Emotional reality (and lack thereof) in dramas - largely on My Fair Lady

[dangermousie]

So, I am all caught up with My Fair Lady (a.k.a. Taking Care of the Lady) - it really is like popcorn, easy to eat and before you know you've stuffed yourself, but ultimately on the empty side

Comments

[fivil]

What's the general reaction to this? Are people all a-squee over new YEH drama or more disappointed because it's not up to Goong/Coffee Prince standards? You never know with kdrama crowds. :D

[dangermousie]

From what I can tell, this has had a very mixed reception - people aren't keen on YEH's acting and overall drama. But it still does decently OK.

I confess my two biggest problems are personal pet peeves - (1) I'd like Haena better if she wasn't into making life hell for servants who have nothing to do with anything when she is pissed and (2) I find the whole concept of being a servant really repulsive on a visceral level unless it's a period thing so I spend the whole thing waning the hero to lead a Communist revolution :D

[fivil]

At least it's not the phenomenon BOF was!

I agree, in the modern world servants are always really iffy to me. Also, reminds me of this one wisdom I think I saw in a movie or something, that you can tell if somebody is a good person by the way they treat serving staff, servants, cleaners etc.

[dangermousie]

Exactly - I just cannot warm up to her when she seems incapable of empathy or even decency unless probed. Yeah, she will be nice to whoever she likes atm but it makes me think of what happens when infatuation fades.

[ambergold]

hmm. I can't decide whether to watch this drama or not. The first episode was so staged and overwrought and all the other bits and recaps I've read and seen just seem so empty. But at the same time I feel the visceral pull of it being a romcom with YEH and YSH. I wonder if I would like it if I started with ep 9, which everyone seems to be liking..

[dangermousie]

Ep 1 was by far the worst of the bunch.

Yeah, check out ep 9 anf see how you like it :)

[clairiere]

But none of the characters, with the possible exception of Moon Chae Won's character, feel like real people in MFL. Haena is a construct, a caricature, a collection of traits. And it's not just her, it's everyone. I adore Yoon Sang Hyun's character Dong Chan, but he does not feel like a real person - there is not enough of him out there for him to feel a human and not a character with a collection of scenes. He nails all his scenes but there is not enough cohesion for him to work with. And the less said about Jung Il Woo's nice lawyer, the better - the character is so thin, I am afraid he will disappear if he turns sideways.If the news reports from the press conference yesterday are any indication, that's pretty much what YSH & JIW admitted on record. That JIW's character is too perfect, that the plots are moving too fast for proper character development, that they're moving from A to B to C with no focus on the process/journey, etc. YSH sounded frustrated they're switching gears from rom-com to melodrama, and that he's struggling to

[dangermousie]

They were the ones who botched Daemul? All of a sudden everything makes sense. (I really was looking forward to that drama and that watched in horrified fascnation as it became a bigger and bigger trainwreck and finally fell apart).

Yeah, StS seems to be a steady, solid, "OK" performer - it has ratings in mid-teens and no on-set drama in the press. It could be worse.

[clairiere]

They were the ones who botched Daemul? All of a sudden everything makes sense.

The name (Lee/Yi-Kim Productions) didn't ring a bell, then when I looked it up, they were the ones behind the big scandals even I'd heard about last year, notably the producers/networks' hiring ban against Park Shin Yang. (They've also sued Go Hyun-Jung recently for breach of contract, ie. how dare she sign up for QSD when otherwise DaeMul might have had a shot.) Which seems to have spilled into the current mess with YEH. None of the networks were eager to offer a home for her next project b/c it meant dealing with Lee/Yi-Kim.

They make Group 8 look good.

Yeah, StS seems to be a steady, solid, "OK" performer - it has ratings in mid-teens and no on-set drama in the press. It could be worse.

It's underperforming, to be honest, but writer Choi Wan-Gyu has been overstretching himself for years & it shows. Used to be his name = (quality) entertainment (eg. General Hospital, Hur Joon, All In, Jumong), but since Lobbyist & a number of lacklustre productions

[dangermousie]

They sued GHJ because of Daemul? *rolls eyes* That's sure to attract actors to appear in their dramas. I've heard they were still shopping Daemul around and claiming it would be made, but that was some time ago. Pity, it looked interesting from the premise.

Re: Ji Sung. I've only seen him in Save the Last Dance (and All In, but I was all about LBH and SHK in that one and ffed through his scenes) and I liked him in it. I am one of 5 people who really enjoyed Lobbyist (with judicious fast-forwarding) but do hope IRIS is better - I could see how good Lobbyist could have been with better writing.

Re: JJW. I don't know why I am so interested in it, to be honest. I don't like any modern-day medical shows. But for some reason I am really fixated on it.

[thinking_lotus]

I am kind of enjoying watching it bit by bit on viikii. mainly for YEH, though. each ep has been getting better, but ... it started really looooooooow.

[dangermousie]

Yeah - I am viikiing it - not enough incentive to dl. YEH is gorgeous but this drama is a big meh for me.