Success Story of a Bright Girl

In a year dominated by long dramas like Yain Shidae and Mermaid Girl, it was refreshing to see this little romantic comedy make its way to the top spots, and make its star one of the biggest attractions in Korean entertainment. Before this series, Jang Nara was a moderately popular singer in search of her first big hit. Fast forward almost a year, and here we are, with the country in full Jang Nara syndrome, with her records hitting record sales, and film offers piling up (she got a record 300 million won for her role in 'Oh! Happy Day' which is hitting theaters soon). Also, her father (stage actor Jang Myun-gyo a.k.a. Ju Oh-sung) has benefited tremendously from his daughter's success, recently being cast in 'Les Miserables.'

Yang-soon (Jang Nara) is a simple girl living in the countryside with her grandmother. She dreams of saving a prince from harm with her martial arts, and living happily with him ever after. Han Gi-tae (Jang Hyuk) is the president of a successful makeup company. He's the classic silver spoon case: spoiled, arrogant, taking everything for granted. His world changes when he accidentally falls in Yang-soon's bathtub (I'm not kidding you). It won't be her first meeting with Gi-tae, because she's forced to move to Seoul to work as a maid. Guess who will be her new boss?

Yang-soon's first contact with city life doesn't begin well. She's bullied at school, and doesn't connect with Na-hee (Han Eun-jung), Gi-tae's girlfriend. Thankfully, she also makes new friends. Seok-gu (Yoon Tae-young) seems attracted to her, and his sister Bo-bae (Chu Ja-hyun) actually becomes her best friend. But, even more surprising, Gi-tae seems to slowly warm up to her. When his career completely changes thanks to rival Joon-tae (Ryu Soo-young) and his father's behind the scenes intrigues, his outlook on life and Yang-soon's personality evolves. She's now the one who's actively trying to help him start his life from scratch, and make a better future for himself.

Yes, it all sounds terribly predictable, but don't worry. Bright Girl smartly takes its paper-thin plot and develops it around the characters, instead of shameless manipulation and/or ultra-convoluted plot developments. This might just be the funniest drama I've seen all year, because it never takes itself seriously. This positively affects the more dramatic portions of the series, so that they become actually touching. Also, while the characters are broad caricatures and follow the dichotomy of the genre, they're treated with such a lighthearted approach that it's hard to not be charmed by Jang Nara and company.

Displaying a quite impressive Chungcheong-do accent (at least from a non-native speaker's p.o.v.), she makes Yang-soon emerge from the walking cliche she seems at the beginning. Her stubborn insistence on only calling Gi-tae 'ajusshi' instead of 'oppa,' up till the end. Her devotion to her parents (no matter how often they get in trouble), and her manners perfectly convey her country girl upbringing, never mocking it (think of it as an affectionate tribute). Jang Nara might not be a great actress, but she has an addictive personality, a tremendous energy and screen presence which is evident from the first episode. Her chemistry with Jang Hyuk couldn't be better. He overacts a little too much, but most of the time that turns into laughter, too.

Bright Girl also benefits from good supporting performances. Kwon Hae-yo is always a pleasure to watch, no matter how small his roles are. He might just be the most underrated character actor working in Korea today. Yoon Tae-young and Chu Ja-hyun also make their characters likable and a little more realistic than the paper thin plot seemed to allow. Yang-soon's parents are a riot, and while Han Eun-jung shows little else other than her beauty, Ryu Soo-young is surprisingly effective as Joon-tae. His latest movie appearance in Summertime consisted of pretending to masturbate and having sex with Kim Ji-hyun, so that probably made his job in this series much easier to digest.

Despite the obvious flaws (this is not exactly an unconventional and terribly creative series), Bright Girl is really fun to watch. The characters are well developed and the performances very good. The manipulation never bothers, and it has a quick pace which will help even the most skeptic casual fan. In short, one of the funniest, most charming miniseries of the year. (Review by V. "X" Naldi)


Successful Story of a Bright Girl ("Myeongnyang sonyeo seonggonggi") Alternative title: "Joyful Girl's Success Story" 16 episodes. Written by Lee Hee-myung. Produced by Jang Ki-hong. Starring Jang Nara, Jang Hyuk, Han Eun-jung, Ryu Su-young, Yoon Tae-young, Chu Ja-hyun.

Winter Sonata

Another masterpiece by Korea's revered director, Yoon Suk-ho, Winter Sonata is the second installment of his famous four season series, the previous being Autumn Fairy Tale and the latest, Scent of Summer. Like its predecessor, Autumn Fairy Tale, Winter Sonata has a huge following in many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Its two leading stars, Bae Yong-jun (Untold Scandal) and Choi Ji-woo also gained international fame because of the series.

Bae Yong-jun takes up the role of Kang Joon-sang, an illegitimate child whose mother is an accomplished pianist. Due to his parental background, he is an introvert who does not like to interact with people, and often does not take the initiative to express himself. Even though his mother has told him his father is dead, as a child, Joon-sang believes that he is still alive. Hence, when he becomes older, he decides to return to his mother's hometown, where his parents were lovers, in a bid to look for his biological father.

Joon-sang then transfers to the high school where Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) studies. A couple of entertaining anecdotes then happen between the two protagonists and through these incidents, they grow to like each other. However, as Joon-sang investigates, he realizes that his biological father might be Yoo-jin's late father. Flustered by his new findings, he decides to leave. However, as he decides to rush to see Yoo-jin for one last time, he is knocked down by a car...

Meanwhile, as the rest of his schoolmates including Yoo-jin think that he is dead after the accident, he is in fact alive, but he has lost his memory. In a bid to let him lead a happier life, his mother decides to erase his previous memories and give him new memories with a new identity, Lee Min-hyung.

The show than fast forwards 10 years later, as Joon-sang and Yoo-jin have both grown up. Joon-sang returns as Min-hyung and as Chae-rin's boyfriend (Chae-rin was Yoo-jin and Joon-sang's classmate in high school, but later went to France for further studies). During this time, Yoo-jin was about to get engaged to her childhood playmate Sang-hyuk, played by up-and-coming actor Park Yong-ha. However, due to a twist of fate, Joon-sang and Yoo-jin meet again and become attracted to each other once more. As the fate of the four intertwines, the show goes on to tell of the enthralling love story between Joon-sang and Yoo-jin.

Winter Sonata is a captivating story. The chemistry between Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo is terrific. In fact, many people were so impressed by them that rumours surfaced that they were a real-life couple. Bae Yong-jun certainly impressed many with his gripping performance of Joon-sang and Min-hyung. This could be said to be his breakthrough drama, as it was through this show that he shot to great fame. Choi Ji-woo also proves herself as an A-list actress with her overwhelming performance as Yoo-jin. One of her scenes which enthralled me was when she was confronting Joon-sang, urging him not to fire an old worker. The feeling of urgency then topped 100%.

As for the supporting leads, Park Sol-mi did a good impersonation of Chae-rin. Park Yong-ha did fairly well, but acting alongside veteran actors Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo, he clearly showed his inexperience in this field. Finally, it would be almost unjust to leave Kim Hae-sook out of the picture. Acting as Yoo-jin's mother, her performance as the Korean "ajumma" added flavour and colour throughout the whole show.

Again, Yoon Suk-ho has proven himself as one of Korea's best drama tellers. With an impressive portfolio, many audience members certainly do look forward to his subsequent dramas. Winter Sonata is an original love story. It's definitely not-to-be-missed! (Review by Kit Lim)


Winter Sonata ("Gyeoul yeonga"). Alternative titles: "Winter Love Song" or "Winter Ballad" 20 episodes. Written by Kim Eun-hee and Yoon Eun-kyung. Produced by Yoon Suk-ho. Starring Bae Yong-jun, Choi Ji-woo, Park Yong-ha, Park Sol-mi, Lee Hye-eun, Ryu Seung-soo, and Kim Hye-sook.

Available on DVD from Amazon.

Autumn Fairy Tale

Autumn Fairy Tale was a major hit in 2000, directed by critically-acclaimed director Yoon Suk-ho. This series was so popular that it not only propelled the three leads - Song Seung-hun, Song Hye-gyo and Won Bin -- to stardom, it also helped Korea to become a popular tourist destination for many Asians. In fact, this was also the first series to really showcase Korean dramas internationally.

Some might find the storyline to be pretty sentimental, as it tells the story of an undying love between two siblings, although they are not related by blood. Song Seung-un is Jun-suh, and Song Hye-gyo is Eun-suh, who grew up together as siblings for fourteen years. Due to a traffic accident, Eun-suh is hospitalized and requires a blood transfusion. It is then that the parents of the two children realize that Eun-suh is not their biological daughter. As Eun-suh's father probes into the matter, he found out that two female infants were born in the same hospital the day Eun-suh was born. After much investigation, Eun-suh's parents find that their biological daughter is Eun-suh's classmate and rival, Shin-ae, who had suffered through a much tougher life. Shin-ae hates Eun-suh for possessing a much better material life. Also, while Eun-suh grew up with her parents' and Jun-suh's love, Shin-ae grew up with a rather uncouth mother and a very abusive brother.

When the truth is revealed, emotions overwhelm Eun-suh, and being the kind-hearted girl, she choses to return to her biological mother. Shin-ae, played by child actress Lee Ae-jung, leaves with Jun-suh and her biological family for America and stays there for nine years. The show than fast forwards nine years later, as Jun Suh returns to Korea with his fiancee. Jun-suh is reunited with Eun-suh, but alas, Jun-suh's best friend, played by up-coming actor Won Bin also falls in love with her. As the story moves on, Eun-suh and Jun-suh face many obstacles which pull at viewers' hearts...

When this show was broadcast on TV, the love story between Jun-suh and Eun-suh was deemed by many as incest, although they were not biological siblings. Song Seung-hun is charistmatic as Jun-suh -- I personally felt that he portrayed the role of Jun-suh quite well. Song Hye-gyo's portrayal of Eun-suh was also compelling. It was impressive to see her tearing up so naturally in the drama's many heart wrenching moments. The supporting leads, Won Bin (Taegukgi) and Han Chae-young (Bet On My Disco), who played the grown-up Shin-ae, also complemented the two leads well. However, I thought Han Chae-young was a little underused in the show. Despite the general thumbs up performance of the leads, the most impressive performance comes from the child actors. The teenage Jun-suh was played by child actor Choi Woo-hyuk and the teenage Eun-suh, played by Moon Geun-young (A Tale of Two Sisters). Despite the fact that Moon Geun-young was only 12 or 13 when she played the role of Eun-suh, she shows her caliber as one of the best actresses around. Choi Woo-hyuk also impresses the audience with his good acting skills.

With a good plot and great performance by the cast, Autumn Fairy Tale proves to you why it has such a huge following. Overall, this series is worth your every minute spent watching it. (Review by Kit Lim)


Autumn Fairy Tale ("Gaeul donghwa") Alternative titles: "Endless Love" or "Autumn Tale" 16 episodes. Written by Oh Su-yeon. Produced by Yoon Suk-ho. Starring Song Seung-hun, Song Hae-gyo, Won Bin, Han Na-na, Han Chae-young, Choi Woo-hyuk, Moon Geun-young, Lee Ae-jung.

Sandglass

I could tell you a lot about the historical significance of Sandglass: it's famous for its popularity, and for its daring depiction of Korean life under the Park and Chun dictatorships. Or I could dwell on its personal significance as an early part of my introduction to Korean popular culture, along with the movie A Single Spark and the music of Lee Seunghwan. A Korean friend brought over some of the early episodes on VHS, with subtitles; it was years before I was able to watch the whole series.

But I'd rather talk about its entertainment value. I watched Sandglass on DVD over a four-week period, one episode each night, and I was hooked before I knew it. I haven't gotten so caught up in a TV series since I was a kid.

Sandglass follows its three main characters from early adolescence to full adulthood, from the 1960s to the 1980s. Park Tae-soo (played by Choi Min-su) is a charismatic gangster, adored by the men with whom he breaks up opposition-party meetings. Flashbacks tell us that in high school Tae-soo was a fighter and leader, already wooed by local toughs and politicians. He briefly resisted his destiny under the influence of his close friend Kang Woo-suk. Woo-suk tutored Tae-soo and encouraged him to think about college, much to the delight of Tae-soo's widowed mother. But when Tae-soo was rejected by military college because his late father had been a Communist guerilla, he abandoned himself to a gangster's life.

Woo-suk (Park Sang-won) went on to law school, his goal since childhood. As he prepares for the bar exam, Woo-suk keeps aloof from student activism or anything else that might deflect him from his goal. But he's impressed by a bold young woman, Yoon Hye-rin (Ko Hyun-jung) who edits the Student Association's newspaper. They become friends. Flashbacks show us that Hye-rin is the daughter of a rich and powerful casino owner with ties to the highest levels of the Park Jeong-hee regime. A devoted bodyguard, Baek Jae Hee (Lee Jung-jae), watches over her in her student lodgings and her increasingly dangerous activism. By chance, Woo-suk once again meets Tae-soo, who is also impressed by Hye-rin. Woo-suk (who doesn't know why Tae-soo gave up his academic dreams) is disappointed to learn that his old friend is still on the wrong side of the law. When I become a prosecutor, Woo-suk warns him, I might have to prosecute you....

The most spectacular segment of the series is its recreation of the Gwangju uprising of 1980, which takes up most of two episodes. Tae-soo visits a former subordinate who moved back to Gwangju, and gets caught up in the resistance when government troops are sent in to crush the democratic protests there. He doesn't know that Woo-suk joined the army just in time to be deployed at Gwangju. Hye-rin has escaped arrest and has fled Seoul for the countryside. Archival video footage adds power and authenticity to the program's restaging of the rebellion.

Two-thirds of the series still lies ahead after Gwangju, but Sandglass (as its title implies) is really about time, and about Koreans' struggle to come to terms with their history. Tae-soo, Woo-suk, and Hye-rin must overcome their suffering and pursue their aims and destinies, which they do with great energy. At times I did get tired of Hye-rin's Poor Little Rich Girl routine, especially since her impulsive decisions tend to blow up in other people's faces, not hers. And Woo-suk is such a Boy Scout -- clean, thrifty, brave, reverent, blind to the feelings of the people nearest to him, and prone to give up when at first he doesn't succeed. Only Tae-soo, perhaps because he knows he's damned, seems to know who he is from the beginning, doggedly pursuing what he wants over all obstacles.

To their credit, the stars make their characters credible as people, not just symbols. I fell in love with all three of them, especially Park Sang-won, who I think had the hardest job. Woo-suk could have been an intolerable prig. His best scene is near series end, when he returns to his office after having been interrogated for days at KCIA headquarters. His wife finds him dozing in a stairwell, unhurt physically but exhausted, and too proud to let his colleagues see him in that state. Park really looks as if he hasn't slept in days; it's the only time he looks anything but buttoned-up and alert.

Twenty-four episodes allow space to develop minor characters as well. The inexperienced Lee Jung-jae, for example, who plays Hye-rin's lovelorn bodyguard Jae-hee, is at first given little to do but look pretty. But over time he becomes credible as a man who watches and waits, saying little, while keeping his feelings bottled up.

The Korean friend who introduced me to Sandglass tells me he's watched the whole series three times. I can understand why: as soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and watch it again. I'm lucky most television isn't this good. (Review by Duncan Mitchel)


Sandglass ("Morae sigye"). Alternate title: "The Hourglass" 24 episodes. Written by Song Ji-na. Produced by Kim Jong-hak. Starring Choi Min-su, Ko Hyun-jung, Park Sang-won, Lee Jung-jae.

Available on DVD from Amazon.

Welcome to Korean TV Dramas

Korean TV dramas used to not travel much beyond Korea's borders, but beginning in the late 1990s they began to acquire a strong following throughout east and southeast Asia, as well as in Hawaii, where they are screened with English subtitles. A great number of TV and film stars also owe their current popularity to the success of TV dramas. This blog is devoted to providing some subjective reviews of the better-known dramas.