certain characters into mundane one-dimensional roles , diminishing from fortified character development as well as more original takes on the youth genre . Overall certainly not an unwatchable drama but perhaps not as impressively original, or well-crafted as viewers were anticipating either.
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Will You Become “ Mad” At This Drama?
It has been said countless times before in the reviews, however, novice screenwriter Ah Kyung’s ‘ Mad For Each Other’ did surprisingly start on a fairly high note. The storyline incorporated the more avant-grade archetype of the ‘ unconventional lovers’ where both leads suffer from mental health issues. ( A tone reminiscent of Rain’s movie ‘ I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Ok’ [2006] .)
‘ Mad For Each Other’ focuses upon Lee Min Kyung( Oh Yeon Seo), a woman suffering from repressed trauma, social anxiety and paranoia as well as her matched “ potential love interest” Noh Hwi Oh( Jung Woo), a suspended cop who suffered from anger management issues. In between the more questionable faeces jokes of the first episode, ‘ Mad For Each Other’ did seem to have a lot of potential towards being an intriguing love story. However the drama slowly began on a downwards slope as a consequence of cataclysmic screenwriting and certain acting performances in later episodes.
This problem became particularly prominent with Min-Kyung. Oh Yeon Seo isn’t entirely a terrible actress, however, her over-the-top expressions and reactions as her onscreen persona can quickly grow tiresome for some viewers.As a character it is understandable that Min-Kyung suffered from low self-esteem and so her journey to developing an “affectionate relationship “ with Hwi Oh was always going to be a rocky road.
However, it was an ineffable screenwriting decision that one minute Min Kyung seemed to be presented as an unfortunate young woman suffering from social anxiety who is trying to get over her trauma , and then later in the same storyline she is dumping Hwi Oh,getting triggered at Hwi Oh trying to help her, running away and then yearning over Hwi Oh once more.
It is understandable that Min-Kyung is supposed to be a flawed character and struggles throughout the drama to make her own moral judgements, however, rather than using previous exposition ( such as Min-Kyung learning self-defence lessons from Hwi Oh) in order to allow this character to develop as an individual or defend herself, the show enforces the stereotype of the “ fickle female lead” into the mixture in order to allow Hwi Oh to become the “ dashing hero”. ( In a montage during the finale which was an unintentional laughable parody of an 80s car chase scene.) There’s an evident difference between low self-esteem, and a lacking of self-respect; something that screenwriter Ah Kyung seemed unable to distinguish between with Min-Kyung as a character.
Oh Yeon Seo’s costar Jung Woo seemed to carry a fairly “ down-to-earth” ambience as his onscreen persona Hwi Oh. However similar to Min-Kyung’s more “turbulent” moments in the drama , Hwi Oh was the epitome of “ writing gone bad”. As it happens it wasn’t necessarily that this character had a” dire” creative setup in the beginning . Hwi Oh ( similar to Min Kyung) showed a gentler side to his cantankerous personality ( such as promising to help Min Kyung with her self-defence lessons)throughout the majority of the drama.‘ Mad For Each Other’ seemed to particularly struggle, however, with Hwi Oh’s intended character development across the show.
Hwi Oh just seemed to raise one question above all; “ how on earth did he pass police academy exams and become a police officer in the first place, when he often allowed dilemmas ( especially the incident with the ex-boyfriend and Min Kyung entering the abandoned building)to boil over?” It’s easy to put together that Hwi Oh is supposed to fit the “ disgraced and renounced cop” archetype because of his short-temper. However it was hardly to truly comprehend what even motivated Hwi Oh to becoming an officer, or even truly understanding why we should feel pity for Hwi Oh over his role in the first place when he often was pretty dumb with his strategies ( case and point with the car chase with the ex-boyfriend) , acting aggressively ( at times) towards Min Kyung and then not thinking to even try putting together concussive evidence and case reports towards Min Kyung’s- ex’s records. This isn’t stating that Hwi Oh should have been the “ police prodigy” archetype, however, even if the show had perhaps delved into something that Hwi Oh had flourished with his job as an officer ( such as fighting or capturing criminals), and then something he struggled with or was mocked by his peers ( his strategies or even just struggling with a desk job), Hwi Oh would have felt been more sympathetic for viewers as the “ flawed cop” trope that the show seemed to struggle to concisely execute.
As far as their relationship is concerned, the best way to describe the pairing between Min Kyung and Hwi Oh is “ flawed for all of the wrong reasons”. Relationships are naturally messy in real life and it did present
a potentially interesting setup to see two unconventional characters, helping to support one another but whilst there were undeniably elements of Hwi Oh and Min Kyung learning to lean upon one another over the course of the drama, their pairing was undeniably oppressive for both parties. Hwi Oh could often been controlling and inflict aggressive conduct ( anger issues or not) towards Min Kyung, whilst Min Kyung often lashed out before neglecting Hwi Oh and then loving him again because it was “ necessary to the plot”. It wouldn’t have been too bad perhaps if the drama had allowed these characters to recognise their mistakes, show remorse or at least acknowledge their wrongdoings, however, the fact that both characters were quick to bury their problems under the sand in order to “ be together”, made this toxic relationship hard to watch for the most part.
Oh boy, then there’s the incomprehensible side characters. On a more positive note ( and against all odds), the occasional appearances of the irksome gossipy residents and Hwi Oh’s police officer peers were arguably more entertaining at times than our main characters. However, then there’s Soo Hyun ( Lee Soo Hyun); the definition of the “ prosaic filler character”. It isn’t inherently that her scenes were “ bad” or “ terrible” and the setup of her character trying to work multiple jobs and aspiring for higher goals , was an intriguing setup. However the show didn’t really give Soo Hyun enough time to really be “ fleshed out” or understand her motivations as a character aside from being the “ girl who pops up on the screen and starts randomly singing just to promote that the actress is an idol singer”.
Also on the sideline of prosaic side characters was the therapist ( who quickly became elusive to the majority of the events of the storyline apart from arguably having the potential to play the most important role), a psycho and then “ Samantha” ( Ahn Woo Yeon). Now, there’s two decisive arguments with “ Samantha” as a character; the positive by an attempted representation of diversity within South-Korean society, the second being distasteful for some viewers through the comedic scenes . Despite covering over more hard-hitting issues such as mental health issues, cyber bullying and transphobia, it seemed as though the drama often struggled to truly convey these messages more profoundly. This isn’t due to the nature of the drama as a “ comedy” but rather the styling it took as a “ lighthearted” show, rather than allowing or pertaining more “ bittersweet” elements to enter the storyline. The ending wasn’t bad per say, just more “ questionable” considering the storyline arc.
It’s establish that this isn’t to concisely rule that “ Mad For Each Other” is a “ terrible” show as some watchers may enjoy the comedic scenes and setups, however, “ Mad For Each Other” is arguably more of a “throwaway” drama - easy to binge-watch and certainly with a fairly catchy OST, but leaving a bitter taste for certain watchers by sporadic plot logic and one-dimensional characters.
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‘Tomorrow’; Death Meets Satire In Rowoon’s Latest Fantasy Series…
Mortality is never an easy subject to tackle in dramas. Based upon the eponymous webcomic (‘ 내일’) by Llama, fantasy series ‘Tomorrow’ decided to bring forth the topic of death in a powerful smorgasbord of social issues and topics. Instead of reimbursing the old cliché of grim reapers being harbingers of doom and death, ‘Tomorrow’ rebrands its morbid psychopomps as fashionably suave members of the Crisis Management Team, attempting to save certain unfortunate souls from suicide.
The series focuses upon an alumnus from a prestigious university, Choi Jun-Woong (SF9’s Rowoon-‘Extraordinary You’, ‘She Would Never Know’ and ‘ The King’s Affection’). Struggling to land himself on the job market, Jun-Woong’s life is changed forever when he ends up encountering angels of death Goo-Ryeon (Kim Hee-sun-‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Angry Mom’ and ‘ Alice’) and Lim Rung-Gu (Yoon Ji-on-‘Dear My Room’, ‘Be Melodramatic’ and ‘Jirisan’ ).
Waking up outside of his corporal body after an accident, Jun-Woong discovers that he has been physically rendered in a comatose state. He is given the choice by Director, Jade Hwang (Kim Hae-sook- ‘Precious Family’, ‘My Father Is Strange’ and ‘Inspector Koo’): he can choose to be trapped in his unresponsive body for three years, or he can work with them in a ‘’half- dead’’ state, reducing his comatose state to six months and then landing any job he wants after he wakes up.
Woong is assigned to the Crisis Management Team alongside Goo-Ryeon and(, by default of being her protégé,) Rung-Gu. As the unlikely trio attempt to work together as a team, Jun-woong soon discovers that his new position is far from being a walk in the park.
Adapted to the small screen by novice screenwriters Park Ran, Park Ja Kyung and Kim Yu Jin, ‘Tomorrow’ places heavy emphasis upon prominent social messages and themes.( Including sensitive issues such as suicide, the trauma of war, inequality, bullying, the generational trauma of South-Korean comfort women, depression, peer pressure and eating disorders.)
Without a doubt, ‘Tomorrow’ is a varied accumulation of satire, provocative angst and mirthful wit. Although the series was often tactful within its approach to various subject areas and themes (in particular helping to offer light-hearted respite in-between heavy-hearted points of the narrative), the screenplay could admittedly feel somewhat out of place at times with its attempts to balance between hard-hitting messages and comic relief.
Of course this is not necessarily to say that the comedy shouldn’t have existed at times. Certain issues tackled in ‘Tomorrow’ were certainly supposed to be heavy-hitting and the requirement for an interim of slapstick comedy or comical exchanges was certainly necessary. (In particular, this was shown at times by Park Ran, Park Ja-Kyung and Kim Yu Jin being able to strike a surprisingly harmonious balance for most of the series through the kaleidoscopic array of themes and contrasting tones for their audience.)
However despite certain commendation certainly having to be given to the trio of screenwriters for their consistently provocative themes and tones, ‘Tomorrow’ could sometimes feel as though it disengaged between its plot and themes. To explain this further it is important to reiterate that comic relief was often quintessential within the screenplay in order to offer respite from darker themes and subject areas.
On the other hand, it did become noticeable at times that the series would often fall victim to divulging deeply into comic exchanges. This would often divert attention away from building-up the narrative events and characters, or alternatively struggling with the opposite problem by failing to allow a necessary brake or moment of light-hearted respite for audiences to grapple with events or characters. ( This seemed to flare at times later in the show in episodes such as ‘’Someday, Because Of You’’. Although the episode tackled a heartfelt subject area and was surprisingly bittersweet , it often felt as though the prominent meanings behind the messages in the episodes weren’t as reinforced as they could’ve been.)
Of course, this is not to make out that the entirety of the writing for ‘Tomorrow’ was inadequate or unwatchable in any way. Although perhaps certain issues ( in particular mental health and eating disorders) were perhaps
not fully explored by the screenplay or given speedy outcomes , ‘ Tomorrow’ often placed a certain level of open finesse with addressing issues and helping the audience and the characters coming to terms with them.( In one of the later episodes of the series entitled ‘’Spring’’, the audience were supposed to be particularly hit home with an onslaught of emotions with the controversial and historical subject area of Comfort Women, focusing on a dark chapter in South-Korean history.)
Naturally this brings up the discussion surrounding character-writing within the adapted screenplay for ‘Tomorrow’, as well as the performances by the main cast. Perhaps one of the most notable roles in the drama is given to main male lead Choi Jun-Woong, played by idol-actor Rowoon.
Rowoon has often been the subject of intrigue and debate with his previous career trajectory as the ‘’ leading man’’. Nevertheless, Rowoon offered a fairly consistent onscreen performance as the main male lead and it is fair to say that for many viewers, this could easily be seen as one of Rowoon’s best performances yet. As the main character of the narrative and storyline, Jun-Woong embodies what many would probably classify as the ‘’everyman’’ trope.Of course, this wasn’t a bad approach per say. It is sometimes common in fiction to see a main character become a medium for the audience, especially with a character being uprooted from their mundane, everyday life and being placed in an unfamiliar world or setup.
For main lead Jun-Woong, this was evident through being caught between two worlds: the afterlife and then the everyday mortal world. ( This was also shown arguably through Woong being conflicted in initial problems with common problems of interview and job struggles and then again with attempting to navigate his new role as a member of the Crisis Management Team .)
However, this also brings up an intriguing debate with regards to Jun-Woong’s character-arc. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Jun-Woong is purposefully supposed to be flawed at times. Naturally this did not always enforce Woong to be placed as ’ heroic’’ figure at all times within the series.
He had his evident flaws and ‘ Tomorrow’ placed heavy emphasis upon some of Woong’s values feeding into an evident critique of social conformity by South-Korean society vs developing subjective morality and beliefs. ( In particular the screenplay would sometimes bring this idea up in early episodes with Woong’s shared social views on issues such as bullying, before contrasting this in later episodes with the main lead developing his own values and standpoints.)
Although it certainly allowed Woong to act as an embodiment of social views, it is noticeable that this often forced Woong into playing “ certain roles” in order to propel the storyline. Again, this isn’t always a bad writing decision but it did often feel as though there were some poorly tied loose ends such as Woong’s own personal struggles with his situation, his backstory and personal goals were often disregarded until the ending of the series.
In addition to the casting choice of Rowoon, it is hard to ignore Kim Hee Sun’s performance as grim reaper Goo-Ryeon. Hee Sun’s acting career has been eclectic and while respectfully her acting performances have varied, the actress’ pink dye job certainly helped Kim Hee Sun to embrace her suavely mysterious onscreen persona as the female lead. Alongside fellow costar Yoon Ji-On who played her laidback mentee Rung-Gu, audiences will likely find themselves tearing up and laughing at the antics of the two characters’ interactions and appearances onscreen.
As an onscreen character, Goo-Ryeon is arguably one of the most enigmatic and intriguing characters in the series. She is often fairly detached from overtly emotional displays like Woong but she is impassioned by her cause to help others. Initially viewers are supposed to remain uncertain of Ryeon’s onscreen presence. In particular, her unconventional acts of tough love towards the main lead and those she is seemingly supposed to save will bring about topics of intriguing debate for viewers.
However as the series soon reveals, Ryeon’s root cause for her actions are sourced from genuine sincerity for her position as a member of the Crisis Management Team, especially as a result of her complicated backstory. Naturally as a consequence of this writing point, ‘ Tomorrow’ placed heavy emphasis upon her mysterious backstory in the latter half of the series, similarly echoed to a lesser extent with side character Rung-Gu also.
Despite both characters having their fair share of traumatic and difficult backstories, it often felt as though Ryeon’s character arc felt a little rushed in particular. . Of course while audiences certainly did see a few hints of foreshadowing at times earlier on in the series ( in particular with Ji-On’s trauma), it certainly felt as though some of these backstory revelations and plot twists could’ve been developed or built up. There was a lot for viewers to digest with regards to Ryeon’s past and her important connections to other characters but due to an anticlimactic buildup, the momentum of these events rarely felt as though that they had reached their entirety even by the finale.
Aside from the main characters, it is also important to mention about some of the reoccurring characters of ‘Tomorrow’ also. Model-actor Lee Soo-hyuk ( ‘ Vampire Idol’, ‘The Scholar Who Walks The Night’ and ‘ Doom At Your Service’) starred as Park Joong-Gil, the straight-laced head of the Humanitarian Management Team who shares a complicated past with Ji-On, as well as Kim Hae-Sook playing the role of the Jade Hwang, the head director of the afterlife and the bureau of grim reapers. The supporting characters certainly had their necessary roles to play in the events of the narrative. In particular during the later events of the series, viewers are given several surprising backstory revelations but admittedly these side characters felt as though they deserved more screen time or interactions with the main cast in order to build up their character arcs slightly more.
Then of course there is the discussion surrounding the execution of the series. Perhaps it is important that ‘Tomorrow’ decided to offer viewers with a fairly systematic approach; introducing viewers to main lead Woong’s predicament and his unlikely alliance with the main leads, the new dilemma or issued faced in the episode, the reactions and causes of debate for the characters and viewers, the dilemma reaching its climax and then helping to resolve or bring a conclusion to the events of the episode.
This approach by the trio of screenwriters certainly allowed the screenplay to tackle a wide array of issues and problems. However, it certainly did not come without its problems either. A lot of the storyline’s early plot objectives were rarely sketched out aside from the “ mission of the team”, leading seemingly important events or obstacles for the main leads being disregarded at times and then being given half-baked conclusions by the ending of the series. As a consequence, the ending of ‘ Tomorrow’ will likely leave viewers with mixed-feelings; bittersweet and certainly offering a denouement to the events of the storyline but rarely tying off all loose ends or bringing a complete feeling of satisfaction for viewers also.
Stylistically under the leadership of directors Kim Tae Yoon (‘Another Family’, ‘New Trial’) and Sung Chi Wook ( ‘Special Labor Inspector Jo’,‘ Kairos’), ‘Tomorrow’ was often caught up in an impressive onslaught of aesthetic shots and glossy gradients, with mood lighting and tones helping to add emotional turbulence and significance for characters and viewers in certain scenes. Perhaps one slight nag with the cinematography came through a lack of consistency. Rather than attempting to stick to a particular consistent form of filming or shots and tying these scenes and moments with the worldbuilding and lore of ‘Tomorrow’, the extravaganza of surrealist scenes and panned shots heavily influenced by big-budget movies felt somewhat disengaging from the screenwriting and world building at times. Nevertheless it is fair to say that ‘ Tomorrow’ did boast an impressively stunning array of imagery and scenes.
The OST for ‘Tomorrow’ was comprised mainly of a collection of modern pop tracks, varying somewhat dependent on personal tastes. Perhaps there may be certain songs such as the surprisingly upbeat rap song ‘’Red Light’’ by J.don and the morosely lovelorn ballad ‘’My Loneliness Calls You’’ (‘’나의 외로움이 널 부를 때’’) by Suran which will appeal across the board for viewers.
The sixteen-episode webcomic adaptation will offer viewers with a surprisingly heart-wrenching mixture of social commentaries, traumatic character backstories and comic relief. At times, ‘Tomorrow’ often struggled slightly with maintaining a harmonious balance between its writing and messaging. ( This often lead to parts of the storyline feeling rushed or lacking a sense of completion such as the ending or certain character arcs.) However for those looking to indulge in a fantasy series beyond the surface level with some prominently current social and critical commentaries with a touch of traditional Korean folklore and mythological beliefs in the modern world , then ‘Tomorrow’ will certainly offer viewers with a good watch.
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The ‘ Melancholia’ Of Slow-Pacing…
Announcing ‘ Melancholia’ as " completely different" from his other works, rom-com director Kim Sang Hyub ( ‘ True Beauty’, ‘ Extraordinary You’, ‘ 7th Grade Civil Servant’) and screenwriter Kim Ji Woon (‘ Doctor John’, ‘ Hyde, Jekyll, Me’) collaborated project seemed to indicate a drama-narrative that would focus on mature and darker subject areas. However the mixed-reception amongst the audience towards the delivered result of ‘ Melancholia’ is admittedly understandable due to the drama’s delivered narrative and pacing.
The storyline is nearly concisely divided into a dual-narrative between the past and the present. The events of the past (2017) foregrounded some necessary backstory into the lives of optimistic and resilient mathematics teacher Ji Yoon Soo( Im Soo Jung) and stoic MIT dropout and prodigy Baek Seung Yoo( Lee Do Hyun). By following the events surrounding the false scandal setup by their school, viewers learn how “ melancholia” has now torn about their lives after a four-year time skip. The duo meet up again now with a rekindled objective to expose and bring down the corrupt system of the school once and for all.
Rom-com director Kim Sang Hyub ( ‘ True Beauty’, ‘ Extraordinary You’, ‘ 7th Grade Civil Servant’) is notoriously renowned in the industry (and even amongst fans) for his heavy reliance upon overused and generic soap-opera tropes . Therefore it should come as a surprise for those familiar with his past projects when Hyub announced his venture into ‘ Melancholia’ alongside his collaboration with screenwriter Kim Ji Woon (‘ Doctor John’, ‘ Hyde, Jekyll, Me’) as " completely different" from anything he had done before , there was certainly promising potential.
‘ Melancholia’ arguably delivered a presentation to viewers with Hyub clearly being out of his comfort zone . The drama maintained a lighter edge at times but clearly offered “ darker” explorations into realistic subject areas than some of Hyub’s previous projects. Naturally this presented many opportunities for ‘ Melancholia’ to tackle some realistic sociological themes from corruption by the rich, social hierarchies, the academic ranking-system in South-Korean education, peer pressure, bullying and public-shaming. ( To name just a few. )Yet it’s hard to deny that ‘ Melancholia’’s conveyed messages could sometimes be a difficult challenge for audiences to truly digest by the illusive and vivid palettes and schemes through cinematography often feeling like a presented decoy for audiences .
Of course uncertainty by directors unfamiliar to genres against time limits and deadlines given to them by the studios and production companies is to be expected with evident problems and flaws along the way. It was evident to see Hyub’s willingness throughout the drama to attempt something different. However in addition to Kim Ji Woon’s uncertainty towards interweaving genres with subtlety, ‘ Melancholia’ could often seem like the outcome of a balancing against vision and deliverance ;different genres crammed into a short duration length led to an evident and arising conflict between messages and pacing as episodes progressed.
The characters of the series were admittedly an intriguing range of individuals with a lot of potential to be more than meets the eye. Ji Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo had their own personal backstories and issues, whilst even the antagonistic forces of the series were far from being shoehorned into mere “ nefarious villainy” either. On the other hand Ji Yoon and Seung Yoo did have two notable flaws ( like many notable characters) in the series; they lacked deep-drive.
It’s important to establish that Ji Yoon and Seung Yoo’s own personal drives against plot-shaken drive are two different things. The two main leads certainly were useful assets to the storyline and helped to be “ subverted” by their experiences . However multilayered psyches which seeming intriguing characters were supposed to possessed were constantly submerged beneath the surface-lingering faintly, but rarely giving opportunities to breathing fresh air into shoehorned archetypes either.
Perhaps one of the few arguable exceptions to this fallacy was Noh Jung Ah( Jin Kyung); the antagonistic driving force of the series as the head director of Aseong High School who had some surprising moments of layered complexity against her role . Nevertheless Jung Ah was far from being flawlessly executed and many characters in the series seemed to suffer a similar fate.
The other quintessential point to note with consideration to ‘ Melancholia’ is that it isn’t a pining tale of love and woe. Whilst there are certainly elements of slow burn and gradual relationship development between Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo, their relationship is fairly platonic (for the most part) as they bond initially over their shared-goal and passion for mathematics. This naturally doesn’t diverge from watching the characters’ relationship grow but it admittedly does present focus ( romantic or not) upon the issue of healing. At times plot-drive did present focus upon this “ issue”. However there were few opportunities for both main leads to truly learn and develop from their experiences in a symbiotic manner; a process which is often key towards relationship developments ( platonic or romantic) in life and writing.
Sadly the main leads were not the only characters to suffer from the fate of writing. Side character Sung Ye Rin ( Woo Da Vi) had the potential to be one of the most intriguing characters of the series after her initial introduction and setup through her own personal fear of failure and disappointment. Nevertheless Ye Rin was rarely given her moments to be presented than anything more than a plot device; necessary to keep the storyline moving but rarely having her moments to shine in the series.
Of course it’s wrong to entirely critique ‘ Melancholia’ and pound the drama into the ground as " inadequate". For the most part the main cast were brilliant and aside from a few awkward line deliverances, powered through heavy dialogue and dragged-out scenes with ease. Actress Im Soo Jung was undeniably the perfect choice for Ji Yoon Soo, whilst costars Lee Do Hyun and Jin Kyung offered moments of dynamic charm and suaveness to important characters who viewers could’ve easily become disengaged with. The pacing arguably remained one of the drama’s greatest downfalls. Whilst the first-hand offered viewers with a slow but gradual revelations, the second-half began to cataclysmically descend into a dragged-out finale which whilst attempting to keep viewers on edge with "shocking" plot twists rarely carried through with an ending that whilst complete and pleasing, lacked greater impact.
Yet for a series which pledged itself as an ode and effectively a " love story" to a greatly complex subject such as mathematics being more than just numerical figures but a passion and tool for uncovering new depths, ‘ Melancholia’ could often find itself barren from passionate flare. Filming techniques used by Hyub were clean and slick but lacked a experimentation. Potentially vivid scenes which could’ve indicated more about the characters’ personalities and ideologies through the palettes used as well as how the world of mathematics is seen by our main protagonists was rarely brought to life onscreen.( Even the OST was a mere device for transcending certain emotions through vocals and instrumentals in scenes and endings when necessary but often could lack a lingering presence in the minds of viewers afterwards. )
Kim Sang Hyub’s ‘ Melancholia’ had an intriguing premise and certainly an impressive lineup. Nevertheless it was clear even to audiences that the drama marked uncharted territory into genres and styles not explored by director and screenwriter before. Whilst this did give opportunities for both Joon and Hyub to explore and play around with new forms and tones, it could often deliver a detrimental impact upon writing and pacing. Perhaps if the series had condensed its overstretched storyline into a shorter episode duration length or even given more golden opportunities to experimenting with styles, depth and character-writing, ‘ Melancholia’ could’ve escaped its mediocrity into an impressionable viewing experience for audiences.
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Is This A Drama Series Worth Investigating?
Loosely based upon the real-life exploits of Tokyo Shimbun reporter Isoko Mochizuki, director Fujii Michihito’s drama ‘ The Journalist’, is adapted in-turn from his 2019 shared-titled feature-film. The Netflix six-part drama offered a golden-opportunity to the director in order to “flesh-out” weaker moments from his original work by offering viewers a vivid vignette of the world of corruption and journalism. Yet despite a brilliant performance by actress Ryoko Yonekura , Yamada Yoshitatsu and Kodera Kazuhisa’s sultry and harrowing storytelling could feel somewhat niche by the second-half.
The storyline focused upon highly-revered and inquisitive journalist Anna Matsuda ( Ryoko Yonekura). When confronted with the shady dealings of a political crime at the heart of Japanese society, Matsuda alongside cynical government official Shinichi Murakami (Go Ayano), guilt-stricken bureaucrat Suzuki Kazuya (Hidetaka Yoshioka),Kazuya’s wife , Mayumi (Shinobu Terajima), and university student Ryo (Ryusei Yokohama), find themselves fighting against a common enemy through Shinjiro Toyoda (Yusuke Santamaria); a PR specialist and official adviser to the prime minister.
Perhaps one of the greatest takeaways from ‘ The Journalist’ came through raising ethical and moral questions towards the universal problem of corruption; especially at the top of worldwide governments. However whilst the series did allow food for thought for its audience, it is noteworthy to point out that no trope or cliche is left upturned in Yamada Yoshitatsu and Kodera Kazuhisa’s screenplay for the reboot. Whilst an artistic licence does allow influences from similar storylines and productions to worm into the series in parts, ‘ The Journalist’ ‘s regimented paper trail to corruption led to some tedious and over-stretched moments throughout. Dialogue , interactions and Matsuda scrolling over documents for a torturously long period onscreen against suddenly falling asleep on her desk and then repeat, could often feel as though the series was trying to heavily pound the insertion of “the devil being in the details” rather than expediting certain events of the storyline.
‘ The Journalist’ is admittedly self-conscious from the outset. Rather than allowing the series to spiral into an over-the-top parody of conspiracy theories and rushed plot, the miniseries allowed itself to be compacted into six episodes. Yet whilst elements of the series’ appeal with Yonekura and Terajima taking frontal stage did begin to make the series feel as though it was a reconstructed reenactment , the actual focal point of the series, the corruption, was rarely covered. Instead, whilst the series did offer opportunities to present the climatic buildup of events and revelations, the brushed over and lingering presence of the main plot drive created an addictive yet slightly farcical edge during later scenes also.
Nevertheless,Fujii Michihito’s return to the director’s chair did certainly present its perks also. Respectfully choosing TV veteran Ryoko Yonekura instead of her movie counterpart South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung, allowed golden-opportunities to explore the emotional, sentient and conventional range of the main female lead. ( Even if hard-nosed Anna can coincide her psychic ability to arrive at people’s doorsteps just at the right moment.) In addition to this Fuji combined a heavily aesthetic approach to the series- artistic cuts and editing combined with a nail-biting score did deliver a tense atmosphere for viewers. However, the second-half delivered a somewhat languid finale for the series with slower pacing attempting to slow down and make viewers take-in the storyline, but slowly becoming somewhat tiresome and repetitive.
Fujii Michihito’s ‘ The Journalist’ did present a necessary revamp in parts in comparison to its movie counterpart . The six-part series delved into relatable and harrowing issues striking a chord for viewers worldwide . Yet whilst Fujii Michihito’s moody cinematography and in particular Ryoko Yonekura’s brilliant acting did keep viewers intrigued and enticed, niche storytelling and archetypes could make ‘ The Journalist’ feel slightly cyclical and dragged out in parts also.
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Does The Glass Slipper Fit?
Ah, the “ Cinderella-Tale”. It’s the trope which embodied the ‘ Hana Yori Dango’ franchise, 2000s rom coms and 1990s shoujos countless others beforehand , where the outcast or plucky mundane heroine changes the spiteful, rich male lead ‘s life before he whisks her away to live happily ever after. The trope nearly defined the zenith of 2000s romance dramas, yet nowadays the “ Cinderella Tale” archetype is often seen as being retrospectively outdated . Now the trope comes to life once more with “ Promised Cinderella” but just how does this cliche actually play out in 2021? Is it a nostalgic trip about the old days of romance dramas , or is it just too outdated for its own good?
At its heart “ Promised Cinderella” is based upon the Josei ( aimed for older teens to women) manga of the same-name. It is a trope-worthy love story between 27 year-old Katsuragi Hayame ( Nikaido Fumi), a vagrant former-housewife and rich and pugnacious 17 year-old Kataoka Issei( Maeda Gordon) who Hayame is forced to move in with. However whilst Issei finds his feelings growing for his senior, Hayame finds herself torn between Issei and his seemingly kindhearted brother Kataoka Seigo ( Iwata Takanori) , leading to all the imagined twists and turns out of a love triangle setup.
The drama is undeniably lighthearted, with a more mature and serious heroine taking central position in the drama and also taking off that burdensome worry of labyrinthine plot line . Overacting was sometimes an undeniable problem here, but nonetheless the main cast were dynamic . Nikaido Fumi really embodied Hayame to life onscreen through her performance, en par with fellow costar Maeda Gordon as foul-mouthed high schooler Issei and evidently Iwata Takanori as Issei’s brother Seigo.
Yet is is impossible to turn a blind eye towards the numerous problems amounting in this drama towards Hayame’s “potential love interests”. As far as the main couple goes let’s not sugarcoat it. Hayame is a 27 year- old woman and Issei is a seventeen year- old kid. Understandably the drama has never established anything lewd between the two aside from Issei’s crush and of course age gaps can be shown in numerous and versatile ways. However when tackling the subject of age or generational gaps, a topic which admittedly does come up is how this can impact a relationship between lovers socially, culturally and psychologically.
The drama plays repeatedly upon the gag that Hayame is an “ old woman” ( despite only being 27) but rarely does it draw onto the more significant factors of this age difference for both parties. Issei is incredibly immature for his age. There is the argument that a lot of his conducted attitude is based upon his experiences and whilst we do get to see his character grow at times, he was the typical “ spoilt and insolent brat” archetype. He nearly constantly put Hayame down verbally by passing remarks even in social situations, whilst irksomely Hayame ( despite being 10 years his senior and with more life and relationship experience) seeming “ wittiness” would be thrown out the window in order to keep this lacklustre charade moving as part of the plot device.
Then of course there’s Hayame’s “ potential chemistry” with Seigo. Despite being the older brother of Issei , Seigo has his own dirty secrets which can flare up a nasty side to a seemingly “sweet as pie” trope character. Undeniably intriguing to watch this character unravel, but nevertheless it made it troublesome for viewers to truly root for a respectful and flawed yet likeable character in this drama. Seigo’s “ infatuation ” with Hayame without respecting boundaries sometimes or his own brother’s feelings could verge upon obsessiveness . Perhaps this problem wouldn’t have been so bad if the drama had noted or brought to light that Seigo’s actions were unhealthy or wrong but rarely was this brought up and instead often passed on as “ just fascination” . In a setup where both characters are supposed to be flawed but have their own unintentional screenwriting problems, it is hard to truly root for either main lead. ( Without the lingering thought that Hayame is nothing more than a plot device to keep this lacklustre potential romance “ more dynamic”. )
To make matters worse aside from the questionable relationships in this drama, ‘ Promise Cinderella’ pretty much ticks all the boxes of every romantic cliche that you’ve seen and done before a million times;
1)The jerk former husband who abandons his wife, and isn’t necessary to the storyline pretty much ever again? Check.
2. The female lead who is too prideful to bother actually looking for a job to get off the streets, but no because it gets in the way of the actual reason to be saved by a high schooler? Check.
2)Trying to cover for a “ divorce background” with her husband in order to pair off Hayame with the potential love interests, yet never actually covering legal matters or court processes because it is too much like adding something realistic to the drama? Double Check.
3)Introducing the crude, teen male lead with an inferiority complex and who has a reason for being rude but none of them justify his bratty actions, or allow an opportunity for Issei to issue an actual apology to anyone? Triple Check.
4. Subverting the entirety of the female lead’s strong willed personality in order to make her cutesy to the plot but then changing her again, and then making her docile once more ? Quadruple Check.
‘ Promised Cinderella’ isn’t entirely a bad drama per say. It was pure sickly sweetness in all its glory with an ending which goes down an expected route. The acting was solid and an older female lead adds an intriguing dynamic to the storyline with her potential love interests, however, at the same time, the storyline was often predictable and dull by not even attempting to play or add anything new to the screenplay setup . The relationship between the two main leads and the controversial age gap raised red flags for all the wrong reasons without even trying to present this gradually , and the fact the drama itself wasn’t entirely sure how to incorporate Hayame’s character or revamp the “ Bad Boy” trope with Issei made ‘ Promised Cinderella’ an undeniable guilty-pleasure , but a 2000s-style revamp which feels more out of time than a nostalgic trip down drama lane.
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