New K-drama Alert: Jealousy Incarnate Review

Jealousy Incarnate premiered a couple of weeks ago, and I went into it this weekend with a pretty clean slate. I hadn't watched any trailers or read any reviews beforehand, and I ended up watching the first four episodes in one sitting. And I fell in love. Then I started looking around at some of the early episode recaps to see everyone else gushing about it—and they didn't.

Here's why I'm totally in love with this show even if no one else is. I don't care what you think! I'll watch it ALL ALONE if I have to! (But please watch it with me anyway, okay?)

What it's about: Pyo Na Ri (Gong Hyo Jin) is a weather caster with dreams of becoming a news anchor. She nurses an unrequited crush on star reporter Lee Hwa Shin  (Jo Jung Suk) for three years, until he comes back from an assignment abroad to find that she's moved on to his best friend (Go Kyung Pyo). There are also a million side characters with very complicated side stories that it'll take some time to sort through.

Episodes watched: 4

Thoughts so far: I love it. I really, really love it. But I also get why others are skeptical. I went into this drama knowing that it came from the writer of Miss Korea, which, to me, is one of the most underrated female-focused K-dramas out there.

Many of the complaints I'm seeing so far revolve around a few main points: the unbelievably long and repetitive chest grabbing bit, the career women slapping each other, and Na Ri and Hwa Shin seeming like "typical" K-drama characters.

Honestly, none of those things bothered me all that much (okay, I maaaaybe shouted "Just TELL HIM" during those chest grabbing scenes) because Miss Korea did similar things at first. As longtime readers of this blog may recall, I actually had no idea what to think during the first few episodes of Miss Korea. Was it feminist? Anti-feminist? Thoughtful? Boring? Who knows? 

As it turned out, the writer knew exactly what she was doing, and she used that dissonance and confusion to flesh out characters who felt real instead of feeling like an after-school special meant to teach us all a clear lesson. I'm trusting the writer to do the same here. Even within the first four episodes of Jealousy Incarnate, what seemed like a weird slapstick gag (Na Ri awkwardly feeling up her colleague) led to several discussions on illness and masculinity in Korean culture. It also opened up some beautiful, quiet moments of emotional vulnerability between our leads, even though the show is only beginning.

Similarly, while I didn't love seeing professional women getting into a catfight at work, I trust this writer above most others to treat ambitious female characters with care and to give them satisfying arcs. It also doesn't hurt that Lee Mi Sook was an absolute boss in Miss Korea, and I almost squealed when I saw her reuniting with this writer.

Finally, while I can see critiques that Gong Hyo Jin's character is similar to her other dramas or that Hwa Shin is just a rude jerk, I also trust these actors. Say what you will, but Na Ri is no Master's Sun copycat. When she announced "Whether or not we kiss is up to me," I literally clapped my hands and squealed. She's downtrodden, but she's not a complete doormat. I also really, really like Jo Jung Suk's take on Hwa Shin so far. He always puts just enough conflict into his expression to show vulnerability, insecurity, and fear underneath his jerk-ish moves. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that he had feelings for Na Ri all this time. More flashbacks, please!

Dear Show: You sure know the way to a viewer's heart, don't you?

Yes, I was scratching my head for the first two episodes trying to figure out who all of the characters were and how they're related. No, I still don't really understand where hot chef ahjussi fits in. Yes, I might be giving this writer too much credit, and this drama might end up more like Pasta than Miss Korea. Only time will tell.

But for now, I'm happy to give these characters the benefit of the doubt. Tally ho, my lovely little love triangle!

Please tell me I'm not the only one loving it, right?

Where to watch Jealousy Incarnate:

DramaFever

New K-drama Alert: Jealousy Incarnate Review

New Drama Alert: Oh My Ghostess and The Time I Loved You

I am a solar-powered person, which means that anything and everything related to summer is automatically my favorite. As a result, I also love the light, breezy dramas that generally come out during the summer months.

Coco and I have a slight Mask obsession right now (so ridiculous, but so, so cracktastic), so I only have so many other dramas I can watch in between trying to enjoy as much sunlight as I possibly can before winter sneaks up on me again. Right now, the two options are Oh My Ghostess and The Time I Loved You, but I only have time to watch one. Which will it be?

Oh My Ghostess

Premise: A shy, painfully timid kitchen assistant (Park Bo Young) has a crush on her boss, a star chef (Jo Jung Suk). She can't bring herself to act on her feelings, but one day, she is possessed by the ghost of a virgin spirit (Kim Seul Gi) who is determined to get laid so she can peacefully pass on to the afterlife. 

Episodes watched: 4

Thoughts so far: If I believed in inserting emoji into blog posts, I would insert a face with hearts for eyes right now because that's how I feel about this drama. It's not exactly what I expected, but it's the drama I didn't even know I wanted until I saw it.

First of all, I already loved Park Bo Young and Kim Seul Gi on their own, but watching Park Bo Young pretend to be possessed by Kim Seul Gi is just another level entirely. She's putting in a jaw-dropping performance so far, and I love how easily she switches from one character to the next. 

Park Bo Young is the obvious standout, but the rest of the cast is equally talented. I've had a soft spot for Jo Jung Suk since he made me cry my face off in King 2 Hearts, and he suits this character well. Im Ju Hwan is pure perfection as the sweet guy with a potentially chilling side.

As I said, this drama hasn't been exactly what I expected so far. It took a while to establish the characters, and while I expected the outrageously funny scenes (of which there are many), I didn't expect the poignantly emotional side to the drama. In many ways, this is a drama about longing, and nearly all of the characters, even the minor ones, are fighting their own battles against loneliness and loss. There's a beauty in that thread of longing that connects all of the characters, and I look forward to seeing how (or if) they can fill that emotional gap for each other.

My biggest concern at first was that Soo Ae would continue to possess Bong Sun and that the ghost's growth would come at the expense of her host (also—it's not okay to use someone else's body to have sex against her will, right?!?!?), which is why I waited for a few episodes to post my initial thoughts. Now that we know Bong Sun is back, I'm excited to see both female leads progressing together. Now if only Friday would get here faster so I could see the next episode....

Where to watch:

DramaFever

The Time I Loved You

Premise: This is a Korean remake of the Taiwanese drama In Time with You, which just so happens to be the only Taiwanese drama I've actually seen. The series follows two best friends (played by Ha Ji Won and Lee Jin Wook) who gradually begin to recognize their romantic feelings for each other after being friends for 17 years.

Episodes watched: 4

Thoughts so far: It's difficult to talk about this version without comparing it to the Taiwanese version, so I'm not even going to try.  

I enjoyed the first four episodes just fine, and and yet...I just don't feel that excitement to watch new episodes.

I'm having a hard time pinning down why this series just isn't doing anything for me. I'm very much a fan of both slice-of-life dramas and best-friends-fall-in-love dramas, so the fact that isn't exactly action packed doesn't bother me in the least. I also like Ha Ji Won just fine and really like Lee Jin Wook (especially when he has so many chances to give longing glances), so it's not necessarily an acting problem. As far as comparisons to In Time with You go, I'm not someone who insists that remakes should be identical, and while I enjoyed the callbacks to scenes from the original, I also appreciate that they're trying to do their own thing. 

I guess the thing I'm missing between the Taiwanese version and the Korean version is a feeling of authenticity. As I said, I love slice-of-life dramas, but somehow The Time I Loved You feels too slick to give that comfortable feeling required to make a slice-of-life drama work. I constantly have the underlying feeling that somehow the writer (who apparently just got swapped out for a new team) was trying to take the Taiwanese story and mold it into our K-drama comfort zone. The result is that things that worked and felt natural in the Taiwanese version feel forced or ridiculous here. Sure, I wanted Da Ren to just confess his feelings way earlier than he did, but I understood why, given his personality, he couldn't bring himself to be honest, whereas I constantly find myself thinking, "That's it? Isn't there a birth secret or a dead best friend keeping them apart?" in response to Choi Won. 

The perfect example of the slickness in The Time I Loved You is the treatment of L's character, Ha Na's young, flirtatious coworker.  (Spoiler alert) In the Taiwanese version, Nic was a gay young man using his female coworkers to help him move up the corporate ladder. L, on the other hand, was only using Ha Na because his family desperately needed money, and his final scene hints that he had real, true feelings for Ha Na. Of course he did. Because adorable little L couldn't do something hurtful and selfish without a big, tragic backstory to go with it.

Even as I give these critiques, I want to reiterate that I enjoyed the drama just fine, I love the beautiful look of the drama (and its fantastic wardrobe choices), and I can see how it would be a light series to watch. I'm just bowing out. If I don't feel compelled to keep watching now, what are the odds that I'll ever get past episode 13, when everything inevitably gets extra angsty and ridiculous?

Where to watch:

DramaFever

Viki

Are you watching these two? What do you think so far?

New Drama Alert: Oh My Ghostess and The Time I Loved You

Partying It Up in the Palace: King 2 Hearts Korean Drama Review

I'm gradually working my way through all of the shows I should have watched back in 2012. After Nice Guy, I went back to something (at least initially) more lighthearted with King 2 Hearts. It seems like this series was somewhat polarizing.   People either loved it, or they kind of hated it.  My answer?  I agree!  With (almost) everyone!  With mad diplomacy skills like these, I deserve to be in the UN, right?  Because I could do a better job than most of the diplomats in this show, that's for sure.

Source

Loved It

The casting for this series was pretty spot-on.  I was kind of ambivalent about Lee Seung Gi after My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, and hearing that he was supposed to pay a king in this series wasn't a very strong selling point for me.  I'm happy to admit that I shouldn't have been such a Judgy McJudgerson.  Unlike many drama leads (and what I expected from this character as well), Prince Lee Jae Ha isn't cold and cruel.  He's immature and a little thoughtless, but he's also fun and friendly.  Lee Seung Gi was the perfect pick to bring lightheartedness to the front end of the series.

Ha Ji Won was a natural choice for the character of Kim Hang Ah, a North Korean assassin who finds herself engaged to the South Korean prince.  If you liked Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden, you'll love her here.  If you hated Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden, you might actually like her here.

As far as smart, strong female leads go, Kim Hang Ah is a solid contender for the top of the list.  Let's start with the fact that she's an assassin.  As in, she knows how to kill people.  As a profession.  Every time I started to forget that she was awesome because they dolled her up and locked her in the palace for a few episodes, she would save everyone's lives just to remind us that she wasn't just some docile, pretty face.

When we made that list of smart, strong female leads, I remember having a discussion about how most dramas require the man to save even the strongest women from time to time just to put them in their place.  Not so with King 2 Hearts!  Kim Hang Ah easily did the lion's share of the saving, and Lee Jae Ha knew it.

Oh, you want to kidnap Hang Ah and use her as helpless damsel bait?

That's a cute plan.

  

You assign a few soldiers to babysit Hang Ah?

Did you miss the part where she killed people for a living?

You want Hang Ah to stay safely at home during an international crisis?

No, thanks.

I have to admit that while I liked the casting separately, the two didn't have the best chemistry I've ever seen in a drama. On the positive side, at least Lee Seung Gi has improved his kissing since MGIaG, though Ha Ji Won seems to have gotten worse since Secret Garden.

The chemistry might have been a little off at times, but I liked the overall relationship development in the series.  I appreciate those little scenes where we see these two having fun together or supporting each other through tough times.  You could see that this relationship eventually went beyond attraction and moved into deep friendship. 

Even though I liked the leads for the aforementioned reasons, they weren't even the stars of the show for me.  All of the other people living in the palace were just as interesting to watch.  There was the queen mother, who might just be the most well-rounded matriarch in drama-dom, and then there was her daughter, who reminded me that Lee Yoon Ji really deserves to be the star of her own drama someday.

And then there was this guy:

At first, I was kind of meh about his character.  I figured he was just a boring pretty boy who would come in handy to create some jealousy.

I cannot overstate how fantastic Jo Jung Suk was as Eun Shi Kyung.  His character wasn't the flashiest one in the show, but it had a quiet depth that can't be ignored.  If You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin weren't eleventy zillion episodes long, I would be tempted to watch it just for him.  But seriously, ain't nobody got time for that!

The last thing that I really enjoyed about this drama was the political background.  Out of all of the imaginary South Korean monarchy dramas I've seen (and I've seen several), this was the first to consider what it would really mean to become the king of a small nation in our modern world. It was an interesting look at international concerns from a non-U.S. perspective.

Hated It

Okay, so with so much going for it, what could possibly go wrong?  Most of it boils down to John Mayer, the villainous magician/leader of the worldwide military-industrial complex. (I really, really wanted to tell a "Your Body Is a Wonderland" joke here, but I couldn't think of one, and then the moment was gone.  Curse you, John Mayer!) I get that the drama writers wanted to go for something new and fresh in their villain, but this just didn't work for me.  Most of his scenes just left me scratching my head and wondering how long it would take for him to finish his boring speech so that I could watch some more romance.  Blah blah I am king blah blah.  Seriously, man! Can't you make your evil plans in a more concise manner? 

Also, if you're going to be an eccentric billionaire magician, I expect some high-caliber tricks, not "Pick a card! Any card!"  You could tell that everyone was just clapping out of politeness.  Either that, or fear of his chocolate-eating sidekick. 

Releasing doves?  Really?  What is this--a 7-year-old's birthday party circa 1987?

This isn't really a huge complaint, but after watching some pretty painful American accents (Mr. Secretary of Defense, I'm looking at you!), I hereby volunteer to speak English in any future Korean dramas where they need American people.  You hear that, drama writers?  I volunteer! I can't help you with those awkward bilingual conversations where everyone magically understands everyone else, though.  I'm not a miracle worker, people!

(Spoilers) I felt like the last few episodes dragged onnnnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnn. Considering that John Mayer confessed all of his crimes every five seconds (including in front of UN officers), I don't understand why it was so hard to put him in prison.  If I accept the show's claim that his power was keeping him safe (which is possible), then I'm pretty sure a wedding wouldn't have been enough to keep him in pinstripes (because apparently the ICJ  believes in dressing criminals like 1950s cartoon prisoners).  Maybe this was a case of using all of the good villain-thwarting ideas too early and having nothing left once they got into the episode extensions.

Conclusions

Overall, I think the good outweighed the bad for King 2 Hearts.  Sometimes it was a crazy mishmash of tone, and they probably could have cut a bunch of stuff towards the end, but when a show makes me laugh out loud AND sob like a little baby, I feel like I can recommend it.

Partying It Up in the Palace: King 2 Hearts Korean Drama Review