I'm thanking myself right about now for making this silly blog. Because I was seriously lamenting the fact that I had no one to tell this to, and no forum I really wanted to post this in, and then I remember THE BLOG! ^_^
So I've returned to kdrama world. (yay!) I watched Heartstrings aka You've Fallen For Me last week (it was pretty mushy and ridiculous, but not horrific. The plot didn't do much, but I liked the characters enough to hang out - plus I liked getting to see Park Shin Hye not pretending to be a nun/boy-band-member). Then I decided to give the Hong sisters another shot (everyone gives them rave reviews, but they're a little iffy for me.... I loved My Girlfriend is a Gumiho once I got into it, but You're Beautiful was frustratingly addictive (but again, I had to really work to get into it, and I was constantly annoyed/distracted by how NOT boyish Park Shin Hye was - I've been thoroughly spoiled by Coffee Prince and Sungkyunkwan Scandal).
(These are both supposed to be girls dressed as boys. and this is just the face shot. If I had found a better full body shot, this would be an even more pronounced inferiority, as Park Shin Hye is one of the few Korean actresses out there who's actually got some T&A.)
I now get why the Hong sisters have the reputation they've got, and I finally think it's deserved. The Greatest Love is amazing. And it made me reassess their other dramas and realize that even when I was annoyed with something, it was with the actors or the acting, usually, not the dialogue or plot. I think the single greatest thing the Hong sisters have going for them is the ability to write a storyline that KEEPS MOVING. So many kdramas seem to pick one one problem and then beat. it. to. death. for 16+ episodes. With sisters' dramas, I never have any idea what's going to happen, and that's partially because things happen so quickly. (Which is awesome. They don't beat anything to death, except occasionally some second-male-lead angst, which is okay by me - there's got to be something out there to make you not like that second male lead so much.)
Anyway, I digress. The point of this post was actually just to mention that the reason I loved the main male lead in The Greatest Love, Dok Go Jin (Cha Seung Won), in all his quirkiness is that he is TOTALLY Korean Johnny Drama (if Johnny Drama were actually a successful actor). Same self-centered, egotistical dorkiness, complete with overacting and over re-acting. Actually, Dok Go Jin is more Johnny Drama + Ari Gold. (Seems impossible, right? Watch the clips. You'll agree, I swear.)
Johnny Drama is by far my favorite character on Entourage (took me 5 seasons to realize it, though). I think I really appreciate actors who can make ridiculous characters totally plausible. And I thank the Hong sisters for writing such a wackadoo character, and the director/producers for actually finding an actor who could pull it off, complete with some of the most ridiculous facial expressions I've ever seen broadcast. :D
