Drama-viewing update - Personal Taste

[dangermousie]

I am so sorry, Lee Min Ho, but once again, I love you a lot more than I do your drama. (Are you turning into Kim Rae Won? I adore KRW but half his dramas are horrifying).

Personal Taste isn't bad but my biggest problem with it is the same problem I had with LMH's previous - the heroine.

It must be an age thing - when I started dramas, years ago, I rather liked the cheerful dim heroine. But the older I got, the less that trope appealed and by now I find it very wearying. There are some exceptions (aren't there always?) but as a rule, a drama with a dim heroine causing all sorts of situations through cluelessness, isn't going to be my cup of tea.

Well, if the drama was an action/period/revenge/etc drama, dimness of the heroine might not matter much - I would always be able to fixate on other things going on. But in a romcom, a heroine is front and center and if she doesn't click, nothing does. Not to mention I am more forgiving of dimness in a teen heroine than an adult.

I can see why you want to make her clueless - it's an easy source for comedic situations and creating bizarre twists. But honestly - when I compare PT heroine to heroines of other dramas I am watching, she makes me roll my eyes.

Still, it's early days and Son Ye Jin is an excellent actress, not to mention most dramas take some time to find their groove. Please get better soon, PT. Cutesy isn't really enough.

Comments

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

She really is walking a fine line and is in danger of falling into Go Mi Nam territory. But then she does have some good moments (like with the chainsaw? I seriously did lol). But I wasn't overly impressed with the entire show for the first two episodes. Hopefully things will start to click.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am particularly allergic to late-20s helpless dimwit heroines because at least someone like Minam (or Jandi) were teens - there is hope they will grow out of it.

She really is walking a fine line and is in danger of falling into Go Mi Nam territory.

The moment she glues her fingers together, I am out :)

Seriously though - SYJ is a much better actress than Park Shin Hye (whom I like) or Gu Hye Sun (whom I don't). I think that is a huge part of the reason I haven't yet felt irritated enough to throw my hands up in the air. But part a certain point, there is only so much you can do within the parameters of your character as written.

The first 2 eps didn't win me over either. I won't compare it to Cinderella Unni or Dong Yi because - different genres, different rules, but when I compare it to the other 2 romcoms I am watching this season - Prosecutor Princess and Oh My Lady, its shortcomings are glaring. And I am not even talking about the heroine type (the heroines of OML and PP could eat poor Kae In for breakfast), but the pacing seems a bit off, and the main couple doesn't have zinger interactions (they don't even have to be romantic zinger interactions - earlier eps of OML had zero romance but I still enjoyed hero and heroine's dynamic even if it wasn't shippy at all).

But hopefully it will improve. Dramas often take 4-5 eps to find their groove.

Though if I am on ep 5 and it's still not working, I am going to shelve it - watching too many dramas as is.

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

SYJ's talents still shine through the character though. Like the moment with the miniature rocking chair as she remembers her mom. I've never seen her in anything before but I can imagine how powerful an actress she could be if given the opportunity. I think she's doing a nice job with Kae In... as far as she is able.

Glueing her fingers together would be pretty sad, especially since she builds furniture for a living.

the main couple doesn't have zinger interactions

No, not at all. They just seem to genuinely dislike the other person. Hopefully that will lead to some great crackling chemistry when the time comes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've seen Son Ye Jin in A Moment to Remember before (I was on a Jung Woo Sung movies binge) and she was lovely and heart-breaking and I have also enjoyed her in Summer Scent drama a lot (which I need to finish). I think she is mainly known as a dramatic actress so this was an unusual choice of a drama comeback role for her.

She is also gorgeous when allowed to have normal hair:



They must work overtime to make her look a fright.

Glueing her fingers together would be pretty sad, especially since she builds furniture for a living.

LOLOL never thought about it.

[weissman.livejournal.com]

But was Jandi really helpless or dimwited. I think she was just the opisite. She was sharper then she let on and a lot stronger. Isn't that was Go Jun Pyo saw in her

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

She was awesome in the first half. But in the second half she constantly needed to be rescued and cried all the time, IMO.

[weissman.livejournal.com]

I have a theory about BOF

The first half is about Jamdi and Jun Pyo actually coming together. The biggets oart of the conflict in the 1st half is both characters actuallt realizing that they are OTP.

The second half is about the obsticles that (Mosty by Jun Pyo's mother) That keep them from being together, and some of the characterizations take somehat of a back seat to that.

Jun Pyo realizes he loves her but only in the second half does he realize how much and to what lenghths he will go to both protect her and be with her.

[weissman.livejournal.com]

I will still probably give this a chance. I finished Brilliant Inheritance last night. That was definetly one of the bets I have seen.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I loved SI so much!

[att123.livejournal.com]

She kind of remiends me of the girl in Full House whose name is escaping me at the moment...
Right now she's kind of the typical scatterbrained K drama rom-com character. But I think more development will hopefully be coming from her. I just hope she isn't going to be a doormat, that is really hard to get over.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I really liked Full House girl but then it was my very first kdrama

[valkyriesailor.livejournal.com]

Don't recognize Kim Rae Won by name, and haven't seen Personal Taste yet, since no soft subs are out, but I'll still love Lee min Ho, no matter what. <3 Since the guy actually came to my dreams and gave me a kiss, I'm his loyal fan. ^^

I don't really get it. Is the heroine to energetic? Or is the problem her unsureness. Cause if it's the late, I can still feel with that, even close to 3X. Maybe it depends on how sensitive person one is - and with this I don't mean you don't care enough or something like that - but a really sensitive unsure person will be clueless in some situations even if grown up. I'm saying this cause of own experience, sadly. ~~"
But... since types like this are rare in this time, I can understand somewhat what you mean. It should be annoying to most people. Actually for me it's a bit of a salvation to see heroines with the same 'symptoms' I have.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

No, not energy or unsureness.

She's just dim - she jumps to (ridiculous) conclusions, doesn't stop and think and is just not bright at all and gets into messes. It's like if she thought for 2 seconds most of the issues would be prevented.

[valkyriesailor.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. That does feel lame if you're a regular drama watcher. But you know the saying: hope dies last. So I believe this will get better... if for nothing else, only to save LMH's carrier. ^^

[mishane.livejournal.com]

I'm really debating starting this. I've already got 2 romantic comedies on my plate (OML which I'm gonna start this week and PP) that I feel a 3rd will be too much, especially if it's not that good. And I saw that you said she jumps to conclusions a lot which is probably the drama trait that I hate the most.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like PP and OML much better but it's worth checking out, at least.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I have spent all my "cute and clumsy" allowance on Minam, also it is one thing when the clumsy in question is 30 year old . Is she in any way silly? I can do clumsy but silly annoys me to no end.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

She isn't too silly - just dim. If the distinction makes sense. She also causes situations...

I am not sure how to describe it.

[ethvren.livejournal.com]

i totally agree; the one and only reason why i stay away from personal taste is son ye jin's character. i can't be bothered to watch her and try to feel for the character. also, her stylist doesn't help.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That hair is horrific. Yikes.