POWERFUL OPPONENTS Ep 2: Comedic Klutzes and Tragic Scars
Episode 2 Review: Comedic Klutzes and Tragic Scars
Tonight’s episode is a more in-depth look at the characters and their inner struggles. Strong in its comedic aspects but never loses touch of its strong potential depth, Episode 2 delivers. Though, a little problematic with some of the characterizations, it still delivers a solid and engaging--- most of all, unexpectedly relatable story.
It starts off by getting your adrenaline quite pumped, action-filled mission, with loud bullets firing and ricocheting all over the place. Dead bodies fallen to the ground. Men after men taking shots to their chests. And I sat there going--- Wow! This is one real elaborate set-up. Overkill much? It was ridiculous and farfetched.
Where the hell are those SWAT ninjas coming from? How many baddies are they shooting? Why is the music being all “Die Hard” on me! Then, the moment Young Jin busts out a walkie-talkie on her own version of “gun-point”. What a shootout, and in that moment…
I lost it. I’ll let you figure out what happens afterwards.
I do understand that there would be some hesitation seeing Chae Rim as some bad arse agent with classic Ray Bans on, but I think this is one of the reasons why Young Jin’s character remains fascinating. There’s always a sense of comedy as she babbles on, walking around with her ponytail trying to catch up with burly agents towering over her.
She is hardly portrayed as someone who is faultless and ferocious in her tasks as much as Young Jin would like to think so… sorry, but not really. Her extreme hotheadedness, her awkward interactions, and her cheerful child-like smile every time she accomplishes something are things that bring us a very unique and captivating character. Chae Rim does not have to be Michelle Rodriguez to pull off such a role.
And this kind of temperamental shrew with a big heart is a great match to Gwang Pil’s very dry and straight-laced character. She’s all about yelping out. He’s all as-a-matter-of-fact speech. It’s like seeing Darcy and Bridget Jones with edgier DNA… and well, guns.
I have to admit the chemistry is sizzling; one of the scenes when they were pounding each other on the locker builds a lot of tension… good and bad, which makes it sexy as hell.
So here is Young Jin our heroine who has enough problems working with such a sexist and sardonic guy. Plus, she’s also trying to prove herself in the field she’s in. Her other ordeal is she also has to sort out her family life.
She deals with her dropout brother, her grandfather the gambler, and her father… whose life is all about dancing to Marc Anthony in his pink shirt, all while being the poster boy of a new breed of an ajumma killer.
Young Jin often shows her frustration with her family, if you notice most of her interactions with them are out of irritation. But deep inside her she has an Achilles’ heel for them. She does love them and it shows. Nothing says I love you like getting rid of the roaches in the dishes, or miraculously cleaning the despicable bathroom, or cooking their meals, or simply throwing her brother’s anime books. I do see a token breakdown scene coming on once she gets completely fed up, I wonder why the family seems oblivious of the damage that they are having?
We flesh out Young Jin’s character in this episode, a bit of a klutz, sassy, and at the same time shrewish, all these with a big heart she often hides. Most of her character points in this episode were all about comedy, which Chae Rim is very good at. Her kind of comedy is filled with subtlety. It’s with the way she delivers the lines, her meek reactions and most of all her timing that makes her scenes work. I’ll say it again she is pretty much owning this drama, making me believe all of this. Even though she’s a bit little she really is this clumsy and lovable agent named Cha Young Jin.
However, the biggest draw for Episode 2 is not in its rather comic ways but in the more “tragic” realm of things. It is really a mystery how Gwang Pil and the President are related. What was that manly hug all about? And what is Soo Ho’s angst all about? What is the history between Gwang Pil and Soo Ho? What is theaccident all about? Why does everyone but the president despise him?
Soo Ho is right now still a bit sketchy for me in terms of character, he’s the archetype bad boy, but it seems a bit off because I keep asking myself how old is this guy? Some of his antics, like the cliché switcha-roo of clothes in the hospital comes off as juvenile rather than a real intimidating or a destructive act. They also treat him like a kid most of the time.
His first meeting with Young Jin was filled with recklessness and blasé kind of arrogance, but it was almost like she is baby sitting him. Only thing that really saved this scene was when clueless Young Jin was berating the President!
There is a more redeeming aspect in this characterization, though. Soo Ho emerges later on as a deeper character when he finally sees Gwang Pil face to face after all these years. Both Lee Jin Wook and Lee Jong Hyuk were both excellent in this scene. Lee Jin Wook as I expected portrayed the more angst-ridden scenes with more emotion, and Lee Jong Hyuk’s dark eyes did not only speak for him, but screamed it all out for him.
I am still on the fence about Soo Ho, I may speculate that Gwang Pil has done something more. The scars are deeper than what we see all along. I find it odd that a twenty-something guy is acting like he’s in high school, his experiences with Gwang Pil may have caused something for him to act like so or even push him under these circumstances. I just wish the director doesn’t go too campy on this bad boy archetype, a little bit of subtlety may help with this guy’s characterization.
Despite my slight complaints on the character layout, the episode still delivered and entertained. Let me just say the little graphics and the opening credits in the middle really hypes me up and sets me in the mood for the story. The drama has the right ingredients of a good cast (ZOMG Mr. Hulk from Robbers!), a well-paced story, humor, and wit. But it’s not just your typical popcorn fare, what I like about this is I am discovering a story about three underdogs, three people who have to overcome their inner struggles that will develop into a very intriguing love triangle. So far, Chae Rim and Lee Jong Hyuk have exploding chemistry, but we have yet to see Soo Ho and Young Jin have some development. So far the right combination of tongue-and-cheek fun and at the same time possessing great meaning is what makes “Powerful Opponents” really stand out.
Tonight’s episode is a more in-depth look at the characters and their inner struggles. Strong in its comedic aspects but never loses touch of its strong potential depth, Episode 2 delivers. Though, a little problematic with some of the characterizations, it still delivers a solid and engaging--- most of all, unexpectedly relatable story.
It starts off by getting your adrenaline quite pumped, action-filled mission, with loud bullets firing and ricocheting all over the place. Dead bodies fallen to the ground. Men after men taking shots to their chests. And I sat there going--- Wow! This is one real elaborate set-up. Overkill much? It was ridiculous and farfetched.
Where the hell are those SWAT ninjas coming from? How many baddies are they shooting? Why is the music being all “Die Hard” on me! Then, the moment Young Jin busts out a walkie-talkie on her own version of “gun-point”. What a shootout, and in that moment…
I lost it. I’ll let you figure out what happens afterwards.
I do understand that there would be some hesitation seeing Chae Rim as some bad arse agent with classic Ray Bans on, but I think this is one of the reasons why Young Jin’s character remains fascinating. There’s always a sense of comedy as she babbles on, walking around with her ponytail trying to catch up with burly agents towering over her.
She is hardly portrayed as someone who is faultless and ferocious in her tasks as much as Young Jin would like to think so… sorry, but not really. Her extreme hotheadedness, her awkward interactions, and her cheerful child-like smile every time she accomplishes something are things that bring us a very unique and captivating character. Chae Rim does not have to be Michelle Rodriguez to pull off such a role.
And this kind of temperamental shrew with a big heart is a great match to Gwang Pil’s very dry and straight-laced character. She’s all about yelping out. He’s all as-a-matter-of-fact speech. It’s like seeing Darcy and Bridget Jones with edgier DNA… and well, guns.
I have to admit the chemistry is sizzling; one of the scenes when they were pounding each other on the locker builds a lot of tension… good and bad, which makes it sexy as hell.
So here is Young Jin our heroine who has enough problems working with such a sexist and sardonic guy. Plus, she’s also trying to prove herself in the field she’s in. Her other ordeal is she also has to sort out her family life.
She deals with her dropout brother, her grandfather the gambler, and her father… whose life is all about dancing to Marc Anthony in his pink shirt, all while being the poster boy of a new breed of an ajumma killer.
Young Jin often shows her frustration with her family, if you notice most of her interactions with them are out of irritation. But deep inside her she has an Achilles’ heel for them. She does love them and it shows. Nothing says I love you like getting rid of the roaches in the dishes, or miraculously cleaning the despicable bathroom, or cooking their meals, or simply throwing her brother’s anime books. I do see a token breakdown scene coming on once she gets completely fed up, I wonder why the family seems oblivious of the damage that they are having?
We flesh out Young Jin’s character in this episode, a bit of a klutz, sassy, and at the same time shrewish, all these with a big heart she often hides. Most of her character points in this episode were all about comedy, which Chae Rim is very good at. Her kind of comedy is filled with subtlety. It’s with the way she delivers the lines, her meek reactions and most of all her timing that makes her scenes work. I’ll say it again she is pretty much owning this drama, making me believe all of this. Even though she’s a bit little she really is this clumsy and lovable agent named Cha Young Jin.
However, the biggest draw for Episode 2 is not in its rather comic ways but in the more “tragic” realm of things. It is really a mystery how Gwang Pil and the President are related. What was that manly hug all about? And what is Soo Ho’s angst all about? What is the history between Gwang Pil and Soo Ho? What is theaccident all about? Why does everyone but the president despise him?
Soo Ho is right now still a bit sketchy for me in terms of character, he’s the archetype bad boy, but it seems a bit off because I keep asking myself how old is this guy? Some of his antics, like the cliché switcha-roo of clothes in the hospital comes off as juvenile rather than a real intimidating or a destructive act. They also treat him like a kid most of the time.
His first meeting with Young Jin was filled with recklessness and blasé kind of arrogance, but it was almost like she is baby sitting him. Only thing that really saved this scene was when clueless Young Jin was berating the President!
There is a more redeeming aspect in this characterization, though. Soo Ho emerges later on as a deeper character when he finally sees Gwang Pil face to face after all these years. Both Lee Jin Wook and Lee Jong Hyuk were both excellent in this scene. Lee Jin Wook as I expected portrayed the more angst-ridden scenes with more emotion, and Lee Jong Hyuk’s dark eyes did not only speak for him, but screamed it all out for him.
I am still on the fence about Soo Ho, I may speculate that Gwang Pil has done something more. The scars are deeper than what we see all along. I find it odd that a twenty-something guy is acting like he’s in high school, his experiences with Gwang Pil may have caused something for him to act like so or even push him under these circumstances. I just wish the director doesn’t go too campy on this bad boy archetype, a little bit of subtlety may help with this guy’s characterization.
Despite my slight complaints on the character layout, the episode still delivered and entertained. Let me just say the little graphics and the opening credits in the middle really hypes me up and sets me in the mood for the story. The drama has the right ingredients of a good cast (ZOMG Mr. Hulk from Robbers!), a well-paced story, humor, and wit. But it’s not just your typical popcorn fare, what I like about this is I am discovering a story about three underdogs, three people who have to overcome their inner struggles that will develop into a very intriguing love triangle. So far, Chae Rim and Lee Jong Hyuk have exploding chemistry, but we have yet to see Soo Ho and Young Jin have some development. So far the right combination of tongue-and-cheek fun and at the same time possessing great meaning is what makes “Powerful Opponents” really stand out.