My Love Patji (2002, SBS drama special)

My Love Patji was a 2002 production, starring popular rising stars Jang Na-ra, Kim Rae-won and Kim Jae-won. This was a pretty short series, considering that it is only 10 episodes, compared to other miniseries which are normally 16 episodes, or more.

One might try to relate this show to the Korean fairytale, "Kongji and Patji", a sort of Korean version of Cinderella. Kongji is the nice girl in the story, whereas Patji is the mean sister. However, in this series, it comes with a twist, in which Patji, who is the hot-tempered and nasty girl that everyone detests, is in fact a kind-hearted girl deep down. Kongji on the contrary, appears to be the nice, kind, friendly girl, but in fact is jealous of Patji and tries hard to scheme against her.

Jang Nara is Yang Song-yee, the so-called Patji in the show. She is hot-tempered and does not hide her thoughts. Hence, her forthright personality often brings her loads of trouble, as many misunderstandings are caused by her candidness. Kim Jae-won is Kang Seung-joon, who is the son of a rich amusement park owner. He falls in love with Song-yee as he thinks that she is a good girl who does not try to hide her real self. Kim Rae-won is Kim Hyun-sung, a seal trainer working at the amusement park. He has a heart problem and hides it from others and also vows not to fall in love again, as he thinks that his ill health will bring agony to the other party. Another main character that must not be missed is Eun Hee-won, ( played by actress Hong Eun-hee ) the nice, pretty Konji that everybody likes. However, deep down, she is scheming, and tries in lots of ways to hurt Song-yee.

The show starts with a younger version of Song-yee, Hee-won and Hyun-sung at elementary school. Song-yee likes Hyun-sung, and when Hee-won finds out about it, she tells Song-yee that she will not like the same guy Song-yee likes. Later, during a class exercise one day, when the teacher asks the children to choose a boy they like, Song-yee immediately grabs Hyun-sung's hand. However, at the same time, Hee-won goes forward to Hyun-sung as well. Hyun-sung then breaks away from Song-yee's grip and grabs Hee-won. Song-yee, furious with her friend for snatching the boy she likes, throws a shoe at her and beats her up. The same thing repeats as they grow up...

The show then fast forwards years later, when the children have grown up. Hee-won helps Song-yee to get a job at the amusement park, after Song-yee screws up at her previous job. However, as Hee-won snatches the guy that Song-yee likes from her again, Song-yee then plans for revenge. However, she commits arson unknowingly, and Seung-joon is trapped inside a parade vehicle. She then saves him and runs away. After the incident, Seung-joon keeps looking for the "angel" who saved him. At the same time, Hyun-sung also falls in love with Song-yee, and Hee-won schemes to snatch Seung-joon away from her once more...

This is a typical Korean drama. Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, third party comes in. However, this is no tragic fairy tale like Autumn Fairy Tale or Glass Slippers. Director Lee Jin-suk (of All about Eve and A Star in My Heart fame) might have decided to give the drama an ambiguous ending, leaving the audience hanging at the end of the show. To conclude, My Love Patji is as good a comedy as has come out for a long time. If you are in need for a quick, good laugh, My Love Patji is the show for you.

Rustic Period (2002-2003, SBS Daeha Drama)

Historical TV dramas (known as "Daeha Dramas" in Korea) featuring a large number of episodes have long been a successful genre within Korean TV Dramas. After the end of SBS's Ladies in the Palace (Yeoin Cheonha), the time slot was filled by another historical drama Rustic Period (Yain Shidae), which ended up as the most successful TV drama in Korea last year, with at its height over half of the TV ratings in prime time.

Rustic Period is a 100-episode drama based on the life of a mystery -- Kim Doo-han (1917-1972). The whole drama was split into two parts. Part 1 (Episode 1-50), performed by Ahn Jae-mo as Kim, is based on how Kim came to be a triad leader around the Jongno area during the days when the country was invaded by the Japanese. Part 2 (Episode 51-100), performed by Kim Young-chul, is based on the days when Kim served as a Council member. Stories about Kim Doo-han are not new. Previously, Im Kwok-taek's Son of A General film series were based on Kim Doo-han.

Compared to other dramas, Rustic Period features an unique heroic style which is rarely found in melodramas or historical dramas like Morning of the Emperor. Despite the large number of characters, this drama gives an adequate atmosphere in introducing the people around Kim Doo-han and how he made friendships with his gang crew, in a less typical way than a normal drama.

Action is also another successful factor which captured audiences' hearts. Part 1 of the drama contains lots of fighting along Kim's path to becoming a triad gang head, which is also unusual for Korean dramas in such a set up. The song "Ye-in", which is used from time to time for fighting, has also became one of Korea's most popular ringtones. The usual scene for fighting, the street outside "Yeomi-gwan" is also used for the poster of My Tutor Friend.

Ahn Jae-mo, who has previously acted in minor roles in films like My Wife is a Gangster and The Humanist gives a much sharper image in the film, as sharp as Kim is described in Lee Hwan-kyung's original drama. This drama also gave Ahn a chance to transfer into a career as a singer afer spending weeks on the top as Korea's most popular male actor.

Foreign viewers may find it difficult in catching up without some background information on Kim Doo-han. It would be useful to recall the Son of a General series or films like The Anarchists before watching this drama.

Shoot for the Stars (2002/3, SBS drama special)

By temperament I find it very painful to watch self-defeating characters. I can't watch slasher films because of the "Okay, everybody stay together!" trope -- the cue, of course, for the characters to wander off alone into the jaws or blades of the killer. Shoot for the Stars is a romantic drama, with hardly a drop of blood shed, but it's structured like a slasher film, and before long I was climbing the walls.

Ku Sung-tae (Jo In-sung, Something Happened in Bali), a handsome aspiring young actor, has a dark secret: he's illiterate. But he can memorize almost anything on one hearing, so he relies on his managers, Han So-ra (Jeon Do Yeon, You Are My Sunshine) and her older brother Han Ba-da (Park Sang-myung, My Wife Is a Gangster), to read his lines to him. That means they have to stay with him constantly when he's working, but of course, to keep the story moving they keep wandering off alone. Then Sung-tae is confronted with a written text he can't read, he panics and runs out, and is told he'll never work again. He and his managers bow and scrape to the director and promise it'll never happen again. Sung-tae then exults: he'll become a big star and find his long lost adoptive family, from whose loving bosom he was torn at the age of six. And all is well, more or less -- until the next episode. Well before the midpoint of the series I was rooting for the monster, as I do when I have to watch a slasher film: get him! finish her off! rip them all to shreds!

The monster here is the model/actress Jung Yae-rin, who had been managed by Ba-da until she decided to hitch her rising star to Kim Do-hun (Lee Seo-jin, Since We Met), Ba-da's former partner and So-ra's former fiance. Do-hun swindles Ba-da out his life savings to buy his way into a CEO job with a production company, and dumps So-ra brutally. Yae-rin then blackmails Do-hun into taking her with him. Yae-rin is played by Hong Eun-hee, who went on to play the wicked stepsister character in My Love Patji. Her trademark is a mean, smug little smile whenever she's working her evil, the kind of smile you want to wipe off her face with a two-by-four. (Yae-rin has a dark secret of her own: she was a bar girl before Ba-da rescued her and took her under his ample wing. Known for his stinginess, Ba-da likes to brag that he never gives anything to anyone, but in fact he's almost pathologically generous to lost sheep like Yae-rin and Sung-tae.) As an added complication, Sung-tae and So-ra fall in love with each other, which has to be kept secret from Ba-da the overprotective big brother, and from Sung-tae's adoring fans.

Ba-da, So-ra, and Sung-tae keep lying to each other, for their own good of course, and withholding important information from each other, to protect them from being hurt of course, and every time it just makes things worse. But they never, ever learn, and can hardly wait for the next crisis, so they can lie again. The saving grace of the series is So-ra's old friend Lee Mi-ryun (Byun Jung-soo, Man in Crisis), a hardboiled hair stylist who always tells the truth and sees through every problem, often getting the others out of trouble when no one else can. (When Mi-ryun beats up Yae-rin, about halfway through, it's immensely satisfying.) But even she can't dig these losers out of their morass. Despite their best efforts at failure, though, they thrive and the series ends happily -- this is a TV drama, after all.

Despite all this, I couldn't stop watching Shoot for the Stars. One night I watched three episodes in a row (on DVD). The cast are all very good, making their doofus characters believable and sympathetic, even lovable. Jeon Do-yeon stands out, which is no surprise, but Park Sang-myun and Jo In-sung are right behind her. The setting is parts of Seoul that I know, and want to return to; the sight of snow falling in Myungdong, the skyline of Seoul seen from a rooftop at night, made me ache with nostalgia. The writing is tight and mechanical, like a windup toy that churns along mindlessly, with the actors giving it a heart.

Snowman (2003, MBC miniseries)

While the country was swept away by the 'All In syndrome,' a few other dramas were fighting to stay afloat during the super popular show's run. One of those was Lee Chang-soon's debut miniseries Snowman. Starring popular Piano (the 2001 hit SBS TV drama also starring Kim Hae-neul and Jo In-sung) lead and Kim Ki-duk favorite Cho Jae-hyun along with veteran Oh Yeon-soo, Snowman had the unenviable task of facing off with the gambling melodrama for the entire course of its running time. And while the show's first few episodes actually beat All In, it was only because Song Hye-gyo and Lee Byung-heon weren't introduced yet. In the following weeks, Snowman would slip further down the ratings chart, sometimes even under 15%. But stiff competition wasn't the only reason Snowman didn't attract the audience it deserved: a controversial plot is also to 'blame.'

The controversy came from the possibility of a love story between a young girl (Kong Hyo-jin) and her hyeongbu (Korean for brother-in-law, played by Cho Jae-hyun). And you'll understand that even in a less conservative society than Korea, this would still raise quite a few eyebrows. But Korean TV is not foreign to stories of incest, impossible love between brothers and sisters, et al. While this turned off some viewers, it's refreshing to see that they didn't play the 'jjaksarang' (unrequited love) storyline in a predictable way. PD Lee Chang-soon was able to make a compelling story driven by a coherent plot and well developed characters. Even an important event involving one of the major characters - usually relegated to the finale for dramatic effect - only ends up shaping that character's role in the drama much more efficiently.

Once again - just like in Piano - Cho Jae-hyun plays a cop, in a role that seems to fit him perfectly. Han Pil-seung is mature, but his conflicting sentiments often blind him into making mistakes. Also, this series is further confirmation of Kong Hyo-jin's immense potential. After her career making performance in Ruler of Your Own World, she's starting to get roles that show a definite maturation. Her Yeon-wook is rapidly becoming a woman, and in such a delicate moment she feels very much conflicted, and unable to decide between what society defines as common sense, and her sentiments. Kim Rae-won is effective as well, as the rich but kind hearted (which in Korean TV dramas is something that rarely goes hand-in-hand) Cha Sung-joon, Yeon-wook's other potential love interest. Veteran Oh Yeon-soo is, as always, very good portraying a familiar role, and there's a fine supporting cast including movie regulars Myung Kye-nam and Lee Dae-yeon putting the icing on the cake.

Perhaps what characterizes Snowman best is its refreshing change of pace from conventional fare, while remaining solidly footed in familiar terrain. This is nothing terribly original, but excellent acting and a strong script, aided by PD Lee's assured direction, allow Snowman to become the first highlight of the 2003 season. For casual fans, the finale is also 'fanboy proof' (another controversial issue, especially for fans of Kim Rae-won), and very uplifting. A great start for MBC, and hopefully the sign of more success for Kong Hyo-jin and Cho Jae-hyun, they really deserve it.

Attic Cat (2003, MBC miniseries)

Kim Rae Won fever can be felt everywhere in Korea after Attic Cat was broadcast on TV. Indeed, he has started received more advertising offers and his clothing and dress style which is copied from his role in Attic Cat have become popular among teenagers.

Kim Rae Won is Kyung Min, a law student who is taking his final year exams to become a prosecutor. His only aim in life seems to be wooing the beautiful Hye Ryun (played by Choi Yoon Jin), who has a striking resemblance to his dead mother. Due to a twist of luck, he realizes that Jeong Eun, played by Jung Da Bin, is a good friend of Hye Ryun, and he steps up to make a good impression on Jeong Eun, even agreeing to pay for her rent at the "ok tap bang" (rooftop house), hoping that he might score some brownie points in front of Hye Ryun. Unfortunately, he runs into some bad debts and gets chased by loan sharks. In the end, he moves into the attic roof house which he rented for Jeong Eun. Feelings grew between them although he is convinced that it is a pure platonic friendship between them.

Jeong Eun, on the other hand is a high school graduate trying to look for a job. She is optimistic about life even though she might be poor. When her family moves to another city, she decides to stay in Seoul and rents the "ok tap bang" which Kyung Min helped pay for the rent. Her spirited character also draws her boss's (Lee Hyun Woo) attention. The story becomes more complicated when her boss happens to be the guy that Hye Ryun likes. You can expect a tassle of attention seeking and backstabbing events.

The funny scenarios start when Jeong Eun and Kyung Min, who are living together, always have constant fights. When the situation gets out of hand, Jeong Eun will chase Kyung Min out of the house and Kyung Min will pack his things and leave. However, Kyung Min always returns and the two of them will compromise eventually. At some point, you wonder how many of such quarrels will have to go on before the plot takes a twist.

When things go wrong after Kyung Min's grandparents and Jeong Eun's family finds out about their cohabitation, a twist of events occurs which sees Jeong Eun leaving for England eventually.

Overall, Attic Cat (which is loosely based on an internet novel) is a fun and enjoyable drama to watch, and it has great onscreen chemistry between the two leads, Kim Rae Won and Jung Da Bin. Kim Rae Won proves himself as a potential upcoming actor in this drama. Jung Da Bin also proves her ability, after only appearing in minor roles before. The most wooden performance comes from Lee Hyun Woo. Acting as Hye Ryun's "oppa" (big brother, or older male friend), his performance never goes beyond the few facial expressions that he carries.

Summer Scent (2003, KBS miniseries)

Summer Scent threads along the same vine as its predecessors: Autumn Fairy Tale and Winter Sonata. Narrating the story of two lovers and their tribulations, it certainly follows the directing style of Yoon Suk-ho, who also directed the previous two dramas.

In this drama, PD Yoon is reunited with actor Song Seung-hun (Calla, Ice Rain), who also acted in Autumn Fairy Tale. Perhaps it was the previous chemistry which they had build-up together in the previous drama, Song Seung-hun could grasp the PD's requirements and expectations, and thus played the role of Yoo Min Woo well. Song Ye-jin (The Classic, Crazy First Love), in her fifth role in dramas and movies, also showed that she has grown up to become a more mature actress since her debut in 2001 in Delicious Proposal.

Song Seung-hun plays the role of Yoo Min Woo, an architect who lost his first love, Eun Hye (played by actress Shin Ae) in a traffic accident on the day of their wedding. Ever since that freak accident, he believed that he would never be able to fall in love again, until he met Shim Hye Won, whose personality bears a striking resemblance to his first love. However, like how most Korean dramas go, their meeting was not immediate, but rather coincidental in the mountains three years later. What made this story complicated was the fact that Hye Won, who used to be a sickly child with a heart problem, had a heart transplant with, gasp! Eun Hye's heart!

The complications do not end here. The story also threads on a sideline, where the lovers find it tough to maintain their love since Hye Won was already attached to Park Jung Jae (played by actor Ryu Jin), a charismatic eligible bachelor. Making things worse, Jung Jae's younger sister Jung Ah (played by actress Han Ji-hye) who is also best friends with Hye Won, is in love with Min Woo...

Just looking at the relationships alone, one can pretty much tell that it's a messed-up entanglement. What stands out in this show also is the beautiful scenery and lovely soundtrack. Using Calla Resort and the tea fields as a backdrop, one can't help but to admire the beautiful scenery too. An avid classical music lover myself, it was exhilarating to hear Schbert's famous Serenade been played in the background. Besides Serenade, the soundtrack also boasts a couple of great songs that went well along with the scenes in the show.

As for the performance of the supporting cast, Ryu Jin put up a good performance. Portraying a composed, sensitive new age guy, he has clearly done a good rendition of what is required of his role. Han Ji-hye was impressive in her debut performance too. She is natural in her acting. Perhaps this could be the reason as to the success of her latest comedy-drama, Narang 18 Seh.

Summer Scent is a good drama to watch. But compared to Autumn Fairy Tale and Winter Sonata, I personally felt that this was the least exciting of all. Perhaps this could be attributed to the slow start-up pace of the drama. However, the audience can expect a more tense atmosphere with each episode. The plot has its pretty ridiculous moments as well, especially the heart-thumping moments, which I felt were pretty preposterous.

Punch (2003, SBS drama special)

Punch is a drama about boxing. This drama stars Joo Jin-mo (Musa, Wanee and Junah) and Shin Min-ah (Madeline, Volcano High) as the two main protagonists.

Joo Jin-mo, after a four-year hiatus from drama production, returns to the small screen as charismatic boxer Lee Han-sae. An interesting character, Lee Han-sae is perceived as a playboy by others who do not know him personally. A nightclub king at night (he's the manager of a nightclub) and a college dropout, Lee Han-sae does take his boxing training seriously. In fact, he was so good that he managed to win a boxing title.

This could be said to be where the story picks up. Shin Min-ah plays Jang Yoo-bin, the sister of an inspiring boxer named Jang Yoo-chul who rivals the skill of Lee Han-sae. However, during the final boxing match, where the two are pitted against each other, Lee Han-sae wins the match, with Yoo-chul dying of complications from his injuries. Then, by some twist of fate, Han-sae and Yoo-bin fall in love with each other until one day, she realizes that he was the one responsible for her brother's death.

Although the storyline sounds typical and predictable, I felt that this was one of the best dramas I have seen for a long time. Using boxing as a background could be said to provide a breadth of fresh air, instead of utilising the usual parental disapproval as the main reason why they had so many obstacles in their relationship (think Winter Sonata, Romance).

The characters turned in great performances in this show. Joo Jin-mo was fantastic. It was refreshing to see him back on the small google box after seeing him in so many big movie projects. This regular "oppa" (big brother) role seems to be tailored just for him. Shin Min-ah did a good performance too, considering that she's relatively inexperienced in acting except for a few movie projects under her belt. A natural talent, she could be one of the actresses to look out for in the near future.

Sung Shi-kyung, who is more known for his singing abilities than his acting, also had a supporting role in this show. After watching his performance, one might feel that it would be better if he had just stuck to singing. As this was his first foray into acting, his stiff expressions and emotions were quite a pain to watch. Luckily, at the end, the show was still saved by the excellent chemistry between Joo Jin-mo and Shin Min-ah.