What Not to Wear - Kdrama Style

[dangermousie]

Our two examples of horror today are brought to you courtesy of upcoming kdrama.

First off, we have Son Ye Jin in the upcoming Personal Taste. Personal taste of any sort is clearly absent in the below:



Where shall I start? Is it the top-of-the-head ponytail, which should not be worn for anyone whose age reaches into double digits? If I saw a person on the street with a hairstyle like this, I'd certainly wonder whether they looked in the mirror...ever.

Should I mention the bizarre overalls? Once again, I didn't even know they made them in grown-up sizes. It does not make you look younger, it makes you look like you have mental issues.

The only people who should combine this hair and this outfit are either small children (who have no choice about what their parents inflict on them) or a farmer in a remote province who has no shops anywhere and had to buy something sturdy from a peddler who came by with only one garment to sell and also couldn't think of any way to get hair out of their face except for this one. This woman is supposed to be a well-off, white collar professional city dweller. Apparently with water on the brain.

Also, and in light of everything else this seems like a petty complaint, but would it kill you to brush your hair, lady? Maybe at about the same time you use a better hair-dye? And this shirt does not look like it's ever been washed - did you buy it in grey so the grime won't show?

It's as if she is desperately trying to see younger than she is but coming across as demented in the process.

Example 2 is from the upcoming drama A Man Called God. Whatever he may be called, a man with a fashion sense wouldn't be it. I won't even get into the bizarre curled pompadour which went out of fashion in 1984. Take a look at his companion - I have shirts longer than the dress. I am willing to cut the drama slack - dude's a hoodlum and this is his slutty gf, of course they'll look like this. But still, the hideousness (however appropriate) needs to be pointed out. They look like they are ready for a My Cousin Vinny remake.

Comments

[mishane.livejournal.com]

That last cap of A Man Called God is what convinced me to watch it. I know he's paired up with HCY but COME ON, falling in love with the daughter of the man who killed your parents?? TOTAL ANGST POTENTIAL!

LOL and I only wear my hair like that when I'm washing my face. Silly SYJ. Also, overalls? REALLY? I get the feeling they are trying to make her a really silly character and I'm so tired of clueless women in my dramas!! I don't think any of the upcoming dramas I'm interested in are going to have a very strong female lead, not even CU. :(

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think A Man Called God should have a strong female lead - she is an investigative reporter and a good one at that. She can't be too wimpy.

No idea on Cinderella/Oh My Lady/Personal Taste.

Dong Yi should have a strong female lead because I have yet to see a proper period drama that didn't. And Birth of the Rich heroine is awesome.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Birth of the Rich!

I didn't think Dong Yi would be a strong female; the way they made HHJ's character sound was pure and sweet. Oh My Lady seems like she'd be typical ahjumma (I'm still excited for it though!) and Personal Taste, well I thought she'd be tough but those promo shots say otherwise. I initially thought MGY would be a badass in CU, since she was supposed to be conniving bad stepsister, but the description is making her sound a little victim-y now.

I just miss my strong females. I want another Sujini or Song Joo from Capital Scandal; basically a female character who doesn't give a shit or goes against the norm. K-dramas have a lot of strong heroines but they're usually strong in a subdued way, I don't know if that makes any sense. Like, they're strong, but they don't make waves and usually bend to the male character at some point.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like ladylike but strong combination (Chuno is awesome for that - Un Nyun turned out to be crazy smart and awesome and if their rebellion succeeds it would only be because of her, but she is very quiet in her behavior) but I adore strong rulebreakers too. Hmmm, Birth of Rich may go that way. And you'll love IRIS - I think you'll like Kim Tae Hee's character (she is smarter than the hero! she pwns him in class and drinks him under the table and is scretly profiling him for her evil organization!) but you'll love Sun Hwa, the N.K. spy.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if I had a choice, I'd definitely go for a rulebreaker. It's the 'anti-establishment punk' in me. Like, when I first heard about Damo, I was excited because everyone said she was one of the strongest females in a drama and I'll agree that she was strong (in a way) but it KILLED me that she followed everything to the rule and was kind of subservient. It's strange, I'll usually go for the crazy bitch holding the knife and threatening people more than I would for the good girl saint.

YEP, I think when I watch IRIS, I'll definitely be ALL FOR Sun Hwa. From all the caps and scenes I've seen, she's definitely bad ass. I know I'll be shipping her with LBH. :(

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Well, both Sun Hwa and Seung Hee go rogue and rule-breaker in a big way, so you'll be happy :P

Like, when I first heard about Damo, I was excited because everyone said she was one of the strongest females in a drama and I'll agree that she was strong (in a way) but it KILLED me that she followed everything to the rule and was kind of subservient

I think most characters in period dramas (male or female) are this way. Sujini is a pretty rare exception (as is everyone in Hong Gil Dong but that drama was deliberately anachronistic).

[mishane.livejournal.com]

Sujini is pretty awesome. She's not even the biggest badass I've seen onscreen, but what made her my favorite drama heroine is that she commanded respect from her male companions. Like, she fought side by side with them and they didn't treat her like a princess, they treated her like an equal. GOD, I miss drama females like her. I really do.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know this is a really different genre, but have you ever tried Worlds Within (aka The World the live in). The heroine of that one is also someone who takes no nonsense from anyone - she is a female director in a field that is exclusively male and she has to cope with that and she is awesome and fierce.

First 2 eps are kinda odd but then it really picks up.

Or how about Lobbyist? It's a very flawed drama (the Engrish!) but the heroine is incredible - she is an arms lobbyist who is willing to sleep with clients to get her deal across, tough, emotionally not accessible, shoots like a pro, digs out bullets even better, has a vengeance quest etc etc. And the hero loves her for all of these, not despite it.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

I want you to do another Dramawatch thing and make it Worlds Within! That's probably the only way I'd watch it. :( I'm not a big SHK fan at all; Full House made me really dislike her.

Lobbyist is definitely a drama I'll watch someday, although I keep confusing it with Powerful Opponents (which I started a few months ago but forgot to watch).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's a very different character than Full House, I promise :)



Plus this:

http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/1632464.html#cutid1

I am still slogging through all the dramas I promised to watch in exchange for Bali but watchalong sounds tempting :P

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Apparently her character's supposed to be a total slob. I don't even mind SYJ's whole get-up as much as I can't stand her trying to look all cutesy and young. I mean wtf is that pose? You can be a slob at 30 without acting like a 10 year old ffs. I'm kind of convinced that her character will annoy the crap out of me. Who goes around looking for a gay bff just because their boyfriend was a jerk?

They look like they are ready for a My Cousin Vinny remake.
LMAO
Don't you love how his pants stop right above his ankles? Such a winning look.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Don't you love how his pants stop right above his ankles? Such a winning look.

It's like 'what are they doing to Song Il Gook?' They gave him a pompadour, bizarre clothes, and starved him. Are they pushing how far they can take it and have him still retain his attractiveness? WTF.

Re: slob. For one, slob doesn't have to mean dressed like a bag lady or a 5-yr-old. I am sort of a slob but I always wear clothes that look OK and I don't put my hair in weird contraptions.

Yeah, the pictures look like they are trying to make ker immature to compensate for the age and I hate that. I can deal with a 17yr old being immature - whatever, they can grow out of it if they are. But at 30, surely you should know better.

It's like they are trying to make her into Jandi Mark 2. I ended up loathing Jandi but at least the girl was supposed to be a teenager. SYJ's character has 10 years of experience on Jandi and she still is stuck in nitwit mode?

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I can't even look at Song Il Gook. He looks like he's been held in some dungeon and starved and tortured for 6 years straight. I don't get what they're trying to do to him.

For one, slob doesn't have to mean dressed like a bag lady or a 5-yr-old. I am sort of a slob but I always wear clothes that look OK and I don't put my hair in weird contraptions.
LOL ikr. I happen to be a giant slob but I still brush my hair and take showers.

It's like they are trying to make her into Jandi Mark 2.
Ugh I have a feeling it'll end up being BOF 2.0 but much worse because these characters are supposed to be adults.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He looks like he's been held in some dungeon and starved and tortured for 6 years straight.

I keep seeing comments talking about how sexy he looks and I wonder if these people are insane or are anorexia afficionados. I normally find SIG drop dead gorgeous but I might not even be able to deal with watching AMCG because I literally freak and feel uncomfortable when I look at his gaunt face - his cheeks are sunken in like a famine victim's. I can forgive the makers the tacky clothes and the bizarre hair but I can't forgive them for telling him to starve himself to death. The hell?

LOL ikr. I happen to be a giant slob but I still brush my hair and take showers.

Exactly. Slob might mean wearing comfy clothes or not cleaning the house or whatever. But among its many meanings it doesn't mean 'not wearing age-appropriate clothes.'

Ugh I have a feeling it'll end up being BOF 2.0 but much worse because these characters are supposed to be adults.


I am getting a BOF Mark 2 feeling as well - the more I see the more it is the feeling I get. I was, of course, thus amused to see dramabeans (yes, I still read her, it's like an addiction I cannot break) proclaim these stills adorable.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

He looks incredibly unhealthy. Those people might want to get their eyes checked. Anytime I see any regarding this drama I scroll past really fast because I can't even look at him because it's so depressing. I just can't understand why they'd tell him to starve himself. He looked perfectly fine before. I'm almost afraid that these stupid positive comments are going to encourage him to keep that physique D:

But among its many meanings it doesn't mean 'not wearing age-appropriate clothes.'
And you know she will act like a petulant 12 year old to go with the "image". Ugh.

I was, of course, thus amused to see dramabeans (yes, I still read her, it's like an addiction I cannot break) proclaim these stills adorable.
I can already picture her gushing about how wonderful this drama is even when it will most likely suck. I can't wait to see her fangirl over this and letting the unrealistic stupid scenes/plot points slide and coming up with some big wanky explanation/defence for them.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He looks awful. I mean, worse than Kame ever looked because at least those Johnnys are really slight to begin with.

I so hope he doesn't keep this look. *shudder* If I were his wife, I'd drag him to a buffet as soon as the drama shooting was over.

I can't wait to see her fangirl over this and letting the unrealistic stupid scenes/plot points slide and coming up with some big wanky explanation/defence for them.


It will be quite entertaining. I am sure it will be a much better drama than IRIS, Chuno et al :P

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

One reason I like Korean actors is because they didn't look anorexic like Johnnys.
The man looks scary and I hope he'll go back to looking hot once this drama is over.


It will be quite entertaining. I am sure it will be a much better drama than IRIS, Chuno et al :P
You know they will. I mean those dramas are ridiculous with their big budgets and stellar acting. Personal Taste has a straight flower boy pretending to be gay and a grown woman acting like a child. It's already got them beat!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Even though I knew I shouldn't have, I went and read the comments to IRIS2 casting thread and it was full of people saying how IRIS' plot sucked. Which I may have paid more attention to if these weren't the people who thought YAB and BOG were the height of subtlety and good writing and character development.

The man looks scary and I hope he'll go back to looking hot once this drama is over.

He should do a period drama. I've never seen anyone anorexic in that one.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Lol and I suppose YAB was highly original. Oh wait there are about 5000 manga that have the exact same plot and characters and those are much better executed than YAB. IRIS may not be my favourite drama ever but how can you say that it sucked or had awful writing/characters? They had some of the most badass characters I've seen in a while and the story had some great twists that kept you on your toes. That's why it got such high ratings. People enjoyed watching something that wasn't dumbed down and covered in sparkles. Sorry for the rant. It just annoys me so much.

He should do a period drama. I've never seen anyone anorexic in that one.
Heh that's kind of ironic. You'd expect most people to look gaunt in period dramas.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Crazy people at dramabeans were what moved me from being meh on YAB to loathing. Thanks, guys!

Heh that's kind of ironic. You'd expect most people to look gaunt in period dramas

They usually ARE about the upper-classes after all :)

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Ikr. I'm guess they'll stan for Personal Taste just as much.

They usually ARE about the upper-classes after all :)
That's true. I'd rather they look healthy regardless of their status than look the way SIG does right now.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL, true. Slavehunters in Chuno look pretty fed.

I want to know which drama is going against Personal Taste - ok checked and it's Prosecutor Princess and Cinderella Unni. Let's see which of these she is going to hate on next. My money is on PP - it stars people from IRIS and Chuno :P

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

It'll be so amusing watching her pick on anything that doesn't involve Lee Min Ho.

ETA

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

THAT is why she ends up having a gay roommate? Ugh. *rolls eyes*

I somehow thought the set-up was that she needed a roommate but (sensibly) didn't want to have a guy be her roomate unless he wasn't interested in ladies, and LMH's character was desperate for a place to live so he lied.

But it doesn't seem to be the case. For one thing, LMH is swanking about in expensive cars and now it turns out this is her reason for wanting a gay roommate? Ugh.

Re: ETA

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I somehow thought the set-up was that she needed a roommate but (sensibly) didn't want to have a guy be her roomate unless he wasn't interested in ladies, and LMH's character was desperate for a place to live so he lied.
That's what I thought too. It would have been so much better than this stupid crap.

I'm not even looking forward to this drama anymore tbh.

Re: ETA

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought too.

I could have sworn this was the set-up when the rumored cast was Joo Ji Hoon and Yoon Eun Hye.

Yeah, tbh, neither am I. I am excited for Oh My Lady but while I was even more excited for Personal Taste back way when, by now I am eye-rolling.

Re: ETA

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Sohn plays a woman, Kae-in, who meets Jin-ho just when she’s suffered at the hands of two douchebags and wistfully thinks that things would be better off with a gay best friend. Thanks to some fortuitous timing, she happens upon Jin-ho at just this time, and through a misunderstanding (which is mostly Jin-ho’s fault), she believes that he’s gay. Taking this as a happy coincidence, she welcomes him as her new roommate, and Jin-ho finds himself tangled up in a misconception of his own making. Shenanigans ensue! - article/stills on dramabeans

I think I'm only looking forward to What's Up because of the awesome writer.

Oh btw I don't know if you're aware but someone's been uploading viikii subs here and they've got Tamra (up to ep 10), Chuno (up to ep 15), The Reputable Family and a bunch of other dramas as well.

Re: ETA

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I will love you forever for this link!

Re: ETA

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

:D enjoy!

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

Yes. The stills for Personal Taste are terrible. I won't even try to pretend otherwise. Once I saw the hair my bs metre rose to record heights. I don't want the female lead to be a naive, annoying, 'silly' dolt but that's what these imply. Still, even with most signs pointing to FAIL!, I still plan to watch and I still have decent expectations. Fingers crossed.

AMCG: well,...no comment. Sadly, I see dresses that short everyday so I am not appalled or even slightly perturbed but SIK is not sporting a good look. The trailer like Personal Taste's stills made me cringe and SIK looks emaciated. :/ I wish him all the success in the world though, for all the starving and working out that he did, I want it all to pay off.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I desperately want PT to be good for LMH's sake, but after those stills I fear the worst.

Re: AMCG. I have no idea what drugs the makers were on to make SIG go through that. I both want this to have great ratings (so he didn't starve himself for nothing) but also don't want them rewarded for their insanity.

[littledelusion.livejournal.com]

I am so frightened for Korea's fashion future.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL - with outfits like that they may not have any.

[ifruity.livejournal.com]

After watching so many dramas, I've become immune to the hideous outfits. I think after watching Full House (which was my second drama ever), I was scarred enough that everything seemed pretty normal. I swear, out of all the dramas ever, Rain's clothes freaked me out the most.

I think Personal Taste is going for the Hotaru no Hikari-look. Maybe she's really professional outside, but when she's at home, she lets loose and gets lazy. Plus, rooming with a (pseudo) gay best friend must make you feel comfortable enough to wear anything.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Now you went and reminded me of the horrors of FH wardrobe. Yikes :)

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

I'm actually still looking forward to Personal Taste. I think they are just promo pictures and her outfits will be better. I have a feeling that she'll be wearing loose things at home, but look good out in the real world.


These new promos pictures make me think that Lee Min-ho might actually have the worse wardrobe. His pants just seem too tight and short.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMG his sweaters and pants! He is supposed to be faking gayness, not blindness.

But I am relieved by her wardrobe.