Mischievous Kiss - officially most underrated drama of the year
I have just finished ep 5 of Mischievous Kiss and I am so ridiculously, madly in love with this drama. It makes me grin and feel warm inside and a little nostalgic and very very tender towards its protagonists - I can see bits of my long-ago teen self in both Hani and Seung Jo.
Its horrifying ratings are a total shame, not just because I feel bad for cast and crew who worked hard, but because I really think this is a hidden gem that deserves to be seen by more people. It's such a breath of fresh air - it's not makjang or melodramatic in the least - in fact it is perhaps the most everyday kdrama I have ever seen - there are no evil parents, birth secrets, amnesia, or high drama of any sort - no, it's just two normal relatable teenagers trying to grow up and figure out what they want in life. The events are big for the protagonists and full of meaning - passing a college exam, a quasi-date with a cute guy you like, talking over your future with friends - but they are the everyday things everyone experiences.
Unlike the twdrama, which I enjoyed but did not find in the least realistic, MK feels like it could be taking place right now in real life, somewhere out there. Both the protagonists have been toned down and made people you know in real life - Hani is not academically gifted but she is hardworking and no dummy (and certainly not desperate) and Seung Jo has been made (as several flisties brilliantly noted) into a real teenage boy - one who is very academically smart but is not sure what he wants or how to show it. It's just such a lovely lovely growing-up story.
I can see why it's not a huge hit - nothing horribly dramatic happens. But I love it.
In conclusion and on a shallow note, how ridiculously gorgeous is KHJ?
Its horrifying ratings are a total shame, not just because I feel bad for cast and crew who worked hard, but because I really think this is a hidden gem that deserves to be seen by more people. It's such a breath of fresh air - it's not makjang or melodramatic in the least - in fact it is perhaps the most everyday kdrama I have ever seen - there are no evil parents, birth secrets, amnesia, or high drama of any sort - no, it's just two normal relatable teenagers trying to grow up and figure out what they want in life. The events are big for the protagonists and full of meaning - passing a college exam, a quasi-date with a cute guy you like, talking over your future with friends - but they are the everyday things everyone experiences.
Unlike the twdrama, which I enjoyed but did not find in the least realistic, MK feels like it could be taking place right now in real life, somewhere out there. Both the protagonists have been toned down and made people you know in real life - Hani is not academically gifted but she is hardworking and no dummy (and certainly not desperate) and Seung Jo has been made (as several flisties brilliantly noted) into a real teenage boy - one who is very academically smart but is not sure what he wants or how to show it. It's just such a lovely lovely growing-up story.
I can see why it's not a huge hit - nothing horribly dramatic happens. But I love it.
In conclusion and on a shallow note, how ridiculously gorgeous is KHJ?